Good Friday Texts

Good Friday Texts or Verses are all given below. These are the entire verses on the Bible on Good Friday.

Paul

The epistles of Paul are a rich source of biblical Good Friday material.

■ Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 5. These passages provide profitable insight on how the death of Christ results in the justification before God of all who believe.

■ 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. In this passage Paul presents the cross as either nonsense or the ultimate answer.

■ 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. This passage from the apostle Paul fairly begs to be preached on Good Friday. Explore what reconciliation means, how it was accomplished through Jesus Christ, and move on to talk about our responsibility in sharing the good news by being “ambassadors for Christ.”

■ Philippians 2:5-13. This passage deals with the humiliation and subsequent exaltation of Christ.

■ Colossians 1:15-23. The subject of these verses is the reconciliation to God of the created order—both the natural world and sinful human beings.

Isaiah

An obvious Old Testament text that lends itself well to Good Friday preaching is Isaiah’s Messianic description of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. When combined with the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, this Old Testament passage comes alive in a strikingly evangelistic way.

John

The apostle John shows unusual depth of understanding in interpreting the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross. Such well-known texts as John 3:16,1 John 4:10, and the Good Shepherd passage of John 10 make excellent Good Friday sermons.

One of my favorite passages from John is the word of Christ to Nicodemus in John 3, especially verses 14 and 15. Preach this against the background of Numbers 21:4-9, where God sent fiery serpents to punish the grumbling Israelites. Moses was instructed to make a bronze serpent and lift it up in the midst of the Israelite camp so that anyone who looked at the snake in faith would live and not die. Jesus uses this Old Testament story as a simile of how he will accomplish his redemptive work. A possible sermon title would be “Life for a Look!” The passage speaks powerfully of justification by faith.

Luke

While all four gospel writers offer a wealth of material, Dr. Luke records an incident on the Via Dolorosa that no other gospel writer includes. A large company of women who followed Jesus were lamenting his plight as he carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem on the way to Golgotha. Jesus turned to them saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28, rsv). Christ did not desire pity.

On Good Friday what is needed is not the quick tear of sentiment but the deep sorrow of conviction over sin. Jesus of Nazareth was more than a noble person facing an excruciating death. He was the Lamb of God offering himself for the sin of the world. This text calls for deep contrition and genuine repentance.

Hebrews

Hebrews 9:6-15 and 20:11-25. A curious event that occurred immediately after the death of Christ and is recorded by all three synoptic gospels is the tearing of the heavy curtain or veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Jewish temple. Only Matthew speaks of an accompanying earthquake with the rending of the veil of the temple (see Matt. 27:51). The writer to the Hebrews alludes to Jesus opening a “new and living way” into the heavenly sanctuary and into the very presence of God. The symbolic meaning of the torn veil of the temple is a worthy Good Friday theme.

Peter

In his first letter the apostle Peter explores how Christ died both as our example and as our sin-bearer. The exemplary aspect of Christ’s death is set in the context of Peter’s instruction on how Christian slaves of the first century were to behave when treated unjustly (1 Peter 2:21). But certainly the crucifixion of Jesus is much more than just an inspiring example of how a brave man faced harsh and unfair treatment. Christ’s identification with humanity also resulted in his being our sin-bearer. In your sermon seek to plumb the depths of what Peter meant when he said, “By his wounds you have been healed” (2 Peter 2:24 RSV).

Other Passages

The passages above are just a sampling of the many suitable texts you might select for Good Friday. The atonement of God’s Son is a major scriptural theme, and the Bible is an inexhaustible treasure house in its treatment of this subject. The meaning of Good Friday is central to understanding redemption.

Paul said it so well: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scripture” (1 Cor. 15:3,4 RSV).

We hope these verses or texts on Good Friday will help you all to have a more blessed Good Friday today.