Michael Wazir
Good Friday is one of the most important religious festivals of Christians and for those who believe in Jesus Christ. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. It is observed during Holy week as a part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday that comes just before the Easter and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. The name may seem counter intuitive to many Christians and nonbelievers as there was a lot of debate for the origin of the name Good Friday. At first glance, it seems a strange why people call a Good Friday “Good” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating day of suffering and death for Jesus Christ. Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so good. The term Good Friday is not quoted in the Holy Bible. There are a few theories about why Good Friday is called Good Friday, some believe that the word Good is used to indicate Holiness and that’s why it is also called Holy Friday. Other also believes that Good is used only to replace the word “God” and that’s why it is also termed as “God’s Friday”. But the Oxford English Dictionary goes in the favor of the Holy Friday where Good is used to indicate the day as Holy. “That terrible Friday has been called good because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebration”. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier of those who trust in Jesus (Roman 3:26). Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the world from bondage.
The term ‘Good’ stands for the gift of salvation, the day when good prevailed over evil and love over hatred, it is not a day of mourning but it is a day of hope and a day of joy for all mankind. This day marks the death and burial of Jesus Christ. According to the Christian belief, Jesus Christ is the Son of Heavenly God. He became man and lived among men. He never sinned; He went about doing well, healing the sick, curing leapers, blinds and lame as well as preaching truth, forgiveness and also about the eternal life. On Good Friday, Jesus willingly suffered and died for whole mankind on the cross at Calvary to save them from eternal death, as a gift we receive divine forgiveness, mercy, and peace. (1John1:10).
It was the day of fulfillment of all the prophecies of the suffering servant who would be the Messiah, the one true King who would bring lasting peace. We didn’t have to beg Jesus to do this for us; He came as a servant and saved us while we were still sinners. He asked for nothing from us except faith, which is also a gift of grace for the Holy Spirit. Even when he was mocked on the cross, Jesus extended forgiveness and grace to the men on either side of Him-one of which would see Him in paradise that very day.
Good Friday is followed by the greatest feast days of the Christians. For forty days the Christians prepare themselves for this feast of Passover. This period of preparation is called the Lenten season. It falls between the middle of March and mid April every year. The last week of this period is called The Holy Week. the day is observed with a variety of ceremonies in different sects of Christianity. Most Christians spend the day in fasting, repentance in solemn prayer and meditation on the agony and suffering at the Stations of the Cross, a succession of 14 images, usually on wooden crosses, Churches are stripped off their ornaments, the altar is set bare and the door of the tabernacle is left empty opened. Liturgical services are held in the Churches that start from noon and continued for the next three hours, Church services begin with the passages from the Holy Bible in the midst of the congregation about last supper and suffering on the Cross. It is followed by a ritual of the kissing of the cross. On the day of Good Friday, the Church bells do not produce any sound. It is also observed that in some churches, devotees wear black clothes that depict the images of the dead Jesus. The entire ceremony is somber, with priests and deacons dressing in black vestments. The whole presentation is solemn to create an awareness of grief over the sacrifice of Jesus.
In Jerusalem, Christians follows in Jesus’ footsteps and walk Via, Dolorosa the traditional path that led to the site of the crucifixion. Many who participate try to ritually bear the same weight Jesus did by carrying crosses on their backs.
The Holy Bible says his disciple and friend Judas betrayed Jesus’ whereabouts in the Garden Gethsemane. He was arrested and taken to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, which was an informal late-night meeting of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. They had plotted to put Jesus on trial. They were looking for evidence that would justify putting Him to death, but they could not find any.
Finally, the high priest demanded Jesus, “Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus then replied, “I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand and coming back on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest said, “You have just heard His blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? What is your verdict?” They all shouted, “He deserves death!” Then they spat in Jesus’ face and started beating Him. After he was convicted in their mock trial, they took Him to Pilate because they did not have the authority to put anyone to death under Roman law. They falsely accused Jesus of treason against the Roman Empire for claiming to be the king of the Jews and for urging people not to pay their taxes. However, Pilate knew Jesus wasn’t guilty of any crime; yet the mob wanted Him crucified. So he washed his hands of it and did what the crowd wanted.
At the time, crucifixion was the cruelest form of death reserved for criminals and slaves. Jesus, the son of God was flogged and ordered to carry a cross that would he die upon. After he was nailed to the cross, he was given a crown of thorns and the title as “King of the Jews.” The cross was placed between two other men who were being crucified that day. The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and left Him to die. They put a sign on the cross to mock Jesus that said, “Jesus of Nazareth, and the King of the Jews.” Jesus agonized on the cross for six hours, and then at noon, strange things began to happen. The sky grew dark for three hours and Jesus spoke from the cross quoting the messianic Paslm 22 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me and Jesus Christ with a loud cry said “O Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” and then He died. There was an earthquake and tombs broke open and the curtain of the temple was mysteriously torn in two from top to bottom. The centurions on guard at the site of crucifixion declare, “Truly this was God’s Son!” (Mathew 27: 45-54). It was Friday afternoon, and the Sabbath would start at sundown, but it wasn’t just any Sabbath! It was during the Passover celebration, making it a very special Passover. After Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus body, wrapped in a clean linen shroud, and placed it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock in a garden near the site of crucifixion keeping the Jewish burial customs guards to ensure no one stole the body or spread rumors that He wasn’t dead. Finally, three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death.
Of all the powerful verses in the Bible, this one brings me to my knees. How much does God the Father love us? Enough to sacrifice His only Son. I remember the Golden verse of the Holy Bible, For God so loved the world that He gave His gotten son so that who so ever believe in Him would not perish but have an eternal life. (John 3:16)
Amen
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