And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:33-39
Preaching sermons on Good Friday, I can’t imagine a more gut wrenching yet glorious time to herald the Word of God! He that knew no sin, became sin so that we may become the righteousness of God. It was on this good Friday that He took the punishment that we deserved. That Jesus, He whom is perfect, holy, blameless, sinless, completely righteous, took our judgment. Friday is one of the most powerful parts of the Easter holy week.
Isaiah 53:10 says it pleased the Lord to crush Him, he hath put Him to grief. This is one of the most chilling scriptures to my soul, that the Father, the all powerful Judge did justice to His only begotten son Jesus. Crushed Him. This crushes my soul and I believe it is a good practice for us to sit on this because we know what is happening on Sunday! (Jesus is getting up because the cross can not hold Him down! It is finished.)
Enjoy the good friday sermon or holy week sermon below or read the transcripts, lastly may your church service be full of the glory of God!
As you listen, pray and worship during the good friday sermons below here are some things to reflect on:
HB Charles Preaching the Crucifixion of JesusJohn 19 records three words from the cross. John 19:26-27 is the word of compassion: “Woman, behold, your son!” “Behold, your mother.” John 19:28-29 is the word of suffering: “I thirst.” John 19:30 is the word of victory: “It is finished.”
Feel the tension between the word of suffering and the word of victory. On the tree of death, the Water of Life cried out, “I thirst.” The word of suffering was not the last word. From the parched lips of this crucified Savior comes a shout of victory: “It is finished!” Jesus did not say, “I am finished.” He said, “It is finished.”
This is not the concession of a defeated man.
This is not the registration of a doomed man.
This is not the relief of a dying man.
This is the victor’s triumphant should: “It is finished.”
In John 17:4, Jesus prayed, “I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” At the ate of thirty-three, most people are saying, “It is only the beginning.” At thirty-three, Jesus declared, “It is finished. But this is about more than the end of his journey. It is about the completion of his mission.
In Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph concerning Mary, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus was born to die. The accomplishment of his death was the purpose of his life.
Warren Wiersbe wrote: “Since salvation is a finished work, we dare not add anything to it, or take anything from it.” This is the message of the sixth work from the cross: Sinners are man right with God only by the finished work of Christ at the cross. Jesus saves completely, exclusively, and eternally.
Since salvation is a finished work, we dare not add anything to it, or take anything from it.
John 19:30 says, “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” This cry of Jesus translates one Greek word: “Tetelestai.” Charles Spurgeon wrote: “It would need all the other words that ever were spoken, or ever can be spoke, to explain this one word. It is altogether immeasurable. It is high; I cannot attain to it. It is deep; I cannot fathom it.” “Tetelestai” means to finish a task, complete an assignment, or accomplish a goal.
Servants used this term when they completed their obligatory tasks.
Artists used this term when a work of art was finished.
Warriors used this term after they prevailed in battle.
It is the word you use after you graduate from college. It is the word you use after crossing the finish line of a marathon. It is the word you use after pay off your credit cards. The term was commercial. When a person paid a merchant, paid a debt, or paid his taxes, “tetelestai” was written on the receipt. It meant, “Paid in full.”
God is holy, we are not. God demands perfect righteousness. All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Good intentions, good efforts, and good works cannot pay the debt of sin. But what God demands, God provides in Christ. We owed a debt we cannot pay. Jesus paid the debt he did not know.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What sin is keeping you from God? Let me give you the right answer in four words: IT. DOES. NOT. MATTER. When you trust the blood and righteousness of Christ, “tetelestai” is stamped over every sin in your life.
Abortion. Paid in full!
Adultery. Paid in full!
Bribery. Paid it full!
Disobedience. Paid in full!
Divorce. Paid in full!
Embezzlement. Paid in full!
Homosexuality. Paid in full!
Murder. Paid in full!
Pride. Paid in full!
Slothfulness. Paid in full!
If I left you sin out, add it to the list. Then write “tetelestai” over it. It is paid in full by the finished work of Christ.
For Christians and pastors, Good Friday is a paramount day of the Christian church calendar because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of mankind. Ever since Jesus gave His life through death on the cross and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. Paul said it “of first importance” that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and was raised to life on the third day, following what God had promised in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). Good friday preaching to the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ continually reminds us of what really saved us, Jesus’ penal substution and the belief thereof.