Good Friday Reflection: The Forgiving Lamb (John 19:30)

For six hours, Jesus dies on a cross. His crucifixion was brutal. Barbaric. R-rated. At maximum levels. The skies are dark as Jesus carries the sin of the world. Yours and mine. And in the darkness of those hours, Jesus speaks. Seven words from The Word who dies. Who is this Jesus who speaks these words and dies this death?

When Jesus is first introduced to the world, his cousin, John, who is preaching on the banks of the Jordan river says this:

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

The Lamb of God. Around Jerusalem that very day, thousands of lambs have been slaughtered. For thousands of years, lambs have died on Passover, recalling the dark night when God rescued Israel from Egypt. On that night, 1500 years before, a lamb had been killed for dinner and the blood of that lamb was painted on the doorframe of the house using a hyssop branch. They used that hyssop branch on that doorpost to paint lamb blood because the life of the Lamb was being exchanged for the life of the firstborn in the house. God said any home that did not have the lamb’s blood on the doorpost would lose the lives the firstborns living in the home. The hyssop branch dipped in lamb’s blood painted on the doorframe is life-saving for thousands of Israelites.

So that day… on a Passover weekend in Jerusalem… a day which was as dark as night… there is a Lamb who is dying crying out in thirst and the Bible says the Roman soldier took a hyssop branch, dipped it in blood red wine… and applied the blood-red wine to the lips of the firstborn lamb who was dying. That day on that cross the firstborn dies. Even though the hyssop branch is used, there will be no redemption for this firstborn. There will be no salvation coming. Because this firstborn is also the lamb, the lamb who forgives the sin of the world.

Those who are around the cross that day that the skies turned black heard all the words we just heard tonight. The seven words. These seven words are spoken by the Lamb of God who, at that very moment, is taking away the sin of the world. The Lamb who dies to forgive sins. That Lamb makes the promise to the thief on the cross. That Lamb cries out when he is abandoned by the Father. And that Lamb, dying for the sin of everyone at the cross and the whole word says “Father forgiven them… they have no clue what they are doing.” That Lamb cries out in thirst.

And it’s that Lamb that says “It is Finished.” The greatest sentence in any language. What's finished? All of it. The suffering. The pain. The agony. The hard work of taking our place, and paying for our sin. Saving us from our sin, giving us the forgiveness we need… just like he promised. It is finished.

And all of it is FOR YOU. There is no “it is finished”, there is no “God loving the world and giving his son” if there’s no “for you”. “For you” is the hope of the gospel.

‌In fact, “for you” is why Jesus did anything. “For you” is why there’s a baby in the manger at Christmas. “For you” is why God became a man and walked among us. “For you” is why he started this big ball and put our parents in a garden. This whole thing is “for you”. You. Jesus had you in mind.

So tonight… hear Christ's words. Understand and feel the darkness. See Jesus die. And hear John’s words: this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

For you, for the sinner, this night… there is mercy. There is grace. There is hope. It is finished. We take our place alongside all those at the cross… the centurion and the crowds… seeing and recognizing that what is happening is what our sin deserves.

Your sin. My sin. Jesus loved us. Jesus gives us grace. God died for us with forgiveness on his lips. Forgiveness for me. For you.

Ponder what you’ve heard. Spend time with your family talking about the 7 words.. and what took place that night, Passover weekend, almost 2000 years ago. And join us right back here on Sunday… Easter Sunday… 10:30am… where we will proclaim the rest of the story.

You are dismissed.