Good Friday (2025)

Various Texts Isaiah 52.13

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we come to a heavy and difficult night in the history of the world. What we witness on the cross shows us God’s wrath, and his anger towards sin, and the terrible cost that every man, woman, and child would pay for their wrongs not only from the sin they inherited, but also the sins that they have committed since. The Scriptures speak about in both old and new testament, and warn us, but who could have been prepared to witness this awful sight as sin came to rest upon the head of God’s Son.

Jesus had told the disciples numerous times that the Son of Man must be betrayed and handed over and put to death. But they didn’t believe it, they just thought it was something strange that he was saying, there had to be some other meaning behind it for how on earth could that be true? How could this man who had healed the sick, cast out demons, walked on water, fed thousands, and preached the Word and brought comfort and peace to anxious sinners end in such a manner? Don’t good people get rewarded and are free from affliction?

For you would think of a person who did all of these wonderful and kind things and brought God’s blessings that his death would be a pleasant one surrounded by friends and family like the dear saints we see pass today. That they go peacefully and are encouraged by all those that they have blessed, and there would be people gathering in mass around them when that final hour comes, but Jesus to die on a cross?

To see him stripped of his clothing, beaten, bloodied, and thorns thrust upon his head as He is mocked, to watch him stumble as the man who had made the lame walk struggles under the weight of His own death sentence and needs help to carry it up the hill to where He will die. There isn’t glory or honor in this death for it is the torture and punishment given to a criminal who serves as a warning to any who would dare oppose Rome. We have the power and we will do the same to any who step out of line.

The words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled that he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not. To esteem someone is to respect him. When you a see a man stripped with nails through his wrists, this is not one anyone respects, but fears the awful reminder that this fate could be your own.

Now you and I know why this all happened, but that’s because we are sitting here 2000 years later with the blessing of hindsight, but I want you to put yourself in their place, to be living through this hour as your dear friend, the one who you saw transfigured, the one you have walked with for years and were expecting to rescue your people from the tyranny of Rome is now being put to death. Put yourself in their shoes

Ther’es John who stood at the foot of the cross and looked up at Jesus, and alongside him was Mary who had seen the angel Gabriel and was warned by Simeon in the temple that her heart would being pierced by Jesus, and sure enough what grief is more sharp than a mother watching her son being executed. What about Peter who swore he would stand firm and never deny Christ but fled weeping after he denied him 3x and Jesus looked right at him, or the other disciples who had thought the same as Peter that they were strong, but now that they witness the punishment of Christ have fled.

This is the wrath of God against sin, here is the price that must be paid, that even when it fell upon the only-begotten Son of God, that the Father’s wrath and punishment must be meted out upon his head, and bring him down into the grave. So Jesus was smitten by God and afflicted as He suffered in our place, and He bore our griefs that we might receive grace and mercy.

For He is pierced upon the cross for my sins, for your sins. He is your substitute who takes upon himself our punishment. You might say well we didn’t ask him to do that, we didn’t force him up there upon the cross. No you’re right you didn’t force him up there, He could have left you to that fate, He could have let you stand before the Father on your own, and if you so desire you can face that wrath without him on the final day. Just deny Him and His work for you, cast away faith, and you can suffer what He did and be eternally condemned.

The reason that Jesus went up there was that He knew the cost that you would have to pay and it was too much. THere is no way you could satisfy, no way you could handle it, and it would mean not just death, but your eternal suffering in hell. So there's your dear friend hanging upon the tree, there is the one who saw you in your need and went to cover you when you had no idea. Like an older brother who sees his brothers and sisters in imminent danger and without hesitation jumps in the way to save them.

No one appreciated it, because none of us realized the great danger we were in, not even the disciples they were focused only upon the problem of the Romans, or sickness, and disease, hunger, etc. all worldly problems. They never considered the true danger they were in on account of our sins, and that is why people today still don’t see the point of Jesus dying upon Calvary. Still today people focus on worldly issues and think only about whether God helped them with worldly matters and if He doesn’t maintain their health, wealth, or happiness, they see God as failing and throw aside the death of Jesus was useless.

But if you can lift up your eyes and see how awful your sins are and what happened when those sins came to rest upon Jesus, then you will realize how close you came to destruction, but there the Son of God stood between you and certain death that you might be saved. You will see that we really do have a good and gracious God.

We fixate on the temporal problems in this life, we think in the short term, but God knew the punishment for mankind would be great and so the Son came down and took on our flesh and was incarnate of Mary for this very purpose, that He might shed His blood for you and shield you with His own body from the wrath of God against sin. Who else would do that for you? That is why on this night, above all nights, we remember that Christ offered up Himself in your place and went into the grave to save you and grant you entrance into heaven.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, There aren’t enough words to describe our thankfulness for all that Jesus has done for us, we can only give thanks and sing praises of Him and that by his wounds we are healed. For our sins rest upon His Sacred head, for he did not desire our punishment, our death or or condemnation, but that we might live in His Kingdom. In Jesus name. Amen.