Why do we call it “Good” Friday?
What other world religion celebrates the killing of its founder and calls that day “Good”?
If any Friday deserved the name “Black Friday,” surely the day mortals murdered the Christ of God should be the day, but instead we reserve the term “Black Friday” for the day after the American Thanksgiving Day, a day when prices are slashed and deals are rampant. People are rampant too on that day.
At a New York Walmart in 2008 a 6’5” 270 lb man was trampled to death as over 2,000 shoppers broke down the doors, and rushed inside to be among the first to purchase consumer goods. Since 2010, Black Friday violence has resulted in 10 deaths and 111 injuries. Because of this carnage, police named that day “Black Friday.”
There have been at least three other “Black” days in history, and all of them are associated with the god of this world, money:
Black Monday: October 19, 1987. Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22%, the largest one-day drop in history.
Black Thursday: October 24, 1929. the start of the Great Depression.
Black Tuesday: October 29, 1929. Stock market fell 11% causing many to lose all their life savings.
Retailers prefer a more positive spin. Since “Black Friday” is a day when virtually every merchant is assured to end “in the black,” they press for this association rather than it being as a day of mayhem and money as people trample one another to greedily grab for material goods. — Say, perhaps we should consider calling the day after Thanksgiving USA “Goods Friday”?
But no, we call today “Good,” the day we slew the Saviour. Truly this was the darkest of days in every way: even environmentally. Matthew and Luke both report there was three hours of darkness from noon to mid-afternoon
(Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44). So Why? Why do we call it “Good?”
Some say the term is related to the idea of “Good” as in “Holy,” “Holy Friday.” (The Wednesday before Easter was once known as “Good Wednesday,” but now is in some circles is called “Holy Wednesday.”) Others say the word derives from the word “God,” “God Friday.” In some languages the day is translated “Sacred Friday” or “Passion Friday.”
But for me the day is good because it marks the day that God stepped in to save me from the destruction of my sin. Christ surrendered himself to receive the punishment that was due to me. He took my sin and in exchange gives me his holiness and life forever with Him.
The devil may have laughed for three days presuming victory, but God turned every bit of it around and worked redemption. The devil was foiled and death was swallowed by victory! The Goodness of God prevailed and made Good available to all who trust in Christ.
Praise Him for this Gospel, the “Good News” for all humanity!
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