Good Friday

Pierced for Our Transgressions

Tonight is a time to reflect on how Jesus died for us….

…JESUS in being crucified, fulfilled the prophesy of the Messiah who was to come.

I would like to read Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus.

Psalm 22:1–18 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb. Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.”

We know today these passages of scripture were about Jesus’ crucifixion.

His hands and feet were pierced, his blood was poured out like water, his bones were disjointed, and they cast lots for his clothes.

The word excruciating originates from crucifixion because of how intense of a punishment it was.

Jesus took this on physically for us.

Another passage to reflect on found in Isaiah:

Isaiah 53:4–6 “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

Not only did Jesus take on the physical punishment of his death on the cross, but the wrath of God that WE deserved was placed upon him.

Jesus died and took on that wrath so that we don’t have to.

While the hope of Sunday is coming, tonight is the time we reflect on the moment of Jesus taking on the weight of our sin on the cross.

To remember this, we have the elements of communion.

Luke 22:19 “And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.””

You may eat of the bread.

Luke 22:20 “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

You may drink of the cup.

(PRAY and dismiss group)