One of the sermon’s commendable features is its Trinitarian inclusion. The preacher emphasizes the Father’s invitation to come and be nourished by His word, the Son’s sacrificial death on the cross, and the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells in believers to renew them. The tearing of the temple curtain at Jesus’ death is rightly noted as the moment when access to the Father is opened, highlighting the relational aspect of salvation. The preacher’s repeated references to God as Father, Jesus as the one who laid down His life for His friends, and the Spirit as the giver of new life, provide a balanced and biblical portrayal of the triune God’s work in redemption. This Trinitarian framework grounds the sermon’s pastoral appeal and offers hearers a personal and intimate vision of God’s grace.
The sermon also excels in its pastoral tone and experiential emphasis. It calls sinners to recognize their need, to come to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing, and to taste the satisfaction that only God’s grace can provide. The story of the thief on the cross is used effectively to illustrate the immediacy and sufficiency of Christ’s saving work, assuring hearers that paradise is available now through faith. The preacher’s personal anecdote about dying to self in everyday life adds a relatable dimension to the call for repentance and transformation. Furthermore, the sermon’s use of Paul’s exhortation to “put to death” earthly sins and live by the Spirit underscores the ongoing sanctification that flows from the cross. The warning about the coming wrath of God on account of sin is a sobering reminder of the seriousness of rebellion and the necessity of turning to Christ.
Despite these strengths, the sermon’s theological vocabulary and doctrinal depth reveal significant gaps, especially concerning the death of Christ and the atonement. The sermon does not explicitly mention or develop several key doctrines that are foundational to Reformed theology and biblical orthodoxy. First, the doctrine of substitution, the truth that Christ died in the sinner’s place bearing the punishment due to them, is only implied but never named or explained. Similarly, the concept of propitiation—the satisfaction of God’s righteous wrath by Christ’s sacrifice—is totally absent, even though God’s wrath is mentioned. The sermon also lacks explicit teaching on reconciliation, the restoration of the sinner’s relationship with God through Christ’s death.
Moreover, the sermon does not address justification, the forensic declaration by God that the believer is righteous on account of Christ’s atoning work. Redemption, understood as Christ’s purchase of believers from sin and bondage, is not articulated. The important Reformed doctrine of imputation, whereby Christ’s righteousness is credited to believers and their sins credited to Him, is missing. The sermon also omits the sacrificial language that connects Christ’s death to the Old Testament sacrifices and the fulfillment of the covenantal system. Expiation, the cleansing or removal of sin’s guilt through Christ’s death, is only implied but not named. The covenantal dimension of Christ’s atonement is mentioned briefly but not developed in a way that connects the cross to God’s everlasting covenant of grace. Finally, the sermon does not use the technical term “atonement” or unpack its rich theological significance as the greatest need we have.
Surprisingly, in addition to these omissions related to the atonement, the sermon does not explicitly mention the term “righteousness.” While forgiveness and cleansing are emphasized, there is no clear presentation of the sinner’s greatest need: to be made righteous before a holy God. The absence of righteousness as a theme leaves the gospel message somewhat incomplete, as it does not confront hearers with the necessity of being declared righteous by God through faith in Christ. It leads to the neglect of the vindication of the righteousness of God inherent in the Atonement. Without this, the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God remain underemphasized.
Similarly, the sermon does not explicitly use the word “rebellion,” though the reality of sin and wickedness is acknowledged. The preacher calls the wicked to forsake their way and return to the Lord, and warns of God’s coming wrath, but the specific language of rebellion against God’s authority and holiness is missing. This weakens the forensic and covenantal clarity of the gospel call, as it does not fully expose the sinner’s culpability and the depth of human sinfulness.
The sermon’s exposition of Isaiah 55, while rich in invitation and promise, also misses an important opportunity that the context of the passage should have opened up. The prophet asks, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2). This question points to the futility of seeking satisfaction and righteousness apart from God. Yet, the sermon does not explain what the Israelites were “spending their money” on, what false hopes, idols, or self-efforts they pursued instead of God’s provision. Consequently, the preacher does not bring out the call to repent and find righteousness in God alone. This omission leaves the invitation somewhat abstract and fails to confront hearers with their own idolatrous pursuits and misplaced trust.
Had the sermon engaged this aspect of Isaiah 55 more fully, it could have exposed the ways contemporary hearers similarly seek fulfillment in things that cannot satisfy, whether wealth, pleasure, status, or self-reliance, and thus deepen the call to repentance and faith. This would have strengthened the sermon’s forensic and covenantal force, making the gospel invitation more urgent and personal.
In conclusion, this Good Friday sermon commendably proclaims an aspect of the gospel’s core message of forgiveness, new life, and hope of paradise through Christ’s death and resurrection. Its Trinitarian framework and pastoral warmth provide a solid foundation for inviting sinners to come to Jesus. However, the sermon’s lack of explicit mention of righteousness and rebellion, and its omission of key atonement doctrines such as substitution, propitiation, justification, reconciliation, redemption, imputation, expiation, and covenantal fulfillment, leave the theological presentation incomplete. For a fuller and more faithful proclamation of the gospel, these doctrinal elements and biblical realities must be brought to the forefront, so that hearers are not only assured of forgiveness and a better life but are also awakened to their greatest need: to be made righteous before a holy God through the atoning work of Christ.
