What Is Good Friday?
Good Friday is observed on the
Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the passion, or
suffering, and death on the cross of Jesus Christ. Many Christians spend Good
Friday in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and
suffering of Christ.
Bible References to Good
Friday: The biblical account of
Jesus' death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial, and his resurrection, or
raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture:
Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.
What Happened on Good Friday?: On Good Friday, Christians focus on Jesus
Christ's death. The night before he died, Jesus and his disciples took part in
the Last Supper and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane. There, Jesus spent
his last hours praying to the Father while his disciples slept nearby:
"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed,
'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I
will, but as you will.'" (Matthew 26:39, NIV) "This cup" was death
by crucifixion, one of the most dreaded and painful methods of execution in the
ancient world. But "this cup" also represented something even worse
than crucifixion. Christ knew in death he would take on the sins of the
world—even the most heinous crimes ever committed—to set believers free from
sin and death: "He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of
spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood." (Luke
22:44, NLT) Before morning dawned, Jesus was arrested. At daybreak, he was
questioned by the Sanhedrin and condemned. But before they could put him to
death, the religious leaders first needed Rome to approve of their death
sentence. Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea.
Pilate found no reason to charge Jesus. When he discovered that Jesus was from
Galilee, which was under Herod's jurisdiction, Pilate had Jesus sent to Herod
who was in Jerusalem at the time. Jesus refused to answer Herod's questions, so
Herod sent him back to Pilate. Although Pilate found him innocent, he feared
the crowds who wanted Jesus crucified, so he sentenced Jesus to death. Jesus
was brutally beaten, mocked, struck on the head with a staff and spit on. A
crown of thorns was placed on his head and he was stripped naked. He was made
to carry his own cross, but when he grew too weak, Simon of Cyrene was forced
to carry it for him. Jesus was led to Calvary where soldiers drove stake-like
nails through his wrists and ankles, affixing him to the cross. An inscription
that read "King of the Jews" was placed over his head. Jesus hung on
the cross for approximately six hours until he took his final breath. While he
was on the cross, soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing. Onlookers shouted
insults and jeered. Two criminals were crucified at the same time. One hung on
Jesus' right and the other on his left (Luke 23:39-43). At one point, Jesus
cried out to his father, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Then darkness blanketed the land. As Jesus gave up his spirit, an earthquake
shook the ground and caused the temple curtain to rip in half from top to
bottom: "At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was
torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs
opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from
the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy
city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people." (Matthew 27:51-53, NLT)
It was customary for Roman soldiers to break the criminal's legs, causing death
to come more quickly. But only the thieves had their legs broken. When the
soldiers came to Jesus, he was already dead. As evening fell, Joseph of
Arimathea (with the help of Nicodemus) took Jesus' body down from the cross and
had him placed in his own new tomb. A great stone was rolled over the entrance,
sealing the tomb.
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