Why do we call it “Good Friday?”

When I was a kid, every spring when Easter came I would get very frustrated. I knew the story, though I did not know the meaning, so I could not understand why anyone would call that Friday “good!” For me, it was like watching Romeo and Juliet, which I did. I would get so mad as I saw Romeo come to the grave, kill himself and then Juliet awakens and does the same! Maddening! I would sit and watch, and feel the anger inside as I saw the two young lovers miss the opportunity the priest had arranged. Each different Easter movie I watched, again I would become frustrated with anger on why Jesus would allow Himself to be taken, tortured and crucified. How could someone with so much power allow this?

Years later as I studied the Scriptures, I came to realize why we call this “Good Friday.” It was NOT a good Friday for Jesus Christ! Nor a good Friday for the enemy of our soul! On that Friday the Son of God, the God-man offered His life as a payment for the sins of every human being and set up the defeat of death and the devil!

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus, having lived a sinless and perfect life willingly offered it to the Father as a payment of our sins. That is why it is a “Good Friday!” It is good for us because He did what we could not do! I can die for my sins and be separated from God forever, but He could die for my sins and offer me forgiveness so I could spend eternity with my God. Remember when Jesus was approached by a ruler and he called Jesus “Good?”

Luke 18:18–19 Now a certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Jesus responded with a challenge to that man…did he recognize that Jesus was God? Only God is “good” in the truest sense of the word. That is why only God could take a horrible Friday and make it Good!

The amazing love of our Creator refused to leave us abandoned to our sin! God made a new covenant! Not with us and Him, but with Himself! The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit agreed together to pay in full the debt that sin had caused. We had nothing to do with it except being the cause for it! Now we either accept the gift or reject it. Every time I review that Friday I weep…but for two reasons. So sad that my Lord had to suffer like that…yet so glad that He did it for all of us! Have you made Good Friday…Good? God desires a relationship with you, accept His gift!