What is "Good" About Good Friday?

Ignored Friday

How many people know that it is Good Friday today?

How do we deal with the difficult realities of Good Friday?

But we aren’t “called” to gloss over the difficult and pretend that everything is fine. So this is not “Ignored Friday”

Forsaken Friday

Certainly Jesus felt forsaken during a good part of this day...

…and “forsaken” might resonate with many people in our world today...

But Jesus’ feelings of forsaken-ness were not the end of his day. In the end he said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” So too, we can find meaning amidst the struggle. So this is not “Forsaken Friday”

Sad Friday

There is a great deal of sadness in today, that’s for sure.

Just imagine Jesus’ mother’s sadness at the foot of the cross!

It is okay that there is sadness…sadness is a deep and important part of all our stories—both as individuals and as a whole.

But sadness is not the end of God’s story, nor does it need to be the end of our story. So this is not “Sad Friday” either.

Difficult Friday

People often struggle over the meaning of Good Friday. We don’t have a sacrificial system anymore, so it can be hard to relate.

We also struggle with the idea of bad things happening to good people…why would God let this happen to Jesus—who was the most “good” person of all!?

Others struggle with dwelling in the grief and sorrow for a time. We just want to “get over it.” We want to get on to Easter and forget about today.

But today is not about how we “interpret” Good Friday. Nor is it about answering the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” And without the suffering we cannot get to Easter. So, this is not called “Difficult Friday”

Good Friday

Instead, this is “Good Friday”

It is Good Friday because the wonder and resurrection depends upon the reality of death.

It is Good Friday because new life through Jesus is a promise that enables us to find meaning and hope in this life.

The reality of the crucifixion is framed in the promise of resurrection.

We don’t ignore the forsaken-ness, the sadness, or the difficulty of life. Instead we trust that God is with us in life, in death, and in life beyond death. That is why today is GOOD Friday.