1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:09,160 Matthew 27. Say it again. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,520 Yeah, yeah, I'm not as I'm not as hot. 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,000 I mean, I'm just one person. Hopefully every house is OK. 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:24,040 Blame Matt, alright? Kayla's happy. 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:32,880 Natalie's happy. Alright, Matthew chapter 27, 6 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,440 we're looking at verse 32. Of course, we've been in Holy 7 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,040 Week. We've been building up. 8 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,520 We've been following Jesus from the beginning of Matthew one. 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,840 This is part 107 of our series on Matthew. 10 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,320 We've been going verse by verse through the Word of God because 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,280 the Word of God is awesome. The Bible's not boring. 12 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,160 You're boring. And we have been blessed over 13 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:53,960 and over to see just how incredible Jesus is. 14 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,240 Matthew wrote his Gospel to Jews. 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,480 Matthew was a Jew. He was a tax collector. 16 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,320 Remember, Matthew is hated by the Jewish people. 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,040 He's a traitor. He betrayed them. 18 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,480 Romans come in, they take over. Go, hey, he wants to betray his 19 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,520 own people and collect taxes for us. 20 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,360 You're going to kind of line your pockets at the same time. 21 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,440 And Matthew's like, I'll do that. 22 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,080 Like you guys are here. You guys are ruling. 23 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,080 Why not be shrewd? Why not get on the winning team? 24 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,240 And now everybody hates Matthew. That's what it was like to be a 25 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,520 tax collector. Jesus even talked when he was 26 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,560 talking about correcting people in the church and he was saying, 27 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,640 hey, when you correct somebody, do this with them. 28 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:28,440 Here's how to correct them and then do this with them. 29 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,080 Like there's a pathway for church discipline so that if 30 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,080 someone is in sin and they're not repentant, we walk through 31 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:34,720 this pathway. And Jesus said, and if 32 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,240 eventually, if they don't do right, just treat them like you 33 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,520 would treat a tax collector. So Jesus even recognize and 34 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,880 emphasize like there was a way that the Jews treated tax 35 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,320 collectors and Jesus said there is a place and a time to treat 36 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:48,480 people that way. Jesus said that not to Michael. 37 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,880 And he said, so clearly Jesus acknowledged that tax collectors 38 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,280 are treated poorly. And yet Jesus one day when 39 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,320 walking past Matthew's tax collector booth, says, Matthew, 40 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,960 come follow me. And Matthew left it all and was 41 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,040 no longer a tax collector. It's not like the others where 42 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,800 he's also fishermen and also following Jesus. 43 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,440 No, no, no, to follow Jesus would be to walk away from that 44 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:12,880 entirely. And that's what Matthew did. 45 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,920 All of his comforts, all of his wealth, all of his provision. 46 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,400 And he said Jesus is worth it. Matthew is so right. 47 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,600 So Matthew is writing to the Jews, and throughout his gospel, 48 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,480 he has shown over and over and over to his Jewish audience. 49 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,120 Hey, guys, you know how we've been waiting for the Messiah 50 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:30,840 forever? You know, this prophecy and this 51 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,720 prophecy and this prophecy and this prophecy. 52 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,360 And Jewish readers would be going, yeah, yeah, yeah. 53 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,240 And he goes, guess what? You're not going to believe 54 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,040 this. Jesus fulfilled it, and Jesus 55 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,840 fulfills this one and this one and this one and this one. 56 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,000 Over and over and over. Matthew keeps showing that he 57 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:48,800 still does the same thing here and now. 58 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,440 We've come through Holy Week, and now we've come through 59 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,160 Jesus's. Last night Jesus was up all 60 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,520 night long, arrested, harassed, wickedly abused. 61 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:03,600 And now we've come to the morning in verse 32. 62 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:07,640 Let's go. Verse 31 And when they had 63 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:10,480 mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes 64 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,640 on him, and led him away to crucify him. 65 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:17,000 Verse 32. As they went out, they found a 66 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,800 man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry 67 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,080 his cross. And when they came to a place 68 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,600 called Golgotha, which means place of a skull, they offered 69 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,560 him wine to drink mixed with a gall. 70 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,000 But when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 71 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:35,960 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among 72 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,600 them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept 73 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,440 watch over Him there and over his head they put the charge 74 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,640 against him, which read This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. 75 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,800 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and 76 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,960 one on the left. And those who passed by derided 77 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,160 him, wagging their heads and saying, You who would destroy 78 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,360 the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. 79 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,600 If you're the Son of God, come down off the cross. 80 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:10,160 So also the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked 81 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,720 him, saying he saved others, he cannot save himself. 82 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,480 He's the king of Israel. Let him come down now from the 83 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,320 cross and we will believe in him. 84 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,000 He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now if he 85 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,600 desires him. For he said, I am the Son of 86 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,760 God. And the robbers who were 87 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,280 crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. 88 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,640 Heavenly Father, I pray that the weight of the cross would hit us 89 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:36,920 in every way that it's supposed to. 90 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,480 That we would see the depth of our wickedness in sin and how it 91 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,680 needed to be punished. And that we would see the depth 92 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,760 and the greatness of Your love and your mercy, which will cross 93 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:51,000 all of our sin, cover all of our shame, rid us of condemnation, 94 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:53,840 and enthrone us with the Lord Jesus Christ. 95 00:04:55,240 --> 00:05:00,120 God, I pray for sinners who have not yet trusted in you, who have 96 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,440 not yet come to worship Christ the King, the perfect man. 97 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,320 And I pray for Saints who have been accused and harassed by the 98 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:13,560 enemy, who do not fully appreciate and fully receive and 99 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,880 fully enjoy the forgiveness that has been provided by the blood 100 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,560 of Jesus. Holy Spirit, only you can 101 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,760 accomplish this work. So as the Living Word comes 102 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:30,720 forth today, open hearts, open minds, great repentance and 103 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:37,160 belief in Jesus name, Amen, the cross and the crucifixion of the 104 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,400 Lord Jesus Christ, everything is built up to this. 105 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:44,520 The crucifixion and the resurrection are the center 106 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,280 point of all history. Everything from the beginning 107 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:51,040 with Adam was pointing to the cross, and everything after the 108 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,000 cross points back to the cross. Jesus, His cross, and His 109 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,360 resurrection are the center point of all history. 110 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,360 That is why the human calendar is built off of Christ's life. 111 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,880 But everything that's ever happened from Adam to Jesus and 112 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:09,000 then from Jesus and afterward, everything is impacted by the 113 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,360 cross. The cross is like the sun and 114 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,920 our solar system. Everything revolves around it. 115 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,840 Even before the cross happened, everything was building up to 116 00:06:16,840 --> 00:06:19,120 it. From Genesis 3 Ford, every 117 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,880 single thing that has ever gone wrong in the world came as a 118 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,480 result of sin. Sin is the problem. 119 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:27,840 Jesus died for me. Jesus died for me. 120 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:29,120 Jesus died. Why though? 121 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,280 But why? Because of sin. 122 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:34,760 Sin is the problem with everything. 123 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,200 Sin is the reason everything's broken. 124 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,280 Sin is the reason that tornadoes exist. 125 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,600 Sin is the reason that thorns exist. 126 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,520 Sin is the reason that there is pain. 127 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,120 Sin is the reason that there is death. 128 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:45,800 Sin is the reason that there is cancer. 129 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:48,040 Sin is the reason that there is fear. 130 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,160 Sin is the reason that there is insecurity. 131 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,320 Sin is the reason that there is condemnation. 132 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,320 Sin is the reason that there is rage and murder. 133 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,000 Sin is the reason sin is the problem. 134 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,440 Sin is the thing that separated us from God. 135 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,280 That's what makes the cross so glorious. 136 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,080 That's why the gospel is good news. 137 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,720 But we have to tell the whole story of the gospel, not just 138 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,240 half of the story of the gospel. In America, many people love 139 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,200 half of the story of the gospel, which is simply God loves you 140 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:15,760 and has a wonderful plan for your life. 141 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,400 That is a true story, and I will preach that and I'll pound the 142 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,960 pulpit on that. But it left out the first half. 143 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,040 You're bad, you're doomed, and you deserve to burn forever in 144 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,600 hell. I don't like that part. 145 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,320 But it's the truth though, and it's the whole reason God's 146 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,680 mercy is so great, because you're not that awesome. 147 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:37,960 It's our ego that tells us I'm great. 148 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,680 Of course God loves me. I'm an American and my parents 149 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,000 said I was a big deal. God is not pleased with us 150 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,880 because of us being us. God loves us and God is only 151 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,480 pleased with us when we come in under the blood of Jesus. 152 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,960 That's it. Just like the Israelites, they 153 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:56,960 wanted the death Angel to Passover them. 154 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,840 Jesus remember being crucified on the Passover because he is 155 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,360 the Passover Lamb of God. The death Angel only passes 156 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:05,520 over. God doesn't say I'll just 157 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,440 Passover all of my people. He says no, no, I'll Passover 158 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,000 whoever has put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts of their 159 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,520 house. That's it. 160 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,640 God was impressed with the blood of the Lamb on the doorpost of 161 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,120 the house. God is not impressed with the 162 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:20,960 house. God was not impressed with the 163 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,920 inhabitants of the house. God was moved by the blood that 164 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:26,560 was on the doorpost of the house. 165 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:28,680 God is not impressed with John Michael. 166 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,000 Does God love John Michael? Yes, he does, thankfully. 167 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,840 Does God love you? Absolutely He does. 168 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,799 And yet he's not impressed with us, and we cannot be with God 169 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:43,000 because we're not holy, we're not perfect, and God is just. 170 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,200 I thought he was merciful. He is. 171 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,080 He is merciful and He is just, so He will not overlook His 172 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,800 justice to satisfy His mercy. God is so perfect. 173 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,640 He will perfectly satisfy his mercy and perfectly satisfy His 174 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,000 justice. And he'll do it in the cross of 175 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,400 the Lord Jesus Christ. That is how God perfectly does 176 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,000 everything. Justice is satisfied because 177 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,400 somebody has to suffer for sin. I will suffer for all eternity, 178 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,840 or I will come under the blood of Jesus. 179 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,400 And the Father will be pleased to see that Joe Michael applied 180 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,000 the blood of Jesus to his life. Joe Michael received the 181 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,880 provision that Jesus gave. He doesn't do it because I 182 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,440 earned it. He doesn't do it because I 183 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,400 looked good or I sounded good. He doesn't do it because I went 184 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,560 into the ministry. None of that matters. 185 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:31,680 None of that counts for anything. 186 00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:35,200 The only thing that counts for anything is that I came to 187 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:41,040 Christ and I asked for the forgiveness of my sins and then 188 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:42,600 the Lord changed me and made me new. 189 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:44,840 It's the only thing that counts for any of us. 190 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,520 All sin came from Adam and then we all fell as a human race. 191 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,080 Everything through the Old Testament also, we know it's 192 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:59,600 been building up to this point to our redemption. 193 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,480 The whole Bible is about Jesus. He proved that. 194 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,200 When? Remember, after the resurrection 195 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,520 takes place, spoiler alert, Jesus doesn't stay dead. 196 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,120 If you didn't know already, now you know. 197 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,200 After he's resurrected, he walks with his disciples on the road 198 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,800 and he opens their mind to the Scriptures and he starts with 199 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,320 Moses, the Scripture says, and he goes through all the prophets 200 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:22,680 showing them everything about him because the whole Bible's 201 00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:24,920 about Jesus. That's why your Old Testament's 202 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:26,680 awesome because it's awesome already. 203 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:28,440 But when you see that everything's preaching about 204 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,880 Christ, then you can enjoy it even more and recognize God's 205 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:37,640 redemptive plan. So now we have crucified the 206 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,920 Lord of glory, or they're, they're preparing to crucify the 207 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:42,400 Lord of glory. They're leading him away. 208 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,960 Jesus has been beat mercilessly by the Roman guard. 209 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:48,800 He was first abused by the Jewish elders in the middle of 210 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,480 the night. Pilate was hoping to be able to 211 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,400 get out of crucifying Christ because he didn't like the 212 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,160 position he was being put in and he knew Christ as an innocent 213 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:00,200 man, but he's been beaten so savagely that he can't carry the 214 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:05,560 cross fully the full distance. As they went out, a man of 215 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:08,800 Cyrene, Simon by name, they compelled this man to carry his 216 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:10,200 cross. So remember, Roman soldiers, 217 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:11,560 they can force you to do whatever they want. 218 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,440 They can force you to carry their their gear, their pack, 219 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,880 their stuff for a mile. That was legally what they were 220 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,080 allowed to do. So they can say, hey, you carry 221 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,360 my stuff for the next mile. So like unload their gear on you 222 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,120 and you're like, I hate this guy. 223 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:27,960 And then Jesus, of course taught us, if someone forces you to go 224 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:32,080 one mile, go a second. So instead, we're not going to 225 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:33,480 do, we're not going to be victims. 226 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,720 We're going to be generous. The first mile. 227 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,960 I'm a victim and I'm a hostage. You controlled me. 228 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,280 You had power over me. You made me do it. 229 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,400 And then the Roman guard knows like you've been counting the 230 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,320 steps of how far you had to take it as all right, give me my pack 231 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:46,880 back young. I'm good. 232 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,760 You can't take from me because I'm giving to you. 233 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,800 This is what the people of God look like, gracious and loving. 234 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,760 But this isn't probably what happened here with Simon. 235 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,520 He's probably forced, and we don't know what his motive is. 236 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:03,920 We don't know what his desire is. 237 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,920 Later we're told in the book of Mark, Simon was the father of 238 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,320 Alexander and Rufus. So for Mark to reference these 239 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:16,240 names, it seems like these two sons of Simon were influential 240 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:17,560 to some degree in the body of Christ. 241 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:19,560 Otherwise, why would Mark reference them in his gospel and 242 00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:22,680 say Simon, his two sons are so and so and so and so? 243 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,440 That might imply that something happened with Simon on this day. 244 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,880 Maybe Simon was already a follower of Jesus and he was 245 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,280 following close by and then the Romans that carry his cross, and 246 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,360 maybe Simon was thrilled to what an honor. 247 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,040 Maybe Simon didn't love and follow Christ and maybe became a 248 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,560 follower of Christ. We can hope, but Alexander and 249 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,160 Rufus, his sons, likely followed Jesus. 250 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,280 Cyrene is just a city in North Africa, so that's where he was 251 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:50,280 from. There was a large Jewish 252 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,760 population there, so he's travelled here for the Passover 253 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,840 with his family, most likely. What a privilege, though, for 254 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,000 Simon to be able to do this. If you and I were there today, 255 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:05,400 of course, as Christ followers, what an honor carry his cross. 256 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,720 It would be the honor of my life to carry his cross. 257 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,440 He's called me to carry my cross anyway and follow him. 258 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,720 But to to help him today and carry his. 259 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,120 What an honor and what a privilege. 260 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,840 We, like Simon, are all called to follow Jesus in suffering, 261 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,800 though we're not carrying his cross for redemption, obviously, 262 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,280 we carry our own cross and we have to crucify our own flesh on 263 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,320 it. That's the invitation of Jesus. 264 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:35,880 Does Jesus love you? You better believe it. 265 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:37,840 Does he have a wonderful plan for your life? 266 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,200 Absolutely. And that plan includes you lying 267 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,200 down and dying and crucifying your flesh. 268 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,080 That doesn't sound so wonderful. I know it doesn't at first, but 269 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,280 that's because you still think that your sin is better than 270 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,120 Christ. Like the word that was brought 271 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,440 to us from the Holy Spirit through our brother Alan this 272 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:55,960 morning. Jesus is better. 273 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,760 Jesus is greater. But there is pleasure in sin. 274 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,360 That's why I do it. That's why you do it. 275 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,200 If sin was always only bad, there would be no temptation for 276 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:06,680 it, would there? And we just go. 277 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:10,960 Sin is just always the worst, always stupid, always easy to 278 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,880 avoid. And yet there are some pleasures 279 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,120 in sin. There's some preferences in sin, 280 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,880 all kinds of reasons that we could end up in our different 281 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,200 sins. Some of it, it just came out of 282 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,120 our heart. It wasn't because of our 283 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,440 childhood, it wasn't because of anything else. 284 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,480 It was in me because I am a Sinner. 285 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,760 And it came out and it's as simple as that. 286 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,440 And then other things, sure, we could point to circumstances or 287 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,680 environmental reasons. Well, this thing happened and 288 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,520 that produces this temptation. Me also true. 289 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:42,600 I don't deny that for you. I don't deny that for me. 290 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:46,320 And yet the Lord's answer to to difficulties and things in our 291 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:50,760 past, He says, I will forgive your sin and I will heal your 292 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,480 traumas. But those don't those don't 293 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,840 mingle together in some way. We're like, I need, yeah, I need 294 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:57,760 to be healed of my sin. No, no, no, no, no. 295 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,560 God doesn't heal sin. You are forgiven of sin when you 296 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,120 repent. Sin must be repented of. 297 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,240 Well, I've got a lot of trauma, I know. 298 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,760 And Jesus is a healer. He will heal all of that. 299 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,160 The Lord is a powerful healer. Your trauma is not greater than 300 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,800 the blood of Christ. Be comforted by that good news. 301 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,280 You must repent of your sin and the Lord will heal you for all 302 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:23,600 of your traumas, challenges, difficulties, proclivities, you 303 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:29,760 name it. But that's what it means. 304 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,680 We take up our cross and we follow Jesus. 305 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,000 Keep going here in verse 33. And when they came to a place 306 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,760 called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull, they offered 307 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,320 him wine to drink mixed with Gaul. 308 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,000 But when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 309 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:47,200 So Gaul was a bitter substance. This drink that they made was a 310 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,800 mild narcotic. This was something that was 311 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:54,000 given to men on their way to crucifixion, most likely offered 312 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,840 by those in the crowd along the way that the Romans who are, you 313 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,280 know, it's a job for them. Roman soldiers have killed a lot 314 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,360 of people and they crucify many, many, many thousands of people 315 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:06,680 throughout the reign of the Roman Empire. 316 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:09,000 The Romans didn't invent crucifixion, but they did 317 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,240 perfect it, unfortunately. So these guys, as they're making 318 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,480 their way with the three men who they're going to crucify, Jesus 319 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:18,720 and these other two men, these other two men have not been 320 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:21,960 beaten like Christ has. Christ has been beaten we had an 321 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,800 unknown amount of times by the Romans and then tortured by at 322 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,000 least 200 of the Roman guard as they ripped out his beard, as 323 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,400 they shoved a crown of thorns onto his head, as they took the 324 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,240 staff that they had given him to mock him and then whacked it 325 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,600 over and over to drive it deeper down into his skull. 326 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,600 His blood loss is great at this point. 327 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,760 Many people died just from the beating that they received from 328 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:42,840 the Romans. Jesus did all this for you. 329 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,440 He did this. This actually happened. 330 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:50,760 So now, as they're on their way to the crucifixion, there would 331 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,120 likely be those in the crowd who would offer this drink. 332 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:54,920 And the Roman guard might look at him. 333 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,040 Hurry up, you know, hurry up. Get away from him. 334 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,880 Take a drink. This, drink this. 335 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,000 This is going to dull the pain, at least of the crucifixion. 336 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,040 There are some who have theorized that the Romans 337 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,960 offered this to them. That makes no sense to me. 338 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,800 I don't see how that would be possible. 339 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:15,160 These are not compassionate men. These are Barbarians who are 340 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,440 just tormenting him, without Pilate knowing most likely, and 341 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:20,800 torturing him just for their own satanic pleasure. 342 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:23,920 I think it's more likely that somebody along the way came to 343 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,880 numb his pain, to numb his senses. 344 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:31,400 Potentially. Romans allowed this in hopes 345 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,000 that it would make an easier time for them to crucify a man. 346 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,520 It's probably not that easy to crucify a man to a wooden beam 347 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,520 when he doesn't want to be crucified to a wooden beam. 348 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:42,040 So the other thought is that maybe the Romans tolerated this 349 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,920 because, you know, it'll sedate him enough so that we can 350 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,560 actually get him spikes driven through his wrists and through 351 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:51,600 his ankles so that we can impale him onto this wooden cross and 352 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,800 make our job a little bit easier so he's not squirming and 353 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,200 fighting us. Regardless of the motive, once 354 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,760 Jesus tasted the drink, maybe he would have been willing to drink 355 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,120 water. But once he tasted the drink, He 356 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:08,960 rejected it. Once he realized it was wine 357 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,200 mixed with gall, he rejected it because he did not want 358 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:12,920 sedation. He did what not. 359 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,640 He did not want narcotic. He did not want an altered 360 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,920 mental state. Jesus wanted to go to the cross 361 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,440 fully sober. He wanted to go to the cross 362 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,720 fully alert, fully aware of everything He was saying and 363 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,720 doing. The sinless Lamb of God was not 364 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,760 about to sin now. He was not about to lose control 365 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:35,400 of himself in any way. He had no uppers. 366 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,280 He had no Downers. He had the full reality of what 367 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:42,760 was coming against him. This is an example for us. 368 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,920 It's common in our culture, it's common in the world to look for 369 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,320 something external, to ease ourselves, to soothe ourselves. 370 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,920 And you should look for something to ease and to comfort 371 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:55,520 and to soothe yourself. But you should look for what 372 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,240 Jesus looked for, which was the blessing of his Father. 373 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:04,120 Alcohol drank to a state where it's altering your mind. 374 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:10,760 Weed, which is any degree, nicotine, some alteration to our 375 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:13,680 mental state, some comfort, something to take the edge off. 376 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:16,560 We search for those things. We seek those things because 377 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:17,880 they're easy, because they're quick. 378 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,880 But here Jesus goes as the ultimate example, like he always 379 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,200 does, and shows us that we can face everything we need to just 380 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,720 by trusting the Father. As Christians, we're called to 381 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,480 be a sober minded people, so whatever we're walking through, 382 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,120 when we feel pain, I want comfort. 383 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:39,960 I choose comfort over discomfort. 384 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,320 It's objectively better. I choose peace over chaos. 385 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,240 And yet the route and the path that we take matters. 386 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,040 Dopamine addiction is one that's very common in our day and age. 387 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,840 I'm tired, I've had a long day, I've had a hard day. 388 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,640 I just need to veg out. But that's not restorative. 389 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,720 It's vegetative, it's consumptive, but it's not 390 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,280 restorative. I just need, I just need a drink 391 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:08,120 now. It's been a long day. 392 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:09,720 It's been a hard, I've earned this. 393 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,960 I deserve this. I deserve to change the chemical 394 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,680 state of my mind so that I would think different thoughts and 395 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,520 maybe say different things and believe different beliefs. 396 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,960 I want to alter myself to that degree first. 397 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,880 Peter 58 commands us though. Be sober minded and be watchful. 398 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,920 First Thessalonians 5-6 and eight says those who belong to 399 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:35,080 the day should be sober. So suffering is not an 400 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,120 exceptional thing. It's a normal thing, 401 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:39,400 unfortunately. And even in his deepest 402 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,680 suffering, Jesus shows us that sober mindedness, sober 403 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,080 mindedness, matters more, not less. 404 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,920 It's not a condemnation, but it might be a correction. 405 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:55,360 It's not an apology. I'm just clarifying as we 406 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,640 continue here. Matthew does not go into vivid 407 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,560 detail on the crucifixion because he and his readers 408 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,000 already knew what the crucifixion was. 409 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:03,480 They didn't need all the details. 410 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:05,600 The crucifixion is graphic enough. 411 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,240 It's horrific enough. It's a violent, violent death. 412 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:12,440 The Romans figured out how to make it the most terrible, 413 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,080 excruciating thing. And we've said before that word 414 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,200 excruciating in the English language, we actually get from 415 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,280 the cross excruciating meaning from the crucifix. 416 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:29,440 To crucify means to fix stakes, to drive stakes through a human 417 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:34,080 body. Why, why, why did Jesus have to 418 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,280 go to this cross? Because your sin is so awful 419 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:38,680 that it needs to be punished by a just God. 420 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:44,480 God is not willing to overlook sin because God is just and God 421 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,000 is perfect. Well, if I was God, I would just 422 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,640 forgive it. By what mechanism though? 423 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:52,880 There has to be a mechanism for forgiveness. 424 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,600 And the good news is for all of us, there is a mechanism for 425 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,960 God's forgiveness. It's not just that he goes, ah, 426 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,280 don't worry about it, because if he said that then God wouldn't 427 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,080 be just for tolerating unholiness. 428 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,720 Well, I think it would be OK. Spoken like a human being who 429 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,120 isn't God. Spoken like a humanist who wants 430 00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:14,920 things to go their way instead of satisfying the justice of 431 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:16,560 God. Well, I think that's harsh. 432 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,160 Oh, but wait, you haven't heard the best part of the story yet. 433 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:24,000 Instead of making us suffer the justice that we deserve, God 434 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,080 came in the flesh to take the penalty for our sins. 435 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,360 So you will have no excuse on judgment day. 436 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,360 No one can wag a finger at God. Will they do? 437 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:36,560 But no one can righteously wag their finger at God and say you 438 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,240 did it wrong. Nope, your justice is too 439 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:44,560 demanding because He requires the full, full completion of 440 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,240 justice. What a high price. 441 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,960 It's not fair. Oh, but you can't say that 442 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,240 because God himself came to pay the high price. 443 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,000 So it all comes down to my belief or my own belief. 444 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,560 That's it. That's what I'll be judged upon. 445 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,600 Because if I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then I'll be 446 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,400 saved, and if I don't then I won't. 447 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:09,760 But God gets glory through it all. 448 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,240 This is how we are saved. This is the mechanism by which 449 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,480 people are saved. This is why no one can be saved 450 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,760 by any name except the name of Jesus. 451 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:25,320 This is why every other religion has no salvation mechanism. 452 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,000 Logically, just think it through. 453 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,200 Detach the emotional connection that you and I feel towards 454 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,240 those things. But what about this people? 455 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,600 And what about that people? There has to be a mechanism of 456 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,480 salvation from the true and living God, and wishful thinking 457 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,520 has never been satisfactory. But the gospel of the Lord Jesus 458 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:49,920 Christ actually saves people's lives. 459 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:54,000 Philippians 28 says he became obedient to the point of death, 460 00:23:54,320 --> 00:24:00,320 even death on a cross. Colossians 214 says our record 461 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,880 of debt was set aside, nailing it to the cross. 462 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,800 Our debt was so great that he had to suffer greatly. 463 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,960 You owed so much, that's why he had to suffer so much first. 464 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:15,520 Peter 224 says he himself bore our sins in his body on the 465 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,920 tree. Hebrews 12/2 says Jesus endured 466 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:24,520 the cross, despising the shame. Ephesians 216 says God that says 467 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,960 Jesus reconciled us to God through the cross. 468 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,320 You should love the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 469 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,720 The early church did. First Corinthians 123 says we 470 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:44,240 preach Christ crucified. Galatians 614 says, or Paul 471 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,760 said, I won't, I won't boast in anything, but I will boast in 472 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,960 the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 473 00:24:50,360 --> 00:24:54,360 Paul had a lot to brag about. He was an accomplished and 474 00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:58,280 brilliant, brilliant man, spoke multiple languages. 475 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,040 A lot of times ignorant folks in modernity read things from 476 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,960 ancient times. They think of these people as as 477 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,080 ignorant or foolish people, which isn't a massively ignorant 478 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,880 thing to do. I don't want to insult you or I, 479 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,680 but I just want you to have some framework for like the great 480 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:20,200 thinkers of history or far, far, far brighter than all of us. 481 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,360 If you're, if you're a history buff, you know that my history 482 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:25,720 buffs in the room, you know, like, yeah, if you've done any 483 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,600 reading from any ancient writers, you're going like, wow, 484 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,120 I don't feel so great with my master's degree anymore. 485 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:36,640 My doctorate has suddenly become a lot less impressive when I 486 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,720 read ancient thinkers, ancient Christians. 487 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,880 Paul was one of those, an absolutely brilliant man. 488 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:45,840 And Paul said, I don't brag in any of that. 489 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,000 My whole heap of my winnings, all my trophies, all my 490 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000 accomplishments, all my knowledge, He said, I throw it 491 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,920 in the dung heap compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. 492 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:01,240 I don't boast in anything. He said, no, no, I boast in 493 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,520 Christ crucified. That's what I brag about. 494 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,000 And they're like, you don't get any credit for that. 495 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:06,120 He goes, I know, that's my point. 496 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,640 Jesus is the only thing worth bragging about. 497 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,880 What Jesus has accomplished on the cross is mighty and glorious 498 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,240 and perfect in every way, because God satisfies all of His 499 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:20,240 justice and all of His wrath, and He satisfies all of His 500 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,800 mercy and all of His love, and He does it in Christ on the 501 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:28,800 cross for us. It is wild, it is beautiful in 502 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,800 verse 35. And when they had crucified him, 503 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,720 they divided His garments among them by casting lots. 504 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:37,760 So the soldiers, without knowing it, here they are fulfilling 505 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,560 what the Lord showed David 1000 years earlier in prophecy on 506 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:45,800 this hill called Golgotha. Psalm 2218 says they divide my 507 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:50,600 garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 1000 508 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,440 years earlier, Matthew was doing it again. 509 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:56,600 Hey, my Jewish readers, you know, David, you know Psalm 22, 510 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:57,840 we know that's about the Messiah, right? 511 00:26:57,840 --> 00:26:58,480 And they're going. Yep. 512 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:03,800 Yeah. And he goes once again, he 513 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,360 fulfills the prophecy over and over and over. 514 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:09,200 Why? Because Jesus is king, and 515 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,160 because God has orchestrated this and sovereignly designed 516 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:13,920 this from before the foundation of the world. 517 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,280 Jesus is the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the 518 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:19,960 world, in the heart and the mind of God. 519 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:23,240 It's always been done, and now it's happening exactly as it 520 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,640 would be told. The divide is clothing among 521 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:32,400 them. Jesus is satisfying everything 522 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,160 perfectly here in his death. Here as he he's stripped, they 523 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:37,640 strip him naked again. Here. 524 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,600 This is the commute, complete humiliation of Jesus. 525 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,320 Men were crucified naked. It would have been the same for 526 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,240 him. On top of the suffering that 527 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,960 you're experiencing, there's also this full exposure. 528 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,600 So remember the crowns put on him because they represent the 529 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,840 curse that was put on the earth. Not that the Roman soldiers 530 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,840 thought that. Hey, I think in the in the law 531 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,640 of Moses, it said something about the earth is cursed 532 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,280 because of sin. It's not what happened, but the 533 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,880 Lord knew what would happen. So the curse is put on Jesus and 534 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,960 the nakedness of Adam and Eve is fully upon Jesus the innocent 535 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:15,680 king here in verse 36. And they sat down and kept watch 536 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,280 over him there. So Jesus is in his excruciating 537 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,000 torment. These men are tired though. 538 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:22,680 These guys have had a long morning. 539 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,280 Jesus, of course, he's been up all night. 540 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,440 They don't want to stand. They sit down to do their job. 541 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:28,680 They make sure nobody's going to come and take him away. 542 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,280 They make sure nobody does anything they shouldn't do with 543 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:31,720 these three men they just crucified. 544 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:33,960 They sit down and rest because they worked hard today. 545 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,120 It's 9:00 in the morning when they crucified him. 546 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:37,840 They've beaten and tormented a man. 547 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,200 They've crucified 3 of them and now they rest from their 548 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:42,600 laborers. They keep watch over him. 549 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,560 Verse 37 and over his head. They put this charge against him 550 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,200 because often times the charge would be put over your head and 551 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,360 everybody knows he's a this person is a murderer. 552 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,320 This person is this, this person is that Jesus is guilty of 553 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:00,400 nothing, guilty of nothing. He's done nothing wrong. 554 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,480 Pilate knows that. So Pilate as one more poke in 555 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:07,160 the eye to the Jews says this man is the king of the Jews. 556 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:09,920 Another gospel account tells us that they went to Pilate said 557 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:14,280 don't put he's king of the Jews, Put that he said that he's king 558 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,800 of the Jews. Pilate said I wrote what I wrote 559 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,000 and that's what stayed above Jesus head. 560 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:21,640 Of course Jesus is the king of the Jews. 561 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,480 More importantly, Jesus is the king of the world. 562 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,880 Jesus is the king of the Jews. Jesus is the king of the 563 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,520 Muslims. Jesus is the king of the Hindus. 564 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,280 Jesus is the king of the Mormons. 565 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:32,880 He's saying all these people are saved. 566 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:34,920 Absolutely not. I'm just saying Jesus is king, 567 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,520 Jesus King over everybody. Well, they don't worship him. 568 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:38,520 I didn't say they worshipped him. 569 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,640 You could live in a King's Kingdom and be on his property 570 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,520 and in his terrain and be like he's not my king. 571 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,760 Like you can say what you want, but that doesn't change reality. 572 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:53,520 So Jesus's kingship cannot be affected by your belief or by 573 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,320 your unbelief. He's not phased one bit. 574 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:01,000 His throne isn't shaken at all. Jesus is coming back and he's 575 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,040 going to judge the living and the dead. 576 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,960 Of course no one has to be condemned because all are 577 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:12,080 supposed to come to the saving faith of God through the cross 578 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,920 of Jesus. That's the beauty of the cross. 579 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,960 It's not to exclude anyone, it is to include everyone. 580 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,440 I forgot who said it, he said, but maybe it was CS Lewis. 581 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,720 He said a man can no more diminish the glory of God, that 582 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,600 an insane man could blot out the light of the sun by scribbling 583 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:35,800 the words darkness in his cell, darkness. 584 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,800 Sunshine didn't care. Sunshine wasn't moved by it. 585 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:44,640 So the rage of humanity, the wrath of man that they have 586 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:48,120 towards God, God's glory has not been affected. 587 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,280 And everyone, even those who pierced him, the scripture says 588 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:54,960 their knees will bow, their tongues will confess, and they 589 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,400 will wail when they see him return on the judgement day. 590 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:00,640 They'll wail for those who didn't repent. 591 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,440 They will wail in terror. They will say to the mountains 592 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,480 cover us into the hills. They will say fall on us, hide 593 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,880 me from the wrath of the Lamb. I thought he's not wrathful. 594 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:14,600 Well there the judgement day will come. 595 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:20,480 Right now isn't the judgement day could be in 15 seconds might 596 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,400 not be able to finish any of these sentences that I'm 597 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:29,560 starting and you will face the Lord to the Christian that 598 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,280 should bring you great comfort and go. 599 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:35,120 I look forward to it right now, yes, please. 600 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,440 But if you don't have that eager right now, yes please, bubbling 601 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:42,680 up within you to say, I can't wait to see my Savior, then you 602 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:46,560 can call upon Him and He will save you because He wants to, 603 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,120 because He loves you. He'll save you from your sin and 604 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:54,720 He'll call you out of it into His glorious light. 605 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:11,400 I feel the fear of God. So whether or not Pilate was 606 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,040 intending to be sarcastic or not, it was a truthful claim 607 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:18,680 about who Christ is. But no one there on the grounds 608 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,040 with Christ recognize fully the sovereignty of God in this. 609 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,080 No one recognize that Jesus really is king. 610 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,480 Christ on the cross, he is king, Christ in the tomb he is king. 611 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:31,440 Christ resurrected, He is King John one. 612 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:37,120 Verse 10 says he was in the world and the world was made 613 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,200 through him, yet the world did not know him. 614 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:43,680 This is a perfect example what's happening on the cross. 615 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:45,800 The world was made through Christ. 616 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:47,600 Jesus does not have a starting point. 617 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,080 That is a heresy. Jesus did not begin when he was 618 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,360 born. Jesus has always existed as the 619 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:56,960 living word of God. That's the significance of the 620 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,560 incarnation when he became a human, because it says the Word 621 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,000 became flesh. The Word didn't start to exist. 622 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,120 What was his form like before? I don't know, and you don't 623 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,400 either, and neither does our favorite theologian. 624 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,040 But the Word has always been the Father, the Word and the Spirit. 625 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:18,560 But the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and he died on a 626 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:22,600 cross, and he was resurrected. And the Word still has a body 627 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:26,240 now, a glorified body, the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, 628 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,280 to his left and to his right. He's not known. 629 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:34,640 He's mocked by soldiers. He's mocked and abused by the 630 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,680 Jewish leadership who should have been eager to receive him 631 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:39,680 and worship him. They mock and abuse him because 632 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,720 they really don't know him, which is why he cries out on the 633 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,400 cross in mercy for them. Father, forgive them. 634 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:47,120 They don't know what they're doing. 635 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:57,560 We are so, so, so weak. I am so weak, the slights that 636 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:00,760 happened to me and the offense that I feel for those slights 637 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,480 when I'm wronged and what rises up in my flesh. 638 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,040 And I have not suffered to the point of shedding my blood. 639 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:15,000 And Jesus on the cross, looking at his murderers as he's mocked 640 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,159 by his murderers, as they're twisting what he said and 641 00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:20,960 throwing it back in his face. The God man, the perfect one, 642 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:24,120 the Lord Jesus Christ, the strongest man, the manliest man, 643 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,719 says, father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing. 644 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,960 Verse 38, Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the 645 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,639 right and one on the left. So this word robbers, in the 646 00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:41,679 original language, it means bandits, rebels, 647 00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:43,480 revolutionaries. These are not guys who stole a 648 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,639 loaf of bread. These men are potentially 649 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:48,639 murderers, probably insurrectionists, major threats 650 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:51,400 against Rome. This is what crucifixion was 651 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:52,840 reserved for. It was for the worst of the 652 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:57,040 worst and that's who He is surrounded by the innocent Lord, 653 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:02,040 sandwiched between two sinners, the innocent 1 covered by sin in 654 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:03,880 every way and in every direction. 655 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:05,480 Once again He fulfills the prophecy. 656 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:09,240 This one from Isaiah 53 scripture says Jesus was quote 657 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:16,560 numbered with the transgressors. The Lord cannot have been 658 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,440 surrounded with any more evil and any more sin than He already 659 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:21,480 was. You and I are represented by the 660 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:25,000 torment that he's experiencing, and we're represented by the two 661 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:26,520 men who are dying with Him on the cross. 662 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:31,240 It's what we deserve. It's what we actually deserve 663 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:33,120 for our sin against the holy and loving God. 664 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:39,240 And Jesus the Savior is going to save one of them literally as 665 00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:44,520 one of the last things that He does, verse 39, and those who 666 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,560 passed to ride at him, wagging their heads and saying, you who 667 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,640 would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days? 668 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:51,960 Save yourself. If you're the Son of God, come 669 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:55,160 down from the cross. Of course, they're lying and 670 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:57,240 they're twisting what he said. He didn't say he would destroy 671 00:35:57,240 --> 00:35:59,240 the temple and rebuild it in three days. 672 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:03,040 He said, you destroy this temple and I'll rebuild it in three 673 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:04,720 days. And they thought he meant the 674 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:07,600 temple because they weren't humble listeners. 675 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,720 They were fault finders. They're the kind of people who 676 00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:13,720 when you say something, they hold it against you and you go, 677 00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:15,680 well, what I meant, and it doesn't matter what you meant, 678 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,120 it matters what I can incriminate you with. 679 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,760 That's what the devil is. Just like whenever you act that 680 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,120 way towards others, you're acting like the devil. 681 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:29,720 When you are that excruciating with others in their language 682 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:34,480 and your demands, you said, well, are people allowed to walk 683 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,640 it back? Are you, are you willing to show 684 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,040 them grace? Are you willing to show them 685 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,520 mercy? You better show a lot of grace 686 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:44,760 because you're going to need it. You better sow a lot of mercy 687 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,440 because you're going to need it. So if you want that fruit to be 688 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,960 coming back on you, you ought to be eagerly giving it. 689 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,520 Let folks clarify things. Let your spouse explain. 690 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,040 Hey, I am sorry. That was wrong. 691 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,200 We're not minimizing any sin that took place, but we're going 692 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,440 to let the truth come to the middle of the room and that's 693 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:02,520 where we're going to sort things out. 694 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,160 Go hang on, that was wrong. Let's clarify. 695 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:06,320 What's the difference between sin? 696 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,120 What's the difference between bad communication? 697 00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:10,120 What's the difference between misunderstanding? 698 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:16,120 Lot of human relationships act like the devil in these moments, 699 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,520 accusation, accusation and traps. 700 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,880 But we want to act like the Lord, full of grace and truth, 701 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:32,760 full of grace and truth. If you're the Son of God, does 702 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:36,360 that sound familiar? If you're the Son of God, where 703 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:40,480 has Jesus heard that before? Satan, He's just talking through 704 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,000 people. This time he tempted him in the 705 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,800 wilderness. If you're the Son of God, turn 706 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:50,440 these stones to bread, like Jesus going to do tricks for the 707 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,680 devil. If you're the Son of God, throw 708 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:55,240 yourself down off the Temple Mount. 709 00:37:56,720 --> 00:38:01,720 If, if, if, Always casting doubt. 710 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:05,120 That's how he works. He's been working for a while. 711 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:07,640 Since Adam. He's been working. 712 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,000 He understands us better than we understand ourselves. 713 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,680 I've only been here 41 years. That's the level of 714 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:15,920 understanding I have. Some of you have been here 715 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:17,280 longer, some of you been here shorter. 716 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:19,160 Satan's been here longer than all of us. 717 00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:24,040 He's been studying, he's been watching, he's been learning how 718 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:27,720 to manipulate, how to suggest, and that's what he does. 719 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:33,240 He's the father of lies. If you're the Son of God, now 720 00:38:33,240 --> 00:38:34,680 take yourself down off the cross. 721 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:39,120 This is a legitimate temptation to Jesus, just like it was a 722 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:42,360 legitimate temptation for him to make the stones turn into bread. 723 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:45,840 He was hungry, he wanted food. That was a temptation. 724 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:48,120 But he'll do nothing at the suggestion of his enemy. 725 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,920 It's a legitimate temptation here now to take himself down 726 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,560 off the cross, because spikes are not holding the Lord Jesus 727 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:02,000 to the cross exclusively. The love of God is holding Jesus 728 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,880 to the cross, God's love for you and his perfection and his grace 729 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:08,240 and his strength. That's what kept him on the 730 00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:11,480 cross, so that the justice of the Father would be fully 731 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,040 satisfied and that Jesus would have his whole church, you and 732 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:18,840 me, robbers and revolutionaries just like the men beside him, 733 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:23,960 murderers, every last one of us who have hated, adulterers, 734 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:28,480 every last one of us who have lusted, all deserving what Jesus 735 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:32,280 was suffering. Do you have any sin that you're 736 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:35,480 just like, man? I don't want anyone to ever, 737 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:40,600 ever, ever, ever, ever know. God treated Jesus on the cross 738 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,280 like he did the thing that you have in mind. 739 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:50,640 Duh, obviously, the sins that are the worst, the sins that are 740 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:57,640 the least, all of it. But Jesus committed himself to 741 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,160 the Father's will. He trusted himself into the 742 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:01,520 Father's hand. He loved you. 743 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:04,640 And he went through this mission with a clear head and a pure 744 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:07,280 heart. Because Jesus is the Son of God. 745 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:10,760 And that is exactly why he didn't come down from the cross 746 00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:13,200 saying said, if you're the Son of God, come down. 747 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:17,920 Jesus said, I am the Son of God. That is why I won't save 748 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:21,520 yourself. No, in saving the world, I'm 749 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:25,880 laying my life down. The God who loves us, verse 41, 750 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,960 So also the chief priests with the scribes and the elders 751 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:33,040 mocked him, saying he saved others, he cannot save himself. 752 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,200 He's the king of Israel. Let him come down now from the 753 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,280 cross and we will believe in him. 754 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:44,000 If he comes down on the from the cross, we will believe in him. 755 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:49,360 But that was a lie because those same men three days later have a 756 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:52,240 Roman guard come to them privately because the Roman 757 00:40:52,240 --> 00:40:55,640 guard was scared to death when an Angel moved the stone away 758 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,560 and Jesus walked out of the tomb alive. 759 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:00,720 The man they crucified, they guarded. 760 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,720 He walks out of the tomb. The soldiers laid on the ground 761 00:41:03,720 --> 00:41:06,240 as dead men. And they said, we can't go tell 762 00:41:06,240 --> 00:41:08,760 Pilate about this. Let's go talk to the Jewish 763 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:10,280 guys. This is like their whole deal. 764 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:14,680 And they go tell them with terror, terror, here's what just 765 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:16,560 happened. And the Jewish leadership 766 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:19,320 doesn't say, oh, my goodness, we've crucified the Lord of 767 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,400 glory. Let's repent and be saved, which 768 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,320 is what they should have done in that moment, and then they would 769 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:29,280 have been saved. And instead they said, we'll 770 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:30,560 sort this out with Pilot for you. 771 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,400 We'll figure this out. We'll say that the disciples 772 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:35,880 stole the body away. We'll make up some story that 773 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,680 evidence is not enough. I want to encourage you and 774 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:42,640 remind you, you don't need more evidence. 775 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:46,160 Evidence is not your problem. Unbelief is your problem. 776 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:50,600 Your friends and loved ones who demand more explanations from 777 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:54,400 you, They demand that you watch The Da Vinci Code and that you 778 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,120 explain what Tom Hanks is doing here with the I haven't seen 779 00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:58,440 this, I have no idea what I'm talking about. 780 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:01,360 I just, I just know when it came out there's a lot of stupidity 781 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:03,240 about the Bible and everyone thought they knew the scriptures 782 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:04,520 even though they didn't read the scriptures. 783 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:07,800 But you take it. Take your cultural idiotic 784 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:09,640 argument that people think is intelligent. 785 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:11,640 That's not what they need satisfaction for. 786 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:15,200 Explain these fossils to me and then I will submit my life to 787 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:17,640 the Lord Jesus Christ. No you won't. 788 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,840 You're a liar. Your issue is unbelief. 789 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:24,200 What am I supposed to do, believe the gospel? 790 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:28,440 God loves you. God loves you, a Sinner, and he 791 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:32,800 put all of His wrath at Christ so that you could trade places 792 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,600 with the Lord Jesus Christ. You should be crushed and 793 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:37,760 annihilated. Jesus should be elevated and 794 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,240 worshipped, and instead it pleased the Father to crush him 795 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:45,760 so that you could be raised up because the righteousness of God 796 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:49,880 can be given to you. That's crazy, but it's logical. 797 00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,320 It's logical and it's fair because Jesus wanted it. 798 00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:57,880 There was no injustice being taken place because Jesus said 799 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:01,160 I'm willingly doing it. So justice is perfectly 800 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:03,560 satisfied. The grace of God is perfectly 801 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:05,680 satisfied. The mercy of God is fully 802 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:08,160 satisfied. No other religion, no other 803 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:10,200 philosophy can do it. Nothing else. 804 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:16,000 You can't earn it, you can't deserve it, you can't accomplish 805 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:17,680 it. Jesus accomplished it. 806 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:19,440 That's why he gets all the glory. 807 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:23,560 That's why we always say Jesus is king. 808 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:29,360 I drove by no kings protest, I don't remember how long ago. 809 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:33,720 It was a bunch of people out at the stoplight and they wanted 810 00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:35,160 everybody to know there was no king. 811 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:37,320 And I was like, well, there's one king. 812 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,680 The president's not a king. You are correct. 813 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:46,160 The president is not a king. That is a factually true 814 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:48,280 statement. So anyway, there is a king 815 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:52,560 though, and you can't escape his kingship and you don't want to, 816 00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:57,400 shouldn't want to. He's a good king. 817 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:00,240 He's a perfect king. He's a loving king. 818 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,960 I didn't vote for him. That's not how kings work. 819 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:13,240 Let him come down from the cross. 820 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:15,120 Then we will believe in him. No, you won't. 821 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,240 Unbelief is the problem. Pride is the problem. 822 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:23,600 The love of sin is the problem. Men hated the light because 823 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:30,320 their deeds were dark. He raises the dead and they know 824 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,800 when he's raised from the dead, but they still don't care 825 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:38,360 because their hearts are hard. My encouragement to you, when 826 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:41,400 you see this in the Scriptures and you see proving out that 827 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,080 point that I just made to you over and over and over is that 828 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:46,040 you can just have full confidence that the gospel is 829 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:47,760 enough. That's all you have to share 830 00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:49,640 with someone. I just don't. 831 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:50,800 I think they're going to need more. 832 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:56,920 That's because of your unbelief. Their unbelief is on them. 833 00:44:56,920 --> 00:44:59,920 Your unbelief is on you. Well, I think I need to explain 834 00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:02,200 this and this and this and this. I'm not saying we can't have 835 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,840 conversations with folks and be gracious and gentle, but if 836 00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:07,520 people are making demands of you that don't lead them closer to 837 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:09,920 the devotion of the Lord Jesus Christ, do you think that the 838 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:13,400 illiterate early church, do you think that they were walking 839 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,440 around handling all the objections all the time? 840 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:19,840 Paul handled some objections, but he always did it through the 841 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:23,200 cross. His whole story was, guys, I was 842 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:27,560 killing Christians and I was knocked off my high horse. 843 00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:31,960 God blinded me, then he literally, then he opened my 844 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:35,040 eyes, He saved me, and now I'm preaching Jesus. 845 00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:37,920 He saved me. Jesus is the Messiah, everybody. 846 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:40,880 That was Paul's message. Like he told his own story. 847 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:43,880 Tell your own story, but the gospel is enough. 848 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:47,880 Romans 116 tells you. So I am not ashamed of the 849 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:52,400 gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone 850 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:57,800 who believes. That's the issue, belief or 851 00:45:57,800 --> 00:45:59,880 unbelief. The gospel is the power though, 852 00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:02,520 man, they just need, they need you to pray for them. 853 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:05,920 Pray for them. Somebody prayed for you, pray 854 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:08,120 for them. Don't give up on them. 855 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:11,440 Don't stop praying for them. Oh, I cannot even see them 856 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:14,680 coming to Christ, but Christ can see them coming to Christ. 857 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:19,240 That thief on the cross who repented later in the day, he 858 00:46:19,240 --> 00:46:21,320 had been mocking the Lord with everybody else. 859 00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:26,920 What a godless and wicked man. These two guys like, even in 860 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:30,840 their death, No Fear of God. And then one, by the grace of 861 00:46:30,840 --> 00:46:32,920 God, the prayer of Jesus is answered. 862 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:35,000 Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're 863 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:35,720 doing. All of them. 864 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:38,240 And then throughout the day, throughout the morning, 865 00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:43,400 throughout the afternoon, one of these guys, he turns and he 866 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:46,640 turns to the Lord Jesus. And he says, Lord, Remember Me 867 00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:49,840 when you come into your Kingdom and Jesus understands what's 868 00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:52,560 happening in this man. And he says today you'll be with 869 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:57,520 me in paradise. Think that boy's Mama was 870 00:46:57,520 --> 00:46:59,960 praying? Somebody was praying for that 871 00:46:59,960 --> 00:47:03,120 guy. Don't stop praying for people, 872 00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:09,400 but you've got to give them the gospel, the message of a bloody 873 00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:11,560 cross. It's foolishness. 874 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:14,320 It's foolishness to those who are perishing. 875 00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:16,880 What? Really. 876 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,120 That's cute. You're such cute little 877 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:24,920 Christians with your Bible, with your Bible and your stories and 878 00:47:24,920 --> 00:47:27,520 your sky daddy. All the insults that you're 879 00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:31,320 going to hear. Rejoice if you're counted worthy 880 00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:34,600 to suffer for his name. But know that the gospel will be 881 00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:38,120 enough. He trusts in God. 882 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:40,920 Let God deliver him. Now these men are heaping 883 00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:45,160 condemnation on themselves, yet the opportunity for their 884 00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:46,920 salvation is still right in front of their faces. 885 00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:51,080 He does trust in God. God will deliver him on Sunday 886 00:47:51,080 --> 00:47:56,440 morning, but for now, it pleases the Father and it please Jesus, 887 00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:58,200 please Jesus to be in this position. 888 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:01,280 He's fulfilling the plan that he's always had. 889 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:06,440 Verse 44 and we're closing. And the robbers who were 890 00:48:06,440 --> 00:48:10,440 crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. 891 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,760 Whether you have 20 minutes left, 20 years left, or 80 years 892 00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:23,160 left, you are dying. Another spoiler alert. 893 00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:26,520 If the Lord tarries, you're going to die. 894 00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:32,120 If the Lord comes before you die, you're either caught up 895 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:37,360 with him in his presence or you're being condemned as we 896 00:48:37,360 --> 00:48:42,800 always deserved anyway. But as long as it's not too late 897 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:44,040 for us, it's not too late for us. 898 00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:56,240 Just like the man on the cross, you can be with Jesus today, not 899 00:48:56,240 --> 00:48:59,200 necessarily in heaven. I don't want you to go to heaven 900 00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:01,800 today, but you can be with Jesus today. 901 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:05,560 You can have Jesus today. Jesus will come into you today, 902 00:49:06,640 --> 00:49:08,880 it'll change your life and it'll make you a new creation. 903 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:12,320 He loves you. I want you to see the suffering 904 00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:15,200 of Christ and see the suffering of his cross and turn from your 905 00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:19,640 ways and receive His grace. That's the big finish. 906 00:49:20,040 --> 00:49:23,720 If you're not in the Kingdom of God, how do I know if I'm in the 907 00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:26,760 Kingdom of God? Well, do you love the Lord 908 00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:27,840 Jesus? Yes. 909 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:30,960 Do you have sin in your life that you're unwilling to let go 910 00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:32,840 of, that you know you're going to return to? 911 00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:35,560 And you say, I've chosen this sin. 912 00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:37,880 I'm keeping this sin. I'm going to continue to pursue 913 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:40,160 this sin. If you say yeah, then I would 914 00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:44,080 say, my friend, come to the cross of Jesus and be saved. 915 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:47,600 Because if you were, you would love the Lord. 916 00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:50,520 And if you would love the Lord, you would want to obey the Lord. 917 00:49:51,240 --> 00:49:53,720 And if that miracle hasn't happened inside you, I'm not 918 00:49:53,720 --> 00:49:55,600 talking about warm affection for Jesus. 919 00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:58,280 I've known a lot of people who tip their hat to the man 920 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,480 upstairs and they say I respect Jesus. 921 00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:05,800 I believe the story of Jesus. Well, the devil believes it, but 922 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:07,400 that doesn't lead to a saving faith. 923 00:50:08,240 --> 00:50:11,000 I expect everyone I share the gospel with to believe it. 924 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:14,280 I just do. In fact, I know that they do, 925 00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:17,880 but they all don't respond to it in submission. 926 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:21,600 A lot of people don't like that word. 927 00:50:22,920 --> 00:50:28,120 It's necessary and it's good. So that's the invitation. 928 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:30,840 Will you submit yourself to God? Not just. 929 00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:33,320 Thanks, Jesus. I'll take your salvation, tuck 930 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:35,160 in my pocket and do my own thing. 931 00:50:35,160 --> 00:50:37,280 No, my friend, you must have misunderstood the invitation. 932 00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:39,480 Then the invitation was to come and follow him. 933 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:42,920 He didn't say. Hey, Matthew, how's the tax 934 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:44,640 booth? It's great, Jesus. 935 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:48,600 Remodeling my kitchen right now. Put a pool in the back. 936 00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:50,320 Got a great vacation plan next year. 937 00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:54,480 Hey, Matthew, be saved. Cool. 938 00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:56,640 Jesus, I'm saved. Thanks. 939 00:50:56,880 --> 00:51:00,200 See you later, Matthew. It's not what happened over and 940 00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:02,720 over. Jesus said come follow me. 941 00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:06,120 And to follow Jesus means that you have left something. 942 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:10,080 If you haven't left something or someone in your life or 943 00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:12,920 somewhere in your life, you're not following Jesus. 944 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:16,760 If you're not leaving something, you're not following him because 945 00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:18,440 he's always going to take you away from something. 946 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:20,120 He's going to take you away from sin. 947 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:25,960 He's going to take you into righteousness, and if you are in 948 00:51:25,960 --> 00:51:30,440 Christ already, I want you to be comforted by the cross of Jesus. 949 00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:35,520 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are 950 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:39,960 in Christ Jesus. Reject the condemnation that 951 00:51:39,960 --> 00:51:43,880 comes from your accuser and enjoy the completeness of the 952 00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:47,560 work of Jesus. Believe the gospel. 953 00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:51,600 Believe it for you, Believe it for your nasty sin. 954 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:55,400 Even this one, Yes, especially that one. 955 00:51:56,280 --> 00:52:00,560 Even this one, Absolutely the one you turn from, right? 956 00:52:00,560 --> 00:52:02,080 We're not talking about the one that you love and you're 957 00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:03,600 caressing. You're deliberately going to 958 00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:05,960 continue to pursue because that's a different story all 959 00:52:05,960 --> 00:52:09,400 together. And I would never tell a person 960 00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:11,240 who lives like that that they have salvation. 961 00:52:11,840 --> 00:52:14,960 I'm not their judge, but I am their friend to tell them the 962 00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:20,120 truth. Whom the sunsets free though, is 963 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:25,640 free indeed. Galatians 220 says I have been 964 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:28,920 crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 965 00:52:28,920 --> 00:52:32,320 Christ who lives in me. So if you're in Christ, you've 966 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:36,880 already suffered. That's how God sees it, legally 967 00:52:36,880 --> 00:52:39,480 speaking. Legally speaking, if you're in 968 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:41,480 Christ, you're like, I just feel so bad. 969 00:52:41,480 --> 00:52:43,160 I just feel like I deserve so much torment. 970 00:52:43,560 --> 00:52:47,680 Well, you're right. Good news, you were tormented 971 00:52:47,680 --> 00:52:52,240 through Christ 2000 years ago. That's the mechanism of 972 00:52:52,240 --> 00:52:54,000 salvation. And how do I receive it? 973 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:57,080 Through faith in Christ. His righteousness is now applied 974 00:52:57,080 --> 00:52:58,840 to you. I just feel like I need guilt 975 00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:03,280 and shame and condemnation. Yes, in a sense, but also it was 976 00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:07,240 satisfied in Christ. You do, but it was so now 977 00:53:07,240 --> 00:53:09,680 receive it today as righteousness. 978 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:14,160 Abraham believed God and that was credited to him as 979 00:53:14,160 --> 00:53:18,680 righteousness. If you believe God, that belief 980 00:53:18,840 --> 00:53:22,000 will be credited to you as righteousness, and that 981 00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:24,560 righteousness gives you new desires. 982 00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:27,800 That's why I don't meet people who go, I love Jesus and they're 983 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:29,920 like, and also I'm continuing this life of sin. 984 00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:33,280 I'm like, my friend, I love you and God loves you and also you 985 00:53:33,280 --> 00:53:37,040 don't love God. Oh, I really do, my friend. 986 00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:38,160 I believe that, you believe that. 987 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:39,760 But can we look at the book together? 988 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:42,000 Because I can just prove it to you. 989 00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:44,720 So get my opinion out of it. Get my personality out of it. 990 00:53:44,720 --> 00:53:47,640 Get Me Out of the way. To love God is to follow God. 991 00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:50,440 To love God is to walk with God. Don't we still sin, Christians? 992 00:53:50,440 --> 00:53:52,200 You know, you still have the ability to sin. 993 00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:54,840 And yet when we sin, the difference is the Holy Spirit 994 00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:58,920 says, hey, it's not you. You put on the old man there for 995 00:53:58,920 --> 00:54:01,840 a second. That's not who you are. 996 00:54:03,360 --> 00:54:08,400 So Christians, we still confess our sin, but we do it from a 997 00:54:08,400 --> 00:54:12,920 place of children, already adopted, already enthroned with 998 00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:15,400 the Lord. Romans 66 and seven. 999 00:54:15,480 --> 00:54:19,640 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that 1000 00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:21,680 the body of sin might be brought to nothing. 1001 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:27,000 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 1002 00:54:28,880 --> 00:54:31,280 So legally speaking, the Lord considers all those who are in 1003 00:54:31,280 --> 00:54:33,960 Christ. You've already died, You've 1004 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:35,880 already been, you've already suffered. 1005 00:54:36,040 --> 00:54:38,320 I'm afraid, I'm afraid you know a lot of tender hearted 1006 00:54:38,320 --> 00:54:40,160 believers. As a pastor, I've had the 1007 00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:42,280 privilege of comforting a lot of tender hearted believers who are 1008 00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:44,120 like, I don't know if I'm saved. I don't know if I'm saved. 1009 00:54:44,120 --> 00:54:46,560 Of course, I don't want to just fake it and make up somebody's 1010 00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:47,680 salvation for him and be like you. 1011 00:54:47,720 --> 00:54:50,120 You are, I'm certain like, well, let's sort this out. 1012 00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:53,840 But a lot of times a tender conscience is just have I lost 1013 00:54:53,840 --> 00:54:59,120 my salvation? Well, the way you the way you 1014 00:54:59,120 --> 00:55:02,440 get saved is the way you stay saved by God's grace through 1015 00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:05,720 faith. So are you saved? 1016 00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:09,680 Enjoy what Jesus has accomplished, make much of the 1017 00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:14,280 cross, believe the gospel, believe that Jesus paid it all 1018 00:55:15,560 --> 00:55:18,960 and now enjoy it. That was what he intended. 1019 00:55:19,440 --> 00:55:22,760 And then carry it on so that we not just staring at ourselves 1020 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:26,560 constantly, but then we actually get involved in the work of the 1021 00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:28,680 ministry instead of what about me? 1022 00:55:28,720 --> 00:55:30,160 What about my life? What about my spiritual life? 1023 00:55:30,160 --> 00:55:31,440 What about this life? What about my family? 1024 00:55:31,440 --> 00:55:35,120 What about my personal friend, We want to get you to a place of 1025 00:55:35,120 --> 00:55:37,920 such stability. Jesus wants to build you up to a 1026 00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:41,680 place of such strength that yes, you'll be cared for by the body 1027 00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:45,640 as well, but also that your eyes get up a little bit and not just 1028 00:55:45,640 --> 00:55:48,440 in the mirror, but your eyes go elsewhere and you go. 1029 00:55:48,720 --> 00:55:51,000 I'm on a mission and have a great work to do. 1030 00:55:52,160 --> 00:55:55,040 Heavenly Father, thank you so much for what Jesus has 1031 00:55:55,040 --> 00:55:57,880 accomplished. Thank you so much for the grace 1032 00:55:57,880 --> 00:56:00,240 and the salvation that he makes available to all of us. 1033 00:56:01,120 --> 00:56:04,040 Lord, I pray for any who have not come to the full saving 1034 00:56:04,040 --> 00:56:06,320 knowledge of the Lord Jesus who have not been transformed by it. 1035 00:56:06,320 --> 00:56:08,680 The right now, they would just call out to you and that they 1036 00:56:08,680 --> 00:56:11,280 would surrender themselves to you, not caring what it looks 1037 00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:13,320 like, not caring what anyone would think around them. 1038 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:16,600 But they would deeper in their heart of hearts where you're 1039 00:56:16,600 --> 00:56:18,920 whispering, where you're calling, where you're inviting, 1040 00:56:19,080 --> 00:56:21,920 where they would not turn away like the rich young ruler who 1041 00:56:21,920 --> 00:56:24,480 went away sad after Jesus invited him to follow him 1042 00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:29,360 because he had many possessions. But he would be like Matthew 1043 00:56:30,680 --> 00:56:34,080 soon as he was invited, gave it all up and came and followed. 1044 00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:37,600 If the Lord is calling you, please respond. 1045 00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:42,280 Please follow him. Please join the Kingdom of light 1046 00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:44,800 and love and goodness and grace and truth. 1047 00:56:45,200 --> 00:56:48,400 You will be celebrated, you will be honored, you will be blessed. 1048 00:56:50,080 --> 00:56:55,240 And to you, Christian, who feels condemned and overwhelmed by 1049 00:56:55,240 --> 00:57:00,600 your sin, I want you to be overwhelmed by the cross, be 1050 00:57:00,600 --> 00:57:05,760 overwhelmed by the love of God, for you shut the voice of your 1051 00:57:05,760 --> 00:57:09,160 accuser by preaching the gospel. Again. 1052 00:57:10,480 --> 00:57:13,480 Christ died for sinners, of whom I was the worst. 1053 00:57:15,920 --> 00:57:20,120 And now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ and 1054 00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:22,080 whom the sun is set free is free indeed. 1055 00:57:25,080 --> 00:57:31,480 Enjoy the blessing, enjoy the overflowing cup, and believe in 1056 00:57:31,480 --> 00:57:35,920 Jesus name. And now the Lord bless you and 1057 00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:39,480 keep you. The Lord make his face Shinedown 1058 00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:43,280 upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance 1059 00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:48,400 upon you and give you great peace in Jesus name, Amen. 1060 00:57:49,920 --> 00:57:52,640 God bless you. You're dismissed. 1061 00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:54,200 Angelina and I will be available for prayer.