Good Friday - 2010

Why do Christians call this day “Good?” How can the day that Jesus died be considered good?

The answer lies in the Good that comes from this day. From this day come Easter and the resurrection! From this day come forgiveness and life everlasting!

As God always does, God draws good from this day. God draws good from whatever ever happens. Perhaps from the worst of all events, God draws the very best.

One of things we often hear said, when something bad happens, is that God caused the bad to teach us something. I don’t believe that for a minute! God does not cause bad things to happen – ever! But, as a result of freedom and our bad choices or the bad choices of others, bad things do happen. We see this truth in the world around us.

Yet, God uses all things for good – even the bad things that happen in each and every life. God draws good from all things. God brings life from death. When we look at our lives, often, the bad events find special meaning because of the good that eventually comes.

This good may not be apparent at first. It may even take years to find, but we usually find it. God takes whatever happens and offers good. Our lives are transformed again and again by this truth and the good that God brings.

Why do we call this day Good? Because God drew from this day, through Jesus death, all the good that we celebrate on Easter Day. God brings forgiveness of sin, and life from death from the events of this day.

We call it good because looking back, we can see what God did with the evil that happened this day and how God transformed it.

We can see how God’s love shown to us in Jesus has the power to change the worst things that happen into the best. We see how God changes the sorrow of this day into gladness. We see how God brings life from death. Amen.