The Power of Guilt: How to Overcome It

Introduction (5m)

How did we get a here?

A plot. Caiaphas and other priests. Recruited Judas. Arranged for bribe money to be available. Guards put on alert. Meet with Sanhedrin legal officer to lay out charges. Requisition funds to pay off “witnesses”. Prime messenger to be ready to call Council together at a moment’s notice. Stress it needs to be done before Passover. Send representatives to encourage Pilate to be on board - suggest a bad report to Rome if he won’t toe line.

This was nothing short of a show trial

Caiaphas had already decided J was guilty and must die:

John 18:14 NLT

Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

Listened to false witness after false witness until the sham charges stuck.

If this had taken place in a modern day UK court, a good lawyer would have found plenty of grounds for judicial review

Plenty to appeal. Clear J was not guilty of any crime.

Explanation (5m)

But Jesus didn’t seek to appeal his sentence - however unjust it was. He accepted his unjust punishment and death was part of God’s plan to save the world

Accepted capital punishment reserved for the lowest kind of criminals for us.

Faced rejection, shame, and suffering, for us.

Our sins, sins of the world were poured upon him, for us.

He suffered the greatest horror of being separated from his Father, for us.

He bore the cross - a mark of guilt - even though he was not guilty of anything - for us.

Application (5m)

Why did Jesus do it?

Because he knew we are guilty. We have things in our past - maybe even our present - we are ashamed of, and we fear the stains will never be cleaned.

We have no case for judicial review. No grounds for appeal. We are guilty.

Jesus died so we could be free of our guilt

John 19:30 NLT

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Tetelestai - It is, it stands, and it will always be finished.

Servant finishes assigned work. Priest examining an animal sacrifice - if faultless. Completed picture/painting. Most meaningful: merchants: debt is paid in full.

Jesus died to meet the righteous demands of God’s law. Paid our debt in full. He was the only one who could take away the sins of the world.

We can now freely approach God because of what Jesus did for us.

We live in a new world order because of Good Friday

Reconciliation and salvation with God have been accomplished.

Never again will there need to be another sacrifice for sin.

Never again will someone innocent need to shed blood.

God has accomplished it. It is finished! Forever.

The tragedy is that although many of us believe this, although we have sat through countless Good Friday meetings being reminded of this, we don’t live as though our sin and guilt are finished

Haunted by our past sins.

Convinced God has found as guilty and is going to punish us for our wrongs.

We all live with regret.

Many of us would like to wipe the slate clean and start again.

We sing:

Thank you for the cross

No guilt in life, no fear in death

My chains fell off, my heart was free

No condemnation now I dread

But we live with guilt.

We fear death.

We live chained up.

Our hearts are not free.

We feel we are condemned.

There are things that have happened in our lives that we just don’t seem to be able to get rid of.

Friends, this is not how Jesus wants us to live!

No heavy guilt trip.

Guilt destroys confidence, damages relationships, keeps you stuck in the past.

Jesus wants you to live a life better than that.

Today’s Good Friday Message is this: You don’t have to live with guilt

You can live with a sense of promise and hope. God can bring good out of the bad decisions you have made.

All we have to do is come to the foot of the cross and confess our sins

Say sorry and ask God to forgive us.

That’s how to overcome guilt:

Accept Jesus’ forgiveness and trust he has wiped away your sin once and for all.

Next Steps

SB 185 - My Lord, what love is this

Paper, pens, bin - write out confession, screw it up and throw in bin

My Lord, what love is this That pays so dearly, That I, the guilty one, May go free! Amazing love, O what sacrifice, The Son of God, given for me. My debt he pays, and my death he dies, That I might live, that I might live. (After last chorus) That I might live. 2 And so they watched him die, Despised, rejected: But O the blood he shed Flowed for me! 3 And now this love of Christ Shall flow like rivers; Come wash your guilt away, Live again! Graham Kendrick © 1989 Make Way Music www.grahamkendrick.co.uk  Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 135015 Copied from The Song Book of The Salvation Army Song Number 185