On the surface, "Good Friday" seems like a gross misnomer. What was good about an ignorant, bloodthirsty mob crying out for the execution of Jesus, the God-man, and the legal authority of the land carrying out the death penalty?
The death of Jesus was a horrible reality. He was denounced by his own people, sentenced by a foreign dictator, scourged, beaten, mocked, crowned with thorns, and forced to carry the means of his execution, a heavy wooden cross up a hill to the place where he would die, Mount Calvary. How, by any stretch of the imagination, can the anniversary of such a tragic series of events be celebrated as "Good Friday"?
To
understand the terminology, it is necessary to reflect, not on the events
themselves, but on their consequences. Cui bono? Who benefits?
To help understand why Jesus' sacrifice was necessary, consider a human comparison. A child. through carelessness, breaks his mother's expensive lamp. Tearfully, he begs forgiveness, and his parent, because of her great love for him, readily forgives his misdeed.
However. in order to make amends for his action, he must somehow get his mother a new lamp, not an easy feat for a child without a source of income.
From the time of our first parents, all humans have been sinners.* Sins offend God. We can be truly sorry for our misdeeds, but, as mere humans we could never make amends to an all-perfect and almighty God. Who could atone for all these offense ?
Only Jesus, who is himself God.
Because he was man, he was able to stand in for humanity. Because he was God, his sacrifice was sufficient to atone for every sin ever committed on the earth.
Because of Jesus' sacrifice, the gates of heaven, which had been closed since our first parents chose to disobey God, were reopened. Our friendship with God was restored.
Now, when we commit a serious sin, we need only express true sorrow in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God, because of his great love, will forgive the transgressions. Jesus has already made up for the punishment due to them by his sufferings and death on the cross. Is this not good news indeed?
After Jesus' death, his body remained in the tomb three days. Where was his spirit? The Apostles' Creed says, "He descended to the dead". Who were these dead people and where were they?
They were all the prophets and just souls who had died during Old Testament times. They waited in a place or state of rest, (some call it Limbo ) for Jesus' sacrifice to be complete. He went to announce that his mission was finished, and to accompany them to their eternal home.
In retrospect, Good Friday is a reason for all humanity to celebrate. It's the anniversary of the day that hope of eternal life in heaven was restored to us through Jesus' passion and death.
Cui bono? Every single person who loves God and neighbor, who obeys the commandments, and expresses sorrow for sin, from Eve and Adam, to those still alive at the end of time. We all benefit because we once more have hope of attaining eternal happiness in heaven. You really can't find a better reason to celebrate than that.
* Roman Catholics believe that Mary, by virtue of her singular privilege of being chosen to be the mother of Jesus, was the only human whose soul was never blemished by sin.
To help understand why Jesus' sacrifice was necessary, consider a human comparison. A child. through carelessness, breaks his mother's expensive lamp. Tearfully, he begs forgiveness, and his parent, because of her great love for him, readily forgives his misdeed.
However. in order to make amends for his action, he must somehow get his mother a new lamp, not an easy feat for a child without a source of income.
From the time of our first parents, all humans have been sinners.* Sins offend God. We can be truly sorry for our misdeeds, but, as mere humans we could never make amends to an all-perfect and almighty God. Who could atone for all these offense ?
Only Jesus, who is himself God.
Because he was man, he was able to stand in for humanity. Because he was God, his sacrifice was sufficient to atone for every sin ever committed on the earth.
Because of Jesus' sacrifice, the gates of heaven, which had been closed since our first parents chose to disobey God, were reopened. Our friendship with God was restored.
Now, when we commit a serious sin, we need only express true sorrow in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God, because of his great love, will forgive the transgressions. Jesus has already made up for the punishment due to them by his sufferings and death on the cross. Is this not good news indeed?
After Jesus' death, his body remained in the tomb three days. Where was his spirit? The Apostles' Creed says, "He descended to the dead". Who were these dead people and where were they?
They were all the prophets and just souls who had died during Old Testament times. They waited in a place or state of rest, (some call it Limbo ) for Jesus' sacrifice to be complete. He went to announce that his mission was finished, and to accompany them to their eternal home.
In retrospect, Good Friday is a reason for all humanity to celebrate. It's the anniversary of the day that hope of eternal life in heaven was restored to us through Jesus' passion and death.
Cui bono? Every single person who loves God and neighbor, who obeys the commandments, and expresses sorrow for sin, from Eve and Adam, to those still alive at the end of time. We all benefit because we once more have hope of attaining eternal happiness in heaven. You really can't find a better reason to celebrate than that.
* Roman Catholics believe that Mary, by virtue of her singular privilege of being chosen to be the mother of Jesus, was the only human whose soul was never blemished by sin.
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