Good Friday 4/10/2002

All For Us...

This day is a day of gladness and sorrow as we take note of the day that our Savior went to HIS death for us. Just think of that. This is what led up to it.

JESUS comes to Jerusalem, as we discussed last Sunday.

He, then, goes into the temple and turns tables over and drives put those who are not honoring the temple…a house of prayer.

The Pharisees are enraged and the plot to kill JESUS is coming together.

Judas asks for 30 pieces of silver to betray JESUS. He is identified at the last supper as the one who betrays JESUS.

After the last supper, JESUS and the disciples go to a place called Gethsemane.

Matthew 26:36-39 says Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to HIS disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then HE said to them, “MY soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with ME.” And HE went a little beyond them, and fell on HIS face and prayed, saying, “MY Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from ME; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

JESUS knows what’s going to happen to HIM. He tells the disciples that HIS soul is deeply grieved. He prays and asks the cup to be taken from HIM. The cup is the series of events that are coming. When the cup is full, nothing has happened. As each part of the series of events happens, the amount in the cup is reduced. Deeply grieved…do you know what deeply grieved is? Can any of us know what deeply grieved means? Unless we are going to our death, we will not know.

Why Gethsemane? It was presumed that JESUS met there with HIS disciples to teach and pray and HE feels comfortable there.

While there, he says in verse 46...Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!

JESUS knows that the cup of events is starting.

Verses 49-50...Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

Judas betrays JESUS. Judas walked with JESUS for three years yet he still betrayed HIM. And he betrayed HIM for money. Judas felt remorse but not regret.

After JESUS was arrested, he was taken before the priests, headed up by Caiaphas. It was against Jewish laws to try any one after dark and the Sanhedrin are supposed to bring up the charges, which they were not allowed to do. JESUS was railroaded.

Also, the priests spat, punched, and slapped JESUS in anger saying HE was blaspheming when he said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in 3 days, not realizing that JESUS is the temple.

He was brought before the governor and HE was questioned. Still in Matthew but in chapter 27, verses 11-14...Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate *said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

JESUS, even now, honored the peoples freedom of choice.

Usually at this time of feast, the governor was accustomed to freeing a prisoner, any prisoner. They chose a notorious prisoner, not the Savior for all.

JESUS was mocked. In verses 27-31...Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped HIM and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

And yet, HE still did not resist. He was treated unlawfully, ridiculed, tortured, and crucified…all for us.

As JESUS said in John 15:12-13...

This is MY commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Most of the time when we do something for someone, we may expect a favor back. JESUS never asked for anything back from those who accept HIM as their Savior.

This is a day of sorrow and a day of gladness that someone gave the most of themselves for you, me…all of us.

The cup is now empty.