Why is Good Friday Called 'Good' When It's a Sombre Occasion? EXPLAINED

Why is Good Friday observed and not celebrated? It’s because it is not a happy occasion but a sombre one. Today, Jesus Christ’s crucifixion is commemorated, when he is said to have made the ultimate sacrifice for the people’s sins.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier recalled the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the occasion of Good Friday.

He tweeted, “Today on Good Friday, we recall the spirit of sacrifice Lord Christ was blessed with. He withstood pain and suffering but never deviated from his ideals of service and compassion. May the thoughts of Lord Christ keep inspiring people.”

Good Friday has been honoured as a day of grief, penance, and fasting from the early days of Christianity, a feature reflected in the German phrase Karfreitag “Sorrowful Friday”, as per Britannica.

History of Good Friday

According to Christian belief, Jesus was arrested and tried for claiming to be God’s Son, as per a report by NBC New York. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion by Roman authorities. He was beaten and forced to carry a wooden cross to the execution site, known as Golgotha or Calvary, where he was affixed to the cross and left to die. According to the Bible, Jesus was eventually taken down from the crucifixion and buried.

Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to atone for humanity’s sins and to reestablish people’s relationship with God. This doctrine is known as the Atonement by many Christians.

Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion, is a sad day of mourning and contemplation for Christians, who frequently attend special church services and prayer vigils. Good Friday is part of Holy Week, which also includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, and Easter Sunday.

Every year, the date of Good Friday changes based on when Passover happens. Easter Sunday always falls two days later, the report says.

Why is Good Friday Called ‘Good’

“It’s a very weird day to call ‘good’ when you have your savior and Messiah die,” Rev. Dr. Brent Strawn, a professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School told NBC New York Times, asking, “why would you call that a good day?”

It’s not totally apparent why Good Friday is called “Good,” the report says, explaining that one popular explanation is that in Old English, the term “good” originally meant “holy,” therefore “Good Friday” could be synonymous with “Holy Friday” or “God’s Friday.”

However, Strawn says that, “for those people who have Christian faith, it is a good thing that Christ died for us,” “It gave us peace with God and made us at one with God.”

According to Strawn, another explanation for the name Good Friday could be a fuller understanding of goodness and a realisation that Easter and humanity’s salvation are approaching.

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