Theodidacti

The worldwide Church celebrated Maundy Thursday yesterday. It is a day that commemorates the last supper Jesus had with his disciples and the new commandment (mandatum novum, from which we get the now archaic word “Maundy”) he gave, to love one another. It is an occasion for Communion and Foot Washing in many churches. In other words, it is a day for “getting right” with both God and people so that one is prepared for Easter.

Good Friday is another day of preparation for Easter. But why is it called “good”? It may be that the slow change of the English language turned “God Friday” into “Good Friday” just as “God be with you” became “goodbye.” No one really knows how it eventually received the ironic title of “Good” Friday. Nevertheless, despite the darkness and the sadness of Jesus’ death, it is a very good day indeed. First, it causes Christians the world over to seriously consider their sins and their relationship with God. Second, it makes them realize that the only way to be right with God is through his Son who came to die on Good Friday. It is a good Friday afterall, when one considers that sins are only forgiven through the tragedy of a good man’s death. In fact, the only good man who ever lived was killed on a cross so that the cost of your sins could be paid. 

Without Jesus’ death on that dark day so long ago, the world would be even darker than it sometimes is and eternity would be darker still. Though we commemorate the death of the Savior today, we celebrate that his death brought the light of hope into the darkness. That is why we rise early on Easter morning. The Light of the World has stepped down into this darkness and the darkness has not overcome it! Though it seems the darkest hour in history, a now empty cross shines with the hope of God’s promise. And our hope is not disappointed.