Scripture – Carrying the cross by Himself, He went to the place called Place of the Skull. There they nailed Him to the cross. Two others were crucified with Him, one on either side, with Jesus between them… When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His clothes among the four of them. They also took His robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it…”
Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.”
Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:17-18, 23-24, 25-30)
Devotion – As we meditate on John 19 today, we find ourselves at the foot of the cross where Jesus, the Son of God, is crucified. This moment is a powerful reminder of the immense suffering He willingly endured out of His love for humanity. Jesus’ journey to Calvary was marked by humiliation, agony, and betrayal, yet His love remained steadfast.
In John 19:30, Jesus utters the words, “It is finished.” With these words, Jesus declared the completion of His mission to save us from our sins. The significance of His suffering cannot be overstated-it was a sacrifice made so that we might receive eternal life. Reflecting on the depth of Jesus’ love and the extent of His suffering invites us to consider the vastness of His grace. Despite the pain and suffering, His actions demonstrate a profound love that transcends human understanding. Through His death, we gain life. As you contemplate the significance of Good Friday, let these truths deepen your appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice.
Reflection Questions:
What emotions do you experience when you envision Jesus on the cross, willingly taking on the burden of sin for humanity?
How does Jesus’ declaration, “It is finished,” impact your understanding of His work of salvation?
In what ways can you live out the love and grace that Jesus demonstrated through His suffering and sacrifice?
Prayer – Heavenly Father, as I reflect on the profound suffering of Jesus on the cross, I am overwhelmed by His boundless love for me. Thank You for the gift of salvation and for the sacrifice that was made on my behalf. Help me to live in a way that reflects Jesus’ love and grace to others. May my heart be forever grateful, and may I draw closer to You each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Worship Activity – Make plans to attend a Good Friday service this evening. As you observe communion, reflect upon all Jesus has done for you.
*This devotion was originally written for “The Week that Changed Everything” Holy Week Devotional by Celebration Church NOLA
Scripture – Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While He was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over His head.
Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to Me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have Me. She has done what she could and has anointed My body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (Mark 14:3-9)
Devotion – As we contemplate the events of Holy Wednesday, we are drawn to the beautiful and worshipful act of the woman who anointed Jesus with precious perfume in Bethany. This act of devotion was not only generous but also deeply personal and sacrificial. By pouring the expensive perfume on Jesus, the woman displayed her understanding of His divine nature and the imminent sacrifice He would make.
Her actions remind us that true worship often involves giving our best to the Lord, in recognition of His infinite worth. The outpouring of the perfume symbolizes the outpouring of her love and reverence for Jesus. Despite criticism from others, she remained focused and unwavering in her commitment to honor Him, setting an example of wholehearted devotion.
Reflection Questions:
What can we learn from the woman’s willingness to give something valuable to honor Jesus?
How can we demonstrate our devotion to Jesus in our daily lives, even when others may not understand or appreciate it?
In what ways can we offer our best to Christ today, reflecting the sacrificial love shown by the woman?
Prayer – Lord, as we think about the devotion of the woman who anointed You, help us to understand the depth of true worship. May we be inspired to give our best to You, recognizing Your infinite worth. Help us to live our lives as offerings of love and reverence, unwavering in our commitment to honor You. Guide our hearts to be focused on You, just as the woman’s was, holding nothing back. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Followup Worship Activity – In your journal or on a piece of paper, make a list of the possessions you hold most dear in life. Ask yourself whether you would be willing to give them to the Lord if He led you to do so. Write out a prayer to the Lord, committing to Him that He is more important to you than any of these items.
*This post was originally written for “The Week that Changed Everything,” a Holy Week devotional by Celebration Church New Orleans.
Scripture – The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so He went over to see if He could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard Him say it.
When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and He stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” (Mark 11:12-17)
Devotion – In the scripture above, we read about Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the Temple. The fig tree, with its leaves blossoming but having no fruit, symbolizes a life filled with appearances but lacking substance. Likewise, Jesus finds the Temple bustling with commerce, distracting worshipers from its true purpose – prayer and worship of God.
Holy Monday invites us to reflect on the areas of our own lives that may resemble the fig tree or the Temple. Are there aspects where we present a thriving appearance but are lacking genuine spiritual fruit? Are there distractions or clutter in our lives preventing us from focusing on God?
Reflection Questions:
Are there habits or behaviors in our lives that look fruitful from the outside but aren’t producing the spiritual fruit they should?
What tables in my heart might Jesus want to overturn to help me refocus on Him?
How can we create personal spaces or routines dedicated to uninterrupted time with God, focusing solely on prayer and reflection?
Prayer – Lord, as we reflect on Holy Monday, give us insight into our own lives. Help us identify areas that need cleansing and renewal, where we might be more focused on appearances than on genuine faith and spiritual growth. Teach us to remove distractions from our lives that keep us from connecting with You. Guide us in cultivating our lives so they bear true spiritual fruit, anchored in Your Word. May our hearts always be temples of prayer and devotion, always seeking Your will and Your presence. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Followup Worship Activity – In your journal or on a piece of paper, write out a prayer of personal dedication to the Lord, expressing your willingness to purge the areas of your own life that need spiritual cleansing.
*This devotion was written for “The Week That Changed Everything,” a Holy Week Devotional for Celebration Church in New Orleans. The entire devotional is available for download at http://www.celebrationchurch.org/library
Each year on Good Friday at Celebration Church in New Orleans, we do a more interactive type of service with various dramatic elements. I typically share the outline on my blog after the service happens for reference by others. I hope you find it helpful, or at least interesting.
Communion Introduction: How many of you are thankful that the Lord has made a way that we could be brought out of darkness into glorious light? When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he cried, “Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) We’re about to observe a special time of worship where we remember how Jesus, as the Lamb of God, paid the price for our sin on the cross. Some people call this observance communion. Some people call it the Lord’s Supper. Some people call it the Lord’s Table. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain. It’s about Him. It’s His communion. It’s His Supper. It’s His communion. He instituted it at the Last Supper while He was observing Passover with His disciples the night before He was betrayed.
The Bible says that “When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, ‘I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins” (Luke 22:14-15)
Jesus had been with His disciples for three years so He must have celebrated Passover with them before. But this time, Jesus took it further. Instead of a sacrificed animal being the focus of remembrance, He was the focus of remembrance.
The Bible says, “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (Luke 22:14-15)
(Lead the people to take the bread)
After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people – an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out for you.” Do this in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19-20)
(Lead the people to take the juice – give them instructions about their cups)
Speaker: The Bible teaches us that “Accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There He told them, ‘Pray that you will not give in to temptation.’ He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him. He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. (Luke 22:39-44)
Is it possible for someone to sweat blood? It’s very rare, but it is possible. The condition is called hematidrosis. It happens when extreme physical or emotional stress causes blood vessels that surround the sweat glands to rupture and blood is lost through the sweat glands. That’s the type of anguish Jesus was going through.
Can you imagine the type of anguish Jesus was going through? He knew what was about to happen if everything continued. He knew He was the sinless Lamb of God. He knew He was about to be betrayed and denied by His closest friends. He knew He was about to be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. If it would have been us, we would have run away. But He didn’t. Instead, He submitted to His Father’s will.
GARDEN TO THE CROSS SECTION
What happened next must have seemed like a hurricane of activity:
(Read through the next section, only expounding when necessary)
While Jesus was in agony, His disciples were asleep.
Except for Judas, who appeared with a mob and betrayed Jesus with a kiss
Jesus was arrested and taken to the high priest’s house where Peter, the Rock, denied Him three times before the rooster crowed.
Then Jesus was blindfolded and was mocked and beaten by the guards who cried out, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”
He was given a mockery of a trial before Pilate who said, “I find no basis for your charges against Him.
But when given the choice to release Him, the crowd shouted “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
He was whipped, He was beaten
A Crown of Thorns was shoved on His head.
He was forced to carry the very cross on which He was to be crucified.
CROSS SECTION
The Bible says that, “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals – one on His right, the other on His left.” (Luke 23:32)
Crucifixion often meant binding or nailing someone to a cross and letting them die slowly. This is what they did with Jesus. They took three nails (hold the nails out), possibly like this, and nailed Him to the cross.
They drove a nail through one hand into the cross (hit the nails together three times)
They drove another nail through his other hand into the cross (hit the nails together three times)
Finally, they drove a final nail through his feet into the cross (hit the nails together three times)
The cross was raised and Jesus hung there for the world to see.
The Bible says, “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When He had said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 22:44-46 ESV)
Jesus was dead. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was sacrificed there for you and for me. He lived a totally sinless life and was a sacrifice worthy of eternal forgiveness. So, come to the cross and behold the Lamb.
The Cross Video (Video created by Passion City Church – linked to the left)
(When the video ends, the decision Song Behold the Lamb begins.
DECISION TIME
From the time of the first Passover, the Israelites understood God can deliver us from judgment for our sin through the sacrifice of a substitute, even though no animal sacrifice was sufficient for eternal forgiveness. Over 1200 years later, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice on the Cross so we could be forgiven of our sins and live with Him forever. We all have a need to come to the cross and behold the Lamb.
We all have a need for Him – “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
We all deserve punishment for our sin, but God has made a way for us – “For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
He gave His Son for us because He loves us – “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8)
Admit to God that you are a sinner – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
We must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts – “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him for the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
We must surrender ourselves to the Lord, making Him Lord of our lives – “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
Jesus surrendered Himself for you. What will you surrender of yourself for Him?
Will you give your life to Him as Savior and Lord?
Will you finally surrender those sinful habits to Him?
Will you start tithing or giving to the Lord?
Will you be willing to serve Him however He might ask?
Will you honor Him with your relationships?
Will you surrender to Him by finally sharing His love with your family?
Will you be honest at work, or with your taxes, or with your spouse?
Will you surrender yourself to vocational Christian service?
Is there something else you are willing to surrender to the Lord today? While the music plays, take time to pray, thanking the Lord for His sacrifice and asking Him what you should give to Him. Then, if you’re willing, write it out on your special Good Friday Communication Card you received when you entered tonight.
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