by Sarah Todd

Created on: April 11, 2009

When one considers the significance behind Good Friday the adjective "good' initially seems somewhat inappropriate. The suffering Jesus endured after His betrayal and the events leading to His crucifixion could hardly be described as "good".

There are few explanations for naming the Friday before Easter Good Friday, perhaps the most sorrowful time in the history of Christianity. Generally it is believed the name is derived from "God's Friday", much the same way the blessing "God be with ye" has transformed into the familiar word "goodbye".

While the word "good" may be a corruption of "God", it is also thought the word has been used to denote "holy". In the early days of Christianity every Friday was observed as a fast day. By the fourth century the Friday marking the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion was known as the Great or the Holy or Good Friday. A lesser known term for this day is Black Friday.

It is generally accepted the Crucifixion took place during Passover, the Jewish holy day commemorating the end of the Hebrew enslavement by the Egyptians. Passover is celebrated during the Hebrew month of Nisan, which corresponds to March and April in the Gregorian calendar. According to the Bible Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and the judge at Jesus' trial. Pilate is named in all four Gospels, and ruled Judea for ten years between AD 26 and AD 36. Scientific calculations put the year of Jesus' crucifixion at either AD 33 or AD 34, taking into account the Biblical information and the visibility of the new moon according to the Hebrew and Julian calendars.

The different Christian faiths all observe Good Friday to varying degrees. The Eastern Orthodox churches refer to the day as Great Friday or Holy Friday. Many churches conduct services between midday and 3:00 pm, symbolising Jesus' final hours on the cross. Some churches hold a ritual known as Stations of the Cross, re-enacting Jesus' final agonising walk to the cross.

In the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden the day is called Long Friday, an acknowledgement of the immense suffering Jesus endured before His crucifixion. The German term for Good Friday Karfreitag - translates to Mourning Friday, relating to the way Jesus' disciples and followers felt on the day he was crucified.

Good Friday commemorates a sad day, and many churches do not use flowers or decorations on this day, preferring to leave the church darkened with a simple cross placed on the altar. Some churches conduct services where lighted candles are gradually extinguished, symbolising the end of Jesus' earthly life. The day is known as Good Friday because Christians believe Jesus gave up his life for the good of everyone, so breaking the barrier of sin and demonstrating His love for mankind.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Todd.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.