Why Do They Call it Good Friday, When It Is the Day Jesus Was Murdered

Great question—and one a lot of people have asked, because at first glance, it does seem strange to call the day of Jesus’ crucifixion “good.”

Here’s the deal:

1. “Good” Meant “Holy” or “Pious” in Older English

In old English usage, good could mean “holy” or “righteous.” So “Good Friday” was likely originally meant in the same sense as “Good Book” (the Bible) or “Good Tidings” (the Gospel). It’s related to calling the day sacred, not joyful.

In fact, in German, the same day is called Karfreitag, meaning Sorrowful Friday. Other languages reflect a more mournful tone too.

2. “Good” Because of What It Accomplished

From a Christian theological perspective, it’s called “Good Friday” because:

Jesus’ death was not the end—it was a necessary part of the redemption story.

His suffering and crucifixion are believed to have atoned for humanity’s sins, opening the way for salvation and reconciliation with God.

The “good” is not in the suffering itself, but in the outcome—the promise of resurrection and eternal life, fulfilled on Easter Sunday.

So, it’s called “Good” not because the events were happy, but because Christians believe the consequences were profoundly good for humankind.

Want the linguistic history, or the church tradition timeline behind how the name evolved?
You said:
a proof of the earlier uses of word that because just good
ChatGPT said:

Absolutely—here’s a concise proof and timeline of how the word “good” in Good Friday came to mean something more like holy or sacred, rather than “pleasant” or “happy”:
🔤 Old and Middle English Usage of “Good”

Old English (before ~1150 AD)

    The word "gōd" (Old English) had broader meanings than today:

        Morally upright

        Sacred or holy

        Beneficial or fitting for a divine purpose

Source: Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary – "gōd" included “virtuous,” “pious,” “wise,” and “favorable.”

Middle English (1150–1500 AD)

    Religious use of “good” became more specialized:

        "Good tidings" → the Gospel

        "Good Book" → the Bible

        "Good Lord" → a reverent title for God

Example:

    From the Middle English text Cursor Mundi (~1300 AD):

        “God was al good in all his dedes.”
        — Here good means righteous or holy, not "pleasant."

🗓️ Use in Religious Days

Good Friday was referred to as "Good" in English sources by the 13th to 14th centuries.

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) notes that the term may derive from the earlier phrase "God's Friday" (Gottes Freitag in German), later becoming “Good Friday” through anglicization or linguistic evolution.

📚 Supporting Etymology References

Oxford English Dictionary (OED):

    “Good Friday: The Friday before Easter, observed in commemoration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The name is probably from the sense ‘pious, holy’ of ‘good’.”

Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary):

    "Good Friday (n.)—mid-13c., from good (in the sense of 'holy') + Friday."

✅ Summary Proof Points
Time Period Word Used Meaning of “Good” Source
1000s–1100s gōd (OE) Holy, virtuous, divinely right Bosworth-Toller
~1300 Good Friday Sacred Friday Cursor Mundi
Modern analysis Good = holy Not “happy,” but “beneficial” OED, Etymonline