GOOD FRIDAY - CHRIST’S WORDS FROM THE CROSS
Note: This Good Friday, we had a special combined worship service with us (Beausejour Community Church), St. Ouen’s Country Church, and Elim Baptist Church. Pastor Jeff (Elim) and I taught on Christ’s Words from the Cross, and Pastor Darrell (St. Ouen’s) led our communion time at the end of the service).
INTRO TO MESSAGE: PASTOR CHRIS:
“Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us…” (1 John 3:1).
Today, we are going to meditate on God’s love by looking at the Cross:
BIG IDEA: On this Good Friday, we are going to meditate upon Christ’s Words from the Cross, with the prayer that they will reveal to us something of the amazing grace of our Lord Jesus.
QUOTE: “It is fitting that every word of our Lord upon the cross should be gathered up and preserved. (They) have frequently been the subject of devout meditation.” (Charles Spurgeon).
THE FIRST FOUR WORDS: PASTOR JEFF:
1. THE FIRST WORD: FORGIVENESS:
“Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).
• The first word speaks FORGIVENESS to us. Amazing grace!
• The Good News of the Gospel – through Jesus death on the Cross, we are forgiven!
2. THE SECOND WORD: SALVATION & HOPE:
“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.” (Luke 23:39-44).
• This second word speaks HOPE – it’s never too late, and no one is ever too far gone!
• If you’re believing God for the salvation of a family member, never give up.
3. THE THIRD WORD: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS:
“Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Woman, he is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “She is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:25-27).
• This third word speaks about the importance of FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.
4. THE FOURTH WORD: SUBSTITUTION:
“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
• This fourth word speaks of SUBSTITUTION.
• On the Cross, Jesus became our substitute, and took our sin upon Him, and gave us His righteousness. (2 Cor. 5:21).
• Because God forsook Jesus on the Cross, God will never leave or forsake us!
THE LAST THREE WORDS: PASTOR CHRIS:
5. THE FIFTH WORD: HUMANITY AND SUFFERING:
“Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28-29).
• This fifth word is a picture of the HUMANITY OF JESUS.
• Because God became a man in the person of Jesus, He got hungry, tired, and thirsty
• “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
6. THE SIXTH WORD: VICTORY AND GRACE:
“Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!” (John 19:29-30).
• This sixth word is a picture of God’s GRACE.
• When Jesus said, "It is finished," He had paid the price for our salvation!
• We are going to heaven only because Jesus has taken our punishment for us.
QUOTE:
“This shout of triumph rings with all the freshness and force of when He spoke it. The satisfaction He rendered to the justice of God was finished. But next, the Savior meant that the satisfaction which He rendered to the justice of God was finished. The debt was now, to the last penny, all discharged. The atonement and propitiation were made once and for all and forever—by the one offering made in Jesus’ body on the Tree. There was the cup, Hell was in it, the Savior drank it—not a sip and then a pause—not a draught and then a ceasing. He drained it till there is not a dreg left for any of His people.” (Charles Spurgeon).
7. THE SEVENTH WORD: CONFIDENCE:
“And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” (Luke 23:46-48).
• This last word is the CONFIDENCE that all of God’s children have when they die.
• If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you WILL be saved!
STORY: On Courage (From Chicken Soup for the Soul).
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, ’Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liza.’
"As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, ’Will I start to die right away?’
"Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.
What a great example of what Jesus meant when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).
ALTAR CALL FOR SALVATION:
What does the death that Jesus died on the Cross mean for us today?
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!”
BENEDICTION:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
