As we’re in that time of our church year we’ve come to know as Easter Week, it’s understandable, if not expected, that you may have experienced a vast array of emotions.
And among those emotions, perhaps some questions.
For instance, if you’ve had the opportunity to read in the Gospel accounts where Jesus is sent to be crucified (John 19: 1-27; Matthew 27; Mark 15: 1-41; Luke 23: 1-49), or perhaps viewed the scene in movies like The Passion of the Christ, where the last hours of Jesus life in this world are described or shown in excruciating detail, one might naturally ask why Good Friday is called, ‘Good Friday.’
If you had talked with Jesus’ friends, family, and disciples on the day he died, they wouldn’t have said it was a good day.
Instead, they likely would have claimed it as a day when all hope seemed lost; evil and death seemed to have triumphed.
Good Friday is a solemn, significant, religious day of remembrance, reflection and sorrow, often marked by prayer, fasting, and abstaining from meat.
Christians believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice for humanity’s sins, saving mankind from eternal death and separation.
While the term “Good Friday” might seem counterintuitive given the tragic event, the word “good” in this context can also be seen as a reference to the word’s original Old English meaning, which is “holy” or “pious.”
Yet, regardless of its origin, the name Good Friday can also be seen as entirely appropriate because, terrible as the suffering and death of Jesus was, it marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sin.
It’s called Good Friday because through Jesus’ death, He became the final, complete sacrifice for our sins.
On our own, we cannot erase our sin, or do anything to save ourselves from eternal separation from a perfect, Heavenly Creator. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Our hands would have been forever stained with every single sin of our lifetime.
But Jesus broke the bonds of sin’s separation through His death and resurrection.
Christians believe that Jesus willingly sacrificed himself on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity, offering the path to reconciliation with God.
It’s called Good Friday because of Jesus’ sacrificial act on our behalf.
Three days after His crucifixion and death, just as He foretold, Jesus was resurrected and emerged from the tomb alive.
When Jesus ultimately visited His friends, family and followers, they would come to rejoice at the happenings of Good Friday, now recognizing that the forces of evil had forever been defeated, and death had been destroyed.
From that point forward, we’ve all been given a way to be free of sin; reconciled to our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ and granted the gift of eternal life in His presence.
Christians, therefore, also see Good Friday as a powerful testament to God’s love and mercy, as Jesus endured suffering and death to save humanity.
Good Friday signifies the values of reconciliation and forgiveness.
From the cross, Jesus prayed for God to forgive our ignorance in crucifying our Savior. (Luke 23:34)
Through his death, Jesus fully and finally bridged the gap between humanity and God, offering reconciliation to all who believe. (John 19:30)
Yet, in all of this, as Good Friday is upon on us and you reach out to friends and family, or see one another at services, it can sometimes be difficult to find the right words to say.
It somehow still seems inappropriate to wish others a “Happy Good Friday.” So, what is a reasonable greeting to share with others on Good Friday?
Here, perhaps, are a few options:
- “Have a blessed Good Friday.”
- “Blessings to you this Good Friday.”
- “As we remember the crucifixion of Jesus, may His teachings of love, forgiveness and redemption guide us always.”
- “Wishing you a meaningful Good Friday.”
- “May the light of Christ’s love shine upon you on this Good Friday and always.”
I imagine you get the general idea.
As we close this post, it’s also good that we remember another lesson from this week.
As Jesus and His disciples gathered for the Passover celebration meal in what would turn out to be the last supper, debates erupted over who would be at His right hand. Rather than place anyone in authority, scripture teaches us that “Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13: 4-5)
And then, He issued this mandate that each of us who have made the decision to follow Him must strive to obey. (John 13: 12-17)
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
May the light of Christ’s love shine upon you and be reflected through you on this Good Friday and always.
Right here with you,
Terry