In classical Protestantism, which traces its roots to the tradition of one of the great Reformers, Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531), who reformed the church in Zurich Good Friday is a very festive day. One might even say that it is both a celebration and a time of joy. After all, Jesus died on the cross, salvation was accomplished, guilt was wiped away, and all sins were forgiven. Grasping this is very important for understanding both the Swiss Reformation and Protestantism as a whole. Despite its apparent exaggeration, this way of thinking draws its inspiration from the doctrine of grace characteristic of St. Augustine (354–430) and other Western Church Fathers. In Orthodoxy, Good Friday is both sorrowful and life-giving at the same time. As it leads us into the Resurrection, Good Friday is a time of remembrance, reverence, and worship. On Good Friday, time stands still on the path to Easter. Good Friday—the commemoration of the Crucifixion—is a topos of pre-Paschal gravity. In Orthodoxy, Good Friday is a day that has become a dogma.
Good Friday
Dr Augustine Sokolovski
On Good Friday, the Church commemorates the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus on the Cross. Jesus was crucified by order of the Roman authorities. Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus on behalf of the Roman Empire. The records of Jesus’ trial have not survived, whereas the verdict itself was posted by Pilate on the Cross: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” This was not irony or a form of reproach, but a verdict. That is why this story became part of the Gospel and was of utmost importance to the early Christians.
In response to the protests of the Jewish leaders—who were, in fact, the ones responsible for Jesus’s trial and execution—Pilate uttered his famous phrase, which has since become a well-known saying: “What I have written, I have written” (John 19:22). The crucifixion of Jesus was not accidental, but, according to ancient biblical prophecies, was the result of an interaction between representatives of God’s chosen people and the Roman pagan authorities—an interaction that was destructive for those involved but salvific for all of humanity. This is professed in the Creed with the words: “I believe in the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate.”
In the Orthodox Church, Good Friday is the only day of the entire year when the faithful not only do not celebrate the Divine Liturgy but also do not receive Holy Communion. Historians of worship will explain to us when and how this practice of abstaining from the Eucharist and Communion became widespread; for theology, however, it is very important that there be a theological basis for it. Good Friday is not merely a day; Good Friday is more than a day; Good Friday is a day that has become a dogma. Jesus Himself was a living, life-giving dogma during His earthly life. The Eucharist is celebrated in remembrance of Jesus. On Good Friday, the remembrance of Christ’s one and only sacrifice, offered on this day once and for all, becomes a visible reality. In the Orthodox understanding, the Eucharist is a sacrifice. The decision not to celebrate the Liturgy on Good Friday stems from a profound remembrance of the fact that Christ’s one and only sacrifice was historically offered on this very day, long before our time.
If Jesus’ earthly life had ended with His death on the Cross, it would have been the greatest triumph of the forces of evil in history. Christ’s Resurrection was God the Father’s unexpected, paradoxical, asymmetrical, and victorious response to Jesus’ death. “We know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he can no longer die; death no longer has dominion over him” (Romans 9:22). Good Friday is by no means a mere annual reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion, as it may be mistakenly presented to the minds of believers. There is no room for tragedy on Good Friday. It is a day of sorrow, yet life-giving, leading us into the Resurrection.