Lead: Pastor Martin

Lead: Christ Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.
Response: That we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
Lead: Blessed be the name of the Lord our God.
Response: Who redeems us from sin and death.
Lead: Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Response: Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus.

What a Beautiful Name

You see, sin had come into God’s perfect world. And it would never leave. God’s children would be always running away from him and hiding in the dark. Their hearts would break now, and never work properly again. God couldn’t let his children live forever, not in such pain, without him. There was only one way to protect them. “You will have to leave the garden now,” God told his children, his eyes filling with tears. “This is no longer your true home, it’s not the place for you anymore.” But before they left the garden, God made clothes for his children, to cover them. He gently clothed them and then he sent them away on a long, long journey—out of the garden, out of their home. Well, in another story, it would all be over and that would have been... The End.

But not in this story. God loved his children too much to let the story end there. Even though he knew he would suffer, God had a plan—a magnificent dream. One day, he would get his children back. One day, he would make the world their perfect home again. And one day, he would wipe away every tear from their eyes. You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children—with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. And though they would forget him, and run from him, deep in their hearts, God’s children would miss him always, and long for him—lost children yearning for their home. Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: “It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle against the snake. I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I’m coming back for you!" And he would. One day, God himself would come

Read by: Liana Walden

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises[a] of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

Alas And Did My Savior Bleed

Read by: Nat Pepitone

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews[a] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

Pastor Stephen Na

Reader: And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Luke 23:34
(Read by: Richard Chung)

People: O what a gracious Savior.

Reader: And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43
(Read by: Elizabeth Reyes)

People: O what a merciful Savior.

Reader: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26–27
(Read by: Charlotte Na)

People: O what a beautiful Savior.

Reader: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34
(Read by: Ryan Clarke)

People: O what a costly redemption.

Reader: After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” John 19:28
(Read by: Lexi Bernal)

People: O what agony He endured for us.

Reader: A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:29–30
(Read by: Milan Varughese)

People: O what a costly redemption.

Reader: Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46
(Read by: Stephanie Lemus)

People: O what a costly redemption

Read by Clai Williams

Holy God, You alone are holy and righteous, holy and just, blameless and merciful. You alone know the depths of our sin and our depravity. When we were content to walk the earth in rebellion as dead men and dead women, You were good to send us Your Son to breathe life into our death.

We were content to be orphans, but You were good to send Your Son to adopt us into Your family.

We were content to be scattered individuals, but You were good to make us a people by crushing Your Son instead of us.

We were content to shout out, “Crucify Him!” but Christ was good to whisper, “Father, forgive them.”

We were content to choose to set Barabbas free from his chains, but You were good to choose to release us from the chains of sin.

We confess that, even after our adoption, we still often live as though we are dead. We often act as though we do not have a good Father, and we often forsake the family of brothers and sisters whom You have saved us into.

Father, forgive us when we follow in the footsteps of our enemy and seek to place ourselves above Your throne. We ask that Your Spirit would guide us and direct us toward humility and servant-heartedness, seeking to do Your will above our own, just as Christ does.

As we dwell on the agonies suffered by Christ on this Good Friday, let us look forward to Resurrection Sunday, when death itself reaps what it has sown. Until then, may we lament and mourn over our sin, knowing that the price demanded for reconciliation has been paid for by Your Son, Jesus Christ.

To You be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Lamb of God

As you leave please depart in silence.