The Goodness of Good Friday
Written by Pastor Josh Wamble
When I was growing up, I always found it odd that the Friday of Easter week was called Good Friday. It seemed strange to call the day that Jesus was crucified good. I remember wondering what was so good about that day. As I have thought about it, of course there is a very good reason to call this day, of all days, Good Friday. In fact, there are several reasons.
Good Friday is Good because in the Cross, We See the True Nature of Our Sins.
Different crimes are punished in different ways depending on their severity. Some only merit a small fine; others many years in prison. Our disobedience cannot be easily overcome, and our guilt cannot be cheaply covered. When we see what our sin cost our savior on the cross, we are forced to admit the depths of our fallenness and seek him for our forgiveness.
Good Friday is good because in the cross, we see the true nature of our sins!
Good Friday is Good because in the Cross, We See the Greatness of God’s Love.
God’s love for his people is nowhere more clearly seen than on the cross. In John 15:13, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. Paul expands on this in Romans 5. In verse 8, he says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And, in verse 10, he writes that this happened while we were his enemies.
Not only did God send His Son to die for our sins, and not only did Jesus willingly come to die for his people, but he did so when we were his enemies—when we were against him, when we didn’t want to be helped. God had every right and justification to leave us in our sins and corruption; yet, simply because He loves us, he chose to make a way to reconcile us to Himself.
Good Friday is good because in the cross, we see the greatness of God’s love!
Good Friday is Good because in the Cross, Jesus Won Our Forgiveness.
The cross was not an event outside of Jesus’s control. Jesus said that no one could take His life unless He laid it down, and that is exactly what He did. The cross was Jesus’s plan from the very beginning to reconcile the world to Himself. In John 19:30, from the cross, Jesus says, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Good Friday is good because in the cross, Jesus won our forgiveness!
Good Friday is Good because the Cross is not the End of the Story
Good Friday is good because there is more to the story. Jesus’s death is not the end of the story. Early in Jesus’s ministry (John 2:18-22), He predicted his death in a parable about the temple. After Jesus’s resurrection, his disciples remembered this and understood that He was talking about the resurrection.
Good Friday is good because the cross is not the end of the story!
