Read
Matthew 27:27-54 – 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
PONDER
Read each gospel account of Jesus’ crucifixion and death: Matthew 27:27-56, Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:1-30.
Meditate on the weight of the sin of the world and the wrath of God, placed on Jesus, the sinless Son of God, instead of on us. In our sin, we are dead, enemies of God, enslaved to our sinful passions and desires, hopeless and helpless. But God… (Eph 2:1-4).
Consider Jesus’ declaration on the cross: “It is finished!” Ponder Jesus’ death on the cross in our place as the completed act of Christ’s redemption for us. The debt we owed for our sin—paid in full.
PRAY
- Father, thank you for sending Jesus to pay the debt that we never could.
- Jesus, thank you for your sacrificial death in my place.
- Help us to rightly see the weight of the price of our redemption.
- Help us to repent of the sins that ensnare us.
- Help us to honor you as we remember the cross.
Pray: Follow along using the Neighbors and Nations prayer guide this week, praying for the gospel to transform our neighborhoods and the world.
Sing: Listen to our song setlist for the Good Friday service on Spotify.
Sing: Songs for Holy Week on Spotify or YouTube
PRactice
Join us for a Good Friday service at 6:30pm. Invite someone to join you for our Easter gathering- Sunday, April 20th at 10:00am.
On Good Friday, we will take the Lord’s Supper to remember and rejoice in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 warns us not to partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner; that is, clinging to sin for which our Savior died. Take a moment to prepare your heart by examining yourself, confessing any sin in your life and reconciling any broken relationships with a brother or sister in Christ.
If you have children, have a conversation with them about the elements they will see in the gathering. If your children are not believers, explain why they should not yet partake in the Lord’s Supper. If your children are believers, use this as an opportunity to praise God for his work in their lives.