Good Friday Service
Teaching Notes
Good Friday draws us into the weight and wonder of Christ’s suffering—the moment where love meets justice, and the Son of God willingly takes on the full punishment for our sin. This isn’t just the day Jesus dies—it’s the day He fulfills all righteousness, finishes the work the Father gave Him, and becomes the sacrifice that brings us peace. Every moment of Passion Week leads here—to the cross.
The word “Passion” comes from the Latin word passio, meaning “suffering.” And that’s exactly what Jesus endures—physical agony, emotional abandonment, and spiritual separation. From His triumphal entry on Palm Sunday to the quiet tension of Thursday night in Gethsemane, Jesus walks a path of obedience, knowing full well what it will cost. In the garden, He cries out, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” as He sweats drops of blood under the weight of what’s coming.
Betrayed by one of His own, deserted by His disciples, and handed over to a mob fueled by religious pride and political fear, Jesus doesn’t resist. He doesn’t run. He stands in silent strength as He is mocked, spit on, falsely accused, and condemned. He’s beaten so severely that Isaiah says His appearance is marred beyond human recognition. Roman soldiers twist a crown of thorns onto His head, wrap Him in a scarlet robe, and kneel in mockery: “Hail, King of the Jews.”
Jesus is scourged—flogged with brutal force until His back is torn open, His body in shock, and His strength nearly gone. Then He is led to Golgotha, too weak to carry His own cross. He’s nailed to wooden beams, lifted high for all to see, and left to hang between two criminals. Crucifixion is designed to be public, shameful, and excruciating. It’s meant to humiliate. And Jesus willingly endures every moment—not because He deserves it, but because we do.
As He hangs on the cross, Jesus quotes Psalm 22: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He takes on our guilt, our shame, and the wrath of God. He is pierced, mocked, and rejected. Yet even in death, He fulfills Scripture—offering sour wine, refusing to curse His executioners, and finally declaring, “It is finished.” The veil in the temple tears from top to bottom. The earth shakes. Graves open. A Roman centurion looks up and says what we all must come to see: “Surely this was the Son of God.”
Good Friday isn’t a moment of defeat—it’s the deepest expression of love. Isaiah 53 tells us He is wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and by His stripes, we are healed. Jesus bears the full weight of our sin so that we might be made right with God. He dies not as a victim, but as a willing substitute. He drinks the full cup of wrath so we can receive the cup of grace.
At the cross, we find both justice and mercy. Our sin is real. The price is high. But Jesus pays it in full. The perfect Lamb of God is led to the slaughter—not just to cover sin, but to remove it completely. And now, through faith in Him, we are forgiven, free, and made new.
Good Friday ends with Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb. But the story isn’t over. Sunday is coming. And because of what happens on the cross, we can face Sunday—and every day—with hope.
May we never forget the cost of our redemption. May we remember the body broken, the blood shed, and the Savior who loved us to the end. And may our hearts remain in awe of the One who gave everything for us.
