Sermon

Good Friday and the Cross — Love Shining in the Darkness

(Mark 15:33-34)

A few days ago, I read an essay by a Japanese author titled The Way to the End of Life. The article says: "The way some people end their lives is like gently closing a drawer; others are like pulling an already open drawer even harder, until the whole drawer falls to the ground; and some even forget that they have opened the drawer, leaving it unclosed as they embark on a new journey." The author observed that even though many people might imagine an ideal way to die, when death actually comes, it still arrives so suddenly, catching people entirely off guard.

I think we all know that we must inevitably face death, yet no one knows exactly when their time will come. Facing this final stretch of our journey in this world, some may experience a peaceful end, while others are taken abruptly. But regardless of how it happens, this path, full of sorrow and pain, is never easy to walk, neither for us nor for our loved ones.

However, for those of us who hold the truth faith, we deeply know that the Lord we believe in, He has triumphed over death, and we believe in eternal life beyond the grave. Indeed, our lives in this world will one day come to a halt; but because of the power of Jesus' resurrection, we know with certainty that death is not the end. We can look forward to eternity. There, our story will continue forever!

I. The Meaning of Jesus' Crucifixion

If this is your first time attending a Good Friday service, you might be wondering: Why do Christians call today "Good" Friday? You might think: Seeing a kind and innocent man, the founder of a religion, die in such cruel, lonely, and terrifying agony—what is there to celebrate or talk about?

If you are joining a gathering like this for the first time, you might think: Why make a special day out of an innocent man being crucified? What is there to say? When we cast our minds back to that afternoon two thousand years ago, we see one overwhelming thing: Darkness. Those who shouted, "Crucify him!" had dark hearts; Those religious leaders who distorted the truth to protect their own interests and power, their hearts were completely dark.

And at that very moment, the darkness became terrifyingly physical. The entire sky truly went completely dark. All human darkness, in some sense, is connected to "that moment." "That moment" is when our Lord, the Son of God, Jesus was crucified on a hill called Golgotha outside the city of Jerusalem. Mark 15:33 tells us that from 12 noon to 3pm in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land. This was not a solar eclipse, because it was a full moon. So, obviously, this was a supernatural darkness. Often in the Bible, the occurrence of such darkness represents God's judgment upon sin. But the question is: Who was God judging?

Mark 15:34 says: And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Have you ever wondered why Jesus cried out these words? It was not because of the physical pain (Earlier, when he was being brutally flogged, he didn't say a word). Nor was it because he had been abandoned by his friends, for he already knew his disciples would forsake him and flee. Jesus cried out like this because he was being forsaken by God.

If a friend or colleague came to me and said, "I never want to see you or speak to you again," I would be very sad. But if the person you love the most says to you, "We are finished," that is a heart-tearing, devastating pain. What Jesus lost on the cross was the absolute, perfect love between Him and the Heavenly Father that had existed since eternity past.

Jesus experienced hell for us on the cross, to the point that his soul plunged into boundless darkness. That is a darkness far blacker than any black hole in the universe. You may have seen the first photograph the world captured of a black hole, some 50 million light-years away. Stephen Hawking theorized that a black hole is a place where gravity is so strong that it drags all light into it and prevents it from escaping. Because nothing can travel faster than light, everything else is dragged into the black hole, never to return.

The darkness Jesus experienced on the cross was a darkness, even darker than a black hole. As the Light of the World, He actually allowed himself to be sucked into that black hole of total separation; He was completely forsaken. This is what Jesus experienced on the cross; this is why He cried out in the darkness: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Therefore, the Jesus of Good Friday is experiencing Judgment Day for us. Jesus was forsaken by God, so that we would never have to be forsaken. That is to say, the judgment that should have rightfully fallen on us, fell entirely on Jesus instead.

Someone might say, "Well, I didn't ask him to die." But the Old Testament book of Isaiah (written 700 years before Jesus' crucifixion) clearly details how Jesus would suffer, why he would suffer, and the exact situations of his suffering. Isaiah 53:5 prophesies: "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities." Therefore, Jesus' suffering was not an accident; it was purposefully designed to bear the sins of all humanity. So, what sent Jesus to the cross was not the Roman soldiers, nor the Jewish leaders, but our sins.

As one hymn puts it: "We are the reason he suffered." We are the reason Jesus had to die. Because God is perfectly just, He cannot simply ignore sin. But God is also perfectly loving, and He does not want us to perish. So, Jesus, God's perfect, one and only beloved Son, became the sacrifice for us all; God the Father poured out all His holy wrath and judgment upon Jesus. In other words, Jesus himself absorbed all the wrath and punishment. Therefore, if we truly believe in Jesus, if we surrender our lives to Him, the penalty for all our sins is wiped away, completely and totally obliterated. Why? Because it was all carried by our Lord, Jesus, upon Himself.

And this tells us at least two crucial things:

1. We are so sinful that Jesus had to die for us. Our good deeds, donations, and charity work actually cannot buy us anything before an absolutely holy God. The essence of sin is not merely "doing the wrong thing," nor is it just murder, arson, or robbery. The essence of sin is rebellion against God; it is separation from God. And the cost of sin is extraordinarily high. The Bible says, "the wage of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Because God is absolutely just, sin must be judged.

But God is also loving, and He does not want humanity to perish, so He paid the price Himself, allowing His Son Jesus to bear the penalty of that sin in our place. The cross, as a visible instrument of execution, is cruel, ugly, and repulsive. But when Jesus Christ died upon it, the cross took on a completely new meaning.

On the one hand, the cross forces us to see that we humans are already full of extreme wickedness; on the other hand, it allows us to see that God's redeeming love is perfectly and fully displayed. On one side, the cross declares "the wage of sin is death," while on the other side it declares that the Son of God has already died on the cross for sinners, in the place of sinners. Thus, the cross satisfied God's righteous love, and the righteousness of His love. The cross opened the door of hope for fallen humanity.

So, friends, what do you see when you look at the cross? You see the best person suffering the worst punishment; You see the kindest person receiving the most wicked condemnation; You see the most righteous person receiving the most unrighteous sanction; You see the most compassionate person getting the most cruel treatment; You also see the most humble person being lifted up on that most terrifying, shame-filled cross; You see the Lord of Life being brought to the place of death.

From the time Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane until 9:00am the next morning, within those 12 hours, He suffered humanity's greatest humiliation and the deepest pain. He was persecuted, judged, flogged, insulted, and betrayed by the most terrible and despicable of people, and finally, He was nailed to the cross. Therefore, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, being nailed naked and bleeding to death on Golgotha, looks like humanity's greatest humiliation and failure.

But is it really a failure? If you look at it from the perspectives of law, politics, mass social movements, or financial systems, then Jesus might indeed look like a failure. But let us look closely: in His sixth saying on the cross, that declaration full of paradox, Jesus does not say, "It has failed." Rather, He declares, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Jesus perfectly accomplished the redemption that had to be done.

2. We are so loved that Jesus willingly died for us. 

Jesus was not forced to die. He said: "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." Jesus is the only human being who did not have to die. Death is an executioner; death is an enemy; death is a punishment. We all know this. Everyone must die because we are all sinners, but Jesus is not a sinner. Death had no authority over Jesus. Then what kept Him on the cross? It was not the nails, not the chains, but LOVE.

His first words on the cross were not a curse, but a prayer: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Think about that: when Jesus' enemies (the Roman soldiers, the religious leaders, the mocking crowds) were actively putting Him to death, Jesus was pleading to God for their forgiveness.

This reveals a profound truth: God's love is not based on our human worth at all, but entirely on His grace. He loves us not because we are worthy of it, but because He chooses to love. This world idolizes power, success, and self-realization, but Jesus' love is precisely manifested in weakness, sacrifice, and self-denial. Therefore, the cross tells us: true love is not about taking but giving; not about conquering but serving. The cross tells us: true love is not revenge, but forgiveness.

Throughout human history, many so-called "Saviors" have appeared; in some eras, there have even been more than one. Their common trait is that, essentially, their actions are ultimately for their own glory. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the crowds around Him mocked: "Look, he can't even save himself!" Yes, on the cross, our Lord did not save Himself, and that was because He was determined to save us from eternal destruction. The Jesus on the cross "could not save himself" simply because He could not bear to leave his beloved unsaved.

Friends, if you read the scriptures related to Good Friday, you will find that Jesus actually knew exactly what was going to happen at every moment. He knew He would be completely forsaken by the Heavenly Father and suffer eternal punishment on the cross. Yet He still chose death, so that, one day, you and I might live forever, together with God and the resurrected Lord. In fact, Christianity is the only religion that proclaims a God who Himself truly suffered and truly cried out in agony.

So, why do we commemorate today, every Easter Friday, as Good Friday? Because we are looking at the greatest act in history: God's love, power, and justice displayed in His great work, dying on the cross for us. God came into the world to save us, suffered and died on the cross, and entered the darkness. And this is exactly the greatest proof of His love for us.

Friends, what is the darkness in your life right now? Are you in the darkness of despair, where everything seems to be going wrong? Maybe you are going through a deep valley or a dark season in your life. Maybe you feel intensely frustrated, severely anxious, or in deep pain over events you cannot control.

When you suffer, you might be completely in the dark about the reason for your suffering. To you, it might seem utterly meaningless. The cross might not directly give you the specific reason why you are suffering, but the cross will absolutely tell you what the reason is not. It cannot possibly be that God does not love you; It cannot be that God has no plans or purposes for you. And it is entirely impossible that God has abandoned you. Jesus was abandoned, paying the price for our sins, precisely so that God the Father would never abandon us. The cross proves He loves us, and the cross helps us better grasp the meaning of our suffering.

The Light of the World allowed Himself to be swallowed by the ultimate darkness, separated from God. He did this so that we might possess the light of life in Him.

II. The Results of Jesus' Crucifixion

Jesus’ suffering and death bring about at least two monumental results in our lives.

1. It draws us to God When we stumble and sin.

We often think to ourselves: "I have committed these sins; how could God possibly still love me? Or “After everything I've done, how could God still be with me?" Do you really think Christ's love is so small that it is insufficient to cover the sins you have committed? Look at all that Jesus endured for you.

Look at the torment Jesus suffered for you: that unprecedented, endless agony. He did it because of His unwavering love. It is an unbreakable love. There is nothing in the whole universe that compares to the cross. When you fall, the cross stands there to debate your guilt. When you say, "I am truly unworthy. I have done all this, Jesus will never accept me again," Jesus replies to you: "All that you have done? Do you know all that I have endured for you? You stand here claiming your sins are too deep? Is my love not enough to cover it all? Never forget, I love you, and I laid down my life for you. And my death is more than enough to bring you back into the presence of God."

2. It makes us die to sin and live to righteousness 

The cross does not only comfort you; when you are tempted to sin, the truth of the cross also restrains you. It challenges you: "Were the lashes Jesus took for you not enough? Do you think the nail marks in His hands are not enough? Do you still want to wrap your hands around Jesus’ throat? Will you also strike Him with your fists like those guards did?" So, we desperately need the cross, because it sobers us up and stops us from treating sin casually.

Friends, consider the wonder of the cross: when you fall, it gives you profound comfort; when you are tempted to sin, it fiercely restrains you. It does not say that if you sin, you will lose God's love. Instead, it says: "Jesus' love is unbreakable, but since He endured absolute agony for you, how can you possibly treat Him this way?"

Perhaps you have been a Christian for a few years, and sometimes you feel that obeying Christ is impractical, or even makes you feel suppressed and miserable. What should you do then? Turn back and look upon Jesus. When you see that He endured everything for you, you will discover that although the way of the cross sometimes feels like death, it ultimately leads to glorious resurrection.

I imagine that after our today’s service ends, shortly, your life will probably go on as usual. You will still be busy, still have doubts; perhaps you will still encounter various difficulties, suffer different troubles, and still experience fear and trembling. But I want to ask everyone to reflect briefly on a few questions:

·       If you were to stand before an absolutely righteous God tonight, could you lift your head without shame?

·       What exactly is it that enables you to stand with your head held high?

Friends, if you have treated your faith as a mere habit, taken Jesus' death for granted, or even grown numb to it, today is your day of repentance. Come to the cross, ask the Lord to once again cover you with His precious blood, to forgive you, to win your heart, and to revive you!

Conclusion

The core message of Good Friday is not sorrow, but shock and awe. God loves us, He loves us so much that He was willing to plunge into that complete, ultimate darkness for us. He willingly suffered death for the sake of sinners like you and me.

The cross is both judgment (revealing the terrifying cost of sin) and grace (revealing God's infinite, boundless love). Good Friday reminds us "how heavy love is"; Easter Sunday declares "how powerful love is." Today, every single one of us has the choice to accept this free grace, which is not earned by our own efforts, but received simply by faith.

Let us meditate on this: How deeply the Lord Jesus Christ loves us, entering total darkness for us, to rescue us from the darkness of sin and despair. Let each of us whisper a prayer in our hearts: Lord, thank you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying on the cross for me!

Dear friends, Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection are not the end of the story, but the beginning of our new life. Let us deeply rethink Good Friday and the Cross. And when we truly grasp its meaning, we will finally find the true hope and meaning of our own lives.