Have you ever wondered what's so "good" about Good Friday (the day the church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ)? How depressing it would be if that were where the story ended! Thomas Jefferson edited the gospel of Matthew to suit his particular taste. He was a deist, which means he didn't believe in miracles, fulfilled prophecy, the incarnation (God in the flesh), or the resurrection from the dead. He only accepted the "rational" parts of the Bible story. So, the Jefferson Bible, which has clipped out the parts the deists did not accept, ends with Matthew 27:60 - "He rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed."

The deists revered Jesus as a great teacher, but not the risen Son of God. What is so rational, however, about revering the teachings of a man who claimed to be God's son and predicted he would rise from the grave if he did not in fact do those things? He would have to be either a liar or a madman! But, we Christians celebrate this Easter season (yes, we are still in Eastertide) because we know it doesn't end at the tomb.

Paul Harvey, the famous radio commentator, has a popular feature where he starts a tale that seems to be heading in one direction then turns in a totally surprising direction. Always, just before he begins that twist, he says, "and now, the REST of the story." For many, including the disciples on that first Good Friday, the story ends at the tomb. They don't believe in Easter. A good friend once told me, "A lot of people do what Jefferson did to the Bible, just without the scissors". I call them "Friday people". People who do not know the joy of a risen Lord. People whose lives are full of despair and hopelessness. Certainly, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, we are in a desperate condition (see 1 Corinthians 15:17-19).

But, "in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead…" (read on to verse 20-21). We must no longer live like Friday people - Sunday's here, and Jesus lives! We must no longer live like those who have no hope. No matter what problems we may have - no matter how dismal our situation - we can say, "Friday's here, but Sunday's coming!" If the tomb could not hold him from me, surely God will deliver me from whatever problems I face.

We are Easter people. People of hope. People who have seen victory snatched from the jaws of defeat; life snatched from the jaws of death. People who KNOW that He is risen.

Yes, once we walked in the path of hopelessness and despair - once we were Friday People - but that was THEN, this is NOW, and NOW we know the REST of the story.