Why Good Friday Matters The Most
By Pastor Lawrence Lim
Pastor Lawrence is a pastor at New Creation Church and is actively involved in prison ministry, dedicated to bringing hope and restoration to inmates. Additionally, he sits on the board of the church's community service arm, reaching out to diverse communities in Singapore and beyond.
“Dad, why do we celebrate Good Friday? Isn’t Jesus’ birth more important than His death?”
As we approach Good Friday, I am reminded of this question my daughter asked me when she was young.
For a child, Christmas is naturally the more memorable occasion. There are gifts, gatherings, lights, songs, and a joyful atmosphere that fills the season. It is easy to understand why the birth of Jesus would seem more significant, especially through the eyes of a child.
Christmas feels festive. Good Friday feels solemn.
And yet, the truth at the heart of the gospel is this: While the birth of Christ was necessary, it is the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ that has brought salvation to sin-wrecked humanity.
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” The apostle Paul makes this crystal clear in 1 Corinthians 15:3, where he declares that Christ’s death for our sins is the message “of first importance.” Christianity stands or falls on this glorious truth—that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again.
The cross is not a side note in the Christian faith. It is the very crux of it.
Why is this so important? Because sinful man can only be saved through the shed blood of the Son of God. Scripture tells us plainly that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins.
From the beginning, God revealed that sin carries a penalty, and that forgiveness requires a sacrifice. All the sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed to one final and perfect offering: Jesus Christ Himself.
He is the true Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.
On Good Friday, we do not merely remember a noble man dying a tragic death. We remember the holy Son of God going to the cross as our substitute. He bore our sins. He endured the judgment that should have fallen on us. He paid the full price for our redemption. At the cross, divine justice and divine love met in perfect harmony.
This is why Good Friday is good.
It is good not because suffering is good, nor because the cross was painless, but because through that suffering, eternal salvation was secured for all who believe. Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and He was raised because of our justification. As Romans 4:25 declares, “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
What a glorious truth this is. We are forgiven because Jesus died for our sins. We are declared righteous because He was raised from the dead. Today, by faith in Christ’s finished work at the cross, we have been justified—made righteous in the eyes of God.
The greatest blessing a person can ever receive is the full forgiveness of sins.
There is no greater gift, no deeper peace, and no richer blessing than to know that our sins have been washed away and that we now stand accepted before a holy God.
This is the gift Good Friday announces to every weary heart: forgiveness, righteousness, and peace with God are found in Christ alone.
Perhaps this is why John Newton’s famous hymn continues to resonate so deeply with believers across the generations:
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me.”
Grace truly is amazing. And what moves our hearts afresh on Good Friday is not only that Jesus died, but that He willingly endured so much suffering in order to save us. Why would anyone go through such agony for another? Why would the sinless Son of God endure rejection, shame, scourging, crucifixion, and the fiery judgment of God?
Only love can explain it.
The love of Christ demonstrated at the cross tells me that I am loved, I am forgiven, and I am blessed. Jesus endured the cross for me. He became sin for me. He bore the judgment of God in my place and paid the ultimate price for my salvation.
Good Friday reminds us that our salvation did not come cheaply. It came through the precious blood of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.
As we remember once again what Jesus has done for us at the cross, may we reckon by faith that our sins have indeed been forgiven. May we look again to Calvary and see not only the horror of sin, but the immeasurable depth of God’s love. And may our hearts be filled with gratitude as we live our lives for the glory of the One who gave everything to save us.
This Good Friday, may we remember we owe our salvation to the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.
And may our response be worship, gratitude, and lives wholly surrendered to Him.