FBCWest 384 | Darkness Service
Recorded On: 04/08/2020
Bulletin
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
CRUCIFIXION SERVICE
April 8, 2020
Prelude
WELCOME and INTRODUCTIONS
Scripture Reading – Isaiah 53:1 - 11
“Lead Me to Calvary”
1. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
SCRIPTURE – Luke 23:33- 38
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” vs 1,3
“Blessed Redeemer” vs 1 & 2
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy Understanding One, Jesus
2. “Truly, I say to you, this day you shall be with Me in paradise.”
SCRIPTURE – Luke 23:39 - 43
“There Is a Fountain” vs 1,2
“Unending Love” vs 1,2, & 3
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy Redeeming One, Jesus
3. “Woman, behold your son, Behold your mother”
SCRIPTURE – John 19:25 - 27
“Were You There” vs 1,2
“Hiding Place”
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy Providing One, Jesus
4. “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
SCRIPTURE – Mark 15:33 - 35
“The Old Rugged Cross” vs 1,3
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy Rejected One, Jesus
5. “I thirst”
SCRIPTURE – John 19:28 & 29
“Beneath the Cross of Jesus” vs 2,3
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy Fulfilling One, Jesus
6. "It is finished”
SCRIPTURE – John 19:30
“Jesus Paid it All” vs 1,3
“At the Cross 1,3 No chorus
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus
7. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit”
SCRIPTURE – Luke 23:46 - 49
“Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” vs 1,3
Chorus Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy and THE FAITHFUL One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
TIME OF REFLECTION
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Special service in the middle of the week.
Now I'm going to give you a little introduction as to what we're doing, and I'll also do a little introduction as to why we're doing it now.
Um?
This is what's commonly known as Holy Week. Holy Week comprises of Passover, which happens to be this evening.
Love and Brad. An first fruits or what many or most Christians say is Easter or Resurrection Day.
Now.
Most the vast majority of Christians celebrate was known as Good Friday.
We in our Congregation for couple of decades now have come to the conclusion that Jesus was crucified, not on a Friday but several days before that.
And so.
This is why we're celebrated mid week.
Why?
The Good Friday. I think it's because there is a misinterpretation of thinking that after Jesus was crucified, it said that they couldn't tend to the body until after the Sabbath an the Sabbath Saturday, and therefore they're thinking OK. The intervening day. However, there's it's almost.
Literally impossible to come up with three days or or two, and on the third day if you have a.
Crucifixion on Friday. And so why? I think there is a misunderstanding is is that Jesus was crucified at the time that the Passover lambs were being sacrificed.
To avoid painting that day as far as the Jewish leaders were concerned, and make sure that he succumbed to the across an was buried and then he was in the grave that day, which was in essence pass over the next day after Passover is called unleavened bread and under the Jewish law in Leviticus it says that the first day of love.
Unleavened bread is be a holy convocation and you're due to do no work, so that's kind of you. Will a second holy day. Then I believe the next Sabbath was Saturday and so you then get three days that Jesus was in the tomb as opposed to just Saturday. And so that's why we celebrate what we're going to call this service. The darkness service, or the crucifixion service.
While again, the vast majority of of Christians because of tradition, I guess or not thinking much about it. Besides that, they're going to continue celebrating this time at on Friday. My job isn't to convince everybody that the wrong, but This is why we're celebrating at this time.
As a part of the darkness or crucifixion are Good Friday, or if you'll have a lot of churches who will do and taught us. Our congregation has certainly done that. They have done plays. Our congregation certainly done that. They've been shown movies of the crucifixion and arts congregation. Certainly done that, and then we have for a number of years, done what's called the Seven last words. And there is a even a cantata called the Seven last words.
Where we just go through the last.
Sentence is in words that Jesus spoke on the cross. Now in the past we have.
Read the Scriptures and then sung some songs and then done a very things from dropping palm leaves and in decorating our our sanctuary from purple representing the.
Time that Jesus enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and we change that also black well we're not going to be doing that this year. We're simply going to be reading from the scriptures of Jesus is last statements. And then.
I will not be commenting generally on the various passages. However there probably 2.
Areas that I will provide commentary but not so much on Jesus's statement, but what flows from that to the side. You'll see a menorah.
Lit.
Jesus being the light of the world came into the world on that advent time and he was a lot of the world in the world was in darkness again. The reason we call it the darkness service is that Jesus is life was extinguished in the light of the world went out and so as we read each of the Seven last words after I read it. I'll be extinguishing one of the candles and then are.
Are sanctuary usually gets darker and darker to symbolize that the light of the world has died?
Now.
Those who had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah.
Had placed there hope in him, and even though he had explained to them that.
He would give his life.
That it would not be taken from him that he would lay it down and pick it up on his own accord.
His disciples never seemed to really catch it, probably because they had. If you will, their own agenda and didn't quite see, and then also at the same time. Probably because according to the Scriptures, Jesus would die alone in the sense of there was no one there to prevent it, and so their understanding was dark and.
The Crucifixion was just only a small part of what happened to our Lord that day.
He was arrested at night.
Went through a number of various trials, all of them if you will illegal.
Was sentience.
And then was beaten.
And scourge.
And marked they placed a thorn of crowns on his head, an marked worship of him, and beat him.
Made him carry his own cross.
From where he was condemned on the what's known as the via della Rosa.
Until he could no longer care the weight, and then one was impressed into service to finalize it, then they.
Nailed him to the cross.
And placed him on it.
And then these are the words that was spoken on the cross.
I would encourage you, uh, at some point during this Holy Week to read Psalm 22. It kind of gives you a view of Jesus is crucifixion from his point of view from the cross.
But I want to start with a reading from Isaiah.
That predicts this crucifixion, and again shows that it was not the Jews who took his life, but that he gave it that the father.
Was his good pleasure to see that Jesus suffered for our sake?
And so we'll start the the service.
By the reading of Isaiah 53, verses one through 11 and again there won't be any music.
I encourage you to consider it. Consider the Scriptures, maybe write them down to consider them further on. And so in Isaiah 53 it says this.
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Or he grew up before him, like a tender shoot.
And like a root out of the parched ground.
He had no slightly for more Majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.
He was despised and forsaken 'em in a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
And like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and he was not esteemed.
Surely are Greece he himself war?
And our sorrows he carried, yet we ourselves esteemed him. Stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced through for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
The chest Ising of our well being philipon him, and by his scourging we are healed.
All of us, like sheep, have gone astray.
Each of us has turned to his own way.
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.
He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth like a land that is led to squatter, and like sheep that is silent before its shares, though he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. And As for his garment, I'm sorry. As far as generations who considered him.
That he was cut off out of the land of the living, or the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was do his grave was assigned with wicked men. Yet he was with a rich man in his death.
Because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit found in his mouth.
But the Lord was pleased to crush him.
Putting him to grief.
If he would render himself as a guilt offering.
He will see his offspring.
He will prolong his days.
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hands.
As result of the anguish of his soul.
He will see it and be satisfied.
By his knowledge, the righteous one my servant will justify the many as he will here as he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will lot him a portion with the Great.
And he will divide the booty with a strong, because he poured himself to death.
And was numbered with the transgressors.
Yet he himself board the sin of many.
And interceded
Or the transgressions?
So now we will commence the readings.
From the gospels.
Love the last Seven last words of Christ.
And we will start with Luke.
Chapter 23 starting with verse 33.
And when they came to the place called the skull, there they crucified him and the criminals.
One on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying father or give them, but they do not know what they are doing.
And they cast lots.
Or his garments among themselves and the people stood by looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at him, saying he saved others. Let him save himself. If this man is the Christ of God is chosen one.
The soldiers also mocked him coming up to him, offering him Sauerwein and saying, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.
Now there was also inscription above him.
This is the king of the Jews.
The second word.
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at him, saying.
Are you not the Christ? Save yourself in us, but the other answer Dan rebuking him said.
Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation and we indeed are suffering justly, or we are receiving that which we deserve, or our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.
And he was saying Jesus Remember Me when you come in your Kingdom.
I want to stop there.
To Maine, this is one of the greatest statements of faith found in the Scriptures.
Where you see Jesus had been mocked, beaten an crucified.
There on the cross with him and yet.
This man be cause of who Jesus is and was.
Even during his time of crucifixion.
He came to faith.
It was it because there were good circumstances 'cause he was still hanging on a cross himself. It was in that Jesus got down off the cross. It was that he saw who Christ was.
There are times.
When we come to Christ because of great blessings.
There are also those who come to Christ.
When it seems that it's impossible for God to do anything and this moment God is doing great things, he is saving.
His people.
Just as much as the Jews celebrated Passover from being delivered out of the bondage of slavery, Jesus death on the cross.
Leads us out of the bondage of sin into Freda.
He saw that not with a risen savior, but with the crucified one.
What an awesome statement of faith.
And Jesus are response to that statement of faith was truly I say to you today.
You shall be with me.
In Paradise
The third statement of Jesus.
Therefore, the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus or his mother.
And his mother, sister Mary, the wife of Clovis.
And Mary Magdeleine
When Jesus then saw his mother and to the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother woman.
He holds your son.
Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother.
And from that hour to disciple took her into his own house.
The 4th reading.
For the word of God related to the Jesus is crucifixion.
This comes from mark.
Chapter 15 starting with verse 33.
When the six hour.
Kane
Darkness fell over the whole land until the 9th hour.
At the 9th hour.
Jesus cried out with a loud voice. Eloy, Eloy Lama Sabuk than I.
Which is translated my God, my God? Why have used forsaken me?
And when the bystanders heard it, they began saying, Behold, he is calling for Elijah.
A fifth statement.
That Jesus made on the cross comes from John Chapter 19, verses 28 and 29.
After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished to fulfill the Scripture, said.
I am thirsty.
And a jar full of sorrow wine was standing there, so they put it on a sponge full of the Sauerwein Appanna Branch of hyssop, and brought it up to his mouth.
Is 6 reading.
Comes from John.
Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said.
It is finished.
You bowed his head.
And gave up his spirit.
The final.
Statement of Jesus.
You said this.
And it was about a six hour in darkness fell on the whole earth until the 9th hour.
It became obscuring the sun was obscured, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said father.
Into your hands.
I commit my spirit.
Having said this.
He breathed his last.
Now when the Centurion saw what had happened.
He began praising God, saying certainly this man was innocent.
In all the crowd it came together for this spectacle, when they observe what had happened, began to return beating their breasts.
And all of his acquaintances and the woman who accompanied him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.
The second comment I'd like to make his notice.
During Jesus is crucifixion.
The.
Criminal.
Came to faith.
Because of the crucifixion because of Jesus is life.
And how he?
Projected God in those last few moments.
And in his crucifixion, even the Roman centurion them one official, who was in charge of the crucifying.
Authority
Came to the realization.
Then not only was Jesus innocent.
Really was the son of God.
And during this time, whether you recognize it as a few days before Good Friday or Good Friday.
We need to be aware of just what Jesus did.
Or you and for me how? By his stripes we were made whole and well by God, unleashing his scorn on him.
That we were made blessed.
And this is the time that we should look at.
Not only who Jesus is, but what he did for you and me.
And this should be a time of greater strengthening of faith or coming to faith.
So I encourage you over the next few days to consider Jesus is death.
To consider his crucifixion, to see that he came obedient to God.
The night before he had prayed, father venture will let this Cup pass from me, but nevertheless not my will but yours.
Jesus.
The son of God.
God himself Incarnate.
Who came from heaven?
To make us children of God.
We should never take this lightly.
And there were those like the Centurion who went, and did their duty, and crucified him. And there were those who came to see the spectacle to see this event.
And yet realized.
That when it was over.
It was not him who should have been crucified, but us.
But for God, so love the world.
That he gave his only begotten son.
That whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus is death on the cross.
Made it possible for you and me not only have life.
But have it everlasting.
So we're going to close this service with a prayer.
And I hope that this is not the last prayer.
For you.
Are they under God? We are grateful.
That you love us that much.
We are grateful.
That you're not just a god of love, but that you are God who is love.
And that you love your people so much.
That you sent your son.
Who was obedient?
And not only suffered on the cross, but suffered the shame and ignatian of all of that. It took place to be placed on, across, to hang from a tree and be considered.
Unwatchable
But we recognize.
That Jesus was innocent.
And we are guilty.
Yeah, just as that criminal in his confession.
Jesus because of his love and his sacrifice.
In our acceptance.
Of that sacrifice.
So when are?
Life on Earth.
Is come to an end.
We shall dwell in your house, in paradise or ever.
Words cannot express our gratitude.
All that we can do.
Is surrender our life to you?
That you may use it.
In a way that glorifies you.
Just as Jesus lived and died.
To glorify you.
Or his in his name that we pray.
Amen.