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good morning to everyone welcome to free grace Baptist Church you're not used to me starting on time that's probably what was 11 usually I roll up at about 1102 so it's 11 o'clock and it's time for the worship of our God but before we get to that just one announcement there's a youth meeting on October 12th at 7:30 p.m. it's a there's a youth youth and young adults meeting October 12 7:30 p.m. at Daniel Sloot Lakes house Josh Butler or Daniel Slough twig you can get in contact with them if you're in your 30s and you think you're a young adult I hate to break it to you that's probably not you you're still young in someone's eyes but so that's youth meeting and young adult meeting October 12 7:30 p.m. Daniel suit wakes house if you have any questions you can get in touch with either Josh or Daniel well let's turn to our Bibles then as we now begin the worship of our great God Father Son and Holy Spirit you can turn with me to Psalm 69 Psalm 69 we'll pick up reading at verse 16 Psalm 69 verse 16 this is the word of God hear me o lord for your loving-kindness is good turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies and do not hide your face from your servant for I am in trouble hear me speedily draw near to my soul and redeemeth deliver me because of my enemies you know my reproach my shame and my dishonor my adversaries are all before you reproach has broken my heart and I am full of heaviness I looked for someone to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none they also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar vinegar to drink let their table become a snare before them and their well being a trap let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see and make their loins shake continually pour out your diggnation upon them and let your wrathful anger take hold of them let their dwelling place be desolate let no one live in their tents for they persecute the ones you have struck and talked of the grief of those you have wounded add iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come into your righteousness let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous but I am poor and sorrowful let your salvation O God set me up on high I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with Thanksgiving let this also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull which has horns and hooves the humble shall see this and be glad and you who seek God your heart shall live for the Lord hears the poor and does not despise his prisoners let heaven and earth praise Him the Seas and everything that moves in them for God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah that they may dwell there and possess it also the descendants of his servants shall inherit it and those who love his name shall dwell in it amen let's stand and sing together the hymn that we're gonna sing first is in the red Salter the Red Trinity Salter will stand and sing Psalm 45 we're going to sing verses one to seven and then 17 so that's psalm 45:1 to 7 and then 17 let's stand and sing [Music] let's go to our God in prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we come to you now in prayer rejoicing in our God Father Son and Holy Spirit and we would pray at the outset Lord God that your name would be hallowed here in this place today we pray that you would help us yet again by your spirit to give you all honor and praise we rejoice in this opportunity this freedom to gather as we have gathered we know that many brothers and sisters in lands where there is much persecution don't enjoy the same freedom and so we pray that you would impress upon us the high and heavy honor it is to gather together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit we do pray again that you would help us to do so we pray that you would help us by your spirit to cast off thoughts that would intrude upon the worship of God we do pray that we would worship you are right that we would worship you according to your own revealed will in that alone and Lord God that you would in this place be the recipient of honor and praise and we do pray that this would be the case not only here but in other churches in Chilliwack and all those churches that are yours here in this city in this province Lord in this country and around the world we do pray that your churches having gathered would by your spirit sing the praises of father son and spirit the Lord God that around the earth today your name would be hallowed that the Lord Jesus Christ would be exalted upon the praises of his gathered assemblies and Lord God that people would sing the praises of so great a salvation and the glories the riches the excellencies of Christ and of the amazing grace of our triune God we do pray that you'd forgive us afresh in the blood of the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ by virtue of it we know that we still as Christians can stumble can that we have remaining corruption that we do sin and yet Lord God we thank you for the fact that you are with us that by your spirit we are sanctified we do pray for forgiveness and for that sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit that we might all the more by your grace and for your glory put sin to death and live to righteousness we pray that you would daily conform us unto the image of your son the Lord Jesus Christ we pray Lord God that you would by your grace and spirit grow us in the grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ we do thank you that salvation is by free an amazing grace we know that we are not saved by deeds of righteousness which we have done which we have done but much rather Lord God according to your mercy you saved us through the washing of regeneration renewal by the Holy Spirit we know that that salvation comes solely and alone by virtue of the perfect work of Jesus Christ our Savior we thank you for His perfect life of obedience to your law in the stead of all who believe in his name we thank you for that substitutionary sacrificial death upon Calvary's cross we know that that death upon Calvary's cross was not one of maybe or perhaps but it was a perfect a full atonement we thank you that in that all who believe have everlasting life their sins taken away he bore our curse and in that truth we rejoice we thank you that he rose again the third day and power and in great victory that he was seen by many by many infallible proofs that he was ascended that he has ascended to your right hand where he does now ever live to make intercession for his people to rule and reign over his enemies and to subdue the hearts of his elect we do pray that you would help us to give him praise Lord God that we would give father son and holy spirit this praise for so great a salvation we do pray that you would help us then in worship as we pray Lord God to recall to remember those who suffer physically we pray God that you'd be with all who are sick all who are diseased all who are unwell all who are suffering from injury and in malady of all different kinds we do pray that you would be with each and every one we pray Lord God that you'd strengthen our brothers and sisters in their bodies that they would know healing that they would know reprieves from pains discomforts and all of those things associated to their illness and God that you would just encourage them in the midst of affliction that they might know that there is nothing haphazard in God's universe but according to your goodness your majesty the wisdom of your counsel and your infinite wisdom you order all things for your own glory and for the good of those who love you to those who are the called according to your purpose so we do pray that you would cause your people to be resolved to be resigned unto your will recognizing that the triune judge of heaven and earth does right by his people and for his own glory safe we do pray that you'd be with all who are struggling spiritually Lord that you would return to them the joy of their salvation that you would lift them back up from those pits and cause them to rejoice in father son and spirit and to be resolved by your grace to grow in the knowledge and in the grace of Christ Jesus the Lord we do pray that you would be with our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted watch over them it give them much aid guard them give them comfort help them to know you their God of all comfort is near them and with them and we pray Lord God that you would help them to be encouraged in the midst of such a violent opposition as such hatred and we pray that they would be able to cast their eyes of faith upon the risen Christ and find in him their comfort and their courage and we do pray yet again that you would deal with those who persecute them we pray that by your grace for your glory you would bring forth many who are presently opposed to you and to your gospel that you would change their hearts that you would give them new hearts hearts of flesh having removed hearts of stone and that they might rejoice in Christ and be found among those whom they formerly persecuted and yet we do know Lord God that there will be those who continue in their violence who continue in their persecution who with unregenerate hearts will do so unto their dying breath when we do pray that you would bring temporal judgments upon them that you would cause them to stumble like drunken men that they may no longer bring violence against your people do vindicate your name Lord God in these lands and throughout the earth and we do pray Lord God that you would do so by the proclamation of your gospel that this gospel would go forth throughout the uttermost parts of the earth and unto that end we pray that you would be with all ministers with all missionaries and you would give them the strength and the endurance and the graces necessary to proclaim so great a Christ we pray by your grace that they would be brought forth that sinners multitudes of sinners would be brought forth from the deadness and the darkness of sin to life and light in Christ Jesus our reigning king we do pray God that you'd be with Pastor Butler as he preaches your word we would ask God that you'd help him to give him aid in this pulpit to open up the Bible to proclaim with great clarity with courage with confidence the things of your revelation to the sons of men we pray that he would know the aid of father son and spirit in this pulpit and we do pray that the proclamation of the word the other aspects of worship prayer the reading of the scriptures the hearing of the word of God singing all these things would encourage your saints would equip us to leave this place rejoicing in our Savior and conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of saving grace and we do pray Lord that your spirit would be powerful in this place this morning unto the salvation of sinners do bring forth many unto salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord that a multitude of tongues would leave this place singing the praises of father son and spirit we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord amen let's stand and sing again this time in the larger Trinity hymnal we're going to sing 128 - a familiar tune that's 128 let's stand and sing [Music] you turn in your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Mark chapter 15 as we continue to read through the New Testament we're at mark 15 beginning in verse 21 section of the narrative taking up the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ the mark 15 beginning in verse 21 we'll read to the end of the chapter once again the word of God then they compelled a certain man Simon a Cyrenian the father of Alexander and Rufus as he was coming out of the country and passing by to bear his cross and they brought him to the place Golgotha which is translated place of a skull then they gave him wine mingled with myrrh to drink but he did not take it and when they crucified him they divided his garments casting Lots for them to determine what every man should take now it was the third hour and they crucified him and the inscription of his accusation was written above the King of the Jews with him they also crucified two robbers one on his right and the other on his left so the scripture was fulfilled which says and he was numbered with the transgressors and those who pass by blaspheme him wagging their heads and saying AHA you who destroy the temple and build it in three days save yourself and come down from the cross likewise the chief priests also mocking among themselves with the scribe said he saved others himself he cannot save let the Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see and believe even those who were crucified with him reviled him now when the sixth hour had come there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour and at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Eli Eli lama sabachthani which is translated my God my God why have you forsaken me some of those who stood by when they heard that said look he is calling for Elijah then someone ran and filled a spunge full of sour wine put it on a reed and offered it to him to drink saying let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to take him down and Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom so when the Centurion who stood opposite him saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last he said truly this man was the son of God there were also women looking on from afar among whom were Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James the less and Joseph's and Salome who also followed him and ministered to him when he was in Galilee and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem now when evening had come because it was the preparation day that is the day before the Sabbath Joseph of Arimathea a prominent council member who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God coming and taking courage went into Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus Pilate marvelled and he had that he was already dead and summoned the Centurion he asked him if he had been dead for some time so when he found out from the Centurion he granted the body to Joseph then he bought fine linen took him down and wrapped him in the linen and he laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph observed where he was laid amen well just very briefly it's a it's a sober occasion we know the joy of the occasion because we have the rest of the narrative but certainly even knowing the joy of the occasion the salvation being wrought by Christ upon Calvary's cross we understand the the soberness of the situation the solemnity that is replete in this narrative of the crucifixion of the the Lord of glory we see in the narrative that mark is trying to make known the fact that this is a fulfillment of the Holy Scriptures there is nothing new in the sense that this isn't to be while it is a mysterious and glorious novelty because never before has one taken upon himself man's nature for our redemptive recovery and salvation nevertheless this was anticipated this was expected this was promised this was prophesied and we see particular verses clearly cited here we see in the background Isaiah 53 clearly he was numbered with the transgressors we see Psalm 22 throughout the the narrative as well other Psalms other promises other prophecies in the Old Testament and notably as well in verse 22 we see one of those promises given at the outset of redemptive history and they brought him to the place Golgotha which is translated place of a skull we've noted before that it's not just an interesting coincidence that mark and Matthew include in their narrative that he's crucified at Golgotha the place of the skull he is the promised Skull Crushing seed of the woman the hero born of woman who would crush the skull of the serpent with his heel and here we have in the narrative that this Skull Crushing hero is being crucified at the place of a skull the biblical the the glory and the genius of God's revelation in unfolding his perfect redemptive plan to redeem a people perfectly by this Skull Crushing seed of the woman the truly here before us we have the king of the Jews not in mockery mocking rejoice mint but rather in Christian glory and joy reflecting upon so great a work so great a Christ and so great a redemption as we continue in worship let us reflect upon our crucified one that one that yet was risen that one that now reigns let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this narrative concerning our blessed Savior Jesus Christ we rejoice in your truth your revelation your scriptures that that unfold that disclosed the glory of our redeeming King we do pray as we continue and worship that you would be with us and that you would help us and Lord we think of the self siree Bible study we pray that you would continue to be with it we pray that you'd be with Mike and with all who gather there we do pray for good things to come from that and we do pray then that you would bless it that you would further it that you would grow it Lord God and that we would see another light here in the Lower Mainland planted there we do pray as well that you'd be with this youth and young adults gathering we do pray Lord that you would bless it that they would be rallying around the gospel and the word and in fellowship rejoicing in our Christ do be with us then continually in worship help us to worship you aright and might you receive all praise we pray in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ the Lord amen well our lost him then before the preaching if you'll stand with me again if you're able we're going to sing hymn number 192 that's him number 192 [Music] please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27 Matthew 27 I'll begin reading in verse 11 now Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him saying are you the King of the Jews jesus said to him it is as you say and while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders he answered nothing and Pilate said to him do you not hear how many things they testify against you but he answered him not one word so that the governor marvelled greatly now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished and at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas therefore when they had gathered together Pilate said to them whom do you want me to release to you Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ or he knew that they had handed him over because of envy while he was sitting on the judgment seat his wife said sent to him saying have nothing to do with that just man for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him but the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus the governor answered and said to them which of the two do you want me to release to you they said Barabbas Pilate said to them what then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ they all said to him let him be crucified then the governor said why what evil has he done they cried out all the more saying let him be crucified when Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all but rather than a tumult was rising he took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this just man you see to it and all the people answered and said his blood be on us and on our children then he released Barabbas to them and when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around him and they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him when they had twisted a crown of thorns they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying hail King of the Jews then they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head and when they had mocked him they took the robe off him put his own clothes on him and led him away to be crucified amen let us pray our Father in heaven we thank you for the written word and we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven he underwent such things as written in the scriptures here may you give us reverence and awe as we stand upon holy ground today may he give us encouragement as we see what our Savior bore on our behalf may you cause us to worship glory and honor you Most High God Father Son and spirit for so great a salvation we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for his life of obedience to divine law we thank you for his death to satisfy divine justice we thank you that he was raised the third day and that he was indeed delivered up because of our offenses and he was raised for our justification and how we praise you that he is enthroned at the right hand of the majesty of God on high and we thank you for his intercession on our behalf we thank you that he continues to save all who draw nigh unto God through him we pray that today would be the day of salvation that the holy spirit would come and take the written word and apply it to hearts she would encourage your people cause us as believers to to fall even more in love with our Savior who went through such on our behalf and may you deal with us mercifully and forgive us even now of our sins and our transgressions wash us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus cry and fill us with your Holy Spirit and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well over the last several weeks we've seen the trial before Pontius Pilate specifically in verses 11 to 14 we see the interrogation of Jesus by Pilate remember Christ already stood before the Sanhedrin but they did not possess lawful authority to execute Christ and that is precisely what they wanted to do they were driven with this desire to rid the earth of the Lord Jesus so they set him before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor the prefect who does have the authority to exercise this judgments of Christ is interrogated by Pilate verses 11 to 14 Pilate then attempts to grant amnesty to Jesus in verses 15 to 23 even pilot realizes that Christ is not guilty of the charges that has been laid upon him Pilate tries to grant amnesty to Barabbas thinking that he was in nature' es man a notorious criminal certainly they would want him but the religious leaders did not hand Jesus over because of the sin of blasphemy or the crime of challenging the Roman Roman crown a crown but they were envious men they were jealous men they were petty men they were man at contrary to the spirit of John the Baptist John the Baptist says Christ must increase but we I must decrease these men rather wanted to eliminate Jesus to protect their power base so they bring him up on false charges that he has asserted his contrary nest to the Roman crown so Pilate tries to grant amnesty the crowds are persuaded by the religious leaders and then in verses 24 to 26 we see the specific sentient in sentencing of our Lord Jesus verse 26 tells us he released Barabbas to them and when he had scourge Jesus he delivered him to be crucified now both these trials the one before the Roman governor and before the Jewish Sanhedrin are similar the Lord has brought up on false charges there is false testimony given there are admissions of his innocence in the course of the proceedings and then we see once he is sentenced to die he is mocked he is mistreated he is savagely abused and such is the case with the Roman soldiers in this instance so we'll look at verses 27 to 31 under two main points this morning first the the participants in the crime this was certainly criminal activity when a man is arrested and a man is ultimately condemned to die a man is sentenced to death there ought to be some protection afforded to em so that he doesn't suffer further insult and injury along the way but these soldiers viciously treat our Lord Jesus we'll look at the participants in the crime first and then secondly the specific elements of their crime in verses 28 to 22 31 but note in the first place I want to indicate that the primary participant at least in this section is Pontius Pilate I mentioned several times in our treatment of the section before Pontius Pilate that some of alleged that Matthew was anti-semitic if he himself was not anti-semitic his gospel record is because he depicts the religious leaders in such a terrible light that he basically exonerates the Roman government that's not the case at all he does depict the religious leaders the Jewish leaders in a terrible light because they did they were madmen driven with frenzy and rage and enmity against the one who was wholly harmless and undefiled matthew is only recording facts to see that's unacceptable today the facts have to fit a specific narrative and if those facts don't fit that narrative then we will just exclude them or we'll bandy about charges like anti-semitism Matthew is not anti-semitic Matthew is showing the guilt for the death of Jesus was shared all around and here Pontius Pilate betrays his claims of innocence II of verse 24 remember that particular scene when Pilate verse 24 saw that he could not fail at all but rather than a tumult was rising he took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this just man you see to it so for all of his pomp and all of his show and all of his display of innocence he is guilty look at verse 27 then the soldiers of the governor they were his men they answered to his voice they were under his charge Pilate did not act in accordance with his own knowledge of Jesus innocence Pilate did not act in accordance with the warning received from his wife who had had it had had a dream in verse 19 Pilate did not act in accordance with the knowledge he had of the religious leaders who delivered Jesus up because of their own envy verse 18 Pilate betrays here this claim to innocence and then notice it's the soldiers of the governor and they take him into the praetorium and gathered the whole garrison or cohort around him Matthew Henry comments on the situation occurring at pilots headquarters this should have been a shelter to the wronged and abused but it's made rather the theater of barbarity I mean it's a horrific situation that is undergoing in this passage so we've got the Roman governor as a participant in this crime but certainly the Roman soldiers now these soldiers were probably auxiliaries drafted or enlisted from non-jewish residence in Palestine so they would have been very earnest very fervent and very intent on engaging in this kind of activity now the word translated garrison here is a cohort and it could number about 600 men it's probably doubtful that there were 600 men at this particular time it's likely the expression refers simply to all the soldiers that were present all those that were available wanted a piece of the action and with reference to the action involved I think France describes it very he says to have a supposedly self-proclaimed king in their power offered unusually good sport no make no mistake about what is happening in this section Jesus is being made fun of he is being mocked he is being abused it is essentially a mock enthronement scene it differs significantly from the true enthronement scene of Matthew 28:18 but these soldiers are mocking him they are saying that you claim to be a king we will give you the emblems of kingship and we will even bow in your presence so France says to have a supposedly self-proclaimed King and their power offered unusually good sport and for non-jewish soldiers to have such an opportunity of abusing a Jewish dignity dignitary with impunity was a chance not to be missed they were chomping at the bit for this John Gill makes the connection here with Psalm 22:16 Psalm 22:16 Christ says for dogs have surrounded me the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me Gill says think in what hands and company our dear lord now was now was he encompassed with dogs and enclosed with the Assembly of the wicked indeed see Psalm 22:16 so we see in the participation of this particular crime it is the Roman governor and it is his soldiers but as well it is the Jewish leaders the soldiers would it be in this position if Pilate hadn't been in the position that the Jewish leaders put him in again matthew is an equal-opportunity blamer everybody's guilty for this treatment of our Lord Jesus Christ the Jewish leaders all the way back in Matthew 12 want to destroy Jesus when we get to Matthew chapter 26 they are conniving on how they can destroy Jesus we see later in Matthew 26 they make a bargain with a betrayer and they agree to pay thirty pieces of silver in order to get Jesus isolated he can be arrested and delivered up we see the trial before the Sanhedrin when they are mocking him and when they are making sport of him we see the child of the Sanhedrin that's not driven by fact it's not driven by truth it is driven by rage and envy and hatred and malice and they are ultimately going to get what they want in Matthew 27 1 to 2 they bring Jesus to Pontius Pilate and they delivered him up to Pontius Pilate so Pilate can give to kill order the Jewish leaders were culpable they weren't responsible and then at least the generation of Jesus day all Israel notice info not all Israel without exception there were Jews that were saved but notice in 27 25 and all the people answered and said his blood be on us and on our children see see everybody is responsible for this mistreatment and again we ought to make the observation so are the elect our sins were heaped upon the Savior as we move through this particular passage the shame and the indignity and a mockery and the mistreatment and the physical abuse and ultimately the death he experiences is not because he was a criminal it's not because he violated God's law it's because you and I violated God's law because God says don't be an idolaters and we bow to anything that pleases us God says don't be a blasphemer and we misuse his name or we conduct ourselves in such a way that it brings a reproach to his holy name God says don't dishonor the Sabbath day remember it it's a gift given by God to his people and what do we do anything other than rest in God anything other than serve God we will follow our lusts we will pursue our business exploits we will pursue our recreations and pleasures when God says cease for a day and find your joy in me God says not to dishonor father and mother or lawful authority what do we do we busy ourselves disobeying father mother and lawful authority we send with impunity we lie about it which recently to see God says we're not submit supposed to commit murder I suppose that most of my heroes here have never cut the throat of another individual but resentment their bitterness or gossip or slander or that hatred and heart that so often entertained even within the Church of Jesus Christ is a violation of God's law God says we're not supposed to commit adultery we're not supposed to sin sexually so what do we do now we have it in our houses or we have it in our pockets we look at phones we look at computers we glut ourselves on things that God says no Christ is not scanning before Pilate he is not being mocked by these soldiers because he has a porn problem God says we're not supposed to steal what do we do we steal God says we're not supposed to lie what do we do we lie God says we're not supposed to covet what do we do we covet so remember brothers and sisters the Jewish leaders are despicable in this account the Jewish people are despicable in this account the Roman governor is despicable in this account the the Roman soldiers are despicable in this account but so are we when we get to the point where Christ is spat on by these soldiers I'm gonna read you a quote by John Calvin he says we deserve that all the Angels spit on us but Christ suffers this dishonor for us brethren Christ is not standing before this court he is not now suffering the the mockery of wicked man because he's a wicked man it's the glorious doctrine of substitution it's the glorious truth that in my stead he stood in my place he bore the wrath and fury and judgment of God do rightly to us because of the violations of his law to good law to bless it law it's a good wonderful statement it's all that ever creature should ever want and yet we sin with impunity Christ is not undergoing this because he's a violent criminal Christ is undergoing this because were violent criminals now let's look at the specific elements of the crime there are three things we ought to appreciate first the mock homage in verses 28 to 29 homage simply means something like worship homage means reverence adoration giving esteem and this is mock homage secondly the violent abuse and then thirdly the preparation for the cross but notice with reference to this mock homage it sort of comes in two ways first they dress him like a king and then they bow to him as if he is a king you see what's happening it's not just the physical abuse that Christ is going to undergo it's not just the physical pain of having Roman soldiers beat you is not just the physical pain of being nailed to a cross but there's psychological abuse involved now before you say well don't get all psychological on us Butler Christ is true humanity a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief a man who stood by the graveside of his brother or his friend Lazarus and he wept sometimes at least in things that I've read the psychological abuse that a soldier has endured in the battlefield or in captivity has exceeded even the physical abuse reports of men who were held hostage or pappa prisoner rather in Vietnam or Korea and they welcome the day when the guy would come to beat them because it was some sort of human interaction being left on their own for countless hours drives anybody nuts you see they not only abused Christ physically they abuse him psychologically now note the mock attire of the King verse 28 they stripped him now presumably after he had been scourge he had been reek loathed because typically they D clothed you or took your clothes off when they urged you remember that scourge was a leather thong and within it was tied you know pieces of bone or rock or shard or glass and it would rip the skin open to the point that persons could even see the organs of the victim who had suffered such indignity but here they stripped him so that means he was reclose and they put a scarlet robe on him now it's probably an old coat from one of the officers but what's it meant to represent it is to represent the color of royalty Mike has learned interesting things about me Mike Kirkpatrick one of the things that he has learned is that when I print sermons I like a 24 pound bond paper that's my highfalutin you know way to live that's my thing it's don't like flimsy paper so I go for the 24 pound bond and my justification is CH Spurgeon I've heard that when he wrote out his sermon notes he used purple purple is the color of royalty that's what's dignified with reference to notes describing the king these soldiers know this there's a bit of a difference in terms of what Matthew and Mark relate in terms of the colour Calvin said it shouldn't bother us they took a coat they took an old coat and it had the appearance of being more royal in nature and they put it on the Saviour now they're mocking they're giggling they're laughing that's what's happening so they've got him royally attired in the robe what's the next part of the Kings armament well it's a crown we got to put a crown on his head don't we and notice when they had twisted a crown of thorns they put it on his head you see his claim or his charge of being the King of the Jews this is what they're marking you're the King of the Jews we're gonna clothe you like the king of the Jews we're gonna give you the color of royalty and all we need a crown for his head so let's weave one of thorns and put it on his head now some of the later commentators that the actual thorns didn't go inward but they went outward to sort of reflect the Sun the way that some of their image gods did that I think Gil's right I think the thorns did go inwardly and I think what he says is right he says both to reproach him as a king and to torture him as a man you see they are a tiring hand but as well they are abusing yet and they put this crown of thorns upon his head to depict him as one who is the King of the Jews she see now he's got his royal robe on the color of dignity or the color of royalty now he's got the crown upon his head he needs a reed in his hand he needs that symbol of authority that symbol of royal rule a king doesn't just wield nothing a king rather wields a sceptre now Reed may not be the best translation because in a moment they're going to take it from him and they're gonna smack him with it most likely what is in view is a stalk or a staff France says it's a piece of cane probably bamboo or similar so you see they've got him attired they've got him in the royal regalia they've got him now with the road with the crown what the reed in his hand the the physical appearance now is completed so let's look what they do following the mock homage to the king verse 29 be and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying hail King of the Jews Davies and Allison point out I think a brilliant connection here a brilliant connection there are two other places in Matthew's Gospel where Gentiles bow down before Jesus 15 22 and then in 211 you can look at 2:11 matthew 2:11 to see Gentiles bowing before Jesus well verse 9 when they had heard when they heard the King they departed and behold the star which they had seen these went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy and when they had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented gifts to him gold frankincense and myrrh going back to Matthew chapter 27 another instance where Gentiles bow before Jesus the King of the Jews Davies and Alison comment if at the beginning of the gospel Gentiles reverently bowed down before Jesus and offer him treasures at the end Gentiles mockingly bow down before Jesus hail him as king of the Jews and give him bogus signs of a kingship robe crown staff the one scene is a burlesque of the other I think that really hits it on the head doesn't it at the beginning they're giving him presents and they're bowing and confessing in this King see there's this idea out there that we're just not as bad as we think Lord you're not as bad as the Bible says we are I mean we wouldn't treat Christ with this sort of indignity we wouldn't treat him with such you know shameful behavior yes we would yes we would he came to his own his own received him not the darkness hates the light the darkness doesn't want to come near the light lest its evil deeds are exposed we can't just confine that darkness to the Jews we can't just confine that darkness to the Roman governor we cannot just confine that darkness to the Roman soldiers brethren we are darkness the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked the Prophet says who can understand it if for a moment you think well I wouldn't have done that I would have engaged in that you have a loftier impression of yourself than the Bible does notice the soldiers mockingly hail him was a common way to address Caesar Ave Caesar Hail Caesar and that's what they do here they bowed the knee before him and they mocked him saying hail King of the Jews now as I said the scene as a whole as a mock enthronement see it's obvious right in 28:18 he's gonna say all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me that's a true enthronement scene when Christ descends on high he leads captivity captive he gives gifts to man he occupies that position of unrivaled authority and power and excellence at the right hand of his father this is mockery this is sin this is criminal we flip out that if a man gets arrested and then gets a hangnail on the way from his you know place of arrest to his incarceration how dare him get a hangnail I mean look at the brutality inflicted upon a man under arrest and never forget he's already been scourge and sleep deprived some of us get five hours a night were grumpy all day long and have to live off of coffee remember based on the series of events there has been no legal asleep for the Savior what happens after Passover with the Brethren he goes to Gethsemane what happens after guests emiti he gets arrested what happens after his arrest he's taken before the Sanhedrin remember they have to conduct their business in the early hours of the morning because Pilate works in the early hours of the morning they've got to build their case they've got to present him to the Roman magistrate so that the kill order picnic can be given and he can be executed that day because the Sabbath was the next day and we know how fast idiots these wretches were in obeying and observing the Sabbath and when we even see it in John 19 when they come to the plot two pilots pretoria they don't want to enter into the praetorium because they wanted to eat the Passover Feast meticulous fast idiots straining out the net while they swallow and ingest the camel these men have to get Jesus dead by Sabbath day so they can observe the Sabbath let me just tell you something if your hands are bloodied with the hammer the blood of the Son of Man himself your Sabbath day isn't a pleasing thing to God wretched wretched situation listen to spurge and he says surely the world never saw a more marvelous scene than the king of kings thus derided as a mimic monarch by the meanest of men France says the whole scene is a mock enthronement with improvised cheap substitutes doing duty for the royal robe crown and sceptre and physical abuse substituted for royal homage after the brutal torture of Roman flogging Jesus would be in no state to resist even if he had wished and his already battered physical condition would only add to the pathetic appearance of the jewish king now you may think he goes overboard there but isn't this Paul's point it's through his suffering through his weakness through the shame through the indignity that you and I have everlasting life isn't it through his suffering we have life isn't it through his death we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ considering the sleep deprivation considering the scourging considering the mockery and the beating at the hands of these at these hands of these soldiers considering the fact that he carried the cross considering the fact that he was pounded upon that cross the confession of that thief does even double duty doesn't it when he looks upon the gore and he looks upon the shame and he looks upon the weakness depicted in the suffering Savior he says Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom the Apostle saw Jesus heal the Apostle saw Jesus feed the Apostles saw Jesus raise men from the dead that the thief on the cross saw the blood saw the gore saw the shame Saudi and dignity looked through all of that and said Lord and confess the fact that he even had a kingdom when you come in your kingdom remember me beautiful thing isn't it what happens when that thief confesses Jesus now notice the violent abuse verse 30 we move from the psychological abuse to the violent abuse the physical abuse to perverse display of homage due to a king the soldiers spat on him what do you think behind this I think royal protocol is behind this for in 1st Samuel chapter 10 verse 1 when Samuel meets Saul what does he do he kisses him what are all men everywhere bid to do with reference to the son according to Psalm 212 we are to kiss the son you see this is a sign of homage it's a sign of respect it's a sign of reverence it's a sign of worship to the son of man but these wretches don't kiss him these wretches spit on him these wretches engage in the kinds of insulting conduct that no one should ever engage in the Jews did the same thing in 2667 after the Sanhedrin they mocked Jesus they spit on Jesus and they strike Jesus it's a fulfillment of Isaiah 50 verse 6 I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard I did not hide my face from shame and spitting and if I didn't make the connection then I'm making it now there is a marked difference between Adam the first and Adam the second when Adam the first sins against God most high what does he do he hides his face he covers his nakedness he runs and dwells among the trees so that God the Lord cannot find him I mean just how foolish that was is you know subject matter for a whole series of sermons the God who built the trees can't see you in the trees again it's so typical of sinners so symptomatic of sinners always trying to run and hide but what happens without him the second when he is unjustly treated when he has unjustly spat on when he is unjustly mocked when he's unjustly struck he doesn't hide his face from it it's that whole point that we find in Isaiah one of the suffering servant song 50 I believe I set my face like a flint and Jesus says that very language and Luke 9 when he goes to Jerusalem he is not gonna hide his face he is not gonna shrink back he is not gonna stop this he is not gonna cry foul he is not gonna say you know don't you realize that prisoners who are arrested and if sentenced to die are supposed to be treated fairly and there's probably a hundred different legal motions that could have been filled at this particular juncture to bring the Roman magistrate down he doesn't say a word does he doesn't hide his face from it he doesn't shrink back from it he doesn't say no this is wrong you got the wrong man I didn't really he's silent and the silence there is an expression according to his humanity of his weakness in terms of suffering and dignity and all that but we the reader weava the blood-bought we the redeemed knows it's just power on display this is the fulfillment of Scripture this is Isaiah suffering servant this is the Isaiah 42 49 50 53 man this is what the prophets foretold this is the one we've been awaiting this is the one who fulfills all righteousness in his life of obedience and the one who satisfies divine justice by his sufferings in death we see it as power on display we see it as glory on display we see it as a beautiful representation of our saviors love for us Calvin says our filth deserves that God should hold it in abhorrence and that all the Angels should spit on us do you agree with that you ever get in that mode where you just think man it's like sin is always there you're not looking surprised what brother this is your experience it's always there isn't it isn't sin always there yeah maybe you're bad then you guys are doing a lot better it's always there isn't it we deserve angels spit all over us for violating God's holy law we deserve the angels spit all over us for raising our fists at the commandment to not be idolaters wait a minute are we deserve the Angels spit on us for every violation of the first and of the second table of the law every ungodly thought we have every sexually impure thought we have every lie that we tell every act of covetousness every slander gossip every fall city that we entertain we deserve angels spit all over us notice he goes on to say but Christ in order to prevent a present us pure and unspotted in presence of the father resolve to be spit upon and to be dishonored by every kind of reproaches now we sang 192 just prior to the preaching I like it when that hymn goes a little faster no diss to my brother who played it very well but it has a feeling of a dirge when you sing it slowly you can almost have this sort of Roman Catholic feel if you were brought up Roman Catholic and you sing these dirges that sort of focus upon the death of Christ I don't want to do that this morning in this sense we ought to appreciate matthew is uncharacteristically vivid here he is uncharacteristically vivid in this section describing what our lord is going through don't want to get to the point where it's just this downer expound exercise where you know it's just all sorrow yeah be sorrowful brethren your sins did this but rejoice praise God that our Savior did this praise God that he bore the shame that he bore the wrath that he bore the fury not of the Roman soldiers but of his holy father this ought to cause us to praise to worship to glorify and adore notice the soldiers physically abused him they take the the reed the cane the staff the piece of stick they take it from him and they strike him on the head matthew henry says that which they had made the mock ensign of his royalty now make the real instrument of their cruelty and his pain you see the seen market throwing up let's dress him like a king and let's bow to him like a king and all the while laughing all the while giggling all the while rejoicing that these non Jew soldiers get to take a Jew who has professed to be a king and they get to a place in under such indignity it was probably revelry at this point yeah and you got to kind of think through these things brethren it is intriguing though when Christ is on the cross even the soldiers themselves say truly this was the son of God it is an amazing juxtaposition that we find but notice finally notice in verse 31 they prepare him for the cross verse 31 when they had mocked him they took the robe off in put his own clothes on him and led him away to be crucified so they take the mock royal robe off give it back to the officer it doesn't say they took the crown of thorns off typically Christian art depicts Jesus on the cross with a crown of thorns Raymond Brown suggests that earliest Christian art did not depict Jesus with the crown of thorns on his head on the cross it may be that those emblems those fakes that they had invested upon the Savior they now take from him because the game is over the mockery is over the sport is over that is precisely what it seems to be when they had mocked him they were done with this mock enthronement scene they took the robe off him put his own clothes on him now this was not normal or not ordinary I should say typically the road to crucifixion was trodden naked Lee typically a man bore the cross naked Lee now don't make a mistake they're going to rip his clothes off Christ is going to hang on the cross naked again Christian art typically places something over the private parts that wasn't the costume that wasn't normative the shame of the cross was the shame of the cross when the Apostle says in Hebrews 12 who for the joy set before him endured the shame there was shame associated with the cross but here specifically they clothed him they put his clothes back on France believes and I think he may be right that this is a concession to the Jews the replacement of Jesus own clothes for the walk to Golgotha was probably a concession to Jewish scruples about public nakedness but again dropping down to verse 35 then they crucified him and divided his garments casting Lots had his garments he didn't have them he was naked as he hung on the cross I remember reading a Spurgeon sermon once and I think it was on Hebrews 12 and the suffering servant to the shameful servant and basically the sermon just ends with an editorial note that mr. Spurgeon was so let out he couldn't continue the sermon pondering considering reflecting upon what the Savior went through on our behalf so made it such that Spurgeon couldn't continue to preach so we need to think about these things again not in a Roman Catholic let's suffer let's walk through the Stations of the Cross let's smell the incense and let's just have a downer day we do need to reflect upon the cross we new do need to reflect upon the the indignities the mockery we do need to end with praise worship adoration you notice that tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day that's not lost on me typically preachers pick a Thanksgiving text I can think of no better I can think of none more appropriate I can think of none more blessed and to consider our Savior going through such for us they put his own clothes on him and led him away to be crucified this is the prophet Isaiah 53 verse 7 Jesus was led as a lamb to the slaughter well brethren I got three G's by way of conclusion first the gravity of the scene secondly the glory of the scene and thirdly the gratitude for the scene but first with reference to the gravity of the scene we ought to appreciate and I don't mean appreciate it in the sense that we applaud it the wretchedness of man that is gravely underscored at this particular point da Carson says here here we have humanity at its worst a scene of vicious mockery the Jews have mocked Jesus as Messiah here the Roman soldiers ridicule him as king let this scene underscore for you just how bad man's condition is when given the opportunity they will indeed indict an innocent man they will reject claims that go against that indictment they will exclude evidence they will you know cast him out they will sentence him to death they will spit on him they will mock him they will clothe him as a mock key and bow down it in mock homage to him see here the utter wretchedness of man as well see the magnitude of the wrath of God as the divine response to sin I think we ought to appreciate that if we look at a passage like this and we say wow man is sinful what's God's response to sin if his only begotten son must undergo this in order to save us from our sins ye who think of sin but lightly hear it's guilt may estimate we just sing that you can see it at the cross what does God think of sin he sees it this way what's God's anger wrath and fury look like towards sin well look at the cross look at what the suffering Savior went through on behalf of us look at the satisfaction of divine justice at the cross and that will give you some understanding of how God views in and if you're not a believer here this morning consider this reality if God dealt with his only begotten Son this way when it came to the punishment of our sin you're gonna do when it comes to the punishment of your sin we wanted two ways that this is going to end for anyone in here it's either our Savior took the wrath took the fury took the judgment took the punishment and took the curse that we deserve or all of that is for you every last drop of the wrath and fury of God remember that's what made Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane according to his humanity cry out to God if it is possible let this cup pass from me what was the cop it was the cup of God's wrath it was the saw me leaven Cup the Psalm 75 cup the Isaiah the prophet Jeremiah the Prophet cup of God's wrath Christ knew that and that's what caused him one when he said my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death and he cries to his father if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done that's what you're going to face that's what's in your future Hebrews 9:27 is as clear a statement concerning your end as any other place in the Bible it is appointed for men to die once and then what then comes fairytales and rainbows judgments if you are not found in Christ who bore the wrath and fury of God for his people then you will bear the wrath and fury of God let that scare you let that terrify you let what the Savior is going through here show you what you will face with a Chrysler's future notice as well it is the abundant mercy of God the gravity of the scene is seen in the wretchedness of man magnitude of God's wrath but the abundant mercy of God we know as I've said he's doing this for us he made him who knew no sin to be said for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him John Calvin again says here to is brightly displayed the inconceivable mercy of God towards us in bringing his only begotten Son so low on our account so you see unbeliever you ought to look at this and say wow without him I'm gonna suffer the wrath and fury of God believer you ought to say oh wow because of him I'm not gonna suffer the wrath and fury of God because of him my sins are forgiven because of him I have a righteousness that now avails with God you see how terrible it is to introduce man in the scheme of salvation you see why paul says in galatians chapter 2 if righteousness comes through the law even a little bit of a contribution by us then christ died in vain what's Paul's point righteousness comes active obedience of Christ imputation of righteousness righteousness comes through Christ's death you see when we think that we somehow have the ability to pat ourselves on the back for a good decision for a raised hand for a bowed head for whatever it is or our good works the longer I live the longer I'm curious who actually does good works I know there's an external compliance to the law that we all fulfill the Spirit wrought in us or the ferret working in us produces these good things but brethren can any of you testify that I did five things today and they all had pure motivation they're all done from love to God love to man can any of us confess that our good works our good works you see the introduction of such things to the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ strips the finished work of the Lord Jesus that's why it's mathematize by paul so he says if anyone preaches a gospel wherein there's supplementation there's addition wherein there's faith in Christ plus obedience to the ceremonial law Paul says let him be damned to hell because if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain so unbeliever look at your end without Jesus believer look at your end with Jesus secondly the glory of the scene pastor Porter mentioned this in the scripture reading which paralleled our our study this morning but certainly the fulfillment of Scripture and the words of Jesus specifically noticing not that there's a sort of a distinction between fulfillment of Scripture and the words of Jesus specifically I'm not suggesting that but I'm saying within the life and Ministry of the Lord Jesus three occasions he predicts his going to Jerusalem and his suffering and dying at the hands of wicked man but in 2019 he speaks specifically to this scene and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify and the third day He will rise again we have the veracity of God's holy work the Old Testament prophets said what Christ said comes to pass again I think this ought to make you all the more fearful if you're not a believer see we forget that don't we when did Isaiah the prophet Lee ago about 700 years prior to this was it a lucky gas was it a hunch what about David the sweet psalmist of Israel typically because his greater son is the sweet psalmist of Israel what does David say in Psalm 22 David pens the very words that our Lord Jesus is going to speak my God my God why hast thou forsaken me were these accidents is it faint don't you guys just conspire to put this all together if you're in this church for any amount of time if you're not a believer you need to understand that God's Word always comes true it's relentless that way it is absolutely positively relentless that way it will come to pass and what God says concerning the end of those who died without Jesus will come to pass the glory of the scene is seen in the fulfillment of Scripture the glory of the scene is seen in the true humanity of Jesus he was a man of sorrows he was acquainted with grief he suffered and died for us men and for our salvation in the language of our confession of faith that says that he endured most grievous sorrows and his soul and most painful sufferings in his body was crucified and died he wasn't a phantom he wasn't some ethereal being he just walked around and appeared from place to place he was true humanity this hurt him being brutalized with the the Roman scourge hurt him being struck on the head probably repeatedly with this cane hurt him being spat on insulted him these were horrific and dignities that he suffered so we ought to appreciate the glory of the scene that sets forth the truth meant humanity of our Christ but within the glory of the scene we ought to consider the irony of the scene the utter irony of it what are these soldiers doing they're mocking something that will actually come to pass they are mocking something that will actually transpire France again I think he makes this point well he says Matthew expects his readers to catch the ironical truth of the honors heaped upon Jesus in jest and mockery even in a setting of public humiliation and torture he really is the King of the Jews the temple builder the Savior the Son of God you see they put a mock robe on him how do we see him in the book of Revelation in 113 he has glorious robes in Revelation 19 that glorious robe is dipped in blood they put a crown of thorns upon his head what does the book of Revelation tell us he's got a crown of gold many diadem's upon his head they put a cane in his hand to mark royal authority in terms of the scepter what is the book of Revelation tell us that apply Psalm 2 in Revelation 19 to this one who has unbounded sovereign Authority he wields a rod of iron and with it he strikes the nation's something else unwittingly these guys are doing is showing that there's Gentile inclusion and the Covenant promises of God for what happens with this Jesus according to revelation 5:9 he is worshiped he is praised he is adored why because he has redeemed us from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and then this Lord Jesus is going to turn the tables not only upon these Roman soldiers and who knows maybe some of them when they said truly this is the Son of God made it in a confessori state but he's going to turn the tables of judgment on Pontius Pilate on the unbelieving Jews he already did on the people in AD 70 it's going to turn the tables in terms of judgment according to the book of Revelation what's that great great white throne judgment suggest to us that this one who was treated with this indignity sits enthroned regal royal glorious and he will bring all men to judgment there's an irony in the scene that ought to cause us to admire the glory of it and then finally gratitude for the scene great Thanksgiving text great Thanksgiving text if you're having your supper today or you had it yesterday or you're having it tomorrow a good thing to rehearse that you're thankful for is what's found written in Matthew 27 what's found written in the fact that God Most High is friendly to us because of what his son undertook on our behalf literally let me read rile here I think he's got this well he says Christ's sufferings on the cross were vicarious now vicarious means as a substitute I realized we wouldn't say that the substitute teacher was the Vicar of the teacher that we typically have but it's the same meaning this is why it's so insulting for the Pope to claim to be the Vicar of Christ on earth that's abominable he is not the substitute for Jesus on earth the Holy Spirit brings Jesus to us on earth but the word Vicar or vicarious means substitute I've already brought this out it bears repetition and let's listen to the good Bishop not at the Roman Church he was not a Roman Catholic bishop Christ's sufferings on the cross were vicarious we are intended to see this truth in every part of his passion we may follow him all through from the rule up from the bar of Pilate to the minute of his death and see him at every step as our mighty substitute our representative our head our surety our proxy the divine friend who undertook to stand in our stead and by the priceless merit of his sufferings to purchase our Redemption was he scourge it was that through his stripes we might be healed was he condemned though innocent it was that we might be acquitted though guilty did he wear a crown of thorns it was that he might wear the crown of glory was he stripped of his clothing it was that we might be clothed in everlasting righteousness was he mocked and reviled it was that we might be honored and blessed Spurgeon says oh that we were half as inventive in devising honor for our King as these soldiers were in planning this dishonor this took energy didn't it kind of find a red coat got a weave together a crown of thorns gotta find a king staff putting his hand we're gonna actually bow the knee and fast Ave Jesus or Ave King of the Jews instead of Ave Caesar we're gonna spit on in and we're going to mock him but this took some energy this Virgin's right here too bad we're not half as inventive at ways of pleasing the Saviour I mean for us to spend an extra minute and the public places boy we're like martyrs here aren't we I mean we got a church twice and three times and sometimes it's over I can really identify with Asia Bibby can really identify with Andrew Munson can really identify with those who are getting their heads chopped off for Jesus in Muslim countries because our pastor goes long it's tough I know but we do it we do it we're pathetic at times brethren pathetic he says o that we were half as inventive and devising honor for our King as these soldiers were in planning his dishonor let us render to Christ the real homage that these men pretended to offer him let us crown him Lord of all and in truest loyalty bow the knee and hail him King may God grant us grace to esteem the King this way may God cause us to see what Christ went through on our behalf and get outside of our comfort zones and our belly aching and our whining and our grumbling in our complaining it's almost as if we live as if there is no Philippians 2:14 Paul does not say let the church be riddled with complaints with grumblings and with whinings No Paul says do all things without that the suffering Savior went through this and never opened his mouth once let us be half as inventive as these men and let us see to honor our Christ to praise our Christ to worship our Christ to express love to our Christ and if you're not a believer here please come to Christ please look to him please look and live that's what scripture says we can talk about the interpretation we could talk about the reformed doctrine or a reformed treatment or application or how do we navigate these things but first John cannot be any clearer that this is God's commandment that you believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ it can't be any clearer than the John 3 reality just as Moses lifted the serpent so also must the Son of Man be lifted the idea being that everyone who looks to him in faith well what shall live the wrath and the fury and the judgment of God most high is coming the God who promises is faithful his wording going anywhere his promises aren't suspended his promises are sure and the only way of escape to avoid that wrath of God is to find refuge in the Savior King to confess Jesus as Lord will let us pray father in heaven we thank you so much for what the scripture declares it is unbelievable if it had not been written no man would ever devise such a scheme the best proof for the inspiration of scripture is the scripture itself no man would have conceived of a triune God and only begotten son coming into the world taking on our humanity with all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin no man would have conceived of substitutionary curse bearing no man would have conceived the just for the unjust certainly God this has all the marks of divinity and how we thank you for the work of the Savior for sinners we thank you for the mercy that you've shown to us and how we thank you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him may today be the day of salvation for sinners god this feels so wrong to threaten feel so wrong to speak in such terms God the Scriptures are true the scriptures are real men will die they will face judgment and I pray they would come to the Savior now I would believe they would be saved they would know the joy of being found in him not having their own righteousness which is from the law but that which is from you received by faith alone go with us god help us to express gratitude Thanksgiving honor praise worship and glory to the king of kings into the lord of lords and we pray these things in his most blessed name amen you