Good Friday

Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 | John 18:1-19:30

Text: Isaiah 53:3-11

THE DEATH OF GOD’S SON IS THE PAYMENT FOR MY SINS AND BROUGHT ME PEACE.

1. The Crucifixion as tragedy: No pronouns
   1. Isaiah 53:4-5 (alt): “Surely he has borne grief and carried sorrow; yet he was esteemed stricken, smitten, afflicted by God.  But he was pierced for transgressions; he was crushed for iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought peace, and with his wounds there is healing.”
      1. Thrust: A bright, promising rabbi who teaches about the Kingdom of God.  He has many insightful parables and performs amazing miracles.  But he was a victim of violence.  The Jews and Pilate plotted against him and had him put to death.  Still, his memory is honored by his followers and they remember his teachings and follow his example to love everybody.
      1. Result: Down with power structures that seek to silence those who promote peace and good will among people. Those good-for-nothing Sanhedrin and the Roman governor are to blame!  What is this world coming to that such promising people are taken from us?  They were the ones who killed Jesus unjustly.
2. The Crucifixion as lament: Plural pronouns
   1. Isaiah 53:4-5 (as recorded): “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.”
   1. Thrust: We are God’s people.  He remembered us in Egypt and delivered us by the hand of Moses.  He led us for 40 years in the wilderness, and finally brought us to the Promised Land.  He gave us the Temple worship where the lambs, rams, and goats are offered up for the sins of the people.

Still today, we sing, “Salvation Unto Us Has Come” and we hear every Sunday of the wonderful things that God has done for us.  We are Lutheran; it says so on the sign out front.  We believe, teach, and confess that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, without any merit or worthiness on our part.   We are members of this Lutheran congregation because this is taught and confessed here. The cross is our banner, and we rally around it.

• Result: Those good-for-nothing unbelievers!  Those worldly people who take prayer out of the schools and ruin our country by promoting degeneracy.  They are the ones who rejected Christ, but not us!
• The Crucifixion by me and for me: 1^st person, singular
  • Verses 4-5 (personal): “Surely he has borne my grief and carried my sorrow; yet I esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for my transgressions; he was crushed for my iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought me peace, and with His wounds I am healed.”Thrust:
    • Adam and Eve had paradise given to them, but they turned away from God and chose their own way. I am their child, and I do the same.
      • Israel put God to the test in the wilderness, not believing that He would make good on His promises, so they made up their own god to believe in.   I am a stiff-necked person and I do the same.Jesus went to His hometown to preach.  When He wouldn’t answer the people’s demands with miraculous healings and full stomachs, they drove Him to the brow of the hill to throw Him down [Luke 4:16-31].  I am angry with God for not immediately satisfying my every wish and I do the same.
  • Result: There is no one else at which to point the finger.  I am the reason my God and Lord went to the cross.
    • I esteemed Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted: “He came to his own, to me, and I received him not.”  He has taught me, and I refused to hear.  He preached about the wrath of God, with weeping and gnashing of teeth, and sat warm and comfy in my pew.He was pierced for my transgression: The crowd was stirred up against him, and it was me yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”  The soldiers mocked him and twisted a crown of thorns together, and it was me shoving it down on his brow.  He was led up to Golgotha to be crucified, and it was me driving the nails into his hands and feet.  I am responsible for His suffering and death.  His punishment would not be so cruel, except that I have sinned against God and deserve to be forsaken, tormented, pierced with thorns, and die naked with my shame exposed.But: Upon him was the chastisement that brought me peace, and with his wounds I am healed.  Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for me!  And for His sake, all of that torment which I would justly suffer in hell for eternity, He has spared me.
    • Read Isaiah 53:6-11

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.