In this powerful Good Friday message, Pastor Devon leads us through Luke 23 and other supporting scriptures to reflect deeply on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—not just as a historical event, but as a personal, spiritual reality with eternal significance.

The message begins at Calvary, where Jesus is crucified between two criminals. The crowd mocked Him, soldiers derided Him, and above His head was a sign in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “This is the King of the Jews.” Amid this scene, Jesus speaks words of profound mercy—“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—demonstrating His boundless grace.

One of the thieves recognizes Jesus’ innocence and divinity, saying, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Jesus responds with a promise: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” In these moments, we see the incredible mercy of Christ even in His final hours.

Pastor Devon walks us through the betrayal by Judas, the false trials, and the brutal scourging Jesus endured—a Roman punishment involving a cat of nine tails laced with glass and metal that tore through flesh. He draws attention to how Jesus was physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally broken for our sake.

The message centers on four key ways Jesus was broken and what that means for us today:

1. His Body Was Broken So We Could Be Healed
2. Referring to Isaiah 53:5, “with his stripes we are healed,” the pastor explains that Jesus endured unspeakable pain so that we could find healing for our physical and emotional brokenness. His wounds carry the power to restore us when we feel like life is too much to bear.
3. His Soul Was Broken So We Could Have Peace
4. Jesus experienced deep anguish, seen especially in Gethsemane when He sweat as it were great drops of blood. In John 12:27, He says, “Now is my soul troubled.” Many of us today carry invisible burdens—mental weight, sorrow, grief—but His soul bore the weight of ours so we could find rest in Him.
5. His Fellowship Was Broken So We Could Be Reconciled
6. At the cross, Jesus cries, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). This was the moment when the perfect fellowship between the Father and the Son was broken. He bore the weight of our sin, so we could be brought near (Ephesians 2:13). Jesus experienced separation from God so that we wouldn’t have to.
7. His Will Was Broken So We Could Be Empowered to Surrender
8. Quoting Luke 23:46, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” Pastor Devon emphasizes that Jesus yielded Himself. He was not forced onto the cross—He willingly laid down His life. In doing so, He showed us how to surrender to God’s will, just as He did in the garden when He prayed, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”

The message closes by challenging believers to examine their own obedience and yieldedness to God. Do we follow His commands to pray, read the Word, serve, and witness? Or have we treated Christ’s death as just another religious holiday?

The cross is not merely a symbol. It is a declaration of Jesus’ love and a call to surrender. He was broken in every way so we could be healed, restored, and reconciled to the Father. On this Good Friday, may we not take that sacrifice lightly, but yield ourselves fully to Him.

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