Willingly, Lovingly Went to the Cross - Good Friday 2022

Introduction

So as Adam has said, this service is designed to bring a very different experience than anything else that we do. It is not that we are really aiming at a different target tonight, but more that we are using a different kind of arrow. Christian Churches rightly spend a lot of time learning about the life of Jesus because the Bible spends a lot of time talking about the life of Jesus…but the Bible also spends a lot of time talking about the death of Jesus. And as you have heard from the songs that we have sung, this service is about focusing specifically on the Cross where Jesus lovingly and willingly gave his life for us.

So the cross has become the primary symbol for the Christian Church. We see crosses displayed inside and outside of Churches even at the top of a spire or steeple as we have above us right now…but with familiarity often comes forgetfulness. We sometime forget how gruesome the image of the cross was to those in the days of Jesus. The image of cross was anything but good, sacred or holy. In fact, even the Romans, who are said to to have perfected the practice of crucifixion, reserved it’s use only for the worst of criminals.

Cicero, the great Roman lawyer and historian once said:

“The very mention of the cross should be far removed not only from a Roman citizen’s body, but from his mind, his eyes, his ears.”

And yet here we are displaying it on our stage, steeples and for many of us around our necks. The bravest among us just walked a great distance to display the symbol of the cross throughout our community in the cross walk.

So what is so different for us? Why do we call the celebration of the death of Jesus “Good Friday” when death by crucifixion was one of the more vulgar ways for anyone to die?

Well the Romans used the brutality of the cross as a means of frightening conquered nations from rising up against them. They thought so much of their Roman citizenship and so little of crucifixion that it was unlawful to crucify a Roman citizen on a cross…it’s vulgar brutality was only used on lesser people of the empire to show them their place.

So when the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was considering the case against Jesus he was asking the Jewish crowd a genuine question:

Matthew 27:22–23 (ESV)

22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

It was not beyond a Roman governor’s power to order a crucifixion, but he saw no reason to do so in this case. “What evil has he done?” was a legitimate question…but they offered no answer. Knowing full well the horrors of the cross, they just kept yelling, “Crucify Him!” Pilate even tried to satisfy their blood thirst by punsihing him and then letting them go - but it wasn’t enough. The religious leaders wanted Him crucified.

John tells us exactly when the Religious leaders decided to kill Jesus. It was right after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and everyone was talking about it, and many were believing in Jesus because “Lazarus came forth” .

John 11:47–53 (ESV)

47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The Romans at this time were governing with something they called “Pax Romana” or “Roman Peace” and basically this was a Empire governing philosophy that allowed the conquered nations of the empire to largely carry on with business as usual as long as they met two conditions:

1. That they kept paying their tribute, which was crippling taxes

2. That there were no significant uprisings, revolts or protests

So as long as the local leaders kept up these two things, the Romans claimed that they would leave them alone to rule as they had always done. So the religious leaders who hated Jesus were saying that they were stuck. They couldn’t let Jesus keep going, because more and more people were following Him, but they couldn’t just arrest him because the people loved him and it would cause an uprising and then the Roman military would come in. Either way they would loosing their power and position as leaders.

So they felt stuck, until the Chief Priest spoke up...

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

Is he saying what it sounds like he is saying? That it is better that Jesus die instead of God’s people? That Jesus would die in our place?

51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

The High Priest, the sworn enemy of Jesus, the one who would lead the people in chants of “Crucify Him” declared the word of God - that Jesus’ death would bring salvation to God’s people? He didn’t understand what he was saying, but he ended up saying exactly what we are saying tonight. That the one who would die on that ugly cross, would do it to save us.

So the religious leaders were making their plans to kill Jesus, but here’s the thing. Jesus was not a victim of their plans. In fact, the very next verse says...

John 11:54 (ESV)

54 Jesus therefore (because they wanted to kill Him) no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

Jesus was following the plan laid out for Him before the foundation of the world. There were many things that needed to happen yet according to God’s plan, the cross was still in view, but the timing wasn’t now. So Jesus backed away from celebrity circuit and spent time preparing his disciples for His departure.

And this helped answer a question that was bothering me. I don’t know if you have ever wondered about this but I have often asked myself: Why did the religious leaders need Judas? Why couldn’t they have just saved the 30 pieces of silver, and arrest Jesus on their own. And what I realized is that they needed Judas because they couldn’t find Jesus on their own. He wasn’t walking openly among them anymore, because it was not yet his time to be found.

Still Jesus knew he was going to die on the cross. On His way into the Jerusalem He told his disciples this.

Matthew 20:17–19 (ESV)

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Jesus was not a victim of a political power struggle, He willingly, lovingly went to the cross to save us.

And not only was Jesus heading into the city where he would be arrested, beaten and crucified, he was walking into the city along with the one who would betray him.

Matthew 26:14–16 (ESV)

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

No one wants to be called a Judas. To be a Judas is sell out your friends. The Bible calls him a “thief” because he was embezzling funds from the ministry, but the old saying “honor among thieves” would even exclude Judas because betraying your friends is the lowest of lows.

Judas had a greedy heart. He probably saw some potential for prosperity in following Jesus and when it wasn’t happening quick enough he decided to take things into his own hands. All he had to do now was wait for the perfect timing. And you know how he finds it? Jesus gives it to him.

In the midst of His “last supper” with His disciples Jesus gives Judas the opportunity his greedy heart was looking for...

John 13:21–30 (ESV)

21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him.

This was not the first time that Judas opened himself up to Satan’s leading, but notice what happens next: Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Jesus is the one who sends Judas out into that dark night to pursue what is next.

Jesus was not a victim of a betraying friend, He willingly, lovingly went to the cross to save us.

So Judas leaves the Passover meal and goes out to gather together with the soldiers who will soon be arresting Jesus, but as he leaves Jesus informs the rest of the Disciples that it is time. It is time for Him to be glorified, and the disciples didn’t really know what He meant, especially the part about going somewhere that the rest of the Disciples could not go.

And bold, brash Peter comes up to Jesus confessing his loyalty, even saying I will die for you…but Jesus calms him and says:

Luke 22:31–34 (ESV)

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Satan had entered into Judas and he wanted to have Peter too. Jesus warns Peter of this and tells him that He has prayed for him and then…that rooster thing. I have been fascinated by role of the rooster this week. It seems like such a simple part of the story, but I think it may be bigger than we think.

Many of you know how this story unfolds. As the night progresses, Judas and the soldiers meet Jesus and the disciples in the garden and he betrays him with a kiss. Jesus is then arrested and after a small skirmish the Disciples all run away - as Jesus told them that they would. But a couple of Jesus’ closest disciples circle back after Him, Peter being one of them only it says that “Peter was following Him at a distance”. (Mat 26:58)

Bold and brash Peter. The one whose name is always mentioned first. The first of the disciples to rightly answer Jesus’ question “Who do you say that I am” with a confident “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” The one who was packing 1st century heat and cut off the ear of the soldier that tried to take Jesus in the skirmish in the garden. The one who said “I will go to prison and death with you” and…he is following Jesus at a distance.

And as often happens when one is trying to keep their distance, Peter gets further and further away…even as he tries to get closer. For just as Jesus said, Peter denies Jesus three times and scripture records the events surrounding each of these denials. Matthew gives us a great synopsis. He says...

Matthew 26:69–75 (ESV)

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”

That is strike #1. Just a simple dismissal of the accusation of a servant girl.

71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”

This is strike 2. Strike one pleaded ignorance to the question, this time he states it clearly to the many “bystanders” and even backs it up with an oath.

73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.”

Strike #3…and your out. Understand the seriousness of this, to invoke a curse on himself was to say “May God strike me dead if I am lying”…But we all know he was.

And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Peter was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole. He was spinning out of control going from dismissing the question to lying blasphemously…until the rooster. You see I think that Rooster was an act of grace. I think it was Jesus caring so deeply for Peter that he wanted him to know that this will happen, I already know it, but it doesn’t change my love for you. Don’t let Satan keep you on this path.

Jesus was not a victim of faithless followers, He willingly, lovingly went to the cross to save us.

Gospel Application

Jesus Christ (ESV)as no one else ever has. There are people who have fell victim to evil men and loose their lives, but even among those who die of old age in their sleep - Jesus’ death was different. Every one of us deserves our sentence of death. Our unholy choices have earned us separation from the holiness of God, but Jesus was completely hole. He never sinned. Even Pilate didn’t know how profound a question he was asking when he said, “Why, what evil has he done!” Because the answer is none. Jesus did not deserve to die, as the Chief Priests prophesied, It was better for Jesus to die then or all God’s people to perish.

So Jesus gave his life for you and me. His life was not taken from Him; He laid it down of Himself. This is what He said:

John 10:17–18 (ESV)

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

There is some terrible theology out there right that accuses the Christian God of something like “Cosmic Child Abuse” because God the Father sent his Son to die in such a gruesome way on a cross. And it was the most gruesome death that the depraved human mind could imagine…but Jesus wasn’t forced to die for us.

He wasn’t a victim. He willingly obeyed the Father as He shares in His Father’s love for us.

As the old saying goes, “He went to the cross to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay” and so He paid it on our behalf.

So he laid his naked back down on a blood stained cross and they drove 7” spikes into his hands and feet and hoisted him up into the air to slowly suffocate. He laid His life down for us, because He loves us.

Philippians 2:8 ESV

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Let’s pray