Good Friday Chief Service

April 3, 2026

St. John 18:5, 6, 14; 19:12-16

In the great Reformation hymn, A Mighty Fortress, there is a particular phrase that has caused lively speculation. The line is, “One little word can fell him.” Who’s the him? That part’s easy, it’s the devil. One little word can bring down the devil.

But what is the “one little word” that brings him down? A common myth is that the word is Jesus. But in his writing, Against Hanswurst, Luther reveals the word: “Liar.”

Against all the heresies stripping away the full extent of Christ’s finished work, the response is, “Devil, you lie.”

Against all the accusations against you—that your sins are unforgiven—the response is, “Devil, you lie.”

Against all the temptations offering happiness if you just abandon the Word of God, the only response is, “Devil, you lie.”

The cross is conclusive.

The cross is comprehensive.

The cross is the culmination of God’s promise to our first parents: The Seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent.

The first woman listened to the devil’s lies.

And you have as well. You’ve hungered and thirsted not for God’s righteousness, but for what satiates your senses.

Appealing to your passions, the devil lies to you. We are so easily deceived.

But not this day. Not this man.

When Judas and the detachment of troops arrive at Gethsemane, Jesus repeats the scene from John 8. We talked about this two Sundays ago. In John’s Gospel, there is a series of “I AM” statements: “I am the Good Shepherd”; “I am the Bread of Life”; “I am the Resurrection and the Life”; etc.

But the plain statement to the Jewish leaders in John 8 begins the plot to destroy Jesus. “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

When we get to John 18, Jesus asks the soldiers whom they’re looking for. They say, “Jesus of Nazareth.” And our English translations have Jesus replying, “I am He.” But that’s not quite right. Jesus simply says, “I AM.” And the power of this Word, the power of the NAME, knocks them down.

Why doesn’t Jesus now escape, as He did before? Previously, it was not the right time. This is the appointed hour. This is the salvation of the world. This is when God Himself, YHWH, the “I AM” who appeared to Moses in the bush that burned yet was not consumed – this incarnate God hands Himself over to them. He goes willingingly. The One on Whom all existence rests, the One by Whom all things came into being – He lets Himself be betrayed, seized, unfairly tried. At their hands He unjustly died.

On Palm Sunday, we saw how the death of Jesus connects to the Day of Atonement. The veil of the temple is torn. Jesus the true and final Priest makes atonement with His own blood.

Now, this Day of Atonement has another ritual. It is suggested by the words of Caiaphas the High Priest in tonight’s passion reading. Jn 18:14 reads, “It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.” What Caiaphas meant was that killing Jesus would remove the possibility of trouble with Rome.

You see, Caiaphas owed Rome for his job. The previous high priest was Caiaphas’ father-in-law, Annas. The Romans deposed Annas and installed Caiaphas. It’s similar to our problems with the American bureaucratic state. A government job is a nice thing to have. Don’t rock the boat, and you can secure your future. If we need a scapegoat to blame for some scandal, so be it. Better to keep your job, then the whole system come crashing down. Or so one would think.

That term scapegoat, it comes from the Day of Atonement. On Sunday, we talked about the two bulls, one for the High Priest, the other for the people. There were also two goats. One goat was killed, and like the bulls, the blood of this goat was brought into the Holy Place.

After the blood had been sprinkled on the altar, then the other goat, still living, is brought to the High Priest. The instructions for this are in Leviticus 16:

Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

This goat is called the “scapegoat.” On him are put all the sins of the people. And he is sent away, into exile. Sin is removed.

Now scapegoat connects to our word “escape.” The goat “escapes,” still alive, into the wilderness. He bears the sins of the people, and takes them away.

This is precisely what’s happening, in a more powerful and permanent way, with the death of Jesus. “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Jesus is your High Priest, and He is your scapegoat. All your failure, all your filth, all your folly – He bears it away.

So if the devil, or your conscience, or a fake friend tries to bring you back into bondage, saying your sins are too great for grace alone, you simply reply, “Devil, you lie! My Jesus is my priest. He has made atonement for my sins. My Jesus is my scapegoat. He has taken them far away, into the wilderness, no more to return.”

And with that, He has also taken away your griefs and sorrows. Surely there are many troubles in this life. Problems difficult to solve. Children difficult to manage. People who burden you. Maladies afflicting you. These are real problems.

But your Jesus joins you in this struggle. He is with you through the valley of the shadow of death. He’s been there already. He’s removed its sting. Hand over your troubles to Him. Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

He is your priest.

He is your scapegoat.

He will never leave you nor forsake you.

In Him will you live, in Him will you die, and His shall you be forever.

+INJ+