When is Good Friday? Why is it different than any other Friday? For Christians worldwide, Good Friday is a day of remembrance as the Friday Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. Good Friday is always the Friday before Resurrection Sunday, and though it is a dark day, we look ahead and say, “Sunday’s coming!” A pastor was once questioned as to why—if Jesus hung on that cross and died—is it called good? He replied, “It’s good for us!”
Jesus said, in Mark 9:31, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” In the Jews’ reckoning of time, a portion of each day counted as a full day. Therefore, the Friday before Resurrection Sunday is the one we always consider Good Friday.
Why Is Good Friday Week a Different Date Each Year?
Good Friday is inextricably linked to Resurrection Sunday (Easter), so its date changes according to the date set for Easter. Today, we follow a timeline based upon a solar calendar (Gregorian), but Easter was initially based on the Jewish calendar’s lunar cycles. Jesus said His meal with His disciples in the Upper Room was a Passover feast, so it followed that Christians would observe Easter right after Passover. The Council of Nicaea decided that Christians should distinguish themselves from the Jewish (lunisolar) calendar, and now we base the commemoration on the vernal equinox (the first day of spring).
How Do We Determine When We Celebrate Good Friday?
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the next full moon after the vernal equinox. Therefore, Good Friday will always be two days before the vernal equinox. Christians in most of the Western hemisphere use the Gregorian solar calendar to determine religious holidays, as opposed to the earlier Julian calendar.
When Do Eastern Orthodox Churches Celebrate Good Friday?
We will regard the Greek Orthodox observance of Good Friday and the Holy season in general for our purposes. But first, what does it mean to be an Orthodox church? The Orthodox church is one of three main Christian groups, including Protestantism and Catholicism. The word “Orthodox” has two meanings. The first is “true teaching.” The Greek Orthodox Church believes it has maintained and dispersed an error-free faith since the Apostles’ days. However, they prefer the second definition of orthodox, “true praise.” They feel their goal is to “bless, praise, and glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” To that end, they direct everything they do toward this objective.
One way the Orthodox church differs is its ties to Mid-Eastern, Greek, Russian, and Slavic cultures. The Orthodox custom grew from the Christianity of the Eastern Roman Empire with its capital of Byzantium; therefore, it’s sometimes called Byzantine Christianity. Along with other Christians, Orthodox Christians believe God became flesh as Jesus Christ and in His death and resurrection. However, their way of life, worship, and certain features of theology model the differences.
The Greek Orthodox churches commonly remember Good Friday later than Protestants and Catholics because they use the Julian calendar to mark their holidays. They will observe Good Friday on April 14, 2023.
How Do Eastern Orthodox Christians Celebrate Good Friday?
How do they observe the day? The Greek Orthodox Church church calls Good Friday “Great or Holy Friday,” and it is a day of fasting for many adherents. Some congregations begin their Great Friday observance Thursday night with a liturgical reading of twelve sections from Jesus’ passion in the Gospels. After the readings, a procession with the crucifix occurs around the church, and then the priests chant the 15th Antiphon of the Matins of Holy Friday:
“Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross. He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns. He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face. The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ. Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.”
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On Great Friday, then, the people gather in the morning for the services of the Royal Hours, which are filled with readings from the Old and New Testaments. In the afternoon, a Vespers service is held wherein—while Scripture is read—the “body of Christ” is removed from the cross and wrapped in a white sheet, commemorating the faithful act of Joseph of Arimathea. The mournful service then concludes.
When Is Good Friday in 2023?
Good Friday and the Passover are both on April 7 in 2023.
For Protestants, a Good Friday service is for remembering the Lord Jesus’ suffering and death by crucifixion. But the deeper meaning is that it’s on the Cross that He completed His atoning work for all who will believe in Him. Traditionally solemn and quiet, Good Friday services are usually held in the evening. If the sanctuary contains a cross or other decorations, the decorations are removed to leave just the bare cross to symbolize Christ’s death and burial.
For Roman Catholics, an opening litany precedes the silent entrance of the people and the priests. The presiding minister reads or sings the Call to Worship, after which verses from Isaiah 53 are recited. A prayer closes the service.
Does it Matter When We Celebrate Good Friday?
In short, it may not matter what day we celebrate Good Friday, but it does matter that we celebrate Good Friday, and do so in the season when he suffered and died for us. Because we are Christians—followers of the Lord Jesus Christ—when we have the opportunity to honor Him in the very season He suffered and died for us, it brings Him glory.
A lost and dying world is watching us, and part of our witness as believers is how we worship our Lord. The fact that we regard Good Friday as a holy day displays our love of and trust in Jesus. The commemoration of Good Friday also gives us the chance to share the good news with unbelievers who are curious about what and why we do what we do.
In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, the Apostle Paul said:
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
Communion is a command for believers given directly by the Lord Jesus, and it is a regular occurrence in a healthy church. As we partake in communion, we remember what Christ did for us. Whether or not we take communion on Good Friday and/or on Resurrection Sunday, we join the worldwide church in proclaiming Jesus as our Savior—that He came in the flesh and died on the cross for our sins.
And as we ponder and pray throughout the holy week, we know we serve a risen Savior. Our Resurrection Sunday celebration is because our God is faithful, and He loves us. Hallelujah, what a Savior.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Kwangmoozaa
Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations:
What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start?
What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday?
What is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday?
What is Holy Saturday?
What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday?
Easter Bible Verses
The Resurrection of Jesus
Easter Prayers
