1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:07,720 That was singing with joy. But I want to let you know that 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,560 our worship did not just end. It's continuing. 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,240 When we sit to hear God's Word. That is worship. 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,520 And worship is not limited to singing songs either. 5 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,000 That's praise. Worship is much broader than 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,240 singing a few songs. And so our hearts now are ready 7 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:27,800 to continue to worship as we hear God's voice through God's 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,600 Word. I want us to just pray one more 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:32,880 time. My brother prayed beautifully, 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,440 but it is a habit of mine to do so. 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,560 So please join me again. Help us to worship you, Lord. 12 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:41,360 Help us to keep your eyes on you. 13 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,120 Energize every faculty of our being. 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,720 Give us the grace that we need to absorb every truth that you 15 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,800 desire to convey. Lord, show us your son, Jesus 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,960 Christ. Oh Lord please, He is our 17 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,560 delight and we want him to be our greater delight and we know 18 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,160 that you will help us through your word as you sanctify us in 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,480 the truth. In Jesus name we pray. 20 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,600 Amen. In Psalm 130 verse 4, the 21 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:17,440 psalmist says to the Lord, but with you there is forgiveness 22 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:24,520 that you may be feared. The correlation between 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,520 forgiveness and fear may be startling to some, perhaps 24 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,920 confusing to others, because those two ideas don't seem to 25 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:40,960 belong in the same thought. How does forgiveness provoke 26 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,720 fear? Should it not instead elicit 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,280 joy? Relief. 28 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,360 Should it not cause us to expect an inner freedom As we 29 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,720 experience God's forgiveness, Those rewards are indeed 30 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,480 included. But the Holy Spirit highlights 31 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:08,680 in this passage that God's forgiveness produces a level of 32 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,600 fear. How do we make sense of this? 33 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,240 Well, I think it helps to understand what the Bible means 34 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,480 with the word fear, especially as it pertains to our fear of 35 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,440 God. According to the Scriptures, to 36 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:30,160 fear God is synonymous with standing in awe of Him stated in 37 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:37,000 Psalm 33 verse 8. So if fearing God means that I 38 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,800 respond and I remain in a position and posture of awe, 39 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,840 then we can understand Psalm 130, verse 4 as follows. 40 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,120 But with you there is forgiveness, that we may stand 41 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:57,480 in awe of you. And there are many aspects of 42 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:02,440 God's forgiveness that should inspire awestruck wonder. 43 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,640 Consider the availability of it. The very fact that this holy God 44 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,200 even makes forgiveness possible is awesome. 45 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,400 Perhaps the inclusiveness of it that he does not discriminate 46 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,320 with his forgiveness. His arms are very wide, his 47 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:27,800 heart is very open to call any Sinner to experience his pardon. 48 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:34,160 How about the frequency of it? Peter thought he impressed Jesus 49 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,800 when he asked about forgiveness and said, yeah, seven times. 50 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,480 And Jesus multiplied that in a day numbering around the four 51 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:46,120 hundreds. There are so many aspects, so 52 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,240 many components about God's forgiveness that is capable of 53 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,600 melting the sinner's calloused heart when properly understood. 54 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,600 But today I want to present to you one of the most staggering 55 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,320 features about God's forgiveness. 56 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:10,040 And it is this, the price of it. If there is any hope for our 57 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,480 hearts to fear the Lord in light of His forgiveness, then we must 58 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:20,399 keep in mind the high cost of His great provision, His 59 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:24,080 greatest provision of mercy, namely, in the Person of the 60 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,240 Lord Jesus Christ. What we're going to read in a 61 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,120 moment is one of the most unsettling and alarming scenes 62 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,320 in all of the Bible because it gives us a sample of the 63 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,160 voluntary sufferings of Jesus Christ. 64 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:45,200 We are about to behold together just a glimpse of the pain, the 65 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:53,360 horror, the humiliation that the Lord Jesus endured to purchase 66 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,440 and secure your salvation and mine. 67 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:02,000 And this snapshot of Christ agony is incredibly valuable 68 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:07,520 because it invites us to perceive both the severity of 69 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,360 sin and the magnitude of God's love. 70 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:20,040 Severity of sin because we are going to see the brutality that 71 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,640 was inflicted against the Son of God because he became the sin 72 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,960 bearer of the world. And that is what was necessary 73 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:36,080 to satisfy humanity's immense debt before a holy God. 74 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:44,160 The magnitude of God's love because Christ here, though 75 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,600 excruciatingly and humiliation, was tortured. 76 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:54,760 He could have instantly put it to an end with one word. 77 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,160 He told us that He could call upon the Father, and the Father, 78 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,160 in a split second would release legions of angels to sweep Him 79 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:07,960 out of that place, bring Him into glory, and leave all of the 80 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,880 world condemned for eternity because of an incomplete 81 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:13,280 salvation. But He didn't do that. 82 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,920 He endured every lash. He embraced every striking blow. 83 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:27,080 He accepted every second of sickening mockery. 84 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,760 Why? Because the Bible says for the 85 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:36,600 joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. 86 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,400 What was the object of His joy? Obeying the Father's will, 87 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,880 surely. But you and I also are included 88 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:50,560 in that joy, that He would bring you and I into His fold and to 89 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:57,480 His presence forever. I want us to also consider that 90 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,520 and remember this, that every part of the Bible contains 91 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:06,320 practical instruction. Every aspect of the Scriptures 92 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:11,080 provides personal instruction, every part even within the 93 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,600 framework of Christ's death. And if that's hard for you to 94 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,800 grasp, then let me give you one example of how even the New 95 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,760 Testament authors believe this. Remember the past two weeks 96 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,040 we've been beholding Jesus Christ standing on trial before 97 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,840 pilot and and that was a unique interaction, was it not? 98 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:33,200 But I want you to see how Paul uses this and exhorts Timothy 99 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:34,640 with it. So turn with me in your Bibles 100 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,280 to First Timothy chapter 6 and look at verse 13 with me. 101 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,280 And the reason why I'm showing you this is so that your faith 102 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,000 and mine can be built up and believing that every aspect of 103 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,440 the Scriptures wants to speak to you. 104 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,240 Speak to you not just about Christ, but about you in Christ. 105 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:03,440 First Timothy 613 I charge you in the presence of God who gives 106 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:07,320 life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his 107 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:13,480 testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession to keep 108 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,800 the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the 109 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,360 appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 110 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,960 Do you see it? We've been studying about Pilate 111 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,040 the past two weeks, and here's now Paul, a spiritual father 112 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,960 trying to inspire his timid spiritual son, and he points to 113 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,159 the greatest example of courage and boldness. 114 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,440 It's as though Paul is saying to Timothy, remember how Jesus 115 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,799 stood alone? Timothy, remember how he was 116 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:43,240 left abandoned? Timothy, remember how he was 117 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,360 faced by the interrogation of the Roman government and yet he 118 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,480 was not ashamed, nor did he shrink back from affirming who 119 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,240 he was, even though he knew it would cost them his life. 120 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:59,040 Imitate that. Timothy, Another way to put it 121 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:03,920 is in the same way that Jesus Christ confirmed his identity, 122 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,080 though it would cost him everything. 123 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:11,240 So you, Pastor Tim, do not be ashamed to confess his identity 124 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:16,720 before anybody. So even looking at the passion 125 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,440 of the Christ has practical instruction for us, and it is no 126 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,920 different for what we are about to study together this Sunday. 127 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:30,480 So let us read our main text in Mark 15, beginning in verse 16. 128 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,800 I'm inviting you today to stand in awe of Christ's forgiveness. 129 00:09:43,470 --> 00:09:47,710 Mark 15, beginning in verse 16. It is amazing how we are 130 00:09:47,710 --> 00:09:49,190 approaching the end of this gospel. 131 00:09:51,750 --> 00:09:55,190 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace that is the 132 00:09:55,190 --> 00:09:58,560 governor's headquarters, and they called together the whole 133 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:02,960 battalion, and they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting 134 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,800 together a crown of thorns, they put it on him, and they began to 135 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,080 salute him. Hail, King of the Jews. 136 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,640 And they were striking his head with a Reed and spitting on him, 137 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,800 and kneeling down in homage to him. 138 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:24,080 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple 139 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,600 cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they let him out to 140 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:33,320 crucify him. Pilot surrendered to the 141 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,160 bloodthirsty desires of the Pharisees and the Jews. 142 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,440 And after doing so, we read of this band of soldiers that led 143 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,240 him away inside a particular location to continue their 144 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,120 cruelty. You have to remember something 145 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,000 from verse 15. Look at it very quickly. 146 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,920 So Pilot, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them 147 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,400 Barabbas and having scourge Jesus, he delivered them to be 148 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,760 crucified. Before Christ was mocked in the 149 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:02,960 way that we just read, he was flogged by the Romans. 150 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,480 The Roman flogging experience was horrific. 151 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:14,480 History has much to tell us about how this happened, and one 152 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,280 of the most brutal expressions of this kind of punishment was 153 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,600 experienced through what is known as the Roman Roman 154 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:25,000 flagram. Specifically with a device. 155 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,360 It was not too long, it was short enough, and because it was 156 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,040 necessary for accuracy, it was a handle that had leather straps 157 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,280 attached to it. And nodded. 158 00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:41,080 On those leather straps were weights and shards of sharp 159 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:46,040 bones and metal fragments. And that instrument of torture 160 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:51,920 had one specific purpose in its design, to RIP off human flesh 161 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:53,720 when it came into contact with it. 162 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,800 And this kind of weapon was held in the hands of professional 163 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,800 torturers. This is what they did for a 164 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,080 living. And so the victim would be tied 165 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,240 to a pole, specifically with his hands, and he would be stripped 166 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,840 naked. And these soldiers would 167 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:18,480 alternate in beating this victim, this criminal, until his 168 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:25,600 skin hung like ribbons, until arteries and veins ripped open, 169 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,480 and to to some extent in many cases, until organs were 170 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,800 exposed. This was savage, it was brutal, 171 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:37,920 and there were different levels of offering this kind of 172 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,680 punishment, but it would often prove to be fatal. 173 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:47,360 The trauma and the blood loss explains that for less severe 174 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,160 offenses, it would produce such a scarring but also free 175 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,480 advertisement so that as these victims would walk the streets 176 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,160 of Jerusalem or any other part of the world, people would 177 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,880 understand. Don't mess with Rome. 178 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,120 But the worst of the worst of flag flogging was reserved for 179 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,720 the most despised criminals. Crucifixion wasn't enough. 180 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:17,560 What Jesus experienced under this kind of experience was in 181 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:22,120 preparation for the crucifixion. It's almost as though they would 182 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,080 beat you and beat you until you're one step away from death 183 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,400 and then they would pull away. You have to understand that 184 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,320 there was a type of flogging under Jewish law for specific 185 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,960 crimes, but there was a limit to the lashes, no more than 40. 186 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,560 No such thing existed under Roman law. 187 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,960 It was left up to the cruel discretion of those tortures. 188 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,800 So Jesus here experiences the scourging. 189 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,840 We're told about it in one word, but oh, if you just look into it 190 00:13:55,840 --> 00:14:02,560 a little bit, you would be a very cold person to not be moved 191 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:08,880 by the imagination of this. After that, the soldiers let him 192 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:10,800 away. And I want you to notice here 193 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,720 that they didn't just lead him away with a handful of soldiers. 194 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,080 We're told here that the whole battalion was called. 195 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,040 This was a large body of soldiers, usually numbering 196 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:26,560 around 600 people. So you had 600 people who were 197 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,520 invited to participate in this, not because it required 600 198 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:36,040 people, but because Christ butchery became a show. 199 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,200 You have to understand that the Romans didn't feel too nicely 200 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,440 about the Jews. The Jews didn't feel too great 201 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:48,520 about the Romans. And so you can imagine the pent 202 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:57,960 up frustration and the anger and the hatred that energized these 203 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,040 soldiers. So you can just imagine the 204 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:07,240 atmosphere as crisis there, silent, embracing this kind of 205 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,960 fate. But there's somebody or some 206 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,680 group of people that are missing from this audience, and it may 207 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:20,400 surprise us. Remember, this took place where 208 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:23,240 look again at verse 16, the governor's headquarters. 209 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,240 We've seen that before if you've read the Gospel accounts. 210 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,920 And let me remind you of what the Jews decided to do upon 211 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:35,360 their arrival to pilot with Jesus in their hands. 212 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:49,080 Turn to John 1828. It says here, then they they 213 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,720 being the religious leaders who were seeking to condemn Jesus, 214 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,400 then they led Jesus from the House of Caiaphas to the 215 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,120 governor's headquarters. It was early morning. 216 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:02,240 They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters so 217 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,760 that they would not be defiled but could eat the Passover. 218 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,720 So Pilot went outside to them and said, what accusation do you 219 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:15,040 bring against this man? So we read in Mark that they 220 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,720 brought Jesus into the headquarters. 221 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,280 But we realize here in John that the Jewish leaders stood 222 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,960 outside. Why? 223 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,800 Because they did not want to risk coming into contact with 224 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,920 something or someone that would contaminate them and then thus 225 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,040 disqualifying them from experiencing the Passover feast. 226 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:38,880 Now you have to understand that there is no law, no injunction 227 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,280 from Moses prohibiting Jews from entering the House of Gentiles. 228 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,480 This was a tradition later developed as a precaution. 229 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,880 But do you see the irony here? Here you have a band of 230 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:58,000 religious men refusing to get into a place, fearing ritual 231 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,720 contamination. All the while they are plotting 232 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:06,640 the murder of an innocent man out of cancerous envy. 233 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:14,640 The hideousness of hypocrisy. Religious hypocrisy. 234 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,440 And this is not unique to the Pharisees, is it? 235 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:24,280 It didn't end with them. How many people today emphasize 236 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:29,200 strict adherence to traditions while overlooking what really 237 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:34,000 matters? So they're willing to murder, 238 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:38,360 but God forbid that we come into contact with something that 239 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:43,520 would render us disqualified to eat the Passover feast. 240 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:50,320 How many inflate petty laws? You know, some people, I'm sure, 241 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:53,960 while ignoring true righteousness. 242 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:02,600 Again, this deliberate inconsistency of the Pharisees 243 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:04,320 did not begin with him, nor did it end with him. 244 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,640 I I think of a little detail connected to Bathsheba. 245 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,280 You remember Bathsheba when we were introduced to her? 246 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,520 When David commits that notorious sin, I want you to 247 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,920 turn to that passage just for me to confirm this point. 248 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,520 From Second Samuel Chapter 11, turn with me to the left side of 249 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,320 your Bible. Look at Second Samuel 11 verse 250 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:35,110 4. This is after David was eyeing 251 00:18:35,270 --> 00:18:38,270 Bathsheba from his rooftop. He was supposed to be at war, 252 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,480 but he was not at war. It is a very dangerous thing 253 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,440 when you willingly walk outside of God's call for your life. 254 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,080 You become very vulnerable when you know that you are supposed 255 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,040 to be obeying God in a certain way, but you prolong that 256 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,200 disobedience. David did so. 257 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,080 There was a trap laid out for him, and he gave into it. 258 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,240 Notice what it says. So David sent messengers and 259 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,000 took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. 260 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,880 Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness. 261 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,160 Then she returned to her house. You see what's there in 262 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,600 parentheses? Don't skip over things like 263 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,120 this. Meditate on. 264 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,840 The mention of Bathsheba's purification here alludes to the 265 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:27,720 Levitical law that called for women to refrain from sexual 266 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,120 intercourse for a certain amount of time after their monthly 267 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:36,320 period. And it suggests to us that 268 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:41,360 Bathsheba was not pregnant before she met with David and 269 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,200 had intercourse with him. So that prepares us to know that 270 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,840 when she does become pregnant, it's David's baby. 271 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,960 But more than that, it's a clue that she honored the law 272 00:19:53,960 --> 00:20:00,920 regarding her ceremonial cleanliness, preparing her for 273 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,280 sexual relations. But she had a husband. 274 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:09,000 Some would even say that Bathsheba, after being proposed 275 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,880 by David to have these relations, informed him that she 276 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:20,080 was ceremonially clean. Others would believe that this 277 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,040 means that she went on to perform ceremonial washings 278 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:29,800 after her affair with David. Either way, you have the same 279 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,360 mindset of the Pharisees, just with a different sin. 280 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:40,440 Think about it in that one verse you read of a woman who complied 281 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:45,200 with ritual ceremonies and at the same time commits adultery 282 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:52,800 with her husband's boss. Unfortunately, many live 283 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:57,600 comfortably this way. It's one thing to slip into sin 284 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,960 as you're pursuing Lord. It's another thing to convince 285 00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:03,840 yourself I can live this way. And when you when you do so 286 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:08,280 without your conscience being pricked, you are failing to 287 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,200 realize that among all the sinners that Jesus interacted 288 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,680 with, he expressed the greatest disapproval towards hypocrites. 289 00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:24,140 Is there hope for hypocrites? The Bible speaks a lot about 290 00:21:24,140 --> 00:21:25,460 hypocrites. You know what's fascinating 291 00:21:25,460 --> 00:21:26,980 about hypocrites? Even hypocrites don't like 292 00:21:26,980 --> 00:21:33,400 hypocrites. Is there a hope for hypocrites? 293 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,120 There's hope for hypocrites. Who were the men who were in 294 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:44,560 charge of Jesus's brutal torture? 295 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,160 They were known as the Pharisees, generally recognized 296 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,600 as the expert of not theology Hypocrites. 297 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,280 And whenever I think about the Pharisees in light of the 298 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:01,440 gospel, in light of Christ, my mind always goes to this obscure 299 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:06,160 verse found in the book of Acts, and it it never fails to warm my 300 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,160 heart. Can I show it to you? 301 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:14,400 You don't have a choice. It's in Acts 15, verse 5. 302 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,680 At the Jerusalem Council, there was a theological debate about 303 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,120 how the Law of Moses should be honored in light of the New 304 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:23,720 Covenant. And we're told of this 305 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,520 particular sect in that meeting, and I want you to see with your 306 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:37,020 eyes in Acts 15, verse 5. This will make you smile. 307 00:22:38,420 --> 00:22:45,500 But some believers who belong to the party of the Pharisees rose 308 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:48,460 up and said it is necessary to circumcise them and to order 309 00:22:48,460 --> 00:22:52,520 them to keep the law of Moses. Don't look at the latter portion 310 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:54,520 of this verse. Look at the first part. 311 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:59,520 But some believers who belong to the party of the Pharisees, see, 312 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:04,560 I see some smiles after Christ died, was buried, resurrected 313 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,160 after the Spirit was poured out on the church and overflowed in 314 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,160 Jerusalem. You had some Pharisees who 315 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,400 became believers. It's possible for hypocrites to 316 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,800 be saved. Oh, they still struggle with 317 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,560 understanding how things relate to the new covenant. 318 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:20,760 That's why they said what they said. 319 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,880 But the Bible is emphatically clear. 320 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,480 They were believers. Who's the most notorious 321 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,240 Pharisee that we read of all the time? 322 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:30,440 His name is Paul. He says, I'm the Pharisee of the 323 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:34,440 Pharisees. So this gospel is not only able 324 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,640 to save hypocrites, it's able to save the president of 325 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:43,840 hypocrites. When I came to Christ, one of my 326 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,480 greatest struggles of understanding his willingness to 327 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,160 forgive me was just that. Being a church kid that grew up 328 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:51,760 in a Christian home but was a hypocrite. 329 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:59,760 But his love overcame my doubts and I can testify that there is 330 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,960 hope for hypocrites. Are you living a hypocritical 331 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:08,280 life as I speak? Have you soothed your conscience 332 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:10,040 because you're obeying God in this area? 333 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,840 But in this area you know it's wrong, but you've convinced 334 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,200 yourself somehow, some way. Let me tell you something. 335 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,440 That's not God's will for your life. 336 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,000 And if you're willing to believe it, there's hope for you to 337 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,520 actually know true holiness, true righteousness, true 338 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:26,200 completeness in your walk with Christ. 339 00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:30,640 Unfortunately, some of these Pharisees could care less. 340 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,680 They weren't in attendance when Jesus was being brutally handled 341 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,080 by the hands of Rome. But let's come back to Mark 15 342 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,760 and look. Let's look at some of the 343 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:45,480 aspects, the elements of this experience to further instruct 344 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:47,520 us. And they clothed him in a purple 345 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,480 cloak and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on 346 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:53,640 him. And they began to salute him. 347 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,480 Hail, King of the Jews. And they were striking His head 348 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:01,560 with a Reed and spitting on him. This crown of thorns was an 349 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,960 obvious addition to the mockery, but it was also a gruesome 350 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,760 addition to His affliction. Notice if you read 19 very 351 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,840 carefully, verse 19, it says that they were striking His 352 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,680 head. So they placed this crown of 353 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,640 thorns on His head. And then they went beyond that. 354 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,120 They took the Reed, and they begin to drive it further into 355 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:26,680 His scalp, into His forehead, into that precious face until it 356 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,320 was covered with fresh, warm blood. 357 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,280 And as difficult as it may seem to shake off that image, the 358 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,960 mention of thorns in connection to the price of our redemption 359 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:43,200 is meant to transport you back to the very first mention of 360 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,760 thorns in the Scriptures. Let me read these verses to you. 361 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:52,560 After Adam and Eve committed humanity's first transgression 362 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,320 in Genesis 317, the Lord says to Adam and to Adam, he said, 363 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,240 because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and I've 364 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,360 eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you shall not eat 365 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:05,280 of it. Cursed is the ground because of 366 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,080 you and pain. You shall eat of it all the days 367 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,120 of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall 368 00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:15,000 bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the 369 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:21,480 field. So in the eyes of Rome, this was 370 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,520 just scorn, but in the eyes of those who are familiar with 371 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,880 redemptive history, they see not a symbol of disgrace. 372 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:32,480 They see, in fact, a symbol of a curse. 373 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:39,000 You know, God called for thorns and thistles to be a permanent 374 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:45,360 visual and physical reminder of the pain that sin would bring 375 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:49,880 into the world, the heartache that sin did bring into the 376 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,640 world. When you see it in your garden, 377 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,000 you're supposed to be reminded of it. 378 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,360 And I've done enough work in my yard to feel that pain. 379 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:02,640 So every time that thing pierces you or you step on it, your mind 380 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,440 is supposed to go. The world wasn't supposed to be 381 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:09,920 like this. This is sin. 382 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,800 This is our rebellion. This is Adam, our federal head 383 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,400 that plunged the world into this kind of reality. 384 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,480 So knowing this adds commentary to what we are seeing here in 385 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:29,480 Mark 15, that Jesus receiving this crowning of the thorns is 386 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:36,400 not just receiving scorn. He is willing to wear a curse 387 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:42,480 for what reason? With the full knowledge that His 388 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:49,040 blood would undo it and would begin the glorious process of 389 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:53,720 reversing the curse. And know this, His redemption 390 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:58,200 with His blood does more than just redeem mankind, you and me. 391 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:04,840 It will restore creation itself. Creation, the order of the 392 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:09,360 universe, will be realigned because of what Christ has done. 393 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,000 If you don't believe me, you have to read Romans 8 and let me 394 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,400 quote to you a few words from Romans 820 where creation was 395 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:21,800 subjected to futility. Not because Paul says that there 396 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:25,480 were it was willing to The world did not want plagues and 397 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,120 diseases and tsunamis and tornadoes and eruptions. 398 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,800 It was subject to futility, not willingly, but because of him 399 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,360 who subjected it. He was called to have dominion 400 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:41,320 over the world, betrayed the world and surrendered it into a 401 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:45,240 whirlwind of disaster, a fractured world because of a 402 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,200 fractured man. But Paul goes on to say that 403 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:53,000 this creation, creation itself, is longing for the sons of God 404 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,680 to be revealed so that the freedom that would come from 405 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,600 that would liberate itself from bondage. 406 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:05,240 In other words, in the same way that we are yearning to be 407 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:09,400 completely set free from the effects of sin, the natural 408 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,560 world is longing for that same reality. 409 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:16,960 You know, Jesus spoke about this himself. 410 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:23,320 Yes, He prioritizes you and I being saved, but Jesus himself 411 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:28,360 alluded to the reality of the whole world being transformed. 412 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:34,680 One day you'll see it. In Matthew 1928, Jesus said to 413 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:38,720 them, truly, I say to you, he's talking to his disciples in the 414 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:43,560 new world, in the new world. The ESV renders it in the new 415 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:46,960 world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, You 416 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,760 have followed me, will also sit on 12 Thrones judging the 12 417 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:55,160 tribes of Israel. Yet you have two options here. 418 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,160 Either Jesus is speaking literally or he's speaking here 419 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,160 allegorically. I'm going to go to literal 420 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,400 approach. He's talking about a real new 421 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,400 world. He's talking about an actual 422 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,240 glorious throne. He's talking about the 12 who 423 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,560 will sit on actual 12 Thrones and they will judge actual 424 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:15,560 tribes of Israel. Now here's a question for you. 425 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,840 Do you see how it says New world there? 426 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:23,200 There's only one other place in all of the New Testament where 427 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,480 the Greek word for new world appears. 428 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:28,960 If you know it and you say it, I'll give you a prize. 429 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:36,640 Good guess, but no. The answer is found in the book 430 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:42,040 of Titus. Titus chapter 3, verse 5 gives 431 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,960 us the one other place in all of the New Testament where the 432 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,560 Greek word for New world is made known. 433 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:55,600 Notice what Paul says. He saved us not because of works 434 00:30:55,600 --> 00:31:01,640 done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by 435 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:06,920 the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. 436 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:12,520 Underline the word regeneration. It's the same word used. 437 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,280 What does regeneration mean? New birth. 438 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,560 And in this verse it speaks about our spiritual new birth. 439 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:25,360 We have been regenerated. That's what Jesus meant in John 440 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,520 three. You are born again, transformed, 441 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,320 renewed from the inside out. And the Holy Spirit uses the 442 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:36,280 same word back in Matthew, not to describe a human experience, 443 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:41,240 but what the universe will one day undergo when Christ comes 444 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,640 back to rule and reign for 1000 years. 445 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:48,360 In other words, the world will know a transformation and 446 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,360 deliverance from sin. Why? 447 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,480 Because Jesus Christ conquered death and He's coming to rule 448 00:31:55,480 --> 00:32:00,480 and reign and make everything, absolutely everything, right. 449 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,760 And that's why many of you mentioned Revelation. 450 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,280 You read in Revelation 22, verse three. 451 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,200 No longer will there be anything accursed. 452 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:16,120 Not one thing will be under any curse in that new world, 453 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,760 specifically when the eternal age comes in, but the throne of 454 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,080 God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will 455 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,240 worship him. Can you imagine a world without 456 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:30,640 a hint of Adam's curse? It's almost hard to fathom, but 457 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,360 that's our reward. That's where we're headed 458 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:36,840 towards. And so when Jesus wears this 459 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,480 crown of thorns, and as it punctures his skin and his 460 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:46,600 skull, what we have to keep in mind is that he was willing to 461 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:52,600 take it because that's what was required to clean everything up. 462 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,600 And we come back to Mark and we get the impression that as they 463 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,320 were striking his head, spitting on him, and the word there for 464 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:05,880 spitting on him was not just a couple. 465 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:08,720 They were continually spitting on him. 466 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,120 I wonder how many of those 600 people participated in that, 467 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:20,440 spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 468 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,480 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple 469 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,280 cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they let him out to 470 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,800 crucify him again. You get the impression that from 471 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,200 Mark's account, after this took place, they immediately rushed 472 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,080 him off so that he can be nailed on a cross and that he would 473 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,000 hang there suspended between heaven and earth. 474 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,160 But that's not exactly what happened. 475 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,760 Mark is a little bit faster here in writing of this. 476 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:50,600 But John tells us of an episode, episode that took place between 477 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,840 his flogging and his torture and his crucifixion. 478 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,400 And this is what we're going to be ending here in John 19. 479 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,960 This is why it's so important to collect the Bible together and 480 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:07,760 to compare to see the full picture in John 19, verse one. 481 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:11,239 This is again what happened after they let Him away from 482 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:18,120 this and before they brought Him to Golgotha in John 19 one we 483 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,719 read then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourge them. 484 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:24,400 We covered that already, and the soldiers planted a crown of 485 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,520 thorns and put it on His head, and they put Him on him, a 486 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,480 purple Rd. robe. We covered that and said, Hail 487 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:33,199 king of the Jews, we seen that and they smote Him with their 488 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:35,679 hands. Yes, but look what happens in 489 00:34:35,679 --> 00:34:39,120 verse 4. Pilate therefore went forth 490 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:43,560 again and saith to them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that 491 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:45,600 you may know that I find no fault in Him. 492 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,880 Then came Jesus wearing the crown of thorns and the purple 493 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,960 robe, and Pilate said to them, Behold the man. 494 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,840 So again, before Jesus went to the cross, Pilate sought to do 495 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,480 something with Christ. He brings him out to the public 496 00:35:02,720 --> 00:35:07,800 eye, and he wants to showcase what they did to Jesus. 497 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:13,560 For what reason? Pilate again is desperate and 498 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:17,480 hoping that now after he was battered, slapped around, 499 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:23,640 punctured, bleeding, that they would have some kind of pity and 500 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:29,280 they would see this and say wow. And that in their rage, they 501 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:32,160 would have some kind of compassion and they would 502 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:37,640 realize he's no longer a threat. And they would say just release 503 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:44,120 him, that that's enough. That would be horrific enough 504 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:48,640 for them to put it to an end. But what do you read instead? 505 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:53,360 The venomous hatred that this people had for Jesus. 506 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,240 It's as though the site only excited them more because in the 507 00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:05,840 very next verse we read that they said crucify him, finish 508 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,840 the job. Yes, this is what we want, but 509 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:13,280 we want more. Kill Him saying this is crazy, 510 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:17,400 this is hard to believe. No, this is the potential of 511 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:21,840 man's hatred for God. And so Pilate said, if this this 512 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:25,960 is beyond hope, but after all this, you still want to kill 513 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,240 him. He finally gives in as we 514 00:36:28,240 --> 00:36:32,280 studied. But I wonder if this man knew 515 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,040 the words that he said, at least the significance of them. 516 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:36,680 You know, when people say things, sometimes they don't 517 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,520 know what they're saying. There are some who say things 518 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,400 and they don't realize how foolish their statement or the 519 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,400 reaction was, while others speak with a profoundness that they 520 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,800 don't even recognize. And I believe when Pilate said 521 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:55,920 those 3 words, behold the man, he did not comprehend what we 522 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,160 should be familiar with in light of God's Word. 523 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:03,720 Remember Caiaphas accidentally prophesied when the Pharisees 524 00:37:03,720 --> 00:37:07,280 didn't know what to do with him. He said, you know, it's better 525 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,680 for one man to die than for the whole nation. 526 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:14,240 And he was speaking about Christ's death and the 527 00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:17,080 significance of it. And I I'm persuaded that even 528 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:21,920 when Pilate here in his own way, by saying behold, the man was 529 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,960 making an illusion, he echoed a prophecy about Messiah. 530 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:31,680 That phrase, behold the man, doesn't appear too much in the 531 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:35,760 Old Testament, but there is one very crucial place where it is 532 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,200 found and it speaks about Jesus. I wonder if you've ever 533 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:43,920 considered it in Zechariah 6 verse 12. 534 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:50,440 And say to him, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold the man 535 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:58,440 whose name is the branch, for he shall branch out from his place, 536 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:00,320 and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 537 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:03,080 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord, and shall 538 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:07,720 bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne, and 539 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:11,280 there shall be a priest on his throne, and the council of peace 540 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:19,280 shall be between them both. The title branch is Messianic. 541 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:23,160 It speaks of fruitfulness, it speaks of life, and it is indeed 542 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,320 attributed to the person of Jesus of Nazareth. 543 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,640 And here Zechariah says, behold the man. 544 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:33,480 And we know this is Messianic because whoever this king would 545 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,640 be would also be a priest. That's the last part of the 546 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:38,840 prophecy, right? And there shall be a priest on 547 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:42,480 his throne. Never was there a time where the 548 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:46,320 priest could become a king or king, become a priest. 549 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:50,920 Whenever anybody attempted to do that, it was deadly. 550 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,920 There's an exception with David, but that's because he pointed to 551 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,760 Christ. But here we see that there is 552 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:03,080 coming a king who's also going to be a priest, sitting on the 553 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:07,880 throne that is Jesus Christ. And when Pilate says, behold the 554 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:14,480 man, all of them missed it because what they were supposed 555 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:18,480 to see is the branch. What they were supposed to see 556 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:25,400 is the kingly priest. Instead, what they saw was an 557 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:30,000 enemy. You know pilots words here are 558 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,360 for us as well. Behold the man after this very 559 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:39,160 brief time, looking at what Christ endured for the mission 560 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:41,840 of salvation. What do you see? 561 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:47,600 What do you see? What comes to mind when you see 562 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:50,680 this Jesus? Do you see a misunderstood 563 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:54,880 teacher? Do you see a revolutionary that 564 00:39:54,880 --> 00:40:02,120 was caught? Do you see a philosopher who 565 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:06,240 provided good moral framework for mankind? 566 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:10,320 What do you see when you behold him? 567 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:13,760 Or do you see what you're supposed to see? 568 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:20,280 The fulfillment of prophecy? The anticipated Savior? 569 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:25,160 The Anointed 1. That has been predicted and 570 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,400 proclaimed centuries and thousands of years ago. 571 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,320 What do you see today? Come on, with a little bit of 572 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,640 strength and energy. Now I ask you to see. 573 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:37,880 What do you see? What do you behold? 574 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,160 How do you perceive it? Does it move you? 575 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,960 What you're supposed to see is the one who is willing to go to 576 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:52,200 such lengths to win your salvation and to call you his 577 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:55,280 own. I I wonder if that moves you 578 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:58,240 today. I wonder if that stirs you 579 00:40:58,240 --> 00:41:01,320 today. I wonder if that makes you want 580 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:05,480 to know Him more, and if you don't know Him, to know Him and 581 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:09,080 to experience Him. I wonder if looking at the 582 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:13,840 severity of sin causes you to want to shun it with a strength 583 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:18,040 that you've never experienced. I wonder if beholding the 584 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:23,720 magnitude of God's love wins your loyalty as you realize that 585 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:28,320 it has won your salvation. What do you see today as you 586 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:33,840 behold the man? I hope today that you see your 587 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,040 Savior. And if you have not acknowledged 588 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,440 that today, that today would be the day where you say I will not 589 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:43,600 crown him with my betrayal, with my rejection. 590 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:46,800 I will crown him with my allegiance and I will give my 591 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,040 life to him and surrender. And how you do that is by 592 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:51,080 accepting His forgiveness and His grace. 593 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:55,240 And from that place of gratitude you now live with the energy of 594 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:57,560 His love to serve Him with your love. 595 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:02,520 Have you made that conscious decision today to make Jesus 596 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:06,440 Christ your Lord? What more can He do? 597 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:16,200 What more can He offer? God gave all that He can Himself 598 00:42:16,720 --> 00:42:19,360 so that He can have you. I pray that you would accept 599 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:21,520 them if you haven't yet. Let's pray. 600 00:42:41,060 --> 00:42:43,820 Well, we know that the prophet Isaiah said about the Messiah 601 00:42:43,820 --> 00:42:46,100 that he gave his back to be smitten. 602 00:42:46,100 --> 00:42:57,240 And we acknowledge that a man can only say and do so much to 603 00:42:57,240 --> 00:43:01,560 try to paint the picture of your salvation and the sufferings 604 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:04,680 linked to it. But we acknowledge that only the 605 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:08,480 Holy Spirit can make this real to us. 606 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:14,280 So we do pray in humility that you would open the eyes of our 607 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:22,720 hearts to behold the man for those who know him, that we 608 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:27,760 would love him more for those who don't know him, that they 609 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:32,200 would be won over by his love. Lord, today we worship you. 610 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:37,680 Yes, with this very somber scene before us, but also realizing 611 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:42,680 that there is a joy in this picture, a joy that you had in 612 00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:48,800 mind and a joy that we get to enjoy forever at your expense. 613 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:59,080 Lord, help us honor you today as a church in Jesus name, Amen. 614 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,400 Amen. If the priest team can come and 615 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:04,200 help us sing.