How can the day that Jesus died be called Good Friday? After all, He is the just and loving Son of God—but was put to death because of our disobedience. Yet throughout history, Christians have celebrated this day as good.
Why would we ever call this good?
Because what happened on that cross was not a tragedy without purpose—it was the very means by which sinners could be saved.
To understand why Good Friday is truly good, we first have to understand the problem it solves.
Our Sin Demands Judgment
One of the greatest problems humanity faces is that our sin demands justice. In a sense, we have created a great problem. Because God loves us, He desires a relationship with us. But the moment sin entered the world, we created a barrier between ourselves and Him because He is holy.
Since we are unable to save ourselves, and God is perfectly holy, there is only one way this problem could be reconciled: the death of His Son.
God’s Judgment and His Mercy
Hundreds of years before Jesus came, Isaiah wrote:
“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the punishment that brought us peace, and by His wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5–6).
God is just, but He is also merciful. He knew the only way to fix the problem we created was to send His Son—and His Son willingly took the wrath we deserved.
From this passage, we can see at least three truths.
Jesus and the Cross
First, we see that Jesus took on the punishment that we deserved. The book of Romans captures this love beautifully. In chapter 5 it says, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5).
Christ did not die for righteous people, but for those who rejected Him. He was spat on, beaten, mocked, whipped, and put on a cross. Yet He loved us when we were most unworthy and laid down His life.
Second, His punishment brings us peace with God
“…upon Him was the punishment that brought us peace, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Getting caught doing something wrong can be frightening—whether by a parent, an authority figure, or someone in charge. But what about offending the infinite, holy Creator of the universe? His wrath is infinitely terrifying. His wrath is just, but His mercy is greater. We do not have to remain under His wrath. Instead, we are saved by grace through faith in His Son (Ephesians 2:8–9).
If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you have nothing to fear anymore, because you are now at peace with God (Romans 5:1). Although we still sin and may not always experience peace on a daily basis, we are no longer under God’s wrath.
Third, all our sins were fully laid on Him
“…and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
It is such a comfort to know that our sins are paid in full, not in part. Every sin you have committed—past, present, and future—has been covered by His blood. No animal, human, or even angel could make a sacrifice powerful enough. Only an infinitely good being could save such lost sinners.
Piecing this passage together, we see that Jesus loves us when we are most unworthy, that we can have peace with God, and that He took on all our sins. He is sufficient for you no matter your past, present, or future.
If you were unloved as a child, constantly face rejection, feel as if your past has ruined you, or even feel that your present sins are too much for anyone to forgive—know that Christ is sufficient for you. And He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you, so you can experience His sufficiency for all eternity.
It truly was a Good Friday.
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