The title of my post and video, today is, it is finished, a biblical perspective. If Good Friday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. Many people know it marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, yet far fewer understand what was truly taking place at the cross. From a biblical perspective, Good Friday is not just a sad event. It is the day when sin was judged, redemption was purchased, and the way back to God was opened through Jesus Christ.
In a world full of religious tradition, vague spirituality, and emotional opinion, the cross stands as a fixed point of truth. Good Friday reminds us that our greatest need was not better politics, better education, or better behaviour. Our greatest need was salvation. That salvation could only come through the sacrifice of the Son of God.
If you are new to the Christian faith, or if you want to understand the gospel more clearly, you may also like to read How To Accept Jesus Christ Today, where I explain what it means to come to Christ personally.
The Darkness Over the Land
Matthew 27:45 says, “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.” This was no ordinary darkness. It was a sign that something spiritual and deeply serious was taking place. The cross was not merely a public execution. It was the place where the sin of the world was being dealt with.
This darkness points to judgment. Throughout Scripture, darkness is often linked with divine judgment, mourning, and the weight of sin. At Calvary, Jesus was stepping into that place on our behalf. He was not suffering for His own wrongdoing. He was suffering for ours.
Good Friday should therefore never be reduced to a moving story about injustice. It is far more than that. It is the moment when the spotless Lamb of God bore the consequences of human sin.
The Sin-Bearer Foretold in Isaiah
One of the clearest Old Testament passages about the cross is Isaiah 53. Verse 6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” That verse alone explains so much.
Humanity has wandered from God. We have all gone our own way. That is the Bible’s diagnosis of the human condition. Yet the wonderful truth of Good Friday is that the Lord laid our iniquity on Christ. Jesus took our place. He became the substitute for guilty sinners.
Isaiah 53 also tells us that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. This was not accidental suffering. It was substitutionary suffering. Christ was not dying as a victim of circumstance. He was dying as the appointed sacrifice for sin.
“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”
Matthew 27:46 records one of the most solemn cries in the whole Bible: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” These words reveal the depth of what Jesus endured. He was not only mocked by men and nailed to a cross. He was also bearing the full weight of sin and judgment.
This cry points back to Psalm 22, another remarkable prophetic passage. What David wrote centuries earlier was fulfilled in detail at the crucifixion. The Bible does not present the cross as a random tragedy. It presents it as the outworking of God’s redemptive plan.
At the cross, Jesus experienced what we deserved, so that those who trust in Him may receive what He purchased. That is why Good Friday matters so much. It tells us the price of our salvation.
The Cross Was Always God’s Plan
Sometimes people speak as if the crucifixion caught everyone by surprise. The Bible says otherwise. The cross was always central to the plan of God. Jesus spoke repeatedly about His coming death. The prophets pointed towards it. The sacrificial system prepared the way for it.
From the Passover lamb in Exodus to the suffering servant in Isaiah, the Old Testament contains shadow after shadow of the One who would come. Good Friday is where those shadows meet reality. Jesus is the fulfilment.
This is one reason the gospel is so powerful. It is not built on guesswork or later invention. It rests upon the revealed purposes of God, shown in advance through Scripture and fulfilled in Christ.
The Veil Was Torn
Matthew 27:51 says that the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This is one of the most important details in the crucifixion account. The veil represented separation. It stood between sinful man and the holy presence of God.
Under the old covenant, access was limited. Under the new covenant, access was opened through the blood of Jesus Christ. The torn veil declares that the barrier has been removed for all who come to God through His Son.
That truth still matters today, especially in a time when many people talk about spirituality while ignoring the one way God has provided. Access to the Father does not come through religion, ceremony, or human effort, but only through Jesus Christ alone.
If you are interested in the wider Christian call to share that message, you may enjoy reading What Is Evangelism?.
“It Is Finished”
John 19:30 records the triumphant words of Jesus: “It is finished.” This was not the cry of defeat. It was the declaration of victory. The work the Father had given Him to do was complete. The price had been paid in full.
Nothing needed to be added to the sacrifice of Christ. No human effort could improve upon it. No religious system could complete what Jesus had already completed. Good Friday tells us that salvation is not earned by man. It is accomplished by Christ.
This is why the gospel brings such hope. We are not invited to admire the cross from a distance. We are invited to trust in the One who died there and rose again.
Why Good Friday Is Still Good
At first glance, the name Good Friday may seem strange, especially since it marks the day the Son of God was beaten, mocked, crucified, and buried. It is called good, however, because of what His death achieved, making forgiveness possible, satisfying divine justice, and opening the door of salvation to all who believe.
Without Good Friday, there would be no atonement, because the shedding of blood is required for the remission of sins. The cross is therefore central to the gospel, not optional to it. What appeared to be an act of human cruelty was, in reality, the place where God’s mercy and grace were fully revealed.
That does not mean the cross was easy. It means it was glorious in its purpose. What Jesus suffered cannot be measured fully by human words. Yet what He achieved through that suffering changes everything for those who believe.
What Good Friday Means for Us Today
Good Friday is not simply a doctrine to understand, but a truth that calls for a personal response. Since Christ died for sinners, each of us must consider where we stand before God. That raises important questions about repentance, belief in the gospel, and whether we have truly placed our trust in Jesus Christ alone.
In Britain today, there is much confusion about truth, morality, and the future. People often speak of restoring a nation, but no lasting restoration can happen apart from God. Real hope begins with changed hearts. That is why the message of the cross remains so urgent.
If you would like to read more on the spiritual condition of the nation, you may also be interested in Can Britain Be Restored?.
There are also signs that, despite the darkness of our times, many people are searching again for biblical truth. I recently touched on that in A Quiet Revival? Why Bible Sales Are Rising In The UK.
A Call to Look to the Cross
Good Friday should move us to gratitude, humility, and faith. It should remind believers of the greatness of their salvation. It should also remind those outside of Christ that the way of salvation has been made clear.
Jesus Christ did not go to the cross simply to inspire people. His purpose was to save. Rather than being a helpless martyr, He laid down His life willingly as the Redeemer. On that dark and terrible day, He bore sin, fulfilled prophecy, satisfied divine justice, and opened the way for mankind to come back to God.
That is why Good Friday still matters. That is why the cross still stands at the centre of the Christian message. And that is why the biblical perspective is so important in an age that prefers sentiment over truth.
If you have never come to Christ, do not treat this as a distant religious subject. The message of Good Friday is personal. Jesus died for sinners, and that means there is hope for all who will repent and believe.
Good Friday is not the end of the story, of course, because resurrection morning was coming. Yet before we rush to Sunday, we do well to pause at the cross and remember what it cost to redeem us.