Good Friday

On the Friday of the Passion Week is called “Good Friday".

It was not a “good” Friday for Jesus since He had to suffer unbearable pain and humiliation but it is a good Friday for us because Jesus paid the price for our sins. On Good Friday He hung suspended on the cross for 6 hours from 9am till about 3:00pm, when Jesus said in a loud voice, “It is finished!”

On the night before or early Friday morning before dawn, Jesus was tried by three parties in the Jewish system. He was tried before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. After Sunrise on Friday, the Jewish leaders sent Jesus to be tried by the Roman courts because they themselves have no authority to execute anyone.

(Click on the Bible passages in green to read the scriptures)

Event #1 – Jesus appeared 3 times before the Roman court.

1. Jesus before Pilate.
Matthew 27:11-14
Mark 15:1-5
Luke 23:1-5
John 18:28-38

2. Jesus before Herod
Luke 23:6-12

3. Jesus before Pilate again.
Matthew 27:15-31
Mark 15:6-20
Luke 23:13-25
John 18:39-19:16

When Jesus was sent to Pilate the first time, he did not take any action because Jesus was a Galilean. Pilate was afraid that it was out of his jurisdiction to take any action. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas. In order for Herod to  save Jesus, he wanted Jesus to perform a miracle or two and to answer some questions to convince him but Jesus didn’t do or say anything. Angry with Jesus for not answering his questions, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate had no choice but to pass a death sentence on Jesus. His guards then dressed him in a purple robe, pushed a crown of thorns into his head and mocked Him. They hit and spat on Jesus before sending Jesus off to Golgotha to be crucified.

Pilate had no choice but to make a decision but he washed his hands off the case after that.

Event #2 – Judas Hangs himself

Matthew 27:3-10

We have made mentione about Judas yesterday. It was a great waste of potential in a man. Many question are raised today and debates carried out about his decision to take his own life. He had made a wrong choice by betraying Jesus. He could have made the right one at the foot of the cross where Jesus died. Once again, let Judas' life be a warning to us to always choose to do the right thing and stay close to Jesus always.

Event #3 – Crucifixion at Golgotha or Calvary
This started from around 9am till 3pm when Jesus finally died.

Matthew 27:32-56
Mark 15:21-41
Luke 23:26-49
John 19:17-37

Event #4 - Jesus’ Seven Last Sentences (The Message version)
This was said from about 9am to 12 noon.

1. Luke 23:34 - Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing."

2. Luke 23:43 - He said, "Don't worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise."

3. John 19:26-27 - Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.


This was said from around 12 noon to 3 pm

4. Matt 27:46 - Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

5. John 19:28 - Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, "I'm thirsty."

6. John 19:30 - After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done . . . complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

7. Luke 23:46 - Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last.

Event #5 – Supernatural Phenomena Happened


Matthew 27:50-54
Mark 15:33 & 15:38
Luke 23:44-45

Event #6 – Jesus was buried

Matthew 27:57-61
Mark 15:42-47
Luke 23:50-56
John 19:38-42



The most significant event on Good Friday is Jesus hanging on the cross and finally saying, “It is finished!”

Why did He say, “It is FINISHED!” What was finished? His life? His sufferings? Yes, but even more than that, it was A MISSION COMPLETED. His mission HERE ON EARTH WAS ACCOMPLISHED .

Jesus came to this world to commit to the Father’s plan and throughout His life here on earth, He had demonstrated His commitment to the Father’s will right to the end.

Philippians 2: 5-8 - "Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion."

John 4:34 - "Jesus said, "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started."

John 17:4 - "I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do." 

Let us be encouraged today with Jesus’ Words, “It is finished!” because this is the guarantee that He gives to us that we can now know for sure that our sins are fully paid for by His death on the cross and that our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father is made right. Yes, when Jesus said those words, “It is finished!” it is His assurance to us that He had cleared the way for us to someday enter eternal life to be with Him again in heaven.

On this Good Friday let us symbolically stand beneath the cross of Jesus Christ and lay down our guilt of sins, our baggage of hurts and disappointments, our load of anger and hatred and all other luggage that weigh us down, right at His feet. Let the blood that Jesus has shed, flow down upon us and remove all these weights that we have been carrying.

Let this day be a really GOOD FRIDAY for us and take great comfort in Jesus’ words, “It is finished!” Let us spend time to be thankful that God sent us His Son to be our Savior, 2000 years ago, so that we can enjoy eternal life with Him.

Let us look forward to a GREAT WEEKEND!