Good Friday: When Love Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
Walking Through Holy Week, Part Six
Good Friday brings us to the foot of the cross where Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, suffers and dies. It's a day that confronts us with difficult questions: How could something so horrific be called "good"? What does this ancient execution reveal about God's heart? And how does this sacrifice continue to transform lives today?
The Darkest Hours
"At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, 'Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you left me?'... But Jesus let out a loud cry and died." (Mark 15:34, 37)
"It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two." (Luke 23:44-45)
The Gospel accounts don't shy away from the brutality of crucifixion. They describe in stark terms how Jesus was scourged, mocked, and nailed to a cross where he suffered for six agonizing hours before breathing his last. Nature seemed to respond—darkness covered the land during the final three hours, as if creation couldn't bear to watch its Creator die.
Perhaps most haunting is Jesus' cry of abandonment: "My God, my God, why have you left me?" In that moment, he experienced something many of us have felt – abandonment and separation from God. We might understand this as the true horror of the cross: not just physical torture but spiritual desolation as Jesus bore the weight of humanity's sin.
Why Call It "Good"?
The name "Good Friday" has always seemed paradoxical. How could the day of Christ's suffering and death be called "good"? For those who loved Jesus, living this story out in real-time, this day was not good. Let not get that twisted.
No one was celebrating.
There was no joy.
No one was saying, "It's okay, just wait until Sunday."
It's only in hindsight that this day has come to be known as good because of what this event accomplished. Through his death, Jesus:
- Defeated the power of sin and death
- Reconciled humanity with God
- Tore the temple veil, symbolizing our new direct access to God
- Fulfilled the ancient prophecies and sacrificial system
- Demonstrated the immeasurable depth of divine love
It is good not because suffering is good, but because of the redemption that flows from this sacrifice. As the ancient church father Augustine put it:
"We call it 'good' because his death destroyed death and all the evils that threaten us."
The Cross and Our Transformation
Good Friday isn't just a historical commemoration—it's an invitation to transformation. The cross reveals both the depth of human brokenness that made such a sacrifice necessary and the greater depth of divine love that made it possible.
When we truly grasp what happened on Good Friday, it begins to change us. We grow in:
- Gratitude: Recognizing the immeasurable gift we've received
- Humility: Understanding that we cannot save ourselves
- Courage: Learning from Jesus how to face suffering with dignity and purpose
- Compassion: Seeing the value God places on every human life
- Forgiveness: Following Christ's example of forgiving even from the cross
- Sacrificial love: Embracing the path of self-giving rather than self-protection
The Paradox of the Cross
Good Friday embraces paradox:
- An instrument of torture becomes a symbol of hope;
- The darkest day gives birth to the brightest dawn;
- Death becomes the path to life.
It teaches us that in God's economy, victory often comes through apparent defeat, and resurrection through willingness to die.
Jesus' sacrifice reminds us that the cross must precede the crown in authentic Christian living. We don't seek suffering for its own sake, nor do we avoid it when love and justice require sacrifice. Good Friday makes us embrace the costly path of self-giving love, knowing that only what dies can be raised to new life.
A Prayer for Good Friday
Lord, deepen my gratitude for Your sacrifice and give me courage to take up my cross, embracing suffering when necessary for the sake of love. When I'm tempted to choose comfort over compassion or self-protection over sacrifice, remind me of Your example. Help me see that the way of the cross—though difficult—leads to resurrection, and that what seems like defeat in the world's eyes can become victory in Yours. Amen.
How has the reality of Christ's sacrifice shaped your understanding of love and suffering? Share your reflections in the comments below.
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Steven E Fairbanks
Steven E Fairbanks
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