Does it strike anyone else as odd that today of all days is referred to as Good Friday? This is the day when they took Jesus, beat Him, tortured Him, nailed Him to a piece of wood, and murdered Him in the guise of crucifixion. In terms of how most people define good, this was anything but a good Friday.

But in God’s economy, this was the fulfillment of all the prophecies about a Messiah and Suffering Servant who by his stripes and suffering would heal us and make us whole. By the worst moment of suffering ever endured by anyone in history, Jesus made a way for us to be right with God.

I love the definition of sin as me trying to put myself in God’s place, while salvation is God putting Himself in my place. The difference is that sin fails to dethrone God but salvation succeeds because God never tried to do anything. He just did it.

Good Friday is good because God so loved the world that He gave Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life. Good Friday is good because He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. Good Friday is good because the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

That means that even my worst day can turn to good if God is in it. My worst case scenario can be redeemed for God’s purposes and serve God’s glory instead of my pain and my shame. Easter means that the worst thing is never the last thing (according to Frederick Buechner). Easter Sunday makes Good Friday good and can make any day of mine good, too.