1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,320 Mark chapter 10 and beginning here in verse 32. 2 00:00:16,890 --> 00:00:21,890 And the scriptures read and they were on the road going up to 3 00:00:21,890 --> 00:00:27,410 Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them and they were 4 00:00:27,810 --> 00:00:32,450 amazed and those who followed were afraid. 5 00:00:33,130 --> 00:00:37,010 And taking the 12 again he began to tell them what was to happen 6 00:00:37,010 --> 00:00:41,240 to him, saying, see, we are going up to Jerusalem, And the 7 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,920 Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and 8 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,160 the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver 9 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:51,360 him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit 10 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,520 on him, and flog him and kill him. 11 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,120 And after three days he will rise. 12 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,440 Father, we ask for one simple thing together As a church, your 13 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:08,360 church, would you help us be amazed at Jesus and Lord? 14 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,320 Would that amazement that awakened ah cause us to be 15 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:18,400 stronger in our devotion to Him? Cleanse us now as we sit under 16 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,480 the washing of your word. In Jesus name, we pray. 17 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:27,600 Amen. This is a crucial and pivotal 18 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,480 moment in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. 19 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,640 For one simple reason, we read that he and his disciples are 20 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,880 now making their way towards Jerusalem. 21 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,600 Now that might not seem like an alarming transition for us, but 22 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,760 it should if we have been studying the gospel of Mark 23 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,760 carefully. With every glorious deed that 24 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:57,400 Christ did and every life altering encounter he had in the 25 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:02,400 background, there were powerful men plotting his death. 26 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,200 That's something you and I are aware of because we've been 27 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,280 studying this book very, very meticulously. 28 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,200 And this is something that the disciples themselves were very 29 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,560 much aware of. They understood that there were 30 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,920 people who wanted to kill their rabbi, and they also understood, 31 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:24,480 because they were close and public associates with him, that 32 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,920 they themselves were in danger of meeting the very same fate. 33 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,880 And so these disciples reacted in a certain way as they 34 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,400 realized that their pilot now has changed directions toward 35 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:41,200 Jerusalem. And to bring some proof that 36 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:46,240 this is what the disciples believed, recall when Jesus, as 37 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,440 just one example, heard the news of his friends Lazarus who was 38 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,960 sick and died and was planning to go and resurrect him. 39 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:57,840 The disciples understanding this, said in John 11 verse 8, 40 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,680 the disciples said to him says that verse Rabbi, the Jews were 41 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,440 just now seeking to stone you and are you going there again? 42 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,720 To make this even more significant, Bethany, where 43 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,800 Lazarus, Lazarus, and his sisters abided, was just a few 44 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,720 miles away from Jerusalem. And so the disciples understood 45 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,480 that the closer they and their master were to the city, the 46 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:31,400 greater the danger was. This was a den of lions, so to 47 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,280 speak. This is where his enemies had 48 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,960 their headquarters. It was a hotspot for trouble. 49 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,560 So then it makes sense in Mark 10 what we just read of the 50 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:44,760 reactions that they had again when they learned that this is 51 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,000 where they were going. The one place that should be 52 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,480 avoided is the one place now that they are making their way 53 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,680 too. And we read here of two 54 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,760 reactions. You heard it right and verse 32. 55 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,240 The first thing that we read is that they were amazed. 56 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,120 They were amazed. This is the same word. 57 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,800 It's a very strong word that's used in Mark chapter one of the 58 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,280 people, when they saw Jesus cast out a devil in the middle of the 59 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,440 synagogue meeting, they were amazed at the authority that 60 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,519 Jesus had. It's also the same word that was 61 00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:19,480 used that we studied last week after Jesus. 62 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,040 I said how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter 63 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,400 the Kingdom of God. The disciples were what they 64 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,680 were amazed because it collided with a belief system that they 65 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,440 had about those who are wealthy and how they had greater access 66 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,920 in favor with God. And so this is an amazement, 67 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,440 this is a a significant awe that they are experiencing. 68 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,040 But no miracle was performed. They're just walking. 69 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,480 There is no profound revelation that was made. 70 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,200 Christ is silently making his way toward this place. 71 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:56,160 So why the amazement? Why were they so moved to 72 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,920 wonder? I believe it's because of the 73 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:03,560 sight of their master in this transition, on this journey, 74 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,320 because they understood where he was going and they saw something 75 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,720 of a resolve in the Redeemer. It wasn't just the fact that he 76 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,640 is going there. Look at the way that he is going 77 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:16,680 there. Read carefully again. 78 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,840 Look at verse 32. And they were on the road going 79 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:24,360 up to Jerusalem and Jesus was not just walking, Jesus was 80 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:30,360 walking ahead of them. So the Lord knowing, as we just 81 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,120 read, knowing what's about to take place in a few days in 82 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,520 Jerusalem, he's not nervously trailing behind his students. 83 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,320 He was not pausing from time to time on that trip to second 84 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:46,440 guess his destination. No, what you see here is Christ 85 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:52,040 leading the way. He is in front of this minuscule 86 00:05:52,040 --> 00:06:00,280 parade with perfect stride, completely resolute, absolutely 87 00:06:00,280 --> 00:06:03,320 unswerving, and totally fearless. 88 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:09,760 Just envision this, this, this Christ who is not saying 89 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,080 anything but is making a statement by this March. 90 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:16,560 And that's what stunned these disciples. 91 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,000 The courage of their captain, the strength of their shepherd, 92 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,920 the tenacity of their teacher. They were, they were just 93 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:31,760 absolutely blown away by his heart posture in this moment. 94 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,200 Can I ask you a question? Now as we analyze this? 95 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:42,000 Are you amazed at Christ? Do you stand in awe of him? 96 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,880 Are there any thoughts that come to you that cause you to be like 97 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,480 these disciples, spellbound by him? 98 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:56,400 I can tell you with confidence that if you just come to this 99 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,760 book, there are many things, there are many things about him 100 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,720 that should amaze us. Where can we go? 101 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,480 There's so many places to go, and as you primarily come to 102 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,560 this word, surely the amazement continues as you walk with him 103 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,960 and see him intervene and lead and guide your life. 104 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:18,680 He has to be in front of you. Though, may I add, this is a 105 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:20,800 wonderful model of what discipleship looks like Christ 106 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,120 in front. But I thought about what amazes 107 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,880 me about Jesus. And there's so many things in 108 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:29,960 the Gospels alone. And there's one particular place 109 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,080 I quoted to you earlier, John 11, verse 8, how the disciples 110 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:37,160 were concerned about Jesus being in a very perilous position by 111 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,080 going to Bethany. And just in that first section 112 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:44,720 of John, Chapter 11, you have a glistening truths of the love of 113 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:51,280 Jesus Christ, rubies of his heart that shine so bright if 114 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,560 you would just take the time to meditate on them. 115 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,000 So why don't we do that? Allow me to just give you a 116 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,520 little bit of a taste of how amazing Jesus is. 117 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,640 Go to John 11 with me very quickly. 118 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,920 This is a very familiar passage, but maybe, maybe not to some. 119 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,120 And for those who are familiar, maybe this will bring fresh 120 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:12,960 insight. Lord amaze us once again. 121 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:25,720 John 11 verse one now certain man was ill Lazarus of Bethany, 122 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,320 the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 123 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,240 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his 124 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,039 feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 125 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,280 So the sisters sent to him saying, Lord he whom you love is 126 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,320 ill Oh, there's so many things in those three verses. 127 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,720 Remember, the reason why I brought you to this neighborhood 128 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,200 in the Gospels is so that you would see how amazing just the 129 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,120 taste of how amazing Jesus is. Notice the description of Mary. 130 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,560 There are many Marys in the Bible, right? 131 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:57,680 So the Holy Spirit wants to define which Mary this is, but 132 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:02,440 it's more than just him defining which Mary we are Speaking of 133 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:04,800 because this is a very specific description. 134 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,600 Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with 135 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,320 her hair. So this is to demonstrate the 136 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,160 Mary who had a deep devotion to the Lord. 137 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,920 You know, scripture talks about a woman's hair being her glory 138 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,880 in First Corinthians 11. And she took her glory, and she 139 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:25,200 put it to the feet of Jesus. She took her perfume, that was a 140 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,520 year's worth of salary, and broke it in a way where she 141 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,560 couldn't regather its substance and poured it all out on the 142 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:32,200 Lord. The Holy Spirit wants you to 143 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,040 know this is the Mary that Jesus is ready to visit. 144 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,280 But it's not just the Mary that He is ready to visit. 145 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,960 This is a Mary who had a particular love for Christ, and 146 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,160 yet she was not exempt from pain. 147 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:52,120 She gave so much. She worshipped with great 148 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,400 intensity. She loved the Master. 149 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,040 And yet now, at this juncture, her brother is sick. 150 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:02,920 And this is painful. It's painful enough for them to 151 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,800 send word to the Lord Jesus. Please come. 152 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:07,960 Please come and do something about our brother. 153 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,360 We love him. You know, if you serve Christ, 154 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:15,400 you're not exempt from trials If you love Christ, If you worship 155 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,440 Christ, you're not free from pain in this life. 156 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,440 You're not free from witnessing loved ones experience pain in 157 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,680 your life. And don't you ever mistaken 158 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,080 crises in your life as some kind of a punishment for the weakness 159 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,080 of your devotion? There is discipline in the Lord, 160 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:33,280 but that's not the case for this woman. 161 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,040 That's not the case for many believers. 162 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:37,880 She loved the Lord. This is what the Holy Spirit's 163 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,320 remind. This is the Mary who had such 164 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,960 great adoration, and yet her brother, now he's sick and she's 165 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:45,680 broken as well. And she's worried and she's 166 00:10:45,680 --> 00:10:47,200 concerned. But that's another message for 167 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,760 another time. They knew Jesus well enough to 168 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,640 give the message the way they gave it. 169 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,840 Again, look at verse three. Look at what they relayed 170 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,360 through these messengers. So the sisters sent him saying, 171 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:06,160 Lord, he whom you love is ill. So simple, so direct. 172 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,720 It's so beautiful. There is no elaborate 173 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:16,120 description. There was no appeal, as though 174 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,800 Christ is reluctant. Just Lord, he whom you love is. 175 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:22,480 I'll notice they didn't give Lazarus his name. 176 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,680 Lord, he whom you love is I'll. You know what that tells me? 177 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:33,200 It tells me that they knew Christ's love for Lazarus enough 178 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,640 for him to just hear that the one that he loves is ill and he 179 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,280 knew exactly who they were talking about. 180 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:44,760 That tells me that Lazarus's identity was woven and wrapped 181 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,120 with the love of Jesus Christ wrapped. 182 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,480 And they weren't appealing to Lazarus's love for Christ, they 183 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,240 were appealing to Christ's love for Lazarus. 184 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,960 So many times we come to a place of you in prayer, and we try to 185 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,640 make our appeal to Christ based on our love for Him. 186 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:10,680 And we should love him. We're commanded to love him, but 187 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:12,440 they understood something about Christ. 188 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,960 He moves from the place of love in his own heart. 189 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,920 Lord, he whom you love is ill, And Jesus knew exactly who they 190 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,560 were talking about. But notice there's no specific 191 00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:29,800 request. They didn't say, Lord, he whom 192 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,320 you love is ill. Now come and heal him, Lord, he 193 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,640 whom you love is ill. Now send forth your word from 194 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,520 where you are, and he will be restored. 195 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:42,920 Just Lord, he whom you love is ill What does that mean? 196 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,760 Well, I don't think that encourages us not to be 197 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:47,720 specific. In our prayers. 198 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,800 We're called to give the Lord our specific request. 199 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,400 But I think there's a wonderful illustration here about how 200 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:58,160 Christ not only could translate the object of their need, right? 201 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,240 He whom you love is ill. I know that's Lazarus. 202 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,040 He can also interpret their need, even though they didn't 203 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:08,280 give the specific need, because there are times when pain is so 204 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,600 overwhelming and the trial is so confusing and the situation is 205 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,120 so complex that you don't even know how to direct the request. 206 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,600 You don't even know how the Lord should move in this situation. 207 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:22,880 And here's the example, and here's the illustration to 208 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,520 comfort your soul and mind. Just bring the need to him and 209 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,520 He knows exactly what to do with it. 210 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,320 He knows exactly what to do with it. 211 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,200 Isn't Christ amazing? Isn't he wonderful? 212 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,320 Do you stand in awe of him? Oh, there's an end there. 213 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:42,720 I better be careful. Also, we're going to stay in 214 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,000 John 11 for the rest of the day. But let's go down to verse 5 215 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,600 now. Jesus loved Martha and her 216 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:57,280 sister and Lazarus. You can't just read past these 217 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:59,840 verses. Please don't do that. 218 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:03,160 Jesus's love wasn't just for Lazarus. 219 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:06,200 The Holy Spirit wants us to know that he loved Mary. 220 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,520 He loved Martha and he loved Lazarus. 221 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,760 Now that might not seem like it's a deep thought. 222 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,800 Unless of course, you think about these individual 223 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,520 characters. And they were characters, and 224 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,560 they differed from each other. Mary was the worshipper. 225 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,120 Whenever you read Mary in the Gospels, you will always find 226 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,480 her at the feet of Jesus. Always. 227 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:28,960 Even in John 11, she'll end up finding herself at the feet of 228 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,960 Jesus. When she anoints Jesus, she's at 229 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,240 his feet. When Jesus came to their home, 230 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,120 remember, Martha was frantic running around. 231 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,440 Where was Mary? At his feet she was a 232 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,800 worshipper. She loved the Lord. 233 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,600 Martha was the server. She expressed her devotion by 234 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,320 going around and getting things done and it kind of bothered her 235 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,480 to see somebody just sitting there and enjoying the presence 236 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:52,840 of the Lord. Hey, we got things to do, let's 237 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,280 go. And she was also anxious. 238 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:57,480 She had that kind of temperament. 239 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:01,520 Lazarus, not much, he said about Lazarus. 240 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,800 He's very quiet fellow, but I like to see Lazarus as the 241 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,320 silent witness. Because what you'll read in John 242 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,760 is that many people heard about his resurrection and because of 243 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:16,480 his testimony they came to Christ and now Lazarus was in 244 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,120 danger. Lazarus is a picture of the 245 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,080 witness, Mary's the worshipper, right? 246 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,680 Martha's the server. And Lazarus was the one who 247 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,880 testified of what Christ's power can do in a life. 248 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,280 Very different, very different strengths, very different 249 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,880 gifting, so to speak, different weaknesses. 250 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:34,680 And Jesus loved them all equally. 251 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:38,960 You know, you and I are tempted to look at another brother or 252 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:43,240 sister and dis disapprove of them or criticize them, perhaps 253 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:45,040 because they're not like you. They're not like me. 254 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,040 Christ doesn't discriminate with his love. 255 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,400 He looks at each of us. This is what this verse is 256 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,800 teaching. He looks at each of us, and we 257 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,680 are all familiar with each other enough to know that we're all 258 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,000 different. We're all different in many 259 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,600 ways. We laugh at different jokes. 260 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,640 We interpret things differently in life sometimes, though it 261 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,000 should be ultimately filtered in the word of God. 262 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,320 We have different strengths and different weaknesses. 263 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,600 This verse teaches Christ loves each of us. 264 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,240 His love is personal. It's individual. 265 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,840 It's not just this corporate declaration. 266 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,560 I love my church, not he loves each of us. 267 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,160 Are you amazed at Jesus? I can keep going about how Jesus 268 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,040 love. It's different the way we 269 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,720 understand love because he loved Lazarus and when he received the 270 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,480 news, it says because he loved them that he waited a few extra 271 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,360 days. You would think if you love 272 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:41,560 Lazarus that you would pick up your bags right there and go. 273 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:48,600 But Christ's love is also interwoven with wisdom and he 274 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,080 knows how to express his love far greater than you. 275 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,720 And I think he should. But let's come back to Mark. 276 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,120 They were amazed at Jesus. Oh, I pray that you would be 277 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,800 amazed at Jesus. And they're amazed because they 278 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,440 were willing. They were seeing a Christ who 279 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,160 was willing to go into a very dangerous place. 280 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,480 You know the the revelation that the disciples had about Christ 281 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,920 and his death still produce an amazement. 282 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,200 You and I have a full understanding of the purpose of 283 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,359 Christ that shouldn't that cause greater amazement? 284 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,960 It should. But that's not the only response 285 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,760 that they had. We read here in verse 32, and 286 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,280 they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. 287 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,320 And it's generally believed that it's the same people. 288 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,200 Some would say it was a crowd, another crowd that was there 289 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,200 that was also afraid. But this is speaking primarily 290 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,560 about the disciples. So there was a mixture of 291 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,280 emotion here, and we don't have to go into great explanation to 292 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:49,080 why they were afraid. You and I just heard why they 293 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,240 were afraid. They put the pieces together. 294 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,600 But there's another phrase here, a phrase that's connected to 295 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,920 that second emotion that's important for us to consider. 296 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:03,680 And those who followed were afraid, and those who followed 297 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,840 were afraid though they were fearful, Listen to this, they 298 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:14,200 still followed. Sometimes following the Lord can 299 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:19,320 be scary, can be daunting, can be intimidating, can be 300 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:24,680 threatening, can be risky. And yes, we should ultimately be 301 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,960 amazed at Christ. But let's be inspired by these 302 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,160 disciples. They were fearful, but they 303 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,600 still followed. You know why that's an important 304 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,360 thought? Because there are too many 305 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:38,400 professing Christians who allow their feelings to drive their 306 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:46,720 devotion, whether that be heightened positive feelings or 307 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,200 unfavorable feelings of despair. Discouragement. 308 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:58,120 You cannot allow what you feel to determine your devotion. 309 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,120 A true mature disciple though, these disciples were immature in 310 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:05,280 many ways, and this place, this is something that we can draw 311 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,560 from. They show that it's conviction, 312 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,800 it's conviction that should ultimately determine your 313 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:17,840 destination. If you're waiting for feeling 314 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,920 you're never going to be consistent, you're never going 315 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,360 to know perseverance. You're never going to know the 316 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:25,800 flourishing of a ministry. You're never going to come to 317 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,120 this house consistently. I don't feel like it. 318 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:29,560 Well, you're not going to go very far. 319 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,360 And so these disciples show here that it's not about emotion. 320 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:41,040 And again, though, they were failures in different regards, 321 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,200 and though they had shortcomings, here's one thing 322 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,280 that moves me Wherever Christ was willing to go, they were 323 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,720 going to go. So again, I told you about John 324 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,520 11. I don't know why we keep going 325 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,840 back there, but why not? So they understood even in John 326 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,560 11, Lord, if you go there, I mean they they try to kill you. 327 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,480 You want to go in the same facility, You want to go in the 328 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,800 same parameters. And Jesus said, I'm going, we 329 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:07,040 must go to our friend Lazarus. And one of the disciples spoke 330 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:08,840 up. He said something that is so 331 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,320 profound because he, he tends to have a negative reputation among 332 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:15,320 evangelicals. Thomas. 333 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:19,000 Who's Thomas known as Doubting Thomas? 334 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,080 Pessimistic. But you know what Thomas said in 335 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:25,520 John 11. Maybe you've never seen Thomas 336 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,720 in this light. When they learned Jesus was 337 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,280 going to Bethany, Thomas said in John 1116. 338 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,080 So Thomas called the twin and said to his fellow disciples, 339 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,360 let us also go that we may die with him. 340 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:41,800 How about that for doubting Thomas? 341 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:45,600 All right, Lord, we told you that if you go there you might 342 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,680 get stoned again. Lord said, we're going to our 343 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,480 friend Lazarus. So Thomas looks at the 344 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,320 disciples, says, all right guys, let's go and be prepared to die. 345 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:01,120 That's discipleship. OK, Lord, I don't know where or 346 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:02,920 why you're leading me in this way. 347 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,080 There's a lot of fear in my heart right now because I know 348 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,840 exactly where this might be going in terms of this moment. 349 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:15,080 But I'm still going to go. I'm still going to follow you. 350 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,280 And don't limit that challenge to fear. 351 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,400 We don't have much to be afraid of here in the West. 352 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,920 We will in a few years, in the flesh at least. 353 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,720 But paint that for everything across the whole board. 354 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,800 Any feeling that would challenge your commitment to follow Christ 355 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,200 further, know that. What will be the secret to 356 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,760 overcoming those obstacles? It's conviction. 357 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,800 I know this to be true. I know what his word says, 358 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,520 whether my feelings at this time agree with it or not. 359 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,200 He is Lord, He is worthy. I am his servant. 360 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,480 I'm his child. I have one life. 361 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,600 I want to live it for him. I'm going to serve him. 362 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:03,200 I'm going to follow him. Now we come here to Jesus and 363 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:08,600 mark 10, pulling his disciples aside and it says here and 364 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,080 taking the 12 again. The latter part of verse 32, He 365 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,160 began to tell them what was to happen to him and Jesus. 366 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,120 Now, for the third time, the gospel of Mark is foretelling 367 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:22,120 his death, his suffering, his resurrection. 368 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:27,080 This is the third time he's going to do it, and each time he 369 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,880 shared it with the 12. He added more detail than the 370 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,600 last. So it's very close in Mark Go to 371 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,640 Mark 831. Let's read these different 372 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,440 instances where he shares and predicts his death, and let's do 373 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:45,920 a comparative analysis. In Mark 831 we read and he began 374 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,680 to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and 375 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:54,360 be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the 376 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:57,720 scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. 377 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,360 So this is the most basic explanation he gives. 378 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:03,880 He's going to be rejected by the chief rulers, he is going to 379 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,240 suffer, he is going to die, and he is going to resurrect. 380 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,400 That's the first time. Now notice the second time the 381 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:15,040 detail that he adds in Mark 931, not 830-1931. 382 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,800 It says here for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them 383 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:27,280 the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men 384 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,520 and they will kill him. And when he is killed after 385 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,600 three days he will rise. What is Christ at here? 386 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,520 He will be delivered, which is synonymous with what He will be 387 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,000 betrayed. There is going to be a betrayal 388 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,360 that's going to make this death possible. 389 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,080 And so he says to the disciples and he brings further light, 390 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,440 there is going to be a betrayal. And now we come to the last time 391 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,760 and notice the great detail of the suffering. 392 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,800 And also another important feature, verse 33. 393 00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:01,760 We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered 394 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,240 over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will 395 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,360 condemn them to death and deliver them over to the 396 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:11,720 Gentiles. There's the 3rd and final most 397 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,600 important detail that's added before Christ actually 398 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:19,240 experienced this prediction. What is this all to mean? 399 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:26,720 Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to him exactly. 400 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:34,680 Every scene he has been prepared for, and every time he explains 401 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,080 it and they come closer to this, he wants to let them know I have 402 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,200 a full understanding of what's about to take place, and that's 403 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,360 important for you to know for many reasons. 404 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,520 Let me give you a real life example to why. 405 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:50,560 Just a few days ago I had a conversation with a Muslim and 406 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,240 obviously it didn't take too long for us to get to the person 407 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,120 of Jesus Christ and the deity of Christ. 408 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:01,440 And this very passionate individual began to criticize 409 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,200 what seems to be contradictions in our Bible concerning the 410 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,920 person of Jesus Christ and his dual nature. 411 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:12,560 And it came to this point, your Christ, apparently your God who 412 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:17,320 came in the flesh was overtaken, overcome by Jewish people by his 413 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,920 enemies and they nailed him. What kind of a God is that? 414 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:25,200 You claim that he's God and he was arrested and he was dragged 415 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,120 to his death. That's your God. 416 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,040 And he was coming from the place as though Christ was taken by 417 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:38,000 surprise. And we have to understand that 418 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,520 Christ was not taken by surprise. 419 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:43,080 He predicted it. Listen, not only did he predict 420 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,640 it, he permitted it. And here's where the 421 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,320 conversation ended, where Jesus says there in John 1018, no one 422 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,800 takes it from me. But I laid down on my own 423 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,160 accord, and of my own accord. I will rise it up again. 424 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,680 And that's where the conversation ended. 425 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,240 Christ knew. He predicted it, He was aware of 426 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,080 it, and he permitted it. No one can take it from Him. 427 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:10,360 He in his own authority, He by his own accord, lays it down, 428 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,040 and he will bring it up. But notice something else about 429 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,280 these three instances where Christ predicts and foretells of 430 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,280 his suffering, death, and resurrection. 431 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,440 He speaks in a certain tense each time, right? 432 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,480 He speaks in the third person. The Son of Man will be delivered 433 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:30,760 over. And if you look at the text that 434 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,400 we have before us today, notice the last part. 435 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,720 It says here in verse 34 they will mock him and spit on him 436 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,560 and flog him and kill him. Well, isn't it Christ? 437 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:47,440 So why isn't he saying they will deliver me over to the chief 438 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:51,120 priest and they will condemn me to death and deliver me over to 439 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:53,680 the Gentiles and they will mock me and spit on me and flog me 440 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:55,200 and kill me. Why is he speaking in the third 441 00:26:55,200 --> 00:27:00,080 person? Because it's strategic and he's 442 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:04,920 a teacher and he understands his audience, Christ and explaining 443 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,800 what's about to happen to him. The culmination of his mission 444 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,400 here is from the standpoint of prophecy. 445 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:13,720 That's why he's speaking this way. 446 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:17,200 He wants to let him know that this event is not isolated from 447 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,920 something that has been predicted and prophesied 448 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:24,400 throughout the centuries. This is something that has been 449 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:26,200 anticipated. This is something that has been 450 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,680 declared by the mouths of men of God. 451 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:31,600 And he's trying to help his disciples, who are very 452 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,240 ignorant, especially of these prophecies concerning the 453 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,440 Messiah. What's about to happen is not 454 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,160 random. It's not isolated to me. 455 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,440 It's something that is part of redemptive history. 456 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,120 And so he speaks about it as though he is an outsider, not 457 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,240 because it's not going to happen to him, because he wants him to 458 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,160 know of the bigger picture. And if you need proof of that, 459 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,480 when you look at Luke's parallel account of the same thing that 460 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:57,960 we're studying, let me just read it to you. 461 00:27:57,960 --> 00:27:59,040 You could write it down as a reference. 462 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,080 Here is the confirmation that This is why Christ spoke in this 463 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,680 format. And Luke 1831, we read and 464 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:10,080 taking the 12, he said to them, see, we are going up to 465 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:15,760 Jerusalem and everything that is written about the Son of Man by 466 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:17,480 the prophets will be accomplished. 467 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:23,080 You see, disciples, I'm trying to show you that this was 468 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,880 written and what I'm going to do is going to accomplish what has 469 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,680 been written. And so he speaks in this way. 470 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,360 But you know what? That tells me something that you 471 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:34,680 know, but let it awake in a fresh amazement. 472 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:44,240 Christ's death, the way of his death, his betrayal, his burial, 473 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,200 his triumph, his victory over the grave can be found in the 474 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,560 Hebrew Scriptures. It's been written. 475 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,400 It's there. I want to challenge you. 476 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,840 You've heard me say this before. Can you and I present the gospel 477 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,280 using the Old Testament alone? We should be able to. 478 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:07,160 We should be familiar with what has been written. 479 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:11,280 And Jesus here emphatically declares the Passion of the 480 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,120 Christ is not a spontaneous story. 481 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,040 It has been a forecasted one. It is something that's been 482 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:20,120 declared from the ages ago, and even the resolve here of the 483 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:24,840 Savior is demonstrated as a fulfillment of prophecy. 484 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,880 Did you hear what I just said? Even Christ here and his 485 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:33,600 attitude towards what's about to come this impending moment was 486 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:37,360 prophesied about. Let me prove it to you just to 487 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,560 go to show how rich the scriptures are. 488 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:43,680 So here's a prophecy about the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 50. 489 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,120 And look at this if you want to know this moment of Jesus making 490 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,240 his way toward Jerusalem. Can this be found in the Hebrew 491 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:50,880 scriptures? I say to you, yes it can. 492 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,480 And Isaiah 50, verse five, notice what we read hundreds of 493 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,720 years, several, 100 years before Christ. 494 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,200 Incarnation. Isaiah 50, verse 5. 495 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:08,040 Just to whet your appetite, here's Isaiah speaking with the 496 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,280 prophetic tone of the Messiah speaking the Lord God has opened 497 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,000 my ear. Pause. 498 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,160 You know what that means? Open my ear. 499 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,200 If you were a Hebrew slave and you served your master for six 500 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,840 years, on the 7th year you were released, and if you loved your 501 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,520 master, goes to show what kind of slavery they actually 502 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,600 endured. If you loved your master, if you 503 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,120 want to remain with your master, you can turn back to your master 504 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:35,680 and say I want to be your servant forever. 505 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,240 And the ordination for that, the event that would seal that 506 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:44,280 relationship is that the servant would allow his ear to be 507 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,840 pierced with an awl that would brand him as a servant of that 508 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,440 master forever. And here's the Messiah saying, 509 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:56,280 the Lord has opened my ear, I am his servant, his permanent 510 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:59,920 servant. And notice what he says next. 511 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:05,480 And I was not rebellious. I turned not backward. 512 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:11,120 Verse six I gave my back to those who strike and my cheeks 513 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:15,520 to those who pull out the beard. I hid not my face from disgrace 514 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,920 and spitting. Verse seven. 515 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:19,720 You want to know why he was so confident? 516 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:21,200 You want to know why he had such strength? 517 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,360 But the Lord God helps me. Therefore I have not been 518 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,880 disgraced. Therefore I have set my face 519 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,880 like a Flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 520 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:38,800 That's Messiah and Luke 9. In describing Jesus turning 521 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,720 point in his ministry where he goes towards Jerusalem, he 522 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:46,200 borrows the language of Isaiah 50 He says he set his face 523 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,960 toward Jerusalem. Where does that come from? 524 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,560 Isaiah. So even the journey to the 525 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:57,240 suffering, the prophet said it's going to happen, it's going to 526 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:58,640 happen. He didn't turn his back, he 527 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,360 didn't become rebellious. He knew exactly the play by play 528 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,600 of his passion, and he went with the strength of the Lord. 529 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,400 That's our Christ. But notice what Jesus also says 530 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,200 in these three instances of foretelling his death and his 531 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,960 resurrection. He calls himself the Son of Man 532 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:23,560 each time, the Son of Man, the Son of Man, the Son of Man. 533 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,520 In fact, this is the Lord's favorite title to describe to 534 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:33,280 himself in the Gospels. And the common understanding and 535 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,960 looking at those two major titles that Christ gives himself 536 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:42,440 and that others also give, Son of God implies his what Deity, 537 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,880 Son of Man infers his what? Humanity. 538 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,160 That's a basic understanding of those two titles, those 539 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,280 designations. And it's true. 540 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,880 You look at Ezekiel and Ezekiel over and over again by the Lord 541 00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,040 is referred to as Son of Man, Son of Man, Son of Man. 542 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:02,080 You see it in the Psalms and describing humanity and their 543 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,040 frailty, Son of Man, Son of Man, When his ego is called Son of 544 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,040 Man, all that the Lord was saying is you're human and you 545 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:12,560 come from a human. But when you look at and analyze 546 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,560 and survey the Gospels completely, you understand that 547 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,640 Jesus's referral to this title has a deeper significance. 548 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:20,880 And some of you are already very familiar with us. 549 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,840 Maybe some are not. There's a profound truth in 550 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:30,480 Christ saying I am the Son of Man, and the clearest 551 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:35,040 description and meaning of this is found during Jesus trial, 552 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,960 which I think is one of the strongest references you can go 553 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:42,040 to to prove Jesus, his understanding and his 554 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,920 emphatically clear identification as the Messiah. 555 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:50,120 Here's the high priest looking at a silent man who's not 556 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,120 defending himself because he is a lamb who is silent and he's 557 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:58,240 ready to embrace his slaughter. And finally, he demands, speak 558 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,600 up. I adjure you by the living God, 559 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,840 tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. 560 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:09,520 And this is a Matthew 2663. And in 64 of Matthew 26 Jesus 561 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,679 said to him, you have said so. He didn't deny it. 562 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:15,239 Are you the Christ? Are you the Son of God? 563 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,520 You're right. I'm not rejecting that claim. 564 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:22,080 I embrace that claim. But he adds to it. 565 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:28,719 You have said so, but I tell you, from now on you will see 566 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:33,440 the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming 567 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:37,400 on the clouds of heaven. And you know what the response 568 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:39,440 of the High Priest was? He tore his robes. 569 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,440 Blasphemy. What more do we need to hear? 570 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,800 He's not only confirmed my claim, he's added to it with 571 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,679 what? If Son of Man strictly means I'm 572 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:57,200 human, then the response of the High Priest doesn't make much 573 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:00,240 sense. But if you understand Jesus 574 00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:03,720 reference here to a specific instance in the Hebrew 575 00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:08,040 scriptures of an exalted heavenly divine figure, then it 576 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:14,960 makes sense. I am the Son of Man and those 577 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,800 who understood the scriptures knew exactly what Christ meant 578 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,560 clearly by their response. It's a prophecy. 579 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:27,600 In Daniel 7, verse 13, Daniel 713, Daniel has a vision. 580 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,200 He has a vision of the ancient of days on his throne. 581 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,960 And yet that scene is interrupted by one who had a 582 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,480 human form like appearance. And when he enters, we read how 583 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,720 he enters a verse 13 of Daniel seven. 584 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,720 I saw in the night visions, Daniel says. 585 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:49,400 And behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son 586 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,320 of man, and he came to the ancient of days and was 587 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:58,320 presented before him. Now he doesn't just come this, 588 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,320 this human like individual, doesn't just appear on the 589 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,520 scene, he comes with the clouds of heaven. 590 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,000 That's an important detail, and the reason why that's important 591 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,080 is because to ride on the clouds, to have authority with 592 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,520 the clouds is a prerogative and a privilege that is only 593 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:17,160 experienced and demonstrated by Yahweh alone. 594 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,480 And there are many verses in the Old Testament that ascribe 595 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,600 Yahweh with the clouds as a display of His Majesty and 596 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,400 power. And yet here is Daniel now 597 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,760 having this vision of the ancient of days, and he sees 598 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:35,120 this human like individual appear, not just appear, but 599 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:38,400 with a right that exclusively belonged to Yahweh. 600 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:44,600 He came with the clouds of heaven, so he looks like a 601 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:50,600 human, but he's sharing divine rights and the Ancient of Days 602 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:55,400 has no problem doing it. He is presented before him and 603 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,080 you read later on the same prophecy. 604 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:59,680 The Kingdom was given over to him, dominion was given over to 605 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,960 him, glory was given over to him and the peoples served him. 606 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,200 And if you look at that word, serve, it's not just helping 607 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,920 somebody or or giving somebody some assistance. 608 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:12,000 It means worship one like a son of man. 609 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:13,480 That's how Daniel was describing it. 610 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:15,520 There's someone here. He looks like a man, but he 611 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,440 can't be a man. He's coming with the clouds of 612 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,560 heaven and he's been given all of this, all these things that 613 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,320 belong to God alone. Who is this man? 614 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:29,240 Jesus. He tells this people and his 615 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:33,160 trial, you will see him, the Son of Man. 616 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:38,200 That's me coming at the right hand of the power and with the 617 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,760 clouds of heaven. So what's the blasphemy here? 618 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,520 That he's Messiah? More than that, that he is a 619 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:50,120 divine Messiah claiming to be God. 620 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:53,000 And This is why they responded the way they did. 621 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:58,720 And so we come here in closing. He says Son of Man will suffer, 622 00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:03,280 Son of Man will die, Son of Man will resurrect. 623 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:09,360 Here's a practical point for us to conclude our time before we 624 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:13,000 providentially reflect on the suffering of our Lord. 625 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:18,200 Here's Jesus, fully aware of the script of his suffering. 626 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,280 You know what he does. Think about it. 627 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:27,720 Just think about it. If you knew this evening you 628 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:32,080 were going to die a grueling, torturous death, Hey, sometimes 629 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,840 we disconnect from the humanity element of this. 630 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,160 Yes, he is God, but he's also a man. 631 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:44,440 And so it's OK to think on a practical level of what the 632 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:48,400 implications of this are. Well, he's going to resurrect. 633 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:50,920 Well, yeah, you're going to resurrect, and so am I. 634 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:54,080 But Can you imagine, knowing that if you go to a certain 635 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:57,320 place today, that you would be arrested, that you'd be 636 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:01,920 tortured, that you'd be humiliated, Would you go there? 637 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:05,640 I don't think so. That you would go in the direct 638 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:06,920 opposite direction. Right. 639 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:11,040 Not the Lord. He goes toward it. 640 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,280 And as he's going toward, what kind of preparation do you make 641 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:18,800 for that? That in a few days, this is how 642 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,680 I'm going to go in a few days. This is where everything is 643 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:26,120 going to change. I wonder what he was doing as he 644 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:28,000 was walking ahead. Was he praying to the Father? 645 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:29,600 Was he communing with him as he was striving? 646 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,040 We're not told. But you know what happens at 647 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:37,480 some point, as Christ is there, focused with resolve, strength, 648 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,640 glory, majesty. He pauses, and he takes his 649 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:44,360 fearful disciples aside, and He teaches them. 650 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,960 Why is He teaching them this? Why is He taking the time to do 651 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:50,280 this? Because he wants to prepare 652 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,400 them, Says as much as he is there, ready to fulfill 653 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:55,480 prophecy, ready to honor the Father. 654 00:39:55,600 --> 00:40:00,040 He's thinking of his students, and he wants them to be ready. 655 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,520 Think about the compassion, the tenderness of the Lord. 656 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,160 He's so much invested in these talk. 657 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:12,680 He's so much invested in US. That as he is leading us, as He 658 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:16,400 is walking ahead of us, He is mindful of us. 659 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:21,920 He is mindful of you and I. So he tells these disciples, 660 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:23,680 Look, this is what's going to happen, and let me be as 661 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:26,240 detailed as possible so you're not shocked by it. 662 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,440 It's been written. It's going to happen. 663 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:33,080 I'm going to accomplish it. And it's not until I get back 664 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:36,360 two weeks from now where you and I will be able to explore. 665 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:40,200 I mean, the inspiration of the disciples doesn't last very 666 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:40,920 long. Doesn't. 667 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:44,160 Yes, they're falling while they're afraid. 668 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:46,720 And Jesus talking about his humiliation and his suffering, 669 00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:48,080 And then what's going to happen next? 670 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:51,800 Hey, Lord, can we sit closest to you in the Kingdom? 671 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:59,160 When are you going to get it? When am I going to get it? 672 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,720 When are you going to get it? Takes some time. 673 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:08,160 But he is a patient shepherd. He's a kind God. 674 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:12,040 Today, you and I have an opportunity, by God's perfect 675 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:16,360 leadership, with this text on the 1st Sunday of the month to 676 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:21,040 be amazed at the Lord. Can we prepare our hearts to do 677 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:36,830 that? As you are bowing your head, I 678 00:41:36,830 --> 00:41:38,750 hope that you're also bowing your heart. 679 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:44,360 We're going to hear a brief exhortation in a moment 680 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:47,000 concerning the Lord's table, but I just want to do my part and 681 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,520 let you know that if you're here visiting to us, we're visiting 682 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:50,960 with us. We're so grateful that you can 683 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:52,960 be here. But this, this part of the 684 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:56,680 worship service is dedicated to Christians who have professed 685 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:59,320 their faith and repented of their sin and are confident that 686 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,080 they are a child of God by faith. 687 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:07,880 And so this is reserved for Christians, And we just kindly 688 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:09,800 ask you to reserve from participating. 689 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:15,280 You have every right to watch and participate as an observer. 690 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:17,600 And as you're observing, what you're seeing is people who are 691 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:21,560 making a declaration that they are saved by the grace of God, 692 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:24,840 not by their own merit, not by their own efforts, not by their 693 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,160 own obedience, but by the obedience of Christ. 694 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:31,840 And believers as you're sitting there today, please, this is a 695 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,600 holy moment. This is a sacred scene. 696 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:37,640 Just forget what's happening around you right now. 697 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:40,480 Don't be distracted. This is very precious to the 698 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:42,520 Lord and He calls us to see it as such. 699 00:42:44,240 --> 00:42:48,080 Just reflect on the performance of Jesus Christ. 700 00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:52,120 You have eternal life because of His body and blood. 701 00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:56,400 There may be many uncertainties in 2024 for the rest of your 702 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:58,040 life, but one thing is guaranteed. 703 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:01,800 You have heaven because of the love of the Savior for you. 704 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:07,400 And Please remember He loved Lazarus and Martha and Mary. 705 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,600 Christ Love is for you, not just His church as a whole, but you 706 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:17,760 put your name on it. Jesus loves you At the same 707 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:19,640 time. He calls us to be reflective. 708 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:22,800 If our hearts have not demonstrated A conscious 709 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:26,360 devotion to Him, if we're holding on to sin, and yet we 710 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:29,800 come here to declare the sufficiency and the beauty of 711 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:32,480 His cross, then we do so in vain. 712 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:36,800 And so we must repent. If there's any sin in us, we 713 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:40,920 must relinquish it, divorce ourselves from it, and plead 714 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:44,320 with the Lord to forgive you. Because His grace does not 715 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:48,600 stimulate sin, it should stimulate holiness. 716 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:51,960 If you're at odds with someone, if there is contention, if 717 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,840 there's tension that has not been addressed between you and 718 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:57,640 another believer, the Lord does not want you to participate at 719 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:00,000 this table. He wants you to lay your gift at 720 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,640 the altar. Go make it right, and then come 721 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:07,200 and do this again. So relish in his redemption. 722 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:10,760 Reflect on your life. We're going to sing in a moment 723 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,640 here and then we're going to partake after Pastor Daniel 724 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:18,200 shares a few verses with us if the team can come now in 725 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:19,240 preparation to sing.