Good Friday (30 March, 2018)

Done!

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.  As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.  ...  Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered 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 and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.  Isaiah 52:13-53:12

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.  Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.  To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.  All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"  Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.  On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.  Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.  Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.  For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet-- I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.  But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!  Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!  Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!  I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!  For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.  From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.  The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!  All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.  For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.  All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.  Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.  Psalm 22

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!  Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!  For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.  Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.  I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.  I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.  Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.  For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.  Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.  I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.  For I hear the whispering of many-- terror on every side!-- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.  But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."  My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!  Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!  O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol.  Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.  Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!  In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.  Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.  I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.  Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!  Psalm 31

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.  From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:14-21

When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.  Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples.  So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.  Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?"  They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I Am He." Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.  When Jesus said to them, "I Am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.  So He asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."  Jesus answered, "I told you that I Am He. So, if you seek me, let these men go."  This was to fulfill the word that He had spoken: "Of those whom You gave me I have lost not one."  Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)  So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"  So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.  First they led Him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.  Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.  The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."  Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.  The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.  Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.  Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said."  When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?"  Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?"  Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.  Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not."  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?"  Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.  Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.  So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?"  They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered Him over to you."  Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death."  This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death He was going to die.  So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? 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 world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."  Then Pilate said to Him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to 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 Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. ... Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged Him.  And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head and arrayed Him in a purple robe.  They came up to Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck Him with their hands.  Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing Him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in Him."  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"  When the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for 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 Himself the Son of God."  When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.  He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.  So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?"  Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin."  From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."  So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called "The Stone Pavement," and in Aramaic "Gabbatha."  Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover.  It was about the sixth hour.  He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"  They cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."  So he delivered Him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called "The Place of a Skull," which in Aramaic is called "Golgotha."  There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.  Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross.  It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."  Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.  So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"  Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also His tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one 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."  This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."  So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"  Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst."  A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to His mouth.  When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished," and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.  Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Him.  But when they came to Jesus and 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 blood and water.  He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe.  For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of His bones will be broken."  And again another Scripture says, "They will look on Him whom they have pierced."  After these things Joseph of Arimathea, 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 Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away His body.  Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.  Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.  John 18:1-19:42

In Genesis we learned of the rebellion, when the First Man turned his back on God in an attempt to be his own god.  And in rebelling, he learned the deadly cost of breaking the Law.  At that moment, God declared war.

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."   Genesis 3:15

The fight was on.

Only it seemed that God wasn't in the fight.  He'd send a hero ever so often, but only to "bail out" a few people for a short time.  Evil was spreading.  Belief in the Promise was nonexistent.  And the people specially chosen by God to be His example for the world had rejected Him.

Then, at just the right time, God sent His Son.

It should have been the moment God finished the fight.  His Son, the Messiah, delivering a knock-out to Satan and all the powers of hell.  The Son of David, marching triumphantly into Jerusalem, kicking the Romans all the way to Italy, and subjugating the whole world as His trophy.  The High Priest of God reinstating proper worship of the Almighty and quashing all false gods.  The Last and Best Prophet speaking the words of God to lead and heal the peoples.

Yet, there was the Man, beaten, bloody, burdened by His own cross as He was marched, meekly and silently, to His death.

The Romans, at the request of the Jews, took the Christ and executed Him.  As a criminal.  They crucified Him; the death worthy of a rebel against his king.  The death that each and every human earned and deserved since Adam and Eve fell.

The Son of God died.  For you.

It was, quite literally, the darkest hour of all history.  To all who looked on, who had hoped that this Man could be the Messiah that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel had hoped for, it seemed as if evil had finally won.

"It is finished."

τετέλεσται

But that was God's plan all along.

With Christ's death, the war was over.  And now, the people would wait to hear who the victor would be.

It was a strange and dreadful strife 

when life and death contended;

the victory remained with life,

the reign of death was ended.

Holy Scripture plainly saith

that death is swallowed up by death;

his sting is lost forever.

- "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands" LSB 458  v. 4