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Good Friday Bible Verses
What is Good Friday? The Gospel record of the day Jesus was crucified — the trial, crucifixion, and burial accounts from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
What Is Good Friday?
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter — the day Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It falls within Holy Week and is observed with solemn services in most Christian traditions. The event is recorded in all four canonical Gospels.
Why Is It Called "Good"?
The etymology of "Good Friday" is uncertain. Two main theories:
- "Good" as pious or holy — In older English, "good" could mean "holy" or "observed with reverence," as in "good book" meaning the Bible
- Contraction from "God's Friday" — Proposed by some etymologists, though the Oxford English Dictionary doesn't strongly support this
In other languages, the day bears different names: German Karfreitag ("sorrowful Friday"), Romance languages variants of "Holy Friday" (French Vendredi saint, Italian Venerdì santo, Spanish Viernes santo), Portuguese Sexta-feira Santa.
The Gospel Timeline
All four Gospels record the events of this day with specific time markers. Combined, the sequence is:
- Night before (Thursday night) — Last Supper, Gethsemane, arrest (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 13–18)
- Early morning — Trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57–68)
- Morning — Transferred to Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:1–2; Luke 23:1)
- Pilate → Herod → Pilate — Luke 23:6–12 records Pilate sending Jesus to Herod Antipas (in Jerusalem for Passover), who returned him
- "Third hour" (~9 AM) — Crucifixion begins (Mark 15:25)
- "Sixth hour to ninth hour" (~noon to 3 PM) — Darkness over the land (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44)
- "About the ninth hour" (~3 PM) — Jesus cries "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" and dies (Matthew 27:46–50)
- Evening — Joseph of Arimathaea buries Jesus before the Sabbath begins at sunset (Matthew 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47)
Connection to Passover
All four Gospels place the crucifixion during Passover week. John 19:14 and 19:31 specifically call the day "the preparation of the passover." The Jewish day begins at sunset, so the crucifixion Friday ran from Thursday sunset to Friday sunset. The Passover lambs were sacrificed in the temple on the afternoon of Nisan 14.
Paul later writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us."
Historical Figures Named in the Account
The Passion narrative names historical figures whose existence is confirmed by external sources:
- Pontius Pilate — Roman prefect of Judea AD 26–36. Confirmed by the Pilate Stone, discovered at Caesarea Maritima in 1961
- Caiaphas — High Priest AD 18–36. An ossuary bearing his name was discovered in Jerusalem in 1990
- Herod Antipas — Tetrarch of Galilee 4 BC – AD 39
- Tiberius Caesar — Roman Emperor AD 14–37 (Luke 3:1)
Astronomical Dating
Since Passover (Nisan 14) fell on a Friday only in AD 30 (April 7) and AD 33 (April 3) during Pilate's tenure, scholars generally place the crucifixion in one of those two years. Tacitus (Annals 15.44) and Josephus (Antiquities 18.3.3) both independently record that Jesus was executed under Pontius Pilate.
What does the Bible say about good friday?
The Bible addresses good friday with deep compassion and clarity. From the Psalms to the words of Jesus, Scripture meets you in this exact feeling and offers comfort, strength, and direction. Here are the most powerful verses — each chosen because they speak directly to what you're going through.
Most Powerful Verses
Leviticus 4:35
“And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed,”
— Bible
Leviticus 4:26
“And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.”
— Bible
Leviticus 23:19
“Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.”
— Bible
Numbers 15:25
“And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:”
— Bible
Isaiah 1:11
“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.”
— Bible
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Isaiah 34:6
“The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a grea...”
Isaiah 66:3
“He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he...”
Ephesians 1:7
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
Colossians 1:14
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
Genesis 42:22
“And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.”
Genesis 50:17
“So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God ...”
Exodus 10:17
“Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.”
Exodus 23:18
“Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.”
Exodus 30:10
“And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it...”
Exodus 32:32
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”
Also Read
Exodus 34:25 — “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast...”
Leviticus 4:20 — “And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with ...”
Leviticus 4:25 — “And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horn...”
Leviticus 4:31 — “And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace...”
Leviticus 4:32 — “And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish....”
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