Good Friday 2025

Although the Bible tells of great men and women of God, it is not a book of heroes. Rather, it’s a story about one Hero, a hero whose name is whispered in every Biblical story.

Throughout the events of Holy Week, the hero’s name is shouted but we ought not miss the essential connections. Beginning with Palm Sunday, through Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, and finally, Easter Sunday, the story of Jesus is fully told as the culmination of the entire story of Scripture.

We have the benefit of seeing this now, a benefit the Disciples did not have. For Christ’s first followers, His words at the Last Supper, His arrest, His trial, and crucifixion were aspects of a bewildering defeat. Only in retrospect, when Jesus opened the Scripture to them, first on the road to Emmaus and later in the upper room, did they understand. And even then, not fully.

It was only after the ascension of Christ and the sending of the Spirit that a restored Peter stood before Jerusalem to proclaim the punch line of Holy Week: “Let all of the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The rest of the New Testament is an account of what the Holy Spirit continued to reveal about Christ’s presence throughout all of Scripture. Paul, for example, recognized Jesus in the Bible’s first chapters, identifying Him as “the Last Adam.” He contrasts the two men as representative heads of the human race. Though the one failed and brought death on all His descendants, Jesus was faithful and obedient, and brought life and restoration through His death and resurrection.

The parallels between Jesus and Adam are deep. The ways in which Jesus is like, and yet better than, Adam, are numerous. The first Adam yielded to temptation in a garden. The Last Adam beat temptation in a garden. The first man, Adam, sought to become like God. The Last Adam was God who became a man. The first Adam was naked and received clothes. The Last Adam had clothes but was stripped. The first Adam tasted death from a tree. The Last Adam tasted death on a tree.

The first Adam blamed his bride, while the Last Adam took the blame for His bride. The first Adam earned thorns. The Last Adam wore thorns. The first Adam gained a wife when God opened man’s side, but the Last Adam gained a wife when man opened God’s side. The first Adam brought a curse. The Last Adam became a curse. While the first Adam fell by listening when the Serpent said, “take and eat,” the Last Adam told His followers, “Take and eat, this is my body.”

Through His body and blood, the Last Adam restores to us what the Forbidden Fruit destroyed. As such, we are now invited back to the restored Garden which is in the New Heavens and Earth. There the tree of life grows around the throne of God and is free for the taking. This story is His story and is now our story. It is what this week is all about.

Today is Good Friday. While it is tempting to rush through this dark day that reminds us of our sin and rush forward to Easter, it is important to stay here a while. The only way to Sunday is through the rejection, the pain, and the suffering of today. Every day this week, especially the words Jesus spoke on the day of His death, are worthy of our reflection.

Matthew 27:1–2 ESV

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:11–44 ESV

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Tom Courain

Matthew 27:45–46 ESV

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Alberico DiPierro

Luke 23:32–34 ESV

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Wes Barnett

Luke 23:39–43 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Obed Rios

Luke 23:44–47 ESV

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

Neil Brohm

John 19:25–27 ESV

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Kenny Salamea

John 19:28–29 ESV

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

Geoffrey Philhower

John 19:30 ESV

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.