It Truly Is A Good Friday

Introduction

Does the story become numb as we hear it again? We arrive at another good friday and in just a few days at another Easter.

(Introduce atonement and our need for payment)

I want to start off this Friday evening with this word Atonement. Maybe some of us have heard it before and maybe for others of us it is a completely new word, but this word atonement plays the most vital role in our lives.

We as humans long for the world to be good. We long for peace and we long for justice, but there is this problem. Something compels us to wreak havock and destruction instead.

As humans living in an imperfect world we see all around us evil. This evil is the result of sin. So what I want to do briefly is explain to you what sin and this evil bring as a fruit in the world and our lives.

(Bring up Roman for the illustration)

The Bible actually tells us that there are two things that Evil ruins. There is this direct effect and something is owed. But now there is this indirect effect of evil. My relationship with Roman is ruined or defiled as well. What I have produced in stealing Roman’s sheep is this mistrust, fear, or even anxiety that I might do it again. I’ve ruined the environment of the relationship. I have vandalized the relationship.

So we think then OK God is good he should just get rid of the Evil, but there is a slight problem here. The Evil that we witness around in the world is the same Evil that is inside of me. So if God were to just get rid of the Evil he would also have to get rid of or destroy us. As a result for our sin though something has to die, because the wages of sin is death. It is the fruit that comes with sin and evil in the world.

Now this is what makes the Bible so absolutely remarkable. Specifically this is what makes the story of John chapter 19 so wonderful even though the story might seem so grim.

Jesus Is Our Lamb

Something needs to die for our sin. That something is us, but God allowed a way out for his people in the old testament. Symbolically he allowed these animals to die for the sin of the children of Israel. It might seem weird to us in 2019 but we need to remember that this is symbolic.

Animals died in the place of the Israelites as a direct payment. The priest would then sprinkle the blood in the temple as a cleansing of the vandalism that messed up the children of Israel as well, but there is this other problem with that. It was only temporary. In fact we see that it became meaningless to God.

Isaiah 1:11 NIV

“The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

What should have brought more Grace and Love for the children of Israel to walk in had actually become a meaningless act and ritual that had become so numb to them and so displeasing to God.

So this animal sacrifice was temporary and truthfully becoming powerless.

That is where Jesus comes into the picture.

That is where Jesus comes into the picture.

You see Isaiah spoke about this king that would bring hope and victory to his people, but it wasn’t in a way that anyone would have ever guessed. This King would actually become a servant and this King would actually die to bring hope and victory to his people. You may be thinking well where is the victory and glory in that? Well I am glad you asked!

John 19:17–25 NIV

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

John 19:

Spoiler alert because I know we haven’t actually finished preaching through the book of John, but Jesus actually dies. Jesus was this King that Isaiah was referring to. He was also the servant that Isaiah was referring to. In fact if you remember back to John the baptist claims some pretty powerful words about Jesus.

John 1:29 NIV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

So all the sudden we don’t just have these animal sacrifices that are temporary anymore, but we have THE LAMB OF GOD. The one who could truly take away the sin of the world by offering up His life in our place. The only one who could truly atone for our sins and make us right with God.

John 1:

Jesus became our sacrifice. I mean this picture on the cross, this was for you. This suffering, bleeding, pain, brokenness and dying were for you. So that YOU could be right with God. So that YOU could enter into his presence with thanksgiving. So that YOU can have a relationship with Him. That is how much it meant to Him. That is how much he loved you.

Here is an amazing fact. This wasn’t just a last minute decision by God like yeahhhh I guess I’ll do it. This was kicked off in

Genesis 3:15 NIV

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

God’s plan to bring you back was immediate.

Jesus Christ As King And God

John 19:28–37 NIV

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

This wasn’t just a man that died, but this was actually God that died. God that died for you. I mean that is absolutely so hard to fathom. The fact that we meant so much to Him that God actually died to make us right with Him and bring us back to Him.

Maybe you have heard it before but this actually cost Him everything. Your sin and my sin cost Jesus everything. I really tried meditating on those words this week and this is what I realized. It wasn’t just His life because He was God and to give up a human life would not have cost Him everything, but I believe it was the moment of Sin weighing down on Him and the Father forsaking Him.

Explain God forsaking the Son

But after all of that Jesus says these words in

John 19:30 NIV

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I think is one of the most powerful verses in this selected passage. Jesus is saying that it is finished, it is fulfilled, it is completed. John constantly kept pointing back to the old testament throughout this whole story telling process and saying look this is what it is all about. Everything that was ever recorded, written down, and prophesied about was for this moment. The moment that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords would come down and die on that cursed cross.

You know what just baffles me is the moment of His most painful, shameful, humiliating experience was the moment of His glorification. I get this picture every time I think about Jesus saying these words. The darkness is rejoicing because they think they have won, but as Jesus utters the words with His final breaths all of heaven is actually rejoicing. All of heaven is in uproar. I mean the heavens are turned upside down because of this moment. The moment that was in the works since the beginning of time had finally been completed.

What does this mean for us?

With all of this information we are receiving what does it actually do for us? Well I am glad you asked!

1 Peter 2:24–25 NIV

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The cross is absolutely central. The cross is absolutely powerful. The cross is absolutely wonderful. The cross does 3 things very powerfully.

1) It redeems us from the curse of the law

Galatians 3:13 NIV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

What does that mean? Truthfully the Law is a curse because it only points out how messed up we really are and it can’t do anything about us. The law is powerless, but where the law was powerless Jesus was powerful.

What does that mean? Truthfully the Law is a curse because it only points out how messed up we really are and it can’t do anything about us. The law is powerless, but where the law was powerless Jesus was powerful.

Matthew 27:51–52 NIV

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

Explain stones splitting

2) The cross brings reconciliation and justification

(Explain stones splitting.

Romans 4:25 NIV

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

That means he brought us back to Him and made us right in the sight of God and when God looks at you and me He sees the perfection of Jesus. That means you can now have a relationship with Him.

3) The cross disarms Satan

1 Corinthians 1:22–24 NIV

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

The cross renders Satan and evil powerless over you and me. It grants us freedom from our chains. (explain)

Illustration about Shame, Guilt, Condemnation, and sin.

Conclusion