Good Friday is one of the most solemn days in the Christian calendar. It comes right after Maundy Thursday and marks the day Jesus was crucified; a day of pain, sacrifice, and what must have felt like a complete loss.

The name Good Friday can sound a bit confusing. What exactly is “good” about Good Friday? The story itself is not an easy one.

After the Last Supper the night before, things escalated very quickly. Jesus was arrested, tried, humiliated, beaten, and then sentenced to death. By the afternoon, He was hanging on a cross – a very painful and very public execution.

Those who followed Him could only watch. Some stood at a distance out of fear. Others were heartbroken. Many were confused. Everything they believed was about to happen suddenly looked like it was falling apart. It was, by all accounts, a dark day.
But that is where the deeper meaning of Good Friday begins.

Because this was not just a story of suffering, it was a story of choice. Jesus did not fight back. He did not defend Himself or call down power to escape. Instead, He stayed. He endured. And in doing so, He showed the kind of strength that is not loud or forceful, but quiet and deliberate. A strength rooted in love.

Christians believe He gave His life willingly not just for His followers, but for everyone, even those who doubted Him, even those who betrayed Him, and even those who stood and watched without speaking up.
When you look at it that way, the meaning of “good” starts to make sense.

Good Friday is not “good” because of the pain. It is “good” because of what came out of it -the sacrifice, the love, and the hope that even in the worst of moments, something meaningful can still come through.

Across Nigeria and around the world, people mark the day quietly. Some go to church. Some reflect. Some just take a moment to think about what it all means. There is no celebration yet, just a pause.
Because Good Friday sits in that uncomfortable space when things are still uncertain, when the outcome is not clear, when you are just holding on and hoping for the best. We all understand being in that space and that is why it still speaks to us.

Because life will have those moments. Times when things do not go as planned. Times when it feels like all is lost.
Good Friday reminds us that even in those moments, the story is not over.
It may look like the end, but it isn’t.

Wishing you all a reflective Good Friday!

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya SAN, FCIArb.