But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
Why is Good Friday good?
Although no longer in use, in earlier times two definitions for the word good were “pious” and “holy” which led to the naming of the day of Christ’s crucifixion as “Good Friday.” This sense of it being a holy day is reflected in other traditions of the Christian church where it is variously called “Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday or Black Friday.”
Why is Good Friday good, holy, great, or even black?
As Paul draws his defence of the resurrection to a close, he reminds us of all Jesus has done through His death and resurrection:
- The entire human race was (and is) held captive by sin and death and when a person dies without trusting in Christ, they feel the “sting” of death: eternity away from the presence of God and Jesus. (verses 54 – 56).
- But God sent His Son Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sin and then three days later, He raised Him victoriously from the dead. Through the finished work of Jesus, sin and death have been destroyed utterly and Jesus’ victory has become our victory! (v57).
On the first Good Friday, just before He died, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Scholars call this “The cry of dereliction” and for good reason. For the first time in His existence, Jesus experienced what it meant to be cut off from His Father because of sin. It was not His sin – He was and is the sinless one – it was our sin. In that single moment, as God’s wrath against our sin was poured out on Jesus, He experienced the horror of what it meant to be separated from the Father – He felt the sting and power of death and sin.
In so doing, He became our sin-bearer.
When it was over, He was buried in a borrowed tomb, but three days later, “death was swallowed up in victory” when God raised Him from the dead and He now invites every one of us to share in His victory by placing our trust in Him as Lord and Saviour.
This is why Good Friday is good.
Q. Have you put your trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour? If you would like to, then pray a prayer like this:
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Please forgive me and cleanse me. At this very moment I trust You as my Saviour and Lord. Make me the type of person You created me to be. In Your Name, amen.”
Why is Good Friday good?
Although no longer in use, in earlier times two definitions for the word good were “pious” and “holy” which led to the naming of the day of Christ’s crucifixion as “Good Friday.” This sense of it being a holy day is reflected in other traditions of the Christian church where it is variously called “Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday or Black Friday.”
Why is Good Friday good, holy, great, or even black?
As Paul draws his defence of the resurrection to a close, he reminds us of all Jesus has done through His death and resurrection:
- The entire human race was (and is) held captive by sin and death and when a person dies without trusting in Christ, they feel the “sting” of death: eternity away from the presence of God and Jesus. (verses 54 – 56).
- But God sent His Son Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sin and then three days later, He raised Him victoriously from the dead. Through the finished work of Jesus, sin and death have been destroyed utterly and Jesus’ victory has become our victory! (v57).
On the first Good Friday, just before He died, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Scholars call this “The cry of dereliction” and for good reason. For the first time in His existence, Jesus experienced what it meant to be cut off from His Father because of sin. It was not His sin – He was and is the sinless one – it was our sin. In that single moment, as God’s wrath against our sin was poured out on Jesus, He experienced the horror of what it meant to be separated from the Father – He felt the sting and power of death and sin.
In so doing, He became our sin-bearer.
When it was over, He was buried in a borrowed tomb, but three days later, “death was swallowed up in victory” when God raised Him from the dead and He now invites every one of us to share in His victory by placing our trust in Him as Lord and Saviour.
This is why Good Friday is good.
Q. Have you put your trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour? If you would like to, then pray a prayer like this:
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Please forgive me and cleanse me. At this very moment I trust You as my Saviour and Lord. Make me the type of person You created me to be. In Your Name, amen.”