Good Friday?
“Good Friday” Just thinking about that phrase got me wondering. Why is it called good and how did that come to be? It seems odd to call this Friday “Good”, doesn’t it? Usually on a day when someone dies we don’t refer to it as good nor do we think of it that way. Yet for as long as we know it has been called such. At some level I think we all know the answer to that question, but perhaps we don’t often think about it. Below is a portion of an article that aptly answers that question.
In Christianity, God is holy and humans are sinful; holiness is incompatible with sin, so humanity's sin separates us from God. The punishment for sin is eternal death. But human death and animal sacrifices are insufficient to atone for sin. Atonement requires a perfect, spotless sacrifice, offered in just the right way.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the one and only perfect God-man, that his death provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for sin and that through Jesus, our own sins can be forgiven. Consequently, when we accept Jesus Christ's payment for sin, he washes away our sin and restores our right standing with God; God's mercy and grace make salvation possible and we receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. These beliefs explain why the date of Jesus' crucifixion is considered a "Good" Friday.
So without his death, the perfect atoning sacrifice for sin, we are lost and unable to attain that right standing with God. Though death is not often thought of as good, the death of Jesus was good… for us! Even better is Easter Sunday, the day He rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples. This also, is pivotal to our Christian faith. Without His resurrection there is no basis of our hope for eternal life. So today, Friday, is GOOD. Sunday, Easter Sunday, is great, no, beyond great, it embodies everything we could ever hope for. It is amazing and then some.
P.S. To read the full article written by Mary Fairchild please click here.https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-good-friday-p2-700773