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everyone just two quick announcements tonight for our evening worship they'll will there will be a large supper service and then you probably have figured out that we're entering and exiting through that side through that exit gate just because of the construction well for our call to worship this morning he can turn in your Bibles to the prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 53 Isaiah chapter 53 beginning in verse one who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground he has no former co molinas and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hit as it were our faces from him he was despised and we did not esteem him surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by His stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it's Shearer's is silent so he opened not his mouth he was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation where he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgressions of my people he was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked but with the rich at his death because he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he has put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many where he shall bear their iniquities therefore i will divide him a portion with the Great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors amen will please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals to number 223 hymn number 223 will stand as we sing together you let us pray God our God we come to you on this Sabbath day we come to sing praises we come to call upon you in prayer who come to hear from the word of the Living God and in all of this we pray that you would be enthroned that you would be glorified that you would be honored and praised for this Lord God is the day that you have made this is the day that you've ordained for your people to come out of the world to rest in you to find blessing from you to find sanctification and peace we pray that all that we do today would redound to the praise and the glory of our great God Father Son and Holy Spirit we acknowledge that you are from everlasting to everlasting we acknowledge your handiwork in the creation we acknowledge your sovereignty in Providence and we acknowledge your grace and your mercy and your justice revealed in the salvation of your people through our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you and we praise you for his life and his death and his resurrection we thank you for his current session at your right hand and we look forward to that day when he will come again in glory to judge the living in the dead the heart's desire and our earnest please that everyone here gathered would be ready to meet the Lord Christ that all of us would stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ that all of us would have received the forgiveness of sins through the gospel of free and sovereign grace we pray that today that would be the day of salvation in this place for any and all who have come here that are not believers those who have not tasted and seen that the Lord is good we pray that your spirit would work through the preaching of the word she would bring conviction and that you would bring an appreciation and in all it's for what Jesus Christ has accomplished at Calvary we pray for those who are in Christ that you would strengthened with might each and every one of us in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith that we may be more and more conformed unto his MO blessed and glorious image that we would pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight God we pray that you would refresh our hearts and our souls and our minds today and that in all of this we would worship you in an acceptable manner with reverence and with godly fear and with great joy and thanksgiving for certainly our Father you have not dealt with us according to our sin you have not rewarded us according to our transgression but as far as the east is from the west so you have removed our iniquity the Prophet says you cast our sins into the depths of the sea and what a blessed thought this is Lord God that Christ has borne the awful love that Christ has borne our punishment at Calvary the Christ rose again for our justification and that in and through him we have everlasting life may this encourage our hearts as we sing praises may this encourage our hearts as we turn our attention to Holy Scripture help us to shake off sluggishness and coldness of heart and help us to worship you as you are worthy of you are a great God and you are exalted on Hart your creatures oh you obedience and worship your redeemed people have the privilege of worshiping you so we pray God that you would fill each and every one of us with your Holy Spirit and grant us the grace to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ our Lord we ask that you would forgive us for our sins and iniquities that you would cleanse us a fresh in the blood of the land she would wash us thoroughly that we would rejoice that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous we pray for brethren who are unable to be with us this morning we think of John crawl and we pray for our dear brother she would uphold him and encourage him that you would heal him Lord God we pray for dawn neufeld that she would continue with our brother she would encourage his heart and strengthen him in the inner man that you had just caused him to know rest and health and strength and the ability to serve and glorify you we pray for Jamie and his family that you would grant them travelling mercies we pray for Jamie's mother we rejoice in the reality that she's in Christ God we give praise and glory to you for this and we would ask that this meeting this reunion would be most blessed and most special and an encouragement and our Father for the many others in our local church that have neat we just commit them to you into the word of your grace we pray for all of the saints of Christ in this place with physical struggles and infirmities we pray for all of us God with spiritual struggles and infirmities durward would minister unto us we pray that you'd have mercy upon this nation we pray Lord God that you would have mercy by pouring out your Holy Spirit upon churches she would revive your people and God that you would awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins we live in days where in men call evil good and good evil we see things like abortion and sodomy we see multitudes of transgressions against the holy law of God Almighty instead of weeping and lamenting and morning we continue to conduct ourselves and frivolity we continue to conduct ourselves as if there is no law from a just and a righteous God we pray that you would have mercy we pray that you bless the preaching of the law and of the gospel today we pray that word would run swiftly throughout this land and that you would be glorified through the proclamation of truth we pray as well that you'd bless those in other nations that are under oppressive regimes we pray for those in countries dominated by Islam you think of the great things or the great tragedies and difficulties going on in the Middle East and we pray four brothers and sisters there she would surround them and protect them and grant them grace to continue to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and give them boldness to hold forth the word of truth we do pray our God that you would continue with us now she would be found among your people in this local church she would help us to pay close attention to the things of God and may we delight may we delight in this Sabbath we asked through Jesus Christ our Lord amen please turn with me in your Salter your red Trinity Salter to Psalm 130 Psalm 130 again we'll stand as we sing together please turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 44 our scripture reading this morning Revelation chapter 4 beginning in verse one after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying come up here and i will show you things which must take place after this immediately i was in the spirit and behold a throne set in heaven and one sat on the throne and he who sat there was like a Jasper and dis already astir in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald around the throne were twenty-four Thrones and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes and they had crowns of gold on their heads and from the throne proceeded lightnings thunderings and voices seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back the first living creature was like a lion the second living creature like a calf and the third living creature had a face like a man and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle the four living creatures each having six wings were full of eyes around and within and they do not rest day or night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne who lives forever and ever the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying you are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created amen well the first thing I think it's helpful to notice in chapter 4 here is where it is located it comes right after Chapter three say well that's obvious three and then four but in terms of theme and in terms of progression in chapters 2 and 3 we have the letters by Christ given to the seven churches in Asia Minor and in those particular letters what is indicated but a lot of trial a lot of difficulty a lot of turmoil in affliction for the people of God on the earth we turn to chapters four and five and the perspective is heavenward and what we see essentially in four and five is a response by the throne room of God most high to the things that go on on the earth in other words if we are in Revelation 2 and 3 and we're suffering and we're trying and we're having difficulty I'm not trying to minimize that but heaven is not shaken heaven is not thrown off its footing heaven doesn't get that same sort of thing that we experience on earth the perspective shifts from what goes on in terms of the mutiny of man on earth to the calm dignity of the throne room of heaven in 4 and 5 and that's from Walter chantries little book on the Psalms this is what we see in Psalm 2 why do the nation's rage and the people plot a vain thing the rulers take their stand against they take counsel together and they stand against the Lord and against his Christ what's the divine response the Lord sits on high the Lord stations his King on his holy hill of Zion when the nation's rage the Lord God is not shaken and I believe that is what we are to get as the people of God in Revelation 4 and 5 while these things take place on earth God is enthroned the sovereign Majesty on high is not call a shake in one bit but the Lord God rather has all things under his control there is a blessed description here notice the word like like like John is seeing heavenly reality such that he has to liken everything there's stuff that doesn't correspond with our experience their stuff in heaven that he just can't put the exact words to so he has to use illustration or he uses imagery or metaphor to try and help us to process and trying to help us to connect because the glory of heaven is so wonderful and so majestic we couldn't appropriate it in our own strength or conception at this point and so John tells us it's like these things it's like these things it's like these things so that he can give us something of that dignity in that majesty and then something else very interesting that we ought to appreciate as we end this chapter is the doxology at the end notice in verse 11 doxology simply is praise given to God the doctrine of praise the doctrine of worship notice in verse 11 you are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power why for you created all things in the next chapter they'll give a doxology and they'll praise God because he has redeemed his people creation and redemption are themes that the Christian knowing responds in praise and worship why we ought to take seriously attacks on the biblical doctrine of creation attacks on Genesis 1 2 3 attacks on those persons that that try to minimize the power of God manifested in the creation of this world it is one of the reasons given here in the book of revelation as to why the creature praises is God because God created all things I mean a day like this driving here don't you just look at the creation and your hearts are drawn out to the God who made it all that's how it's supposed to function we're supposed to look at Mount sham we're supposed to look at beautiful things and consider the beautiful God who called all these things into being by the word of his power in the space of six days and all very good the doctrine of creation is most important for the church so that we will respond to the Creator with praise and with worship and with adoration will let us pray our Father we thank you for the fact that they haven't or that heaven above is not shaken by the events in this world we thank you Lord God that in the midst of our trials and our afflictions and our difficulties and struggles you are sovereign you are overall and we know that you ordained even these things for the good of your people to conform us unto the Lord Jesus Christ the Bible isn't presented us with a God who has some ability the Bible presents us with a God of absolute and comprehensive sovereignty and in this the people of God greatly rejoice we thank you for creation we thank you for your work displayed in the creation we thank you God that all these things testify to the glory of God and the righteousness of God who is in heaven continue with us now we pray in Jesus name Amen for our final him before we look in more detail at God's Word will sing number 175 number 175 will stand as we sing together and I saw others water name for the Sun you you may turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 20 Matthew chapter 20 focus this morning will be verses 17 to 19 this is the third formal announcement by Jesus concerning his death in Jerusalem the others are found in chapter 16 verse 21 chapter 17 verses 22 and 23 there's an informal one in 1712 but the first to formal as I mention or as I i define formal a specific reference to what is coming to Christ in Jerusalem the first two took place in Galilee and here in Judea as they are traveling to jerusalem for these things to unfold and essentially what we have in verses 17 to 19 is a table of contents for all that follows in Matthew's Gospel after this point we find and at 21 entrance into Jerusalem chapter 26 the betrayal in a rest of Jesus in chapters twenty six and seven the trial before the Jews and then the Gentiles chapter 27 the mocking the scourging and the crucifixion and then of course in chapter 28 we find the resurrection so essentially in verses 17 to 19 jesus makes this third announcement concerning is coming death and it does serve as a table of contents for the remainder of Matthew's Gospel well I'll just read the verses and then we'll pray now Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and discourage and to crucify and the third day He will rise again let us pray father we thank you for this announcement we thank you for matthew's gospel that records the fulfillment of these things and we thank you that you by grace have included us we thank you for the grace of faith and repentance we thank you for bringing us out of darkness and the marvelous light we thank you Lord God for so great a salvation and for so great a savior we ask now that you would again forgive us for our sins and our own righteousness we pray that you would fill each and every one of us with your Holy Spirit she would guide us and lead us and direct us that the spirit wood aluminum ines and our hearts and help us to receive with Thanksgiving the Word of God as it reveals to us the Christ who has saved his people from their sins and we pray these things in Jesus name Amen well this third announcement doesn't just sort of hang there on its own but it is connected to what has preceded and to what follows specifically in chapter 20 at verses 1 to 16 Jesus condemns that sort of pride where in persons think they deserve something from God remember in that parable of the gracious landowner the persons who were hired in the early morning they got to the payment time and they thought they should have been compensated more handsomely than those who are hired in the eleventh hour Jesus says I our God is josh to the gracious landowner is just he made this agreement there's nothing to whine about a grumble about as well he is sovereign it is right for him to do with his what he determines and he is good his goodness is such that he gives to these 11th hour workers the same sort of thing as he gives to those first our workers so what Jesus does here in verses 17 to 19 is says that essentially he will become the last he will be poured out unto death he will go through excruciating trials and difficulties and in light of that reality the disciples ought not to open their mouths and start to say but we deserve more you owe us more we ought to have more now unfortunately they don't hear what Jesus says in verses 17 to 19 because in chapter 20 verses 22 28 they come running to him jockeying for position just after he declares his crucifixion just after he declares the fact that he will be mocked and he will be scourge and he will be crucified the disciples comments a grant to us that when you come into your kingdom one of us will be on the right one of us on the left it's almost as if they hadn't heard a word that he had just said and when we look at that section god willing next week we'll see that all the disciples were displeased when they heard the question posed by James and John's mom probably not because they were concerned about the piety of their friends but because they wanted to be in those positions it is a mark of our manhood it is the mark of our creature hood it is the mark of our sinfulness that we always want more we always want something that we don't deserve if we got strictly what we deserve we would be at hell because God is just and righteous and he has promised that the wages of sin is death but it's grace grace alone that brings us to that place where we gain any good thing from God so verses 17 to 19 look back they look forward they serve as the foundation upon which Christ will condemn the sort of pride that is arising up in the hearts of these men but in terms of the exposition we'll look at two things first the determination of Christ in verses 17 to 18 a and then secondly the prophetic explanation given by Christ and verses 18 be to 19 so the determination of Christ the explanation given by Christ in the first place note the announcement verse 17 now Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them behold we are going up to Jerusalem as we have seen the Galilean ministry up in the northern part of Israel has concluded chapters for 17 to 16 20 include that northern part of Israel ministry specifically in the region of Galilee starting in 1621 and especially in nineteen one they are now in Judea and they are getting closer to Jerusalem the destiny of our Lord Jesus Christ notice he took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them there were more following there were more with our Lord Jesus when you drop down to chapter 20 verse 29 notice as they went out of Jericho a great multitude followed him and in nineteen we see the same thing they're heading to Jerusalem for the for the feast day and specifically Jesus wants to encourage his disciples Jesus wants to speak to his 12 Jesus takes them aside on the road and he says these things to them in mark 10 32 which is a parallel passage it says the disciples were greatly afraid they were afraid at this time we don't know why we don't have why it's specified by mark but we can probably imagine if Jesus is closing in on Jerusalem he's already told us he's going there to be killed this would cause fear and it's his partners it would cost fear in his 12 close associates nevertheless Jesus describes what the plan is at this particular time he goes to Jerusalem specifically because the temple is that what's associated with the temple the sacrifice what is Jesus going to do when he gets to Jerusalem he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world Jerusalem was the central place in Israel it was the focal point for the worship of Israel it is good it is right it is just it is legit it is prophesied that Jesus go to this particular place for this particular purpose the feast were observed the sacrifices are offered that the predetermined plan for Jesus death already in place in the parallel in Luke's Gospel in Luke 1333 after I'm sorry Luca Luke later on in the parallel Luke 18 that says specifically that it was prophesied that this would take place in Jerusalem and another place in Luke 1333 when jesus is coming into the city are getting close to the city he makes this statement he says it cannot be that a prophet should I outside of Jerusalem now it isn't the case that every single Prophet was killed in Jerusalem the idea is is that Jerusalem is known for killing the prophets and if Jesus is a prophet it is right and fitting that he goes to this particular place but there's something else why Jerusalem because it has been determined because it had been decreed we'll see that in a bit in a few more minutes but it's the place of judicial process what would happen to Jesus was a judicial verdict John Gill says concerning going to Jerusalem commenting on Luke 1333 for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem Gill says because the great Sanhedrin that was the the largest or most eminent or most prestigious council of the Jews in the in the ancient world it was called the Sanhedrin it was made up of several members and they were the highest religious court and counsel in the land Yosa is because the great Sanhedrin only sat at Jerusalem to whom it belonged to try and judge a prophet and if found false to condemn him and put him to death the rule is this not but that profits sometimes perished elsewhere as John the Baptist in Galilee but not according to a judicial process in which way Christ the Prophet was to be cut off so it was necessary and that causes us or should call us to reflect upon this necessity Jesus doesn't say you know I think it might be a good idea I think there's something about going to Jerusalem he wasn't a mystic he didn't go sit up on a mountain top and just tune out and and and let the winds take him where he would go Jesus is driven by principle Jesus is driven by commitment Jesus is a man of necessity and here we SAT here we see says behold we are going up to Jerusalem in 1621 he says the Son of man must go to Jerusalem there's necessity laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ and if we ask the question why why is this necessity present I think we can make three suggestions in the first place what is called the Covenant of redemption the Covenant of redemption it's a theological construct describing what Paul highlights for us in Ephesians chapter one in Ephesians 1 we find that God the Father chose God the Father predestined we find that the Lord Jesus sheds his blood so that those chosen will have Redemption and we see that the Holy Spirit applies that word and becomes the seal in the guarantee it's the Covenant of redemption this happened before the world began the father compacted with the Sun the Sun willingly undertook on behalf of the Father the spirit guiding aiding and enabling the Lord Jesus in his public ministry it is the Covenant of redemption that drives the son of man he is going to be the surety he is going to be the mediator he is going to rescue his people in honor and glory of his father and for the good of their miserable hell deserving souls if you want to see a good quote consider Flavell's in his works he speaks concerning the father and he personifies the father and he says son look at this miserable lot of sinners I'm paraphrasing greatly if you want the reference email me and I'll send it to you it's excellent look at this miserable company of sinners they are completely undone they're deserving of death they are deserving of how they are deserving of the judgment to God and then Christ speaks up or flavel personifies Christ and Christ says father lay their debt upon me whatever they oh I will pay i will pay every last farthing i will execute i will carry it and even though there or even though this plan B is sort of undoing to me I will pay it to the full it's beautiful it's a covenant of redemption the glorious construct it's a glorious thing that theology has seen or theological inquiry has seen that the Bible sets forth in the second place it was necessary for Jesus to fulfill the scripture he must go to Jerusalem in Luke 18 31 in the parallel passage he says behold we are going up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished see Christ saw scripture is absolutely crucial Christ saw his place in the fulfillment of the scriptures Christ as a young boy would read the scriptures and he saw that they were about him Christ was a man devoted to the Word of the Living God he must go to Jerusalem because Psalm 22 indicates that there would be a righteous one who would suffer in the place of many he must go to Jerusalem because the surra the prophet Isaiah wrote that servant song that we read at the outset of worship concerning a man of sorrows concerning the one who was acquainted with grief concerning the one for the chastisement for our peace was laid upon him Christ must go to Jerusalem to fulfill all that the law and prophets had stated Daniel 9 speaks of the Messiah being cut off several other places in the Old Testament we are not coming to this in a new way we are coming to this in a fulfillment way Christ does all that the father had ordained in the Covenant of redemption and that he had spoken through the pages of holy red royal says that he saw Calvary in the distance all his life through he saw Calvary in the distance all his life through you ever wonder about the prophets description man of sorrows and acquainted with grief it's a man of sorrows when you looked at Jesus he didn't have a big fake smile plant that on his face he was one of these guys that are happy happy happy peppy peppy peppy wasn't the sort of guy who was having his best life now if I can use the common parlance is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief why because he the holy harmless and undefiled one lived and dwelt where sinners are how do we see Christ in His incarnate glory in Isaiah 6 with the Angels praise Him holy holy holy is the lord of hosts the whole earth is filled with his glory we read something of that in revelation for holy holy holy there's a variant reading that has it nine times means another manuscript a group of manuscripts out there having that revelation passage holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy you say well I don't know that I'd want to commit that one to memory that's a lot of Holies do you realize that the Angels standing before the throne that's all they do is say only that's their job what do you do I stand the throne and I say holy holy holy why is that because he's holy holy holy because the whole earth is filled with his glory he leaves heaven above and he comes into this world and he sees the sinfulness of it he sees the curse associated with it it isn't the time for jokes it isn't the time for everyone's best life now it isn't the time for health wealth and prosperity it is the time for Christ to go to Jerusalem to fulfill the obligations of the Covenant of redemption to do it according to the scriptures as prophesied and to do it for the glory of God Almighty Royal continues he saw Calvary in the distance all his life through and yet walked calmly up to it without turning to the right hand or to the left surely there was never sorrow like under sorrow or love like his love Luke 951 it tells us that he set his face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem actually prefer the King James Version he said his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem he's resolved he is resolute it is necessary he's determined Calvin says why does he without any constraint much forward to suffer our march forward to suffer a shocking murder but because the invincible power of the spirit enabled him to subdue fear and raised him above all human feelings so it's necessary because of the Covenant of redemption it's necessary because it was written in the scriptures and you know what thirdly it's necessary for the salvation of his people how does Matthew's Gospel start it starts with a genealogy and then it moves into a block of data concerning the one the genealogy focuses upon the Lord Jesus Christ focuses upon the birth narrative and specifically in view is the angel telling what he ought to be called you shall call his name Jesus for it is he who will save his people from their sins never forget that in Matthew's Gospel when you see Jesus marching to Jerusalem and you know the inevitable end you know the betrayal by Judas you know the mocking by the Roman soldiers and even the Jewish leaders you know the sufferings associated with the crucifixion and you know the suffering of crucifixion itself why does Jesus do this you ever met with people and I don't know why Jesus came into this world I don't know why Matthew is as conspicuous as he could possibly be he came into this world sinners to save if anybody ever asks you why did Jesus come into this world that's the answer wasn't to you know just establish a new political monarchy wasn't just to revolt against Roman society it wasn't just to start a new religion it was to live and die and rise again for the glory of God in the salvation of his people Matthew 121 he shall save his people from their sins Matthew 20 28 for the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to do what to give his life a ransom for many you see that's the theological interpretation of the facts associated with the death of Jesus Christ a lot of people die don't they there's a lot of martyrs in this world he probably saw the news this past week concerning that shooting in Oregon but several have reported is that when this this gunman came to the people i don't like them referring to shoot her make him make it as almost makes it sound like it's a video game guy's a murderer he's rich he came to these people and he asked him if they were Christians and if they said yes they got shot in the head and if they said no they got shot in the leg so a lot of people die as martyrs don't they it's the theological interpretation that Christ puts on the event that the Apostles draw out in their new testament letters to tell us it was for the glory of God it was for the salvation of sinners when we read 17 to 19 and we come to face to face with what Jesus endured there is a real live sense where it was for us for us trust men and for our salvation he came down from heaven trust men and for our salvation those of us who have been degraded by original sin and buy our own actual sins for us men and our salvation he came down from heaven it is for us that verses 17 and 19 are here it's truly an amazing reality now let's move to this prophetic explanation given by Christ there are four things he highlights in the first place the betrayal of the Son of man behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes betrayed or hand it over the same idea is consistent to theological a passive which means that we as judicious readers and as those who have some appreciation of the Old Testament will know that Judas was an agent in the betrayal we already know that from chapter 10 verse for when the twelve are selected it is underscored that Judas the Iscariot is the betrayer we know that he is an agent we know that the chief priests and the scribes their agents we know that the Gentiles their agents but when we asked the grand question who ultimately was in charge of the handing over of our Lord Jesus we read at ny's a the Prophet 5311 it pleased your way to bruise him it pleased God the Father to bruise Christ the Son not in some wicked concept of cosmic child abuse but in the maintenance of the dignity the glory and the Justice and the righteousness of god and the salvation of his people Paul tells us that in the cross through the work of the Redeemer King God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ so he is betrayed he is handed over but as Peter says in acts 2 23 it is according to the predetermined plan of God see what ought we to take from that the triune God is involved in the salvation of us men and women i'm speaking inclusively don't be gender offended was not a microaggression for us men and for our salvation the Lord God Almighty Father Son and Holy Spirit has coven ented together and blessed unity to save us from our sins he was betrayed the Lord betrayed or the Lord would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot that is indicated in 10 for it is drawn out in chapter 26 verses 14 to 16 and chapter 26 verses 47 256 notice he would be delivered to the Sanhedrin the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes now in the first announcement it doesn't say specifically he would be delivered to these men he would suffer under the hands of these men the second he would be delivered to mat here its specific it's the Sanhedrin this Religious Council the Supreme Council of the Jewish leaders they are the ones that ultimately for Jesus up to the Roman government because remember 1831 in John's Gospel the Jews did not have the right or the authority to execute criminals they didn't have the authority pilot says why are you bringing him to it to me was not lawful for us to execute they were subjugated to the Roman Authority and so they needed the Roman authority to take matters into his hands so that they could get the death penalty they sought for a holy harmless and righteous man he would be betrayed notice what these men would do they would condemn him to death think about who we're talking about here some men who never did anything wrong this is a man who went about doing good this is a man who healed people gave sight to the blind hearing to the death the ability to speak to the mute he gave life to that little girl in Matthew chapter 9 he's full of pity full of compassion full of mercy and he says so matter of matter of matter of factly that he's going to be condemned to death by these particular men they plot his death in Chapter 9 verse 34 chapter 12 at verse 14 in chapters of chapter 26 verses 3 to 5 they're plotting against him so that they may kill him this is actually carried out the guilty verdict concerning Christ is rendered in chapter 26 at verses 57 268 the child and verdict are handed down so what happens after he has found guilty by this Sanhedrin and again he's not really guilty is he he hasn't done anything wrong he's manner the sawls of their age persecuting the David of their age what did David do to exert Saul's rage and enmity and hatred nothing what did Jesus do to deserve these religious leaders and scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees what did he do to deserve their rage and their ultimate murder nothing it's a wicked lawless men that delivered him up to the Gentiles now notice in the third place the deliverance to the Gentiles of the Son of Man they'll deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and discourage and to crucify the Jews as I said did not have authority to carry out capital punishment the Jews delivered Jesus to pilot 27 1 and 2 27 11 to 25 the Lord ultimately or this is another aspect of his humiliation France says the specific mentioned this time of the involvement of Gentiles adds a new note of rejection and humiliation with the Jewish Messiah subjected to the shame of Gentile mockery now note the specifics the Sanhedrin tries in pronouncing guilty on drummed up charges they deliver him over to Pilate you know they argue in John's Gospel when Pilate says what has he done wrong they begged the question they commit a logical fallacy they said if he hadn't done anything wrong we wouldn't have brought him to you it's not an answer is it it's not a response was a kangaroo court designed to murder the Lord of glory so he is delivered up to pilot pilot actually had some angst about this whole thing but because he's a wimp he ultimately cow-house to the mom pilot knew there was no guilt in Jesus very intriguing to me with the thought of holy holy holy of Isaiah 6 think about pilot Luke's record three times he says I find no guilt in him whether it's the cherubim and Seraphim before the throne of Christ or a godless third-rate governor in Judea named pilot they still confess the same reality there is no guilt in this man so what happens when Pilate finds him guilty fix he is mocked notice deliver him to the Gentiles to mock the Lord of glory was mocked by the sons of men this is a tough passage brethren if you start to actually consider who it is that's undergoing this in chapter 27 verses 27 to 31 in terms of the soldiers the soldiers mocked him by stripping in and placing a scarlet robe on him it's mockery they're making fun of him to put it in the modern term they are bullying him but with a vengeance they strip him down they put this scarlet robe upon him and they continue by putting a crown of thorns on his head kids have you ever considered this it hurts to bump your head doesn't it you stand up and you hit the corner so that really hurts it's pretty miserable you know we make a big scene and I hit my head they weaved a crown of thorns together I'm not talking you know these little tiny thorns that you know they have in Mountain Home Idaho you walking collect them in your shoes I think they call them goat heads probably because they look like goat heads these were big thorns they weave them together and they drive it into his head they put a reed in his hand because after all the King needs a reed he's a ruler he needs a scepter they end up taking the read-back out of his hand and smacking him with it they say to him hail King of the Jews again it's mockery it's fun for these guys it's ridicule but it doesn't stop there when Christ is upon the cross even the Sanhedrin mocks the Lord Jesus what do they say these are supposed to be the dignified leaders in the Supreme Council of Israel these are supposed to be the man of of respect and noteworthy in society they mocked the Lord of glory saved others but he can't save himself it's an amazing thing and an ironic thing that while he they say he saved others he was in the very business of saving others through his cross bearing the chief priests describes the elders they mock him notice what else they do they scourge him to scourge now this is indicated in Matthew 27 26 it is most likely that Jesus was scourge that means whipped twice it's most likely that Jesus was whipped twice he say well why is that the case you remember in the first instance Pilate gave the order because he thought it would appease them he thought will deliver a whipping to him everybody will be happy and we can let him go pilot recognized he was not guilty pilot recognized the Jews delivered him up for spite and envy so he figures we'll go ahead and whip him they'll be satisfied and then we can let him go that happened didn't it well when he is condemned and he sentenced to crucifixion something that always accompanied crucifixion was a more severe form of whipping a more severe scourging so the first one was simply to appease the bloodthirsty mob but when they say away with him away with him crucify him their blood thirst won't be satisfied with that basic form of whipping when they cry out and demand crucifixion when Pilate gives the order that he will be crucified part of the process was that he would be scourged whether or not he had been scourged once already now in this second form of scourging da carson describes it in this way in this last form there are actually several forms that scourging took the Roman Empire he says the victim was stripped and tied to a post and then beaten by several torturers soldiers and the Roman provinces until they were exhausted or their commanding officer called them off for victims who like Jesus were neither Roman citizens nor soldiers the favourite instrument was a whip whose leather thongs were fitted with pieces of bone or lad or other metal the beatings were so savage that the victims sometimes die eyewitness records report that such brutal scourging could leave victims with their bones and their entrails exposed now we appreciate what riles has never such love like this was there never such sorrow like this and never such love like this that drove the Son of God to Jerusalem when he knew that this was in his future one of the things not indicated here but in the parallel in Mark's Gospel it says to spit on him to spit on him now I was raised a papist as most of you know I went to a papist school went through the whole spiel that somewhere right along the line early on in my formative years must have been a nun they impressed upon us the necessity of not spitting on other people I was just one of those rules that i have i thank god for never had the desire to spit on anyone I've never actually as far as I can recall spit on anyone they instilled in us a thing not to litter either another good rule we'll just throw things up and I think the nuns argument was because they spit upon our lord what a form of degradation right what a form of belittle meant what a horrific practice the Christ who made them are now using the mouths he made to spit on him this is actually recorded in Matthew's Gospel in Matthew 27 it's just not included in the announcement here as it is in Mark's Gospel he's betrayed he's mocked he's scourge he spat upon now notice and to crucify to crucify in the previous announcements in numbers one and two Jesus indicates that he will be killed in both of those when he gets to Jerusalem now he specifies the manner of killing it is crucifixion you know what crucifixion is it is when they take a man and they put him on a cross in order to put him to death this was practiced in the Roman Empire guess who it was not practiced upon Roman citizens it was too degrading and too horrific to inflict upon a Roman citizen unless there was special authorized authorization from the Emperor it was something the Romans practiced but not on their own was reserved for the most notorious criminals the most horrific violators of the law when we get to Jesus on the cross and there are two men crucified on the side of him and it says that they are thieves that's probably just one small element of their rap sheet they were compadres with Barabbas was a notorious sinner who was a bad man who incited insurrection who was guilty of murder you see they didn't just put somebody on the cross for any little effects they put the worst on the cross and this would happen to Jesus France says that previous predictions have spoken in more general terms of Jesus being killed but now that the Romans have been explicitly brought into the scene the means of execution can be specified as crucifixion the careful reader will not be surprised since Jesus has already called his disciples to carry their cross after him in ten thirty eight and 16 24 now could you imagine if we're walking with Jesus we're amongst a whole multitude we are fearful as the 12 as Luke tells us they were afraid Jesus comes and to alleviate their fear says we're going to go to Jerusalem I'm going to be betrayed I'm going to be mocked I'm going to be scourge and I'm going to be crucified what do you think that would have done for their fears they would have said horror of oars we want nothing to do with that as we know by the end we get to the gospel records where do the disciples go and they standing at the foot across the foot of the cross cheering on their master now scatter the Shepherd and the sheep will be spread or divided all right let's rather strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered that's precisely what took place but now notice what Christ speaks fourthly the triumph of the Son of man in the third day He will rise again snack glorious isn't that amazing what n we agonize and we sympathize and we hang our heads in shame at the thought the reality that our sin necessitated this act on the part of the Son of God that he would be betrayed that he would be mocked that he would be scourge that he would Gaia riffic death on the cross but he says himself and the third day He will rise again that's not the end for Jesus it's not over for Jesus when he goes into the tomb it's not the case that we have a crucifixion with the Savior still on the cross he was on the cross he entered the tomb and on the third day he rose again it's the glory of the Christian message it is the triumph of the Son of Man it is the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ Spurgeon says this poured a flood of light on what else had been a Sevenfold midnight to hear that your master was going to suffer these things at the hands of godless man it would have weighed in on you and he says the third day He will rise again the third day he will come out of the tomb the third day will show his victory over the grave the third day he will show his defeat of the devil his defeat of sin and his dominion over death itself praise God Almighty it's a beautiful passage it's a wonderful statement it's clear it's concise its brief it's right to the point doesn't leave us guessing doesn't leave us wondering doesn't leave us scratching our heads when we ask the question why did Jesus go it's specified here to be betrayed to be mocked to be scourge to be crucified when we asked the larger question what is the significance of this particular event a series of events why did Jesus come why did Jesus go through these things why did he suffer at the hands of godless man well to satisfy the demands of the Covenant of redemption to fulfill all that was written concerning him to save his people from their sins see we need that theological interpretation to make sense of these particular facts we have them as I've said Matthew 121 we have an in Matthew 2028 we have it Matthew 26 6 this is my blood of the New Covenant shed for the remission of sins we have interpretation by Paul in Romans 4 25 Jesus Christ was delivered up why because of our offenses because of our sins because of our transgressions because we can't control ourselves sexually because we can't control our tongues because we can't control our our desires we don't submit to lawful authority we don't worship the Lord God alone we don't engage it in things that the Lord calls us to so why was Jesus delivered up it was because of our offenses not first and foremost for our example not just so we could see a model of Christian wow if he was delivered up because of our offenses what is involved at the crosses penal substitution the Holy spotless Lamb of God took the place of unholy spa Ted wretched men and women he stood in our place and he received the wrath of God on our behalf he was delivered up because of our offenses but Paul doesn't stop there Romans 425 be and he was raised up why for our justification the bottom line is is that we are dead in our trespasses and sins we have sinned against a holy God we deserve his wrath in his curse and his punishment and every bad thing but in the gospel in our Lord Jesus God provides justification what is justification involved forgiveness of sins it helps the st. to be able to sing my sin oh this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord praise the Lord rather when you sing that are you more focused upon what part the men sing or what part the women sing or the reality that our sins are gone so we have in Jesus forgiveness that's not only the forgiveness of sins we need a righteousness we need to be clothed in order to stand before God Christ provides that through his perfect life of obedience to the Father God takes that he gives it to us Paul in another place with theological interpretation concerning the cross work of our Lord he says that God the Father made him God the Son who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him why these tragic events why did Jesus go through this why did Jesus feel the crown of thorns in his head why did Jesus receive the spit from a Roman soldier on his face why did Jesus undergo the mocking why did Jesus undergo the scourging imagine being with once but then being whipped again only to be let off to be crucified why would he go through that truss for us men in our salvation for sinners undone violators of the law of God covetous men and women thieving men and women lying men and women sexually promiscuous men and women insubordinate men and women Sabbath breaking men and women blaspheming men and women idolatrous men and women completely undone men and women Jesus came and he did this for us brethren I got to say if you were believer in Christ there ought not to ever be a day when you doubt the love of God in Christ Jesus for you I remember when I was a kid I don't know where I saw it but somebody holds a flower and they say he loves me he loves me not he loves me he loves me not they picked the pedals off I think Christians do that sometimes they got up and they had a successful morning and they read four chapters of their Bible and they had what they believed to be some earnest prayer they can face the day because God loves them they wake up the next day three hours late and they stumble out of bed and they can't run a comb through their hair and they're on their way they have another coffee their bitter they're upset they're unhappy they thank God must not love me you can't do that in light of matthew twenty seventeen to nineteen what's Paul said in Romans 58 God demonstrates his own love toward us how does God demonstrate his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us rather he went to these lengths on behalf of his people we ought to rejoice we see in the brief suction so I've mentioned the determination of the Savior the importance of this particular announcement may I suggest two responses in the first place by the church the church should receive embrace and delight in the gospel because isn't that what 17 to 19 is when somebody says to you what is the gospel I hope you don't answer the gospel is my life the gospel is the way I conduct myself the gospel is how I feel when I come to church that's not the gospel I hate to pop your bubble that's not the gospel the gospel is a revealed message that is rooted in history that is focused upon the Savior first Corinthians 15 12 for you would be hard-pressed to find any better definition of the gospel than what we find there Jesus died Jesus was buried Jesus was raised the third day all according to the scriptures this is the gospel it is the life and the death and the resurrection of Jesus that's what gospel is that's what good news is your life good news probably not it's why we need the good news to save us you know what's intriguing after this declaration after this statement after this going to use a big word elucidation of gospel truth that is to come you know what luke tells us the response of the disciples was but they understood none of these things but they understood none of these things now Matthew doesn't tell us that but he doesn't have to because 22-28 in that they understood none of these things imagine you telling more children are telling your friends you know I'm about to undergo the worst and most severe trial of my entire life and they say can I have a cookie how would you respond to that I have to confess I don't think I would respond in the most holy and godly way that's what's going on here do you hear what Christ has just explained and the mother of the sons of Zebedee comes to Jesus and they say or she says grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on your right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom I'd be like didn't you just hear what I said did you understand the implications involved in this announcement you understand what scourging is and spitting is and mocking is and crucifixion is but Jesus doesn't do that he continues down this path and in a roundabout way points back to this he says you don't know you don't know anything about the cup but I'm about to drink they should have because he just specified it he does promised them that they will undergo a degree of suffering prior to the reception of Kingdom benefit but all this to ask the question brethren are we like them do we keep missing the point what is the mission what is the purpose what is the reason for which the church exists to propagate the gospel to proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus to tell sinners the good news that Christ died that he rose again and that he sits enthroned at the right hand of the Majesty on high and that any and all who look to him in faith will have everlasting life the church's primary task isn't political in nature doesn't mean the church as church or the good scriptures don't speak to politics we just did in the previous hour it doesn't mean that the church doesn't speak the whole counsel of God concerning every facet an area of life but it means the primary orientation and the primary focus of the Christian Church must be the cross and it is not politics it's certainly not entertainment come to our church because we have the bestest band come to our church because we got a guy who can shred on the guitar come to our church because we've got the biggest drum kit in an evangelical setting come to our church to hear of Jesus Christ and him crucified the church must receive embrace and delight and the gospel the church should respond with worship praise and adoration what are you doing light of verses 17 to 19 yes there is a degree of sober reflection upon these events when we call to mind the thought of our Blessed beloved beautiful Savior being spat on by a filthy mouth or by having crown a crown of thorns embedded in his holy head or when we see them hanging on the cross our hearts are heavy at it sad then we hear the declaration he will he'll rise again the third day how we respond to that praise worship adoration worship the Son of God you ever notice how oftentimes in the Christian Church and in the books we read we're always looking for practical tidbits on how to live our life I'm not against practical tidbits on how to live our life but somehow we don't see the worship of the living is practical I need to go out learn how to be a better guy or a better girl you need to you need to respond in the worship of this great guy that's practical that's what it's about Peter tells us that God calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light why so we can go back be better guys and gals that's in Peter but it's to proclaim the praises of him who did this in other words God saves us to make worshipers and we respond to the message of the gospel with worship and praise and adoration and in the third place as far as the church is concerned we should imitate Jesus and focus upon the gospel I know I've already alluded to this but in terms of our own personal life by imitating Jesus I'm not suggesting that what would Jesus do he'd have the wii DS because it's healthier for you in the morning imitate jesus focus and concern certainly do what Jesus did be holy be righteous and all those sorts of things but a quote i'm going to read in just a moment evidence is something that does suddenly shift the focus of believers at times Spurgeon says did our Lord Jesus dwell on his passion those are the events associated with the suffering and the death of Christ Passion means suffering the impossibility means in unable to suffer that's the word its passion comes from that particular word group did our Lord Jesus dwell on his passion and should not we yes it should be our lifelong theme they say in this hour of deflection think of his life rather than of his death but we are not to be duped by them let me explain what Spurgeon is getting at Spurgeon understood as did nation as does the church throughout all her ages of not defecting that there is a subtle distinction here moralism says do what jesus did christian gospel is preach what g Jesus accomplished the good news is about what has been done the focus is upon the death the resurrection to be sure the life that went before that moralism says just go be better be like Jesus and everything will be wonderful the gospel teaches us that it's because of our sin because of our depravity that Christ accomplished what he did the believer in Christ focuses upon the redemptive aspect of the gospel Fox Virgin goes on we are not to be duped by them we preach Christ crucified god forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ you see this in first Corinthians 1 Paul says juicy what they seek signs they want to be amazed they want to be dazzled what did the great seek after wisdom Greeks must have all had long beards because they wanted wisdom so they could stroke their beards and talk about Socrates and Plato and Aristotle and the great movements and the ebbs and the flows of the philosophical tradition Paul says Jews want signs Greeks want wisdom we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but to those who are being saved Christ the power and wisdom of God you see we might say that today there's a moralistic tendency to look at the bracelet and it says wwjd oh now I know what I'm supposed to do again do what Jesus did BIOS by all means but you're not going to be saved because you do what Jesus did you'll never do it the way Jesus did it which is personal exact entire and perpetual it's the death it's the redemptive focus it is the bloodshed it is the cross that believers and that Christians and the char believer and churches ought to focus on and in the final place I would say to the unbeliever something I've already said all of this is encapsulated under the word gospel the good news is not that I have a happier life now the good news is not that we are now somewhat well-adjusted individuals least for the hour and a half we're here we're not out robbing banks we're not out smoking crack we're not out chasing after prostitutes that's not the gospel the gospel is the life and the death and the resurrection of Jesus the response to the gospel by you if you are an unbeliever is to believe you see those are the two basic categories set before us in the Bible there are those who believe and those who do not believe the believers are said to have eternal life the unbelievers are said to be under the wrath of God the only way to flee from the wrath of God is to the Lord Jesus it is to believe the gospel it is to lay down your opposition to it and your resistance to it it is to see to understand to hear what's been said and to cast your lot in isn't it intriguing that Jesus is delivered to the Gentiles what happens when Jesus is delivered to the Gentiles he delivers Gentiles this deliverance ultimately by God into the hands of godless men was the means by which the Son of God would deliver godless men truly is an amazing thing and if you are here this morning and you hear this on a weekly basis and you still have not believed may I say once again believe if you are young if you are old if you've been a notoriously bad sinner or what we might call a garden-variety Center all see every sin deserves God's wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come every single sin deserves that what a horrific place to be isn't it imagine if we could see something like like like a gas over the heads of those who were outside of Christ we can't Bob John 336 he that believeth the son hath everlasting life he then believed not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him too terrifying thought isn't it if you're here this morning I ask yourself not a believer the wrath of God abides on me does that scare you make you concerned let's make you worried does it make you think soon as I'm done here I'm going to close in prayer and we're all going to walk out of that door are you going to once again exclude these thoughts from your mind are you going to once again start talking about everything and anything else than what you heard in the sermon this morning I think as you heard it from me but because I think that this is not I think but I I know that this is the word of God and I think I've accurately expounded it sink through these things the time is short you kids don't have a promise of 80 in 90 years you adults don't have a promise of 80 and 90 years you've heard the gospel you've heard it presented you've heard a detail it's about Jesus it's about his life about his death it's about his resurrection how do I gain a saving interest in that believe it you've heard that you resist it you reject it this is going to be another nail of condemnation in your final coffin do not tarry do not wait as the hem writer says venture on him venture holy Christ is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand everyone in this room who by the grace of God has come to I will tell you and will testify you it's amazing its glorious is wondrous what more excellent thing can make a pillow soft at night and to know that one sins are forgiven that if I die before I wake the Lord really will my soul take I will be in the presence of the Lord God most high creator of world of things seen and unseen I'll be in the presence of him called this creation and to be I'll be in the presence of him who / rules and over over governs over all of us they all of his creatures I'll be in the presence of the one who went through this on my behalf that's glorious that's excellent that's blessing so come to the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved that is a promise from the Word of the Living God and you can bang on it will let us pray father we thank you for the gospel we thank you for a lord jesus christ we thank you for what is recorded here and applied later in the Gospel of Matthew we thank you that you've made us partakers of these things we acknowledge it is by amazing grace we praise you we love you and we thank you for your goodness to us and we pray that you would go with us now I pray for any and all here that have not come to Christ that they would think through these things even now they would think through these things this afternoon and the day is coming that they would want to know the joy of being found in Christ Jesus and we ask these things in his Most Blessed name Amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed