Aston Lukoye
Happy Easter from KenyanTrend!
Easter is a significant festival for many Christians, who attend church services to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Others celebrate it as a secular holiday complete with candy-filled baskets, bunnies, and painted eggs.
However, there is another significant Christian celebration two days prior to Easter Sunday. The holy day, also known as Good Friday, honors Jesus’ crucifixion.
Learn more about Good Friday’s significance and how Christians honor it by reading on:
What Is Good Friday?
According to the Christian faith, Jesus was arrested and put on trial for claiming to be the Son of God. Roman authorities sentenced him to death by crucifixion. He was beaten and forced to carry a wooden cross to the place of execution, called Golgotha or Calvary, where he was nailed to the cross and left to die. Jesus was eventually taken down from the cross and buried, according to the Bible.
Christians hold that Jesus’ death on the cross reconciled people to God and delivered humanity from its sins. This notion is referred to as the Atonement by many Christians.
Good Friday is a sad day of mourning and contemplation for Christians, who frequently attend special church services and prayer vigils in remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Good Friday is a part of Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, and Good Friday, leading up to Easter Sunday.
When is Good Friday?
In 2023, the religious holiday takes place on Friday, April 7.
The date of Good Friday changes every year depending on when Passover occurs. Easter Sunday is always two days later.
Why is it called of Good Friday?
So, what’s so good about Good Friday?
It was on this day that the New Adam repaired the damage that the old Adam had done. It was also on this day that the temple vein was torn into two. It was on this day that the gates of heaven were open to all. It was on this day that the righteous waiting in Abraham’s bosom were able to go to their heavenly home with the Father. It was on this day that the Catholic Church was born.
If you had any doubts before, can you now see why we call this particular Friday good?
How Do Christians Observe Good Friday?
Christians observe Good Friday in different ways, but here are some standard practices:
Fasting: Some Christians fast to commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice, while others will refrain from eating meat.
Stations of the Cross: In this 14-step devotional practice, people retrace Jesus’ final steps before his crucifixion. The stations are often represented through paintings in a church or outdoors.
Good Friday Processions: Some countries and cultures march with images and statues of Jesus or reenact his crucifixion.
Prayer and Church Services: Many Christians pray to contemplate the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice and his death.
Although Christians know Easter is approaching, church services on Good Friday often reflect the tone of the crucifixion and death of Jesus through Bible readings, prayers, and hymns.
