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After the service, I'd like you 
to introduce me to that man you just described. I'm only five years older than 
Pastor Butler. I've never looked at myself as 
his father. I know where you get those metaphors 
from. It's just a joy to be here with 
the royal priests, the pastors. You know, I travel five to seven 
times a year, normally in Second London Confession circles. There's 
nothing like this that I've seen. I've seen the fruit of this, 
you know, established associations, healthy churches, good relationships, 
not only between the pastors, but with the saints, members 
in the churches. And then if you're like our association, 
we're 30, almost 40 years old. There's marriages, there's grandchildren, 
and pretty soon there's gonna be great-grandchildren cross-pollinated 
between the churches. So somehow get the churches together 
and you'll have great-in-laws and kids and grandkids. To the 
church, Steve and Leslie aren't here, 
but the first time I came, it was probably 1994, 95. I stayed 
with them, and it's really developed since then. But to the church, 
I want to say thank you for your support of our church plant. It still feels like we're still 
planting 12 years in, but your church has supported us from 
the beginning, and except for our deacon having a problem cashing 
the check. We are very thankful for that. And then I should say 
something to Jim, but I said it all the other night, and we 
got all emotional and all that stuff. 
I can say this, though. Jim is one of my heroes. I don't 
know of any man in the ministry that works as hard as him. I'm 
sure there is somebody. He's probably dead. And he's 
going to die, too, probably in the pulpit. I don't wanna, I 
need to tell you that I'm not gonna do that, because I am five 
years older than him and I don't wanna put my neck out during 
the sermon. Who gives themselves during sermons like Jim? I mean, he's, you remember that 
time you were preaching in the evening? Just going, he had glasses 
on, boom. Second rows, glasses fly out 
there. Guess what he did? Just kept going. God has blessed 
his labors here. And you know what? The pastor's 
labors are blessed because he has dear saints that serve. And this is a culture created 
not just by the preaching, but by the preaching going through 
you and then going out from you and showing your love to all 
the saints. That conference was sweet. I want to bottle it up, 
and this morning, I want to bottle it up and take it home and spread 
it on to my people. But it's been a joy to be here, 
and I'm going to be preaching from the Gospel of John, not 
to correct anything Pastor Butler has preached, but to support 
what he's already said. And it will be something he's 
preached, the text will, in the last few months. John chapter 
12, I doubt Pastor Butler concentrated on Like eight words, I preach 
sermons on one word, a series of sermons on two words, okay? I wanna concentrate on, the title 
of my sermon, by the way, is Very Man, colon space, Now My 
Soul Is Troubled. That comes in John 12, 27, I'll 
be looking at John 12, 27, and 28, and I'll set it in context 
and all that. to support, I am sure, what was 
proclaimed from this pulpit a few months ago on this text, not 
to divert from it, not to try to undercut Pastor Butler, but 
I listened to most of the lectures on Of Christ the Mediator, Pastor 
Butler gave some of those, and then the aging Cam Porter. gave the others, and those were 
wonderful. I mean, I'm going, these are 
really good. These people are spoiled. It's really good stuff, 
not a typical Sunday school stuff. And so I'm sure that in light 
of that, I'm going to say nothing new. But what I want to concentrate 
on is the fact that our confession of faith says, very God, on the 
one hand, very man, the person of the son, who was God and is 
God assumes a human nature. So there's yet one Christ, but 
two natures united in the one person, the Godhood, the manhood. Here we have a glimpse of the 
manhood. Now my soul is troubled. Whatever that is, it doesn't 
sound like divinity does this. So, since he is very man, this 
must refer to his humanity. The son, according to his human 
nature, while on the earth, was troubled. At first that sounds 
odd, especially in singing some of the psalms we sing about not 
only the sufferings, but the glory of the mediator. and his 
victory over sin, and death, and resurrection, and ascension, 
his current session, and the gospel going out to the nations. 
But when he was in a state of humiliation, that's between the 
womb and the tomb, he said things like this, now my soul is troubled. I want to set this at least briefly 
in the context there. Notice up in verses 20 and 21, 
Greeks want to see Jesus. I know what commentaries your 
pastor reads. I'm sure he said, made connections 
between Greeks and son of man. By the way, Jim, did you? Greeks 
are present and Jesus is using the title son of man again, which 
he did quite often more than anybody else. And if you trace 
it back, it's probably most likely, which means it is. The son of 
man in Daniel seven, I saw one, he had this vision of the future, 
one like a son of man ascending up to the ancient of days and 
glory was given to him and power and a kingdom and servants, nations 
would serve him. So it's talking about that. I 
think there's no accident that Greeks are here because something's 
going on that's gonna not only be to the Jew, but to the Greeks 
as well. So now there were certain Greeks 
among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came 
to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, 
Sir, we wish to see Jesus. I can hear Pastor Butler going 
off on that statement right there, but I won't say anything. Now 
watch what happens. Philip tells Andrew and they 
tell Jesus. Philip came and told Andrew and in turn, Andrew and 
Philip told Jesus. Then our Lord responds, verses 
23 and 24. But Jesus answered them saying, 
now it's almost like he's not oblivious, but he just kind of 
files it away. Okay, Greeks are here. I got 
something else more important than really engaging with these 
Greeks, but I think this is connected to it. But Jesus answered them 
saying, the hour has come, and here's the connection, that the 
son of man, he whom Daniel foresaw in the future is now here on 
the earth, that the son of man should be glorified. Most assuredly, 
I say to you, now this is odd, unless a grain of wheat falls 
into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, 
it produces much fruit. What do you think he's talking 
about? Jesus, death, burial, resurrection, and the bearing 
of fruit, by virtue of his sufferings and glory, by virtue of his death, 
burial, and resurrection, he's going to come out of the ground, 
and other things are ultimately going to come out of the ground, 
being his fruit, us at the resurrection harvest at the end. Then Jesus 
says three perplexing words in verses 25 and these perplexing 
words in verses 25 and 26. He who loves his life will lose 
it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for 
eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him 
follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone 
serves me, him my father will honor. Now, basically what I 
think he's doing there is he's calling true believers to live 
for him and not themselves. to give up living for creature 
comforts only and to serve him and not ourselves. And then comes 
these strange words that I wanna focus on. 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. So those are the words I wanna 
focus on, verse 27 and the first part of verse 28, and I'm gonna 
make some contextual observations before I share my outline with 
you. By the way, my outline is point one, point two, point three, 
and then point four. I have a PhD. 27A, 27B, 27C, 28A, if you want 
to follow along. But we got to put this in a, 
let me just kind of contextualize what's going on here. So our 
Lord just said, the hour has come. Readers of John know he 
has said, my hour has not come. But now he says, my hour has 
come. At least, you know, he's in the 11th hour. He's in the 
last hour of his ministry on the earth, the apex of his Incarnate 
work is right before him. Sufferings and then burial and 
resurrection and ascension. The time for his sufferings unto 
death and the time for his resurrection is soon to come about. And our 
Lord knew it. It's not that he's ignorant of 
it. He knew it. He read the Old Testament. He 
knew his identity and vocation, who he was and what he was to 
do, at least according to his human nature, partially due to 
the data contained in the Old Testament. The Son of Man will 
be glorified. He knew this because he knew 
Daniel 7 and other portions of the Old Testament. He will bear 
fruit due to his death and resurrection. He knew this He will have some 
who serve him. He knew that. And he just called 
them to live a life of self-sacrificial service, promising that those 
who serve him will be with him and honored by his father. Now, 
listen to this commentary from the 19th century. He had just 
now warned them against loving inordinately life, ease, and 
convenience, and had exhorted them to disregard it for his 
sake. And now he gives expression to 
his own self-sacrifice and shows how entirely he yields up his 
own life for men. So on the one hand, quit living 
for yourself, live for me, my father will honor you. On the 
other hand, watch me do the very thing I'm calling you to do, 
give myself up for others. But a perplexing thing happens. 
You don't have that victorious chant from our Lord right now. 
You got a, now my soul is troubled. I mean, if we're there watching, 
knowing what we know, actually not knowing all that we know, 
we might go, what? You just told your people to 
live a self-sacrificial life, and now you're wimping out right 
before the best part of your ministry on the earth? Now your 
soul is troubled? This is potentially troubling, 
right? He's the rock and foundation 
of our salvation. I got this thought from Augustine. 
And I'm supposed to lay my head on him, and he's trembling right 
before the greatest work, the apex of his work in one sense, 
so far, the assumption of our debts. So it just seems like a twist 
in the story that we've got to untangle it. So here are my four 
points. One, verse 27a, We are told of 
the inner state of our Lord's human soul. Very man, remember? 
I think this is a display of manhood. By the way, our confession, 
very God, very man. Do you think they made those 
terms up? No. Where'd they get them? Probably 
from creeds earlier. Where'd the creeds get them? 
Bible. Does the Bible teach Jesus is 
very God? Yes. Where? In a lot of places. So when you have two words, very 
God, it's summarizing massive swaths of scriptural Teaching, 
right? That's what confessions and creeds 
do, if they're any good. Same with very man. Does the 
Bible teach the very manhood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Where? 
All over the place. And in our case, verse 27a, now my soul is troubled. So our Lord gives us, through 
the writing of John, a glimpse into his soul. It's troubled. 
At first sight, this is troubling. or I want to make it troubling 
in your mind. It's troubled? Haven't you read the Old Testament? 
You're going to suffer and then enter into glory. Matter of fact, 
you taught us you can reduce the Old Testament to a twofold 
motif, sufferings and glory. Glory. Glory is before you. Glory 
is awaiting you. you're gonna earn a status of 
existence for human nature and bestowed upon us that's better 
than created status and certainly better than the fallen status 
and you're right on the edge of doing that and you're troubled. 
This is troubling, at least I'm trying to make it troubling in 
your mind. The hour has come And he's troubled. At the other times, the hour 
has not come. My hour has not come. He left 
them. He went out the back door to 
not to die prematurely. Now he knows the hour has come, 
this apex of his sufferings, which is going to affect, affect, 
change, alter all of his sheep throughout all the ages. At least 
it's the basis for it. And he's troubled. Here's Augustine. 
Now is my soul troubled. What does it mean? You like it 
when he does that. Pray tell, what does it mean? 
How biddest thou my soul follow thee if I behold thee thine own 
troubled? Remember, don't live for yourself, 
23 and 24 or whatever the verses are. And then his soul's troubled. 
And Augustine's going, this doesn't, you're telling me to live in 
a way that you're not gonna live. Your soul's troubled. What is 
the kind of foundation I can seek if the rock is giving way. In other words, you just called 
your people to radical self-sacrifice, and now, facing self-sacrifice, 
your soul is troubled, your soul is trembling, your soul is agitated. That his human soul was troubled 
is clear. The text says it. But I have 
a question. Why is it troubled? You know, 
we gotta dig in a little deeper here. Instead of just saying, 
he was troubled, I'm gonna ask some questions. We're gonna do 
some contemplation. We're going to do theology. What 
a novel idea. Why is this soul troubled? It 
must be due to the contemplation of what he was about to suffer, 
right? He's contemplating something 
in the really near future, and it's affecting him according 
to his human nature. He's contemplating circumstances 
outside of himself, that when they come, he knows are going 
to be a big challenge. And it's agitating his soul at 
the moment. Now, is our Lord simply scared 
to die? Have you ever thought of that? He's just scared to 
die. Now, if that's the case, He seems to be showing less courage 
than some who would suffer martyrdom for his cause in the future. 
We've read the stories. You're reading that book. I forgot 
what it's called, but you've read the stories of saints dying 
under horrible circumstances, singing hymns. So now it looks 
like if Jesus is just afraid of dying, that he doesn't even 
have the courage that his people have. So I don't think that's 
the answer. Many of us have read about those 
stories and concluded, God came to their aid in the hour of their 
greatest need and gave them grace to die well. We don't want to 
conclude. God did not come to the aid of 
the Son of God incarnate and heaven did not help him die well. 
He died terribly with sin in his heart. He trembled at the 
cross and the wrath to come. and he didn't do well with this. This was actually a device of 
the devil that tempted him to be derailed, and he derailed 
the Son of God. We're not going that way, right? 
This can't be sin. And then if we... back up a little and say, he 
became man for us and for our salvation. Can we ask the question, 
is this trembling, whatever it is, and for whatever reason it 
is, is it somehow for us and for our salvation? That is, is 
Jesus not doing something here that benefits us and doing something 
else that benefits us? You know what I'm gonna say? 
Yes, and I'll try to show you that in a moment. It was not a shrinking from mere 
bodily sufferings, quoting somebody, for he had exhorted his disciples 
to boldness and endurance in the face of every torture. So 
it can't be that he's violating the mandates he gave his own 
people in the verses right before it. It can't be that. Be courageous, 
but I'm not going to be courageous. If that's true, you can have 
that kind of a Jesus. That's not our Savior. Here's another question. Why is his soul troubled if not 
for his soon coming bodily sufferings? So I'm saying, it looks to me 
like his soul is troubled, whatever that means, in light of bodily 
sufferings. Now, one man says it was an inward 
overcoming sense of the divine wrath which he had to endure 
as a substitute for sinners. See what he just did? He says, 
it's not merely the bodily sufferings. He realized there was an anguish 
of soul that was coming upon him that was, and the deepest 
stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice gave, and 
I think it might be capitalized, Divine justice, you know, executed 
upon the Son of God on the cross. That's the contemplation. That's 
the agony. He well knew Isaiah 53.6, for 
example. The Lord has laid on him the 
iniquity of us all. And Isaiah 53.10. Yet it pleased 
the Lord to crush him. He was He has put him to grief 
when you made his soul an offering for sin. He has put him to grief. That's Isaiah 53. Servant Oracle 
fulfilled in our Lord Jesus. Surely he knew Isaiah 53. Surely he knew that grief, that 
sense of soul, that something's wrong with circumstances in my 
life, something's averse to my security and tranquility. I think 
this is what troubled him. In fact, I think I already quoted 
this. stricken, smitten, and afflicted. Many hands were raised 
to wound him. None would interpose to save. 
But the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice 
gave." It is capitalized, by the way. So our Lord was at this 
moment contemplating the stroke that justice would give him. He was contemplating becoming 
a curse for the cursed. He was musing upon his damnation, 
exhausting death. And this is what troubled his 
soul. Right. So far, so good. All right. Here's another question. 
Since his soul was troubled, did he sin? Because I can see myself in a 
similar situation where I know death's going to come upon me 
and my soul's going to be troubled. But you know what I would do 
with that infliction upon me, with that troubled soul? I would 
probably sin a lot. You know, not a little. Is that 
how you do it? Sin a lot. Like a lot, a lot. Like we sin way more than we 
realize. We're way worse than we realize and God is way, way 
better than we'll ever know. So did he sin? We know the answer 
theologically, no. But let's work through this. 
Is it a sin to contemplate a horrible future event and be agitated 
by it, be troubled by it? Some of you ladies have been 
pregnant. The first time, you've never 
been there. Second time, you're going, oh 
my. So do you ever get agitated before you give birth, contemplating 
six months of sweating more, twice as much as you usually 
sweat? You probably do. I'm already 
agitated about a doctor's appointment I have to go to in June. But 
in light of this last week, and staying up too late, and eating 
way too much, I think I'm going to call and say, move it to August 
so I can lose some weight. We foresee events coming upon 
us and we don't always do well with them, right? It is natural 
to human nature to be affected by such thoughts. It's not an 
unnatural thing. You know, our Lord assumed very 
manhood, this side of the fall into sin, with all the infirmities 
of living in a sinful world, yet without sin. Right? So we know he can't be sinning. 
Listen to Cyril of Alexandria. He said this long ago. You've 
probably never heard of him. He probably quotes him every 
week, right, in the John series. The Lord is troubled by what 
he thinks and anticipates. He is not yet on the cross, but 
he experiences mental anguish ahead of time as he looks ahead 
to what is going to happen and endures by his rational faculty 
the thought of future events. Yeah, but we're asking the question, 
is it a sin for our Lord, according to his human nature, to be troubled 
about the impending curse he's going to become for the cursed. True or false? Did our Lord hunger? True. Yes, excuse me. True or 
false? Our Lord hungered. True. True 
or false? Therefore, our Lord sinned. False. Did he weep? True. Did he sin? No. Did he thirst? Yes. Did he sin? No. Was he sorrowful of soul? Yes. Did he sin? No. But we're still 
trying to figure out what is all this stuff? He did all that 
other stuff and didn't sin. Here our Lord's soul was troubled, 
but did not sin. Just think if he sinned. Give 
me another savior. I need a third Adam, right? The last Adam failed, so give 
me another Adam. because we don't need an Adam 
that sins. We need somebody who does not 
sin. Why do we need somebody representing 
us who does not sin? Because we need somebody to obey 
the law as a covenant of works for us personally, perpetually, 
and perfectly on our behalf. Do you think maybe Jesus is actually obeying the law of 
God here, he's not sinning, and he's procuring through his obedience 
a righteous standing in relation to it, that he's gonna confer 
on others? If he is, that's pretty good 
news, because I've found myself in situations where I'm foreseeing 
an event that I know is coming my way, unless divine providence 
points it in a different direction, and I don't do well with it. 
I don't pray like I should, and even when I pray, I don't pray, and then I pray 
and don't pray like I should, and then I have to confess my 
sins of praying with a distracted heart about this event that's 
coming upon me, and then I should probably read the Bible more 
and call a brother or sister and say, hey, I got this thing 
that's coming, could you help me? Could you bear a burden? 
I don't do that either. If you haven't figured it out, 
we're a lot alike. We sin with events in our lives 
that overcome us, and we transgress the law of God. So here's what 
I'm saying. Tempted in all points as we are, We can, there's solidarity with 
our Lord there, but there's not solidarity with the next statement. Yet without sin. We need a yet 
without sin last Adam. And that's what I believe we 
have here in our Lord. Now the preachers are going, 
he just got off the notes. He has no idea where he is. Yes. Okay, he hungered, he thirsted, 
all those without sin. Here he's anguished of soul without 
sin. Here's Matthew Poole. Christ 
was capable of no sinful trouble. He was capable of and experienced 
a troubled soul, but he was not capable of sinful trouble, sinful 
agitation. Sinful concern. Our troubles 
are upon reflections for our own sin and the wrath of God 
due to us. Our troubles are because we have 
personally sinned against God. His was because those give it 
to him had sinned against God. Our troubles have mixtures of 
despair, distrust, sinful horrors. There was no such thing in his 
trouble. His trouble was in the very nature 
of it, not only pure and clean. Have you ever read these words? The 
next two words are wonderful. Not only pure and clean, but 
also sanitative and healing. What in the world does pool mean 
by that? Okay, his sorrows, we have them. Ours are fraught with 
distrust and, you know, sometimes atheistic thoughts. We don't 
do well with trials. His were pure and holy, but not 
only were they pure and holy because he's a spotless lamb, 
but they're also sanitative and healing. What does that mean? 
You've heard it, your pastor and Kim has said it. What is 
not assumed is not healed. I think that's what Mr. Poole's 
getting at, but I'm raining on my own parade, so let's keep 
going. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. A man of sorrows acquainted with 
grief. Here's Isaiah 53 terminating 
on our Lord right here. Second point, I'll go faster 
on the other ones. 27b, we have a question and its 
answer in the form of a question. And what shall I say? Father, 
save me from this hour. Forgive me, I didn't read it 
right the first time. It should be read that way, right? Like, 
should I say this? And if I read it this way, and 
what should I say? Father, save me from this hour. Or better read this way. And what shall I say? Father, 
save me from this hour. So he's saying, no, I shouldn't 
say that. So here's actually a glimmer 
of hope for us. He's troubled, and yet this comes 
out of his mouth. What shall I say? Save me from 
this hour? Of course not. He doesn't get derailed. You 
think there is a temptation to be derailed from his messianic 
mission here? I think so. Though our Lord was 
troubled, acquainted with grief, he was not derailed. He composed 
his troubled, grieving soul at this crucible of, I think, temptation. He conquered the temptation to 
be derailed from the will of God that the thought of the horror 
of his impending wrath bearing death presented to him. We do 
not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, 
but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. It is as if our Lord were saying, 
shall I request of my father to help me abandon my mission? 
He checks his soul quickly yet without sinning. I think that's 
what's happening there. Have you ever checked your soul 
and yet kept on sinning? Yeah. you know, an impending 
dark cloud that you know is coming your way, or a difficulty in 
life's coming your way, we don't always handle those situations 
rightly. We're tempted to really send 
it up, and sometimes we give in to those temptations, and 
we violate the law of God, and therefore are guilty. We incur 
His guilt, which is, by the way, the just liability unto punishment. God owes us punishment for all 
of our transgressions, but not only that, when we get in those 
situations and don't handle it well in sin, like those terrible 
moments when somebody pulls in front of you on a freeway. And 
you know that 85-year-old woman was waiting on the sidelines 
when you came out. She did it perfectly, personally 
against you on purpose, and you honked the horn and maybe do 
other gestures and things like that and say foul things. She's 
85. She didn't see you. We don't 
handle some situations very well, right? A lot of pressure there, 
an 85-year-old woman pulling in front of you. Don't you know 
who I am? It's a silly illustration, but 
that the shoe fits, wear it, and it probably does for some 
of us, especially people in the front row. So I don't, I think 
this is a, we learn from the Lord Jesus. I told him I was 
going to get him. He's on the front row. By the 
way, I reserve the right to get any row, so don't laugh. I could 
come after you. This is our Lord being holy, 
not simply because he's the incarnate son of God. He's being holy in 
accordance with the law of God. This side of the fall into sin, 
he's being attacked by the devil. He's having temptations come 
his way and he stands against them and obeys and procures righteousness 
for us. He became man for us and for 
our salvation. Third point in 27C, we have a 
rebuttal of the question and its answer. But for this purpose, 
I came to this hour. Okay, so he's going, I'm not 
gonna do that. Ask the Father to help me, you 
know, get derailed off my mission. The Holy One here is committed 
to his holy mission after all. So see what just happened? He 
could be troubled and not sin and still fulfill his mission. I came to this hour for the very 
purpose of suffering for my sheep. I came to this hour for their 
very purpose to suffer in their place, to stand condemned for 
them, to bear their guilt. And on the way, I need to take 
their duties and live according to the divine 
law for them as well. My sheep must and will be set 
free from their guilt. I've appeared to destroy the 
works of the devil, and that is what I will do." I think this 
is a triumphant statement by our Lord. I'm not gonna ask that. 
For this very purpose is the incarnation, to go suffer for 
them and to earn eternal life for them. And the last point 
of the sermon is, It's 1228A. We have a prayer request. Father, 
glorify your name. This is good news, actually. Have you ever prayed and then 
afterwards realized, nah, that was selfish, that my prayer was 
tainted with sin? Micah does all the time. He's 
the first one that responded to that. Of course we've done 
that, right? Do you think Jesus prayed sometimes and afterwards 
going, Peter comes up to him, Lord, I was tainted with sin. 
And Jesus says, oh yeah, you're right. Yet without sin, even 
the prayer is holy. By the way, did you think the 
Lord, according to human nature, prayed merely because he was 
a man or because he was a man on a mission for us and for our 
salvation? And as he passed through all 
the phases of human experience, he is being righteous, according 
to the law, because we've passed through all the phases of human 
experience and we were unrighteous in all of them, including our 
prayer life. Is his prayer life righteousness 
for us? The answer is, yes! We need his 
righteousness to cover our prayer lives. You guys are pretty pathetic 
if that's the way you are. We're all pretty, we're more 
pathetic than we'll ever realize. And God is way better. So here 
we have these words, Father glorify your name. In other words, use 
me to make thy name glorious over all the earth. Psalms, you 
know. Make much of your name through 
me. Daniel saw in a prophetic vision 
the future service of the Son of Man. I am that Son of Man. That which was future to Daniel 
is present in me. I am here to gain a kingdom. 
with people of all nations to serve me. Glorify your name. I'm going to die. I'm going to 
be buried. I'm going to be raised from the dead. And because of 
that death, burial, resurrection motif and the power of the work 
of Christ, it's going to affect others. Others will someday come 
out of the ground and be my fruit. But in the meantime, I'm going 
to rule and reign. And I have a people of not only 
Jews, but also those Greeks that were present there. And I, if 
I be lifted up from the earth, will draw Jews and Gentiles from 
all over the time periods of the world to myself and all over 
the geographic areas of the world. Okay, so now we have the, the 
Puritans would say now time for uses or application. I abominate 
the word application. So I use the word contemplation. 
Now we're gonna, I did the exegesis, now we're gonna do theology, 
okay? That wasn't theology, that was 
just exegesis. Now we're gonna contemplate, 
we're gonna think about this. Very man is what I wanna kinda extract 
from this text. So first of all, by the way, 
sometimes people go, that sermons, the pastor doesn't preach practical 
sermons. A lot of times what they mean 
is, he doesn't tell me what to do every Sunday. Like, buy Fords instead of Chevys, 
or whatever. In other words, I don't have 
a guru who mingles into my personal affairs and crosses the line 
of Christian liberty. And some people like that. Pastor 
Butler's not that way, I know. So, one of the ways I steer away 
from that, you know, you want to have a good marriage, take 
your wife out once a week, buy her flowers twice a month and 
all that stuff. Where's that in the Bible? I can give that 
counsel on the phone. Mormons can give that counsel 
too, right? It's not like distinctly Christian. So let's do a distinctly 
Christian thing and think so as to worship, contemplate, muse, 
throw the things we've learned so far around and try to put 
them in a little different order to draw something from us that 
doesn't necessarily make you want to go out and do stuff this 
way, and what makes you want to do stuff this way? By the 
way, the more we do stuff this way, we get the vertical, the 
more the love of neighbor comes out of us. So the first contemplation 
is we have here a clear indication of the true or real humanity 
of our Lord. Now my soul is troubled. No brainer. As man, our Lord 
had a soul, an immaterial part of his humanity. He was body 
and soul. He was very Man, our confession 
in 8.2 says, two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably 
joined together in one person without conversion, composition, 
or confusion. Which person is very God and 
very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between, excuse 
me, God and man? Then in 8-7, our confession says, 
says Christ in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures 
by each nature, doing that which is proper to itself. It is proper 
for the son, according to his human nature, the soul to be 
troubled while contemplating what our Lord contemplating. 
It is not proper for the son, according to his divine nature, 
to pray, for instance. Is that right, Cam? Yeah, that's 
right. Prayer is a creaturely thing. Prayer is not God, but 
the Son is God according to his divine nature. So this praying 
here must be according to his human nature. Our Lord was very 
man. That's my first contemplation. 
Second, we have here a clear indication that our Lord experienced 
true and real trouble or grief. How do we know? It's in red letters. He said it. Now my soul is troubled. This agitation of soul experienced 
by our Lord was real. It existed. He experienced that. By the way, does the Lord Jesus, 
according to his divine nature, experience things that alter 
his divine mind? No. Does the Lord Jesus, did 
the Lord Jesus, during his state of humiliation, experience things 
that altered him according to his human nature? Yes. This agitation of soul experienced 
by our Lord was real. Mention has been made already 
of Isaiah 53.3, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, very 
man. Our confession says, the Son of God did, when the fullness 
of time was come, take unto him man's nature with all the essential 
properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. So 
he took to himself creaturely liabilities, this side of the 
fall into sin, yet without sin. And then third and finally, it's 
always good to preach shorter sermons than longer ones on the 
road, in case they're bad. Having said that, it'll probably 
take me a half hour to land the plane. Let's think of this. We have here a clear indication 
that our Lord handled true and real trouble or grief yet without 
sin. The very man really grieved, 
and he didn't sin with it. I already quoted, I think, Hebrews 
4.15. We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our 
weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without 
sin. He was acquainted with grief 
yet without sin. Here's Cyril. The word of God 
united to himself the entire nature of man in order to save 
the whole of man. For what is not assumed is not 
healed. That's probably been quoted here 
dozens of times. For us and for our salvation, 
our Lord assumes body and soul. In terms of his soul, he experienced 
trouble or grief. In terms of his body, he experienced 
death. Here's Cyril again. Just as death 
was destroyed in no other way than the Savior died, so it is 
with each of the passions of the flesh. If he had not been 
troubled, our nature would not have been freed from fear. See 
what he's saying? He's saying, look, he's gotta 
go through all this stuff that we messed up in and not mess 
up. By the way, have you ever thought 
about this? You got a first Adam and a last Adam. Our confession 
says Adam and Eve were made perfect. And it's an old English word 
meaning mature or adults. The last Adam, begins his life 
on the earth, not as a mature adult, maybe he starts his ministry 
as a mature adult, but he comes in a womb. Why didn't the last 
Adam, in correspondence with the first Adam in the typology 
there, start as an adult? Why didn't he just pop out on 
the earth as a 30-year-old man, or however old he was? By the 
way, we're gonna be 30 in the eternal state, body and soul, 
just so you know, it's good news for some of us. Theory. How perfect or mature was Adam? 
Probably around, you know, Puritans would say 30 years and two months 
and six hours. Have you ever thought, why does 
the Son of God need to become incarnate in a womb? Couldn't 
he just have appeared incarnate adult? Here's what I think. I'm not 
the only one who thinks this. Cyril's getting at this. And 
some of you have heard of a man named Irenaeus, or Irenaeus. He has this theory of, it's called 
recapitulation, heading up again, doing things. The last Adam recapitulates, 
not only the first Adam's steps and doesn't sin, but all the 
other Adamites that he came to save who started in the womb. 
Where did we start sinning? Where do we need a representative 
to not sin for us in the, to not sin for us the first place? 
In a mother's womb, right? That's why I think the Lord Jesus, 
this last Adam comes as in the womb first, because where did, 
when did we start lying? We came out of the womb lying, 
you know, is it Psalm 53, 55, Psalm someplace. In sin my mother 
conceived me. We needed somebody to go through 
all the stages of life where we have failed and sinned and 
procure righteousness and under the very circumstances where 
we procured guilt and just condemnation. We needed Jesus to experience 
all the various stages of life, because some of you were rotten 
teenagers towards your parents, weren't you? Who are two of the 
sweetest, kindest people I know. They didn't deserve what I gave 
them. We needed Jesus not to sin as a teenager or a preteen 
or a six-year-old or a two-year-old. I'm looking at somebody behind 
you. Or a five-year-old or a 40-year-old or a, now somebody's gonna say, 
well, what about a 90-year-old? I don't, I haven't worked all 
that stuff out yet. But I do know this, he recapitulates the 
human experience in order to sanctify, to heal. What were 
those two words? Sanitive and healing. Sanitive and healing. Wow, those 
are good words, I like them. So just as death was destroyed 
in no other way than the Savior died, so it is with each of the 
passions of the flesh. If he had not been troubled, 
our nature would not have been freed from fear. If he had not 
grieved, there could never have been any deliverance from grief, 
because our grief is always sinful. He had holy grief. Therefore, 
he can deliver us from our grief. If he had not been troubled and 
alarmed, there would have been no escape from these conditions. 
For every human experience, you will find the same corresponding 
experience in Christ. The passions of the flesh are 
stirred up, however, not to overcome him as they do us, but so that 
once they are stirred up, they may be destroyed, transforming 
our nature to a better condition. Somebody help me. Amen. If that doesn't happen, there's 
massive gaps in our doctrine of salvation. We don't need a 
Savior that just deals with our guilt and suffers punishment 
for us. We need a Savior that deals with 
our lack of positive righteousness. in all the various experiences 
of life, the categories of life. Starting from the womb, going 
all the way to death. My God, my God, why hast thou 
forsaken me? Is that a complaint? A sinful 
complaint? Whatever it is, it's not that. 
We never sinned. We need Him to go through everything 
we go through and not mess it up. Not violate the law of God. not incur guilt to just liability 
to punishment. We need somebody born of a woman, 
somebody who assumes our nature, born under the law, who assumes 
our duties, in order that he might redeem us from the law, 
who assumes our liabilities. That's what we need. And you 
know what we have? That. He assumed our nature so that 
he could assume our duties and so he could assume our liabilities 
so that he could bring us safely into the presence of God. He's 
gonna bring many sons to glory, Hebrews 2.10, against all odds, 
against all enemies. And you know what? And against 
all our resistance. You know where Paul says, nothing. 
can separate us from the love of God. You read that list of 
things that can't separate us from the love of God, and you 
say, well, yeah, but it didn't say me in there, and I know me. 
I'm an idiot sometimes. I can separate myself from the 
love of God. Or any other created thing. Are 
you a created thing? Some people might deny whether 
you are, but we're all created things. We can't separate us 
from the love of God. He's got a plan of redemption 
and he's got enemies and he destroys them along the way. No judgment 
is of this world. Now the ruler of this world shall 
be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from 
the earth, I will draw all men to myself. He said this signifying 
by what death he would die. So this is Cyril, I think it's 
wonderful stuff. This is why we sing hymns like 
this. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness. You see what the hymn writer 
did? Blood shed for the remission of all our sins. The blood of 
Jesus Christ cleanses us from most of our sins. You didn't 
come here to hear that. All of our sins. Blood and righteousness. There's a connection there. His 
obedience was unto death, so his death itself is obedience 
to the law and justice of God, but his life unto that point 
is also righteousness. He was a law abider, and he did 
all this for us and for our salvation. My beauty are my glorious dress, 
both blood and righteousness. Midst flaming worlds and these 
arrayed with joy, shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand 
in thy great day. For who ought to my charge shall 
lay fully absolved through these I am from sin and fear, from 
guilt and shame. You see that? That's a good line 
there. Judgment day. What are we going 
to do? Well, Jesus took care of most of it. But boy, I did 
some good things for Jesus. Add those onto the pile of what 
constitutes the earning of eternal life, please. Is that the Butler 
move? No, don't do that. We're not 
neo-Nomians, Baxterians. Yeah, amen there. When from the 
dust of death I rise to claim my mansion in the skies, even 
then shall be all my plea. This shall be all my plea. Jesus 
hath lived, hath died for me. Righteousness and blood in different 
words there. So here's what I'm saying, he's 
living for us by contemplating the death and sufferings, not 
just a body, this divine wrath coming his way, he's contemplating 
that, and he's experiencing natural human tendency, grief, agitation, 
and right when you might think he's gonna give up, He basically 
says, I'm going all the way. Father, 
glorify your name. I came for this purpose. Right 
when we just give in, give up, have hard thoughts against heaven 
and earth, at that crucible, Our Lord obeys for us. When from the dust of death I 
rise to claim my man, I already read that one. Jesus be endless 
praise to thee whose boundless mercy hath for me a full atonement 
made and everlasting ransom paid. Oh, let the dead now hear thy 
voice. Now bid thy banished ones rejoice. Their beauty this, their 
glorious dress, Jesus, thy blood and righteousness. Wonderful lyrics. Hopefully, 
my sermon has supported, I think it has, the ministry here. You're 
a blessed congregation. Be very thankful for Pastor Jim 
Gill. It's easy to preach here, and 
I know why. He cultivates you every week, and that's a good 
thing. And don't ever lose sight of that. When you have a good 
church, You have a good church. Just 
die here. Let him bury you and then you 
can bury him. It's hard to build a church up and to maintain it. 
And when you have it, prize it. OK, let's pray. Thank you, Lord, 
for your word. Not only, but certainly inclusive 
of the written word of God. But the written word of God we 
have to reveal to us the incarnate Word of God, the Son of God, 
the second person of the Trinity who assumes our nature to repair 
it and bring it to glory. This is the divine plan of redemption. This is rooted in the decree 
of God. This is for us and for our salvation. This shows your overabounding 
goodness toward not just creatures, but sinful creatures like us. Grace has been lavished upon 
us, heaped upon us in the beloved one. Your goodness is infinite. There's no bottom to that bucket. 
We just get and get, receive and receive and receive. Thank you for your goodness toward 
us in the incarnate one. Thank you that he's both very 
God and very man. Thank you that he didn't flinch. 
He didn't sin under excruciating temptation to do so. Thank you 
that he destroyed the devil in more than one way. He conquered 
him. He was not just an example. He was our hero. He was the victor. And we ask your blessings on 
this sermon preached in Jesus' name. Amen.