What is so "good" about Friday?

Before the end of the first week in January there were "Easter eggs" and ""Hot Cross Buns" in the local supermarket. So, the commercial frenzy associated with Christmas is barely over and the commercial rulers of our lives are already gearing up for the over-indulgence they crave at Easter. No, this is not another whinge at the excesses of capitalism. If you are mug enough to fall for it I'm not going to waste space railing against it. ;-)

I want to look in another direction entirely. Over the years we have become used to remembering events by naming a particular day on our calendar. We usually do this for disasters, so in Australia we know of Black Friday and Ash Wednesday when severe bushfires and firestorms devastated large areas, destroying property and killing people. The naming of those days conjures up images of terror and pf bravery, of grief at loss and bitter joy of survival.
As we move again towards Easter we are confronted with a number of days that have strange names, where the meanings have been lost by time and usage, notably:

• Shrove Tuesday [The origin of the name Shrove lies in the old English verb "to shrive" which means to absolve people of their sins. It was common in the Middle Ages for "shriveners" (priests) to hear people's confessions at this time, to prepare them for Lent.],
• Ash Wednesday [Some Christians treat Ash Wednesday as a day for remembering their mortality. Services are traditionally held on the morning of this day at which attendees are blessed with ashes by the "priest". The priest marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes, traditionally in the shape of a cross, leaving a mark that the worshiper traditionally leaves on his or her forehead until sundown, before washing it off. This symbolism recalls the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head signifying repentance before God (as related numerous times in the Bible). Quaint practice, but isn't this the sort of public religious display Jesus spoke against in the "Sermon on the Mount"?]
• Maundy Thursday [The Middle English word Maundy, used only in this context, derives from Old French mandé from Latin mandatum novum do vobis "a new commandment I give unto you. Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13.34), words spoken by Jesus to the Apostles after washing their feet in preparation for The Last Supper. I guess you could call it "new Commandment Thursday"] and
• Good Friday. But why “Good” Friday? After all, that is the day we remember the anniversary of the murder, by crucifixion, of Jesus, God’s one and only Son. There doesn’t seem to be anything “good” about that! In a civilized society where we abhor death and reject the death penalty, it doesn’t make sense.

So, what is Good about Friday?

To begin to answer this question we must look at how Jesus saw his death, and at what happened when he died. In Mark’s Gospel, from as early as chapter 3, during the early time of Jesus ministry, some of the religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus. Towards the end of chapter 8 we find Jesus making it clear that he knew he would be killed. There is no doubt that he knew he must be killed. Towards the end of chapter 10 Jesus spells out his objective. He came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10.45). It becomes clear, that from God’s point of view, Jesus’ death was much more than a cruel murder at the hands of men who feared for their grip on power (some Jewish leaders and Pontius Pilate - the Roman Governor). Jesus was on a mission from God to rescue people from sin and its consequences. The apostle Paul sums it up well in Romans chapter 5:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5.6-8 (NIV)

So, what is Good about Friday?
It was that Friday, so long ago, that God acted to save people like us. Jesus was sent to call people to turn away from rejecting God, and to trust God. On that day, God showed how serious He is. Serious about rebellion against Him and serious about how much he loves people he made in his own image. Serious enough to send His only Son to die in the rescue mission. But, remember he was not rescuing people who wanted to be saved. He was rescuing people who didn’t really understand the weakness of their own position. Jesus was rescuing people who were powerless; people who were as good as dead.
And, God’s purpose was not merely to rescue us and leave us to fend for ourselves in a world that is hostile to God and his kingdom. God raised Jesus back to life.
If Friday is “Good”, then surely the following Sunday, Easter, is “Best Sunday” because God gave us new life through Jesus, the Son of Man, Son of God, who died to take away the penalty for our sin and was raised to bring us back home to his Father. Without Jesus death, when he took that penalty, we could not dare to look in the direction of God, even if we were remotely inclined to do that.
So, Friday is “Good” because Jesus paid the ransom for us, opened a way for us to come back to God. Is Friday "Good" for you too?