Good Friday, Really!
Notes
Transcript
Today, Christians from around the world will gather. They will gathering in churches, in homes, in city squares to celebrate Good Friday.
Some will go through the Stations of the Cross. Others will come together in a worship service much like this.
All in celebration of Good Friday. But, I want to ask the question today is this Friday really Good?
To answer that conundrum we need to go back, to the Kidron Valley over 2000 years ago.
Turn in your Bibles to John’s gospel the 18 chapter lets began with the first verse.
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.
We find Jesus with his disciples minus one. Judas is not with them. Jesus had sent him away with the words, “What you do, do quickly.
Why in Jesus in this deserted place? I suggest, to save lives. If he had been arrested in Jerusalem during the festival, a riot might have broken our. The Roman army would have come in and crushed it, killing everyone involved. Nothing in this story is out of the control of Jesus.
Let’s go on to the next verse.
Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
I suggest the question Jesus asked, in a good question for us also. Whom do you seek? Or who is Jesus,
Some will tell you Jesus was a mere human being, nothing more, nothing less. They seem to see him as a good man. He came with good teachings, but he was not the son of God. He was just a good man.
Other claim he was a rebel. He came to start of social uprising. He came to wrestle power from the power hungry leaders of his day.
While still others claim he was a charletan, a lier and deciever.
But before we make a judgement, let’s see what he said about himself.
They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
Now I confess this verse stopped me in my studies. Have you ever come across something and you had to investigate it right then. that is what happened with this verse. As i looked at the Greek text, as you know the New Testament was written in Koina or common Greek.
What the soldiers said was, “Jesus the Nazarene,”
Now Mark, I have to tell you, I looking for Jesus the Methodist but it was not there.
Now before the rest of your get too excited, I also did not find,
Jesus the Lutheran
Or Jesus to Presbyterian,
Or even Jesus the Baptist.
But I did find, Jesus the Nazarene.
So you have that, But what was really shocking was Jesus answer to the question.
Look at again at verse five. What did Jesus say.
“I am he”
Many of our translations have “I am he.” But that is not what he said, he said, “I AM.’
JUST I AM, But the I is emphatic. In the Greek it is like there is a flashing neon sign around the word, I.
He said, I myself am.
Where have we heard this before. Turn in your Bibles to Exodus.
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Where else to we find this, “I am.” Statement.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
Look at John 18:6
So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Why did they fall to the ground? He was claiming to be God.
We all know what happened after that. Peter, don’t you just love Peter. He also acts before he engages his brain. Peter is a great encouragement for me. If God can use Peter, as careless and thoughtless as he was at times. He certainly can use you and me.
Look at John 18:10
Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
Friends, Jesus claimed to be God when said, I am. not once, but twice. Then he proved he was God when he healed Malchus ear..
There can be no doubt. Jesus is who he said he was and is.
We all know about the illegal trials that followed. He was taken to Annas who had been high priest. He ran afoul of the Romans and they removed him from office. But many Jewish leaders still considered Annas the High Priest.
Then they took him to Caiaphas, for yet another illegal trial.
We know about Peter’s denial. Not once, not twice, but three times Peter denied his Lord.
We know that he was shuffled between Pilate and Herod.
We know that in the end Pilate sentence him to death by crucifixion. The worst death Rome could devise.
But Friends, as Tony Campolo pointed out in one of his sermons, that waw Friday, bur Sunday is coming..
Jesus was arrested in the garden, but the was Friday, Sunday is coming
Jesus claimed to be God, but they ignored him. but that was Friday.
Jesus was taken before Annas and he was slapped in the face. But that was Friday.
Jesus was taken to the high priest Caiaphus, but that was Friday.
Jesus was taken before Pilate, but that was Friday.
Jesus rushed off to Herod, but that was Friday, but Sunday is coming.
Jesus was flogged and condemned to death, but that was Friday.
Jesus carried his cross to Galgotha, but the was Friday.
The Nailed bit into his tender flesh, but that was Friday.
He was hosted into the air in shame, but that was Friday.
At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But that was Friday.
The solders cast lots for his clothing, but that was Friday.
A Roman soldier pierced this side, and blood and water poured out, but that was Friday.
They laid him in a borrowed tome, but that was Friday, But Sunday is coming.
Was it a Good Friday, it sure does not seem to be, but then again, it is Friday, But Sunday is coming.
Are you not glad the story did not end on Friday.
We are not the Good Friday people, we are the Easter People.
This may be Friday, it may be dark, it may be filled with despair. But Friday is not the last word,
It is Friday, but Sunday is coming.
Amen.