Why Good Friday

This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an

atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 410

Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.

Why, good Friday, was written by Alison Kita and read by Rochelle Trab.

6 John chapter 4 verses 7 through 12

Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God, whoever does not love does not

know God because God is love.

This is how God showed His love among us.

We sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.

This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning

sacrifice for our sins.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is

made complete in us.

Why, good Friday, written by Alison Kita?

What's so good about good Friday?

Why isn't the day called bad or sad Friday?

After all, it's meant to be a day of sorrowful reflection, not a day of celebration.

Sometimes, this day takes other names, such as Holy Friday.

In Germany, it's called Kaffreetag, or sorrowful Friday.

So where did we get the tradition of calling it good?

Some believe it may have originated from the older tradition of calling it God's Friday.

No matter the origin of the name, it's still appropriate to call the Friday on which

Jesus died, good.

Out of Christ's sacrificial love, He died for our sins.

That's why good Friday is good.

And the great news is that three days later, He rose from the grave and victory.

New Testament scholar, Dei Carson, wrote,

It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross.

It was His unqualified resolution, out of love for His Father, to do His Father's will.

And it was His love for sinners like Me.

We read in 1 John 4, this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent

His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The good news of good Friday is that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with

us.

Because of that love, we are called to love others.

When we do, we show our love for Him.

Let's pray.

Thank you for the goodness of good Friday, the goodness of your love, your obedience,

and your sacrifice for us.

Help us to live in grateful response, loving others, as you have so deeply loved us, amen.

As you go about your day, reflect on these questions.

What does good Friday mean to you?

How can you honor Jesus on this day?