Good Friday 2014

(This is not a word-for-word manuscript except for the "readings". The pastor or leader is expected to elaborate on different points as the Lord moves him or her to do so. God bless you.)

Opening Prayer

Introduction to the evening: Just as the Jews recount the Passover on this night we will be remembering the night before Jesus’ death. It is vital that we remember this night and the events which took place. Many times we hear a sermon but we won’t tonight, we’ll just be remembering …

John 13:1-2

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Jesus was returning to the Father! But this night and the next day would be anything but wonderful.

Tonight we will be remembering the strangest event in the history of the universe:

The night the Creator died for His creation. The creation was in full rebellion. Even those He had chosen had turned their backs on Him and their hopes, their great longing was that the LORD would send the Messiah to free them from their enslavement.

Usually we start out each gathering with music but, do you think there was music in heaven that night, the night that the Son of God was brutalized and murdered? The night that the Creator Himself was in such agony and despair that an angel needed to be sent to minister to and to strengthen his own God? I wonder …

One thing that God knows about us is that we forget more readily than we remember. That is why He gave us four accounts by different people of this series of events and that is why He gave us communion, to remember His body that was broken for us and to remember His blood that was shed for our forgiveness.

This is what took place

--------------------------- Reader #1 ---------------------------------------------

Matthew 26:17-30

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with My disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, He said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”

They were very sad and began to say to Him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

---------------------------- End of first reading ----------------------------------

Let us take communion together at this time … We will see from further Scripture that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about.

Yes, they heard Him say that someone would betray Him, but, what did that mean?

Would someone start spread rumors about Him?

Would someone simply abandon Him?

Did it even enter into their minds that He would be betrayed in a way that would have Him dead in the next 18 hours?

Yes, they drank from the cup and yes they ate the bread but … did they realize what He meant by a new covenant and the cup being His blood and the bread being His body?

Jesus says in Luke 22:19 - “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Prayer for Communion and invite the people to participate: