Il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira hija jum importanti għall-insara. Madankollu, Il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira għandha fil-fatt tkun jum importanti għan-nies kollha. Għaliex tissejjaħ il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira, x'inhu hekk tajjeb dwar il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira? What happened on Good Friday that is so important for humanity will be discussed in this article.
What is remembered on Good Friday?
Nhar il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross are remembered. Issa, let’s look at the significance of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.
Ġesù Kristu, l-Iben ta’ Alla, came to the earth with a mission. Jesus came to restore what was broken in il-Ġnien tal-Għeden.
To understand why Jesus Christ had to be crucified, we must go back to the moment when man made a wrong choice and disobeyed God. Permezz tad-diżubbidjenza tal-bniedem lejn Alla, bniedem waqa’ mill-pożizzjoni tiegħu, and the relationship between God and man was broken.
What happened in the Garden of Eden?
God created man perfect and placed man in the Garden of Eden and gave man dominion over the earth. God had a relationship with man and walked with man. There was no lack, God had given everything man needed.
Madankollu, God gave one commandment to man. Man could eat from every tree in the garden, ħlief għas-siġra tal-għarfien tat-tajjeb u l-ħażin.
Man walked with God and obeyed God until the serpent approached and tempted man with his words.
The words of the serpent made man doubt the words of God.
Instead of believing God’s words and keeping God’s commandment, man believed the words of the serpent.
Man believed and acted upon the serpent’s words, whereby the mission of the serpent succeeded. (Aqra wkoll: Il-missjoni tax-xitan hija suċċess?).
Through man’s disobedience, because man ate from the forbidden fruit despite the warning and commandment of God, the earth was cursed. The relationship between God and man broke, and the spirit of man died and came under the authority of death.
The devil took dominion over the earth and became the father of fallen man
Through a lie, the devil took illegally man’s place and dominion over the earth, li oriġinarjament Alla kien ta lill-bniedem. Minn dak il-mument, the devil became the ruler of the world. The devil had dominion over the earth and became the father of fallen man.
Kulħadd, who would be born of the seed of man would be born in a fallen state and live under the authority of the devil and death in darkness, and after life on earth, enter hell; is-saltna tal-mewt (Hades).
Kien hemm (U għadu) no one excluded. Everyone would be born as a sinner and live in darkness, and when he dies, returns to his father and master, to whom he belonged and whom he served and obeyed during his life on earth.
God’s promise to restore what was broken in the garden
The Lord God said unto the woman, X'inhu dan li għamilt? U l-mara qalet, Is-serp qarraqni, u jien niekol. U l-Mulej Alla qal lis-serp, Għax int għamilt dan, int misħut fuq kull bhejjem, u fuq kull bhima tal-għalqa; fuq żaqqek tmur, u trab tiekol il-jiem kollha ta’ ħajtek: U se npoġġi l-għedewwa bejnek u l-mara, u bejn iż-żerriegħa tiegħek u ż-żerriegħa tagħha; Għandha tbenġil rasek, u int tbenġil l-għarqub tiegħu (Ġenesi 3:13-15)
Madankollu, God in His greatness and sovereignty had already a plan to restore (fejqan) what was broken.
Since man was tempted by the woman and the woman was tempted by the serpent, the Seed of the woman would bruise the head of the devil. (Aqra wkoll: ‘Xi jfisser, the head of the devil bruised because the heel of Jesus was bruised?)
The coming of Jesus the Christ
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. U kif Mosè għolla s-serp fid-deżert, anke hekk għandu jintrefa’ Bin il-bniedem: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, imma jkollhom il-ħajja ta’ dejjem. Għax Alla tant ħabb id-dinja, li ta lil Ibnu l-waħdieni, li kull min jemmen fih ma jitħassarx, imma jkollhom il-ħajja ta’ dejjem. Għax Alla ma bagħatx lil Ibnu fid-dinja biex jikkundanna d-dinja; imma biex id-dinja permezz tiegħu tkun salvata. Min jemmen fih ma jiġix ikkundannat: imma min ma jemminx huwa diġà kkundannat, għax ma emmenx fl-Isem tal-Iben il-waħdieni ta’ Alla (John 3:13-18)
Although God gave this promise immediately after the fall, it took many years before God’s promise came to pass and the Messiah came to the earth to redeem man from the power of the devil.
Ġesù Kristu, l-Iben ta’ Alla, daħal fuq l-art. He was born of the virgin Mary, li kien jappartjeni għall-ġenerazzjoni ta ’raġel li waqa’.
The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Ġesù, who was fully Human.
Jesus had to be fully Human, otherwise Jesus couldn’t have taken the place of fallen man and become their Substitute. (Mattew 1, Luqa 1).
Jesus grew up as the Son of a carpenter. When Jesus was approximately 30 snin, He began His mission.
Although Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, Jesus was baptized in water by John the Baptist. After His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him.
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness, where the devil tempted Jesus for 40 jiem. (Aqra wkoll: ‘Nagħtik l-għana tad-dinja’)
Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil
Although the devil succeeded in tempting Adam (Iben Alla) għad-dnub, the devil didn’t succeed in tempting Jesus Christ (Son of God) għad-dnub
After Jesus overcame the devil with il-Kelma, Jesus went to preach and bring the Kingdom of God to the people, li twieldu min-nisel ta’ Iżrael, u sejħithom għall-indiema.
Jesus preached and brought the Kingdom of God to the people and called them to repentance
Jesus walked after the Spirit as Son of God on earth. He preached and brought the Kingdom of God, u sejjaħ lill-poplu għall-indiema. Jesus healed the sick, keċċi d-demonji, prophesied, and spoke with authority, words of knowledge and wisdom.
Kullimkien mar Ġesù, He caused a commotion that often resulted in persecution, especially by il (spiritwali) mexxejja tal-poplu t’Alla.
Until the moment arrived, wherefore Jesus came to earth, which was to fulfill God’s redemptive work for fallen man.
The redemptive work of Jesus Christ would reconcile man back to God and restore the position of man on earth. Il-ħakma, li x-xitan seraq mingħand il-bniedem, would be given back to the (ġdid) Bniedem.
The sufferings of Jesus began in the Garden of Gethsemane
The suffering of Jesus Christ began in the Garden of Gethsemane. Since the garden was the place, where it all went wrong with Adam. Permezz tad-diżubbidjenza tal-bniedem lejn Alla, man was separated from God and fell from his position.
Ara, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men: So shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider (Isaija 52:13-15)
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not (Isaija 53:1-3)
After the spiritual battle and the victory through talb, Jude betrayed Jesus. The multitude of the chief priests and scribes took Jesus captive in the garden. They led Him to the high priest and then to Pilate.
Although Jesus Christ was innocent and didn’t do anything wrong, Jesus went through all the accusations, mockery, rifjut, kundanna, and the sentence to death, without defending Himself. Jesus stayed faithful and obedient to His Father until His death.
Dak li ġara fil-Ġimgħa l-Kbira?
Nhar il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira, Ġesù ġie mfellel, whereby the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled, that by His stripes we are healed. After the scourging, Jesus continued His way to Golgotha. On Golgotha, Jesus was crucified and sacrificed as a spotless Lamb and shed His blood for the whole of humanity.
Jesus took all the sins and iniquities of the generation of fallen man. He bore them in His flesh on the cross.
Żgur li ġarrab in-niket tagħna, u ġarrab id-duluri tagħna: madankollu aħna ma stima lilu milquta, milquta minn Alla, u milquta. Imma Hu kien midrub minħabba d-delitt tagħna, Hu kien imbenġel għall-ħażen tagħna: il-kastig tal-paċi tagħna kien fuqu; u bi strixxi Tiegħu aħna fiequ. Kollha li aħna nħobbu n-nagħaġ żbaljaw; dawwarna kull wie[ed fi triqtu; u l-Mulej poġġa fuqu l-ħażen tagħna lkoll.
Kien oppress, u Hu kien imnikket, madankollu Hu ma fetaħx fommu: Huwa jinġieb bħala ħaruf għall-qatla, u bħal nagħaġ quddiem min iqalla’ha hija mutu, għalhekk Hu ma jiftaħx fommu. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, u mas-sinjuri fil-mewt Tiegħu; għax Hu ma kien għamel l-ebda vjolenza, la kien hemm xi qerq f’fommu (Isaija 53:4-9).
“Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him”
Madankollu għoġbu lill-Mulej li jbenġlu; Hu poġġewh f’niket: meta tagħmel lil ruħu offerta għad-dnub, Huwa għandu jara żerriegħa Tiegħu, Huwa għandu jtawwal jiem Tiegħu, u l-pjaċir tal-Mulej jirnexxi f’idu. Huwa għandu jara l-uġigħ ta 'ruħ Tiegħu, u għandhom ikunu sodisfatti: bl-għarfien Tiegħu għandu l-Qaddej ġust Tiegħi jiġġustifika lil ħafna; għax Hu għandu jġorr il-ħażen tagħhom. Għalhekk se naqsamlu porzjon mal-kbar, u Hu għandu jaqsam it-tħassir mal-qawwi; għax ferra’ ruħu sal-mewt: u Hu kien magħdud mal-ħatra; u ġarrab id-dnub ta’ ħafna, u għamel interċessjoni għall-ħatra (Isaija 53:10-12).
How Jesus finished the redemptive work for fallen man
Jesus Christ became the Substitute for fallen man and carried fallen man’s sins and iniquities. He was made sin and a curse on the cross, which caused a spiritual separation between Jesus and the Father.
For a short period, Jesus was put below the angels. During that time, the devil and the principalities and powers of darkness reigned over Jesus. This became visible in the natural realm by id-dlam that came over the earth for three hours.
Jesus was made sin by God and accomplished His work at the cross. He shed His blood and died and daħal Hades.
This all happened on Good Friday and was part of the complete redemptive work for humanity, which consists of the scourging, mewt, dfin, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
If you would like to know more about the passion of Jesus Christ and the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross and salvation for humanity, you can read the following articles:
- Xi ħadd irid iħallas il-prezz!
- Il-lott waqa’ fuq Ġesù Kristu, l-Iben ta’ Alla l-ħaj
- It-tislib tar-ruħ
- It-tislib tal-laħam
- It-tbatijiet u t-tgħajjir ta’ Ġesù Kristu
- The battle in the Garden
- Għaliex Ġesù ġie msallab fuq salib tal-injam?
- X'inhi t-tifsira vera tas-salib?
- X'inhi d-differenza bejn is-sagrifiċċju tal-annimali u s-sagrifiċċju ta' Ġesù Kristu?
- Do Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
‘Kun il-melħ tal-art’
