Growing up I always confused Good Friday (the day we, Christians, set apart to remember the crucifixion & death of Christ) with Black Friday (the day we, Americans, set apart to remember which store has the best sales).  It always seemed to me that the day when our Lord and Savior died should be called “Black Friday” because it seemed like such a dark day to remember; whereas, “Good Friday” seemed like a much better descriptor for 50% off that new Pokémon game for my GameBoy Color.  Plus, while we had all the family together for Thanksgiving that weekend, we’d take that Friday to celebrate my birthday (December 3rd in case you’re wondering – and I now prefer theology books to Pokémon paraphernalia, thank you very much). So clearly I had other personal motives in it being such good Friday for me!  Thus, I often found myself unintentionally using the wrong nomenclature for the two Fridays.

Perhaps, you are like me and have thought about this day so many years ago when truly terrible things took place.  The greatest evil in the history of mankind, in fact.  The innocent one – Jesus – was brutally tortured and murdered by sinful human beings.  And as we ponder the cruelty of man, the darkness of that day, and the weight of our sin upon His shoulders, we think – that seems like anything BUT a good Friday.

So why in the world would we call today “Good Friday”?

Here’s 26 reasons to get you started:

1. Good Friday is good because what men meant for evil, God meant for good (Gen. 50:20).
2. Good Friday is good because at the Cross of Christ justice and mercy kiss.
3. Good Friday is good because God is good, and I am not.
4. Good Friday is good because God’s Son became me, and I became his son.
5. Good Friday is good because it gives us a hope deeper than our fears.
6. Good Friday is good because our greatest need was met at the Cross.
7. Good Friday is good because “It is finished” is not a cry of defeat but of victory.
8. Good Friday is good because the 2nd Adam succeeded where the 1st failed.
9. Good Friday is good because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb. 9:22).
10. Good Friday is good because we get all of the reward that we don’t deserve and none of the punishment that we do.
11. Good Friday is good because the Peacemaker became the peace-offering.
12. Good Friday is good because it reminds us to imitate Christ’s example of selflessness.
13. Good Friday is good because we cannot work for/earn/merit the rewards of the Cross.
14. Good Friday is good because the Kingdom of God is at hand.
15. Good Friday is good because we are reconciled to God.
16. Good Friday is good because we are reconciled to one another in Christ.
17. Good Friday is good because it shows the love of a Husband for his Bride.
18. Good Friday is good because His death gives us life.
19. Good Friday is good because the greatest pain has brought us comfort.
20. Good Friday is good because the spiritually blind can now see.
21. Good Friday is good because we are made clean by his blood.
22. Good Friday is good because we are free from having to prove ourselves to God or to anyone else for that matter.
23. Good Friday is good because the alternative is not.
24. Good Friday is good because the worst event in history is also the best.
25. Good Friday is good because it is the climax of the story, but it is not the end of it.
26. Good Friday is only good because of Sunday.