Good Friday

Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS 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. 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.” ’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 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. 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. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 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. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Prayer, please be seated

Introduction:

Good Friday

12 am Jesus is experiencing anxiety while praying in the garden - even sweating blood.

1 am - Judas betrays Him with a kiss and Jesus is arrested.

2 am - Jesus has been mistreated and rejected by the Jewish leadership, and endured three trials in the darkness. He is convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to die.

8 am - Pilate tries to avoid giving into the mob created by the Jewish leaders. Just five days earlier the people were crying Hosanna.

Pilate orders Jesus to be flogged, at this point has been mocked by the Roman soldiers and a crown of thorns placed on his head.

Pilot offer a pardon, but the crowd chooses Barabbas, which means Son of the Father.

Jesus has now been rejected by the Jew and the Gentile

9 am - The third hour they crucified him.

10 am - The people hurl insult and mock him.

Noon - At the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

2 pm - Jesus is on the cross, darkness covers the land, the Father turns his back on him.

3 pm, several things occur at once:

Jesus say “It is finished,” He breaths his last breath and gives up his spirit.

The earth shakes and rock spit.

Tombs open and dead bodies of holy people are raised to life and appear to citizens of Jerusalem.

The temple curtain is torn from the top to the bottom.

Jesus dies on the cross.

3:30 pm - The Jewish people are faced with a problem. The three crucified men must come down off the crosses before Sunday. Friday at 6 pm is the beginning of the Sabbath. ( If they touched the dead bodies on the Sabbath they would be considered unclean)

5 pm - Jesus is now off the cross. He was placed in a tomb given to Joseph of Arimathea. The Jewish leaders went to Pilate to demand he put guards outside the tomb to guard it.

The disciple at this point have fled, but the women have not.

They wrap the body as it was customary, but it lack the oils and spices to complete the job. Due to the restrictions of the Sabbath created by God, the women would have to return and finish the job on Sunday, after the Sabbath.

John 19:16–18 NKJV

I want you to Picture this:

You're wrongly accused of something you didn't do.

The penalty?

Life changing

And then, someone you've barely known steps in and says, "I'll take your place."

This is no small fine we're talking about; it's the ultimate price—life for life.

On Good Friday, we stand before the cross, witnessing the most profound exchange in human history.

Jesus, sinless, takes on the weight of our sins.

It's the ultimate act of love, but it came with a cost.

Tonight, we're diving deep into what that means for us.

This moment at the cross is where justice and mercy meet.

It's where our greatest need intersects with God's greatest gift

What was our greatest need?

Redemption

What was God’s greatest gift?

His Son

I. The Weight of Sin

Here's the reality about sin:

Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.

It's the root of every broken relationship, every tear, every bit of pain in this world.

And on the cross, Jesus took the weight of sin upon Himself.

It wasn't just physical pain; it was the spiritual weight of every sin that had ever been and would ever be committed.

Imagine carrying not just a mistake you made but the collective mistakes of all humanity.

That's what Jesus took to the cross..all the sin of humanity

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

It's like being submerged under a wave so massive, it feels like you'll never surface.

Yet, He chose to dive in for us to exchange His life for ours.

In doing so, Jesus encountered the depths of separation from the Father, a reality He had never before experienced.

The last words of a person are probably the most important words you will ever hear. Let’s look at couple of Jesus’s last words.

II. Forsaken for Our Acceptance

Mark 15:34 (NKJV)

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

At that moment, Jesus experienced separation from the Father, something He had never known.

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

It's a disturbing question, with a profound answer.

He was forsaken so that we would never have to be.

This is the heart of the gospel.

In our loneliest, most broken moments, we can hold onto this truth:

We are never forsaken.

Because Jesus was abandoned in that moment, we are accepted forever.

In that moment of ultimate sacrifice, where Jesus felt utterly abandoned, we find our permanent acceptance.

It’s in His forsakenness that we’re forever welcomed into God's family.

We arrive at a monumental phrase: "It Is Finished."

III. "It Is Finished"

John 19:30 (NKJV)

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Three words that changed the course of history.

"It is finished."

Not a cry of defeat, but a declaration of victory.

Why?

The debt of sin?

Paid in full.

The separation between us and God?

Removed.

This is not just historical fact; it's a present reality.

Whatever you're facing, whatever guilt or shame you carry, it's been dealt with.

For the Believer

You're not working for forgiveness; you're living from it.

Here's the deal:

Good Friday isn't just a day to remember; it's a reality to live by.

The cross isn't just about Jesus' sacrifice; it's about our response.

How do we live in light of this incredible gift?

Call to Action:

This week, let's live differently.

Let's forgive as we've been forgiven.

Let's love as we've been loved.

And let's carry our own crosses, not as burdens, but as beacons of hope, knowing that the weight we carry is nothing compared to the glory that awaits us.

Conclusion:

Jesus took our place, offering us forgiveness, freedom, and a future.

As we reflect on the weight of the cross, let's not forget the weight of our response.

Prayer:

If you’re feeling that tug in your heart, that’s not coincidence. That’s God calling you. And it’s simple to respond. You don’t need fancy words; you just need an open heart.

So, if that’s you, I’m going to ask you to do something bold. If you’re here with us, lift your hand up high.

Don’t worry about who’s watching; this is between you and God. And, if you’re listening online, this includes you too.

Lift your hand right where you are.

It’s a physical sign of an internal decision, and it’s powerful.

Now, I’m going to lead you in a prayer. Let’s pray.

'God, here I am. I know I’ve sinned and gone my own way, but today, I’m making a change.

I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He died for my sins, and rose again three day latter to give me life.

I ask You, Jesus, to be the Lord of my life. I surrender my heart to You.

Forgive my sins, fill me with Your Spirit, and help me to live every day for You.

Thank you for Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy that are now mine.

I am Yours, and You are mine, from this day forward, forevermore.

In Jesus Name

Amen."

If you prayed that prayer and meant it, know that something incredible has started in your life.

Welcome to the family. Don’t keep this moment to yourself—tell someone, a friend, a family member, or us.

We want to celebrate with you and help you on this journey.

Good Friday

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