Today, the Christian community celebrates Good Friday. The Friday before Easter Sunday is when the Christian faith stops to remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. What makes it so “good”? It is the day death died.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman church, “But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. Paul’s words in verse eight sound so simple, “Christ died for us.” This verse is pregnant with truth, love, and forgiveness. It is not until we understand how Christ died that we can even appreciate what He did for us. For six hours that Friday, Christ’s body hung on the cross, bleeding with nails in His hands and feet. His blood spilled that we might know salvation.

I don’t believe anyone would consider Roman crucifixion to be “good.” At the time of Christ’s death, crucifixion was the most brutal and painful manner in which a person could die. The Roman soldiers were professionals death; they ate it, breathed it, and slept it; they even seemed to enjoy it. They seemed to think nothing of it. On the one hand, the Jewish religious leaders claimed to be the spokesmen for God and knew what it took to please Him. They were “good” people.

On the other hand, they hated Jesus because He spoke of God and for God. The leaders missed the fact that the Son of God was with them; He talked with them, He walked with them, He brought to light their sinfulness. If anyone should have known Jesus was the Messiah, it was them. The actions of both groups seem unimaginable.

What happened to Jesus was not “good.” However, a great good came out of it. Left alone and to ourselves, we are lost. Left alone and to ourselves, there is a broken relationship. Left alone and to ourselves, there is a purpose in life we will never recognize. The Friday Jesus died, the way for the sinner to know forgiveness and redemption was made straight, straight from the veins of Christ to the very throne of God. In our lost state, God still loved us. Paul said it so right back in verse eight, “God demonstrated His love toward us.” The good that happened on Friday was salvation, a rescue.

Jesus left us a command to remember Him. The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is for such a remembrance. We take time to remember His broken body and His shed blood. Sadly, we need a reminder not to forget the One who gave His life for us. The actions of that Friday were indeed not “good.” However, the results of that day are priceless. As Pastor S.M. Lockridge once said, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.”