On Good Friday, we are reminded of the costly sacrifice Jesus made for each one of us to offer us a relationship with Him. But there are many alternative ideas floating in our society. How do we know which to trust? And what does Easter mean for us today?
Our passage: Isaiah 53:4-12 & Galatians 6:14. Preacher: Ian Bayne (10th April 2020).
Watch the sermon
The Crucifixion on Good Friday
What happened?
14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14 ESV
We’re looking today at the first half of this verse written 2000 years ago by the apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus in modern-day Turkey. Paul is writing about the very first Easter weekend, and the events that happened on Good Friday.
Good Friday is the traditional day when Christians give thanks to God for Jesus. He paid the penalty for our sin by being crucified on a cross by the Romans around the year 30AD.
Why does it matter?
Sin is the mental, moral and active disobedience to God’s requirements. It’s not just grievous sin like murder or theft, anything less than perfection is sin.
It’s not that some people do sin and some don’t, or even about who sins less than someone else. This is not relevant. No one can keep such a standard: everyone sins, and there is no distinction; no second prize for coming close.
For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:22b-23
Yet God requires each one of us to be holy and righteous. If we’re certain to fail, why would He ask us to do this? Put simply, His ask is not about our own capability, but His capability.
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
Continuing on to Romans 3:24
This free gift given by Him is what frees us from sin and redeems us. In our verse in Galatians 6:14 Pauls shows that the Cross is a two-way exchange. Our sin is given to Christ, and His righteousness is given to us.
The cross is the meeting place for us and God.
God’s requirement for justice is satisfied – the punishment has been taken. And through this God’s love and forgiveness is fully expressed. He’s given us a way out of sin.
To many Christians, the cross is a powerful symbol that represents God putting right what is wrong.
The alternatives
In the world there are alternate ideas:
- Say sin doesn’t exist
- Accept sin exists, but deny it matters: Doing something wrong only matters if we’re caught and face consequences.
- Redefine right and wrong: much of our law and culture is based on Judeo-Christian ethics. Things such as abortion, euthanasia and marriage are being treated as political issues and re-defined.
If the law of the land is being changed to something that was previously considered wrong, does that make it right?
The majority can do so in parliament, or through a referendum. Society’s views are influenced and enforced by education through guilt and through thought police on social media. Freedom of speech does not always apply.
The consequences
Industrialisation also provides a challenge, when great dollar can be made at the expense of the planet and the most vulnerable in society. It’s not necessarily wrong for people to want to change this. Caring for the environment is a very Christan principle under our general stewardship mandate (Gen 2:15).
The problem is how it’s being dealt with: through social engineering and trying to make people feel guilty about what is being done to the planet, or how people are treated. A negative message rarely works.
Carbon emissions are an example. We’ve been given a lot of education over many years, but few have listened and even today (pre-March) progress was slow.
It’s ironic that one virus has done more to save the climate than all the actions taken over the last few years.
The problems our society and ecosystem face lie deeper than guilt education or social engineering can overcome. These methods are treating the symptoms rather than the cause.
The true answer to these challenges, wrongs and sin is the cross: a horrible instrument of torture and death which Jesus died on around 2000 years ago.
The challenge of Good Friday
The cross does not seek to deny there is sin in the world or the effect it has. It defines sin, and promises that wrong and sin can be overcome.
Paul says that he has nothing to boast in except the cross of Christ. What does he mean? What is he calling us to do?
1. To admit
I need to admit I am part of the problem. Jesus suffered and died for my sin. I ought to have been on the cross, but he died for me.
2. To accept
We accept and trust in Jesus alone to make us right with God. Our sin is placed on him, his righteousness is placed on us. No sin is too big.
He will forgive if you ask him.
3. To continue on
Go forward in his strength and power. True forgiveness begins with a change of heart. If we change the heart, the world will be changed as well.
Christians and the church don’t always get things right. This is not because the cross is not adequate, but because God’s followers have failed to understand and apply the commands contained in scripture.
If you have been hurt or discouraged by the Christian faith, or our poor communication of it, then I apologise for the past sin of the church, and my own part in it. But the truth and the cross is still the only true antidote to all that is wrong in the world, nothing can change this reality.
Forbid it that we should boast in anything else.
On Good Friday we remember our saviour. We pray that He will help us trust in him and become righteous to avoid judgement and receive his freely given gift of salvation.
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Resources
Join us on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection.
Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.
