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The term “good” in historic use actually meant holy or sacred. So when Jesus enters fully into the darkness of death on the cross—bearing not only physical torment but the weight of human sin, grief, and despair, it is a sacred act. In his silence and surrender, he reveals a love that is willing to go to the darkest place in order to save us from our sins. This is a holy, sacred, and “good” act. Good, as used in this context, is a much deeper and more profound word than when we say a cup of coffee was "good" or that we had a "good" weekend. In those usages, good carries connotations of pleasure or enjoyment. But when we say "Good Friday," we mean that Jesus' death on the cross was transformation act in the overarching narrative of God's love for humanity.
To call this day “good” is to affirm a mystery: that even in the bleakest moment, grace is still at work. Good Friday invites us to stand still at the foot of the cross and be present with the ache of loss and the quiet hope that something deeper is occurring. It is a day for mourning not just Jesus but all the ways we turn from love, all the brokenness we carry. And it is in this sacred stillness that goodness begins—not in answers or quick fixes, but in the God who chooses to be with us in it all.
Read John 18 and 19 >>
Reflect
From the crucifixion of Christ until today, Christians all over the world have looked at the cross a bit differently than others. Traditionally a cross is known as a tool of torture and execution, but for followers of Jesus it carries a deeper meaning. And just as the phrase “Good Friday” might be confusing, our unique interpretation of the cross also needs an explanation. George Bennard, a preacher and American hymn composer in the early 1900s, attempted to offer one back in 1913 by penning the words of a song, The Old Rugged Cross. In this song, Bennard highlights both the brokenness of sin and the beauty of the cross which caused the shedding of blood that saves us.
Consider the lyrics below as you watch/listen to this version of The Old Rugged Cross sung by Westover Church members Ira Hill, Sharon Harris, and Brent Allen. >>
Verse 1
On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross
Where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost
Sinners was slain.
Chorus
So I’ll cherish
The old rugged cross
Till my trophies
At last I lay down;
I will cling
To the old rugged cross,
And exchange it
Someday for a crown.
Verse 2
Oh, that old rugged cross
So despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God
Left His glory above,
To bear sin on dark Calvary.
Chorus
So I’ll cherish
The old rugged cross
Till my trophies
At last I lay down;
I will cling
To the old rugged cross,
And exchange it
Someday for a crown.
Verse 3
In the old rugged cross,
Stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see;
For ’twas on that old cross
Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
Chorus
So I’ll cherish
The old rugged cross
Till my trophies
At last I lay down;
I will cling
To the old rugged cross,
And exchange it
Someday for a crown.
Verse 4
To the old rugged cross
I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day
To my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Chorus
So I’ll cherish
The old rugged cross
Till my trophies
At last I lay down;
I will cling
To the old rugged cross,
And exchange it
Someday for a crown.
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