Good Friday - A Good Look at the Good Life
Notes
Transcript
Good Friday – A Good Look at the Good Life
Jesus’ sacrifice was not merely a price to pay to earn the Good Life, it epitomises the Good Life.
Reading during service: Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 (Or portions)
Introduction
Today we gather and we remember something terrible:
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! 13 Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. 14 My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. 15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. 16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. 17 I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. 18 They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.
Jesus’ suffered.
Injustice,
Humiliation,
Scorn,
Incredible pain.
Now let me ask: Does this sound like the Good Life?
And yet - strangely – the answer is Yes.
What Makes the Good Life Good?
We’re tempted to think that the good life – the very best life – is to own your own Greek island, luxuriate in a perfect climate, be waited on hand and foot, and be as far as possible from any stress, conflict or suffering.
It would make for a nice holiday, a wonderful break.
But if it was all of your life, is it a good life?
At your funeral people might say ‘They lived the good life’ which means one thing.
But they would not say, ‘They lived such a good life,’ would they?
But today all around the world hundreds of millions of people are gathering around the world to reflect on a TRULY good life.
And we call it Good Friday.
You might think we’d call it Bad Friday and Good Sunday … but we don’t.
Because the goodness – the good life – is actually right here.
If someone were to ask you, ‘Why do you think Jesus is good?’
You probably wouldn’t answer ‘Well, he rose from the dead like an absolute boss!’
No, you’d be much more likely to point to his giving up his life for others on the cross and say
‘See how good he is? Could he be any better than that?’
This is because goodness, deep down, is NOBLE.
And what is nobility?
Does being born into a rich and powerful family make you a noble?
No, nobility is in giving up one’s wealth and power for others who are less well off.
Now we could illustrate that by talking about some hero of Christianity such as Mother Terasa or Hudson Taylor or some unknown missionary who spent their life serving a people group no one has ever heard of.
And I have meet a few people like that.
Virtually unknown outside of their small group of supporters, but a hero to those they have served.
The Staines family is a well kown local example as there is a nearby Christian school named after them when they were martyred.
But I think of another family who spent a lifetime in Niger.
Unknown outside of their mission society.
Yet responsible for the salvation of an entire people group.
Seen as the spiritual mother and father.
These were well educated Australians, they could have made a very comfortable living here.
But they gave up everything to serve people that are unknown in the isolated reaches of Niger.
Their life can only be described as Good.
A noble, worthwhile cause
We talk of Jesus’ death as ‘a price that was paid’ and he himself described it as a ransom.
But what we see today is not just a ‘necessary evil’ that had to be got through to gain something wonderful.
If that was the case, we wouldn’t remember and celebrate today, would we?
We celebrate birthdays, but don’t usually tell the story of the labour pains.
We gush excitedly about our new car, we don’t go around telling everyone the price we paid.
Well, not unless it was an absolute bargin because of some mistake by the dealership or the need to off load superceeded stock.
No, what Jesus did on Good Friday was more than just a means to an end.
It shows us goodness.
It shows us the Good Life.
This is important because there’s a ‘pop-theology’ version of the gospel that essentially says ‘Jesus suffered so that we will never have to’.
Thank you Jesus!
But it’s incredibly shallow.
Jesus never promised that.
In fact he said
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Life, the good life – to live as Jesus lived.
It means he promises to be with us in all life’s sacrifices and difficulties.
Jesus didn’t die so that we could get away with sin.
He died so that we could get away from sin – the selfish and corrupt life that is no life at all and leads to death.
Imagine if you committed a terrible crime, but the police arrested someone else – and they were found guilty and even executed!
You’d have gotten away with it scot-free!
Would you then go and visit their grave once a year, just to say ‘Thanks mate!’
You wouldn’t.
You’d try not to think of them at all for the shame of it.
And we’ve all heard of rich fathers who simply pay-off people to clean up after their children’s indiscretions.
It does nothing at all to make the children better.
No, this is not what Good Friday is about.
Jesus did die for us, taking our sin upon himself, paying the price we couldn’t.
But it was not to write some sort of blank cheque.
It was to purchase entry into the Good Life, for all who will truly enter it.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
His intention was not that we would become merely technically righteous, but also actually good and just.
And so a way opens up:
You can only live the Good Life of sacrifice and service to others and constantly giving, if you are completely SECURE and confident in your own position.
It’s so much easier to be generous if you know you are to inherit billions!
But anxious people desperate to secure themselves will hang on to everything they can get.
Jesus died that we could be secure in our place in God’s royal family.
You can only live the Good Life if you are FREE.
Serving and blessing others, even submitting yourself beneath others is fun and wonderful – if you are able to do it freely.
If you’re made to do it, forced into it, or obliged to earn some status or other, then it’s not the same at all.
It’s not nobility, it’s just slavery.
Jesus died to set us free.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
You can only live the Good Life if you are WELL.
Sin is a sickness that distorts our desires and corrupts our minds and hearts.
And Jesus described himself as a doctor who healed many people as a sign of the deeper healing he offers.
And as Isaiah wrote, by his wounds we are healed.
On airlines they say ‘If oxygen masks fall from the ceiling, first fit your own and then help others’ – and this is true.
To be able to serve and help others, we need to be breathing properly ourselves.
Conclusion
So what to do now?
The Good Life is right here, right in front of you.
And the only way into it is right here too, it’s only through Jesus.
If you are wanting it, come and get it.
Receive all that Christ has done for you and is offering to you.
Entrust your life to him as your Saviour and Rescuer and Doctor.
Find security with him as your Lord.
And find the joy and the glory of a noble and good life as God works through you to serve and give and sacrifice like Jesus.
It’s wonderful, and we’ll see on Sunday just how wonderful it gets!
