Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and stands as one of the most solemn days in the Christian calendar. It confronts believers with suffering, sacrifice, injustice, and redemption. For pastors, worship leaders, and everyday Christians, words matter on this day. These Good Friday quotes drawn from sermons on SermonCentral capture the tension, grief, and hope at the center of the cross.
Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and stands as one of the most solemn days in the Christian calendar. It forces believers to confront suffering, sacrifice, injustice, and redemption. For pastors, ministry leaders, and everyday Christians, words matter on this day. The right reflection can help people grasp not only what happened on the cross, but why it still matters.
These Good Friday quotes, drawn from sermons on SermonCentral, capture the grief, tension, and hope at the center of the cross.
The Weight of the Cross
Good Friday does not begin with celebration. It begins with loss, confusion, and sorrow.
“Good Friday services are not intended to make you feel good. They are intended to make you reflect on the fact that bad things happen—even to the innocent. Bad things happened to Jesus—and they happen to us.”
— Tom Shepard, Living in Troubled Times
“The cross grieved the disciples. They knew Jesus could have saved Himself if He wanted to. His death seemed senseless, avoidable, and devastating.”
— Danny Presswood, The Lamb and the Cross
“Good Friday was not so good. We prefer the story of a conquering King, but we often resist the reality of a suffering Savior.”
— Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Good Friday
Why Jesus Chose the Cross
Good Friday was not an accident. It was a decision.
“The disciples had seen Jesus raise the dead and perform miracles. They knew He could have stopped what was happening—but He didn’t. He chose the cross.”
— Danny Presswood, The Lamb and the Cross
“When Jesus said, ‘It is finished,’ He was declaring that everything required for our redemption had been completed.”
— Reflection on John 19:1–30
“There is a cost to every gift, and the gift of Easter was paid for on Good Friday.”
— Denn Guptill, The Cost of Good Friday
Hope in the Midst of Suffering
The cross represents suffering, but it also carries the promise of restoration.
“The message of the cross, while terrible, holds hope. Through Christ’s suffering comes forgiveness and a new beginning.”
— Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Good Friday
“Jesus told the thief, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ Even in His final moments, the cross opened the door to grace.”
— Maria Saunders, Listen, It’s Not Too Late…There’s Always Hope
“If Good Friday were the end of the story, Christians would have little reason for hope. But resurrection Sunday reminds us that death does not win.”
— Tom Shepard, Good Friday: Why?
