Good Friday Sermon: "Cross and Creation"

+ Good Friday – April 18^th, 2014 +

Redeemer Lutheran, HB

Genesis 1-3; Isaiah 53; John 18-19

In the Name of + Jesus. Amen.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1)

But for a short time the darkness will overcome Jesus. For a short time creation reverts into chaos, disorder, and destruction. The sun is blotted. The earth trembles. Angels weep. The Father forsakes his Son. And the Father sends his Son, his only Son, into the black thicket of our transgressions to be our substitute. The Lamb of God goes willingly to the slaughter, led into our plague of death, and death and passes over us and onto Jesus. Jesus dons the shackles of our slavery and we go free.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. (Mt. 27:45)

At creation darkness covered the face of the earth. At Jesus’ crucifixion, darkness covers the face of him who spoke creation into being. At creation, the Word of God cast out the darkness. At Jesus’ crucifixion, the Word of God made flesh is cast into darkness. At creation, the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. At Jesus’ crucifixion, the Spirit departs, leaving the Son of God to hang in the deep abyss of our sin.

Creation and the Cross.

Jesus’ work of salvation ends where his work of creation began, in darkness. But don’t let the darkness blind you from what God is doing there on Calvary. For on the cross God reveals his answer to our sin and death. At his crucifixion we see most clearly who God is. This is how God loves the world, and how makes it his again.

Jesus, our second Adam comes to undo everything that we lost through the first Adam.

In the first garden, Adam and Eve heard the Lord walking about while they hid in guilt and shame. In the second garden, we hear the Lord praying as he prepares to bear our guilt and shame.

In the first garden, God warned that one tree in the garden would bring death. As Jesus leaves the second garden, the tree of his death becomes your tree of life. 

In the first garden, God declared a curse and death for all mankind. Outside of the second garden, the Son of God became the curse and death for all mankind.

For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— (Gal. 3)

Creation and the cross.

Where the first Adam failed, Christ, your Second Adam, prevails. Where we are entangled, ensnared and choked by temptation and sin, Christ your Second Adam allows the cords of our death to bind him, nail him to the cross, and breathe out his last for you. Where the first Adam brought eternal death and suffering, Christ your Second Adam brings eternal life and peace. Jesus, the firstborn of creation becomes the firstborn from the dead, but not for himself. 

For you.

Jesus’ crucifixion is the great turning point of history. For one day, creation is turned upside down. 

Everything we have – our sin, guilt and the curse of death – rests on him so that everything he has – blessing, forgiveness, and eternal life – can rest on upon us. The Creator dies for his rebellious creatures. The Great High Priest offers his complete and perfect sacrifice. Jesus hangs in darkness to bring you into his eternal light. Jesus dies to give you his life. Jesus is your Second Adam who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be overcome.

Creation and the cross.

Out of the darkness of creation the Lord spoke light and life into being.

Out of the darkness of the cross Jesus brings eternal light and life for you.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, even on Good Friday, even as he hangs in the gloomy shadows of death for you. The darkness deepens, but not for long. Out of the dim and despair of his tomb, Jesus will bring forth the light of a new creation. Today Creation leads Jesus to the cross. Tomorrow Jesus’ cross leads to a new creation.

But for now, Jesus’ work has ended. All is accomplished. Your salvation is fulfilled. You are safe and secure in the cross of Christ.

And God saw everything that he had made and behold it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the 6^th day.

And on the seventh day the Lord rested in the tomb from all his labors he had done for you.

It is finished.

In the Name of + Jesus. Amen.