Good Friday Service, March 30 2018 evening
Vern Peterman · Mar 30, 2018
Holidays
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926199265166

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Okay. the the and and I'll be right back. ... ... ... ... Better. I'll give you more details later, but it was about a week and a half ago it started to kick in some herbal, nutritional things I was taking to help heal my nerves up. And that seems to have turned a corner. Pretty big.

Good evening and welcome to our very, very good Friday. We are this evening going to be having a medley of scripture and congregational songs, special music, solos and trios and things of that sort. And also some teaching on three different subjects on reconciliation, on redemption and on our sins being removed and no condemnation. These are but the tip of the iceberg of the unfathomable riches that we have in Christ. And so we are really looking forward to having this time together with you and sharing in this very good Friday service. Let's begin by praying.

Lord, we do thank you. Just as we gather together, what a joyous celebration we have in this what would otherwise be looked upon as a very tragic and horrible death. And yet it was a gift to us, a gift that was irreplaceable. And we just thank you for your most amazing grace. We thank you for the unfathomable riches that we share because of the grace that you have shown to us. Through this wonderful and yet, from an earthly standpoint, horrible event, we call Good Friday, your death on the cross. We just give you thanks and commit our time to you.

We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Please stand and let's sing together Lamb of Glory. Hear the story from God's word that kings and priests and prophets heard. There would be a sacrifice and blood would flow and pay sin's price. Precious Lamb of Glory, Lord's most wondrous story, Heart of God's redemption of man, Worship the Lamb of Glory. On the cross God loved the world All the powers of hell were hurled No one there could understand The one they saw was Christ the Lamb Precious Lamb of Glory, love's most wondrous story. Heart of God's redemption of man, worship the Lamb of Glory. Excellent. Please be seated. We're going to move on to a video ballad. This is called Watch the Lamb. And it is about Simon of Cyrene and his sons Alexander and Rufus. And so anyway, we'll proceed on to the video.

Walking on the road to Jerusalem, the time had come to sacrifice again. My two small sons, they walked beside me on the road. The reason that they came was to watch the Lamb. Daddy, Daddy, what will we see there? There's so much that we don't understand. So I told them of Moses and Father Abraham. Then I said, Dear children, watch the Lamb. There will be so many in Jerusalem today. We must be sure the Lamb doesn't run away. And I told them of Moses and Father Abraham. And then I said, Dear children, watch the Lamb. And then I said, Dear children, watch the Lamb.

When we reached the city, I knew something must be wrong. There were no joyful worshipers, no joyful worship songs. I stood there with my children in the midst of angry men. Then I heard the crowd cry out, Crucify Him! Then I heard the crowd cry out, Crucify Him! We tried to leave the city, but we could not get away. Forced to play in this drama a part I did not wish to play. Why upon this day were men condemned to die? Why were we standing here where soon they would pass by? Why were we standing here where soon they would pass by? I looked and said, even now they come.

The first one cried for mercy, the people gave him none. The first one cried for mercy, the people gave him none. The second one was violent. He was arrogant and loud. I can still hear his angry voice screaming at the crowd. I can still hear his angry voice screaming at the crowd. The second one was violent. He was arrogant and loud. I can still hear his angry voice screaming at the crowd.

Then someone said, There's Jesus. I could scarce believe my eyes. A man so badly beaten, he barely looked alive. Blood poured from his body, from the thorns upon his brow, running down the cross, falling to the ground. I watched Him as He struggled. I watched Him as He fell. The cross came down upon His back. The crowd began to yell. At that moment, I felt such agony. At that moment, I felt such loss.

Till a Roman soldier grabbed my arm and screamed, You! Carry the cross! till a Roman soldier grabbed my arm and screamed, You! Carry the cross! At first I tried to resist him. Then his hand reached for his sword. So I knelt and took the cross, the cross from the Lord. I placed it on my shoulder and I started down the street. The blood that He'd been shedding was running down my cheek.

They led us to Golgotha. They drove nails deep in His feet and hands. And yet upon the cross I heard Him pray, Father, forgive them. Yet upon the cross I heard Him pray, Father, forgive them. Oh, never have I seen such love in any other eyes. Into Thy hands I commit my spirit. He prayed and then he died. I stood for what seemed like years. I lost all sense of time. Until I felt two tiny hands holding tight to mine. Until I felt two tiny hands holding tight to mine.

My children stood there weeping. I heard the oldest say, Father, please forgive us. The Lamb ran away. Daddy, Daddy, what have we seen here? There is so much that we don't understand. Daddy, daddy, what have we seen here? There is so much that we don't understand. So I took them in my arms and we turned and faced the cross. Then I said, dear children, watch the Lamb.

And then I said, dear children, And now we'll have Luke and Kirk come up and read from us from Matthew, Colossians, Romans, 2 Corinthians, 1 Peter, and Romans 4.25. Matthew 27, 33 through 45.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means place of a school, they came with wine to drinks with Gaul. And after tasting it, he was unwilling to drink. And when they had crucified him, he divided up his garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over him there. And above his head, they put up the charge against him, which read, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

At that time, two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. Those passing by were hurling abuse at him and wagging their heads. and saying, you are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Save yourself if you are the son of God. Come down from the cross. In the same way, the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him and saying, he saved others. He cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel. Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now, if he delights in him, for he said, I am the son of God.

The robbers who had been crucified with him were also insulting him with the same words. Now from the sixth hour of darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. Colossians 120, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Romans 5.10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God, through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

2 Corinthians 5.19 Namely, that God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

1 Peter 2.24 And he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by his wounds you were healed.

Romans 4.25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification.

So I have the privilege of being the first one to talk about the things that weren't apparent, you know, visually, as in the video. And as we talked about, it was read. People there saw the Lord Jesus in agony on the cross. And he certainly was. It was a terrible, awful event. But I think what we'd like to talk about tonight. What were the ramifications of that?

Were there other things that people did not see but were true that happened on that day that have wonderful benefits for us who know him as our Savior and actually benefits for the whole world? One thing I learned in studying for this is that God's plan to redeem man, to save man, to reconcile man, he starts with a kind of universal effect. Christ paid for the sins of the whole world.

And then Scripture talks about how that's personalized when you put your faith and trust in Him. So keep that in mind as we kind of go through this. So, you know, the word reconciliation, which we're going to talk about, is the idea to change thoroughly or to change from one condition to another. Typically, it's used when speaking of God and man is to change from enmity to friendship or to love.

And we see the condition of man. We don't get an accurate picture. If you look around and talk to people outside of looking at Scripture, you get a view what man kind of thinks. People are basically good. If I do good things, I'll be rewarded. And that's kind of true in our world.

But Scripture looks at the heart of man, and it paints man in his true state. So Scripture talks about man. being basically haters of God. It talks about that in Romans. First part of chapter in Romans talks about that. And also it talks about that in John, the Gospel of John. It talks about they hate the light because their deeds are evil.

Men are uncomfortable because they don't know the Lord Jesus. They don't know God. They don't understand him. So that's the premise. That's the beginning point for God's working reconciliation of man. And what's interesting is we never see God doesn't change. Man is reconciled. Man has changed. And he's changed because of his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus and what he's accomplished. So several verses that Kirk read I'd like to kind of expand on a little bit.

So the one in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 says, now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Namely that Christ is Christ in God reconciling the whole world to himself, not counting the trespasses against them. And he's committed to us the word of reconciliation.

So several things we can kind of draw from that. God is the single source of reconciliation. There's no other source, not man's good deeds, not his works or anything else. And there are two aspects to that, like I mentioned before. The first aspect is that God reconciled us, speaking of believers.

So that's when we put our faith and trust in Him. And Christ was the conduit, or the vehicle He used. His death on the cross was that conduit. Then secondly, it says in that verse we just read, God the Father was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.

So we see two reconciliations in view, the global one of the whole world and one individually for us. And it reminded me of this wonderful verse talking about the propitiation of our sins or the satisfaction of our sins. And that talks about those two aspects again. In 1 John 2, it says, he himself is a propitiation or satisfaction for our sins, not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world.

So God attacks the problem. universally, and Christ's death universally dealt with the sin issue. Man does not realize it, but if you ever talk to a person who doesn't know the Lord Jesus, you can tell him your sins are forgiven, past, present, and future. What he's asking you to do is to put your faith and trust in him, that he is God and he did that.

So it's quite a different picture than you'll get from just talking to the average person that thinks, I'm a pretty good person, I do good things. God has a totally different view of that. He has a correct view of that. And one last thing, and that's cool. The last part of what I read there, and this is really amazing, and this is what's happening tonight. It says, God has placed in every believer, everyone that has trusted Christ as his Savior, the word or message of reconciliation. And that's wonderful, because that message is life-saving, life-changing.

So a couple more verses that Kirk read. He read one about in Colossians. It talks about, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of the cross, through him I say whether things on earth or things in heaven." So a couple things from that verse. God purposed through his son to reconcile all things to himself, kind of the global view.

And he says that what's wonderful is once that reconciliation has happened, we have peace. There is peace. A man is always looking for peace. But man cannot achieve peace. Only God can achieve peace through his son. And that's kind of the last part of it, having made peace through the blood of the cross. So what we saw there in that video, and what we read in scripture, is that God making peace with man. And only God can do that.

And then the Romans passage talks about, for if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Not only this, but we also exalt in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we have now received reconciliation. So a couple of points from that. Once again, we're enemies, as I mentioned before. We were reconciled by his death. And what's cool is we have been reconciled, and we shall be saved by his life.

And that's really wonderful. It talks about the fact that his life, the life of the Lord Jesus, is able to save us at the beginning, at the middle, at the end. His life is ongoing. The life of the Lord Jesus is ongoing in our life. OK. So one last several verses, if that makes any sense. This is the last verse, but there's two more verses after that. So you have to bear with me here. OK.

So in 2 Corinthians 5.20, It says, therefore, and I'm reading to you from my favorite New Testament expanded translation of the New Testament. It's a Weiss translation. And it renders this verse 520 in 2 Corinthians, it renders it this way, pretty amazing verse.

Therefore, on behalf of Christ and in his place, we are acting as his ambassadors, plural, meaning all of us. As through God, we were saying, I beg of you, please, through us as his intermediate agents, plural again, we beg of you in Christ's stead, be reconciled at once to God. You know, get the verb tense up.

It's just amazing. It says this is something that needs to be done right now. There's no time for delay. So you think about, well, what do I need to, what do I need to do? It's pretty straightforward. Scripture says this in many places, but one of the best places is in Acts 16. It talks about the Philippian jailer. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. So the question comes, what do I believe? Do I believe that Jesus was a good man? He was a good teacher? What do I believe about him?

Well, Scripture is clear about that too. You're to believe, and there's really four actions that Christ did that were to believe. Christ died. Do you believe that? Christ was buried. Christ was raised. Christ appeared. Those four things. I'm going to read that passage at the end. I kind of flipped it around this time, but I'll tell you my take on it, and I'm going to read the verse afterwards.

Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ raised. Christ appeared. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was our substitute. He took our place. That's the significant part of this whole transaction, Christ's death. And it's according to the scriptures.

And Kirk also read this wonderful verse in 1 Peter, 1 Peter 2.24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. For by his wounds you were healed. That's Christ's death. Christ was buried. You don't bury a live person. You bury a dead person. Most people that are alive don't like to be buried. It's kind of uncomfortable, right? Not too nice. So that was validation. It wasn't a put-up job.

He actually died, and he actually was buried, and he was dead. Totally dead. And that's a miraculous thing, that he was really dead. Okay, number three, he was raised, and this is the part we're going to remember on Sunday here, he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. God's exact, it's three days, even though we've had discussions about three days, how do you get that number, but that's another day, we'll talk about that. And it's according to the scriptures, and a really neat verse that tells us about that is, but God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in his power. It's just amazing. So Christ's resurrection is a past, present, and future event, if you will. We don't serve a dead Savior. We serve a living Savior. That wonderful song, we serve a risen Savior. He's in the world today, and so on.

And lastly, he appeared, it says, to Cephas, who is Peter, and to the 12, and it goes on to more than 500. So I'd like to just read that verse I just talked about. 1 Corinthians 15, 1 through 5. And this is what's called the good news. If you ever hear people talk about the gospel or the good news, this is where it's at. This is what we've kind of been covering.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you receive, in which you also stand, by which you also are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve. So reconciliation is one of those wonderful, as Vern says, the tip of the iceberg, one of those wonderful descriptions of the completeness of our salvation, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to ourselves. And we can be reconciled, too, by putting our faith and trust in Him.

So now we have some special music. It's going to be April Shutt and Bonnie and Ingrid. O love divine, amazing love, that brought to earth from heaven above the Son of God, for us to die, that we might dwell on high. me and shed his blood to make us free.

Upon the cross of Calvary the Savior died for me. For us a crown of thorns he cross the rope of scorn he bore. He conquered death and rent the grave, and lives again our souls to save. and shed his blood to make us free. Upon the cross of Calvary, the Savior died for me. I love you. Oh wanderer, come on in His grace my faith receive. Awake, arise, and hear His call. The feast is spread for all.

He died for you, He died for me, and shed His blood to make us free. Upon the cross of Calvary, the Savior died for me. Luke 23, 33-45 When they arrived at the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.

And they divided his clothes and cast lots. People stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing. He saved others, let him save himself, if this is the God's Messiah, the chosen one. The soldiers also mocked him. He came offering him sour wine and said, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. An inscription was above him, this is the King of the Jews. Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him. Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us. But the other answered, rebuking him, Don't you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly because we are getting back what we deserve for the things we did.

But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And he said to him, "'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun's light failed. The curtain of sanctuary was split down the middle."

Romans 3.24, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1.14, In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Peter 1.18 Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.

1 Peter 2.24 And he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by his wounds you were healed. Ephesians 1, 6-7 To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Romans 6, 22-23 But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification And the outcome? Eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8.1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8, 38-39. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So the second thing that was happening at that cross that we didn't see by looking at the Gospels was the fact that a redemption was taking place. Why do we need to be redeemed? Why is man in a position where he needs to be redeemed? Well, in Romans 3, the Lord goes and Paul goes through a very interesting description of who we all are when we don't know Christ. As it is written, there's none righteous, not even one. There is none that understands. There is none that seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become useless. There's none that does good. There is not even one.

Their throat is an open grave, and their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asses under their lips, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their paths and the path of peace they have not known. And there is no fear of God before their eyes.

I think the point here is that is man really as bad as God says he is? Yeah, he is. We try to make him look a little better than what God says he is, but that's who he is. How did he get that way? When God created Adam, he put him in charge. He made him the head of the human race. And when Adam sinned, he lost that headship to this character named Satan. And we got plunged into guilt and brought face to face with condemnation. We're entangled in the slavery of sin. We are totally and completely lost from God's perspective. And probably the easiest way to put it is that Satan now owns us.

So there's got to be a redemption. John Marchbanks, who wrote a great book on the principles of salvation, describes redemption like this. In the New Testament, the word redeem, redemption, et cetera, are translated from several different words, meaning to go to the market, to purchase, to ransom, to buy up, to rescue, to loosen. Thus, in summarizing the doctrines of redemption, we may say that it means to buy back. So what we didn't see on the cross when we watched the film is we didn't see the buyback thing being done. The present gospel of grace of God has to do with redemption, and it shows to the whole world that God loves us.

In Romans 3.24 that Josiah read, being justified as a gift by his grace, through the redemption as in Christ Jesus, justified through redemption that is in Christ.

It emphasizes the important point, namely, that those different aspects of the work of Christ and the effect that they had are intimately connected so that we cannot have one without the other. And Roger talked about that. Yet though never to be divided one from another, they are clearly to be distinguished. The part of Romans 3 that brought before us not only the guilt and condemnation of sin and man, but also the oppression. The idea is there that Paul says we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin, under it, under it.

Christ has done the great work which completely paid off all the liabilities under which we were held, all of them. And this redemption is in him for us. Colossians 1.14, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Peter 1.18 says, knowing that you were not redeemed with the perishable things like silver and gold, from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers. Where did I get that? I got it from Adam.

We now come to look at the worth of the atonement. What was the commodity that Christ or God had to be paid to God to redeem us? If you go down to your local hock shop and hock your television set, what you have to do is go redeem it with money. What was the product or what was the commodity that Christ had to have to buy us back? It was the blood of Christ. It's the most valuable commodity ever. There is nothing in this world that's more valuable than the blood of Christ. The redemption is through his blood, shed in atonement. It is that which the proper worth of atonement is declared. not redeemed with corruptible things, not redeemed with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Ephesians 1, 6 and 7 says, To the praise and glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him, in Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace.

Now, it's true that once we understand that we are in Christ and that we have all of these incredible blessings in Him, we still are going to have opposition. Satan is going to try to challenge my clearance and he's going to try to challenge my acceptance. He's going to try to challenge the redemption. He may raise all kinds of questions about what I am and what I've done, but he can never raise a question as to the worthiness or the acceptance of my Savior. The forgiven man is on altogether new ground in Christ. He's on the ground of grace. He's on the ground which was set forth in Christ.

If we apprehend this redemption, it puts our souls beyond the reach of the oppression and harassing of Satan. We've been freed. And the last part I want to talk about is Romans 8, 38 and 39 that Josiah read. It's really interesting that Paul sometimes will say things emphatically.

He says that I am convinced or I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights, nor depths, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

Do you think he got them all? Did he cover every base there? I think he did. Redemption, as we have shown, has placed us where the love of God, the love of God that planned it, planned it is, and it has done so in such a way that all the praise and glory goes to God and His grace, which is His love in action, taking us into favor in His beloved Son.

Each one of us, therefore, who knows this can say with the Apostle concerning all those things, I am persuaded. I am persuaded nothing, nothing, even my own sins can separate me from the love of God. Why? Because I'm in Christ. I'm united to him. I can never be separated from him.

Though this redemption belongs to all the saints, yet I think there's like Joshua and Caleb, the two men that at Kadesh Barnea that told the Jews, let's go into the promised land. And they wouldn't go because they didn't have the faith to go in. And 40 years later, they come back and Joshua and Caleb are still there. They're the two men of faith. They go in. These two men are the men that they maintained their faith through that 40 years. And they were the two guys that came back. The others didn't because they weren't men of faith.

And I'm convinced that our Father intends for us to know and understand what He has already provided for us in Christ. It's our life. He's our very life. Everything required for the Christian life, everything, both in time and eternity, He's provided.

He is patiently teaching us to have no faith in the old man, and to exercise all of our faith in the new man who is the Lord Jesus. We are told to do in faith what our Father has already done in fact. At the cross he freed us from the reign of sin and self. By faith in the work of the cross the old man was put off. By faith in the heavenly position in Christ the new man is put on. Hence, we're free to dwell within the very source of every spiritual blessing, which our Father has blessed us. And notice, we're to dwell there. We're not to visit. We're to go there, and we're to stay there, and we're never to leave. Next will be special music.

How deep the father's love. Anne-Marie Cady Hadley. How deep the Father's love for us How vast beyond all measure That he should give his only son To make a wretch his treasure How great the pain of searing loss The father turned his face away As wounds which mar the chosen one Many sons to glory Behold the man upon the cross My sin upon his shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life. I know that it is I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from His reward? give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom Behold the man upon a cross And I to die there with Him So I have died unto the world And to the law and the sin As there my Savior bled and died His death is now my history So I no longer live this life Love lives from within me After this Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished to fulfill the scriptures that I am thirsty a jar of full of sour wine was standing there. So he put a sponge full of sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to his mouth. Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with him.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. John 5.24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

First Corinthians 11, 31 and 34. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. John 3, 18. He who believes in him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

1 Peter 2.24 And he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we may die to sin and live to righteousness. For by his wounds you were healed.

Romans 4.25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. Thank you.

In John 19, 28 through 32, it tells about the Lord there on the cross, and it explains, he expresses, I thirst, and he talks about his last words and last actions before he dies. But there's one line, verse 30, we'd like to zero in on here. This gives a bit more understanding as to what was taking place on that very special day, that very, very good Friday. The line is, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It is finished is translated from just one Greek word, which means paid. Jesus said it in a way that tells us that He paid the price for sins for all time for everyone on the planet completely and irreversibly. The payment for our sins, yours and mine, and everyone you love and the people that you will never know, was totally done and in every way complete. And we see that Jesus did not die A victim.

He didn't succumb to his many and severe injuries. He paid for our sins voluntarily. As we see in that line, he gave his life voluntarily for you and for me. He did it because he loved us. Galatians 2.20, Ephesians 5.2 and 5.25 say, He loved and He gave. He loved us and therefore He voluntarily gave His life for us. He did it because of the joy set before Him. He gave up His spirit. His life was not taken from Him. He was crucified for us.

We have here a picture of a very large rock. It's one I hope you don't find in your driveway, for example. This is a very big rock. However big a rock it is, sin is like a rock in the road of our relationship with God and our fellowship with God. Only the rock of sin is so big that we have no way to deal with it humanly whatsoever. Not ever, not anybody. Only God could deal with the rock of sin that was in our road and Christ did it on that very, very good Friday.

He took the rock of sin out of the way for every person who believes that Christ, the Son of God, died for his or her sins and was buried and rose again. The sins are removed. As total and complete as Christ's payment for sins was for each one of us, none of that payment is applied to the one who does not believe. But the one who has placed his faith in Christ for salvation is placed into Christ. Everyone who believes the gospel, that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose again. Everyone who believes the gospel is therefore in Christ and has no condemnation from God for those sins.

That means none. That means zero. By faith, that total and complete and final payment for sin that Christ already made is applied to the one who believes. Christ did the payment entirely. It only applies to those who believe the truth of the gospel. Sins are taken out of the way. No condemnation whatsoever. It doesn't get any better than that. Now we have special music, an Easter medley by Ingrid and Vonnings.

♪♪♪ you It's time to say good-bye. It's time to say good-bye. It's time to say good-bye. It's time to say good-bye. It's time to say good-bye. It's time to say good-bye. you Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, you All right. Well, in thinking about the events that were leading up to the resurrection that we're going to be celebrating on Sunday, we have what happened last night, Thursday. And we refer to this as the Last Supper.

And it has a lot packed into it. But I think I want to focus on the symbolism of both the bread and the cup and how it relates to mankind's biggest problem in relationship to God. So the problem really, it has two parts. It's like the opposite side of the same coin. On one side, we need something we don't have, right? We need perfection. We need the highest level of goodness that makes us acceptable in God's presence. On the other side, we have something we absolutely do not want.

And that's the sin side. It's a sin problem. It's the sin nature. And because of our sin, we experience guilt, shame, pain, separation from God, and eventually the second death, which is that eternal separation from God. So the question for us is kind of twofold.

How can we get rid of our sin? And how can we gain a righteousness that is equal to God? and his righteousness, so that we can be accepted in his presence. That's what we want to know. How do we, a sinful human being, have access to a perfect and righteous God?

I think the Lord's Supper speaks to the solution. And while the disciples didn't understand at the time, and Judas was, that very night, betraying him, our Lord was sharing the bread and the cup with those who followed him. In verse 24, Jesus says of the bread, This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

You see, Jesus was the only perfect substitute capable of being a sacrifice for man's sin. In the Old Testament, the Jews were told to find that perfect, unblemished male lamb for the sacrifice of their sins. They would place their hand on the head of the lamb, picturing the transfer of man's sin to the innocent, perfect substitute. The bread represents the unblemished perfect nature of our substitute, the Lord Jesus. He's our Lamb.

Both God and man, He is perfect. Without this type of substitute, meaning one without sin, we would remain separate from God forever, trapped in our sin nature. Mike mentioned the edemic head. We would be stuck in Adam. And all that Adam's history represents, all that condemnation, all that separation, The red represents the perfect life of Christ, the capable substitute for man's problem.

He could die in our place because of this, but just because he was capable didn't mean he had to. That brings us to the cup. Verse 25. Jesus says of the wine, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. Jesus was facing the crucifixion that very next day. That's what we're remembering today. Good Friday. The cup speaks to the very blood of the Lord Jesus and how when it was shed, it would provide the forgiveness of sins.

That's Hebrews 9.22. It's the blood, meaning the very death of the perfect Lord Jesus, that satisfied God about the sin of mankind. When we take the cup, this satisfaction of God and the atoning nature of Christ, meaning the covering nature of Christ's blood, is what we remember and as believers celebrate.

We celebrate tonight because the bread and the cup are a picture of what really happened at that place called the skull, where he was crucified. It's there that he solved mankind's biggest problem. Jesus took our sin and gave us his righteousness. And so now we remember. Let's pray for the bread.

Lord, we thank you for the very life, the substitute that you were for us. Lord, we thank you that as God and man, you chose to come to this earth and satisfy the Lord in the way that not any other human being could do. It had to be you and it had to be your perfect timing and your willingness. And in all ways, you were the bread of life. You gave us spiritual life in ways that we could never have without you. And so we just want to thank you for that. It's your name we pray.

Amen. For I have received from the Lord, that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which 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. Now we'll give thanks for the cup. Lord, not only were you able to take care of our sin problem, but you did. You went to the cross out of your own free will, Lord, volunteering to die for our sins and shed the blood giving us the the very separation from the sin nature and the union with you and all that is in Christ and so we just celebrate and remember that wonderful death and what was followed by the resurrection and our placement into you it's in your name we pray amen in the same way he took the cup also after supper saying this Cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Let's stand and sing Lamb of God, three verses. The Son sent to hide, but you have sent Him from your side to walk upon this guilty sod and to be called the Lamb of God. Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the holy Lamb of God. You've washed me in His precious blood, My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Gift of love, they crucified. They laughed and scorned him as he died. The humble king, they named a fraud, and sacrificed the Lamb of God. O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the holy Lamb of God. You've washed me in His precious blood, my Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Was so lost, I should have died, That you had brought me to your side. And to be called, O Lamb of God. O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the holy Lamb of God. You've washed me in His precious blood, So I am now a Lamb of God.

Let's close our time in prayer, but just before we do, I'd like to invite you to stay afterwards. We have refreshments in the lobby, foyer, narthex, whatever word you want to use. At any rate, it's right there. So let's pray, and then we'll dismiss. Thank you, Lord, just as we gather together and close our time, this very, very good Friday celebration. We thank you for just the amazing grace that you've shown us, what you have done, Lord, to reconcile us to yourself, to redeem us, to bring us to a place of no condemnation. We just thank you for your astounding and amazing grace. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Hi. Hi. All right. Yourself? I'm good. Great. So tell me everything. Everything? Yeah. So much. Everything. That's a bit too much, huh? A bit too much.