Ryan Nelson
Around the world, today is a day to remember God’s sacrifice.
Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday, or Great Friday. In Germany, this same day is often called Sorrowful Friday. These drastically different names capture not only important aspects of Good Friday’s purpose, but also the dual nature of the emotions surrounding this day.
It is good indeed
To some, Good Friday may seem to be an ironic name; what could be “good” about the day humanity murdered the deity that created it? But to Christians, Good Friday serves as a reminder not just of the death of Jesus, but of the hope we now have because of it. We don’t experience this day like the disciples and Jesus’ friends and family did, because we already know how it ends. What starts with death ends with life, salvation, and restoration. The Faithlife Study Bible reminds us, “because of Good Friday, we can thank God for Easter.”
Spoiler alert: evil loses
Sorrowful Friday is right, too. On this day, the only perfect human being ever to live was slain for our imperfections. This day was the epitome of sin in the world, and it’s a painful reminder of the evil that still dwells on this earth. It’s still here, waging war against God and his goodness.
We know that evil will lose, yet some days it feels as if evil has already won—as if the one we put our hope in didn’t conquer the way we expected. Some of the things people experience every day can feel like defeat: the loss of a loved one, crippling financial burden, heartbreak, or depression.
But remember:
“[H]e was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”
—Isaiah 53:5
As Christians, we can have satisfaction and peace knowing that evil didn’t win. This is not the end. Easter is coming.
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Related articles
- The Triumphal Entry: The Pathway to Glory
- Did Jesus Go to Hell after He Died?
- Is the Word ‘Easter’ in the Bible?
- Palm Sunday, and Why the ‘Date’ Is So Significant
Related resources
- Mobile Ed: Jesus and the Resurrection Bundle (3 courses)
- Raised on the Third Day: Defending the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus
- Are You the One Who Is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question
- The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived
Faithlife Staff
Mark Ward
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