Introduction

Good Friday is often considered the gloomiest day of Holy Week. This is the day when our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. In remembering this day, most of us would imagine the terrible things our Lord suffered. Crucifixion, of course, was considered a most horrific form of execution designed to inflict maximum pain and humiliation. But, in telling us what happened, the Gospel writers did not focus on the sufferings of Jesus. Mark, for example, simply reported, “And they crucified him.” (Mark 15:24) Instead of all the gory details, Mark focuses on the attitudes and actions of the people who were there to highlight “three deadly sins” that keep us from developing life-giving relationships with one another.

Three Deadly Sins

1. Indifference (Mark 15:21-27) – Most of us are indifferent. We couldn’t care less about what others are going through. We may care about ourselves, our loved ones, or our friends, but usually, that’s all we care about. Unless forced, we don’t think about other people’s needs. We also experience this from other people. Only God’s saving grace in Christ can transform us so that we would learn to care for others.
2. Insult (Mark 15:29-32) – It’s easy for us to find fault or to criticize. We tend to hurl insults at one another. Our tongues are often used to hurt or mock. We would often excuse our faults but blame others for the slightest mistake. We have also experienced this from others, making us feel accused, isolated, or rejected. Only God’s saving grace in Christ can transform our mouths so that we would use it to build up others.
3. Injustice (Mark 15:33-39) – We do not practice justice and mercy. We mistreat the innocent rather than defend them or rescue them. Instead of upholding the weak, or helping those who are treated unjustly, we tolerate the injustice. Or we turn a blind eye until it’s too late. Sometimes we even participate in systems of injustice. Only God’s saving grace in Christ can transform us so that we would learn to be just and merciful toward the innocent.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “Jesus died to deliver us also from deadly sins.”
2. Our problem is not just the abstract idea of sin but the concrete deadly effects of sinful attitudes and actions in our relationships.
3. We need deliverance not just from sin but also from “deadly sins”. Only Jesus can do that for us.

Discussion

1. How do “deadly sins” bring “death” to our relationships?
2. How can Jesus deliver us from these “deadly sins”?
3. What do you need to do to experience this deliverance?