Good Friday 2022 Sermonette

Introduction

Hi everyone, my wife and I are really looking forward to coming out to serve you on Easter day.

I wanted to share a short message with you, A good Friday Message.

A quick note about Good Friday messages, they tend to be quite a bit more somber than most messages, as we dwell particularly on Jesus’ death on the cross and or sin that put Him there. You may leave this message feeling a bit down and convicted, but get ready for the big celebration to come on Easter day when you hear about the Empty Tomb.

Today’s Text will be in Luke 23, from verses 1-49. I am reading from the English Standard Version. This is a lot of verses in a short message, so hold on as we take a look at the text!

Pray for message.

3 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

In the previous chapter, Jesus was betrayed, is denied by Peter, mocked, and stood before the elders, priests, and scribes under trail.

Not being able to condemn a person to death, they brought him before Pilate, the Roman Governor of the area.

To this point though, Pilate found no reason to condemn Jesus to His death, but the Jewish leaders tried to push Christ’s execution forward.

Jesus Before Herod

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him.”[a]

Herod was the local tetrarch (meaning local ruler/king) of the region that Jesus resided in, Galilee.

By happenstance, Herod was in Jerusalem at the time and piolet sought out Herod’s insight in the matter.

Herod sought to condemn Jesus (though not to death), and a political friendship came between Piolet and Herod.

PIolet again claims that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death (Oh how right he was) though still wanted to punish him and release him (to appease the Jewish leaders)

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

Pilate gave in here, for the sake of keeping peace and political influence, he gave in to the crowds.

He had the power and authority to keep justice right, but he did not. Pilate did not have a faith that motivated him towards Justice as we do. Rather, he sought to preserve face and influence (unfortunately as we all to often do) and gave in to the crowds, knowing that the action was wrong; he sentences the innocent Jesus to death.

The Crucifixion

26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[b] And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[c] “This is the King of the Jews.”

Jesus is being sit to the place of His execution and is told to carry His cross there where a follower of His helps Him.

Jesus tells the people not to weep for Him (He knew this was His Father’s will), but weep for yourselves as a day is coming where all will be judged.

Two others were sent along Him for their execution.

Through it all, Jesus showed everyone His supreme love and act of love, petitioning the Father for the forgiveness of those who were slaying Him.

In much the same way, we do this to Jesus as well and He shows the same to us, as our sins are the reason He had to endure the cross and his loving petition and atonement grants us forgiveness with God.

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[d] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The criminals on the crosses beside Jesus are a good example of us and everyone we come across today. Either you are the mocker, who denied Jesus and stood condemned or you are the the one who confessed Jesus, who was pardoned by Jesus (God Himself) and get’s to experiencing eternal Joy worshiping God in His kingdom. This is a great example for us, that it is never to late for a person to confess Him and noone is ever to far gone to become redeemed to God.

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about the sixth hour,[e] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[f] 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Compared to normal deaths on a cross, Jesus’ came fairly quickly.

Something happened that would only further prove to people that Jesus is God, the sun went away (in the middle of the day), the heavy curtain/vail that separated God from the people in the temple was torn in half, and Jesus died.

Everyone who saw this understood, this was God and we killed Him, now we know He was innocent and that God was truly with us; but look what we did and we continue to do with our sin.

As I am closing today. I invite you all to consider what this means to us. It was not just the sins of the people in Christ’s time that put Him on the cross, it is ours as well. Do not deceive your selves, Romans tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Understand your sin, repent and turn away from it. Christ died for us so that we can be forgiven of it. Keep this in mind as we look towards the hope that is to come in the Easter message. But today, be still and know that Christ is Lord and He gave himself up for us.

Peace to you all brothers and sisters. I am looking forward to seeing and serving you all soon.