Good Friday Sermon Ideas
Scripture: John 19:23-30, Matthew 11:9
Summary: What was it like to stand near the cross of Jesus? We examine four people who stood near the cross and try to understand what it would have meant for them.
“When Jesus was crucified I wonder how near the cross we would have stood? We sing that grand old hymn – “Jesus, keep me near the cross…there a precious fountain”, but how near the cross would we have been if we were there to witness Jesus’ crucifixion?”
20. Good Friday Night Failures
Scripture: Matthew 26:30-27:30
Summary: There are many ways we fail Jesus, and we need to ponder on these failures, so that we can mature into what Christ calls us to be.
“This is the full service outline for Good Friday , with several mini devotions inserted, instead of one long sermon.”
Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-4
Summary: Jesus was proclaiming the end of many things through this cry from the cross.
“An innocent man is thrashed, bruised, spat at, called names. He is hungry, thirsty, bleeding and in severe pain. He is facing a death sentence for a crime he did not even think of. And he is nailed to the cross and is breathing his last breath. To the external world that looks on, he is a defeated man, he is a loser, he is powerless.What would you say, if you are in that position? I would most probably say, “I am finished!!” But look again, here is a man who says instead, “It is finished”.”
Scripture: John 12:27
Summary: This is a short reading for a Good Friday Service.
“Small puddles had formed at the foot of the cross. No – not from rain drops – for it had not rained that day. The puddles were from blood that was dripping down. Drip… Drip … Drip…”
23. Easter People In A Good Friday World
Scripture: Mark 16:11
Summary: It was Resurrection day, but the disciples were still living like Jesus was dead. What is it like to be stuck in a Good Friday World? What does it mean to be an “Easter People?”
“It seemed as though all hope was gone. The miracle worker, the teacher, was dead. Jesus’ disciples hid for fear that they too might be arrested because of their connection with Jesus. (But that was Saturday!)”
24. At The Foot Of The Cross: Powerlessness
Scripture: Mark 15:33-41
Summary: The Good Friday story told from the viewpoint of Salome
“Let me back up a little bit. I’m Sal-o-may the wife of Zebedee, mother of James and John, sister to Mary and the aunt of Jesus.”
25. Take Up Your Cross — Only If You Are NUTS
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28
Summary: This Sermon Is The Second In NUTS. It deals with our call to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
“When we hear the word cross, we usually think of something that’s decorative or somewhat attractive in its design. It’s often pleasing to look at because that’s how crosses today are made. In the first century, when people heard the word cross, they immediately thought of pain, suffering, and death.”
26. Following Jesus To The Cross: Drawing A Line In The Sand
Scripture: Matthew 21:12-23:12, Matthew 24:1-25:1
Summary: This is the second message in a series that looks at Jesus’ final few days on the way to the cross. This message looks at how Jesus’ confrontation of religious hypocrisy and his resulting challenge to his own followers.
“Jesus is Issuing the Same Challenge to Us! He’s Drawn a Line in the Sand… Now how are YOU going to Respond?”
Scripture: Mark 8:31-34, Mark 8:34-38
Summary: Be willing to make sacrifices so that the will of God can be accomplished through your life. We are called to carry our own cross and to renew such a commitment every day.
“Will you carry your cross? Will you make sacrifices so that God’s purposes can be fulfilled in your life, through you?”
Devotions and Creative Ideas
28. What Kind of King: A Powerful Poem for Palm Sunday and Holy Week
“What kind of king
builds a castle
with a wide open door for children to enter
but a needle-eye sized hole for the rich?
What kind of king
rides on a donkey
into the city where
his assassins are waiting?”
29. Easter Week: Choose Wisely!
“What will Easter Sunday mean to you—and those who hear you preach? Choose carefully: How you celebrate Easter indicates your priorities of faith. This “Holy Week” is filled with powerful images of the Christian life: Jesus gave us a covenant meal on Thursday night—the very night he was betrayed. He suffered torture and death on Friday—a substitutionary death that paid the price for the sins of humanity. On Saturday, he descended into the depths of Hades and kicked in the gates of Hell itself. And, of course, on Sunday he was resurrected with power, receiving the vindication of the Heavenly Father.”
30. The Greatest Prayer In The World (Maundy Thursday)
“The question I would like to try to answer is: How does Hebrews 5:7 relate to the prayers in Gethsemane? Hebrews 5:7 says, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” He was heard. He got his request. What does this refer to in Jesus’s life?”
