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| From suffering to glory - The Story of Good Friday | | | Dr. Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It is the most solemn day of the Christian calendar. Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday. Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday and Black Friday. “Good Friday” comes from the obsolete sense “pious, holy” of the word “good.”
For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. The Stations of the Cross are areas around the Church that depicts the ways through which Christ was taken along and the sufferings he went through. No mass is celebrated and there are special readings from Scripture.
Most of them believe that attending Stations of Cross as a part of Good Friday services where there are paintings and banners that depict scenes of the day of crucifixion and his betrayal to death. People sing hymns and prayers as they attend from one Station to another.Good Fridayalso marks the end of the 40-day period of fasting for Christians, called the Lent.
According to beliefs about 2000 years ago, Lord Jesus was teaching people about humanity, brotherhood, unity, non-violence, and peace. Seeing their increasing popularity among the people, the religious leaders declared Jesus an enemy of humanity. Even after this, his popularity continued to grow. Good Friday rituals and traditions are distinct from every other church observances and add to Good Friday’s significance. On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. The cross is where we see the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness.
Still, why call the day of Jesus’ death “Good Friday” instead of “Bad Friday” or something similar? There is another belief that it is originated from the term ‘God’s Friday.’ Others interpret ‘Good’ as ‘holy’ and therefore call it ‘Good Friday.’ In English, in fact, the origin of the term “Good” is debated: some believe it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.” Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins.
Easter is the perhaps the most important Christian festival of the year. It is the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was resurrected and he came back to life on Easter Sunday. In modern times, Easter has attained great importance and markets and malls and confectionary shops are flooded with Easter goodies. The day is also called ‘Black Friday’ or ‘Silent Friday.’ The day is observed by Christians by offering prayers and confessing their sins. As Good Friday is considered to be one of the most solemn and sorrowful days, one should not greet anyone on this day.All the teachings and books of Christianity show that On Good Friday, Christians remember Jesus for his sacrifice.On this day of sorrow, the sacrifice of God Jesus marks the beginning of the end of sin. Great Friday is a day of adoration and absolution for Christians. |
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