Good Friday | Friday, April 18, 2025

So good to see you guys here on a Friday afternoon. Thanks for taking the time. I know it can be difficult in the middle of the week and in the middle of the day to come out, but I think 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, but when you consider what took place that we remember on Good Friday, it's hard to imagine the goodness. Of course, we have this simple silhouette image that calls to mind what this is all about and what took place on this day.

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

Many of you have probably seen the imagery of it in things like Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." It has been said by those who have really studied the crucifixion that what they portrayed, although absolutely horrendous, probably came well short of what actually took place when Christ was crucified. Crucifixion is the most horrendous form of execution; it was invented to be horrendous and horrible.

When you see the image of Christ on the cross, I don't think you can help but ask the question, "Why?" 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 love of God and our sin. The most well-known, the most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16, says, "For God...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Both aspects are clearly seen in this passage. The love of God is very explicit: for God so loved the world. However, perhaps less explicit, but still evident, is the reality of our sin. This is clearly seen in the phrase that whoever believes in Him should not perish. The reality of death is a consequence of sin.

Through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin. As Paul states in Romans 5:12, death has spread to all humanity. 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." In Genesis chapter 3, we see that humanity partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and death entered in. We all know it quite well: all the suffering we see in the world and all the death we confront is a reality of sin. Sin brings death; it is clear.

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

I realize that I have had conversations many dozens of times over the years with people I want to share what the Bible has to say, what we call the gospel. I want to share that story with them, and I often bring up the reality of sin. We tend to cringe at the mention of sin, especially if we imply to someone that they are a sinner. They often get offended and upset, saying, "How dare you call me a sinner?" I respond, "No, listen, me too. We all are under this. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." The wages, or the result, of sin is death.

This day represents God's loving solution to the problem of our sin. It is believed by some scholars and historians that the earliest creed of the church emerged within months of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We find it...

Written for us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul says, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel." The gospel, of course, means good news. He declares to us the good news which he preached, which we also received, in which we stand, and by which we are saved, if we hold fast to the word which he preached to us, unless we have believed in vain.

Then, here is this creed. Paul states, "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received." The creed that Paul learned very early on when he became a follower of Jesus was this: Christ died for our sins. Those are the first words of the first creed that the church began to speak forth within months of the crucifixion.

Why did it happen? Christ died for our sins. There is so much more to discuss, and we will talk more about this on Sunday regarding what is said in this passage. However, I think at least on this day, Good Friday, we just need to stop with those words: Christ died for our sins. That is the message. That is the message that the church has been declaring since the very beginning.

Why was he crucified? He was not crucified for his own sin. In the Gospel of John, Jesus appears before Pontius Pilate, the governor on the morning of Good Friday. Pilate, the governor of Judea, did not want an uprising; he did not want problems because his life would have been on the line if there were issues in Judea. Jesus is brought before him, compelled by the religious establishment, who wanted him put to death. Pilate had to hold him on trial to see if he was worthy of crucifixion, which was the most horrible form of death. In fact, it was so horrible that a Roman citizen could not be crucified.

Apparently, Pilate was even hesitant about crucifying someone who might be a criminal. So, he questions Jesus. In his questioning, he brings Jesus before the gathered multitude and says, "Behold the man." After Jesus has been beaten, Pilate states, "I find no sin in him. I don't find anything worthy of death in him."

So, he did not die for himself; he died for our sins. Christ died for our sins. That is the message, and that is the message we believe, as Paul says in this text. It is also the message we share with other people. If you have friends, relatives, or co-workers who might wonder why you left work in the middle of the day to go to church on a Friday, you can say, "Well, I'm remembering Christ's crucifixion."

What happened? Christ died for our sins, for my sin, for your sin. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. That's what the prophet Isaiah spoke 700 years before Jesus came on the scene, before He died on the cross.

So this is the problem: we have sinned. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. That is the problem. The solution is found in the very same verse, Isaiah 53:6. The first half of the verse states, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way." The second half says, "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 powerful images is of Jesus being crucified while those who actually nailed Him to the cross are parting His garments between them. As He looks upon the gathered people, some of whom are mocking Him and spitting at Him, He says, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." How awesome is that? It is almost incredible. I have a hard time with that word "incredible" because I hear people sometimes say that the love of God is incredible. Well, no, it's not incredible; it's not something that you cannot believe. But it is awesome.

What Jesus says there, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do," seems almost impossible. The answer is found in John 3:16: "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."

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

It is key to recognize that this expresses perhaps the greatest expression of human love: that you would lay down your life for those who are your friends. Some of you served in the military, and some of you served in combat, ready and willing to put your life on the line for your friends. It is an awesome demonstration. Some of you have family members who...

Gave the ultimate expression of their love for their friends in uniform. It's an amazing thing to consider. But that is quite possibly the greatest expression of human love for someone. However, would you lay down your life for your enemy? That's a much greater expression of love.

Jesus says to his disciples in John 15:13, "This is the greatest expression of human love: that you lay down your life for your friends." But God demonstrates His love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. When we were in rebellion, when we were in opposition, when we were standing against Him, He demonstrates His love towards us.

Paul, when he's thinking about this as he reasons through it in Romans chapter 5, says perhaps for a righteous man one would die. Maybe for a righteous person—it's not my friend, but he's a really good person—so I'll lay down my life for that person. Maybe, maybe. But God demonstrates His love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is the good news of the gospel, clearly expressed: God loves you.

That's awesome! Do you realize how many people, and maybe you were in this camp, or maybe you're in this camp right now, thought, "God can't possibly like me"? Maybe that thought kept you from coming into a place like this, into a church. There's no way that God could love me. I don't love me.

There are a lot of people in our culture who struggle with that. They actually kind of hate themselves, or at least that's the way they deal with themselves. They don't take care of themselves or they injure themselves. There seems to be a deep self-hatred. Because of that, they can't comprehend in any way how anybody else could love them, especially not God. If there is a God and He knows every possible thing about me, then He certainly can't possibly love me.

And yet, the good news of the gospel is that God loves you. Not only when you do good things and not only when you're on your best day; He even loves you on bad hair days. I know that feeling sometimes. He loved us when we were unholy. He loved us when we were in rebellion against Him, standing and walking against Him in opposition to His way. And He shows His love through the...

The gift of His Son is profound. For God so loved the world that He gave. Jesus demonstrates love by dying for us. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. According to the Scriptures, it was written. When we read in 1 Corinthians 15, this first creedal statement, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures," we must ask: where do we get that it is according to the Scriptures that He died on the cross?

One of the best Scriptures that speaks to this is Isaiah 53. I already mentioned verse 6, but I will start earlier in the passage. Isaiah asks, "Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" He continues, "For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."

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

He is described as despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement, or the punishment, for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes—the stripes that were laid upon His back as He was beaten by the Roman soldiers at Pilate's call—we are healed.

Why did this horrendous thing happen? Because all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgressions of my people, He was stricken. They made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit found in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Father; it pleased the Lord to crush Him, to bruise Him. Why? To make His soul an offering.

For sin, He is the Lamb of the sacrifice. Why were all those sacrifices offered by the people of Israel under the Levitical covenant, the Mosaic covenant? They all pointed to the final sacrifice of Jesus. When God revealed His nature to Moses just before the law was given, He said, "The Lord, the Lord, God, merciful" (Exodus 34:6). God is revealing something about His nature. The very first word, which I have shared so many times before because I find it so important to our faith, is "merciful." This is key.

There is a concept in theology called divine simplicity. It is the idea that in all of God's innumerable attributes, none has any higher status; this is just who God is in all of these things. Yet, when He introduces Himself, I think there is a reason for Him saying, "Hey, I'm God, and this is who I am." We all do this kind of introduction; we associate ourselves with what we do or who we are. God says, "I'm the Lord, the Lord, God, merciful, gracious, patient." That is the kind of God I need—one who is merciful, patient, and gracious.

Now, I have to be honest; those are not the things that I normally lead with. For example, when I was behind a guy driving really slowly on my way here today, "merciful," "patient," and "gracious" were not the thoughts going through my mind. But the Lord, the Lord God, is merciful, gracious, patient, abounding in goodness and truth. I was just telling some friends the other day that I cannot read this passage without hearing a preacher by the name of Gail Irwin in my mind. Gail Irwin passed away this week, and as soon as I heard that he had passed, all I could think of was him standing on this stage decades ago saying, "Abounding in goodness and truth, slow to anger." That is the way he would read this, and I can't read it without hearing that in my mind.

He keeps mercy for thousands. He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin. Before He ever gets to the point where He is going to be just—because God is just, and He will deal with sin—that is why the wages of sin is death. But before He ever gets to that point in this passage,

He says, "Merciful, gracious, patient, abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." Then He gets to, "I will not overlook guilt, but I lead with mercy, grace, and patience." That's the good news of the gospel. That's the good news of this day that we call Good Friday. That's what makes the worst day in history the best day.

Because you, He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. Among whom you also once conducted yourselves in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. You were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

And these are two of the most beautiful words in this passage: "But God." We see who we are. All those things are true about us. But God, who is rich in mercy, there it is again. Because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved, and raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places, so that in the ages to come—this is your future hope as a believer in Christ—He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

That's what we have to look forward to in the presence of God one day. He's going to continue to show us the riches of His grace. For by grace are you 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 day, the best worst day in history, because that's not the end of the story. There's more that comes on Sunday.

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 before us, that we could not possibly in any way forget it or misplace it. And that when we think on...

Who we are in all of our fallenness and brokenness reminds us to think about our identity in light of how great You are, and of Your mercy, grace, and kindness. God, You are so good. I pray that You would stir our hearts to rejoice in that goodness on this day and motivate us to share that goodness with other people.

Maybe it's family members, co-workers, or 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 that exists in this world.

God, we rejoice in You, and we thank You. We praise You on this Good Friday, in Jesus' name.