Good Friday..The Day Jesus Died

It is long-held Tradition, based on the Biblical texts, that Jesus died on a Friday and rose from the dead on a Sunday, which would place the Last Supper on a Thursday night. Scripture tells us that Jesus rose from the dead "early on the first day of the week" (Mark 16:2, RSV). It was on the same day (the first day of the week) that Jesus met his apostles on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:1). John also confirms that Jesus rose on a Sunday (John 20:1). The early Church universally held that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday, and worshiped on Sunday, "The Lord's Day." Even though Jesus tells us that he was to be in the belly of the earth for three days, in ancient Jewish reckoning, this included partial days, and Jesus' death spanned three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)

I have been researching the Holy Days and Easter on the Internet. Wow, there are so many differing and varying traditions out there. I am amazed at the diversity of beliefs about the same event!

Here is a quote from Pastor Ken Collins of Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Washington DC. He had some interesting commentary about Good Friday.

Calling the day of the Crucifixion ‘Good’ Friday is a designation that is peculiar to the English language. In German, for example, it is called Karfreitag. The Kar part is an obsolete word, the ancestor of the English word care in the sense of cares and woes, and it meant mourning. So in German, it is Mourning Friday. And that is what the disciples did on that day—they mourned. They thought all was lost.

I’ve read that the word good used to have a secondary meaning of holy, but I can’t trace that back in my etymological dictionary. There are a number of cases in set phrases where the words God and good got switched around because of their similarity. One case was the phrase God be with you, which today is just good-bye. So perhaps Good Friday was originally God’s Friday. But I think we call it Good Friday because, in pious retrospect, all that tragedy brought about the greatest good there could be.

I can see virtue in either terminology. If we call it Mourning Friday, as in German, we are facing reality head on, taking up the cross if you will, fully conscious that the Christian walk is seldom a walk in the park. But if we call it Good Friday, as in English, we are confessing the Christian hope that no tragedy—not even death—can overwhelm God’s providence, love, and grace. Either way seems fine to me!

-Quote taken from Pastor Ken Collins website, used with permission.

That is interesting background information and it sounds believable to me. Still, I'm going to keep researching this topic because I want to REALLY believe what I'm reading, not just take someone else's word about it.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I'm thinking about You today. I'm thinking about the agony You went through on this day in history. Father God Your sacrifice opened the door to life eternal for all who would believe in You. Thank You, Lord. I believe in You. And I love YOU.

I will give my utmost to honor You today. In Jesus' name, Amen.