Photo Every Day 2025

I have long thought that perhaps “Good Friday” and “Black Friday” should swap names. It seems to me that the day of incredible shopping deals should be called “Good” and the day that Jesus—the only perfect and innocent man to ever exist—was hung on a criminal’s cross to be crucified should be called “Black”. 

To further bolster my point, at about noon on the Friday that Jesus was crucified, the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o’clock (see Mark 15:33). Talk about a “Black” Friday!

In the gospel of John we read that Jesus, bloodied and bruised, nails pierced through His hands and His feet, spoke the words “It is finished.” Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit (see John 19:30). The word that is translated from the Greek into the English phrase, “It is finished” is tetelestai.

This word is packed with meaning. 

Tetelestai is the word that would be stamped onto a bill when the bill had been paid in full. Sins are not free. Our sins have racked up a huge debt that we could never repay. On the cross, Jesus paid OUR debt IN FULL! For those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, ALL of our sins were paid in full on the cross. 

Tetelestai is also the legal word that would be spoken over criminals who had served the full sentence for their crime. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Legally, all who have sinned deserve the punishment of death. But Jesus took the death that we deserved upon Himself on the cross, and He paid it in full. For those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, his work on the cross PAID IN FULL any legal demand that could be held over us! Though we are the ones who sinned, we can live forever because of His death. 

But that’s not all! Tetelestai is also the word that a general of an army would speak after totally destroying an enemy army. Through His work on the cross, Jesus totally destroyed the work of Satan. It is finished! For those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, we do not need to be afraid of what Satan wants to do with our lives. Jesus is greater, and His work on the cross has totally destroyed the power of Satan over us. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4). 

Come to think of it, maybe “Good Friday” is a pretty great name, after all.