During the prayer request time of our early morning AWAKEN Bible Study at a local coffee shop, one of our Student parents, Jacqueline Hines, said, “Pray that tomorrow (Good Friday) won’t just be a day off.” I thought about that the rest of the day on Maundy Thursday, and asked myself, “How can I make Friday of Holy Week not just another off day?” We all know the significance of Good Friday, but sometimes we forget just how pivotal it is for us as followers of Jesus.

The cross stands at the center of the Christian faith as the place where God accomplished salvation. At the cross, we see the fullness of God’s justice and love displayed in what is called penal substitution: Jesus willingly took the penalty we deserved and satisfied God’s wrath against sin. Scripture speaks clearly: “He bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus in my place. Jesus in your place. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus was treated as guilty so we could be declared righteous.

Those legal terms remind us that the cross also brings justification, a legal declaration that we are righteous before God. “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Because of Jesus, God no longer sees us as condemned, but as accepted. All those who are in Christ are declared not guilty. Through the cross, we are redeemed or bought back from slavery to sin and its consequences. “You were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Redemption reminds us that we belong to Him and are freed from the power and penalty of sin.

Because of the cross, we can experience forgiveness for our sins, and our debt is canceled. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Ephesians 1:7). Rather than being earned, forgiveness is purchased through Jesus’ sacrifice.

Flowing from forgiveness is reconciliation between us and God. Sin separates; Jesus restores. “While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). The cross bridges the gap, bringing us back into right relationship with our Creator.

The forgiveness and reconciliation we have because of the cross lead to transformation. It’s not about a simple change of status; the cross changes our lives. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The same power that saves us also reshapes us.

Good Friday invites us to slow down and reflect deeply on the cross and all that it accomplished. In the coffee shop, Jacqueline also said that we need to rest and take care of ourselves so that we can serve others in love like Jesus. Many of us are off from work or school on Good Friday. Treat this day as an extra sabbath. Spend time resting and doing things that bring you joy. Take some moments throughout the day to read the crucifixion account in the Gospels and ask: What did Jesus endure for me? Respond in prayer and with gratitude, confessing sin honestly and receiving His forgiveness and grace. Maybe even write down areas of your life that need transformation and surrender them to Jesus.

Most importantly, don’t rush past the cross, but sit in its weight. Because before there is resurrection joy (and there IS resurrection joy), there is sacrificial love that shows us just how far God was willing to go to bring us back to Himself.