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well good morning everybody welcome to free grace Baptist Church just a few announcements before we begin we will be having a youth and yet young adults evening at 7:30 at the slough twigs I believe it's Friday is that right Thursday Thursday night so sorry that's Thursday night 7:30 at the slough wags and also if you see at the back on the table we have an email and phone list if you could either initial to highlight that the information is correct or provide the proper information so you can do that at the back on the table there and also for the members there's a vote for the eldership today you'll receive an envelope and you can put your envelope in the white box at the back so those are just some announcements before begin now let's turn to the worship of our great God you can turn with me for our call to worship - Psalm 31 Psalm 31 verses one through five Psalm 31 this is the word of the living and true God in you O Lord I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in your righteousness bow down your ear to me deliver me speedily be my rock of Refuge a fortress of defense to save me for you are my rock and my fortress therefore for your name's sake lead me and guide me pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me for you are my strength into your hand I commit my spirit you have redeemed me O Lord God of truth amen well for our first hymn you can turn with me in your red trendy Psalter to Psalm 89 that's Psalm 89 in the smaller red Trini Salter we're gonna sing verses one through sixteen to a familiar tune if you're able we'll stand and sing together [Music] seat it well let's go to our God in prayer Oh God we thank you that we can come into your house we thank you you are God that hears our prayers and petitions we thank you O God that we come out of the world to hear the praises of your saints to sing your praises to you the God who is above all things we thank you O God that you are the God of heaven and earth and yet you are mindful of man we thank you O God that we can put our trust in you we thank you that you help us and aid us we thank you God that you've delivered us from sin delivered us from the curse of the law deliver us from the wickedness that was in our hearts O God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we thank you for our Lord we thank you that he bore the punishment on behalf of his people we thank you that he lived and died on behalf of his people we thank you that he lived a law in perfect perpetual manner something that we cannot do and we thank that he died as that perfect sacrifice removing sin and turning away the wrath of God we thank you for these things we thank that because of our Lord we can have communion with the God of heaven and earth we thank you that we are united to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ those who have believed on Christ we thank you that if this is done by your spirit O God and we think that even now your spirit works with your people and we pray that you would dwell with us this day as we come especially out of the world into your house to hear your word preached we thank you for your word we thank you that you've revealed your truth to us in your word we pray that you'd help us this day to understand more concerning your word more concerning our Lord more concerning truth by the work of the Holy Spirit dwell with your people this day O God we thank you that the RG our Lord and Savior is the one who became flesh and tabernacled among his people that he might dwell with his people we have this union with him O God again who is man that you are mindful of him that we can have this great and awesome privilege how blessed is to come to your house on the Sabbath a day that is to be joyful a day where we get to come to your house and we get to worship you O God may you stir in our hearts the joy that knowing from the knowing the true and the Living God help us and strengthen us by your spirit to be awakened attentive to the things concerning the truth help us to be awake and attentive to what you have to say O God and also be with your preacher may your Holy Spirit accompany the word as it goes forth and may your spirit be with your people edifying them and strengthen the strengthening us O God that we might but can be conformed more and more to the image of Christ we pray for those that do not know Christ and they may come to saving knowledge in Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the word we pray that you do this by the work of the Holy Spirit we thank you that you have saved your people we thank you for our Lord and Savior we thank you for the blessing as it is to dwell with the God of heaven and earth we pray that you would be glorified now in the name of Christ amen well our second hymn is the larger trendy hymnal you can turn with me to him 223 in a larger Trinity hymnal if you are able will stand and sing hymn 223 [Music] well for our consecutive scripture reading in the New Testament you can turn with me to Luke chapter 1 that's Luke chapter one we're gonna lurk look at verses 59 through 80 this morning Luke chapter 1 verses 59 through 80 this is the word of the living and true God and so it was on the eighth day that they circle they came to circumcise the child and they would have called him by the name of his father Zacharias but his mother answered and said no he shall be called John but they said to her there is no one among your relatives who was called by this name and so they made signs to his father what he would would have him called and he asked for a writing tablet and wrote saying his name is John so they all marveled immediately his mouth was open and his tongue loosed and he spoke for APRI us spoke praising God then fear came on all who dwelt around them and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea and all those who heard them kept them in their hearts saying what kind of child will this be and the hand of the Lord was with him now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying blessed is the Lord God of Israel for he has visited and redeemed his people he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the oath which he swore to for our father Abraham to grant us that we that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life a new child will be called the prophet of the highest for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace and so the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel amen well let us go to our guy in prayer Lord God Almighty we do thank you for your great plan of redemption we thank you for this forerunner we thank you for this one who is like the prophet Elijah who come from who came preparing the way of the Lord that he might be the prophet of the highest the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the one who must increase the Lord Jesus Christ who must increase than this one who decreases yet he preaches concerning our Lord the one who is mightier than him the one who is mightier than all the one whose sandals we are not worthy to stoop down and untie the Lord Jesus Christ the righteous one the Holy One of Israel in him is the we find the horn of salvation our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for him we thank you again for what he has done and we thank you O God that in your great plan of redemption you've gave him a people and Christ died for his people and even now you are calling forth your people the people that were given to our Lord you were calling them out of darkness into marvelous light to believe on the Lord and you give us the benefits that Christ has purchased for his people we thank you O God for many of those saving spiritual blessings in the heavenly places we thank you O God that even now you work in the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit we pray O God that you would continue to do that that we'd have a sense of your spirit with us that again we would be conformed more and more to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we might do your will that we might do that which is pleasing to you may we take the words that we hear this day and a pile into our hearts and lives by your spirit then we might grow in grace then we might grow in holiness O God that we might look like our Lord and father God we pray that you would protect us and forget from any battles that may come we pray that you would deliver us not from yah lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil O God protect us help us to watch and pray and fight no God yet we know that we are feeble beings and we know that we have sinned against you we continue to sin against you we still have remaining corruption but we thank you that we can go to our great high priest the one who makes intercession for us knowing that our sins are forgiven now O God but yet we can go that we have that blessed forgiveness so God we confess our sins to you we confess that we have not lived in a way that pleases you we have confessed that we have not loved you as we ought we have not loved others as we are Oh God we have transgressed your law but father God we thank you that we can go to the Lord and Savior we think that we can be cleansed in his blood we pray that you would wash us afresh in the blood of Christ that you would strengthen us Oh God and we thank you that we can find forgiveness we confess these things to you knowing that we have forgiveness with our Lord the Father God we know there are many physical trials that many many face this day we pray that you'd help and strengthen all of us in our daily battles and our daily struggles whether it's physical mental spiritual we pray that you give us a sense of your spirit with us and all those things help us to long for heaven long for home we thank you for the glimpses and for tastes we see on your Lord's Day on your Sabbath in your house where your word is preached where we sing your praises Oh God as a foretaste to what heaven will be like we long for this day Oh God and we thank you that you continue to bring forth your people that many others might enjoy this blessing as well according to your great and mighty mercy we pray O God that you be with our dear brother who proclaimed is proclaiming your word in palmdale today be with pastor kam as he preaches your word down there that many would come to be edified by the truth that has taught and that many sinners would come to saving knowledge there we pray that you be with our dear brother today as he preaches both morning and evening give him strength by your spirit that your word might go forth help him to know a sense of your spirit with him and may your spirit accompany the word as it goes out and father God we thank you for your mercy we thank you for your word we thank you for your grace how you do comfort you strengthen and on other ways you can Victo God no and that's an sign and evidence that you do love your people and we thank you for the love that we see in the cross that Christ died on behalf of his people and father God we thank you for all these things and we pray that you would be glorified this day in the name of Christ amen our final him before the preaching is also in the larger Trani hymnal well sing him for forty that's him for forty if you are able will and sing together [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27 Matthew 27 we've slowed down a bit in our exposition as we focus on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus several things that he says at this particular juncture one of which is recorded by Matthew it is important for us to reflect upon the last sayings of a dying man especially so great a man as our Lord Jesus Christ so this morning we're going to take up verses 47 to 50 but I do want to do a bit of review of verses 45 and 46 but beginning in verse 32 of Matthew chapter 27 I'll begin reading now as they came out they found a man of Cyrene Simon by name him they compelled to bear his cross and when they had come to a place called Golgotha that is to say place of a skull they gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink but when he had tasted it he would not drink then they crucified him and divided his garments casting Lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots sitting down they kept watch they kept watch over him there and they put up over his head the accusation written against him this is Jesus the King of the Jews then two robbers were crucified with him one on the right and another on the left and those who passed by blaspheme dem wagging their heads and saying you who destroy the temple and build it in three days save yourself if you are the son of God come down from the cross likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes and elders said he saved others himself he cannot save he is the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him he trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the son of God even the robbers who were crew to fight with him reviled him with the same thing now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Ailee Ailee lama sabachthani that is my God my God why have you forsaken me some of those who stood there when they heard that said this man is calling for Elijah immediately one of them ran and took a sponge filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and offered it to him to drank the rest said let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to save him and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit then behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth quaked and the rocks were split and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many so when the Centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened they feared greatly saying truly this was the son of God and many women who followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him we're looking on from afar among whom were Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James and Josie's and the mother of Zebedee's sons amen well let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for you the written word of God we acknowledge that it's given by inspiration of God it's profitable for doctrine for correction for reproof and instruction we pray that you would thoroughly furnish us unto every good work this morning so we hear about the Savior may we respond with praise and worship and adoration may we indeed express heartfelt gratitude for the work of the Savior on our behalf but certainly what he went through in this passage what he goes through in terms of not only the physical suffering but the loss of the father's smile at least for a time certainly all of these things were done for us men and for our salvation we give you praise Most High God for your great grace we give you praise for your mercy and your kindness to us and as we look to scripture now do forgive us for our sins and our transgression and unrighteousness help us God in heaven to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ to that end may you fill us with the Holy Spirit and help us to see and appreciate what the text says concerning our beloved Christ and for any who have come here this morning that are not believers in Jesus made today be the day of salvation may he be that one that is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 may it be the case that the daughters of Jerusalem as it were would say where is your beloved that we may seek him and find him - may he be preached here may be preached throughout the city in this country throughout the earth and may a multitude turn from their useless idols to the true and living God we know that sin is an offence sin is transgression it's a lack of conformity unto your law and all your creatures everywhere are guilty how we thank you for the only Redeemer of your elect how we thank you for the Lord Christ and how we thank you that in him there is forgiveness in him there is mercy and grace so we pray that today you would draw sinners unto you through Christ the Lord and we pray in his most blessed name Amen well as we have considered the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ we have seen that it's not the case that the authors go into a great deal of detail describing the physical torture that is involved in fact Matthew simply says in verse 35 a then they crucified Him we have reflected upon what is involved in the act of crucifixion and it certainly was torture it was certainly a severe form of execution it is in many respects more described in Psalm 22 which was written by David concerning David's greater son their David is not recording his particular experience David was never tortured or executed in the way described in Psalm 22 but rather he is right a prophet concerning the Messiah and he is very detailed and descriptive with reference to what would occur under the order of the Roman governor governor at the request of the Jewish people to the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of our offenses being laid upon him and God the Father punishing him in our place for salvation well as I said we have noticed the crucifixion of Jesus in verses 32 to 38 the mockery of the crucified one in verses 39 to 44 last week we considered the cry of dereliction in verses 45 and 46 and this morning we'll look at the death of Jesus in verses 47 to 50 just a couple of reminders or a bit of review concerning this cry of dereliction when Jesus says my God my God why hast thou forsaken me this does not mean that there was a division among the persons of the Trinity that cannot be cannot be the case the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit will ever be divided they are one God three glorious persons the same in substance equal in power and glory there can never be a rupture to the Godhead there can never be that sort of a separation amongst the persons of the Godhead it is an impossibility God is creator God is of a different order of being there is nothing that the creature can do to ever - God to the ground - ever tear him apart to ever destroy him - ever get to the point where there's some sort of altercation among the persons of the triune God so this cry of dereliction does not reflect division among the Trinity among the persons of the Trinity secondly it does not reflect a dissolution of what's called the hypostatic Union Christ is an amazing person Christ is one person in two natures he is truly man and he is truly God so there is no dissolution of his person here at the cross he forever remains this he forever remains this one person into nature's as well what is not taught at this particulars in this tax this my God my God why hast thou forsaken me is the notion that the persons of the Trinity suffer on the cross the notion that the persons of the Trinity suffered on the cross no it was Jesus according to his humanity it is not the persons of the cross the early church faced a heresy called Patra pasión ISM which taught that the father himself suffered on the cross you'll hear this at times when we pray I hope we don't do this but sometimes persons pray her ethically I don't mean to offend you but they'll say things like father thank you for dying on the cross that's not accurate it's Christ the Lord Jesus according to his humanity who died on the cross it was not participatory in all three persons of the Godhead and as well we need to recognize that this tax does not teach the abandonment of the son by the father in an unqualified way it does not teach the abandonment by the father of the son in an unqualified way we'll get to what that means in just a moment but the tax does teach of the cry does illustrate the great lengths the Savior went on our behalf when he says why hast thou forsaken me he is not seeking information Christ always knew his purpose doesn't he Christ always knew what his mission was Christ according to Luke 9 set his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem Christ according to Matthew 16 17 and 20 prophesied foretold predicted or told to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem he must suffer at the hands of godless man he must die in one space he says he must be crucified and then he must be raised again so he knows what's happening to him he's not this sort of a person that bounces around from a that too event in search of his unconsciousness he always knows why he came he always knows the purpose for which the father sent him he knows why he is suffering so the cry why hast thou forsaken me isn't a quest for knowledge it isn't a quest for information it is an expression of his agony it is an expression of his grief it is an expression of the great suffering that he is undergoing on our behalf in this particular situation he takes the cry of Psalm 22 and he makes it his own remember that in Psalm 22 David's writing about Jesus he's writing about Messiah he's writing it about about a king that will come from his own line that will occupy an eternal throne and reign over God's kingdom for all eternity well in that Psalm in verses 1 to 10 the psalmist prays for God's intervention based on God's past proven faithfulness and then in verses 11 to 21 the psalmist prays that the father will indeed intervene based on the nature of his sufferings and his calamity as I said he describes it in great detail and then the latter part of the psalm is taken up with praise to the Father for his having heard and answered the cry of Christ and we see that follow in Matthew 28 it's not the case the father abandons him the father for a moment for a time does turn the smile in his face from the Sun but it's as he is suffering in our place for our benefit so we find as well that the Lord directs this particular question to the father notice he doesn't say why half they forsaken me why have these wretches put me up here Christ knew the doctrine of total depravity didn't he Christ understood what Scripture teach concerning is that concerning the sinfulness of man note that question is never voiced by the Seder why have they done this to me wouldn't that be what we'd ask but I'm innocent I haven't done anything wrong why would they cry out crucify him crucify why would the Roman governance governor signed my death warrant why would these Jewish leaders deliver me up in such a wretched sort of a way I mean ever since Sabbath wars back in Matthew chapter 12 they've been plotting how they may destroy me see we would ask that question why are these bad things happening to such a wonderful specimen of a human being like me Christ doesn't do that why have you forsaken me what's the implication I know why they have forsaken me I understand why wretched man sinful man all we like sheep have gone astray sort a man would forsake the one who was altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 that never enters the mind of the Savior when he's on the cross at Calvary it's not why have they forsaken me but rather why have you forsaken me they are described as bulls as lions as dogs and Lions mouths and the horns of the wild oxen so David describes us in Psalm 22 we express beastly character and remember we can't just blame the religious leaders we can't just blame the the Roman governor we can't just blame all the people of Israel who cried out may his blood be on us and our children Paul tells us in Romans 4:25 he was delivered up because of our offenses so our sin that sent the Savior to the tree was our sin that provoked this particular cry it was our sin that brought this qualified abandonment or desertion of the father turning his face for a time from the Son of God the Lord expresses his agony at the temporary loss of the smile of the father Matthew Henry said Christ was made sin for us occurs for us and therefore though God loved him as a son he frowned upon him as a surety like the way matthew henry phrases that you would a surety is a surety if somebody stands for another this is all about christ as a priest what's christ doing on the cross he's a priest the Bible teaches us that Christ is a prophet a priest and a king as a prophet he tells people what the will of God is what the demands are commands of God is and he demands that we follow God as a prophet he speaks on behalf of God to people a king we all know what a king does a king rules he reigns he exercises authority and power and sovereignty as well he defends his subject he protects his subjects he comforts and stabilizes his subjects these officers of Christ are a beautiful thing but it's Christ as a priest on the cross and the intriguing thing about Christ as a priest on the cross he's not only the one who is offering but he is the one being offered and it's Christ here functioning in that manner it is Christ here functioning as our surety that leads Matthew to Henry and Rita say the father smile is always upon the son with reference to his sonship but as he is our surety as he is standing in our place as our sin is heaped upon him he frowns upon him as our surety it's not the reality of second Corinthians 5:21 God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so on that moment at that moment on the cross the Lord Christ is bearing the punishment the wrath and the fury of God that is do for us see Paul not only says he was delivered up because of our offenses he was raised up for our justification - beautifully completed transaction John Gill says with reference to this cry why hast thou forsaken me but he was now without a sense of the gracious presence of God and was filled as the surety of his people with a sense of divine wrath which their iniquities he now bore so that's what's going on here not a division among the persons of the Trinity a dissolution of the hypostatic Union some sort of a patch of patient ISM patriach Oh Pacey a mystic heresy but it's the son of God according to his humanity bearing our shame bearing our suffering taking an implant in himself the penalty do for our sin now before we move on to see how they've added insult to injury because they continue to mock the Savior let's just reflect upon what's happened thus far at the cross he was stripped wasn't he I saw that quote I mentioned one time Spurgeon was preaching on Hebrews chapter 12 the the the shameful sufferer and the editor says he couldn't finish the sermon he was led out he broke down crying before the congregation is he considered the suffering of the son of God on behalf of sinners and at one place and that particular sermon he mentions how our artists when they paint Jesus which I highly tell you don't do that the second commandment vea prohibits such a thing but artists typically have depicted Jesus and they always do him with clothes on he was stripped naked brethren that's what the text indicates they didn't leave a loin cloth in place who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising the shame Paul says in Hebrews chapter 12 he was stripped so that we could be clothed it's not beautiful that's what's happening there's an exchange going on our sins heaped upon the Savior he is stripped so that we might be clothed with his righteousness and that garment that does avail with God he is mocked on the cross is that terrible I shared when we were going through that previous mockery cuz we're gonna look at more mockery in just a moment that previous mockery as far as I know when a man is sentenced to death I realized they don't do that in Canada since the 60s when they change that law but in the United States they still execute criminal offenders the Bible teaches capital punishment I realize that's a affront to many I think the Pope just said that the Bible doesn't teach or the Catholic Church for hid' prohibits death penalty that's not consistent with the gostin it's not consistent with Aquinas certainly not consistent with Moses and with Paul which is even more important the Bible teaches capital punishment but humanity typically respects the fact that when a man is about to be executed mock them right any guy could be a real wretch of a human being but if he's marching off to be hung or he's gonna be shot or he's gonna go to the gas chamber an electric chair we don't mock him might be an expression of grief over his heinous Nissa for a family member of one of the victims we might be tempted to say something but the kind of mockery that they engage did he was marked so that ultimately we are spoken well loved by God the Father it really is an amazing exchange that transpires here at the cross he is punished again it's not the physical torture that cries or causes the Son of God to cry out it's not that punishment of sense wherein he's had thorns placed into his head wherein he has been spat on where a knee has been nailed to the cross wherein he has been engaged in us in the form of suffering that wasn't even utilized this form of execution wasn't even utilized for citizens in the Roman Empire citizens of Rome could not be executed by crucifixion without permission from the Caesar that's how bad it was that's how horrible it was we won't even use this on our our citizenry unless we get approval from above so he suffered physically but it's the suffering in terms of a punishment of sense we're in that smile of God is deprived for a moment we're in that favor of God is deprived for a moment it is that punishment of sense that caused her rather punishment of loss that provokes this cry why has thou forsaken me and he undergoes this so that will never be there's never gonna be a time in the life of God's people where God is not with us and for us now it may seem at times when we're going through trials and sorrows we have this psalm 42 43 moments why art thou disquieted o my soul hope thou in God there are those seasons in those times our confession speaks of it when we continue in a pattern of sin remaining sin we engage in those things that grieve the Holy Spirit turn the smile of the father away from but we will never be abandoned we will never be forsaken we will never stop being loved by God Most High we will never stop being smiled on by God Most High because the Sun went through this on our behalf and then consider we'll see this in more detail in a moment Jesus died why does Jesus died so that we could have everlasting life you see there's an exchange going on there is the doctrine of substitution there's the doctrine of God taking our sin and heaping it upon the Savior and punishing him in our stead and then taking the righteousness that he accomplished and putting it on us Martin Luther uses this terminology concerning what he calls the joyous exchange probably going to be offensive to some but if it is can take it up with Martin he says the rich noble pious bridegroom Christ takes this poor despised wicked little in marriage redeems her of all evil and adorns her with all his goods and he does that based on what we're reading here in Matthew 27 he does this based on the doctrine of substitution he does this based on the fact that God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us it really ought to bother all of us when persons think that Christianity is for those who try a little harder those who do a little better those who add a little bit of law to their lives and and seek a bit of moral Reformation no one's ever going to get into heaven based on their own act based on their own deeds based on their own efforts you ever met somebody and they said oh you're a Christian well no you must be a really good good good human you ever want to just say that's the exact opposite of why I'm a Christian the exact opposite are we Christians because we're good think about it you know you can go like this we're not Christians because we're good we're Christians in the first place because good we're Christians because Christ was good he always fulfilled the law of the Father he always did what was commanded of him you want to see what righteousness looks like Robin says look at the 33 years of Christ's life on earth that's righteousness everything you and I do even if it's for 33 seconds is tainted with sin and depravity we're not believers cuz we're good we're believers because Christ is good because Christ fulfills all righteousness because Christ bears punishment on the cross Christ has raised the 3rd day and because God gives us the grace of faith so that we can look to Christ in faith that's why we're Christians the suggestion that somehow Christians are going to make it to heaven because they're a bit better than anyone else is absolute rubbish if you think that as a believer shame on you shame on you for thinking for a moment that your position in heaven is secured based in part on you Paul says I do not set apart the grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law in Christ died in vain if it was the case that we could somehow earn our way to heaven then Matthew 27 is just a terrible passage of Holy Scripture it's an unfortunate reality that the father would send the son to engage in this particular work the son would willingly undertake if for somehow we could manage on our own it's not the way it is Christ went through this for us Christ died for us isn't the consistent testimony or interpretation of the New Testament with reference to this event that reality Christ died for us Christ is our Passover he gave himself for me Paul says in Galatians 2:20 the sin here is not Christ's the sin here is ours it was our sin it's sent him to the cross and the father punishes him accordingly so before we move from this point if you're not a believer this morning you're not a Christian you've heard about Christianity perhaps you visited this church and you've heard what we call the gospel the gospel simply means good news the good news here isn't that we're good people the good news is is that God is a good God the good news is is that Christ lived Christ died Christ was raised such that everyone who believes in him will have everlasting life that's the good news how do I obtain that good news you might ask and I hope you do it's always the prayer of a preach on the Lord's Day morning is that the Spirit of God would come and take the Word of God and convict hearts and show them a their own sinfulness perhaps we shouldn't hasten on perhaps we should remind you of your own sinfulness say well I'm a pretty good guy or girl no you're not I do my best no you don't I'm not like other men yes you are every objection every opposition every voice concern about the Bible's doctrine of sin reveals even more about your sinfulness the way of hope is to accept God's indictment so this one of the grand principles and those 12-step programs you got to admit you got a problem you know the drunkard never stops drinking in the crack addict never stops smoking until someone comes along and says you've got problems and it's really unfortunate when the man is reeking of booze and he's falling down I don't have a problem yeah yeah you do you're laying in a pool of your own vomit well that's you this morning if somehow you think you are not a sinner I'm not that bad I try who's this guy think he is the Bible is clear all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God the Bible is clear we're not supposed to commit idolatry we do that we worship other gods you say well I'm not in the Old Testament I don't bow to calves like jeroboam the son Annie bat I don't bow to the Astra Pole like those Israelites of old you bow to yourself you bow to your comfort you bow to your ease we were told not to blaspheme the name of the Lord you say well I don't ever use Jesus name or God's name as a curse well your sinful actions is a means of blasphemy it's intriguing when David goes and he commits adultery and murder and the Prophet Nathan rebukes him Nathan says by this you have given cause to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme his name I mean we we don't even need to get into the Sabbath whoo if you want to say yeah I keep the Sabbath sunup to sundown baby I'm right on it holy thoughts pious maneuvers good deeds got it about the fifth commandment you see this isn't just for you adults there's a specific word from God for children and it's this honor your father and your mother esteem them respect them see them as heavy not in terms of their mass or body weight but something that is heavy that's the word glory it's God as heavy glorious he used to be revered he's not light weighted he is not something easily dismissed what God Institute's your parents as that heavy lorry deserving object in your home insubordination is wicked oh that's just then being them no that's just them acting out the Adamic nature deal with it parents don't wink it's in your gonna teach your kids that it really doesn't matter when with gospel preaching it really does matter because if they don't see their need they're never gonna see the need for Christ the six command he said well I don't kill people I've never murdered anyone I don't have a body buried under my house Jesus says if you hate your brother in your heart hate him without cause call them names something that's not just externally committed but internally as well seventh commandment he said well I've never engaged in adultery never actually acted in that manner what's Jesus say if you look upon a woman and lust after in your heart you're guilty of the commandment they're breaking the commandment and that's not just men doing it with women it's women doing it with men and with men and women with women I mean any any sort of you know the 63 gender variations that California now recognizes plug them in can break the seventh commandment the eighth commandment you're not supposed to steal ninth commandment you're not supposed to lie 10th commandment you're not supposed to covet just imagine if you make it through one to nine yeah done all these things like the rich young ruler rich young ruler comes to the Lord Jesus and says good teacher how may I inherit eternal life what's Jesus do he does what I do and what I'm doing right now he points them to the law you keep the commandments you're gonna go to heaven that rich young ruler actually had the audacity to say all these I have kept from my youth what one thing do I lack a person's mess up at this point in the teaching they think that somehow Jesus is teaching an alternate way to heaven well go saw your stuff give it to the Bloor and follow me and you'll enter into heaven that's not what Jesus is doing Jesus takes the 10th commandment which was this young man stumbling-block and he presses his conscience with it go sell everything you have give it to the poor and follow me isn't that the law coming to bear upon this young man he goes away sorrowful why because he had many possessions you see that law should show you if you're thinking at least this much honestly it's you're a sinner who scans in need of the Savior and it's what the Savior does at the cross that that matters certainly is life in terms of obedience to the Father certainly is resurrection in terms of you know the consummation of all is redemptive work this cross is central it's pivotal the way of salvation is not by I want you to go home and try harder I want you to go home and do better I want you to go home and be moral now you need to look to Christ whether you're young or you're old you need to look you need to believe what the Gospel message is our confession is beautiful it talks about saving faith and it says that saving faith is we're in a a particular person believes everything that the Bible is true but the especial acts of saving faith is those things are believing those things written about the Lord Jesus Christ the principal acts of saving faith are those things recorded concerning his life his death and his resurrection I certainly want you to believe all that the Bible says this morning most of all I want you to believe what it says about Jesus that this statement this why hast thou forsaken me was the means by which Christ was saving sinners now you need to look to that you need to believe that you need to go to him but physically can't somehow you know ascend into heaven and go to the right hand of the Father where Christ is now located you need to come and faith Jesus says all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out how do we come we believe what the Bible says he say you're making that up now in Acts chapter 16 there's an instance where man is going to kill himself because he's come to an end of himself and he knows that if he gets caught with what he's had with what he's done he's going to be killed by the Roman government Paul and Silas say don't do that he says sirs what must I do to be saved well try a little harder be a little more moralistic stop you know taking pens from your work no believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved that's the hope that's the blessed message that's everything Christ lived Christ died Christ was raised whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life the amazing thing how many people not at John 3:16 it's an amazing thing how most everybody in the world knows John 3:16 and yet do we ponder the implications of John 3:16 God so loved the world you know the emphasis is in that passage it's not the bigness of the world God so loved the world it's so big that's what we ought to be impressed about though the God so loved the world made up with sinners it's not that the physical dimensions or the population mass that that causes the the Word of God to say God so loved the world it's the ethical state of it the fact that God would love this world the fact that God would set his heart and affections and love upon sinners like us but he did he loved it so much that He gave His only begotten Son this is what we're seeing this is the giving of the only begotten Son this is the Romans 8:32 he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all that's what we're witnessing here at the foot of the cross so he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life that's the promise of Holy Scripture that's the promise of the word of God you bring that to the Father he's not gonna say no you ever do that you get a coupon from the paper and you go to the store and you you buy the product you find the product to bring it up the whole are not gonna honor that coupon i I can't tell you how many times I think this is happen to me it's at a price Mart I I double check the label says this much for that item unless it pertains to that item but as I've looked at it usually pertains to that special deal whatever get to the front no it's not that you must have read it wrong of course I really struggle with $8.99 it's a tough one for me sometimes sinners think God won't honor his promises I remember a particular sin at one time Steve and I met we're passing out charts and this old man said oh I'm such a sinner God will never have me you're such a sinner that only God will take you that's the good news this concept that I'm so sinful I can't go to Jesus is devilish logic God's logic is you're so sinful you must go to Jesus there's persons who take this coupon to God or not take it because they don't he's gonna honor it I don't want you I won't take you I won't receive you all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out it cannot be the case that Christ is ever in the business of casting out a sinner who comes to him see there's no place for you to hide this morning there's no refuge there's no well I'm not gonna believe because no you must believe because Christ said why hast thou forsaken me now notice the mockery of the bystanders adding insult to injury verse 47 some of those who stood there when they heard that said this man is calling for Elijah now the language could suggest as much any a Lee Aliyah the whole idea of Elias are Elijah and the cry of Jesus sounding similarly sounding similar to one another but what follows in the next two verses indicate that there might have been a deliberate misunderstanding on their part a deliberate misunderstanding I think it kind of goes this way remember that Elijah was that you know wonderful prophet of Israel just shows up first case chapter 17 the the nation is under the oppressive rule of a hab a hab was married to a woman by the name of Jezebel now neither of these people were people of the year type characters I mean they were just terrible just as bad as you could get seventeen one and Elijah the Tishbite just shows up there's no and Elijah was born and so-and-so and he was raised by these parents and he did this when he was 18 and and now he's become a prophet he just shows up on the scene God's response to wicked Ahab as godly Elijah Elijah fulfills his career and he's ultimately taken to heaven by a whirlwind some suggest that it was a chariot it wasn't a chariot he went by whirlwind the famous painting of Elijah in the chariot going to heaven is simply fantasy he went up by a whirlwind the Prophet Malachi told us told Israel that Elijah would serve an end times purpose eschatological for the theologically minded here so I JA would be this eschatological figure he would be a forerunner of Messiah the same thing we heard of in the scripture reading well popular belief among the Jews had arisen that Elijah was sort of a patron saint who would bring delivery to suffering people I was brought up Roman Catholic I think it was st. Jude the patron saint of lost causes and you know they have a list of different Saints and their different functions well that was sort of the popular belief that had attached itself to Elijah if persons in distress cried out to Elijah then Elijah might come and deliver him or deliver them again based on the understanding according to Malachi for this Elijah will come back Sailaja will be present Sailaja will be in concert with the Messiah in one form or another so they have this particular statement verse 47 some of those who stood there when they heard that said this man is calling for Elijah now we'll get back to that when we get to verse 49 but let's look at this offer of sour wine this offer of sour wine now if we were to compare the gospel narrative in John's Gospel we would see that the fifth saying of the Savior happens here and the fifth saying of the Savior is I thirst and John tells us in John 19 that this is done so that the Scriptures would be full fill after this John 1928 Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled so he says I thirst from the cross here specifically we read immediately one of them ran and took a sponge filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and offered it to him to drain if John is connecting the significance of Jesus saying I thirst and significance of them putting the sour wine on the sponge and putting it to the mouths of the Savior what Scripture perhaps is behind the scenes now when John says that the scripture must be fulfilled or accomplished I take it to be the whole crucifixion but as we've seen in our study in this particular section every step of the way it's fulfilling Scripture every step of the way it is Jesus doing what was foretold well there are two in two texts in particular that probably lay behind his statement I thirst Psalm 22 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue clings to my jaws you have brought me to the dust of death the thirsty statement isn't it and in Psalm 69 verse 21 they also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink now I think that was the first instance when they offered him drank prior to that I think it fits well here as well now some suggest that what's happening in terms of this offer of drink is an offer of mercy it's an offer of mercy now we read sour wine and everything in us recoils a little bit we can't even conceive of having to drink of such a thing but a famous dictionary defines the sour wine here sour wine or wine vinegar it relieved thirst more effectively than water one of the commentators said that if you could actually get to the point where you could drink it to me you know vinegars not the most pleasant thing though some people drink a shot of apple cider vinegar it's got good health benefits and you know guess if you could knock back apple cider vinegar you could knock back this particular wine vinegar but this was a common drink for poor people soldiers would have had it on hand that's why it's available at the cross so it's a sour wine wine vinegar it received thirst more effectively than water and being cheaper than regular wine it was a favorite beverage of the lower ranks of society and of those in moderate circumstances now as I said some suggests that this is an act of mercy I tend to disagree with that because I don't think they've exhibited any mercy whatsoever up until this particular point the only mercy that comes is in 54 when the Centurion and his soldiers confess that truly this was the son of God everything up to 54 is mockery it is abuse it is adding insult to injury and perhaps they offer him this legitimate drink if we define it the way be tag defines it it is a legitimate drink that soldiers and poor people would have use to quench their thirst so what would motivate them according to this passage to do this to prolong his agony to give him a fighting chance I mentioned that with hung on the cross itself there was a little piece of wood at the at the feet that wasn't to relieve the sufferer it was to prolong the suffering the victim the executi on the cross would push off on that little piece of wood and be able to gasp some hair would be able to collect some oxygen if that little piece of wood wasn't there they would die a whole lot quicker if Jesus doesn't get a little bit of wine a little bit of sour wine a little bit of this vinegar to satiate his first he's going to die before they're done with him I think it's an act of mockery and that brings us to consider the specific mockery of verse 49 you see verse 47 when they heard that said that this man is calling for Elijah remember Elijah is reputed to be one who comes to help those in need now note verse 49 the Russ said let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to save him go back for just a moment to verse 43 the religious leader said he trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the son of God it's the same thing as verse 49 let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to save him they're not legit they're not real it's mockery the father hasn't helped them all I just not going to help him it's another form of them insulting the Son of God it's another means by which they mock him and another means by which uni is believers in Christ ought to see the great love wherewith he loved us I mean president we get upset at people do anything to us that isn't completely approved by us so he raises their eyebrow at us and I can't believe it or somebody didn't say hi to me a church today we're tempted to pray and prac Ettore Psalms over them for afternoon lunch Oh Lord God Almighty please bring them to see how they have contend my kindness and they deserve all that you have for them and then we have the gall to punctuate it in Jesus name don't we like that you might be saying he's revealing a lot more about himself today than he is about us in general don't we get easily offended don't we get easily upset look at what Christ is going through for you look at what Christ undergoes for sinners if you ever doubt the Savior's love Matthew 27 is a great place to go if you ever doubt the Savior's love Matthew 27 is the place to take your doubting soul and fill your heart with a knowledge of who Jesus is but you know it is intriguing because in their mockery here their show their ignorance and in many respects it's ironic every step of the way what persons confess or say or stay in a derisive sense against the Lord Jesus ultimately is true is it I mean right down to the inscription on the charge by Pilate himself this is Jesus the King of the Jews Pilate didn't mean that Pilate wasn't his you know advocate what Pilate does however is confess the truth about Jesus when they mock him and they say things ie he can't he can't you know he saved others himself he cannot save there's a reason why that is a blessed truth of course he saved others he's not saving himself precisely so that he can save others well what's going on here let us see if Elijah will come to save him Elijah had come both the prophetic Elijah and the historical Elijah the prophetic in John the Baptist what is John the Baptist do with reference to Jesus he testifies concerning am telling persons that he is the Messiah and Elijah the historical one testifies the very same thing on the Mount of Transfiguration you see this even what they see say here in terms of mockery has been fulfilled Davies and Alison say the deliberate questionmark misinterpretation is ironic because while the people wait to see if Elijah will calm the reader knows that John the Baptist and the role of Elijah has already ministered to Jesus and confessed in Messiah and also that Elijah himself has borne testimony to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in chapter 17 well let's look finally at the death of Jesus on Verte at verse 15 Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit the verb used here is a bit different and I think it is because of Psalm 22 Psalm 22 this particular verb is used on three occasions and I think what Matthew is doing is parallely this death or this cry of our Lord in verse 52 what we written in Psalm 22 but as well look at the verb for a moment Jesus cried out again and then it's punctuated with us with a loud voice that strike you as odd a tall man you can relate to what I'm about to say you get a call and you're laying on the couch and you can hardly ask your wife for crackers your feeble and you're weak and you can't voice the great need that is yours we're pathetic at times aren't we men but women can do this too so don't Pat yourselves on the back one more low energy we're very quiet and we're very meek and we're very mild and we're very soft kind of the author underscores for us he cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit you know what this underscores nobody takes my life from me but I lay it down Christ is in control to the very end he has been tortured he is being executed he has been brutalized he has been stripped he has been mocked he has been spat on he has felt the nails he is presently probably asphyxiating he has indeed gone through the Forsaken qualified by the father and yet the text is very clear verse 46 he cried out with a loud voice verse fifty Jesus cried out again with a loud voice France says the loud cry which precedes Jesus death and his equally loud shout in verse 46 indicate that unlike most crucified man Jesus died in full control of his faculties perhaps even that he died when he himself chose he says as well the loudness of the cry at the time of death indicates that Jesus is not just fading away but dying while in full possession of his senses it is here that the other two sayings of the Savior come to pass he says either I'm sorry it is finished in John 19:30 that's what we're gonna look at tonight that sixth saying of the Savior from the cross John 19:30 it is finished we'll look at that tonight in terms of the Lord's Supper observance and seek to unpack what he meant by it is finished and then the last statement recorded in Luke 23 46 father into your hands I commit my spirit but he does this with a loud voice he does this consistent with his words in John 10 John 10 17 and 18 therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again no one takes it from me but I lay it down and I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father see even to the end Christ is the champion of Israel even to the end Christ is that Messiah who has resolved who has determined to undergo all that the father has given him and he does so he executes sit perfectly he cries with a loud voice he yields up his spirit it's not taken from him it is not invaders who have come Christ willingly the language of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 he says I have been crucified with Christ says the life that I now live in in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who one who loved me and who gave himself for me brethren to the very end Christ does what he does for the glory of his father for the salvation of his people John Gill says it was not taken from him he laid down his life of himself as the Lord of it and gave himself freely to be an offering and sacrifice in the room of his people which is a proof of his great love and amazing grace unto them see brethren I think it's important for us to read scripture of that way it's important to understand what Gill says in that particular instance he says which is a proof of his great love and amazing grace unto them go to Matthew 27 and the stay of the setting of the crucifixion scan at the foot of the cross and marvel at your saviors love and grace you know when you want to encourage yourself about the love of your spouse or the love of a child or love apparently you think fondly on a particular aspect or a particular instance where they exhibited that or they express that don't you oh I know my dad loves me because he came down there and he he bailed me out not out of jail but he bailed me out of that particular difficulty that I was undergoing that really demonstrates his love you you you tend to attach yourself you tend to think in terms of those great expressions of love and you say wow I know that dad or mom or sister brother friend or whoever loves me because of that do you believers ever take your soul to Matthew 27 we have devotional literature don't we this in Matthew 27 devotional isn't there something for the Soul doesn't this feed the heart doesn't this encourage you for a Monday morning doesn't this get you out of the doldrums on a Thursday afternoon yeah I'm having a miserable go of it but my Savior said why hast thou forsaken me and he yielded up his spirit for me he did this for me see if that doesn't put a little you know bouncing your step for the rest of Thursday JC royal said there never was a last breath drawn of such deep import as this there never was an event on which so much depended the Roman soldiers and the gaping crowd around the cross saw nothing remarkable remember that it's another man being crucified this was another man that met his you know met his M the Roman soldiers and the gaping crowd around the cross saw nothing remarkable they only saw a person dying as others died with all the usual agony and suffering which attend a crucifixion but they knew nothing of the eternal interests which were involved in the whole transaction we do we know the eternal interest involved in the whole transact we therefore must respond with praise adoration worship and gratitude on Wednesday night we considered second Kings chapter 13 and there's a specific instance in there where in the people of Israel are being plagued by the Syrians and in verse 4 a wretched King by the name of Jehovah has cries out to Yahweh for deliverance for victory do you know what Yahweh does he grants them deliverance he grants them victory he blesses them he breaks the back of the oppressor at that particular juncture according to verse 5 he what they do in verse 6 do they bow to Yahweh do they enjoy Yahweh do they worship Yahweh do they love Yahweh no they turn back to their calves they turn back to their idols they turn back to that which is not God God brings them this great deliverance and this great victory and you know what he's met with rebellion persistent rebellion I wonder if that's not some of us at times we have benefited greatly from what's going on here in Matthew 27 we have been clothed because he was stripped naked we have been given a righteousness that avails with God we live because he died we will not be forsaken because he was forsaken and yet in gratitude following after idols engaging in those things which are offensive to God continuing to indulge and Pat sins continuing to indulge in things that God says don't do that and in that context he's not saying it don't do that in order to be safe know were saved by grace through faith in Christ and that gratitude that we have for the father expresses itself in our obedience to the Father it is based in gratitude for the people of God to receive the redemptive benefits secured by the Son of God and then go a whoring from God go back to their old sins go back to their old ways continue in rebellion against the Lord and subordinate to his authority brethren this gratitude it is not what commends us to God in terms of us save it is the legitimate response of those who have been saved shame on us if we continue to go after the calves of Jeroboam the son of me back when Yahweh has stepped in and broken the neck of Syrian oppression shame on us if we'll continue in porn continuing murderous thoughts continuing theft continuing covetousness continue in idolatry or in Sabbath breaking when we're looking at the foot of the Savior or from the foot of the cross at the Savior who says my God my God why hast thou forsaken me shame on us brethren gratitude is the legitimate response and I've said it before and I hope I'll say it till I die the church is drowning in this whole approach well we have to have practical preaching and practical preaching means five principles on how to be a good man five principles on how to be a good woman five principles on how to be a good kid and if the church doesn't peddle that to us on a weekly basis we'll say it's impractical you know it's practical bowing confessing worshiping expressing gratitude and living in light of crucified and risen Savior that's practical and I dare say the persons who live in light of that gratitude are gonna be faithful man they're gonna be faithful women they're gonna be faithful kids give me five principles on how to live as a better husband look to the cross that's the one principle how can I be more faithful as a woman to my husband look to the cross sure that may not help you make a better cake but it will cause your heart to respond to write to God and when God is pleased he blesses again not Joel Osteen formulaic blessing the brethren practicality is seen in the worship of the God of heaven and earth where did we get the idea that somehow we just have to have principles and lessons that's practical no I remain convinced the most practical lesson you will ever hear from this pulpit in terms of practical application is worship your dog behold your God behold the Son of God on the cross look at him there burying your sin look at him there bearing rather the punishment do your sin look it in there satisfying the penalty of your sin look at in there fulfilling the law of God look at him there in your place look at him there and worship praise adorn and express gratitude to him guilt grace gratitude that's what we need that's what we need not like those wretched Israelites that go back to jeroboams calves when Yahweh of Israel had delivered that brethren we ought to be a faithful people expressing gratitude to a faithful Savior and we ought to appreciate the glory of the Savior before we conclude our message this morning we've got the doctrine of substitutionary atonement right here in my place condemned he stood sealed my pardon with his blood full atonement can it be all those lines from that Philip bless him that we're gonna sing tonight again hope that never rises up and you doesn't Butler know there's other hymns in the hymn book why don't we always end the Lord's Supper with 175 cuz it's glorious cuz it's beautiful cuz we get to say hallelujah what a savior after having commune with the householder who has benefited us his weary pilgrims with bread and wine to cheer us on the way what better way to end a Lord's Supper service than a hallelujah what a savior that's the doctrine of substitutionary curse bearing the Lord Christ stood in our place listen to Flavel on Romans 8:32 when God spared not his own son this was the design of it and could you know the thoughts of his heart they would appear to be such as these I will now manifest the fierceness of my heart to Christ and the fullness of my love to believers the pain shall be his that the ease and the rest may be there's the stripes his and the healing balm issuing from them there's the condemnation his and the justification there's the reproach and shame his and the honor and glory there's the curse his and the blessing there's the death his and the life there's the vinegar and gall his the sweet of it there's he shall groan and they shall triumph he shall mourn that they may rejoice his heart shall be heavy for a time that there's may be light and glad forever he shall be forsaken that they may never be forsaken out of the worst miseries to him shall spring the sweetest of mercies to them Oh grace grace beyond conception of the largest mind that's substitution that's what we preach this idea that the cross is an example for us the idea that the cross simply teaches us how we ought to lay down our lives for one another certainly we can learn those lessons but the emphasis of the cross is on the sacrifice the emphasis of the cross is on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world the emphasis of the cross is that God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him brethren rejoice in the doctrine of substitution if you're not a believer come to the substitute believe on him and you will have ever lasting life well let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for this blessed transaction that occurs at Calvary we thank you for the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us we thank you for the plan and the purpose and the divine initiative behind this we thank you that you were pleased to send the son of your love to save his people from their sins and God our desire is is that this gospel would be preached that it would be believed that more and more persons would come - no Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior go with us now bring us together tonight refresh our weary souls with the supper help and encourage our hearts and may it be the case that we respond and gratitude to the great grace that you have demonstrated to us and the deliverance from the misery we are in because of our own sin and depravity go with us we pray through Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed