Tag Archives: Good Friday

Why It Is Called “Good Friday”

Posted on by
Reply

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It marks the day when the Son of God went to the cross and bore the sins of the world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2). Scripture states, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). This was not an accident of history but the outworking of God’s eternal plan. As Isaiah foretold, “the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isa. 53:6), and “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). Christ’s death was substitutionary. He died in the place of sinners, satisfying the righteous demands of God.

The event itself is recorded in all four Gospels. Though totally innocent, Jesus was arrested, unjustly tried, and condemned. He was scourged, mocked, and led to Golgotha, where He was crucified. While on the cross, He endured not only physical suffering but the judicial bearing of sin. During those hours of darkness, He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46), indicating the pain He suffered as He carried the penalty of sin. Finally, He declared, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), signifying that the work of redemption had been fully accomplished.

The term “Good” reflects the result, not the event itself. From a human standpoint, the cross was the greatest miscarriage of justice in history. From the divine standpoint, it was the means of salvation. Through that death, God demonstrated both His righteousness and His love. Paul writes, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The cross satisfied divine justice, making it possible for God to justify the one who believes in Jesus. Scripture states, “God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25–26).

Good Friday stands inseparably connected to the resurrection. Without the resurrection, the cross would be a tragedy, for “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). With it, the cross becomes victory. Scripture reveals that Jesus “was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God” (Rom. 4:25). The empty tomb confirms that the payment for sin was accepted and that eternal life is secured for all who believe.

For the believer, Good Friday is a time to reflect on the cost of redemption and the completeness of Christ’s work. Salvation rests entirely on what He accomplished, not on human effort: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). The proper response is faith in Christ. The benefit is the gift of eternal life. Let today be a good day for you. Accept the finished work of Christ and receive His priceless gift of eternal life. The matter is simple: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

Related Articles:

The Meaning of Good Friday

Posted on by
Reply

Good Friday is a day of paradox—darkness and light, sorrow and hope, death and life. At first glance, the day Jesus died doesn’t seem “good” at all. The sinless Son of God was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a Roman cross (Matt 27:26-31; John 19:16-18). The sky went dark, and even the earth trembled (Matt 27:45, 51). It looked like evil had won and hope had been buried in a borrowed tomb. Yet in that darkest moment, heaven was accomplishing its brightest work.

But Good Friday is good because God was at work in the world. The cross wasn’t a tragedy—it was a triumph (Col 2:14-15). Jesus didn’t die as a martyr; He died as a Savior (Matt 1:21; John 10:17-18). He took our place, bore our sin, and satisfied the righteous demands of God’s holiness (Isa 53:5-6; Rom 5:8; 2 Cor 5:21). He didn’t just suffer with us—He suffered for us (Mark 10:45; Heb 9:26). Peter tells us, “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). Jesus, the sinless One (1 John 3:5), died as a substitute for us—the guilty (Rom 5:8). His death was not partial or repeatable; it was final, sufficient, and complete. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, He satisfied the justice of God and opened the way for reconciliation. Sin had separated us, but the cross brought us near (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:18-19). Jesus died to deal with sin once for all, so that by faith in Him, we might be forever restored to a right relationship with God (Rom 5:1; Eph 2:13).

Good Friday reminds us that the worst day in human history was also the best day for fallen humanity. That rough Roman cross became the altar where the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It’s important because without the cross, there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:22; Eph 1:7). Without Christ’s death, there is no life (John 6:51; Rom 6:23). Without His sacrifice, there is no salvation (Acts 4:12; Heb 10:10). Good Friday means love acted (1 John 4:10), grace won (Eph 2:8-9), and God opened the door for anyone—yes, anyone—to come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. God’s Word states, “whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Let today—Good Friday—be good for you too. Let the work of Christ be applied to your life. Believe in Him as your Savior, and receive the free gift of eternal life He has for you (John 10:28; Rom 6:23). You’ll be eternally grateful.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

Related Articles:

What Jesus Suffered in the Hours Prior to His Crucifixion

Posted on by
Reply

Jesus Before the SanhedrinJesus loved the Father (John 14:31) and submitted Himself to do the Father’s will (Matt 26:39-44; cf. Rom 5:19; Phil 2:5-8), which included enduring the illegal trials of His accusers, as well as the eventual mockings, beatings, and crucifixion. All that Jesus suffered was prophesied in Scripture (Gen 3:15; Psa 22:16-18; Isa 50:4-7; 52:14; 53:3-12; Matt 26:67-68; Mark 10:32-34). God the Father was in complete control of the circumstances surrounding the trials and crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). Though unjustly attacked, Jesus knew He was doing the Father’s will (John 6:38; 10:14-18; 12:27; 18:11) and did not retaliate against His attackers. Peter wrote, “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet 2:23).

The four Gospels record the arrest, trials, mocking, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew, Mark and Luke refer to events taking place according to Jewish time in which the day ends at sunset; whereas John relies on Gentile time in which the day ends at midnight. A brief chronology of Jesus’ trials, mockings, beatings, crucifixion and burial is as follows:

  1. Jesus was arrested during the night—perhaps around midnight—and faced six illegal trials, three religious and three civil.[1] The trials must have happened relatively early, as they concluded “about six in the morning” (John 19:14 CSB).[2]
  2. During the religious trials, the chief priest and Sanhedrin tried to secure false testimony about Jesus so they might have grounds to crucify Him (Matt 26:59).
  3. Jesus was beaten in the face and mocked during His Jewish trial (Matt 26:67-68).
  4. After Pilate agreed to the demands of the mob (Matt 27:17-25), he had Jesus scourged (Matt 27:26a), and then “handed Him over to be crucified” (Matt 27:26b).
  5. Jesus was mocked and beaten by Roman soldiers (Matt 27:27-30), and then was led away to be crucified (Matt 27:31).
  6. Jesus was crucified by 9:00 AM (Mark 15:25).
  7. Jesus was judged by the Father and bore our sins on the cross from 12:00 to 3:00 PM (Matt 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44).
  8. Jesus died about 3:00 PM (Matt 27:46-50; Mark 15:34-37).
  9. Jesus’ body was placed in the grave before 6:00 PM (i.e. sunset) because the Jews did not want His body on the cross for the Sabbath (John 19:31, 38-42).[3]

The Jewish trials declared Jesus guilty, whereas the Gentile trials found Him innocent. Jesus was crucified by Gentiles because of the pressure of the Jewish leadership. The crucifixion of Jesus was physically horrendous and involved not only great physical pain, but also psychological anguish and social humiliation. According to William Hendriksen, crucifixion included “severe inflammation, the swelling of the wounds in the region of the nails, unbearable pain from torn tendons, fearful discomfort from the strained position of the body, throbbing headache, and burning thirst (John 19:28).”[4]

Dr. Steven R. Cook

Related Articles:

[1] Jesus’ religious trials: 1) Annas (John 18:12-24), 2) Caiaphas (Matt 26:57-66), and 3) the Sanhedrin (Matt 27:1-2). Jesus’ civil trials: 1) Pilate (John 18:28-40), 2) Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-12), and 3) Pilate (Luke 23:11; John 19:1-16).

[2] This CSB assumes John calculates events using Roman time (where the day begins after midnight) rather than Jewish time (where the day starts at sunrise). The ESV and NAU translate the Greek literally, “about the sixth hour,” whereas the NET and NIV translate it, “about noon.” If the sixth hour is calculated by Roman time, then it would be about 6:00 AM, and if calculated by Jewish time, it would be about 12:00 PM. This author favors the CSB translation.

[3] After His death, Jesus was resurrected on the third day and appeared to numerous persons over a period of forty days (Matt 28:1-10; John 20:10-29; 1 Cor 15:5-7). Afterwards, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). It is recorded that God the Father “raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:20).

[4] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, vol. 2, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 427.