This is not so much a sermon but an entire service of dialog, Scripture and music all mixed together. It is of a limited "cast" due to the nature of broadcasting on FB Live. Only two people needed if one can play a guitar or other instrument. All music is Public Domain so licensing is not an issue.
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Welcome and Prayer
Good Friday is a service of remembrance
The Jewish day is from 6 PM – 6 PM
Do you know what an interventions is (explain)
The greatest intervention of all time would take place in this one single, solitary day we will be remembering tonight.
At the Cross (Eb(C – Capo 3))
Verse 1
Alas and did my Savior bleed - And did my Sov'reign die
Would He devote that sacred head - For sinners such as I
Verse 2
Was it for crimes that I have done He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity grace unknown - And love beyond degree
Verse 4
Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut His glories in
When Christ the mighty Maker died for man the creature's sin
(Steve)
One of the most famous verses in the Bible is John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“For God so loved the world”
When Jesus spoke those words He had just taught Nicodemus that he must be born again in order to have eternal life.
Now in John 3:16 Jesus is telling Nicodemus and all of us how eternal life is provided for and what we must do to find it.
“For God” (the Trinity)
“so loved” (so GREATLY) loved
“the world” (all the people who would ever live on earth”
“For God so greatly loved the world” is why what happened on that night almost 2,000 years ago took place …
Let’s watch God’s great love for the people of the world in action as we walk through the events of that night.
The Last Supper:
- This is the first meal of the Passover observance
- Jesus sends Peter and John ahead to prepare the meal
- Jesus washes the feet of the disciples as a servant
- Jesus teaches the disciples
- During the meal Jesus breaks the bread and passes it saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
- Jesus passes the cup to His disciples saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”
- Jesus says He will be betrayed
- In the middle of all of this the disciples argue about which of them is considered to be the greatest!
- Jesus tells Peter that he will deny even knowing Jesus
- Jesus prays for His disciples
- They sing a hymn and leave
(Karenlee)
God so greatly loved Peter, James and John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
Yes … God so greatly loved them that He gave His only Begotten Son …
Wounded For Me (C – Capo 1)
Verse 1
C F G C
Wounded for me wounded for me
Am D G
There on the cross He was wounded for me
C Dm
Gone my transgressions and now I am free
F#om C G C
All because Jesus was wounded for me
Verse 2
C F G C
Dying for me dying for me
Am D G
There on the cross He was dying for me
C Dm
Now in His death my redemption I see
F#om C G C
All because Jesus was dying for me
(Karenlee)
Next we go to the Garden of Gethsemane.
- Jesus leaves eight of His disciples in one place and takes Peter, James and John further with Him.
- Jesus tells Peter, James and John, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”
- Jesus prays repeatedly, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”
- The disciples sleep …
- A mob armed with clubs and swords sent from the Jewish leaders comes to arrest Jesus
- Judas identifies Jesus to the mob with a kiss
- The mob arrests Jesus and takes Him to the chief priest
(Steve)
For God so greatly loved the disciples who couldn’t stay awake …
For God so greatly loved the Jewish leaders who sent the mob …
For God so greatly loved those with clubs and swords …
… that He gave His One and Only Son … for them …
Song - When I Survey (C – Capo 1)
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
(Steve)
- Jesus is taken to the Jewish leaders where they hold an inquisition trying to find cause to put Him to death
- The convict Him of heresy and could stone him right there but they don’t want that; they want Him hung on a cross
- They send Jesus to Pilate where He is questioned
- Pilate finds no charge for Him to be put to death and sends Jesus to Herod for judgment
- Herod wants to see a miracle but Jesus will not cooperate so Herod mocks and abuses Jesus, puts a royal robe on Him as a joke and sends Him back to Pilate
- Pilate wants to have Jesus whipped and released but the crowd shouts, “Crucify Him!”
- Pilate makes them choose whether they want him to release Jesus or Barabbas who was a murdering insurrectionists
- Pilate wanted to release Jesus but was afraid that a riot was about to start
(Karenlee)
Matthew 27:24-26 says,
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!
“All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’
“Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.”
For God so greatly loved the Jewish leadership that He gave ...
For God so greatly loved those in the mob that arrested Jesus that he gave ...
For God so greatly loved Pilate …
For God so greatly loved Herod …
For God so greatly loved those who punched Jesus and those who put a crown of thorns on His head and those who falsely accused Him and those who spat in His face and those who beat Him over the head with a rod …
And God so greatly loved those who chained Jesus to a post and those who whipped Him nearly to death and those made the cross for Him to die on …
Yes, God so greatly loved all of them that He sent Jesus to do what would happen next …
Song - O Sacred Head Now Wounded (Em – Capo 1)
O sacred Head now wounded
With grief and shame weighed down
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns Thine only crown
O sacred Head what glory
What bliss till now was Thine
Yet tho' despised and gory - I joy to call Thee mine
What Thou my Lord hast suffered
Was all for sinners' gain
Mine, mine was the transgression
But Thine the deadly pain
Lo here I fall my Savior - 'Tis I deserve Thy place
Look on me with Thy favor - And grant to me Thy grace
(Karenlee)
Mark 15:21-41 (the crucifixion)
(Steve)
- For God so greatly loved Simon of Cyrene who helped Him carry His cross …
- For God so greatly loved those who nailed Jesus to the cross …
- For God so greatly loved those who taunted Jesus …
- For God so greatly loved those who were crucified with Jesus
- For God so greatly loved the centurion who proclaimed Jesus’ rightful title as the Son of God …
- For God so greatly loved the disciples and the women who loved Jesus so much that they were willing to endure the crucifixion just in order to spend more time in His presence
Song - Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Upon the cross of Jesus - Mine eyes at times can see
The very dying form of One - Who suffered there for me
And from my smitten heart with tears
These wonders I confess
The wonder of His glorious love - And my unworthiness
There lies beneath its shadow - but on the farther side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross
Two arms outstretched to save
Like a watchman set to guard the way - from that eternal grave
I love the way that last verse describes the indescribably horrid eternity awaited us if it was not for the fact that “God so greatly loved the world that He gave His one and only Son …”
But there is one more thing before this devastating day is over …
(Karenlee)
John 19:38-42
(Steve)
After all of the terrible events of the day that we are remembering isn’t it wonderful to see someone caring for Jesus even if it is in His burial.
For God so greatly loved all of the people who had fought so hard to have Jesus put to death that He gave His One and Only Son …
And God so greatly loved those who saw it all and were unable to stop it from happening …
Here is where the rubber meets the road …
For God so greatly loved you and me …
John 3:16-18 (recite)
The Old Rugged Cross
Verse 1
On a hill far away - Stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suff'ring and shame
And I love that old cross - Where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain
Chorus
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
Verse 2
Oh the old rugged cross - So despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God - Left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary
Final words:
Just imagine if that was the end of the story.
If that was the end of the story Jesus would only be a small foot note in the pages of history. The whole event would be forgotten as just one more radical nut proclaiming that he was god.
We know what happened three days later right?
But as we leave just try to put yourselves into the mindset of Jesus’ disciples …
Jesus is dead …
Hope is gone …
We might be the next ones on a cross …
As one of Jesus’ unnamed disciples said three days later, “we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel”
Do you realize that God so greatly loves you that He gave Jesus, His One and Only Son, so that you may have eternal life?
Final comments and prayer.
