Good Friday 2026

Transcript

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A Roman governor handed over the King of Kings to Jewish conspirators and Gentile executioners. Were they having their way with Jesus? Yes and no. Surely they had conspired to kill Jesus, they were the ones who cried out, crucify, crucify him, and it surely seems like they're getting their way. But the Son of Man goes as it has been written of him, written of him for some time now. This is the Father's will and plan for his only begotten beloved Son. This is the Father's will and plan for you and for your salvation. So the Lord of life went, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, the place of execution and death. Crucifixion was a most brutal and shameful death. He was numbered with the transgressors. Two others were crucified with him, one on his right, one on his left, in dead center Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, crowned with thorns, naked and pinned to the tree. The soldiers had greedily taken his garments and gambled for his tunic. Unknowingly, they fulfilled the scripture. Knowingly Jesus became man. Knowingly, Jesus denied himself the vainglory of being the Son of God who'd suffer nothing, no pain ever. When hungry, just have those stones be bread. And when they wanted to make Jesus their bread king, Jesus didn't give in either. The throne for the true king of the Jews was the cross. Knowingly Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. Knowingly, Jesus cared for his mother and entrusted her into John's care. When crucified, Jesus knew that all was now finished. He had heard them taunting him to come down from the cross, but Jesus stayed where his father wanted him. And again the Christ fulfilled the scripture. I thirst. And again unknowingly the soldiers soaked a sponge with vinegar and fulfilled Psalm sixty nine. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. So knowingly Jesus said, I thirst. Man offered God vinegar on a hyssop branch. Earlier at the first Passover, a hyssop branch was used to apply the lamb's blood to the doorpost of the house so that death would pass over. Here we see that God offers man his blood in with and under the sweet wine of holy communion. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We sing that thrice over before we commune. The Lamb's blood takes away your sins and marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified, and death passes over. The Lord said, It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. It is finished does not mean the end, roll credits. These few words it is finished can be translated rightly as it's complete, accomplished, perfect, brought to its fullness and ideal. What's gone wrong is righted. Any debt has been settled entirely. These are mysterious and profound words. I can't say that it means this and only this. I can only tell you on a day like Good Friday that we Christians would do well to ponder these words. It is finished. The music, the parents, the vestments, and somberness seem to push us toward the German name for this holiday. Carfritag. We're so German, aren't we? Carfritag. Grief, lament, sorrow Friday. It's like funeral Friday. What's so good about Good Friday? There's so much rejection, rebellion, pain, and sorrow. So much car to this Friday, right? It's a most tragic and painful and shocking thing to see with this death of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified. But herein we also see God's goodness. We see what makes this Friday good. The Son of God knowingly and willingly took the place of the lowest servant. He was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. He bore all of our griefs. Your griefs, he's borne. And all this he gladly suffered. Do we gladly suffer? We barely do this for ourselves, let alone others. And he did it for sinners of all ages. He carried our sorrows, and there was joy set before him. You. This is God's triumph over death and hell. For death and hell were the ones crying out for him to come down, come down. Because if Jesus stayed there, oh the devil's power would be undone, and death would be swallowed up by the death of the Son of God. This is God's will and plan. This is God making full payment for your sin. This is your salvation with one hundred percent certainty and assurance. As sure as the Son of God Himself died on the cross to pay for your sins, your sins are truly paid for. And God truly does count you righteous. Let the tone of this day remain so mysterious as it helps us pause and ponder. It slows the pace of this busy world and lets us think. It lets us think about why this Friday is so good. We sing hymn 433.