LET’S NOT MISS FRIDAY

By Max Edwards

“… grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘ye were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.”

~

Bonhoeffer,

Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship Pocket Books, 1995, p. 45

Resurrection Sunday is GREAT. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior rose from the dead, putting an exclamation point on His supremacy. Let the celebrations ring out: Death is surely dead!!

But before we can get to Sunday, we must move through Friday. In many places in the world – certainly in the USA the Friday of passion week is called “Good Friday.” Why is that? How has it come to be known as “good?” And in what sense is it “good?” The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that the name comes from an antiquated meaning of good, deriving itself from the word Holy. Indeed, this is the case in many of the Romantic languages: “Viernes Santo” (Spanish); “Venerdì Santo” (Italian); “Sexta-feira Santa” (Portuguese).

“Holy Friday,” it seems to me, might put us in a more accurate frame of mind, grappling with the sorrow of our Savior. It is interesting to me that in Romania, “Good Friday” is called “Black Friday.” Traditionally, it is a day of sorrow, fasting, and solemn reflection on the suffering of Christ.

Pondering and deeply processing the suffering of Jesus is more than just important; it is essential.

When we just rush into Sunday and the joy of the Resurrection, we miss the grief of the passion.

If we don’t understand the pain, we don’t fully understand the price.