I just want to thank you, you for being here for our Good Friday service. It is so good to be able to do these things together, to be able to share the word of God together once again. So thank you for being part of this. Let's just go ahead and jump right into this. I don't know about you, but I grew up in the church. I grew up hearing stories of the Bible and hearing these these powerful, imagine, I mean, just amazing stories. When you hear about the flood, you hear about plagues, you hear about the judges, you hear about, you know, water parting and entire groups of people getting to a walkthrough on dry land. These are things that capture the mind of a child and it always just made me stand in awe of God. And it starts right at the beginning. Genesis chapter one verse one says this in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Think about that for a moment. God created the heavens and the earth. The universe, everything, we know, everything. We discover everything we think we invent, god is before all of that. He created it all out of nothing that God we serve is on a magnitude that is hard to even begin to comprehend. And yet that is the God who we serve. In the New Testament, John describes this, this beginning just a little bit differently, and it's very important for us to grasp and understand. This is what he writes, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning, through him, all things were made without him nothing was made that has been made. John is letting us know that Jesus is the Word. That Jesus is God in the flesh. And that nothing that has been made was made without him, because it was made for him and through him. Think about this. We follow a God that is amazing. And we use, we use words like Father, we use words like love, peace, patience, and the kindness of God's great words to describe God. But then we have some other words that, that I think again, try to grasp the power and, and give us some sense of the magnitude of God. And these words are, are omniscient, which means all-knowing. Omnipresent, which means always present with us. And omnipotent, which means that he is all powerful. Now we know as we've learned about Jesus, as we've been going through, you know, different weeks, different studies and being in different books of the Bible, we understand that Jesus healed the sick. That he provided food for thousands, miraculously. That he walked on water that he cast out demons and that he himself is the author and creator of life. Not only that. He raised people from the dead. So how could it be that the Creator of life could lose his own, that the light of the world would ever have an issue? And yet as we look to Good Friday questions begin to bubble up within us. Because the darkness isn't supposed to be able to overcome the light. I mean, he's not just the light. He is the light of the world darkness. Darkness isn't supposed to be able to overpower that. In fact, in the presence of light, darkness recedes. Surely our light would never be able to be snuffed out, because God is not supposed to lose. But then we read about the garden of Gethsemane. How do we explain the garden of Gethsemane. How do we explain that night and what happened? Because if you look at all of the things that led up to it, It was always up and to the right. As the disciples recall, he gave them clear understanding that they would be fishers of men, that he was, he was leading them to something greater. He was ushering in a new kingdom. And as they saw him live and breathe and eat and were with him each and every day, they saw things that amazed them, that astounded them, because Jesus was God in the flesh. How could they begin to grasp Gethsemane? Jesus showing them over and over his power and his love. And yet in that evening, after they had spent a meal together where Jesus showed him the extent of his love by bending down, taking off his outer cloak, washing his disciples feet and saying, do likewise. Let people understand your love and my love. They, they had all these experiences. They celebrated communion for the very first time that night and their hearts were racing as they knew that that amazing things were about to happen. They could all feel it. And yet they were extremely tired. They walk across the Kidron Valley and they end up in the garden of Gethsemane that evening. Jesus knows what's about to happen. And so he just asked his disciples. Please keep watch with me. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. And yet the disciples eyes, they just begin and to grow weary it has been a long week. There've been so many things that have gone on each day. It was full of things. And so at this point they fall asleep and Jesus keeps coming back to them and saying, please keep, watch. I know the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Three times Jesus does this. Three times, Jesus goes maybe a stone's throw away. And he prays to the Father, please take this cup from me. But not my will God. Yours be done Father. And it's not much after that, that the son of man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Here comes his betrayer, these, these sound like words of weakness. Where's the strength? Where does the omnipotence? Where's the power? Where's the glory of God in this moment? And if he knows all things, wouldn't you think that he would, he would be waiting that he would just be understanding that he would be betrayed with a kiss? His disciples minds have to be just running wild in these moments. And yet Jesus asks very clearly. Who is it that you're looking for? The answer comes back. Jesus of Nazareth. His words are simple. I am he. I am are words he's used many times before it denotes the power and glory of God. He used him to say before Abraham was, I am. I am the good shepherd. I am the door to the sheep pen. I am the vine, and apart from me, you can do nothing. I am the bread of life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am, the resurrection and the life. I am the light of the world. When Jesus said I am, however, in that moment, something different happened. In that moment, as he says, I am, the soldiers fell back because of the power of his words because of the power of that statement. And yet it doesn't make any sense. This mob with swords and clubs and torches, They begin to come towards him. And Jesus is offering no resistance. Yet, Peter knows exactly what to do. It's that moment that he had been waiting for, he musters his courage. He takes out his sword and he swings at the closest person to him. He happens to hit the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. This was the moment. This is the time they were going to stand up. This was the moment where the light of the world was going to shine and show his power. And, and yet he didn't. He didn't. In that moment that he seems to shrink back. Peter is shocked. He doesn't know what to do. In fact, Jesus picks up that ear that was cut off. That Peter had been trying to make a difference and Jesus puts it back on the servant's ear and heals him. This isn't what's supposed to happen. This isn't how this is supposed to go down. No resistance, no fighting, no power? Where is the kingdom in this moment, his disciples have got to have been wondering what is happening. God, isn't supposed to lose to mobs. Yet the way, the truth, and the life is taken to be put on trial. How can you put trial? How can you put truth on trial? And yet in the end you would think the truth would have to win. Wouldn't it? His disciples again, have to be scratching their heads as he's he's taken away. And they're hearing that all these false accusations, in fact, conflicting stories are being told about Jesus, the light of the world. And yet it doesn't seem to matter. The high priest says will you not answer the charges against you? And yet the truth remains silent. Are you the Messiah? Again, two simple words. I am. There it is again. He is letting them know before Abraham was, I am. I am the good shepherd. I am the gate to the sheep pen. I am the vine. And apart from me, you can do nothing. I am the bread of life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the resurrection and life. And I am light of the world. With these two words, the high priest went ballistic. He tore his robes in anger and blasphemy, he's shouting out. You cannot say that. Only God is able to say that. They had him. They knew that this was their moment. And so they take truth to be tried before Pilot. Pilot is just a man. I mean, he's a man with the power of Rome, the power in a sense to give life and to take it. And so Pilot has to ask them as well, are you the King of the Jews? These men are making accusations against you. Are you going to answer your accusers? Of course he would. Why wouldn't he? And yet he doesn't. Truth remain silent. Why would truth remain silent? Truth ends lies truth moves deception out and puts it away, because truth has to be spoken. And yet, as I'm hoping that Jesus would say something. Jesus never speaks his truth. And so Pilot has to continue, what is truth? And yet they can hear it at this moment. The crowds begin to, to raise their voices. Truth is silent, but the crowd is shouting, crucify him, crucify him, and yet truth still remains silent. God's not supposed to lose. He's not supposed to lose to a mob or a crowd. And yet Truth has led out to be crucified. He's handed over to be beaten, to be flogged, and to be mocked. They thought to themselves, well, a King deserves a crown, and so they placed a crown of thorns on his head and just shoved it down into his brow. They thought I'm King needs a robe. And so they found a purple robe and they put it around him, and almost immediately it was soaked with crimson, just with his blood being absorbed by it. They said that a King needs a sceptre and they put a staff in his hand only to, to yank it away and hit him with that staff as well. Hail King of the Jews they mocked. But that's not what a King is about. A King could have give orders. A King would have dominion. The King has servants to do his bidding. And certainly a cross is nothing that a King would have to bear. And yet our King says, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. So our King carried his cross to the place of the skull called Golgotha. He was crucified amongst thieves. Three nails held them to this wood. He hung on the tree to be mocked. They would say, God is not supposed to die. He could hear the crowd saying, save yourself. He saved others. Can he save himself now? He trusts in God, let his God save him. He even said that God was his own father. Why would his father not do something about this? God's not supposed to lose. And yet at noon, darkness begins to cover the land. Could God be losing? Darkness is encroaching and Jesus can feel the darkness. So he says, father, forgive them for, they don't know what they are doing. How can people do anything to God? God does things to people, right? That's the way it should be. God has power. And in this moment he just chooses to forgive? The darkness continues to close in. Jesus says, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Is Jesus admitting that he's lost? Is God losing? Somehow, this is all wrong. How could this be? This is not how it's supposed to happen. And then in that moment, Jesus says it is finished. What's finished? What, what does he mean? How could this be the end? How could it be over right here. Has the God of all creation lost? And in that moment, a storm breaks out. It overtakes the land. The light of the world goes out and is overtaken by darkness. The Earth shakes, even the people there, some of them don't know what to do, some of them begin to celebrate, but the curtain in the temple, that signified the separation between God and man in this moment is torn in two. What does all this mean? The God who is omniscient, omnipresent, and, omnipotent. And yet where is his presence? Where is his power? Did he not see all this coming? The creator of life is not supposed to lose his own. Darkness is not supposed to overcome the light. Did Jesus lose? He was given the opportunity to speak and to share the truth. And instead he remained silent and allowed darkness to take over. And in the end. The final word was given to the cross.