Why is Good Friday good ?

Rev. Fr. Stephen Touthang *

Victory over the Grave by Bernard Plockhorst - Pix :: Wikipedia/Bernard Plockhorst

Good Friday is observed by the Christian community, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. According to the Bible, Jesus is believed to have died at around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Jesus was crucified for the sake of humanity in the year 33 A.D. This was termed as the victory of good over evil and since then, the day has been celebrated as Good Friday.

The question 'Why is Good Friday good?' is a question that puzzles many. How can Good Friday be good when it commemorates the day on which the sins of mankind brought about the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What the Jewish authorities and the Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (Mat.26-27).

However, the result of Christ death was very good. Roman 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I Peter 3:18 tells us "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."

The Baltimore Catechism declares that Good Friday is called good because the death of Christ, as terrible as it was, led to the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, which brought new life to those who believe. His death also "showed His unconditional love for human beings and brought abundant blessings. Therefore, His death for our sins is by far the greatest "good" anyone has ever done or could ever do for anyone else. To sacrifice oneself for the sake of others is a very holy act.

"Good" in this sense means "holy" and indeed Good Friday is known as Holy and Great Friday among Eastern Christians both Catholic and Orthodox. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the origin of the term 'Good' is not clear. Some say it is from God's Friday (Gottes Freitag); others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag and not specially English. Sometimes, too, the day was called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons; and so today in Denmark.

Good Friday is observed by the Christian community, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. According to the Bible, Jesus is believed to have died at around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Jesus was crucified for the sake of humanity in the year 33 A.D. This was termed as the victory of good over evil and since then, the day has been celebrated as Good Friday. Jesus was innocent but killed. His innocence is even vindicated by Pilate, the prefect of the Roman province of Judea.

Let us recap the last moments of Jesus before he died. Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declared Jesus innocent and washed his own hands in water to show that he has no part in this condemnation. Pilate finds nothing against Jesus after thorough investigation and yet he hands over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (Mat. 27:24-26) and ultimately to keep his job.

Jesus then carries His cross to the site of execution called 'the place of skull' or Golgotha in Hebrew and in Latin Calvary. There he is crucified along with two criminals (Jn. 19:17-22). Jesus suffers intense agony on the cross for 3 hours. During his last 3 hours on the cross from noon to 3 p.m. darkness falls over the whole land. With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!" (Mat. 27: 45-54).

The need of sacrifice for human sins is acknowledged by most of the world's oldest religions. It is believed that Jesus was the medium between humans and God. He was God's perfect sinless substitute or Goel, who bears the punishment on behalf of the sinful human race. He is our Hilasterion. Hislaterion has two meanings a) an instrument or means and b) a place of expiation. As an instrument Jesus removes our sins and as a place it is where forgiveness is proclaimed. This is what we merit at the death of Jesus. This day is therefore, observed by the Catholic Church as a day of sadness, mourning, fasting, and prayer.

This has been the focus of the Church since the early centuries. Every Catholic aged between 14 and 59 are obligated to fast one full meal (but smaller than a regular meal) and two collations (a smaller repast, two of which together do not equal one full meal) on this dayl;. A fourth-century Church manual, "The Apostolic Constitution" called Good Friday a "day of mourning, not a day of festive joy."

Ambrose, the 4th century archbishop who befriended the notorious sinner Augustine of Hippo before his conversion called it the "day of bitterness on which we fast." The Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a day of strict fast and abstinence. Let us celebrate Good Friday by bringing alive the goodness of Christ in our lives.

Let us join Mary, the mother of Jesus in her lamentation, "O, glyly mou Ear", "O, my sweet spring, my sweetest child, where has your beauty gone?"