Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Day of Good Friday

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 19:25-37 (NKJV)

19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

Devotion

“It is finished!” These are very important words. Grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Before He bowed His head and gave up His spirit He proclaimed that the work that had brought Him to this point was finally finished. Our atonement was accomplished!

In His death He did not just finish the betrayal and suffering that came in the days before. Nor was it just the completion of His earthly ministry that began years before at His baptism. His atonement for the sins of the world was the completion of centuries worth of teaching and prophecy. It was the finish to the promise given millennia before when Adam and Eve listened to the Serpent and fell into sin, bringing death and condemnation to all mankind. By His own death Jesus Christ, God of God, finished the promise that Satan’s head would be crushed as the Son of Mary was struck with death on the cross.

But even though our Lord was beaten, bruised, and pierced to the point of death, He would not stay dead! He finished our redemption at His death, but He would also rise again to declare for Himself that He had done it! His resurrection confirmed that He was the Son of God and truly the worthy sacrifice that paid for our sins with His own blood!

We pray: Merciful and Everlasting God, who hast not spared Thine only Son, but delivered Him up for us all that He might bear our sins upon the cross, grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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