What Is So Good About It

Good Friday. When I was much younger than I am today, I had often wondered why it was called Good Friday. I remember asking people why was it called Good Friday because what is so good about death. I cannot remember many of the answers, but suffice it to say, most were the standard, “That’s what they call it,” assuming that I knew who the mystical “they” were. Nevertheless, the question was never really answered to my young curiosity. So what is so good about it?
It is with utmost importance that Jesus died. Without death, there can be no resurrection. In order to be resurrected, there must be death. No death = no resurrection. Why did Jesus have to die? It was part of God’s eternal plan.
From the first sin, there was a blood sacrifice. Many people, when reading the account of Adam’s sin in Genesis, glance over the part of the sin sacrifice. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21 NASB) Where did these garments of skin come from? The word in the Hebrew that is commonly translated into skin is a term for leather. What is leather? The hide of an animal. Upon their transgression, God sacrificed an animal to show that he was covering, not only their bodies, but that the blood of the animal was covering their sin. The first sin sacrifice.
Throughout the Old Testament, there are many instances of animal sacrifices. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, among many more of the forefathers of the faith. Moses was given strict rules for the proper way and purpose of the sin sacrifice. The most important aspect is that it had to be an animal without spot or blemish.
However, these sacrifices served only as a reminder of their sin. It did not cover nor erase their sin. “If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:2-4 NASB)
There had to be a sacrifice that would take away and forever remove the sins of mankind. That type of sacrifice had to be the perfect unblemished spotless SINLESS sacrifice. “since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21b-24 NASB)
This sacrifice involved Jesus’ death. It is so important that Paul listed as a matter of first importance, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4 NASB)
Jesus’ death covered the sins of all mankind. It is of utmost importance that Jesus died. Because of the death of Jesus, we all have the opportunity for eternal life. That is why it is good.