The Meaning of Good Friday.... Significance & History of Good Friday

By Iulia Filip eHow Contributor  April 3, 2015  

Good Friday is a religious holiday that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Also known as Great Friday or Black Friday, this holiday is primarily observed by Christians. On this day, Christians honor Christ's death, which is believed to have saved the souls of the faithful.

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1. Significance of Good Friday

   • Observed on the Friday preceding Easter, Good Friday is a crucial part of the Easter ritual, which commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. This holiday precedes the apex of the Holy Week: the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Saturday night.

   History of Good Friday

   • According to the Christian Gospels, Caiaphas, the high priest of the Roman province of Judea, judged Jesus Christ – who is recognized as the son of God and the highest among prophets in the Christian faith – finding him guilty of blasphemy. After sentencing Jesus to death, the assembly of the Jewish priests deferred authority to the Roman governor of the province, Pontius Pilate, who eventually gave in to pressure and enforced the death sentence.

     Jesus’ trial is believed to have been held during what is now the Holy Week, concluding with his crucifixion, which, according to the Gospel of John, occurred on a Friday. more