Have you ever pondered “Good Friday” and what it was that made it so good? Why would that day ever be associated with the word, “good”? Do you know what happened on that day? It was a dark day – physically and spiritually. Luke 22:44 tells us,
“And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
Good Friday was Jesus’ last day on the earth in the flesh. He was crucified. We are told in 1 Peter 3:18,
“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, 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;”
And 1 Corinthians 15:3 confirms,
“that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,”
Galatians 1:4 also testifies that Jesus,
“gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”
It was just as Jesus had foretold. The day had come for Him to be crucified. Can you imagine the heartbreak and sorrow that overwhelmed His disciples, family, and followers! They had so many plans and expectations. They wanted Him to conquer the enemy and rule as King on earth. They wanted Him to stay with them, not leave them in death after just a few short years together. There was so much more work to be done. More people to heal. More people to save.
But He had come to do the Father’s will, and what was the Father’s will? It was to be a sacrifice for us – to provide forgiveness of our sins. Jesus paid a debt we could never pay. He said in John 19:30, “It is finished.” He breathed His last and heaven began counting to 3! Because even though the darkness of Friday was thick and heavy, Sunday was coming! And Jesus would prevail! There would be victory over death!
There were many reasons for that Friday to be called “Sad Friday” or “Bad Friday”, “Hopeless Friday” or “Despairing Friday”. Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and was taken to a borrowed grave. This was not a joyous occasion at that moment. The disciples felt sad and alone and it probably seemed as though God had gone silent.
Jesus had said it was finished, but He was just getting started! Luke 24 begins “on the first day of the week, at early dawn.” It was a sad Friday, and a silent Saturday, but Sunday was shining bright, as the Lord was alive and reigning! He was risen! He was not there in that grave. He was not laying there in grave clothes. He was raised to life just as He said He would be! Death had no hold on Him.
Many kings and rulers have lived and died on this earth, and when you visit their tombs and gravesites you will most likely find dry bones in their place. But we read in Luke 23:55 and Mark 16:1, 6, “the women who had come with Him out of Galilee”, these were “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome”, came to His grave and looked on the place where they laid Jesus’ body and He was not there. The greatest words in these Easter passages of the Gospels are: He, is, risen! Our King does not have dry, rotting bones in a grave. He is alive and well, sitting at the right hand of God and ruling! We serve a risen Savior! That ought to make somebody stand up and shout “Hallelujah!” That ought to make you happy!
Do you know the risen Savior? Did you know He died for you? He died to save you from your sins. He died for the forgiveness of sins and it was all part of God’s plan. Jesus wasn’t surprised that He would have to bear the cross for you and me. He willingly went to His death. He endured something you and I never could have done. He is the only sinless sacrifice that would do.
Romans 3:23 tells us, “all have sinned and falls short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10 tells us, “there is none righteous, not even one.” We like to think we are “good people”, but the truth is that our “goodness” will not get us into heaven. No amount of “good” in us will get us where the shed blood of Christ will take us. These verses tell us we are all sinners and fall short. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t get ourselves into heaven on our own merit. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us it is “by grace” you are saved, “through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” And left to ourselves, we will never make it because Romans 6:23 tells us, “the wages of sin is death.”
What depressing news huh? Well you know what is Good News? The rest of that verse says, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Jesus “who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” And Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” That’s His love for you and me! And the greatest news of all is that we can receive eternal life because Christ died for us!
Romans 10:9-10 tells us, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” It’s not just Good News, it’s GREAT news!! Salvation is the most important decision of your life. I pray if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you will search your heart and consider your eternal destination.
If you have a personal relationship with the Lord, you are part of the greatest family – God’s family! John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
I am so thankful to be part of God’s family. I placed my faith in Christ at the age of 25 and it has given me such peace and comfort to know I will see so many of my friends and family members in heaven! However, my heart is burdened for those I know and love who have not accepted salvation. Our time on earth will be the only time I know them and see them. And it brings me back to my original question: “Why is it called Good Friday?” Because if you are not a believer, if you do not have salvation in Christ, you may not see the “good” in that day. You may think Jesus was just a man who died and some of His friends and followers were sad. Yes, He died – for you. He died a gruesome, painful death, bearing your sins and my sins – the sins of the world – so we could be with Him and other believers in heaven for eternity.
Please don’t miss this. Please don’t keep going about your days on this earth without making sure your eternity is secured with Christ.
