Why is Friday Good?

We live in a curious time. I would venture that most people through the mall couldn’t tell you what Good Friday represents? Christians so of course, know that today is the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s death on a Roman cross. But why do we call it good? Jesus died on this day, shouldn’t that be a sad occasion? As a kid, and even as a young/immature Christian, the name Good Friday perplexed me. Why is the day good? The answer is clearly stated in the Gospels. When Jesus gives up his spirit and dies on the cross all kinds of crazy (from the world’s perspective) things happen. Matthew 27, Mark 15 and John 19 tell us that the moment Jesus dies, the believers who had already died are raised to life and walk into the city, there is a great earthquake, the Centurion affirms that Jesus was the Son of God. However the most important event, the event that confirms it is Good Friday and not Sad Friday immediate follows the verse where Jesus breathes His last. The curtain in the temple is torn in two.

Why is the curtain so important? In Jewish tradition the curtain in the temple separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. According to tradition the Holy of Holies was God’s very seat in the temple were only those who were without sin could enter. The high priest would enter only once a year, with a rope and bell tied to him so his body could be pull from the holy place if God struck him down for his iniquity. The remainder of the temple, outside the curtain was for the believers, the church, you and I. The curtain was the barrier between the holy God and his sinful people. The curtain represented sin. Jesus, though sinless, died for all sins, removing the barrier between the perfectly holy God and a sinful nation. Jesus’ atonement removed the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the people. His death removed the need for the high priest to enter into the Holy of Holies on behalf of the church. Jesus is our high priest. Jesus removed the curtain. Jesus removed the barrier. Jesus gave us a direct relationship with God the Father. The curtain was torn and the relationship restored the moment Christ died. That Friday nearly two thousand years ago was a Good day!

MCzar