04/04/2026
Good Friday 2026
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
It is your fault. God died because you rebelled against His Word. Because you couldn’t be bothered to consider the consequences of your actions. Because you wanted to trust yourself. You crucified Jesus. Every scratch, every thorn that pricked him should be on your flesh. Three nails pierced him. Three hundred should pierce you.
See on the cross the reward for your unbelief. For your trusting yourself rather than the LORD. This also will be your reward if you do not turn from your pet sins, self-justification, and self-pity. The reward for trusting yourself is what you see on the cross. It’s what you hear also. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. Abandonment by God, forsaken and alone. Separated from life, love, and hope. That’s what you’ve earned.
Let the cross condemn you. Don’t shy away from the discomfort. Let it reveal your sin and shame. Let the cross preach your death. It’s too easy to excuse yourself from blame. The death of Jesus is the true image of your end. At your death, or sooner, become like this. Become the picture and sufferings of Christ. Feel the terror of hell, quake like the earth at his death, take to heart the suffering.
Don’t ease your life through the therapy of affirmation. Fear sin and what it cost Jesus. It’s better to consider His suffering than any piety. Fast all you want, pray all the psalms, go to church every Sunday. No action, even according to God’s Word, earns you anything except hell on the cross. Let the cross condemn you and die.
Let the cross comfort you that you may live. Jesus has died the death you deserve. Don’t let sins remain on your conscience. Don’t let them rule you any longer. Your weaknesses, trespasses, and shame don’t belong on your conscience. This is what self-pity does. It’s what your enemies do. Satan loves to have you stew in your shame.
Cast your sins from yourself upon Christ. That’s why He went to the cross; to carry your sin unto death. Unto the end of them. The burden is supposed to be on him. They aren’t your burden to carry. He wanted to take the burden from you. To take your place that you may live. He has done this! It is finished.
He is always the crucified one for this reason. You always have a God to cast your sins upon. There is no limit and no grief or shame too great for him to carry. No sin is left unpaid for. No small lie or great pain. No betrayal unforgiven. The cross will always stand as your garbage dump. Jesus will always be the crucified one bearing your iniquity unto death.
This is how you regard him then. According to his goodness and love and not his power and wisdom. God in his power and might and wisdom is a terror to his foes. But, according to His steadfast love shown on the cross, He is good. He is compassionate. He is patient and willing to go to any length to comfort and strengthen you.
When you’ve cast your sins upon him, don’t behold His sufferings any longer. See, instead, the great love that put Him there. That held him to the tree. Do not weep but give thanks to the God of earth and heaven. The only true God who has revealed His heart and mind to you.
Lift up your eyes, dear Christians. Behold the condemnation for your sin. Behold, your everlasting comfort and your peace. Behold, your God.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
