LutheranLectionary.org

Series C – Good Friday – Friday, March 25, 2016 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:26	We Now read the passion narrative from
0:32	the Gospel of John chapter 18 starting at verse 1. we’ll break this into two
0:37	pieces all the way through 19 verse 16. when Jesus had spoken these words he
0:45	went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron there was a garden which he and his
0:51	disciples entered now Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often
0:56	met there with his disciples so Judas having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the
1:02	chief priests and the Pharisees went there with lanterns and torches and weapons
1:08	than Jesus knowing all that would happen to him came forward and said to them whom do you seek
1:14	they answered him Jesus of Nazareth Jesus said to them I am
1:21	Judas who betrayed him was standing with them and when Jesus said to them I am they drew back and they fell to the
1:27	ground so we asked them again whom do you seek they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus
1:35	answered I told you that I am he so if you seek me let these men go this
1:41	was to fulfill the word that he had spoken of Those whom you gave me I have not lost one
1:47	then Simon Peter having a sword drew it struck the high priest’s servant cut off
1:52	his right ear the servant’s name was malcus so Jesus said to Peter put your
1:57	sword into its sheath shall I not drink the cup that the father has given me
2:03	so the band of soldiers and their Captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him
2:09	first they led him to anus for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year it was Caiaphas
2:17	who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people
2:22	Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple since that disciple was known to the high priest he entered with
2:29	Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest but Peter stood outside at the door so the other disciple who was known
2:36	to the high priest went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door and brought Peter in the servant
2:42	girl at the door said to Peter you also are not one of this man’s disciples are you he said I am not
2:51	now the servants and officers have made a charcoal fire because it was cold
2:56	they were standing and warming themselves Peter also was with them standing and warming himself
3:03	the high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching Jesus answered him I have spoken openly
3:10	to the world I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple where all Jews come
3:16	together I have said nothing in secret why do you
3:21	ask me ask those who have heard me what I said to them they know what I said
3:27	when he had said these things one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand saying is that how you answer
3:33	the high priest Jesus answered him if what I said is wrong bear witness
3:39	about the wrong but if what I said is right why do you strike me
3:44	Annis then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest now Simon Peter was standing and warming
3:50	himself so they said to him you also are not one of his disciples are you he
3:56	denied it and said I am not one of the Servants of the high priest a relative of the man whose ear Peter had
4:02	cut off asked did I not see you in the garden with him Peter again denied it and at once the rooster crowed
4:09	then they LED Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters it was early morning they themselves did
4:16	not enter the governor’s headquarters so that they would not be defiled but could eat the Passover so pilate went outside
4:22	to them and said what accusation do you bring against this man they answered him if this man were not
4:29	doing evil we would not have delivered him over to you pilate said to them take them yourselves
4:35	and judge him by your own law the Jew said to him it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death
4:41	this was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die
4:47	so pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him
4:52	are you the king of the Jews Jesus answered do you say this of your own accord
4:59	or did others say it to you about me pilate answered am I a Jew
5:06	your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me what have you done Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this
5:14	world if my kingdom were of this world my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to
5:20	the Jews but my kingdom is not from the world then pilate said to him so you are
5:26	a king Jesus answered you say that I am a king for this purpose I was born and for this
5:32	purpose I have come into the world to Bear witness to the truth everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice
5:39	pilate said to him what is truth and he said this he went back outside to
5:45	the Jews and told them I find no guilt in him but you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the
5:51	Passover so do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews they cried out again not this man but Barabbas
5:58	now Barabbas was a robber then pilate took Jesus flogged him and
6:04	the soldiers Twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and raid him in a purple robe they came up to him
6:10	saying hail King of the Jews and then struck him with their hands pilot went out again and said to them
6:17	see I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him
6:22	so Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe pilate said
6:27	to them behold the man when the chief priests and the officers saw him they cried out crucify him
6:33	crucify him pilate said to them take him yourselves and crucify him for
6:39	I find no guilt in him the Jews answered him we have a law and according to that law he ought to die because he has made
6:46	himself the son of God when pilate heard this statement he was
6:51	even more afraid he entered the headquarters again and said to Jesus where are you from
6:57	but Jesus gave him no answer so pilate said to him you will not speak to me
7:04	do you not know that I have authority to release you an authority to crucify you
7:09	Jesus answered him you would have no authority over me at all unless it had
7:14	been given to you from above therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin
7:20	from then on pilate sought to release Jesus but the Jews cried out if you release this man you are not Caesar’s
7:27	friend everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar so when pilate heard
7:32	these words he brought Jesus out and sat down in the Judgment seat at the place called The Stone Pavement in Aramaic
7:39	called gabitha that was the day of the preparation of the Passover it was about the sixth hour and he said to the Jews
7:45	behold your king they cried out a way with him away with him crucify him
7:51	pilate said to them shall I crucify your king the chief priests answered we have no
7:57	King but Caesar so he delivered him over to them to be crucified we continue with the passion narrative
8:04	from the Gospel of John chapter 19. finishing verse 16.
8:11	so they took Jesus and he went out bearing his own cross
8:16	to the place called the place of a skull which an Aramaic is called
8:23	golgotham There They Crucified him and with him to others one on either
8:29	side and Jesus between them pilate also wrote an inscription put it on the cross it read Jesus of Nazareth
8:37	the king of the Jews many of the Jews read the inscription for the place where Jesus was crucified
8:43	was near the city and it was written in Aramaic and in Latin and in Greek so the
8:48	chief priests and the Jews said to pilate do not write the king of the Jews but rather that this man said I am the
8:55	king of the Jews pilate answered what I have written I have written
9:02	when the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments divided them into four parts
9:08	one part for each Soldier also his tunic with the tunic was seamless woven in one
9:13	piece from top to bottom so they said to one another let us not tear it but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be
9:21	this was to fulfill the scripture which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots
9:28	so the soldiers did these things but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
9:34	his mother’s sister Mary the wife of clopus and Mary Magdalene
9:40	when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby he said to his mother woman
9:46	behold your son then he said to the disciple behold your mother and from that hour the disciple took her
9:54	to his home his own home after this
9:59	Jesus knowing that all was now finished he said to
10:05	fulfill the scriptures I thirst a Jar full of sour wines stood there so
10:11	they put a sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth
10:16	when Jesus had received the sour wine he said it is finished
10:22	and he bowed his head and he gave up his spirit since it was the day of preparation so
10:28	that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath for the Sabbath was a high day the Jews asked pilate that
10:35	their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away so the soldiers came and broke the legs
10:40	of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him but when they came to Jesus and
10:46	saw that he was already dead they did not break his legs but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once there came out
10:53	blood and water and He Who had who saw it has
10:58	borne witness his testimony is true and he knows that what he’s telling is the truth that you may also believe
11:07	for these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled not one of his bones will be broken and again
11:13	another scripture they will look on him whom they have pierced after these things Joseph of Arimathea
11:21	who was a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews asked pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus and
11:28	pilate gave him permission so he came and took away his body Nicodemus also
11:33	who had earlier come to Jesus by Night came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about 75 pounds in weight so they
11:42	took the body of Jesus bounded in linen cloths with the spices as his burial
11:47	custom of the Jews now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and in the garden a new Tomb in
11:54	which no one had yet been laid so because of the Jewish Day of preparation since the tomb was close at
12:00	hand they laid Jesus there in the name of Jesus
12:07	so we’ve all heard the saying and it sounds a little odd to say it on a day like this thank God it’s Friday
12:14	it seems a little out of place in the service does it not and I think it is Friday’s here in America well if you’ve
12:22	worked in the corporate world they can be a pretty easy work day for some
12:27	people many companies allow their employees to dress casually allow them to let down their hair and if it happens
12:34	to be a Friday before a three-day weekend well many companies oftentimes allow their employees to leave a little
12:40	early to get a head start on their holiday and for many companies Friday is also payday
12:47	there are a few things better than heading out for a three-day weekend with your bank account refilled so that you
12:53	can enjoy your weekend to the fullest right thank God it’s Friday
12:59	today however is Good Friday today is the day that we remember Jesus’s Friday of Fridays the Friday
13:07	when he did his greatest work worked overtime by the way
13:12	and received the wages of our sin
13:18	that being a shameful painful ignominious suffering
13:24	death if you think about death
13:31	death is that thing that all of us fear the most we do
13:37	death if you look at our movies it’s fascinating death always seems to be one of the invisible characters in the
13:43	movies that we go to watch I always think it fascinating that when they they roll the credits right you know Clint
13:50	Eastwood you know Martin Sheen name the name of the actor you know who was the primary character why did they never put
13:57	death in the cast because death is always part of the cast is it not
14:03	at least in the big movies Hollywood
14:08	which is weird treats death Ghibli or glibly they do this with movies that not only
14:15	have a rating of PG or R but also movies that rack up large body counts it’s as
14:21	if well it’s an everyday occurrence for special agents and good guys who wear
14:27	white cowboy hats to coolly Gun Down 5 10 15 people in a four minute time span
14:35	you notice those movies never show you the aftermath of those deaths the person is killed and then the hero just moves
14:43	on they don’t show the ambulance they don’t show the people sitting there slack jawed the people weeping or crying
14:50	and they never show the funerals either there’s nothing sexy about death
14:57	Hollywood’s treatment of death is fantasy Let’s Make Believe stand graveside
15:04	if someone is burying a loved one you’ll see death is truly awful
15:12	hearken back to the terrorist attacks in Europe if you were standing in the streets of
15:18	Paris or at the Brussels Airport during the latest Terror attacks well then you saw people fleeing
15:26	not Isis they weren’t fleeing terrorists they were running for their lives they
15:32	were fleeing death
15:38	those of us here we pray that we do not experience an awful death
15:44	we don’t want a bloody death we prefer not to suffer a shameful death as best as humanly possible we pray that
15:52	we will die well or that we will die quickly knowing that death visits all of
15:57	us because the wages of sin is death payday is coming by the way and we’ve all sinned and we’ve all Fallen far far
16:03	far far far short of the glory of God but each and every one of us all
16:09	secretly hope that we will quietly pass away
16:15	in our sleep that’s not how Jesus died
16:22	it’s not how he died the prophet Isaiah
16:28	writing of Jesus’s crucifixion hundreds of years before it actually took place
16:34	said this of Jesus his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance
16:40	and is formed beyond that of the children of mankind the reason for this was simple
16:46	he was stripped naked suspended Between Heaven and Earth his body was ruined it was ruined by the
16:54	scourging his flesh was ripped and torn from his back
16:59	behold these are the wages of sin these are the wages of your sin and mine
17:10	verse 3 of the opening hymn that we sang reads thus ye who think of sin but lightly
17:18	nor supposed the evil great here may view its nature rightly here
17:25	it’s gout it’s guilt May estimate you want to know what the wages of sin
17:30	is take a look at Jesus
17:36	Mark the sacrifice appointed see who Bears the awful load Tis the word the Lord’s anointed
17:42	son of man the son of God Isaiah continues Jesus was despised
17:50	Jesus was rejected by men Jesus was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief and as one from
17:57	whom Med hid their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not
18:06	and see there’s the irony this really weird irony of all of this We Men despise Jesus
18:14	but Jesus was there to save us the whole time that’s why he came so Isaiah then says this surely
18:21	he Jesus has borne our griefs he’s carried our sorrows
18:29	and in our blindness to who he is and what he’s doing we esteemed him stricken Smitten by God
18:36	and afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions not his own yours and
18:43	mine he was crushed for our iniquities not his own but yours and mine
18:51	and upon him was the punishment the chastisement that brought us peace and
18:56	the question is peace with whom answer peace with God
19:03	because that’s what we needed we are the ones who plunged ourselves
19:08	into this misery and in our sin and Rebellion we have earned the wrath of God
19:16	but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that
19:23	brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed
19:29	you see all we like sheep we’ve gone astray we’ve turned everyone to his own way
19:36	but the lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all he was oppressed he was afflicted
19:44	yet he opened not his mouth like a lamb that has led to the slaughter and like a sheet that before
19:49	it cheers to silence so he opened not his mouth
19:55	he didn’t come to defend himself he didn’t come
20:01	to hire an attorney so that he can be found innocent because
20:08	there’s the real interesting turn even though he committed no sin
20:14	God laid on him our sin
20:24	by oppression and judgment he was taken away as for his generation who considered
20:30	that he was cut off out of the land of the living stricken for the transgression of my people and they made his grave with the Wicked
20:37	with a rich man in his death although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth
20:44	you can almost see Isaiah as he’s writing this out going what is this that God is revealing
20:52	how is it that one who has done no violence in whom there is no deceit how is he dead
20:59	how is he being punished the great Doctrine the vicarious penal
21:05	substitution isn’t in place
21:11	yes Isaiah writes and this is scandalous
21:16	it was the will of the Lord to crush Jesus God willed this
21:23	Christ by the way didn’t have his life taken from him he laid it down of his own accord
21:28	he despised The Shame of the cross for the joy that was set before him
21:34	and that Joy is to be reconciled to you
21:39	into me so it was the will of the Lord to crush him he’s put him to grief and when his
21:47	soul makes an offering for Guilt he shall see his offspring and he shall prolong his days
21:53	and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand it’s as if Jesus
22:00	in the midst of his greatest suffering can see into the future and see the
22:07	great wedding Feast of the Lamb everything that he was going through
22:12	meant nothing because what meant everything was to be there with you
22:21	out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and he will be satisfied
22:26	by his knowledge shall the righteous one my servant make many to be accounted righteous and you brothers and sisters
22:32	are among those who have been accounted righteous by faith as a gift
22:40	he shall bear their iniquities therefore I will divide him a portion with the many he shall divide the spoil with the
22:46	strong because he poured out his soul to death he was numbered with the transgressors yet he was not one
22:53	yet he bore the sin of many and he makes intercession intercession for transgressors transgressors as
23:01	wicked and vile and hardened as you and as me
23:09	we return now to Our Gospel text the conclusion of Christ’s crucifixion
23:16	there are seven words that Jesus says from the cross three of them are recorded in the Gospel of John
23:24	isn’t it fascinating to you that the prophets
23:29	the revelation of God can see so clearly into the future
23:34	it’s always amazing I mean there Isaiah says Christ’s tomb was with the rich and
23:40	so it was David prophesying in Psalm 22 read it
23:46	read Psalm 22. Stark Vivid detail of the crucifixion
23:52	including the casting of lots for the clothes of Christ hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of
24:00	years before Jesus was born when the soldiers had crucified Jesus
24:08	they took his garments divided them into four parts one part for each soldier soldier also his tunic
24:16	little side note here when you read the church fathers on this it’s very fascinating with what they do with this
24:22	they end up type using type and Shadow of the Jesus’s garments it goes to four
24:30	different soldiers they say that this symbolizes and foreshadows the four gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John
24:37	and then the tunic the seamless woven in one piece tunic from top to bottom
24:43	that’s the church herself and for many many many years before the church was
24:48	ever rent asunder by schisms and sex and denominations and Heretics
24:55	the church would always say we must stay unified because we are the seamless
25:00	woven tunic of Christ a little side note there
25:07	but we return so the soldier said to one another let us not tear It cast lots to see whose it
25:14	shall be this was to fulfill the scripture which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots it’s
25:21	in psalm 22. so the soldiers did these things but standing by the cross and there’s Jesus
25:28	it’s not an easy Friday for him it’s not a casual Friday he’s not
25:34	getting off work early today there he is bleeding suffering dying for my sins and
25:43	yours and he still has enough sense about him
25:49	to care for his mother when Jesus saw his mother and the
25:56	disciple whom he loved that is John standing nearby he said to his mother
26:01	woman behold your son then he said to the disciple behold your mother
26:08	and from that hour the disciple took her to his own home another historical note
26:14	the Apostle Paul is the missionary and the Apostle who planted the churches in Ephesus
26:21	spent a long time there proclaiming Christ and him crucified for our sins
26:27	and the Lord brought many people to repentance for many years many hundreds of years Ephesus was a
26:35	center of Christianity but it’s also important to note that after the Apostle Paul moved on
26:42	one of the very first other Apostles to move into Ephesus was the disciple the
26:48	Apostle John and he brought Mary with her church history tells us
26:55	so he fulfilled his duty to care for Mary as if Mary was his own mother
27:02	after this Jesus knowing all that all was now
27:08	finished I don’t know how the math works he was on the cross for six hours
27:15	but see the thing is is that Jesus is an eternal being he’s the eternal
27:20	Son of God second person of the Holy Trinity so six hours times eternity
27:26	equals the atonement of all the sins of every Humanity if every human being I don’t
27:32	know how it works I don’t know how it works at all of course then again I think math is evil but somehow there’s
27:38	some mathematics going on here you know there has to be but you think about it Jesus is on the cross for six days
27:45	and six days was the well number of days for the original creation and Jesus when he dies he goes into the
27:53	tomb and has his Sabbath rest and he raises again on the Eighth Day the
27:58	beginning of a new creation but I’m getting ahead of myself that’s for Sunday right
28:04	so Jesus when he knew that all was now finished the awful work done every sin atoned for
28:13	every transgression atoned for bled for died for suffered
28:21	for the wrath of God he drank it down to the dregs
28:28	and yet even after that after drinking it down to the dregs Jesus says this
28:33	I thirst what is he thirsty for
28:38	so a Jar full of sour wines stood there and here’s something appears that you
28:44	have it’s out of the blue so they put a sponge full of sour wine
28:49	on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth
28:54	hyssop makes an appearance once again do you remember when the children of
29:00	Israel were in Egypt for the Passover what is it that the Lord commanded the
29:06	children of Israel to use to put the blood over the lentils of the doors of the Egypt of their houses in Egypt
29:13	hyssop hyssop so now we have hyssop and sour wine which is blood red
29:22	and it’s held up to Jesus kind of a signal here the Old Testament shadows
29:28	are now giving way to the reality
29:33	and when Jesus had received the sour wine he said to tell us die
29:40	it is finished he bowed his head
29:45	and says he gave up his spirit
29:51	he was in charge of this the whole time
29:58	so who is this God who rather than give us all what we deserve
30:04	rather than give us all what we have earned by our sinful Rebellion against him who is this God
30:12	that satisfies and fulfills his own Justice so that we
30:18	truly hardened sinners may live and not die
30:24	who is this God who would permit his own son
30:33	to be ruined so that we would never be ruined in the fires of hell
30:45	John later in his epistle first epistle wrote this
30:52	beloved let us love one another for love is of God
30:58	and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God
31:03	the one who does not love does not know God because God is love
31:14	there is no greater love than this the man lay down his life for his friends
31:22	and this is what Jesus has done for us because of his great love for us
31:27	as Paul writes God demonstrates his love for us he doesn’t do this in abstract he
31:34	demonstrates his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died
31:41	for our sin
31:46	and it all happened via The Great Exchange
31:53	for Paul also writes in second Corinthians 5. for our sake God made Jesus to be sin
32:00	who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
32:06	who is this God that so lovingly pursues
32:12	wretched ungrateful rebellious sinners
32:18	like me and like you one thing’s for sure
32:25	John is right we love God because he first loved us
32:32	oh Lord if you kept a record of wrongs who could stand not one of us could
32:38	but with you there is forgiveness because of Christ
32:43	therefore you are feared in the name of Jesus
32:48	amen [Music]

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