OPENING SCRIPTURE:

³ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, ³⁷ and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

³⁸ And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

³⁹ Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

⁴⁴ Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:33-46 NKJ)

What makes Good Friday good is what Jesus accomplished for us through His death.

¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15 NLT)

TRANSITION: Wow! What a powerful passage! From this passage here tonight, I will give 3 points:

#1 AT THE CROSS OUR DEATH DIED WITH JESUS

¹³ You were DEAD because of YOUR SINS and because YOUR SINFUL NATURE was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. (Colossians 2:13 NLT)

• Paul here is referring to us being dead spiritually because of sins.
• Sin separates us from God
• At the cross, Jesus destroyed power of sin. Sin that would separate us from God.

²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT)

• He took our place so that we could be made right with God.

#2 AT THE CROSS, YOUR CHARGES DIED WITH JESUS

¹⁴ He CANCELED THE RECORD OF THE CHARGES against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14 NLT)

• Jesus cancelled those charges.
• How did he do it? “took it away by nailing it to the cross”

#3 AT THE CROSS THE ENEMY’S POWER DIED WITH JESUS

¹⁵ In this way, he DISARMED THE SPIRITUAL RULERS AND AUTHORITIES. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:15 NLT)

• Jesus disarmed satan and his demons.

CONCLUSION:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?