Good Friday 2022

Essentially a fixer is someone who typically works for an important individual or an organization and their job is to “fix” any potential scandals that could shed negative light on the individual or said organization.

Yes this is a real job. And if you are good at it, you can make a lot of money at it.

Why would someone pay to have a person like this on retainer? Because the potential to avoid a scandal is worth the cost.

And I think that we would all agree that none of us want to find ourselves wrapped up in a scandal.

But what if I were to tell you that what you and I are doing here tonight is commemorating one of the most scandalous things to ever happen.

As followers of Jesus we know that Jesus died on a cross. That is what we are remembering tonight. The cross has become synonomous with Jesus.

So much so that being 2,000 years removed from that historical event has made it difficult for us to truly understand just how scandalous it was for Jesus, the son of God, God in the flesh to be crucified.

The death of Jesus by crucifixion was scandalous. The truth is God chose a scandalous way to die for our sins.

Big Idea

In the Roman world that God entered in human form, crucifixion was the most insulting way to die.

No death was more excruciating or more contemptible, than crucifixion.

Roman intellectuals were in agreement that it was the absolute worst way to die, which is what rendered it so suitable a punishment for slaves.

Naturally, for those whom the gospel was being preached to in those early years and a good many of his followers, it was a significant obstacle to faith that Jesus was killed by the shameful death of crucifixion.

It wasn’t just that the Romans despised crucifixion, but for Jews it was also a cursed way to die.

Arrested, beaten, stripped naked

Whipped, flogged, crown of thorns

Carry cross, fatigued

Nailed, hung, suffocated

The climax, IT IS FINISHED!

John 19:29-30 NLT 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.

This was a big obstacle for many. Why would anyone put their faith in someone who was so despised and shamed?

Why would people want to no only put their faith in this person, but why would they do so knowing that it would put them in danger themselves?

Jesus was really the Son of God, surely he would not have been executed this way.

Jesus entered our world in humility and he left it in one of the most shameful scandalous ways.

This was not supposed to be how the Messiah would end up. Even if he had to die, why choose the cross, why such a scandalous way to do it?

Why it Matters

But here’s the remarkable thing: Jesus knew his death was scandalous. And on the night he was betrayed, he challenged his followers by telling them the scandal would drive them away.

Matthew 26:31 NLT 31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

The Greek word that is translated “desert” in the NLT is skandalizō. Its root is skandalon, which is the basis for our modern word scandal.

Jesus didn’t shy away from the coming scandal; in fact, he embraced it.

After hearing this, Peter responds.

Matthew 26:33 NLT 33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts [or is scandalized because of] you, I will never desert you [be scandalized].”

It is a bold declaration: “No matter how shocking things may get, I will never be ashamed to stand by you.”

Unfortunately, Peter’s actions did not match up with his words, and later that very night he denied even knowing Jesus multiple times.

It’s so easy to say, “I’m not embarrassed by the good news; I’m not ashamed to say I’m a Christian”—but when push comes to shove, do you scatter and deny Jesus, or do you stand by him?

After Peter’s denial, Jesus experienced the terrible pain and humiliation of the cross.

Death by crucifixion was so painful that it’s where we get the word excruciating.

Everything about the cross doesn’t make sense. What should have been the end was really just the beginning.

What should have turned people away because of the scandal, continues to draw the lost for over 2,000 years.

Application

And for those who have put their faith and hope in Jesus, understand something that the world does not.

The world still sees much of what we believe to be scandalous. We are living in a time where it is becoming less and less acceptable to speak on matters of faith.

We are living in a time where to even mention sin in any form is met with accusations of bigotry, hate mongering, intolerance, and closed mindedness.

There is a reason the disciples scattered and abandoned Jesus at the darkest moment of his life, it was because they knew that to be associated with him would be to associate with what the world thought was scandalous.

They distanced themselves from him because it was too uncomfortable, if not dangerous to be identified with him.

And the truth is, we aren’t all that different today are way? How often have we distanced ourselves from him because it was too uncomfortable to be identified with him?

How often have we went along to get along with things we knew weren’t right in his eyes because we didn’t want to offend, or we did want to cause a rift in a relationship, or because it was just easier this way.

How often have we remained silent when we should have spoken? How often have we be complicit in a lie because the truth was too shocking or inconvenient? How often have we abandoned what we know we ought to do in favor of doing what others expected of us?

The disciples didn’t get it right and sometimes neither to we. But you know what? The disciples didn’t remain in their abandonment.

They repented and turned to Jesus. They did not shy away from the truth even when it would have been easier to do so.

They did not entertain sin, even though no one would have criticized them for it if they would have.

They did not allow the scandalous act of love that put the son of God on a cross to deter them from taken the message of the gospel and turning the world on its head because of it.

And so my question is simple. Will you do the same? Will you distance yourself in order to make things easier and comfortable for yourself? Or will you remain faithful, even in face of ridicule or worse?

Closing

Jesus embraced the scandal of the cross because it was necessary that he die the death of an obedient servant.

The wrath of God had to be satisfied for our sins, and the love of God in Christ stepped into that gap, hung on the cross, and saved us from our sins.

And so we are called to embrace the scandal of the cross as well!

The world doesn’t understand the concept of sin, and it doesn’t understand the thought that God could die the death of a criminal.

Nevertheless, what the world considers scandalous is the message we must preach.

This is why Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth with the words,

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 NLT 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

May Good Friday be a constant reminder of the new life Jesus died to give us. And what better way to remember that than by doing one of the last things Jesus taught his disciples to do so that they would remember him and remember his sacrifice.