worship guide
Good Friday Resources for Pastors: Sermon Guides, Liturgy, & Tenebrae Service
Planning a Good Friday service for April 3, 2026? Find sermon guides for John 18, Psalm 22, and Isaiah 53, a complete Tenebrae order of service, liturgy by type, and sermon angles from the blog.
Updated for Good Friday 2026
On that Friday, there was no chance that the disciples might have ever imaged it would be called "Good." But amid the darkness and sorrow of this day, God and humanity are reconciled. It truly is Good Friday.
This guide brings TPW's sermon and liturgy resources for Good Friday (April 3, 2026) together in one place. You'll find scripture guides for preaching and lectionary guides which include selected liturgy. You'll also find liturgy (including a full Tenebrae service) organized by type and both sermon and liturgy resources organized by themes related to Good Friday. We also have selected some insights from the blog to assist your sermon and service planning.
Use the links below to find resources quickly. This page includes both free and premium resources. If you aren't a subscriber yet, consider a 14-day free trial to see how TPW can help your ministry.
Preaching Guides for Good Friday
Lectionary Guides include preaching commentary, illustrations, quotes, and liturgy (Complete Package subscribers). Scripture Guides offer the same sermon content without liturgy (Essentials subscribers).
John 18:1-19:42 | John's Passion Narrative
Jesus is betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified.
Psalm 22 | "Why Have You Forsaken Me?"
Jesus' cry on the cross pulled in the bigger picture of a rich lament that contains more hope than the first lines suggest.
Psalm 22 | Lament and Praise
The psalmist teaches us a profound lesson about our relationship with God as he moves back and forth between lament and praise, between abandonment and trust.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 | The Suffering Servant
On Good Friday, Jesus fulfilled a role foretold in the book of Isaiah. A people returning from exile looked forward to someone who would ultimately reconcile them to God.
Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 | The Great High Priest
Jesus' death must be seen in light of the sacrifices conducted by the priests in the temple. Hebrews tells us that Jesus takes this role and gives us the ability to approach God in a totally new way.
Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 | The Mediator Between Us and God
Through his death, Jesus bridges the gap between us and God, allowing us to pray boldly, trusting in the mediation of our Great High Priest.
Good Friday Sermon Ideas
Need a fresh angle for your Good Friday sermon? These reflections from ministry experts explore themes like sorrow, loneliness, suffering, and sacrifice, offering angles and launching points for your own Good Friday sermons. View free on the TPW blog.
"Good" Friday — In our dark moments, it is difficult to see how they could be good. But just as Jesus' death can be called "good" today, we may find that a similar redemption is possible in the future.
Forsaken and Alone — A meditation on Jesus's cry on the cross: "Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani." What does it mean that Jesus experienced being forsaken?
Between the Poles of Human Experience — Good Friday and Easter mark extremes that we experience in our own lives and teaches us that God is present in every experience of our lives — not just the good ones.
Good Friday Worship Service
Good Friday services often include a number of symbolic acts to help commemorate the death of Christ and its theological significance. For a discussion of these and options for your own services, see this blog post.
We offer a full Tenebrae order of service for Good Friday. It focuses on the account of the crucifixion from the Gospel of John and includes instructions for symbolic commemorations like "the Great Noise" (Strepitus). Adapted from Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois.
Requires Complete Package subscription.
Good Friday Liturgy by Type
Find Sermon and Liturgy Resources by Theme
Sermon resources accessible to all paid subscribers. Liturgy requires Complete Package subscription.
Good Friday Frequently Asked Questions
Good Friday's Lectionary readings do not vary by cycle. The texts are
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22
Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42
See our scripture and lectionary guides for Good Friday.
Tenebrae means "darkness" or "shadows." Tenebrae services on Good Friday date back to the 7th or 8th century. It is somber, lingering in the reality of the unjust death of Jesus on the cross through symbolic actions. Over the course of the service, candles that light the sanctuary are extinguished, reminding us of the midday darkness on the day of Jesus' death. A physical cross is often used to remind the congregation that they leave their sins at the cross.
At the end of the service are a number of dramatic acts:
removing the Christ candle,
the tearing of a cloth,
the strepitus for the closing of the tomb,
the slamming shut of the book of the old covenant, and
the return of the Christ candle.
These all teach separate lessons about the day of Jesus' death.
See ideas for leading a Tenebrae service above.
There are two main reasons that Good Friday services traditionally end in silence, with no benediction or sending. The first is that the Good Friday service is traditionally seen as part of a single service that begins on Thursday and ends on Easter. The service doesn't end. The people may leave the sanctuary, but the remembrance and worship continues.
The other is that it highlights the solemnity and grief of Good Friday. Even though Good Friday truly is good, it is also the most terrible day in history, the day on which the Son of God was killed by humanity. In traditional services, the congregation leaves in silent meditation, not with the hubbub of an upbeat blessing.
Though this is a traditional practice in many churches, it is not universal or required. It is a liturgical choice you may or may not make, depending on your congregation's needs.
The Strepitus signifies the closing of the tomb (or the earthquake at the death of Jesus) and may be made in a number of ways:
A heavy door slammed out of sight.
A cymbal clash or a deep drumming.
The slamming down or dropping of a hymnal or heavy book.
Playing of a deep, rumbling note on the organ.
Have the congregation bang their hymnals on the pews.
The "closing of the book" is a similar tradition, though it's symbolism is a little different. In this tradition, a book is slammed closed, making a loud noise. This symbolizes the closing of the Old Covenant by its fulfillment through the death of Jesus.