Good Friday

When I woke up last Friday morning two things struck me about the day. The first was how quiet everything was, and the second, the cause of the first: it was Good Friday. In a world that doesn’t particularly pay much attention to religion, in Australia where I live anyway, Good Friday is a special holiday, sharing two characteristics with Christmas Day; it’s a special day in that most people don’t work therefore the traffic is minimal, and most shops and businesses are compulsorily shut, hence the lack of noise; and the other characteristic – the day is connected with Jesus. Easter commemorates His death and Christmas His birth. So both days are religious holidays. But only one is called ‘good’. 

That got me thinking – why is Good Friday called ‘Good’? Wikipedia says “‘Good Friday’ comes from the obsolete sense ‘pious, holy’ of the word ‘good’...” (Wikipedia 2021)

So to be pious and remember Jesus on Good Friday is good. But I think it’s better to remember Him in the way He asked us to. You can read about that in the Bible: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians (11:23-26, NIV)

“Until He comes”… and He will come, otherwise what was the point of His birth, life and death? And indeed resurrection? There wouldn’t be any point. But there is, and He will. Hope it’s soon!

Reference:

“Good Friday” Wikipedia 2021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday (2 April 2021)