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Mark 15:33-47 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Our text for today is going to be Mark chapter 15 verses 33 through 47.
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It's a bit of a chunk for today.
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I must admit that I'm pressing a little bit through the text so that we can preach in a verse-by-verse expositional manner as we've been doing throughout Mark on Easter, the resurrection.
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I think we'll find that the themes are very well connected here and can be done quite readily.
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Let me begin, though, with an exhortation to you and an apology from me.
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I'm growing increasingly frustrated by the trend in America and our consumer-driven churches, by the need to be entertained in all things, including preaching.
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All across our country this morning, businesses are opening up their doors and clicking on their open signs and people are coming in and they're consuming.
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People are looking for churches or they're floating from place to place to place and they're coming in and they're getting a snapshot of a presentation given to them and passing judgment on it.
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The church is a people.
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It includes things like this, getting together, the preaching of God's Word.
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But I think that because of this growing trend, the standard of good preaching has shifted.
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It's no longer enough that a man simply speak the truth on any given text, but that he'd rather speak in such a way that he keeps the attention of everybody and leaves you feeling really good.
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And it is very possible to do this without saying much at all.
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In fact, this is happening in many places this morning.
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Very little is being said and many times heresies are being uttered, but everyone is so very entertained.
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Now, I'll say that this is much less the case among you.
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Case in point, you're here this morning and I don't believe that I make much of an effort to entertain,
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but I still feel this pressure to get up and give a presentation of the Word of God rather than just telling you what it says.
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And this is as much my fault as it may be yours, and it may be even that I'm making it all up in my own mind.
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I want to be sure that you guys understand that the preaching of God's Word is not meant to be entertainment.
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It's supposed to be good for your souls.
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Preaching is probably 10 to 20% of my week, both in preparation and in the presentation.
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There are many, many other things I do as a pastor, but I know that this is the major thing that you guys see.
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What does Nathan do all week?
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He prepares a 45-minute sermon.
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It's loose.
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45 to an hour.
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Right?
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It's what he's up to every single week.
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But there's so very much more that goes into this.
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And I carry with me throughout the week, while it may be 10 to 20% of the work I'm doing,
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the pressure of presentation.
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And I'm making some corrections in my own heart to this degree.
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But I want to encourage you all, as a part of a culture, a subset, Christ Family Church,
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as part of a greater culture, to have a right understanding of what good preaching is.
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A great place to go and see that.
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You don't need to turn here.
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I'll read it to you carefully and clearly.
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1 Corinthians 2, 1 through 5.
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Paul's writing to the Corinthian believers.
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The Corinthians were people who consumed Greek oration in high degree.
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They loved, loved grand speeches.
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And many of these speeches, I read a few of them, say very little.
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But boy, do they sound so good.
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The Corinthians worshipped the silver tongue.
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And Paul says this to them.
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1 Corinthians 2, 1 through 5.
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And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God
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with lofty speech or wisdom, which Paul was certainly capable of doing.
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Read any of his epistles.
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Verse 2,
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For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
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And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling.
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And my speech and my message were not implausible words of wisdom,
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but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
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so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men,
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but in the power of God.
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He intentionally spoke simply to them that the Spirit might work
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and that they would have to give all credit and praise to Him.
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Earlier on in 1 Corinthians, he says,
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verse 27, chapter 1,
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But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.
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And we're presented with a bit of a challenge in our day
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because we have access to so much preaching.
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In fact, I think, and this is not your fault at all,
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but the fact that I'm being recorded right now places a pressure on me.
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I hate that my sermons go out on the World Wide Web.
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It causes me to tremble.
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That people who are going to potentially visit our church,
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whether they do or not, I don't know,
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probably go and preview the preaching.
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Last week's sermon may not have been a very good sermon.
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I've said this to you continually.
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I'm just hoping to get on base most of the time,
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much less hit a home run.
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Oh, if we could just get a score home,
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that would be fantastic.
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I hope for this.
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I long for this.
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And I pray for it.
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There's so much access out there.
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A hundred years ago,
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you would have just been so happy to get to come
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and hear the Word of God preached.
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You would have visited the church
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that gathered closest to your home.
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So my exhortation to you this morning is
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ask yourself,
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by what standard do you measure
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quote-unquote good preaching?
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What is the standard for you?
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Is it the truth is proclaimed?
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Or is it that you were entertained?
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You must ask yourself this question.
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So if I were to pause and stop
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and take a long drink of water,
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is this awkward to you?
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Are you feeling nervous for me?
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Could be because you think I'm giving a presentation.
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And how could I dare pause?
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When I fumble with words,
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did your heart tighten?
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It shouldn't.
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I encourage you to ask that question.
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How do you measure good preaching?
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And become an active listener.
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Become an active listener.
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And what I mean by that is
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a passive listener is just going to sit.
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And I'm hoping that I say enough things
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in the right way,
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that I use my hands in an exuberant fashion,
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that I raise my voice at the right time,
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and I lower my voice at the right time,
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so that something will get through
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whatever else is happening inside of your head.
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We're so easily distracted as a people.
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I'm the same way.
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Become an active listener.
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This will help you.
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Pick a pen up in your hand
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and write down notes.
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It's such a massively helpful way
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to stay on point with what's going on.
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I try to lay sermons out
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in an organized fashion.
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I don't always,
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but I certainly try.
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Now, participate a bit in this.
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We're a Baptist church,
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and there is never an amen in our church.
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And I think that's in large part
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because most of you are students,
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and so you're studious,
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and you would never amen a professor
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in the classroom.
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And you shouldn't.
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Amen?
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A head nod now and then would be great.
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I've got to tell you,
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there's usually three things going on in my brain
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at one time when I'm preaching.
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There's typically the next thing that has to be said.
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I'm trying to get my head going in the right direction.
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There's what's actually coming out of my mouth,
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and when I do mess stuff up,
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that's usually because I switch to the future,
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and what's coming out of my mouth
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just doesn't come out of my mouth,
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and I get yanked back to the present.
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And then there's also the,
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what in the world is everybody thinking?
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Many of you have the strangest listening faces.
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Usually look mad,
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like I've really, really said something wrong,
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so then my head goes into the past
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to figure out what I messed up
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and if I need to correct it.
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So an occasional nod my direction
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to let me know that you agree,
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and you're being changed by the Word of God preached
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is helpful.
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And then take what's preached
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and go talk about it.
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Not all of you,
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but most of you came with somebody,
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you know somebody here,
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you're going to see them throughout the week.
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Carry on a conversation
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about what was preached,
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even what I may have erred in,
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because I may,
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and I need to be told of these things,
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but have conversations about it
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and be sure you as the congregation
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are accountable for what I preach.
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I need your help in that.
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And I want your help in that way.
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So pen in hand,
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participate,
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and discuss later.
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That's the exhortation to you.
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The apology on my part,
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Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones,
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who is a phenomenal preacher,
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I would encourage you to read his sermons.
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He's a 20th century Welsh Protestant.
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He said,
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Preaching is theology on fire,
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which I think is a fantastic definition.
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Simple, but fantastic definition
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of what preaching is.
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And I'll tell you that I need to spend
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more time catching fire each week.
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Less time concerned about presentation.
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Really, I just need to say,
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damn presentation,
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it doesn't matter.
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And I need to be catching fire
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and coming and preaching to you.
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Because the embers of my heart
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often grow cold.
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Just like you.
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I am a man.
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And they often grow cold
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and they need to be fanned into flame.
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And I need to spend more time
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doing that in my weeks.
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I apologize that I haven't always
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done this well.
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I want to process sermons in this way.
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It's a fantastic quote,
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Charles Spurge,
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on how to best prepare to preach.
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It's been a habit that I often read this
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every single week.
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It's been a few weeks since I've read it.
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Let me read this to you.
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Let us, dear brethren,
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try to get saturated with the gospel.
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I always find that I can preach best
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when I can manage to lie a soak in my text.
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I like to get a text
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and find out its meaning
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and bearings and so on.
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And then after I have bathed in it,
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I delight to lie down in it
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and let it soak into me.
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It softens me or hardens me
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or does whatever it ought to do to me.
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And then I can talk about it.
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You need not be very particular
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about the words and phrases.
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If the spirit of the text has filled you,
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thoughts will leap out
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and find raiment for themselves.
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Become saturated with spices
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and you will smell of them.
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A sweet perfume will distill from you
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and spread itself in every direction.
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We call this unction.
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It's not a word we use these days.
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Do you not love to listen to a brother
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who abides in fellowship with the Lord Jesus?
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Even a few minutes with such a man
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is refreshing.
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For like his master,
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his paths drop fatness.
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I love that.
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Dwell in the truth
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and let the truth dwell in you.
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Be baptized into its spirit
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and influence that you may impart
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therefore of to others.
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If you do not believe the gospel,
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do not preach it
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for you lack an essential qualification.
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But even if you do believe it,
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do not preach it
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until you have taken it up into yourself
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as the wick takes up the oil.
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So only can you be a burning
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and a shining light.
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And with that,
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I say to you and to me,
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this is God's word to us.
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It's written for His glory
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and our good.
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We would all do well
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to listen to it
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in order to believe its promises
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and obey its commands.
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Let's read together
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Mark 15.33-47.
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And when the sixth hour had come,
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there was darkness
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over the whole land
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until the ninth hour.
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And at the ninth hour,
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Jesus cried with a loud voice,
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Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani,
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which means,
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My God, my God,
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why have you forsaken me?
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And some of the bystanders
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hearing it said,
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Behold, He is calling Elijah.
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And some ran and filled a sponge
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with sour wine,
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put her on a reed,
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and gave it to him to drink,
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saying,
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Wait, let us see
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whether Elijah will come
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to take him down.
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And Jesus uttered a loud cry
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and breathed his last.
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And the curtain of the temple
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was torn in two
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from top to bottom.
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And when the centurion
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who stood facing him
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saw that in this way
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he breathed his last,
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he said,
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Truly, this man
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was the Son of God.
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There were also women
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looking on from a distance,
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among whom were Mary Magdalene
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and Mary the mother of James,
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the younger,
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and of Joses and Salome.
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When he was in Galilee,
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they followed him
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and ministered to him,
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and there also were
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many other women
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who came up with him
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to Jerusalem.
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And when evening had come,
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since it was the day
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of preparation,
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that is,
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the day before the Sabbath,
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Joseph of Arimathea,
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a respected member
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of the council
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who was also himself
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looking for the kingdom of God,
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took courage
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and went to Pilate
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and asked for the body of Jesus.
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Pilate was surprised
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to hear that he should
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have already died,
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and summoning the centurion,
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he asked him
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whether he was already dead.
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And when he learned
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from the centurion
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that he was dead,
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he granted the corpse
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to Joseph.
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And Joseph bought
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a linen shroud
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and taking him down,
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wrapped him in the linen shroud
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and laid him in a tomb
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that had been cut
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out of the rock,
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and he rolled a stone
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against the entrance
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of the tomb.
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Mary Magdalene
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and Mary the mother
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of Joses
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saw where he was laid.
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Pray with me.
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Father, I would ask
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this morning
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for the preaching
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of your word
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to be blessed
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by your spirit,
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and for all of us
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who are hearing it,
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even me as I speak,
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and that you would
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work through me
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that certainly today
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preaching would be
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theology on fire.
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And we pray this
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in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Kind of stealing once again
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from Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones.
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Many people call him
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the doctor.
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He did have a format
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for the way in which
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he preached,
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which I've always
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really appreciated,
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and I tend to do this,
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although it's often
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a little more hidden,
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but he has this kind
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of pattern where he
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would do exegesis,
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doctrine, and application.
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So that's the way
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we're going to walk
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through this text
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together this morning.
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So first, exegesis.
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If you don't know
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what that means,
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it means literally
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to lead out of.
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It's a critical
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explanation of a text,
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simply that.
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It means that we
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get out of the text
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what God intends
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to say to us,
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which would be
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the opposite of
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eisegesis.
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If we read into
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the text,
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to apply something
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here that I have
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some idea I want
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to prove to you,
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and therefore I go
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to the text to prove it,
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but rather that we
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look at the text
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and we pull the
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teaching out of it.
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So simply,
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we'll exegete the
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text together.
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I looked back
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before we jump
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heavily into that,
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just for the joy of it,
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to see when it was
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we started Mark's
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gospel.
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We did so on
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September 22nd
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of 2013.
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How about that?
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So we've been
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now,
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we'll have two
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more Sundays
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in Mark,
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and it'll be
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a year and a half,
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plus a little,
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about 21 days,
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to finish it
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all up.
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And we have
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noted across
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that time,
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as we've seen
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the life of Christ,
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leading up now
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into the Passion Week,
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this is Friday
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of that week,
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the day,
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obviously,
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that He is
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crucified,
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His active
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obedience.
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Jesus Christ
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was commonly
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called His
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active obedience,
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and that was
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Him submitting
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His will
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to that
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of God
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the Father.
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Doing the things
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that God
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had asked
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Him to do,
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His active
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obedience.
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John 8,
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28,
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Jesus said,
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I do nothing
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on my own
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authority.
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He just did
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whatever God
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the Father
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told Him
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to do.
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Mark 8,
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34,
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we get this
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passed along
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to us,
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in this charge
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He gives
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to a crowd,
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if anyone
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would come
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after me,
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let him
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deny himself
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and take up
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his cross
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and follow
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me.
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This is the
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way in which
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we follow
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God the
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Father,
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is in
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active
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obedience.
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Last week
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and some
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Sundays before
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and this
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Sunday,
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particularly,
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we're going
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to be looking
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at Jesus'
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passive
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obedience.
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And that
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was what
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He suffered
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on our
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behalf,
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the way in
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which He
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was obedient
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to the
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Father
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in His
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suffering,
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which was
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something He
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did throughout
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His life.
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He suffered
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as He
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lived in
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the world,
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but certainly
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is highlighted
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the great
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high point
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of His
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passive
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obedience
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is in
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His
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suffering
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and death
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on the
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cross.
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And I'll
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share with
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you shortly
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why the
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two types
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of obedience
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are absolutely
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necessary
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for our
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salvation.
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Let's look
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at verse
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33.
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When the
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sixth hour
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had come,
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there was
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darkness
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over the
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whole land
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until the
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ninth hour.
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Last week
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in 1525,
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we saw that
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it was the
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third hour
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when they
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crucified Him,
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which would
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have been
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hour 9 a.m.
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Beginning
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of the day,
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6 a.m.
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The third
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hour was
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9 a.m.
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So He's
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on the
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cross at
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9 a.m.
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And then
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at noon
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until 3 p.m.,
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Mark says,
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there is
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darkness
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over the
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whole land.
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We don't
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know how
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exactly this
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came to
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pass.
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I read
17:30
some things
17:30
this week
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that said
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that it
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was impossible
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for there to
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be an eclipse
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at this time.
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I don't know how
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people know
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these types of
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things,
17:37
but this is
17:37
what they
17:38
said.
17:39
So likely
17:39
some cloud
17:40
cover,
17:40
something else.
17:41
It doesn't
17:41
really matter,
17:42
but ultimately
17:43
there was
17:44
darkness,
17:45
darkness,
17:46
which is
17:46
symbolic of
17:47
God's
17:48
displeasure
17:49
and His
17:50
judgment.
17:51
Listen to
17:52
Amos 8,
17:52
9,
17:54
And on
17:54
that day,
17:55
declares the
17:55
Lord God,
17:56
I will make
17:57
the sun go
17:57
down at
17:58
noon and
17:58
darken the
17:59
earth in
18:00
broad daylight.
18:02
You can look
18:02
at some other
18:03
texts concerning
18:04
this,
18:04
Deuteronomy
18:04
28,
18:05
29,
18:06
Jeremiah
18:07
15,
18:08
9 are some
18:08
examples of
18:09
those places,
18:09
symbolic of
18:10
God's
18:11
displeasure
18:11
and judgment.
18:13
It's likely
18:14
that Mark
18:15
wanted his
18:15
readers to
18:16
recall the
18:16
final plague
18:17
at the time
18:18
of the first
18:19
Passover,
18:20
the way in
18:21
which he
18:21
has written
18:22
this.
18:22
Exodus 10,
18:23
21-23,
18:24
you can take
18:24
a look at
18:24
that,
18:25
but the
18:25
final plague
18:25
before the
18:26
Passover
18:27
happened,
18:28
when the
18:29
Israelites
18:29
were captive
18:30
in Egypt,
18:31
was the
18:32
plague of
18:32
darkness.
18:33
For three
18:34
days,
18:34
there was
18:34
absolute
18:35
darkness.
18:36
In Exodus
18:37
chapter 10,
18:38
we see that
18:38
they couldn't
18:39
even see
18:39
each other.
18:40
It was so
18:41
incredibly dark.
18:41
It would
18:42
seem that they
18:42
couldn't even
18:43
light lights.
18:44
For three
18:44
days,
18:44
it was dark,
18:46
but the
18:46
Israelites
18:46
had light
18:47
in their
18:48
homes.
18:48
And this
18:49
was the
18:49
last judgment
18:50
given before
18:51
the Passover
18:52
came to be,
18:53
that when the
18:54
angel of death
18:54
came and the
18:56
posts of the
18:57
door were
18:57
painted with
18:58
the perfect
18:58
spotless lamb,
19:00
this whole
19:00
celebration
19:01
that's happening
19:02
in this week,
19:03
the Passion
19:03
Week,
19:04
is about
19:04
celebrating
19:05
that,
19:05
Jesus,
19:06
or God,
19:06
leading the
19:07
people out
19:07
by the blood
19:08
of the lamb,
19:09
and that is
19:09
who Jesus
19:10
is.
19:11
This is
19:12
likely why
19:13
Mark is
19:13
recording it
19:14
in this way,
19:14
that people
19:14
would see
19:15
that and
19:16
remember who
19:17
Jesus is.
19:19
Verse 34,
19:20
this three
19:21
hours of
19:22
darkness,
19:22
we don't know
19:23
if the
19:23
darkness lifts
19:24
or if it
19:24
still exists,
19:25
it does not
19:26
really matter,
19:26
but Jesus
19:27
cries out with
19:28
a loud
19:28
voice,
19:29
Eloi,
19:30
Eloi,
19:30
lama sabachthani,
19:32
!
19:32
which means
19:32
my God,
19:34
my God,
19:35
why have
19:35
you forsaken
19:36
me?
19:36
This is a
19:36
quote,
19:37
he draws
19:38
this directly
19:38
out of
19:39
Psalm 22,
19:40
1.
19:42
Last week
19:42
we talked
19:43
a bit about
19:43
the physical
19:44
pain of
19:45
the cross.
19:47
As far as
19:48
capital punishment
19:49
is concerned,
19:50
the divisement
19:51
of death
19:52
on a cross
19:53
was one
19:54
of the most
19:54
heinous
19:55
capital punishments
19:56
that exists
19:56
in all
19:57
of history.
19:59
Certainly
19:59
our Lord
20:00
suffered
20:00
greatly
20:01
on the cross.
20:03
He was
20:03
beaten
20:04
beyond
20:05
recognition
20:06
even before
20:07
he was there.
20:07
There were
20:08
punishments
20:08
added on
20:09
top of
20:09
the punishment
20:10
of him
20:11
hanging on
20:11
the cross.
20:12
But we
20:12
cannot
20:13
forget,
20:14
beloved,
20:14
we cannot
20:15
forget about
20:16
his spiritual
20:17
suffering.
20:19
The spiritual
20:19
suffering is
20:20
the most
20:20
important thing
20:21
that he
20:21
accomplished
20:22
on the cross.
20:23
And I can
20:24
say this to
20:24
you with
20:24
a confidence,
20:25
although I
20:26
would do it
20:26
with a great
20:26
deal of
20:27
trembling,
20:27
and actually
20:28
presented with
20:28
the case,
20:29
it would be
20:29
hard to
20:30
say it
20:30
out loud,
20:31
but I
20:31
would suffer
20:32
physically
20:33
what Jesus
20:33
suffered for
20:34
you all.
20:35
There's some
20:35
guarantee of
20:37
great good
20:38
for you all.
20:38
I would
20:39
suffer
20:39
physically
20:40
the way
20:40
Jesus
20:40
suffered,
20:41
but I
20:41
could not
20:42
the way
20:43
he suffered
20:44
physically.
20:46
Isaiah 53,
20:47
6,
20:48
all we like
20:49
sheep have
20:49
gone astray,
20:50
we have
20:50
turned everyone
20:51
to his own
20:52
way,
20:52
and the
20:53
Lord,
20:53
that's God
20:54
the Father,
20:54
has laid
20:55
on him,
20:56
God the
20:57
Son,
20:57
the iniquity
20:58
of us
20:59
all.
21:01
Galatians 3,
21:02
13,
21:03
Paul writes,
21:03
Christ redeemed
21:04
us from the
21:05
curse of the
21:05
law by
21:06
becoming a
21:07
curse for
21:08
us.
21:09
For it is
21:09
written,
21:10
cursed is
21:10
everyone who
21:12
is hanged
21:12
on a tree.
21:14
Really incredibly
21:14
difficult for us
21:15
to even understand
21:16
what he may have
21:17
experienced on
21:18
the cross.
21:19
The only perfect
21:20
man to have
21:21
ever lived,
21:22
living without
21:22
sin,
21:23
living in
21:23
perfect union
21:24
with the
21:24
Father.
21:25
None of us
21:25
can relate to
21:26
this in any
21:26
way whatsoever.
21:28
Also,
21:28
the only one
21:29
to have had
21:30
all of that
21:30
fellowship,
21:31
and all of
21:32
that perfection
21:33
stripped from
21:34
him,
21:34
and all of
21:35
God's wrath,
21:36
all of the
21:36
punishment given
21:37
to him,
21:37
poured out on
21:38
him.
21:38
There are
21:38
times in our
21:39
life when
21:39
we're punished
21:40
unfairly,
21:41
unjustly,
21:42
something may
21:43
happen.
21:43
I try to
21:44
intervene with
21:44
my two boys
21:45
when they're
21:46
fighting about
21:46
stuff,
21:47
and sometimes
21:47
I'm really
21:47
afraid that I
21:48
made the
21:48
wrong call,
21:49
like who
21:49
actually had
21:50
the toy
21:50
first?
21:51
Sometimes I
21:52
don't know.
21:52
I take a
21:53
gamble and go
21:54
with it.
21:54
I'm sure at
21:55
times I deliver
21:56
justice
21:57
unjustly.
21:59
We don't
21:59
have any
22:00
idea what
22:00
it would
22:00
be like to
22:01
be completely
22:01
free of
22:03
guilt,
22:03
and yet have
22:05
wrath and
22:06
punishment poured
22:07
out on us.
22:09
Jonathan Edwards
22:10
wrote of
22:12
Christ's
22:12
atonement and
22:13
his suffering.
22:14
Besides what
22:14
our Lord
22:15
endured in
22:16
this excruciating
22:17
corporeal death,
22:19
which means
22:19
bodily death,
22:20
he endured
22:21
vastly him,
22:23
and to put
22:23
him to grief,
22:25
now he poured
22:25
out his soul
22:26
unto death,
22:27
as in Isaiah
22:28
53.
22:29
And if the
22:30
mere forethought
22:31
of this cup
22:31
made him
22:32
sweat blood,
22:33
remember Christ
22:34
actually sweat
22:35
blood considering
22:36
what was to
22:37
happen to him
22:38
on the cross,
22:40
how much more
22:40
dreadful and
22:42
excruciating must
22:43
the drinking
22:43
have been.
22:45
Many martyrs
22:46
have endured
22:46
much in their
22:47
bodies, while
22:48
their souls have
22:49
been joyful and
22:50
have sung for
22:51
joy, whereby
22:52
they have been
22:52
supported under
22:53
the suffering of
22:54
their outward
22:55
man and have
22:56
triumphed over
22:57
them.
22:57
So see what he's
22:58
saying, all the
22:59
martyrs, many,
22:59
many martyrs
23:00
have had a great
23:00
deal of joy as
23:02
God gave them
23:02
grace to suffer
23:03
well in those
23:05
times, but this
23:06
was not the
23:07
case with
23:08
Christ.
23:09
He had no
23:10
such support.
23:12
The Father
23:12
turned his back
23:13
on him even as
23:14
he poured
23:15
wrath out on
23:16
him, wrath
23:17
that was due
23:18
us.
23:20
Charles Spurgeon
23:21
wrote,
23:21
Isn't that
23:34
good?
23:36
Verse 35,
23:37
And some of
23:38
the bystanders
23:39
hearing it said,
23:39
Behold, he is
23:41
calling Elijah.
23:43
And this just
23:44
points to the
23:44
ignorance of the
23:46
Jewish people.
23:47
The Jewish people
23:48
had been led by
23:49
religious leaders
23:50
that had built
23:50
a whole system
23:51
that was not
23:52
proper worship
23:53
of the true
23:54
God.
23:56
They had
23:56
developed an
23:58
eschatology,
23:59
kind of a growing
23:59
eschatology,
24:00
which is a
24:00
theology of the
24:01
end times,
24:02
with a view
24:03
that Elijah
24:04
would return
24:04
to restore
24:05
all things,
24:06
which included
24:07
the hope that
24:07
he might appear
24:08
from heaven to
24:09
help in times
24:10
of need.
24:11
In one sense,
24:12
he had kind of
24:12
become the
24:13
patron saint
24:14
of sufferers,
24:15
that they had
24:16
hoped that Elijah
24:16
would come and
24:17
rescue in times
24:19
of need.
24:20
This is entirely
24:21
false,
24:21
not true
24:22
whatsoever.
24:23
The Old Testament
24:24
doesn't speak in
24:24
these terms at
24:25
all.
24:27
That ignorance
24:27
is not an
24:29
excuse for
24:30
disobedience.
24:32
Acts 3,
24:32
17-19,
24:34
which is when
24:34
Peter's delivering
24:35
the second of
24:37
his wonderful
24:37
sermons at
24:39
the temple.
24:39
They've healed
24:40
a man who
24:41
was a cripple
24:42
from birth,
24:42
and a great
24:43
crowd has
24:43
gathered around
24:44
him.
24:44
I'd encourage
24:44
you to read
24:45
that.
24:45
And then at
24:45
the beginning
24:46
of chapter 4,
24:47
we see 5,000
24:48
people come to
24:49
faith at this
24:50
time.
24:51
And he says,
24:52
starting in
24:53
verse 17,
24:53
And now,
24:54
brothers,
24:55
I know that
24:55
you acted in
24:56
ignorance,
24:56
as did also
24:57
your rulers.
24:58
And he gives
24:59
credit to them.
24:59
You acted in
25:00
ignorance,
25:00
but this is no
25:01
excuse.
25:02
He goes on,
25:02
but what God
25:03
foretold by the
25:03
mouth of all
25:04
the prophets,
25:05
all of that
25:06
great grand
25:07
literature that
25:07
you had at
25:08
your fingertips,
25:09
that his
25:10
Christ would
25:10
suffer,
25:11
he thus
25:11
fulfilled.
25:13
Repent,
25:13
therefore,
25:14
and turn
25:15
back that
25:15
your sins
25:16
may be
25:16
blotted
25:16
out.
25:17
Ignorance
25:18
is not an
25:19
excuse for
25:20
disobedience.
25:21
So they
25:21
thought possibly
25:22
he was calling
25:23
out to this
25:24
Elijah.
25:25
And in
25:25
verse 36,
25:26
we see,
25:26
And someone
25:26
ran and filled
25:27
a sponge with
25:28
sour wine,
25:29
put it on a
25:30
reed,
25:30
lifted it up to
25:31
where he was
25:31
and gave it
25:32
to him to
25:32
drink,
25:32
saying,
25:33
Wait,
25:33
let us see
25:34
whether Elijah
25:34
will come
25:35
to take him.
25:36
It's likely
25:37
that they were
25:37
trying to
25:38
prolong his
25:39
life to see
25:39
if maybe
25:40
Elijah would
25:40
come,
25:41
right?
25:41
Keep him
25:41
alive long
25:42
enough to
25:43
see if that
25:43
is something
25:43
that would
25:44
come to
25:45
pass.
25:45
And this
25:45
sour wine
25:47
would have
25:47
been like
25:48
a vinegar
25:49
that they
25:49
lifted up
25:50
to him.
25:50
And he
25:50
drinks of
25:51
it.
25:51
We see
25:51
in other
25:52
texts,
25:52
and this
25:53
is a
25:53
fulfillment
25:54
of prophecy.
25:55
Psalm 69,
25:56
21 says,
25:57
They gave
25:57
me poison
25:58
for food,
25:59
and for my
26:00
thirst they
26:00
gave me
26:01
sour wine
26:02
to drink.
26:03
So we see
26:04
Jesus,
26:05
in last week's
26:05
text,
26:06
not drink
26:06
the wine
26:07
mixed with
26:08
myrrh,
26:08
which we
26:09
think was
26:09
possibly some
26:10
type of
26:11
light drug
26:13
that would
26:13
have eased
26:13
the pain.
26:14
But he
26:14
does drink
26:15
this,
26:15
and he
26:16
does so
26:16
because of
26:17
Psalm 69,
26:18
21.
26:20
And then
26:21
verse 37,
26:23
And Jesus
26:24
uttered a
26:25
loud cry
26:25
and breathed
26:27
his last.
26:29
Verse 38,
26:30
and the
26:30
curtain of
26:31
the temple
26:31
was torn
26:31
in two
26:32
from top
26:32
to bottom.
26:34
John 19,
26:35
30 records
26:36
that in
26:36
that final
26:37
cry,
26:37
he cries
26:38
out,
26:38
It is
26:40
finished.
26:42
It is
26:43
finished.
26:44
And there
26:44
are so many
26:45
implications that
26:46
we don't even
26:46
have the time
26:47
for today,
26:47
but his
26:48
work was
26:49
done.
26:50
It is
26:51
finished.
26:52
Your salvation
26:53
and mine
26:53
were accomplished
26:54
in this
26:56
moment.
26:56
The work
26:56
was completed.
26:59
The temple
26:59
curtain
27:00
is torn.
27:01
This is
27:01
the curtain
27:02
that would
27:02
have separated
27:03
people from
27:03
the presence
27:04
of God
27:04
in the temple.
27:05
Now,
27:06
interestingly,
27:07
historically,
27:07
the presence
27:08
of God
27:08
had left
27:09
the temple
27:09
long before
27:10
these days.
27:12
The whole
27:12
worship was
27:12
a huge
27:13
farce.
27:14
The high
27:14
priest going
27:15
into the
27:15
presence of
27:16
God
27:16
wasn't
27:17
actually
27:17
happening
27:18
in this
27:18
day,
27:19
but it
27:19
still
27:19
symbolically
27:20
separated
27:21
people from
27:22
God
27:22
through this
27:23
sacrificial
27:24
system.
27:24
One man,
27:25
one day a
27:26
year,
27:26
got to
27:27
pretend
27:27
to enter
27:28
into the
27:29
presence
27:29
of God.
27:30
And this
27:30
curtain
27:30
is torn,
27:32
symbolically
27:33
showing us
27:33
that we
27:34
now can
27:34
have full
27:36
access.
27:36
It's been
27:37
granted to
27:37
us full
27:38
access to
27:39
God
27:39
through the
27:39
sacrifice
27:40
of Jesus
27:41
Christ.
27:42
A great
27:43
text that
27:43
speaks to
27:44
this is
27:44
Hebrews 10
27:45
19-22.
27:47
Therefore,
27:47
brothers,
27:48
since we
27:49
have confidence
27:49
to enter the
27:50
holy places
27:50
by the blood
27:51
of Jesus,
27:52
you hear that?
27:52
We have confidence
27:53
to enter the
27:53
holy places
27:54
by the blood
27:55
of Jesus,
27:55
by the
27:56
new and
27:56
living way
27:57
that He
27:57
opened for
27:58
us through
27:58
the curtain
27:59
that is
28:00
through His
28:01
flesh.
28:02
And since
28:03
we have a
28:03
great priest
28:04
over the
28:04
house of
28:04
God,
28:05
let us
28:06
draw near
28:06
with a
28:07
true heart
28:07
and full
28:08
assurance
28:09
of faith.
28:09
You see
28:10
all that
28:10
language
28:10
there?
28:11
We've
28:11
now been
28:11
given
28:11
full
28:12
granted
28:13
access.
28:13
No
28:14
longer
28:14
have to
28:14
go
28:14
through
28:14
some
28:15
intermediary
28:16
because
28:16
Christ
28:17
is now
28:17
the
28:17
perfect
28:18
high
28:18
priest.
28:19
He
28:19
makes
28:19
propitiation
28:20
for us.
28:22
And when
28:23
Jesus dies
28:24
in this
28:24
way,
28:25
the
28:26
centurion
28:26
in verse
28:27
39
28:27
stands
28:28
facing
28:28
him,
28:29
saw the
28:30
way he
28:30
breathed
28:31
his last
28:32
and he
28:32
says,
28:33
truly,
28:34
this man
28:35
was the
28:36
Son of
28:36
God.
28:37
Now it's
28:38
interesting in
28:38
Mark's
28:38
account,
28:39
Mark is
28:39
so bullet
28:40
point as
28:40
he moves
28:41
through
28:41
things.
28:41
Sometimes
28:41
you just
28:42
go,
28:42
come on
28:42
Mark.
28:43
And it
28:43
makes me
28:43
so thankful
28:44
that we
28:44
have other
28:44
gospel
28:45
accounts,
28:45
which isn't
28:46
to say
28:46
that Mark's
28:47
is a
28:48
lesser
28:48
account.
28:50
But you
28:50
wonder when
28:51
you read
28:51
this,
28:51
you say,
28:52
the way
28:52
he breathed
28:53
his last,
28:54
here it
28:54
just says
28:55
that he
28:55
cried out
28:55
with a
28:56
loud cry.
28:57
So you
28:57
go,
28:57
so he
28:58
was loud?
28:58
And the
28:59
centurion
28:59
said,
28:59
truly,
29:00
this was
29:01
the Son
29:01
of God.
29:03
But we
29:03
do get
29:03
some detail
29:04
in Matthew's
29:04
account,
29:05
chapter 27,
29:06
verse 51,
29:07
verse 54,
29:17
when the
29:17
centurion
29:18
and those
29:18
who were
29:18
with him
29:19
keeping
29:19
watch over
29:20
Jesus
29:20
saw the
29:21
earthquake
29:21
and what
29:22
took place,
29:23
they were
29:23
filled with
29:24
awe and
29:24
said,
29:25
truly,
29:25
this was
29:26
the Son
29:27
of God.
29:28
So something
29:28
cataclysmic
29:30
happens.
29:30
You've got
29:30
this darkness
29:31
over all
29:31
of the land.
29:32
Jesus cries
29:33
out this
29:33
last cry.
29:34
He dies
29:35
and then
29:35
there was
29:36
a massive
29:36
earthquake.
29:37
These
29:38
centurions
29:38
didn't see
29:39
the temple
29:39
curtain
29:39
torn,
29:40
but they
29:41
certainly
29:41
felt the
29:41
earthquake
29:42
that
29:42
happened
29:42
and it
29:43
turned
29:43
their
29:44
doubt
29:44
to
29:45
faith.
29:46
Truly,
29:46
this was
29:47
the Son
29:48
of God.
29:49
And praise
29:49
God,
29:49
he is
29:50
the Son
29:51
of God
29:51
today.
29:53
And then
29:54
Mark goes
29:54
on in
29:54
verse 40,
29:56
verse 41,
29:58
to speak
29:58
about the
29:58
women,
29:59
the women
29:59
looking on
30:00
from a
30:00
distance.
30:01
We talk
30:01
about the
30:01
two different
30:02
Marys,
30:03
who they
30:04
are,
30:04
and how
30:05
we can
30:05
notify
30:06
them as
30:07
we go
30:07
through,
30:08
note
30:08
them,
30:08
I should
30:08
say.
30:10
They
30:10
followed
30:11
him
30:11
around,
30:11
they saw
30:12
his life.
30:12
We see
30:13
these women
30:13
again in
30:13
chapter 16,
30:15
verse 1.
30:17
And Mark
30:17
is likely
30:18
recording their
30:18
presence as
30:19
they were
30:19
witnesses to
30:20
the life,
30:22
the death,
30:23
and the
30:23
resurrection
30:24
of Jesus
30:25
Christ.
30:26
You note
30:26
that they
30:26
traveled with
30:27
him,
30:27
they ministered
30:28
to him
30:28
when he
30:28
was in
30:28
Galilee,
30:29
they observed
30:30
his life,
30:31
they were
30:32
there,
30:32
they observed
30:32
his death,
30:33
they saw
30:33
where he
30:34
was buried,
30:34
Mark records
30:35
that for
30:35
us,
30:36
and later,
30:37
chapter 16,
30:38
they're also
30:38
witnesses to
30:39
his resurrection.
30:41
They witnessed
30:41
all of the
30:42
central facts
30:44
of the gospel.
30:45
He's giving
30:45
them credibility
30:46
in who they
30:47
say Jesus
30:48
is.
30:50
A moment
30:51
ago,
30:51
Wes sang a
30:52
song based
30:53
on the
30:54
Apostles'
30:54
Creed,
30:54
that Jesus
30:55
suffered under
30:55
Pontius Pilate,
30:56
was crucified,
30:57
dead and
30:58
buried.
30:58
The third day,
30:59
he rose again
31:00
from the
31:01
dead.
31:01
They saw
31:02
all of
31:03
these things.
31:06
And then Mark
31:06
goes on,
31:07
beginning in
31:07
verse 42,
31:08
to give us
31:08
this account
31:10
of Joseph
31:12
of Arimathea,
31:13
who was a
31:14
respected member
31:15
of the council.
31:16
And the council
31:16
that's being
31:17
referred to here
31:17
is the Sanhedrin,
31:18
this group of
31:19
people that
31:20
would have
31:20
passed the
31:21
judgment on
31:22
Christ to
31:22
have him
31:23
crucified to
31:23
begin with.
31:24
We saw
31:24
back in
31:25
chapter 14
31:25
these trials
31:27
that take
31:27
place before
31:28
the council.
31:30
Some people
31:30
have guessed
31:32
that maybe
31:32
Joseph of
31:33
Arimathea
31:34
wasn't there.
31:36
Mark's account
31:37
in verse 43
31:37
says he was
31:38
also himself
31:39
looking for
31:40
the kingdom
31:40
of God.
31:42
And so they
31:42
say maybe
31:42
he was
31:43
absent that
31:44
day,
31:44
but Mark
31:44
says that
31:45
the whole
31:45
council
31:46
was gathered.
31:47
So it
31:47
would seem
31:48
to me,
31:49
at least,
31:49
my opinion
31:50
on the
31:50
matter,
31:51
is that
31:52
Joseph
31:52
has now
31:53
changed
31:54
his tune.
31:56
He has
31:56
seen and
31:57
witnessed
31:57
Christ
31:57
crucified,
31:58
and has
31:59
now realized
32:00
that he
32:00
is in
32:00
fact the
32:01
son of
32:02
God.
32:04
And I
32:04
want you
32:04
to note
32:04
two things
32:05
as he
32:06
goes to
32:06
Pilate.
32:06
First,
32:10
awkward
32:10
water-drinking
32:11
moment.
32:13
It's not
32:13
awkward,
32:14
it's okay.
32:19
Note first
32:20
the doubt
32:21
of Pilate.
32:23
Note first
32:23
the doubt
32:23
of Pilate.
32:24
Verse 44,
32:25
notice Pilate's
32:26
attitude,
32:27
doubting that
32:27
Jesus had
32:28
died,
32:28
and he
32:29
does so
32:29
because it
32:29
usually took
32:30
two days
32:31
for a man
32:32
to die
32:32
on the
32:33
cross.
32:33
Jesus died
32:34
in six
32:35
hours,
32:36
not because
32:37
he was
32:37
weak,
32:38
not because
32:38
he couldn't
32:38
bear the
32:39
punishment,
32:39
although his
32:40
physical
32:40
punishment
32:41
had been
32:41
so much
32:42
greater than
32:43
most people
32:44
hung on a
32:45
cross,
32:45
but because
32:46
he bore
32:46
the wrath
32:47
of God
32:47
for our
32:48
sin.
32:48
That is
32:48
what
32:49
killed
32:50
him.
32:51
Mark 15,
32:52
15,
32:53
look at the
32:53
attitude of
32:54
Pilate.
32:54
Pilate,
32:55
wishing to
32:56
satisfy the
32:57
crowd,
32:57
released for
32:58
them
32:58
Barabbas,
32:59
and having
33:00
scourged
33:00
Jesus,
33:01
he delivered
33:01
him to
33:02
be crucified.
33:03
Kyle Webb,
33:04
a couple of
33:04
weeks ago,
33:05
said very
33:06
well that
33:07
Pilate,
33:08
for fear of
33:08
the crowd,
33:09
in order to
33:11
please the
33:11
crowd and
33:12
make them
33:12
happy,
33:12
to make
33:13
men happy
33:13
rather than
33:14
God happy,
33:15
because Pilate
33:16
knew that
33:16
this man had
33:17
no fault in
33:18
him whatsoever,
33:19
yet he
33:20
condemned him
33:20
to death.
33:22
So notice
33:22
first this
33:23
doubt of
33:24
Pilate.
33:24
Note,
33:25
second,
33:26
the courage
33:27
of Joseph.
33:29
Joseph
33:30
risked
33:31
everything to
33:31
be associated
33:32
with Jesus.
33:34
Everything.
33:35
Likely,
33:36
Joseph no
33:36
longer sat
33:37
on the
33:37
council.
33:37
All of
33:38
his power
33:38
and prestige,
33:39
all of
33:39
his financial
33:40
gain,
33:41
he risked
33:41
in going
33:42
and claiming
33:43
Christ's
33:44
body to
33:45
be buried
33:45
probably in
33:46
his tomb,
33:47
probably the
33:47
tomb that
33:47
he had
33:48
prepared for
33:48
his own
33:49
burial.
33:50
He is
33:50
very bold
33:51
in this.
33:52
Seems like
33:53
a massive
33:53
turnaround.
33:54
If he
33:54
was in
33:55
fact at
33:55
the council
33:56
that condemned
33:57
Jesus to
33:58
death,
33:58
maybe hesitant,
33:59
maybe not
34:00
knowing,
34:00
is this man
34:01
who he
34:01
says he
34:02
is,
34:02
but he
34:02
didn't speak
34:03
up then,
34:03
but certainly
34:04
now he
34:04
has been
34:05
bold in
34:05
approaching
34:06
Pilate and
34:07
claiming the
34:07
body of
34:07
Christ and
34:08
having him
34:08
buried in
34:10
his tomb.
34:12
We'll look
34:12
at some
34:12
application for
34:13
that in a
34:13
moment.
34:15
So now the
34:15
doctrine.
34:15
What doctrine
34:16
should we be
34:16
learning from
34:17
this text
34:17
together?
34:18
I know I've
34:19
already been
34:19
going fast.
34:19
I'm going to
34:20
speed up a
34:20
little bit
34:20
for the
34:21
sake of
34:21
time.
34:22
What you
34:23
need to
34:23
see here,
34:25
one doctrine,
34:25
there are
34:26
many we
34:26
could talk
34:27
about,
34:27
but I
34:27
want you
34:28
to really
34:28
focus your
34:29
gaze in
34:29
on the
34:30
atonement
34:31
of Christ.
34:32
The atonement
34:33
of Christ.
34:35
Atonement is
34:36
reconciliation.
34:38
In this case,
34:39
between God
34:39
and man,
34:40
the greatest
34:41
version of
34:42
atonement
34:42
there is.
34:43
We call it
34:43
the atonement
34:44
for that
34:45
reason.
34:46
Wayne Grudem
34:46
in his book,
34:47
Systematic
34:48
Theology,
34:48
defines the
34:49
atonement in
34:50
this way.
34:51
I really like
34:51
this definition.
34:52
The atonement
34:53
of,
34:54
boy,
34:55
I didn't
34:55
type it out
34:56
right at
34:56
all.
34:56
The atonement
34:56
of Jesus
34:57
is the
34:58
work Christ
34:58
did in
34:59
his life
34:59
and death
35:00
to earn
35:01
our salvation.
35:03
The atonement
35:04
of Jesus is
35:05
the work
35:05
Christ did
35:06
in his life
35:07
and death
35:07
to earn
35:08
our salvation.
35:09
And I love
35:10
these phrases,
35:10
the work
35:11
Christ did
35:12
to earn
35:13
our salvation.
35:15
Christ's work,
35:15
it is finished,
35:16
accomplished work
35:17
on our behalf.
35:19
Before we talk
35:20
a little bit
35:20
about what
35:20
the atonement
35:21
is,
35:21
first we should
35:21
ask the question,
35:23
was it necessary?
35:24
Was the atonement
35:25
necessary?
35:25
Was Jesus'
35:26
death necessary
35:27
to save us?
35:29
And I'm going
35:29
to answer the
35:30
question in this
35:31
way,
35:31
yes and no.
35:34
Firstly,
35:35
no.
35:36
God did
35:37
not have
35:38
to save
35:39
anybody.
35:40
And I really
35:42
think you need
35:42
to get this
35:42
clear in your
35:43
mind,
35:44
that the
35:44
sin that you
35:45
have committed,
35:47
past,
35:47
present,
35:47
the future
35:48
sin that you
35:48
will commit,
35:50
is enough,
35:51
it's right
35:52
and proper,
35:53
that God
35:53
damn you to
35:54
hell forever,
35:55
punish you
35:55
forever because
35:56
of that sin.
35:59
If you don't
36:00
get this,
36:00
if you can't
36:01
wrap your mind
36:01
around this,
36:02
you really
36:02
don't understand
36:02
the holiness
36:03
of God.
36:04
You don't
36:04
get how very
36:05
far removed
36:06
he is from
36:07
sin.
36:07
That he has
36:08
set up a
36:08
standard which
36:09
we are to
36:10
live by,
36:10
and we
36:11
have failed
36:11
at it in
36:12
every possible
36:13
way.
36:14
We are his
36:15
enemies because
36:16
of sin.
36:17
We have set
36:17
ourselves up
36:18
as king
36:20
in our life
36:21
rather than
36:22
him.
36:22
We have
36:22
messed up
36:24
the created
36:24
order.
36:25
He is creator,
36:26
we are creation.
36:27
We have said,
36:27
no, we are creator
36:28
as well.
36:29
We will rule
36:30
over our own
36:31
lives.
36:32
He does
36:32
not have
36:34
to save
36:34
anybody.
36:37
2 Peter 2.4
36:38
Peter writes,
36:39
for if God
36:39
did not
36:40
spare angels
36:41
when they
36:41
sinned,
36:42
but cast
36:42
them into
36:43
hell and
36:43
committed
36:43
them to
36:44
chains of
36:44
gloomy
36:44
darkness
36:45
to be
36:45
kept
36:45
until
36:46
judgment.
36:47
See that
36:47
the angels
36:48
themselves
36:48
weren't
36:48
saved.
36:50
Certainly if
36:50
he had to
36:51
do it,
36:52
he would
36:52
have,
36:53
but he
36:53
didn't.
36:54
Nobody
36:54
tells God
36:55
what to
36:56
do.
36:57
But,
36:58
God tells
37:00
God what
37:00
to do,
37:00
so I
37:00
would also
37:01
say yes
37:01
to the
37:02
question,
37:03
due to
37:04
God's
37:05
divine
37:05
attributes.
37:07
God is
37:08
just,
37:09
but he
37:09
is also
37:09
loving.
37:11
He is
37:11
also
37:11
forgiving.
37:13
So in
37:14
that sense
37:15
then,
37:15
yes,
37:16
but not
37:17
because we
37:17
deserve it,
37:19
not because
37:19
we're his
37:20
creation and
37:21
therefore he
37:21
has to
37:22
redeem us,
37:23
that there
37:23
had to be
37:23
an atonement
37:24
on our
37:24
behalf,
37:25
but because
37:25
of who
37:25
he is.
37:27
Because he
37:27
desired to
37:28
express all
37:29
of his
37:30
character into
37:31
his creation,
37:32
right,
37:32
and this
37:33
was the
37:33
way that
37:34
he could
37:34
best express
37:36
his love
37:37
and his
37:37
forgiveness,
37:38
his forbearance
37:38
toward us.
37:41
Romans 3,
37:42
25-26
37:42
says,
37:43
Christ Jesus,
37:44
whom God
37:45
put forward
37:46
as a
37:46
propitiation
37:47
by his
37:48
blood to
37:49
be received
37:49
by faith,
37:50
this was
37:50
to show
37:51
God's
37:52
righteousness,
37:53
because in
37:53
his divine
37:54
forbearance
37:55
he had
37:55
passed over
37:56
former sins.
37:58
It was to
37:58
show his
37:59
righteousness
37:59
at the
38:00
present time
38:01
so that
38:01
he might
38:02
be just
38:02
and the
38:03
justifier
38:04
of the
38:04
one
38:04
who has
38:05
faith
38:05
in
38:06
Jesus.
38:08
This is
38:09
why the
38:09
atonement
38:10
was necessary
38:11
for God's
38:12
great
38:12
glory.
38:14
Always keep
38:15
in mind
38:15
that we
38:16
are the
38:17
recipients
38:18
of the
38:19
benefit of
38:19
the gospel,
38:20
but the
38:21
gospel is
38:21
ultimately
38:22
and finally
38:23
about God
38:25
and his
38:25
glory.
38:26
Praise
38:27
him,
38:27
we're part
38:28
of that.
38:28
that he
38:29
says,
38:30
I must
38:30
show
38:31
forth
38:31
who I
38:32
am
38:32
to my
38:33
creation
38:33
and he
38:34
uses us
38:35
as an
38:35
object
38:36
lesson
38:36
for that
38:37
very
38:37
thing.
38:38
Praise
38:39
him
38:39
forever
38:39
for that
38:40
beloved.
38:42
The letter
38:42
to the
38:42
Hebrews
38:43
makes
38:43
explicit
38:44
because
38:44
this is
38:45
true
38:45
that
38:46
Christ
38:46
had
38:47
to
38:47
suffer
38:47
for
38:47
our
38:47
sins
38:48
if
38:48
we
38:49
were
38:49
to
38:49
be
38:49
saved
38:50
at
38:50
all.
38:51
Hebrews
38:52
2
38:52
17
38:52
reads,
38:54
Therefore
38:54
he had
38:55
to be
38:55
made
38:55
like
38:56
his
38:56
brothers
38:56
in
38:56
every
38:57
respect
38:57
so
38:57
that
38:57
he
38:58
might
38:58
become
38:58
a
38:59
merciful
38:59
and
39:00
faithful
39:00
high
39:01
priest
39:01
in
39:01
the
39:01
service
39:02
to
39:02
God
39:02
to
39:02
make
39:02
propitiation
39:03
for
39:04
the
39:04
sins
39:04
of
39:05
the
39:05
people.
39:06
The
39:06
author
39:06
of
39:06
Hebrews
39:06
continues
39:07
by
39:07
saying
39:08
that
39:08
since
39:10
this
39:10
is
39:10
true
39:11
it
39:11
is
39:11
impossible
39:12
for
39:12
the
39:12
blood
39:12
of
39:13
bulls
39:13
and
39:13
goats
39:13
to
39:13
take
39:13
away
39:14
sins
39:14
That's
39:14
Hebrews
39:14
10
39:14
4
39:15
a
39:15
better
39:16
sacrifice
39:16
!
39:16
is
39:17
required
39:18
Hebrews
39:18
9
39:19
23
39:20
Because
39:21
God
39:22
is
39:23
infinitely
39:24
holy
39:24
perfect
39:25
in
39:25
every
39:26
respect
39:26
forever
39:27
then
39:28
our
39:28
sin
39:29
against
39:30
that
39:30
holiness
39:30
is
39:31
infinitely
39:32
offensive
39:33
the
39:34
two
39:34
counter
39:35
in
39:35
that
39:35
way
39:35
our
39:36
sin
39:36
is
39:36
infinitely
39:36
offensive
39:37
so
39:37
we
39:38
needed
39:38
an
39:38
infinite
39:39
sacrifice
39:39
to
39:40
be
39:40
made
39:40
on
39:41
our
39:41
behalf
39:42
the
39:43
atonement
39:44
of
39:44
Jesus
39:44
is
39:45
the
39:45
work
39:45
Christ
39:46
did
39:46
in
39:46
his
39:47
life
39:47
and
39:47
death
39:47
to
39:48
earn
39:49
our
39:49
salvation
39:51
and
39:52
notice
39:52
that
39:52
Grudem
39:52
says
39:52
in
39:53
his
39:53
life
39:53
and
39:54
in
39:54
his
39:54
death
39:54
here
39:54
you
39:55
have
39:55
again
39:55
this
39:55
idea
39:56
of
39:56
active
39:57
and
39:58
passive
39:58
obedience
39:59
so
40:00
why
40:00
were
40:00
both
40:01
necessary
40:01
why
40:02
were
40:02
they
40:02
both
40:02
necessary
40:03
on
40:04
our
40:04
behalf
40:04
Jesus
40:05
passive
40:06
obedience
40:07
checked
40:09
off
40:10
dismissed
40:11
all
40:11
of our
40:12
wrongs
40:12
placed
40:13
our
40:13
faith
40:13
in
40:13
him
40:14
it
40:14
takes
40:14
all
40:14
those
40:15
things
40:15
that
40:15
we
40:15
have
40:15
done
40:15
and
40:16
it
40:16
wipes
40:16
them
40:17
away
40:17
but
40:17
this
40:18
is
40:18
not
40:18
enough
40:19
we
40:19
would
40:19
then
40:19
just
40:20
be
40:20
neutral
40:20
but
40:21
we
40:21
also
40:21
must
40:22
be
40:22
righteous
40:22
we
40:23
also
40:23
must
40:23
have
40:23
kept
40:24
the law
40:24
of the
40:25
Lord
40:25
not
40:26
just
40:26
sinned
40:27
against
40:27
him
40:27
but
40:27
also
40:27
kept
40:28
those
40:28
things
40:28
not
40:29
!
40:29
not
40:29
!
40:29
not
40:29
!
40:29
not
40:29
!
40:29
in that way, active obedience in that regard.
40:33
So our record is made clean in Jesus' passive obedience,
40:37
and a deposit has been made to our credit in our active obedience.
40:41
We get all of His righteousness.
40:48
Our wrongs dismissed, Jesus' perfect obedience given to us.
40:53
2 Corinthians 5.21 sums this up in the most beautiful of ways.
40:57
For our sake, He, being God the Father, made Him, Jesus Christ,
41:03
to be sin who knew no sin, perfect sacrifice, infinitely perfect,
41:10
able to become sin on our behalf,
41:12
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
41:18
This is what Martin Luther called the great exchange.
41:22
We take on Jesus' righteousness.
41:24
We give to Him all of our sin, or rather He takes it from us.
41:30
So the atonement is the doctrine you must see in the death of Jesus Christ.
41:36
And so what is the application for this?
41:39
In closing, three quick things.
41:41
What is the application?
41:43
Number one, be a Joseph and not a Pilate.
41:49
Be a Joseph and not a Pilate.
41:50
When the question Pilate poses in Mark 15.12 is presented to you,
41:57
and it is, it's being presented to you now.
41:59
There's no getting around it and away from it.
42:03
Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?
42:08
What will be your answer?
42:10
You must do something with the Jesus that's being presented to you.
42:15
The Son of God.
42:16
The claims that we make must be dealt with.
42:21
Those of you who have been with us for a while,
42:23
for the sake of time, I won't go into it completely,
42:24
but remember Mark 3.20-34.
42:29
The liar, lunatic, or Lord conundrum.
42:32
There's these various accusations being made of Him.
42:35
And many people these days want to give some type of credit to Jesus.
42:38
They want to say that He was a prophet.
42:39
They want to say that He was a good teacher.
42:41
But He Himself said that He was a son of God.
42:46
So He's a liar.
42:48
He's an absolute madman.
42:50
Or He must be who He said that He is.
42:54
What will you do with this question,
42:57
what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?
43:02
Be a Joseph and not a Pilate.
43:04
Be willing to give everything away,
43:06
to sacrifice it all,
43:07
to gain that thing that you cannot lose,
43:10
the person of Jesus Christ.
43:13
So number one, be a Joseph and not a Pilate.
43:14
Number two,
43:15
as you reflect upon Jesus' active and His passive obedience,
43:20
take confidence in His accomplished work.
43:25
As you reflect upon His perfect righteousness
43:27
and the fact that He suffered
43:29
and took all of our sins away from us,
43:32
dwell this week on John 19.30.
43:34
It is finished.
43:38
All of your sin, past, present, even future,
43:41
has already been paid for by Christ
43:43
if you have placed your faith in Him.
43:48
Romans 8.1.
43:49
I love Romans 8.1.
43:51
There is therefore now no condemnation
43:54
for those who are in Christ Jesus.
43:57
This means that we get to take all of the guilt
43:59
and the weight of that and cast it off
44:01
because Jesus has already paid the price for it.
44:04
We don't go on sinning so that grace will abound.
44:08
But when we do sin,
44:10
grace certainly does.
44:13
D.A. Carson, in his book entitled
44:14
Scandalous, The Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus,
44:18
wrote this,
44:18
This is Satan's tactic, right?
44:47
That we are separated from God,
44:49
having placed our faith in Christ.
44:51
Now there's just division,
44:52
this rift that's put between us
44:54
because Satan's constantly being an accuser, right?
44:57
Constantly piling back on us our guilt.
45:00
We pick it up so readily.
45:03
D.A. Carson then says,
45:04
What can we say in response?
45:06
Will our defense be,
45:08
Oh, I'm not that bad.
45:10
All these accusations you're making
45:11
are not quite an accurate representation of me.
45:13
I'm not that bad.
45:15
You will never beat Satan that way.
45:18
Never.
45:19
What you must say is,
45:21
Satan, I'm even worse than you think.
45:25
But God loves me anyway.
45:27
He has accepted me
45:28
because of the blood of the Lamb.
45:33
So that's secondly.
45:34
As you reflect on Jesus' active and passive obedience,
45:36
take confidence in his accomplished work.
45:39
And then thirdly,
45:41
share his accomplished work with others.
45:45
Christians and non-Christians alike,
45:48
we all need to hear the gospel all the time,
45:51
preached to us constantly.
45:52
I mentioned at the very beginning of this
45:54
how my flame grows dim sometimes
45:57
and I need it fanned.
45:59
I need to hear the gospel preached to me.
46:02
Tell me about the things that are happening in your life,
46:04
the ways in which God has working in you
46:08
the gospel truths
46:09
and causing you to act differently
46:11
than you might have previously.
46:14
Tell me about the good things that are going on.
46:18
Preach to me the gospel.
46:19
Anytime any of you wants to call me and say,
46:20
Nathan, I want to preach the gospel to you,
46:22
I'll go, alright.
46:24
I don't grow tired of hearing this great truth.
46:27
I hope you're the same.
46:29
Let me say specifically,
46:31
those of you who are found in the faith,
46:34
know the gospel,
46:35
who understand the gospel,
46:36
who can meditate on it,
46:38
who can preach it,
46:39
can have it preached to you,
46:40
you'll get it.
46:41
Preach the gospel to non-Christians.
46:46
Consider their eternal damnation.
46:49
Have hearts for them,
46:50
pity for them,
46:51
and preach to them the gospel.
46:55
2 Corinthians 5, 16-20.
46:57
This is in closing.
46:59
Paul writes,
46:59
From now on, therefore,
47:00
we regard no one according to the flesh.
47:02
Even though we once regarded Christ
47:04
according to the flesh,
47:05
we regard Him thus no longer.
47:08
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
47:11
he is a new creation.
47:12
The old has passed away.
47:13
Behold, the new has come.
47:16
All this is from God,
47:17
who through Christ reconciled us to Himself
47:20
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
47:24
He made things right between us
47:26
and He gave us that job
47:27
to go make things right between others and Him.
47:30
That is, in Christ,
47:31
God was reconciling the world to Himself,
47:34
not counting their trespasses against them
47:36
and entrusting to us
47:37
the message of reconciliation.
47:39
It's been entrusted to you,
47:41
the gospel message.
47:42
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.
47:45
God making His appeal through us.
47:49
You feel the weight of that?
47:50
God making His appeal to mankind
47:53
to be reconciled through us.
47:56
And then Paul concludes, verse 20,
47:59
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
48:01
be reconciled to God.
48:03
And this ought to be the great message on our lips.
48:07
As we go from this place
48:08
and everywhere that we go throughout this week,
48:11
we implore you on behalf of Christ,
48:13
be reconciled to God.
48:16
Let's pray together.
48:17
Let's pray together.
48:17
Thank you.