Why is it called “Good Friday?”

Do you remember statements in your life that made no sense at all? “Eat all your food, there are children in other parts of the world starving!” So if I don’t eat my food will they starve more…or if I eat ALL my food doesn’t that leave less for them? “Do you want a spanking?” Seriously? Is that really a yes or no answer? “Your room is the worst pig sty I have ever seen!” Can I ask…how many pigsties have you seen? Are you an official inspector of pigsties?

We humans are funny; when we communicate we can either make something clearer, or more confused. Even with our grammar – “P” as in phone…oh I mean “P” as in phenomena?  As far back as I can remember, from the point I understood what Easter was about, even though I had not yet embraced Christ, I did not under stand why the day Christ was crucified was called “Good Friday.” Why would anything that happened that day be good?

The definitions of good as many…decent, enjoyable, skillful, helpful, nice and benefit; on the surface only one aspect of that day could be called “good”. The Romans killed quite skillfully!

Good Friday, the term, is not in Scripture, just the event. Still, around the world this day is known, and even though some use other terms, all basically know what you mean when you say “Good Friday.” 

Where did the title “Good Friday” come from? The answer is clear…we don’t know! Early in Church history, believers kept Fridays as a feast day, especially the Friday before Easter. That Friday came to be known as, the Great or the Holy or the Good Friday. Some believe the German “Gottes Freitag” – God’s Friday, which then became Gute Freitag which is Good Friday in German. However, many Germans refer to this day as Karfreitag, which is Sorrowful or Suffering Friday.

I think the important question to be answered is, Why is “Good Friday” good to me?

As I think of it, the horrible abuse and death of my Lord is good when His light is shed on it! Consider:

Hebrews 10:4–7 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’ ”

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Good Friday is good because it accomplished what God the Father desired. Although it cost Him the greatest sacrifice, due to His great love for His creation He was willing to pay that price to offer redemption to all!

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

Hebrews 12:1–2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Good Friday is good because it allowed Jesus to do what He desired to do most of all, please His Father!

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

Hebrews 9:27–28 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

Good Friday is good because God kept His promise that sin must be paid for, yet to still offer forgiveness and salvation to all that desire it.

Colossians 2:13–15 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Good Friday is good because not only did Christ’s death pay for our sins, but defeated the enemy and put him to open shame!

  

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Good Friday is good because Jesus’ death destroyed the power of death and sin!

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Romans 7:24–25 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Good Friday is good because when Jesus died He removed the power of my flesh to rule me!

Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Good Friday is good because unless Jesus died, He would not have raised. He has shared His resurrection with us, which guarantees us victory!

I weep over Good Friday with tears of sorrow for my Lord and tears of thankfulness to Him! With the cost of sin in view, Jesus went through, what He through; so all of us would not have to! That makes “Good Friday”                        good!