Good Friday morning, church family. It's disappointing that we do not get to be together in person. I especially miss you during this season of Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday, which are such special services where we gather together to remember the great cost of our salvation. and to also remember that Christ has risen and the blessings that we have in fellowship with Him. And so certainly this video is a poor substitute for the worship and fellowship that we get to enjoy together in person. in person. But although we are absent in body, we are present and united in the Spirit, and we're thankful that we can at least communicate in this way, only God knows when we will be able to reunite again in person. This day is called Good Friday. And it originally took place during the Jewish Passover. Now, the Passover was a festival. By the time of the life of Jesus, Passover had been celebrated every spring for about 1,500 years. It commemorates God's rescue of His people from Egypt. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had gone to Egypt to escape the famine. And there God preserved His people, and the people even grew in number. When the famine was over, however, the king of Egypt, Pharaoh, would not let the people go. They eventually became slaves of the Egyptians, and this lasted for 400 years. So God sent a messenger, Moses, to go to Egypt and to tell Pharaoh that Yahweh was demanding that his people be released. And so that is exactly what happened. In fact, God sent the Egyptian people nine plagues to persuade them to release the people of Israel. But over and over again, Pharaoh would not allow them to go. And so God announces a tenth plague. At midnight, the firstborn of every Egyptian family would die. Exodus chapter 12 records God's instructions. On the 10th of this month, every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. If the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons. According to each man's need, you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. and they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of its remains until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it, with a belt on your waist, Your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast against all the gods of Egypt. I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance." So God here gives His people instructions to make a sacrifice, a bloody sacrifice. Blood was actually the sign on the doorposts. And the Lord says, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. So Passover was a rescue. The dead, spotless lamb was a substitute for the life of the firstborn. On that first Passover night, every Egyptian family suffered the death of the firstborn. Even Pharaoh's family was not exempt. And this led Pharaoh to relent and let God's people leave Egypt. And so, the people were now free. Yahweh had delivered them from bondage. And His judgment had passed over them in mercy. The Bible tells us that the parents of Jesus would travel to Jerusalem every year at Passover to offer a sacrifice, a lamb as a sacrifice. Jesus was able to join His mom and dad on their trip to Passover in Jerusalem when He was 12 years old. And probably, Jesus made the trip to Jerusalem every spring after that to celebrate the festival. Last Sunday, we read of Jesus' travel into Jerusalem for the very last time. As Jesus sits on the donkey and rides into the city, the crowds treat Him like a king. They wave palm branches and they shout, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. But Jesus knew what would happen to Him in Jerusalem. Even as He was traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, with His disciples, He started to tell them, this is what is going to happen while we are in Jerusalem. Jesus explained that He would be killed there. Mark says in chapter 10, Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him. Behold, He said, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles, and they will mock Him. and scourge Him and spit on Him and kill Him. And the third day, He will rise again. It's no coincidence that Jesus was crucified on Passover. John the Baptist before had called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, John 1.29. The Apostle Paul later wrote to the Corinthians, indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 1 Corinthians 5.7. The Apostle Peter said that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1.19. You see, for 1500 years, the Jewish people had gathered for Passover and they had sacrificed millions of lambs. This was a way for them to praise the Lord and remember God's deliverance in the past. But Jesus came to Jerusalem that Passover to offer the ultimate sacrifice. He would lay down His life like a spotless lamb as a substitute. The blood of Christ takes away sins and causes the judgment of God to pass over all who are forgiven. As Jesus and His disciples ate that Passover meal for the very last time, He explained that His body would be broken even as He broke the bread and distributed it for His disciples to eat. And then as they passed around the cup, Jesus told them that His blood would be shed for many. The Passover not only looked back at God's rescue from Egypt, but appointed a head to His rescue from sin. Several years after Christ's death and resurrection, the Apostle Paul received a vision of heaven. He began to weep by what he saw. His great hope was that God would fulfill all the promises He had made. That God's Word would be finally vindicated. That God's everlasting kingdom would be established. And there was a scroll that needed to be opened and enacted. But no one in heaven or earth was worthy to open the scroll. Who has the power and authority to accomplish God's final plan of redemption and restoration? And so John continues to weep. And then his tears stop when he sees a lamb. The Lamb of God. The Lamb even bears the marks of death. And John listens to the inhabitants of heaven sing, you are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And John then hears the voice of angels numbering 10,000 times, 10,000 saying, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Today, we remember the Lamb who was slain. Who was slain for us. And as we read the Scripture and sing praises to God today, we worship Him who is worthy of all of our honor and glory and blessings. Behold the Lamb, the spotless Lamb, who takes away our sin. The debt we faced was not erased, but paid in full by Him. Behold the Lamb, the bleeding Lamb, who takes away the veil. His body torn, His soul forlorn, Christ cut to God a trail. Behold the Lamb, the dying Lamb, who takes away just wrath. God saw the blood of His beloved, and over us has passed. Behold the Lamb, the risen Lamb, who takes away death's sting. All knees shall bend. All praise ascend to Christ, the living King. Good morning. This morning's scripture reading is found in Mark chapter 14, verses 12 to 25. That's Mark 14, 12 to 25. Now on the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover? And he sent out two of his disciples and said to them, go into the city and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, the teacher says, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples? Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared. There make ready for us." So his disciples went out and came into the city and found it just as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. In the evening he came with the twelve. Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with me will betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one, Is it I? And another said, Is it I? He answered and said to them, It is the one of the twelve who dips with me in the dish. The son of man indeed goes just as it is written of him. But woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, Take eat, this is my body. Then he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink of it new in the kingdom of God. This is the word of the Lord. Let's bow in a word of prayer. Father, we thank you this day for the work that you did on the cross through your Son. Thank you that from the beginning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit had a plan to redeem us and forgive us our sins. We read in your word the glimpses and shadows of how you would deal with your people's sins. The Passover was one of those shadows, as each family would take a lamb into the home to be with them for a time. then the family would sacrifice that lamb at twilight and mark the doorposts and sides and top. Passover was to be repeated continually for generations and the family would retell the exodus event. Kids would ask questions of what and why they were doing and why they were doing all of this through remembering the Passover. You were displaying something significant. you are pointing towards the sacrifice of your holy son, who was the sinless lamb given to take away our sins. We see in your word that you are holy, righteous, and just, as well as loving, merciful, and forgiving. The Day of Atonement was a one-day event where the priests would enter into the most holy place with blood to atone for the sins of the people, but the blood of goats and heifers could never wash away and make the sinner clean. The event was just a reminder to all that an animal stood in their place and died the death that they deserve. Thank you, Lord, for that picture. How can a holy, righteous, and just God forgive sin? Through your son's death on the cross, according to the plan that you enacted from the beginning, as Hebrews 9 recorded, offered himself without blemish to God, purifying our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Holiness and love were displayed on the cross, as your wrath because of sin, the sins of your people, our sin, my sin, was laid upon your son. Righteousness and mercy satisfied, justice and forgiveness balanced because of the cross. You have purchased and you have redeemed your people. When we who are yours called out to you, recognizing our sin that separated us from a holy God, that a crime had been committed, you justified us. You took from your account and gave us what we did not deserve and placed it into our account and cancelled the debt we owed. All of this was made possible through Christ Jesus and His completed work on the cross. You are worthy of being praised, the lamb that was slain. All glory and honor are due you, for you have redeemed us from the pit and made a way possible to be with you. Thank you for what you have done, and may we pause and remember what you did for us, and thank you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. ♪ Amazing grace, how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ That saved a wretch like me ♪ ♪ I once was lost, but now am found ♪ ♪ But now I see thee ♪ ♪ Your grace hath taught my heart to fear ♪ ♪ And grace my fears relieved ♪ ♪ How precious did that grace appear to me ♪ On that final verse together. we come. Behold the Lamb of God, as He was punished on the earth, was shaken when He was called upon Him. ♪ To see that you can dare ♪ ♪ Until you close your eyes ♪ ♪ Next time when I see you again ♪ ♪ I hope that you see me again ♪ ♪ I never will see you again ♪ A casual observer of Jesus may think that his death was a tragic accident. Things just didn't work out according to plan. But the Bible tells us otherwise. The death of Jesus was no unfortunate accident. In fact, it was God's plan from the very beginning. As we saw last week, Mark records three occasions where Jesus told his followers that he would be rejected and killed in Jerusalem. but Jesus also told them that He was willingly laying down His life. Referring to Himself in Mark 10.45, Jesus says, The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. The life of Jesus was not taken by jealous religious leaders or cruel Roman executioners. Rather, it was given. The life of Jesus Christ was a gift, a ransom. A ransom is a price that is paid in exchange for the release of a prisoner. As our ransom, Jesus takes our punishment for sin so that we don't have to. Through His death, He releases us from the chains of sin and death. As Jesus hung on the cross, Mark 15.33 tells us that there was darkness over the whole land for three hours, from noon until three. It is obvious that during this time, God is angry. My sin, your sin, the sin of the entire world was placed upon God's innocent Son. And during that time, Jesus cried out, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? For the first time ever, Jesus, God's Son, was abandoned by God the Father. As Jesus suffered God's wrath for our sin, He also experienced abandonment. The agony that Jesus endured is more than we can ever imagine. The prophet Isaiah foretold this 600 years earlier. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth." God the Father punished His Son on our behalf. Jesus willingly suffered in order to save us. Mark tells us in chapter 15, verse 37, that Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed His last. The hours of horrendous agony had finally ended. Jesus died as He said He would. The next verse, Mark gives us a detail of something that happened at the very same time on the other side of Jerusalem. Look at verse 38. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. What is Mark talking about and why is this important? Well, in Jerusalem, in the temple was a very special place, a room called the Most Holy Place. It represented the presence of God. And since God is holy and completely intolerant of sin, a curtain was placed at the entrance of that room as a barrier. It was a 10 meter high and about as thick as the span of your hand. And it was a gigantic keep out sign. It was a constant reminder that sinners cannot approach a holy God on their own. Only one time each year was the high priest allowed to go into the most holy place to offer a sacrifice for the people. But at the very moment that Jesus died on the cross, Mark specifically tells us that the veil, the curtain was torn in two. In fact, it was torn from top to bottom. No human being tore the curtain. God Himself tore away the barrier. It was a declaration that Jesus' death opened the way to God for sinners. Jesus Himself said in John 14.6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. In 1 Peter 3.18 we read, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust. that He might bring us to God. There is only one way to God, and it isn't by being religious, or joining a church, or living by the golden rule. The only way to God is through Christ. Are you trusting in Him? Have you accepted the gift of His payment for your ransom? Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to the cross I cling. The cross used to be a symbol of fear. The Romans used that symbol of execution to strike fear into anyone who would even think of rebelling against the government. The cross was the most gruesome means of torture. We even have an English word, excruciating. It literally means from the cross. But this symbol of suffering and shame and death is now a symbol of love and hope and forgiveness. The cross is the only bridge that spans the infinite chasm between sinful men and a holy God. Because God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, we have hope. that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. so Until you're here to wash me away May we match this grace, may we so long be near, and there not be perceived. you My life is now at home My praise, my all, shall be your righteousness Oh, oh I am still here We're going to continue our reading today from Mark chapter 15 beginning in verse 1. Immediately in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. Then Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? He answered and said to Him, It is as You say. And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Then Pilate asked him again, saying, Do you answer nothing? See how many things they testify against you. But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled. At the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested, and there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels. They had committed murder in the rebellion. Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Do you want me to release you, the king of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, What then do you want me to do with him whom you call the king of the Jews? So they cried out again, Crucify him! Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out all the more, Crucify him! So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged him to be crucified. Then the soldiers led him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison, and they clothed him with purple, and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! Then they struck him on the head with a reed and spat on him, and bowing the knee they worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear his cross. And they brought him to the place Golgotha, which is translated place of a skull. Then they gave him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but he did not take it. And when they crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. Now it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the inscription of his accusation was written above, The King of the Jews. With him they also crucified two robbers. one on his right and the other on his left. So the scripture was fulfilled which says, and he was numbered with the transgressors. And those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, Aha, you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross. Likewise, the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, He saved others. Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani, which is translated, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Some of those who stood by when they heard that said, Look, he's calling for Elijah. And someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to him to drink, saying, Let him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come to take him down. And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, truly, this man was the Son of God. From the passage that Pastor Jerry just read in Mark chapter 15, I want you to see some of the different groups that witnessed the crucifixion of Christ. How did they respond to what they saw? First, there were the Roman soldiers. They were there to do a job, and they did their job quite well. They were executioner. And this for them was just another crucifixion like hundreds or even thousands of others that they had administered. Verse 24 says of them, And when they crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. It seems that these men were most concerned about what material gain they could get out of the situation. Here they are, with God's Son right before them, suffering for the sins of mankind, and all they do is gamble for His clothes. They totally missed what was happening. These soldiers represent many people today who are just going about life performing their duties. They work at their jobs. They pay the bills. They are busy, absorbed with material things. And yet, they miss the cross and the eternal significance for them. Another group who witnessed the death of Jesus were the religious leaders. Verses 31 and 32 reveal their response. Likewise, the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, He saved others. Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross that we may see and believe. You see, these religious leaders didn't think they needed a Savior. They thought that they already knew the way to God. They considered themselves good enough to be accepted by God. Remember what Jesus said to them as they criticized His interaction with sinners? He said, those who are well have no need for a physician. The sick are the ones who have need." And then he said, "...I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentant." That is the problem with the self-righteous. They don't see themselves as sick. They have no need to be saved, to be rescued. They think they don't need help, and whatever they need, they figure that they can do it themselves. This may be one of the reasons why so many people reject Jesus and the cross. They just don't see themselves as sinners. They don't think of themselves in need of salvation. And so, they do not look to Jesus as their Savior. Then there is the Roman official Pilate. Now he knows that Jesus is innocent, and he doesn't want to punish him. The crowds say that they want the murderer Barabbas released, and they want Jesus crucified. Pilate for a while even sticks up for Jesus, but eventually he caves to their demands. Now why would this powerful Roman governor allow an innocent man to be executed? Verse 15, So Pilate wanted to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged him to be crucified. What is the reason for Pilate's response toward Jesus? He wanted to gratify the crowd. You see, Pilate was more concerned of what other people thought than doing the right thing. He was a crowd pleaser. Doesn't that describe many who have even heard the message of Christ and the cross? They know that they have a need. They understand the message of hope. They are more concerned, however, with keeping friends, of being popular. They fear that following Christ may cause them some embarrassment, and so they reject the free offer of salvation that comes through faith in Christ in order to please others. What is your response to the cross? Are you too busy like the soldiers? Are you too self-righteous like the religious leaders? Or are you too afraid like Pilate? There is one more character though that I want you to see. He is a centurion. Now the word centurion literally refers to a commander over a hundred soldiers. Certainly this man had fought in military campaigns and had oversight of many executions. He no doubt had seen many people die. But verse 39 tells us that the centurion saw something different in the death of Jesus. So when the centurion who stood opposite him saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, truly, this man was the Son of God. This Roman military official did not miss what almost everyone else did. He believed that Jesus is who he claimed to be, the Son of God. Mark begins his book by stating that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Gospel means good news. It is good news that the Son of God came to earth. And it is good news that He died on the cross. Why is that good news? Why do we call this day Good Friday? Because He died in our place. He laid down His life as a sacrifice for our sin. He paid our ransom in full. And these things are written, that you may believe, like the centurion, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And by believing, you may have life in His name." What is your response to Christ and His death on the cross? When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my riches gained I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. I stand at last here. so you is ♪ My heart will be free ♪ ♪ When all you've done has destroyed me ♪ ♪ Come pray to me and you will see ♪ ♪ That I was the one who made you free ♪ ♪ I was the one who gave you the day to be free ♪ ♪ And I shall stand from day to day ♪ I know that the Lord will look over me, and come and find my sins to be. So I lift my face to the Son of God, and all the things to be done. So that my faults should be forgiven me, and my sin overcome me. Let's close this time together in prayer. Father, we're so thankful. Words can't express our thankfulness today for what we remember. We remember that we were dead in our trespasses in sin, but because of the sacrifice of Your Son on the cross on our behalf. We don't have to be punished for our sin. In Your eyes, we're justified. And we're thankful for our salvation. We're thankful for our redemption. That You redeemed us from the slave market of iniquity. and you brought us into your family all because of what we celebrate today. Truly, for us, this day is a good day, even though it cost your son everything. We praise you and thank you for our salvation. I pray that you would continue to drive these things home in our own minds so that we never lose sight of the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. And may that make us grateful. In Jesus' name, Amen.