What’s So Good About Good Friday?

Anyone who has ever read about or seen depictions of the crucifixion has thought about the irony of calling this day “good.” But everyone who has received what this day did for us knows why it’s good.

No cross, no crown. No death, no resurrection. Good Friday is the holiest of days because it’s the day Jesus willingly laid down His life for all of us. And we must not gloss over the “willingly” part. Jesus wasn’t the weakling many an artist portrays Him as. Every fiber of His being was wrapped in strength and authority. He didn’t walk around with, as the expression goes, “His tail tucked between His legs.” Unlike many of us, who, though created in the image of God, spend much, if not all, of our lifetimes clueless about who we are and Whose we are, Jesus knew exactly that. As the Bible says, His life was not taken; it was given. That makes the understanding of His love so much deeper and so much sweeter.