By As Christians around the world prepare to mark Good Friday, the day stands out as one of the most solemn yet significant moments in the Christian calendar. Traditionally observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday, Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ at Calvary a moment of great sorrow that ultimately laid the foundation for eternal hope.
Although referred to as “Good,” the events of that day more than 2,000 years ago were anything but pleasant. According to the Gospels of Matthew chapters 26 and 27, Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, unjustly tried, mocked, beaten, and nailed to a cross. For many, the use of the word “good” to describe such suffering might seem ironic. However, the answer lies in both language and faith.
Historically, the term “good” in Middle English carried the meaning of “holy” or “sacred.” Forms like “good,” “good,” and “guide” were often used to describe things of religious significance. The word “good” in Good Friday, therefore, is not a statement about the events themselves being morally good, but about their sacred and redemptive nature.
Churches across the globe mark the day with subdued services. These include the singing of solemn hymns, scripture readings, heartfelt prayers, and reflections on the suffering of Christ. In many congregations, the Lord’s Supper also known as Holy Communion is observed to remember the sacrifice made. In other traditions, worshippers wear black, fast strictly, and refrain from work, treating the day as one of mourning.
Despite the Bible not mandating the observance of Good Friday, many Christians find deep spiritual meaning in it. Romans 14:5 highlights the freedom believers have: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their mind.”
So what, then, makes Good Friday so profoundly important to millions of believers?
The answer lies in the impact of Jesus’ death. According to the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The crucifixion, painful and unjust as it was, became the turning point in humanity’s story providing a pathway to redemption and reconciliation with God.
“For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin,” Romans 3:25–26 (NLT) explains. “People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”
Good Friday is also a theological reminder that even when evil appears to triumph, God’s purpose still prevails. Jesus made it clear that His death was no accident. “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord,” He declared in John 10:18. And to Pilate, the Roman governor, He affirmed, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11).
In what seemed like the darkest day in history, a divine light was breaking through. As Isaiah 53:12 foretold centuries earlier, “He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Ultimately, Good Friday remains “good” because of what was achieved through it: forgiveness of sins, the reconciliation of humanity with its Creator, and the promise of eternal life. For Christians, it is not just a day of mourning, but a powerful declaration that love conquers all even death.
As the world reflects on the cross this Friday, the paradox of pain and peace, death and deliverance, continues to speak across the ages reminding all that from the greatest sacrifice came the greatest hope.
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