Tag Archives: Good Friday

Sermons

Good Friday—Tenebrae (Jn 19:1–42)

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

Lift up your eyes and see the salvation of God. The Lord God from heaven above with a mighty hand and outstretched arms has saved His people, all people. “My eyes look up to the hills,” from there, from above our help and salvation come. As Jesus says, “You are from beneath; I am from above.” Salvation isn’t just “from above;” it is above! That’s today. Salvation was up. Jesus, your Savior was up: on a hill, lifted up, crucified, “from aboved.” Good Friday is good because of that. Yeah,

JESUS IS “FROM ABOVED” THAT YOU WOULD BE BORN FROM ABOVE. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Good Friday—Chief Service (2 Cor 5:14–21)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN

So many things comes together at the place of the skull. In Jesus cross things that are opposites are joined together. Jesus’ cross being like one giant addition symbol. We rejoice in this joining. This divine plus sign means our eternal salvation. It’s what makes today Good Friday.

So, what sort of things are joined at Jesus’ cross? Well, for starters, God’s justice and His mercy. Sin must be paid for, justice served. God’s justice demands this. He is also merciful and gracious, and He pardons iniquity, transgression, and sin. So often people want to pit these two things against each other. But in one divine action, Jesus’ death for sinners, God’s justice and mercy meet.

Our Epistle points us to two other things that are joined at the cross. Sin and righteousness. For your salvation they’re united at the cross in Jesus, in His flesh and blood. How are they joined? Well,

JESUS WAS YOUR SIN, AND, IN HIM, YOU ARE GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Tenebrae Vespers (John 19:1–42)

April 14, 2017
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

A Meditation on the Cross and Crucified

INI + AMEN.

The cross. The cross. There’s nothing but the cross: offensive, yet beautiful. Offensive to the perishing but beautiful to the saved. The cross—not just the cross.

The Crucified. Him—He’s the true weight of the cross. He’s the true offense—God naked, bleeding, dying, dead. Who wants such a King? Who wants such a God? Could He not save Himself? Could He not call down 12 Legions of angels? Could He not come down from that cross? Yes, then what of you?

You. Yes, you. He does it for you. He’s your King. You don’t choose and elect a King. He is your King. He created from nothing and stops at nothing to save you. He knitted you together and gives up His seamless robe for you. He raises up and brings down nations and is sentenced to death by one of them: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” What joy! What wonder! What mystery! Your King, Your God, bleeds and dies. No expense too great. No cost too High. “His Holy, precious blood”? “His innocent suffering and death”? We thank you, Jesus, for what you did for us upon the cross. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Chief Service (Heb 4:14–16; 5:7–9)

April 14, 2017
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

((5. Oops!: Do you struggle with sin?))

Do you struggle with sin? Are there sins that you just can’t beat? It’s like they sneak up on you, right? You think you’ve got them licked, and then they happen…again. Like, without even knowing how or why, you’re on the other side again. “How did I end up here, again?” you say.

But most of the time, we only give lip service to being sinners. Now, none of us would be so bold as to say we aren’t sinners. But we separate “sinner” from “the sin” so much that it’s almost impossible to think of actual sins we’ve done. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Good Friday (Jn 19:1–42)

March 25, 2016
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

It’s a solemn day. The day we remember when God died. The only day the Church chooses to decorate herself with black. But it’s a good day. The day of your salvation. It can even be a happy day! It’s called Good Friday after all. It’s the day when you’re given to know God perfectly. How can you not know Him perfectly after today? He’s shown you His very heart today. The day we remember His heart being pierced for you. You know God perfectly with your ears today. One little Word does it. That’s right: one Word. One little Greek Word: τετέλεσται. We’re given to meditate on that one little Greek Word this Good Friday. τετέλεσται (tetelestai) is your God to a T.

YOU KNOW GOD PERFECTLY IN ONE WORD: “IT IS FINISHED!” Continue reading →

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Sermons

Good Friday (Mt 21:33–46)

“Rejected One”
April 3, 2015
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bossier City, LAA
AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

It’s all come down to this. Good Friday. All of history had been waiting for this moment. It was a promise a long time in being fulfilled: “He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” The ancient serpent would be undone. The Lord God Himself must do it. “Truly no one can ransom another, nor pay to the LORD the price of his life.” It was foretold, but, more than foretold, it was promised, sealed, and delivered. YHWH says, “They will look on Me whom they have pierced.” We sang of it at Christmas, “Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me, for you.” And here it is, we remember it this day, when the Eternal and Everlasting Son of God, by whom all things were made, who upholds all things, “the wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Prince of peace” is beaten, bloody, nailed naked to a cross. Something so glorious angels can’t look at it. Something so horrid that creation itself hides its face: “Darkness was over the whole earth from the six hour to the ninth hour.” Yet humanity is there mocking Him, rejecting Him. But let’s not mourn. This is our salvation, our deliverance from sin, our conquering of the devil, our victory over death. As the Psalmist says about Good Friday, “This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Continue reading →

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