Good Friday 2026 - Lifted Up
Notes
Transcript
Good Friday 2026:
Welcome
Video: The Perfect Plan
Two Wooden Beams
Intro:
From last night…
My enemies speak evil against me, “When will he die, and his name perish?” And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; When he goes outside, he tells it. All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, saying, “A wicked thing is poured out upon him, That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.” Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Jesus’ I AM statements in the Gospel of John.
In John, Jesus also mentions being lifted up 3 separate times.
Our theme tonight, Lifted Up, comes from the second one. John 8:28
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He...”
To Elevate or Raise High;
To Honor or Exalt.
The First Lifted Up. The Serpent
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
So much here.
Serpent pointing back to the originator of sin in the human race.
Serpent’s bite - listening to the lie = death.
Sin’s punishment brought death.
Moses and the Bronze Serpent - Num 21
God’s punishment for one of the times Israel complained in the wilderness was getting bit by deadly, poisonous serpents and many died.
God told Moses to put a Bronze Serpent on a pole and to tell the people that all who gazed on it would be healed.
The Bronze Serpent was lifted up and all who were snake bit with the venom who by faith looked upon the bronze serpent lived.
Side note of interest: The Bronze Serpent is where our medical symbol originally came from even though modern times has the symbol connected with the Greek God Asclepius – god of medicine, son of Apollo.
It was called the rod of Asclepius.
Hippocratic oath: I swear by Apollo Healer, by Asclepius...I will do no harm or injustice...
So must the Son of Man be lifted up which was a clear reference to Him being crucified on the cross that Good Friday.
Jesus clarifies that the event foreshadowed what He would do.
Just like those who looked on the bronze serpent were healed (by faith in the promise of God), those who look upon Jesus will be healed (by faith in the promise of God) from their sin.
One final tidbit.
Using the pole as a metaphor for the cross, the serpent was “crucified” for his act of treachery. Satan will be defeated.
Secondly, all of the serpent’s treachery was then placed upon Jesus as He hung like the serpent on the cross.
In one way, He absorbed all of the serpent’s venom so that we wouldn’t have to.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Songs:
Nothing But The Blood
Above All
Prayer and Reflection:
Again, the plan of the Father was Jesus’ demonstration of His love for us by dying on the cross.
And that plan was in place long before the foundations of the earth were laid.
Video - Crucified, Good Friday Version
“The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” It is the most grievous sentence of the three, but it overflows with comfort. How strange that where misery was concentrated, mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax, weary souls find rest. The Savior bruised is the healing of bruised hearts. Consider how the humble confession gives way to assured confidence by simply gazing at Christ on the cross!
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon . Morning and Evening (p. 306). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
Now let’s spend a few minutes in reflective and confessional prayer for what Christ did for us.
Piano: Were You There
The Second Lifted Up: I AM
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
Jesus says over and over through His ministry, “I have told you these things so that when they happen, you may believe.” After which the Gospel writers comment, “It happened just as He said.”
In this particular Lifted Up, we see Jesus connecting Himself to the Great I AM who appeared to Moses in the burning bush.
And yet, what we discover through this is that the Great I AM humbled Himself and was lifted up on that cross and died for us.
And while being lifted up He showed through His 7 Statements on that cross that He was indeed the Great I AM in the flesh.
Even through the mockings and accusations of the soldiers, Pharisees, and people we see the confirmation of who He claimed to be.
“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross so we may see and believe.” Mark
“Let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!” Luke
To the declaration by the centurion after seeing the earthquake and everything that happened saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
Video: Voices of The Cross
Songs:
Ten Thousand Angels
King of My Life (Lead Me To Calvary)
Prayer and Reflection:
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
As we listen to Rachel Play the Via Delarosa, let’s ponder what Jesus gave up to go on this journey to the cross so that we might be set free from slavery to the fear of death.
Piano: Via Delarosa
Video: Day 2 of 3
Song: O The Blood (May Drop for time)
The Third Lifted Up: Draw Men To Myself / Lifted Up From The Earth
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
There is a subtle double meaning here.
John does comment that Jesus was clarifying the kind of death He would die, just in case people were missing His reference to the crucifixion, but there are two other things happening.
The Greek word for from, as in lifted up from the earth can also mean up out of the earth.
I believe this is a subtle reference to His resurrection.
Lifted up can mean to honor and exalt.
So this reference to His resurrection would also include His exaltation.
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Video: Jesus Is Lord Easter
Thank You Jesus For The Blood
When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Closing Song:
As we are reminded that Jesus is exalted, we praise Him with thanksgiving and honor and worship.
Holy Forever
