Good Friday 2024

Good evening. Welcome this gathering of Hope. We are gathered here tonight to remember what was done on the behalf of sinners so many years ago on a cross, on a hillside, in Israel. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God in the flesh, willingly gave His life on the cross for our sin. He took the wrath of God upon Himself for my sake. For the sake of sinners. And if we trust in this Good News of the Gospel and place our faith in Him, repenting of our sin and trusting in Him alone for salvation and that God raised Him from the dead, we will have forgiveness and eternal life. We are given freely, Jesus’s righteousness and brought into the family of God. Tonight is for those of us who believe to remember and worship in thanksgiving and point to the Lord Jesus.

Prayer - Cal

Song 1 - Dayna and Alonzo

Call to Worship Reading - John 18:1-18

John 18:1–18 ESV

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

Song 2 - Dayna and Alonzo

Scripture Reading - John 18:19-40

John 18:19–40 ESV

The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Song 3 - Danya and Alonzo

Scripture Reading - John 19:1-15

John 19:1–15 ESV

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Prayer of Confession

In the scriptures we are told to confess our sins. We are also told that if we do that the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins because of what Jesus did on the cross. Not because of what we did but because of his finished work on the cross. As I pray, pray along with me in agreement. Take a moment now and confess any unrepentant sin to the Lord and then I will pray for us. Bow your head with me please.

Dear Lord God and merciful Father,

We have sinned and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against your holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we should have done and we have done those things which we should not have done.

We are unhealthy. But you, oh Lord, have mercy upon us who are unworthy.

You spare those who confess their faults and restore those who are repentant.

According to your promises declared to mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And merciful Father, grant that we may moving forward, live a body, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy name.

I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ who was sacrificed for on our behalf. Amen.

Scripture Reading - John 19:16-30

John 19:16–30 ESV

So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

A Reading from Paul David Tripp

The most horrible thing that ever happened was also the most wonderful thing that ever happened. - Paul David Tripp

As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it’s important to remember that at the center of a biblical worldview is this radical recognition: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱.

In God’s righteous and wise plan, this dark and disastrous moment—the crucifixion of Christ—was ordained to be the moment that would fix all the dark and disastrous things that sin had done to the world.

This seemingly hopeless moment of death was, at the same time, a moment of life when eternal hope was given. So be careful how you make sense of your life. What looks like a disaster may, in fact, be grace. What looks like the end may be the beginning.

The same God who planned that the worst thing would be the best thing is your Father. He rules over every moment in your life, and in powerful grace, he can do for you just what he did in redemptive history.

He takes the disasters in your life and makes them tools of redemption. He takes your failure and employs it as a tool of grace. He uses the “death” of the fallen world to motivate you to reach out for life.

The hardest things in your life become the sweetest tools of grace in his wise and loving hands. Your Father is committed to taking what seems so bad and turning it into something that is very, very good.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:22-24).

The good days are a gift of love from the hands of the One who is wisdom.

The bad days are a gift of wisdom from the hands of One who is love.

The comfortable and the uncomfortable are equally efficient tools of divine grace.

What is comfortable changes my heart reminding me to focus the eyes of my heart on the faithfulness the tenderness the kindness of the Father’s heart.

What is uncomfortable empowers my heart to remember the zeal the transformative power the inexhaustibility my constant need of the Savior’s grace.

When you bless me with what is comfortable you are loving you are righteous you are faithful you are good.

When you lead me through what is uncomfortable you are loving you are righteous you are faithful you are good.

So I will not restrict my worship to the good days. I will not limit my gratitude to what is comfortable.

I will not curse the bad days, questioning your faithfulness and love.

In darkness and in light, I will worship you, I will rest in your will.

May your mercy empower me to remember my hope, rest, and surety is the same on the good day and on the bad, because my hope rest and surety is in you.

Sharing of the Lord’s Supper

Fencing

This sacred time at the Lord’s Table is for believers who have rested all their hope on the death and resurrection of Christ. If you are not yet a believer, you should refrain from partaking until you come to faith in Christ—and then joyfully partake along with the body of Christ. We encourage those of you who are believers to examine your hearts, so that you can partake in a worthy manner. If your heart is harboring unrepentant sin, refrain until you can come freely to partake. As the bread and the cup are served, we ask that you hold them, so that we all partake together.

1 Corinthians 11:27–33 ESV

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—

DISTRIBUTE THE ELEMENTS

The Bread

I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:23–24)

Prayer for the Bread

Christ Jesus, when you came into the world, you said to the Father: “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.” Then you said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book” (Heb. 10:5–7). You came in the incarnation, and by a single offering of your body on the cross you achieved what all the offerings on Jewish altars could never accomplish—the complete forgiveness of our sins. Bread of Heaven, as we now partake of the symbol, ravish our hearts and refresh our souls. Amen.

Partaking of the Bread

Jesus said: “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24b).

Silence

The Cup

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:25)

Prayer for the Cup

Our gracious God, we thank you this day for the new covenant, the covenant sealed through the blood of Jesus Christ, your Son. And we drink this cup in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, asking him even now, through the Spirit, to commune with us as we commune with each other. With grateful hearts, O Christ, we drink of you and to you. Amen.

Partaking of the Cup

Jesus said, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:25b).

Silence

Song 4 - Is He Worthy? - Dayna and Alonzo

Closing Prayer - Cal

Benediction

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14). Amen.