Good Friday 2025

Welcome to our Good Friday Service.

There’s something ironic about why we call it Good.

Certainly, from the perspective of Jesus and His friends—it was not good. It didn’t feel good.

It was evil what Jesus experienced from the Romans, from the Jewish leadership, from the crowds, from Satan, even from some of his disciples who betrayed him and denied him. It was horrible that Jesus died on the cross. It was the worst day in human history, when people crucified the Son of God.

yet it is good because the cross was always a part of God’s plan to save us from our sin to Himself. to bring us back to Him—so we may know Him, love Him, and enjoy Him for all eternity. and usher in God’s kingdom, rule and reign.

This is why it is good.

It’s very appropriate tonight as we worship Jesus—to be both horrified at what He faced and incredibly grateful.

so with that in mind—let me pray.

Let me pray for you.

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Peter 3:18 NIV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

Narrator comes up (Lloyd)

I want to read from Matthew 27:45 and following.

We have heard from the perspectives of the friend of the thief on the cross

a Roman Centurion

Mary Magdalene

and Mary the Mother of Jesus

and I am so thankful for the people in our church who read these so well.

Let’s look at Jesus’ perspective now.

Matthew 27:45–56 NIV

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” 55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

It’s remarkable that Jesus died in so much agony...

We actually see him struggling in the Garden of Gethsemane—the writer of Luke—says that he was sweating as if drops of blood - praying that God would take it from him.

and then on the cross he is crying out my God my God why have you forsaken me?

Some people have found it troubling that Jesus dies in this way...b/c haven’t other Christian martyrs died burning at the stake, calm, resolved...unfazed!

why is Jesus so troubled?

the answer is—no one has ever had to face what Jesus faced.

He referred to his death as taking the cup...the cup in Scripture is experiencing God’s full wrath for sin.

Jesus who had always been in perfect intimacy with the Father and Son—for the first time in his life, experienced God’s wrath and absence.

for the first time in God’s life experienced God’s wrath—not for his sin—He never sinned—but for the sin all of humanity, past, present and future.

He experienced the eternal weight and infinity of sin—all in a compressed time on the cross—as he became sin who knew no sin. Jesus knows what the definition of hell is like.

Keller says: There may be no greater inner agony than the loss of a relationship we desperately want. If a mild acquaintance turns on you, condemns and criticizes you, and says she never wants to see you again, it is painful. If someone you’re dating does the same thing, it is qualitatively more painful. But if your spouse does this to you, or if one of your parents does this to you when you’re still a child, the psychological damage is infinitely worse.

We cannot fathom, however, what it would be like to lose not just spousal love or parental love that has lasted several years, but the infinite love of the Father that Jesus had from all eternity.

Remember—Jesus had always been with the Father and Holy Spirit in incredible intimacy.

Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (p. 29). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

NT Scholar Bill Lane says Jesus came to be with the Father, but found hell rather than heaven opened before him.

while the physical pain was bad, it was even worse for Jesus to experience bearing the weight of sin in our place.

Now—notice Jesus did not abandon His Father—He still said “my God”...

Jesus did this—to glorify His Father—this was part of the plan

and because He loves us...

and I want to celebrate that love with communion:

Communion

Matthew 26:26–28 NIV

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

time of meditation

I want to end by reading his burial

Matthew 27:57–66 NIV

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

End in prayer...

Good Friday - Mention Holy Saturday...