1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:15,920 Mark 15 beginning in verse 33. And when the 6th hour had come, 2 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,920 there was darkness over the whole land until the 9th hour. 3 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,720 And at the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Elohi Elohi, 4 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:30,160 Lama Sabakhtani, which means my God, my God, why have you 5 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,680 forsaken me? And some of the bystanders 6 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,160 hearing it, said, Behold, he is calling Elijah. 7 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,040 Someone ran and filled the sponge with sour wine, put it on 8 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,120 a Reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, wait, let us see 9 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,680 whether Elijah will come to take him down. 10 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,760 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathe his last. 11 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,920 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to 12 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,000 bottom. And when the centurion who stood 13 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,440 facing him saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,600 truly, this man was the Son of God. 15 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,640 The more I read and study the New Testament, the more I 16 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,000 realize how much I need to read and study the Old Testament. 17 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,440 And that includes a familiarity with the sacrifices that the 18 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:29,000 Lord God instituted for His people, Israel under the Old 19 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,640 Covenant. I understand that these ancient 20 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:38,360 practices were elaborate protocols and fulfilled purposes 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,400 for that time. But you have to understand that 22 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:47,960 those particular rituals foreshadowed elements of the 23 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:53,520 death of Jesus Christ. And I think it's important for 24 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:57,280 us to see it that way, that those specific sacrifices were 25 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:02,240 not just practical, they were prophetic, that they all pointed 26 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:08,039 to this one sacrifice to come. And the more that we believe 27 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:11,560 that and engage with our Bibles and its totality and make these 28 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,520 connections between the left side of your Bible and the right 29 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:19,200 side of your Bible, the more I assure you this, that your heart 30 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:23,040 will erupt in praise and adoration as you see the 31 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,480 masterpiece of God's ways. And in this short time, I want 32 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,600 to give you a glimpse of that. I want to show you in your 33 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,920 Bibles how there's a particular sacrifice that's not often 34 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:38,840 considered with what Jesus does here that was fulfilled, and it 35 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,960 will grant a greater significance to what Jesus did 36 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,880 on our behalf. And so we read these verses, but 37 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,320 now I'm going to ask you to turn with me to the Book of Numbers 38 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,040 and let's look at chapter 28 together, beginning in verse 1. 39 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:55,080 Numbers 28, beginning in verse one. 40 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,840 It says here the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command the 41 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,880 people of Israel and say to them, My offering, my food for 42 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,760 my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to 43 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,080 offer to me at its appointed time, and you shall say to them, 44 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,440 this is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord. 2 45 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:31,280 male lambs a year old, without blemish, day by day as a regular 46 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:37,240 offering. Again, there's a large catalogue 47 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,280 of different sacrifices that Israel were to honor in their 48 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,040 worship to God. And what you and I just read 49 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,440 here is a unique one. It's called the regular burnt 50 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,280 offering. It says regular offering here in 51 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,160 verse 3, but when you go to verse 6, it elaborates and says 52 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,680 this is the regular burnt offering. 53 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,120 And here's what this regular burnt offering comprised of. 54 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:04,840 It was a daily act of worship and it was something that the 55 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,480 priest had to honor by taking two lambs in the prime of their 56 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:14,760 lives, one designated to be placed on the altar, completely 57 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,200 consumed by the flames, and then for that lamp to be replaced by 58 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:24,360 another year old lamb at the evening time for the same 59 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,240 purpose. Now what this sacrifice implies 60 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:33,000 is this, that the altar at the entrance of this worship center, 61 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,000 called the Tabernacle and later the temple, would never be 62 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,080 extinguished. That altar, that place of 63 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,480 sacrifice, would never become cold. 64 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:47,920 It would never lose its fire. It was to be a continual cycle 65 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,400 of sacrifices uninterrupted. And the purpose of this visual 66 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:59,000 and even the aroma is to cause the people of Israel to remember 67 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:06,040 that God is worthy of continual sacrifice, that God demands of 68 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:12,600 us and he deserves not sacrifice based on convenience, not 69 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:17,800 sporadic worship, but constant, constant. 70 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,240 And this is what they would see and this is what they would 71 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,640 smell. And as Christians, it symbolizes 72 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,520 our call to surrender to the will of God, a heart posture 73 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:36,080 that is to be maintained every day, every morning, every night, 74 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:41,320 every week, every month, all the years of your life. 75 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,520 And Paul alludes to this in Romans 12/1. 76 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:49,400 You know this very well when he says, I appeal to you therefore, 77 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:54,760 brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as 78 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:59,200 a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him, which is your 79 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,360 spiritual worship. Again, let me remind you that 80 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,200 what was unique about the regular burnt offering is that 81 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,960 it was continuous and it was complete. 82 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,400 All of the animal, nothing was held back, nothing was reserved. 83 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,240 The entire beast was made into a fragrant offering. 84 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:22,200 What Paul's saying here with using this familiar languages, 85 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,520 your bodies, your lives have that same purpose in the new 86 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,720 covenant. Here's the key difference. 87 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,200 You're not giving a debt offering, you're giving a living 88 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,960 1A living sacrifice. So we're not talking about 89 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:35,680 martyrdom necessarily. We're not talking about one 90 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:37,840 event. We're talking about a lifestyle. 91 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,800 And the same way that land would be placed on that altar and 92 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,320 would burn and burn until it was replaced, your one life is meant 93 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,680 to be set apart on the basis of His grace to be granted to Him 94 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,200 continually, without reservation, without hindrance. 95 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,400 Now here's the beautiful thing. This does point to a practical 96 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,200 truth of our sanctification. But as I said earlier, it points 97 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,080 to the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. 98 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,480 And you'll find that in a parallel passage of what we just 99 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,680 read in Numbers 28. So look at Exodus. 100 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:12,840 Now look at Exodus 29 and notice how this provides a distinct 101 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,720 instruction with the same sacrifice, the regular burnt 102 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:31,920 offering, It says in Exodus 2942 and 43 HLB a regular burnt 103 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,400 offering throughout your generations at the entrance of 104 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,880 the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you 105 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,520 to speak to you there. There I will meet with the 106 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:48,680 people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 107 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:54,040 Do you see it? This daily offering of a new 108 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,280 lamb in the morning, a new lamb in the evening, was essential 109 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:03,000 for God to engage with His people favorably and intimately. 110 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:09,600 That constant sacrifice created and provided a consecrated 111 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,120 platform for God to meet with His people. 112 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:14,560 That's why he was saying this is important. 113 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,560 And God's heart is that He would commune with His people all the 114 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,320 day, all the time. And they had to show it on their 115 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,800 part that they wanted that kind of intimate relationship with 116 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,840 God by providing the sacrifice all the day, all the time. 117 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,960 But here's where the Lord Jesus Christ is the greater regular 118 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,000 burnt offering. Because when we come to him, we 119 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,760 realize that as a true Lamb of God, who is the Son of God, all 120 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,600 he had to do was make a single sacrifice. 121 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,960 A single sacrifice that was sufficient for God to sanctify. 122 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:55,640 Not a place you not so that He can dwell in, a location so He 123 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:01,080 can dwell in your heart. Our relationship with the Lord 124 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,000 is no longer depended upon. A daily effort to bring new 125 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,440 lambs being slaughtered, fresh blood being poured out every 126 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,840 morning and every night. What you have with the Son of 127 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,760 Man and what He did 2000 years ago on that particular day was 128 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,920 enough. And it will always be enough. 129 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,680 And if you doubt that Christ fulfills the regular burnt 130 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:26,840 offering, go back to what we read in the beginning of the 131 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:32,560 service in Mark 15 and look at the times when Jesus was on the 132 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:35,360 cross. Go to Mark 15. 133 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,000 We didn't read this, we read it last week. 134 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,320 But look at verse 25 of Mark 15. This was the hour when Jesus was 135 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,840 nailed on the cross in Mark 1525. 136 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,680 We read and it was the third hour when they crucified him. 137 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,400 Now Mark is using the Jewish method of calculating the hours 138 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,640 of the day. So the third hour here equates 139 00:09:55,640 --> 00:10:01,600 to our time as nine AM, 9:00 AM. Is that morning or evening good? 140 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:06,120 This is when Jesus was crucified. 141 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:07,640 He was nailed on the cross in the morning. 142 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,720 When did he die? Go to verse 33 of Mark 15. 143 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,400 And when the 6th hour had come, there was darkness over the 144 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,920 whole land until the 9th hour. Now the 9th hour when he died 145 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,560 would mean that he died at 3:00 PM. 146 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:24,840 Now that's the afternoon. And so let's pause here and 147 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,480 think back to the regular burnt offering, a lamb in the morning, 148 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,600 a lamb in the evening. Now I come and I read my Old 149 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,040 Testament faithfully and I read the Gospels, and I realize that 150 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,520 Jesus Christ, whom John the Baptist said he is the Lamb of 151 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:41,240 God who takes away the sins of the world, was crucified in the 152 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,080 morning. And I'm expecting it for it to 153 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:44,960 say. And then he died in the evening, 154 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,560 but it says he died at 3:00 PM. So I got thinking. 155 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,760 I read this earlier this past week and I've been thinking 156 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:57,040 those past few days seems to be like an incomplete picture of 157 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,720 the regular burnt offering until I was out and about and it hit 158 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,680 me like lightning. And I pulled out my phone to my 159 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,480 Bible app and I reread what we opened with at the beginning of 160 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,200 this sermon. Look again at verse 33. 161 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:15,640 And when the 6th hour, which is noon, had come, there was 162 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:21,120 darkness over the whole land until the 9th hour. 163 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,200 You see what this means? That although Jesus did die in 164 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,440 the afternoon, something supernatural occurred. 165 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:35,920 This blackness blanketed the land and gave the appearance of 166 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:40,440 the evening. And so in a symbolic way, we see 167 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:44,240 Jesus Christ as a regular burnt offering, nailed on the cross in 168 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,840 the morning and giving up his life under the midnight 169 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:54,280 blackness during midday. But this darkness also means 170 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,120 something else. I find it interesting that when 171 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,520 you recall the birth of Jesus Christ from Luke's vantage 172 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,280 point, we learned that it happened at night. 173 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,960 And Luke 2 verse 8, we're told that it happened at night. 174 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:13,480 And that night had many awesome things happening, including 175 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,680 this. An Angel of the Lord appeared to 176 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:18,240 a group of shepherds out in the field at night. 177 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,360 But do you remember what happened when they appeared? 178 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,920 Says there that the glory of the Lord shone around them. 179 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,320 So at the birth of Jesus Christ, though it was at night, there 180 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,240 was a heavenly light that blazed on the scene. 181 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,880 And now as we come to the death of Jesus Christ, at the peak of 182 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:42,280 the day, we read of this blackness covering the sky. 183 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:49,400 God was behind this blackness. This was not coincidence. 184 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:54,080 This was not an act of Satan. We know for certain that this 185 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,640 darkness that covered the whole land was orchestrated by the 186 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,920 Father. And that is more confirmed when 187 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,040 again you read the Old Testament. 188 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,840 What do you discover? That in many places, when God 189 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:13,600 causes this darkness to occur over a place, it is often 190 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,120 equated with a readiness of His judgement. 191 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,760 And so my personal reading, I just finished the book of Amos 192 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,280 this week, and I stumbled upon a passage concerning something 193 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,240 that you've probably read called the Day of the Lord. 194 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,160 That might sound like an exciting title, but it's 195 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,320 actually supposed to be a terrifying 1 because the Day of 196 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,680 the Lord is consistently something that refers to God's 197 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:42,840 wrath visiting a people, and in many passages it points to His 198 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:47,200 ultimate judgement to come with His retribution against the 199 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,880 wicked, the day of the Lord. And let me quote to you what 200 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,680 we're told about the Day of the Lord from Amos's writings and 201 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:56,280 Amos 5 verse 20. You don't have to turn there, 202 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,240 just listen, please. Is not the Day of the Lord 203 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:07,160 darkness and not light and gloom with no brightness in it? 204 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,600 I mentioned this to you to highlight that when this unusual 205 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:19,160 darkness overshadowed Calvary, it signalled that God's fierce 206 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,520 judgment was ready to be unleashed. 207 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:29,280 For three hours of darkness from noon till 3:00, there was a 208 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:35,080 spiritual transaction that was taking place that none of us can 209 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,280 explain or even conceive with our imaginations. 210 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:49,760 God showed up on Calvary and He was performing a work on His Son 211 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,800 who willingly chose to become the sin bearer of humanity. 212 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,200 And so shattering was this experience to the Son of God 213 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:04,120 that he voiced His lament by quoting the first part of yet 214 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,760 another Old Testament prophecy, Psalm chapter 22. 215 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:14,000 Do you see it in verse 34? My God, my God, why have you 216 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,560 forsaken me? Pause. 217 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,480 In what way did God the Father forsake God the Son? 218 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:29,040 Definitely not the Son of God separating himself from the 219 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,000 nature of God. Definitely not Jesus Christ 220 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,360 temporarily disconnecting himself from the essence of 221 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:40,440 divinity. Nor is this forsaking. 222 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,280 This is so important because I believe many people 223 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,920 misunderstand this. Nor is God the Father forsaking 224 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,920 this experience that the Son was lamenting and echoing from David 225 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:56,080 and Psalm 22, indicating that God the Father was absent from 226 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,480 this moment. Now. 227 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,000 Instead, he was present, but in a different way. 228 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:09,040 God was very much present, but He was present with His 229 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:15,360 terrifying judgement. In other words, when Jesus is 230 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:21,680 lamenting, why have you forsaken me, He is vocalizing that He has 231 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:26,880 tasted the separation of the Father's comfort and warm 232 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:32,200 affection, the intimate communion that he's always known 233 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:38,280 has been veiled. And it was so agonizing to him 234 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:43,440 that he said it with a loud cry. I want you to imagine this for a 235 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,240 moment. We've been studying the trial of 236 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,280 Jesus, the torture of Jesus, and now the crucifixion of Jesus. 237 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,320 And we got glimpses of what he endured, the slander, the 238 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,120 spitting, the slapping. And what do we find in Jesus? 239 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,840 A silent lamb. There was no outburst. 240 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:03,160 But when it came to this darkness, when it came to the 241 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:10,800 Father judging our sin on the Son, he cried. 242 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:18,079 He cried with misery, agony, pain. 243 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,400 An old minister observed it rightly when he said that at the 244 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:29,080 earliest infancy Jesus suffered at the hands of men. 245 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,720 The earliest phase of his ministry, Jesus suffered at the 246 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,000 hands of Satan. But when it came to the cross, 247 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,640 Jesus was destined to suffer at the hands of God. 248 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,040 That's what we're witnessing here. 249 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:48,160 The Lord Yahweh chastising his anointed shepherd. 250 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,440 We're witnessing that and strangely though this is 251 00:17:53,440 --> 00:18:01,040 inconceivable, we somehow behold a beauty in it and that's 252 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,960 unfortunately not the case for many who witnessed it first 253 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,040 hand. Notice how some interpreted 254 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:11,240 Jesus words in verse 35 and some of the bystanders hearing it 255 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,520 said behold he is calling Elijah. 256 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:20,240 What are you talking about? They misinterpreted the words of 257 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:26,760 Jesus Elohim, and they began to think to themselves, oh, he's 258 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,560 calling upon the prophet Elijah. Now, why would they come to that 259 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,240 conclusion? They came to that conclusion 260 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,560 because they were familiar enough with their own scriptures 261 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,960 that Elijah was transported into heaven, He didn't die. 262 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,160 And that Malachi promised that before the day of the Lord would 263 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,440 come, before God would come and clean up the whole world, before 264 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,680 judgement would arrive and he would establish his Kingdom, 265 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,080 Elijah would go forth as a forerunner. 266 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,520 And so in their mix thinking, they're thinking, OK, he's 267 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:54,960 calling upon Elijah. He claimed to be Messiah. 268 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,200 He claimed to be the Son of Man. So maybe Elijah's going to show 269 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:03,480 up. And I thought, how did you 270 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,440 mishear him? Because again, it says there in 271 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,800 verse 34 that he cried with a loud voice. 272 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:13,960 He didn't whisper it, He didn't mumble it. 273 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,720 He cried it with precision. He cried it from the depths of 274 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,040 his heart. And so you might be surprised. 275 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,400 How do they hear Elijah? I'm not surprised actually, 276 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:25,520 after meditating on it. Why? 277 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,760 Because think about the hearing of most of the people throughout 278 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,880 Jesus ministry. The things that he said about 279 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:33,640 himself, the things that he taught, how it was 280 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,560 misunderstood, how it was misapplied, how it was missed 281 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,080 all together. Do you think it'd be any 282 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,760 different as they come to the final moments of Christ's life? 283 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,800 They misheard it. They misinterpreted it. 284 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:49,360 You know, I was looking at this and I thought to myself of a 285 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:51,880 verse that we studied many months ago in the book of Mark. 286 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,000 Jesus in one of his teachings said something that we apply to 287 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,320 an entire sermon concerning our relationship to God's voice and 288 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,520 his word. Can I remind you, as we're ready 289 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,120 to wrap up the book of Mark in a few weeks, look at Mark 424 and 290 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:07,920 remember what Jesus said in one of his teachings. 291 00:20:13,810 --> 00:20:17,650 And he said to them, Mark 424 And he said, Jesus said to. 292 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,680 Them pay attention to what you hear. 293 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,680 It's possible even for you to say in love. 294 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,840 I say this for you to be hearing but not paying attention to what 295 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:33,720 you're really hearing. I want to be surprised if some 296 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,640 of us are thinking about laundry food. 297 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:39,680 Why do you think Jesus said pay attention to what you hear? 298 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:44,000 Because it's possible for us to be hearing but not really 299 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,960 listening. And that comes with 300 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,680 ramifications. And with all the horrors that 301 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:53,440 took place on Calvary, let me add this one. 302 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,640 The irresponsible hearing of these bystanders. 303 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:00,840 You're saying why? Why are you making it so 304 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,880 extreme? I'm making it extreme because of 305 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:08,840 their lack of hearing led to their lack of understanding that 306 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,280 prophecy was being fulfilled right before their eyes. 307 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,480 Psalm 22 was being realized and here they are thinking, oh, 308 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,520 Elijah, it might come. And here's what I did. 309 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,520 I studied this the other day and I stepped back reading this 310 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:26,720 passage, meditating on it, putting it together. 311 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:34,200 Lord may never be so of me that as I read your word or hear your 312 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,320 word that I miss what you're really saying. 313 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:41,920 I don't want that to happen to me. 314 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,720 I don't want to miss what you really reveal about yourself. 315 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,200 I don't want to miss about what your prophecy say about the 316 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,000 future. I don't want to miss about what 317 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,760 you demand of me as a Christian. I don't want to misinterpret 318 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:54,720 anything. I don't want my preconceived 319 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,760 notions, my ideas, my distractions to get in the way 320 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:02,320 of what your mouth is saying. I'm telling it to me now. 321 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:04,200 I telling it to me the other day. 322 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,080 Now I'm telling it to you. I don't want to miss what your 323 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:09,920 word has to say when it's preached, when it's read, when 324 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,680 it's when it's heard. I don't want to miss what you're 325 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,040 doing in the world. I don't want to miss what you're 326 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,520 doing in my life. I don't want to be blind and 327 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,480 deaf to to all that you might be conveying. 328 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:24,120 But because of whatever reason, my ears are caked and I can't 329 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:27,080 really perceive it. And so I miss it. 330 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,120 Behold, he's calling Elijah and then something happens in verse 331 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:35,000 36. Someone ran and filled with a 332 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,200 sponge sour wine and put it on reading, gave it to him to 333 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,000 drink, saying wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take 334 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:43,640 him down. That seems like a random act, 335 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:45,280 but it's not. When you compare it to John's 336 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:47,640 account. John tells us one of the seven 337 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:52,120 sayings of Jesus on the cross. 2 simple words, I thirst. 338 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,040 When you compare it, you realize that Jesus said I thirst and 339 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,320 John tells us to fulfill scripture. 340 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:04,720 Yet another prophecy. He said I thirst and this man 341 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:09,760 ran to fulfill that need. And before you think that this 342 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:17,480 is a ray of mercy in a very dark and gloomy and evil sight, Mark 343 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,520 tells us and clarifies the real reason why he went through all 344 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,920 this trouble to help Jesus with his thirst. 345 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,920 He said it right. Wait, let us see whether Elijah 346 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,800 will come to take him down. It wasn't a quench his thirst. 347 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:35,600 It was to satisfy his curiosity or even to mock him. 348 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,960 And again, it's amazing how any part of the Bible can provide 349 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,240 practical application and instruction, and it's no 350 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,520 different here. I look at this and I realize 351 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:50,920 that as dark again as everything has been reading Mark 15, it 352 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,080 gets even darker. Even in this one act. 353 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:57,560 The depravity of man is so vile, and it shows us what you and I 354 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:01,440 are capable of. Unrestrained, unhinged. 355 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,280 If the Holy Spirit doesn't harness our hearts, we can even 356 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:11,040 look at opportunities to provide mercy and charity and seize it 357 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:17,120 instead, to make it about us, to satisfy selfishness and 358 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:21,760 carnality and the flesh. You have a man who provided 359 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,400 drink and you think that's nice of him, but in reality he just 360 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:29,920 wants to see a show. Laura, I don't want to ever, 361 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,080 ever look at potential opportunities to do good in your 362 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:37,880 name and manipulate it for my sake, whatever that sake is. 363 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,880 And that's why in Romans 12/9, the Holy Spirit tells us, 364 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:48,480 believers, let love be genuine, genuine. 365 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,160 And I could have said love. He said no, no, it's possible to 366 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,720 love with laces of hypocrisy. It's possible to love and it's 367 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,160 polluted. Only the Holy Spirit in His Word 368 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:04,320 can decontaminate our love and make it pure holy. 369 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,080 Let love be genuine and regardless of this person's 370 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,840 motive, you know what Jesus does in order to fulfill Scripture. 371 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:18,000 He plants his dry lips on that dirty sponge and he takes a sip. 372 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,440 And after he takes a sip, we read Fulfilling Psalm 6921. 373 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:29,480 We read that He made a loud cry and then breathe his last. 374 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,520 I can assure you that when Jesus made this loud cry, it wasn't a 375 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:39,920 screech of agony. It wasn't a taunt of anger. 376 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,800 Because John tells us what was behind that loud cry. 3 words 377 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,960 that you know very well. It is finished. 378 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,440 And he didn't whisper it the way I just did. 379 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,600 He thundered it with triumphant authority. 380 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,200 Oh, I wonder what that sounded like. 381 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,720 It is finished. That was strange for somebody 382 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,240 who was suffering crucifixion because your lungs were 383 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:08,600 collapsing, you were losing breath, you were dying of 384 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,120 exhaustion. And yet this is just another 385 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,280 idea to confirm that Jesus was completely in control. 386 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:21,240 It is finished. What was finished? 387 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:27,920 The achievement of atonement, the complete obedience of Christ 388 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:31,000 that would make our salvation necessary was complete. 389 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,960 The suffering that He needed to endure to make the payment for 390 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:40,920 your sin and mine was done. The fear that mankind has 391 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,280 suffered with concerning death has been put to an end because 392 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:48,760 of His death, and the uncertainty of our entrance into 393 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,320 eternal life has been solved forever. 394 00:26:53,840 --> 00:27:00,960 It is finished. And when he made this cry, 395 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,280 something supernatural happened. You think how much more can 396 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,720 happen? Well, we read what happened just 397 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:14,280 like that midnight at midday, as one preacher put it, there was 398 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:19,280 another act of God where? Look here, verse 38 and the 399 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,280 curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 400 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,880 The Bible's so specific from top to bottom, showing that it was 401 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:30,560 God who ripped that veil. What is this curtain all about? 402 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,000 Well, for hundreds of years when God called the nation of Israel 403 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,360 to build that worship center that we referenced earlier, 404 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:41,000 there was this thick veil that separated the people from the 405 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,840 most Holy place where God resided and manifested His 406 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,320 glory. And that barrier served as a 407 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,640 constant reminder that our sinfulness separates and 408 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,480 alienates us from enjoying the fullness of God's presence. 409 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,400 So that's what the priest saw. That's what the people 410 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,960 understood. And it was, it was there. 411 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:02,920 It was there always, always, always. 412 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,680 And only one time of the year could the high priest enter in 413 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:10,480 for a few moments representing the people of God. 414 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,680 And now what we see here is, which I find so fascinating 415 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,480 because throughout the years, all the lambs, all the bulls, 416 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,200 all the goats, all the birds that were slaughtered in the 417 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,320 millions, how much blood did they accumulate? 418 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:26,840 How much blood did they sprinkle? 419 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:29,680 It didn't shred an inch off that veil. 420 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,440 And yet when the Son of God shed his blood, it ripped that veil 421 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:40,720 like a piece of Kleenex. That's what God was after all 422 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,600 along. Now we have entrance into his 423 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:47,360 presence. And listen to this. 424 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,240 It's not about just us going into the Holy of Holies. 425 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,840 That's the symbolic picture. It's the fact that God who 426 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,960 reside in the Holy of Holies now moves out and lives in US. 427 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,280 What accomplished that? The blood. 428 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,760 And now God is committed to find his home, which He did in His 429 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,800 temple, which is the church, not this building. 430 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,360 Buildings are wonderful. We got to meet somewhere, you 431 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,000 and I collectively, the temple of God, where the Holy Spirit 432 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,600 dwells and God is committed to making us his permanent address 433 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,640 until we meet him for face to face and enjoy him without any 434 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,240 interference for all eternity. That's what we're in. 435 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:29,560 That's the new covenant. But more than the the entrance, 436 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,640 the symbolic picture of us now having gotten God having us, we 437 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,400 see here with the ripping of the veil, the cancellation and 438 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,880 nullification of the old covenant and the inauguration of 439 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,480 the new covenant, we don't need temple sacrifices anymore. 440 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,920 We don't need to shed anything. What he has done is enough now. 441 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:49,440 And So what we have here is the inauguration of the new 442 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,920 covenant. There is now a new way in which 443 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,840 we relate to God, in which we worship God, in which we are 444 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:59,400 grafted into the program of God. And since this time, millions 445 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,600 have been joined, millions have been adopted into this wonderful 446 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:08,640 covenant. Do you think that this temple 447 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:10,800 veil ripped and nobody noticed it? 448 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,640 I haven't. We touched on this a few weeks 449 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:20,120 ago when we were talking about the power of the gospel and one 450 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:24,040 little part of the sermon where even Pharisees were saved. 451 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,640 Do you remember? We talked about that briefly, 452 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,520 and that's found in Acts chapter 6, verse seven. 453 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:30,760 You don't have to turn there, but let me remind you that we're 454 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:36,360 told early in the church, the church movement, it says, and a 455 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:40,360 great many priests became believers. 456 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,320 I wonder how many of those priests were in the temple 457 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:49,760 witnessing that veil tearing. I wonder how many saw it and it 458 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:54,440 registered and they were ready to receive Jesus as their 459 00:30:54,440 --> 00:31:00,120 Messiah. The veil tore from top to 460 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:04,480 bottom. The priests were not the only 461 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,600 one who were saved. We read of an individual in 462 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,880 verse 39. This is our last verse before we 463 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,480 break bread. And when the centurion who stood 464 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,440 facing him saw that in this way he breathed his last. 465 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,880 He said truly, this man was the Son of God. 466 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,680 He was a centurion. He was not just an average 467 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,560 soldier. He supervised hundreds of 468 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,400 soldiers. We have right to believe that 469 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,920 this centurion was part of this whole process, Christ's trial, 470 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,000 his torture, his beating, the caring of the cross, the 471 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,200 crucifixion on the cross. He witnessed everything. 472 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,800 He witnessed the patience of Christ, the elegance of Christ, 473 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,480 the dignity of Christ. He heard every word that he 474 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,720 uttered from the cross. And the cherry on the top is 475 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,480 that when he died, the way he died and the earthquake took 476 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:55,000 place and the rumblings happened and the fear and, and all of 477 00:31:55,000 --> 00:32:00,040 these things accumulating, it dawned on him this man was the 478 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:05,320 Son of God. Here's why this is so massively 479 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:07,920 important in connection to the gospel of Mark. 480 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:12,880 As one unit, Mark records us by the Spirit, yes, but also 481 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:16,920 strategically by the Spirit. This is the first time, funny 482 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,040 enough, we're at the end of the book, and this is the first time 483 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:23,480 that through human lips this precise confession was made that 484 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:28,440 Jesus was the Son of God. The Father proclaimed it at his 485 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,240 baptism. He reaffirmed it on the Mount of 486 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,520 Transfiguration. Demons said it on many 487 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:37,480 occasions, but through the lips of a person it occurred for the 488 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,600 first time here at the cross. And through whose lips? 489 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:47,080 A Gentile. This was the Son of God. 490 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:50,160 Now, last week you and I remembered that this was not the 491 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:54,280 only person who at this time made a saving confession. 492 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:59,200 There was a thief on the cross, remember, and he learned from 493 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,880 his own blasphemies that he was a Sinner from his past life, 494 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,800 realizing that he was very close touching distance to the Savior 495 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,200 of the world. And he said other would you 496 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,240 Remember Me when you come in your Kingdom and Jesus confirm 497 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,160 today you will be with me in paradise. 498 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:17,680 That thief was not just a thief. He was a Jewish thief. 499 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,320 So even in the the final moments of Christ's mission, the 500 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,960 culmination of his work, when Jesus is dying, you know what 501 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,600 happens? A Jew gets saved. 502 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:34,360 A Gentile gets saved. What's the lesson? 503 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,240 Here's the lesson. Whether you're a Jew in this 504 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:43,480 place or not a Jew, whether you are a hardened police officer or 505 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:50,840 a crazed criminal, if you're a murderer or a blasphemer, no 506 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,760 matter who you are, as we behold the cross, we are being told 507 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:59,400 emphatically, Jesus will forgive you no matter what you've done. 508 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:05,000 Here's where I'm ending. No matter what you have done, 509 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:10,760 Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is ready to wash you 510 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:18,440 with His blood, delete your debt of sin, make you His own, live 511 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,760 in your heart, shepherd you throughout your life until you 512 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:28,199 meet Him face to face. So there's a time coming where 513 00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:31,639 His unfiltered presence will shower over us for all of 514 00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:35,159 eternity. But my constant prayer, knowing 515 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:37,800 these truths have been experienced in my life, 516 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:38,880 believing that this book is true. 517 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:42,400 Lord, help me experience Your glory, Your power, Your presence 518 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:44,920 as much as is possible on this side of heaven. 519 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,560 And that's a prayer that God faithfully answers in many ways. 520 00:34:50,199 --> 00:34:54,360 Do you have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? 521 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,280 Do you, do you, do you? Behold how prophecies have been 522 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:04,040 accomplished, how the person of Christ is undeniably attractive 523 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,360 and unlike anybody else in all of history. 524 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:13,440 After what you've heard week after week after week, you see 525 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,440 this man, after all these events, made a conclusion. 526 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,320 This man was the Son of God. Can I ask you, what's your 527 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:23,680 conclusion of Jesus? Does this only confirm to you 528 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,080 that he is indeed the Son of God? 529 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:29,000 Are you still doubting or are you among the blasphemers who 530 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,760 still mock You know what's amazing? 531 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,960 When Jesus will be buried, and we're going to study that soon. 532 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:37,160 And when he raises from the grave, you actually find out 533 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,840 that the Pharisees who realize that that tomb was empty still 534 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:43,800 didn't believe they conspired and they paid off some of the 535 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,440 soldiers, telling people, make sure that you let people know 536 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:47,960 that the disciples took them away. 537 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,800 It's amazing how our hearts can be hardened despite all the 538 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,520 proof before us, but I am. I'm closing here before we open 539 00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:05,560 this table to ask you please, if you don't know him, be confirmed 540 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:10,800 in that conviction. Have certainty to why you'll 541 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,960 deny him. Don't be indifferent with your 542 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:24,400 soul, challenge your skepticism and if you even seek Him in your 543 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,040 skepticism with an honest heart that wants to know the truth 544 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:31,000 with your limited understanding. God is so gracious to lead you 545 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,720 and make himself known to you. And I pray that every person 546 00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:36,960 here would walk out knowing that their names have been written in 547 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,960 the Lamb's book of life. I pray that your soul is saved. 548 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:44,240 I pray that you know this Jesus of whom I believe. 549 00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:49,400 And I preach unashamedly as we come to this table to eat. 550 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,440 We are remembering his body and his blood. 551 00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:55,520 And we're going to sing in a moment and go straight to the 552 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:57,000 table. And Pastor Ben is going to lead 553 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,400 us in giving thanks for the elements. 554 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,600 But it is my duty to ask you that if you're not a believer in 555 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,000 Jesus Christ that you respectively reserve yourself 556 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,880 from participating. This is this is something like 557 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,520 Jesus instituted for his church, for those who believe in the 558 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,800 message that I just preached. And so if you've put your faith 559 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,000 in Christ, you're coming here to remember, it's not because of 560 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:16,240 what I've done. It's not because of what I've 561 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:18,480 shed with this blood or any other person's blood or any 562 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,440 other animal's blood. It's because of his blood. 563 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:22,640 That's what you're OK. So listen, let me tell you 564 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:24,040 something. We're celebrating today. 565 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,320 This is a celebration. So come to this table happy and 566 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,920 hold those elements with joy. He died for me. 567 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:37,080 So if you if you don't believe in that message, I pray that you 568 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:38,680 would. And when you do, you can you can 569 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:41,920 join this table, but if you don't just watch and what you're 570 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,600 watching is people lining up coming to take these elements, 571 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,560 proclaiming by way of drama. I'm saved by his grace. 572 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:52,080 Believer, if you believe this message, but your heart is not 573 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:57,800 lined up with the gospel way of life, you bring more joy to your 574 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:01,040 master by repenting and reconciling with those that you 575 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:04,000 haven't reconciled with instead of taking of this. 576 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:08,040 So I ask you to reflect on your own life, but let me also say 577 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:11,320 that Jesus is not looking for perfection to get to this table 578 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:12,480 or us. None of us are welcome. 579 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,800 But if there's something that you are justifying that you know 580 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,720 is sin, that's what he means by warning us in First Corinthians. 581 00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:22,040 If you know it's sin, but you're holding on to it, let go of it 582 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:26,160 before you take any of this. But believer also, if you are 583 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:27,960 conscious that you're a Sinner, we all are. 584 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:31,000 But you know in your, your heart of hearts, I want to live holy. 585 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:34,240 I want to live a repentant life. Come, come, come, come. 586 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:35,880 This is for you. Praise team. 587 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,400 Can we come and can we worship? We're going to sing reflectively 588 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,040 and then we're going to partake. Take this time now as they come 589 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:44,440 and prepare. Don't worry about who's beside 590 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:47,320 you and just prepare your heart to worship the Lord with this 591 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:48,520 ordinance. Shall we do that? 592 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:49,720 I'm going to join you here.