The Agony of Good Friday

Today is what we call Good Friday, where we remember the crucifixion. But what we call good was agony to Jesus, so today I want to examine the 7 agonies He chose to face, not because He wanted to, not because He gained anything personally, but because He loved us, and His mission was to save us from the agony of hell.

 

WHY DID WE NEED A GOOD FRIDAY?

 

God is holy. We are sinful. This places a barrier between us and God, a separation that nothing we can do or say can bridge. People think that if they do enough good in their lives so it outweighs the bad things we do, then we can get to heaven. Listen, you can be the nicest guy in the world, and when you die you’ll be the nicest guy in hell!

 

God knew, from before the foundation of the world, that all men are sinful. His holiness prevents Him from interacting with evil. He loves us. He wants to spend eternity with us, but He cannot do this by lowering the standard and accepting sin. If He did, heaven would be hell!

 

So God’s solution was to send His one and only Son, a sinless, perfect Son, to pay the price of death that we should have paid.

 

John 3:16-17 (ESV Strong's)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

 

Jesus was a man on a mission, to save all those who would accept it.

 

You might ask, if God is so loving, why doesn’t He save everyone. He opens the way for everyone to be saved, as the Bible says,

 

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV Strong's)

The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

 

But some refuse to accept His free gift! They would rather live in rebellion to God than accept His free gift of eternal life. When Jesus hung in that cross, His died for all mankind, so this Good Friday, make sure that you are one of those that accepts Jesus free gift of eternal life!

 

 

The Latin or Roman word for crucifixion is CRUCIERE, from which we get the English word, excruciating, meaning intense, unbearable pain.

 

On the cross, Jesus suffered for 3 hours in this excruciating pain under the intense heat of a Palestinian sun before God said enough, and covered the world in a supernatural darkness. Jesus continued to suffer another 3 hours until He gave up His Spirit.

 

The cross is not about decorating the tops of churches, nor is it a cute symbol to place around your neck. When we as Christians look at the cross, we should understand and remember the unbearable agony Jesus faced to complete His mission.

 

This Good Friday, I want to share with you the 7 agonies of the cross.

 

People often say that their troubles in life are unique, and that God wouldn’t  understand. Well, let me show you how and why Jesus understands what you face. One day in the life of Jesus.  That first Good Friday, Jesus faced infinitely more than we could ever bear…

 

 

1.      THE AGONY OF CHOICE

 

Have you ever felt the agony of choosing to give up something you cherish? Jesus understands.

 

Jesus is God. He is a servant, and a sacrifice, and a Saviour, and a Son, but He is also God. So right back at the beginning, Jesus faced a choice… to stay where He was, exalted and honoured, enjoying perfect fellowship with God the Father, while we were all of us lost to an eternity in hell, or He could choose to give it all up to offer us the salvation we desperately needed…

 

Philippians 2:6-8 (ESV Strong's)

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

Jesus faced the agony of choosing to leave His home in glory and be humbled, even to the point of letting puny man torture and crucify Him. Never think that nails held Jesus to the cross. He could have changed His mind at any time, but He chose not to.

 

Nails did not hold Him to the cross… love did, His choice to love and redeem you is what kept Him there. We don’t deserve such love, but Jesus chose to give it anyway, even though He knew some would reject it and throw it back in His face!

 

 

2.      THE AGONY OF BETRAYAL

 

Have you ever been betrayed or let down by someone you love. Someone you trusted, someone you gave yourself to, someone you blessed and cared for… and thy betray you! Jesus understands.

 

Mark 14:18 (ESV Strong's)

And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

 

Someone He loved, someone He served, someone He cared for and trusted and was eating with was about to betray Him, of all things with a kiss, a supposed sign of affection.

 

And of the rest of His friends, they all fled and let Him down when He most needed them. Peter even denied Him 3 times.

 

Jesus understands the agony or betrayal by friends and being forsaken and let down by those you trusted.

 

 

3.      THE AGONY OF FALSE ACCUSATION

 

Have you ever been accused unjustly? Ever been misunderstood and someone takes things the wrong way and accuses you of something you never intended? Jesus understands?

 

Matthew 27:12-14 (ESV Strong's)

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

 

If you have been attacked and falsely accused, the hardest thing is to not defend yourself. Yet Jesus did that, because as they mocked Him, hit Him, spat upon Him, tortured Him and dragged Him off to be murdered, He looked to God to vindicate Him… He didn’t try and argue His way out.

 

Jesus understands what it is like to be falsely accused or misunderstood.

 

4.      THE AGONY OF ATTACK

 

Have you ever been attacked by others unprovoked, even though you have done nothing? Jesus understands.

 

Matthew 27:29-30 (ESV Strong's)

and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.

 

Elsewhere the Bible describes His back as being like a plowed field, ripped to pieces by the cat o nine tails, into which was sown pieces of metal and bone.

 

If you have suffered unjust attacks, have you been hurt by others… Then Jesus cares and understands.

 

 

5.      THE AGONY OF PERSEVERANCE

 

Have you ever experienced the agony of having to persevere, even when it hurts or it is breaking your heart? Do you know what it’s like to not give up on someone or something, even when the pain hurts so badly? Jesus understands, because He prayed this in the garden of Gethsemane

 

Luke 22:42 (ESV Strong's)

 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

 

Sometimes we have to persevere and see something through, even when it hurts. Sometimes we must persevere with situations, with relationships and with people who hurt us. Jesus could have quit in us, but He never gave up on us. He will never give up on you. The Bible says He set His face like flint, determined to see His mission through because He loves you. No matter what you have done, He loves you, and His free gift of grace is here for you this Easter.

 

You may have given up on God at some time, but He never gave up on you!

 

 

6.      THE AGONY OF CRUCIFIXION

 

We experience pain. Physical pain, emotional and mental pain. But this is nothing compared to the excruciating pain Jesus chose to face for you and me.

 

They laid the cross member down and secured it to the rest of the cross. They then held out His quivering hands and feet and drove massive nails, much like what they secure railway sleepers with, through His wrists and ankles.  If they went through His hands the flesh would tear, but through His wrists and ankles the body would be pinned in agony to the cross.

 They they raised it up and dropped it into the socket in the ground. Imagine the jarring pain!

 

And there He hung in agony. He could have called down a legion of angels to remove Him from the cross, but Jesus chose not to. He hung there in agony for you and me.

 

On the cross. You died of suffocation, which is why they later went to break the legs of the others on the crosses.

 

To draw breath into His lungs He had to lift Himself up on the nails, but then the pain drove Him into unconsciousness. He then fell, until the need for air revived Him, and this went on in an endless cycle of excruciating agony, until He chose the moment to die.

 

Jesus underwent physical agony, excruciating physical agony for you.

 

7.      THE AGONY OF SEPARATION

 

The greatest agony of all came at the end of the crucifixion.  After 6 tortuous, agonising hours,

Matthew 27:46

Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 

My God the Father, my God the Holy Spirit, why have you forsaken me?

 

At that point God turned away from His beloved Son. In those moments a holy God, who cannot even look upon sin, saw your sin and my sin piled upon the shoulders of Jesus, and He rejected His one and only Son. At that moment Jesus bore our sins instead of us, He stood in our place, and suffered separation from the Father instead of us, opening the way for us to stand sinless before Him.

 

Then it says this…

Matthew 27:50

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

 

He slumped, dead on that cross. They ultimately didn't take His life, He yielded it. He could have stopped it at any time, but Jesus chose the time when He yielded His life and pain for your sin and my sin.

 

The greatest agony was being separate from God the Father. That is hell.

 

Why? He didn’t have to do this, but He did… Because He loves us.

 

HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?

 

Today we remember the agonies Christ went through for you and me.

 

Isaiah 53:4-6 (ESV Strong's)

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

 

On Sunday we will talk about the joys and life of the resurrection of Christ, but today we focus on the agonies of the cross, the price Jesus paid to give us eternal life. It is free for all, but not all receive it…

 

When I look at the cross tells me is that whatever pain you have experience, whatever betrayal, heartache or burden you struggle with, Jesus not only relates and has experienced even more, but He has provided a way forward for you.

 

Today this Good Friday Jesus reminds you that He died for you. Truly He has earned the right to carry your pain and burdens, instead of you.

 

All it takes is a decision to accept His gift. Say yes today, say yes right now!

 

When you look at the cross, how will you respond this Good Friday. For the One who gave so much, what can you offer in return? Get right with Him, and make this Good Friday the best Friday. Today Jesus says come…

 

Revelation 22:17 (ESV Strong's)

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

 

Jesus is asking you to come, and you need to say, yes, Lord.

 

If you have never asked Jesus you’re your life, you can right now…choose to accept this wonderful gift.

 

And if you already know Him, it’s time to stop trying to live your life in your strength.  So for now, I want you to think of what your greatest burden is right now, your greatest need, your greatest struggle.

 

It might be a sin, it could be a challenge. It might be a relationship gone wrong, a child who has turned away, a conflict at work.

 

Write it down, we are going to pray, give it to Jesus, then come forward.

 

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV Strong's)

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.