Good Friday Joplin Missouri — Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Join us for this Good Friday Divine Service at Immanuel Lutheran Church LCMS in Joplin, Missouri, where we gathered on April 3, 2026 to commemorate the Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of all our sins. Preached by Rev. Christopher Ramstad with DCE Jason Glaskey.
Good Friday Joplin Missouri: The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Good Friday is the most solemn day in the Christian church year — the day on which the Son of God was crucified, suffered, died, and was buried for the sins of the world. At Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri, we observe Good Friday with reverence and grief, but also with the quiet confidence of those who know the rest of the story. The death of Jesus Christ is not a tragedy — it is the very means by which God reconciled the world to Himself and purchased our forgiveness with the price of His own blood.
Lutheran theology has always placed the cross at the center of its proclamation. Martin Luther himself taught that the theology of the cross — theologia crucis — stands in contrast to a theology of glory that looks for God in power and triumph. We find God most clearly on Good Friday, in the weakness and suffering of the crucified Christ, who bears the full weight of our sin and the full wrath of God against it, so that we might be set free.
Note: The worship broadcast experienced several technical difficulties this evening. The recording contains the portions that were salvageable. We apologize for any interruptions.
Good Friday Service Details — April 3, 2026
Date: Good Friday, April 3, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Preacher: Rev. Christopher Ramstad
Assistant: DCE Jason Glaskey
Liturgy: The Chief Service — The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (LSB)
Church: Immanuel Lutheran Church LCMS, Joplin, Missouri
Scripture Readings for Good Friday
Old Testament — Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (The Suffering Servant): Seven centuries before the crucifixion, the prophet Isaiah foretold in stunning detail the suffering of the Messiah: despised, rejected, stricken, smitten, and afflicted — bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows. “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” This prophecy finds its perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant who gave His life as a ransom for many.
Epistle — Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9 (Our Great High Priest): Jesus Christ is our great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, who in every respect has been tempted as we are — yet without sin. Through His obedience and His suffering, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. We therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Holy Gospel — John 18–19 (The Passion of Our Lord): The account of the betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus Christ as recorded by St. John. In John’s telling, Jesus goes to the cross with sovereign authority — no one takes His life from Him; He lays it down of His own accord. “It is finished” — the debt is paid, the sacrifice is complete, and the work of redemption is accomplished.
What Good Friday Means for Lutheran Christians
For confessional Lutherans, Good Friday is not an occasion for despair but for profound, sober gratitude. The death of Jesus Christ is the heart of the Gospel. Every sin — past, present, and future — was laid upon Him on the cross. The law’s condemnation of us was fully satisfied in Him. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
The Good Friday service at Immanuel Lutheran Church traditionally includes the reading or chanting of the full Passion narrative, the veneration of the cross, and prayer for the whole world. We leave in silence, with the weight of what has been proclaimed — and with the promise that Sunday is coming.
About Immanuel Lutheran Church — Joplin, Missouri
Immanuel Lutheran Church is a confessional congregation of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) in Joplin, Missouri. We worship each week in the historic Lutheran liturgy using the Lutheran Service Book, proclaiming the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ — crucified for our sins and raised for our justification — through Word and Sacrament.
Worship times: Sundays at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM | Sunday School & Bible Classes at 9:20 AM
📍 Joplin, Missouri | immanueljoplin.com | View all sermons and services