Background on Good Friday
Potential avenues for discussion:
Why is it called Good Friday!?!? What is good about this day??
It's the #1 question on every single child's mind as they learn about what happened on Good Friday... and I'd imagine that many of us ask the same thing as adults, too! While the history behind it isn't exactly clear, there's a strong likelihood that it comes from the definition of "good" in Middle English, which meant roughly the same thing as "holy". In fact, Good Friday hasn't always had that name - it has been known at varying points as "Holy Friday", "Black Friday", "Long Friday", and "Great Friday". Regardless, somehow the name "Good Friday" stuck and now kids throughout the ages have been confused as to why. But there's also a more theological way of understanding the "Good Friday" name in light of Easter: this day is good because Jesus' death affirms without a doubt the depth of God's love for us. Jesus' death isn't good -- God's love is. Our salvation is. A restored relationship with God is. This understanding isn't always satisfying to younger kids, but it's worth sharing nonetheless!
Thinking about the response of Jesus' disciples: abandonment and denial
Although there is obviously a lot about this day that is tragic, the disbanding of Jesus' disciples feels like a true betrayal. At a time when Jesus was sacrificing for them (and others), they denied knowing him. Peter's infamous denial around the fire can be a starting place for us to think about times when we deny our faith for our own selfish reasons, whether that's because we're embarrassed about being Christian because of how other Christians have acted, or whether we're doing something solely for our own benefit. Good Friday is a reminder that all of us will deny Jesus or deny Jesus' path throughout varying points of our lives -- but our hope comes from the promises of Easter, and Jesus' subsequent appearance to Peter in which he asks Peter to be a disciple again three times, effectively reversing Peter's three-fold denial. God is always ready to forgive us.
Thinking about the response of the crowds: from Palm Sunday to crucifixion
The other aspect of this day that is often hard to wrap our minds around is how quickly the cheers of the crowds on Palm Sunday turn into the chants of "Crucify him!" on Good Friday. As noted in the Palm Sunday lesson and background, the crowds likely were hoping for a leader who would overthrow Roman rule. That, obviously, was not something that Jesus came to do - but the people's disappointment and disillusionment would have been palpable and real. While the religious authorities likely played their part, it's worth reflecting on how quickly we can turn on our heroes and public figures and how quick we are to tear them down sometimes. How can we be less vengeful when we see others make mistakes? How can we be a part of building others up rather than tearing them down? It is a challenge for all of us - but one that is worth considering.
Digging Deeper:
Why exactly was Jesus put to death on a cross when he hadn't committed any crime?
Although it's easy enough to imagine that an angry mob could pressure Pilate into ordering the crucifixion of an innocent man, it's not entirely clear what would have made the religious authorities, and subsequently the crowds, so angry in the first place. Jesus had been preaching and teaching against the Sadducees and Pharisees for some time... so what was the tipping point? The two main charges seem to have been blasphemy (against God) and sedition (against the state - aka Rome), but there likely were a handful of run-ins with the authorities in Jerusalem that led to the charge:
The Cleansing of the Temple
The three Synoptic Gospels (though not John) record Jesus throwing out the money changers in the Temple as soon as he arrived in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This clash seems to precipitate later conflicts, and it certainly would have put Jesus on the radar as someone who was subverting authority.
Prophesying of the Temple's Destruction
In all three of the Synoptics, Jesus responds to an exclamation by the disciples about the size of the Temple in Jerusalem with a prophecy that the Temple would be torn down (which did happen in 70 CE, around 37 years after Jesus' death). The importance of the Temple in Jerusalem cannot be overstated - it was the center of religious life and its destruction would be devastating. The Gospel of Matthew sees the religious authorities specifically note this prophecy in their accusations against Jesus.
General Unrest in Jerusalem against Rome
While the biblical text doesn't record much of the prevailing anti-Rome sentiment in Judea (probably smart given the context in which it was being written!), it's worth noting that Roman authorities were particularly sensitive to rebellions and revolts in 1st and 2nd century Judea and would have been fairly ruthless in stamping them out. That Jesus would be crucified rather than simply executed lends some credence to the idea that Rome saw him as a threat too, not just religious leaders.
Why is it called Good Friday!?!? What is good about this day??
It's the #1 question on every single child's mind as they learn about what happened on Good Friday... and I'd imagine that many of us ask the same thing as adults, too! While the history behind it isn't exactly clear, there's a strong likelihood that it comes from the definition of "good" in Middle English, which meant roughly the same thing as "holy". In fact, Good Friday hasn't always had that name - it has been known at varying points as "Holy Friday", "Black Friday", "Long Friday", and "Great Friday". Regardless, somehow the name "Good Friday" stuck and now kids throughout the ages have been confused as to why. But there's also a more theological way of understanding the "Good Friday" name in light of Easter: this day is good because Jesus' death affirms without a doubt the depth of God's love for us. Jesus' death isn't good -- God's love is. Our salvation is. A restored relationship with God is. This understanding isn't always satisfying to younger kids, but it's worth sharing nonetheless!
Thinking about the response of Jesus' disciples: abandonment and denial
Although there is obviously a lot about this day that is tragic, the disbanding of Jesus' disciples feels like a true betrayal. At a time when Jesus was sacrificing for them (and others), they denied knowing him. Peter's infamous denial around the fire can be a starting place for us to think about times when we deny our faith for our own selfish reasons, whether that's because we're embarrassed about being Christian because of how other Christians have acted, or whether we're doing something solely for our own benefit. Good Friday is a reminder that all of us will deny Jesus or deny Jesus' path throughout varying points of our lives -- but our hope comes from the promises of Easter, and Jesus' subsequent appearance to Peter in which he asks Peter to be a disciple again three times, effectively reversing Peter's three-fold denial. God is always ready to forgive us.
Thinking about the response of the crowds: from Palm Sunday to crucifixion
The other aspect of this day that is often hard to wrap our minds around is how quickly the cheers of the crowds on Palm Sunday turn into the chants of "Crucify him!" on Good Friday. As noted in the Palm Sunday lesson and background, the crowds likely were hoping for a leader who would overthrow Roman rule. That, obviously, was not something that Jesus came to do - but the people's disappointment and disillusionment would have been palpable and real. While the religious authorities likely played their part, it's worth reflecting on how quickly we can turn on our heroes and public figures and how quick we are to tear them down sometimes. How can we be less vengeful when we see others make mistakes? How can we be a part of building others up rather than tearing them down? It is a challenge for all of us - but one that is worth considering.
Digging Deeper:
Why exactly was Jesus put to death on a cross when he hadn't committed any crime?
Although it's easy enough to imagine that an angry mob could pressure Pilate into ordering the crucifixion of an innocent man, it's not entirely clear what would have made the religious authorities, and subsequently the crowds, so angry in the first place. Jesus had been preaching and teaching against the Sadducees and Pharisees for some time... so what was the tipping point? The two main charges seem to have been blasphemy (against God) and sedition (against the state - aka Rome), but there likely were a handful of run-ins with the authorities in Jerusalem that led to the charge:
The Cleansing of the Temple
The three Synoptic Gospels (though not John) record Jesus throwing out the money changers in the Temple as soon as he arrived in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This clash seems to precipitate later conflicts, and it certainly would have put Jesus on the radar as someone who was subverting authority.
Prophesying of the Temple's Destruction
In all three of the Synoptics, Jesus responds to an exclamation by the disciples about the size of the Temple in Jerusalem with a prophecy that the Temple would be torn down (which did happen in 70 CE, around 37 years after Jesus' death). The importance of the Temple in Jerusalem cannot be overstated - it was the center of religious life and its destruction would be devastating. The Gospel of Matthew sees the religious authorities specifically note this prophecy in their accusations against Jesus.
General Unrest in Jerusalem against Rome
While the biblical text doesn't record much of the prevailing anti-Rome sentiment in Judea (probably smart given the context in which it was being written!), it's worth noting that Roman authorities were particularly sensitive to rebellions and revolts in 1st and 2nd century Judea and would have been fairly ruthless in stamping them out. That Jesus would be crucified rather than simply executed lends some credence to the idea that Rome saw him as a threat too, not just religious leaders.