Good Friday
Sign, Darkness into Light -- Hope
(Read the Christmas story)
Tonight our focus is on the cross of
Christ. We have heard so far this evening, a brief description of
Christ's life. A life that was brought intto this world by a shining
star. A life which brought a light, a sparkle, a glow to the souls and
hearts of many people. Our church to this point is ablaze with lights.
The coming of Christ the incarnation, the revelation of God's Son,
brought a glory, a wonder that forever changed the face of the earth.
But on this night, we relive the
moment when that glow, that light, the salvation of God in our world
was almost extinguished. It is really difficult for us to relive the
emotions, the feelings, the despair, the frustrations of those early
disciples as they watched their master, their friend and their savior
die on a cross. They had an idea that this might not be the end, but
for that moment, at that cross on that hill, all looked bleak.
We know the rest of the
story-if-you-will. We know that Easter is coming, we know that the
glow, the light of Christ was not fully extinguished. We know that a
candle flame still burned on this earth as Christ did battle with the
devil, then on the third day he rose victoriously from the grave. We
know what is good about Good Friday and that is what we are going to
dwell on this evening, the goodness, the hope, the victory, the
salvation which comes out of the despair, the brokenness, the misery,
the hurt, the pain and the loneliness of life.
We will answer the question, what is
good about Good Friday ?
We begin with a story which over-all
for me explains the cross, the power, the goodness which comes to us
from the pain and agony of this day:
"A carpenter had a rough first day on
the job. A flat fire had made him lose an hour of work, his electric
saw quit and now his ancient pickup refused to start.
While I drove him hone, he sat in
stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we
walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree,
touching the tips of the branches with both hands.
Then opening the door, he underwent
an amazing transformation. His tanned face was covered in smiles and he
hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterwards he walked me to the car.
We passed the tree and my curiosity got the best of me. I asked him
about what I had seen him do earlier.
"Oh, that is my trouble tree," he
replied, "I know I cannot help having troubles on the job, but one
thing's for sure--troubles do not belong in the house with my wife and
the children. So I just hang' em on the tree every night when I come
home, then in the morning, I pick them up again."
"Funny thing is," he said smilingly,
"when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there are not as many
as I remember hanging up the night before."
"So they took Jesus, and he went out
bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of the skull.
There they crucified him and with him two others."
The cross, the instrument of death is
for us today, our "trouble tree. The cross is our sign of the great
goodness and love God has for us through Christ. He invites us to hang
our troubles, our cares, our worries, on the cross, on this trouble
tree so that he can ease them, help us carry them. The trouble tree,
the cross is where we surrender to God through Christ every part of our
lives and when that happens, then the goodness of Good Friday is made
evident for us.
Good Friday is good because in all
the brokenness, in all the inhumanity, in all the garbage, in all the
unfairness of life, there is still hope, the flame still burns at it
did on the first good Friday .
What is good about Good Friday is
there is HOPE in this world of darkness.
Not only is there hope and the
assurance that God is in control .
There is also the strength, the inner
resource of Christ presence for us through the suffering he endured on
the cross. The inner strength he had to endure on the cross is given to
each of us as we face all the trialss of our lives. It doesn't mean we
will not experience pain and heartache, it doesn't mean life will be a
bowl of cherries, but it does mean that somehow God will make available
to you the strength, the courage, the willpower to handle the situation.
The hands of Christ reach out from
the cross into our lives to give the courage and the strength to live
with whatever situation we might find ourselvs.
Hands--by William J. Patton
The old man sat there looking at his
gnarled, wrinkled hands......There was a young cild on the ground in
front of him playing in the sand......
"Hi mister," the child said, "Your
hands sure do look old."....
"Yes," said the old man, "Watch these
hands and behild"-----
.....Slowly, the old man opened his
hands....As he did, a single drop of blood fell to the sand....The
child looked into the eyes of the old man...then looked down and saw
there was a hole in each hand............
The old man looked at the child and
said, "Do you know who I am?"....
"No," said the child as he looked at
the old man....
"I am who I am." said the old
man......The old man reached out and touched the child and was
gone.....A smile came on the child's face, for he knew never again
would he be alone.....The child turned to play and saw where hands of
God the single drop of blood had hit the sand....A rose bush did
stand........
The young child went on playing in
the sand.....Every now and then he would stop...and look at his
hands....
And finally the Cross reveals God's
method of salvation the suffering of Christ, the punishment of Christ
for our sins. Someone had to suffer for our wrongs, and Jesus took our
place, our suffering. He did it all for us. There is nothing more to do
than to believe he did it for you. Salvation work is finished by Christ:
Two Planks of Wood
Itís just a couple planks of
wood,
Some nails, and thorns; a sign.
It could never build much of anything.
But, it built a bridge Divine.
The chasm wide between the worlds,
Of darkness and of light,
Were spanned with two old planks of
wood,
Some nails, and thorns; a sign.
It was all wrong, it all was right,
Because the only way
To span the gulf (restore our souls)
Hung on the cross, that day.
The strongest force in the universe
Dripped down, a crimson red,
And demons tremble in its wake,
With, ''It is finished!'' said.
The work was done in majesty,
The blood line clearly drawn!
We overcome the vilest test;
Our testimony and His song!
The sign up high, above His head,
Needed one word to be true.
He was the King of Kings, Who
Sought for me and you!
Oh, beautiful and purest Love,
Throughout eons of time,
Brought, humbly, by two planks of
wood,
Some nails, and thorns, and a sign!
© 2003 by Joan Clifton Costner
What is good about Good Friday? Good
Friday brings with it's death, suffering and brokenness, the place for
us to turn to surrender our lives, our troubles, our cares. Good Friday
brings us hope in the midst of suffering. A Christian always lives with
hope that somehow in this life the situation may change or in the after
life we know we will be granted our peace and comfort.
.And lastly Good Friday brings the
gift of salvation once and for all. Through Christ salvation has been
completed. He is our way, our truth and our light as we journey on this
earth and as we journey to the rooms prepared for us in the heavenly
mansions.
Jesus says it is finished from the
cross. The Greek word telestai means it is finished or paid in full.
Our salvation is finished, it is paid in full
So on the cross he says telestai "It
is paid in full." Our sins have been completely forgiven. It is
finished.
So, how do we respond to this last
testament of Jesus? Remember, it is not a promise, "Your sins will be
forgiven," and it is not a conditional statement, "Your sins are
forgiven if...." How do we respond to it? What do we do? All you have
to do is to say "Amen ... So be it."
It is finished. The light of Christ
has not been extinguished, the light of Christ though now dimmed on
this Good Friday will arise and shine in this world.
It is finished.
Amen so be it.
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale 2008