WEBVTT 00:00:00.300 --> 00:00:04.059 Good evening, everybody. How are you all doing 00:00:04.059 --> 00:00:09.539 tonight? Blessed. I am good as well. Well, I'm 00:00:09.539 --> 00:00:11.519 excited to see all of you here tonight as we 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:15.539 are gathered to remember the death of Jesus Christ 00:00:15.539 --> 00:00:20.809 and reflect on why he had to die. We are going 00:00:20.809 --> 00:00:23.550 to be taking communion tonight, and so for all 00:00:23.550 --> 00:00:25.570 of you in the room, we will be serving communion 00:00:25.570 --> 00:00:27.670 at the tail end of our service. If you are watching 00:00:27.670 --> 00:00:30.329 online tonight, I encourage you to get a hold 00:00:30.329 --> 00:00:33.770 of your communion emblems and be ready to partake 00:00:33.770 --> 00:00:38.170 with us later on. Today, if you do a Google search, 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:40.469 you will find that there is an estimated over 00:00:40.469 --> 00:00:45.789 145 ,000 cemeteries in the United States. The 00:00:45.789 --> 00:00:49.710 death care industry is said to generate 28. billion 00:00:49.710 --> 00:00:54.409 dollars a year. One of the most expensive caskets 00:00:54.409 --> 00:00:58.990 ever made cost $400 ,000. And the most expensive 00:00:58.990 --> 00:01:02.789 funeral on record is the funeral of Alexander 00:01:02.789 --> 00:01:05.530 the Great, which is estimated to be about $600 00:01:05.530 --> 00:01:10.519 million in today's money. Now, thankfully, the 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:12.540 average cost of a funeral here in California 00:01:12.540 --> 00:01:16.799 is about $7 ,000 to $12 ,000. But even so, that 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:19.040 is why my mom is fond of telling me that when 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:21.920 her time comes to pass, to bury her in the backyard. 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:25.060 And I tell her, Mom, I can't do that. That is 00:01:25.060 --> 00:01:28.739 illegal. And so we'll figure out something else. 00:01:29.579 --> 00:01:32.159 When it comes to, you know, the ideas of death 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:34.799 and burial, obviously on Good Friday, we're here 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:37.260 to remember what Jesus did on the cross, his 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:40.980 death on the cross for our sin. And biblically, 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:43.340 when you look at this concept throughout the 00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:45.819 Bible, one of the things you will find is that 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:50.120 caves are often seen as places of burial throughout 00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:53.359 Scripture. For example, Abraham, he purchased 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.739 the caves of Machpelah to be a burial place for 00:01:56.739 --> 00:01:59.459 his wife, where he himself was eventually buried. 00:01:59.700 --> 00:02:02.400 His son Isaac and his wife Rebekah was buried 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:05.060 there, and Jacob and Leah were buried there as 00:02:05.060 --> 00:02:08.099 well. Now, even in ancient times and sometimes, 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:10.860 you know, today in places where they still use 00:02:10.860 --> 00:02:14.400 caves as burial sites, they would call the more 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.500 fancier ones tombs because the cave wouldn't 00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:19.860 just be a hole in the rock, but they would actually 00:02:19.860 --> 00:02:23.719 carve out benches and seats and vegetables in 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:27.419 the side to put people's bodies in. Now, you 00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:30.360 know, obviously caves in this context and burial 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:34.099 and funerals and tombs and graves, all of that 00:02:34.099 --> 00:02:37.620 makes us think of death. Those things are associated 00:02:37.620 --> 00:02:40.400 with death, and they should remind us of the 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:44.520 greatest statistic ever. The statistic that one 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:48.199 out of every one human will not make it out of 00:02:48.199 --> 00:02:51.360 this earth alive. That is the truest statistic 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:55.939 that has ever been. But not only do caves biblically 00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:58.120 and graves and tombs make us think of death, 00:02:58.300 --> 00:03:02.639 they are also pictures of separation and isolation, 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:08.969 pictures of hiding. and fear and darkness. For 00:03:08.969 --> 00:03:11.449 example, the first mention of a cave in scripture 00:03:11.449 --> 00:03:13.750 is a story that we've been studying here in our 00:03:13.750 --> 00:03:17.090 church lately, the story of Lot. At the very 00:03:17.090 --> 00:03:20.050 end of Lot's story, as he was fleeing Sodom and 00:03:20.050 --> 00:03:22.849 Gomorrah and ended up fleeing to a town called 00:03:22.849 --> 00:03:26.490 Zoar, and then fled Zoar because he was afraid 00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:28.830 of the people there, it tells us that he ended 00:03:28.830 --> 00:03:33.310 up in a cave. This man whose very sad life started 00:03:33.310 --> 00:03:37.629 out with every opportunity to be good, to do 00:03:37.629 --> 00:03:40.830 good, to be righteous, to honor God with his 00:03:40.830 --> 00:03:44.349 life, ended up having a story that is full of 00:03:44.349 --> 00:03:48.250 compromise, full of pursuit of material wealth. 00:03:48.969 --> 00:03:52.210 His life was one of being a Christian man, a 00:03:52.210 --> 00:03:56.210 believing man who tolerated sin, and ultimately 00:03:56.210 --> 00:04:00.360 his story ended in isolation. separation, hiding 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:05.379 in fear in a dark, cold cave. And that picture 00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:08.560 was a picture not just of his sad life, but a 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:11.960 picture of the life of everybody who chooses 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:15.879 to walk away from the light of God. That we find 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:19.360 ourselves in a place of dying spirituality. We 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:21.720 find ourselves in a place of darkness and fear 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.660 as we find ourselves separated from God in ways 00:04:24.660 --> 00:04:27.579 that we never intended. One of the other stories 00:04:27.579 --> 00:04:29.939 in Scripture about a cave is the man Elijah, 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:33.980 the great prophet, who after being a part of 00:04:33.980 --> 00:04:37.040 this amazing display of God's power up on the 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:40.079 mountain of Carmel, where God's fire came down 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:43.279 and he was a part of this dramatic display of 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:45.879 God wiping out the prophets of the false god 00:04:45.879 --> 00:04:50.560 Baal, right after this story we read in his story 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:54.470 that he fled to a cave. where he cowered in fear 00:04:54.470 --> 00:04:57.769 and despair, running away from the crazy Queen 00:04:57.769 --> 00:05:01.230 Jezebel. Well, as I've said, the story of Good 00:05:01.230 --> 00:05:06.009 Friday ends, it concludes with the dead body 00:05:06.009 --> 00:05:08.829 of Jesus Christ being laid to rest in a cave. 00:05:09.490 --> 00:05:12.850 The borrowed tomb of a rich man carved out of 00:05:12.850 --> 00:05:16.009 the rock, a man who believed in him and requested 00:05:16.009 --> 00:05:20.750 his body after he died on the cross. But in Jesus' 00:05:20.910 --> 00:05:23.250 body going into that cave, we see a very important 00:05:23.250 --> 00:05:27.730 picture. A picture of our God who paid the price 00:05:27.730 --> 00:05:30.930 for our sin and then himself descended into the 00:05:30.930 --> 00:05:34.370 darkness of the caves of our life where his dead 00:05:34.370 --> 00:05:37.589 body who died the death we should have died laid 00:05:37.589 --> 00:05:41.269 to rest. And in that we see him entering into 00:05:41.269 --> 00:05:45.769 the places of fear and isolation and separation 00:05:45.769 --> 00:05:49.600 and desperation and despair in our lives. But 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:51.480 the beautiful point of the story of God Friday 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:55.399 is he did all of that to set us free from the 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:58.480 power of sin and death. He did all of that to 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:00.600 come into the dark places of our lives and to 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:05.019 show us the way out. And that is an amazing thing 00:06:05.019 --> 00:06:07.199 to celebrate, and that is why we call this Friday 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:10.500 Good Friday. We're going to be going through 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:12.139 that tonight, but before we do that, we have 00:06:12.139 --> 00:06:14.540 a very special guest here to lead us in worship. 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.660 Dennis Agajanian, multi -award winning Christian 00:06:17.660 --> 00:06:21.000 country artist, has traveled the world with Franklin 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:24.259 Graham, has led himself through his music ministry 00:06:24.259 --> 00:06:28.120 thousands and thousands to the Lord. He was telling 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:30.019 me just the other day playing a concert, he got 00:06:30.019 --> 00:06:33.720 to lead this individual who was a hell's angel, 00:06:33.860 --> 00:06:36.480 came to him and said, I've accepted Jesus Christ. 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.050 That is the power of God. But I know that Dennis' 00:06:41.230 --> 00:06:43.769 most important thing that he would share with 00:06:43.769 --> 00:06:46.329 anybody is not the awards, not the accolades, 00:06:46.350 --> 00:06:49.050 not the wonderful music career, but the most 00:06:49.050 --> 00:06:51.089 important thing he would tell you is that God 00:06:51.089 --> 00:06:54.310 loves him. That his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:57.230 died for him and set him free forever. And so 00:06:57.230 --> 00:06:59.250 tonight he's going to lead us in worship and 00:06:59.250 --> 00:07:01.829 after that we'll get into the word of God and 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:03.709 then take communion together. So let's pray. 00:07:03.949 --> 00:07:07.949 Father, we love you. God, we're so grateful. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:12.819 that you had a plan before any of us existed 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:18.019 to save us. Lord, that from the very beginning, 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:22.199 as Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, brought 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:24.759 death into the world, death into our lives, and 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:27.660 ultimately the death of our spirit as our connection 00:07:27.660 --> 00:07:32.319 with you was separated, you had a plan to redeem 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.240 us, to restore us, God, because, Lord, the power 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:39.040 of sin and death has a grip that we can't do 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:43.420 anything about. And so, Lord, you planned and 00:07:43.420 --> 00:07:46.480 you came. You lived a perfect life on this earth, 00:07:46.660 --> 00:07:51.220 but then you went as a substitution for us and 00:07:51.220 --> 00:07:54.339 died the death we should have died for our sins. 00:07:56.060 --> 00:07:58.839 Lord, it is because you died in our place that 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.959 we have the opportunity to be set free from the 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:04.639 power of sin and death, to have those chains 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:07.579 and shackles torn away, God. That we would then 00:08:07.579 --> 00:08:10.259 be able to follow you who didn't stay in the 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:13.379 grave but was risen again. That we could follow 00:08:13.379 --> 00:08:17.779 you out into life and light. God, this Friday 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:21.379 is truly a good Friday because you did that voluntarily 00:08:21.379 --> 00:08:24.319 for us because you loved us. And Lord, we want 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:27.120 to worship you for it. We love you so much and 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:29.480 we thank you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.820 Good Friday. You know, in the beginning, there 00:08:33.820 --> 00:08:37.580 were no graves. There were no burials, there 00:08:37.580 --> 00:08:42.860 were no tombs, no funerals. In the beginning, 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:45.659 it was Adam and Eve created in the image of God, 00:08:45.899 --> 00:08:50.620 existing as caretakers of a perfect creation, 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:55.799 existing in eternal light, the presence of God 00:08:55.799 --> 00:09:00.100 in perfect fellowship and perfect unity, always 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:04.860 knowing perfect peace and perfect joy. and perfect 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:08.799 happiness. But in this perfection surrounded 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:13.259 by paradise, the Garden of Eden, they were given 00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:17.179 a mandate to be fruitful, to multiply, to fill 00:09:17.179 --> 00:09:21.240 the earth. Ultimately, to create a human race, 00:09:21.299 --> 00:09:23.980 a population of people who would live in perfect 00:09:23.980 --> 00:09:27.259 harmony with God Almighty, praising and worshiping 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:30.960 Him for all time. And in this garden, there was 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:35.049 but one rule. Do not eat. of the tree of the 00:09:35.049 --> 00:09:39.269 knowledge of good and evil. Satan, however, deceived 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:44.070 Eve, and she ate of the tree, and then gave to 00:09:44.070 --> 00:09:46.090 her husband, who also ate of the tree, and the 00:09:46.090 --> 00:09:49.070 moment they did, their eyes were opened. They 00:09:49.070 --> 00:09:53.509 truly knew good and evil, but at great cost, 00:09:53.710 --> 00:09:57.990 because their disobedience to God's one and only 00:09:57.990 --> 00:10:03.879 command was sin. disobedience to God, and that 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:08.299 sin brought death into the world, corrupting 00:10:08.299 --> 00:10:13.720 man's nature into just a desire to pursue wickedness, 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:18.960 to pursue selfishness, to pursue its own deity, 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:23.659 casting off any need for God. For man, of course, 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.820 was the one with the greatest wisdom. And with 00:10:26.820 --> 00:10:29.620 their innocence gone, the Bible tells us that 00:10:29.620 --> 00:10:33.210 they realized their nakedness, they sewed fig 00:10:33.210 --> 00:10:36.049 leaves together to cover themselves, and they 00:10:36.049 --> 00:10:40.590 hid. The first moment of hiding. The first moment 00:10:40.590 --> 00:10:43.350 of mankind trying to shield itself from God who 00:10:43.350 --> 00:10:48.509 knew all things. Hiding in shame. Trying to isolate 00:10:48.509 --> 00:10:51.049 themselves in their guilt from a God who loved 00:10:51.049 --> 00:10:54.730 them. This corruption resulted in the death of 00:10:54.730 --> 00:10:57.980 their spirit. Their spirit being that element 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:02.379 of their being which connected them to God. That 00:11:02.379 --> 00:11:04.620 element of their being which allowed them to 00:11:04.620 --> 00:11:08.679 dwell in his presence in perfect fellowship with 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:13.440 him. But not only did their spirit die, death 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:17.620 entered into all of creation. Everything, including 00:11:17.620 --> 00:11:20.000 their physical bodies, which were once eternal, 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:23.480 meant to live forever, would now experience sickness 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:29.919 and disease. and decay and death. And we have 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:34.019 to understand, death isn't just an end like many 00:11:34.019 --> 00:11:37.600 people view it today. Death, biblically, is a 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:42.299 separation. You see, because of Adam, we're all 00:11:42.299 --> 00:11:47.340 born spiritually dead. We were made in the image 00:11:47.340 --> 00:11:51.820 of our creator, who is a trinity, Father and 00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:54.039 the Son and the Holy Spirit. We were made in 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:58.710 his image. having a body and a soul and a spirit. 00:12:00.889 --> 00:12:03.610 But because of Adam's sin in the garden, our 00:12:03.610 --> 00:12:08.129 spirit died, meaning that the spirit that connected 00:12:08.129 --> 00:12:10.529 us to our creator was now severed and we were 00:12:10.529 --> 00:12:14.250 separated from him spiritually. Every single 00:12:14.250 --> 00:12:17.210 one of us will die physically one day because 00:12:17.210 --> 00:12:22.659 the wages of sin is also a physical death. That 00:12:22.659 --> 00:12:25.379 as death entered into the world, everything started 00:12:25.379 --> 00:12:30.659 to die. Every year as I get older, I find how 00:12:30.659 --> 00:12:34.039 little I could continue to do. I used to be able 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:38.299 to go snowboarding and crash spectacularly. And 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:41.200 be like, oh, I'm fine two days later. Now I get 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:43.279 up from the couch too fast and that's it for 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:49.019 a week. Pulling my hamstring, right? Death entered 00:12:49.019 --> 00:12:54.000 in. Decay entered in. When our physical bodies 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:59.299 started to die, what that meant is that our soul 00:12:59.299 --> 00:13:03.000 would one day be separated from our body and 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.759 that soul, which is eternal, the eternal part 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:09.139 of us, would stand before God Almighty, our creator. 00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:13.159 And if we reach that point without our spirit 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.960 being made alive and reconnected with God, well, 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:19.610 that results in the ultimate separation. where 00:13:19.610 --> 00:13:23.629 our soul will be separated from God forever to 00:13:23.629 --> 00:13:26.769 experience judgment and suffering in hell forever. 00:13:27.950 --> 00:13:32.549 The Bible calls that the second death. It's not 00:13:32.549 --> 00:13:36.230 a ceasing to exist. It's an existing forever 00:13:36.230 --> 00:13:39.649 without connection to the life -giving Spirit 00:13:39.649 --> 00:13:44.370 of God Almighty. And in hell, we will be isolated 00:13:44.370 --> 00:13:49.110 in darkness. In shame, in guilt, suffering the 00:13:49.110 --> 00:13:51.529 just penalty that is due to us because of our 00:13:51.529 --> 00:13:54.409 sin. Now this condition of sin has been passed 00:13:54.409 --> 00:13:57.730 down from mother to child ever since the very 00:13:57.730 --> 00:14:00.309 beginning. It's a condition that every single 00:14:00.309 --> 00:14:02.490 one of us suffer from today and we could do nothing 00:14:02.490 --> 00:14:06.289 about. Because the corruption of sin that is 00:14:06.289 --> 00:14:10.350 within us, a part of our nature, is total. We 00:14:10.350 --> 00:14:14.490 are all guilty. And as guilty people, we deserve 00:14:14.490 --> 00:14:20.009 the penalty for breaking God's law. Now the Bible 00:14:20.009 --> 00:14:24.350 tells us the wages of sin is death. And the Bible 00:14:24.350 --> 00:14:26.289 also says that without the shedding of blood, 00:14:26.389 --> 00:14:30.429 there is no remission of sin. But the problem 00:14:30.429 --> 00:14:33.169 is, is there is nothing we could do, no work, 00:14:33.169 --> 00:14:37.210 no sacrifice. No amount of blood that can be 00:14:37.210 --> 00:14:39.710 shed from an animal or from ourselves, none of 00:14:39.710 --> 00:14:44.860 it. would suffice. Because everything we could 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.720 possibly give to pay the price for our sin comes 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:52.259 from a corrupted people. Which means everything 00:14:52.259 --> 00:14:56.960 we could possibly give is corrupted. It would 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.360 be nothing that would satisfy the perfect, holy, 00:14:59.539 --> 00:15:03.580 pure righteousness of God. And it would never 00:15:03.580 --> 00:15:07.620 suffice to atone for our sin. But God knowing 00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:12.879 that, In God loving us still in the midst of 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:17.480 our sin, God loving us beyond any love we will 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:20.860 ever experience, his creation, he had a plan 00:15:20.860 --> 00:15:25.139 to deal with that problem. He had a plan to deal 00:15:25.139 --> 00:15:28.240 with sin. He had a plan to deal with the grave, 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.659 death, which would keep us separated from God 00:15:31.659 --> 00:15:36.440 forever. And it was a plan that would fully satisfy 00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:42.590 his justice. Because he is a just God. And those 00:15:42.590 --> 00:15:44.950 of us that have broken his law, we deserve to 00:15:44.950 --> 00:15:47.870 pay the penalty. That is justice. But he had 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:49.669 a plan that would satisfy that while allowing 00:15:49.669 --> 00:15:53.570 fully for grace and mercy and forgiveness at 00:15:53.570 --> 00:15:56.629 the same time. The plan is, the plan was that 00:15:56.629 --> 00:16:00.429 he would send his son. The second person of the 00:16:00.429 --> 00:16:03.230 Trinity, God the Son, would come to this earth, 00:16:03.450 --> 00:16:10.080 clothe himself in flesh. Live as a human, setting 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:12.980 aside his divinity but still fully God, living 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:16.980 without sin, never erring in one single point 00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:23.299 of the law, perfect in every way. And yet, he 00:16:23.299 --> 00:16:27.480 would go to the cross to die in our place. He 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:31.139 would be the one to serve as a substitute for 00:16:31.139 --> 00:16:35.980 us. He would die in our place, the death that 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:41.860 we deserve to die. for being sinners. And he 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:46.019 would die for us the guilty, that God's justice 00:16:46.019 --> 00:16:48.460 would be satisfied, that his holiness would be 00:16:48.460 --> 00:16:52.519 honored, and yet allowing for that love, that 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.279 grace, that mercy and forgiveness to be extended 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:59.879 to us. He did that so that we, his creation through 00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:03.100 faith, could be forgiven of our sin because there 00:17:03.100 --> 00:17:05.440 was nothing we could do to pay the price for 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:09.009 it. But if God who is perfect paid the price, 00:17:09.230 --> 00:17:14.190 if God who is perfect said, that sin debt that 00:17:14.190 --> 00:17:17.210 you owe, I've wiped it clean. I've offered the 00:17:17.210 --> 00:17:21.109 sacrifice that was perfect and I want to give 00:17:21.109 --> 00:17:26.589 that to you. He did all of that so that we could 00:17:26.589 --> 00:17:30.210 be forgiven. The penalty haven't been paid and 00:17:30.210 --> 00:17:35.069 our dead spirit could be reborn, made alive again, 00:17:35.150 --> 00:17:39.730 resurrected. To have the opportunity to be reconnected 00:17:39.730 --> 00:17:42.970 with our creator, God Almighty. To have fellowship 00:17:42.970 --> 00:17:46.730 with the one who loves us so much. But before 00:17:46.730 --> 00:17:49.450 he could defeat death, before he could defeat 00:17:49.450 --> 00:17:51.650 the penalty of sin and force it to release its 00:17:51.650 --> 00:17:57.230 hold on us, before he could do any of that, before 00:17:57.230 --> 00:18:00.730 he would come out of the grave, alive again, 00:18:00.829 --> 00:18:04.210 risen, having defeated sin and death forever, 00:18:04.349 --> 00:18:07.059 before all of that, He had to go into the grave. 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.960 He had to go into the darkness where we were 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:16.220 shackled so that he could lead us to the exit. 00:18:17.380 --> 00:18:20.759 So he could show us the way out. This is what 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:25.220 Good Friday is all about. About him dying on 00:18:25.220 --> 00:18:27.579 the cross for our sins. About him being buried. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:31.440 His descent into the darkness. Our darkness. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:37.160 Your darkness and my darkness to save us. And 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.420 so what I want to do is just read to you guys 00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:42.640 a harmonized version of what took place this 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:45.779 night. Harmonized means it's pulling from all 00:18:45.779 --> 00:18:48.500 four Gospels, because I really do believe that 00:18:48.500 --> 00:18:51.859 the Word of God speaks for itself. And so starting 00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:55.480 in Luke chapter 23, it says this, Pilate called 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:58.480 together the chief priests, the leaders, and 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:01.279 the people, and he said to them, you have brought 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:04.529 me this man as one who misleads the people. But 00:19:04.529 --> 00:19:06.650 in fact, after examining him in your presence, 00:19:06.769 --> 00:19:09.349 I have found no grounds to charge this man with 00:19:09.349 --> 00:19:12.890 those things you accuse him of. Neither is Herod, 00:19:12.890 --> 00:19:16.210 because he sent him back to us. Clearly, he has 00:19:16.210 --> 00:19:20.170 done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will 00:19:20.170 --> 00:19:24.289 have him whipped and then release him. Then they 00:19:24.289 --> 00:19:27.089 all cried together, take this man away, release 00:19:27.089 --> 00:19:31.400 Barabbas to us. He, Barabbas, had been thrown 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:33.700 into prison for a rebellion that had taken place 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:38.779 in the city and for murder. But wanting to release 00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:42.420 Jesus, Pilate addressed them again. But they 00:19:42.420 --> 00:19:47.759 kept shouting, crucify, crucify him. A third 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.240 time he said to them, why? What has this man 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:54.400 done wrong? I have found in him no grounds for 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:57.720 the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:01.109 whipped. and then release him. But they kept 00:20:01.109 --> 00:20:03.549 up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that 00:20:03.549 --> 00:20:07.890 he be crucified, and their voices won out. So 00:20:07.890 --> 00:20:11.869 Pilate decided to grant their demand. Wanting 00:20:11.869 --> 00:20:14.789 to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas 00:20:14.789 --> 00:20:18.250 to them. And after having Jesus flogged, he handed 00:20:18.250 --> 00:20:21.809 him over to be crucified. Then the governor's 00:20:21.809 --> 00:20:23.869 soldiers took Jesus into the governor's residence 00:20:23.869 --> 00:20:26.930 and gathered the whole company around him. They 00:20:26.930 --> 00:20:29.529 stripped him. and dressed him in a scarlet robe. 00:20:30.210 --> 00:20:32.809 They twisted together a crown of thorns and put 00:20:32.809 --> 00:20:35.329 it on his head and placed a staff in his right 00:20:35.329 --> 00:20:39.069 hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked 00:20:39.069 --> 00:20:42.809 him, Hail, King of the Jews! Then they spat on 00:20:42.809 --> 00:20:45.750 him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on 00:20:45.750 --> 00:20:48.950 the head. After they mocked him, they stripped 00:20:48.950 --> 00:20:51.490 him of the robe, put his own clothes back on 00:20:51.490 --> 00:20:55.579 him, and led him away to crucify him. As they 00:20:55.579 --> 00:20:59.059 led him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian who 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:01.140 was coming in from the country and laid the cross 00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:05.319 on him to carry behind Jesus. Two others, criminals, 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:10.000 were also led away to be executed with him. They 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.660 brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:16.000 means place of the skull. They tried to give 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:18.720 him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:21.940 it. And there they crucified him and two others 00:21:21.940 --> 00:21:25.019 with him. One on either side with Jesus in the 00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:29.019 middle. Pilate also had a sign made and put on 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:33.240 the cross. It said, Jesus of Nazareth, the King 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:36.519 of the Jews. Many of the Jews read the sign because 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:39.180 the place where Jesus was crucified was near 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:41.980 the city and it was written in Aramaic and Latin 00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:46.119 and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:49.119 to Pilate, don't write the King of the Jews. 00:21:50.190 --> 00:21:53.349 but that he said, I am the king of the Jews. 00:21:54.690 --> 00:21:57.430 Pilate replied, what I have written, I have written. 00:21:59.410 --> 00:22:02.769 Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, because 00:22:02.769 --> 00:22:05.289 they do not know what they are doing. And they 00:22:05.289 --> 00:22:09.289 divided his clothes and cast lots. This happened 00:22:09.289 --> 00:22:11.230 that the scripture might be fulfilled that says, 00:22:11.349 --> 00:22:13.509 they divided my clothes among themselves and 00:22:13.509 --> 00:22:16.069 they cast lots for my clothing. This is what 00:22:16.069 --> 00:22:19.970 the soldiers did. Those who passed by were yelling 00:22:19.970 --> 00:22:22.150 insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, 00:22:22.250 --> 00:22:24.869 you who destroyed the temple and rebuilt it in 00:22:24.869 --> 00:22:28.750 three days, save yourself. If you are the son 00:22:28.750 --> 00:22:32.849 of God, come down from the cross. In the same 00:22:32.849 --> 00:22:35.490 way, the chief priests with the scribes and the 00:22:35.490 --> 00:22:38.869 elders mocked him and said, he saved others, 00:22:38.930 --> 00:22:42.369 but he cannot save himself. He is the king of 00:22:42.369 --> 00:22:45.069 Israel. Let him come down now from the cross 00:22:45.069 --> 00:22:48.210 and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. 00:22:48.269 --> 00:22:51.690 Let God rescue him now if he takes pleasure in 00:22:51.690 --> 00:22:56.589 him. For he said, I am the son of God. Then one 00:22:56.589 --> 00:22:59.230 of the criminals hanging there began to yell 00:22:59.230 --> 00:23:02.849 insults at him. Aren't you the Messiah? Save 00:23:02.849 --> 00:23:06.950 yourself and us. But the other answered, rebuking 00:23:06.950 --> 00:23:11.930 him. Don't you even fear God? Since you are undergoing 00:23:11.930 --> 00:23:16.190 the same punishment, we are punished justly. 00:23:16.689 --> 00:23:18.910 because we're getting back what we deserve for 00:23:18.910 --> 00:23:20.670 the things we did, but this man has done nothing 00:23:20.670 --> 00:23:26.329 wrong. Then he said, Jesus, remember me when 00:23:26.329 --> 00:23:29.450 you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, 00:23:29.470 --> 00:23:31.970 truly, I tell you, today you will be with me 00:23:31.970 --> 00:23:35.670 in paradise. When it was noon, darkness came 00:23:35.670 --> 00:23:37.710 over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 00:23:39.470 --> 00:23:41.730 And about three in the afternoon, Jesus cried 00:23:41.730 --> 00:23:49.539 out with a loud voice, Eli, Eli. That is, my 00:23:49.539 --> 00:23:54.279 God, my God, why have you abandoned me? When 00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:55.920 some of those standing there heard this, they 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:59.940 said, he's calling for Elijah. After this, when 00:23:59.940 --> 00:24:01.740 Jesus knew that everything was now finished, 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:03.920 that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:07.960 I'm thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was sitting 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:10.779 there, and so they mixed, or so they fixed a 00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:13.200 sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch and 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:16.500 held it up to his mouth. When Jesus had received 00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:21.180 the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And Jesus 00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:25.440 called out with a loud voice, Father, into your 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:29.940 hands I entrust my spirit. Saying this, he breathed 00:24:29.940 --> 00:24:33.339 his last. You know, there are scoffers today 00:24:33.339 --> 00:24:37.799 that dare say that Jesus didn't really die. He 00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:42.099 just hung on the cross, passed out. You know, 00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:44.960 but, you know, he survived the whole thing. He 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:48.920 didn't really die. And one of the things I want 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:52.859 to read to you now is really a summary from a 00:24:52.859 --> 00:24:55.880 medical doctor who analyzed the crucifixion, 00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:59.259 the method of death that Jesus underwent on the 00:24:59.259 --> 00:25:02.980 cross. And it really points out a few things 00:25:02.980 --> 00:25:08.380 for me. One, yeah, he died. Crucifixion was terrible. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:13.680 But two, what it points out to me is the depth 00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:17.740 of depravity of our sin. The extent that God 00:25:17.740 --> 00:25:24.759 had to go to justify us through judging our sin. 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:28.039 Jesus on the cross took the full wrath of God. 00:25:29.130 --> 00:25:31.849 The full wrath for every single one of us breaking 00:25:31.849 --> 00:25:34.450 his law. The full wrath for every human of all 00:25:34.450 --> 00:25:36.829 time breaking the law. The full wrath for every 00:25:36.829 --> 00:25:38.670 sin you've ever committed, ever are committing, 00:25:38.789 --> 00:25:43.250 and ever will commit. And the cost of our sin 00:25:43.250 --> 00:25:48.789 was ugly. Crucifixion was invented by the Persians 00:25:48.789 --> 00:25:52.930 between 300 and 400 BC. It was perfected by the 00:25:52.930 --> 00:25:56.289 Romans in the first century. It is arguably the 00:25:56.289 --> 00:25:58.329 most painful death ever invented by man, and 00:25:58.329 --> 00:26:01.069 it is where we get our term excruciating, which 00:26:01.069 --> 00:26:04.230 means out of the cross. It was reserved primarily 00:26:04.230 --> 00:26:08.230 for the most vicious of criminals. The most common 00:26:08.230 --> 00:26:10.509 device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, 00:26:10.589 --> 00:26:12.690 which consisted of an upright pole permanently 00:26:12.690 --> 00:26:15.589 fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, 00:26:15.750 --> 00:26:20.299 usually weighing between 75 and 100 pounds. Victims 00:26:20.299 --> 00:26:22.319 of crucifixion were typically stripped naked 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.440 and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:27.319 In Jesus' case, this was done in fulfillment 00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:32.079 of Psalm 2218. As a gesture of Roman kindness, 00:26:32.339 --> 00:26:34.359 the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar 00:26:34.359 --> 00:26:38.299 and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic 00:26:38.299 --> 00:26:42.440 was refused by Jesus. As a result, he bore it 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:45.680 all. The apostle Peter said this of Jesus in 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:49.319 1 Peter 2, 24. He himself bore our sins in his 00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:52.339 own body on that tree so that we, having died 00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:55.039 to sins, so that having died to sins, we might 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:58.000 live for righteousness. For it's by his wounds 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:01.519 that you have been healed. The victim was then 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.619 placed on his back and his arms were outstretched 00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:06.680 and nailed to the crossbar. The nails, which 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:08.759 were generally about seven to nine inches long, 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:10.640 were placed between the bones of the forearm, 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:13.480 the radius and the ulna, and the small bones 00:27:13.480 --> 00:27:17.279 of the hands, the carpal bones. In ancient terminology, 00:27:17.700 --> 00:27:21.259 the wrist was considered to be part of the hand, 00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:24.119 so the nails through the hand would be consistent 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:26.960 with this placement. The placement of the nail 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.380 at this point had several effects. First, it 00:27:29.380 --> 00:27:31.299 ensured the victim would indeed hang there until 00:27:31.299 --> 00:27:34.309 he was dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this 00:27:34.309 --> 00:27:36.309 point would sever the largest nerve in the hand 00:27:36.309 --> 00:27:39.009 called the median nerve. The severing of this 00:27:39.009 --> 00:27:42.650 nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to 00:27:42.650 --> 00:27:44.549 severe burning pain, the destruction of this 00:27:44.549 --> 00:27:46.809 nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. 00:27:47.890 --> 00:27:49.710 Imagine the pain of hitting your funny bone, 00:27:49.890 --> 00:27:54.369 but unceasing and constant. Furthermore, by nailing 00:27:54.369 --> 00:27:56.549 the victim at this point in their wrist, there 00:27:56.549 --> 00:27:58.089 would be minimal bleeding so that there would 00:27:58.089 --> 00:28:00.230 be no bones broken, or and there would be no 00:28:00.230 --> 00:28:03.720 bones broken. The positioning of the feet is 00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:05.480 probably the most critical part of the mechanics 00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:08.759 of crucifixion. First, the knees were flexed 00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:11.220 about 45 degrees, and then the feet were flexed 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:14.079 bent downward an additional 45 degrees until 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.180 they were parallel to the vertical pole. An iron 00:28:17.180 --> 00:28:19.380 nail about seven to nine inches long was driven 00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:21.799 through the feet between the second and third 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:24.640 metatarsal bones. In this position, the nail 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:26.759 would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, 00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:29.279 but the resultant bleeding would again be insufficient 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:32.750 to cause death. The resulting position on the 00:28:32.750 --> 00:28:35.289 cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which 00:28:35.289 --> 00:28:39.730 results in a slow and very painful death. Having 00:28:39.730 --> 00:28:41.970 been pinned by nails to the cross, the victim 00:28:41.970 --> 00:28:45.349 now has an impossible position to maintain. With 00:28:45.349 --> 00:28:47.769 the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim 00:28:47.769 --> 00:28:49.569 must bear his weight with the muscles of his 00:28:49.569 --> 00:28:52.089 thigh. However, this is an almost impossible 00:28:52.089 --> 00:28:55.009 task. Try to stand with your knees flexed at 00:28:55.009 --> 00:28:58.539 45 degrees for five minutes and you'll see. As 00:28:58.539 --> 00:29:00.359 the strength of the legs gives out, the weight 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:02.400 of the body must now be borne by the arms and 00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:05.660 the shoulders. The result is that within a few 00:29:05.660 --> 00:29:07.819 minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders 00:29:07.819 --> 00:29:10.819 will become dislocated. Minutes later, the elbows 00:29:10.819 --> 00:29:13.839 and the wrists also become dislocated. The result 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:15.839 of these dislocations is that the arms would 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:20.819 end up as much as six to nine inches longer than 00:29:20.819 --> 00:29:24.569 they normally were. With the arms dislocated, 00:29:24.589 --> 00:29:26.410 considerable body weight is transferred to the 00:29:26.410 --> 00:29:29.170 chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in 00:29:29.170 --> 00:29:32.470 a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, 00:29:32.490 --> 00:29:35.009 in order to exhale, the victim must push down, 00:29:35.210 --> 00:29:37.430 placing their full weight on the nail that's 00:29:37.430 --> 00:29:39.130 through their feet to allow their rib muscles 00:29:39.130 --> 00:29:42.289 to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot 00:29:42.289 --> 00:29:44.670 push very long because of the searing agony of 00:29:44.670 --> 00:29:46.970 the nail tearing through the nerves between the 00:29:46.970 --> 00:29:49.890 metatarsal bones of the feet and, in addition 00:29:49.890 --> 00:29:53.259 to the legs, being extremely fatigued. As time 00:29:53.259 --> 00:29:55.259 goes on, the victim is less and less able to 00:29:55.259 --> 00:29:57.740 bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation 00:29:57.740 --> 00:29:59.619 of the arms and further raising of the chest 00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:01.920 wall, making breathing more and more difficult. 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:05.660 Great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, 00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:07.940 knotting them in deep, relentless throbbing pain. 00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.460 Air can be drawn into the lungs, but it cannot 00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:15.140 be exhaled. The result of this process is a series 00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:18.529 of catastrophic physiological effects. Because 00:30:18.529 --> 00:30:20.569 the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation 00:30:20.569 --> 00:30:23.049 to the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to 00:30:23.049 --> 00:30:25.769 diminish and the blood carbon dioxide level begins 00:30:25.769 --> 00:30:29.609 to rise. This rising CO2 level stimulates the 00:30:29.609 --> 00:30:32.089 heart to beat faster in order to increase the 00:30:32.089 --> 00:30:35.829 delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO2. However, 00:30:36.029 --> 00:30:38.269 due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations 00:30:38.269 --> 00:30:40.869 of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver 00:30:40.869 --> 00:30:42.829 more oxygen while the rising heart rate only 00:30:42.829 --> 00:30:46.029 increases oxygen demand. So this process sets 00:30:46.029 --> 00:30:48.269 up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand, 00:30:48.470 --> 00:30:51.269 which cannot be met, followed by an ever -increasing 00:30:51.269 --> 00:30:54.390 heart rate. After several hours, the heart begins 00:30:54.390 --> 00:30:56.869 to fail. The lungs collapse and fill up with 00:30:56.869 --> 00:31:00.009 fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery 00:31:00.009 --> 00:31:03.210 to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation 00:31:03.210 --> 00:31:06.250 combine to cause severe dehydration, and this 00:31:06.250 --> 00:31:10.950 is why Jesus said, I thirst. Over a period of 00:31:10.950 --> 00:31:12.970 several hours, the combination of collapsing 00:31:12.970 --> 00:31:17.299 lungs A failing heart, dehydration, and the inability 00:31:17.299 --> 00:31:19.799 to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues 00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:23.119 causes the eventual death of the victim. The 00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:25.779 victim, in effect, cannot breathe properly and 00:31:25.779 --> 00:31:29.579 slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe 00:31:29.579 --> 00:31:32.740 cardiac stress such as crucifixion, a victim's 00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:35.740 heart can even burst. This process is called 00:31:35.740 --> 00:31:39.220 cardiac rupture. Therefore, it could be said 00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:46.140 that Jesus indeed died of a broken heart. Suddenly 00:31:46.140 --> 00:31:48.140 the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two 00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:50.900 from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:54.019 rocks were split. The tombs were also opened 00:31:54.019 --> 00:31:55.539 and many bodies of the saints who had fallen 00:31:55.539 --> 00:31:58.539 asleep were raised. When the centurion and those 00:31:58.539 --> 00:32:00.660 with him who were keeping watch over Jesus saw 00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:02.640 the earthquake and the things that had happened, 00:32:02.819 --> 00:32:05.619 they were terrified and said, truly, this man 00:32:05.619 --> 00:32:09.490 was the Son of God. Since it was preparation 00:32:09.490 --> 00:32:12.029 day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain 00:32:12.029 --> 00:32:14.329 on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath 00:32:14.329 --> 00:32:17.529 was a special day. They requested that Pilate 00:32:17.529 --> 00:32:20.210 have the men's legs broken and that their bodies 00:32:20.210 --> 00:32:24.589 be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke 00:32:24.589 --> 00:32:28.049 the legs of the first man and of the other one 00:32:28.049 --> 00:32:30.869 who had been crucified with him. When they came 00:32:30.869 --> 00:32:33.190 to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they 00:32:33.190 --> 00:32:36.069 saw that he was already dead. But one of the 00:32:36.069 --> 00:32:38.109 soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at 00:32:38.109 --> 00:32:41.750 once blood and water came out. He who saw this 00:32:41.750 --> 00:32:44.869 has testified so that you may also believe. His 00:32:44.869 --> 00:32:47.309 testimony is true and he knows he is telling 00:32:47.309 --> 00:32:50.369 the truth. For these things happened so that 00:32:50.369 --> 00:32:52.690 the scripture would be fulfilled, not one of 00:32:52.690 --> 00:32:55.809 his bones would be broken. Also another scripture 00:32:55.809 --> 00:32:59.069 that said, look, they will look at the one they 00:32:59.069 --> 00:33:02.400 pierced. There was a good and righteous man named 00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:04.599 Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, who had not 00:33:04.599 --> 00:33:07.539 agreed with their plan in action. He was from 00:33:07.539 --> 00:33:10.880 Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward 00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:14.339 to the kingdom of God. He approached Pilate and 00:33:14.339 --> 00:33:18.680 asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised that 00:33:18.680 --> 00:33:21.660 he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, 00:33:21.799 --> 00:33:24.400 he asked him whether he had already died. When 00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:26.339 he found out from the centurion, he gave the 00:33:26.339 --> 00:33:31.059 corpse to Joseph. So Joseph took the body. wrapped 00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:34.259 it in a clean, fine linen, and placed it in his 00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:38.099 new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He 00:33:38.099 --> 00:33:40.579 left after rolling a great stone against the 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:45.660 entrance of the tomb. So every year people ask, 00:33:45.799 --> 00:33:51.059 what is good about Good Friday? We read the story 00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:52.859 of what happened to Jesus, and it's horrific. 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:58.140 It's horrible. He was treated in such a brutal 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:01.220 way. Yet we come together to celebrate and we 00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:06.019 call it Good Friday. Well, it's good because 00:34:06.019 --> 00:34:08.460 while we were trapped in the dark cave of hopelessness 00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:12.940 and fear, guilty sinners with a death sentence 00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:16.719 before us, knowing that one, we would all physically 00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:18.980 die, but after that, we would spiritually die, 00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:23.579 being forever separated from God. Jesus, the 00:34:23.579 --> 00:34:27.539 righteous one. Sinless, spotless, without wrong 00:34:27.539 --> 00:34:31.579 in any way, he paid our debt by dying on that 00:34:31.579 --> 00:34:39.539 cross. He became our sin so that God Almighty 00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:41.760 could pour out his judgment and wrath on it. 00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:45.360 And he did it so that we wouldn't have to experience 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:50.440 that. And then after that, he descended into 00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:54.170 that dark cave, that tomb. That grave of despair 00:34:54.170 --> 00:34:58.230 and fear and death. And he laid there for a few 00:34:58.230 --> 00:35:02.550 days. But because the debt had been paid, the 00:35:02.550 --> 00:35:06.730 sentence of death could not hold him there. The 00:35:06.730 --> 00:35:09.269 sentence of death could no longer stand and Jesus, 00:35:09.329 --> 00:35:13.550 who went into the tomb, was now able to set us 00:35:13.550 --> 00:35:17.989 free. Was able to set us free, to let us out 00:35:17.989 --> 00:35:21.579 of the tomb. the grave, to lead us out into a 00:35:21.579 --> 00:35:26.239 glorious life. And why did he do this? Why did 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:31.539 Jesus have to die for us? Well, Hebrews 12 .2 00:35:31.539 --> 00:35:34.920 puts it this way. For the joy that lay before 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:39.159 him, he endured the cross, despising the shame. 00:35:40.900 --> 00:35:46.420 Do you know what that says? You were the joy 00:35:46.420 --> 00:35:52.530 set before him. Each one of us were the joy before 00:35:52.530 --> 00:35:58.329 the eyes of Jesus that led him to say, I'm going 00:35:58.329 --> 00:36:00.369 to voluntarily go through everything we just 00:36:00.369 --> 00:36:02.969 read about so that I can pay the price for your 00:36:02.969 --> 00:36:06.530 sins so that you can be saved. So that through 00:36:06.530 --> 00:36:09.170 faith in me, God would look at you and say, the 00:36:09.170 --> 00:36:11.710 debt is wiped clean. There is no debt anymore. 00:36:12.969 --> 00:36:15.309 But not only that, he then went into the grave. 00:36:15.369 --> 00:36:18.250 Why? So that in a few days, he could be raised 00:36:18.250 --> 00:36:20.590 from the dead and walk out of that grave and 00:36:20.590 --> 00:36:24.690 say, you who believe in me, follow me. Follow 00:36:24.690 --> 00:36:28.429 me into new life. Follow me into forgiveness. 00:36:28.590 --> 00:36:32.150 Follow me into grace and mercy. Follow me into 00:36:32.150 --> 00:36:36.110 eternal life to come. You see, these bodies, 00:36:36.269 --> 00:36:39.789 these bodies are corrupted. They're all gonna 00:36:39.789 --> 00:36:45.739 die. Every single one of us. But for those that 00:36:45.739 --> 00:36:50.599 know Jesus Christ, we're gonna go on to eternal 00:36:50.599 --> 00:36:53.440 life where our spirit is alive again, connected 00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:57.559 to God, allowing us to have life. But if you 00:36:57.559 --> 00:36:59.900 don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, 00:37:00.059 --> 00:37:02.019 if you've never put your faith in him, never 00:37:02.019 --> 00:37:04.219 trusted in what he did on the cross for you, 00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:08.840 when this body dies, you will stand before God. 00:37:09.769 --> 00:37:15.250 without a born -again spirit. And you will be 00:37:15.250 --> 00:37:17.570 judged for every sin you have ever committed, 00:37:17.710 --> 00:37:21.130 for the price will have never been paid for you. 00:37:23.670 --> 00:37:25.969 This is what we remember here on Good Friday. 00:37:28.389 --> 00:37:30.869 We remember what Jesus did, that we would have 00:37:30.869 --> 00:37:35.150 a restored relationship with our Creator. We 00:37:35.150 --> 00:37:37.949 remember what he did, why he endured the cross. 00:37:38.070 --> 00:37:41.789 We remember how much he loved us. We remember 00:37:41.789 --> 00:37:43.849 that freedom from the grave and our debt being 00:37:43.849 --> 00:37:46.670 paid and us being forgiven and us being set free 00:37:46.670 --> 00:37:49.449 is what he purchased for us with his own blood. 00:37:52.090 --> 00:37:54.989 Our spirit being made alive and reconnected promised 00:37:54.989 --> 00:37:59.989 eternal life in him as it was once in the very, 00:38:00.030 --> 00:38:03.389 very beginning before death existed. before we 00:38:03.389 --> 00:38:05.769 messed it all up and condemned ourselves to judgment. 00:38:08.070 --> 00:38:09.750 If you're here tonight and you don't know Jesus 00:38:09.750 --> 00:38:14.610 Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you realize 00:38:14.610 --> 00:38:19.190 that you've led a life of sin, you've led a life 00:38:19.190 --> 00:38:21.849 of selfishness, you've led a life of separation 00:38:21.849 --> 00:38:25.980 from all that is good. And maybe you've led a 00:38:25.980 --> 00:38:27.800 life saying, well, I'm not as bad as the person 00:38:27.800 --> 00:38:30.219 next to me. I'm not as bad as this person over 00:38:30.219 --> 00:38:32.480 here. None of that matters because you've got 00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:34.420 to compare yourself to the righteousness of your 00:38:34.420 --> 00:38:37.980 creator. And all of us, when we compare ourselves 00:38:37.980 --> 00:38:41.139 to the righteousness of creator, we fall short. 00:38:43.860 --> 00:38:46.219 And we can't say, well, I did a few good things 00:38:46.219 --> 00:38:51.019 today. It doesn't matter. The Bible tells us 00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:53.820 that if you have sinned in one point of the law, 00:38:54.019 --> 00:38:59.440 you're as guilty as if you broke all of it. But 00:38:59.440 --> 00:39:02.940 God, I came to church on Good Friday. Doesn't 00:39:02.940 --> 00:39:06.940 that matter? It doesn't matter what church or 00:39:06.940 --> 00:39:08.519 building you walk through. If you do not have 00:39:08.519 --> 00:39:11.579 a relationship with Jesus Christ, you're not 00:39:11.579 --> 00:39:16.039 saved. And tonight as we are gathered here, I 00:39:16.039 --> 00:39:17.760 want to give an opportunity to anybody that's 00:39:17.760 --> 00:39:19.460 in this room or if you're watching us online, 00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:22.719 that if God is speaking to your heart and you 00:39:22.719 --> 00:39:24.579 know that you need to be forgiven of your sin, 00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:28.019 you know that you've tried to be a good person 00:39:28.019 --> 00:39:30.099 and yet you always end up doing the selfish thing, 00:39:30.139 --> 00:39:32.960 the wrong thing. That you've tried to break yourself 00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:35.780 free of the self -destructive things like drugs 00:39:35.780 --> 00:39:38.440 and alcohol and you've tried to turn everything 00:39:38.440 --> 00:39:40.400 around, but no matter what happens, you always 00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:45.500 end up in the same pit. God is telling you tonight 00:39:45.500 --> 00:39:49.039 it's because death has a hold on you and it will 00:39:49.039 --> 00:39:53.559 not let you go. But if you put your faith in 00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:56.719 what he did, his work on the cross, the blood 00:39:56.719 --> 00:40:02.199 he shed, your debt will be paid tonight. You 00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:07.900 will be forgiven tonight. So an opportunity to 00:40:07.900 --> 00:40:10.119 receive him tonight is I'm going to give that 00:40:10.119 --> 00:40:12.440 in a moment. We're going to pray. And then after 00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:14.239 that, we're going to spend time taking communion 00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:18.760 together. But let's all bow our heads. Father 00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:23.420 God, I come before you tonight, Lord. As we remember 00:40:23.420 --> 00:40:28.340 the great price you paid. Lord, sometimes we 00:40:28.340 --> 00:40:30.179 could just say it so flippantly, like it's another 00:40:30.179 --> 00:40:32.260 good Friday. Oh yeah, Jesus died on the cross 00:40:32.260 --> 00:40:34.820 for me, God. But the reality of what you went 00:40:34.820 --> 00:40:37.619 through, the reality of what you suffered, is 00:40:37.619 --> 00:40:41.389 the picture. of the wrath of God being poured 00:40:41.389 --> 00:40:46.230 out on sin. And God, the reality is that is what 00:40:46.230 --> 00:40:51.230 we were due. And God, there's so many in this 00:40:51.230 --> 00:40:53.130 room tonight that have put their faith in you 00:40:53.130 --> 00:41:00.110 to say, God, I believe I'm a sinner. And I believe 00:41:00.110 --> 00:41:05.340 there is nothing I could do. I've tried. And 00:41:05.340 --> 00:41:08.219 yet, God, I believe that you paid my price, and 00:41:08.219 --> 00:41:11.920 so I put my faith in you, Jesus. Lord, those 00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:13.500 of us in this room that have done that, we've 00:41:13.500 --> 00:41:15.780 experienced the grace and the forgiveness and 00:41:15.780 --> 00:41:19.599 the mercy. Lord, we've experienced you applying 00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:26.340 to our account your work. And God, we're forever 00:41:26.340 --> 00:41:28.199 grateful. But God, if there's some in this room 00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:30.539 tonight watching online that have never taken 00:41:30.539 --> 00:41:35.130 that step, Lord, I pray right now that they would 00:41:35.130 --> 00:41:38.469 realize the radical gravity of their situation. 00:41:40.130 --> 00:41:43.190 That the full wrath of God is coming upon them 00:41:43.190 --> 00:41:47.190 because they have sinned. But it doesn't have 00:41:47.190 --> 00:41:51.309 to be. That Lord, all they have to do is call 00:41:51.309 --> 00:41:55.090 out to you in faith. To cry out to you and say, 00:41:55.150 --> 00:42:00.110 forgive me, Jesus. And God, you promised in your 00:42:00.110 --> 00:42:03.230 word that when we do that, we are forgiven. So 00:42:03.230 --> 00:42:04.989 while we're praying, all heads bowed, eyes closed 00:42:04.989 --> 00:42:08.469 tonight in this room. If God has spoken to you 00:42:08.469 --> 00:42:11.170 tonight, maybe you've been coming to church for 00:42:11.170 --> 00:42:14.469 a long time, but in this moment you realize you've 00:42:14.469 --> 00:42:18.670 never truly known God. Maybe you're watching 00:42:18.670 --> 00:42:21.110 online right now and you're sitting in the privacy 00:42:21.110 --> 00:42:23.510 of your home somewhere and nobody's around, but 00:42:23.510 --> 00:42:25.929 God is there with you, tapping on your shoulder, 00:42:26.090 --> 00:42:32.679 saying, you need me. You need forgiveness. If 00:42:32.679 --> 00:42:34.780 there's anybody here online, you're saying, I 00:42:34.780 --> 00:42:38.000 need to be saved. I want to be saved. While we're 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:39.460 praying right now, I just want you to raise your 00:42:39.460 --> 00:42:41.599 hand here in this room or let us know in the 00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:45.199 chat online to say, I need Jesus Christ to save 00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:47.159 me tonight. God bless you in the front. Anybody 00:42:47.159 --> 00:42:50.460 else? God is speaking to your heart about the 00:42:50.460 --> 00:42:55.480 reality of sin, but he's also speaking to you 00:42:55.480 --> 00:42:58.440 about the reality of love and how much he loves 00:42:58.440 --> 00:43:01.880 you. Anybody else in this room? Just raise your 00:43:01.880 --> 00:43:03.639 hand high so I can see it. I see you on the side 00:43:03.639 --> 00:43:06.539 there as well. God bless you. If you're online, 00:43:06.760 --> 00:43:11.679 obviously I can't see you, but God does. And 00:43:11.679 --> 00:43:13.260 if you're wanting to give your life to the Lord 00:43:13.260 --> 00:43:17.099 tonight, just simply let us know in chat. Some 00:43:17.099 --> 00:43:18.880 of our leaders will reach out to you. We'd love 00:43:18.880 --> 00:43:21.059 to connect with you, but it doesn't matter about 00:43:21.059 --> 00:43:23.280 that. If you mean it in your heart, God hears 00:43:23.280 --> 00:43:29.340 your cry. Anybody else before we pray? All right, 00:43:29.340 --> 00:43:31.960 Father, we're so grateful. that you are speaking, 00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:35.420 you are working, you are moving. Lord, for those 00:43:35.420 --> 00:43:36.920 that are in this room tonight that have said, 00:43:36.940 --> 00:43:38.880 yeah, I need to be saved, I want to be saved. 00:43:40.320 --> 00:43:43.059 God, those watching online that are realizing 00:43:43.059 --> 00:43:45.280 their need for you, Lord, I just pray right now, 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:48.380 God, as they make this profession of faith, God, 00:43:48.500 --> 00:43:51.440 that they would just know according to your word 00:43:51.440 --> 00:43:53.340 because you promised you are God, you are truth, 00:43:53.440 --> 00:43:56.679 you cannot lie. that as they cry out to you, 00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:58.519 they are saved. And for those of you that raised 00:43:58.519 --> 00:44:00.199 your hand or are watching online, I want to pray 00:44:00.199 --> 00:44:03.719 a prayer with you. This prayer doesn't have any 00:44:03.719 --> 00:44:06.519 certain particular magic words or anything like 00:44:06.519 --> 00:44:08.559 that, but it's simply a prayer of acknowledging 00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:11.519 your sin and asking Jesus to forgive you and 00:44:11.519 --> 00:44:14.500 come into your life. And so as I pray this, I 00:44:14.500 --> 00:44:16.280 just want you to repeat after me these words. 00:44:16.360 --> 00:44:22.219 Say, Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned. I've sinned 00:44:22.219 --> 00:44:30.079 a lot. I've tried to be good, but I'm not. I've 00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:34.260 tried to change things on my own, but I can't. 00:44:36.820 --> 00:44:43.260 And God, compared to your righteousness, I will 00:44:43.260 --> 00:44:46.579 never be good enough to go to heaven on my own. 00:44:48.639 --> 00:44:51.920 But Lord, I believe that you loved me enough. 00:44:53.710 --> 00:44:58.730 To pay the price for my sin. To shed your blood, 00:44:58.849 --> 00:45:05.010 taking the full wrath of God in my place. I trust 00:45:05.010 --> 00:45:10.030 in that. Thank you for loving me so much that 00:45:10.030 --> 00:45:16.789 you would die for me. Lord, change my life. Lead 00:45:16.789 --> 00:45:21.650 my life. Set me free from the darkness of death. 00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:25.420 Set me free from the chains that have held me 00:45:25.420 --> 00:45:29.920 back for so long. And God, I believe, according 00:45:29.920 --> 00:45:33.300 to the truth of your word, that on this profession 00:45:33.300 --> 00:45:39.559 of faith, you have saved me. Thank you for setting 00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:45.260 me free. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Well, God 00:45:45.260 --> 00:45:47.900 bless you guys. The reason I wanted to do that 00:45:47.900 --> 00:45:50.909 before communion... It's because communion is 00:45:50.909 --> 00:45:53.289 a thing that the body of Christ does together. 00:45:54.550 --> 00:45:57.769 Communion is us coming together as saved people 00:45:57.769 --> 00:46:03.110 to remember what he did for us. Communion isn't 00:46:03.110 --> 00:46:05.030 really something you should do if you don't know 00:46:05.030 --> 00:46:08.929 Jesus. But I'll let you and God deal with that 00:46:08.929 --> 00:46:11.369 right now, okay? But for those of you that gave 00:46:11.369 --> 00:46:12.849 your life to the Lord tonight, you're in the 00:46:12.849 --> 00:46:16.110 family. You're saved forever. The Spirit of God 00:46:16.110 --> 00:46:22.500 has filled you. Now, yeah, what's next? We'll 00:46:22.500 --> 00:46:25.079 get to all that, but right now, we're gonna spend 00:46:25.079 --> 00:46:29.539 time celebrating, celebrating what Jesus has 00:46:29.539 --> 00:46:32.559 purchased, the salvation of every single one 00:46:32.559 --> 00:46:35.300 of us that trust in him. Now, the night before 00:46:35.300 --> 00:46:38.940 his crucifixion, Jesus shared that last meal 00:46:38.940 --> 00:46:41.760 with his disciples. It was the last Passover 00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:44.039 meal. We call it the Lord's Supper. It was this 00:46:44.039 --> 00:46:46.860 meal that the Jewish people did to remind themselves 00:46:46.860 --> 00:46:50.090 of their deliverance. from Egypt, how God set 00:46:50.090 --> 00:46:55.469 them free from the bondage of slavery, and really 00:46:55.469 --> 00:47:00.389 how during that final, final moment of the plagues 00:47:00.389 --> 00:47:04.590 that God was dropping upon Egypt, God had instructed 00:47:04.590 --> 00:47:06.789 His people, said, look, in order to be saved, 00:47:06.869 --> 00:47:09.630 you have to take an innocent, spotless lamb. 00:47:10.630 --> 00:47:12.510 You're going to slaughter that lamb, and you're 00:47:12.510 --> 00:47:14.690 going to put the blood of that lamb on the doorposts 00:47:14.690 --> 00:47:18.159 of your home. And when the angel of death comes 00:47:18.159 --> 00:47:20.300 to slay the firstborn on the land, he's going 00:47:20.300 --> 00:47:22.260 to see that blood on the doorpost and he's going 00:47:22.260 --> 00:47:25.880 to pass over that house. He doesn't stop to say, 00:47:25.940 --> 00:47:27.460 well, did the people inside clean themselves 00:47:27.460 --> 00:47:31.119 up first? No. He didn't stop to say, well, did 00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:34.659 you come to church enough first? No. He says, 00:47:34.659 --> 00:47:37.340 I see the blood. Death will pass over this house. 00:47:38.340 --> 00:47:40.960 And as Jesus was instituting that meal with his 00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:44.320 disciples, he took the opportunity to teach them. 00:47:46.030 --> 00:47:50.190 That he was the spotless lamb. He was the lamb 00:47:50.190 --> 00:47:54.090 of God who was going to shed his blood. That 00:47:54.090 --> 00:47:56.349 as the angel of death would pass over again, 00:47:56.429 --> 00:47:58.889 they would see you and me, those who have put 00:47:58.889 --> 00:48:01.889 faith in Jesus Christ, covered by the blood. 00:48:02.869 --> 00:48:05.110 But not just covered, having our sins washed 00:48:05.110 --> 00:48:09.429 away completely. So that death... would no longer 00:48:09.429 --> 00:48:12.309 have a claim on our lives. That instead of a 00:48:12.309 --> 00:48:16.369 forever separation from God in darkness, in hell, 00:48:16.510 --> 00:48:18.949 judged for our sins, instead of that, we would 00:48:18.949 --> 00:48:22.250 be united with God in heaven forever, enjoying 00:48:22.250 --> 00:48:25.570 paradise with our creator. That's what the bread 00:48:25.570 --> 00:48:28.289 and juice of communion remind us of. This is 00:48:28.289 --> 00:48:30.590 why Jesus said, as often as you gather, do this 00:48:30.590 --> 00:48:33.909 in remembrance of me, so that we never forget 00:48:33.909 --> 00:48:38.489 the cost of our salvation. and that we never 00:48:38.489 --> 00:48:41.150 get full of ourselves and forget to go, God, 00:48:41.269 --> 00:48:44.369 I am nothing without you. Thank you for loving 00:48:44.369 --> 00:48:47.329 me so much. So I'd like to invite up the men 00:48:47.329 --> 00:48:49.969 of the communion board right now. And what we're 00:48:49.969 --> 00:48:52.090 going to do is serve communion to the room here. 00:48:52.269 --> 00:48:54.750 I encourage you all to hang on to the emblems 00:48:54.750 --> 00:48:57.670 as you get them, that we may all partake together 00:48:57.670 --> 00:49:00.690 in communion. We're going to be doing the bread 00:49:00.690 --> 00:49:04.090 first. and then the juice. And so please be patient 00:49:04.090 --> 00:49:06.329 with us. If you're online, this would be a great 00:49:06.329 --> 00:49:08.949 time to get the emblems of communion so that 00:49:08.949 --> 00:49:11.389 you could be ready to partake with us. Father, 00:49:11.489 --> 00:49:13.949 we love you. We're so grateful for those who 00:49:13.949 --> 00:49:16.550 have come due to your family tonight, God. We 00:49:16.550 --> 00:49:19.690 remember you. We remember your death on the cross. 00:49:21.030 --> 00:49:25.210 It is everything for us, Lord. It is what made 00:49:25.210 --> 00:49:29.010 us, made salvation possible. So, Lord, we want 00:49:29.010 --> 00:49:30.909 to honor you in this moment as we remember your 00:49:30.909 --> 00:49:33.809 death here on this Good Friday. It's in Jesus' 00:49:33.909 --> 00:49:35.090 name we pray. Amen.