GOOD FRIDAY

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. – Luke 23:33

There is some debate about why we call this day Good Friday. It is the day of our Savior’s death. It is the day that the disciples ran and hid, fearing for their own lives. It is the day that his followers knew the hopelessness of crushed dreams and ideals. There doesn’t seem to be much that’s good about it. 

Some will tell you we call it Good Friday because of the good that came from Christ’s sacrifice. Through his death, we receive life – and that is good news indeed. Some contend that it’s derived from “God’s Friday”, a recognition that this is the day on which God conquered sin, death, and the devil through his Son’s loving sacrifice. Some say that “good” is a more archaic church usage marking the solemnity of a day, something like wishing someone a good day. All can be true, because they are all true.  

For many of us, spending a day to think about death won’t feel very good. Whether you’re grieving someone, you feel overwhelmed by the loss of life during this pandemic, or you’re simply uncomfortable reflecting on the reality of death, today can feel overwhelming. It feels tempting to ignore it and skip past it. Don’t.  

Spend some time on this day to consider what Jesus has done for us. As Good Friday moves into Holy Saturday, that long stretch before Jesus’ resurrection, spend time in silence, reflection, and prayer. The first disciples went into hiding on Good Friday and stayed hidden through Holy Saturday – what might it look like for you to spend time apart, away from the world, praying and meditation on Christ’s sacrifice? How might the good news of Easter mean all the more when you realize all God has done?

Let us pray:

On this day of pain and loss, we sit in silence at the foot of your cross. We sit with the sacrifice you made and our sin which caused it. We sit in our anger, sadness, confusion, and hopelessness. We wait. We trust in you. We will meet you at the empty tomb. Amen.