Why do we call Good Friday “good,” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating a day of suffering and death for Jesus?
For
Christians, Good Friday
is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be
the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since
Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and
resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation.
Paul considered it to be “of first importance” that Jesus died for our
sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day, all in
accordance with what God had promised all along in the Scriptures (
1 Cor. 15:3-4).
On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (
1 John 4:10).
It is followed by Easter, the glorious celebration of the day Jesus was
raised from the dead, heralding his victory over sin and death and
pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to him by
faith (
Rom. 6:5).
Still, why call the day of Jesus’ death “Good Friday” instead of “Bad
Friday” or something similar? Some Christian traditions do take this
approach: in German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or
“Sorrowful Friday.” In English, in fact, the origin of the term “Good”
is debated:
some believe it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.”
Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate
because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked
the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their
sins.
In order for the good news of the gospel to have meaning for us, we
first have to understand the bad news of our condition as sinful people
under condemnation. The good news of deliverance only makes sense once
we see how we are enslaved. Another way of saying this is that it is
important to understand and distinguish between law and gospel in
Scripture. We need the law first to show us how hopeless our condition
is; then the gospel of Jesus’ grace comes and brings us relief and
salvation.
In the same way, Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day
was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of
God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial
substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to
the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood
at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those
who trust in Jesus (
Rom. 3:26).
Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil
was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the
world from bondage.
The cross is where we see the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness.
Psalm 85:10
sings of a day when “righteousness and peace” will “kiss each other.”
The cross of Jesus is where that occurred, where God’s demands, his
righteousness, coincided with his mercy. We receive divine forgiveness,
mercy, and peace because Jesus willingly took our divine punishment, the
result of God’s righteousness against sin. “For the joy set before him”
(
Heb. 12:2)
Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it led to his
resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of God’s reign of
righteousness and peace.
Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good.
Justin Holcomb is Theologian in Residence at Mars Hill Church, where he also serves as Executive Director of Resurgence and the Leadership Development department. He is also Adjunct Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Justin wrote On the Grace of God. He and his wife, Lindsey, are the authors of Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault. He is also the editor of Christian Theologies of Scripture. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and JustinHolcomb.com.
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