The Meaning of Good Friday

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, is the date that Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross. All Christians live in the hope of new life after death, just as Jesus was raised from the dead on the first Easter. Holy Week, the week before Easter, is sacred for Christians as a time to seek connection with Jesus' death and resurrection (life after death).

As Jesus faced death literally, he needed God's help to save him from the world. Jesus' words from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" echo the human experience of seeking a reality beyond death (Matthew 27:46).

For Christians, Good Friday is a time to be with Jesus in his time of suffering and wait with him in hope of God's promise, eternal life to all who believe. The "good" in Good Friday reflects the Christian hope of resurrection and new life in Jesus, foreshadowing Easter Sunday, when Christians believe that God resurrected Jesus from the dead.

Good Friday is the day that Christians focus especially on the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. The cross is a central symbol of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus, son of God, died to save all believers from sin, all that separates human beings from God. The cross reminds Christians of Jesus' death and their salvation, how Jesus saved them from death by dying in their place.

Jesus' crucifixion, death on the cross, is the source of eternal life for all who believe according to Christian teaching. Jesus put himself in the place of every believer's sins as he suffered for the whole world by sacrificing his own life. Atonement, Jesus giving himself for the sins of Christians, saves all Christians from hell and suffering. Good Friday is a time for Chrisitans to remember Jesus' sacrifice and reflect on how the cross has saved them from their sins.

Information above taken from suite101.com.