2026-04-03 Good Friday—Tenebrae 2026 (2 Cor 5, 14–21)

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Hear the Word of the LORD:

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through ΙΗϹ Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2-Cor 5)

᛭ INI ᛭

What are you? What are you before God? What’s your standing? How do you measure up? How are you living your life before Him? Are you living your life for Him, or are you living for yourself? How “new” are you really? A “new creation” like a “new” car—like “brand new” or just “new to you”? What of your iniquity? Your transgression? Your sin? What can or should be said about you this Good Friday evening?

What you are doesn’t have anything to do with what you’ve done. It doesn’t rest with you at all. It has everything to do with Christ. Who’s He before God? What’s His standing? Well, that actually depends…

(2. God made Him to be sin for us.)

Christ is, of course, the Son of God. He eternally the Son of the Father. He is righteous, holy, and good. The Father says that about His Son: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3; Mt 17) The Father proclaimed this at Christ’s baptism, as He stood as Lamb of God, bearing the sins of the world. He proclaimed this as Christ revealed His eternal and resurrection glory at the Transfiguration. Now at Calvary, Christ suffering punishment, bearing our sins in His own body on the Tree, Christ wounded to heal you—silence!

No “My beloved Son.” No “with Him I am well pleased.” Silence from the Father. Only the mocking of the religious leaders are heard, “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Mt 27) As the Son fulfills not His will but His Father’s, there’s devastating silence from the Father. The Son bursts forth: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Mk 15) Indeed, “It pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.” (Is 53) Yet, why? Why did it have to be this way? “Must it happen thus?” (Mt 26) Yes, and 2 Corinthians tells you why: “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” (2-Cor 5)

Yes, “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” (2-Cor 5) Christ became your sin in your place. He really did “bear your sins in His own body on the tree.” (1-Pet 2) He really was “the Lamb of God [bearing] all the sins of the whole world.” Christ was the greatest sinner there ever was or will be. Not because He committed any sin. He is Himself sinless. (Heb 10) In fact, “he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.” (Is 53) And yet, all sin rested upon Him, was His, in fact, the whole lot of sins was piled upon Him, credited to His account, in such a real, true, and profound way that, in fact, “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” (2-Cor 5) And so Christ was the greatest sinner of all time not by action but by imputation, which means, they are credited to His account, even though He didn’t Himself do a single one of them.

You did. I did. But what God did to Christ, He did for you. Christ Himself willingly did it for you. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of of all.” (Is 53) “He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we would die to sin and live for righteousness, by His wounds you have been healed.” (1-Pet 2) “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2-Cor 5)

(1. God made Him to be sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.)

So, what are you? What are you before God? What’s your standing? How do you measure up? How are you living your life before Him? Are you living your life for Him, or are you living for yourself? How “new” are you really? A “new creation” like a “new” car—like “brand new” or just “new to you”? What of your iniquity? Your transgression? Your sin? What can or should be said about you this Good Friday evening?

You are the very righteousness of God. You are a “brand-new creation” through Baptism, because baptism places you in Christ through faith. So, you are now a beloved son of the Father. You are holy, righteous, good. You are reconciled to the Father. All in Christ. In you, in your flesh, not one bit. (In fact, it keeps on rearing up!) But God accounts you righteous. As it was for Abraham so it is for you: He “trusted in the LORD and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Get 15) For “we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (Rom 3) For you are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ ΙΗϹ.” (Rom 3) Now “to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” (Rom 4)

“Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord ΙΗϹ Christ.” (Rom 5) “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Your record—expunged, absolved, forgiven. He “nailed it to the cross.” (Col 2) Indeed, “baptism, which now saves you,” grants you “an appeal of good conscience before God.” (1-Pet 3)

“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2-Cor 5) That’s what you are. He was cursed—“cursed is everyone hanged on a tree.” (Gal 3) You are blessed, saved. And what about what you do? To “live no longer for [yourself], but for Him who died for [you] and rose again?” That’s on Him. For by Baptism through faith “[You] have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]; and the life which [you] now live in the flesh [you] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for [you].” (Gal 2)

(Conclusion.)

So, what are you? What are you before God? What’s your standing? How do you measure up? How are you living your life before Him? Are you living your life for Him, or are you living for yourself? How “new” are you really? A “new creation” like a “new” car—like “brand new” or just “new to you”? What of your iniquity? Your transgression? Your sin? What can or should be said about you this Good Friday evening?

This was and is and is forever true: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2-Cor 5) And so you are by faith in Him!

᛭ INI ᛭