Good Friday 2026

Tonight is the night that over 2,000 years ago, God himself gave himself for us. Tonight we need to remember what He did because He is love. Because He is the conqueror. Because He can do what no one else can do and make new and beautiful everything that is wrong, but not0.00

ecause Jesus says, “it’s all good. Like someone who ignores bad and evil hoping it goes away. No God came to pay the punishment that it deserves.

Tonight as we read the Bible, as we sing songs, you will have opportunity to participate, to speak, to share with those around you and all of us.

We will end tonight with the placing of this cross in the field. It will be lit up in red symbolizing Jesus, God, shedding his blood to pay the punishment for sin.

Spoiler alert. On Sunday, we will turn it to white, because He resurrected. Jesus conquered death, and just as he rose from the grave one day we will rise with him.

But to begin tonight, we must remember that Jesus didn’t deserve the death we gave Him. We deserved it.

He is awesome. So I have a question for you to answer out loud:

Other than dying for you and rising again, what so good about Jesus?

As I begin reading some of you will see the white or clear light bulbs below your chairs, would you or someone near you come up and begin to wrap the cross in the symbol of light, the symbol of Jesus.

In what we read, the Word is the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

John 1:1–14 NLT

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Sing with us,

SONG

The day before Jesus died he gave us the symbol of his death to remember his sacrifice. We call it the Lord’s Supper

Tonight, we invite you to take part in the Lord’s Supper together. Those will come and pass out the elements and we will take it together tonight. So as you receive it please wait until all have been served.

Matthew 26:23–30 NLT

He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus told him, “You have said it.” As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

Please remove the top part revealing the wafer, and remember what Jesus said as we eat it together. Take this and eat it, for this is my body.

Matthew 26:23–30 NLT

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

Please remove the bottom part to reveal the juice and drink remembering the covenant between God and, you, His people.

Matthew 26:30 NLT

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Let us sing, and as we sing will you begin to bring up the red lights to wrap the cross.

SING

Romans 3:23–26 NLT

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

This is how Jesus gave himself for us. Not because He had to but because He chose to. The day after being betrayed. He made all of us right, in his ultimate act of love.

John 19:23–30 NLT

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did. Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.