Good Friday falls this week - the Friday before Easter Sunday - and commemorates the day Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sin of mankind as God had promised in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3).
In his syndicated advice column published Wednesday in the Bowling Green Daily News, world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham shared why Jesus' death was more important than that of any other famous person .
"For Christians, the death of Jesus is one of the most important events in history," Graham writes. "Paul declared, 'May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Galatians 6:14)."
Why, then, is Jesus' death unique? Graham says that first of all, it's because of who He was: God in human flesh.
"Throughout history tyrants and megalomaniacs have claimed to be divine - but only Jesus Christ truly was God, coming from Heaven and then returning to Heaven," he explains. "He proved it not only by His miraculous deeds, but by His resurrection from the dead. Jesus rightly declared, 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30)."
Second, Jesus' death was unique also because of what it accomplished, the founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said.
"His death wasn't that of a martyr; His death was that of a Savior!" he said. "He came into the world for one reason: to become the final and complete sacrifice for sin. We are separated from God, and we deserve only His judgment. But on the cross Christ took upon Himself our sins and our judgment."
Concluding his thoughts, Graham encourages his readers to make this coming Easter the "best you have ever experienced" by committing your life to Christ today.
"The Bible says, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved' (Acts 16:31)," he writes.
In an earlier op-ed, Graham explained why Christians call the day of Jesus' death "Good Friday".
"The reason is because Jesus' death wasn't a tragic mistake or an unexpected accident; it was part of the eternal plan of God for our good!" he said. "Jesus was the perfect, sinless Son of God, but on the cross all our sins were transferred to Him, and He became the final sacrifice for our sins."
He added, "If Jesus had never gone to the cross, you and I would have no hope - no hope for forgiveness, and no hope of ever being in God's presence forever. But because He died for us, we do have hope - hope for today, and hope for eternity."
