Why is Good Friday Good?

Dear Grace family,

Today the church gathers at the cross. And at first glance, calling this day Good may seem strange. Good Friday tells the story of betrayal, suffering, violence, and death. It invites us to slow down and confront the deep brokenness of the world — and the brokenness within ourselves. It asks us not to rush too quickly to Easter morning.
So why do we call this day good?

The Christian tradition has long understood Good Friday as the moment when Christ’s love is revealed most clearly. On the cross, Jesus bears the weight of human sin and suffering, opening a path for reconciliation between humanity and God. What looks like defeat becomes, mysteriously, the beginning of victory over sin and death. The cross does not have the final word — but neither can resurrection be understood without it.

Historically, the word good in Good Friday did not simply mean pleasant or happy. It meant holy or pious — a day set apart for deep devotion. Some even suggest the phrase may have grown from “God’s Friday,” much like “goodbye” comes from “God be with you.” However the name developed, the meaning remains: this is a day when we draw near to the heart of God’s love revealed in Christ.

Last evening, many of us gathered for a moving Maundy Thursday service. I am deeply grateful for the many people who helped lead us into this sacred time — our choir, Kelly McFall for sharing the message, and the members of our drama team who brought the scripture vividly to life. Through word, music, silence, and story, we were reminded that faith does not avoid the hard realities of life. Instead, it gives us a way to face them honestly, together, in the presence of Christ.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday matter because they make space for truth. They allow us to acknowledge the suffering of the world, the pain carried in our own lives, and the ways fear and injustice still shape human history. Yet we do not stand in that darkness alone. We stand in the shadow of the cross — and already within the promise that love is stronger than death.
It is good not to hurry past this day. Good not to skip ahead too quickly to the alleluias of Easter. Because when we allow ourselves to walk the road to the cross, Easter hope becomes more than an abstract idea. It becomes a lived reality — a trust that God meets us even in the deepest valleys and is still at work bringing life out of what seems lost.

If you are able, I invite you to join us for Good Friday worship as we continue this journey together. And wherever you find yourself today, may you know that nothing — not even death — can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

See you in church.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Kevin