Nov 16, 2025
This Good Friday message reflects on the profound sacrifice of Christ, the true meaning of God’s act of “giving” His Son, and the pastor's personal journey of transitioning from senior leadership after 25 years. The sermon intertwines personal anecdotes with biblical exposition, emphasizing the immense cost of salvation and the call for believers to live lives of courageous faith in response.
The speaker shared that this marks his “last Good Friday as a senior pastor of God Speak” after 25 years of service alongside his wife, Michelle. He noted that the Good Friday service has “always been the hardest” throughout his ministry, with this year feeling particularly heavy due to the context of his departure. He recounted a conversation with his son-in-law, Micah, regarding the feelings surrounding this transition, expressing that he felt “the same way that I did when I gave my daughter's hand to you in marriage.” This comparison highlights the deeply personal nature of handing over something treasured, whether a daughter or the church fellowship. He stressed his confidence in Micah and James, stating they “exceed… more than Michelle and I could have ever imagined in relation to caring and providing and protecting” their daughter, and similarly, the fellowship. He affirmed his love for the community, declaring there “isn't a sweeter community on the face of the earth than God speak.” Despite the difficulty, he affirmed that to “relinquish it is what God's called for and in a sense demanded and I'm pleased with it. I'm at peace.”
The core message revolved around the profound meaning of God's “giving” His Son. The pastor emphasized that God is both “a gracious God” and “a just God.” While humanity desires grace and mercy, justice requires a penalty that only Christ could pay, as “none of us could do it.” He explained that God “chose not to remove the source of sin,” which is humanity itself, because love necessitates choice. The cross stands as “the central theme in all of history,” serving as the promised antidote for the world's sin. Christians, as “a new creature in Christ,” are called to “push back evil, that stand boldly for truth regardless of the consequences,” so that others may know the truth and be set free from sin.
The sermon meticulously walked through John 19, detailing Christ's crucifixion. Jesus “bearing his cross went out to a place called the place of the skull. Golgotha, which is transliterated into English as Calvary.” Pilate's inscription on the cross read “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The soldiers divided Jesus's garments and “cast lots” for his tunic, fulfilling scripture. Jesus entrusted his mother, Mary, to the "disciple whom he loved," identified as John, who “took her as a to his own home.” Church tradition suggests John took Mary to Ephesus. The pastor shared a personal story of visiting Ephesus with his mother, who was struggling with his father's declining health. His mother found comfort there, stating, “Rob, if God took such care of Mary when Jesus was crucified, I think I think he's going to do okay with me when your dad's not here.” Later, Jesus declared, “I thirst,” a result of the immense physical suffering and dehydration. After receiving sour wine, he uttered “tatelisty,” meaning “It is finished, paid in full.” To ensure the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, “the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken.” However, upon reaching Jesus, the soldiers “saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs,” fulfilling scripture. Instead, “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out,” also fulfilling prophecy. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both wealthy and influential men, “secretly for fear of the Jews,” boldly asked Pilate for Jesus's body. They “took the body of Jesus bounded in strips of linen with spices as was the custom of the Jews to bury,” laying him in a new tomb nearby.
The speaker vividly described the brutality of Christ’s suffering. Jesus endured a severe “beating he endured with the cat of nine tales,” which “shredding of his back.” His beard was “pulled out of his face,” a “crown of thorns” was placed on his head, and he was mocked and spit upon. He carried the cross to exhaustion, collapsing, leading to Simon of Cyrene carrying it for him. The crucifixion itself was “the most heinous form of capital punishment ever devised by man,” a slow death by asphyxiation, as victims had to “pull up in excruciating pain to breathe.” The breaking of legs was meant to “expedite his suffocation.” The pain of a broken femur or snapped knee was likened to "the closest you can experience to the pain of childbirth." All this agony was endured “For God so loved the world, he gave,” because "that which we receive too easily, we esteem too lightly."
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus demonstrated immense courage by caring for Jesus's body. “As was custom of the Jews,” the sacred society, “the Havra Cadesh,” would perform a selfless act of preparing the deceased, making them “unclean for a season” and isolating them from public society. They would wash the body, “speak to the body as though the person were present,” remove “the pieces of the thorns in the skull of the Messiah, the dirt in the wounds, the glass shards, the metal pieces in his back that had been whipped to hamburger meat,” and wipe “the blood from his face as they had pulled his beard out of his face, the cuts and the bruising from the massive beating he endured.” They would also clean “the spear wound in his side, the holes in his wrists, his feet.” The speaker pondered whether these men, two of “the wealthiest in all of Israel,” fully understood "the power of the blood of Jesus" at that moment. He noted that their actions, “caring for the body of Christ,” reflected the sacredness of the human body, “created in the image of God,” and lamented the modern trend of cremation for convenience.
The sermon highlighted three key aspects of Christ's blood:
The lingering "fragrance of Christ" from the expensive oil poured on him by the "woman who had been a prostitute" served as a powerful metaphor. To some, this story is "the aroma of death" – irritating and unwelcome. But "to those who are being saved, the fragrance of Christ, it's the aroma of life."
The pastor addressed a concerning theological trend: “Growing ever more rampant in the body of Christ is this theology of embracing the idea that if you aren't a Messianic Jew or a converted Jew, you are of the synagogue of Satan.” He directly refuted this "lunacy" by referencing Galatians 3, which states “neither Greek nor Jew… we're one in Christ,” emphasizing that salvation is not contingent on ethnic or social identity. He argued that such prejudice often stems from anger, citing examples of “young white males who have been at the bottom of the totem pole for critical race theory diversity, equity, and inclusion, and they're just trying to find a source to express their anger.” He drew a connection to "hatred for Jews" and the targeting of those God uses significantly, stating, “when God places his hand on someone to be used for significance throughout the world, they become a target for brutality.” He referenced a recent event where someone "killed his parents and was after the president of the United States. Hatred for Jews. They just burned Governor Shapiro's home." These acts underscored the pervasive nature of hatred.
The communion elements symbolize Christ's sacrifice. The unleavened bread, “pierced” and “striped” like matzah, represents “my body broken for you.” The cup symbolizes the total outpouring of his blood. The pastor reiterated, “For God so loved the world, he gave,” emphasizing the exponentially greater act of giving one’s son compared to giving a daughter in marriage or even entrusting a church to a successor. He reflected on "tragic events that have occurred with a murder" and a father's grief, underscoring the profound nature of giving up a son.
Beyond the Ephesus visit, the pastor shared other personal reflections. He and his son-in-law, Micah, watched a movie about the “Iraqi war 2006” and a “SEAL team unit.” He noted that it “wasn't politically minded” but depicted the "brutality and the struggle" of young lives devastated by “war.” This experience moved them both deeply. He also shared the story of his friend, Bill, who came to Christ through the ultimate sacrifice of a young soldier in Vietnam. This soldier, whom Bill had “picked on,” “chested the grenade and it vaporized him” to save Bill's life. Bill ran from this truth for years, trying to escape it through alcohol, drugs, and sex, but it always returned when "we started talking about Christ again." Bill realized "that young man sacrificed his life so that Bill would have time on this earth to be reconciled to Jesus.” The soldier's parents, having prayed for their son's protection as he served his country and pursued his call to be a “preacher and a missionary and evangelist,” received a note: “Your son has died.” Though they struggled, they eventually understood that their son's sacrifice led Bill to the Lord, and Bill "became the director of the Madera Rescue Mission has led thousands to Christ." This story powerfully illustrates the highest form of love and God's redemptive plan.
| Theme | Key Point | Scripture/Reference | Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Justice and Grace | Justice demanded payment; Jesus paid it fully as both gracious and just. | John 19; overall narrative of atonement | Salvation is costly, a gift of grace from a just God. |
| Centrality of the Cross | The cross is the pivotal point in all history, the promised antidote for sin. | Cross as central theme (John 19:17-18) | One solution for sin is universally offered and available. |
| Christ’s Suffering | Jesus endured unimaginable physical and spiritual agony for humanity. | Beatings, crown of thorns, crucifixion details (John 19:1-5, 17-18) | Reveals the immeasurable price of human redemption. |
| Fulfilled Prophecy | Specific events of crucifixion, like no broken bones and being pierced, fulfilled scripture. | John 19:33-37; Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10 | Validates Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and the truth of God’s Word. |
| Blood of Christ | His blood provides complete redemption, forgiveness, and access to God. | Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:19; Isaiah 53:5 | The ultimate means of cleansing, reconciliation, and spiritual healing. |
| Communion | A sacred remembrance of Christ's broken body and shed blood. | Passover context; John 19:34 | Receive with profound gratitude and reverence for the sacrifice. |
| Discipleship Courage | Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus risked everything to honor Jesus publicly. | Burial acts in daylight (John 19:38-42) | Calls believers to bold witness and unwavering faith, even at personal cost. |
| Unity in Christ | Rejects prejudiced theology; emphasizes unity for all in Christ. | Argument against "synagogue of Satan" doctrine (Galatians 3) | Christ transcends all human distinctions and prejudices. |
| Leadership Transition | The pastor’s peaceful surrender of leadership, trusting God’s plan and successors. | Pastor’s testimony | Demonstrates faithful stewardship and reliance on God's sovereignty. |
| The Cost of Giving | The ultimate act of love is giving one's son, far surpassing other forms of giving. | Father giving daughter; Vietnam soldier story; God giving His Son | Highlights the immeasurable depth of God's love and sacrifice. |
| War and Suffering | Reflections on the brutality of war and its devastation. | Iraqi war film; Vietnam war soldier story | Provides context for suffering and sacrifice, both physical and spiritual. |
The pastor is relinquishing his senior leadership role, confident that this is God’s call and trusting the next generation of leaders with the church’s care.
Congregants are called to: