10 Good Friday Traditions to Remember the Easter Story

“Good Friday” sounds contradictory. After all, it was the day Jesus was betrayed, tortured, and crucified for our sins. But Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, our faith’s author and perfecter, who endured the cross for the joy before Him, scorning its shame, and sitting at the right hand of God’s throne. Only our Savior could make such a dark day brim with hope.Good Friday is the one day in history when sin and death faced its ultimate foe, losing the battle once and for all (Hebrews 10:10).

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Below are five Good Friday Traditions to try with your family. Depending on your children’s ages, some details may require tweaking.  

1. Bake Together

Hot cross buns, to be exact. No one’s sure who invented these sweet buns with a cross on top, but so many love them. From toddlers to seniors, there is something for every family member to help out while making them. Thanks to rapid-rise yeast, your family can prepare the dough before a Good Friday evening service and bake the buns afterward.

If you can’t attend a Good Friday service, consider watching The Chosen or an Easter program while eating the hot cross buns. 

Another great Good Friday food option is a Passover meal. This will require more planning, but the Internet offers many tips for creating a simple Passover meal.

2. Serve Together

When we serve others, we follow Jesus’s perfect example, who came to serve rather than be served (Mark 10:41-45).

Serving together, especially on Good Friday, expresses our love for Jesus and desire to reflect His love and forgiveness toward others. Some ideas for serving as a family include:

- Serve one another in your home. Draw names and do something specific to help on Good Friday.

- Help at a local soup kitchen. 

- Gather clothes and toys to take to a local mission’s resale shop. Pray the recipients will come to know Jesus as their Savior. 

- Volunteer to help at your Good Friday church service. 

- Put a care box together for a lonely or widowed neighbor and deliver as a family. It might include flowers, fruit, a card, or a gift card to their favorite restaurant. 

- Create greeting cards or other crafts for soldiers, missionaries, etc. 

- Double your cross-bun recipe and share the food.

3. Attend a Good Friday Service Together

Gathering our family with other believers to remember Good Friday’s story of Christ’s sacrifice, love, and forgiveness draws us closer to God and one another. It reminds us that we are not alone in our joy or suffering. 

4. Take a Nature Walk Together

Pack water, gloves, and clippers before you venture out as a family to find the following items in nature: 

- A stick (preferably 6-12”) 

- Enough vines to make a crown for your child’s head. Non-poisonous vines include Clematis, Ivy, Morning Glories, Wisteria, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Passion Flower, or Virginia Creeper (five leaves, not three)

- A purple leaf (make sure it’s not poisonous or a wildflower) 

- A rock, preferably round. 

- At home, rinse off your finds and allow time for drying.

Later, when you observe Good Friday as a family, share how the materials found during their nature walk are in the verses you’ll read aloud: 

- The stick represents “flogging,” a common but painful way to punish people in Jesus’ day. To flog someone was to whip them with a rod, whip, or other instruments. 

- The vines represent the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head. Unlike the soft vines collected, Jesus’s crown was made of thorns, much thicker than roses or prickly vines. (As you discuss this topic, help your children make “crowns” by weaving the vines together to create a circle.) 

- The purple leaf represents the purple robe placed on Jesus. Purple is the color of royalty, but the soldiers didn’t believe Jesus was who He said He was (king of the Jews), so they made fun of Jesus using the robe. 

- The rock represents the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb. It was put there because the chief priests and Pharisees were fearful that Jesus’s body would be stolen by one of His disciples. After all, Jesus told them He would rise from the dead on the third day.  

Ask the children to hold up the stick, crown, purple leaf, and rock when they hear the words “flogging,” “crown,” “purple,” or “stone” as you read John 19:1-6, 19:28-30, followed by Luke 24:1-6a. 

Close your time by sharing that although Good Friday was a sad day, it was also filled with hope because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Three days later, on Easter morning, the rolled-away stone revealed an empty grave. Jesus was no longer there. He had risen just as He promised!

5. Listen to Easter Music Together

During the hours Jesus was on the cross (noon-3 pm), listen to Christian music instead of watching television or other distractions. Inviting scripture-based lyrics into the hearts of our family is a beautiful way to worship Jesus on Good Friday. My favorites include Andrew Peterson, Michael Card, Keith Green, and Kristyn Getty.

You can also do something family-oriented while the music places—read, bake, craft, etc.

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These options are all things you can do with your church. Depending on your church culture or structure, you may need to make some adjustments (tips are included for making those adjustments).

1. Create a Good Friday Walk

A prayer walk invites participants to pray as they “walk” with Jesus on their way to Calvary.

Weather permitting, set up a walk in the parking lot. Remember to : 

- Mark the beginning and the ending of the walk. 

- Use paint tape or other yellow plastic “roping” to lead participants in the right direction to eliminate confusion.

- Create at least three prayer pauses, or stations, along the way, allowing several people to participate simultaneously. 

- Have a church leader and other church members attend throughout the day for greeting, counseling, prayer, etc.

Possible prayer stations to consider: 

Station 1: A table large enough for several people to access at one time. On it, have items that represent Good Friday, (a crown of thorns, nails, a whip, a purple piece of cloth), along with a sign reprinted Isaiah 53:5).

Here we prayerfully pause to consider our sins and the punishment Jesus willingly and lovingly took in our place. So, take time to pray. Then, whenever you’re ready, move to the next station. 

Station 2: Three to five chairs, standing room in case more space is needed, take-home crosses*, and a table that several people can access at once. On the table, a sign reads verses about how the cross gives an example to follow, like Galatians 2:20 and Luke 9:23.

Here we remember how Simon of Cyrene,  chosen to carry Jesus’ cross to Calvary (Luke 23:26). Luke is also the gospel where Jesus says His followers must take up their crosses and follow him. In other words, our daily choices reflect that we identify with Christ. But, unlike Simon, we are not forced to “take up” His cross and follow Him. Joshua said it best in Joshua 24:15: “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.”

If you choose Christ, pick up a cross and take it home. Let it symbolize your choice to deny yourself, daily take up His cross, and follow Him. 

*Tip: You can purchase small metal crosses in bulk at Christian bookstores, Hobby Lobby, and online stores.

Station 3: a table with sidewalk chalk. This station will require at least one person to help those who cannot physically draw on the parking lot (or make an alternative solution, like pieces of paper so participants can draw a cross). On the table, a sign reads Hebrews 12:2.

As you pause here, consider the price Jesus paid to redeem you from your former way of life and your sins—past, present, and future. Pray with a grateful heart. When you’re finished, draw a cross on the pavement to demonstrate your desire to fix your eyes on Jesus every day.

*Tip: Mark off ample space in your parking lot for the drawings. Also, have a church leader available to pray or counsel anyone in need throughout the day.

As participants finish, hand them an invitation to your Easter service. Today is Friday, but Sunday is coming! 

Alternate Option: Create Indoor “Stations” for your Good Friday Church Service 

During worship time, ask musicians to play as you invite members to participate in one or all of the stations. The tables and signs are the same as the outdoor prayer walk, with two exceptions:  

- The indoor stations do not need to be close to one another as each will act as a “stand-alone,” letting participants visit stations in whatever order they choose. 

- For the third station, tale roll-out paper or index cards to a wall for members to write a prayer or a cross. Keep the “worship wall” up until the following Sunday as a reminder that Easter continues every Sunday.

Install the stations inside the sanctuary, nearby rooms, or the front lobby.

2. A 24-Hour Prayer Vigil for the Lost

Create an online sign-up sheet with 15 or 30 timeslots to pray throughout Good Friday for those who do not know Jesus. Give the prayer warriors specific ways to pray during their time. 

3. A Time of Observation for Forgiveness

Hanging on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus forgave those who mocked and tortured Him. How can we not do the same?

During the service, invite the congregation to consider if they need to forgive anyone. It could be a person from their past or even someone who has passed. Or perhaps it’s someone in their lives now. 

Offer a contemplation time with accompanying, giving time for the Holy Spirit to move as He wills.

4. A Time of Silence in the Good Friday Service

Isaiah 53:7 prophesied how the Messiah would be oppressed and afflicted but not open his mouth. We see this prophecy fulfilled throughout Jesus’ life. In Matthew 26:49-56, Judas and the crowd come for Jesus. When they laid hands on Him, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, to which Jesus replied, “Put your sword back into its place… Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” 

With one word, Jesus could’ve changed any circumstance He faced during His earthly ministry, including dying on the cross. However, He only spoke as God led Him. Even the high priest questioning Jesus asked, “Are you not going to answer?” 

Imagine a world where people choose to speak not to be heard, but to glorify God. Jesus remained silent because he was strength, not weak. 

Set aside time during the Good Friday service to be silent, encouraging the congregation to meditate on Jesus’s final hours.  

5. Leave the Good Friday Service in Darkness

Close the Good Friday service by asking the congregation to leave the service silently while music focused on the cross plays.

Then, on Easter morning, light up the auditorium, filling it with joyful music. He is risen! He is risen indeed—just as He said He would (Mark 16:6)!

“Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this season faithfully so that, when Easter comes, I will be able to taste with joy the new life that you have prepared for me.” — Henri J.M. Nouwen, Show Me the Way Prayers

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