Cantate Sunday

Introit: Ps. 98:1b, 3-4; antiphon: Ps. 98:1a,2b
Old Testament: Is. 12:1-6
Epistle: James 1:16-21
Gospel: John 16:5-15

Jesus Promises to Send His Holy Spirit, the Helper

Though Jesus has departed from us visibly to the right hand of the Father who sent Him, yet this is to our advantage. For Jesus-who is Lord over all creation, who intercedes for us before the Father, who is preparing a place for us in heaven-has sent the Helper, the Spirit of Truth (John 16:5-15). "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" through Jesus Christ (James 1:17). The Holy Spirit helps us by taking what is Christ's and declaring it to us. In the Word of truth, the Spirit works repentance and delivers to us the forgiveness of sins, the righteousness of Christ, and victory over the devil. For the ruler of this world is judged and defeated by the cross. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we have been brought forth to new life in Him who is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Confident of our resurrection with Christ we confess, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid" (Is. 12:2).

Christ's Resurrection Means That We Will One Day Be Raised

"Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Cor. 5:7). By the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, eternal death has passed over us. Now we pass with Christ through death into life everlasting. For Christ the crucified One is risen! The stone has been rolled away from the tomb, revealing that the tomb could not hold Him (Mark 16:1-8). Now our Redeemer lives eternally to save us from sin and Satan and the grave, and we can live in the sure hope of our own bodily resurrection with Christ. "After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:26). Feasting on the living Christ, who is our meat and drink indeed, we boldly say: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? . . . But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:54-55, 57).

A Strange Day to Call Good

It seems strange to call this day “good.” After all, on this day, Jesus, our Savior and Lord, was tortured, beaten, spit upon, and brutally crucified on a cross. What is good about that? Actually, the goodness of this day is extensive and amazing. At the cross, God’s plan to redeem the world came to full fruition. Rather than ignore our sin, pretend it away, or eternally turn away from us, God became one of us, and in an act of pure self-sacrifice and love, Jesus willingly suffered the worst. For you. For me. For the world. Ours is not a God who says to us, “If you obey Me well enough, then I might love you.” Our God says to us at the outset, “I love you. I willingly gave My life for yours. If you want to see the extent of My love, look to the cross. Let My love draw you to hear and obey Me.” So today’s service is not a funeral for Jesus. It is a way to remember the events of Jesus’ death—including the allusions to it already in the Old Testament. It is an occasion for us to be drawn closer in love to the God who loves us unconditionally. It is an occasion to weep over our sin that made the crucifixion of Jesus necessary. It is an occasion to rejoice in the forgiveness and peace that comes from putting our faith in our crucified Lord. It is an occasion to marvel at the breadth, height, and depth of God’s love for us. Yes, it is Good Friday.

Let Us Love One Another, as Christ Jesus Has Loved Us

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Cor. 11:26). By eating His body and drinking His blood, we proclaim to all the world that Jesus is, indeed, our Passover Lamb (Ex. 12:1-14), who was sacrificed for us on Calvary. In Christ, the Lord remembers us in mercy and remembers our sin no more; He forgives us all our iniquity. With such love, he "loved His own who were in the world," and even loves us "to the end" (John 13:1). As He washes us and feeds us in love, let us love one another, just as He has loved us (John 13:34).

The Cross and Passion of Our Lord Are the Hour of His Glory

"Behold, your King is coming to you . . . humble and mounted on a donkey" (Zech. 9:9-12; Mt. 21:1-9). Our Lord rides in this humble fashion because He is entering Jerusalem to humble Himself even to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:5-11). His kingly crown will not be made of gold but of thorns, the sign of sin's curse. For His royal reign is displayed in bearing this curse for His people, saving us from our enemies by sacrificing His own life. The sinless One takes the place of the sinner so that the sinner can be freed and bear the name "Barabbas," "son of the Father" (Matthew 26 and 27). It is at the name of this exalted Savior, Jesus, that we bow in humble faith. With the centurion who declared, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Mt. 27:54), we are also given to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11).

Jesus Is Our Redemption

In the temple Jesus said, "If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death" (John 8:51). For Jesus came to taste death for us-to drink the cup of suffering to the dregs in order that we might be released from its power. Clinging to His life-giving words, we are delivered from death's sting and its eternal judgment. Christ is our High Priest, who entered the Most Holy Place and with His own blood obtained everlasting redemption for His people (Heb. 9:11-15). He is the One who was before Abraham was, and yet is his descendant. He is the promised Son who carries the wood up the mountain for the sacrifice, who is bound and laid upon the altar of the cross. He is the ram who is offered in our place, who is willingly caught in the thicket of our sin, and who wears the crown of thorns upon His head (Gen. 22:1-14). Though Jesus is dishonored by the sons of the devil, He is vindicated by the Father through the cross.

The Lord Feeds His People

The Lord provided bread from heaven for His people in the wilderness (Ex. 16:2-21). Now He who is Himself the living bread from heaven miraculously provides bread for the five thousand (John 6:1-15). This takes place near the time of the Passover, after a great multitude had followed Jesus across the sea, and when He went up on a mountain. Seen in this way, Jesus is our new and greater Moses, who releases us from the bondage of Mount Sinai and makes us free children of the promise (Gal. 4:21-31). Five loaves become twelve baskets-that is, the five books of Moses find their goal and fulfillment in Christ, whose people continue steadfastly in the doctrine and fellowship of the twelve apostles, and in the breaking and receiving of the bread of life, which is the body of Christ together with His precious blood, and in the prayers (Acts 2:41-47). So it is that God's people "shall not hunger or thirst" (Is. 49:8-13). For He abundantly provides for us in both body and soul.

Jesus Overcomes the Strong Man

Jeremiah was charged with speaking evil when he spoke the Word of the Lord (Jer. 26:1-15). So also, Jesus is accused of doing evil when in fact He is doing good. He casts out a demon from a mute man so that he is able to speak (Luke 11:14-28). But some said Jesus did this by the power of Beelzebub, Satan. Like Pharaoh of old, their hearts were hard (Ex. 8:16-24). They did not recognize the finger of God, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through Jesus. Jesus is the Stronger Man who overcomes the strong man. He takes the devil's armor of sin and death and destroys it from the inside out by the holy cross. He exorcizes and frees us by water and the Word. We were once darkness, but now we are light in Christ the Lord (Eph. 5:1-9). As children of light, our tongues are loosed to give thanks to Him who saved us.

Holding God to His Word

Jacob wrestled with God; he would not let Him go until he received a blessing from Him (Gen. 32:22-32). So it was with the Canaanite woman. Though Jesus seemed to ignore and reject her, she continued to call upon His name and look to Him for help (Mt. 15:21-28). Even when the Lord called her a little dog, she held on to Him in faith and would not let Him wriggle out of His words: "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." This Gentile woman shows herself to be a true Israelite, who struggles with God and man in Christ and prevails. "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire" (Mt. 15:27-28). This is the sanctifying will of God (1 Thess. 4:1-7)-to test your faith in order that it may be refined and strengthened. For tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope in Christ does not disappoint (Rom. 5:1-5).

Jesus Does Battle in Our Place

In the Garden, man exalts himself to be a god in place of God (Gen. 3:1-21). He succumbs to the temptation of the devil, and eating of the forbidden fruit, he receives death. But in the sin-cursed wilderness, God humbles Himself to become man in place of man (Mt. 4:1-11). He does not eat but fasts and bears the onslaughts of the devil for us that we may be restored to life. Jesus stands as David in our place to do battle against the Goliath, Satan (1 Samuel 17:40-51). Though outwardly Jesus appears weak, yet He comes in the name of the Lord of hosts. He draws from the five smooth stones of the books of Moses and slings the Word of God. The stone sinks into the forehead, and the enemy falls. In Christ we are victorious over the devil. Let us therefore not receive the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:1-10), but seeing that we have a great High Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain help in time of need (Heb 4:14-16).