Good Friday — DawnCheré Wilkerson

Mark chapter 15 verse 22 reads this. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha which means the place of the skull. Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh but he did not take it and they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes they cast lots to see what each would get. It was 9 in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read the king of the Jews. They crucified two rebels with him one on his right one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him shaking their heads and saying so you who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days come down from the cross save yourself. In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. He saved others they said but he can't save himself. Let this Messiah this king of Israel come down now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon and at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice Eloah Eloah lama sabachthani which means my God my God why have you forsaken me? When some of those standing near heard this they said listen he's calling Elijah. Someone ran filled a sponge with wine vinegar put it on a staff and offered it to Jesus to drink. Now leave him alone let's see if Elijah comes to take him down he said. With a loud cry Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus saw how he died he said surely this man was the Son of God. Tonight let's bow our heads and pray. Lord thank you for this moment of reverence. We're not rushing past it. Lord our hearts are set on you. Lord with everything within us we say thank you Jesus. Thank you for what you've done. Thank you for who you are and thank you for what you are doing today. It's in Jesus name the power of the cross and the resurrection that we declare together tonight amen amen amen. Come on can we put our hands together at every location you can grab your seat. Why don't you go ahead and grab a journal if you have it grab your Bible. I last night was putting my kids to bed along with my husband. You know we have four kids now, eight years old, six, four and one years

old and bedtime is quite the event in our home and I have a very irreverent but very real exchange that I want to share from bedtime last night. I have a four-year-old daughter who makes me proud to be a woman. She is bold and she is brilliant and as I was laying down in bed with Waylon you know we had been talking all week that this is Easter weekend. Last night we talked to our kids tomorrow is Good Friday the day that Jesus was crucified and as we laid in bed I was singing her to sleep the lullabies that I usually sing over her and as I was singing her to sleep love just rose up in my heart and I'm holding her tight in our little twin bed that she sleeps in and I just said to Waylon I said Waylon whatever you do in life there's nothing that you could ever do to stop me from loving you. I will always be here for you. She looked back at me with no hesitation and she said no you won't you're gonna die and I was so taken back in that moment that I literally had no words to say I just nose-to-nose with her stared at her for a moment as I took in what she had just said to me and then she responds as I'm silent looking at her only Jesus will always be there for me and all of a sudden my low went to a very high high And I was very proud of her and I was suddenly like this moment is redeemed. We're okay, Lord. I looked at her with a big smile on my face, and she kept talking. She said, except for tomorrow. And I looked at her nose-to-nose. I said, what do you mean tomorrow? She said, well, he's gonna die tomorrow. You can laugh. It took the air out of my chest. I laughed so hard. I thought, you know what? I communicate the gospel for my life. I need to communicate a little clearer with my four-year-old. She had absorbed the reality that tomorrow is the day that Jesus is crucified. And I said, Waylon, Waylon, Jesus is not being crucified tomorrow. He was crucified once, and he will not be crucified again. It's the finished work of the cross, but tomorrow we are

remembering. Tomorrow we are remembering the price that Jesus paid on Calvary. I mean, I thought, she's kind of getting it. She's pretty brilliant. But today we are not reliving the crucifixion of Jesus. We are not in grief or mourning. We know the end of the story. We know what happened on Sunday, that he paid the price once and for all. But make no mistake, today we are remembering the cost that he paid. Together as a church, we remember 3 p.m. 3 p.m. Over 2,000 years ago, today, on that Good Friday, the work of Jesus was finished. As he breathed his last breath, he declared, it is finished. Sin was atoned for. The devil was defeated. The new covenant was sealed. We were saved at 3 p.m. There is a specific time on a specific day in history when everything changed. Jesus is nailed to the cross at 9 a.m. on Good Friday, scripture tells us. And by 3 p.m., he dies. But make no mistake, that is not where his sacrifice begins. Because he was arrested in the middle of the night, the night before. Judas had to betray him in the middle of the night, because they knew that if they tried to arrest him in the temple, that there would have been riots. They were smart. They knew that it's not just the disciples who are following Jesus, but there are many, many, many people that are following Jesus. The arrest and the crucifixion of Jesus happened so quickly because it had to in order for it to happen. The religious leaders of that day knew that they had to keep Rome at bay. And that is why they moved in the night to arrest Jesus.

And that is why they moved Jesus before Pilate so quickly, so early the next morning. This has to happen fast. We have to do it quiet. As soon as business is open, as soon as we can get him before before Pilate, we have to have Jesus there. But Jesus suffers far before he reaches an audience with Pilate. Jesus is beaten throughout the night. He's beaten while he's standing before the Sanhedrin. He's beaten while he stands before Pilate. Pilate wakes up that morning and now we are asking Pilate, condemn this man. But once he is condemned, that's actually when the guards begin to have their ruthless fun with Jesus. As you read scripture, it's unimaginable the torment that our Savior went through. Scripture tells us that they called the entire battalion, that's 600 warriors, 600 guards surround Jesus and begin to mock him, beat him, torment him. It is unimaginable what Jesus goes through. But scripture tells us in Mark chapter 15, and they clothed him in a purple cloak and twisting together a crown of thorns. They put it on him and they began to salute him. Hail, King of the Jews. They were striking his head with a reed, spitting on him and kneeling down in homage. to him and when they had mocked him they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him and they led him out to crucify him. Crucify him. This week here at VU one of the greatest theologians I believe of our generation was with us Dr. Alan Tennyson. He was here to teach our college students to pour into them throughout this week and he also spoke to our staff and as he shared the story of the crucifixion he explained that today in 2026 there is no way for us to truly recognize the grotesque nature of the cross. There's no way for us to understand the brutality of what is taking place. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst in society. If you were a Roman citizen you could not be crucified. It was reserved for the rebels. It was reserved for the convicts. It was reserved for slaves. It was reserved for the Jews that were oppressed by Rome. In fact Cicero the Roman statesman and philosopher he said in his writings that

crucifixion was so horrible that the word cross should never even be mentioned in polite society. The cross brings together public humiliation of criminals. It's the public execution to make a lasting impression on society of what Rome would do and what they could do to you and it was the public mistreatment because even after the person had died on the cross their body was left to decompose as a sign of Rome's power. It wasn't just to punish the guilty but it was to warn everyone else this is what we will do to you. The cross would literally strip a person of their humanity. Think about it. The dehumanization of the cross that no longer was that person a soul. They were a thing to be beaten, to be bruised, to be broken, to be used as a sign, as an object lesson. So the crucifixion begins at 9 in the morning as Jesus is crucified. But when he gets to the cross his blood loss is so severe that he cannot even carry the cross to Golgotha. Yes he poured out his blood on Calvary but he started pouring out his blood in Gethsemane as he prayed and drops of blood started to flow from his brow as he was beaten throughout the night as he was taunted and ridiculed and with every step he took he poured his very being out as he bled. There he was on the cross and at noon scripture tells us that the land goes dark. This is what's known in nature as an eclipse. Can you imagine it being noon and you're not being able to see your hand in front of your face? Jesus has been on the cross for three hours and he'll be on the cross for three hours more but the land is in complete and utter darkness as all of creation reacts to what we are doing to the Messiah. Nature itself speaking against this moment that what we have done in a sense is such an act of injustice that we are almost literally tearing the fabric of humanity and the universe apart. It goes dark. Nature is letting us know and even the centurion is struck by it. Truly this, this is the Son of God. There's a sign over Jesus that says King of the Jews. Often they would put a sign displaying what the criminal had done or what they were guilty of but in this case he's actually being crucified for saying that he is the King of the Jews. So Pilate's response is to have a sign hung above him actually saying King of the Jews.

Of course we know from history that Pilate hated the Jews. He would do anything that he could to hurt them. He would say no any time that he could because he also liked to continue to enforce that he was in control. So in a sense, killing the king of the Jews and putting this sign above him is making a statement to the Jews like we will kill your king. But it was also Jesus's true identity. Nothing more true could have been placed above him. And in the cross, Jesus dies as a king. And as he resurrects, he raises his kingdom to life. Hebrews chapter 12 speaks to us. It says, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Did you hear that? Jesus scorned the shame. Jesus endured the cross. Dr. Tennyson said something that I will never forget. He said, never in history has someone ever endured the cross. Every other person was dehumanized by it, was absolutely broken by it, was destroyed by it.

But Jesus, for the joy set before him, he endured it, he overcame it, he scorned the shame that was attached to it so that you and I would know today that through Jesus's blood, you are more than a conqueror. There is nothing the world can do or throw at you that can change it. He endured the cross. He scorned the shame. See, when Jesus rose from the dead, the cross was Rome's ultimate power weapon. Rome is the ultimate power, and yet God looked down 2,000 years ago, and he said, I disagree. When Jesus endured the cross, he destroyed the power of the world. He destroyed the power of the enemy. He destroyed the power of sin and shame. God looked down and said, there will be no power of this earth that will overtake me. God now counts the cross as judgment against us. By his stripes, we are healed. He took away the shame of the cross. He took away the fear of the crucifixion. The early church could say boldly, we are not afraid. God has the final word. You can threaten me with crucifixion, but I already saw what happens. I'm no longer fearful of you.

See, the world lost its power over us when Jesus endured the cross. And as I began to meditate on Hebrews chapter 12, I couldn't help but be thought to Romans chapter one, where Paul declares, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. They hear me tonight. We're not here simply to examine the cross and remember. And we are not remembering this day like some simple holiday to mark. This remembrance is very different from any other moment because this remembrance today demands a response. It demands your heart to answer. Before Jesus even went to the cross, he told us what our response should be. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is speaking to the disciples in a private moment, and he says, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. He says that word cross. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit? soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. See this conversation in Matthew chapter 16 is the hinge on which the entire gospel of Matthew turns. Because up until Matthew chapter 16 the one question that dominates the gospel is the question

who is Jesus? Jesus doesn't say he's the Messiah up until this point in the passage that we just read. So that's really the question. After chapter 16 the question becomes what kind of Messiah will Jesus be? So these are the two dominant questions in the gospel of Matthew. For the first time Jesus takes the disciples away and he has this heartfelt conversation just between them and he asks the question, who do people say that I am? They answer, you know that you're one of the prophets. The whole idea is you're preparing us for the Messiah. That's what they're answering. But he says, well who do you think that I am? I want to ask you today, who do you think that he is? Peter immediately answers, I believe you're the Messiah. I think you're the Christ. I think you're the Son of the Living God. And Jesus says flesh and blood didn't reveal this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. You know this is an amazing moment. This is an aha moment. This is a we finally know the answer moment. And then Jesus takes a turn they never saw coming. He mentions that word that you shouldn't say in public. He tells them that he will be crucified. This is the first time it happens. And what is Peter's immediate response? Peter takes Jesus aside and he rebukes him. Never Lord, this will never happen to you. Because Jesus has just told him that he's the Messiah. Messiahs are not crucified. That is not right. Peter would have understood in that day that this cannot happen. A Messiah and a crucifixion? Absolutely not. It's a failure. That's what Peter's thinking. He's thinking there is absolutely no way. This is offensive to Peter. And Jesus's response is what? He looks at Peter. Just moments before he said Peter upon this rock I will build my church. But now he looks into the eyes of Peter who he loves and he says get thee behind me Satan. Why? Well think about it. The answer is very clear. Because the last time someone told Jesus to use his own divinity to rescue his life was Satan himself in the wilderness when he was being tempted. Jesus was saying this is not the will of the Father Peter. You don't understand. And think about what Jesus is saying. And think about the placement of Peter as he stood rebuking Jesus. Where do you stand when you're rebuking someone? In front of them. But this is not the placement of a

follower. Because Jesus said if you are to follow me. A follower is not in front leading the charge. A follower is behind saying wherever you go Jesus I will go. Whatever you do Jesus I will do. See where we stand in this story is very important. And that's where we get the verse. If anyone would come after me. After me. After me. They must take up their cross and follow me. And Jesus is saying to them you're so concerned that I am gonna be crucified as the Messiah. You have not realized yet that if you follow me you will be crucified too. Because I am leading you to a cross. It's not just a question that of who does that Everyone else say Jesus is. The question you must respond to tonight is, who do you think Jesus is? Because it's not just answering who he is. We also have to answer how he is. Because in answering how he is, we're learning how we're supposed to be. And on Good Friday, friends, as we examine the cross, we learn how to follow Jesus. Because the revolutionary thing about Matthew chapter 16, it's not just that now we know he's the Messiah, it's now we know that he's going to be the crucified Messiah. Which means that we're going to be his crucified followers. If you wanna follow the Messiah, you don't get a seat until you first get on the cross. But make no mistake, Jesus carrying his cross makes every difference in us carrying ours. Because we're not afraid of the cross any longer.

We're not intimidated by the threat of death any longer. Our destiny doesn't end at the cross, so we can carry our cross wherever, whenever. We can give up our life because we know that eternity awaits. Listen to me today, this is not just Good Friday. It's not just a good message, it's too good. It's too good to believe. It's too good to fully comprehend. It's too good that Jesus would shed his blood and he would say the work is finished. And if you would confess with your heart and believe that you would be saved. See, carrying your cross seems abstract until you actually personalize it. What does it mean to carry your cross tonight? What does it mean in 2026 at your job and your home and your marriage to actually carry your cross? Well today, the easiest way for you to understand it is carrying your cross is following Jesus, come what may. Because as I follow Jesus in my specific location, my neighborhood, my nation, my moment in history, there's always gonna be a demand on our life that comes from the call of following Jesus. For some who choose to follow Jesus, carrying the cross means that they get rejected by their entire family, disowned. And even for some in the world today, they are killed. Perhaps today, you're following Jesus and you're in finance.

Following Jesus means that because you choose to walk in integrity, you are let go from your job. Or perhaps following Jesus means that you as a student who choose to serve in church, you come home every week to parents who make fun of you and family members who don't understand the investment that you make in the kingdom of God week after week. What does that mean? It means you're carrying your cross. Come what may, carrying your cross may mean that you as a spouse continue to serve the house of God with your children, even though your spouse doesn't understand the message of Jesus yet. You've decided I will carry my cross, come what may. See, whenever you say yes to Jesus, you're gonna have to say no to something else. Whatever the consequences for saying no actually becomes what it means, to carry your cross. It could mean death, literally. Or it could mean a loss of your job, a loss of a circle of friends, a loss of a relationship that you treasure. It could mean denying yourself. But understand this, the cross is now the very symbol of your identity. The cross is how you identify. I'm denying myself, I'm taking up my cross, I'm gonna follow Jesus, and nothing in my life supersedes the cross. I think of 1 Corinthians chapter two, verse two.

I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. See, it's not just a remember tonight, it's a decision. ♪ I have decided to follow Jesus ♪ ♪ I have decided to follow Jesus ♪ I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind me. The cross before me, the world behind me. The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back, no turning back. Jesus rose. He rose as he said he would. And understand this, historically the church never got over it. You wonder why we gather on Sundays and why we have for the last 2,000 years? Because Jesus rose from the grave on a Sunday. And for the early church that was everything. We're just continuing what they began because as they were persecuted, as they themselves were crucified, the hope they had was the resurrection. The hope they had was a risen Savior. Every single Sunday was Easter. There was no one day a year celebration. They were gathering as they were going through persecution and hardship, remembering the empty grave. Every single week they were gathering and pointing their focus on the cross. They were remembering the hope of eternity as they were persecuted. But understand this, times in history change. And there came a moment for the early church when the church became fully legal, when the Roman Emperor actually converted and for the first time Christians had protection. And at that moment their focus shifted from focusing on the resurrection to the cross. Because their hearts needed to be tethered to carrying their cross once again. To understanding what the true call of following Jesus means, the church shifted their emphasis from the resurrection to the cross. Why? Because when we're persecuted we need to remember the empty grave. But when we live in America where we are blessed, where God has bestowed freedom to speak the name of Jesus, to worship freely, we must remember the cross that we too are called to pick up our cross, to deny ourselves, and to follow Jesus. Come what may. All over this room, at every location, will you stand to your feet? Will you shut yourself away with Jesus? What does that mean, Don Shareef? Bow your heads. You can close your eyes. It's focusing on the conversation that's taking place in your heart, your eternal soul that was formed by the hands of God. We need to remind ourselves tonight, God did not call us to put other people on crosses. God called us to be crucified. But when we're already being crucified we need to remember that the tomb

is empty. Around the world Christians are being persecuted on this Good Friday. And today they hold to the eternal hope. But as the Church of Jesus Christ that can boldly proclaim to our nation that Jesus is alive, may we hold to the rugged cross. Because the cross tells us who He is. How He is. And it tells us how we are called to be. 2,000 years ago when Jesus said it is finished and He breathed His last breath, Scripture tells us the veil in the Holy of Holies, in the temple, split from top to bottom, signifying that God no longer was relegated to a building but would fill our very lives. But the hinge of new life for you is actually the door of your heart. Have you opened up your heart to Him? because only you can open it it's not just remembrance tonight it demands your response I want to ask you today at every location what is the cross and the resurrection demanding of you whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me for whoever wants to save their life will lose it but whoever loses their life for me will find it