The Bible Study Group, an employee network group where I work, hosted an Easter Celebration Luncheon yesterday, the day before Good Friday. We gave away great Gospel-centered literature to our guests* and heard a powerful message by Pastor Tim Juhnke (Faith Community Church). The event was simulcasted via video-conference to our offices in in Boston, MA, Quincy, MA, New York, NY, Sacramento, CA. We intend to post the video to our intranet site, making it available to 27,000 employees world-wide!
Several people in Kansas City and in the remote sites dropped us a note to let us know they were greatly blessed by what they heard. What they heard was nothing less than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was clearly communicated by our guest speaker!
Here is the text he preached from, and his outline.
Title: Good Friday: The Crucifixion of the ChristWhat a huge blessing to be a part of this network group and to have such great opportunities to proclaim Christ at work!
Text: John 19:16-30
I. It is a historical event. It is the epic moment of human history: Man crucifies his Creator. Yet for all the brutality, gore, and sensationalism of this event, the Apostle John refused to exploit or capitalize on the agony of Jesus. To describe the whole ugly process of crucifixion, John used one word.
II. It is a transformative event. Crucifixion was the most humiliating, disgusting, barbaric form of execution in the first century. It was completely offensive to human sensibilities. It was a death designed to prolong suffering as long as possible. It was designed to humiliate Rome's enemies. Yet 2000 years later we celebrate this event on "Good" Friday, and believers wear crosses around their neck.
III. It is paradoxical. The crucifixion was at once the most awful thing, yet the most glorious. It was at one time a display of the fierce wrath of God against sin, but at the same time a display of the amazing love of God to the sinner. It was an event freely carried out by corrupt Jewish and Roman leaders; yet simultaneously divinely ordained by the sovereign plan of God.
IV. It is decisive. By this one event in human history, Christ finished the work of redemption. According to John, the last words Jesus uttered on the cross came when He bowed His head and whispered through parched lips, "It is finished." With those words, Christ would turn the world of religion upside down.
*here is a list of the books we offered:
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