Realizing the Goodness of Good Friday

The Paradox of a "Good" Friday

Today is Good Friday, an interesting name for such a dark day. The sinless, perfect Son of God was murdered. His suffering was bleak: torturing, beatings, verbal mockings. In fact, He suffered His entire life as the sinless Son of God in a sinful world. Sin was a constant antagonism.

Even in Ezekiel, God described His presence among sinners in Israel as sitting on thorns and thistles, hanging out with scorpions—much like Jesus' experience. This lifelong suffering culminated in Passion Week, where "passion" means suffering, not modern emotional fervor.

Why call it Good Friday? The gospel explains it.

Matthew 27:45-50
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

The Gospel: Jesus Bears Our Sins

Jesus bore our sins and God's wrath on our behalf. He who did nothing wrong was condemned as if He did, so we are treated as if we lived His perfect life. His active obedience to God's law and passive obedience in death satisfied the law completely.

Jesus lived perfectly sinless, obedient to God. His righteousness is credited to us; our wretchedness to Him. He took it willingly—desiring it, with joy set before Him, as Hebrews 12 says, accomplishing His Father's will.

Hebrews 12:2
...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...

This creates a tornado of emotions: He didn't deserve it, we did. His suffering equaled our eternal hell, so we enter His heaven. Yet because He succeeded, you are free—no wrath, no guilt, no anger from God. It's impossible. Jesus rendered total satisfaction for our injustices. You have a 100% guarantee of never experiencing God's wrath—a blood-bought reality.

A Victory, Not Defeat

To the disciples, it seemed defeat: the Messiah killed by Rome. How would anyone topple the Empire with tyrants like Nero ruling? Yet it was total victory.

John 16:33
I have overcome the world.

Jesus said this moments before crucifixion. "Overcome" (nikao) means conquest, like Nike—victory over enemies. It's past tense, completed with abiding results. Even as Rome stood, Jesus conquered sin spiritually, eventually transforming the Empire through the gospel.

John echoes: faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). Revelation promises blessings to those who overcome. Jesus' death is good because it's victory over sin.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Jesus' cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” quotes Psalm 22:1, a Messianic prophecy. Jews quoted the first line to evoke the whole psalm—no chapter/verse then.

Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

The psalm details crucifixion: scorned, mocked, bones out of joint, pierced hands and feet, garments divided, lots cast. It shifts to victory: praise in the congregation, all nations worshiping, proclaiming His righteousness.

Bystanders mistook "Eli" for Elijah (Eli-Yah). Offering sour wine fulfills another prophecy:

Psalm 69:21
They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

Finally, Jesus "yielded up his spirit"—He laid down His life willingly, sovereign over it all.

The Recognition of Good Friday

Despite the horror, it's our greatest good. Jesus purposed to die for you—not potentially, but to guarantee your salvation. Like the high priest bearing Israel's names, He bore yours into heaven's Holy of Holies as perfect atonement.

Realize: He was crucified in your place. Trust His perfect work to save you perfectly. He is a perfect Savior who saves perfectly.