Good Friday - Why Friday
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I want to welcome you today to our Good Friday service.
My name is Pastor Brad, and I’m the Lead Pastor here at MCF.
This afternoon as we gather together to remember the death and sacrifice of our Lord, we gather to remember what Jesus has done for us. And I can’t think of a more appropriate time for us also to do that, however I think we not only need to consider what Jesus did for us, but why He did it.
Because the truth is, today isn’t just about what Jesus did, but why. Maybe another way to put it would be, “Why Friday. Why did Jesus die on Friday?”
In other words, why did Jesus have to die on that dark Friday? And why do we sit and reflect on it today.
I think that’s a question we need to be able to answer and be willing to consider.
So, to do that, over the next few minutes, we’re going to look at an event that took place after the death and resurrection of Jesus. To a passage of scripture found in .
If your not a regular attendee at MCF, over the past several months on Sunday mornings, we have been working our way through the book of Acts. And for the last few weeks we have been focusing in on as a Christian named Stephen presents the gospel to a hostel group known as the Sadducees. The very same group, believe it or not, that weeks earlier had crucified Jesus. And in the end, it’s an incident that won’t end well for Stephen as his effort to lead these religious leaders to Jesus results in him becoming the first Christian martyr in Church history. We’ll talk more about that this weekend.
And what we’ve learned so far, is in order to present the Gospel to these religious leaders, Stephen used Biblical history to try and lead these religious leaders to the conclusion that Jesus was in fact who He said He was. That Jesus was God’s Son, sent to die for the sin of mankind.
So, to do it, he began with Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. The one who God made the promise to, that one day he would provide a Messiah and redeemer that would not only bless Israel, but the rest of the world. A redeemer you and I know as Jesus Christ.
Stephen then lead them through redemption history to a young man named Joseph, and how God used Joseph to establish a place of refuge for the people of Israel in Egypt while they waited for God’s promise to come to pass.
He then jumps 430 years into the future to a man named Moses, as he reminds them of how God raised up Moses to deliver the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage and lead them to the promised land. A journey that would take 40 years as the Israelites wondered through the wilderness learning to trust God.
This would have been a history the religious leaders knew well. And up until this point, they were more than likely tracking with Stephen. But then Stephen throws them a curve ball. Stephen reminds them of how the people of Israel responded to God’s goodness and favor towards them. Stephen puts it like this:
39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,
Acts 7
Stephen reminds them in the middle God leading them to a promised land and promised savior, the people of Israel began to rebel and disobey God. And they began too look back to Egypt instead of looking forward to God’s promise.
And to make matters worse, they began to put their hope in false hope and false gods. Stephen sums it up like this:
“…and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying too Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring to me slain and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’” (ESV)
Stephen reminds the religious leaders how their fore fathers refused to obey God, and instead turned to false gods, and worshiped false gods.
Why does Stephen bring this up? He brings it up to remind the religious leaders that their fore fathers were utterly corrupt. To remind them why a savior is necessary. He brings it up to highlight “Why Friday”.
A rebellion that would get them an extended stay in the wilderness and result in
And what was true for them, is true for us as well. Because according to the Apostle Paul, we are no different. Listen to what Paul says as he describes the sinfulness and wickedness of mankind. In he writes:
The conclusion is that Jesus was who he said he was
Why Friday?
Because we refused to listen to or obey God.
39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
“ ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 You took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
Acts 7:39-
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
You see, we are no different than the Israelites. Like the Israelites God has made Himself known to us. Paul says everything in this life points to a divine being. But in our sinfulness, we’ve refused to listen. In our rebellion, we’ve refused to obey and we’ve put our hope in false hope and false gods.
You see, in this passage Paul highlights, “Why Friday”. Because without Friday, if we are left to ourselves, we will die in our sin. Listen to what Paul goes on to say:
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Without Friday, that’s where we are headed. So, in His goodness, love, and mercy, God provided us a way to escape this path. God provided a savior. That’s why the Apostle Paul is the first to say:
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
1 Timothy
Why Friday? Because without Friday there can be no salvation. Without Friday, we would be left in our sin. Without Friday, without a savior, we would die the death we deserve. But it doesn’t end there, because there’s another reason for Friday.
Listen to what Stephen goes on to say to these religious leaders:
44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
49 “ ‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’
44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,
In this passage Stephen reminds the religious leaders that along with the promise of redemption, God had provided the Israelites with a temporary place for them to worship and seek forgiveness for their sins. It was called the “Tent of Witness”. Another name for it is “The Tabernacle”. You can read all about it in the OT book of Exodus. And the purpose of the Tent of Witness was to give the Israelites a sign of God’s presence and a place for them to worship.
But as the Israelites came into the Promised Land, the “Tent of Witness” lost its purpose. Because over time, the people wanted to build a permanent tent, a temple. And as Stephen reminds them, it was King Solomon who eventually built it. And it’s not that there was anything wrong with wanting to build the temple. The problem came as the Israelites made the temple an idol. As over time their relationship with God that the temple provided turned into a religion. As over time the temple became the place to restrict, confine, and ultimately to try to manipulate God as relationship moved to religion.
And what Stephen is saying is, “This is the problem. The problem is, their religion and attempts to make themselves right with God on their terms was never going to work. It’s not what God ever intended the temple to serve as. But they had lost sight of that.
And so Stephen reminds them, what we need isn’t a temple, but a savior. He reminds them of “Why Friday”.
And what was true for these religious leaders is still true for many today. Because just like those religious leaders, many people today are still trying to build a temple. Trying to build a religion that fits their view of God. That fits their way to be right with God. People who think if they attend a certain church, join a certain denomination, or perform certain ceremonies that it will take care of their sin problem. The truth is, many of us are temple builders. But the fact is, no temple, no church, no denomination, no ritual, and no tradition is ever going to make you right with God. In fact, God wants to tear our temples down and give us something that can. Listen to what Jesus says about this:
18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
You want to know “Why Friday?” Because we don’t need a temple, we need a savior. You see, Jesus is the new temple. And he’s not something we can build or manipulate. He’s not something we can put in a box. He’s a living Lord who doesn’t desire religion from us, but a relationship as we put our hope and faith in Him.
So, why Friday? Because without Friday we would be left to dead religious works and temples that do nothing to make us right with God.
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
And that’s what we are here to remember today. To remember that without Friday, we would be lost in our sin with no ability to be reconciled with God. We have Friday so the relationship that sin destroyed can be restored again. The Apostle Peter sums it up like this:
Acts 7:
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
Why Friday? Because Jesus died the death we deserved so that we wouldn’t have to die.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
Video - JESUS Died: Joseph of Arimathea
Video - JESUS Died: Joseph of Arimathea
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
