Good Friday Final

Good Friday Service Order – “Reverence at the Cross”

1. Opening (Welcome & Tone) – 2 minutes

You walk up slowly, no rush.

Theme: 

“Approaching the cross with reverence.”

As I’ve been praying and thinking about tonight, one word kept coming to me: reverence.

We often think Good Friday is a day when we are supposed to feel heavy and sad and burdened. But the message of the cross is not that we must carry the weight. The message of the cross is that Jesus carried the weight for us.

So tonight is not about us trying to feel bad enough. Tonight is about remembering what He has done.

Tonight we gather, not in despair, not in celebration, but in reverence at the foot of the cross.

Pause. Let silence sit for a few seconds.

The word reverence describes a feeling of deep respect, awe, and honour. To revere something is to treat it as precious. To venerate is to recognise something as sacred. To worship is to respond with our hearts and our lives. To adore is to love deeply.

And tonight, we come to the cross with reverence. Not casually. Not lightly. Not in despair. But with reverence, because of what was done for us on the cross.

We come gratefully, but we do not come without hope. Because even on Good Friday, the cross is not defeat — it is love.

Prayer

We come quietly. We come thankfully. We come reverently.

That would immediately set the atmosphere in the room.

2. Reverence Because of the Cost – Isaiah 53 (3 minutes)

Use Book of

Isaiah 53:3–6 ESV

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Then reflect:

The cross was not cheap. Forgiveness was not cheap. Grace is free to us, but it was not free to Him.

He was pierced. He was crushed. He was wounded. He carried our sin, our shame, our grief, our punishment.

So we come to the cross tonight not casually, but reverently. Because this is where Jesus carried what we could not carry.

Pause.

“Don’t carry it — bring it to the cross.”

Because that is actually the message of the cross of Jesus Christ:

Sin → bring it to the cross

Shame → bring it to the cross

Fear → bring it to the cross

Pain → bring it to the cross

Guilt → bring it to the cross

Grief → bring it to the cross

Trauma → bring it to the cross

Good Friday is not about us feeling bad enough. It’s about Jesus being enough.

2. He carried what we could not carry (Isaiah 53)

He carried our sin. He carried our shame. He carried our grief. He carried our punishment.

The cross is not just where Jesus suffered. The cross is where Jesus carried things that belonged to us.

Our

3. Reverence Because of Forgiveness –

Luke 23 (2–3 minutes)

Use Gospel of Luke 23:33–34

Luke 23:33–34 ESV

33 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. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

While they were crucifying Him, Jesus said, “Father forgive them.”

Even in His suffering, He was forgiving. Even in His pain, He was loving.

The cross is not just where Jesus suffered. The cross is where we were forgiven.

So we come to the cross tonight not in fear, but in reverence and gratitude.

Pause again.

4. Reverence Because It Is Finished – John 19 (2–3 minutes)

Use Gospel of John 19:30

John 19:30 ESV

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

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant the work was done. The debt was paid. The way to God was opened.

We don’t carry what He already carried. We don’t pay for what He already paid for.

So tonight we come to the cross with reverence, and we bring the things we have been carrying.

This leads perfectly into the cross moment.

5. Invitation to the Cross – Red Notes (5–10 minutes depending on church size)

Stand near the cross when you say this:

In a moment, we are going to come to the cross.

On these red post it note you its a symbolic action to bring to the cross — a sin, a burden, a grief, a fear, a regret, a prayer, a name.

And when you place it on the cross, do it reverently.

Because this is what we are saying when we place it there: I am not carrying this anymore. I am bringing it to the One who carried it for me.

When you are ready, you can come forward and place your note on the cross. Take your time. Come quietly and reverently.

Then:

Quiet music or instrumental hymn

Or silence

Let people come slowly

Do not rush this moment

This is a very important part of the service.

6. Prayer After the Cross

When everyone is seated again:

Lord Jesus, Tonight we have brought our burdens, our sins, our griefs, and our fears to the cross.

Remind us that you carried what we could not carry. You paid what we could not pay. You finished what we could not finish.

Help us to leave tonight not carrying these things, but trusting in your grace and mercy.

We thank you for the cross. Amen.

7. Communion

Then transition:

The cross shows us the cost. The table shows us the gift.

So we come to the table tonight with reverence, gratitude, and humility.

Read from First Epistle to the 1Corinthians 11:23–26

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Serve Communion slowly.

8. Closing (Very Important)

Good Friday services often end quietly.

You could close with something like this:

Tonight we leave in reverence and gratitude.

We remember the cross. We remember His love. We remember His sacrifice.

And we leave in silence, remembering what was done for us.

Thank you for coming tonight.

Then no big ending. Let people leave quietly.

Final Summary – Your Whole Service in One Flow

Flow:

Opening – Reverence

Isaiah 53 – The cost

Luke 23 – Forgiveness

John 19 – It is finished

Come to the cross – red notes

Prayer

Communion

Leave quietly

That is a very strong, very meaningful Good Friday service.