YouTube -- TRIDUUM: Good Friday Tenebrae (April 3, 2026)

Here is the Tenebrae service from Good Friday -- April 3, 2026.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Third Word (April 15, 2022)

 THE THIRD WORD — John 19:25-27

     When God created the world, he also created vocations for us to fill.  These vocations are the practical ways we keep the second table of the Law: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

     The first commandment in the second table is: “Honor your father and mother.”  The family relationship is the most basic vocation in the world.  No one comes into the world without a father or a mother.  We may lose them early in life, but we have all had them.  Young children are taught to honor, serve, and obey their parents.  While the age of children may alter how they honor, serve, and obey their parents, the 4^th Commandment is never abolished.

     Even while he hung from the cross—weakened from the scourging, in agony from the nails, tormented by divine wrath—Jesus fulfilled his vocation as the firstborn son of Mary.  He kept the Commandment when we could have excused him from it because of everything he was enduring.  Nevertheless, he loved his mother.  He assured her that she would be cared for.

     Jesus had brothers, probably step-brothers, who could have taken up the obligation to care for Mary.  Instead, Jesus gave this responsibility to the apostle John.  John would care for her physical well-being. 

     But Jesus’ ultimate desire was for her eternal well-being.  He was dying for her sins.  He entrusted her to the apostle who would preach forgiveness, administer the Lord’s Supper, and absolve her in the stead and by the command of Jesus.  In this way, Jesus fulfilled his vocation as her faithful son and her faithful Savior.

     The Commandment is fulfilled by Jesus’ obedience.  The sins of disobedient sons and daughters are paid for by Jesus’ death.  Everything is covered by Jesus.  We are reconciled to the Father.  We are gathered into the family of saints.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Second Word (April 15, 2022)

THE SECOND WORD — LUKE 23:38-43

     What goes through the mind of a man who is dying?  We can only guess.

     I suppose we would replay the events of our life and try to remember the blessings we enjoyed.  We all want to die believing we had a life that made a difference for good.  But when we are in our last hours, the devil is also there.  He would remind us of things we would rather forget.  He may dig up the past which had been buried in the recesses of our minds.  He would open wounds we thought had healed, only to feel the pain and the shame all over again.  He wants to produce terror.  This does not just happen to criminals; it happens to God’s people, and it is terrifying.

     The criminal who hung on a cross next to Jesus was done playing the games.  Why try to convince himself that he was a good man?  There were probably some parts of his life which he could be proud of.  But what happened in his life so that he made choices which warranted a death sentence?  Was he always violent and angry?  Had he been abused by a relative?  Was he seduced by a conman?  Who knows?  But he knew, and he was done making excuses.  He was getting what he deserved.

     Death was imminent.  The criminal did not beg for Jesus to rescue him from being condemned to a cross.  But he did plead for Jesus to rescue him from being condemned to hell.  His time in this world would soon end.  But he longed for endless time to be filled with peace and joy, not weeping and gnashing of teeth.

     He heard the words of those who mocked Jesus.  He realized that they were all true.  He is the Son of God.  He is the Christ.  He is the Savior.  He establishes a kingdom of mercy, grace, and salvation.  So, the man prays, “Jesus, remember me.”  “Jesus, you are paying for the sins of the world.  Remember me in your redemption.  Jesus, you are dying on behalf of sinners.  Remember this sinner.  Jesus, if you are coming into a kingdom, then you will live again to reign over it.  Remember me in your gracious reign.”

     The Lord Jesus would remember him.  The Lord Jesus is mindful of you, too.  He is your Christ.  He is your Savior.  Just as he dies for you, so he lives and reigns for you.  The kingdom comes to sinners, so you will be with him in Paradise forever.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The First Word (April 15, 2022)

THE FIRST WORD — LUKE 23:26-34

 

     “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).  If you have gone to church your whole life long, Jesus’ words don’t really stir up too much of a reaction.  Jesus is in the business of mercy and forgiveness, so of course he prays that they would be pardoned for their offenses, right?

     When someone sins against you, you feel it.  It hurts.  It does not matter to you if they meant it or not.  A car accident damages the car whether it was done out of anger or out of inattentive driving.  Careless words wound whether they were meant for your ears or overheard by chance.  Because sins hurt, forgiveness does not come easily.  You may insist, “They don’t deserve my forgiveness.”  The result is long-term grudge which only festers over time.  There is nothing righteous about holding a grudge.  But if you insist, “They don’t deserve my forgiveness,” you aren’t wrong.  No one deserves forgiveness.

     Justice demands that we give what we owe.   We owe our Lord obedience.  We owe our fellow man love.  When we withhold these, we are indebted to the ones we have sinned against.  If we have not given what we owe, then justice demands retribution.  Justice does not bear a grudge; it exacts revenge.  It convicts.  It condemns.  It gives what is deserved and does not show mercy.

     But Jesus does not give you what you deserve.  Jesus prayed that the Father would not give his enemies what they deserve.  “Father, forgive them”—those who mocked him, those who beat him, those who murdered him, those who withheld truth, compassion, and justice.  “Father, forgive them”—those who do not obey the Commandments, those who have held grudges and withheld forgiveness, those who bear the name Christian but whose actions deny him.  “Father, forgive them”—not because they deserve it.  No one does.  “Father, forgive them” because the Son takes upon himself responsibility and accountability for all sins.

     Jesus is nailed to a cross to suffer for sins he did not commit, to die a death he does not deserve, and to endure hellish torment that belongs to you, to me, and to all.  It is neither justice nor revenge.  It is mercy.  It is pardon and peace.  “Father, forgive them.”  For Jesus’ sake, he does.

YouTube -- Good Friday

Seven Words from the Cross

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Seventh Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Seventh Word

Luke 23:44-46

     “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep.”  No one goes to bed in terror.  We close our eyes at the end of the day, confident that we will wake up to a new day. 
     It is with this same confidence that Jesus gave his life into death.  “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46; Psalm 31:5)  The word “commit” refers to a person who entrusts something to the care of another with the understanding that it will be restored to him as he left it.  So, Jesus entrusted his soul to the Father, confident that he would have it given back and that he would live again, body and soul, raised from the grave.
     “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”  Jesus expressed not only confidence in his resurrection, he also expressed his confidence that his heavenly Father was still his heavenly Father and was pleased with him.  The previous hours would not have suggested that at all.  I suppose you could even go back to the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed that this cup might be taken from him.  The answer was, “No, you must consume all of it.”  When darkness covered the whole land for three hours, Jesus was consuming the most bitter part of that cup: the consequences of all our sin—the rejection and the wrath of the Almighty God.
     Nevertheless, Jesus did not trust in what he had experienced.  He trusted in what his Father had foretold by the Holy Spirit.  “My flesh also dwells secure.  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Psalm 16:9-10)  And again, “When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days.” (Isaiah 53:10)  Jesus trusted that he was still his loving Father, that he would be true to his word, and that the grave would have to surrender him.  His spirit was in good hands.
     “Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed.” (All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night – Thomas Ken; Hymn 592 in Christian Worship)  You have been united to Christ in baptism.  His death has become your death.  And if you are united to him in death, you will also be united to him in resurrection.  For, he does not merely save your soul, but he saves you completely.  You are in the Father's hands.  He will not abandon you, even at the grave.  When you close your eyes in death, they will open again to a new and everlasting day.  As Jesus lives, so shall you.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Sixth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Sixth Word

John 19:30

     When the Lord chooses to deliver his word to us, he speaks in language we understand.  The Holy Spirit is also particular about the words he uses.  While language and grammar may not be your favorite subjects, they serve us well when we consider what God has declared.
     For example, a passive verb states, “Jesus was put to death.”  It tells us what happened to Jesus, but not who did it to him.  The Passion history tells us that the religious leaders were the ones who demanded it.  In the Apostles' Creed, we confess that Pontius Pilate is the one who ordered it.  This tells us how Jesus got to the cross.  But when the Bible records how Jesus died, the Holy Spirit chooses his words intentionally. 
     The Holy Spirit did not guide St. John to use a passive voice, saying, “Jesus was put to death.”  He uses an active verb: Jesus “gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)  Jesus was not a hapless victim.  He had come to suffer and die to pay for the sins of the world.  When his work was complete, he gave his spirit over.  He laid down his life of his own accord. 
     Another point of grammar is the verb Jesus used when he signaled the end of his innocent life and sacrificial death.  In English, it is translated as a present tense: “It is finished.”  In the Greek, it is a perfect tense: “It has been completed.  It has come to an end.”  The perfect tense is used when something has taken place but its effects are on-going.  The Bible uses this same tense when it quotes Scripture: “It has been written.”  It was penned by prophets long ago, but it still stands.  It is still the word of the Lord, and the word of the Lord endures forever.  In the same way, Jesus' work as the Savior of sinners has been completed, and it remains complete.
     The payment for your sins was made.  The payment stands.
     The wrath of God has been appeased.  It still is.
     As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our guilt from us; and it is still gone.
     At one time, we were children of wrath; but that is past tense.  Now, thanks to Jesus' saving work, we are children of God; present tense. 
     Nothing extra needs to be done to gain God's favor.  Salvation is secure.  Jesus has completed it all.  It has all been accomplished, and it still stands.  It is finished!

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Fifth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Fifth Word

John 19:28,29

     The fifth word from the cross is probably the most perplexing one.  Why did John bother to record it?  In the agony of his crucifixion, shortly before he dies, Jesus yearns for a drink and says, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)  It seems utterly insignificant.  Why did Jesus say it, and why did John record it?
     Now, we can come up with reasons why Jesus would be thirsty.  He had not slept for about 30 hours.  He had lost a great deal of blood.  His life was draining from him.  So he was exhausted, parched, and dehydrated.   All of these are pretty reasonable guesses.  But that is not the reason John provides.  Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” (John 19:28)  There you have it: “To fulfill the Scripture.”
     There is some uncertainty about which prophecy Jesus was fulfilling.  Perhaps Psalm 69: “For my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psalm 69:21)  Perhaps Psalm 42: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:2)  Perhaps Psalm 22: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws." (Psalm 22:15)  Perhaps another prophecy.  Perhaps all of them.  Regardless, Jesus labors at the cross for us.  He not only suffers because of our disobedience, but he also labors to obey and fulfill every word of Scripture on our behalf.  He thirsts for our salvation and is determined to complete it—every commandment obeyed, every word fulfilled, every sin covered.
     “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)  If you hunger and thirst for something, that means you don't have it.  You crave it because you need it.  And what you need, Jesus Christ supplies.  He obeys the Commandments to provide the righteousness you need.  He fulfills every prophecy to supply the salvation you need.  He dies under the full wrath of God to make the atonement you need.  He satisfies your longing for God's forgiveness and love and peace.
     The drink is supplied.  The Scriptures are fulfilled.  Salvation is won.  And the blessings are yours.  Why did God revealed it?  So you can be sure of it.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Fourth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Fourth Word

Matthew 27:45-49

     The Apostle John wrote, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
     God's very first word in the creation of the world was, “'Let there be light,' and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)  God pushed back the darkness as he began to order all created things and to bring life forth onto the world.
     But as Jesus hung from the cross, bearing in his body every bit of wickedness, violence, and corruption, God's light was withdrawn.  And if God is light, that means God himself was withdrawn from his only begotten Son. 
     “God is light” (1 John 1:5), but light was withdrawn from Jesus.
     “God is love” (1 John 4:16), but love was withdrawn from Jesus.
     The Lord is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)  All of that was put aside.  For God had made him to be sin—our sin.  If he is sin and bears all guilt, then he gets what the guilty deserve.  The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  That is not just the end of breathing and brain waves, that is being cut off from God's mercy, being banished from God's presence, and being sentenced to the relentless, endless torments of hell.  The eternal Son of God was thrust into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
     For this reason, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46)  For this reason he was forsaken: for you.
     He was abandoned so that you would be adopted into God’s family.
     He was rejected so that you would be reconciled to the Father.
     He was banished so that you would belong.
     He wore the crown of thorns so that you would receive a crown of life.
     The eternal Son was cast into the darkness so that you will forever be the children of the light.
     He was forsaken so that you never will be.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Third Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Painting by Jacobello de Fiore (ca. 1375 - 1439)
From Art Museum of Toledo (Ohio)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Third Word

John 19:25-27

     On Jesus' first trip to Jerusalem, he was only 40 days old.  An elderly man, Simeon, got to see his Savior.  Then he got to deliver a warning to Mary: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel….  And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” (Luke 2:34-35)  Jesus would be hated; Mary would see it.  Jesus would be flogged and nailed to a cross; Mary would watch it.  She was there, at the cross, seeing the fulfillment of all God’s plans.  When a soldier ran Jesus through with a spear, a sword pierced Mary’s soul, too.  You and I call Jesus “Savior” and “Lord.”  Mary had the blessed distinction of calling him, “My son.”  The Son of God is the Son of Mary.  So when this beloved Son died, a sword pierced her own soul, too.
     Even while Jesus was enduring divine wrath, he showed love.  Even while Jesus was under God's curse, he bestowed blessing.  Even in the throes of agony, Jesus showed compassion to his mother.  Jesus saw his beloved apostle, John, at the cross, and he entrusted Mary to his care.  From that day on, Jesus’ apostle took care of Jesus’ mother.
     This is the same love he has for his Church.  The Church has been called our mother because God has given us life through the Church.  The Groom plants the seed—which is  the word—into his Bride, and she bears offspring who are the children of God.  Nor does Jesus Christ leave his Church to fend for Herself.  Just as Jesus gave his mother into the care of his apostle, so the Lord has given his Church ministers to care for her.
     Granted, Jesus could preserve the Church without aid from anyone—just as Jesus could have miraculously preserved Mary without the aid of anyone.  But our Lord delights in calling us to serve one another in our various vocations.  As nice as it would be for Jesus to appear to us and serve us in the flesh, he has chosen to serve his Church through fleshly ministers.  It is there that you hear the voice of your Lord, declaring his love and his mercy and his care for you.  In the midst of our pains and sorrows, Jesus blesses us with one another so that we may speak and act with compassion and consolation for each other.
     Jesus loves his Church and her children.  For, he lived and died for them.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The Second Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Second Word

Luke 23:38-43

     When Jesus stood on trial before Pilate, the chief priests and elders of the people charged him with treason.  They declared that Jesus claimed to be a king.  They weren't wrong.  Both John the Baptist and Jesus had preached this message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17)  The chief priests and the elders of the Jews made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with Jesus and his kingdom.
     When Pontius Pilate interrogated Jesus, he flatly asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 19:33)  Jesus told Pilate what kind of kingdom he had.  “You are right in saying that I am a king.  For this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 19:37)  Pilate made it clear that he had no use for that kind of kingdom.
     The soldiers mocked Jesus as a king.  Pilate did not take Jesus seriously as a king.  The charge over Jesus' head stated that he is a king.  And the crowds beneath the cross made sport of Jesus being a king.
     But he looked nothing like a king.  He was beaten, bleeding, naked, and dying.  What kind of kingdom is this?  Who would want any part of it?
     The penitent thief did.  He did not view Jesus with his eyes, but with his ears.  He did not have high regard for majesty, but for the truth.  He knew he deserved to die, and he confessed it to be so.  He knew that Jesus was faultless, and he confessed it to be so.  More than that, he knew that Jesus had saved others.  Could Jesus also save him?  Could Jesus blot out all the offenses that stood against him?  Could Jesus deliver him from the judgment that rightly stood against him?  Was there mercy, even for him?  Could it be true?
     Everyone who is of the truth listens to Jesus' voice.  And Jesus voiced a promise to a man who claimed nothing, but sought only mercy.  “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)  Because Jesus saves, this is true.  His kingdom is mercy and grace and forgiveness.  Listen to his voice.  Rejoice in his truth.  He saves the wicked, and he will remember you.

Sermon -- Good Friday: The First Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The First Word

Luke 23:26-34

     After Jesus was sentenced to be crucified, he was entrusted to the Roman soldiers who would carry out his execution.  These soldiers may have been brutal and uncaring.  But why should they care?  All they knew is that a man was going to a cross because the governor had deemed his crimes worthy of crucifixion.  It was not their place to question the judgment of the governor.  It was their place to fasten Jesus' body to the cross so that he would die on it.  And they were good at that.
     Did they know that this was the Son of God?  Did they hear the mocking of the crowd who repeated Jesus' words or retold his deeds?  Did they consider who Jesus was at all?  Probably not.  As experienced executioners, they knew that everyone who was being crucified would insist that they did not deserve it.
     We are familiar with such things.  We insist our guilt should not count.  When we make a friend cry because we called her an idiot, we say, “I'm sorry you are upset.”  We are not sorry we called her an idiot, we are sorry it bothered her to be called an idiot.  When you damage someone's property by your reckless stunts, you insist, “I didn't mean to.”  When a boy climbs on a sculpture he should not have been on and gets hurt, the sculptor is assessed blame because he is the one who put it there.  We always try to avoid blame and responsibility.
     Even if we act in ignorance, we are not excused.  God has written his law in our hearts, and he has declared it in his word.  If society has warped our sense of right and wrong, God does not accommodate his word to societal changes.  Even the ignorant are sinners.  God's desire is not that people remain in blissful ignorance, but rather know their sins so they would crave a Savior.
     While Jesus acknowledged that the Roman soldiers did not know what they were doing—that this was no intentional assault on God—he did not give them a free pass.  He prayed, “Father, forgive them...”  Do not look upon their sins in judgment, but pardon them in your mercy.  Do not treat them as their sins deserve.
     And this is precisely what Jesus was nailed to that cross for—to secure the full pardon for all our sins whether done in ignorance or weakness or habit.  Jesus did not fixate on what motivates your sins.  He fixated on paying the price for them.
     “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)  Jesus not only prays for forgiveness for the sinner, he provides it.