Good Friday | Friday, April 18, 2025

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

On the best worst day in history, the cross compels one question—"why?"—and Scripture gives two answers: the love of God and our sin.

The Best Worst Day in History

It's so good to see you here on a Friday afternoon. I know it can be difficult to come out in the middle of the week and the middle of the day, but this is such an important time for us to gather, to commemorate, and to remember what this day is all about. It's been said that this is the best worst day in history. We call it Good Friday, yet when you consider what took place that we remember today, it's hard to imagine the goodness.

One of the amazing things is that even some of the most skeptical historians and scholars agree it is very clear that a man named Jesus of Nazareth was crucified outside of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. The history supports that. There are all kinds of questions about what happened a few days later—which we'll celebrate this weekend—but there is total certainty among historical scholars about what took place outside of Jerusalem.

Many of you have seen the imagery of it in things like Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Those who have really studied the crucifixion say that what was portrayed there, though absolutely horrendous, probably came well short of what actually took place. Crucifixion is the most horrendous form of execution. It was invented to be horrible.

The Question "Why?"

When you see the image of Christ on the cross, I don't think you can help but ask the question, why? And when you think about that question, I believe at least two very important answers come to mind: number one, the love of God, and number two, our sin.

The most well-known verse of the Bible, John 3:16, says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Both things are seen there. The love of God is explicit—"for God so loved the world." Less overt, but still clearly seen, is our sin, because the passage says whoever believes in Him should not perish. The reality of death is a reality because of sin.

Sin Brings Death

"Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and death has spread to all humanity," says Paul in Romans 5:12. The story from the very beginning of the Bible is clear. God said, "You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Humanity partook in Genesis 3, and death entered in. All the suffering and death we are confronted with is the reality of sin.

Ezekiel says in both verse 4 and verse 20 of chapter 18, "The soul who sins shall die." Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." And the horrible reality is Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We all are in that place of being under sin.

I've had dozens of conversations over the years where I want to share the gospel, and I bring up the reality of sin, and we cringe at it. Especially if we imply to someone, "You're a sinner," they get offended—"How dare you call me a sinner?" And I say, "No, listen—me too." We all are under this. All have sinned, and the result of sin is death. This day represents God's loving solution to the problem of our sin.

The Earliest Creed: Christ Died for Our Sins

Most likely the earliest creed of the church—believed by some scholars to have become the church's statement of belief within months of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday—is found in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul says, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel"—the good news—"which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved... For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received."

And then comes the creed: Christ died for our sins. Those are the first words of the first creed the church began to speak within months of the crucifixion. Why did it happen? Christ died for our sins. There's so much more we'll talk about on Sunday, but on this day, Good Friday, we just need to stop with those words.

He Did Not Die for Himself

Why was Jesus crucified? He was not crucified for His own sin. In the Gospel of John, Jesus appears before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, on the morning of Good Friday. Pilate did not want an uprising, because his own life would have been on the line if there were problems in Judea. Jesus is brought before him, compelled by the religious establishment who demanded His death.

Crucifixion was so horrible that a Roman citizen could not be crucified, and Pilate was even hesitant about crucifying someone who might be a criminal. So he questions Jesus, then brings Him before the multitude and says, "Behold the man." After He's been beaten, Pilate declares, "I find no fault in Him." He did not die for Himself. He died for our sins.

That's the message we believe, and it's the message we share with other people. If friends or co-workers wonder, "Why did you leave work in the middle of the day to go to church on a Friday? Who does that?"—you say, "I'm remembering Christ's crucifixion." Why? Christ died for our sins—for my sin, for your sin.

The Lord Has Laid On Him the Iniquity of Us All

Isaiah said it 700 years before Jesus came on the scene: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way." That's the problem—the first half of Isaiah 53:6. The solution is the second half of that same verse: "And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." He bears my sin and your sin on the cross.

One of the most awesome pictures is Jesus being crucified while those who nailed Him are parting His garments among them. As He looks upon the people, some mocking and spitting, He says, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." How awesome is that? It's almost to the point of being incredible.

I have a hard time with that word incredible. People sometimes say the love of God is incredible. No, it's not—it's not something you cannot believe. It is awesome. But Jesus' prayer almost seems impossible. And the answer is, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."

Greater Love Has No One Than This

Now Anthony tried to steal my verse at the very beginning—he quoted John 15:13, and I told Steve in the sound booth he was stealing my verse. But I guess it's okay, because this is a good day to speak about it. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, but that a man would lay down his life for his friends."

It's key to recognize this expresses perhaps the greatest expression of human love—that you would lay down your life for your friends. Some of you served in the military and in combat, ready and willing to put your life on the line for your friends. Some of you have family members who gave that ultimate expression. It's an amazing thing to consider.

But would you lay down your life for your enemy? That's a much greater expression of love. Jesus says laying down your life for your friends is the greatest expression of human love. But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. When we were in rebellion, in opposition, standing against Him, He demonstrated His love.

In Romans 5, Paul reasons that perhaps for a righteous man someone would dare to die. Maybe for a really good person I'll lay down my life. Maybe. But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God Loves You

What is the good news of the gospel? God loves you. That's awesome. Do you realize how many people thought, "God can't possibly like me"? Maybe that kept you from coming into a church. There's no way God could love me—I don't even love me.

There are a lot of people in our culture who struggle with that. They actually hate themselves, dealing with it in the way they don't take care of themselves or even injure themselves—a deep self-hatred. Because of that, they can't comprehend how anybody else could love them, especially not God. If there is a God who knows everything about me, then He certainly can't love me.

And yet the good news is: God loves you—and not only on your best day. He loved us when we were unholy, when we were in rebellion against Him, walking in opposition to His way. He shows His love through the gift of His Son. "For God so loved the world that He gave." Jesus demonstrates love by dying for us.

According to the Scriptures

The creed says, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." Where do we get that? One of the best passages is Isaiah 53:

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?... He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

There was nothing about Jesus that set Him apart as distinct among the people of His day. He wasn't taller, fitter, stronger, or better-looking. He was just an average-looking person, nothing majorly desirable in His form.

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief... Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

By the stripes laid on His back as He was beaten by the Roman soldiers at Pilate's call, we are healed. Why this horrendous thing? Because all we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter... Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him... when You make His soul an offering for sin.

He is the lamb of the sacrifice. Why were all those sacrifices offered under the Mosaic covenant? They all pointed to the final sacrifice of Jesus.

The Lord, the Lord God, Merciful

When God revealed His nature to Moses just before the law was given, He said in Exodus 34:6, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful." The very first word God uses to identify Himself is merciful. That is key.

There's a concept in theology called divine simplicity—the idea that among all of God's innumerable attributes, none has a higher status; this is just who God is in all of them. And yet, when God puts forth His hand and says, "I'm God, and this is who I am," He chooses to lead with mercy. We all do this—we associate ourselves with what we do or who we are. And God says, "I'm the Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious, patient."

That's the kind of God I need—merciful, patient, and gracious. Honestly, those are not the things I normally lead with. There was a guy driving really slow on my way here today, and merciful, patient, and gracious were not going through my mind.

I cannot read this passage without hearing a preacher named Gail Irwin in my mind. Gail Irwin passed away this week, and as soon as I heard, all I could think of was him standing on this stage decades ago saying, "Abounding in goodness and truth, slow to anger." I can't read it without hearing that.

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

Before God ever gets to the point of being just—and He is just, and He will deal with sin, for the wages of sin is death—He leads with mercy, grace, patience, goodness, and truth. He says He will not overlook guilt, but He leads with mercy. That's the good news of Good Friday. That's what makes the worst day in history the best day.

But God

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world... among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh... and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

All those things are true about us. But here are two of the most beautiful words in the passage: But God. We see who we are—and then:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places... that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

That's your future hope as a believer—in the ages to come He will continue to show us the riches of His grace in His presence one day.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Why did Jesus die? God's love—that's the solution to our sin, the problem. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. And we rejoice on this best worst day in history, because that's not the end of the story. There's more that comes on Sunday.

Closing Prayer

Father God, we thank You for Your grace. We thank You for the good news of the gospel, and we pray that You would have it ever be before us, that we could not in any way forget it or misplace it. And when we think on who we are in all of our fallenness and brokenness, may we think on who we are in light of how great You are—Your mercy, Your grace, Your kindness. God, You are so good. I pray that You would stir our hearts to rejoice in that goodness on this day, and that You would motivate us to share that goodness with other people—family members, co-workers, friends, whoever it may be—that they might also know the truth of the goodness of Your grace and Your love, which is the only solution for the problem of brokenness, death, and sin in this world. God, we rejoice in You and we thank You. We praise You on this Good Friday, in Jesus' name. Amen.