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!

What should be the Christian response?

Romans 8:36–39 As it is written, “For your sake, we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Can you imagine knowing that whatever happens, you will be in God’s hands? You do not need to imagine it! Christ has guaranteed it! We are the salt that can impact this pandemic!

I am sad to say a person that claims to be a believer posted a statement that Christians should go and hide, save themselves from these plaques. I have done all I can do to stay out of the political issues of this. BUT I must respond! We Christians are supposed to set the tone for how to handle something like this. Retreating to our "cave" and waiting for all to die is NOT what Christ called us to do! I am not saying be stupid, use your common sense, BUT don't seek protection and let everyone else deal with it by themselves! That is not why Christ gave you salvation! If you think eternal life is all about you...You Don't Know the Jesus that walked this earth, offered His life and died for sinners like me! 

In the year 249 -262 AD, one of the deadliest pandemics hit the world. Numbers are not exact but most believe 5,000 people died a day in Rome at the height of the outbreak.

How did most people react – Most pushed sufferers away and fled from even their loved ones, leaving them in the roads and leaving corpses unburied. They hoped this would save them from the plaque.

Dionysius said that Christians responded as though this plaque was schooling in the love of Christ! He said, “the best” among them honorably served the sick until they themselves caught the disease and died: Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. In spite of the danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life content they have been “Jesus with Skin on!” For they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains.”

There were two outcomes of the believer’s response to this plaque: the sacrifice of Christians for their brothers and sisters stunned the unbelieving world as they witnessed the unconditional love of Christ!

John 13:34–35 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

Also, the Christian sacrifice for unbelievers brought forth an exponential growth as unbelievers that experienced the disease also experienced the sacrificial love and care of believers for them and showed the love of Christ and they sought His salvation.

The So What: Is this the time to go and hide? You may not be able to do everything, but you can do whatever you do. I am immune-compromised because of an autoimmune disease, but I know the Lord has gifted me to encourage others. I have been sick for two weeks, a cold, not the virus, but I have tried to post something as often as I can to encourage folks. Don’t run and hide, use the gifts God gave you to help those around you.