Gospel | Harriet Connor

Mum/dad, why do we call it Good Friday?

On 29/03/2024

Good Friday is the day when Christians worldwide pause to remember the crucifixion of our Saviour Jesus. Traditionally it’s a day of mourning. So how did it start? And why do we call it ‘good’?

The history of the day

In the first three centuries of the Church, Jesus’ death and resurrection were remembered together in a shorter celebration of Easter. The early Christians held one all-night vigil in the lead up to a service of communion at dawn on the Sunday.

Gradually, Easter began to take the form that it does today, spread out over a whole week—’Holy Week’—from Palm Sunday through to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and then Easter Sunday. The idea of the week-long celebration is that Christians enter into the journey of Jesus, taking time to remember the various events of his final week.

The date of Easter changes because it is calculated in relationship to the cycles of the moon (following Passover, the Jewish festival during which Jesus died). Easter Day falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that follows March 20 (which used to be the date of the Equinox). So Good Friday always falls between March 20 and April 23. If your older children are interested in astronomy, they can read more about this complicated astronomical calculation.

Good Friday has always been a sombre day for Christians to reflect on the sacrificial death of their Lord. Most churches hold a reflective service, traditionally without the celebration of communion. The sombre mood is often expressed in churches being kept bare of any decorations and having music that is more subdued (in some traditions, without the organ).

The name of the day

In other cultures, the day is named differently. In German it is called ‘sorrowful’ Friday, and in Scandinavian languages (and Old English), ‘long Friday’, due to the length of traditional church services. In Romance languages, it is called ‘Holy Friday’ and in Greek it is called ‘the Holy and Great Friday’.

It is this final sense of the word that is carried by the English term ‘Good Friday’. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘good’ in this context refers to ‘a day or season observed as holy by the church’.

So, the first thing we can tell our children is that the meaning of Good Friday is ‘Great’ or ‘Special’ Friday.

The goodness of the day

But there is more we can say. Since at least the late nineteenth century, Christian parents have been explaining to their children that Good Friday is good because that is the day when Jesus died to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. On that day, God turned humanity’s worst evil—executing the innocent Son of God—into our greatest good—salvation for all who believe in him.

This was possible because Jesus chose to go to the cross; he willingly took the penalty for our sins, enduring condemnation and separation from God so that we don’t have to. Yes, Jesus was killed. But he also ‘laid down his life’ for us. He said, ‘I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again’ (John 10:18). As we explain Jesus’ death to our children, we can reassure them that Jesus wasn’t just a powerless victim. We can remind them of what Jesus said to his disciples when they wanted to fight against his arrest:

‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’ (Matthew 26:53–4)

This Easter, let’s tell our children that Good Friday is a sad day. It is right to mourn the suffering and death that Jesus faced. But it is also a good day, because it marks the day when Jesus set us free from our sins by his blood and opened up the gates of heaven to all who believe in him.

This article originally appeared at Growing Faith, a Christian online magazine for parents. Find out more about Growing Faith and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here.

References

‘Who, What, Why: Why is Good Friday called Good Friday?’ BBC Magazine.

‘Good Friday’, Britannica.

‘Passiontide and Holy Week’, Church of England.

‘Calculate the Date of Easter Sunday’, Astronomical Society of South Australia.

Mum/dad, what is a referendum?

By Harriet Connor

On 07/10/2023

In Articles

Image courtesy of Australian Electoral Commission.

In recent weeks, Australian kids have started noticing that our country is in ‘referendum mode’. They’re pulling leaflets out of the mailbox, seeing signs in people’s windows and hearing the adults around them discussing the arguments for ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

So how can we explain what is happening in a way that our children will understand?

What’s a referendum?

A referendum is a vote asking all Australians to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to a question about changing the Australian Constitution. It is compulsory—all Australian citizens have to vote.

What’s the Australian Constitution?

The Constitution is a set of rules about how Australia is governed. It has eight chapters which describe how decisions and laws will be made for the whole country and for each state—through the parliaments, where our elected representatives meet.

For more about elections, see our article ‘Mum, who are those faces on the telegraph pole?’.

The Australian Constitution is different to the Constitution of the United States of America, because it does not contain a ‘bill of rights’. In Australia, people’s rights are protected by the laws made by the parliaments and by the courts.

Do we have to vote on every law?

No, usually the state and federal governments (or other members of parliament) suggest laws which then have to be debated and accepted by the parliaments. This means that for most laws, we rely on the people who were voted in to represent us to decide on the best way to run our country.

But when it comes to the Constitution, any changes have to be approved by the people of Australia through a referendum. If the people say ‘Yes’ then the Constitution must be changed.

Sometimes, the government will ask the people of Australia to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to another change to the law, one which doesn’t affect the Constitution. This is called a plebiscite. The result of this kind of vote can help the government to make their decision, but it doesn’t legally have to be followed. A postal plebiscite was held in 2017.

Have there been many referendums?

Yes, there have been 44 referendums since the Constitution was established in 1901. Only eight of those referendums have been ‘carried’ or ‘passed’ (that is, the ‘Yes’ vote won). The 1967 Referendum about recognising Aboriginal people in the Constitution as equal citizens passed by a huge majority of 90%. The last referendum was held in 1999.

How can a referendum get passed? When does a ‘Yes’ vote win?

A referendum can only be passed, and the Constitution changed by a ‘double majority’ of voters. That means, more than half of Australians overall need to vote ‘Yes’ and more than half of the voters in at least four states (that is, more than half of the states) need to vote ‘Yes’.

What is the question in this referendum?

Keep reading over at Growing Faith, a Christian online magazine for parents. Find out more about Growing Faith and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here.

Lest we forget … our spiritual ancestors too

By Harriet Connor

On 24/04/2023

In Articles

Around the time of ANZAC Day, we often tell our children the stories of their ancestors who served in war. We dust off old portraits and medals to show them and try to pass on a sense of gratitude and reverence for all that our forebears had to fight for and endure. We help our children research their family history for school projects, taking note of who served where and when, or who stayed home and what they did to help the war effort.

It is so important for the younger generations to hear and appreciate these stories, lest we forget the cost of the freedoms we enjoy. We must continue to tell them about our ancestors who recognised the threat of evil and bravely stood up to fight it. These stories encourage our children to be thankful for those who have gone before and to face the future with courageous determination to follow in their footsteps.

In the same way, it is important for us to tell our children the stories of their spiritual ancestors, who faithfully handed the gospel down. As the saying goes, Christianity is only ever one generation away from extinction. It takes a certain amount of courage and determination for each generation to communicate the good news about Jesus to the next. So let’s tell stories that will encourage our children to be thankful for those Christians who have gone before and to commit themselves to following in their footsteps.

Keep reading over at Growing Faith, a Christian online magazine for parents. Find out more about Growing Faith and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here.

Take your kids to funerals

By Harriet Connor

On 24/07/2022

In Articles

At some points in history (and in some circles today), parents have considered it inappropriate for children to attend funerals, even for their close family members. Perhaps parents want to shield their children from the harsh reality of death; perhaps they worry that their children’s behaviour will distract the other mourners. But on balance, I believe that there are far more reasons in favour of bringing the kids along when we attend a funeral. Our kids have now been to five funerals in as many years.

Better a house of mourning

The writer of Ecclesiastes observed:

‘It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.’ (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

Attending a funeral forces us and our children to confront our human mortality. While that is a frightening thing, our children will not be doing it alone, but with us right by their side. Going to a funeral will be part of an ongoing conversation between us and our children about death. It’s certainly an uncomfortable topic, but avoiding it will only leave our children unprepared for real life. Children should feel free to ask their questions, and we should do our best to answer them in an honest, but age-appropriate way, balancing realism with hope.

Funerals are certainly confronting. The deceased person’s coffin is often right there up the front—usually closed, with flowers and photos sitting on top of it—until the end of the service, when it is carried away for cremation or burial.

Putting flesh on the gospel

As Christians, we have the advantage of knowing (at least to some extent) what happens when a person dies. We know that in death, a person’s spirit leaves their body; but we also know that God will put that person back together at the resurrection. As Christians, we ‘do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope’ (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

A funeral, especially a Christian one, is a wonderful opportunity to teach our children the gospel in a very tangible way. Jesus was a real flesh-and-blood person, who chose to die for us. He did this to save us from the just condemnation of God for our sins. And Jesus really rose up from the grave, showing that he has defeated sin and death forever. Everyone who puts their life in God’s hands will rise again like Jesus one day.

Keep reading over at Growing Faith, a Christian online magazine for parents. Find out more about Growing Faith and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here.

Harriet Connor

Author of Big Picture Parents

Tag: Gospel

Mum/dad, why do we call it Good Friday?

The history of the day

The name of the day

The goodness of the day

References

Lest we forget … our spiritual ancestors too

Take your kids to funerals

Better a house of mourning

Putting flesh on the gospel

Harriet Connor

Subscribe via Email

Recent Posts

Subscribe via Email