What’s so Good About Good Friday
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. – John 19:28-30 NKJV.
Usually when we think of a good day we are thinking of a day like Peggy Lee described in the song she wrote, “It’s a Good Day.” The song was published in 1946 and versions of it were recorded by Judy Garland and Perry Como. Here are the lyrics:
It’s a Good Day:
Yes, it’s a good day for singing a song,
and it’s a good day for moving along;
Yes, it’s a good day, how could anything be wrong,
A good day from morning’ till night
Yes, it’s a good day for shining your shoes,
and it’s a good day for losing the blues;
Everything to gain and nothing’ to lose,
A good day from morning’ till night
I said to the Sun, “Good morning sun
Rise and shine today”
You know you’ve gotta get going
If you’re gonna make a showin’
And you you’ve got the right of way.
‘Cause it’s a good day for paying your bills;
And it’s a good day for curing your ills,
So take a deep breath and throw away the pills;
‘Cause it’s a good day from morning’ till night.
That’s the kind of day that we all want to have every day. However, that surely was not the kind of day that Jesus had on Good Friday. Physically for Jesus it was a nightmare of a day being whipped, humiliated and crucified unjustly on a cruel Roman cross. Now in anyone’s mind that is a BAD day!
Spiritually for Jesus it was just the opposite of a bad day, it was a great day! That Friday was the day when the mission would be completed; that was the day when Jesus could cry from the cross, “It is finished!” That was finally the day when He would die “once for all (Romans 6:10).” That was the day when Jesus, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).”
It is thought that the word “good” originally meant “holy” in old English. The day Jesus was crucified is indeed good in the sense that it is holy as Jesus “entered the MOST HOLY PLACE once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” for you and me and all those who believe upon the Name of Jesus. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13).”
Good Friday was the best day, the most wonderful day, the most good day in all of human history! On this Good Friday let us praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!