I think I’ve blogged about this in the past, but today is Good Friday. I’ve always wondered why it’s call Good Friday. This is the day when Christians commemorate Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. According to the Bible, all sorts of terrible things happened to Jesus on this day, ending in his death. It’s truly hard to imagine what’s good about it. Today is typically viewed as a solemn occasion — in many places its observed with somber processions and re-enactments. It’s a day of fasting. None of this would make me pick the name Good Friday.
From what I’ve read, good used to mean holy. Actually my extensive research turned up a number of theories about why Good Friday is called Good Friday. Most, or at least a lot, of these theories are based on the use of ancient words and their meaning at some point in time. Some indicate that Good Friday derives from God or God’s Friday. This really doesn’t make much sense to me, like a lot of the other “theories.”
The only explanation I found that set well with me is that Good Friday is called Good Friday because Christians believe there is, in fact, something very good about it. It is the anniversary of Jesus suffering and dying for our sins. It led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin. So if you look at the name with that in mind, maybe it doesn’t make the day in and of itself good, but it kicked off a string of events that is very good. So maybe “Good Friday” doesn’t adequately, or accurately, describe the day — but for some reason over the years the name has stuck and no matter what it’s called, and as gruesome as it may have been, it’s important, and necessary if one is to have faith.
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