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The Lamb of God - Punished · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Psalm 34, the Sing Psalms version on page 40 of the psalm books. We're going to sing from verse 1 to verse 10.
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! Psalm 34, the tune is Peter's ham.
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At all times I will bless the Lord, I will praise him with my voice.
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Because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice.
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Together let us praise the Lord, exalt his name with me.
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I sought the Lord, his answer came from fear, he set me free.
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We'll sing from verse 1 to 10 to God's praise. We stand to sing.
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Amen.
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Together let us praise the Lord, exalt his name with me.
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I sought the Lord, his answer came from fear, she set me free.
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They look to him and shine with joy, they are not good to shame.
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This suffering and cry to the Lord, from whom deliverance came.
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The angel of the Lord, exalt his name with me.
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All those who fear and honour him, he sets his people free.
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The angel of the Lord, exalt his name with me.
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And hunger for their good.
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But those who wait upon the Lord will not lack any truth.
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Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.
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Lord, our gracious God, we come just seeking to worship you and thankful that at all times we can bless the Lord and praise you with our voice.
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That we can come together with that joy in our singing just now, lifting our voices to you, raising up our praise to you.
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For you alone are worthy of it.
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And we thank you for this renewed opportunity.
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We thank you for this time together where we can reflect on your word to us.
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And above all, reflecting upon what has been done for us in your giving your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sin of the world.
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And we thank you that we come to do this in remembrance of him.
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And we come humbly before you.
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We come just seeking to know your presence with us, to know your peace upon us.
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We thank you that the psalm that we have sung has reminded us that we can come and taste and see that God is good who trusts.
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And him is blessed.
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And so we pray, Lord, that we would all come to taste of your goodness today, whether we are sitting at the table or whether we are looking on, that today our hearts would hunger for you, that we would long for you, that we would long for you in a way that maybe we haven't before, to see your goodness with us, to see your blessing upon us.
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And we do thank you for your word that guides us.
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We thank you for the word that we have before us today.
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And as we open it up together, we pray that we would know your spirit guiding us in it, that we would know your voice speaking to us through your word.
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For it's so precious, your word.
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It is a word that gives life to our soul.
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It's a word that became flesh and dwelt among us, as we read last evening.
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And we thank you that it is a living and an active word, that it has power, even today as it has at all times.
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It is still powerful today to convict and to convert.
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And we pray that that power would be known with us today as well.
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The conviction that we come under, when we realise how far short we fall of your glory, when we recognise the sin in our hearts, when we recognise who we have sinned against.
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But yet we thank you that your word is able to convert, to turn us from our sin and to turn to you as our Lord and as our God.
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And so we ask, Lord, that your power would be known with us today through your word and spirit.
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And that as we come to the sacrament too, that, Lord, all that we do there would be giving glory to you.
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For we are unworthy of it, Lord, but we thank you for the one who came to bear our sin on the cross.
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The one who was silent before his accusers.
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And the one who was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
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The one who bore our sin on the tree.
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But the one over whom death had no hold.
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For even as he gave his life, he took it up again.
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And we thank you for that reminder on the first day of the week as we meet.
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That he is risen.
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And that in Jesus Christ we have a risen Lord, a risen saviour.
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We have one who is even now at your right hand.
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And we offer our prayers in and through him.
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Asking, Lord, forgiveness for all our sin.
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So may you bless us together.
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Thankful for the fact that you are building your church.
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Not just here, but throughout the world.
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That you are one who is active.
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The one who is working.
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The one who is mighty and sovereign over all lands and nations and people.
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And we thank you that you have your people.
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That you are calling them to yourself.
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And that throughout the world today where your name is praised and glorified.
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That you would be calling sinners to yourself.
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That you would be calling people to turn to you.
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And to weep over their sin.
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But to rejoice in the joy of salvation.
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And so we pray, Lord, for all who go out with your word today to all ends of the earth.
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That the promise of your word will be fulfilled.
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That it will not return empty or void.
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But accomplish all that you have sent it forth for.
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And so bless us together even here.
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And all your people who gather in your name.
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Remember us in our homes and in our families.
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In our communities as a whole.
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We know, Lord, that every need we have is known unto you.
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Every burden that we carry.
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Every prayer that we offer up.
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You hear.
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And are able to answer according to your will.
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We do pray for our communities.
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We pray for all our people.
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We thank you for our young ones who are in Sunday school.
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And tweenies and creche and Bible class.
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We thank you for the many that we see coming.
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Week by week.
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And thank you for each home and family that they come from.
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We pray your peace and your blessing over them.
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And we thank you too, Lord, for those in different needs at this time.
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We know that the needs around us are so many.
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There are those who are grieving and mourning.
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We thank you, Lord, for the comfort.
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For the grace that sustains and keeps in these times.
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We remember those who are unwell at home or in hospital.
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We pray for them, Lord, that you would surround them with your loving arms.
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That you would uphold them and keep them also.
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And even maybe those who are tuning in online today from home or hospital.
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We thank you for the ways that we can still communicate the gospel in that way.
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And that they can feel part of our congregation here.
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And we pray that they would know that union that is found in Christ.
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That we are one in Christ Jesus.
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And even though they may not take part in the Lord's Supper physically.
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That they would feel and know your presence.
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Even remembering their Lord and their Saviour where they are.
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And so, Lord, we plead with you to be in our midst.
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To do us good.
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To guide us and to help us.
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To encourage us and to strengthen us.
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Through your word and through all that we do today in our fellowship with one another.
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That you would bless us with your unity.
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With your presence.
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And that we would glory in the Lord.
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So hear our prayers.
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Continue with us.
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And go before us, pardoning our sin.
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That's all we ask.
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We ask in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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We're going to read together now from the word of God.
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Two readings we're going to have.
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First of all, in the Old Testament.
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In the book of Isaiah.
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In chapter 53.
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Isaiah chapter 53.
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Just a few verses from this chapter.
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From verse 4 to verse 7.
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And then we'll turn.
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And our second reading is in John chapter 19.
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So our first reading in Isaiah chapter 53.
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You'll find it around page 742 of the church Bibles.
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And at verse 4.
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Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
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Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
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But he was wounded for our transgressions.
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He was crushed for our iniquities.
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Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.
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And with his stripes we are healed.
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All we like sheep have gone astray.
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We have turned everyone to his own way.
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And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
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He was oppressed and he was afflicted.
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Yet he opened not his mouth.
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Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter.
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And like a sheep that before its shearers is silent.
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So he opened not his mouth.
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Then we'll turn to our second reading in the Gospel of John chapter 19.
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We're going to read from verse 14 down to verse 30.
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We find this about page 1091 of the church Bibles.
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Gospel of John chapter 19.
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I'm reading from verse 14 to verse 30.
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Here we find Jesus before Pilate in this chapter.
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Pilate speaking to him and asking him questions.
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And in verse 9 you see that he speaks there to him.
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He entered his quarters again and said to Jesus,
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Where are you from?
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But Jesus gave him no answer.
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He was silent as we see what we read in Isaiah 53.
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But then we take up our reading at verse 14.
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Now it was the day of preparation of the Passover.
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It was about the sixth hour.
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He said to the Jews, Behold your king.
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They cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him.
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Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king?
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The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
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So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
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So they took Jesus and he went out, bearing his own cross,
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to the place called the place of the skull,
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which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
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There they crucified him, and with him two others,
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one on either side, and Jesus between them.
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Pilate, who wrote an inscription and put it on the cross,
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it read, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.
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Many of the Jews read this inscription,
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for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,
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and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.
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So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
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Do not write, The king of the Jews,
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but rather this man said, I am the king of the Jews.
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Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.
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When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
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they took his garments and divided them into four parts,
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one part for each soldier, and also his tunic.
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But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
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So they said to one another,
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Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it,
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to see whose it shall be.
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This was to fulfill the scripture which says,
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They divided my garments among them,
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and for my clothing they cast lots.
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So the soldiers did these things,
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but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother,
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and his mother's sister,
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Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
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When Jesus saw his mother,
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and the disciples whom he loved standing nearby,
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he said to his mother,
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Woman, behold your son.
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Then he said to the disciple,
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Behold your mother.
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And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
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After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished,
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said to fulfill the scripture,
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I thirst.
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A jar full of sour wine stood there,
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So they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch,
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and held it to his mouth.
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When Jesus had received the sour wine,
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he said,
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It is finished.
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And he bowed his head,
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and gave up his spirit.
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Amen.
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And may God bless these readings from his word.
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Before we come to consider these words together,
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we're going to sing once again,
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this time in Gaelic,
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in Psalm 23.
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We're singing two verses in Gaelic.
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You'll find them on the front of the order of service.
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The words are there on the bulletin sheet,
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I should say.
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The words are on the front of the bulletin sheet,
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in both Gaelic and English.
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We'll be singing this psalm.
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We remain seated for the singing of the Gaelic psalm.
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The Lord's my shepherd,
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I'll not want these well-known words.
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We remain seated and sing this psalm in Gaelic.
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We remain seated.
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We remain seated.
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We remain seated.
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We remain seated.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Isaiah 53 verse 7.
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He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet opened not his mouth.
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Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter is really the text that we have this morning.
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We began last evening with a theme of looking at the Lamb of God over this weekend.
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And last night we were looking at the opening chapter in John's Gospel where John the Baptist
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looked and saw Jesus coming towards him and said these well-known words,
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Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
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And that is really what we're looking at over this weekend.
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The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
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Last evening we thought of it under the heading, The Lamb of God Promised.
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We saw how the Lamb of God was promised, seeing it from the Old Testament and fulfillment into the New.
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And this morning we're considering the Lamb of God punished.
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The purpose for which the Lamb of God came was that he would give his life.
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And what we see in Isaiah here is Isaiah depicting it in that way.
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The Lamb that is led to the slaughter, the Lamb who died for our sins.
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It's amazing how often people use phrases without realizing where they come from.
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How often do you hear people saying things like,
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The blind leading the blind.
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Or by the skin of our teeth.
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Or no peace or no rest for the wicked.
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They're almost everyday occurrences when you hear these kinds of phrases being used.
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But what's amazing is that people don't realize the seriousness of them.
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Because they are from the Word of God.
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They are all words that we find in the Scriptures.
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The blind leading the blind is found in Matthew and Luke's Gospel.
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By the skin of our teeth is found in the book of Job, chapter 19.
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Where he says,
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I am nothing but skin and bones.
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I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
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And you also have no rest or no peace.
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For the wicked, Isaiah uses that phrase twice.
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In chapter 48 and chapter 57.
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And so there are phrases, everyday phrases,
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that are used.
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And yet they don't realize where they come from.
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And perhaps one of the most serious ones in that sense,
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not recognizing that it's from the Word of God,
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is people who say they were like lambs to the slaughter.
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They were led like lambs to the slaughter.
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Without thinking or realizing where it comes from,
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without realizing the background to these words,
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it can be used so flippantly.
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They were just like lambs to the slaughter.
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And in the passages we have read,
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first of all in Isaiah,
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here and then in the Gospel of John,
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we see just how significant this phrase is.
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Led like a lamb to the slaughter.
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And how for all believers,
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these words are such a key to the hope
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that we have of salvation in Jesus Christ.
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As John the Baptist said,
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Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
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What Isaiah is saying here is,
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Behold the lamb of God who was led,
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the Savior who was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
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And when we think of how this phrase is used today,
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it's often applied to people being led somewhere
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where unbeknown to them,
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something terrible is going to happen.
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And I remember I've read a number of books
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from the Second World War
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and especially about the suffering
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of those who were in concentration camps.
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And they were promised peace.
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They were promised work.
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They were given all these promises.
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And yet the phrase that is often used of them
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was they were led like lambs to the slaughter.
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They didn't realize where they were going.
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But when you look at the Lord Jesus
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and when you see these words applied to him,
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that he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
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it wasn't that he didn't know where he was going.
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He knew what lay ahead of him.
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He had given the prediction of his death
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at least three times before it came to pass.
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He had told his disciples,
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he had told his people
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that he was going to give his life.
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And so he knew where he was going.
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And yet he was led like a lamb to the slaughter
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because he was going there
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because it was required to save sinners,
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to save you and to save me from our sins.
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Behold, the lamb of God
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who takes away the sins of the world
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is this lamb who was led to the slaughter.
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And it is this lamb that we remember together today.
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It's this lamb that we see represented before us
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in the bread and the wine.
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And so I want us to think of the lamb again today,
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the lamb who was led to the slaughter.
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And we're going to think about it under three headings.
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And the first one is the lamb who was silent.
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The lamb who was silent.
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And then we're going to think about the lamb who is Lord.
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And then thirdly, the lamb who was led.
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So the first thing we're going to think about
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is the lamb who was silent.
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What we have in our text there in verse 7 of Isaiah 53.
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Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter
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and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent.
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So he opened not his mouth.
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He opened not his mouth.
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The silence of Christ is something
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that leaves an impression in itself.
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We know that there are words that he spoke
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as we see in the Gospels,
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but there are times when he does not answer.
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There are times when he says nothing
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in response to questions that are put to him.
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We see it in the account that Luke gives
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where he's before Herod
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in all the questions that Herod was asking of him.
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He said nothing.
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And we see it here in the Gospel of John
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as well in verse 9, as I mentioned earlier,
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when he was asked, where are you from?
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But Jesus gave him no answer.
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You have it in the Gospel of Mark,
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again with Pilate.
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When he was before Pilate,
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Pilate asked him again, saying,
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do you answer nothing,
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seeing how many things they testify against you,
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but Jesus still answered nothing.
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So that Pilate marveled, it says in the Gospel of Mark.
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He marveled at the silence of Jesus before him.
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Pilate was unable to find fault with him.
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Herod couldn't find fault with him,
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and yet they both see him innocent before him,
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and yet silent, giving no response.
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What would you do if you were falsely accused?
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Would you stay silent?
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Surely you would stand and defend yourself
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to say all these accusations are false.
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There is no truth in them.
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Well, imagine having to stand before accusers,
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and the punishment is death if you are found guilty.
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Would you say nothing?
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Would you remain silent?
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Well, Jesus is here before his accusers,
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and he knows the outcome of this trial,
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that he is going to the cross,
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and yet he opens not his mouth.
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Why was he silent?
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Well, he wasn't there to defend himself.
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He was there as the Lamb of God
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who had come to take away the sin of the world.
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He was there not to defend himself,
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but to defend us,
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to defend you and to defend me.
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And therefore he couldn't open his mouth and defend us,
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because we are sinners.
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He couldn't open his mouth and say,
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my people are innocent,
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because we are guilty.
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But here is the Lamb of God
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who takes away the sin of the world.
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And so because he had come for his people,
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he opened not his mouth.
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He was silent.
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He didn't defend himself.
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Because as Isaiah makes clear for us
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in our reading in the verses just before,
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when he speaks of, in verse 6,
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So we like sheep have gone astray,
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we have turned everyone to his own way,
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and the Lord has laid on him
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the iniquity of us all.
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We have gone astray,
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but the Lamb of God has come
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to take away the sin of the world.
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The preacher Andrew Bonner,
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he often spoke about an illustration about sheep.
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And he used to reflect on how you would see sheep
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often get themselves into situations of trouble.
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And there was one particular story
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often recounted was
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how sheep would often jump down onto a ledge
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where there was grass that looked so sweet.
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But what they would find was
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that where they had jumped down,
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they couldn't get off.
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They couldn't get back out of the situation
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that they'd put themselves in.
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And what caught his attention was this,
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how the shepherd,
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instead of immediately going down to the sheep
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and rescuing it,
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would leave it.
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Would leave it for a few days even
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until it had eaten all the grass,
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until it was starting to get tired and weary.
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And only then would the shepherd
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at that point go down with a rope
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to lift the sheep out from the ledge
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it was stuck on.
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And he would ask,
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why?
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Why don't you just go down
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and rescue the sheep immediately?
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And the shepherd would say,
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well, if I did that,
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the sheep are so foolish
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that they would just dash off the edge of the cliff.
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You have to wait
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until they're tired and weary.
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And only then
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can you go down and rescue them
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when they're helpless.
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And he was making this illustration
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to say that is the way with us.
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All we like sheep have gone astray.
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We've turned each to our own way.
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But we're so busy in what we're doing,
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we're not listening to God.
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We're not listening to what his word is saying to us.
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That we are in danger,
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that we are in our sin lost.
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We won't listen until that point
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where we are made to feel helpless
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and hopeless.
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And only then is he able to save.
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We are sheep who have gone astray.
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But we have a shepherd who has come.
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But he has come as a lamb.
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He has come as a lamb.
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He has come as one of us
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to take away our sin.
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In our action in coming to the Lord's table today,
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we do so in silence.
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And yet our actions speak loudly.
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What we are doing,
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we are showing that we are not
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struggling and shouting anymore
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against the Lord,
32:34
but that we are resting in Christ,
32:38
our Saviour.
32:40
We are still before him.
32:44
But maybe you're sitting,
32:46
looking on today as well,
32:49
and you're still in that restless place.
32:53
You're still in that point in life
32:55
where you're still like the sheep
32:57
who has gone astray,
32:59
who turned to your own way.
33:02
But the Lord is speaking to you as well.
33:06
And he is saying,
33:07
Be still,
33:08
and come to me.
33:11
The one who was silent,
33:13
the one who opened not his mouth,
33:15
the one who was led like a lamb
33:18
to the slaughter,
33:19
the lamb of God,
33:22
who came to take away the sin of the world.
33:25
It's the one that we are to behold
33:27
and to look at today.
33:31
So the first thing there we have
33:33
is the lamb who was silent.
33:38
The second thing we have
33:39
is the lamb who is Lord.
33:41
And we notice this in Isaiah speaking about it as well,
33:48
how he was oppressed and afflicted,
33:50
yet he opened not his mouth.
33:52
Why did he do that?
33:53
Because he had authority,
33:56
because he had power.
33:58
He was Lord.
34:00
And we see it too in the Gospel of John.
34:03
Especially there we're going to reflect
34:04
for a few moments on this point,
34:07
the lamb who is Lord,
34:08
we see it here in different ways.
34:11
We see it first with Pilate.
34:15
Pilate is an interesting character
34:17
as you look at him here
34:18
when he's got Jesus before him.
34:20
He finds no fault with him.
34:25
And it's so many of the things that Pilate says
34:27
that make you wonder just where he was.
34:31
Pilate said to him in verse 38 of chapter 18,
34:35
What is truth?
34:36
What a question to ask.
34:39
What is truth?
34:40
There's this kind of wondering
34:42
and looking and seeing this Jesus.
34:44
And he's saying,
34:44
What is truth?
34:46
And in the whole encounter with Pilate and Jesus
34:49
and the questions that are back and forth,
34:51
you see that there is an interest
34:53
being stirred up in him.
34:56
At one point,
34:56
he just wanted to give him away to Herod.
34:59
You make the decision almost.
35:00
Just take it out of my hands.
35:02
He doesn't want to make this decision
35:06
and yet he comes to the point,
35:08
as we all do,
35:08
where we have to decide,
35:10
What will you do with Christ?
35:14
And Pilate here,
35:16
he sees him as king.
35:20
He says in there in verse 14,
35:23
Now it was the day of preparation of the Passover.
35:25
It was about the sixth hour.
35:26
He said to the Jews,
35:27
Behold your king.
35:30
But they cried out,
35:32
Away with him,
35:33
away with him.
35:34
Shall I crucify your king?
35:36
He said.
35:37
We have no king,
35:38
but Caesar was their response.
35:40
So there's this debate going on.
35:42
Who is Lord?
35:44
And Pilate is always saying,
35:45
Here is your king.
35:47
Here is your Lord.
35:48
And they're saying,
35:49
He is no lord to us.
35:51
We have no lord.
35:52
We have no king,
35:53
but Caesar.
35:54
Caesar.
35:57
So there's this dilemma going on.
36:00
And that's the way we can often come as well.
36:03
We have this dilemma of,
36:05
Well, who is our Lord?
36:06
What is truth?
36:08
What can make me come to the Lord's table?
36:11
Can I come to the Lord's table?
36:13
We're being torn in different directions.
36:16
We can try and avoid the whole subject of Jesus ourselves as well.
36:21
We can say,
36:21
Well, it's not for me,
36:23
but there's no hiding from Jesus.
36:27
And as Jesus is taken away,
36:32
the chief priests came to him in verse 21,
36:35
Do not write,
36:37
The king of the Jews,
36:38
but rather,
36:39
This man said,
36:40
I am the king of the Jews.
36:41
But Pilate's answered,
36:43
What I have written,
36:44
I have written.
36:48
I am the king.
36:49
The king of the Jews is what he kept.
36:54
There was something he was seeing.
36:56
That this Jesus,
36:58
this Christ,
36:59
he was Lord.
37:01
And that's the question we have to answer today as well.
37:04
Who is he to us?
37:06
Is he your Lord?
37:09
Is he your king?
37:11
And if he is,
37:13
you come.
37:15
Because he is Lord.
37:17
He is God of all.
37:20
We are reminded too of how he is Lord
37:23
and the reaction of the soldiers as we see here.
37:29
In verse 23,
37:30
when the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
37:32
they took his garments
37:33
and divided them into four parts,
37:35
one part for each soldier,
37:37
also his tunic.
37:39
But the tunic was seamless,
37:41
woven into one piece from top to bottom.
37:43
So they said to one another,
37:45
Let us not tear it,
37:46
but cast lots
37:47
to see whose it shall be.
37:50
And this was to fulfill scripture,
37:52
which says,
37:52
He divided my garments among them,
37:55
and for my clothing
37:56
they cast lots.
37:58
It's an interesting thing here
38:00
that what's the point here
38:02
that they cast lots for his garments.
38:05
One of the things that people speak about here
38:08
is the garment,
38:09
the tunic especially,
38:11
was woven in one piece
38:12
from top to bottom.
38:16
And that there's a significance in that.
38:20
And that there was a change
38:22
coming into the system now.
38:25
A change coming into the world.
38:27
Because as we were looking at
38:28
last night,
38:29
behold the Lamb of God.
38:31
The Lamb of God
38:32
was the Lamb that was slain
38:35
once a year
38:35
for the forgiveness of sin.
38:38
And there was a high priest
38:39
who would take the Lamb
38:41
into the Holy of Holies.
38:43
And only he could go in.
38:45
And the high priest,
38:47
we are told in Exodus 39,
38:48
would wear a tunic
38:50
that was seamless,
38:51
that was made in one piece,
38:53
representing,
38:54
going in without blemish
38:55
or without flaw.
38:56
And here we find
39:00
that the garment,
39:01
the tunic that Jesus was wearing,
39:03
it was in one piece,
39:05
seamless,
39:06
woven from top to bottom.
39:08
And there's significance in this.
39:13
In who Jesus is being seen as.
39:16
He is now going to be
39:17
the great high priest.
39:20
And the night before
39:22
Jesus' crucifixion,
39:24
in Mark 14, verse 61,
39:28
again he was appearing
39:29
before the high priest.
39:31
And the high priest asked him,
39:32
Are you the Christ,
39:34
the Son of the Blessed?
39:35
And Jesus said,
39:36
I am.
39:38
You will see the Son of Man
39:39
seated at the right hand of power
39:41
and coming with clouds of heaven.
39:45
And then it goes on to say this,
39:46
the high priest tore his garments
39:49
and said,
39:50
What further witness do we need?
39:54
You have heard this blasphemy.
39:56
What is your decision?
39:57
And they all condemned him
39:59
as deserving death.
40:01
The high priest tore his own garments.
40:05
What was forbidden by the law
40:06
in the Old Testament,
40:08
he did.
40:10
And people are saying
40:11
this was how it was being seen
40:13
as the old system was gone
40:15
and the new was coming.
40:17
Here is the Lamb of God
40:19
fulfilled in Jesus Christ,
40:21
the one who came
40:22
to take away the sin of the world
40:24
so that no longer
40:25
was the system going to be
40:27
the high priest himself going in,
40:28
but Jesus as high priest.
40:32
Once and for all sacrificed.
40:35
So that now we have access to God
40:37
through our Lord
40:39
who is Jesus Christ.
40:42
He is Lord.
40:45
And you see it too
40:46
in the reaction of the people
40:48
in verse 15.
40:50
We have no king
40:53
but Caesar, they said.
40:55
But what were they saying
40:56
before that?
40:57
Crucify him.
40:59
Crucify him.
41:01
Away with him.
41:05
All these different responses.
41:09
Pilate,
41:10
Herod,
41:11
the soldiers,
41:13
the people,
41:14
the crowds,
41:16
they're all significant
41:17
because they're all
41:19
making the point
41:20
who is Lord
41:22
and what is
41:25
your verdict
41:26
of Christ.
41:29
Will you avoid him
41:30
or trying to push him away?
41:32
Will you mock him?
41:34
Will you shout his condemnation?
41:37
Or will you instead
41:38
take hold of him
41:40
as the one who is
41:41
the Lamb of God
41:42
who came
41:43
to take away
41:44
the sin
41:45
of the world?
41:46
We are shown
41:48
the Lamb
41:49
who was Lord.
41:52
But is he Lord
41:53
for you?
41:56
But before you answer that,
41:58
there's one other thing
41:59
we want to consider here.
42:01
And that is to see
42:02
what Jesus did
42:03
for his people.
42:06
And there we see
42:06
the Lamb
42:07
who was led
42:09
away.
42:10
As we see it
42:11
in Isaiah 53
42:13
verse 7,
42:14
he was led
42:14
like a lamb
42:16
to the slaughter.
42:18
We see it also
42:19
here
42:20
in verse 16
42:22
and 17
42:22
of John 19.
42:24
So he delivered him
42:25
over to them
42:26
to be crucified.
42:28
So they took Jesus
42:29
and he went out
42:31
bearing his own cross
42:33
to the place
42:34
called
42:35
the place
42:35
of the skull
42:36
which is in Aramaic,
42:38
which in Aramaic
42:39
is called
42:40
Golgotha.
42:42
He was led.
42:45
The Lamb
42:46
was led
42:46
away.
42:48
But all the time
42:49
the people
42:50
are leading him.
42:51
Or so it seems.
42:53
They were leading him
42:54
to Pilate,
42:55
to the high priest,
42:57
to Herod
42:57
and eventually
42:59
leading him out
43:00
to be crucified.
43:03
And it would seem
43:04
they get
43:05
what they want.
43:07
The Lamb
43:08
of God
43:09
was punished.
43:10
punished.
43:12
But when you look
43:13
at where he was
43:14
being led to,
43:16
as he was led
43:17
away
43:18
bearing his own
43:19
cross
43:19
to the place
43:20
called the skull
43:21
to Golgotha
43:22
to Calvary
43:23
as it's known,
43:25
we see he was
43:26
being led
43:27
away
43:27
to fulfill
43:29
scripture.
43:31
The scripture
43:32
that we have
43:33
in Isaiah 53
43:34
verse 7,
43:35
the Lamb
43:35
was led
43:37
to the slaughter.
43:38
He was wounded
43:41
for our transgressions,
43:42
it says in verse 5
43:43
of Isaiah 53.
43:45
He was bruised
43:46
for our iniquities.
43:47
The chastisement
43:48
of our peace
43:48
was upon him
43:49
and by his stripes
43:51
we are healed.
43:54
He was led
43:54
out to suffer
43:55
in our place.
43:58
He was led
43:59
out,
44:00
condemned,
44:02
a sinner.
44:03
but his sacrifice
44:06
was for us.
44:09
It is through him
44:11
we can say
44:12
in my place
44:13
condemned
44:15
he stood.
44:17
He didn't open
44:18
his mouth,
44:19
he was led
44:20
to the cross.
44:22
Because of the sin
44:23
in your heart
44:24
and mine,
44:25
he was led
44:26
like a lamb
44:27
to the slaughter.
44:29
Because we all
44:30
like sheep
44:31
have gone astray,
44:32
we have turned
44:32
each to our
44:33
own way.
44:37
The cost
44:38
of our sin
44:39
was this lamb
44:40
being led away
44:41
to die
44:43
on the cross.
44:47
And it is the cross
44:48
that we are
44:49
to look to today.
44:51
It is the cross
44:51
that we see
44:52
before us
44:53
when we think
44:54
of the blood
44:55
and the body
44:56
that was shed
44:57
and broken
44:58
for his people.
44:59
There is a story
45:01
told of
45:02
a long time
45:04
ago in London
45:05
when London
45:06
wasn't as
45:07
enormous
45:08
as it is
45:08
today.
45:09
And the heart
45:10
of London,
45:11
the centre
45:11
of London
45:12
from which
45:12
all other points
45:14
took its distance
45:15
was Charing Cross.
45:18
And the place
45:18
was often
45:19
just referred to
45:20
as the cross.
45:21
People knew it
45:22
in that way.
45:25
There was one day
45:25
when a policeman
45:26
was out on duty
45:28
and he came
45:29
across a little
45:30
boy who was
45:31
distressed.
45:33
He was lost.
45:34
He was weeping.
45:36
And the policeman
45:37
was trying to ask him
45:38
where are you from?
45:40
Where do you live?
45:42
And the wee boy
45:43
just couldn't
45:44
explain to him
45:45
where his house
45:47
was.
45:48
And this was going
45:48
on for a little while.
45:50
Policeman just trying
45:51
to get this information
45:52
out of the boy.
45:53
Can you just tell me
45:54
something?
45:55
Can you tell me
45:55
something about
45:56
where you live?
45:57
And eventually
45:58
the little boy
45:58
said,
45:59
well if you take
46:00
me to the cross
46:01
I can find
46:02
my way from there.
46:05
Because he knew
46:06
Charing Cross.
46:07
He knew that point
46:08
and from there
46:08
he knew where to go.
46:11
But the illustration
46:12
is there for us
46:13
as well.
46:14
When we are lost
46:15
we are struggling
46:17
to find our way
46:18
to know
46:19
what direction
46:20
to go in.
46:21
Where can we go?
46:24
Well
46:25
we pray
46:26
take us
46:26
to the cross.
46:28
Take us
46:29
to the cross
46:30
because there
46:30
we see
46:31
all that's been
46:32
done for us.
46:34
And from there
46:35
we can find
46:35
our way
46:36
because there
46:36
we see
46:37
our Lord
46:38
the Lamb of God
46:41
who came
46:41
to take away
46:42
the sin
46:43
of the world.
46:46
And from there
46:46
we can follow him
46:48
and walk
46:50
with him
46:50
knowing that
46:51
he is the way
46:52
the truth
46:52
and the life.
46:55
Knowing that
46:55
in him
46:56
we have a
46:56
saviour
46:57
who is faithful
46:58
to us.
47:01
And he has
47:01
shown it
47:02
in his love
47:03
for us
47:03
in giving
47:04
his life.
47:07
Today we come
47:08
to the cross
47:09
in remembrance
47:10
of the Lamb
47:11
who was punished.
47:14
To remember
47:15
what Christ
47:16
has done
47:16
for us.
47:20
And when you
47:20
see that
47:21
when you
47:23
behold
47:24
the Lamb
47:24
of God
47:25
who takes
47:26
away
47:26
the sin
47:27
of the world
47:28
what is
47:30
your verdict
47:30
on Christ
47:32
then?
47:34
When you
47:35
see what
47:35
he has done
47:36
the price
47:38
that he
47:38
paid
47:39
in giving
47:41
his life
47:42
as a ransom
47:43
for many
47:45
what is
47:47
your verdict?
47:49
Do you
47:49
ignore him?
47:51
Do you
47:52
mock him?
47:54
Do you
47:55
cry out
47:55
crucify him
47:56
crucify him?
47:58
Or do you
47:59
say as
48:00
John the
48:00
Baptist
48:01
behold
48:03
the Lamb
48:04
of God
48:05
who takes
48:06
away the
48:06
sin
48:07
of the
48:08
world?
48:08
As we
48:11
come to
48:12
the Lord's
48:12
table
48:13
today
48:13
may we
48:15
behold
48:15
the Lamb
48:17
the Lamb
48:18
who was
48:19
led away
48:20
the Lamb
48:22
who died
48:24
for your
48:25
sin
48:25
and mine.
48:28
Quoted
48:29
from
48:30
the hymn
48:31
How Deep
48:32
the Father's
48:32
Love
48:33
Last Night
48:33
I'll quote
48:34
the last
48:34
verse of it
48:35
just now
48:35
where it
48:37
says
48:37
I will
48:37
not boast
48:38
in anything
48:39
no gifts
48:40
no power
48:41
no wisdom
48:41
but I
48:43
will boast
48:43
in Jesus
48:44
Christ
48:45
his death
48:45
and resurrection
48:47
why should I
48:48
gain from
48:49
his reward
48:50
I cannot
48:51
give an
48:52
answer
48:53
but this
48:54
I know
48:55
with all
48:56
my heart
48:56
his wounds
48:58
have paid
48:59
my ransom
49:01
by his
49:03
stripes
49:03
we are
49:05
healed
49:05
why
49:07
because the
49:09
Lamb
49:09
was
49:10
punished
49:11
the Lamb
49:12
was led
49:14
away to
49:14
die
49:15
for the
49:16
sins
49:16
of this
49:17
world
49:18
so today
49:19
may we
49:21
behold
49:21
the Lamb
49:23
of God
49:23
who takes
49:25
away
49:25
the sin
49:26
of the
49:27
world
49:28
let us
49:29
pray
49:30
our
49:33
Father
49:34
in heaven
49:35
we come
49:35
before you
49:36
just as
49:38
we are
49:38
with nothing
49:40
in our
49:41
hands to
49:41
bring to
49:42
you
49:42
but simply
49:43
to your
49:44
cross to
49:45
cling
49:45
and we
49:47
pray
49:47
today
49:48
Lord
49:48
that as
49:49
we come
49:49
to behold
49:51
the Lamb
49:52
of God
49:52
to remember
49:54
all that
49:55
he has
49:55
done
49:55
for us
49:56
to see
49:57
even the
49:58
elements
49:58
before us
49:59
the Lamb
50:00
that was
50:01
slain
50:01
to remember
50:03
what they
50:03
represent
50:04
the blood
50:05
represented
50:06
by the
50:06
wine
50:06
and the
50:07
bread
50:07
representing
50:08
the body
50:08
may you
50:10
enable us
50:10
to look
50:11
and to
50:11
see
50:12
and to
50:13
rejoice
50:13
in the
50:14
Saviour
50:15
of the
50:16
world
50:16
Jesus
50:18
Christ
50:18
our
50:19
Lord
50:20
our
50:20
King
50:21
may you
50:22
continue
50:23
with us
50:23
Lord
50:23
may you
50:24
hear our
50:24
prayers
50:25
may you
50:26
guide us
50:27
in all
50:27
that we
50:27
do
50:28
and all
50:28
that we
50:29
see
50:29
as we
50:30
ask all
50:31
with the
50:31
forgiveness
50:31
of our
50:32
sin
50:32
in Jesus
50:34
name
50:34
Amen
50:35
well before
50:43
we come
50:44
to the
50:45
Lord's
50:45
table
50:46
it's
50:46
customary
50:46
that we
50:47
would
50:47
just make
50:48
clear
50:48
who the
50:49
Lord's
50:49
table
50:50
is for
50:51
and it's
50:53
what's
50:53
often called
50:54
the fencing
50:55
of the
50:57
table
50:57
and maybe
50:58
seems a
50:58
little bit
50:58
of a
50:59
strange
50:59
thing
50:59
to call
51:00
it
51:00
fencing
51:01
what does
51:01
that
51:02
actually
51:02
mean
51:03
it's not
51:04
that we're
51:04
putting up
51:05
a great
51:06
barrier
51:06
to those
51:07
who should
51:08
and shouldn't
51:08
come
51:09
it's not
51:10
about putting
51:11
up a wall
51:11
in that sense
51:12
of you
51:13
can't come
51:14
past
51:14
but it's
51:15
just to
51:16
make it
51:16
clear
51:17
for whom
51:18
the
51:18
Lord's
51:19
table
51:19
is
51:20
it is
51:21
for those
51:21
who have
51:21
come
51:22
to
51:23
trust
51:23
in the
51:25
Lamb of
51:25
God
51:25
Jesus
51:26
Christ
51:27
I want
51:29
to highlight
51:30
just three
51:31
things
51:31
from the
51:32
word
51:32
fence
51:33
when we
51:35
think of
51:36
fence
51:36
we maybe
51:37
just think
51:38
of
51:38
of
51:38
crofts
51:39
and we
51:40
think of
51:40
the fences
51:41
we see
51:42
all around
51:43
our
51:43
islands
51:44
and what
51:45
are they
51:45
used
51:46
for
51:46
well they're
51:46
used
51:47
to either
51:47
keep
51:48
people
51:49
or animals
51:49
out
51:50
or in
51:51
and that's
51:53
certainly
51:53
one element
51:54
of fence
51:55
and there's
51:56
three I want
51:57
to highlight
51:58
as we come
51:59
to the
51:59
Lord's
51:59
table
52:00
from the
52:01
word
52:02
fence
52:02
the first
52:03
it means
52:03
to shield
52:04
or protect
52:06
so there is
52:08
a sense
52:09
when we come
52:09
to the
52:10
Lord's
52:10
table
52:11
it is
52:12
for a
52:12
particular
52:13
people
52:14
that is
52:16
why there
52:16
are white
52:17
tablecloths
52:19
on some
52:19
of the
52:19
pews
52:20
there is
52:21
an indication
52:22
of a
52:22
separation
52:23
there's a
52:25
divide
52:25
but it's
52:27
not in the
52:28
sense of
52:29
being
52:29
exclusive
52:31
in that
52:31
sense
52:32
but it's
52:33
just marking
52:34
the difference
52:35
there are
52:37
those who
52:38
sit on
52:38
one side
52:39
of the
52:39
fence
52:40
those who
52:41
have
52:41
professed
52:42
the
52:43
Lord
52:43
those who
52:45
have said
52:46
the Lord
52:47
is my
52:48
shepherd
52:48
but as
52:51
we see
52:51
there are
52:51
others
52:52
on the
52:52
other
52:52
side
52:53
of the
52:53
fence
52:54
where you
52:55
have not
52:56
come
52:56
to confess
52:57
the Lord
52:58
as your
52:59
shepherd
53:00
and it's
53:02
not there
53:02
to keep
53:03
you out
53:04
don't see
53:06
it like
53:06
that
53:07
it's not
53:08
the sense
53:08
of stay
53:09
away
53:09
for good
53:10
but it's
53:11
to show
53:12
that there
53:13
is another
53:13
place that
53:14
you can
53:14
come to
53:15
to come
53:17
and find
53:18
yourself
53:19
on the
53:19
right side
53:20
of the
53:20
fence
53:21
not halting
53:23
between
53:23
different
53:24
opinions
53:24
what side
53:25
of the
53:25
fence
53:26
are you
53:26
on
53:26
but to
53:27
come
53:27
to this
53:28
side
53:28
the side
53:30
where we
53:31
find
53:31
the protection
53:32
of the
53:33
Lord
53:34
because
53:36
coming to
53:37
take the
53:38
Lord's
53:38
supper
53:38
by faith
53:39
if you
53:40
believe
53:41
it will
53:43
do you
53:43
good
53:44
the second
53:47
thing we
53:47
see about
53:47
a fence
53:48
is
53:49
it
53:50
encloses
53:51
for those
53:54
who come
53:55
confessing
53:56
and professing
53:57
Jesus Christ
53:58
as Lord
53:59
there is a
54:00
sense of
54:01
being
54:01
enclosed
54:02
together
54:03
strengthened
54:05
together
54:06
we are
54:08
no longer
54:09
the sheep
54:10
who have
54:11
gone astray
54:11
we are not
54:13
out
54:13
wandering
54:14
away
54:14
by
54:14
ourselves
54:15
away
54:15
from
54:16
God
54:16
we are
54:17
gathered
54:17
together
54:18
as one
54:18
body
54:19
in
54:19
Christ
54:19
and we
54:21
are
54:21
seeking
54:21
to be
54:21
strengthened
54:22
together
54:23
to be
54:24
nourished
54:24
together
54:25
by the
54:26
shepherd
54:26
of the
54:27
sheep
54:28
so we
54:29
are
54:29
enclosed
54:30
together
54:31
we are
54:32
given
54:32
strength
54:33
and
54:33
encouragement
54:34
and we
54:34
rejoice
54:35
when the
54:35
number of
54:36
the flock
54:37
is added
54:38
to
54:38
when there
54:39
are those
54:39
who come
54:40
to profess
54:41
Christ
54:42
as Lord
54:43
and come
54:44
into
54:44
membership
54:44
with
54:45
ourselves
54:45
we are
54:46
encouraged
54:47
we are
54:47
blessed
54:48
as we
54:49
are enclosed
54:50
together
54:50
one
54:51
in
54:52
Christ
54:52
but the
54:54
word
54:54
fence
54:55
has another
54:56
quite
54:56
different
54:57
meaning
54:58
and it
55:00
means
55:00
fencing
55:01
or to
55:02
fence
55:03
to fight
55:03
with a
55:04
sword
55:05
I don't
55:06
know if
55:06
anybody
55:06
has ever
55:07
tried
55:07
it
55:07
you see
55:08
it
55:09
I think
55:09
it's
55:09
part of
55:09
the
55:09
Olympic
55:10
Games
55:10
they have
55:11
these
55:11
fencing
55:11
competitions
55:12
and they're
55:13
fighting each
55:15
other with a
55:16
sword
55:16
and in
55:18
some ways
55:19
that reminds
55:20
us what
55:20
the Lord's
55:21
table
55:21
is like
55:22
as well
55:23
because
55:24
there's often
55:25
a fight
55:25
going on
55:27
a fight
55:29
going on
55:29
of the
55:30
battle
55:31
of coming
55:31
to acknowledge
55:32
the Lord
55:33
and who
55:34
is
55:34
Lord
55:35
but as
55:37
we look
55:37
to the
55:37
Lord
55:38
Jesus
55:38
Christ
55:39
and trust
55:39
in him
55:40
we are
55:41
reminded
55:41
that he
55:42
has won
55:43
the victory
55:44
when you
55:46
go back
55:47
to the
55:47
book of
55:47
Genesis
55:48
when the
55:49
man and
55:49
the woman
55:50
were cast
55:50
out of
55:51
the garden
55:52
of Eden
55:53
there was
55:54
a flaming
55:54
sword
55:55
that was
55:56
to protect
55:57
them from
55:57
getting back
55:58
in
55:58
the axis
55:59
was denied
56:01
but when
56:03
we look
56:04
to Jesus
56:04
Christ
56:05
we find
56:07
in him
56:07
the victory
56:08
that he
56:10
has broken
56:10
down
56:11
that barrier
56:12
that he
56:13
has fought
56:14
that fight
56:15
for us
56:15
and that we
56:17
have access
56:17
once more
56:18
to God
56:19
we are to
56:21
come
56:21
victorious
56:23
in him
56:25
he has
56:26
opened
56:27
up
56:28
the way
56:29
so the
56:31
fencing
56:31
is important
56:32
it does
56:34
show that
56:34
there is
56:34
a division
56:35
but it's
56:36
not a divide
56:37
that we
56:37
want always
56:38
there
56:38
we want
56:39
others
56:39
to come
56:40
because it
56:42
means
56:42
enclosing
56:43
together
56:44
coming near
56:44
to God
56:45
together
56:46
as one
56:47
and remembering
56:49
the victory
56:50
of Christ
56:52
well as
56:54
we prepare
56:55
to come
56:56
to the
56:56
Lord's
56:57
table
56:57
we're going
56:57
to sing
56:58
to God's
56:59
praise
57:00
in Psalm
57:00
118
57:01
the Scottish
57:04
Psalter
57:05
version of
57:05
the Psalm
57:06
Psalm 118
57:07
we're going
57:07
to sing
57:08
from verse
57:08
15
57:09
to verse
57:10
23
57:11
page 398
57:13
of the
57:13
psalm books
57:14
Psalm 118
57:17
at verse
57:17
15
57:18
we'll sing
57:36
from verse
57:37
15
57:38
to verse
57:38
23
57:39
to God's
57:40
praise
57:47
B
58:17
The bright hand of the mighty Lord, exalted is all night.
58:35
The bright hand of the mighty Lord, the faithful, valiantly.
58:50
I shall not die, but live and shall the works of God discover.
59:08
The Lord not be just eyes and sore, but not to death in over.
59:25
O set ye open unto me, the gates of righteousness.
59:42
Then will I enter into them, and I the Lord will bless.
1:00:00
This is the gate of God, I am, that I shall enter in.
1:00:16
The gate of God, I am, that I shall not be.
1:00:34
And so this make a cornerstone, which builders did despise.
1:00:49
This is the doing of the Lord, and wondrous in our eyes.