My first Good Friday service that I remember is when I was in college and joined a spring break revival team that went to Sidney, Nebraska.  The trip fell over Easter week and weekend.  It was a good week, and  the Pastor desired for the team to lead a good Friday service.  The service focused on the crucifixion of Jesus using scripture, music, and a message, just like a regular revival service, except it was midday. 

The title “Good Friday” seems contradictory to what the service commemorates.  Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, and death on the cross was good?  Of course, calling it, “Bad Friday” doesn’t sound right either, yet some refer to the day as “Sorrowful Friday”, which indeed it was.  The idea of “Good” comes from more of what the suffering, crucifixion, and death of Jesus provided, the payment of the debt of sin making way for forgiveness of sin.  “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor. 5:21  What happened on the cross was absolutely necessary for man to be redeemed.  I like this thought from an article on Good Friday: “Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good.” – J. Holcomb

The idea of wrath and mercy meeting at the cross indicates God was at work in powerful ways for the deliverance of man, and Jesus was the essential “Lamb of God”, the atoning sacrifice to achieve man’s need and God’s requirement.  In that sense it is a good Friday, still it was a dark day of suffering for the Savior.

Most churches who focus more on liturgical practices in their calendars and services, the “Holy Week” services are a big part of remembering all that transpired in Jesus’ life before the resurrection occurred.  Other evangelical churches also hold these services to encourage believers to remember all that Jesus walked through and suffered before victoriously resurrecting from the dead.  I do my best to be sensitive the Holy Spirit’s leading and if He leads to do a service for Good Friday, then in obedience we do so.  We as a church do not do these services with regularity, however, it is good for every follower of Jesus to take time to remember that even though our Salvation is free, it came through great suffering and an agonizing death of Jesus on the cross.  Take time to reflect on what Jesus willingly did and with much gratitude thank Him in worshipful praise.