Good Friday 2024

We're so glad that you are here with us today. My name's Rene, one of the pastors here at Twin Lakes Church. And tonight, we take an hour to just linger on, to focus on the essential symbol of our faith, really the icon of our faith, the most unique thing about our faith, the cross. Have you ever considered the strangeness of the cross? How strange it is that our faith, its central symbol isn't a flower or a unicorn or something, it's a cross. That a tyrannical government used to subjugate the lowest of the low, and that we believe that the God of the universe died the cruelest death imaginable out of love for us. Now that's a strange thing to start a faith on, but that's what we believe.

We believe that's how much God loved us, that he gave his life as a sacrifice. That's how much God empathizes with all who suffer. So we tend this weekend to wanna rush to Easter. Tonight, let's linger on the cross. You know, the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1, we preach Christ crucified. A stumbling block to Jews, foolishness to the Gentiles, but the power of God to those who believe. Foolishness, a stumbling block, it's strange. So tonight, before you start to try to explain it or understand it, just live with it. Face it.

You know, the joy of the resurrection is real, but the joy of the resurrection is so much more profound when it's fed by the sufferings of the cross. So tonight, through a message, through beautiful music, through scripture readings, through communion, we preach Christ crucified for all of us. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we ask that you would bless this time together. Help us to settle down, to take a deep breath, and to linger on the mystery, the beauty, the puzzle, the power of the cross on which you gave your life for all of us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Would you stand with me as we sing together about the cross? So they said, rather than tearing it apart, let's throw dice for it. This fulfilled the scripture that says, "They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing." Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother and his mother's sister and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, "Dear woman, here is your son." And he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from then on, the disciple took her into his home.

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished. And so to fulfill the scriptures, he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

Good evening. Hello, my name is Mark. I'm one of the pastors here. And after such beautiful, beautiful worship, I just, can we just pray and thank God? Heavenly Father, we are so grateful to be able to be here tonight, perhaps watching on the live stream, whatever the case is. Lord, I pray that you would continue to touch our hearts, that you would impress upon us the depth, the amazing love. How can it be that thou, my God, should die for me? And Lord, may this deep, profound truth and overture of your love and your grace touch us, change us, Lord.

Don't allow us to walk out of this building the same as we walked in. But maybe we'd be transformed, our hearts quickened by your love for us, demonstrated on the cross by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray this in His name, and all God's people said, "Amen." Well, again, we are so glad that you are here tonight. I'm glad to be here tonight. And I'll say this much about my arm. You should see the other guy. I'm just kidding. I had surgery on my arm a week ago, or my hand, I should say.

And I am so grateful for the amazing care that I received from the nurses and the doctors. It was so powerful. In fact, just before going into surgery, my anesthesiologist came into the room where I was at, and he introduced himself by saying, "Good morning, Pastor Spurlock." And I knew he was a fellow Twin Laker at that point. And he was so kind, so compassionate. He put his hand on me, and he prayed over me. Normally, that's my job, to pray over people before they go into surgery, but this was the first time I was on the other side of that, and it was so meaningful and significant.

And it was in those moments leading into the surgery, and in the context of all of the care and love that I received that morning, I couldn't help thinking how infinitely different it was for Jesus when they stretched out His hands. No love, no care, no compassion, no one praying by His side, and certainly no anesthesia to shield Him from unimaginable pain. And why? Why would Jesus subject Himself to such an excruciating death? It all comes down to one word, and you've heard it already tonight. Love.

Out of His amazing love for you and for me. The most famous verse in John's Gospel, and perhaps the entire Bible, goes like this. I'm going to invite you to read this with me. John 3:16. Read this out loud. "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." That is the good news of our Gospel. And many of you know that verse by heart, which is wonderful, but the only thing is it can become so familiar, it can kind of suffer from what we sometimes call the Pledge of Allegiance factor, right?

Many of us as kids said the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school, and after a while you don't even think about it. The words just tumble out of your mouth. The same thing can happen with a familiar passage like John 3:16. It kind of loses its punch, if you will. And so tonight, to help us out, there's someone who in his own words is going to focus us on who Jesus is and what He's done for us. And I have to say, he's a very unlikely person. In fact, he did not even begin to grasp the significance of what he was saying because his name is Pontius Pilate, the man who gave the order for Jesus to be crucified.

Now Jesus makes it clear in the Gospels that no one took his life. He gave it willingly. He offered it up. But Pilate obviously played a role. And so picking up the story in John 19, it says Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. This whip would have had multiple strands, each embedded with shards of metal, glass, pottery, bone. And you can see the purpose. With each lash, those strands raked across Jesus' back, laying His flesh wide open. And after this, the soldiers pressed a crown of thorns onto His head.

Here's a replica that we have in our office. I don't see it, but trust me. I didn't even bring it in here because it's there, it is right there. It is scary. And you can only imagine what that would feel like to have that pressed down on you. And then of course they put a robe on Him and they pulled His beard and they mocked Him and they struck Him over and over and over. John says, "Then Jesus came out in front of the people, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate said, 'Behold the Man.'

Now what Pilate means to say is, "Look, here He is. See what I've done. Let this man be a lesson for anyone who opposes me, who opposes Roman power." But without knowing it, Pilate actually points us to a deeper truth. Because Jesus is the man, the complete man, the perfect man. In fact, if you ever wonder what it looks like to be fully human, behold the man, Jesus. And follow me. Because Scripture teaches that we were created to bear God's image, to reflect God's good and loving purposes into the world on behalf of the world.

And this is, by the way, why we all yearn for meaning and goodness and beauty in our lives. Because we were created for these things. But instead of faithfully bearing God's image, we've fallen short. We've turned to our own ways. We are fallen and faulty image bearers. And you know this is true in your life just as much as I know it is in mine. I mean, I prove it every single day. Far more interested with my will be done than thy will be done. You know what I'm saying? And all this selfishness, all this pride, it comes at a cost.

On our relationships, ourselves, on society, on everything. In fact, the whole world groans as a result of human beings sinning against each other, against creation, against most importantly God Himself. But Jesus came to reconcile, to reverse, to redeem all of this. Jesus took up our God-given calling and lived it for us. Bearing God's image perfectly. And so, not only in Him will you see what it looks like to be fully human, but you will also see what it looks like to be fully God.

For the Scripture says, "The Son is the image of the invisible God." The God who reaches out to the sick, the poor, the lowly, the weak, the sinner. The God who loves us no matter what and in love. Jesus stood, bloodied and beaten in front of Pilate, while the crowd yelled, "Crucify! Crucify Him!" And it's in this moment, and along with the agony and the ugliness of the crucifixion, that is paradoxically the clearest revelation of who God is. I mean, so many of us imagine a God who is ever angry or disappointed with us, but instead behold the man, God incarnate, bearing our sins, our sufferings. This is who God is.

And as all this played out, Pilate thinks he's the one in control. Couldn't be farther from the truth. I mean, he wasn't even sure whether he should crucify Jesus or not. And it's not, by the way, because he cared about justice. Pilate was all about politics, not ethics. But there's a tension, because on one hand, he doesn't want the chief priests to think that they can push him around. But on the other hand, and I'm going to have to just be one-handed with the other hand, he fears what an uprising will mean for his career.

And so to deflect all this, he tries to make a spectacle of what's going on, to rub their noses in what is happening in front of their face. And so he says with somewhat of a smug grin, "Behold your king." How pathetic. I mean, what do you think? Shall I crucify your king? And once again, Pilate's words carry so much more than anyone recognized. Because tonight, of all nights, behold your king carrying his cross to a place called the skull. Behold your king stretched out as nails pierce his hands and feet. Behold your king hanging on a cross.

See him with fresh eyes as he takes upon himself sin and evil, my sin, your sin. He takes it all. He feels it all. As the old hymn by Charles Wesley says, "His sacred limbs, they stretch, they tear, with nails they fasten to the wood. His sacred limbs exposed and bare, were only covered with his blood." Now, what kind of king does this? Our king. That's who. So behold your king.

Now, by way of contrast, let's compare Jesus to another king. What you might call a typical king, a worldly king, Julius Caesar. When Julius Caesar was 25 years old, he was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. They demanded 20 talents for his safe return, and that was a huge fortune. Huge. Even so, Julius Caesar was offended by the amount of the ransom, so he told the pirates to raise it to 50 talents, which they were more than happy to do. But he also told them this, "When I am rescued, I am going to hunt you down, and I am going to crucify every single one of you." And you know what? That's exactly what he did.

That's what kings do. You offend their dignity, their honor. You threaten them. They remove you. They crush you. But not our king. No, the king of creation allowed himself to be executed by his own creatures, the ones who bear his image no less, so that our sins would be fully judged and buried with him in death. Which, if you think about it, really obligates us to ask the question, "Which king am I following?" Which king holds sway over your heart, your mind, your imagination? A king who gets even? Or a king, the king of kings, who lays down his life for sinners?

So behold your king, because when Jesus cries out, "It is finished!" and he gives up his spirit, he did not say, "I am finished." No, no. It is finished. Your sin is finished. Your guilt is finished. Even your death doesn't have the last word. Jesus does, which we will soon celebrate. But for now, behold the man. Behold his temples crowned with thorn, his bleeding hands extended wide, his streaming feet transfixed and torn, the fountain gushing from his side. He did it all for you. He did it all for you. And you. And you. And you. And all of us. He loves you. He will never give up on you.

In fact, he offers you the life that you were created for, both now and forever. And so in just a moment, we're going to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross through communion. And if you've never personally received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, received what he did for you, you can tonight. This could be your very first communion, in fact. All you need to do is, in the privacy of your heart, simply say, "Yes, Jesus, count me in. I receive your forgiveness. I receive the life you achieved for me through your death." And so in view of all of this, let's prepare our hearts and let's pray together. Would you bow with me?

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this moment when we are able to behold your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And Lord, whether we have followed Jesus in faith for many years or the embers of faith are just beginning to kindle in our hearts tonight. May your love for us consume us as we affirm the life we now have because of our Lord's death. It is in his name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now, we are going to take communion a little differently tonight, and here's why. I want you to make this personal. Jesus didn't just give his life for humanity. He died for you. He died for you. And I want you to hear the words he spoke as if he spoke them to you. "Your sins are forgiven." Yes, even those sins. Forgiven. And so if you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you desire to partake, during this last song, I'm going to invite you to get up and go to one of eight of our communion stations throughout the room.

There's six of them down here on the ground floor. There's two of them up in the balcony. And when you get there, you can take a piece of bread and you can dip it in the cup. And if you prefer to use one of our typical communion kits, you can do that. You can ask for gluten-free communion elements. If you have mobility issues, raise your hand, and we will happily bring the communion to you. We want you to participate. But once you have prepared the elements, again, by dipping, most of us, one of our pastors are going to speak the words of Christ to you. The body of Christ given for you. The blood of Christ shed for you. And then at that point, please partake, and then you can make your way back to your seats.

Now may God bless our time of remembrance and worship. There's only one name that is worthy. There's only one King on the throne. He is the light of our salvation. All praise belongs to Him alone. And there's only one way to the Father. One love that melts the heart of stone. He is the light of resurrection. And all praise belongs to Him alone. Up to the throne. See the Son of God, the Savior crucified. See the crown of thorns, His hands His wounded Son. He is worthy up to the land. See the one who is forever glorified. There is love and there is fire in His eyes. He is worthy. He is worthy.

He is the Alpha and the Omega. He was and is and is to come. He will return to shout the glory. His name is Jesus Christ our God. His name is Jesus Christ our God. See the Son of God, the Savior crucified. See the crown of thorns, His hands His wounded Son. He is worthy up to the land. See the one who is forever glorified. There is love and there is fire in His eyes. He is worthy. Well, I've gone. Only the Word. There's those power creatures cry. Saints and angels glorify. The anthem echoes dear life. Worthy is the fire here at war. Post the many waters war. Catch the sound most beautiful. Worthy is the elders' power creatures cry. Saints and angels glorify. The anthem echoes dear life. Worthy is the fire here at war. Post the many waters war. Catch the sound most beautiful. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy, worthy is the lamb. Worthy, worthy is the lamb.

Are you worthy up to the land? See the sight of God mistake in the sky. See the crown of thorns and the angels in the sky. He is worthy up to the land. See the one who is forever glorified. There is no man's fire in Jesus. He is worthy. He is worthy. He is worthy. He is worthy. The lamb of God. He is worthy. He poured the flesh and the blood. He is worthy. He is worthy. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I am. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it by His side. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I am. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it by His side.

I hear the Savior say, "Thy strength indeed is small. Jealous weakness watch and pray, finding me that all alone." Jesus paid it all, all to Him I am. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it by His side. Lord, now indeed I find Thy power in mine alone. Get Him changed, love that bursts forth, and bear the heart of stone. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I am. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it by His side. And when before the throne I stand in Him complete, Jesus died my soul to save, my lips shall still repeat.

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I am. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it by His side. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I am. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it by His side. Amazing love, how can it be that You, my King, die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true, it's my joy to honor You. Amazing love, how can it be that You, my King, die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true, it's my joy to honor You. In all that I do, I honor You. In all that I do, I honor You.

You can remain standing for the benediction tonight. I cannot describe to you how powerful it was for me to stand at one of our communion stations and to look at you in the eye and say, "The body of Christ given for you and the blood of Christ shed for you." You heard it once, but I repeated it again and again and again, getting just a glimpse of the love of Jesus. And I believe He hung on the cross and He saw all of humanity, past, present, and future, and He said, "This is for you." You, you, and you, and you. So how did the cross go from being a symbol that a tyrannical government used to control people, a symbol of cruelty, to a symbol of hope that today about 2 billion people all over the planet would gladly wear around their necks? Well, that's the rest of the story.

And that happens this weekend in our Easter services. I hope you can join us. These services are just going to be so full of joy as we get to go to the other side of the cross, to the empty tomb. All the service times are in your bulletins, but very quickly, there's Saturday at 4 and 6, Sunday morning at 8, 930, 11, and 1230. All the services are exactly the same. They're just under an hour long, and we'll also have free food, as if rejoicing in your risen Savior isn't enough. So that's going to be a lot of fun. But let me close with the benediction from Revelation 1:6. "Now to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." God bless you. Thank you so much for coming tonight.