GOOD FRIDAY

My name is James, I'm one of the pastors here, and it is good to be with you here today on Good Friday at St. Paul's.

Over the last few weeks of isolation, I've seen my kids miss out on spending time with their friends at school.

And it's made me think about the influence that their friends have on them.

So my oldest son, Isaac, he comes home saying different words that I've never heard before.

His most recent one is, us.

And I don't really understand it.

I think it means good or great, but I'm still trying to figure that one out.

It was a couple of months ago, he came home asking for a Rubik's Cube.

So we got him a Rubik's Cube, and now I'm still trying to figure it out so I can teach Isaac how to do the Rubik's Cube.

But the things that Isaac's friends love, Isaac begins to love.

The way that they behave and speak, he begins to behave and speak.

And this is the same for all of us.

The story of our lives is marked by people that have shaped us and had influence on us.

I remember asking a friend back in the early 2000s what music I should buy.

You know, Christmas was coming up.

What albums should I get?

And one of the bands, I still listen to them today.

They continue to influence the music that I listen to.

Who are the people that have influenced you most?

Who are the people that have shaped your life the most?

You might think of people that have had a negative impact upon you as well as positive.

Some people may have tried to influence you away from following God,

or some people might be influencing you to grow as a disciple following Jesus.

The people that we love and are loved by shape our lives,

and they mark the story of our lives.

Today is Good Friday.

It might not feel particularly good at the moment.

Usually it can feel a little more special in this country because we have public holidays.

And our country stops for this weekend.

But at the moment, with the whole nation on lockdown,

it doesn't feel particularly good at the moment.

But today, as we step into the story of Easter,

we see Jesus, even as he is heading to the cross,

shaping people's lives.

And we see the good that Jesus brings us because of his death and resurrection.

Today, as we step into this story of Easter,

it is a good time for us to consider how much of our lives has been influenced and shaped by Jesus.

How much have we allowed the story of Easter,

Jesus' death and resurrection, be our story?

Of death to ourself and life because of Jesus.

So as we look at God's word today, let me pray for us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank you indeed for this time to stop and reflect and reconsider all that you did for us

in Jesus' death on the cross all those years ago.

Heavenly Father,

it has shaped human history and it continues to shape our lives today.

Be with us as we look at your word,

that we would allow your story of Jesus' death and resurrection to be our story and to be shaped by it, Lord.

Amen.

We are in the book of Luke.

And as was read for us,

Jesus has been found guilty by Pilate.

And he is on his way to be crucified.

And as he is on his way,

he is confronted by a group of women wailing for him.

Have a look at verse 27 of chapter 23 with me.

A large number of people followed him,

including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Jesus turned and said to them,

daughters of Jerusalem,

do not weep for me,

weep for yourselves and for your children.

For the time will come when you will say,

blessed are the childless women,

the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.

Even as Jesus is being led to his death,

he is trying to warn people of the coming judgment.

Things will be so bad,

it would be better if you didn't have children.

But for Jesus to say this,

something drastic must be about to happen.

Because it was considered a curse to not have children.

So it is like Jesus saying that it would better be to be cursed

than blessed because of the coming judgment upon Israel.

Jesus had been warning people all throughout his ministry.

If you don't turn and follow God,

he won't allow you to continue forever.

Judgment is coming.

It's a sobering warning.

Jesus is saying,

I will die soon,

but your pain will extend for a long time.

Wail for yourselves.

Because if God allows his righteous son to suffer crucifixion,

what terrible fate must await the unrighteous Jerusalem

and those who cry out but crucify Jesus.

Even as Jesus is being led away,

his concern is not for himself,

but he is trying to influence and to shape people with his last words

to heed the coming danger.

Jesus doesn't get anything out of this.

He doesn't benefit from this.

He is still about to die.

His concern has been for the people.

I think many people have underestimated the impact of the coronavirus.

I think we all have done this initially,

but people continue to not heed the warnings.

I read about a pastor of a church in Florida in the United States over the last week

who continued to encourage his church to meet,

to pack people together,

to continue to shake hands and continue to hug

because, as he said,

they were not pansies.

He didn't heed the warnings.

He didn't heed the warnings.

And he was arrested because he was breaking social distancing laws.

How much worse could it have been if someone had been sick

and they didn't heed the warnings because of the virus?

Jesus calls on people to heed his warnings,

but many people didn't.

Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD.

It was God's judgment on a rebellious nation and this city.

Now, we don't know if these women heeded Jesus' warnings,

but the warning still stands for us today.

Will we heed Jesus' warning of coming destruction and judgment?

And will we follow the Lord?

Jesus continues to seek to shape people's lives,

even as he is crucified.

Have a look at chapter 23, verse 33.

When they came to the place called the skull,

they crucified him there,

along with the criminals,

one on his right, the other on his left.

Jesus said,

Father, forgive them,

for they do not know what they are doing.

It's not exactly clear who Jesus is praying for,

but it's most appropriately understood

that Jesus is praying for all of those

who are responsible for his death.

The Jewish court,

the Jewish leaders,

for Pilate,

for the crowd,

but also for all sinners

who are responsible for the need for a savior to come.

That includes us.

Jesus and his self-giving love and forgiveness,

his cry of forgiveness,

is contrasted by the mocking cries of those around him.

Have a look at verse 35.

The rulers even sneered at him.

They said,

he saved others.

Let him save himself if he is the Messiah,

the chosen one.

The soldiers also came up and mocked him.

They offered him wine, vinegar,

and said,

if you are the king of the Jews,

save yourself.

In verse 39,

one of the criminals who hung there

hurled insults at him.

Aren't you the Messiah?

Save yourself and us.

Even when Jesus is mocked

and beaten

and hung on a cross to die,

he still has concern

for those who are killing him.

He says that they do not know

what they are doing.

They knew that they were killing someone.

They knew that they were doing that.

But they don't know what God is doing.

They don't know that God is working

at the death of his son

to see their forgiveness.

Because forgiveness comes to those

who don't deserve it.

Luke's use of the verbs here

paints a picture of people

who do not deserve forgiveness.

The rulers sneered.

The soldiers mocked.

The criminal hurled insults.

These are descriptions of horrible people

acting in disgusting ways.

And yet Jesus' prayer

is also for us.

Father,

forgive them for they don't know

what they have done.

They didn't know that they were killing

the son of God.

And yet here and now,

we know the cost of our sin.

It meant that Jesus had to die.

And yet Jesus still prays for us

who know the cost of our sin.

But when we are shaped

by the generous and selfless forgiveness of Jesus,

our story changes too.

Over the last week,

I read a story about a mother from the US.

Her name is Mary Johnson.

And her son, Loramium,

was killed in a gang-related incident.

He was only a young man

and he was killed.

A 16-year-old confessed to the crime

and he was sentenced to jail.

Mary Johnson, at the time,

said that she forgave him.

She said,

the word says,

the word the Bible says,

in order to be forgiven,

you must forgive.

So I said,

okay,

I have to tell him.

But I wanted him locked up and caged.

So I said,

and so she stayed in emotional turmoil,

wrestling with this desire to forgive,

but this desire for her son's murderer

to be caged.

But God worked on her heart

over those 10 years.

He slowly shaped Mary

throughout this time

to forgive completely.

She eventually met

with her son's killer again

and said to him,

look,

I told you in court

that I forgave you.

But today,

from the bottom of my heart,

I want you to know

that I forgive you.

Mary said,

he was like,

ma'am,

how can you do that?

She said,

because of who is in me.

Mary knew God's love

and forgiveness

and it shaped her story.

It took 10 years.

It took a lot of pain

and wrestling with God's forgiveness of her

so she could forgive,

but she was able to hold out

that same love and forgiveness

even to her own son's murderer.

Jesus is still seeking

to shape our lives,

to shape our tomorrow

to know his forgiveness.

Are we people

who are quick to forgive?

Are we people wrestling

with what it means

to forgive others

because we have been forgiven

so much ourselves?

Holding grudges

is not how God

is shaping us to be.

He is shaping us

to be people

to know his forgiveness

and to hold it out to others

so when they say,

how can you forgive me?

We can say,

because of who is in me,

because of who has forgiven me.

Jesus has been

seeking to shape people's lives

even as he's headed to the cross,

even as he's hanging on the cross

and we see him

continue to do that

with the criminal

on the other side

and the centurion

even without speaking to them.

After one of the criminals

mocked him,

the criminal on the other side

spoke to him

in verse 40

and said,

don't you fear God

since you are

under the same sentence.

We are punished justly

for we are getting

what our deeds deserve,

but this man

has done nothing wrong.

The other criminal

has been shaped

by seeing Jesus' character.

He has seen him,

he's likely heard his trial

or heard of his trial,

likely seen Pilate's declaration

of Jesus' innocence

and he understands

who he is

and who Jesus is.

Jesus is innocent,

but this criminal knows

how sinful he is

and what he deserves.

Jesus' reputation

and character

influences this criminal

to come humbly to Jesus.

Verse 42,

he said,

Jesus,

remember me

when you come

into your kingdom.

Remember me.

That's all he asks.

He doesn't shout

like the other criminal,

save yourself and us.

He says,

remember me.

And Jesus says,

verse 43,

truly I tell you,

today you will be with me

in paradise.

What a wonderful promise

for Jesus to give

to this criminal.

He will have all his sin,

his terrible decisions

that led to him

being crucified,

which only he knows

too well.

He will have all of that

forgiven

and he will be

in paradise.

Can you imagine

this man's joy

and elation,

even though dying,

to hear these words

from Jesus' lips?

This is who we want

to be as a church.

We want to be authentic

like this criminal.

We want to be a church

who is cultivating

a heart of humility,

seeing our pride

weakened

through the journey

of our life,

knowing who we are

just like the criminal

knew who he was

and knowing

who Jesus is

and how dependent

we are on him.

How much better

is it to know

how bad

our situation is

than to pretend

that everything

is fine?

The story of Easter

is that it shapes

how we view ourselves.

Jesus' death

on the cross

allows us

to all be that criminal,

to both know

our low position

before Jesus,

but also to cry out,

remember me,

to know me.

And Jesus' promise

for us all

is that we can be

with him

in paradise.

As Jesus was

about to die,

he called out

with a loud voice,

Father,

into your hands

I commit my spirit.

When he had said this,

he breathed his last.

Even as Jesus

is dying,

he is shaping

the lives

of people around him.

Verse 47,

the centurion,

seeing what had happened,

praised God

and said,

surely

this was

a righteous man.

The centurion,

the soldier

responsible for

ensuring that

all of these criminals

died,

who had likely

seen many,

many deaths,

he sees

what happens

to Jesus

and it causes him

to praise God.

His death

influences the centurion

to see that Jesus

was innocent,

to declare

that he was righteous

and to praise God.

This is a Roman

who is not just

praising a God,

he is not praising

a God of the pantheon

or all of the gods,

he is praising

the Jewish God,

the Christian God

that Jesus

came to reveal.

What a stunning moment

that even when

Jesus breathes

his last,

he is shaping

an enemy

to bring

praise to God.

When we see

Jesus,

the Son of God,

dying

on the cross

for us,

it leads us

to praise God.

Oh God,

how marvelous

it is

that you

have saved me.

How good

and lovely

and kind

are you

that your Son

would die

for me.

Jesus

sought to shape

and influence

all the people

that he came

into contact with

to see that

he was from

the Father

to follow him

with all of their heart.

And here,

in the lead up

to his death,

Jesus has been

calling people

to heed

his warning

of judgment,

to be forgiven

even though

we don't deserve it.

He causes people

to understand

their sin

and see that

Jesus is the only

one who can save.

And he leads

people to praise God.

Jesus,

in his death

and resurrection

from the cross,

it shapes

our lives,

it shapes

our yesterday

and it shapes

our tomorrow.

the story

of Easter,

the story

of Jesus,

as it continues

to be read

and told,

it shapes

our lives

and this is why

we continue

to come back

to it

every year.

It is why

we continue

to celebrate it

in a season

of crisis

or when

everything around

us seems normal.

I am

a product

of those

who I have

allowed to

influence me,

those who I have

allowed to speak

into my life

to change

my story

and my direction.

Who are you

putting into

your life

to influence

you,

to shape

you?

Here at St. Paul's

we take our

youth away

for a camp

every year

at the start

of the year.

One of my

favorite parts

of that camp

is seeing

the relationship

that builds

between older

brothers and younger

brothers and older

sisters and younger

sisters.

I remember

Ko, one

of our young

adults, he

loves reading

the Bible

and he loves

memorizing it.

And I remember

seeing him

sit with one

of our younger

brothers, our

younger guys,

reading the Bible

early in the

morning.

Not only are

they being shaped

by God's word,

but there is an

older brother

shaping a younger

brother, teaching

him to love

godly disciplines.

You might be

finding that you're

not spending time

with any people

because of social

distancing and

isolation, but that

doesn't mean we're

not being influenced

and shaped.

In this time, we

can be shaped by

what we watch on

TV, those people

in our house, but

we also have an

opportunity to build

new disciplines, to

be saturated with

God's word in the

Bible, so that it

can not just shape

what we read, but

our whole lives.

Jesus enters into

the story of our

lives and he

shapes us.

There is a coming

judgment, but his

death brings

forgiveness, and

it shapes our lives

to forgive others.

His righteousness

reveals our

dependence, and

his death brings

us to praise God

for all he has

done.

God's

to forgive us.

And we

want to

enter the story of

my life and

change it and to

shape it.

As Mary Johnson,

the mother of the

son who was killed,

shows, this is the

journey of our

lives.

That Jesus and his

death and resurrection

from the cross

continues to shape

our lives.

God's

maybe you are at

the start of this

journey.

Maybe today, just

for the first time,

you are realizing

that you need

Jesus' help.

If that is you, let

me encourage you to

do what the

criminal on the

cross does, to

cry out to

Jesus for help.

Because he

promises that he

will come to

him in paradise,

and he promises

that for all who

believe in him, we

will be with him

for eternity.

If this is you at

the start of your

journey, Debbie is

going to share some

details in a minute

in how you can

contact us.

We would love to be

in contact with you,

even if it is only

over the phone.

We would love to be

praying for you to

see you continually

shaped on this

journey of following

Jesus.

Or maybe you have

been on this

journey for many

years.

Maybe you have

been following Jesus

for many years.

Let me encourage

you this Easter

weekend, as we

stay inside, to

find some time to

spend with Jesus.

To read over the

Easter account in

Luke 23 and 24,

and ask Jesus,

what part of my

life am I not

letting you into?

Jesus, what parts

of my life am I

tightly holding on to

you?

Jesus, how do you

need to be shaping

my life so that I

can forgive people,

so that I can know

fully who I am, so I

can understand who I

am and how dependent

upon you I am, so

that I can praise God

for all that he is

doing in my life and

in the world today.

Please pray with me.

Dear Heavenly Father, we

thank you for your

goodness to us.

In that first

Easter, where your

son died on the

cross, an innocent

man, God and man

dying on the cross in

our place.

Heavenly Father, as we

have seen, this shapes

our lives.

Lord, thank you.

Thank you so much

that you do not leave

us to our own

devices, but that you

sent Jesus to shape

us so that we could

have forgiveness.

Not only that, that we

would be people like

Jesus, who love you,

who seek to forgive

others.

Lord, we ask that as

the world and life seems

to be on hold, our

trust and our love,

for you would not be

on hold.

Father, please continue

to grow us and shape

us, to know you and

to love you and to be

praising you more and

more each day.

This we ask in your

son's name.

Amen.