Sermon Notes – April 10, 2020 (Good Friday)

GOOD FRIDAY REFLECTIONS

Good morning, churchl! … or, better yet, Good Friday, everyone!!

Today, we are having a special service that we hope you will find inspiring and thought provoking. We are going to read a number of scriptures with little commentary as we think through the final days of our Lord’s life on this earth.

Today, we remember the death of our Saviour … but this is not a funeral service … because there shouldn’t be a lot of sadness … and because we know the end of this chapter of His life is actually the beginning of another chapter.

• Yes, it is a somber time … because it a service during which we reflect on the death of an innocent man … the death of someone who did not deserve to die … but who chose to die …
• but it should also be a joyful time … because we realize why Jesus came … why He gave up His equality … why He went to the cross … and  why He died … He did all that TO SAVE US.

Today, we want to focus on … and reflect on … WHAT JESUS WENT THROUGH TO SAVE US … and a good place to begin is in the gospel of Mark.

Mark 10:33 – 34

• “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; ³⁴ and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him ….”

As we begin our reflections, let us keep in mind that He knew … HE KNEW WHAT WAS AWAITING HIM IN JERUSALEM … the mocking … the scourging … the intense suffering … the death … AND HE STILL WENT.

He did it because He knew there was no other way … so, in a sense, He did it because He had to … BUT pause for a while … and think about what it took for Him to do what He did.

• Think about the courage … It took incredible courage to go to Jerusalem.
• Think about the humility … It took incredible humility to allow Himself to be nailed to a cross.
• Think about the love … It took incredible love to stay on that cross (for six long hours).
• When all is said and done, everything He did was done because of his amazing love for us, manifested in His amazing grace.

LET US PRAY.

Today, we remember that Jesus, the light of the world, willingly entered completely into our darkness by becoming a sin offering for our sin and taking on the penalty of our sin — death.  He did this so that we could live in the Light … and that the Light could live in us.

The theme for this service is The PASSION of the Lord Jesus Christ

We will read 15 passages of Scripture  … and then pause for a few moments between each reading to think about the events.

Please be quiet and attentive as the readings begin.

1.  Matthew 26:30-35 … Jesus’ warning

• • And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.    ³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:‘ I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’  ³² But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”  ³³ Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”  ³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”   ³⁵ Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”   And so said all the disciples.
    

2.  Matthew 26:36–46 … Gethsemane

• • Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” ³⁷ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. ³⁸ Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”³⁹ He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”   ⁴⁰ Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?  ⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  ⁴² Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”  ⁴³ And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.   ⁴⁴ So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵ Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
    

3.  Matthew 26:47–56 … Arrested

• • And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.   ⁴⁸ Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” ⁴⁹ Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 
  • ⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”   
  • Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. ⁵¹ And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  
  • ⁵² But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”    ⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. ⁵⁶ But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”   
  • Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
    

4.  John 18:15–27 … Peter’s denial

• • And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. ¹⁶ But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.
  • ¹⁷ Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”  
  • He said, “I am not.”  
  • ¹⁸ Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
    ¹⁹ The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.   ²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. ²¹ Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”  
  • ²² And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”  
  • ²³ Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”  
  • ²⁴ Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
  • ²⁵ Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”   
  • He denied it and said, “I am not!”  
  • ²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”
  • ²⁷ Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
    

5.  Luke 22:63-71 … Beaten and condemned

• • Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. ⁶⁴ And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”  ⁶⁵ And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him. 
    ⁶⁶ As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, ⁶⁷ “If You are the Christ, tell us.” 
  • But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. ⁶⁸ And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. ⁶⁹ Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”  
  • ⁷⁰ Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”  
  • So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.”  
  • ⁷¹ And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
    

6.  John 18:28-38 … Pilate

• • Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ²⁹ Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”  
  • ³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”  
  • ³¹ Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”  
  • Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” ³² that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  
  • ³³ Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  
  • ³⁴ Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” 
  • ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”   
  • ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  
  • ³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”   
  • ³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.”
    

7.  Luke 23:5-21 … Herod

• • But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”   
    ⁶ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. ⁷ And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
  • ⁸ Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. ⁹ Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.  
  • ¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
  • ¹¹ Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹² That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other. 
  • ¹³ Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ¹⁶ I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” ¹⁷ (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).    
  • ¹⁸ And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.   
  • ²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
    

8.  John 19:1–17 … Crown of Thorns

• • So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. ² And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. ³ Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. 
  • ⁴ Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”  ⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” 
  • ⁶ Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”  
  • Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”  
  • ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”   
  • ⁸ Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” 
  • But Jesus gave him no answer.   
  • ¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have ^[c]power to crucify You, and power to release You?”   
  • ¹¹ Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”  
  • ¹² From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”    ¹³ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
  • ¹⁴ Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”   
  • ¹⁵ But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”   
  • Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”   
  • The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”   
  • ¹⁶ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.  ¹⁷ And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,

9.  Luke 23:26-37 … Crucified on Calvary

• • Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.   ²⁷ And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.
  • ²⁸ But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ ³¹ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” 
  • ³² There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
  • ³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”   
  • And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”   
  • ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, ³⁷ and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
    

10.  John 19:19–22 … “King of the Jews”

• • Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:  JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.   
  • ²⁰ Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.   ²¹ Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”  
  • ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

11.  Luke 23:39–43 … Two Thieves

• • Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”  
  • ⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 
  • ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  
  • ⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
    

12.  John 19:23–27 … Divided Garments

• • Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. ²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them,  And for My clothing they cast lots.”   Therefore the soldiers did these things. 
  • ²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
  • ²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”  
  • ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
    

13.  Matthew 27:45–48 … Jesus quotes the Psalm

• • Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”   
  • ⁴⁷ Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”  
  • ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
    

14.  Luke 23:45b-48 … Into God’s hands

• • Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
  • ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Having said this, He breathed His last. 
  • ⁴⁷ So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”  
  • ⁴⁸ And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
    

15.  John 19:28-37 … It is finished

• • After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”  
  • ²⁹ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 
  • ³¹ Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
  • ³² Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
  • ³⁵ And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. ³⁶ For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” 
    

Silent Prayers

Prayer of dismissal