By Jesse LeMay
The day after Thanksgiving pulls millions of
turkey-filled Americans from their homes and out into the retail abyss.
Motivated and dedicated, many deal-seeking shoppers embark on their endeavor in
the wee hours of the morning, braving the elements and crowds alike. Origins of
this tradition are as cloudy as the eyes of some of these determined consumers;
however, it symbolizes the day when many companies go from the red into the
“black” financially. Ironically, the first actual use of the term was seen on
September 24, 1869, and had to do with the crash of the U.S. gold market after
a majority purchase by two men named Jay Gould and Jim Fisk (history.com). That
day was “black” not in a positive sense, but in a negative. Despite the sorrow
of that Friday, there is one even darker in the vault of history.
Such a day is the day that our Lord was crucified. Luke
the physician gives us a detailed account of this event in his gospel. Just
after Jesus tells the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise, we read that
darkness fell over the whole land from the “sixth hour” (noon) until the “ninth
hour” (3 p.m.), “because the sun was failing” (23:44-45). There was no sunlight
for this three-hour period. A “Black Friday” it was, literally and metaphorically.
We know that the day was Friday, because Luke tells us that it was the
“preparation day” for the Sabbath, which was “about to begin” (23:54).
Metaphorically speaking, this day was dark and black because the only truly
innocent and sin-free man to ever walk this earth was put to death for a crime
that He did not commit. Not only that, but He was also crucified according to
God’s plan for those who have sinned.
As
heartbreaking as that is, it was according to God’s will. Many crazed shoppers
seek deals and low prices the day after Thanksgiving that they might not
normally find elsewhere. That being said, because of that fateful “Black
Friday” 2,000 years ago, every one of us has been offered the biggest and best
bargain that could possibly be given. A debt that was paid on our behalf, which
comes with the gift of eternal life. Such a deal can only be found in Christ!
