Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lamb of God for sinners slain. Jesus Christ, we praise your name. Amen.
! We've been walking through the account of Jesus' death this evening from the Gospel of John.
And I just want to circle back to just one verse that we've already read this evening from John 19, verse 30.
If you'd like to open up in your own Bibles or the Pew Bibles there in front of you, you can find our passage there in John 19, verse 30.
And I just want to ask one question this evening tonight, which is, what makes Good Friday good?
Why do we call the death of our God good?
Growing up in my house, every Sunday there was a battle over who got to read the Sunday funnies first.
And that was what we called the comic section in my house.
I had to wrestle with three sisters, some one of four.
And we would take turns reading a page.
We'd tear that paper apart.
I'd have a page.
My sister would have a page.
And we'd work an assembly line rotation until all of the comics had been read.
And just about every Good Friday, a comic called BC comes to mind, written by a guy named Johnny Hart.
I believe he's no longer with us now.
His grandson is now writing the comics.
But he wrote a comic called BC that featured a bunch of cavemen and prehistoric animals,
really wrestling with a lot of life's hardest questions.
And oftentimes around Good Friday, Easter, Christmas time, they would kind of put a Christian twist onto the comic.
And the comic that I'm thinking of featured one caveman sitting on a hill looking out into the open,
out into the sky.
And he said, I really don't understand why they call it Good Friday.
In fact, you know what?
I hate the term Good Friday.
This caveman friend was standing behind him.
And he said, well, what do you mean?
The man answered and he said, well, they hanged my Lord on a tree that day.
Of course, that's a natural way to think of Good Friday.
If that's all that you understand that happened on Good Friday is that Jesus died on a tree,
then of course it's not very good, is it?
It's a bad, bad Friday.
And so the other thinks for a minute and then he responds,
if you were going to be hanged on the tree that day and someone offered to take your place,
how would you feel?
The answer, of course, is good.
This evening as we reflect tonight on the death of Christ,
the songs that we've sung, the scriptures that we've read,
the topic that we're considering tonight with the death of Jesus on the cross,
it's somber.
It's sad.
It's heavy.
I read this week and today, as I'm sure many of you did this week,
I read about the death of Christ.
We've read about his humiliation, being mocked and ridiculed,
slapped and spat upon, a crown of thorns placed upon his head.
We've read and we've heard about his pain and his suffering,
nails in each hand hung upon the cross,
excruciating physical pain, spiritual anguish.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
And then we've read ultimately about his death.
And no doubt the events of this day are very sad and very heavy,
but I do hope that tonight we can also see that this sacrifice,
the death of Jesus Christ on the cross,
is very, very good for sinners like us.
Amen?
Amen.
Our passage this evening gives us the final words of Jesus Christ
before his death on the cross.
Of course, these aren't his final words.
The resurrection is right around the corner.
He will live and he will speak again.
He lives and he speaks today.
But here in John 19 verse 30,
we see his final words before he bows his head and gives up his spirit
and enters into death.
And what does he say?
John 19 verse 30.
Look there with me.
When Jesus had received the sour wine,
he said,
it is finished.
And he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.
It is finished.
It's three words.
Just one word in the original,
tetelestai.
It's a beautiful summary of what makes Good Friday so good for those who believe.
And so what we need to do tonight is we need to understand exactly what is finished at the cross of Christ.
For one thing,
for Jesus,
it is finished,
is the completion of a perfect life.
See,
on the cross,
hanging there on the cross,
is no ordinary man.
This is the perfect son of God.
He died beside two thieves,
yes,
besides two guilty criminals,
but he himself was no thief.
He himself was completely innocent.
This is the perfect son of God
who came in total obedience
to an eternal plan of God
for the salvation of sinners.
And for 33 years,
he lived an entire life
of total obedience
to the Father.
Complete submission.
Perfect obedience
and perfect resistance
to every temptation.
The author of Hebrews,
it tells us that
he was tempted
and tried
in every way
as we are
yet without
sin.
So now,
because he himself
has suffered
when tempted,
now he is able
to help those
who are being tempted.
As Jesus hangs
on the cross,
as he hangs his head
and gives up his spirit,
he's bringing an end
to a totally perfect life,
which means
it is finished
for Jesus.
This is the completion
of a perfect sacrifice.
The sacrificial system
of the Old Testament,
if you know your Bible,
you know that
the sacrificial system
in the Old Testament
required the slaughter
of animals
to pay for the sins
of the people.
And all of this
was a very bloody system.
And it temporarily
paid for the sins
of the people.
It required a spotless,
perfect lamb
without blemish.
And their shed blood
covered the sins
of the people.
But now we see
in the death of Christ,
all of this
was just a temporary
pointer
to something
that's more real
and more lasting
and more effective
and more permanent
and more efficient
for the cleansing
of sin.
Jesus Christ
on the cross
is the perfect
sacrifice
for sinners.
Jesus is the Lamb
of God
who takes away
the sins
of the world.
Here,
Jesus is
blameless,
perfect,
innocent,
and He is slaughtered
as a sacrifice
in the place
of sinners.
His blood
covers
our sins.
Praise God.
God,
which means
it is finished,
is the completion
of a perfect
plan.
Jesus' death
is no accident.
It is not
a tragic event,
a tragic accident
of human history.
This death
was the plan
of God
from before
the ages began.
God determined
to send
His own Son
as the perfect
sacrifice
for sinners.
We're told
the Son of Man
came to seek
and to save
the lost.
This was the plan.
He's the Lamb
that was slain
from before
the foundations
of the world.
God's plan
from before
the foundation
of the world
was to send
His Son
and glorify
His name
in the crucifixion
of His Son
in the place
of sinners
like me and you.
It's good news
for sinners
like us.
Because now
for us
it is finished.
For us
means that
everything you
and I need
in order to be
counted perfect
in the sight
of God
is finished.
It is found
in Him.
It is received
by faith
in Him.
All of our
striving
is finished.
All of our
earning
is finished.
All of our
worry about
whether or not
we can ever
measure up
or whether or not
we can ever
be good enough
or whether or not
God might ever
accept somebody
as messed up
as me.
All of that
is finished.
Why?
Because simply
by faith
we receive
the perfect
record
of Jesus Christ.
For us
by faith
it is finished
means that
our debt
is paid
in full.
His sacrifice
is in
our place.
The wrath
of God
that was
poured out
on Him
was the
wrath of God
that was
owed to us.
And God
will never
double charge
the bill.
Jesus Christ
endured
in full
the wrath
of God
paid in full
the debt
that you
and I
owe.
In the
ancient world
merchants
just like
they do
today
when there
was a bill
that was
owed
when it
was paid
in full
they would
write a little
note on the
top.
It was just
one word.
You know
what it said?
The same
word that came
out of Jesus'
mouth here
on the cross
to lest
die.
It is
finished.
The debt
is paid
in full
for all
who trust
Him by
faith.
So now
praise God
it is
finished
means that
we who
know Him
by faith
are included
in the
eternal
plan
of God.
I love
the book
of Ephesians
and how
Paul just
gushes over
what God
has done
for us
in Christ.
Listen to
this from
Ephesians
chapter 1.
He says
blessed be
the God
and Father
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ
who has
blessed us
in Christ
with every
spiritual
blessing
in the
heavenly
places
even as
He chose
us in
Him
before the
foundation
of the
world
that we
should be
holy
and blameless
before Him.
In love
He predestined
us for
adoption
to Himself
as sons
through
Jesus Christ
according to
the purpose
of His
will
to the
praise of
His
glorious
grace
with which
He has
blessed us
and the
beloved
in Him
we have
redemption
through His
blood
the forgiveness
of our
trespasses
according to
the riches
of His
grace
which He
lavished upon
us in all
wisdom and
insight
making known
to us the
mystery of
His will
according to
His purpose
which He set
forth in
Christ
as a plan
for the
fullness
of time
to unite
all things
in Him
things in
heaven
and things
on earth
in Him
we have
obtained
an inheritance
having been
predestined
according to
the purpose
of Him
who works
all things
according to
the counsel
of His
will
so that
we who
were the
first to
hope in
Christ
might be
to the
praise
of His
glory
in Him
you also
when you
heard the
word of
truth
the gospel
of your
salvation
and believed
in Him
you also
were sealed
with the
promised
Holy Spirit
who is the
guarantee
of our
inheritance
until we
acquire
possession
of it
to the
praise
of His
glory
if you
have come
to Christ
in faith
then you
can say
hallelujah
this is
me
I am
included
in this
eternal
plan of
God
in Christ
by faith
I am
blessed
with every
spiritual
blessing
in the
heavenly
places
in Christ
by faith
I have
been
chosen
from
before
the
foundation
of the
world
in Christ
by faith
I am
holy
and blameless
before the
throne
of God
in Christ
by faith
I am
adopted
as a
son
or a
daughter
of God
through
Christ
by faith
I have
redemption
through the
blood
of Christ
I have
been
forgiven
of every
trespass
I have
been
united
to God
by faith
in Christ
all
praise
be
to God
for his
glorious
grace
you see
why we
call this
good
Randy Alcorn
asks the
same question
he says
what is
good about
good
Friday
why isn't
it called
bad
Friday
and he
answers
because
out of
the
appallingly
bad
came
what was
inexpressibly
good
and the
good
trumps
the
bad
because
though
the
bad
was
temporary
the
good
is
eternal
friend
we end
this
evening
with
Christ
crucified
but we
call it
good
because
we know
that just
around
the
corner
is
Easter
Sunday
his
resurrection
is
ultimately
what makes
good
Friday
so
good
because
by it
he
conquers
the
grave
and lives
to offer
eternal
life
to any
sinner
who comes
to him
in faith
A.W.
Pink
says it
like this
he says
it is
finished
is but
one word
in the
original
yet
in that
one word
is wrapped
up the
gospel
of God
in that
word
is contained
the ground
of the
believer's
assurance
in that
word
is discovered
the sum
of all
joy
and the
very
spirit
of all
consolation
it
is
finished
we're
gonna
stand
and respond
in just a
moment
by singing
together
but before
we do
I would
like to
invite you
to respond
this evening
each and
every one
of us
to respond
this evening
with just
a moment
of silent
prayer
as we
sit right
where we
are
and reflect
on the
cross
of Christ
I want
you to
sit
and just
pray
and I
want you
to ask
yourself
and pray
through these
three questions
for just a
moment
number one
is good
Friday
good for
me
in other
words do I
see my
sin paid
in full
at the
cross of
Christ
do I
trust
Jesus Christ
by faith
to be
the perfect
sacrifice
for my
sin
to bring
me
to God
is it
good for
me
second
question
do I
grieve the
sin that
put him
there
have I
repented
of my
sin
is there
any
lingering
sin
still
in our
life
that we
need to
confess
and make
right with
the Lord
this evening
is there
anything
that we
need to
repent of
this evening
what better
time than
now here
on Good
Friday to
confess that
to the
Lord and
then look
to the
cross and
rejoice your
sin is
paid in
full
your guilt
is removed
question
number three
am I
filled with
awe and
wonder at
what God
has done
in Christ
am I
marveling
at the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
am I
filled with
gratitude
for the
Lord for
what he's
done for
me in
the life
and the
death
of
Jesus
let's
take just
a moment
and pray
through these
three questions
and I'll
close us
in prayer
in just a
moment
let's
pray
we praise
you
and we
thank you
for the
cross of
Christ
and we
do pray
that for
every single
individual in
this room
that we
can look
at the
cross of
Christ
and say
that's
good
for me
that I
trust
the sacrifice
of Christ
to be
sufficient
for me
I need
the salvation
of Jesus
Christ
that's only
found in
him
he's my
only hope
to be made
right with
the holy
God
is by faith
in him
only by his
blood
can I be
made right
with you
I pray
every soul
in this
room would
sing those
words to
you tonight
I pray
that we
would
we would
grieve
and repent
of our
sin
this evening
Lord we
confess all
we like
sheep have
gone astray
every one
of us has
turned to
his own
way
Lord but
we rejoice
the Lord
has laid
on him
the iniquity
of us
all
and Father
we pray
that each
and every
one of us
would be
filled with
awe
and wonder
and gratitude
Lord that
we would
magnify the
glory of
God and
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ as
we reflect
on what
Jesus has
done for
us
Lord we
love you
you are
worthy of
our praise
we pray
this in
Jesus name
Amen