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Good Friday? A PR Disaster Until Sunday Fixed It (The Real Story of Easter)
If I weren’t a Christian, I’d at least be curious.
How do you explain a religion that calls the Friday its God died “Good Friday”?
That sounds like a public relations nightmare.
“Deeply Unfortunate Friday” would be closer to the mark.
“Catastrophic Miscalculation Friday” has a certain ring to it.
“End of Days Friday” is dramatic… but still, it makes more sense than “Good.”
So what’s so good about the worst Friday in history?
ALSO READ
- Good Friday? A PR Disaster Until Sunday Fixed It (The Real Story of Easter)
- Easter is a Time to Celebrate Jesus’s Resurrection – Senator Malcolm Roberts
- The Breakthrough Power of the Blood of Christ: The Core of the Easter Message
The Strange Compulsion of Christianity
Christianity has always struck me as… unexpectedly compelling. Not bizarre, but the kind of strange that makes you lean in rather than back away.
Consider this:
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That Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure is not seriously contested by any credible scholar. In fact, there is more evidence for the existence of Jesus than for Plato, Socrates, or a consistent government policy.
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That Jesus died by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate is also not controversial. The Romans were many things, but vague record-keepers wasn’t one of them. Extra-biblical sources like Tacitus and Josephus confirm the execution.
So the raw facts are clear: A Jewish teacher named Jesus was arrested, tried, and executed on a Roman cross around AD 30-33. That happened.
But why call it good?
The Most Audacious Claim in History
Christianity doesn’t stop at “good man, tragic end.”
It makes the audacious claim that this was God Himself — stepping into human history, living the life we should have lived, and dying the death we all deserved.
That is either:
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The most profound truth ever told, or
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The most outrageous lie ever devised, or
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The delusion of a madman.
C.S. Lewis famously called this the “trilemma”: Lord, liar, or lunatic. You cannot simply call Jesus a “great moral teacher” when He claimed to be God.
If it’s true, it is both humbling and encouraging:
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Humbling because it means I’m not fixable with a few minor adjustments and a better morning routine. My sin is that serious.
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Encouraging because if God was willing to die on my behalf, then perhaps I am not quite as disposable as I sometimes suspect.
Did He Actually Rise from the Dead?
But is it true?
That’s where Easter Sunday comes in.
If — as some skeptics have suggested — Good Friday was just the premature end to a gentle Jew’s promising teaching career, then Christianity collapses like a poorly built bookshelf.
Nice ideas. Inspiring slogans. Ultimately irrelevant.
But if Jesus did rise from the dead… that changes everything. And I mean everything.
What the Resurrection Means
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It means there is a God — not a distant force, but a personal Being who acts in history.
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It means there is a God who is interested in us — interested enough to enter our mess.
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It means there is life eternal beyond the dark horizon that confronts each of us personally — death is not the end.
So did Jesus rise from the dead, or did He not?
What is fascinating about Christianity is that it invites the question. It doesn’t ask you to vaguely feel your way toward truth — it plants a flag in history and says, “Check that.”
The Evidence for the Resurrection
Let’s be honest: if the resurrection were easily explainable by natural causes, Christianity would have died out in the first century. Instead, it exploded across the Roman Empire.
Consider the historical data:
| Evidence | Implication |
|---|---|
| The empty tomb | Jesus’ body was never produced by authorities, despite their motivation to do so. |
| Post-mortem appearances | Over 500 witnesses saw Jesus alive (1 Corinthians 15:6), many of whom died for this claim. |
| Transformed disciples | The frightened disciples who fled became bold martyrs — people do not die for what they know is a lie. |
| Sunday worship | Early Christians shifted their day of worship from Saturday to Sunday in honor of the resurrection. |
| Existence of the church | A movement based on a crucified criminal does not survive unless something extraordinary happened. |
As one scholar put it: The resurrection of Jesus is one of the best-attested events of ancient history.
Why It Changes Everything for You
I’m convinced that, on the balance of evidence, Jesus did rise from the dead.
Which means no matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done… there is hope.
The alternative does not bear thinking about. If death is the end, then justice is an illusion, love is just chemistry, and suffering is meaningless.
But if Easter is true:
-
Your past failures are not final.
-
Your present struggles are not pointless.
-
Your future is not a dark void.
As C.S. Lewis once said, even if you don’t believe Christianity to be true, it is the sort of religion that you should wish was true.
If Easter is true, then what looks like the end might just be the beginning of something better than whatever you lost.
Why Call It “Good” Friday?
So now we come back to the original question: Why is the day of Jesus’ death called “Good”?
Because without Friday, there is no Sunday.
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On Friday, sin was paid for — the debt we could never pay.
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On Friday, love was demonstrated — while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
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On Friday, the enemy was defeated — not by force, but by sacrificial love.
The goodness of Friday is not in the suffering itself, but in what that suffering accomplished. It was the necessary prelude to the empty tomb.
Good Friday is good because Sunday was coming.
What This Means for Daily Declaration Readers
At odmDaily.com, we believe that truth matters — not just theological truth, but historical truth. The resurrection is not a metaphor. It is not a feel-good story. It is the hinge on which eternity swings.
If you have never considered the evidence for yourself, we challenge you: Look into it. Read the gospel accounts (Mark 14–16, John 19–20). Read the letters of Paul, written within 20 years of the event. Read skeptical scholars who converted after examining the data.
And if you already believe — let this Easter rekindle your confidence. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you (Ephesians 1:19-20).
A Prayer for This Easter
Lord Jesus, thank You for the worst Friday that became the best news. Thank You that You died in my place and rose again for my justification. Help me to live with the hope of Sunday, even when I am stuck in the shadow of Friday. Amen.
So happy Easter. And hang in there.
Because Sunday is coming.
Part 1: The Strange Compulsion of Christianity
Christianity has always struck me as a little bit strange.
Not strange as in bizarre. Strange as in… unexpectedly compelling. The kind of strange that makes you lean in rather than back away. The kind of strange that whispers, “There might actually be something here.”
Consider this:
That Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure is not seriously contested by any credible scholar. In fact, there is more evidence for the existence of Jesus than for Plato or Socrates — or, for that matter, for a consistent government policy. Ancient Jewish and Roman historians — Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger — all mention Jesus as a real person who lived, taught, and was executed under Pontius Pilate.
That Jesus died on a cross is also not controversial. The Romans were many things, but vague record-keepers wasn’t one of them. Crucifixion was their signature method of execution for insurrectionists and criminals. They kept meticulous records. The death of Jesus is one of the most certain events of ancient history.
So the raw facts are clear: a Jewish teacher from Galilee was arrested, tried in a hurried night session, condemned by both Jewish and Roman authorities, and crucified outside Jerusalem around AD 30-33.
But Christianity does not stop at “good man, tragic end.”
Part 2: The Most Audacious Claim in History
Christianity makes the rather audacious claim that this was God Himself — the Creator of the universe, the Lord of heaven and earth — stepping into human history, taking on flesh, living the life we should have lived, and dying the death we all deserved.
That is either:
-
The most profound truth ever told, or
-
The most outrageous lie ever devised, or
-
The delusion of a madman.
There is no fourth option.
C.S. Lewis famously called this the trilemma: Lord, liar, or lunatic. You cannot simply call Jesus a “great moral teacher” and leave it there. A great moral teacher would not claim to be God unless He actually was — or unless He was a deceiver or deranged.
If it’s true, it is both humbling and encouraging.
It is humbling to hear that, apparently, I am not fixable with a few minor adjustments and a better morning routine. My problem is not that I need better habits or more discipline. My problem is that I have sinned against an infinite God, and the wages of sin is death. I cannot save myself. I cannot earn my way out. I am not the hero of my own story.
It is encouraging because if God was willing to die on my behalf — to take my place, to absorb my punishment, to pay my debt — then perhaps I am not quite as disposable as I sometimes suspect. Perhaps I am worth something after all. Perhaps love is not just a chemical reaction but the very heartbeat of the universe.
Part 3: Did He Actually Rise from the Dead?
But is it true?
That is the question, isn’t it? Anyone can claim to be God. Many have. But the resurrection is the evidence that backs up the claim.
If, as The Washington Post once speculated, Good Friday was just the premature end to a gentle Jew’s promising teaching career, then Christianity collapses like a poorly built IKEA shelf. Nice ideas. Inspiring slogans. Ultimately irrelevant. Just another religion among thousands.
But if Jesus did rise from the dead… that changes everything. And I mean everything.
-
It means there is a God — not a distant, impersonal force, but a personal Being who acts in history.
-
It means there is a God who is interested in us — interested enough to enter our mess, to get His hands dirty, to suffer and die and rise again.
-
It means there is life eternal beyond the dark horizon that confronts each of us personally at one stage or another — and all of us collectively.
So did Jesus rise from the dead? Or did He not?
What is fascinating about Christianity is that it invites the question. It does not ask you to vaguely feel your way toward truth. It does not tell you to close your eyes and empty your mind. It plants a flag in history and says, “Check that.”
Part 4: The Evidence for the Resurrection — A Closer Look
Let’s be honest: if the resurrection were easily explainable by natural causes, Christianity would have died out in the first century. Instead, it exploded across the Roman Empire, spreading faster than any ideology in history, fueled by ordinary people who were willing to be tortured and killed for what they claimed to have seen.
2. The Post-Mortem Appearances
The apostle Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (within 20 years of the crucifixion), provides a creedal summary that he “received” from earlier witnesses. This creed dates to within 3-5 years of the event itself. In it, Paul lists specific appearances:
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To Peter (Cephas)
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To the Twelve
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To more than 500 brothers at once (most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote, inviting cross-examination)
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To James (the skeptical brother of Jesus)
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To all the apostles
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And finally, to Paul himself
Over 500 witnesses saw Jesus alive after His death. He ate with them. He let them touch His wounds. Many of these witnesses died brutal deaths — by stoning, beheading, crucifixion, and wild beasts — for insisting that what they saw was real. People do not die for what they know to be a lie.
3. The Transformed Disciples
Before the resurrection, the disciples were frightened, hiding, denying, and fleeing. Peter, the boldest of them, denied Jesus three times out of fear of a servant girl. After the resurrection, the same men became bold, public, fearless proclaimers of the gospel. Peter stood before the same authorities who had condemned Jesus and declared, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Something dramatic happened to change them. That something was not just a nice idea or an inspiring memory. It was the resurrection.
4. The Birth and Explosion of the Church
A movement based on a crucified criminal does not survive unless something extraordinary happened. The early Christians did not meet in secret forever. Within decades, they had spread across the known world — from Jerusalem to Rome, from North Africa to India. And what did they preach? Not just “Jesus was a great teacher,” but “Jesus is risen from the dead.”
The church grew not because of political power or military conquest, but because ordinary people were convinced that death had been defeated. They sang hymns about the risen Christ while being led to their own executions. That is not the behavior of people who know they are following a lie.
5. The Shift to Sunday Worship
The early Christians, who had observed the Sabbath (Saturday) for centuries, began gathering on Sunday — the first day of the week — in honor of the resurrection. That shift cost them. It marked them as different from both Jews and pagans. They did it because they believed something earth-shattering had happened on a Sunday morning.
6. The Conversion of Skeptics
James, the half-brother of Jesus, was a skeptic during Jesus’ earthly ministry (John 7:5). After the resurrection, he became a leader of the Jerusalem church and was eventually martyred for his faith. Saul of Tarsus (Paul) was a violent persecutor of Christians. After encountering the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he became Christianity’s greatest missionary and theologian, enduring imprisonment, beatings, shipwreck, and eventual execution.
Neither James nor Paul had any psychological or social reason to convert. Both lost status, safety, and family approval. The only credible explanation is that they genuinely believed they had seen the risen Christ.
As one scholar put it: The resurrection of Jesus is one of the best-attested events of ancient history. Not because the evidence is overwhelming in a modern scientific sense — we do not have video footage — but because by the standards of ancient historiography, the case is remarkably strong.
Part 5: Common Objections — and Why They Fail
Skeptics have offered alternative explanations for the resurrection. Let us examine them honestly.
The Swoon Theory: Jesus did not actually die on the cross; he merely fainted, revived in the tomb, and convinced his disciples he had risen. This theory fails on multiple grounds. Roman soldiers were professional executioners who knew how to confirm death. John 19:34 records that a spear was thrust into Jesus’ side, producing a flow of blood and water — medical evidence of death. Even if Jesus had somehow survived, a flogged, crucified, spear-wounded man could not have rolled away a stone, overpowered guards, and inspired his disciples to worship him as the conquering Lord of life.
The Theft Theory: The disciples stole the body. This theory was circulating even in Matthew’s time (Matthew 28:11-15). It fails because the disciples were terrified and scattered after the crucifixion. They had no plan, no resources, and no motive to steal a body and then die for a lie. Furthermore, if the body had been stolen, the authorities could have produced it to stop the spread of Christianity. They did not.
The Hallucination Theory: The disciples hallucinated the risen Jesus. This fails because hallucinations are individual, not group experiences. The risen Jesus appeared to individuals, to pairs, to groups of twelve, to a crowd of 500 — all at the same time. Hallucinations do not work that way. Moreover, hallucinations do not explain the empty tomb, the conversion of skeptics like James and Paul, or the transformation of frightened disciples into bold martyrs.
The Legend Theory: The resurrection was a legend that developed over time. This fails because the earliest creed in 1 Corinthians 15 dates to within 3-5 years of the crucifixion. Legends take decades or centuries to develop. There is simply not enough time between the event and the written record for legend to erase historical memory.
The resurrection stands.
Part 6: Why It Changes Everything for You
I am convinced that, on the balance of evidence, Jesus did rise from the dead.
Which means no matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done… there is hope.
The alternative does not bear thinking about. If death is the end, then justice is an illusion, love is just chemistry, suffering is meaningless, and the universe is a cold, indifferent void. We are born by accident, we live by chance, and we die by necessity. There is no ultimate right or wrong. There is no purpose. There is no hope.
But if Easter is true:
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Your past failures are not final. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead can raise you from the grave of your mistakes, your regrets, and your sins. Romans 8:11 declares: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies.”
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Your present struggles are not pointless. The cross shows that God can take the worst evil and turn it into the greatest good. Joseph said to his brothers who sold him into slavery: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). What the enemy meant for your harm, God can use for your healing.
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Your future is not a dark void. Death is not the end. It is the doorway into a life that cannot be destroyed, a joy that cannot be stolen, a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
As C.S. Lewis once said, even if you do not believe Christianity to be true, it is the sort of religion that you should wish was true. Because if it is true, then hope is real. Forgiveness is real. Love wins. Death loses.
Part 7: Why Call It “Good” Friday?
So now we come back to the original question: Why is the day of Jesus’ death called “Good”?
Because without Friday, there is no Sunday.
-
On Friday, sin was paid for — the debt we could never pay. The justice of God was satisfied. The wrath we deserved fell on Him instead. Isaiah 53:5: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.”
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On Friday, love was demonstrated — not in words or feelings, but in blood and bone and torn flesh. Romans 5:8: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
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On Friday, the enemy was defeated — not by force, but by sacrificial love. The cross looked like defeat, but it was actually the crushing blow to the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Colossians 2:15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
The goodness of Friday is not in the suffering itself, but in what that suffering accomplished. It was the necessary prelude to the empty tomb. It was the payment for the sin that separated us from God. It was the moment when heaven reached down and pulled us out of the pit.
Good Friday is good because Sunday was coming.
Part 8: A Testimony — From Skeptic to Believer
Let me share a brief testimony from someone who once mocked the resurrection.
Lee Strobel was an award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a convinced atheist. He set out to disprove the resurrection using his legal training. He interviewed top scholars — historians, medical experts, archaeologists. He examined the evidence for the empty tomb, the post-mortem appearances, the transformation of the disciples, and the conversion of skeptics.
At the end of his investigation, he concluded that the resurrection was not a myth but a historical fact. He became a Christian and wrote The Case for Christ, which has led countless skeptics to faith.
Strobel said: “I had to admit that the resurrection was a fact of history. And if the resurrection is true, then Jesus is who he claimed to be. And if Jesus is who he claimed to be, then I have to do what he says.”
The evidence is there. The question is not whether the resurrection can be proved beyond all possible doubt — very little in history can be. The question is whether the evidence is strong enough to warrant belief. For millions of honest seekers — including former skeptics like Strobel, C.S. Lewis, and Simon Greenleaf — the answer is yes.
Part 9: What This Means for You Today
If you have never considered the evidence for yourself, I challenge you: look into it.
Read the gospel accounts (Mark 14–16, John 19–20). Read the letters of Paul, written within twenty years of the event. Read skeptical scholars who converted after examining the data — people like C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, and Simon Greenleaf. Ask the hard questions. Do not settle for blind faith or lazy skepticism.
If you are a skeptic, I invite you to do what Thomas did. He doubted. He demanded evidence. He said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). And when Jesus appeared to him, He did not rebuke Thomas for doubting. He offered the evidence: “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27).
Jesus is not afraid of your doubts. He welcomes honest investigation.
If you already believe — let this Easter rekindle your confidence. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you (Ephesians 1:19-20). The same love that sent Jesus to the cross is pouring into your heart (Romans 5:5). The same victory that emptied the tomb is yours to walk in today.
Do not let the world steal your hope. Do not let the scoffers silence your testimony. Do not let the busyness of life crowd out the wonder of the resurrection.
Part 10: A Prayer for This Easter
If you want to respond to the resurrection — either for the first time or as a fresh recommitment — pray this prayer from your heart:
Lord Jesus, I admit that I have sinned and fallen short of your glory. I cannot save myself. But I believe that you died for my sins and rose again from the dead. I turn from my old ways and put my trust in you alone. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Make me new. I receive your resurrection life today. Thank you for the empty tomb. Thank you for the hope that cannot be destroyed. From this day forward, I want to live as someone who knows that Sunday is coming. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family of God. Find a Bible-believing church, get a copy of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and begin reading the story of the One who conquered death for you.
About the Author
This reflection is adapted for odmdaily.com from a contributor’s perspective. Our mission is to declare biblical truth for the public square with clarity, courage, and evidence-based hope.
