Good Friday Sermon: More Than a Feeling
Preached on Luke 23:26-49
The Passion of Our Lord
25 March AD 2016
Title: More Than a Feeling (MP3 Audio)
Summary: Now that Daylight Saving Time begins so early in the year, many people complain that Good Friday evening services or the Easter Vigil don’t feel right because the skies are too light. While for some, it’s a minor complaint, it seems that others truly believe that they’re not getting the full effect of these services.
However, whatever our feelings, we must return to the facts. Regardless of the time of year — and in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s already autumn — and whatever our preferences, all that truly matters is what today proclaims. Good Friday is all about the crucifixion of the Christ.
No matter how light or dark the evening nor how bright or dark our mood, no matter our feelings and preferences, the day counts for naught without the simple, objective truth of God’s love for sinners. It’s more than a feeling — it’s a cold, hard, bright, beautiful fact: Jesus suffered and died to forgive our sins and win for us life everlasting.
Text: And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Luke 23:26-49
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of More Than a Feeling.
NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.
Other Readings: Psalm 22 or Psalm 31; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42 or John 19:17-30
The Passion of Our Lord
25 March AD 2016
Title: More Than a Feeling (MP3 Audio)
Summary: Now that Daylight Saving Time begins so early in the year, many people complain that Good Friday evening services or the Easter Vigil don’t feel right because the skies are too light. While for some, it’s a minor complaint, it seems that others truly believe that they’re not getting the full effect of these services.However, whatever our feelings, we must return to the facts. Regardless of the time of year — and in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s already autumn — and whatever our preferences, all that truly matters is what today proclaims. Good Friday is all about the crucifixion of the Christ.
No matter how light or dark the evening nor how bright or dark our mood, no matter our feelings and preferences, the day counts for naught without the simple, objective truth of God’s love for sinners. It’s more than a feeling — it’s a cold, hard, bright, beautiful fact: Jesus suffered and died to forgive our sins and win for us life everlasting.
Text: And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Luke 23:26-49
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of More Than a Feeling.
NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.
Other Readings: Psalm 22 or Psalm 31; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42 or John 19:17-30
Labels: christ, crucifixion, darkness, death, emotion, fact, faith, feelings, good friday, Gospel, holy week, jesus, judgment, Law, luke 23, sin
posted by Xrysostom | 20:00
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