Throughout church history, the Friday of Holy Week has been known as “Good Friday.” On the surface, this name might seem like a misnomer. Every detail recorded in Scripture suggests that day — which culminated in the death of the Son of God — was the darkest in human history.

Thankfully, Friday was not the end of the story. Resurrection Sunday was on the horizon. But Jesus’s resurrection is only glorious because of His obedience and faithfulness in death. Therefore, it is appropriate on Good Friday to reflect on the horror and sorrow of Jesus’s crucifixion as we await Resurrection Sunday.

Jesus’s Final Hours

The week leading up to Jesus’s death began with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:28-40). In the days that followed, He ministered to crowds of Jewish pilgrims, outmaneuvered religious leaders who sought to discredit and ensnare Him, and prepared His disciples for the end of His earthly mission.

By Thursday evening, Judas Iscariot’s treasonous plan to deliver Jesus into the hands of His enemies was in motion (Luke 22:3-6). After sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane. There, in the shadows of the olive trees, He earnestly prayed and prepared Himself to face God’s wrath against humanity’s sins (Luke 22:7-46).

After praying in the garden, Jesus was arrested, and the disciples fled. He was taken before the Sanhedrin and subjected to a hastily arranged mock trial (Luke 22:66-71). Then, Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. After an initial interrogation, Pilate had Jesus flogged, thinking this punishment would appease Jesus’s accusers. However, the crowd, incited by their jealous leaders, demanded Jesus’s crucifixion. Pilate reluctantly consented, fearing the frenzied crowd’s growing unrest (John 18:28-19:16).

Jesus was crucified between two criminals, fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy that said the Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). For about six hours, Jesus hung on the cross, His bloodied body visible to everyone who passed by, including jeering soldiers and Jewish religious leaders. Finally, around three o’clock in the afternoon, the Son of God breathed His last and died. His body was given to Joseph of Arimathea, who quickly buried Him in a nearby tomb (Luke 23:32-53).

God’s Plan for Salvation

Jesus’s final hours and crucifixion prompt questions. Why did God the Father allow Jesus to endure so much pain and torture? In what way is the Bible’s teaching about Jesus’s death “good”? To answer these questions, we must remember what the Bible teaches about God’s love for sinners and His plan for their redemption.

First, we must recognize that the horrifying events of Good Friday — Judas’s betrayal, the Sanhedrin’s conniving, Pilate’s adjudication, and the crucifixion itself — were a crucial part of God’s plan to redeem sinners. Scripture teaches that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). Moreover, Jesus’s enemies did what God “had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28).

Consequently, the events of that Friday must be understood within the context of God’s sovereignty; everything that occurred was ordained by God. Nothing surprised God or caught Him off guard. Every event, every decision, down to the last detail, was orchestrated and planned. Although the actors in the story — including Pilate, the Sanhedrin, and the Roman soldiers — were morally responsible for their actions, their actions unfolded within the sovereign determination of God.

Second, we must recognize the awful reality of human sinfulness. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given a choice: to obey God or not. Tragically, they chose to listen to Satan and disobeyed their Creator. Their rebellion brought about massive consequences (Genesis 3). In theological terms, Adam and Eve’s disobedience was sin, a blatant violation and transgression of God’s law. Because he was humanity’s representative, Adam’s sin was passed down to his descendants. As the Apostle Paul explained, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Sin separates us from God, and all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23). Moreover, because sin is such an affront to God, it carries the consequence of death (Romans 6:23). This is what God had warned Adam and Eve about in Eden; rebellion against Him would result in physical and spiritual death (Genesis 2:16-17).

Third, we must recognize that the reality of sin places humanity in a precarious state. God is perfect and cannot abide sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Therefore, if there is going to be any hope for humanity, God must take the initiative and reverse sin’s curse. Incredibly, that is exactly what He did. The Bible teaches that God is loving and does not want anyone to perish (1 Timothy 2:4). That is why Jesus, who is the second person of the Trinity, became incarnate (i.e., took on human flesh) (Philippians 2:7).

This brings us to Good Friday. Jesus lived a sinless life and died in the place of sinners as a sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26). As Paul explained, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus Himself taught the same truth in what is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

These verses relay the core of the gospel. By providing a perfect sacrifice for sin, Jesus removed God’s wrath toward sinners and fully satisfied God’s justice (1 John 4:10). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus overcame humanity’s separation from God and provided a way for us to be reconciled with Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

In other words, the “good news” of Christianity is the atoning work of Jesus. Now, by repenting of sin and turning in faith to Jesus, sinful people can be forgiven of their sins (Romans 10:9-10). As Paul explained, “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In this verse and others, the Bible teaches what theologians refer to as “penal substitution,” the idea that Jesus bore the penalty of sin when He died and that in death, He substituted Himself for sinners. Those who trust in Jesus’s atoning work are justified in God’s sight, meaning they are now declared righteous.

Because of Jesus’s saving work on our behalf, it is appropriate to call this dark day “good.” Good Friday is good because Jesus paid the price for our sins. Moreover, it is good because He not only died in our place, but He was also raised to life. On Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection, which attests to His power over death. His resurrection is what Scripture describes as the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Jesus was resurrected, so will His followers when He comes again.

In short, Good Friday gives us perspective. If God can redeem Good Friday, with all of its pain, horror, and suffering, He can redeem anything, including us. For some of us, today might be dark. But take heart; hope is on the horizon.

Today is Friday, but Sunday is coming.