Good Friday

By Thursday evening into Early Friday morning the timeline accelerates very rapidly - from the Last Supper all the way to death of Jesus. In our modern court system, it takes an average of two to five years for a death sentence to be carried out. For Jesus, it took only 19 hours. Imagine the pain—not just for Him, but for the disciples, the women who followed Him, and His mother.

Today is what we traditionally call 'Good Friday.' The name feels like a paradox. How can the state-sanctioned torture and death of an innocent man be 'good'? It isn't because the crucifixion was pleasant; it’s because of what it accomplished. The suffering was real and terrible, but the purpose transformed it into the foundation of our hope.

Most churches observe this at 3:00 PM—the hour Christ breathed His last—by walking the 'Stations of the Cross.' This tradition began for those who couldn't travel to Jerusalem but wanted to walk the actual path to Calvary.

Tonight, we aren't just 'observing' those stations; we are entering them. We have journeyed through Lent, and now we will journey through the 19 hours from the Upper Room to the Tomb.

I will be reading the scriptures, but the verses will not be on the screens. I encourage you: put away your Bibles, put down your devices. Close your eyes. Try to hear the echoes of the scene—the intensity of what Jesus felt, and the confusion of those who loved Him.

THE SERVANT KING (John 13:1-17)

We begin on Thursday evening, in a rented Upper Room.

Read John 13:1-17.

The room was silent with shock. The disciples had gathered for a meal they thought would honor Him as King; instead, Jesus reversed the order by taking the role of the lowest servant. But then He says something even more surprising. He commands us to do the same. He calls us to a love that is expressed through voluntary service, rooted in genuine care for one another.

I wish I had the time to wash each of your feet tonight. But as a symbol of the love Christ has for this body, I have asked Jerry Carpenter to approach the altar, so that I may wash his feet as an act of genuine love and service.

CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITIES (Matthew 26:17-30)

While still in that same Upper Room, Jesus did something so profound that we continue it to this very day.

Read Matthew 26:17-30.

Jesus spoke of His body being broken and His blood being 'poured out for many.' We often hear those words, but tonight, we want to feel the weight of them.

Jan and Ron are going to lead us through an experience of Communion that strips away the ritual and returns us to the raw reality of the Cross. We will begin with a short message about the 'crushing' that leads to our life. Please watch the screen.

THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN (Mark 14:32-42)

We have left the Upper Room. The night is cold, and the 19-hour clock is ticking. Jesus retreats into the shadows of Gethsemane. The sky may have been clear that night, but in the Garden, a spiritual hurricane was descending upon the Son of God. Tonight, I want you to hear Jesus’ heart as He speaks to His closest friends and prayers to

Wind begins...

"Peter... John... James...

My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death.

Please... stay here and keep Me company.

(A distant rumble of thunder)

Abba, Father... Everything is possible for You.

If there is any other way... take this cup from Me.

Yet... not what I will.

But what You will.

Wind intensifies slightly. A long pause.

Peter? John? James?

Why are you sleeping?

Could you not keep watch with Me for even one hour?

Get up. Pray... so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing... but the flesh is so weak.

Silence for 10 seconds

THE HOUR OF DARKNESS (Matthew 26:46-50)

The 19-hour clock has begun. Even as the words of prayer left His lips, Jesus turned. He knew the silence of the garden was about to be shattered. He knew the hour had come for the Son of Man to be delivered into the hands of sinners.

Looking at his sleepy disciples, He commanded....

'Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!'

Moments later, the shadows of the olive trees were flooded with light—torches, swords, and soldiers. Leading the way was Judas, one of the Twelve.

Then Judas kissed Him.

Jesus, shattered by his friend, said:

Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

We often think of the 'Kiss of Judas' as a distant historical event. But how often have we greeted Jesus as 'Rabbi' while our hearts were carrying swords?

Once again, He looks at the traitor—and He looks at us—and says:

'Do what you came for, friend.'"

BLASPHEMY! (Matthew 26:63–66)

The 19-hour clock moves from the Garden to the Hall of the Sanhedrin. It was now 11pm, Thursday night.

The High Priest stood over Jesus and demanded:

'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.'

Jesus didn't whisper. He didn't hide. He said:

'You have said so... but I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'

Upon hearing this, the High Priest—in a display of manufactured outrage—reached for his own collar and tore his clothes.

Pause for a heavy silence, in order to feel the hatred the High Priest had for the Truth.

Then the High Priest called out:

'BLASPHEMY!'

Audience Participation

Everyone, please hold your left hand out flat. That had will be Jesus. Now, make your right hand into a fist. That will be the sanhedrin.

Right when I say, “They struck him with their fists”, I want you to strike your own palm with your fist. Hard enough to feel it. Hard enough to hear it.

And then, the men in that room—religious men, 'good' men—spit in His face and struck Him with their fists. The King of Glory was treated like a common criminal. And the journey was only beginning.

Every time we choose our pride over His Lordship, we strike Him. Every time we mock His Word, we spit in His face. This cloth is His purity; these marks are our 'daily' betrayal.

THE KINGDOM NOT OF THIS WORLD (Luke 23:13-16, John 18:28-40)

The clock has reached early Friday morning. Jesus has been awake for more than 24 hours, enduring beatings and mockery. Now, He is dragged from the temple to the Roman palace—from the High Priest to the Governor.

Pilate looked at the exhausted man before him and then at the screaming crowd. He told them:

‘You brought me this man as an agitator. I have examined him and found no basis for your charges. Even Herod found nothing. As you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.’

Pilate tried to wash his hands of it, telling the mob to judge Jesus by their own laws. But the crowd refused. So, Pilate went back inside for a private conversation with the Prisoner.

Audience Participation

Tonight, you are going to inhabit the role of Pilate. As you read your lines from the screen, I want you to hear these as your own questions to God. We often question His authority; we often doubt who He is. Ask these carefully, and then listen to Jesus’ response as if He is speaking directly to the doubts in your own heart.

Congregation: “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Pastor: “Is that your own idea… or did others talk to you about me?”

Congregation:  “Am I a Jew?… Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Pastor: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Congregation (Respect the exclamation point): “You are a king, then!”

Pastor: “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Congregation (In a sharp, angry shouting manner):  “What is truth?”

Long, heavy silence after they finish.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus doesn't answer Pilate's final question. The silence is the answer. The truth wasn't a statement; it was the man standing in front of him.

NO KING BUT CAESAR ! (John 19:1-16)

The 19-hour clock is nearing its end. Imagine the scene: Jesus on display for all to see. Innocent. And Pilate knew it. Hoping to satisfy the mob, the Governor took Jesus and had Him stripped. He was stretched against a stone pillar and flogged with a flagrum—a whip of leather strips interwoven with jagged bits of iron and bone.

This wasn't just a beating; it was a tearing. His flesh was cut so severely that His very life was exposed. After this, the soldiers mockingly draped a purple robe across His raw shoulders and pressed a circle of long, sharp thorns into His skull. They slapped His face and sneered:

'Hail, King of the Jews!'

Then, Pilate brought Him back out—bleeding, mocked, and broken—and said

'Here is the man!'

Audience Participation:

Now, you are the crowd. I will be the voice of Pilate. As you shout your lines, remember: this is what our sins have done. Those lashes should have been ours. That crown should have been ours. We should be the ones standing under the weight of God’s wrath. But instead, our Savior willingly stood there as our Substitutionary Sacrifice.

Put on the Governor’s robe and crown.

DISPLAY image of the tortured Christ on the screen

Point to the image.

Pilate: I brought Jesus out, thinking surely the sight of this shattered man would satisfy them. But to my utter amazement, they shouted...

Congregation: 'Crucify! Crucify!'

Pilate: I was perplexed. I told them, 'You take him and crucify him. I find no basis for a charge.' But they shot back...

Congregation: 'We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.'

Pilate: I became afraid of their growing rage. I went back inside to plea with Him once more. 'Jesus, where do you come from?' He gave no answer. I asked, 'Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you realize I have the power to free you or to crucify you?'

Jesus finally looked at me and said: 'You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.'

I tried one last time to set this innocent man free. But the leaders kept shouting...

Congregation: 'If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!'

Pilate: I sat on my judge’s seat. It was noon. The sun was high, and a warm breeze was blowing. I looked at this bleeding 'King' and then at the Jews crowded around me. I said, 'Here is your King.' But they wouldn't quit. They shouted all the more...

Congregation: 'Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!'

Pilate: 'Shall I crucify your King?'

Congregation (With finality): 'We have no king but Caesar.'

Pilate: I couldn't believe it. I knew how they truly felt about Rome. But fearing for my own life, I finally handed Jesus over to be crucified.

IT IS FINISHED (John 19:17-27)

The 19-hour journey is ending. We have reached the final moments. Because of the intensity and the weight of what follows, I am asking that the lights be lowered now. Let our focus rest only on the Cross.

As you hear these words directly from the Gospel of John, I want you to set aside the role of the crowd. Do not be a spectator. Image the scene. Listen to the hammers. Smell the vinegar. And remember that the Son of God is hanging there... for you.

Jesus carried His own cross to the place of the Skull—Golgotha. There, they drove the nails. They placed Him between two thieves, a King in the middle of criminals.

Above His head, Pilate’s notice stood as a silent witness in three languages: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. The religious leaders protested, wanting to change the Truth to a claim. But Pilate’s words remained:

'What I have written, I have written.'

While the soldiers gambled for His clothes, fulfilling the ancient psalms, Jesus looked down at the few who stayed. In His agony, He looked at His mother and the disciple He loved, ensuring they were cared for even as He was dying.

Knowing that everything was now finished, He spoke two words: 'I am thirsty.' They lifted a sponge of vinegar to His lips. When He had received it, He cried out with a loud voice:

'IT IS FINISHED.'

With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Audience Participation

In order to feel the desperation for life that Jesus voluntarily surrendered for you, let’s all take a deep breath and hold it as long as we can. Only release it when you absolutely must.

Turn off all for total blackness for 30 seconds.

Turn all lights back on

The world thought it was over when Jesus bowed His head. But the '19-hour' clock had one final, brutal tick. Because the Sabbath was approaching, the soldiers were ordered to finish the job. They broke the legs of the men on either side, a final act of torture to accelerate their suffocation.

But when they came to Jesus, they found the King of Glory already dead. To be certain—to ensure there was no breath left in Him—one soldier took a heavy Roman spear and drove it upward into Jesus’ side.

Immediately, a sudden flow of blood and water poured out. John emphasizes this detail because it proves Jesus was truly human and truly dead. He didn't just "faint" or "pass out." Scientifically we know that the separation of blood and water only happens after the heart has stopped. Friends, Jesus stopped His heart so yours could beat forever. His blood was poured out so your sins could be washed away. Look at the One we have pierced.

Before Jesus was taken down from the cross, the man who saw the blood and water, gave his testimony so that you might believe. This happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled:

'Not one of His bones will be broken.'

And as another Scripture says:

'They will look on the One they have pierced.