GOOD FRIDAY – FAITH OVER CIRCUMSTANCES

GOOD FRIDAY – FAITH OVER CIRCUMSTANCES

³⁷ A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” ³⁸ Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

³⁹ The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. ⁴⁰ “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

⁴¹ The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. ⁴² “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! ⁴³ He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Matthew 27:37-43

Trusts: peitho (pi’-tho); to convince, to rely on with inward certainty, have full confidence, or complete trust.

⁴⁵ At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. ⁴⁶ At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Matthew 27:45-46

WE ONLY SEE PART OF THE STORY

¹² Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

I Corinthians 13:12

⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

1. God is .

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.”

Mark 10:18

        2. God is .

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.”

Romans 8:31-33

        3. God is .

⁵ … “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

THE BETTER I KNOW GOD

• The less I ask .
• The more I ask .
• The sooner I say .

²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

II Corinthians 5:21

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 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.  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

John 19:28-30