The Good Friday Question: Is This for Looking At?

Summary

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The Wake-Up Call – "The Good Friday Question: Is This for Looking At?"

Host: John David Walt (J.D. Walt), with guest David Walt
Date: April 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

This Good Friday episode of The Wake-Up Call centers on the theme of "beholding" Jesus—focusing specifically on the act of looking at the crucified Christ and what that means for spiritual transformation. Drawing from personal stories, Scripture (John 1:29, John 1:35–37), and classic hymns, J.D. Walt invites listeners to shift from striving towards change, to simply beholding Jesus, who is the true agent of transformation on Good Friday.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene for Good Friday

(00:00–02:00)

• J.D. Walt opens with a prayer of consecration, urging listeners to "wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you."
• He frames the day through the events of Good Friday, inviting the audience to imagine Jesus on the cross at different hours—emphasizing, "I want you to have that sanctified imagination that Jesus is saying, I belong to you."

2. The Good Friday Question: "Is This for Looking At?"

(02:00–06:30)

• J.D. tells a poignant story of his son David at age 4, noticing a crucifix and asking:
  • Quote (03:35): "Dad, what is this? What do we use this for? Or dad, is this for looking at?" – David Walt
• This question becomes the crux of the reflection—J.D. affirms, "Yes, David, you are exactly right. This is for looking at."
• The concept of beholding—actively looking at Jesus—is positioned as the spiritual method for transformation, rather than self-driven effort.

3. Transformation Comes from Beholding, Not Striving

(06:30–10:30)

• The episode dismantles the myth of self-change:
  • Quote (04:10): "The change that is transformation does not come from trying harder to do more to be better. It comes from beholding. Yes David, this is for looking at. I cannot change myself. Jesus is the change agent." – J.D. Walt
  • The host repeatedly refers to John the Baptist’s words: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
• Transformation, J.D. suggests, manifests as moving from "darkness to light, from death to life, and from chaos to new creation."
• He challenges listeners:
  • Quote (08:13): "You may be thinking, but this feels too easy… But what if it is? What if real change is completely different than we thought? What if it is not up to us to do the changing?"

4. The Shift from Activity to Abiding

(10:30–12:30)

• The focus shifts from religious activity to a posture of reception and abiding in Jesus:
  • "We're making the shift team... from all the burden on us to all the burden on Jesus. Isn't that what he's done? Isn't that Good Friday? He took it on himself."
• Visual reflection on an artwork titled Darkness Tries to Comprehend Light (a carving by Kevin Sparks), underscoring the importance of spending time simply gazing at Christ.

5. Musical Meditation: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and "The Wonderful Cross"

(14:34–19:18)

• J.D. and his father, David, discuss Good Friday’s unique significance ("You actually can't separate his death from his resurrection… we do not skip Good Friday and go straight to Easter").
• They sing verses from Isaac Watts’ classic hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and the modern chorus "The Wonderful Cross," co-written by J.D. Walt and Chris Tomlin.
  • The music invites listeners to deeply "survey," or behold, the cross, reinforcing the episode’s central theme.
  • Notable Lyrics (16:20): "When I survey the wondrous cross / on which the Prince of Glory died / My richest gain I count but loss / and pour contempt on all my pride."

6. Final Reflections and Blessing

(19:18–21:50)

• J.D. shares plans to preach at a Good Friday service in The Woodlands, Texas, highlighting the importance of community and ongoing ministry.
• The episode closes with an encouragement to slow down, breathe deeply, "turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face."
  • Quote (21:09): "Let's just slow down today. Let's walk slower. Let's breathe deeper. Let's turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face."

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Memorable Quotes

• "Beholding Jesus, belonging to Jesus, becoming like Jesus. We bring the beholding, he brings the change."
  — J.D. Walt (06:40)

• "We're shifting from all the burden on us to all the burden on Jesus. Isn't that what he's done? Isn't that Good Friday? He took it on himself."
  — J.D. Walt (11:30)

• "Yes, David. This is for looking at. Yes, Sower Nation. This is for looking at."
  — J.D. Walt (13:05)

• "Do you think Good Friday, dad, is the most significant day in world history, or is it Easter Sunday?"
  — J.D. Walt (14:27)

  • "Friday starts us off... So Friday's it."
    — David Walt (13:44-13:52)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 02:00: Opening prayer and Good Friday setup
• 02:00 – 06:30: Story of young David and "Is this for looking at?" reflection
• 06:30 – 10:30: Beholding Christ as the path to transformation
• 10:30 – 13:44: Visual reflection; abiding vs. striving
• 14:34 – 19:18: Song: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" / "The Wonderful Cross"
• 19:18 – 21:50: Closing reflections, blessing, and encouragement to slow down and behold Christ

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Reflection Prompts (from the episode)

• What does beholding mean to you?
• How do you behold?
• What might it mean to shift the focus from your activity to Jesus' person and presence?

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Tone and Language

Consistently warm, contemplative, and pastoral, J.D. Walt speaks directly to the listener, encouraging a slower, more intentional posture of faith. The episode is rich with familial warmth, scriptural meditation, creativity in music, and a spirit of invitation into the mystery of Good Friday.

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In summary:
This episode is an invitation to pause on Good Friday and simply "look at" Jesus on the cross—not as a passive gaze, but as the core posture for spiritual transformation. "This is for looking at," not for striving or achieving, but for allowing the sacrificial love of Christ to change us from the inside out.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Sower Nation. It is Friday, April 3rd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Good Friday. I'm John David Walt and this is your wake up call. Well, it being Good Friday and Jesus here meeting with us, seems like we should jump right straight in this morning to consecration. Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body as a living sacrifice to you, Jesus, we belong to you. And we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, well, not getting my own air sign to come on air. We'll have to look into that later. Well, it's Good Friday and I want you to imagine with a sanctified imagination all day long that Jesus as he's being lifted up on the cross on the third hour, 9am as he's crying out from the cross in the sixth hour, 12pm noon, high noon. And as he breathes his last in the ninth hour, 3pm I want you to have that sanctified imagination that Jesus is saying, I belong to you. So let's dive into today's entry. It is entitled the Good Friday Question is this for looking at. Our text is John chapter 1, verse 29. Hear now the word of the Lord. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the word of the Lord. Now consider this. Today we come to the day known to history and eternity as Good Friday. One of my best and favorite teachers for all his life so far has been my oldest child, David. One day when he was about 4, he walked into my study and over to my desk. On the desk was a small figurine of Jesus on the cross, a crucifix. David picked the little statue up and began to study it, turning it over and around in his small hands. Then he asked me this question. Dad, what is this? What do we use this for? As I prepared to respond to his question, he said these words I will never forget. Or dad, is this for looking at. As he lifted the little statue of Jesus on the cross up in front of his eyes and my eyes too. I responded, yes, David, you are exactly right. This is for looking at the secret to the answer to transformational question number two. Do I really want to change? Is all wrapped up in David's answer. The change that is transformation does not come from trying harder to do more to be better. It comes from beholding. Yes David, this is for looking at. I cannot change myself. Jesus is the change agent. John knew it that day. John the Baptist said it best. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Sin has us stuck in the brokenness of our fallen selves. We can't get free. Jesus is our freedom. He sets the captives free. Freedom comes through the daily walk of lifting our hearts to him, setting our minds on him, fixing our eyes on him and offering our bodies to him as a living sacrifice. Beholding Jesus, belonging to Jesus, becoming like Jesus. We bring the beholding, he brings the change. And what does the change look like? It looks like the movement from darkness to light, from death to life and from chaos to new creation. It looks like the movement from the slavery of self interested survival to the freedom of life giving love in that light. I think I really want to to change. You may be thinking, but this feels too easy. This is not how change works. But what if it is? What if real change is completely different than we thought? What if it is not up to us to do the changing? What if it is up to Jesus? What if transformation is about getting off the treadmill of functional religious activity and finding ourselves perfectly fitted with the yoke of Jesus? And what was it he said about his yoke? I believe his word was easy. My yoke is easy. Here the text again. The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples. And he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, behold the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus. That's John 1:35 to 37. Yes, David, this is for looking at. Let's pray. Our Father, thank you for your son Jesus and Lord Jesus. What joyful freedom it is to know you and to know the change that actually comes from knowing you. From belonging to you and beholding you and believing you and by your abiding grace becoming like you. Fill us Holy Spirit, with the presence of the person of Jesus praying in his name on this Good Friday. Amen. The journal prompts today. What does beholding mean to you? How do you behold? And what might it mean to shift the focus from your activity to Jesus person and presence? We're making the. We're making the shift team. We're making the turn. We're shifting from all the burden on us to all the burden on Jesus. Isn't that what he's done? Isn't that Good Friday? He took it on himself. And he asks us to learn to live in the receptive posture, the posture of receiving. I think the word for it is abiding and completely leaning in, completely trusting. You see the picture? I've got it right over my, my right shoulder. It's to your left of the screen, I believe. If you're looking this, if you're watching this on YouTube, if you're not watching. Over my right shoulder is a, it's, it's a picture and it's a, it's actually, it looks like a painting. Kevin Sparks, my, my dear friend, painted this years ago. It's entitled Darkness Tries to Comprehend Light. And it's not even a painting, it's a carving. You see the, the body lifted up of Jesus Christ over a black background. The background actually is not black. It's just so deeply red that it's turned black. I love. One of my favorite sort of realistic act aspects of this piece is it's got blood, Red blood is dripping over the bottom of the frame, the gold frame. And it's just simply the crucifix, the, the, the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I, I, I keep this in my prayer room, except during Lent, I take it over to our church every Sunday. And of course, I have it here in the, in the seed house. I mean, for, for most of the history of the church, saints, holy ones, they just spend hours looking at this image because this. Yes, David. This is for looking at. Yes, sir, nation. This is for looking at. When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died My richest gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride. All right, are you ready to sing today? We're going to sing that when Dad's here with me. All right, everybody, welcome to the most. I don't know, do you call it the most significant? Do you think Good Friday, dad, is the most significant day in world history, or is it Easter Sunday?

[B]

Well, Friday starts us off.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So we got to get started. Or when. No, we'll never get it.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

So Friday's it.

[A]

You actually can't separate his death from his resurrection, because if it weren't for his resurrection, we wouldn't be talking about his death, because we wouldn't even know Him. No. And this is where Jesus went to the lowest place on our behalf and then was raised up to the highest place on our behalf. But we do not skip Good Friday and go straight to Easter. We have to behold the whole scene. And that's why we've chosen A very special song today. And tell them what it is.

[B]

It's when I surveyed the Wondrous Cross.

[A]

Okay. And we're going to sing verse one and three, and then we're going to sing. There's a little chorus that. That comes right after it. Yep. It's. What is it?

[B]

2, 2, 2.

[A]

What's the name of it?

[B]

Oh, the Wonderful Cross.

[A]

Look at there.

[C]

J.D. walt.

[A]

That's one that I wrote.

[B]

I'm going to write David in there somewhere.

[A]

I wrote with Chris Tomlin. Dad. Back when we were doing that very first Good Friday service in the Woodlands when we first met back in the late 90s, the late 1900s, I say. And some people say, well, that makes me feel old.

[B]

Well, it said 2000, the year 2000.

[A]

It was right around there. That's when he got published. But I was so blessed when they put it in this hymnal. And it's meant to go right along with Isaac Watts song. And of course, we did that because we wanted to try to help younger people claim the hymn. The most important part of this song is the. Is the hymn from Isaac Watts. But we kind of put it in a tone and in a mood and in a rhythm with that chorus that just helped generations really, to pick it all up. So we're going to sing. We're going to sing 1, 2, 1, 3, chorus 4, and chorus together. And let's. Let's just do it as we sing it. Survey. That means behold, right.

[C]

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died

[B]

My

[C]

richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride

[A]

See

[C]

from his head, his hands, his feet Sorrow and love flow Mingle down Did ere such love and sorrow meet War thought compose so rich a crown O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross all who gather here by grace Draw near

[A]

and bless Your name verse 4.

[C]

Were the whole realm of nature mine that were an offerings far too small Love so amazing, so divine Demons, my soul, my life, my all O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross all who gather here by way stronger and bless your name.

[A]

That's it. Well, as I mentioned, I'm going to be tonight in the Woodlands, Texas, and I'm going to be the preacher at the Good Friday service at the Woodlands Methodist Church. So if you're in the area, come join us when are you leaving? Right after we sing this song. I'm getting on a plane. I'm flying down there, and I'm flying back tomorrow. So to be at. At Gillette Methodist sunrise service on Easter, because we can't miss that. But pray for me that I make it there and back. That would be a good thing. It's kind of getting messy out in airports these days. But pray and pray for me to declare it clearly tonight. I'm looking forward to it. I consider that church like a home church to me. That's been such an important church to me over a long period of time. And it's just in the Woodlands. It's in the Woodlands. Ed Robb was the pastor who brought me there. And now Mark Sorenson is such a great pastor, the leader of the church now. And Mark Swayze is there and Lou Ann Riley is there who's going to be leading us our women's Bible study series we're releasing coming up this next fall. And there's just so many great. Brenna Bullock, who we saw on our Conversations podcast. There's so many great leaders down there. They're great friends and. Okay, we're looking forward. You want to take that book home, don't you?

[B]

Yeah. So I can kind of look some of it.

[A]

Well, everybody, blessed Good Friday to you. Let's just slow down today. Let's walk slower. Let's breathe deeper. Let's turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face. So this is the day the Lord has made.

[B]

Let us be glad in it.

[A]

Let us rejoice.

[B]

Rejoice and be glad in it.

[A]

Amen. Well, for The Awakening, I'm J.D. walt.

[B]

And I'm David Walt.

[A]

We'll see you today on the field.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Get your seeds.

[B]

Amen.