Good morning, and a blessed Maundy Thursday to you. What a rich week we find ourselves in. Holy Week began, of course, last Sunday with Palm Sunday. Tonight, Maundy Thursday worship; tomorrow evening, Good Friday worship.

A beautiful cantata with adult choir and orchestra. And then, of course, this coming Sunday, Easter Sunday—8:45 and 11:00. What a wonderful, wonderful week. We are in a rich time of worship.

I want to focus with you for a moment on Good Friday.

Such an interesting term, is it not, for that Friday—good? “Good” is such a relative term. But what is good about it? You’ll notice tomorrow evening that neither Pastor Malanack nor I will be wearing stoles, because Good Friday is really a colorless day. We remember the crucifixion of our Lord.

And so, to put the term good in association with it, look with me, please, at the Gospel of John, the 19th chapter. We pick up in verse 28—John chapter 19, beginning with verse 28:

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And yet we call it Good Friday.

Hear these portions of Scripture:

From Romans, the fifth chapter: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

From 1 John: “In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins.”

From Ephesians: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us.”

From Acts, the second chapter: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

From 1 John: “If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

From Hebrews, the first chapter: “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

From the first chapter of Revelation: “To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving His God and Father—to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

And from John, the 19th chapter, once again:

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.”

And what was finished but taking the sin of the world upon Himself and paying our debt? The work was done—finished.

Hear, in those words, the Father saying, “Good, good, good.”

Let us pray. Holy and gracious God, we give You thanks for Your grace and for Your mercy that You lavish upon us in the Lord Jesus Christ. We praise You for Jesus’ work on the cross, bearing our sin and paying the debt. We thank You, Lord, for Your goodness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Worship tonight at 7:00, tomorrow evening at 7:00 for Good Friday, and this coming Sunday at 8:45 and 11:00. Encourage someone.

Pastor Eibel