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Have you ever wondered what Good Friday actually is? What happened that day? Why is it called Good Friday?
Good Friday is a special holiday for Christians! It is part of a precious time that we call Holy Week. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and lasts all week with the conclusion on Resurrection Sunday (Easter).
If you have questions similar to the ones above, or if you want to know more about this special time, keep reading. In this article you will find the answer to those questions and more!
What is Good Friday, Exactly?
Before we dive into the topic of Good Friday, let’s first take a look at what it is exactly.
Good Friday is an annual holiday that is observed by Christians. This holiday is observed each year on the Friday before Easter.
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. The Jewish, religious leaders condemned Jesus for saying that He was the Son of God and King of the Jews.
The Day Before Good Friday
After the last supper, Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane. The leading priests and high council didn’t like His responses during questioning, so they blindfolded Him, slapped, beat, and spit on Him.
The Jewish leaders sent him to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate followed the customary Passover Celebration tradition of releasing a prisoner of the people’s choice. The crowd asked for a murderer named Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus.
To please the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas and ordered Jesus flogged before turning Him over to the Romans to be crucified.
Jesus endured such flogging (beating with a whip as punishment or torture) for us, so that we may receive healing in our bodies.
He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
1 Peter 2:24
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
The soldiers mocked Jesus, clothed Him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns and spit on Him. After they grew tired of mocking Him, they led Him away to be crucified.
It’s an incredible love that Jesus has for us all to choose to endure such unfit treatment to save us!
What Happened on Good Friday?
The events of Good Friday are accounted for in all four gospels. Each disciple recorded the events of that day in their own words. Some gospels include more detail than others, but they all give a clear picture of what happened on that meaningful day.
As Jesus was being led away to be crucified, the soldiers forced a man named Simon to walk behind Jesus and carry His cross. They went to a place called Golgotha which means “Place of the Skull”.
The Crucifixion
There were two thieves that were also being crucified that day. Jesus was nailed to the cross with the thieves crucified with Him, one on His left and one on His right. Soldiers gambled for His clothes and kept guard as Jesus hung there.
People mocked Jesus as they passed by. Even one of the criminals hanging beside Jesus mocked Him. Yet, Jesus remained humble and faithful to the work He was called to complete on the cross and hung there in pain for about 6 hours
Darkness fell across the land from noon until 3 o’clock. At 3 o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[j] lema sabachthani?” That meant, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me? Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
The Temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks split and even tombs opened. The godly were raised from the dead! By this point, the Roman officer and the soldiers were terrified.
They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” The crowd that was present went home in deep sorrow.
As evening fell, Pilate sent an order to release Jesus’ body. A righteous man named Joseph came to get Jesus’ body and wrapped it in a long, clean linen sheet.
Then he placed Jesus’ body in a new tomb that was carved out of rock, and rolled a large stone over the entrance.
Then, everyone prepared for the Sabbath, a day of rest.
See the verses below to read the actual biblical accounts of Good Friday..
- Matthew 27:1–61
- Mark 15:1–47
- Luke 23:1–56
- John 18:28–19:42
Why Do We Call it Good?
If you’re like me, you may be wondering why it was actually called GOOD Friday.
While the events of Good Friday were heart-breaking and carried out by evil people, there was indeed good that came from it. As a result of the redemptive work of Jesus, all men can be saved!
Good Friday is GOOD because that was the day that God demonstrated His great love for us by sending His only begotten Son (John 3:16) to be a sacrifice for our sins. As a result of Jesus giving His life for us, we can now be made right with God and have eternal life.
We can now decide to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and no longer be destined for hell. As a result of Jesus sacrificing His life, we can be adopted into God’s family. We are children of God! We can now live a victorious life in Christ Jesus!
To top it all off, things didn’t end with Good Friday. While Jesus did die on Friday, He victoriously went to hell to take the keys to hell and death (Revelation 1:18). On Sunday, He rose from the grave and is alive right now!
What Happened After Good Friday?
Do you want to know what happened after Good Friday? Resurrection Sunday! While the secular world celebrates Easter, Christians celebrate Resurrection Sunday!
For more information about Resurrection Sunday and the true meaning of Easter, click here.
Final Thoughts
While many sad and heart-breaking events took place on Good Friday, it was still very good. We use Good Friday to reflect on all that Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary.
We celebrate that weekend as the commencement of our salvation and victory in Christ Jesus!
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Yes, I’ve never been able to fully wrap my mind around why it is called “good” Friday, although of course salvation’s hope is so very good. Thank you for your explanation!
Blessings to your family this Resurrection Sunday!
Yes, I too struggled with that years ago. Thank you for reading and commenting! Many blessings!
This is a great explanation of what Good Friday is!
I appreciate your feedback! Blessings!
Beautiful post!! I’m so thankful for Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday and God’s perfect love for us … 💗
Thank you so much for your feedback! Praise God for His lovingkindness!