Sermon Summary
The sermon is about the significance of the cross in the Christian faith, specifically on Good Friday. The pastor reflects on the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion and the reactions of those around Him. The main points of the sermon include understanding the true meaning of the cross, the power it holds, and its centrality in Christianity. The pastor also explores the seven last words of Jesus on the cross and highlights the importance of the cross as a symbol of God's grace and redemption. We can learn from the sermon that the cross is not just a symbol, but a representation of Jesus' sacrifice for humanity's sins, and that it is the foundation of the Christian faith. The sermon encourages believers to remember the significance of the cross and to hold on to the message of the gospel firmly.Key Take-aways
The Sermon
Now, what is good with Good Friday? Why is it called good? What makes it good? It was a warm day, and people were buzzing around, and everybody had already heard that Jesus of Nazareth, that man from Galilee, was already arrested the previous night and was going to be crucified.
There are two reactions from the people, as always. The religious leaders and those who were on their side continued to mock Jesus, saying, "Save yourself." The other group of people, those who believed in Jesus, were crying and mourning.
This was part of the pastor's message last Sunday when Jesus met the women who were crying, and Jesus told them, "Don't weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children." It seems that day was only good for those who wanted Jesus dead, to remove a pain in their neck.
But to Jesus' disciples and all those who followed Him, it was the saddest day of their life. It would take the resurrection day, a few days later, to see the victory that was accomplished on that middle cross.
Our text tells us that they made Jesus carry His cross after He was beaten and whipped by the soldiers. They did all these things to Him, stripped Him, slapped Him, spit on Him, crowned Him with thorns, and put a robe on Him.
Once again, what is the meaning of His death today? We shall be reminded again of something we should never forget: the centrality of the cross in the Christian faith.
We could preach a lot of things, many about many things here in the pulpit, both spiritual and practical. Yet, none of them will work without the cross, because the cross is the only source of grace to make it possible to do all those other things that we talk about here.
The cross has established the gravity of a human condition and, therefore, the necessity of God's grace. Our sin has alienated us from God, creating a chasm, a big gap that no one is able to cross.
In our state of hopelessness, Christ came down to cross that barrier, that boundary, and that is the message of the cross.
Paul said, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."
The cross is central in the preaching of Paul, in spite of the rejection in his time. He would go into the synagogues again and again and, wherever he went, to the marketplace, in the streets, and say, "Now, I want you to know; I want to show you from the scripture that the Messiah had to suffer and die."
When we get to heaven, what will be our basis of entering? It's not about what we have done, but about what Christ has done for us on the cross.