Good Friday 2019

INTRODCTION

Good Evening Church

My name is Steve McKenzie and I have the joy of serving as the Lead Pastor of CrossPointe Church. I’m married to Kirsten and God has blessed us with 6 amazing children.

It is my joy and honor - to have this opportunity to share from God’s word. We are one church, his body, under the leadership of Jesus Christ. This is like a large family reunion - among the extended family of God - gathered to celebrate Jesus.

Tonight we gather for a very specific reason… to remember the day Jesus laid down his life upon the cross.

ONE DAY | Changes Everything

Have you ever experienced that one day in your life that changed everything?

One moment, one phone call, one doctor appointment - and everything changed.

We’ve all been there:

I remember the phone call telling me my grandfather had passed away

I remember the doctor visit when they couldn’t find our child’s heatbeat

I remember the call saying my mom might have a brain tumor

I also remember the joy and the smile on my wife’s face as we said, “I do”

I remember the day my first born child breathed her first breath

Can you picture in your mind a moment when everything changed? Maybe the picture/event brings a smile to your face or maybe an old wound causes heaviness of heart.

Tonight - we are going to talk about one day that change history. In a few hours on this one day - history as we know it was changed forever.

SIX HOURS | Changed History

In these few hours, God purchased our freedom.

In these few hours we will experience:

Sorrow & Injustice (I pray we feel the weightiness of thee events)

Joy & Hope (also experience a joy that surpasses understanding)

ONE DEATH | Changes Lives for Eternity

Let’s PRAY and then we will walk through the six hours one Friday that changed history.

On this Friday, over 2,000 years ago - Jesus was despised and rejected

JESUS | Despised & Rejected

THURSDAY NIGHT

Jesus has a last supper with his disciples and then went to pray at the Garden of Gethsemane.

“Now the chief priests and the whole counsel were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death” ()

Annas & Caiaphas

It is unlawful to sentence someone during the night so the religious leaders what until morning.

Caiaphas

Sanhedrin

FRIDAY MORNING

Council of religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, had to gather in the morning to condemn Jesus

() “When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.”

Religious law did not allow them to officially condemn Jesus to die during the night so they had to issue the official verdict in the morning but they had to hand Jesus over the the Roman Governor because he alone could legally execute their murderous purpose.”

PILATE

They didn’t have the power to execute him so that took him to Pilate ()

The religious leaders “bound [Jesus] and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate, the Governor.”

Pilate wants to let Jesus go finding no fault in him but the religious leaders bring false accusations against Jesus.

Pilate even tries to have Jesus released knowing that these religious leaders were just envious ()

Religious leaders are bringing charges against jesus - but he is not saying anything to defend himself.

Pilate wants to release Jesus but the people angrily begin to demand that Jesus be crucified.

But the religious leaders persuade the crowd (28:20) to “destroy Jesus” - “let him be crucified, let him be crucified!”

Pilate invites Herod into the discussion since Jesus is from Galilee and this was Herod’s jurisdiction and Herod was in Jerusalem at this time.

In weakness, Pilate relents

“And it was about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover… then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.” (John 19:14)

:1tells us that Jesus was flogged - as was the custom prior to Roman crucifixion

Tied Jesus arms around a column with his back exposed

Strands of leather with bits of metal and stone - expose flesh and muscle.

Soldiers beat and mock Jesus - Scarlett robe, crown of thorns

Beating continues

Jesus is so badly beaten at this point that he can’t even carry the cross

Simon of Cyrene is forced to help him

Once they reach Golgotha

Nails are driven into Jesus’ hands

Nail is driven into Jesus’ feet

The cross is hoisted into the air - standing is the center between two thieves - who both begin to mock him - along with the accusations from those who pass by.

At noon - darkness descends - something supernatural is taking place

The light from the midday sun became dark.

I wonder if it was during this darkness that once the thieves on the cross believed in Jesus as is recorded in the other gospels.

“My God, My God - why have you forsaken me?”

“It is Finished!” - Jesus then yielded up his spirit - life was not taken from him. Jesus voluntarily laid down his life.

The curtain in the temple - 30 ft tall and 30’ wide, 4” thick - meant to separate the presence of God from the people lest they be destroyed by God’s holiness.

The ground began to shake - tombs were opened but noone was raised from the dead - yet.

The is What happened - on a Friday, 2,000 years ago

By Why

Why was Jesus forsaken by God

Why did Jesus say ‘It is Finished’ - What was finished

How do these events help us understand all of human history.

What should we do in response - Just about remembering or is there more?

I said “One Day Changes Everything” - what changed?

All of human history comes into view at the cross of Jesus

YOU | Are Created in the Image of God

& 2 tell us that God created man and woman in his image.

We were designed to reflect God’s value, worth, and glory in all creation

As we lived surrender to his authority

As the moon has no light of its own, but reflects the light of the sun - so we - were created to reflect the light of the glory of God.

YOU | Are Guilty

tells us how Adam and Eve disobeyed God

They chose to listen to the authority of another - rejecting God’s authority

This brought about separation between God and humankind

It’s not just they are guilty - though this is true

It’s not just they we are guilty - as if this common reality unimportant

This means that because of sin - you are guilty and separated from God

Even worse - we can do nothing

We can’t fix this problem

We are dead in our sin, incapable of making things right with God

No amount of good deeds, no amount of actions, to amount of kind words

The phone call - the doctor appointment has revealed our condition - we are dead

Our punishment - “death” () separation from God

Darkness descends -all consuming, terrifying dispair

Until

the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ pierces the darkness

Though we are guilty - Jesus is perfect

JESUS | Is Perfect

Jesus - is God, clothed in humanity - fully God / fully man

Here’s the amazing news - he is perfect, not sin, no wrong-doing. He is 100% innocent and without fault.

He lived the perfect life that each and everyone of us has failed to live.

No disobedience

No lying

No cheating

Even the religious leaders who dispised Jesus could not find any fault in him

They tried to find false witnesses

Even Pilate saw no fault in him

The Bible says that Jesus is without sin and the people who hated Jesus said he was without sin.

Why did Jesus have to die?

Why could God the Father not look at Jesus?

What work did Jesus complete as he hung on the cross that led him to say, “It is finished!”

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians

Show slide after I quote the scripture

This is why Jesus cried out - my god, my god, why have you forsaken me

Jesus became our sin, though he was sinless

SO THAT

In Jesus

We might become the righteousness of God,

This means an exchange has taken place

We give our sin Jesus

He gives us his righteous

It’s a great trade for us - but it cost Jesus his life.

JESUS | Pierced for Our Sins

, words prophesied 700 years before Jesus, “He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.

What did Jesus finish on the cross?

Jesus was pierced, crushed, beaten, whipped

Jesus paid the penalty our sins deserved - death

Paid in Full

As Jesus hung on the cross, separated from God the Father - a supernatural darkness descending

A cosmic battle raged

Justice for wrong-doing was being poured out on an innocent man.

Not just the sins of one person but the sins, past present and future of all those who would follow Jesus.

So they we would not be dead in our our sins but we

YOU | Can Be Forgiven

How do we make this great exchange?

Imagine, you stand trial before God because you have fallen short of your intended purpose of perfectly displaying God’s glory and worth on the earth.

The hammer bangs - echoing through the courthouse of heaven - You are found to be guilty! - because you are guilt.

Punishment - death, eternal separation from God. You are bound, head hanging low

THEN - the judges son steps forward - innocent of all charges - willing to take your punishment

One thing is required

Admit you are guilt

Trust the Judge’s son

This is the choice you have tonight if you have not already done so.

YOU | Can Be Forgiven

You are Guilty | Jesus is Inncoent

You deserve death | Jesus died in your place

Response (Jesus’ first sermon) - Mark 1:15

Repent - admit that you are guilty and fully unable to save yourself

Trust - on Jesus, that he died in your place, taking the punishment you deserved

Result

You will be forgiven

You will be free from the penalty and power of sin

You will be clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus.

TRUST | In Jesus

As I close in prayer - I want to encourage you to close your eyes

Understand not only what Jesus did on the cross - but also why he did it.

This is not about religion or what you can do for God

This is about our guilt before a perfect God and our inability to do anything to make ourselves right before Him

This is about Jesus and Jesus Alone

His perfect life

His death

If you have not yet trusted in Jesus and God is convicting you to trust in him today - would you raise your hand?

Admit you are guilty in your sins

Trust on Jesus for your salavtion

Invite people to pray with their leaders from the different churches

PRAY