CCC Gainesville | Blog
Easter is for reveling in the triumph Jesus purchased for us. Good Friday is for remembering what we cost him. As we do let our words be few and well chosen.
Here is a prayer from Valley of Vision for Good Friday to help us repent again of our pride and remember that the cross guarantees pride’s destruction:
The Dark Guest
O Lord,
Bend my hands and cut them off,
for I have often struck thee with a wayward will,
when these fingers should embrace thee by faith.I am not yet weaned from all created glory,
honour, wisdom, and esteem of others,
for I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do.Let me not only speak the word sin,
but see the thing itself.Give me to view a discovered sinfulness,
to know that though my sins are crucified
they are never wholly mortified.Hatred, malice, ill-will,
vain-glory that hungers for and hunts after
man’s approval and applause,
all are crucified, forgiven,
but they rise again in my sinful heart.O my crucified but never wholly mortified sinfulness!
O my life-long damage and daily shame!
O my indwelling and besetting sins!
O the tormenting slavery of a sinful heart!Destroy, O God, the dark guest within
whose hidden presence makes my life a hell.Yet thou hast not left me here without grace;
The cross still stands and meets my needs
in the deepest straits of the soul.I thank thee that my remembrance of it
is like David’s sight of Goliath’s sword
which preached forth thy deliverance.The memory of my great sins,
my many temptations, my falls,
bring afresh into my mind the remembrance
of thy great help, of thy support from heaven,
of the great grace that saved such a wretch as I am.There is no treasure so wonderful
as that continuous experience of thy grace
toward me which alone can subdue the risings of sin within:Give me more of it.
AMEN.
Since Jesus’ death, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. On Good Friday, millions of Christians set aside our other concerns to meditate upon what this astonishing claim means.
One way to meditate on the crucifixion is to read and reflect on the seven sayings of Jesus from his cross. These sayings have been used in Good Friday services for centuries.
- “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
- “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
- “[Jesus] said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” (John 19:26–27)
- “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34)
- “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
- “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
- “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)
Tonight at 7pm we contemplate the suffering of our Savior.
The night before Jesus was crucified, he had a Passover supper with his disciples. (Passover is a Jewish holy day that celebrates God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt.) After supper, Jesus knew that this would be his final opportunity to instruct his disciples before the crucifixion, so he talked at length about his purposes, what his followers should do in response, and the promise of the Holy Spirit to come. He then washed his disciples’ feet in an incredible demonstration of humility and servanthood. Finally, he gave bread and wine to his disciples and asked them to partake of it in remembrance of him. The act of partaking bread and wine is called Communion (or the Last Supper) today.
The word Maundy (pronounced mawn-dee) comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means “command.” The command that this holy day refers to is the one that Jesus gave to his disciples during the Last Supper:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34–35
Our worship folder for 7pm tonight here:
Maundy Thursday tomorrow will have a harp. 7pm. Don’t miss this.
We’ve had several people ask about the Secret Church schedule on Good Friday. Six hours is a long time to do anything. We wholeheartedly and unabashedly encourage you to register for the entire thing, and to attend the entire 6-hour event. There’s something tangible to be gained from an extended period of time devoted to studying the Word of God, praying with and for His church, and worshiping in a congregation. I think you’ll be surprised by how encouraging a somewhat radical step outside your comfort zone can be.
If the full 6 hours simply doesn’t work for you for any number of practical reasons, the event organizers have also opened registration up for half of the event, either from 7PM to 10PM, or from 10PM to 1AM. The entire event runs from 7PM to 1AM (April 6th & 7th). Click here to register. I hope this will help you join in on this special time!
