Jesus Is God (Good Friday) || Steven McDowell

Devotional

Day 1: The Creator God who speaks light into existence.

In the beginning, before all things, God spoke. His words were not empty but carried the very power of creation, bringing form to the formless and light to the darkness. This same God is the source of all life and the one from whom all purpose flows. He is the great I AM, the eternal one whose nature defines reality itself. To know Him is to understand our own origin and design. [01:18]

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. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3 ESV)

Reflection: As you consider the power of God's creative word, what area of your own life feels formless or dark right now? How might you invite the God who speaks light into existence to bring His order and purpose into that space?

Day 2: Confronting the paradox of a suffering Messiah.

The expectations of power and glory are often upended by God's purposes. The Messiah was anticipated as a conquering king, yet He arrived in humility and chose the path of a suffering servant. This divine paradox challenges our deepest assumptions about strength and authority, revealing that God's ultimate power is most perfectly displayed in sacrificial love. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. [08:41]

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7 ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life are you tempted to pursue a path of worldly power or recognition, rather than the way of humble, Christ-like service? What would it look like to embrace God's definition of strength in that situation this week?

Day 3: Remaining at the cross when others flee.

In the moment of greatest crisis and fear, love compels a different response. While others fled, one disciple remained at the foot of the cross, choosing to be present with his suffering Lord. This bold stance was not without risk, but it positioned him to receive a profound revelation of who Jesus truly is. Staying present in difficult places can open our eyes to see God more clearly. [12:28]

But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” (John 19:25-26 ESV)

Reflection: Is there a difficult situation or a suffering person in your life that you feel prompted to "remain" with, even when it would be easier to withdraw? How can you posture your heart to be present and attentive to what God might reveal there?

Day 4: The crucified Lamb is the image of the invisible God.

The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in the person of Jesus Christ. The beaten, betrayed, and crucified Lamb is not a deviation from God's nature but the exact imprint of it. On the cross, we see the ultimate expression of God's character: self-giving love that holds the universe together. This is what God looks like, and this revelation rewrites our fundamental understanding of His heart. [19:46]

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17 ESV)

Reflection: How does seeing God's nature most clearly in the suffering of Jesus change the way you think about your own times of difficulty or weakness? In what way can you allow this truth to comfort you or reshape your perspective today?

Day 5: The ultimate message: God's unifying love for us.

The grand message spoken through creation and fulfilled on the cross is one of love and reconciliation. Jesus prayed that His followers would be unified, living in the same love that the Father has for the Son. This unity is not an end in itself, but a testimony to the world of the Father's great love. The cross is the ultimate declaration that we are loved, and we are invited to live in that reality. [21:41]

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21 ESV)

Reflection: Considering Jesus' desire for unity among His people, is there a relationship in your life—in your family, church, or community—that feels strained or distant? What is one practical step you can take this week to move toward reconciliation, motivated by the love demonstrated on the cross?

Sermon Summary

Good Friday remembrance frames a journey that begins with Genesis and ends with the promise of the first day. Genesis 1:1 sets the stage: God speaks light into the void and establishes the pattern of creation that reappears in the cross story. The Garden of Gethsemane exposes a Son who wrestles with sorrow and submits to the Father’s will, choosing obedience over escape. Betrayal, denial, and mockery surround the crucifixion, yet those human failures only highlight the depth of divine intention: the lamb who bears suffering refuses retaliation and prays for forgiveness.

The crucifixion invites unexpected witnesses into revelation. Roman soldiers, a repentant criminal, and the beloved disciple each witness the Son’s nature in different ways—through earthquake, forgiveness, and faithful presence. John’s vision at the cross reframes power: the meek lamb proves also to be the eternal King, the preexistent Word by whom creation came into being. Paul and the writer of Hebrews amplify that truth, naming the crucified one as the image of the invisible God who upholds the universe and reconciles all things by blood.

A theological paradox emerges: true authority appears in self-emptying love. The cross shows that God’s act of judgment and victory unfolds through surrender, not force. Jesus’ prayer for unity links divine love to corporate witness; the Father’s love becomes credible to the world when believers reflect the oneness between Father and Son. The narrative moves as liturgy and promise—Good Friday as the sixth day of creation, Saturday as a shared rest, and Sunday as the renewal when light breaks decisively into darkness. Memory, lament, and hope coexist: grief honors the cost; theology names the meaning; resurrection awaits the revealing of the light that no darkness can overcome.

Key Takeaways

1. God revealed in humble suffering God’s identity appears not in triumphal display but in a suffering servant who refuses violence and extends forgiveness amid abuse. That posture redefines power as sacrificial vulnerability and insists that divine authority governs by love that absorbs harm rather than retaliates. Such revelation demands a reorientation of discipleship toward solidarity with the wounded rather than a quest for worldly dominance. [09:41]
2. Creation and crucifixion connected The narrative threads from Genesis to the cross insist that the same Word who spoke light also entered into history to be lifted up. Creation’s ordering light over darkness becomes theological ground for understanding the cross as a moment when cosmic reconciliation happens, not merely moral example. Seeing the crucified One as preexistent Creator recasts suffering as a means by which the Creator restores and holds all things. [22:29]
3. True power is sacrificial love Jesus’ prayer and actions show that divine power issues through self-giving and redemptive loss, not coercion. The paradox of a lamb who is also sovereign exposes a kingdom whose pillars consist of meekness, service, and costly mercy. Christians must measure influence by willingness to suffer for others’ good, recognizing that such loss participates in divine kingship. [15:36]
4. Unity proves the Father's love The prayer for oneness between Father, Son, and believers ties ecclesial unity to evangelistic credibility: visible unity makes the Father’s love believable. Unity rooted in shared participation in Christ’s life and glory becomes a witness that transcends argument and invites the world to trust the sending of the Son. Pursuing this unity requires mutual self-emptying, not strategic conformity. [21:22]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Remembering Good Friday
[01:03] - Genesis: In the Beginning
[03:32] - Gethsemane: Prayer and Sorrow
[04:46] - Arrest and Fulfillment of Scripture
[06:43] - Peter’s Denial
[09:41] - Crucifixion and Forgiveness
[12:05] - John at the Cross
[15:36] - The Son’s Prayer and Purpose
[18:14] - Colossians and Christ’s Supremacy
[22:29] - The Word, Light, and Creation
[24:06] - Creation Rhythm and Resurrection Hope
[25:05] - Closing Prayer and Amen

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Genesis 1:1-3, John 19:25-27, Colossians 1:15-20

Observation questions

In Genesis 1, what was the state of the world before God spoke, and what was His first command?
According to the account in John 19, which disciple remained near the cross when others had fled, and what specific instruction did Jesus give him from the cross?
The Colossians passage describes Jesus as the "image of the invisible God." What specific actions are attributed to Him in verses 16-20?

Interpretation questions

The sermon connects the light spoken into creation with the light of the world revealed in Christ's suffering [22:56]. How does seeing the crucified Jesus as the Creator change our understanding of His purpose on the cross?
Jesus prayed from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" [09:41]. What does this immediate response to His executioners reveal about the nature of God's power and authority?
The prayer for unity in John 17 links divine love with corporate witness [21:22]. Why would visible unity among believers make the Father's love more credible to the world?

Application questions

God's identity appears not in triumphal display but in a suffering servant who refuses violence [09:41]. When have you been tempted to seek or display power through force or dominance rather than through sacrificial love? What would it look like to reorient your understanding of influence this week?
The same Word who spoke light into darkness also entered history to be lifted up [22:29]. How does recognizing Christ as both Creator and Crucified affect your perspective on current personal struggles or global suffering?
True power issues through self-giving and redemptive loss, not coercion [15:36]. Where in your relationships, workplace, or community are you being called to exercise power through service and willingness to suffer for others' good rather than through control?
Visible unity makes the Father's love believable [21:22]. What practical steps could you take to pursue genuine unity with other believers—especially those you might disagree with or find difficult—that would demonstrate God's love to those watching?
The crucifixion invited unexpected witnesses into revelation—soldiers, a criminal, a disciple [12:05]. Who are the "unexpected witnesses" in your life who might see God's nature through your response to hardship or injustice?
The narrative moves from Friday's grief to Sunday's hope [24:27]. How can you hold both lament for current brokenness and confident hope for ultimate renewal in your daily walk with God?

Sermon Clips

We are held together by the suffering lamb of God. It is this Jesus who John watched suffered, who holds together our very being. The fullness of God dwelt within a dying man. Paul teaches us not only the reality of these paradoxical truths, but ultimately rewrites our fundamental understanding of who God is by declaring that this dying, beaten, betrayed, marred, meek, innocent lamb of God is the image of God. This is what God looks like. [00:19:15] (39 seconds) #SufferingLamb

Even though Christ would die, his death would cause the centurion to have a revelation of his deity. Without any resurrection in mind, Christ's death alone would prompt the realization that he in fact is the son of God. It is this revelation being made clear to the centurion that surely was even more clear to John because behold, he saw the ground shake, the dead rise, and the sun go dark. Jesus Christ is the son of God. [00:13:24] (31 seconds) #CenturionRevelation

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Jesus Is God (Good Friday) || Steven McDowell

Devotional

Day 1: The Creator God who speaks light into existence.

Day 2: Confronting the paradox of a suffering Messiah.

Day 3: Remaining at the cross when others flee.

Day 4: The crucified Lamb is the image of the invisible God.

Day 5: The ultimate message: God's unifying love for us.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Jesus Is God (Good Friday) || Steven McDowell

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