Good friday

Northside Church

Good Friday

4/15/22

Jamey Mills

Good Friday has always seemed a bit like an oxymoron to me…

Is that weird? I never know how to feel about it. There is hope and joy and gratitude… but also mourning and sorrow. And I think that dissonance… is powerful. To sit in and experience the awkward middle of those things… helps us really prepare our hearts for Easter.

It’s the day that we sort of commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus… which I believe the entire Bible points to…

I say this a lot but to me… it's absolutely mind blowing the way Isaiah talked about it so long before Jesus was ever born…

Really listen to what God is using Isaiah to say…

Isaiah 53:2–11 NLT

My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

(NLT)

2 My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot,

like a root in dry ground.

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,

nothing to attract us to him.

3 He was despised and rejected—

a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.

We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.

He was despised, and we did not care.

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;

it was our sorrows that weighed him down.

And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,

a punishment for his own sins!

5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed.

6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Yet the LORD laid on him

the sins of us all.

7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,

yet he never said a word.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,

he did not open his mouth.

8 Unjustly condemned,

he was led away.

No one cared that he died without descendants,

that his life was cut short in midstream.

But he was struck down

for the rebellion of my people.

9 He had done no wrong

and had never deceived anyone.

But he was buried like a criminal;

he was put in a rich man’s grave.

10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him

and cause him grief.

Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,

he will have many descendants.

He will enjoy a long life,

and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.

11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,

he will be satisfied.

And because of his experience,

my righteous servant will make it possible

for many to be counted righteous,

for he will bear all their sins.

At least 700 years before the birth of Jesus.

And I hope we understand it… what’s on the line here.

Romans 3:23 (NLT)

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 6:23 (NLT)

23 For the wages of sin is death

This huge cassam… between a holy God and the reality of sin in us that brings death was completely and totally taken on by… bridged by… the only thing that could ever completely save… which is the cross of Christ.

Without it… we are far from God.

Without it… we are lost from God.

Without… there is no peace, no purpose, no hope, no future…

And that is why we celebrate… that is the beauty within the brutality and heartache that I often don’t know how to process.

And good friday is so incredibly important… allowing yourself to go there and feel that sort of overwhelming unsettledness… I believe it is incredibly healthy.

As I was doing some reading for today, I came across an author that had some interesting thoughts…

When I say the word Michaelangelo

What comes to your mind… if it happens to be a green turtle with nunchucks… we might be from a similar generation.

For most it's the sistine chapel (picture)

He was commissioned to paint it by a new pope, Julius II in 1503…

Michelangelo bauched at first… he considered himself a sculpture…

But he painted for somewhere around 5 years… ruining his eyesight.

At times he would get tired of it and return home… only to be called back to finish the work.

The author went on to talk about the other works that Michelangelo did... David, moses… but what he said most people forget is all unfinished work of michelangelo.

Years ago… the known unfinished works were gathered at a church in Florence… so right here off the Oregon coast… just kidding… and he said the interesting thing was, that by count… he left more of his work unfinished than he did complete.

But that is not what we have in Christ.

He didn't leave it undone… He didn’t go all the way up to the cross and make a deal.

But I love this…

John 19:28–30 NLT

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

(NLT)

28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

All that is broken in you… all that separates you from a holy God… do you hear the finality in it… With that the gavel falls…

Not its started, not its in process, not give it time… but it is FINISHED… It is DONE, COMPLETE… in a way that shakes the foundation of the earth and that ripples through the years… all the way to find you here.

I hope today you hear it like never before…

It is… FINISHED. Your eternal lot… is SECURED… not by anything you did or didn't do… but by the blood of the lamb that came to take the sins of the world.

Today… as we sing… I’d encourage us to spend some time thinking about that as we take communion together… DON'T DO IT YET… we will do it together..

Matts going to lead us in a song… and then I will come and lead us in communion as a family…

IT IS FINISHED… the lostness… the distance… the hopelessness… and brokenness of SIN… because of the cross… has no place in me…

He teaches us that on the night He was betrayed… Jesus took the bread and broke it… and said as often as you gather together… Do this… remembering me and what I finished.

Let's take the bread together now.

And then He took the cup and said this represents the new covenant that is sealed with my blood… and He said take this and drink it remembering me. Let's do that now.

Pray…