Sermon Brainwave 1077: Good Friday - April 3, 2026

Good Friday arrives with some of the heaviest texts of the liturgical year — and Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders are here to help you preach them well.

This episode covers all four lectionary readings for Good Friday (April 2, 2026): Isaiah 52:13–53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16–25, and John 18–19. The hosts explore where preachers might "drop into" the long Johannine passion narrative, discuss Jesus' three last words in John ("I thirst," "Woman, here is your son," and "It is finished"), and reflect on what they reveal about Jesus' full humanity and divinity.

The conversation also takes up Pilate's conflicted role as a study in the corrupting logic of power, René Girard's scapegoat theory as a lens on Jesus' innocence, the underrepresentation of lament in the lectionary (30 of 45 omitted psalms are lament psalms), and how Hebrews 10 speaks both to the meaning of the cross and to the life of the community gathered around it.

Whether you're preaching a full sermon, leading a Seven Last Words service, or simply holding space for grief this Good Friday, this episode offers rich theological grounding and pastoral encouragement.