It may seem strange to call yesterday 'Good Friday', after all we remember Jesus dying and usually if we were to call the anniversay of someone's death a 'good' day, people would probably think we were rather disrespectful and that we can't have liked the person who died much at all! BUT Good Friday is very different and calling the remembrance of Jesus' death 'good' is for neither of those reasons, in fact it is quite the opposite...
Firstly, calling the day ‘Good Friday’ suggests that we are remembering something good, but the nature of Jesus’ death was definitely not a 'good' death. Jesus died in the most horrific and humiliating way, on a cross; He hung there by his hands and feet until He died. It was a slow and agonising death and in no way could it be said that it was 'good'.
So why on earth is it called ‘good’ Friday?! Jesus dying on the cross is the most amazing example of how God uses all things together for good and how he could even use the evil actions of the self-seeking men surrounding Jesus' trial and death in His perfect plan, for good and to answer our biggest need!
I believe the reason for the name ‘Good Friday’ is found in the effect of Jesus’ death. The fact that Jesus willingly died that first 'Good Friday' means that He took the punishment we deserve, He bought us much needed forgiveness from God and it meant that although we don't deserve it, we can have a relationship with God, the loving, good creator of the universe...
Calling it 'Good Friday' is a reflection upon how good God is and how amazing it is to be able to have a relationship with Him...and Good Friday reminds us of the serious means (ie Jesus' death) that was necessary to deal with our rebellion and rejection of God and enable us to have a relationship with Him...
...and being able to have a relationship with God isn't just 'good', it's the best news in the world! But 'best news in the world Friday' doesn't have quite the same ring to it!
