On Good Friday, we remember that while the day was not “good” for Jesus Christ, it is good for us because of what was accomplished on the cross. This is where Jesus atoned for our sin—taking on all the brokenness of humanity and making us right with God—while the resurrection to come will defeat the consequence of that sin, which is death. As described in Book of Isaiah 53, He was “pierced for our transgressions” and bore the iniquity of us all, meaning there is nothing left for us to earn or repay. The cross shows us that God’s love is complete and that His wrath has been satisfied, so we can live in the freedom of knowing God is not against us but for us, holding onto hope as we wait for the victory of Easter.

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Well, good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Good Friday. You know, it’s an old saying in the life of the church, but it’s true—Good Friday is, in some ways, a misnamed day. It’s “good” for us because of what was accomplished, but there was nothing easy, nothing pleasant about it for Jesus Christ. This is the day of the cross. This is the day where everything changes.

There’s a lot we could talk about today, but I want to focus on just a couple of things. First, I want us to understand how the cross and the empty tomb go together. We can’t separate them. Sometimes we rush ahead to Easter—and rightly so, because it’s coming—but we can’t skip over today. Because what happens on the cross is essential.

On the cross, Jesus atones for our sin. That word “atonement” simply means “at-one-ment”—that we are made one with God again. A friend of mine said that years ago, and it’s always stuck with me. Through the cross, what was broken is made whole. What was separated is brought back together. Now, the church has wrestled for centuries with exactly how all of that works—there are all kinds of theories about the atonement. But at the end of the day, here’s what we know: through the cross, we are made right with God.

If you go all the way back to Genesis, you see the problem. Sin enters the world, and with it comes death. That’s the consequence. So on the cross, Jesus deals with the sin. He takes it on Himself. He bears it. He pays for it. And then, on Easter, the resurrection deals with the consequence—death itself.

So think of it this way: the cross takes care of sin, and the empty tomb takes care of death. We need both. You don’t have one without the other. Together, they tell the full story of redemption.

And that’s why I wanted to read from Book of Isaiah 53 today—that powerful passage about the suffering servant. “He was despised and rejected… a man of suffering… He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities… and by His wounds we are healed.”

That’s the cross.

“All we like sheep have gone astray.” That’s us. Every one of us. “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” That’s the heart of it. Not some of it. Not part of it. All of it.

Every sin you’ve ever committed. Every sin I’ve ever committed. The ones in the past, the ones we struggle with right now, even the ones we haven’t yet committed—laid on Him. Not just ours, but the sin of the whole world. Before Jesus, during His life, after His resurrection—all of it placed on Him.

He bore it.

He carried it.

He took it on Himself.

And what that means—and I really want you to hear this—is that there is nothing left for you to add. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. There is nothing you can do to earn forgiveness. There is nothing you can do to atone for your own sin.

It has already been done.

Christ has paid it all.

There’s a line in that hymn “In Christ Alone” that says, “On the cross, the wrath of God was satisfied.” And what I want you to understand today is this: because of Jesus, God is not in the wrath business anymore.

God is not mad at you.

He’s not out to get you.

He’s not waiting for you to mess up so He can punish you.

The full weight of sin—the full weight of judgment—was placed on Jesus. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” That means peace has already been made.

So on this Good Friday, as heavy as this day is, I want you to sit in that truth: you are loved more than you can imagine. Not because of what you’ve done, but because of what He has done.

The cross is proof of that love.

And yes, today is heavy. Today is quiet. Today we sit in the reality of the cross. But we don’t sit without hope.

Because Sunday is coming.

Easter is coming.

And what was accomplished on the cross will be revealed in full through the empty tomb.

So hold onto that today. Let it sink in. You are loved. You are forgiven. And it has already been finished.

Thanks for being with me today. We’ll see you soon—and remember, Easter’s coming.