There are some dates in history which stand out for being associated with awful events. Each year, when the calendar rolls around to these dates, we shudder in horror when we recall what happened.

Here are a few “worst days in history” that come to mind:

September 11th, 2001: the deadly World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in New York.

August 6, 1945: the dropping of a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

June 28, 1914: the day Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, igniting the horrific First World War which killed tens of millions.

December 26, 2004: the Boxing Day tsunami which killed hundreds of thousands.

Some horrible dates in history have specific terms associated with them, such as:

December 7, 1941: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a date which President Roosevelt said would “live in infamy.”

October 29, 1929: called “Black Tuesday,” the worst day of a stock market crash which would send the world spiralling into the Great Depression.

What term is associated with the horrible day Jesus Christ was crucified?

Good. It’s called Good Friday.

But why?

The Son of God, an innocent man, was condemned to death by crucifixion, one of the most torturous ways to die. He was hung on a cross between two criminals, suffering excruciating pain while people mocked him.

What could possibly be good about that?

In and of itself, there was nothing good about it. On that day, the forces of evil were intent on destroying the only sinless and perfect man who ever lived. When Jesus perished on the cross, it seemed like Satan had triumphed. The death of the Son of God seemed like the worst day in history.

But it was only Act One; the play wasn’t finished yet. God would have the last word, and it would be good.

On Easter Friday, God was at work doing something marvellous, miraculous, and magnificent. Through Jesus’ death on the Cross, God was providing a way for our sins to be atoned for, once and for all.

Three days later, Jesus would be raised from the dead to live forevermore. With His resurrection, He proved that He has power over death and the grave. And He has the power to grant eternal life to all who would believe in Him.

That is truly good news!

God turned the worst day of all into the best day for humanity. Easter Friday isn’t connected with words like “black” or “infamy”: for the past two thousand years, it’s been inextricably linked to the word “good.”

This tells us that God can turn around even the worst events in our own lives. We don’t have to be afraid of what might happen to us in the future or live in the shadow of a bad event in our past. There’s no date on the calendar that God can’t redeem.

When the calendar rolls around each year to Good Friday, Christians don’t shudder and mourn.

We rejoice and are grateful for what Christ did for us on that day, one which became the “best worst day” in history.

Happy Easter from The Faith Cafe!

© 2020 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.