Good Friday ~ 20200410 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

4/10 Good Friday; The Meaning of the Crucifixion; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20200410_good-friday.mp3

Readings:

Psalm 22:1, 6-8, 14-18

Isaiah 52:14; 53:2-3

Isaiah 53:4-6

Good Friday the Central Event of History

Good Friday remembers the crucifixion of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The crucifixion of Jesus is the climactic event of history. From the entrance of sin and the curse into this world in the garden of Eden to the worship in Revelation of every created thing sung throughout eternity, everything in the biblical narrative points either forward or back to the crucifixion of Jesus.

Physical Horrors of Crucifixion

We have learned some of the graphic details of the Roman practice of scourging, and the horrors of crucifixion. There have been papers written from a medical perspective on what scourging and crucifixion does to the human body.

The imagery of crucifixion evokes powerful emotions. The passion, the sufferings of Christ have become the subject of much artistic expression, attempting to capture different aspects of Jesus’ suffering and death.

Simplicity of the Gospel Accounts

But we need to be careful here. The gospel narratives are startlingly sparse of details of the crucifixion;

Matthew’s gospel records Pilate releasing to the crowds Barabbas,

Matthew 27:26 ...and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

The soldiers in the Praetorium stripped him, put a scarlet robe and crown of thorns on him, a reed in his right hand, and mocked him, spit on him and beat him, then put his own clothes back on him and led him away to crucify him (27-31). Verse 35 simply states ‘when they had crucified him…’

Mark records the same sequence of events, and says in 15:24 “and they crucified him...”

Luke records:

Luke 23:33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

It is striking the scarcity of details of the physical sufferings Jesus endured. We are given enough, enough to shake us, to horrify us. Crucifixion is where we get our word excruciating. But Jesus was not the only one to be crucified. Luke’s account tells us that there were at least 3 men crucified that day. History tells us that tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people were executed in this way. The crucified victim could take days to expire, which is why the thieves legs were broken, and Jesus’ side was pierced, to verify that he was indeed dead.

The Meaning of Jesus’ Death

It was not the physical suffering of Jesus that made his death unique. The uniqueness of Jesus’ death comes from who he was and what he came to do. The eternal Word who was with God and who was himself God became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn.1:1, 14). He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mk.10:45).

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus, being in very form God, equal with God, “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil.2:7-8).

Peter tells us “Christ... suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1Pet.3:18). Jesus died as a substitute. He, the only one righteous, suffered in place of me, the unrighteous. He did this so that I, a sinner, could be reconciled to a holy God. It was not the extend of his physical suffering that accomplished my redemption. The startling message of reconciliation is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

For my sake, for my benefit, for my eternal good he (the Father) made him (his only Son Jesus Christ) to be sin. Peter tells us he ‘bore our sins in his body on the tree’ (1Pet.2:24). Jesus took my sin, the guilt, the shame, the consequences; the sinless one was made to be sin for my sake. He took my place. He endured what I deserve.

This makes sense of his terrible cry from the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk.15:34). Jesus experienced the hell of separation from his Father, in our place, so that we could be reconciled, brought near to God.

The crucifixion of Jesus is a graphic portrayal of my sin. It shows me what I deserve.

The crucifixion is a graphic portrayal of what real love looks like. We think of love as merely a sentimental feeling, often a feeling that shifts like the wind. But God’s love is a rock solid commitment to love us quite literally to death. God’s love is a giving love, a self-sacrificial lay down your life love, pursuing the good of the other. We all want to be loved, to be pursued. We want to be loved for who we really are, not for some false image we project or is projected on us. We don’t want to be loved for some trait or quality that may fade or change. We want to be loved authentically.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Beware a Natural Response

What do you see in the crucifixion?

Octavius Winslow, a pastor in America and England in 1864 wrote:

“There must be a believing, spiritual apprehension of Christ, or sin cannot properly be seen, or seen only to plunge the observer into the depths of despair. The mere presentation of the cross to the natural eye will awaken no emotion, other than natural ones. That which is natural can only produce what is natural. Nature can never rise above itself: it invariably finds its own level. Thus, in a contemplation of the sufferings of Christ, there may in minds of deep natural sensibility, be emotion, the spectacle may affect the observer to tears – but it is nature only. ..My reader, beware of mistaking nature for grace – the emotions of a stirred sensibility – for the tears of a broken and a contrite heart.”

Do You Believe?

Beware of emotions stirred by the images of the sufferings of Christ. Beware of being moved only by the physical suffering, and missing the reason why Jesus became human. We must own ourselves sinners, fully deserving of the wrath of a just God for eternity. We must cry out ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’ And that is exactly what the cross is for. That is why Jesus came, that he who is rich in mercy and love might show his mercy to sinners who trust in Jesus alone. Are you trusting in him?

‘Whoever believes in the Son’ escapes the wrath of God and ‘has eternal life’ (Jn.3:36). Do you believe?

Are you ready to own yourself a sinner, to cry out to him for mercy? He is ready to forgive all your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He has paid the price in full. Turn to him. Believe in him. Entrust yourself to him. Today!

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org