Why is Good Friday good? How is it that a day that we remember as the day Christ died on the cross is one we call good?
Certainly the suffering and death are not good, but rather what was achieved on the cross is called good. It was while Jesus was on the cross that He cried out, “It is finished.” Yet, we seem to celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday as the culmination of events. Christ proclaimed, “It is finished” on the cross because it marked the moment when His life’s work was completed.
Jesus’ life was lived as the greatest example of God’s love for all of humanity. The work was fulfilled on the cross; it is celebrated in the resurrection.
Our lives are to be examples of God’s love for the entire world. There will be a day when we come to the end of our lives and we, too, can say, “It is finished” – and then we will experience the wonderful celebration in resurrection. We will live eternally in the presence of God and our loved ones. But until that day, we continue our life’s mission to share God’s love and bring hope to the world.
Good Friday is good because Jesus did not let death prevent Him from demonstrating the fullness of God’s love for us. We believe Jesus conquered death as a way of showing us love continues on. Death did not prevent God’s love and did not end it.
We have been given the gift of life, and the purpose of life is to be living witnesses to the love of God. Good Friday is a reminder we can continue to show that love until the moment of our death, and then even beyond, for we trust in the Resurrection.
Listen for the Easter celebration of Christ’s ministry of love:
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
Rev. Wendy Lambert, Senior Executive Pastor
