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John chapter 19. So then Pilate took Jesus and 
scourged him, and the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and 
put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe. Then 
they said, Hail, King of the Jews, and they struck him with 
their hands. Pilate then went out again and 
said to them, Behold, I am bringing him out to you that you may know 
that I find no fault in him. Then Jesus came out, wearing 
the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate said to them, 
Behold the man! Therefore, when the chief priests 
and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him! Crucify 
him! Pilate said to them, You take 
him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered 
him, We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because 
he made himself the Son of God. Therefore, when Pilate heard 
that saying, he was the more afraid and went again into the 
praetorium and said to Jesus, Where are you from? But Jesus 
gave him no answer. And Pilate said to him, Are you 
not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have power 
to crucify you and power to release you? Jesus answered, You could 
have no power at all against me unless it had been given you 
from above. Therefore, the one who delivered 
me to you has the greater sin. From then on, Pilate sought to 
release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, 
If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever 
makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. When Pilate therefore 
heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the 
judgment seat in a place that is called the pavement. But in 
Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the preparation day 
of the Passover and about the sixth hour. And he said to the 
Jews, Behold your king. But they cried out, Away with 
him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said to them, Shall I 
crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We 
have no king but Caesar. Then he delivered him to them 
to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led 
him away. And he, bearing his cross, went out to a place called 
the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha, where 
they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side 
and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and 
put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, 
the King of the Jews. than many of the Jews read this 
title for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, 
and it was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Therefore, the 
chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write the king 
of the Jews, but he said, I am the king of the Jews. Pilate 
answered, What I have written, I have written. Then the soldiers, 
when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four 
parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic 
was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said, 
therefore, among themselves, let us not tear it, but cast 
lots for it, whose it shall be, that the scripture might be fulfilled, 
which says, They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing 
they cast lots. Therefore, the soldiers did these 
things. Amen." Well, let us seek the 
Lord in prayer. Father, we read this section 
of Scripture. It is sobering to us. It is so 
solemn and serious. Yet God, we know how everything 
turns out, and it's so glorious and wonderful. How we thank you 
that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we 
might become the righteousness of God in him. Do forgive us, 
Lord, for all of our iniquities and transgressions. Cause us 
to reflect upon this passage, and may it indeed encourage us 
and strengthen us and cause us to worship and wonder and stand 
in awe of our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's 
in his blessed name that we pray. J.C. Ryle, as he comments on 
this particular section, writes, He that can read a passage like 
this without a deep sense of man's debt to Christ must have 
a very cold or a very thoughtless heart. Great must be the love 
of the Lord Jesus to sinners when he could voluntarily endure 
such suffering for their salvation. Great must be the sinfulness 
of sin when such an amount of vicarious suffering was needed 
in order to provide redemption. I would agree with that a hundredfold, 
and we ought to enter into this passage with great joy, with 
great solemnity. I want to look specifically, 
as I mentioned, from verses 16 to 24 under four considerations. First, the setting where Jesus 
is. Secondly, the crucifixion itself. Thirdly, the charge leveled against 
the Son of God. And, fourthly, the division of 
the spoil, verses 23 and 24. One thing that you'll notice 
as we work our way through this, it all happens in accordance 
with the Scripture. John takes great pains to show 
us that everything that is done in this particular instance or 
account has been prophesied. Christ is the fulfillment of 
Scripture. Christ is the yea and amen of 
God most high. He is the surety of a better 
covenant and the one who has come to be the mediator between 
God and sinners. Well, let us look at the setting. 
Jesus was led away according to verse 16. Then he delivered 
him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led 
him away. A reference to the Roman soldiers. Notice that Jesus bore his cross. There's no mention here of Simon 
the Cyrenian. This is in accordance with the 
Greek historian Plutarch. Speaking of those crucified, 
he said each criminal, as part of his punishment, carries his 
cross on his back. The cross he bore refers specifically 
to the cross member, or the horizontal beam. The condemned criminal 
bore it on his shoulders to the place of execution where the 
upright beam of the gibbet was already fastened in the ground. 
So the criminal would bear the cross beam to that place where 
there was already the vertical one in place. And then what would 
happen is the victim was then made to lie on his back on the 
ground, where his arms were stretched out and either tied or nailed 
to the cross member. The cross member was then hoisted 
up along with the victim and fastened to the vertical beam. 
Now, the fact that John does not mention Simon in this instance 
does not contradict. When we look at the Scriptures, 
we get a mosaic. We get various angles set forth 
from us. We get Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 
each recording the same truths, the same facts, but from a different 
angle or a different facet for us to appreciate. D.A. Carson 
references or comments, he says, it is possible to think of Jesus' 
death in terms of His resolution, His obedience to the Father, 
His Father's plan. It is also possible to think 
of Jesus' suffering, struggle, weakness, and anguish. Both perspectives 
are correct. Both are, in some measure, taught 
in each of the four Gospels. But John, even though he makes 
room for the suffering, greatly emphasizes the sovereign plan 
of the father and of the son's obedience. And so he reports 
rightly that Jesus carried his own cross. If anything, in the 
Gospel of John, over and over and over again, Christ emphasizes 
that the Father sent him and that it was his me to do the 
will of him who sent me. And so John gives us this view 
of Christ bearing his cross up to that place of execution, that 
place of the skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. The 
Latin term is Calvary. That's the one I believe we're 
probably more familiar with. Note the company that he kept 
when he was up there on the cross. In verse 18 it says, where they 
crucified him and two others with him, one on either side 
and Jesus in the center. I think John's point here, again, 
with the backdrop of Holy Scripture in his mind. and in his heart, 
wants to highlight that this is, in fact, the fulfillment 
of Isaiah 53 and verse 12. He was numbered with the transgressors. I believe that center position 
was supposed to be for Barabbas. But remember this wretched unbelieving, 
infidelity-ridden group of people said, away with him, away with 
him, crucify him. I think these men on either side 
were compatriots of Barabbas. I think those three men were 
purposed to be executed on this particular day. The gospel accounts 
indicate this. Barabbas was the ringleader, 
the most notorious one, the one that would be central among these 
three crosses. Well, when they said, give us 
Barabbas, and they say, away with him, crucify him, he takes 
this place of prominence in the center to make known or to demonstrate 
his wickedness on their part. He was not wicked, it was an 
affront to be sure, but that's the purpose in view here. Now, 
notice, secondly, the crucifixion. Verse 18, it says, where they 
crucified Him. That's it. Yes, there's other 
details surrounding this particular statement. We need to realize 
that the gospel accounts don't focus upon or center in, in all 
of its bloody agony, the particularities of the crucifixion. Herman Ritterbaugh 
says the New Testament has no trace of any passion mysticism 
oriented to the physical torture of Jesus. This is something common 
in Roman Catholicism, the twelve stations of the cross, where 
they celebrate each and every instance of the physical torment 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But that's not what John the 
Apostle does. He gives us this statement and 
there he was crucified again. There are details surrounding 
it, but it does not get involved in a two and a half hour passion, 
mystical oriented, subjective thing for us to gaze upon. However, 
when we read this statement, it is helpful for us to understand 
something of crucifixion. Heard me say it before. This 
was reserved for the worst in the Roman Empire. Roman citizens 
were not subject to crucifixion unless they were especially heinous. In other words, it was such a 
vicious form of punishment, such a vicious form of execution, 
that if you were a citizen of Rome and you were guilty of a 
capital offense, you more than likely would not be crucified. 
There were other more humane ways for them to put you down. 
You know, nowadays they use lethal injection. They say the electric 
chair was too inhumane, so now we give them that deadly injection 
to make them pass from this life into the next. So the same thing 
was true then. Maybe there were protesters that said crucifixion 
was too severe, too heinous. Now, if there was a Roman citizen 
that was especially wicked, the Roman emperor could give his 
consent for him to be executed via crucifixion. But the point 
is, it was reserved for the worst offenders, the most heinous criminals, 
the worst of the lot. We would not see in the first 
century people wearing crosses around their neck or decorating 
their homes with the cross. It would be unheard of to celebrate 
that form of execution in such a way. Now, obviously, as Christians 
and with our perspective and our understanding of Jesus and 
the cross, it does make a bit more sense. But I just want to 
read again from D.A. Carson, where he highlights what's 
involved in crucifixion. It's a word we all know. It's 
a word we all refer to. We talk about the gospel. You 
know, Jesus lived. Jesus died. Jesus rose again. 
What was involved in his dying? What was involved in crucifixion? 
Carson says, in the ancient world, this most terrible of punishments 
is always associated with shame and horror. It was so brutal 
that no Roman citizen could be crucified without the sanction 
of the emperor. Stripped naked and beaten to 
pulpy weakness, the victim could hang in the hot sun for hours, 
even days. To breathe, it was necessary 
to push with the legs and pull with the arms to keep the chest 
cavity open and functioning. Terrible muscle spasm wracked 
the entire body, but since collapse meant asphyxiation, the strain 
went on and on. This is also why the sedecula, 
that's that little piece of wood that the foot would rest upon, 
prolonged life and agony. It wasn't a mercy to put that 
there. It wasn't somehow to help the 
victim. It was rather to make it last 
longer, to make the pain endure. So that little piece of wood 
that your foot would rest upon and the ability for you to pull 
on your arms was enough to bring your chest to the place where 
you wouldn't asphyxiate. It was designed to be the cruelest 
form of execution that one could imagine. He says that it partially 
supported the body's weight and therefore encouraged the victim 
to fight on. So that's what's involved in 
terms of the crucifixion from the human perspective. But you 
notice at this particular juncture, or at the time of physical torment, 
Jesus doesn't cry out, does he? Jesus never says, wow, this is 
very painful. This hurts a lot. You can imagine 
if one of us were subjected to some sort of physical torment 
or suffering or torture, it would probably elicit from us some 
complaint, some cry, some please call my lawyer, try to intervene, 
get me out of this. Jesus never cried out at that 
particular juncture. I submit the most heinous thing 
about the crucifixion was not the manward perspective. It was 
not the physical torment that was involved. Jesus cried out 
at that moment when God the Father had forsaken him. We read that 
in Psalm 22. My God, my God, why hast thou 
forsaken me? That's what promoted, that's 
what produced, that's what evoked that cry from the Lord Jesus. It was dereliction from God the 
Father. I think Jesus on the cross, or 
at least those two aspects, should picture and should explain for 
us what hell is all about. Hell is the physical infliction 
of pain. Hell is a place of conscious 
torment, a place of punishment, a place of suffering. The Bible 
says there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, there will 
be wailing there. But it's not only that positive 
infliction of pain, but it's the withdrawing of anything good 
from God Most High. That's those two elements that 
are seen there in the cross. Jesus is physically tormented, 
and Jesus is deprived of all the goodness of God Most High. 
That's what hell is going to be like. Hell is the positive 
implementation of punishment for sins committed, and it is 
the withdrawing of any goodness from God. You see, God is present. It is God's wrath that sinners 
endure in hell. But it is the absence of the 
goodness of God. You take the most wretched sinner. 
You take the most wicked man. You think about yourself if you 
are unconverted. Each and every day you experience 
something of the goodness of God. You may not acknowledge 
it, you may not praise him for it, you may not thank him for 
it, you may not be grateful, you may not esteem it, but each 
and every day, if you feel the sunshine on your face, that is 
a good gift from God. If you get to put food in your 
mouth and fill your belly, that is a good gift from God. If you 
get to take a glass of water and drink it, that is a good 
gift from God. So the worst of sinners in this 
world enjoys the blessing of God. But in that world to come, 
should you pass into an eternal hell, there will be no goodness 
from God. There will be wrath. There will 
be fury. There will be anger. There will 
be judgment. There will be those things in 
his presence. It is a horrifying concept, and 
one that should cause all of us to shudder, and knowing, therefore, 
the terror of the Lord, persuade men to be reconciled unto God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified. Notice, 
thirdly, the charge leveled. The charge leveled in verses 
19 and 20. Now, Pilate wrote a title and 
put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, 
the King of the Jews. It goes on to say that many of 
the Jews read this title for the place where Jesus was crucified 
was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and 
Latin. It was near the city. It was not in the city of Jerusalem 
proper. It was outside the camp, but 
it was in a very populated area. Everybody would know what was 
going on. It would be akin to having a 
public hanging in the middle of Chilliwack. We'd all know 
where that was if they did it out on Pressed Road somewhere. 
We'd all know where that would be, and knowing the heart of 
men, we'd probably want to go and watch. That's what's going 
on here. This did not happen in isolation. 
God set him forth, according to Paul in Romans 3, as a propitiation 
through his blood so that God may demonstrate his righteousness 
at this present time. Notice that it's written in Hebrew, 
Greek, and Latin. Why? So that everybody would 
get wind of the charge. Everybody would understand. Everybody 
would know and hopefully fear the Roman state. The reason for 
such linguistic enthusiasm is obvious. The Romans had a vested 
interest in publicizing the nature of the crime that resulted in 
such punishment as a warning to every segment of the populace. 
As a means to demonstrate that they meant business. That a claim 
to be a king was a claim that usurped the Roman state. So they 
make it public. They put them out there before 
everybody's eyes. Notice in verse 21, that therefore 
the chief priest of the Jews said to Pilate, do not write 
the king of the Jews. But he said, I am the king of 
the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written. Pretty, pretty easy to understand. 
Pilate's had a belly full of these people. Pilate's fed up 
with these guys. Pilate has said three times, 
I find no fault in this man. Pilate sees that he is not guilty 
of the crime that he is being charged with. They come, and 
one last ditch attempt, don't say he is the king of the Jews, 
say he said he is the king of the Jews. Pilate says, no, what 
I've written, I've written. But if you've been reading John's 
gospel, you'll know that at times unlikely men make very good theological 
proclamations. If you've read John's gospel, 
you'll know that men often say things better than they know. 
If you go back for just a moment to John chapter 11, John chapter 
11, as there is this plot being hatched to kill Jesus. Verse 45, then many of the Jews 
who had come to Mary and had seen the things Jesus did believed 
in him. But some of them went away to 
the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief 
priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, what shall 
we do? For this man works many signs. If we let him alone like 
this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come 
and take away both our place and nation. Notice Caiaphas. Here's a man saying things better 
than he knows. Here is great theology in the 
mouth of an unconverted man. Verse 49. And one of them, Caiaphas, 
being high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing 
at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one 
man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation 
should perish. Now this he did not say on his own authority, 
but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would 
die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that 
he would gather together in one the children of God who were 
scattered abroad. Caiaphas didn't mean to say that. 
Caiaphas didn't mean to preach God's redemptive plan for Jew 
and Gentile. Everybody with me? Everybody 
following? Gotta look at the text. Gotta follow along. Because 
this helps us when we get to what Pilate does here. Caiaphas, 
being high priest, said to them, You know nothing at all, nor 
do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die 
for the people and not that the whole nation should perish. Caiaphas 
is preaching substitutionary curse bearing, preaching substitutionary 
atonement. Now, John comments, this he did 
not say on his own, but being high priest that year, he prophesied 
that Jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation 
only, but also that he would gather together in one, the children 
of God who were scattered abroad. Now come back to Pilate in John 
19. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written. He is 
the king of the Jews. George Beasley Murray. So, the 
two men most responsible for Jesus' death became the most 
unwitting prophets of the death of Jesus. The one declaring that 
death as the means of redemption for Israel and the nations, the 
other proclaiming it as the occasion of Jesus' exaltation to be King 
of Israel and Lord of all. What I have written, I have written. And then notice, fourthly, the 
division of the spoil, verses 23 and 24. We saw that in Psalm 
22 as well. Then the soldiers, when they 
had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, 
to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now, the tunic was 
without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said, 
therefore, among themselves, let us not tear it, but cast 
lots for it, whose it shall be, that the scripture might be fulfilled, 
which says, they divided my garments among them, and for my clothing 
they cast lots. This was a custom that the executioners 
took the garments of the condemned criminal. This was the spoil. 
This was a benefit. This was a perk to being an execution 
guard. When your victim was going to 
pass up onto the cross, you would take his garments. Now, this 
seamless tunic has been symbolized. Some have said because the high 
priest wore a seamless robe, this tunic is supposed to represent 
Jesus' priestly ministry. Others say that the seamless 
tunic indicates the unity of the church. Well, we don't have 
to symbolize it. We don't have to do that with 
the text. But if we've been reading John's 
John's gospel, there was an instance prior where Jesus removes his 
garment and he does this to wash the feet of his disciples. And I like Carson. He makes this 
observation. He says in the foot washing, 
Jesus laid aside his outer garments in an act that anticipated the 
cleansing that would issue from his death. Here he loses his 
clothes, all of his clothes. The same self-humbling operates, 
but here to the last degree, as he lays aside his glory, and 
by this act, in the divine paradox, he is glorified. Yet while his 
last earthly possessions are stripped from him, he remains 
under his father's sovereign care, even as his tunic is not 
torn and destroyed." And I want you to notice something here. 
Something that C.H. Spurgeon picked up on. Well, 
I'm sure people before C.H. Spurgeon picked up on it. We 
should pick up on it if we're reading it. Jesus is naked. They took his garments. Remember horror, terror, shame, 
humiliation, all those things associated with the cross. Spurgeon 
notes that when men have depicted this scene. I don't recommend 
this. The second commandment forbids 
this. But when men have depicted this scene, they don't make a 
naked savior up on that cross. They usually put a garment over 
him. Spurgeon says the person of Christ was stripped twice. And although our painters, for 
obvious reasons, cover Christ upon the cross, there he hung 
the naked savior of a naked race. He who clothed the lilies had 
not wherewith to clothe himself. He who had clothed the earth 
with jewels and made for it robes and emeralds had not so much 
as a rag to conceal his nakedness from a staring, gazing, mocking, 
hard-hearted crowd. He had made coats of skins for 
Adam and Eve when they were naked in the garden. He had taken from 
them those poor fig leaves which they sought to hide their nakedness, 
given them something wherewith they might wrap themselves from 
the cold. But now they part his garments 
among them, and for his vesture do they cast lots, while he himself, 
exposed to the pitiless storm of contempt, has no cloak with 
which to cover his shame. It's not what the writer of Hebrews 
tells us, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, 
despising the shame. This was an atrocity. This was 
a wretched, horrible abomination and travesty of justice. An innocent man, a guiltless 
man, a perfect man is hung naked on the cross where he suffers 
the wrath of man, but he suffers the wrath of his father. That's 
why I think Ryle was constrained to say, he that can read a passage 
like this without a deep sense of man's debt to Christ must 
have a very cold or a very thoughtless heart. We ought to look at this 
spectacle and stand in amazement and in awe that our Savior loves 
us so much that He endured this on our behalf. We ought to see 
in this the heinousness of sin, the gravity and demerit of transgression 
against God, to see what God thinks about our sin when he 
made him who knew no sin to be sin for us. Reverend, this scene 
shows us many theological truths for our instruction, for our 
encouragement, and hopefully for our wonder and amazement 
and our worship of the triune God. Notice, he quotes Psalm 
2218. John is rigorous in showing how 
all things associated with Jesus are a fulfillment of the Scripture. This was not Plan B. This was 
not happenstance. This was not an unlucky event. It was the predetermined plan 
of God, fully subscribed to by his son, that he would come into 
this world, sinners to save, in this particular manner. He 
would obey the law on their behalf. He would die as a sacrifice and 
a substitute in their place. And yea, on the third day, he 
would rise again and ultimately be exalted into heaven to the 
right hand of God most high, where he rules and reigns over 
all things for his church. This is God's plan to save his 
people from their sins. This is the gospel. This is the good news. This is 
what God in Christ is doing. He is reconciling the world to 
Himself because of the doing and the dying and the rising 
of His most blessed Son. Well, a couple of lessons that 
we learned from this brief survey. First, the sovereignty of God. 
The sovereignty of God. I mean, the best proof or one 
of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible is no man would 
have ever invented this. Would he? If you were going to 
make God, you wouldn't make him holy. I mean, you might make 
him a little better than yourself, but you're not going to make 
him holy, holy, holy, burning and furious against sin. You're 
certainly not going to design God that's triune. You're not 
going to have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit equal in power and 
glory. Same substance, but each of the 
three distinct persons equal in power and glory. You certainly 
wouldn't design a gospel or good news where the Father sends the 
Son into this world in a lowly state, in a humble state, where 
the Son says that the foxes have holes and the birds have their 
nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his hand. You 
certainly wouldn't fashion this spectacle, this particular scene, 
that goes to the uttermost. I mean, it's almost like we just 
can't take anymore, and then he's hung before us naked before 
a watching world in all of his shame. We would never design 
this. The best proof of the inspiration 
of the Scripture is the Scripture, the Scripture itself. Caiaphas 
prophesies that Jesus would die for the redemption of Israel 
and the nations. The Jews insist on Jesus crucifixion 
without providing a charge or evidence that he is in fact guilty. 
Pilate is convinced of his innocence but succumbs to the pressure 
of the mob. Pilate insists on the title King 
of the Jews. The Savior is numbered with the 
transgressors. He is crucified, thus fulfilling 
Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Daniel 9. The soldiers divide his garments 
in fulfillment of Psalm You see, Brethren, that your salvation 
is not incidental. Your salvation is not happenstance. Your salvation is orchestrated 
in accordance with the eternal decree of God Most High, who 
cannot be thwarted, who cannot be frustrated, who cannot be 
stopped. God is relentless in His saving 
mercies to pursue His people and to rescue them from the sinful 
bondage that they are in. When you read this gospel, when 
you read this crucifixion, you see God behind the scenes. Doesn't 
Jesus say this too, Pilate? Jesus answered in verse 11, you 
could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you 
from above. Pilate's this proud, arrogant 
man. He sees that Jesus is innocent. 
But he succumbs to the pressure of the mob. He says, I've got 
authority. He's throwing his weight around. 
Jesus says, you have no authority. apart from my father in heaven. 
Never forget who's in control here. Pilate might like to think 
so. Caiaphas might like to think 
so. The Jews might like to think so. Everybody might like to think 
so. But God most high has it all 
under his sovereign control. Secondly, not only do we see 
the sovereignty of God, we see the glory of Jesus. Christ willingly 
suffered these things in obedience to his father. Back in John 10, 
he says, Therefore, my Father loves me because I lay down my 
life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but 
I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, 
and I have power to take it again. This command I have received 
from my Father. Christ is a willing Savior for 
sinners. Christ is not fighting His Father. 
Christ is not resistant to His Father. Christ in the garden 
as the God man says, if it is possible, let this pass from 
me. Nevertheless, father, not my 
will, but thine be done. Christ suffers as the surety 
of a better covenant so that he could save his people from 
their sins. Consider Adam and Eve sin. They 
hid from God. They covered themselves. Christ 
never sinned, Christ was stripped naked, and Christ is publicly 
crucified before crowds of people. John Calvin said, let us also 
learn that Christ was stripped of his garments, that he might 
clothe us with a righteousness. That's pithy. That's excellent. 
That's spot on. It's not the essence of justification 
by faith alone, the pardon of iniquity and the imputation of 
righteousness by faith in Christ. Calvin's spot on. Let us also 
learn that Christ was stripped of his garments, that he might 
clothe us with a righteousness, that his naked body was exposed 
to the insults of men, that we may appear in glory before the 
judgment seat of God. I've often thought of this. Jesus 
says, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? All of us in 
him will never, ever have to say that. There will never be 
a time in your Christian experience, in your Christian life, in the 
day-to-day rubric of Christian living, or on that day of judgment 
where you'll have to say, why hast thou forsaken me? God is 
covenanted. God is promised. God is faithful. He will never leave you, and 
He will never forsake you. That is blessing. A.W. Pink says, the sinful first Adam 
was clothed by God. The sinless last Adam was unclothed 
by wicked men. And that for our sin, that for 
our redemption. We, thirdly, the response of 
his disciples, the response of his disciples. Yes, we ought 
to want to go out and do what the Lord calls us to. We ought 
to look at those beatitudes and pray, God, give me more of a 
zeal for the poverty of spirit and that holy mourning and that 
meekness and that mercy and that peacemaking attitude and disposition. God, help me to take a stand 
in this world and testify and to be persecuted for righteousness' 
sake. Those are all fitting responses of the disciples of Christ. You 
know another fitting response of the disciples? To worship. 
There's this idea in churches today, you know, we got to give 
everybody something to do. OK, here's five things that you 
can do this week. You know, love your wife, give 
her a kiss, buy her flowers, be nice to your kid, buy them 
a bike. And we like that sort of hands on practical approach. 
And I'm not saying it's bad. We should be hands on practical 
approach, men and women, with reference to the Christian life. 
You know, worship is intensely practical. Worship is uniquely 
practical. Worship is the response of the 
disciple when he sees the love of his Savior. Worship, praise, 
adoration. Hopefully it's the kind of stuff 
that as we open up the hymn book next time, we don't just sort 
of mutter a few things. We concentrate. We wrap our minds 
around the doctrine. We sing it in praise to our God. We rehearse those truths, we 
sing them for the edification of one another, and we sing them 
for the glory and exaltation of God. That's where we find 
him in Psalm 22. He's enthroned in the praises 
of Israel. If this doesn't promote the praise 
of Israel, then you are either cold or thoughtless. Worship 
is practical. Praise and adoration is practical. As much as you should love your 
wife, as much as you ladies should submit to your husband, as much 
as all of us should live according to the Beatitudes, all of us 
should take time to reflect on who Jesus is, to bow in praise, 
to bow in adoration, and to worship our great God. Job sets a perfect 
example of this. Everything is stripped away from 
him. What does he do? He worships. Naked I came into 
this world, naked I shall return. Blessed be the name of the Lord 
my God. Isn't that amazing? Is Job just 
a strange guy? Job, go back to work. You know, 
fix your life. You've had some problems. You 
need to rectify that. Now, first, I need to worship. 
First, I need to acknowledge not only the good, but the bad 
comes from the Lord. Just because it's bad doesn't change the character 
of the Lord. I still need to worship. I still need to praise. 
I still need to honor. You know, if you hear a sermon, 
brethren, the one point of application is that this ought to promote 
worship. Don't feel like you got gypped. We got problems with 
worship. We got problems with giving reverence 
and awe and homage to God most high. That's the problem. When you read between the lines, 
what's the issue according to Romans chapter one with man? He doesn't glorify God as God, 
nor is he thankful. It is from that vantage point 
that all of the myriad vices proceed. The fact is, his problem 
at core is one of worship. He doesn't glorify God as God 
and he isn't thankful. Because he doesn't glorify God 
as God and he's not thankful, he goes out and pursues homosexuality. He pursues murder. He pursues 
gossip. He pursues slander. He pursues 
all manner of lawlessness. What's the point when you honor 
and glorify God as God and are thankful from that vantage point? Hopefully myriad virtues proceed 
the point in Colossians three. Get your mind on the things of 
God. Focus on the right hand of where 
of the father, where Christ is. And it's from that place that 
you then live the Christian life in this world. Husbands to wives, 
wives to husband, parents to children, children to parents. 
You see, we must first worship before we'll ever be any earthly 
good. That's why we need to come to passages like these, and instead 
of sitting there with our ink pens saying, what are 15 things 
or implications I can learn for this for my life? Just stop, 
put your pen down and praise. It's glorified. Do you love that 
about Paul? Sometimes he's writing great 
theology and then he just launches off into praise. Why does he 
do that? Because when this doctrine gets 
in your soul, it has to bust out. When this theology gets 
in you, it has to come forth. That's why we preach the Bible 
and we preach doctrine, so that hopefully you'll burst forth 
and praise God, not just on the Lord's Day, but Monday through 
Saturday. When you're reading your Bible, 
yes, read for tips for helpful living. Please do that. But don't 
neglect the biggest tip. Honor God as God and be thankful. And then fourthly, the purpose 
of the crucifixion. We know this from the rest of 
the Bible, but John does not leave us on our own. Notice in 
John 1935, and he was seen as testified and his testimony is 
true. And he knows that he is telling 
the truth so that what you may believe This whole thing has 
been written, this whole thing has been preached tonight. Not 
so that you may remain indifferent. Not so that you may leave these 
doors, go back into another work week, forgetting all about God 
and Christ and reconciliation. No, it's written, it's preached, 
it's taught, so that you may believe. John 20, verse 31. Not all of the Bible, not every 
book in the Bible sets forth the purpose as clearly for which 
it was written. John does this. John is very 
clear. He doesn't want you to wiggle 
out of it. He doesn't want you to stroke your beard and say, 
my, those are interesting things. I'll contemplate that as I have 
due time. No, he says. And truly, Jesus 
did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not 
written in this book. But these are written. Why? That 
you may believe that Jesus is the Christ. Don't reject that. Don't go out of here without 
that. Don't resist the spirit of God. Don't say, well, you 
know, that's a nice story and I'd love to have a saving interest 
in it. But another day, no, listen to the apostle. These are written 
that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. 
And notice and that believing you may have life in his name. What's the implication if you 
don't believe you don't have life in his name? The stakes 
are high. They are eternal. You reject 
him. You resist him. You don't believe 
in him. You have opted for everlasting 
hell. Believe. According to the Apostle 
John, according to everything given to him in terms of the 
spirit and wisdom, in terms of the remainder of the Bible, everything 
converges on this particular reality. That if you believe, 
you will have everlasting life. Christianity alone is a faith. 
Doctrine to be believed. Everything else is a work. Talk 
about the Muslim faith, the Catholic faith. No, there's no faith. 
There's works. They give lip service to faith. 
They give lip service to profession and confession. But in the final 
analysis, a Muslim, a Catholic, an atheist, a Buddhist, a Hindu, 
a Shintoist, a whoever-ist, a Mormon, a Jehovah's Witness, they stand 
before God pleading their merits. That's a horrible place to be. 
We need to be like the hymn writer who said, nothing in my hand 
I bring simply to thy cross I claim. We had the privilege of going 
to Magic Mountain. Southern California. They call the rides there white 
knucklers. You see them, you're already 
wanting to hold on to something. I mean, you're standing in line, 
especially as I get older. When I was younger, I didn't 
think this way. But as I'm older now, I'm thinking, do I really 
want to do this? I mean, these are massive structures 
with myriad loops and spins, and you can leave your stomach 
on one of them. But they call them white-knucklers 
because when you're on that ride, you're holding on like that. 
There's some fools out there, you know, trying to be cool and 
raise their hands. But you're a white-knuckler. 
That's how I look at Christianity. Faith is a white-knuckled proposition. It's not a limp-wristed sort 
of thing. It's not a, I want to take it or I want to leave 
it sort of thing. And that's how Christianity oftentimes is 
presented. It's a good option. Make you 
a little happier. Now, you need a white knuckle 
hold on to Jesus Christ. Nothing in my hand I bring simply 
to thy cross I cling. The hymn writer also says foul, 
foul, foul to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. May that indeed be the confession 
of every man, woman, boy and girl in this place. May we take 
John's word and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son 
of God, and that believing you would have life in his name. 
Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for your word. 
Thank you for the crucifixion. And while many would question 
such a such a statement, God, we know it is through the death 
of Christ, through his resurrection, that we have life everlasting. 
We know that this was your predetermined plan to save your people from 
their sins and how we thank you that Jesus was a willing, willing 
surety of a better covenant. How we thank you for our Lord 
and how we thank you for his his desire to do the will of 
his father to the very end. And our God, I pray that there 
wouldn't be any of us that are resisting. There wouldn't be 
any of us in this room that are stiff-arming the Lord of glory, 
but we would believe on the gospel of Jesus Christ. We come to you, 
Father, as you are all-powerful, you are sovereign, you are omnipotent. 
We know ultimately that faith is a gift. We pray that you'd 
open the hearts of men, women, and boys and girls and cause 
them to believe on the Lord Jesus. And we ask in his most blessed 
name, amen.