Good Friday is a day recognized in Christian tradition for reflecting on the events of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. But have you ever found yourself wondering, “Why is it called Good Friday?”
The question certainly makes sense if you think about it: Jesus was flogged, whipped, carried a cross, and eventually died the death of a slave by being crucified. Even more alarming is that Jesus didn’t deserve any of this. His punishment was completely unfitting and unjust because no human is more worthy of praise than Jesus. None of this sounds very “good.” Let’s explore why it’s called Good Friday.
Why is it called Good Friday?
“Good Friday” is a phrase that first appeared in the 13th century. This day has been given many different names, such as “Holy Friday,” “Great Friday,” and “The Passion of our Lord.” What we know is that almost two thousand years ago, the people who saw Jesus die would be asking the same question as you, “Why is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion called ‘Good’ Friday?”
There is a story in the Book of Genesis that can help us understand better:
A man named Joseph was the youngest brother in his family. He quickly became the favorite, which made his brothers very jealous, and they sold him to slave traders heading to Egypt. When Joseph arrived in Egypt, he had a bumpy journey that landed him in some trouble, then in prison, before eventually winding up in front of Pharaoh, the country's leader.
Joseph helped Pharaoh in some significant ways, and Pharaoh ended up putting Joseph in charge of a significant portion of the country. He even led the response to a severe famine that took over the land. In the midst of the famine, Joseph’s family traveled from their home to Egypt, looking for supplies and food.
And you guessed it, the brothers reach the front of the line, and Joseph is there. Except he is no longer a kid sold into slavery but a leader responsible for helping them.
At this moment, seeing his brothers for the first time in a long time, Joseph says one of the most profound sentences in the whole Bible:
“You intended to hurt me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20).
So, when you think, "Why is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion called ‘Good’ Friday?” The story of Joseph introduces us to a strange yet important idea: what people intended for harm, God intended for good. Said another way, “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).
Although we would never consider the story of Jesus’ crucifixion good in our own eyes, God had a much bigger plan in place, and it was working.
Good Friday is Good for a few reasons:
God’s good plans
When God created the world, he made it “Good” (Gen 1:3, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25, and especially 1:31!) We broke everything when we decided we could define and create that goodness for ourselves (Gen 3:1-9). Sin entered the world, completely separating us from God.
There are so many ways we’ve tried to reconcile our relationship with God, but there’s only one way that God made possible: “Through [Jesus], God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
God did not leave us to be lost and dead in our sin. On Good Friday, God reconciled his good relationship with us and good plans for us (Psalm 139:13-16; Ephesians 2:10) through the blood Christ spilled in his death. Christ died the death we deserved so we could have the eternal life only he deserved.
God’s good work
It might be easy to think, “Was such a brutal act necessary?” Death on a cross was something people could barely look at. Yet we can see that God was working in the midst of it all, letting us know how critical a perfect sacrifice was:
[Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)
At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
At one point, when one of his followers tried to protect him, Jesus stopped him and said, “Put away your sword, shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” (John 18:10).
Jesus’ death was necessary not only to reconcile you to God but also to show you how much he loves you. He wants you to experience his love (John 3:16-20) and grow in it (Ephesians 3:16-19).
We keep our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of glory. (Hebrews 12.2)
Good Friday offers us hope
It can be challenging to consider that hope can be found in a day of suffering. But consider this: Jesus can genuinely offer you hope through your suffering because he suffered himself, and he understands our every weakness (Hebrews 4:15).
Whatever causes the suffering you might be experiencing, God gives us victory through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Sin is the sting that results in death… But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
Did you see that? Be strong and immovable. Work enthusiastically. And know that nothing you are going through is useless. Even while suffering, God can bring something as meaningful as the salvation of the world.
So, “Why is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion called ‘Good’ Friday?” It’s not because what happened was good, but because God is good – and he definitely showed it on Good Friday!
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