Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Good Friday?
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a religious denomination known for their distinct beliefs and practices, often find themselves at the center of discussions regarding their observance of religious holidays. One such holiday is Good Friday, the day Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. The question that arises frequently is whether Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate Good Friday. This article aims to explore this topic and shed light on their perspective.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Good Friday or any other traditional Christian holidays. Their religious calendar is based on the Bible, and they observe certain days as sacred. However, Good Friday is not one of those days. Instead, they focus on other significant events in the life of Jesus, such as his baptism, resurrection, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
One of the reasons Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Good Friday is their belief in the non-divinity of Jesus Christ. They view Jesus as a created being, the Son of God, rather than as God himself. This belief leads them to reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which states that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons who are one in essence. As a result, they do not consider Jesus to be divine, and therefore, they do not celebrate his crucifixion and death as a divine event.
Another reason for their non-celebration of Good Friday is their focus on the resurrection of Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, which is Sunday, and that this event is a sign of his divinity and the hope of eternal life for believers. By focusing on the resurrection, they emphasize the importance of Jesus’ victory over death and the promise of eternal life, rather than the crucifixion and death.
In addition to their beliefs about Jesus and the resurrection, Jehovah’s Witnesses also have concerns about the commercialization and secularization of religious holidays. They believe that celebrating Good Friday and other Christian holidays can lead to a focus on materialism and away from spiritual values. As a result, they prefer to observe their own sacred days, such as the Memorial of Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is held on the evening of the 15th day of Nisan, according to their calendar.
In conclusion, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Good Friday due to their beliefs about Jesus, the importance of the resurrection, and their concerns about the commercialization of religious holidays. Their focus is on observing sacred events from the Bible that they believe are more significant for their spiritual growth and understanding of God’s plan for humanity.
