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15 beginning at verse 1 finishing 
at verse 20 and then honing in on 3 & 4 1 Corinthians 15 verse 
1, Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached 
to you, which you also received, and in which you stand, by which 
also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached 
to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you, 
first of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for 
our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that 
He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. and that he 
was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that, he was seen 
by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater 
part remained to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 
After that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then 
last of all, he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due 
time. For I am the least of the apostles, 
who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted 
the church of God, because I persecuted the Church of God, but by the 
grace of God I am what I am. And His grace toward me was not 
in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but 
the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was 
I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. Now, if Christ 
is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do 
some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not 
risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and 
your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses 
of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, 
whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. 
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And 
if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile and you are still 
in your sins. Then also those who have fallen 
asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have 
hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now 
Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits 
of those who have fallen asleep. Amen. Well, let's pray. God, 
we rejoice that we can gather again for worship this evening, 
that we can now engage in the preaching of your word. We do 
pray that you'd help us, help again preacher and hearer, might 
this be an exercise in worship that is done to your glory. We 
do pray that we would be well instructed from on high concerning 
the truth of Holy Scripture, that we might glory in our great 
God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, just to work through 
a couple of the things going on here, just some observations 
prior to honing in on 3 and 4, we want to talk about the Gospel's 
content and definition here on a night where we observe the 
Lord's Supper. First, I want you to note by way of introduction, 
the Gospel's primacy is set forth here by the Apostle Paul at the 
beginning of verse 3. for I delivered to you first 
of all that which I also received. Now the language there might 
seem to convey, unless you have a different translation that 
says otherwise, but the language of for I delivered to you first 
of all might seem to convey a chronological order to the proclamation of 
what will follow by the Apostle Paul, the death, burial, and 
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The point being made though is 
not that this message was the first chronologically, but More 
importantly, that this was of the foremost, this was chief, 
this was of the highest importance. We could read this, for I delivered 
to you as of first importance that which I also received. The 
message that Paul is giving is foremost. It had already been 
delivered to them, and it is of the utmost and of the foremost 
importance. In fact, That language is assumed 
in verses 1-2. Moreover, brethren, I declare 
to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, 
and in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold fast 
that word which I preached to you. unless you believe in vain. 
You see how Paul mounts word upon word to highlight the importance 
and to underscore that marvel that any would want to depart 
from so glorious a message. This gospel was declared, it 
was preached, it was received. The Corinthians stand in it. 
It's the message, it's the truth by which they are saved. And 
so when he writes, for I deliver to you as of first importance, 
or first of all, that which you also received, we're to get that 
this message that will follow, the death, burial, and resurrection 
of Christ, is of the highest importance. This word is also 
used in 1 Timothy 1.15. The Greek word there translated, 
first of all, understood perhaps as foremost or the highest importance. 
In 1 Timothy 1, this is the passage that we read and preached from 
at the hospital this evening. In 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, we 
read this. This is a faithful saying and 
worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world, 
sinners to save, of whom I am chief. See that word chief. Paul calls himself the chief 
sinner, the foremost of sinners, the first of all sinners, if 
you will. The word is used in a positive 
context here with respect to the message of the gospel of 
Jesus Christ. It is of the highest importance. 
We also notice, again by way of introduction, the Gospel's 
revelational origin. Notice the language of the text, 
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according 
to the Scriptures. The gospel has a revelational 
origin. It is not declared by general 
revelation. By casting our eyes upon the 
stars and the sun and the moon and the trees and the grass and 
the flowers, we don't arrive at a knowledge of the gospel 
of Jesus Christ. We arrive at the knowledge of 
God. He has set forth his glory in 
the firmament of the heavens when we cast our eyes upon creation. It declares a sermon, if you 
will, that there is a God in high heaven who has created all 
things, who gives men life, breath, and all things. However, in special 
revelation, the Holy Writ, the Bible, the scriptures of the 
Old and New Testaments, therein do we have the gospel declared. It is according to the scriptures. 
And from the vantage point of the Corinthians, this was the 
Old Testament scriptures. Reject any notion or any preacher 
that would say to you, Christ is absent in the Old Testament. 
He's everywhere in the Old Testament. And in fact, if we were to summarize 
the Bible, Old Testament Christ promised to come, New Testament, 
the promised Christ has come. The Old Testament is full of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. And from his own lips, he says, 
the law, the prophets, and the Psalms all spoke concerning me. 
And in the Old Testament, as Paul would write to his son in 
the faith, Timothy, from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, 
which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, 
which is in Christ Jesus the Lord. The gospel is of revelational 
origin, that is the revelation that we have in the Bible, our 
Old and New Testaments. And thirdly, by way of introduction, 
notice the gospel's eyewitness attestation. the gospel's eyewitness 
attestation. After we read, and he was buried 
and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, 
we see this repeated language, and that he was seen, and that 
he was seen, and that he was seen. Notice he was seen by Cephas, 
then by the twelve, seen by over 500 brethren at once. After that, he was seen by James, 
then by all the apostles. Then last of all, he was seen 
by me also as by one born out of due time." This language that 
he was seen, I don't think is just given for the sake of the 
breadth of the information. Paul's making a point here that 
why would you reject the resurrected Christ when he was seen, when 
he was seen, when he was seen, when he was seen by a great number 
of people. In fact, we need to appreciate 
this about the gospel of Jesus Christ, that the truth has nothing 
to hide. You see, Christianity isn't born 
out of some crazy young teenager in the desert pulling gold tablets 
out of the sand. Christianity doesn't come from 
a madman in a cave receiving a so-called revelation from the 
angel Gabriel. You see, these religions started 
by one single individual. Isn't it convenient that we have 
your own word, your own eyewitness attestation? Of course, we have 
God's declaration in the Bible as the ultimate witness to the 
veracity of these things that did occur. But we have apostolic 
authority delivered to us. We have those who have seen and 
their record is given in the Holy Scriptures. Christ was seen. Christ was touched. He was handled 
after his resurrection, bearing witness to the fact that he did 
die, that he was buried, that he rose again in power and in 
great victory. So we see the gospel's primacy, 
we see its revelational origin, and we see its eyewitness attestation. Now, moving then to the meat 
and potatoes, we want to notice two things here this evening. 
The subject of the gospel and the activity involving the subject. Now, hopefully that doesn't sound 
sort of dry. It's a glorious subject because 
that subject is Christ. Notice the language, that Christ 
died, etc. There's a glorious subject in 
view, and there is glorious activity involving that glorious subject. And we want to notice first the 
subject, Christ. Language of verse 3, For I deliver 
to you, first of all, that which I also received, that Christ 
died for our sins. Now, this comes as no news to 
you. Most of you are Christians, and 
if you're not Christian, you've heard of this Christ, and no 
doubt you've heard something of the fact that Christians claim, 
rightly, from the authority of the Word of God, that he died 
for the sins of his people. So reviewing this subject as 
the subject of the gospel being Christ isn't revolutionary. But bear with me, because what 
we are to do as Christians, especially in observing the Lord's Supper, 
is that we are to marvel in the subject who died. We're to marvel 
in Christ, the one who gave himself, the one who most certainly died 
upon Calvary's cross. The language is Christ died. It is of the highest importance 
to know this Christ of whom it is said he died, was buried, 
and rose again. I mentioned this morning that 
hopefully it's none of our cases that we think the gospel to be 
of a remedial thing or an introductory thing to the Christian faith. 
And then we move on to the higher things of enlightened intelligence. 
The gospel is to be studied, as I mentioned, from our first 
breath as a Christian to our last breath as a Christian. And 
it will be gospel glories that we sing into eternity. We are 
to always come back to a solid reflection upon this one who 
died. And you've heard this before. 
There's a question that has been asked in the Bible that's probably 
the most important question that has ever been asked. And it's 
Christ himself who asks it. Who do men say that I am? You've 
heard this from Pastor Butler and you've heard this from me. 
This hopefully bears repeating and bears a continual discovery 
until we enter Emmanuel's land. Christ asks that question, who 
do men say that I am? If you're here this morning and 
you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, that's the most important 
question that you're ever going to be asked. And it's hopefully 
a question that you'll answer in the right, in the affirming 
position being brought forth by God's grace. Who do men say 
that Christ is? Remember, hopefully we appreciate 
this as Christians, that we reject any notion of a Christ that is 
not the biblical notion of a Christ. Fully God, fully man, yet one 
Christ, the only mediator between God and men. When we identify, 
when we reflect upon who died upon Calvary's cross as we proclaim 
the Lord's death till he comes in the Lord's Supper later this 
evening, We are to marvel in the one who died upon Calvary's 
cross. We're not to engage in rote religious 
exercise. We are to engage in an element 
of worship, but with joy-filled hearts, with hearts filled with 
solemnity and focus and reflection upon so great a one who died. Who is it who died? It is the 
Christ. And there are some instances 
in the Holy Scripture, and I'm thinking specifically of two, 
that help us to answer properly who this Christ is. There's an 
instance in John chapter 8 where Christ declares to unbelieving 
religious leaders, if you do not believe that I am, you will 
die in your sins. It's a very striking and cutting 
statement by the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? If you do not believe 
that I am, he's using that name of God, that Exodus 3 name, that 
Isaac name of Yahweh, the Lord, the God, the King of Israel. 
If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. You 
see, we entertain no notion of Christ that does not assert that 
He is God from God, light from light, true God from true God, 
begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. It's another 
instance that we have in our Bibles as well in 1 John. in 
1 John and in 2 John, where John pronounces sort of an anathema, 
if you will, but he makes a statement with regards to anyone who rejects 
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, he says they are antichrist, 
they have not learned from God, they do not have God. Those who 
believe and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh 
are of God. You see, Christ is truly God 
and true man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God 
and man. And isn't a reflection on that first article, that Christ 
is truly God, doesn't that cause you to marvel reflecting upon 
the fact that he died upon Calvary's cross? Hopefully, as we sit still 
and as we listen, hopefully attentively and without a movement and without 
much expression to the preacher up at the pulpit, we hear about 
and reflect upon this Christ who came down from the height 
of glory to our lower shame? causes us to marvel. So when 
we take of the supper, it's not a rote exercise, we solemnly 
reflect upon the fact that Christ died and we're to proclaim that 
death and yet we ought to at the same time be filled with 
joy of joys that the one who gave himself is the creator of 
all things. I want to listen to this statement 
from Alexander of Alexandria. This was the Athanasius before 
Athanasius. Athanasius was a secretary of 
sorts to this man, and he was perhaps a larger figure going 
into the Council of Nicaea in 325. And he writes this with regards 
to marveling in the subject. Christ, the one who died, was 
buried and rose again. Who compelled God to come down 
to earth to take flesh of the holy virgin, to be wrapped in 
swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, to be nourished with 
milk, to be baptized in the Jordan, to be mocked of the people, to 
be nailed to the tree, to be buried in the bosom of the earth, 
and the third day to rise again from the dead. in the cause of 
redemption to give life for life, blood for blood, to undergo death 
for death. For Christ, by dying, hath discharged 
the debt of death to which man was obnoxious. Oh, the new and 
ineffable mystery! The judge was judged. He who 
absolves from sin was bound. He was mocked who once framed 
the world. He was stretched upon the cross 
who stretched out the heavens. He was fed with gall who gave 
the manna to be bred. He died who gives life. He was 
given up to the tomb who raises the dead. The powers were astonished. The angels wondered. The elements 
trembled. The whole created universe was 
shaken. The earth quaked, and its foundations 
rocked. The sun fled away, the elements 
were subverted, the light of day receded, because they could 
not bear to look upon their crucified Lord." Listen to the weight of 
that. You know, would the church ever 
and always rehearse and proclaim this truth with so glorious a 
reflection and such a beautiful detail? You know what, one of 
the things that you see is a consistency from the time of the early church 
to the reformers and through Spurgeon and hopefully to our 
modern day, but perhaps it's not as prevalent. There is a 
marveling always embedded and intertwined amongst theological 
articulation. What I mean by that is our doctrine 
of Christ, our doctrine of the Trinity, but specifically in 
view, our doctrine of Christ. It's never just some dry and 
some high ivory tower doctrine articulated by stoic beard strokers 
thrown upon the populace. it's always intermingled with 
this sort of language talking about the greater and the lower, 
the high and lofty, and the low and in the midst of ignominy. 
In other words, this sort of language that the one who fixed 
the stars in place was fixed in place upon a tree. The one 
between whose divine arms galaxies roll. That same one stretched 
his human arms upon Calvary's cross. The judge is judged. He who absolves from sin was 
bound. He who was mocked was once the 
one who framed the world. That sort of language. Tonight 
as we take the Lord's Supper, as we study this subject Christ, 
we need to reflect with that sort of reflection. The one who 
we remember in the taking of bread and in the taking of wine 
is the one who fixed the stars in place, and yet taking our 
humanity was fixed in place upon Calvary's cross for the redemption 
of a multitude which no man can number. Glorious gospel. This 
subject, Christ, he is God, he is man, yet he is one Christ, 
the only mediator between God and man. And isn't that the answer 
that's given to that question by the disciples? Who do men 
say that I am? The answer first is given that 
men say, unbelievers say, Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, one 
of the prophets, that sort of thing, all of which were obviously 
incorrect, and Jesus directs the gaze and the question to 
his own disciples, but who do you say that I am? The prototypical 
Christians throughout the ages, Peter answers, thou art the Christ, 
the son of the living God, that's who died. That's who died, maker 
of stars, the holder of the universe, the one between whose arms galaxies 
roll. He took upon himself humanity 
to die for guilty sinners. Secondly, we want to observe 
the activity involving the subject, and this is threefold, and is 
seen in 1 Corinthians 15, and it's seen in the language that 
Christ died for our sins, verse 3, according to the Scriptures, 
and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, 
according to the Scriptures. Three things that we find here 
in the activity involving this glorious subject, Christ. First, 
that Christ died. Second, that Christ was buried. 
And third, that Christ rose again. So first, Christ died. You know, 
this is that sort of time where we've done it already. Some of 
the language that the old boys would use in the early church, 
chrysostom is one that comes to mind. Not that we should ever 
not be paying attention in church, hopefully that's never the case. 
But there are times where they're writing to their audiences and 
they say things like this, I entreat you and rouse yourselves when 
they're about to say something that is very important to pay 
attention to. Attend, I entreat you, and rouse 
yourselves. What does that mean, kids? First 
of all, attend. That simply means pay attention. 
Pay attention to what I'm about to say or what I'm about to write. 
And then he pleads, rouse yourselves. That means wake yourselves up. 
Pinch a leg, slap a face. Just with diligence pay attention 
to what's going on. Christ died. What do we take 
from this? What ought we to take from this 
particular activity involving that glorious subject Christ? 
Well, we want to observe, of course, and reflect as Christians 
always do, and hopefully always do, that the death of Christ 
is vital to the proper understanding of the gospel. You see, death, 
burial, and resurrection are in this complex of words. that Paul is using to counter 
these other people who are saying things that are incorrect. I 
would assert that, in part, when we read here that Christ died 
for our sins according to the Scriptures, that is in part to 
counter what we read in verse 12. Now, if Christ is preached 
that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you 
say, that there is no resurrection of the dead. You see, the Scriptures, 
divine revelation inspired by God, inspired, inerrant, and 
infallible, is set against what some others are saying. Are you 
gonna listen to these some others who say, or are you going to 
listen to the Holy Scriptures which declare Christ died? Are 
you going to listen to apostolic exhortation and declaration such 
like Peter's who said, or John in 1 John, we have handled the 
word of life, we have seen him, we have touched him, we've cast 
our eyes upon this glorious Jesus. His incarnate self, His crucified 
self, His buried and resurrected self, we've cast our eyes upon 
Him. He came to us on that first Sabbath, on that resurrection 
Sunday. He ate broiled fish and honeycomb 
with us, and we touched Him, we saw Him, we talked to Him. 
He even gave us a Bible study. That sort of certainty and surety 
and veracity and truth concerning the gospel is in contrast to 
these other, some among you, saying that there is no resurrection 
of the dead. The death of Christ is vital 
to the proper understanding of the gospel. And when we say that, 
what we mean is that not only the historical truthfulness, 
the historical veracity, but also the theological weight and 
meaning of that historical death. Christ died, and notice that 
the text says, for our sins. It's not just a rehearsal in 
the historical, though it is a rehearsal in certain history, 
Christ died, but it is a rehearsal of the glorious attending theology 
that comes with that statement, Christ died. It was for our sins. And brethren, hopefully the super 
abounding weight of that import is never lost on Christians as 
our hair gets whitened by the sunlight of heaven. So many years 
come between our conversion and our departure to go home with 
Christ, and hopefully these sorts of glorious things never get 
lost on us. That Christ died for our sins, 
a rehearsal of your life, is a rehearsal of sins, a rehearsal 
of transgressions against the Holy God prior to your conversion, 
prior to amazing grace coming to you in that state of sin. 
in that state of total depravity and total inability, when you 
did the desires of your father, the devil, when you woke up in 
your bed devising wickedness. But as well, after amazing grace 
has come to you in that period of sanctification leading up 
to that great day, we stumble, we sin. We have that remaining 
corruption. We ought to do as Spurgeon instructs, 
peruse the diaries of our memories for there the witnesses of our 
guilt have faithfully recorded their names and fly fast to the 
words of scripture, Christ died for our sins. Glorious truth. As we take the bread and as we 
take the wine, we don't just chew and drink and swallow. we're doing those things, but 
there is something beyond that that we're to mount up to, and 
that's reflecting upon this, Christ died for our sins, according 
to the scriptures. It was atonement. It was substitutionary. It was sacrificial. It was propitiatory. It was expiatory. Those words 
never bounce off your brains as You know, Chinese coming to 
someone who doesn't know Chinese. These are glorious Christian 
theological words. It was atonement. It was substitutionary. Christ died for our sins. He 
died in our stead, in our room, in the place of his people. We 
need to gain an appreciation for the language of Scripture 
in simple language such as Christ died for us. It's not just some 
ambiguous gift. It's not just some surface level 
gift that Christ died for us as in an example or some other 
thing, but that Christ died in the room of and in the stead 
of and in the place of his people. This is the weight of a theology, 
the weight of a truth that ought to knock our knees to a weariness, 
whereupon we drop to our knees and on our face before God and 
worship a thrice holy King of Heaven. Because Christ died for 
our sins, according to the scriptures, and it was after such a manner 
that it was in our place. We had sinned. We had sinned, 
not this Christ, not this God, not this very God and very man, 
yet one Christ. We sinned. And the sinless one. went in our room and in our stead 
to Golgotha's gibbet in order to give himself for us and for 
our sins. It was substitutionary. It was 
sacrificial. It was propitiatory. There's 
a word that hopefully never causes your eyes to roll. I know that's 
a statement I use a lot. Hopefully this never causes your 
eyes to roll. And I imagine for a Christian, 
it doesn't. But that means that Christ bore our wrath, a wrath 
that was due his people. in our stead. He became a curse 
for us, is the language of Galatians 3.13. He bore in his own body 
our sins upon the trees, the language of the Apostle Peter, 
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. 
It was propitiatory. Christ bore the wrath that was 
due us in our stead, that wrath that was due all who believe 
in his name. Never tire of propitiatory and 
know the meaning. Expiatory. Christ bears the guilt, 
the guilt of sin. You've heard this before too. When we say that Christ bore 
the guilt, we're not talking about the psychological weight 
of having violated the law of God. Christ does deal with that 
guilt, Christ does deal with that weight by His Spirit and 
the knowledge of Himself and salvation and the sanctification 
and all those sorts of things. But the moral and the legal culpability 
for our having violated the law of God, Christ bears that upon 
Calvary's cross. We all were guilty, for all have 
sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Christ bore 
the guilt of his people upon Calvary's cross. When we take 
and eat and when we take and drink, we reflect upon so glorious 
a transaction, Christ bearing the guilt of his people. And he does deal with that weight, 
weighs upon the Christian for having violated the law of God, 
doesn't he? You see, when Spurgeon says, 
Peru's the diary of your memory, for there the witnesses of your 
guilt have recorded their names faithfully. That doesn't mean 
that we are to be daily hounded by the sins that we have committed. 
We are to feel bad. There is to be a grieving that 
we have violated God's law. But remember that we have ever 
and always held out before us the blood of Jesus Christ as 
that which cleanses us from all iniquity. We fly quickly in repentance 
to the reality that Christ atones for sin. We don't atone for sin. Christ did it upon Calvary's 
cross. And in him, we have the forgiveness 
of sins. We have all these blessed things 
wrapped up in Christ died. Notice as well, Christ was buried. The language of the text says 
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and 
that he was buried. This is an oft-neglected aspect 
of the gospel and the narrative concerning Christ. I think it's 
easy for us, and it's not necessarily wrong, to summarize the gospel 
quickly as the death and resurrection of Christ. In fact, Paul himself 
does that in Romans 4.25. He was delivered up because of 
our offenses. He was raised for our justification, 
death and resurrection. It's not as if Paul was consciously, 
while he's penning that, eliminating the righteous life of Christ 
and pulling out the burial there and just throwing in death and 
resurrection. The burial is an oft-neglected aspect of the gospel 
and the narrative concerning Christ, but an important one. 
It was announced by Christ. Christ announced His burial. You can turn with me to the book 
of Matthew, Matthew chapter 12. Flipping your fingers in the 
Bible now will hopefully help you sometimes, the smallest physical 
activity in an evening, help us to stay alert. In Matthew 
12, verse 40, remember we're going to back up to verse 39. 
The scribes and Pharisees are asking for a sign. Remember the 
Jews seek after signs. We see in verse 39, but he answered 
and said to them, an evil and adulterous generation seeks after 
a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the 
prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and 
three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the son 
of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 
You see, Christ announces his own burial. We see time and again, 
Christ announcing his death and resurrection. In fact, I believe 
it's three times in the gospel of Matthew, at least by explicit 
declaration that he says the son of man must go to be delivered 
up by wicked hands to be crucified, but he will rise again the third 
day. Here we have Christ announcing 
that he will be buried. As Jonah was three days and three 
nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man 
be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. That 
language, some people have asked throughout history and even within 
the context of our own church, why the language is three days 
and three nights since there were only really two nights after 
the crucifixion before Christ was raised. It's an idiomatic 
convention to speak of you know, the course of three days. So 
just because it was two nights that occurred, it was really 
three night days. There were three days that transpired 
from the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ until his resurrection. 
But getting back to the burial, it was announced by the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and it testifies to at least three things. What 
do we gain? What appreciation can we gain 
by the text saying Christ was buried according to the scriptures? Well, it testifies again to at 
least three things. And the first is this, the sinless 
innocence or the sinless perfection of Christ. testifies to that 
reality. How do we know that? Well, we 
read it at the outset of worship in Isaiah 53. Notice in Isaiah 
53, and they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich 
at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any 
deceit in his mouth. You see the connection there 
between, well, first off, the reality of the text, that it's 
true. When Paul writes, he was buried 
according to the scriptures. not the only place, but one of 
the places where the scriptures, the Old Testament foretold of 
the burial. And they made his grave. with 
the wicked, but with the rich at his death, and notice it speaks 
with regards to his innocence, his sinless perfection. Because 
he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 
The Apostle Peter picks this up in his epistle with respect 
to servants' conduct towards masters, when we are not to revile 
when we are reviled, and we are not to counter when we are offended, 
but rather to commit ourselves to him who judges righteously. 
the sinless perfection or the innocence of Jesus Christ is 
testified to with respect to the burial. Secondly, under what 
does it testify to? It testifies to at least three 
things. It confirms the certainty of death asserting the price 
of redemption paid. Christ was buried and that testifies 
to the fact that he truly did die. that the price of redemption 
was paid by his death. He really did do what he was 
sent to do. The Apostle Paul encapsulates 
it as his obedience unto cross death in Philippians chapter 
2. He was obedient unto his cross death. He had an obedience unto 
cross death vocation, a job to do and he did so perfectly and 
it's punctuated and testified to the fact that he was buried. Thirdly, It sets the stage, His 
burial does, it sets the stage for the glorious resurrection. 
It sets the stage for the glorious resurrection. The grave does 
not hold Him, but He would emerge victoriously by the Spirit with 
much assurance, with much power, with much victory. It sets the 
stage for that glorious event, the King of Kings being raised. in glory, and we'll get to that 
now. Never forsake or never forget 
about the burial of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you mean it when you 
say the death and resurrection of Christ, but give it some airtime 
because it testifies to the perfection of the work of our Savior. He 
really did die, and he would be raised from the dead. Thirdly, and lastly, then, under 
the activity involving the subject, Christ rose again. Notice back 
in 1 Corinthians 15, if you're not there already, you can flip 
back there. Christ died for our sins according 
to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose 
again the third day according to the scriptures. He rose again. Those words, brethren, I mean, 
they're glorious. I say that a lot because it's 
sometimes a preacher with not the largest vocabulary has to 
come back to a word. But the use of that word repetitively 
is also because of the absence of any other adjectives that 
can adequately explain the glory that is the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ. It's glorious. Glorious. You see, that is our hope. the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
If he remained in the grave and saw corruption, then we are of 
all men the most pitiable. If he remained in that grave 
and saw corruption and nothing occurred after but was just ashes 
to ashes, then we're hopeless. It's the argument of the Apostle 
Paul in this very text. If there is no resurrection of 
the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, 
then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. You 
see that your faith rests in a Christ actually and really 
raised from the dead. I say actually and really because 
there are the godless opponents of Christianity that assert that 
the resurrection is just a a warm and fuzzy sort of allegory or 
metaphor for us grasping on to something spiritual to grasp 
on to. It really wasn't historical. 
There really wasn't any resurrection of the dead. Paul would anathematize 
those peoples. Those who are bringing another 
gospel, they are to be devoted to destruction. It's a hopeless 
gospel that does not assert the true, the real in history resurrection 
of Jesus Christ. Again, with theological meaning 
for our justification and for other things, those things which 
we'll rehearse right now. What is seen in this rose again 
asserted is first a testament to the perfection of his saving 
work, indicating fatherly reward. The resurrection of Jesus Christ 
is a testament to the perfection of His saving work, indicating 
fatherly reward. After Paul writes of Christ's 
obedience unto cross-death vocation, he writes, therefore God also 
has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every 
name. The resurrection and the exaltation, 
the ascension of Jesus Christ, Christ did what he was sent to 
do, he did so gloriously, he did so perfectly, and the Father 
rewarded him for it. You read Hebrews 1 to 4, 1 to 
5 on your own time as well, it speaks the same things as Philippians 
2, 5 to 11. That upon the heels of the completion 
of the perfection of his saving work, Christ is rewarded in the 
resurrection and the exaltation therefore God also has highly 
exalted him for that perfect obedience unto cross-death vocation 
Christ or kids Christ when kids when we say vocation it means 
job In a in a simple definition work to do work that is done 
Christ had work to do it was obedience unto cross-death By 
virtue of his victory in that and perfection in that, he is 
raised from the dead as a testament to that beautiful and complete 
and perfect work. Secondly, the resurrection bears 
witness to our justification. It bears witness to our justification. 
Paul writes again in Romans 4.25 that he was delivered up, he 
was crucified, because of our offenses, and he was raised because 
of or for our justification. Now you've heard it before from 
Pastor Butler and perhaps from myself as well that that for 
our justification doesn't mean that the resurrection itself 
is that which justifies us, but rather that the resurrection, 
to use the language of John Gill, is a testification to the truthfulness 
of our justification and our salvation. In other words, the 
resurrection is the victory stamp upon the reality that we are 
justified by grace through faith in Christ, that he has saved 
us, that we are justified before the sight of God, not by virtue 
of our deeds of righteousness, but by virtue of the deeds and 
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ rendered in our 
place, received by faith alone. It bears witness to our justification. And lastly, under the resurrection, 
it confirms Christ as judge. The Bible speaks to that, the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ, that this truth, that Christ 
rose again, according to the scriptures, is that Christ is 
judge. You know, this is a joy to believers. 
It ought to be a joy to believers. We stand not before some arbitrary 
and some wicked judge with respect to the last and great things, 
but we stand before our Christ as our judge, our advocate. Our 
substitute declares, you know, enter into your rest, not by 
virtue of our works and by virtue of our deeds, but by virtue of 
the judge's works and the judge's deeds. We hear those words, enter 
into your rest. That's our judge. I turn to Acts 
10 for a moment because there is joy for the Christian in the 
reality of Christ as judge, but there is terror, terror, for the unbeliever. Notice the language in Acts chapter 
10. Speaking or picking up in verse 
40. So Acts 10 and verse 40. Speaking 
of Christ, him God raised up on the third day and showed him 
openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before 
by God, even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose 
from the dead. And he commanded us to preach 
to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained 
by God to be judge of the living and the dead. You see, that ought 
to strike terror into the hearts of the unbeliever. If you're 
here tonight and you're an unbeliever, child, adult, Christ is judge. And if you've rejected him, you've 
rejected him up to this point, I'll have no Christ. Oh, I might 
entertain some church. I might entertain coming in and 
sitting in the pews and taking in some preaching, but I have 
not yet closed with Christ. Christ will be your judge on 
a great and fearful day. You'll say, depart from me, I 
never knew you. Depart from me into the lake 
of fire reserved for the devil and his angels. Why have you not believed in 
so glorious a judge, so glorious a savior, so glorious a Christ 
who died, was buried and rose again? Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and you will be saved is the simple clarion call of 
the gospel. God is holy, you have sinned 
against him. The Savior Christ came to die 
and rise again for sinners. Believe on him and you shall 
have everlasting life. By grace, rest upon Christ alone. You want to see him as judge 
and friend on that great day, who will say to you, enter your 
rest by virtue of my work. You do not want him to say the 
only alternative, which is depart from me. rest on this glorious 
Christ. This is the language of Melito 
before we close. This is the language of Melito 
of Sardis on the resurrection of Christ. Talk about proclaiming 
the glories and the beauties of the risen Christ in a way 
that's hopefully sweet to the mind and sweet to the ears to 
hear. But he arose from the dead. and mounted up to the heights 
of heaven. When the Lord had clothed himself with humanity 
and had suffered for the sake of the sufferer and had been 
bound for the sake of the imprisoned, imprisoned and had been judged 
for the sake of the condemned and buried for the sake of the 
one who was buried, he rose up from the dead and cried aloud 
with this voice, who is he who contends with me? Let him stand 
in opposition to me. I set the condemned man free. 
I gave the dead man life. I raised up the one who had been 
entombed. Who is my opponent? I, he says, 
am the Christ. I am the one who destroyed death 
and triumphed over the enemy and trampled Hades underfoot 
and bound the strong one and carried off man to the heights 
of heaven. I, he says, am the Christ. Acts 10 43 continues to him that 
is to Christ all the prophets witness that through his name 
Whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins Might 
that be everyone tonight in this room? Whoever believes in him 
will receive remission of sins you don't want to be found on 
that great day before the judge dead in your sins and having 
the weight of the condemnation due for your sins upon you, to 
bear the wrath of God in eternity. Absence not from God, the absence 
of all the goodness, and all the love, and all the kindness, 
and all of the mercy, and all the grace of God. You don't want 
to be found in your sins, you want to be found in Christ. In 
this risen one. In this one who died. In this 
one who was buried. In this one who rose again. Brethren, in closing, very quickly, 
Four quick things, and I say four, but it won't take long. 
We need to make much of the gospel. Hopefully that's a simple conclusion, 
a simple application. We need to make much of the gospel. 
If it is as of first importance, if it is foremost, if it is chief, 
we need to make much of the gospel. We are to study the gospel. This 
thing that is foremost ought to be studied by his people. We're to study this glorious 
gospel of the blessed God and We are to be hope-filled. Remember, 
all hope is lost if there is no dead, buried, and resurrected 
Christ. But Paul says, but now Christ 
is risen. And we're to be hope-filled, 
not somber, miserable people walking around kicking cans with 
our heads down. Don't get me wrong, life's miseries 
and trials and afflictions can come upon you. As Christians, 
we are to be hope-filled, and let that hope, might that hope, 
well up within us and cause us to be those who march forward 
with encouragement and hope of hopes unto that great day. Lastly, 
we are to marvel as we observe the Lord's Supper in this one 
who died, in this one who was buried, and in this one who rose 
again. Very God, very man, one Christ, 
upon Calvary's cross for the sins of his people. Saints rejoice 
in him, take the supper, Proclaiming his death till he comes again 
unbeliever close with this Christ believe on him alone for salvation 
find bliss of bliss joy of joys Enter into Emmanuel's land singing 
the praises of so great of Christ. Let's pray God we thank you for 
your time in your word. We rejoice in our your revelation 
to the sons of men. We thank you for what it declares 
to us. We pray that you would help us to lay hold of our Christ 
without wavering, with great joy and encouragement, that we 
would now with joy and in solemnity approach the Lord's Supper with 
a great care and respect. We thank you for the truth of 
the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for 
our sins, according to the scriptures and We pray that you'd continue 
with us now. We pray that all that is done, 
this worship, this preaching, prayers, the singing of hymns, 
and now the observance of the Lord's Supper would be unto the 
praise of Father, Son, and Spirit. We pray in Christ's name, amen. 
Well, you can turn in your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians 11, 
1 Corinthians chapter 11. As we have heard the preaching 
of the word concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, we now give our 
attention to the observance of the Lord's Supper, which proclaims 
the Lord's death till he comes, which is carried out in remembrance 
of our great Christ and which God uses to grow and strengthen 
his people by his spirit in their walk with him. The first Corinthians 
11, as you know, verses 17 through to verse 34, deal with the Lord's 
Supper. Specifically in view is malconduct, 
bad conduct. I don't even know if that's a 
word, malconduct, but bad conduct. at the Lord's Supper, something 
that should never occur among Christ's people, and yet of course 
was, and no doubt certainly would continue, does continue, but 
conduct at the Lord's Supper is to be exemplary, not because 
we're so awesome and polished, but because of the Christ that 
we just discussed. I shouldn't call that discussion, 
the Christ that was hopefully just preached. Because of that 
Christ, our conduct at the Lord's Supper is to be in accord with 
the Holy Word of God. I'm going to read the beginning 
portion, 17 to 22, and then 27 and following. Now, in giving 
these instructions, this is 1 Corinthians 11, 17, I do not praise you since 
you come together not for the better, but for the worse. For 
first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there 
are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there 
must also be factions among you that those who are approved may 
be recognized among you. Therefore, when you come together 
in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, 
each one takes his own supper ahead of others, and one is hungry 
and the other is drunk. What? Do you not have houses 
to eat and drink in, or do you despise the church of God and 
shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall 
I praise you in this? I do not praise you. Skipping 
to verse 27. Therefore, whoever eats this 
bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will 
be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine 
himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks 
judgment to himself. not discerning the Lord's body. 
For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many 
sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, 
we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are 
chastened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the 
world. Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, 
wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let 
him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the 
rest I will set in order when I come. Amen. Well, hopefully 
tonight we've gathered together not for the worse, but for the 
better. Our conduct is such that we as believers will take the 
bread and take the wine. Remember that this is an ordinance 
for believers only. It is for Christians, and it 
is for Christians who are living consistently with their profession 
of faith. That is, none of us are harboring 
unrepentant sins. in walking in newness of life 
and according to the gospel of grace we are to take If you're 
an unbeliever here tonight, you're not to take of the Lord's Supper 
this isn't some sort of insult hopefully or anything like that 
if you Have questions, by all means ask me afterwards, but 
this is an ordinance given for Christians only. Remember very 
quickly that there is no magic going on as we have set these 
things apart for a holy use in the observance of the Lord's 
Supper. The bread remains bread, the wine remains wine. We take 
these things as emblems of our glorious Christ, His body broken, 
His blood shed, and by this and in this, our God strengthens 
us and nourishes us in our faith by His Spirit while we remember 
the Lord's death till He comes again. When the wine comes around, 
the juice is in the outer ring. So just a reminder, if you would 
like to take juice, it is in the outer ring. I'm gonna read 
this central portion as we take the bread and as we take the 
wine. So if the brothers could come up and pass out the bread, 
you all can remain seated and we're going to sing in the Red 
Psalter, Psalm 130. That's Psalm 130, you can remain 
seated and sing. ♪ O come, let us adore him, O come, 
let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him, O come, let 
us adore him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him, O come, let us 
adore him ♪ obligatingly, for you shall stand Thou, my Lord, shouldst glory 
give with meekness, but yet with Thee forgiveness give, and penitent 
receive. Thy way, my soul, Thou is the 
Lord, my hope is in His word. More than Thou art, generate 
for more, my soul waits o'er Thy door. O Israel, obey the Lord, the 
Lord saves graciously, and he shall Israel redeem from all 
iniquity. The text in 1st Corinthians 11 
23 reads for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered 
to you that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was 
betrayed took bread and And when he had given thanks, he broke 
it and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken 
for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Amen. Let us pray. God, we rejoice 
that we can take now the Lord's Supper. We thank you that we 
can partake of this bread. this emblem of the body of our 
Lord Jesus Christ delivered up upon Calvary's cross for the 
sins of his people. We rejoice in what this represents, 
our blessed Savior and the giving of himself as a sacrifice for 
a multitude which no man can number. We pray that as we partake, 
we would reflect with that joy, with that solemnity on so great 
a Christ and so great a salvation. And we pray in Christ's name, 
amen. Let's take together. You can remain seated and the 
brothers will come up, if you will, and pass out the wine. 
Again, the juice is in the outer ring. This time we're going to 
sing in the larger Trinity hymnal 440. 4-4-0. You can remain seated 
and sing. ♪ Let mercy's deep grace ♪ ♪ My 
sins exhaust me ♪ ♪ Great object of immortal praise ♪ ♪ Sent to 
thee to bring ♪ ♪ We bless thee for the glorious truth ♪ In Thee we have the righteousness, 
for Thine art the glory evermore. Our Alma Mater, our nation, this 
we tenderly give you. ever stay, for all thy people 
live. Thou, thou perfect King, O King, that makest 
life eternal, So why the righteous stand upon 
our Savior's right? ♪ Gracious Lord, with humblest 
voice submit ♪ ♪ Our gift to paradise restore ♪ ♪ We leave the home of thee 
♪ ♪ Amen ♪ Text continues, in the same manner, 
he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant 
in my blood. This do as often as you drink 
it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this 
bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till 
he comes. Amen. Let's pray. God, we rejoice 
now in the partaking of this wine. We thank you for what it 
represents, the shed blood of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in that precious blood. 
shed for the salvation of a multitude which no man can number. We thank 
you again for our precious Christ and for that precious salvation. 
And we pray as we take that we would rejoice and that we would 
solemnly reflect upon our precious Savior. And it's in His name 
that we pray. Amen. Let's take together. Well, let's all stand together 
and sing our final hymn this evening. It's 175. No doubt for 
many of us, very familiar. Our precious man of sorrows, 
Jesus Christ the Lord. Let's stand and sing 175. Man of sorrows, what a day! For 
the Son of God who came, Ruined sinners to reclaim, Alleluia, 
my Savior! ♪ Bearing shame and softly blue 
♪ ♪ In my place come and disturb ♪ ♪ Seal my garden with His love 
♪ ♪ Alleluia, what a Savior! ♪ ♪ Guilty but and helpless we 
♪ ♪ Slawless than a prophecy ♪ can it be With a proxy to God, in this 
village was his fire. Now in heaven exalted high, Alleluia, blessed Savior! ♪ When he comes, our glorious King 
♪ ♪ All his friends come home to pray ♪ ♪ Then anew this song 
we'll sing ♪ ♪ Alleluia, what a Savior God is ♪ Now may the God of peace who 
brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd 
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 
make you complete in every good work to do his will, working 
in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, 
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. God, go with us now. We rejoice in this Lord's Day, 
having been able to gather and worship our great God. We pray 
that you'd go with us now, having fed us by your word and strengthened 
us by your spirit. Lord, go with us into this week. 
Help us to rejoice in our Savior and to live in a manner worthy 
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we pray in his name. Amen. Please be seated. We'll have 
a brief time of prayer, and then when the piano's finished, you're 
dismissed.