02/04/2026
Good Morning LCF Church Family....
Let me tell you about - The Darkest Friday, The Brightest Hope.
We call today "Good Friday," but if we’re honest, for those standing at the foot of that cross two thousand years ago, it felt like anything but good.
That day must have been full of shadows, heavy silence, and what looked like a total, final defeat. Imagine being there—seeing the One who healed the blind and walked on water now pinned to Roman timber. To the world watching, the story was over. The darkness that fell over the land at midday wasn't just weather; it was the physical weight of our sin. As 1 Peter 2:24 reminds us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness."
> The Debt He Settled
The cross wasn’t some tragic accident. It was a substitution.
Long before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah told us exactly why this had to happen: "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" (Isaiah 53:5).
Jesus stepped in and took the hit that we deserved. When He cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30), He wasn't giving up. He was announcing that the bill had been paid. That debt of sin we could never hope to clear? Settled. Done. In full.
> Why Sunday Matters
I know some of you might feel like you’re stuck in a "Friday" right now—where things feel hopeless, silent, or just plain broken. But here is the truth I want you to hold onto today: The cross was necessary, but it wasn't the end.
While Friday was about paying for our sins, Sunday was about our justification—it’s how we are made "right" with God. The Apostle Paul explains this perfectly in Romans 4:25, saying Jesus "was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." Think of it this way: If Friday was the payment, Sunday was the receipt. The empty tomb is the proof that God accepted the sacrifice. It’s the guarantee that death doesn’t get the final word and that because He lives, we have a fresh start.
So, if you’re carrying a heavy heart today, look to the cross to see how much He loves you, but look toward Sunday to see His power. As it says in 1 Peter 1:3, God has given us a "living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
> The darkness of Friday is just the setup for the glory that’s coming.
The King is alive, and our hope is solid. I can’t wait to celebrate the victory with you all this weekend on Resurrection Sunday! Remember, we have a special morning brekky that day at 8.15am, and the service begins at the usual 9.30am. If coming for the brekky, it's always appreciated if you're able to bring a suitable dish to share (it's what we do).
God bless - Ps. Johnny
