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welcome to everyone just a reminder that after the service this evening there'll be some food up in the fellowship hall and then we are supposed to start at the lynnwood at seven o'clock and that's just basically right around the corner so all are invited and encouraged to attend that and for our call to worship this evening you can turn in your Bibles to Isaiah the prophet chapter 42 Isaiah chapter 42 I'll read the first nine verses behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights I have put my spirit upon him he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles he will not cry out nor raise his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised Reed he will not break in a smoking flax he will not quench he will bring forth justice for truth he will not fail nor be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth and the coastland shall wait for his law thus says God the Lord who created the heavens and stretched them out who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it I the LORD have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people as a light to the Gentiles to open blind eyes to bring out prisoners from the prison those who sit in darkness from the prison house I am the lord that is my name and my glory I will not give to another nor my praise to carved images behold the former things have come to pass and new things I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnals to number 230 him number 230 will stand as we sing together you let us pray a blessed God and Holy Father it is a joy to be in your house again on the Sabbath day we come to acknowledge your glory and your majesty and your excellence as the psalmist says you are from everlasting to everlasting scripture testifies that you are the God sovereign who is was created this world and all things in it by the word of your power in the space of six days and all very good we know as well that our God is in the heavens and he does whatever he pleases you uphold all things by the word of your power you have sustained all things and in your Providence you call it cause all things to work for good to those who love you to the call of the called according to your purpose father we praise you for the work of redemption we praise you for sovereign grace and election and predestination we praise you for the Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ is active and it's passive obedience on behalf of the elect we thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit we thank you for every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places that you have poured out upon us and God as those who have been called out of darkness into marvelous light may we proclaim your praise is tonight as we sing as we pray as we look to the Holy Scriptures may all of this be done for the glory of God may all of this be done in a manner that is consistent with your revealed will for you command us to come to you in an acceptable manner you tell us to do so with reverence and godly fear our Father we pray that to that end your Holy Spirit would guide and direct and lead us that you would frame our minds and hearts are right as we enter into the presence of such a great and glorious God we ask that you would forgive us for all of our sins whenever we are confronted with your holiness in your majesty we say with the Prophet woe is me for I am undone we have transgressed your law our conduct has not been worthy of that great gospel by which we've been called so Lord we confess our transgressions we confess our iniquities in our sins we plead a fresh the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you that in him we have redemption through his blood we thank you that you've washed us and you have cleansed us and you have justified us and our sanctifying us and that by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ we ask that you would help us Lord God to leave from this place seeking to glorify and honor you seeking to obey your law by your spirit seeking to let our conduct be worthy of your gospel when we do fall most time may we remember that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous and as we are reminded noun is that we are refreshed by the forgiveness of sins may it produce in us the fear of the Lord God Almighty certainly the psalmist said if you should mark iniquities a lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou may has to be feared and may that be the case tonight as we gather here together we ask also Lord God Almighty that you would look with favor upon those suffering in our midst we have many God with challenges physical challenges and trials and difficulties we just commit them to you into the word of your grace and pray that you would daily sustain them and though the outer man decays we pray they'd be renewed day by day in the inner man that they would be strengthened that they would be encouraged by the Ministry of the Holy Spirit they would find great comfort in the Word of God and they would be built up daily we ask for each and every one of us as we all have spiritual needs we all have temptations and and remaining corruption and and struggles in this world and struggles against the devil we just pray that you would protect us that you would watch over us so our Lord taught us to pray that you would deliver us from the evil one that you would set a hedge about us that you would cause us Lord God to know the nearness of your spirit in our daily lives we ask Lord that you would be pleased to look with favor upon other churches in this city we thank you that we're not alone here we thank you that there are other faithful gospel witnesses in this community we pray that you'd bless those men who preach the gospel we pray that you would use the word of God and that you would be pleased to save more sinners in this community she would turn people from their useless idols to the true and the Living God we pray for the entirety of Canada that you would send forth your spirit that you would revive your churches that you had caused us to be refreshed from on high you would cause us Lord God to conduct ourselves in a manner that is consistent with Holy Scripture to be a prayerful people to be a people of your Holy Word to be a people that intercede at the throne of grace for those in need god help us to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness to hold forth the word of truth father we pray as well that you would be pleased to awaken a great multitude we know that we live in a land that is filled with sin and unrighteousness and ungodliness we live in days that the Prophet spoke of that men call good evil and evil good so we pray that you would turn these persons unto yourself by sovereign grace and we would pray for those in high places those in government those who are rulers in the land we pray first and foremost that you put the fear of God in their hearts David told the Kings and the judges and the nations around him that they should serve the Lord with trembling that they should bow to the Christ of God and that they should indeed pay homage to him alone we pray that for our governmental leaders that they wouldn't know the fear of the Lord that they would come to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and that they would legislate and and govern in a way that is righteous and that is good that is according to the law of God Almighty certainly it is not stipulated in the word that nation should practice sodomy and abortion euthanasia these are these are huge sins and crimes against a holy God we can only cry out to you Lord in your wrath remember mercy we pray that you would send your spirit and save these men and that you would indeed caused them to rule in equity and justice and our Father we pray that you look with favor upon the suffering Saints and other parts of the world we think of Christians that are in Islamic regimes that are suffering for the cause of the Lord Jesus we just commit them to you and pray that they would be faithful to the very end that they would persevere in the midst of these trials and difficulties and we would pray Lord God that a whole host of those engaged in false religion would be would be saved by grace through faith we are greatly encouraged at the salvation of Saul of Tarsus he is breathing out threats and hatred and desires to terminate the Church of the Living God and on that road to Damascus you saved him and you used him to be the apostle to the Gentiles so God we know that sovereign grace is powerful we know that you are able to save wicked sinners even as you have with us so we pray that this gospel would be proclaimed from sea to sea that your word would run swiftly and be glorified that you would be exalted in this earth lord god through the proclamation of your truth we ask that you would continue with us now we pray father that you would bless the ministry later at the lynnwood help us to be a source of encouragement to these older folks and we pray that the saints of christ would be greatly benefited and would be encouraged and those who are outside of Christ we pray that they'd hear the word of truth tonight and buyer grace they would believe the gospel and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to number 582 582 will stand as we sing together can turn in your Bibles to lamentations chapter 3 lammons lamentations chapter 34 our scripture reading this evening it's a long chapter 66 versus so we'll split it in half read the first 27 versus tonight and return God willing to it next Sunday evening beginning in chapter 3 at verse 1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath he has led me and made me walk in darkness and not in light surely he has turned his hand against me time and time again throughout the day he has aged my flesh and my skin and broken my bones he has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and whoa you set me in dark places like the dead of long ago he has hedged me in so that I cannot get out he's made my chain heavy even when I cry and shout he shuts out my prayer he has blocked my ways with hewn stone he has made my paths crooked he's been to me a bear lying in wait like a lion in ambush he is turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces he has made me desolate he has sent his bone set me up as a target for the arrow he's caused the arrows of his quiver to pierce my loins I have become the ridicule of all my people they're taunting song all the day is filled me with bitterness he has made me drink wormwood he has also broken my teeth with gravel and covered me with ashes you've moved my soul far from peace I have forgotten prosperity and I said my strength and my hope have perished from the Lord remember my affliction and roaming the wormwood and the goal my soul still remembers and sinks within me this I recall to my mind therefore I have hope through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because his compassions fail not they are new every morning great is your faithfulness the Lord is my portion says my soul therefore I hope in him the Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him it is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth actually we'll just read the end it's not good to break up this chapter let him sit alone and keep silent because God has laid it on him let him put his mouth in the dust there may yet be hope let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him and be full of reproach but the Lord will not cast off forever though he caused us grief yet he will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies for he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under one's feet all the prisoners of the earth to turn aside the Justice do a man before the face of the most high or subvert the cause or subvert a man in his cause the Lord does not approve who is he who speaks and it comes to pass when the Lord has not commanded it is it not from the mouth of the Most High that whoa and well-being proceed why should a living man complain a man for the punishment of a sins let us search out and examine our ways and turn back to the Lord let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven we have transgressed and rebelled you have not pardoned you've covered yourself with anger and pursued us you have slain and not pitied you've covered yourself with a cloud that prayer should not pass through you've made us in off scouring and refuse in the midst of the people's all our enemies have opened their mouths against us fear and the snare have come upon us desolation and destruction my eyes overflow with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people my eyes flow and do not cease without interruption to the Lord from heaven looks down and sees my eyes bring suffering to my soul because of all the daughters of my people my enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird they silenced my life in the pit and threw stones at me the waters flowed over my head I said I am cut off I called on your name o Lord from the lowest pit you have heard my voice do not hide your ear from my sighing from my cry for help you drew near on the day I called on you and said do not fear the Lord you have pleaded the case for my soul you have redeemed my life the Lord you have seen how I am wrong judge my case you've seen all their vengeance all their schemes against me you've heard their reproach or Lord all their schemes against me the lips of my enemies and they're whispering against me all the day look at their sitting down and they're rising up I am they're taunting song repay them O Lord according to the work of their hands give them a veiled heart your curse be upon them in your anger pursue and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord amen well verses 22 to 24 key in this chapter through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because his compassions fail not they are new every morning great is your faithfulness the Lord is my portion says my soul therefore I hope in him let us pray our blessed God we thank you that your Compassion's fail not we thank you that your God full of mercy and kindness though you brought judgment to bear upon Judith for breaking the Covenant you nevertheless restored them you nevertheless brought them back to their land and from that tribe brought forth the Lord Christ how we thank you that your promises do not fail we thank you that what you purposed in eternity past you've carried out through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ thank you for making us benefit benef benef to benefit from this blessed reality thank you that we partake of every spiritual blessing because of what Christ has accomplished we thank you that ultimately you laid the curse do to us upon him and we thank you that he paid it all that he rose again and that he's enthroned at your right hand even now we ask that you would continue with us in this glad our and guide us as we continue in your worship and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen why don't we sing hymn number 27 and our Trinity's Trinity hymnals will stand as we sing together him number 27 you turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 this is not going to be a strict exposition of Hebrews 10 we're going to read verses 5 to 10 and then our study tonight will be more topical in nature this morning we considered the purpose of the Incarnation is found in John 18 where Jesus said for this cause I was born and came into the world tonight I wanted to locate the Incarnation in its coven ental context and there would be a couple of different ways we could do this we could look at the Davidic covenant in second samuel chapter 7 where God promises that from David's line one would rise up and sit on the throne and and administer that that rule of righteousness and justice forever and ever but I want to go even a step back and look at the Covenant of redemption and I'll explain what I mean as we proceed tonight so this is a theological study specifically the covenantal context of the Incarnation specifically the covenant of redemption so I do want to read beginning in chapter 10 at verse 5 therefore when he came into the world he said sacrifice and offering you did not desire but a body you have prepared for me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure then I said behold I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will Oh God previously saying sacrifice and offering burnt offerings and offerings for sin you did not desire nor had pleasure in them which are offered according to the law then he said behold I have come to do your will Oh God he takes away the first that he may establish the second by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all amen we'll let us pray our Father we thank you for the word of God we thank you for the theology at yields and we pray tonight that your spirit would guide us and help us to understand what one man calls the Covenant before the covenants help us to be encouraged that the Incarnation was not a was not an afterthought but it was according to the eternal purpose and plan of God most high we bless you Father Son and spirit for this glorious work that you have undertaken on behalf of your people may we respond with worship and praise and with adoration and may we give all glory and honor to you our great God may the spirit lead us now may you again forgive us for our sins and transgressions and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well I want to do two things this evening first identify the biblical covenants the three primary ones not the historical covenants that's a whole nother study and then look specifically at the biblical data in support for the Covenant of redemption as I said it would be a more topical message tonight more theological in nature again I think it's always helpful and it does cause us to have reason to praise and worship our God when we see these doctrines placed in their larger theological category when we see that the Lord God prior to the foundation of the world had purpose to save us by Jesus Christ it really does hopefully blow our minds as we consider just how awesome our God really is so when we come first of all to the identification of the biblical covenants there is first of all the Covenant of works that is found in the book of Genesis specifically in Genesis chapter 2 where God tells Adam he gives them a prohibition against eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil upon the pain of death there is a prohibition there are promises there are stipulations there are curses there are blessings associated with Adams response to that particular command the second place there is what's called the covenant of grace that is that activity by which God the Lord saves his people from their sins again it is by the Lord Jesus Christ the covenant of grace is essentially what God the Father and the Son workout in the Covenant of redemption applied in history through the work of our Lord Jesus through the preaching of the gospel through the application of redemption the covenant of grace and then as I said this covenant before the covenants that's actually the title of a helpful essay on this subject by david van drunen and our scott clark in a book called covenant justification and pastoral ministry which is an excellent book through and through but this particular chapter dealing with the covenant of redemption additionally if you're interested you can read the Covenant of redemption between the father and the Redeemer Isaiah 53 12 by John Flavel I'll be quoting that later on this evening at least a portion of that but what is the confident of redemption one man defines it this way in reformed federalism that simply means in reform covenant theology the pre temporal intra Trinitarian agreement of the Father and the Son concerning the covenant of grace and its ratification in and through the work of the Sun incarnate no I'll try and unfold or unpack that as we move along the first thing that molar notes is that it's pre temporal that means it's before time when we consider the Covenant of redemption it certainly is a covenant before the covenants it is what the father and the son engaged in our confession describes it this way it says that the covenant of grace is founded in that eternal transaction that was between the father and the son about the redemption of the elect so the covenant of redemption also called the Council of peace is here referred to as that eternal transaction that was between the father and the son about the redemption of the alack in other words our salvation is not a factual because we wake up on a particular day and we decide to follow Jesus it's not the case that we exercise our free will and thus institute or initiate these blessings that flow to us no it is about God it is about this eternal transaction it is about this covenant of redemption because the father and the Son and the Spirit covenant together that is the reason why any of us will ever come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior very often we obscure the biblical data and we put the emphasis upon man in his response the Bible always and everywhere asserts and highlights and sets forth the supremacy of God in the matter of salvation Jonah was not kidding when he said salvation is of the Lord the saints in heaven are not kidding when they stand before the throne of god and the lamb who sits upon the throne and they cries salvation belongs to our God it comes from the father through the Sun applied by the Holy Spirit and as the confession says it is that eternal transaction that was between the father and the son about the redemption of the elect that's why it's pre temporal prior to time God created time God is not confined by time God is not located in time God is from everlasting to everlasting in the beginning God created that this covenant precedes that as well it was intra Trinitarian that means it's compacted by the three persons of the triune God the Father elects the Sun agrees to be surety and the spirit applies those benefits across secured by our Lord Jesus Christ in London a second London confession chapter 8 verse chapter 8 paragraph 1 it does refer again to this it says it pleased God in his eternal purpose to choose and ordained the Lord Jesus His only begotten Son according to the Covenant made between them both to be the mediator between God and man so you see we are really going behind are going to that covenant before the covenants prior to the Covenant of works in the garden prior to the institution of the covenant of grace we see this covenant of redemption and again we're going to tease this out and flesh it out with many texts tonight to show the biblical warrant for maintaining that there is indeed a pre temporal intra Trinitarian agreement of the Father and the Son concerning the covenant of grace as well as the confession pointed out it is founded in that eternal transaction so the covenant of grace is founded in that eternal transaction so we can say the covenant of redemption is foundational it is the place or it is that transaction wherein the father promised to redeem and elect people the father chose us in him before the foundation of the world the Sun willingly undergoes the office of mediator the role of mediator specifically prophet priest and King in order to secure their salvation he volunteers to secure their covenants rather to secure the salvation of the lac and he does that by his incarnation you see the Incarnation is located in this larger construct the Incarnation is not an afterthought the Incarnation is the means by which the second person of the Trinity executes his obligation as the covenant mediator and surety who would indeed save the elect given to him by the father so he is incarnate he acts as the surety of the covenant of grace and he serves as the mediator of the covenant of grace to the elect from van drunen and clark they say in his active and passive obedience christ fulfills the conditions of the Covenant of redemption and fulfills his guarantee ratifying the father's promise because of which the father rewards the sons obedience with the salvation of the elect and because of this the Holy Spirit applies the sons work to his people through the means of grace now all this to say before we get into the particular tax sometimes you see a nice meal on your plate it looks beautiful it looks lovely it looks delicious if you were to ask the question how did it get there that's what the Covenant of redemption does it explains how this glorious redemption got here we didn't just as I said dezod decide for G seasons on one fair day God has been working God has established God was pleased to enact this covenant with his son for the salvation of the elect so let's look specifically now at the biblical data in support of the Covenant of redemption there are three categories here that we're going to look at first the relationship between the father and the son secondly the covenantal language used with reference to the father and the Son and thirdly will note in closing the pre temporal foundation of the work of the Sun note first the relationship between the father and the son for sub points here the first place the father gave the Sun a definite number of people the father gave the Sun a definite number of people as I said we'll turn to several texts look at John six John 6 verse 37 some of these passages will indeed be familiar to you but we ought to see them in their connection to this covenant of redemption John 637 Jesus says all that the father gives me will come to me when does the father give these to the sought in this eternal transaction in this covenant of redemption in this Ephesians 14 scenario just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world it's not the case that in the first century God snapped his cosmic fingers and all of these people just come a-runnin to Jesus know when he says all that the father gives me will come to me it is with reference to this eternal transaction notice in John 10 verses 27 to 29 John 10 verses 27 to 29 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any one snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand I and my father are one now note the practical import of the Covenant of redemption relative to our piece relative to our security relative to our stability relative to our perseverance in the faith note how Jesus indicates verse 29 my father who has given them to me in this eternal transaction called the Covenant of redemption my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand if by the grace of God you have believed the gospel of God that is in accordance with the eternal purpose of God and as a result you are safe you are secure you will not lose your salvation you will not fall away you will not finally be lost you will not apostatize you will not defect the father and the son holds you in their sovereign and blessed hand the Covenant of redemption secures this for the elect of God most high notice in John 17 and verse 2 John 17 and the high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus verse 1 father the hour has come Worf I your son that your son also make Laura Phi you as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him the Christ has comprehensive sovereignty over all flesh does indeed Christ is the second person of the triune God Christ as mediatorial King has all authority in heaven and on earth Christ has been exalted to the right hand of the Father he has absolute authority but note there is this subset of persons note that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him in this eternal transaction wherein the father gave to the Sun a specific number for whom Jesus died we consider the relationship between the father and the son we noticed secondly the conditions imposed upon the Sun in every covenant there are conditions Adam was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil this was the condition in that Covenant of works well for Christ's there are conditions in the Covenant of redemption John Owen volume 12 speaks of three the first place that he should take on him the nature of those whom he was to bring to God you see that is primary Jesus must be incarnate Jesus must assume our nature Jesus must take on the likeness of sinful flesh again accepting sin Hebrews 2 16 and 17 indicates this he does not give aid to angels the give aid there rather is he doesn't take on angels rather he takes on the seed of Abraham the idea behind that as he assumes our nature he becomes one of us accepting said he becomes a man he becomes as I mentioned this morning a baby he crawls he toddles he eats he we see he is weary according the form of a servant Christ identifies holy and fully and completely and totally with us in the Incarnation so that he can execute this role as covenant mediator according to the promise given by Christ to the father in this eternal transaction the second condition that in his body or human nature he should be a servant or yield obedience we saw that the reading at the outset of worship in Isaiah 42 1 Jesus is the servant of Yahweh Philippians chapter 2 verse 7 tells us that he or that he made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men so the Lord Christ in his body he was a servant to yield obedience and then the third thing he should suffer and undergo what injustice is due to him that he was to deliver in other words Christ must take the punishment that his do for these elect Isaiah 53 and verse 10 Isaiah 53 and verse 10 showing again the relationship between the father and the son we've seen the father gave this on a definite number of people were concerned now with the conditions imposed upon the Son and Isaiah 53 10 it pleased your way 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 as well in the section that we read at the before the sermon in Hebrews chapter 10 we may turn there Hebrews chapter 10 where these things are seen citing Psalm 40 Christ the mediator speaking in terms of this particular Psalm verse 5 sacrifice and offering you did not desire but a body you have prepared for me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure then I said behold I have come and the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will Oh God and then in verse 10 by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Jesus in his death satisfied divine justice satisfied the father's justice and thus rendered an acceptable sacrifice to God on behalf of all of the alack so the father gave to the Sun the conditions imposed upon the Sun thirdly the obedience of the Sun to the Father the scriptures everywhere testify that Christ did in fact obey his father and incidentally several of the tax it will look at just a moment come from John I would submit every tax where Jesus refers to being sent by the father you ought to hear that covenant elite you ought to hear that in terms of this covenant of redemption he is sent by the father why to be a great example to be a new religious teacher to be just another faithful rabbi in Israel in the first century no to execute the obligation that is his by virtue of this eternal transaction so the Sun obeys the father the servant of the Lord prophecies in Isaiah foretold that he would obey the father but then note in John's Gospel specifically the sons affirmation disobedience to the father again there are several here we probably won't look at all of them John to 16 and 17 when he cleanses the temple the outset of his ministry verse 16 in chapter 2 he said to those who sold doves take these things away do not make my father's house at a house of merchandise that his disciples remember that it was written zeal for your house is eating me up what move Christ what was Christ about in his earthly ministry zeal for the house of God moved him zeal for the house of God ate him up zeal for the house of God consumed in the glory of his father obedience to his father the honor and the exaltation and the majesty of his father protected we can certainly learn in these several passages how we likewise ought to pursue these things Jesus Christ took obedience to his father seriously and we ought to be very thankful he dead John 6 38 39 for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me this is the will of the father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day chapter 8 verse 29 showing and demonstrating the sons obedience to the Father in this covenant context the covenant of redemption John 8 29 and he who sent me is with me the father has not left me alone notice for I always do those things that please him you know why you're going to have it because Jesus always did what pleased the father we don't always do what leaves the father we ask God's people don't always do what pleases the father we can't get out of bed without having displeased the father it is because of Christ's obedience to the Father which we will call his act of obedience during his earthly ministry that is why we go to heaven you see this has been said many times in this pulpit we not only need the lot of Jesus Christ to wash us from our sin and bring forgiveness but we need the righteousness of Christ imputed to us which is received by faith alone so that we are fit to stand in the presence of God it is this covenant of redemption that provides the arena for the outworking of the active obedience of Jesus Christ notice in John 8 55 there will later be a quiz by the way that's what you're going to do when you have your soup and your sandwich before we go to lynnwood you'll get a hundred question quiz to make sure that you're paying attention and you're getting all of these texts notice in John 8 55 yet you have not known him but I know him and if i say i do not know him i shall be a liar like you but i do know him and get this he keeps his word Christ obeyed the father Christ did what was called it was called to do Christ in accordance to this eternal transaction always does what the father has commanded notice in John 10 18 John 1018 no one takes it from me but I lay it down at myself speaking of his life I have power to lay it down I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father John 12 27 and 28 now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour father glorify your name then a voice came from heaven saying I have both glorified a tent will glorify it again and John 14 and verse 31 you get the point Jesus is sent by the father so idea of being sent by the father smacks of coven ental arrangement but when he sent by the father he'll bay's the father he does what the father says according to this eternal transaction compacted by the members of the Trinity for the salvation of god alack 1431 but that the world may know that I love the father and as the father gave me commandment so I do you can notice 15 10 and 17 for as well and then the apostolic testimony concerning the sun's obedience back to Hebrews 10 Hebrews chapter 10 prophetically in the psalter Psalm 40 it spoke of Christ in this particular mission of redemption and here this is cited applied to Christ by the author and note the specific emphasis in verse 7 on what is the active obedience of our Lord Jesus then I said behold I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your Will O God Christ does this because we did not Christ death his passive obedience is certainly essential for the cleansing of our sins the forgiveness is wrought by that sacrificial act of our beloved Lord but we need a righteousness we need to receive that wedding garment we need to be clothed God always demanded demands righteousness and this is what Christ provides in this coven ental context of the Covenant of redemption and then the father rewards the son for his obedience the father rewards the son for his obedience just one text here you can turn to Ephesians chapter 1 now that doesn't mean there's just one text but because we need time for that quiz we want to make sure we don't go too late Ephesians chapter 1 Paul demonstrating what is the power and the greatness of God it is displayed in the first place at the exaltation of our Lord Jesus notice in 119 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and Dominion and every name that his name not only in this age but also in that which is to come and he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him fills all in all how does the father view the work of the Lord Jesus Christ such that he exalts him to his right hand and gives him universal Authority and universal Dominion the other text obviously is in Philippians chapter 2 therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name so that relationship between the father and the son is biblical data in support of this doctrine of the Covenant of redemption the second place coven ental language is used with reference to the father and the son back to Hebrews notice in Hebrews chapter 7 specifically the word oath is covenantal in nature certainly it has other applications but it's certain or it is the case that within covenant oath-bound promises promises that have teeth are involved and God swore with an oath or God made an oath that it was his son that would be the mediator notice in 720 and in as much as he was not made priest without an oath for they have become priests without an oath but he with an oath by him who said to him the Lord is sworn and will not relent you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant so both within the various passages that deal with the father and the Son the speak of this covenant of redemption as well Jesus oftentimes in his ministry refers to God as God he refers to his father as God John Owen notes specifically for Ferguson commenting on one says he argues that wherever the father is called God by the Sun a covenantal relationship is indicated over and above the eternal relationship between the first and second persons of the Trinity there are several passages of course where Jesus refers to the father as God thirdly covenantal language covenantal concepts are seen in the Prophet Zechariah Zechariah chapter 6 the reference to the council of peace two ways to take this particular statement certainly the one way evidences or confirms our understanding of the Covenant of redemption notice in Zechariah 612 behold the man whose name is the branch from his place he shall branch out and he shall build the temple of the Lord yes he shall build the temple of the Lord he shall bear the glory and she'll sit and rule on his throne so he shall be a priest on his throne and the council the peace shall be between them both this council of peace between them both Yahweh and the branch Yahweh and the Sun Yahweh the father and this covenant mediator who would be the temple builder in this new covenant setting as well I'm an int'l language in Luke 22 Luke 22 Jesus covenants a kingdom to his children remember he was before this cause i was born Jesus says to be a king will note at the upper and the Last Supper in Luke's Gospel Luke a Luke 22 28 but you are those who have continued with me in my trials and I bestow upon you a kingdom just as my father bestowed one upon me the word bestowed there is the word oftentimes translated as coven ented fact wit seus in his economy of the covenant between God and man translates it this way and this is accurate and I engage by covenant unto you a kingdom as my father has half engaged by a covenant unto me you see the point here in this second heading is there is covenantal language used with reference to the father and the son this bespeaks of this covenant of redemption this council of peace this eternal transaction compacted by the person's of the Trinity about the salvation of the elect and then the last aspect of covenantal language is obedience the obedience of Christ it's not what Paul specifies highlights indicates and demonstrates over and over in Romans 5 it is through the one man's disobedience Adam the first that we die it is through Adam the second Christ the Lord through his obedience the many live fact you can turn their Romans chapter 5 verses 12 to 19 actually let's just pick up at verse 18 therefore ask through one man's offense judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation even so through one man's righteous Act the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life for as by one man's disobedience again this is Adam the first in the garden with the Covenant of works by one man's disobedience many were made sinners now the made isn't necessarily transformative the idea is imputed the idea is legal the idea is forensic notice what he goes on to say so also by one man's obedience many will be made or constituted righteous why stress this Paul because Paul was a federal theologian because Paul held to and taught covenant theology because Paul saw life and saw the universe relative to two men Adam the first and Adam the second it's because of the obedience of Adam the second that all in all in him have life they are made or they are constituted as righteous of Christ in his life offered up obedience to the Father and that in accordance with this covenant of redemption Birkhoff has a very interesting statement here very blessed statement listen to what he says he says though the Covenant of redemption is the eternal basis of the covenant of grace and as and as far as sinners are concerned also its eternal prototype it was for Christ a Covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace he see Christ is obeying in accordance with the Covenant of redemption we benefit from the Covenant of redemption in terms of the covenant of grace but we need to remember that for Christ as birkoff says here the covenant of redemption was a Covenant of works he must obey he must go to the cross he must die he must be surety he must be priests he must be victim as well Birkhoff says for him the law of the original covenant applied namely that eternal life could only be obtained by meeting the demands of the law as the last Adam Christ obtains eternal life for sinners in reward for faithful obedience and not at all as an unmerited gift of grace you see we oftentimes affirm that salvation is by grace apart from works yes apart from our works but not apart from Jesus works jesus paid it all Jesus obeyed the father Jesus never disobeyed his parents jesus never stole jesus never lusted upon a woman in his heart jesus never coveted jesus never lied jesus never engaged in idolatry jesus never had a blasphemous thought what once a a blasphemous word and jesus never brought this habit was a covenant of warrants for him the covenant of redemption so when we talk about salvation apart from words always realize we mean apart from our works somebody worked and somebody worked well and somebody worked perfectly in order to secure for us ovation by grace through faith in that one who worked Birkhoff says in what he has done as the representative and surety of all his people they are no more in duty bound to do the work has been done the reward is merited and believers are made partakers of the fruits of Christ's accomplished work through grace it's blessed observation and one that we ought to keep at the forefront of our mind that the Covenant of redemption was in fact the Covenant of works for our Lord Jesus and then in the final place the pre temporal foundation of the work of the Sun we only need to go to one place Ephesians 1 for this particular statement Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 to 14 won't read the whole text you'll remember that Mike Kirkpatrick preached on that when he was here during a summer internship I'm sure that's all very familiar in your head and mind what's Paul doing he's praising the father it was blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ why because he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that is the pre temporal foundation that is the covenant of redemption that is this eternal transaction note Paul statement Ephesians 3 specifically verses 10 and 11 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord so those are several lines a biblical data that support this theological construct called the Covenant of redemption that has confessional status in the second London Baptist confession of faith chapter 7 paragraph 3 chapter 8 paragraph 1 that eternal transaction that compact that covenant between the person's of the of the triune God to save his people from their sins in terms of the practical benefit as we close I've already mentioned that it has rightly been said that salvation is apart from works the Bible teaches that Paul teaches that he highlights that but Paul expects you to understand your works not Christ's words we need Christ's word we need the fact that that Psalm 40 man that Hebrews 10 man says to do I came to do your will Oh God we need that act of obedience imputed to us and received by faith alone we need what Christ accomplished at the cross so that we may stand before the Lord God most high Birkhoff says it was for Christ a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace so with reference to the Incarnation the Incarnation was the means by which Christ assumed our nature see it's really glorious when you start to piece it together like this you start to see it you know persons outside of the church and unfortunately a time some in the church don't see how the Bible gels together they don't see the big picture they see individual trees and the florist but they never fly over the forest and the helicopter and go wow its massive glorious beautiful look at all the pieces hold together look at how they relate to one another look at how we have movement from eternity past into the present look at when a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and he comes to the Savior and surety that is according to the eternal purpose of God it is good to connect these theological dots it is good to see the comprehensive plan of God it is good to move from a warm time in December to the reality that the incarnation was the means by which our Lord assumed our nature in order to carry out his role according to that eternal transaction and acted by the person's of the triune God it was in that role it was in our nature it was in that state of humiliation under the law that provided the arena for Christ's active obedience to the law of God and as well it was in that nature that Christ died was in that nature according to his humanity our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross suffered our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross across bled our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross gave up his spirit he said people in the resurrection the exaltation of Christ therein is the demonstration that the father is well pleased with the sun's obedience he confers upon in this position of authority and it's as a result that the Spirit comes and blesses and brings these things to bear upon the elect of God Ferguson says in the Covenant of redemption therefore the wisdom justice and grace of God can be seen as well as the reason for the special honor and exaltation of Christ as mediator now those who know me you know me well this is one of my favorite quotes of all times by John Flavel I'll close here I call this head the flavel inspired worship do the flavel inspired worship do in other words after you hear this quote you reflect upon the various lines of data we've offered tonight as you go home tonight as you think about this tomorrow as you think about this in your week as I hope you will not because I preached it but because it's concerning our beloved and blessed trinity you will consider these things and be moved to worship be moved to honor God be moved to glorify Him and to live in light of this blessed reality that you find yourself in flavel comments concerning the Covenant of redemption he personifies the Sun he personifies the father first his father this is how he reckons it went in this eternal transaction my son here is a company of poor miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lie open to my justice justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them what shall be done for these souls and thus Christ returns o my father such as my love to and pity for them that rather than they shall perish eternally I will be responsible for them as their surety bring in all thy bills that I may see what they owe thee Lord bring them all in that there may be no after reckonings with them at my hand shalt thou require it I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it upon me my father upon me be all their debt but my son if thou undertake for them thou must reckon to pay the last might expect no abatements if I spare them I will not spare thee content father let it be so charge it all upon me I am able to discharge it and though it proved a kind of undoing to me though it impoverish all my riches empty all my treasures yet I am content to undertake it amen let us pray my father in heaven we thank you for this eternal transaction we thank you that you've ordained the Lord Christ as Covenant mediator we thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in a lying when Jesus accomplished to the elect and thank you and we praise you that you've included us in this blessed number god help us to meditate upon these things help us to see our salvation relative to your comprehensive plan and may it humble us and may it cause us to stand and Wonder and in awe and with worship and adoration and praise to our great God we ask that you would go with us now we pray that you'd watch over us in this coming week we pray Lord God that you would be glorified in our lives and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation then I'll come back up and give thanks for the food and then persons can go upstairs and eat you