1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,560 Turn, if you will, with me to Luke chapter 22. 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,280 Luke chapter 22. Well, it's great to be able to 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,880 sing about it. It's great to be able to think 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,320 about it, but it's even better to be able to preach about it. 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,560 I know you don't get the opportunity to do that, but I do 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,480 this morning and I'm glad for that opportunity. 7 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,480 But Luke chapter 22, we'll get there in just a couple minutes. 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,800 But I want to give you a little bit of a backdrop here as we as 9 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,280 we move into the message this morning. 10 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,000 To the east of the city of Jerusalem, there's a little 11 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,560 mountain. It's called the Mount of Olives. 12 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,040 And I had the privilege of, of being there in 2023. 13 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,880 But it's about 300 feet above the city of Jerusalem. 14 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,880 And as you stand there on the Mount of Olives, you can see the 15 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,360 entire landscape in front of you. 16 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,000 And the entire city of Jerusalem is there used to be the temple 17 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:45,760 that stood there. Now it's the Dome of the Rock. 18 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,200 But just a, just a, a scene that that's very hard to get out of 19 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:51,800 your mind. In fact, you can't forget about 20 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,560 it. But on the western slope of the 21 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,920 Mount of Olives is a garden. And I've been in that garden as 22 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,000 well. In that garden, there's some, 23 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,760 some beautiful shrubs, primarily olive trees. 24 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,880 And, and they say that the olive trees date back at least 900 25 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:08,280 years. Some think that there are some 26 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,040 of the olive trees that still date back to the time of Christ. 27 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,400 That's how old these olive trees are. 28 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,920 But they're massive. They're massive trunks are just, 29 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,400 they're knotted and they're gnarled and they kind of, they 30 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,600 stand there like Sentinels watching over the garden where 31 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,960 Jesus prayed. Tradition all the way back to 32 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:28,760 the 2nd century says that this is the place where Jesus prayed. 33 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,240 It's called Gethsemane, the garden of Gethsemane. 34 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,040 That word Gethsemane literally means oil press because it was 35 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:40,200 in that garden that they had a giant press to press the olive 36 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,120 oil from the olives. And right there next to it, 37 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,440 there's a, there's a building where you can, you can walk in 38 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,760 and see exactly how the olive press works. 39 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:49,280 And it just crushes those olives. 40 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,280 It squeezes them until that that oil runs out. 41 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,600 But Jesus would often come to that place, the Garden of 42 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,920 Gethsemane, to pray, and he would kneel there and speak to 43 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,760 his father. But this was the night like no 44 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,680 other night. Jesus had been up in Mount Zion, 45 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,040 the upper room where he celebrated what's known as the 46 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,919 Last Supper with his disciples. And he talked about his coming 47 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,320 crucifixion and prior to that, his betrayal and Judas had 48 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,920 already gone out. Judas, the Bible says that that 49 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:21,320 that Jesus had said there at at the supper that the one who dips 50 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,720 the SOP with me is the one who's going to betray me. 51 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,040 And every one of them in their mind said, is it I? 52 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:27,880 Is it I, is it I? And some of them even asked that 53 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,280 question out loud. But Judas was actually the one 54 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:32,840 who decided that he was going to do it. 55 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,000 And for 30 pieces of silver he went and negotiated with the 56 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,400 high priest to kiss Jesus on the cheek and betray him to the ones 57 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,640 who wanted to kill him. But the Lord Jesus, needing 58 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:49,400 prayer, left Mount Zion, and he came down, and he crossed the 59 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,040 Brook Kidron and came to the Garden of Gethsemane. 60 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,920 And Jesus kneeled there at the Rock of Agony. 61 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:58,000 And Jesus prayed 3 times. He prayed. 62 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,960 Lord, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. 63 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,360 I don't want to drink this cup. This wasn't a literal cup. 64 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,200 He was using a metaphor. He was using a figure of speech, 65 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,040 a symbol meaning to experience something fully. 66 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,600 It was the cup of agony that Jesus drank, and dark Gethseman, 67 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,640 and he drank it there alone. And the Bible. 68 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:22,080 Says he was in such agony that he sweat, as it were, great 69 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,720 drops of blood. And science tells us that it is 70 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:29,160 possible to sweat blood. Only under extreme 71 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,360 circumstances, which obviously the Bible makes it very clear 72 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,520 that Jesus was. But there in Gethsemane, he 73 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,960 knows that soon God the Father must. 74 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:42,000 Turn his back on His only begotten Son. 75 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,480 Jesus will drink that cup alone, alone in Gethsemane. 76 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,360 And so began the events that would lead to his death, his 77 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,280 burial, and his resurrection. And I want to share with you 4 78 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,000 things that make the story of Easter what it is. 4 things that 79 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,960 lead to a conquest unrivalled in the history of mankind. 80 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,400 The unrivalled conquest. That's the title of my message 81 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:05,800 this morning. And that's what I want to talk 82 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,400 to you about, to preach to you about for just a a few minutes 83 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:09,920 this morning. But let's have a word of prayer 84 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,280 and ask God's blessing on the message, and then we'll look at 85 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,040 those four things. Father, again, we thank you so 86 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,160 much for your goodness to us. Thank you for the opportunity we 87 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,279 have to be here to celebrate the resurrection. 88 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:25,000 God, there is no point in celebrating A resurrection if we 89 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,800 don't come to you for salvation because of it. 90 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:29,960 And so, God, I pray that if there is anybody in here this 91 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,560 morning that does not know for sure that Jesus Christ is their 92 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,920 savior, does not know that their sins are forgiven and that 93 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:36,680 they're on their way to heaven, that they'll get that settled 94 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,880 today. God, may you help me as I 95 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:43,160 preach, you help us as we listen this morning as well, and may 96 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,520 you speak to our hearts. Thank you again for all that you 97 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,680 do for us in Jesus name, Amen. First thing, as I've already 98 00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:54,360 sort of alluded to is the cup and Luke chapter 22 and verse 99 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:58,400 #39 the Bible says this. And he came out and went as he 100 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,200 was won't to the Mount of Olives, And his disciples also 101 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,480 followed him. And when he was at the place, he 102 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,240 said unto them, Pray that you enter not into temptation. 103 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,120 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and 104 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,840 kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, 105 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:18,080 remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but 106 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,080 thine be done. And there appeared an Angel unto 107 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,400 him from heaven, strengthening him, and being in an agony, he 108 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,320 prayed more earnestly. And his sweat was, as it were, 109 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,280 great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 110 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,840 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, 111 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:37,120 he found them sleeping for sorrow. 112 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,960 And he said unto them, Why sleepy, rise and pray, lest you 113 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,120 enter into temptation. And while he yet spake, behold a 114 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,120 multitude. And he that was called Judas, 115 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:50,200 one of the 12 went before him and drew near unto Jesus to kiss 116 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,680 him. First of all, I want you to see 117 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,840 the contents of the cup. What was in that cup that Jesus 118 00:05:56,840 --> 00:05:59,840 drank in the Garden of Gethsemane that was so loathsome 119 00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:04,200 and so terrifying that Jesus shrank in horror from that cup? 120 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,080 Was it the physical death by crucifixion that he knew was 121 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,240 coming that that caused him such dread? 122 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,040 Of course, it might cause anybody dread the, the, the 123 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,480 method of crucifixion to the method of death by crucifixion 124 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,320 that the Romans had invented was, was such a horrible death. 125 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,880 And it was, it was a death and no one wanted to experience. 126 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,680 And so I'm sure. Jesus knowing that his that his 127 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,600 physical body was going to be subjected to some of the most 128 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,800 heinous things that a man could come up with as a way to torture 129 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,200 somebody's body. I'm sure Jesus knew that that 130 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,120 was coming and it would be painful and hurtful and 131 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,000 shameful, a death by crucifixion. 132 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,200 But others have died that way. Other martyrs have gone to their 133 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:43,560 death. It wasn't the death that Jesus 134 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,240 dreaded so much. Well, was it some extraordinary 135 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,840 attack of Satan? Is that what was in that cup? 136 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:51,440 No. Jesus had already met Satan in 137 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,200 the wilderness. He had already conquered Satan. 138 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,600 Satan hounded him all the way to the cross. 139 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,120 But Jesus had No Fear of Satan. He had no dread of Satan. 140 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:03,440 What was it that was breaking the heart of Jesus Christ? 141 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,160 Was it the betrayal of Judas? Was it the was it the the 142 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,240 failure of his disciples? Was it obviously he was 143 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:11,840 disappointed. But there's a difference in 144 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,320 disappointment and dread. Jesus dreaded this cup that he 145 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,720 was going to have to drink and he said, Father, if it be 146 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:23,920 possible, let this cup pass. From me, Well, I want you to 147 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:28,080 know that first of all, the pollution of sin was in that 148 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,240 cup. The Bible teaches us that in 149 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:34,400 order for Jesus Christ to redeem us, our sin has to be placed on 150 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,520 him. Second Corinthians chapter 5 and 151 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,080 verse 21. The Bible says, For he hath made 152 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:44,040 him to be sin for us. Who knew no sin, that we might 153 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,440 be made the righteousness of God in him. 154 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,480 See, the sin of the ages was in that cup. 155 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:52,920 My sin and your sin was in that cup. 156 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,560 Suppose we were to go through the congregation this morning 157 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,720 and and put your sin in it, and your sin and your sin and your 158 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:02,400 sin and your sin and your sin. Put everybody's sin in this cup. 159 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:07,360 Not every vile thought, every wicked deed, every hateful, 160 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,520 hurtful thing that you can possibly imagine, all of the sin 161 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,360 of this congregation. And then let's step outside of 162 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,000 this church building and put in all the sin of the entire, the 163 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,120 entire city. Put that in that cup. 164 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,840 And then let's put the sin of the entire state of Virginia in 165 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,480 that cup. And then we put the entire sin, 166 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,560 the sin of the entire nation and, and, and, and even the 167 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,720 entire world, and we take all of the sins that have ever been 168 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,720 committed, and not just in this generation or in the last or in 169 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,480 the generation to come, but for generations going back thousands 170 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:45,320 and thousands of years. All of that sin, all in that 171 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,440 cup. Put it in there and then take 172 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,720 all the sins of the past and all the sins of the present and all 173 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,200 the sins of the future and distill it down and put it in 174 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,360 that cup. Put all the vile filth that you 175 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,160 can possibly. Think of and say Jesus, drink 176 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,560 it. Drink the bitter dregs, become 177 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,200 sin. Not just bear sin, but become 178 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,320 sin. He was made sin for us, the 179 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,320 Bible says, because He carried that sin to the cross. 180 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,760 You may not understand what sin is, but I can tell you that 181 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,360 Jesus Christ knew. What sin is? 182 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,520 And Jesus knew when he drank that cup, he would be numbered 183 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,600 with the transgressors. The Bible makes it very clear in 184 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,240 Isaiah 53 that he was going to be numbered with the 185 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,880 transgressors. Jesus Christ who had never done 186 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,600 anything wrong, Jesus Christ the sinless one, Jesus Christ the 187 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,680 spotless Lamb, was going to be numbered with the transgressors. 188 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:39,520 And not was he just going to bear the sin of the world. 189 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:43,040 He was going to become that sin. And so we see first of all, the 190 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,240 pollution of sin was in that cup, but also #2 the punishment 191 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,440 of sin. Was in that cup Jesus knew that 192 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,400 the punishment not of some sin, but of all the sin, not of some 193 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,640 people, but of all the people, would be upon him. 194 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,680 One man would bear it all, and when he. 195 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:03,360 Did the Father was going to have to turn his back on his only 196 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,920 begotten Son? The Bible says in Habakkuk that 197 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,880 God is is so pure that he cannot even look on sin. 198 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,560 And so when Jesus Christ, his only Son, became sin for us, God 199 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:18,440 the Father had to turn his back to the point where Jesus said, 200 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,360 My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? 201 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,400 And all you can imagine the the pain that Jesus must have felt 202 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,800 not only have taken the entire sin of the entire world upon 203 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,880 himself, but having his own Father turn his back on him on 204 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,360 the cross. The sins of the entire world 205 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,600 were distilled and eternities were compressed, and Jesus, 206 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,120 being infinite, suffered A finite period of time and 207 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:46,120 eternity. Of hell on that cross. 208 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,600 The price that Jesus paid, only the damned in hell can begin to 209 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,800 know, but they'll never know because they're only paying for 210 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,840 their sin. Jesus paid for the sin of the 211 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,840 entire world as he hung on that cross. 212 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,240 He paid all the sins of all the people for all time. 213 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,240 No wonder Jesus said here in this passage in verse #42 214 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,760 Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. 215 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,560 So we've seen the contents of the cup, but I want you to see 216 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:20,360 this number 2, the consumption. Of the cup, Jesus said, if it be 217 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,360 possible, let this cup pass from me. 218 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:29,280 Nevertheless, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. 219 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,400 Does it make you think the less of him that he shrank back from 220 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,000 the contents of that cup? It makes me think more of him. 221 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,160 And I'll tell you why. This was not some charade. 222 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,120 This was real. He didn't have to die. 223 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,080 He had a choice. John chapter 10 and verse 18. 224 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,880 No man taketh it. My life he's talking about from 225 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:53,080 me, but I lay it down of myself. But in his divine love he said, 226 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,480 nevertheless, not my will, but dying be done. 227 00:11:56,560 --> 00:11:59,680 Jesus was the only man whoever chose to die. 228 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,320 The wages of sin was death. There was no sin in him, there 229 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,360 would have been no death in him. Yet is because Jesus suffered 230 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,520 blood and died on that cross that you and I can be redeemed. 231 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,360 Romans chapter 3 and verse 23 says for all have sinned and 232 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,760 come short of the glory of God because I'm a Sinner. 233 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,040 Jesus Christ had to die. If I had never sinned, he never 234 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:22,560 would have had to die on the cross. 235 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:24,880 There would have been no need for his death. 236 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,080 But Jesus took my sin. He took your sin and he carried 237 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,720 it to the cross. God will never overlook sin. 238 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:34,920 He cannot. God is holy and by His Holiness 239 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,880 he has sworn that sin will be punished. 240 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,720 All sin will be punished. The sins that you think, well, 241 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,200 that's just a small thing in the grand scheme of things. 242 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,680 That's, that's a little sin. That's a, that's a little white 243 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:47,200 lie. At least it's not one of the big 244 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,720 ones. At least I'm not sitting in jail 245 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,200 somewhere. At least I haven't committed 246 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:52,760 murder. At least I haven't done this. 247 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:54,760 At least I haven't done that all. 248 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,480 Sin must be punished by God. No sin goes unpunished. 249 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,680 If God were to let 1/2 of 1 sin go unpunished, God would no 250 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:06,320 longer be holy. His justice demands that there 251 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:10,600 be a punishment for that sin. And Jesus Christ drank. 252 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:17,360 That cup for. Us and so in this unrivaled 253 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:20,360 conquest, we see the cup, but I also want you to see this number 254 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:25,600 2, the crown turn over to Matthew chapter 27 Matthew 255 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,640 chapter 27. See Jesus was crowned with 256 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,480 thorns and it was not accidental that that was the case. 257 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,200 It was it was certainly a wicked act of of hatred and rebellion. 258 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,520 But Jesus being crowned with thorns on his way to the cross 259 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,760 has a very wonderful message. They took that crown of thorns 260 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,560 and they pressed it upon his precious head and then they took 261 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:46,840 clubs and they beat him about his head. 262 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,120 But this was part of the magnificent plan of God. 263 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,960 I want you to see, first of all, the sacred mystery of the crown. 264 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,560 See, the crown of thorns symbolizes the curse that's upon 265 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:00,560 humanity. One of the curses in the Garden 266 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,800 of Eden all the way back in Genesis chapter 3 was that the 267 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:07,600 ground was going to bear thorns and thistles and that they would 268 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,680 begin to grow on the earth. Had Adam not sin, thorns would 269 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:15,440 never have grown on this earth. But Jesus wore that crown of 270 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:17,920 thorns because he bore the curse for. 271 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,480 US. Look at all the heartache, the 272 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:24,720 pain, the suffering, the toil, the anguish, and you can write 273 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,480 over it one word, Sin. Sin. 274 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,280 The thorn is the emblem of sin, the symbol of that sin. 275 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,400 When Jesus died on the cross, he was crowned with thorns. 276 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:40,480 He wore that crown because he bore the curse for us. 277 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,440 So we see the sacred mystery of the crown, but I also want you 278 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,560 to see the solemn misery of the crown. 279 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,080 That crown speaks of suffering. It speaks of pain. 280 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,520 That crown was placed upon his head and and jammed onto his 281 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,880 temples, which is one of the most sensitive parts of the 282 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,480 human body. It was placed there, these, 283 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,120 these great spikes put there. And then on top of that with the 284 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,880 club, they began to beat and batter him about the head. 285 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,240 They struck him with reeds, they struck him with rods, they spit 286 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:14,000 on him, they they punched him. And those who paint and depict 287 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,920 the Lord Jesus Christ and the cross are kind. 288 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,120 We would not want to see a picture portrayed of Jesus 289 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,360 Christ hanging literally the way that he hung on the cross. 290 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,680 His face was so brutalized that you could not tell the 291 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:28,400 difference between. Man and animal. 292 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:33,120 Remember, with their hands they they snatched the beard from his 293 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:34,920 face. They plucked it right out of his 294 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,520 face. Can you imagine the pain that he 295 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:41,280 must have felt? And they whipped him 39 times 296 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:45,160 with a cat of nine tails, a, a, a leather whip that was that was 297 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,880 that was laced with, with glass and rocks and sharp objects to 298 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:51,640 do the most damage possible. And they say. 299 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,120 That 40 lashes is enough to kill a man and they whipped him 39 300 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,360 times. They brought him within an inch 301 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,520 of death and that would have been bad enough, but then they 302 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:02,920 they ripped his beard. Out and then they placed a crown 303 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,800 of thorns on his head and with their fists they battered that 304 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,720 face. They they loosened his teeth. 305 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:10,960 The blood runs down his nostrils. 306 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,920 It's mingled with the filthy spit from their mouths. 307 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,680 Isaiah chapter 52 and verse 14 says his visage, his his 308 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,840 countenance was so. Marred more than any man, and 309 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,400 his form more than the sons of men. 310 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:31,040 Oh, the picture that you have in your mind of the paintings that 311 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,080 you see of Jesus Christ hanging on the cross make it look like 312 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,560 he suffered. And he makes it look like he is 313 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,280 in, in, in, in a little bit of pain, and it makes it look like 314 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:41,600 he's in a little bit of discomfort. 315 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,640 But I can promise you, nothing you could imagine can prepare 316 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,120 you for what Jesus Christ actually went through on the 317 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,000 cross. And on top of all of that, he 318 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,960 was stripped completely naked and hung there in shame. 319 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,640 Some years ago in New York City, there was a mother who was 320 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,000 hanging her clothes on the line and she was outside and and one 321 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,560 of her neighbors came running over and she said, your house is 322 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,640 on fire. Your house is on fire. 323 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,760 And she knew that she had a little baby sleeping in a crib 324 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,000 inside the house. And so she dropped all those 325 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,680 clothes and she ran in the house and she took a blanket and she 326 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:20,720 wrapped it around her baby. And by that point the the fire 327 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,280 was so intense that it was burning her as she was running. 328 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,599 But she wrapped that baby in the blanket and and made her way 329 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:29,920 outside and she laid that. Baby down in the grass and by 330 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,040 that time the firemen had had showed up and they unwrapped 331 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,160 that baby and not a single hair and that baby's head was singed. 332 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,480 Nothing was wrong with that baby but the fire. 333 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,360 Had been so intense. And the heat was so strong that 334 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:45,480 that mother was badly burned. And she went through different 335 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,760 surgeries and things, but it left her very scarred. 336 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,600 Her hands were very scarred and gnarled from that, from that 337 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,280 fire. Her face bore the marks of of 338 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,320 someone who had run through the flames. 339 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:01,240 Her little daughter grew up to be a beautiful girl, and she was 340 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,000 18 years old. Her high school class was having 341 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,280 an outing and being the beautiful girl that she was, it 342 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,280 was it was Senior day and they were on the Hudson River on a 343 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,920 boat and she was the center of attention. 344 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:18,360 And at a certain moment this girl's mother passed by. 345 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:21,400 The the parents were invited to that day because it was senior 346 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,760 day and all the parents were hanging out with their children. 347 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,600 And at one point this mother walked by where her daughter was 348 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,680 standing with her friends and one of them without even 349 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,520 thinking. How cruel. 350 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:38,560 Her remark would be said, Who is that hideous woman and that 351 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,720 girl, without even thinking herself said, I don't. 352 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,880 Know her? And the mother? 353 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,760 Heard it. And later on that day, when 354 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,200 everything was finished, the mother said, darling, I want you 355 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:55,800 to come here. I need to tell you something. 356 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:01,400 You've often asked me about the burns on my face and on my 357 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,440 hands. And I've I've never told you 358 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,480 what happened because I didn't want to put that burden on you. 359 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,320 But I think it's time for me to tell you that these burns that 360 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:15,160 you see on these gnarled hands and the burns that you see on 361 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:21,000 this hideous face I got because I ran into a building when you 362 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:27,640 were just a baby and I rescued you out of your crib and you've 363 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,960 grown into a beautiful, beautiful young lady. 364 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:38,240 I bare the scars and I bare the marks of what it took to rescue 365 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,320 you. I know that girl's heart was 366 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,280 broken. She burst into tears and she 367 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:48,000 grabbed her mother by the hands and she started to kiss those 368 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,800 hands. And she took her hands and she 369 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,360 rubbed her face and tears were just dripping from her eyes. 370 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:57,560 She couldn't believe that she had betrayed the mother who had 371 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:03,000 done that for her. Friend, I'd rather be that 372 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,720 daughter ashamed of her mother, than to be ashamed of Jesus 373 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,640 Christ, who wore that crown for me. 374 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,640 Oh, how could we ever, oh, shall I fear to own his cause, or 375 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,000 blush? To speak his name, the sacred 376 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,080 mystery he bore the curse. The solemn misery he suffered 377 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:22,800 our hell. But I want you to see this. 378 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,640 And back in Matthew chapter 27, the shameful mockery of that 379 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:28,760 crown. Verse #29 the Bible says. 380 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,560 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it 381 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,400 upon his head. And a Reed. 382 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,080 In his right hand, and they bowed the knee before him and 383 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,200 mocked him, saying Hail King of the Jews. 384 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,000 They were mocking him because of their rebellion. 385 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,680 Can you imagine that? Here is the Lord of glory, Here 386 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,760 is the King of kings and Lord of Lords. 387 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:53,640 And they spit in his face. Not only was he just the king, 388 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,880 he was the king of kings. And they platted a crown of 389 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,200 thorns on his head. And they, they gave him a Reed 390 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,640 in his hand to to mock him as if it was a scepter. 391 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,480 And they gave him robes to wear. And they bowed down facetiously 392 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,920 and mockingly. And they said, Hail King of the 393 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:14,160 Jews. Sin is refusing to bow your knee 394 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,600 to the rightful King. May I tell you what the root of 395 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,240 all sin is? Not what you do wrong that you 396 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:22,840 ought not to do, not that you fail to do things that you 397 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,600 should do. But sin is refusing to bow your 398 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,360 knee to your rightful. King. 399 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,480 These other things are the result of that. 400 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,040 Sin is rebellion. Sin is a clenched fist in the 401 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,280 face of God. And you might say, well, I'm a 402 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:39,480 religious person and I may I remind you that it was the 403 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,160 religious crowd that crucified Jesus. 404 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,600 It was the religious crowd that ripped his beard out. 405 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:48,200 It was the religious crowd that drove those nails into his hands 406 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,520 and into his feet. It was the religious crowd that 407 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,120 hung him up there on the cross. They were the ones that were 408 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:58,960 behind the crucifixion. That's the mockery of that 409 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,920 crown. Men today, as then, refused to 410 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,840 bow the knee to Jesus Christ. And today either you will bow 411 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,480 the knee or crown him with thorns. 412 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,320 One more time, friend, when Jesus wore this crown, He was 413 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,000 the sovereign majesty. He was not some helpless victim. 414 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,560 And you have a choice today. You can bow your knee and honor 415 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,760 Jesus Christ, or you can say, take that crown from off his 416 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,880 head and put it on mine. And I will bear my own curse and 417 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,600 I'll pay for my own sin, and I will suffer and burn in hell 418 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:35,040 because I refuse to bow the knee to the One who loved me so much. 419 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,800 Jesus offers to you Amazing Grace. 420 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:44,200 He offers to you wonderful love, and you can be saved. 421 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,840 In this unrivaled conquest, we see the cup, we see the crown, 422 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,760 but I want you to see #3 the cross. 423 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,800 And I don't mean to be redundant this morning, but so much hinges 424 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,880 on all these aspects of the few days leading up to the 425 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:01,640 resurrection. If you will turn over to first 426 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:06,120 Peter, chapter 3. First Peter chapter 3. 427 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,280 Suppose someone were to come up to you, and with their fists 428 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:11,800 they punch you right in the nose. 429 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:17,280 And suppose that in some act of compassion you said, I forgive 430 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,880 you. And they said, oh, no need to do 431 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:21,520 that. You don't need to forgive me. 432 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:25,000 I've already forgiven myself. And somebody else that was 433 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,240 standing there watching the whole thing said neither one of 434 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:28,520 you guys need to forgive each other. 435 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:29,840 I've already forgiven both of you. 436 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:36,240 See, you were the one that got punched in the nose, and only 437 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:39,160 the punchee can forgive the puncher. 438 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,840 It's the way it works. You see, sin is that clenched 439 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,720 fish in the face of God and only God can forgive sin. 440 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:51,520 God is a holy God and and sin is an affront, A reproach, A 441 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:55,200 rebellion against that holy God and sin must be dealt with. 442 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,280 We've said that over and over again, but first Peter chapter 3 443 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,120 and verse 18, the Bible says this. 444 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,880 For Christ also also has once suffered for sins, the just for 445 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,560 the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in 446 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,400 the flesh. But quickened. 447 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,920 In the Spirit I want you to see this first of all, the vicarious 448 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,400 suffering of the cross, the vicarious suffering of the 449 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,760 cross. That word vicarious means in the 450 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,520 place of another or substitutionary. 451 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:27,200 That is Jesus who is just, who never sinned, the virgin born 452 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:33,640 sinless, spotless Lamb of God, the just died for the unjust 453 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,440 beyond Joss, that's me, that's you, that's we're the ones he 454 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,920 became our substitute. In fact, if you turn a couple 455 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,240 pages back, the first Peter chapter 1 and verse #18 the 456 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,320 Bible says for as much as you know that you were not redeemed 457 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,280 with corruptible things as silver and gold received from 458 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:52,680 your vain conversations, received by tradition from your 459 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,560 Father's, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb 460 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,760 without blemish and without spot. 461 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,880 That's how we're redeemed through the blood of Jesus 462 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,680 Christ. And there's so, so much here. 463 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,120 But Jesus was the Passover lamb, the lamb that was sacrificed 464 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:10,560 once to pay for the sins of the people. 465 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,480 Have you ever wondered why so much of the gospels are given 466 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,040 over to the last week of Jesus life, all the things that he 467 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:19,800 did. In fact, one of the last verses 468 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,800 in the book of John says that if all the books that could be 469 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,040 written about Jesus Christ were written, that not even the world 470 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,160 itself could contain the books that should be written. 471 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,440 That's how much Jesus did in in his lifetime. 472 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,320 All the world could not contain the books that are written. 473 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,960 And yet out of the four gospels so much time is given to the 474 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:43,280 last week of Jesus life. Why is that? 475 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,480 Because this is the climax of it all, and it's there in that last 476 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,320 week that Jesus is being examined as the spotless Lamb, 477 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:52,400 Pilot said. I. 478 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:57,720 Find no fault in him. Never man spake like this man 479 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,680 before. And then came the day when the 480 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:04,440 spotless Lamb was slain. The purpose of the cross is 481 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,160 substitution. And I wish I had time to tell 482 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,000 you more, but tongue cannot tell, throat cannot sing, hand 483 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,040 cannot paint. The tragedy that was called 484 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,840 Calvary and the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. 485 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,440 He suffered emotionally and He suffered physically in my. 486 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:24,080 Place and in your place. You know why the Romans used 487 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,560 crucifixion? Crucifixion was meant to be 488 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:29,480 cruel. It was meant to be unusual. 489 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,880 It was meant to. It was meant to inspire terror 490 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,080 in the people who saw it, so that when they saw a crucifixion 491 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:38,760 and they said what did this man do? 492 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,600 I promise you I will not do that because I don't want to end up 493 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,720 in that place myself. That's what crucifixion was 494 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,600 designed to do. That's the vicarious suffering 495 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,200 of the cross. Jesus Christ was my substitute. 496 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,440 He hung in my place. Not only the vicarious suffering 497 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,120 of the cross, but the vital satisfaction of the cross. 498 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:02,320 First Peter chapter 3 verse 18 says for Christ also have once 499 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:08,120 suffered for sins. When Jesus said it is finished, 500 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,520 he meant that the debt had been paid. 501 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:15,280 Absolutely. In Rome, when a man would be put 502 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,880 in prison, when a man was declared guilty for a crime, 503 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:19,880 they would put that man in prison. 504 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,680 But then they would, they would write out a certificate of debt 505 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,840 and it would be placed above the door of that man's cell. 506 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,560 However long he was sentenced to be there, whatever his sentence 507 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,120 was, it was, it was his debt that he owed. 508 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:35,440 And not until that debt was paid was he set free. 509 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,160 But then they would write across that certificate paid in full, 510 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,880 and they would give it to him. And you know the word that they 511 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:49,160 would write. On that certificate to Telestye, 512 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,080 it's the same word that Jesus spoke on the cross when he said 513 00:27:53,080 --> 00:28:00,680 it is finished, it is finished. It's paid in. 514 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,240 Full. That man won't have to go back 515 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,560 to prison again. He'll never come into double 516 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,520 jeopardy if they arrest him for that crime. 517 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,240 He can say this is and they say this is what you've done. 518 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,760 He can show them that certificate of debt that says 519 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:18,360 paid in full, it is finished and this is what it says in first 520 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:20,720 Peter. Christ also hath once suffered 521 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,840 for sin. There will never be a need for 522 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,240 another sacrifice. I want you to see this, the 523 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,000 victorious salvation of the cross. 524 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,040 Sin separates us from the holy God. 525 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,680 What does the cross do on that cross Jesus took? 526 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,320 Holy God with one hand and sinful man with the other hand, 527 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,960 and by the blood of the cross He reconciled God to man. 528 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,560 Jesus Christ is the only one that could possibly have done 529 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,080 it. He made peace by the blood of 530 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:52,600 His cross with His cross that He might bring us to God. 531 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,880 Which brings me then to the last point, and if you will turn over 532 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:02,960 to Romans chapter 3, in this unrivaled conquest, we see the 533 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,840 cup, we see the crown, we see the cross, but then we also see 534 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,160 the conquest. A teacher gave this assignment 535 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:13,080 to her students. They were to write an essay on 536 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,920 the greatest living man. And one student wrote an essay 537 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:20,040 on Jesus Christ. And the teacher said, that's 538 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,720 wonderful, it's a wonderful essay, but you misunderstood. 539 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,160 I said the greatest living man. And that student rightly 540 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,080 answered that teacher. He is alive. 541 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,920 He is alive. Others die and they stay dead. 542 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,680 But Jesus died and he came up out of the grave. 543 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,800 That's the conquest. I was reading about Harry 544 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,160 Houdini. He was, he was an escape artist. 545 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,240 He actually died in 1936, but I've read about him. 546 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,160 This man was a genius. He could get out of anything 547 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,280 they put him into. And they said that he had the 548 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,840 flexibility of an eel. He had the eyes of a cat. 549 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,800 They tried all kinds of ways to keep Harry Houdini locked up. 550 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,720 And sometimes they would put him in a coffin and bury the coffin 551 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,000 and he would get out of it. Sometimes they had put him, they 552 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,120 would rivet him in boilers and he would escape. 553 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,040 Sometimes they, they, they'd sewed him up in a canvas bag and 554 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:06,680 throw him in the river and he would come out. 555 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,960 Just an amazing ability that this man had. 556 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,000 And one time they put him in federal prison in Washington. 557 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,440 It was maximum security. And in less than 1/2 an hour he 558 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,920 walked out. And not only that, but he had 559 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,800 put a bunch of the prisoners that were in the cell with him 560 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:24,800 in another cell. No idea how he did that, but his 561 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,840 biographer said he could escape from anything except your 562 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:32,600 memory. And yet there was a day when 563 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:37,680 Harry Houdini died and he couldn't escape death. 564 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:40,440 Harry Houdini is still in the grave. 565 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:45,080 Harry Houdini. Is still in that coffin under 566 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,800 the ground. No trickery there. 567 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:50,760 No skill there, no flexibility there. 568 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:52,360 Harry Houdini died. Befriend. 569 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,760 I want to tell you that there was another one who died. 570 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:59,400 His name was Jesus Christ, and he made the greatest escape that 571 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,440 ever was. Jesus came out of that grave and 572 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:04,520 he arose. And I want you to see this. 573 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:09,160 First of all, our sin decrees death because of sin. 574 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:13,240 You must die. Oh sure, we're all going to die 575 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,120 physically, but we die the spiritual death as well. 576 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,840 The Bible says in Romans chapter 3, and you're there if you 577 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,280 turned in your Bible verse #23 for all have sinned and come 578 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:26,840 short of the glory of God. Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse 4 579 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:29,160 says the soul that sinneth it shall die. 580 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,440 James chapter one verse 15. Then when lust hath conceived, 581 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,200 it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth 582 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,640 forth death. Romans chapter 5 and verse 12. 583 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,240 Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and 584 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,800 death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that 585 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:51,000 all have sinned, none of us can escape the decree of death, 586 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:52,600 because. Of our sin. 587 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,880 Oh, we all deserve to die physically, but we all deserve 588 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,560 to die spiritually as well. And the Bible makes it very 589 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,160 plain that hell is not a figment of your imagination. 590 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:04,440 Hell is not just something that you're going through on this 591 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,960 earth because life is hard. Hell is not something that 592 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,920 you're going to go there and spend a week or a month or a 593 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,320 year or ten years or 50 years or 1000 years and get out. 594 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,080 Hell, the Bible says, is a real place that burns with fire and 595 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,400 brimstone. And though the worm dieth not, 596 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,840 and they gnash on you with their teeth, and it will be forever. 597 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,160 There are no exit signs. There are no fire escapes in 598 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,160 hell. If you find yourself in that 599 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:33,160 horrible place, you will be there for all of eternity with 600 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,680 no way to escape. God's justice demands that there 601 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,480 be a payment for our sin. And that payment is death. 602 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,760 But the conquest that Jesus Christ won was over sin, and it 603 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,520 was over death, and it was over hell, and it was over the grave. 604 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,200 And so our sin decrees death. But I want you to see this 605 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,080 number 2. The Savior delivers life because 606 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,000 He lives. You can live. 607 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,520 Had Jesus Christ never come up out of the grave, He would have 608 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:01,680 been no different than anybody else who claimed to be the 609 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:03,200 greatest thing that ever walked on earth. 610 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:05,360 And oh, there's all kinds of religions. 611 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,640 As Brother Brian mentioned when we were singing the songs, 612 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,160 there's a lot of people who have claimed to be the one who was 613 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,760 going to come and deliver everybody out of their bondage. 614 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,640 He was going to be the one that if you just follow my plan, you 615 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:17,520 can. You can have whatever I'm 616 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:19,800 promising you. You can have your own planet, 617 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,880 you can have all your virgins, you can have all of these 618 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:24,400 things. Just follow me. 619 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:28,600 And one by one, every one of those men have died and been 620 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,920 buried in the grave. And you know, the amazing thing 621 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,320 is you can go see where they're buried today. 622 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,400 Every one of them has a place where you can go. 623 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,120 And some of them have very ornate coffins in there. 624 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,760 They're decorated with jewels and, and you can see them and 625 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,920 see their coffins because they're in some sarcophagus. 626 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:48,400 That's that's clear so that you can go visit the place where 627 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,520 this man is. But I'll tell you what they 628 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,200 don't even know where Jesus grave is at exactly because he's 629 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:58,080 not there. You can't find him because he 630 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,120 rose from the dead. He's the only one that's ever 631 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,800 done that. And because he lives, you can 632 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:05,640 live as well. The Bible says in Romans chapter 633 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:06,720 6. And verse 23. 634 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,920 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal 635 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:13,639 life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 636 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:17,360 Because he lives, you can live, Romans. 637 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,679 Chapter 5 and verse #8 the Bible says but God commendeth his love 638 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:25,320 toward us he gave his love toward us, in that while we were 639 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:28,159 yet sinners, Christ died for. US. 640 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,920 First Corinthians chapter 15 and verse #20 But now is Christ 641 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,560 risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that 642 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,159 slept. For since by man came death, by 643 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:41,199 man came also the resurrection of the dead, For as in Adam all 644 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:43,520 die. Even so, in. 645 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:47,719 Christ shall all be made. Alive. 646 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,320 Jesus drank that cup of sin for you. 647 00:34:51,679 --> 00:34:54,159 Jesus wore that crown of thorns for you. 648 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:56,760 Jesus bore that cross of wood for you. 649 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,040 That should have been me that was paraded through those 650 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:01,920 streets carrying that cross that day. 651 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:03,640 That should have been me that was whipped. 652 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,520 That should have been me that that had my beard ripped out and 653 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:08,720 been spit upon. That should have been me that 654 00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:11,080 had those nails driven through my hands and my feet. 655 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:13,840 That should have been me. That was hung up there in shame 656 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,840 until death finally came. It should have been me. 657 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:23,360 That was put in the grave. Jesus Christ did it for me, and 658 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:28,000 because he lives, you can live. I want you to see this. 659 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,880 Lastly, the situation demands a decision. 660 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:33,760 The situation demands a decision. 661 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,560 Next chapter 16 and verse #31 and they said believe on the 662 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,680 Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. 663 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:44,080 Oh, see, we are sinners. And we are on our way to hell. 664 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:46,240 How do you how do you escape that punishment? 665 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:49,720 How do you? Escape that death. 2nd 666 00:35:49,720 --> 00:35:51,200 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 2. 667 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,440 For he saith, I've heard thee in a time accepted, and then a day 668 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:58,640 of salvation have I secord thee, Behold, now is the accepted 669 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:01,440 time. Behold, now is the day of. 670 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,560 Salvation. You have a choice. 671 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:09,120 You can bow your knee to the King of Kings and the Lord of 672 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:13,880 Lords, or you can suffer the penalty that comes from someone. 673 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:22,760 It comes to someone who's rebellion and sin goes 674 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:27,560 unforgiven. You see, Jesus Christ did 675 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:28,760 everything that needs to be done. 676 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:31,560 There's nothing else you need to do. 677 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,320 I'm not, I'm not trying to tell you that you need to get into a 678 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,120 Baptist Church and you need to do this and you need to give and 679 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,360 you need to be a good person and you need to try to do this 680 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,080 thing, and you need to try to do that thing. 681 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:46,240 And hopefully maybe someday you'll get a chance to go to 682 00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:48,920 heaven. Though the Bible makes it very 683 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,640 clear that those who go to heaven are not the ones who 684 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:57,840 deserve it the most, the ones who go to hell are not the ones 685 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,120 who deserve that the most, the ones who go to heaven. 686 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:05,120 Are the ones who recognize that the payment that Jesus Christ 687 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,840 made on the cross was for your sin and my sin. 688 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:16,000 And there is no other. Way given among men whereby we 689 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,320 must be saved. What an amazing thing that is. 690 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:23,560 I wrote this poem that I want to read to you this morning. 691 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:30,040 They laid him in a borrowed tomb as silence sealed the darkest 692 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:32,080 gloom. The sky grew dark. 693 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:35,960 The earth did shake. All hope seemed lost for 694 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:40,000 sinner's sake. The cross stood bare, The blood 695 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,640 was shed. The King of life was counted 696 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,760 dead. All hell rejoiced and demons 697 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,560 cried. The Son of God is crucified. 698 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:54,200 But oh, they did not understand. This was not loss, but Heaven's 699 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,080 plan. For in that grave, so cold, so 700 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:00,320 deep, the Lion of Judah was only asleep. 701 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:04,520 And on day three, at break of dawn, the stone was rolled to 702 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,480 show he was gone. Death was defeated. 703 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:11,160 The grave lost its claim. All hell was silenced at the 704 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:15,600 sound of his name. He rose with power, He rose with 705 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:18,480 might. He rose to turn our darkness to 706 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,720 light. No chain can hold, no grave can 707 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:24,840 keep the one who comforts those that weep. 708 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:30,320 So hear me now, this Easter cry. You don't have to live just to 709 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,160 die. Because he. 710 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:35,040 Lives. Your soul can rise from death to 711 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:39,600 life, from earth to skies. The cross is empty. 712 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:44,160 The tomb is still bare and Jesus is calling. 713 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:49,480 Will you meet him there? Friend, you must understand that 714 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:53,840 Jesus did all of that for me. He did all of that for you. 715 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,200 Not so you could try to work your way to heaven. 716 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:00,640 Not so you could try to earn your place. 717 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,840 Not so you could try to escape hell and hope that you've done 718 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:07,760 enough in this life. Now Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 719 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,200 says For by grace are you saved through faith? 720 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,960 And that not of yourselves. It's a gift of God, not of 721 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,080 works, lest any man should boast. 722 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,160 Doesn't have anything to do with how good I've been. 723 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,080 It doesn't have anything to do with how bad I've been. 724 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,760 Has everything to do with what Jesus Christ did for me. 725 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:33,520 And if you die and go to hell, you die and go to hell with your 726 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:37,200 sins paid for. Jesus Christ already did 727 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:41,400 everything that was necessary for you to spend an eternity in 728 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:45,640 heaven with Him. Now He's waiting on your 729 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:50,480 decision. Will you accept Him or will you 730 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,760 reject Him? Oh, and sometimes it's not that 731 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:55,560 you say, I don't want anything to do with that. 732 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:58,360 I don't. I don't believe all that stuff. 733 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:00,520 I don't believe those stories. They're just made-up stories 734 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:01,760 anyway. Most of the time when somebody 735 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:03,480 rejects Christ, that's not what they're saying. 736 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:06,440 Most of the time when somebody rejects Christ, they say. 737 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:08,560 That's that's, that's interesting. 738 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:11,440 I need to do that, but I'll do it later. 739 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,440 I'll do it later. There's time. 740 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:19,200 There's time, friend. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. 741 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,680 You're not guaranteed another minute of life. 742 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:30,440 When you take your last breath, you're going to find yourself in 743 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:33,280 heaven. Are you going to find yourself 744 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,880 in hell? The wonderful thing about that? 745 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:42,600 Is that this decision is yours. Nobody gets to make that 746 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,120 decision for you. Nobody gets to determine where 747 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:52,320 you spend eternity but you. Will you accept him or will you 748 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:58,520 do nothing and reject him? That's the decision that's put 749 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:02,720 before you this morning. What decision are you going to 750 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:07,280 make? What will you do with Jesus? 751 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,720 Oh, it was an unrivalled conquest. 752 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:14,800 He took the cup, all of your sin and all of my sin and all the 753 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:16,640 sins of the entire world, and he drank it. 754 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:24,840 And then he wore the crown. Oh, when they shoved that on his 755 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:29,000 head, it wasn't just a torture device. 756 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:35,040 It was a symbol of all the rebellion, all the sin being 757 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:38,320 placed upon the head of Jesus Christ. 758 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:46,200 And then he went to the cross. He did that for you and He did 759 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,440 it for me. The cross was so heavy as he 760 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,600 made his way down the Via Dolorosa to the place of Calvary 761 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:57,360 where he was going to ultimately take his last breath, he 762 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,440 stumbled underneath. The weight of it because he was 763 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:03,720 so weak. The Bible says that as He hung 764 00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:10,000 on the cross, he said it is finished. 765 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:12,880 The work that He came to do was done. 766 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:18,960 The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. 767 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:23,800 And oh, thank God for the conquest, because it had not 768 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,320 been for Jesus Christ coming up out of that grave. 769 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,280 There would be no opportunity for salvation. 770 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:33,120 If you know Christ is your Savior this morning, you know 771 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:37,080 the peace that comes that passes all understanding. 772 00:42:37,240 --> 00:42:40,240 If you don't, then maybe you're sitting there this morning 773 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:44,560 saying I need to do something about that and I want to give 774 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:46,240 you the opportunity to do that this morning. 775 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:50,360 So if you would please stand at your seats with your heads bowed 776 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:53,360 and your eyes closed, I'm going to have a word of prayer and 777 00:42:57,720 --> 00:42:59,480 then I'm going to give you an opportunity that if you would 778 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,200 like to come. Have somebody take a Bible and 779 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:04,480 show you how you can know for sure that you're on your way to 780 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:06,320 heaven. You can get that settled today. 781 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:11,160 Boy, what a wonderful thing it would be to reach out to Jesus 782 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:15,880 Christ on Easter Sunday, on Resurrection Day, the day that 783 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:18,840 we celebrate what Jesus Christ did for us and we try to 784 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:23,480 celebrate it all year, but on the very special day to come and 785 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:26,280 know Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. 786 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:30,640 Listen, it doesn't have anything to do with baptism now. 787 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:33,600 Baptism is only to let everybody know that you have been saved. 788 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:36,200 It doesn't have anything to do with coming to church. 789 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:39,560 Ah, you know, the thief on the cross that was crucified next to 790 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:41,640 Jesus never went to church a day in his life. 791 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,600 He never put 1 dime in the offering plate. 792 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:46,920 As far as we know, he was a criminal. 793 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:49,040 He was a thief. He was being crucified not 794 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:52,800 because he had been lied about, but because he was convicted of 795 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:55,000 his crimes. He didn't have time to come down 796 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:59,160 off that cross and get baptized. No, no, it doesn't have anything 797 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:01,520 to do with what you can do or what I can do. 798 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:03,600 It has everything to do with what we do with Christ. 799 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,040 It's not about a religion. It's about a relationship. 800 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:08,440 Do you have that relationship with Him? 801 00:44:08,720 --> 00:44:12,280 Do you know Him and more importantly, does He know you? 802 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:17,040 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not 803 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:18,880 prophesied in Thy name, in the thy name? 804 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:21,240 Cast out devils in the Thy name done many wonderful. 805 00:44:21,240 --> 00:44:24,560 Works and he's going to say to them, depart from me. 806 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:29,320 I never knew you some of the saddest words in all of the 807 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:32,120 Bible. Do you know Christ? 808 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:36,920 Does he know you? If not, I beg you, get that 809 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,040 taken care of this morning. Father, we thank you so much for 810 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,840 sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross and thank you so much 811 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:48,200 that he died for me. Thank you so much that we have 812 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:52,680 the privilege of knowing for sure that we can spend eternity 813 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:55,400 in heaven with you, knowing for sure that our sins are forgiven, 814 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:59,560 that you our Savior. I pray that there would not be 815 00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:02,760 one person that walks out without knowing that for sure 816 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:05,960 themselves this morning. Thank you again for all that you 817 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:08,480 do for us. In Jesus name, Amen.