Ligonier Ministries Blog

1. The Midnight Trial

   In John’s gospel, we read these familiar words: > For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16–17) These two verses are filled with optimism and encouragement. But John goes on to record Jesus’ next words: > “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:18–21) Churches around the world observe Maundy Thursday each year. Many also conduct what is called a Tenebrae service, a service of darkness, because of the events that occurred that Thursday evening in Jerusalem. It was a full moon that night before the Passover. And yet that was the darkest night in the history of the world. As Jesus was meeting in the upper room with His disciples to celebrate the Passover one last time, two of the men at that table would betray Him in the coming hours: one by selling Him to His enemies for thirty pieces of silver (Judas), and the other by blaspheming and denying publicly that he even knew Jesus (Peter). Many significant events occurred that night. First, Jesus delivered the longest discourse that we find in Scripture regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Second, He instituted foot-washing for His disciples. Third, he announced His last will and testament, saying to them before His departure: > Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1–3) Fourth, he reassured them: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). And fifth, Jesus prayed what has been called His High Priestly Prayer, praying that He might enter again into the glory He had with His Father from before the foundation of the world. But principally, He focused the prayer on intercession for His disciples (ch. 17). When all this was finished, the meeting ended with the singing of a hymn, and they left the upper room to go to the garden of Gethsemane. Keep in mind that all these things started that evening after the sun had set. Twenty-four hours later, Jesus would be dead and buried. In anguish in Gethsemane, He prayed alone to His Father, saying: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). The disciples couldn’t stay awake with Him for even one hour. They fell asleep while He was wrestling with the Father in prayer. And the Father obviously gave the answer to His Son, saying, in effect: “No, I’ve set this cup before You. This is Your destiny, and You must drink it to its bitter dregs.” Then there was a sound of a tumult as a huge contingent of armed soldiers arrived, led by Judas. Judas kissed Jesus with the kiss of death, identifying Him for the soldiers, that they might arrest Him. So dark was that night. The soldiers had a job to do. It was a matter of urgency that they arrest Jesus and bring Him bound to the Sanhedrin so that He might be subjected to trial by the Jewish authorities. Why the hurry? It was inappropriate, improper, and illegal for a capital trial to be carried out at night. It was also illegal to have a capital trial that did not last at least two days, since it was incumbent on the prosecution to interrogate several witnesses. But this was a kangaroo court. It took place in the dead of night. The Jewish leaders had to get their decision finalized because they could not execute a criminal on the Sabbath, which would begin at dusk the next day. Since the Jews were not permitted under the law of their Roman occupiers to carry out the death penalty, they first had to convict Jesus among the Jewish Sanhedrin and then take Him to Pontius Pilate for the secular judgment. Pilate would hold court only in the mornings, so all their business had to be done that night. John 3:19 says, “This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” One of the things we read in Revelation about the new heaven and new earth is that there will be no night there. There will be no sun, moon, or stars, or any artificial light, because the Lamb’s radiance and refulgent glory will supply the light for heaven. There is no darkness in heaven because darkness is the context preferred by the wicked. Think for a moment how many diabolical acts in the world today take place after sundown and before sunup. We, in our fallen condition, are by nature children of darkness. We prefer the darkness so that we can do those evil deeds that can’t stand the scrutiny of daytime. To have a kangaroo court driven by expediency to convict the perfect, sinless Son of God is not something that could possibly have taken place in the light of day. And so they dragged Jesus first to Annas. Annas had formerly been the high priest, but he had been deposed by Pontius Pilate’s predecessor, even though the high priest normally maintained that position for his entire life. But in the minds of the Jews, Annas was still the leading authority, and they went to him first. Annas interrogated Jesus regarding His claims to be the Messiah. When Jesus asked Annas for the testimony against Him, He said: > I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said. (John 18:20–21) In other words, Jesus was saying: “I teach where there are a multitude of witnesses. Where are your witnesses?” The only “witnesses” they had were false witnesses who had been hired to tell lies about Jesus. The witnesses for the defense were not allowed to speak. When Jesus raised that question, one of the officials slapped Him across the face and snarled, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” (John 18:22). Jesus responded, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” (John 18:23). Annas had had enough. He had heard all that he wanted to hear, so he directed that Jesus be sent to Caiaphas, who was his son-in-law and the reigning high priest. Jesus then had a second trial that night with the Jewish authorities, who accused Jesus of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God. Yet even that accusation was a violation of Jewish law. Blasphemy required that a person use the name of God in a profane way, and Jesus had never done that. The Jewish leaders were convinced that Jesus was guilty of a capital offense, but they also knew that Rome would never execute Him for blasphemy because Rome didn’t care about that. So they sent Him to Pilate with the charge that Jesus claimed to be king: “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king” (Luke 23:2). Pilate immediately understood that this was a Jewish problem, so he sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. After that encounter, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, and during that trial, Pilate proclaimed, “I find no guilt in him” (John 18:38). Nevertheless, to appease the Jews, Pilate delivered Jesus over to be flogged. After the crown of thorns had been placed on Jesus’ head, after He been whipped and spit upon, Pilate announced, “Behold the man!” (John 19:5). The night was over, and dawn had broken. And in the light of day, they took Jesus away to be crucified.

2. Why Is Good Friday Called “Good”?

   Good Friday, which commemorates the suffering and death of Jesus, has long been celebrated in the Christian church. The historical record is unclear regarding how the church came to call this day “Good Friday” since the term is not mentioned in Scripture. Some have posited that it was originally called “God’s Friday” and later morphed into “Good Friday,” but most linguists find that theory untenable. It’s more likely that the term comes from an antiquated meaning of “good” as “holy”—in other words, “Holy Friday.” Regardless of how this term developed historically, the fact remains that Christians do see Good Friday as good in the way we understand the term today—a fact that some people might find puzzling. Why would Christians call “good” a day that saw their leader experience horrific injustice at the hands of corrupt religious rulers and put to death by the Romans on a shameful torture device? At first glance, there appears to be nothing good about this day at all. Jesus’ followers certainly didn’t see it as good when they mourned His death that Friday and Saturday. The disciples who had given up their livelihoods, believing they would be key players in a messianic kingdom that would overthrow the rule of Rome, had their hopes and dreams dashed. Indeed, if Jesus’ death on that dark day had been the end of the story, people would rightly view Christians as objects of pity (1 Cor. 15:17–19). Why, then, do Christians call Good Friday “good”? The answer is that Resurrection Sunday interprets and transforms Good Friday. We see woven throughout Scripture the pattern of “not good” later being reinterpreted as God sovereignly uses it to bring about what is good. For example, consider the story of Joseph in Genesis. There is nothing inherently good about being betrayed by one’s own brothers, sold into slavery in a foreign country, and—just as things seem to finally be getting better—being falsely accused, thrown into prison, and forgotten by a fellow prisoner turned freeman. It would be natural to stamp “not good” over these parts of Joseph’s story. Yet in God’s mysterious but wonderful providence, He fashions good from these “not good” raw materials, using Joseph and his eventual position of authority in Egypt to save not only Joseph’s family from starvation but the entire region. In retrospect, Joseph can say of his brothers’ evil betrayal of him, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:20, emphasis added). So it is with the evil events of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. As the Apostle Peter makes clear in his sermon at Pentecost, Jesus was indeed “crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23) who “killed the Author of life” (Acts 3:15). It was evil for these people to knowingly sentence to death an innocent man who was also God incarnate. But over all these events, God was sovereignly working out a plan that had been prophesied through the ages to bring about the greatest good from the greatest evil. What was the good that God was working in the death of Jesus that Friday? Scripture makes clear that humankind is in a predicament. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The evil and ugliness of sin separates us from the glorious, perfect, and holy God, who in His righteousness and justice must judge sin (Rom. 2:5–6; 5:9–10; 1 Thess. 1:10). What hope do we have as we hurl toward a future of eternal separation from the love of God, and instead face His righteous wrath against our sin? We lack the righteousness that is required to stand in God’s presence and can’t pay the debt we owe for our sin. There would be no hope apart from the triune God’s plan in eternity past to bring us a salvation that we cannot secure for ourselves. The second person of the Trinity, the Son, took on human flesh and lived the perfectly righteous life that we all fail to live. On the cross, according to God’s own plan (Acts 2:23), Jesus faced much more than the wrath of the Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers. He faced and satisfied (or “propitiated”) the wrath of God Himself for the sins of all those who belong to Him (Rom. 5:9–10; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2). The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed forward to Jesus, who is both the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice (Heb. 9:12, 26). His perfect life and substitutionary, sacrificial death satisfied God’s righteous wrath and judgment against the sins of all who trust in Christ alone for salvation. Jesus, the perfectly righteous One, took the punishment for our sins upon Himself, and we who deserve eternal punishment for our unrighteousness receive the perfect righteousness of Christ. Therefore, Good Friday is good because through His death, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal. 3:13–14; 4:5). Because Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24), we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of our trespasses (Eph. 1:7). We are ransomed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18–19). We are justified, saved from the wrath of God, and reconciled to God (Rom. 5:9–10). The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day validates all that He accomplished on Good Friday, revealing that death has no ultimate claim on Him (Acts 2:24). His triumph over death in His resurrection shows that He has the power and ability to secure our justification (Rom. 4:25). The resurrection proves that He really is God (Rom. 1:4) and that God’s wrath was indeed satisfied by Christ’s atoning death. Because Jesus bore God’s wrath for the sins of all who would trust in this provision by faith alone, Christians will never face the wrath of God against their sins or be separated from God, for they are united to Christ in His death and in His life. In short, Good Friday is good because on this day, the greatest exchange took place: “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). May we then declare with the Apostle Paul, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15).

3. What Do You Do When You Struggle to Pray?

   What do you do when you struggle to pray? Every Christian knows this struggle. We recognize our staggering privilege to address our holy God and to approach His throne of grace. Yet we struggle to remain consistent. Other priorities crowd in, our minds wander, and we do not know what to pray for (Rom. 8:26). Even the disciples, who walked with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry, needed to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). When I need to regain focus in my prayer life, I find renewed direction by remembering the purpose and significance of prayer. Ligonier’s founder, Dr. R.C. Sproul, emphasized the importance of prayer because he emphasized the character of God. He reminded us that prayer is more than a spiritual habit. It is worship. It is communion. And, in God’s providence, prayer is one of the primary means that the Lord uses to accomplish His purposes in the world. R.C. said: “If we want to reach the world with the gospel, we must recover a vital understanding of the place and importance of prayer. If we are to live transformed lives and seek reformation in the church, we must begin with prayer.” This conviction drove Dr. Sproul’s teaching ministry, and it shapes the discipleship outreach of Ligonier today. Your prayers and generosity are vital to the spread of the gospel and the support of the church. Thank you for extending a theological lifeline to help Christians know God deeply and live in grateful dependence upon Him. This month, when you give a donation to Ligonier, we’ll send you The Valley of Vision. Dr. Sproul identified this book as a great aid to his own prayer life. I received a copy in my college years and return to it often. It is a treasured collection of written prayers from various Puritans, wise pastors and theologians who excelled at praying with both doctrinal precision and soul-penetrating depth. These devotional prayers help us keep our eyes fixed on who God is. He is faithful. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is glorious. They model a way to approach the Lord with reverence and humility, resting our confidence in His steadfast grace. It is crucial for us to regain our focus in prayer, because the church’s vitality—as well as yours and mine—has always been tied to dependence on God. By God’s grace, Ligonier strengthens the church’s reliance on the Lord by providing faithful Bible teaching that calls Christians to earnest prayer. Every day, we strive to advance the kingdom of God by proclaiming who He is—and He is worthy of our endless adoration. Everything we are and all we have depends on the Lord’s gracious provision. Thanks be to God, we can always draw near to His throne of grace with confidence because of Christ (Heb. 4:16). Day by day, the Lord is using your support of Ligonier to equip His people and further His kingdom. As you serve alongside us through your generous giving, you make it possible to: Proclaim the holy character of God clearly on Renewing Your Mind, YouTube, the free Ligonier app, and many other digital platforms. Strengthen Christian discipleship by publishing new books, releasing video teaching series, and holding in-person teaching and training events​. Equip Christian leaders worldwide by providing pastors, prison chaplains, and military chaplains​ with the teaching resources they need. Expand global church support and release additional teaching every week in the world’s 20 most-spoken languages. Mobilize Christians to pray for awakening and the spread of the gospel until Christ is glorified among every tribe, people, and nation. None of this happens apart from prayer. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain (Ps. 127:1). Every outreach we undertake depends upon His blessing. Every door He opens is an answer to prayer (Col. 4:3). Every mind renewed and life transformed is the work of His grace alone. That is why your partnership in the gospel matters so much. Our sovereign God uses means to accomplish His purposes. And in His providence, your prayers sustain the work of Ligonier, and your financial support extends it—placing trusted Bible teaching into the hands of Christians hungry to know God. Give today to accelerate outreach, and you’ll receive a special gift edition of The Valley of Vision in the mail. I hope these biblically rich, God-centered prayers from our forefathers in the faith will encourage you to pray with worshipful reverence. Additionally, we would be honored to pray for you. If you would like us to bring your request before the Lord, please contact the Ligonier team. You can email your prayer request to service@ligonier.org or call us at 800-435-4343. Thank you for committing to pray for Ligonier and its kingdom work so that the church may be strengthened and the nations may rejoice in the Lord.

4. What Is Maundy Thursday?

   Many Protestants have attended churches that have had focused worship services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. However, in Protestant churches that do not strictly adhere to the liturgical calendar and do not celebrate Maundy Thursday, some may be unfamiliar with the terminology and practice of Maundy Thursday. Historically, the Christian church celebrated Maundy Thursday at the beginning of the Triduum (i.e., the three days of Christ’s suffering). The Christian church has done so in commemoration of Jesus’ institution of the Supper, His washing the disciples’ feet, and His giving the new commandment in the upper room on the night He was betrayed. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which, in English, simply means “mandate.” In the upper room (John 13–17), Jesus gave His disciples the new commandment (i.e., the new mandate) after washing their feet. This new commandment is found in John 13:31–35. Having set an example by washing their feet, the Lord Jesus told the Twelve: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It has not been uncommon for believers to misunderstand the symbolism of the foot washing and Jesus’ subsequent new commandment. Christ was not instituting a practice of foot washing as a sacrament in this act; neither was He teaching us that we fulfill the new commandment by literally washing the feet of other believers. Rather, He was acting out in His service of His disciples a parable regarding what He would do on the cross. Jonathan Edwards helpfully explains: > There were . . . symbolical representations given of that great event this evening; one in the passover, which Christ now partook of with his disciples . . . another in this remarkable action of his washing his disciples’ feet. Washing the feet of guests was the office of servants, and one of their meanest offices: and therefore was fitly chosen by our Savior to represent that great abasement which he was to be the subject of in the form of a servant, in becoming obedient unto death, even that ignominious and accursed death of the cross, that he might cleanse the souls of his disciples from their guilt and spiritual pollution. By rising, stooping, and rising again, Jesus was acting out His incarnate humiliation and subsequent exaltation (cf. John 13:3–14; Phil. 2:1–11). In the new commandment, Jesus is giving His disciples—who would become the foundation stones of the new covenant church—a mandate to serve and care for the spiritual good of His people. As Christ would die on the cross to wash the filthy souls of those He came to redeem, so He commands His disciples to follow His example in caring for the spiritual needs of others. This command is fulfilled in the preaching of the gospel and the calling of sinners to the Savior. By way of application, believers are also to care for the temporal needs of other believers. Since Jesus is the Savior of soul and body, so He calls elders and deacons to care for the spiritual and temporal (i.e., material, physical, etc.) needs of His people. The commandment to love and serve others is not unique to the New Testament. In the old covenant law, God gave His people the command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18). What is distinct about the “new commandment” is that Jesus is fulfilling it in His sacrificial life and death for the redemption of His people. No one but Christ had ever so kept the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Through His sacrificial service, Jesus fulfilled Leviticus 19:18 for the redemption of His people and set the example of what it means to love and serve others. : Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 2, “Sermon XVI: Christ the Example of Ministers, John 13:15, 16” (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993).

5. Crucial Questions Booklets: Explore the Complete Collection

   Can we trust the Bible? Are these the last days? How should we approach suffering? Get concise answers to the most common and difficult questions about the Christian faith with Dr. R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series. From parables to predestination to prayer, this collection of 50 booklets communicates core Christian truths in everyday language, equipping you for thoughtful evangelism and discipleship. With the release of three new titles, How Should I Worship?, Why Is There Conflict in the World?, and What Is Love?, the complete collection of Crucial Questions booklets is now available to help you share clear biblical truth in any setting. Booklets for Every Setting Evangelism Discipleship Personal Study Family Devotions Small Groups Church Outreach Equip Your Church Order copies for your church, small group, or outreach ministry with bulk discounts and church partnership pricing available. Or download all 50 titles as free ebooks to read and share digitally. Ordering from Canada? Place your order through Reformed Book Services to receive the lowest shipping rate.