Hallo everyone!! As most of you guys know that my name is Yi Zhi.

You guys know that

Good Friday is around the corner and today I’m going to talk what is all about Good Friday.
Maybe some of you don’t know what the meaning of Good Friday is. It starts from the narration
of Jesus’ painful journey towards crucifixion has its own lessons for the modern church. As for
Good Friday let’s analyze these in detail and see what we can learn so that we can take another
step in our Christian walk with Jesus. Let us read Matthew 27:32-54.

Firstly, let’s talk about discipleships. From Matthew 27:32, we can see that a man whose
name is Simon was forced to carry the cross. Do you know who Simon is? Well, the bible didn’t
tell us much about him but we do know that he was a man who came from a city called Cyrene.
The bible also mentions that he was forced to carry the cross. When somebody force you to do
something, you will feel reluctant to do it right? It is just the same as Simon felt. In ancient days,
carrying the cross is an unclean task. Imagine the cross was drenched with Jesus’ blood and other
body fluids. It is also a difficult task. The cross weight around 90kg – 130kg. Only the worst
criminals carried the cross. And it is not convenient for him because he wanted to have nothing
with this gruesome incident. Actually though this event, we could see that being a true disciple is
not an easy job. Let us read Matthew 16:24, then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to
be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Jesus said that if
you want to be my disciples, you must deny yourself. Deny yourself means denying your selfish
nature. Everything is not about I, me, is not about myself. James 3:14 says But if you harbor
bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. We should
repent from our self-centeredness. Do you know what Jesus meant by carry your cross? Think of
these questions. Would you let yourself be humiliated because you are a Christian? In ancient
days to be called a Christian was an insult. Would you go out to help others?

Secondly, that is Jesus’ commitment. From Matthew 27:34, Jesus is refusing to drink.
Why? Jesus refuses the easy way out. In ancient days, the drink which is stated in the bible is
used as a pain killer. He was determined to suffer up to the full extent. In Isaiah 53:4 – 5, his
action shows that He thought of us more than he thought of his pain and shame. Jesus would feel
better if he drank the pain killer but he didn’t because our salvation will be incomplete if he
drank it. Jesus came for a purpose. Mark 3:17: Jesus said “It is not the healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” He didn’t give up until it is done.
Have you think that your determination to follow Christ controlled by external factors of life?
Such as the worldly things. Sometimes God allows painful things to happen in our life because
God has a purpose for the pain you are experiencing right now. The pain is actually makes us
and brakes us.

Lastly, crucifixion which is the burden of our sins on the cross. Imagine Jesus was
crucified. What is more painful to see our savior died on the cross so that our sins would be
forgiven? Crucifixion is a slow and painful death accompanied by dehydration, blood loss due to
flogging and shock from the pain. And the actual cause of death on the cross is suffocation,
cardiac arrest, loss of blood or all of these! The posture on the cross: The victim endured a
sudden attack as he pulled with his arms and pushed with his legs to keep his chest cavity open
for breathing and then collapsed in exhaustion. Because when the victim become tired after a
long struggling then finally exhaustion takes over and causes suffocation. Death occurs.
Moreover crucifixion is a very humiliating punishment of all, which the victims were crucified
naked in public. Let’s read Deuteronomy 21:23. Can you see the phrase “because anyone who is
hung on a pole is under God’s curse” ? From here it shows that crucifixion was a symbol of
God’s curse. During that time, the Israelite law stated that the corpse of judicially executed
criminals was hung up for public exposure. These dead people were called to be cursed by God.
But from Isaiah 53:10-12 says that it is God’s will. And in John 3:16-17 says” For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save
the world through him.” Through this God also demonstrated his love for man.

Finally, now we look at Matthew 27:54, when the centurion and those with him who
were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and
exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God.” Can you see the phrase they were terrified, and
exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God?” Even the outsider believes that Jesus is the Son of
God. Although Jesus died for our sins on the cross but according to the verses in 1 Corinthians
15:3-4 says that Christ died for our sins…that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day…. He was raised from the dead. That is the hope. From 1 Corinthians 15:17:”And if Christ
has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” If Jesus did not resurrect from
death then our belief is pointless. It is much easier to be follower but God called us to be His
disciples and discipleship has a cost. Let us close in a word of prayer.