I wonder why we call it Good Friday? For those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, celebrating his resurrection is of utmost importance to us. Our salvation rests on the fact that Christ is risen indeed. Yet, why we would call this Friday a “good” day?

That day is a good day if you have an eternal perspective. The day Jesus died is the Day of Atonement, when once and for all, Jesus became our sacrifice, shedding his blood, paying the debt we owe, so we could be forgiven of our sins and made righteous in Jesus.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

That is what took place as Jesus was crucified. Therefore, he had to die in order to become a perfect sacrifice that would pay for our sins. As a result, we have the opportunity to become the righteousness of God, so that God sees us in Christ, redeemed and righteous before him.

It's a Good Friday for us because Jesus gave his all on that day. However, without Resurrection Sunday, this Friday would not be good. It is because of the resurrection we can call this Good Friday—the day Jesus paid it all for us. The price he paid—bearing all our sin and being separated from his Father—was far greater than the agony of the crucifixion, as terrible as that was. And he endured it for you, declaring as he died, It is finished. He did it all so you and I could be assured of eternity with him.