The Day the Sky Went Dark: Beholding the Cross on Good Friday

Why the Worst Day in History Became the Best News for Sinners Like Us

Scripture Reference: – Isaiah 53:5 – John 19:30

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed”

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."

A Personal Note Before the Devotional

On this sacred Good Friday, a day when Christians around the world pause to remember the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, our family had the bittersweet privilege of laying to rest my beloved mother, Rita Mae Harris. It was a moment filled with both sorrow and sacred beauty. How fitting that her homegoing took place on the very day we commemorate the greatest act of love in history—the day Jesus laid down His life so we could live forever.

Among the Scriptures read at her memorial, the pastor shared this passage from Matthew 6:19–21, which speaks so clearly of the life my mother lived:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

She lived her life for eternity. She loved deeply, prayed faithfully, and served joyfully. Her legacy of faith will remain in the hearts of all who knew her. Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we rejoice with hope, knowing she now rests in the presence of the One she loved most.

To lay her to rest on Good Friday was no coincidence—it was providence. For just as Jesus’ death was not the end of the story, neither is hers. Resurrection is coming. And because Christ lives, so does she.

She will be sorely missed, but her legacy will continue to bear fruit until the day we meet again.

Introduction

The Cross towers above history as both a scandal and a salvation. What looked like the most tragic, unjust execution ever recorded in human history has become the greatest act of love ever displayed.

The sky turned black, the earth trembled, the veil in the Temple was torn—and the blood of God’s Son cried out, not for vengeance, but for mercy.

Good Friday is not just another date on the Christian calendar. It is the day the Lamb of God was slain. It is the day Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God so that sinners like us could be set free. It is the day that split history in two and opened the door of Heaven for all who would believe.

What Is Good Friday?

Good Friday is the solemn commemoration of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It takes place on the Friday before Resurrection Sunday.

It marks the climax of Jesus’ earthly mission: the moment when He fulfilled His Father’s will by becoming the perfect sacrifice for sin.

Though it is filled with sorrow, Good Friday is not about defeat—it is about fulfillment. It is the day that secured the redemption of God's people.

“It is finished.” — John 19:30

These were not words of surrender, but a cry of victory.

Why Is It Called “Good” Friday?

Why would we call the day our Savior was brutally crucified good?

Because through the agony of the Cross, we were given access to the joy of salvation.

His death brought us life. His pain brought us peace. The wrath we deserved fell upon Him. And the righteousness He earned was given to us.

As Martin Luther once said:

“God forsaken by God—who can understand it?”

It’s good because what man meant for evil, God meant for eternal good. It’s good because it was the day the debt was paid in full for every sinner who would trust in Christ.

What Happened on That Day?

On Good Friday, the Son of God was betrayed, arrested, falsely accused, beaten, mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a Roman cross. He hung there for six long hours, suffering unimaginable physical and spiritual torment.

At noon, darkness fell over the land for three hours. As Jesus bore the full fury of God’s judgment against sin, even the sun hid its face.

He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”—a mystery we cannot fully grasp, as the perfect union of the Trinity experienced a depth of separation on our behalf.

And then, with His final breath, Jesus declared, “It is finished,” bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.

Why Is Good Friday Celebrated?

We don’t celebrate pain—we celebrate purpose.

We don’t celebrate death—we celebrate deliverance.

Good Friday is not a funeral. It is a sacred remembrance of the ultimate act of substitutionary love—that Christ died for us.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” — 1 Peter 2:24

We celebrate Good Friday because the Cross reminds us that we are not abandoned, not condemned, and not beyond hope. For every broken soul, every guilty conscience, every addict, liar, thief, murderer, and rebel—the Cross says, “Come home.”

Why Is Good Friday So Significant to Believers?

The Cross is the centerpiece of the Christian faith. Without Good Friday, there is no Resurrection Sunday. Without His death, there can be no forgiveness. Without the shedding of blood, there is no cleansing of sin (Hebrews 9:22).

Good Friday reminds us that we do not save ourselves. Salvation is not earned—it was purchased. And it cost Jesus everything.

“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.”— C.S. Lewis

A Word to Prisoners: When the Door Closed, the Veil Was Torn

Brothers, many of you know the weight of guilt. You’ve heard the clang of the prison gate. You’ve wrestled with shame, regret, and the consequences of your past.

But on Good Friday, another door was slammed shut—the door of separation from God. And the veil was torn open. You are not shut out of God’s presence. Through the blood of Jesus, you are welcomed in.

Remember the thief on the cross beside Jesus? He had no time to clean up his record or make amends. He simply believed. And Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

If there’s room in Paradise for a dying thief, there is room for you.

The blood of Christ speaks a better word than your rap sheet. It speaks mercy. It speaks forgiveness. It speaks freedom—not just from bars, but from the power of sin and death.

 A Pivotal Moment: – “Surely This Was the Son of God”

“The First Convert of Calvary”

As Jesus breathed His last, the first response wasn’t applause. It was awe. A Roman centurion, standing guard, stunned by the trembling earth and torn sky, whispered the words that still echo across eternity:

“Surely this was the Son of God.”

In that moment, God took the Cross and used it to crack open the heart of a soldier.

This tells us something beautiful on Good Friday: Nobody is too far. No heart is too hard. No sinner is too lost. If the Cross could reach a Roman executioner—it can reach you.

“Now when the centurion, and those with him who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'"

—Matthew 27:54

1. A Confession at the Foot of the Cross

This Roman centurion wasn’t a disciple. He wasn’t a Jew. He wasn’t looking for a Messiah. He was a hardened soldier, likely present at hundreds of crucifixions. Yet something about Jesus' death stunned him into belief.

This moment tells us something powerful:

The Cross breaks through even the hardest hearts.

God’s glory can shine even in His Son’s agony.

The first to recognize Christ's divine identity after His death was not a religious man, but a Gentile executioner.

What irony! The religious elite rejected Jesus, but a pagan soldier saw through the darkness and believed.

 Signs from Heaven: What Happened When Jesus Died?

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened...” — Matthew 27:51–52

2. The Darkness Over the Land

“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.” —Matthew 27:45

This was not an eclipse or natural weather. It was a supernatural darkness that covered the land at high noon—midday becoming midnight.

In Scripture, darkness often symbolizes judgment (see Amos 8:9). On Good Friday, it was as if all of creation mourned.

More than that: God was judging sin. Christ bore the full wrath of God for the sins of the world, and even the sun refused to shine on that sacred agony.

3. The Earthquake

As Jesus gave up His spirit, the earth convulsed.

This wasn’t just a tremor—it was a divine shaking.

Throughout the Bible, earthquakes mark God’s presence and power (Exodus 19:18 at Sinai). This one declared:

The old order is shaking. The sacrificial system is over. The kingdom of God has come in power.

Even rocks split open—a picture of hearts being broken and graves about to be emptied.

4. The Veil Torn in Two

The temple curtain (or veil) was 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and several inches thick. It separated sinful man from the Holy of Holies—the very presence of God.

Only the high priest could pass behind that veil, and only once a year. But when Jesus died:

“The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” —Matthew 27:51

Not bottom to top (as if man tore it), but top to bottom—God tore it.

This declared: Access granted.

The way is now open through Jesus.

No more need for earthly priests, rituals, or sacrifices.

Hebrews 10:19-20 says,

“We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body.”

“Surely this was the Son of God.”

The centurion witnessed not only Jesus’ composure, His forgiveness (“Father, forgive them”), and His final cry—it was the cosmic response to Jesus’ death that shook him:

All creation seemed to cry out in protest. This soldier, once numb to violence, suddenly saw the truth: This was no ordinary death.

5. Relevance to Good Friday: The Firstfruit of Gentile Faith

This confession at the Cross is Good Friday’s first visible fruit—a symbol that Christ’s death would draw all men to Himself (John 12:32). The centurion represents:

Outsiders being brought near.

Hardened hearts being softened.

Sinners becoming saints at the foot of the Cross.

It is a beautiful preview of what the gospel would do in prisons, on street corners, in broken homes, in war zones, and yes—in the darkest cells of solitary confinement.

Historical Reflections:

Charles Spurgeon once said:

“There is no better cure for the heart than to contemplate Christ crucified.”

John Newton, the former slave trader turned pastor, wrote:

“I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing from prison during WWII, said:

“The cross is not the end. It is the beginning. The resurrection is not a consolation. It is the answer.”

Final Thought:

Good Friday is not the end of the story—but it is the turning point. The Cross of Christ splits time, breaks chains, crushes sin, and silences the enemy.

Let the darkness of that day remind you: God’s silence does not mean His absence. And just as Sunday was coming for Jesus—resurrection is coming for you. Hold on. The grave is not the final word.

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

We bow before the mystery of the Cross.

On this Good Friday, we remember with trembling hearts the sacrifice of Your Son.

Thank You for sending Jesus to die in our place.

Thank You that He bore our sin, our shame, our punishment—and that He did so willingly.

Lord, we confess our sins. We have gone astray. We have rebelled. But You, O Lord, have laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

For every man behind bars who feels unworthy, remind him of the blood that cleanses deeper than any guilt.

For every heart weighed down with regret, lift their eyes to the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

Let the message of the Cross break every chain, silence every lie, and birth new life in dead places.

We praise You, Lord Jesus.

We love You.

And we wait with hope, knowing Sunday is coming.

In Your matchless, mighty, saving Name we pray—

Amen.

From: Fight the Good Fight of Faith / Life Journal: By Gregg Harris