Last week at church we considered WHY we call “Good Friday” by that name.
This is what I shared with our community:
“Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Holy and Great Friday), and Black Friday.
One theory is that the “good” in Good Friday was derived from “God” or “God’s Friday” (German origin) — the way the term “goodbye” comes from a contraction of the phrase “God Be With You.”
So, it seems that the word “Good” isn’t what was originally intended in the designation.
Of course, we can all affirm that Good Friday ended up being GOOD FOR US, for humankind. As God made a way for us to be reconciled back to Him. To have our sin problem, our separation problem, addressed. The highest possible price was paid for our ransom! That is such a powerful image.
1 Timothy 2:6 speaks about what Jesus did on Good Friday…[He] GAVE HIMSELF AS A RANSOM FOR ALL!
English Standard Version
who gave himself as a ransom for all…
And a note to our Calvinist friends…the Apostle Paul didn’t write “for some”, he wrote FOR ALL!
Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was given for every single person who has ever lived. Not simply “the elect” or a chosen few. God provided for everyone, every single individual that God has ever created.
I LOVE to consider the paraphrases as well.
The New Living Paraphrase renders 1 Timothy 2:6 in an impactful way.
New Living Paraphrase
He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.
Everything that was holding us captive – our sin, our captivity in the kingdom of darkness, and our slavery – Jesus paid the ransom to set us free! As the New Living renders it, He purchased our freedom with His very life.
And that is why GOOD FRIDAY is so GOOD!!!
In that sense, we should rename it BEST FRIDAY!
Keto4Christians / Carnivore4Christians 