What Happened?
Good Friday is the day that Jesus died on the cross. His death was slow. It was terrifying and humiliating and it was agonizing.
Why?
Because it was supposed to be. The purpose of crucifixion wasn’t merely to kill. The purpose of crucifixion was to terrorize, to degrade and dehumanize and ultimately to destroy the very soul of an individual. The goal was for the individual to die a death filled with terror and hatred. The goal was to break the spirit of the individual and terrorize anyone who dared to follow in his footsteps.
So why then is Good Friday “good”?
How can a day filled with so much sorrow and so much pain possibly be “good”?
Jesus did this willingly. He made himself a sacrifice for all of us. Jesus refused to turn inward, refused to think about self. Instead Jesus, to the end, embraced others and forgave. His refusal to surrender to fear and to hatred was his victory. His victory was a victory over human selfishness, a victory over fear, a victory over hatred. “Forgive them father. For they know not what they do.” He loved to the very end and this was the good in Friday.
Of course, without Easter Sunday, any good on Friday would be irrelevant. Easter Sunday makes Friday good. Jesus rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb. We must not mistake this for his victory. His victory was won on Friday. Easter Sunday was when it was announced and his resurrection was the announcement.