A Brief Good Friday Service
For those at work, at home, or alone
I have prepared this brief service for work, at home, or as a private devotional. The service will take only minutes and can be used at a lunch break or other time. Let believers of all traditions gather as one to dedicate ourselves to Jesus Christ. Quietly and with reverence, we may remember and, in remembering, commemorate our great Passover, the Lamb of God, crucified for all those who receive by repentance and faith in the crucified, resurrected, ascended, reigning, and coming Christ.
A Call to Good Friday Observance
[A designated reader] Let us worship God and give thanks for our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray as He taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
[Reader 1] From the Old Testament: But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
[All] And with his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
[Reader 1] From the Psalms: Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy.
[All] He who goes on his way weeping and bears good seed shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:6, 7 ESV).
[All] Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
[Reader 1] From the Epistles: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
[All] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
The Gospel
Let Reader 1 read this Gospel account or go around your group so that all participate.
Matthew 27:30-55
30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).
34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.
37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads
40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
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!”
The Hymn
Worshippers may sing one verse, first and last, or all. Audio samples of the music most often used are included (Hamburg or Rockingham).
Audio:
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (tune: HAMBURG, Lowell Mason, American, 1825)
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (tune: ROCKINGHAM, Edward Miller, English,1780)
1
When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
2
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ, my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them through his blood.
3
See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
(Psalter Hymnal, 1987)
[All] Christ was crucified. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Go forth as followers of the crucified and risen Christ. Amen.