Special Occasions
Updated April 17, 2026
Reflect on Good Friday with verses that remind us of Jesus' sacrifice and deep love, bringing peace and faith to this solemn day.
Verses for 25+ Good Friday Bible Verses
Start with one passage. If it catches your attention, stay there before moving through the rest of the list.
Good Friday is one of the most important days for Christians. It is the Friday before Easter Sunday and represents the day Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. Because he took with him to the cross people’s sins and burdens, his death is something that we celebrate with immense gratitude for his sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will allow us the possibility to receive eternal life. Without Jesus’ great sacrifice, humanity’s destiny would be different. While Easter Sunday is usually spent with friends and family rejoicing, Good Friday is for reflection and prayer. It is also a day for obligatory fasting and abstinence. Take the time on this holy day to carefully read the Bible’s verses about this important day for Christianity. Allow these teachings to deepen your faith and light feelings of gratitude and hope in your heart, which you will carry with you to Easter Sunday.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
Explanation: This prophecy describes Jesus’ sacrificial suffering, bearing our sins to bring us healing and peace.
Passage 1
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: This prophecy describes Jesus’ sacrificial suffering, bearing our sins to bring us healing and peace.
Passage 2
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus took our sins upon Himself, enabling us to live righteously and be spiritually healed.
Passage 3
"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus’ final words signify the completion of His mission to redeem humanity, bringing salvation to all.
Passage 4
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love, redeeming us even while we were in sin.
Passage 5
"About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')"
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus expresses deep anguish on the cross, feeling the weight of humanity’s sins as He is separated from God.
Passage 6
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'"
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus took the curse of sin upon Himself, redeeming us from the law’s condemnation.
Passage 7
"He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Jesus endured rejection, suffering, and shame on our behalf, embodying the suffering servant prophesied by Isaiah.
Passage 8
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus, though sinless, took on our sins to make us righteous before God.
Passage 9
"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus’ blood, shed on Good Friday, establishes a new covenant and provides forgiveness for our sins.
Passage 10
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for the sins of all humanity, offering redemption to everyone.
Passage 11
"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross, demonstrating ultimate obedience to God’s plan.
Passage 12
"So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus’ one-time sacrifice on Good Friday covers all sins, with a promise of His return for believers.
Passage 13
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Jesus willingly gave His life to ransom us, showing His sacrificial love and servanthood.
Passage 14
"Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus entrusts His spirit to the Father, surrendering fully even in His final moments on the cross.
Passage 15
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus suffered in silence, like a sacrificial lamb, fulfilling the prophecy of the suffering servant.
Passage 16
"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: Believers share in Christ’s crucifixion, freeing them from the power of sin.
Passage 17
"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus endured the cross with joy, knowing it would bring redemption and allow Him to sit at God’s right hand.
Passage 18
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Good Friday is a testament to God’s love, offering eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifice.
Passage 19
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: The cross, though seen as foolishness to some, is the source of salvation and power for believers.
Passage 20
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus’ death on the cross brings reconciliation between God and creation, making peace through His blood.
Passage 21
"When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely he was the Son of God!'"
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: The events of Good Friday reveal Jesus’ divinity, even acknowledged by those who witnessed His death.
Passage 22
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: The cross is the believer’s only boast, representing the victory of Christ over the world’s sin.
Passage 23
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Good Friday is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love, sending Jesus to atone for our sins.
Passage 24
"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday draws people to Him, inviting all to receive salvation.
Passage 25
"Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: God’s plan for Jesus included suffering as a sin offering, resulting in redemption and blessing.
Passage 26
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.'"
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus establishes communion, symbolizing His body given on Good Friday for our salvation.
Passage 27
"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus’ death calls believers to live for Him, no longer living selfishly but dedicating themselves to His mission.
Passage 28
"Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet."
Read aloud: Read the verse aloud once without rushing. Then read it again and pause where your attention catches.
In plain words: This prophetic psalm foreshadows Jesus’ crucifixion, describing His suffering and the piercing of His hands and feet.
Passage 29
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
Read aloud: Give this verse room to breathe. Let one word or image stand out before you move to the explanation.
In plain words: Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday sanctifies believers, making them holy through His once-for-all offering.
Passage 30
"And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.'"
Read aloud: Try saying the last line slowly, then turn it into a one-sentence prayer in your own words.
In plain words: Jesus’ sacrificial death redeems people from all nations, showing the universal reach of His salvation.
Start with Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, and John 19:30. Read one of them aloud before you read the rest, so the page feels less like a list and more like a conversation with Scripture.
Choose one reference, read it slowly, and write the line that stays with you in your own words. Turn that sentence into a short prayer before you move to another passage.
The Bible contains more than 31,000 verses. In the King James Version, there are 31,102 verses across 66 books, though totals can vary slightly between translations because some passages are grouped differently.
A Chosen Portion take
Before you turn good friday into a list to finish, give yourself a little quiet. Let the season slow down enough for gratitude, grief, or hope to become prayer.
Start with Isaiah 53:5 and read it out loud if you can. Then carry one honest sentence into the rest of the day: a confession, a request, a thank-you, or a small act of obedience.
Take Scripture into prayer with a gentler daily rhythm: reflection, quiet attention, and one faithful conversation at a time.