Good Friday celebrations were held across Shanghai, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Fujian churches.
On April 7, Good Friday, Hudong Church in Shanghai conducted a service to commemorate the passion of Jesus Christ, in which Pastor Ruth Zhang shared a sermon titled "Jesus on the Cross", citing Luke 23: 33-49.
She first explained that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice, saying that as the wages of sin was death, sinful people had no access to God and no hope of life. Jesus is a lamb without sin, and He can forgive people of their sins. By one sacrifice, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. God gave Christians victory through Jesus, whose death was His perfect plan of redemption, the pastor added.
Adorned by candles on the altar, Huxi Church in Shanghai held a special gathering of the Youth Fellowship to meditate on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross.
Changtu County Church in Tieling City, Liaoning Province, held a worship service with two "unexpected harvests."
After reading Matthew 26:57-68 and Isaiah 53:4-7, Elder Chen Yu, the person in charge of the church, preached a sermon titled "Christ-Silent Lamb", hosting a baptism and communion service later.
Two believers, who once sued the church and church leaders and were sent to the detention center for petitioning the town government for trouble, were inspired by the redemption of the Lord on the cross. They cried their eyes out and took communion after prayers. They rarely came to church to attend meetings before, and even if they did, they didn't listen to sermons or take communion.
Before the baptism, originally for one female church member, three seekers asked to be baptized because they intended to accept Jesus Christ as their savior. The family of God has added three more members.
Sicheng Church in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, held a service recalling the 14 stations of the cross that Jesus Christ experienced. Through reading the Bible and praying, churchgoers commemorated His crucifixion and sacrifice as white candles were lit in the front.
Banshan Church in Hangzhou held a special service with spiritual reflections on the "Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross" from pastors, elders, and staff workers, followed by a communion service.
Gracious Light Church (or Enguang Church) in Chengdu, Sichuan, carried out a prayer meeting with a meditation on "Fourteen Stations on the Way of the Cross."
At the beginning of the meeting, church staff distributed card paper and pens to attendees, who were invited to write down what they most needed to change and break through. In the next session, by candlelight, church staff recited the fourteen stations of the cross and related scriptures in turn.
At the end of the prayer meeting, the leader guided worshippers to go to the altar and nail the cards to the cross in front of the altar, implying to crucify the old self with Jesus on the cross again and to live a life for the Lord.
During the service held at Zhushu Church in Xiamen City, Fujian Province, Rev. Yang Yingping shared a sermon with the title "Meditate on the Lord's Cross", citing 1 Corinthians 1: 22-23.
Starting with the topic "The Cross-Symbol of Redemption," Pastor Yang claimed that in the Roman Empire at that time, the cross was originally a shameful symbol of sin and death, but because of the Lord Jesus, the cross became a symbol of redemption and a glorious sign of eternal life and victory.
Then, the pastor explained to believers the next topic "The Cross-Sovereign Love of God", stating that Jesus was crucified not for others, but for each of them.
After the communion service hosted by Senior Pastor Wu Ruizhang, the worship service concluded with a hymn in the southern Fujian language.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
上海，辽宁，四川，浙江，福建教会举行受难日礼拜。
4月7日，受难日，上海基督教沪东堂举行纪念耶稣基督受难礼拜。张路德教士以路加福音23章33到49节的经文分享了“上十字架的耶稣”。
她首先解释到，耶稣上十字架是为了献祭。罪的工价就是死。有罪的人不能来到神面前，也没有生的希望。耶稣是无罪的羔羊，他的宝血有赦罪的功效。他一次献祭，便叫那得以成圣的人永远完全。其次，耶稣的死亡恰恰宣告了他的得胜，是他救赎计划的完美实施。
讲台上装饰着蜡烛的上海市沪西礼拜堂举行青年团契受难节特别聚会：十架七言默想。
辽宁省铁岭市昌图县教会在受难日上午举行了崇拜聚会，有两个“意外的惊喜”。
昌图县基督教会负责人陈宇长老带领会众读圣马太福音26章57-68节和以赛亚书53章4至7节，然后证道《基督——沉默的羔羊》。然后举行圣洗礼和圣餐礼。
当年控告教会、控告教会负责人，曾经在镇政府上访取闹的、还被警方送进看守所的两个信徒，被圣子我们的主在十字架的救赎所感召，他们在祷告的时候“哭得稀里哗啦的”，也都领受圣餐了。他们之前基本不到教会来参加聚会，即使来了也不领受传道人的证道、不领受圣餐。
“意外惊喜”二：本来计划中就是一位姊妹受洗归主，但是却有三个人走向圣台要求接受耶稣基督作生命的主，要受洗，这是“计划外”的呀！神家又加增了三位信徒。
4月7日晚，杭州思澄堂举办受难夜纪念崇拜，围绕耶稣基督所经历的苦路十四站，借着读经与祷告，带领众人回想主所背负的十字架，与耶稣同行，纪念祂的受难与牺牲。
杭州基督教会半山堂在当天下午举行受难日特别崇拜。牧师 长老 同工一同分享了《耶稣的十架七言》。分享过后诗班献唱《十架七言》。随后举行圣餐礼。
2023年4月7日是受难日，成都基督教恩光堂于当晚举行了“苦路十四站”默想祷告会。
祷告会一开始，教会服侍同工为来参加的人发了卡片纸和笔，主领人邀请大家把自己最想改变和突破的部分写下来，把“老我”和耶稣同钉十字架。在接下来的环节中，在烛光中，教会同工依次诵读苦路十四站和相关经文。
祷告会的最后，主领人邀请大家依次前往台前，将之前写好的卡片钉在台前的十字架上，寓意把过去的老我和耶稣重新钉在十字架上，重新站立，过一个为主而活的人生。
4月7日晚，福建省厦门市竹树堂举行受难日圣餐崇拜，当晚崇拜中，杨映屏牧师以哥林多前书1章22-23节经文进行了题为《默想主的十架》的证道
在证道中，杨牧师从“十字架——救赎的记号”讲起，首先向大家阐明，在当时的罗马帝国，十字架原本是罪与死的耻辱标志，但是因着主耶稣，十字架却成为了救赎永生与得胜的荣耀标志。
在第二部分，牧师围绕“十字架——上帝主权的爱与记号”进行了阐释，她带领会众反省宣告，主被钉死在十架上的原因不是别人，而正是我们每一个人自身。
证道结束后，该堂主任牧师吴瑞章牧师登台主领圣餐礼，在闽南圣诗中，受难日圣餐崇拜落下帷幕。
各地受难日礼拜
Good Friday celebrations were held across Shanghai, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Fujian churches.
On April 7, Good Friday, Hudong Church in Shanghai conducted a service to commemorate the passion of Jesus Christ, in which Pastor Ruth Zhang shared a sermon titled "Jesus on the Cross", citing Luke 23: 33-49.
She first explained that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice, saying that as the wages of sin was death, sinful people had no access to God and no hope of life. Jesus is a lamb without sin, and He can forgive people of their sins. By one sacrifice, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. God gave Christians victory through Jesus, whose death was His perfect plan of redemption, the pastor added.
Adorned by candles on the altar, Huxi Church in Shanghai held a special gathering of the Youth Fellowship to meditate on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross.
Changtu County Church in Tieling City, Liaoning Province, held a worship service with two "unexpected harvests."
After reading Matthew 26:57-68 and Isaiah 53:4-7, Elder Chen Yu, the person in charge of the church, preached a sermon titled "Christ-Silent Lamb", hosting a baptism and communion service later.
Two believers, who once sued the church and church leaders and were sent to the detention center for petitioning the town government for trouble, were inspired by the redemption of the Lord on the cross. They cried their eyes out and took communion after prayers. They rarely came to church to attend meetings before, and even if they did, they didn't listen to sermons or take communion.
Before the baptism, originally for one female church member, three seekers asked to be baptized because they intended to accept Jesus Christ as their savior. The family of God has added three more members.
Sicheng Church in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, held a service recalling the 14 stations of the cross that Jesus Christ experienced. Through reading the Bible and praying, churchgoers commemorated His crucifixion and sacrifice as white candles were lit in the front.
Banshan Church in Hangzhou held a special service with spiritual reflections on the "Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross" from pastors, elders, and staff workers, followed by a communion service.
Gracious Light Church (or Enguang Church) in Chengdu, Sichuan, carried out a prayer meeting with a meditation on "Fourteen Stations on the Way of the Cross."
At the beginning of the meeting, church staff distributed card paper and pens to attendees, who were invited to write down what they most needed to change and break through. In the next session, by candlelight, church staff recited the fourteen stations of the cross and related scriptures in turn.
At the end of the prayer meeting, the leader guided worshippers to go to the altar and nail the cards to the cross in front of the altar, implying to crucify the old self with Jesus on the cross again and to live a life for the Lord.
During the service held at Zhushu Church in Xiamen City, Fujian Province, Rev. Yang Yingping shared a sermon with the title "Meditate on the Lord's Cross", citing 1 Corinthians 1: 22-23.
Starting with the topic "The Cross-Symbol of Redemption," Pastor Yang claimed that in the Roman Empire at that time, the cross was originally a shameful symbol of sin and death, but because of the Lord Jesus, the cross became a symbol of redemption and a glorious sign of eternal life and victory.
Then, the pastor explained to believers the next topic "The Cross-Sovereign Love of God", stating that Jesus was crucified not for others, but for each of them.
After the communion service hosted by Senior Pastor Wu Ruizhang, the worship service concluded with a hymn in the southern Fujian language.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Good Friday Observed in Chinese Churches
