What's So Good About Good Friday?

Good Friday, a most sacred day, commemorated by Christians throughout the world, preceding the joyous celebration of Resurrection Sunday—unfortunately, oft referred to as Easter Sunday. This celebrated day marks the moment when Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), our Savior and God (John 1:1), offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice upon the cross, that humanity might be redeemed.

Jesus, the Son of God, walked among His creation, drawing multitudes to pick up their cross and follow Him, embrace His healing compassion, and receive His mercy and grace. Yet among these many followers, a select few, the disciples, were His most trusted confidants, save for Judas Iscariot, the betrayer.

Though Jesus' disciples walked with Him, they did not fully grasp the divine plan until it was fulfilled. On the eve of that fateful Friday, Jesus gathered His disciples for the Last Supper. He instituted the Lord's Supper, declaring, "Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19). It was then that Jesus foretold the treachery of one among them, the disciple named Judas.

As the sun rose on Good Friday, Judas, driven by greed and darkness, betrayed Jesus with a deceptive kiss, delivering Him into the hands of the chief priests and elders (Matthew 26:47-56). Thus began a series of trials, where Jesus was judged by Annas and Caiaphas, and ultimately condemned by His own people for the crime of blasphemy. The Roman government, at the behest of these religious leaders, would carry out the death sentence.

Jesus, innocent and blameless, was presented before Pontius Pilate, who then sent Him to King Herod. Herod, in a cruel display of mockery, adorned Jesus in splendid garments (Luke 23:11) before returning Him to Pilate.

Herod questioned Jesus, hoping to witness some miraculous sign, but Jesus remained silent. In a display of mockery, Herod and his soldiers dressed Jesus in splendid clothing and then sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:6-11). Ultimately, it was Pilate who sentenced Jesus to crucifixion, succumbing to the pressure of the Jewish leaders and the angry mob demanding Jesus' death.

Pilate, unable to find any guilt in Jesus, sought to appease the enraged crowd. In accordance with Jewish custom, he presented a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, hoping the crowd would opt for Jesus' release given the criminal reputation of Barabbas. However, the crowd ultimately chose to set Barabbas free, showcasing an early example of Jesus' divine exchange—serving as a sinless substitute for a hardened criminal.

Thus, the Savior was condemned to bear the weight of His own cross upon the path to Golgotha, where He would be nailed to the cruel instrument of torture. There, He was taunted and abused by those who bore witness, until with His final breath, He declared, "It is finished."

But what, one might ask, could make this heart-wrenching day so good?

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15). The profound doctrines of Imputed Righteousness and Penal Substitution illuminate the true glory of Good Friday.

Imputed Righteousness, a cornerstone of the Christian faith, particularly among Protestants, proclaims that the perfect, sinless righteousness of Jesus is granted to those who believe in Him. For through His divine sacrifice, He accomplished what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do (Romans 8:3-4).

However, to bestow His righteousness upon us, Jesus took upon Himself the weight of our sins. This is the essence of Penal Substitution, whereby Jesus, sinless and pure, bore the full measure of our transgressions upon the cross. God the Father unleashed His righteous judgment, His wrath, upon His beloved Son, Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Thus, on this darkest of days, when a three-hour shadow engulfed the land, the brilliance of God's love for His people shone forth. It was the day of the great exchange: the death of Jesus for the eternal life of those who believe. It was the day when the guilt of sin was lifted from the shoulders of the faithful, and in a divine exchange, God declared His people righteous before Him. This monumental day heralded the triumph of Jesus over sin and death, ensuring the salvation of countless souls.

As Jesus hung upon the cross, He knew the purpose of His suffering was nearing completion. Embodying the Scriptures, He expressed His thirst, and they gave Him sour wine upon a hyssop branch (John 19:28-29). Having received the bitter draught, Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished," and surrendered His spirit to the Father (John 19:30).

And so, Good Friday stands as a beacon of hope, a testament to God's infinite mercy and boundless love for His people. Through the suffering and death of our sinless Savior, the chains of sin were shattered, and the doors to eternal life flung wide open.

In this divine act, the faithful are reminded of the power of redemption and the transformative nature of God's grace. The darkest day in the history of Christianity was, in truth, the dawning of an era of light and life for those who would come to believe in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and Savior.

In the sorrowful commemoration of Good Friday, let us not forget the triumphant message it bears: our God, in His infinite wisdom and love, offered His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins, that we might be reconciled to Him and inherit the gift of eternal life. Through the blood of the Lamb, we are cleansed, renewed, and redeemed, and in His resurrection, we find our victory over sin and death.

Therefore, let us rejoice and give thanks, for in the midst of darkness and despair, Good Friday is indeed a day of incomparable goodness, shining forth the radiant love of our God and the promise of eternal life in His glorious presence.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. —John 19:28-30