← Back to sermon library

if you can turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 19 Revelation chapter 19 revelation 19 i'll read verses 11 to 16 now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war his eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns he had a name written that no one knew except himself he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen white and clean followed him on white horses now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nation's and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written king of kings and Lord of lords amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to number 678 hymn number 678 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] amen well let us pray God Almighty we gather again on the Sabbath day in the presence of our great God and father we come to you through your son the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit and we want to worship you we want to glorify and praise and honor you we ascribe to you the majesty the excellence that is due for God you are great and glorious and wondrous the scripture declares you are from everlasting to everlasting you are sovereign over all your creatures and all their actions you are the God who has engaged and the redemption of his people through Jesus Christ our Lord we thank you for your many mercies and your blessings as Paul says we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ we thank you for justification by faith alone we thank you that the Spirit is sanctifying us and we thank you that we have heaven in our future not because of our good but because of what Christ has done what he wrought out in terms of his active and his passive obedience how we give thanks to You Lord God Almighty and we praise you for the Church of Jesus Christ we know that the church militant the church on earth is never a perfect entity it is always striving it is always seeking oftentimes even having many difficulties but we know it is the apple of the eye of the Lord Jesus and we know it is that place where in the New Covenant you dwell with your people in a special way and in this we greatly rejoice may it be the case that on these Lord's days we would be glad when they say let us go to the house of the Lord God we thank you that you've led us or you've called us out of darkness and to marvel it's light and you've provided for us churches wherein we can meet and worship and seek to encourage one another and our most holy faith and we pray that tonight as we gather you would be glorified that you would be present here with your people she would encourage each and every one of our hearts and yay God that you would exercise mercy and forgiveness and grace and the salvation of sinners for we know Lord that you have purpose to save a great multitude we know that our Lord Jesus Christ does right prosperously on this white horse we know that he wages war with the sword that proceeds from his mouth namely the Word of God and we pray that word would be blessed in our place and that many would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior we ask God that you would bless other churches in this town we ask God that you'd bless other churches that we are in fellowship with be with the Saints in Surrey tonight be with the Brethren and Vernon tonight and God in these places may you be glorified and praised we ask that you would look with favor upon this congregation we know there are many going through various trials and may it be the case father that we would all hear the words of James that we counted all joy when we fall into these trials knowing that the testing of our faith produces perseverance and endurance and our God we all cry out to you for wisdom not only in a generic sense in a general way for our day-to-day lives but specifically when we do encounter trials we know that this is needful and we know Lord God that we are are to have such things in order to process things pro appropriately do bless each and every one that are that are suffering physically we would pray God that you would just encourage their hearts that in the midst of these physical trials and and hardships and and and difficulties they would be counting their many spiritual blessings and they would find great joy in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and God for all of us we come with spiritual trials we all come with varying degrees of depression or melancholia or sadness or other issues and things that that challenge us and so we pray that the Ministry of the Holy Spirit would be at work in our hearts that your word would indeed be that balm of Gilead that encouragement to us that we may indeed persevere day by day in this lower world we do ask that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions now we know Lord God that you are our a holy God we know that you are most pure and we pray that you would forgive us and cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you God that what the prophets foretold we see realized in the person in the work of the Lord Jesus namely Zechariah speaking of that day when there'd be a fountain open for sin and uncleanness how we thank you that that that fountain is filled from the the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and that it does wash and cleanse us from all sin we ask father that you would be merciful to us as individuals as a church as families and we pray that you'd be merciful in this country we know God that our civil government needs to be prayed for as her brother reminded us this morning they give us many reasons to complain but God help us to remember the admonition of the Apostle Paul that we pray for kings and all who are in authority and we do pray that these liberties that we enjoy would be protected that we would use them that we would bring glory to you that we would be faithful and shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and God restrained those in high places from from further acts of corruption and wickedness and evil and we would pray Lord God that we'd be able to lead peaceable and quiet lives bless those in other parts of the world that suffer for the cause of God and truth be with those in China be with those in North Korea be with those Lord God wherever they find themselves in places where the the the enemies of Christ flourish we do think of those nations steeped in Islam and the great difficulty that the people of Christ have to go through in these lands surround your people with that protection stabilize them and secure them and cause them to nevertheless declare the truth as it is in Jesus Christ we ask that you would continue with us now and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can turn again in your Trinity hymnals to him number 147 him number 147 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to the Prophet Zechariah we are in Zechariah chapter 2 it's important to realize that the prophets don't necessarily go in chronological order the last three prophets in the Old Testament are quite a bit later than the other minor prophets Haggai Zechariah and Malachi are what are called the post-exilic prophets this is after the people of Judah are released from captivity in Babylon and they return to their land this is consistent with what you'll find in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in fact in Ezra chapter 5 we learned that temple construction began and it was under not only the auspices of the governor but also these particular prophets Haggai and Zechariah Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to encourage the people of God in the building of the temple that had been destroyed by Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians supposed exilic after the Babylonian captivity prior to or rather about four or five hundred years prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus so Haggai and Zechariah are very closely connected Malachi occurs just a bit later we see that the temple is already in play in Malachi and the people have fallen back into the same sort of sin that they had fallen into prior to the Babylonian captivity and essentially what you have in the Prophet Zechariah is a series of eight visions in verses or chapters 1 to 6 you have two sermons in chapters 7 & 8 and then you have two Oracle's in chapters 9 to 14 now it's the Prophet Zechariah that is oftentimes in the background in the passion narratives especially in Matthew's Gospel so much of what this prophet prophesies is fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ in the passion but I do want to read Zechariah chapter 2 beginning in verse 1 then I raised my eyes and looked and behold a with the measuring line in his hand so I said where are you going and he said to me to measure Jerusalem to see what is its width and what is its length and there was the angel who talked with me going out and another angel was coming out to meet him who said to him run speak to this young man saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited it's towns without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock in it for I says the Lord will be a wall of fire all around her and I will be the glory in her midst up up flee from the land of the North says the Lord for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven says the Lord up Zion escape you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon for thus says the Lord of Hosts he sent me after glory to the nations which plunder you for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye for surely I will shake my hand against them and they shall become spoil for their servants then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me sing and rejoice o daughter of Zion for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst says the Lord many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day and they shall become my people and I will dwell in your midst then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you and the Lord will take possession of Judah as his inheritance in the Holy Land and will again choose Jerusalem be silent all flesh before the Lord for he is aroused from his holy habitation amen let us pray our God and our Father we thank you for your love for the people of God we thank you as it's displayed here in the Prophet we thank you for that display in the New Covenant setting in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to save his people from their sins and what a blessed thought that you are in the midst of your people what a glorious truth that in the book of Revelation Jesus Christ is found walking among the lampstands God at times we seem to forget this reality but the gathered people of God is the place where the Lord Christ is to be found and may this chair and encourage our hearts and may it promote in us both reference and and trembling and with and great joy as we are in the presence of the living in the true God receive our worship and be glorified we pray and we ask in his most blessed name Amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to number 54 again we'll stand him number 54 we'll stand together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] he's turned with me in your Bibles to John's Gospel John chapter 18 John chapter 18 specifically verse 37 Jesus gives a purpose for the Incarnation or the royal purpose of the Incarnation he says with reference to his kingship he says for this cause I was born I want to investigate this in its context so I'll begin reading in verse 28 of John's Gospel chapter 18 then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium and it was early morning but they themselves did not go into the praetorium lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover Pilate then went out to them and said what accusation do you bring against this man they answered and said to him if he were not an evildoer we would not have delivered him up to you and Pilate said to them you take him and judge him according to your law therefore the Jews said to him it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke signifying by what death he would die then Pilate entered the Praetorian again called Jesus and said to him are you the King of the Jews jesus answered him are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you this concerning me Pilate answered am I a Jew your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me what have you done jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now my kingdom is not from here Pilate therefore said to him are you a king then jesus answered you say rightly that I am a king for this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth everyone who is of the truth here's my voice Pilate said to him what is truth and when he had said this he went out again to the Jews and said to them I find no fault in him at all but you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews then they all cried again saying not this man but Barabbas now Barabbas was a robber amen let us pray father thank you for the written word and thank you that it does inform us concerning the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and in this we rejoice in this we give praise to you and our God we ask now that you would encourage us with the Scriptures by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit again having forgiven us of all of our sins and all of the darkness in our hearts we ask this in Jesus name Amen well it is important for us to understand sort of the timeline or the various events that occur with reference to our Lord's passion there is initially an informal examination before aniss the Sanhedrin then formally decides to sand Jesus to Pilate the Jews do not possess the authority to engage in capital punishment they have to get Pilate to sign off they have to get Pilate to give the kill order with reference to our Lord Jesus we then see Jesus before Pilate Pilate when he finds out that Jesus is from Galilee Pilate passes the buck and sends Jesus to go see Herod Jesus goes to see Herod and then he comes back and appears a second time before Pilate ultimately Pilate does give the execution order and as we know Jesus is crucified so it's important for us to see that particular procedure and to locate now with reference to that sort of timeline this is when the Jews initially delivered Jesus up to Pilate in order to have him sanction the death of our Lord I just want to briefly consider a few things with reference to the Jews before Pilate in verses 28 to 32 and then we'll spend the bulk of our time with the king before Pilate in verses 33 and following but note in the first place the hypocrisy of these Jews again I'm not saying they're hypocrites because they're Jews I'm simply saying these Jewish people that should have affirmed the true religion and should have conducted themselves in an honourable and honorable way should have received their Messiah have nevertheless turned their backs on him and are seeking out to deliver him up to be crucified they like the Sanhedrin later would rage against the Lord Jesus Christ they would plot to kill him and they do engage in that by soliciting the efforts and the the betraying capabilities of Judas but look at their hypocrisy in verse 28 they let Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium and it was early morning but they themselves did not go into the Praetorian lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover this is a great example of that tithing the mint and the anise and the cumin but neglecting the weightier matters of the law justice mercy and faith they want to maintain ceremonial cleanness by not entering into this Gentiles palace but there in the very act of crucifying the Lord of glory that's typically where feriss a religion or a legalistic religion or an external only religion will lead there'll be a fastidiousness about tithing mint anise and cumin there'll be a fastidious about a fastidiousness about not defiling ourselves so that we can eat the Passover by not going into this this Gentiles Palace but all the while they neglect justice mercy and faith they want to destroy the Lord of glory they want to crucify Jesus of Nazareth they want to see this man dead notice as well their utter disregard or disdain for the law of God they operated or allegedly we're supposed to operate according to the law as it's revealed in the Old Testament well the Old Testament law is very specific and very conspicuous about what we call due process there's laws of witnesses there's laws of evidence there's testimony there's all sorts of things that must take place before someone is ultimately deemed a criminal and given a particular punishment notice how these men respond when they are asked by Pilate concerning the charge verse 29 Pilate then went out to them and said what accusation do you bring against this man notice in verse 30 they answered and said to him if he were not an evildoer we would not have delivered him up to you they don't answer the question they don't give a charge they simply state their conclusion they are begging the question it's always easy to prove your point when you assume your coat you're your right if he weren't an evildoer we wouldn't even be here yeah but you didn't answer what has he done now I know that they charged that he that he was an insurrectionist basically they alleged that he forbade paying taxes to Caesar and all that sort of thing but in this particular instance I think it's telling that they engage in this this issue of begging the question when it comes to a capital crime and then Pilate verse 31 says you take him and judge him according to your law and therefore the Jews said to him it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke signifying but by what death he would die so you see essentially they need Pilate Pilate is functioning as a puppet in this particular section Pilate is working for these particular Jews that want to see Jesus murdered they want to see him crucified now let's look secondly at the king before Pilate in verses 33 and following note the issue this is the rub verse 33 Pilate entered the praetorium again called Jesus and said to him are you the King of the Jews now in order for them to secure the death penalty for the Lord Jesus they had to make Jesus a threat to the Roman Empire if we read the gospel narratives accurately will know that Jesus and the religious leaders butted heads theologically they bought it head with heads with reference to the Old Testament they bought it heads with reference to the Messiah they expected Messiah to come but when he came they rejected him but when it comes time to gaining the sanction of Pilate so that they can execute Jesus they have to make the crime something that affects Pilate Pilate doesn't care about their theological debate Pilate doesn't care about whether or not the the Messiah is according to Jesus Jesus or according to these men someone else Pilate cares about somebody asserting himself to be a king and thus engaging in an overthrow of the Roman Empire that is what would make Pilate act and these Jews know that and this is specifically how they have structured the debate so that Pilate will come down upon Jesus now Jesus asks for clarification according to verse 34 jesus answered him are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you this concerning me is Pilate genuinely interested is Pilate only the only functioning as a puppet for these particular murderous Jews aw paint said sent to be the governor of these Jews they nevertheless compelled him to be their slave the executioner of their wrath I don't think Pilate really understands what's going on in this narrative one bit I'm sure this is not a task that he welcomes a task that he embraces three times and once at least in our particular passage but three times in the parallel in Luke's Gospel when Jesus is before Pilate Pilate says I find no fault in him he's guiltless man remember pilots wife according to Matthew says have nothing to do with this man I had a dream about him and it troubled me and I would urge you and encourage you like gamma leo this morning I want you to stay away from him I don't want you to have any truck with him I don't want you to do anything with him but Pilate is smack dab in the middle of it and the Jews are leveraging and now specifically against so that he'll execute the Son of God now notice Jesus responds well first verse 35 Pilate answered am i a Jew your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me what have you done I think this is a bit of contempt I think Pilate here is speaking contemptuously of the situation I think Pilate understands I know Pilate understand that they have delivered him up because they envied him they delivered him up because of a theological debate they have delivered him up because they are infuriated against him and because they hate him and so Pilate essentially says am i a Jew your own people delivered you up and then he asks him again are you a king now Jesus responds to this question in a two-fold manner in the first place it's negative and in the second place it's positive verse 36 is negative verse 37 is positive but in verse 36 he gives us a bit of description of the kingdom that he has specifically and then verse 37 describes himself as a key how he functions as a king so let's look specifically now at verses 36 and 37 jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world so how does Jesus answer he answers in the affirmative are you a king he says my kingdom is not of this world so he's saying yes in the next verse he will say you say rightly that I am a king for this cause I am born he never shrunk back from declaring that truth but in verse 36 he says My Kingdom is not of this world now I think people have abused this text I would suggest that Christ's Kingdom includes this world but Christ's Kingdom does not originate from this world there's a difference there he sees some would suggest that the kingdom in the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ is strictly spiritual that's not the case in the book of Revelation in Revelation chapter one Jesus is called the ruler over the kings of the earth Jesus was over Nero Jesus is over Donald Trump Jesus is over Prime Minister Jesus is over all authority in heaven and on earth but in terms of the kingdom it doesn't originate from this world in other words what Jesus is telling Pilate is that my kingdom is not a threat to the Roman Empire my kingdom is not about sedition against Rome the Jews made it that way so that Pilate would give the kill order but Christ is alleviating that concern with Pilate My Kingdom is not of this world his kingdom includes the world it does not originate in the world as royal says belonging to dependent upon springing from connected with please understand that Christ has all authority Christ is over all things when Christ says my kingdom is not of this world he doesn't mean that it doesn't include this world Psalm 103 speaks of Yahweh's sovereignty ruling over all I referred to Daniel chapter 4 this morning and Nebu could Nezzer zkn fashioned God rules over all the inhabitants of the earth and no one can stay his hand or say what doest thou the Lord Most High affirms the reality that he possesses a kingdom but he also affirms the reality that that Kingdom is no current threat to the Roman Empire in other words Jesus is not there to take up arms against Rome and to gun people down in fact he says as much in verse 36 he says if my kingdom were of this world My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now my kingdom is not from here it is intriguing because Christ here at least by implication or inference affirms the reality that earthly kingdoms do fight there are times when one kingdom takes up arms against another but Christ says my kingdom is not that way if my kingdom originated from the earth if my kingdom posed a current threat I say current because through the preaching of the gospel and through the expansiveness of the gospel ultimately all kingdoms will fall but it's not through military might it's not through guns and tanks and helicopters or any other sort of thing but rather it is through the vehicle of truth which he will appeal to in verse 37 he says if if my kingdom were of this world there be no argument Pilate you'd be done I don't know if he was saying it quite like that but but that's the implication if my kingdom were of this world My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews in other words if I was just an earthly king if I was a rival Kingdom my soldiers would be called up and they would have put you down I would have never been delivered to the Jews and everything would have continued or would have been in my favor but now my kingdom is not from here so Pilate then cross-examines again this is the point are you a king then now this is the positive affirmation and as I said I believe it gives us instruction concerning the king the end of the sermon tonight I'm going to make a comparison I think that what we find in verses 36 and 37 is very similar to what we find in the prophet Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6 & 7 chapter 9 verse sakes you have a description of the king and in verse 7 you have a description of his kingdom here you have the description of his kingdom in verse 36 it's not from this world and then you have a description of the king in verse 37 so note in the first place his affirmation he says you say rightly that I am a king now I would imagine this would have perplexed us Pilate because how do we typically sort of picture Kings crowns scepters robes attendance pomp show secret service.guns protection security all that stuff limousines black SUVs we we have this conception of what a king looks like Jesus did it look like that did he I mean he'd already been with the Sanhedrin where they laid blows on his face he'd already had a sleepless night he'd already had his time in Gethsemane he'd already sweat drops of blood according to Luke's Gospel he'd already been through the wringer and now he's standing before Pontius Pilate who asks him are you a king and he says you have said rightly that I am a king it's like that that story rather that account of the thief on the cross I think I've mentioned before that Calvin says that's one of the greatest expressions of faith in all of the Bible remember that thief on the cross says to Jesus Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom now we're familiar with the passage we've read the passage but if we contemplated the passage Jesus is on the cross Jesus is being crucified Jesus is being counted as a common criminal and yet this thief is able to look beyond the blood look beyond the door look beyond the suffering and say Lord remember me when you come in your kingdom again it's something that we would never conceive that this is a king when he's dying on the cross in the manner in which he dead but back to our text you say rightly that I am a king now notice for this cause I was born he was born to be king now there are statements like this that sound like it's the only cause it's not the only cause but in this particular contact it's what Jesus wants to communicate to Pontius Pilate we know that he's not only a king but he's a prophet we know that he's not only a prophet and a king but he's also a priest Christ has all these several offices but specifically and conspicuously on display here is his kingship and notice as I said for this cause I was born I've always suspected that people really like Christmas non-christian people really like Christmas because the saviors in a position of disadvantage the saviours a baby in the manger and I think that carnal man likes that I think carnal man likes the reality that he contained the baby in the manger the carnal man likes the reality that he's that he's weak and that he's that he's helpless and that he's that he's defenseless carnal man doesn't ever think in terms of John 18:37 for this cause I was born now this is a reference obviously to the Incarnation John is not absent of the references to the Incarnation but with reference to the birth of Jesus this is the only reference in John's Gospel Matthew and Luke give us detailed information concerning our Lord's nativity mark doesn't Martin gets right to the earthly Ministry of Jesus ministry the Ministry of Jesus going and doing and healing all those sorts of things the Matthew Luke give us these detailed descriptions concerning the nativity John doesn't John gives us the theology John tells us in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and then dropping down in John's prologue to verse 14 he says the word became flesh the word became flesh and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth that's Incarnation you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich that's the movement in John 1 verse 1 John 1 verse 14 but this is a reference specifically to his birth and notice what Jesus says for this cause I was born to be a king to be that one in Revelation chapter 19 verses 11 to 16 to be that king of kings and that Lord of lords Augustine comments on this particular text he says whence it is evident that he referred to his own temporal nativity when by becoming incarnate he came into the world and not to that which had no beginning whereby he was God sir whom the father created the world as he says it's his temporal nativity it's the Incarnation it is the second person of the Trinity taking on humanity identifying with us taking on himself all the essential properties and common infirmities of our humanity yet without sin to see that he says for this cause I was born so at this time of the year I typically like to think of the kingly reign of our Lord Jesus he was a baby in the manger that is the glory of the Incarnation that the second person of the Trinity would do that for us that for us men and for our salvation he would come down from heaven that he would impoverish himself through the addition of our humanity that is glorious it is wondrous it is most excellent but it's also the case that he was born to be a king this is conspicuous in Luke chapter 2 I'm sorry Luke chapter 1 you can turn there Luke chapter 1 Luke 1:26 now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David the Virgin's name was Mary and having come having come in the angel said to her rejoice highly favored one the Lord is with you blessed are you among women interestingly that phrase is also applied to Deborah I'm sorry - Jael back in the book of Judges Jael remember mrs. tent peg who drove it through cisserus head she was pronounced in the song of Deborah as one blessed among women verse 29 but when you saw or when she saw him she was troubled that is saying and considered what manner of greeting this was then the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth the son and shall call his name Jesus notice he will be great and will be called the son of the highest and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end while the manger may bespeak in the minds of carnal man a position of disadvantage for this cause I was born Christ says to be a king back to John chapter 18 notice the method of conquest utilized by our Lord in the administration of his kingdom verse 37 you say rightly that I am a king for this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth everyone who is of the truth hears my voice you see Christ's Kingdom does not originate from the world if it did his servants would fight but his kingdom originates from heaven his kingdom includes the earth to be sure and the vehicle or the instrument of his conquest is the truth of his word we need to see and appreciate the problem that the Jews had is that they utterly rejected they were looking for the kind of king the kind of Messiah that would subjugate the Roman Empire already demonstrated this in their conduct in John chapter six at verse 15 after Christ multiplies the the bread and feeds the multitudes what do the people do they try to take him by force and make him a king you see Christ's Kingdom is not of this world Christ's Kingdom is not advanced by men in military armament Christ's Kingdom is advanced by the truth and this is what he emphasizes remember he bears witness to the truth in fact go back to John 1:14 to 18 John 1:14 to 18 to see that Christ bears witness to the truth John 1:14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth John bore witness of him and cried out saying this was he of whom I said he who comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me and of his fullness we have all received in grace for grace for the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ now brethren please do not misunderstand this statement John is speaking covenant alene he's not saying there was no grace and truth at the time of Moses he's not saying there's no law at the time of Jesus but if we look at the Old Covenant it's of Covenant ultimately of law and we see in the New Covenant to covenant of grace doesn't mean there's no grace in the old doesn't mean there's no law in the new but in terms of these general overarching categories Moses covenant was a covenant of law grace and truth comes through our Lord Jesus Christ now notice in verse 18 no one has seen God at any time the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the Father he has declared him you've probably all heard the word exegete if you've heard that word now don't raise your hand but you've all heard that word exegetical it's right here he has exegete at the father no one has seen the Father except the Son and the son has declared him the son has expounded him the son has executed him Jesus is able to say to the disciples in John 14 if you see me you've seen the father doesn't mean the father has hair it doesn't mean the father has feet he is saying that me I am the father are one Christ bears witness to the truth Christ demonstrates in John 14 that he himself is truth so back before Pilate he is highlighting that he is not a threat to the civil order in terms of what Pilate is expecting or in terms of the debate as the Jews had shaped at Jesus humanly speaking in terms of earthly kingdoms is no threat whatsoever to Pontius Pilate or the Roman Empire but Jesus rather advances his kingdom by the truth now let me just stop there for a moment and encourage all of us to read our Bibles to study theology because if we are adherents of the kingdom of Jesus Christ if we are subjects to the kingship of Jesus Christ and his vehicle to promote not only in the advance of his kingdom but also the stability and security of his kingdom is through his truth than his loyal subjects ought to be people of the truth notice in John 18 verse 36 if my kingdom were of this world My servants would fight everyone who hears the truth hears my voice brethren were loyal subjects and if it was an earthly Empire we would fight on his behalf then we will certainly love the truth in his behalf as well CH Spurgeon said our Lord in effect tells us that truth is the preeminent characteristic of this kingdom and that is royal power over men's hearts is through the truth and that's something I think we hear a lot I know we hear it a lot because I say it a lot believe it or not I kind of know what I'm saying I don't just get up here and tune out I know what I'm saying it's all calculated there's a reason there's a method behind the madness brethren it isn't something that we just didn't buy because we're reformed something we imbibe because we're loyal subjects of the kingdom of Jesus Christ we we love the truth we're like you know the man in Proverbs we we buy the truth and sell it not it's something we traffic in it's something we delight and it's something that makes us happy it's something that stabilizes us it's something that promotes security in our lives to him by Isaac Watts he rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nation's prove the glories of his righteous Ness and with reference to this method of conquest by the king who wields the sword of truth notice that his subjects everyone is a who is of the truth hears my voice some suspect or some observe that perhaps even here our Lord Jesus is opening the door to Pilate I'm not suggesting that he's an Arminian I'm not suggesting that you know he doesn't know what the final disposition of of Pilate soul is but brethren this is a wonderful admission by Jesus to Pilate at this time of crocks everyone who is of the truth hears my voice Pilate you should listen these Jews should listen everyone who is off the truth should listen they should hear my voice as it comes through the word of the living and true God so you see he talks about his kingdom in verse 36 he talks about himself as the king in verse 37 and notice pilots response in verse 38 Pilate said to him what is truth and when he had said this he went out again to the Jews and said to them I find no fault in him at all now this particular statement by Pilate whenever I pondered it has always perplexed her puzzled me how did he say it exegesis doesn't give us tone I think that's the problem sometimes with emails or Facebook's or Twitter's or whatever we don't debt we don't get what's behind a statement we don't know how to interpret something if we can't see somebody's face we can't hear the the inflection in their and and sometimes statements in scripture like that when Pilate says what is truth is is he searching is it uh what is truth is he does he want to know is he craving this idea I kind of used to lean that way but as I've reflected more upon it he doesn't wait for an answer he just wanders off I don't think he is after the truth it's probably a shrug it's probably a what is truth as he as he wanders off we Pilate himself is caught up in a very unique situation he knows that this is a guiltless man he knows that it's out of envy that the Jews delivered him up he knows ultimately that he has to give the kill order on one he has said three times I find no guilt - no fault in him he's had his wife come to him after this troubling dream where his wife has even said have no truck with this man have nothing to do with this man pilots conscience is affected at least to the point where he washes his hands who tries to rid himself of what is ultimately great blood guiltiness forgiving the kill order for Jesus Christ now notice the text and the specificity of it I find no fault in him at all now you might be able to charge us or say that with reference to a particular crime I find no fault in him with this particular crime but could you say it at all I mean Pilate didn't shuck and jive with Jesus a whole lot but this much he knew this was an innocent man specifically of this charge and in pilots mind at least the way that he phrases this in other stuff as well I find no fault in him at all there's nothing in him necessitating capital punishment there's nothing in him necessity necessitating imprisonment there's nothing in him necessitating the payment of a fine there is nothing wrong that he has done which I think underscores all the more the culpability of Pilate in this kangaroo court you see brethren when men know certain things and they know what's going on is wrong they need to stop it now obviously we have the decree obviously we have the sovereignty of God obvious we have playing out before our eyes all that the father had determined before to accomplish according the Apostles in Acts chapter 4 but the fact is that just because somebody knew better but they still act it that's sort of doubly wicked it's gone away having jezebel a hab was basically bossed around by Jezebel he said well you know the poor fellow he married poorly he sure did I mean you know here's the the woman of the year for for he'll essentially is what you have with Jezebel there's that bit specifically in first Kings after the death of of nabe off for his vineyard you see a hab might have thought well it was really Jezebel it was it was really that woman that God had given me you didn't stand up to her you didn't stop her you see crime is as criminal when good men know what's happening and they don't try to stop it I know that's been said in history by other man a whole lot better than me but the point holds with reference to Pilate what is truth and when he had said this he went out again to the Jews and said to them I find no fault in him now Pilate I think is still swinging for the fences here he knows that Jesus is guiltless he knows that Jesus is not worthy of capital punishment and so he proposes this amnesty agreement he proposes this deal with the Jews concerning the Passover Casta verse 39 perhaps Pilate is foolish enough to think well I've I've told them that I find no fault in him at all I am the one adjudicating this particular situation that should have some traction with them they should be affected by that so so perhaps in pilots hat he's thinking this is a slam dunk they're gonna ask for me to release Jesus because Barabbas really is a criminal Barabbas really is a wretch Barabbas is really a murderer now the text says that he's a robber but in our studies in Matthew I hope I showed you it's not just robbery insurrectionist murderer terrorist remember there was going to be three crucifixions that day the men on either side of Christ and the and the man Barabbas in the middle probably because Barabbas was the ringleader I mean of the three of these guys the two on either side were probably his goons Barabbas was the notorious wretch so pilots probably got it in his head if I offer up Jesus or Barabbas I mean any thinking man would say give us Jesus any thinking man would want per Abbess to go to that cross anybody with half a clue or any desire for the good of the Empire is going to say crucify Barabbas so perhaps that's what's in Pilate said as he comes in verse 39 and he says but you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews see Pilate underestimates what Jesus knows all too well in John chapter 3 Jesus tells us something about men he says that men hate the light men don't want to come to the light lest their evil deeds be exposed Jesus according to John's Gospel knew what was in man Jesus according to John's Gospel knew specifically what Nicodemus was after Jesus knowing what was in man knew specifically what was the condition of that Samaritan woman in John chapter 4 Jesus knows us but Pilate didn't so he asks do you want therefore for me me to release to you the King of the Jews now notice in verse 40 then they all cried again saying not this man but Barabbas now Barabbas was a robber again the semantics range of that particular word far exceeds somebody who takes money from others by force that's what a robber does I mean that in and of itself is no no small crime I mean that's the difference between robbery and burglary robbery is actually you know assaulting somebody or actually using violence to get their stuff burglary doesn't necessitate that burglary simply means to deprive somebody of their goods there's no maybe no threat to their person robbery always implies or in furs or has within it this idea of violence or physical threat so so even that is bad but the word is a lot bigger than that these men were rebels to the Roman Empire these men were rebels against the civil state these men were the kind of people that should have been put to death by Pilate that's what's happening before we leave into some conclusion there's some concluding thoughts just consider what's happening here in verse 40 some have recognized the emblem involved the emblem involved and they all cried again saying not this man but Barabbas now Barabbas was a robber you have the doctrine of substitution now observing that emblem doesn't necessitate that Barabbas went to heaven but the theological point is is that the just went to the cross beyond just I'm sorry the unjust one was relieved from that Barabbas goes his merry little way and the righteous one ultimately goes to the cross again doesn't necessitate the reality that Barabbas is saved but we ought to think substitution we ought to see Jesus in the place of in this particular instance not necessarily for Barabbas but for us John Gill says who Barabbas was an emblem of God's elect in a state of nature released and set free when Christ was condemned with reference to the the statement of these particular Jews when they cry again saying not this man but Barabbas John Chrysostom said Oh a cursed decision they demand those like mannered with themselves and let the guilty go but bid him punish the innocent da Carson thus at the instigation of the chief priests who normally had nothing to do with Zhao and others interested in armed rebellion the crowds call for the release of a man who has committed murder in his struggle against Rome while condemning a man falsely accused of being a danger to Rome see it's a tragedy what occurs at this particular level with reference to Jesus the Messiah well in conclusion I had mentioned that this text is parallel not verbally not you know linguistically but at least conceptually with what we find in Isaiah 9 in chapter 9 verse 6 it announces the description of the king and in verse 7 it highlights the description of his kingdom I'll just remind us of what the text says there first of all with reference to him as king it tells us that he would be a child born it tells us that he would be a child born what a wonderful statement you know 700 years prior to the incarnation of our Lord the Lord the people of God were taught to look for this child born you see they were not taught this only here in Isaiah 9:6 they were taught this in genesis 3:15 deliverance had always been by the seed of the woman deliverance had always been promised by the seed of the woman that would crush the serpent so he would be a child born secondly he would be a son given to us I mean the the association of that language ought to sound alarm bells off in our head God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son 2nd Samuel 7 and that Davidic covenant when God says that that from your line a son will be raised up for me or to me that he will build a house for my name so the son given notice he is the universal sovereign that's what it means if the government will be upon his shoulder it's the kind of language that is indicative of rain and of rule the government will be upon his shoulder the government of all things we learned from Matthew 28 from Ephesians chapter 1 we learn the government for all things is all faith and it's laid upon the shoulder of our beloved Savior goes on to speak of him as the one who is wonderful intriguingly this is how Manoa the father of Samson addresses the angel of the Lord the angel of the Lord identifies this way as as one that is wonderful he is also referred to as as counselor and Isaiah 11 tells us that he is equipped with the Holy Spirit he speaks the words of truth and wisdom he is our counselor as well he is mighty god mighty God jovis witnesses are crazy they say well he's mighty God but not Almighty God as if there aren't you know sort of - a mighty God little G and a mighty God big G their theology is absolutely abhorrent it is heretical and it is not consistent with what the Scriptures declare he is mighty God and he is everlasting father and Prince of Peace now with reference to him being father I thought the father was the father I think everlasting father refers to his relationship to his people to the church as the mediator of the new covenant as the prophet priest and King John Owen made the observation that the same person should be the mighty God and a child born is neither conceivable or possible nor can be true but by the union of the divine and human nature's in the same person in other words you cannot say this about anybody apart from the hypostatic Union the the union of the two nature's in one person and then note with reference to his kingdom in verse 7 the kingdom was established at his first coming doesn't say that right there we'll see what it says in just a moment but that passage in Luke 1 tells us acts 2 tells us when did Jesus assume the throne of David it wasn't at his second coming it was at his first coming it was at his ascension was at the resurrection and the Ascension on I where does Christ sit at the right hand of the Father on the throne of David and his kingdom will have no end now with reference to the prophet in Isaiah 9:7 we see the kingdom was established at his first coming and the kingdom will increase in influence and peace of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end a president not ought to encourage us that ought to strengthen us that ought to help us because at times it doesn't always look that way i referred to elijah this morning when elijah was lamenting that he alone was was faithful to the god of heaven and earth the lord says i have 7000 knees that that have not bowed the knee to bail see brethren at times were not always assured that we're on the winning team but the Bible always assures us that we're on the winning team and 9:7 tells us of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end that doesn't mean that all of a sudden Wow boom this imposition of this glorious kingdom the kingdom parables suggest or tell us rather that the growth in the kingdom is not that sort of imposition but rather it's like a mustard seed rather it's like the man who who plants a seed doesn't even realize it but up comes this wonderful plan the kingdom of God in those Kingdom parables Christ sort of make sure that we understand not to look from this lot not to look for this top-down imposition but rather gradual growth and this is assured by the prophet Isaiah under inspiration of the Spirit notice that the kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom we saw that in in Luke upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever it is an everlasting kingdom turn to the prophet Daniel for just a moment keep your pen or your pencil there and in Isaiah so go back to Daniel chapter 2 well rather go forward to Daniel chapter 2 remember Daniel is explaining the vision the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had and essentially it concerns world empires there's a bit of variation a bit of difference a bit of sort of the way that persons would structure and see the Kingdoms I take it as Babylon medo-persia Greece and Rome and notice down in verse 44 and in the days of these kings the Kings he's just been speaking of Babylon medial Persian grace Rome in the days of these Kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever intriguing at the time of the Roman Empire that's when Christ establishes his kingdom go back to just for just a quick moment to verse 35 verse 35 in the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth remember the Nebuchadnezzar has this dream of this image and it's basically these world empires and it's this one small stone that strikes this image and it becomes a growth at the stall a small stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth I think there's illusion there may not be as clear as other passages but genesis 3:15 we got the the seed of the woman crushing the serpent we see the seed of the woman crushing the kingdoms of the serpent so back to Isaiah 9:7 the kingdom as well is ordered with judgment and justice the kingdom is ordered with judgment and justice the passages of Scripture are replete the Lord Christ administrates his kingdom via truth and then finally with reference to the kingdom notice at the very end it says the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this we need to appreciate and we need to understand and we need to praise God that it's not us it's not our zeal that we should be zealous it's not our activity that we should be active it's not our conduct though we should have good conduct that advances the kingdom of Christ it is the zeal of Yahweh of hosts that shall perform this and in His wisdom and in his kindness he sent the son of his to be born of a woman to be born under the law to redeem those under the law the vehicle by which his kingdom is advanced secured stabilized is the truth if you have not believed that truth believe that truth do not be a pilot and say what is truth shrug it off and go on your merry little way but rather embrace the truth which is Jesus Christ the Lord and come to know everlasting life well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ and for this clear testimony concerning the royal purpose of the Incarnation for this cause I was born may we see him as the King of Kings may we see him as the Lord of lords may we see him yes as our prophet and as our priest but as well as our King the one who rules us the one who defends us the one who governs us the one who protects us the one who advances his kingdom by the truth and God may we indeed marvel at the glory and the majesty of our beloved Savior go with us now and help us to honor you in this coming week help us to bring praise to you bless again those struggling physically and watch over your people here and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen you