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For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of non-effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. My dear and beloved brethren and sisters, these words present to us a positive and an objective truth, a message clearly based upon the cross of Christ, a reminder to us both now and for all time of the centrality of the cross. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. I'd like to begin with a challenge, and the challenge is this, that none of us can be satisfied for long with an observation of the cross, with an interpretation of the cross, with a theory of the cross that is merely subjective. That is to say, a concentration only upon the personal appeal of the cross of Jesus. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. For again, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. For again, the caption of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. And by subjective, I mean these things only, these things considered in isolation from all the other great scriptural truths about God and His purpose centered in Jesus Christ. True, these teachings are, indeed, and their importance and their relevance must never be minimized or under-emphasized, that they are not the whole truth when they are considered alone or considered in isolation. And here, I think, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, we have a demonstration of the truth of this point in the Genesis, as it were, of the first century preaching. For the Apostle Paul, the atonement, is purposeful and powerful. It is preordained and proclamatory. It is dynamic and it is definitive. And we know very well, do we not, that the preaching in the name of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded, particularly in the Book of Acts, was revolutionary in its content and in its impact. It turned the world upside down. It reversed all ideas of human greatness. It gave a new dimension to life. It brought new perspective to the world. It gave hope of eternal life through salvation's destiny and the consummation of all things in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is, I think, against this broad canvas and this wide perspective that we must consider the necessary details of the work of Christ, without, as it were, losing this broad vision that Scripture sets before us. Now, there are many detailed points of exposition in connection with the death of Christ. When we use the term or the phrase the death of Christ in this series of addresses, more often than not, we shall be implying not only the ones for all sacrifice upon the cross, but also, for example, the visitation of God in His Son, His faithfulness even unto death, the close cooperation of the Son with the Father. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. It is a line of continuum that reaches right back to the Book of Genesis and goes beyond the Book of Revelation. And the sequel accomplished in Jesus Himself, His victorious resurrection, His exaltation, and His ascension. And who of us, my dear brethren and sisters, would presume to draw a line of demarcation between the possibility of the life of Jesus and the inevitability of His death? And to say that after that line, we are considering all those elements that are relevant and important to an understanding of His cross. You cannot draw the line, can you? So inextricably interwoven are the themes and the strands of the purpose of God centered in Him. And of course, we can give much attention to all the details associated with the death of Jesus, and we shall do so to a certain extent in these addresses. Because of course, the text of Scripture that describes to us these details is of necessity the basis of our exposition and our analysis. We can think, for example, of all the events surrounding His crucifixion, the conduct of the Lord's three adjudicators, Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod. The indignities inflicted upon our Lord, the tragic procession between the judgment hall and Golgotha, the attitude of the crucified thieves, the behavior of the crowds, the extremity of our Savior in His suffering, and the victorious sequel in the resurrection from the dead, His exaltation, His elevation, and His promised return. And of course, many valuable moral, spiritual, and eternal lessons arise out of all these incidents. But everything that the Scripture presents to us owes its vital and enduring value and significance to the momentous truths which these divine realities reveal, represent, and embody to us. Or to put it another way, it is the teaching and it is the doctrine which matter in the end. What gives all these events associated with the cross of Christ and all their many and varied foreshadowings in the Old Testament Scripture? What gives them their importance is not only the fact that they occur, but that they are associated with eternal issues and fundamental truths. What matters for us, my dear brethren and sisters, is that we are related to these things, that we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son. This is the goal. This is the destination. This is, as it were, where the subjective element, rightly understood, must come into our subject, not in our interpretation, but in our association, our invocation, and our appropriation. I sound this note of warning, this note of challenge, for this reason. We all have a capacity for religion to a greater or lesser extent, the aspiration for something more than the frustrations of ordinary life. We admire, humanly speaking, the courageousness of self-sacrifice. And all these things may find in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His passion solely aesthetic fulfillment or emotional satisfaction. It fills a human need, a human aspiration, a human desire, but it fulfills it in human terms. There are many illustrations of this throughout history. Examples of it can be seen in those with great literary gifts, with acute sensibility and powerful imagination. Georgina Elliott, for example, describes how she was greatly moved before a magnificent picture of the elevated cross. She said that the face of Jesus was sublime in its experience of agony, agony and yet complete trust in the divine. It was the finest and the noblest conception of the suffering Christ that she had ever seen. And she could say of the picture that it haunted her like the remembrance of a friend's deathbed, fixed in the mind, unalterable and unchanging. And from that moment on, that vision became conjoined with all subsequent experiences in her life. She was never the same again. In a sense, my dear brethren and sisters, this is poetry, isn't it? It's the poetry of religion. Many have said that her observation, in a sense, was manifestly in the spirit of detachment, a stooping to look down even, the attitude of the art critic, the inquiring and the investigating analyst. It is not necessarily that of humility and faith. This kind of objectivity, this sort of objective detachment, is not for us. Our age is noted for its objectivity, is it not? Perhaps at the same time, rather paradoxically, its vagueness on many of the great doctrines of Scripture and the rapidly weakening sense of the importance and the relevance of history. It has no concern for the impending consummation, just as, for example, the men of Noah's day had no concern for the imminent judgments of God. And to our age, a merely aesthetic or emotional appreciation of the cross, its suffering and its death, is always possible. How many of those, for example, who listen devoutly and reverently to Bach's Matthew Passion or to Hamdol's Messiah and are captivated entirely by the words and the music, are in fact listening with a deep sense of conviction that they are in fact called upon to enter into the anguish of the Redeemer, to die with Him, that His life might be manifested to others, to live out in their own painful experience the truth of what it really means to take up our cross and follow Him. Now it is very clear, my dear brothers and sisters, that this emotional and this subjective experience of the cross has its place. What I am saying to you really is that it only has its place if it is first confirmed and validated by the preceding knowledge and understanding of the doctrinal significance of the covering for sin and the reconciliation that God has brought through His Son. When these are appreciated, when these are put into practice, then meditations on the details of the Passion will be appropriate, since they will now be set in the proper context of a larger framework. May I anticipate at the outset a plea for simplicity? You might want to say to me, for example, many of us simply believe in the fact that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has accomplished the ones for all sacrifice necessary for salvation. We have not attempted to explain the detailed reasons why or how Christ's death has affected that reconciliation. We are concerned with goals and objectives rather than procedures and mechanisms, theories and explanations. That's a valid observation, my dear brothers and sisters, especially when you look retrospectively. How many people, how many sincere Bible students have got into deep water by trying to go further than perhaps Scripture itself allows us to go? This is a relevant observation. You know that it is possible to have an accurate theory of redemption without necessarily personally being involved in it. You know that the converse is true also, that it is possible to have involvement in redemption without understanding all the depth and all the fine detail which are implied by a true experience of it. People, brothers and sisters, and doctrine are separable, are they not? Since Scripture is separable from ourselves and it stands in its objectivity over against and for the condition of man. But in another sense, it is inescapably related to man in that it shines the light of hope and salvation to that condition. This word of revelation, my dear brothers and sisters, has in the end to become an integral part of our own experience, of life, of hope, of faith. It has to be for us in the end, as it was for the Lord Jesus, whose meat and drink the Word made flesh. And so a plea for simplicity need not be at variance with a search for fuller understanding. Indeed, perhaps our inquiring age, with its certain critical mindedness, needs a reason, a reasonable and intelligible faith in order to account for the atonement. But of course we must always be aware of the limitations of the finite human mind, especially when it seeks to understand things that are closely related to the infinite God. And there are certainly problems and difficulties in the reconciliation of man to God, which no doubt will remain insoluble for the time being. Yet it is clear we all have heads as well as hearts, and the intention of God is surely that we should use both in order to obtain that reasoned and reasonable faith. The Apostles tell us, do they not, that if we cannot see everything, we can certainly see much. And it was the purpose of their revelation to enable us, in humility and with reverence, to see and to understand the message that they brought. As it seems to me, my dear brethren and sisters, no satisfactory theory of the atonement has ever really been formulated or even discovered to explain the precise working of redemption, the mechanics, if you like, of our salvation, or even the indispensable necessity for the cross. Each successive generation has repudiated the analogies and the analyses which satisfied its parents and its grandparents, sometimes despairing at their crudity and inadequacy, and the extent to which certain phrases in Scripture in both Old Testament and New Testament have been pressed too far out of all proportion to other parallel and complementary truths. Interpretations have been advanced, for example, against the background of the law court, the feudal system, or the marketplace. They have attempted to view the atonement in any one of a number of categories, the judicial, the penal, the ethical, the moral, even very up-to-date, the psychological. And I submit to you, my dear brethren and sisters, that they all, without exception, have their limitations. One writer has said, the atonement was wrought in darkness because its full meaning could not in the end be comprehended by the finite mind. All the forces of sin, disintegration, decay, disorientation, of which we are all part, are surely indicated in that period of darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour. In the purpose of God, a veil is drawn over the horrors of the dying Lord, so that inquiring eyes, human eyes, shall not see what it is inappropriate for them to see. Another writer has said, how or in what particular way Christ's death was efficacious. There are not wanting persons who have endeavoured to explain it, but I do not find that Scripture hath fully explained it. So, my dear brethren and sisters, we may have our problems with our theories and our mechanisms, but we have no problems with facts. The foreshadowing of the cross is a fact. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lord was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death. The realisation of the cross is also a fact. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, Jesus also suffered without the gate. The proclamation of the cross is a fact. Unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. They ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ. It presents a life to be known. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. Ye shall know that I am in the Father and ye in me and I in you, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in Him. These things are written that believing He might have life through His name. And it presents also a person to be loved. If God were your Father, ye would love me. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice because I said, I go unto the Father. If ye love me, keep my commandments. Not just abstract, distant, coerced love, but close, tender, gracious love, conscious of men's weakness, Simon son of Jonah, Lovest thou me, feed my sheep. The purpose of this series of addresses, my dear brethren and sisters, is to be expositional, analytical, devotional and excitational in such a way as to bring out the fullness of meaning of our subject. We seek to capture some of those vital elements of our theme, the truth and the value, the depth and the importance, the relevance and the implications of Christ's sacrifice. All these talks have, as it were, an expositional basis to their content. The supplementary handouts will come out, as it were, before each talk. We'll give an outline of the general framework which we are following. This first address is by way of introduction to consider some key principle in our interpretation and some introductory points. The second address we'll consider in more detail the cross of Christ, the ones for all offering for our sins. The third address we'll consider man's appropriation and try to answer the question, how is the atonement available to man and what is its effect upon us? And the fourth and final address, salvation and human destiny. How does what we have considered in this series relate us to the future in the purpose of God? How do we get from here to there? From Oxford in 1983 to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the consummation of all things in Him. The first and third addresses are mainly analytical and expository in nature. And the second and fourth addresses are principally excitational and devotional. And I hope very much, my dear brothers and sisters, that this will present to you the right balance for a subject of this nature, that it will be helpful to you in laying the foundations, in guiding our understanding, in preparing our minds and hearts for fuller service with Him, to enable us to fulfil the conditions and demands of discipleship, to attend to the personal discipline of the cross, and to improve our vision of the Lord who came and died and rose again. What we wish to do at Alcoff is to avoid that kind of barren, forensic analysis which seeks to dissect the suffering Saviour and His accomplishments in order to arrive at truth. Such an approach may well be objective, but it has no life. In a sense, I suppose, my dear brothers and sisters, it is presumptuous. It is not reverential or fearful. It is the theologian or the surgeon. It is not the disciple. Let us consider some of the key principles in our interpretation of the atonement. First of all, the atonement is right at the heart of God's purpose. The Old Testament looked to its fulfilment in the Saviour, and the New Testament and the records of the preaching of the Apostles flowed out from that central point in the purpose of God. So it is of necessity, first and foremost, a doctrine, a teaching associated with God, His purpose, His character, His self-expression, His love, His condescension, His grace, His mercy, His long-suffering, His justice, His holiness, and His righteousness, His knowledge of man right into the heart of each one of us, and His being known of us through His self-revelation in His Word and in His Son. God wills that all men shall be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And this revelation of God, this purpose of God, this declaration of God, looks with a response from us, as described by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine. So each and every interpretation of the atonement is closely associated with some aspect of the essential meaning of our faith. And particularly and importantly, it reflects our understanding of the divine nature. It is in our understanding of God that our understanding of the atonement has its ultimate ground and basis. Or to put it another way, the atonement, my dear brethren and sisters, is not simply an understanding of the cross. Attempt to so restrict its scope will always result in misunderstanding. We do not explain or interpret atonement by the cross, but rather the cross by atonement. And so no discussion of the cross can be adequate, which rests upon an inadequate conception of the high and holy God, His power and His almightiness, His sovereignty over all, whether recognized or not, and His fatherhood of the Son. And similarly, in the same way, no investigation, no analysis, no study of the sacrifice of Christ is complete if it seeks to separate God's visiting His people in Assam, His humble origins, His birth from His sacrifice upon the cross on the one hand, and the resurrection and exaltation and return from His sacrifice on the cross on the other hand. All are essential components to a full understanding of this subject. Earlier studies in God manifestation in our history of the community are, I think, helpful in drawing attention to this most important point that we must have as our basis an adequate and a full understanding of the nature and purpose of God, that it is in Him that we understand the ultimate origins, the purpose, the revelation and the motivation for all these things. Secondly, the atonement incorporates and reveals in all its fullness the nature of man, the light of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals very starkly and very clearly the darkness of the world in which He moved, the darkness of men without God and of men without the Word of God. The condition of man is clearly revealed to us in the Word of God and it is to and for that condition that this revelation of God comes. Man is capable of inflicting pain and suffering and death. Willful and skillful disobedience. Human nature at the cross of Christ was revealed for all to see in all its strange folly and immoral grandeur. The terrible prerogative and unseemliness of seeking to withstand the Lord of all. The woeful recalcitrance, reparation and shame. Man and man alone wants and seeks the good and then forsakes it and denies it almost in the same breath. He forsakes and he promotes the evil. In His being there is from time to time the coexistence of the highest and the best and the basest and the worst. This juxtaposition of good and evil, self-denial and self-assertion stand alongside the very cross of Christ, don't they, in the two thieves, the one who railed on Him and the one who in humility sought to be with Him. Perhaps there we have a representation of the whole human race capable of being divided into two solely on this basis, perhaps revealing also that such a division is in each of us, in each of our minds, and in each of our hearts. That terrible duplicity caused by sin and the temptations to sin, seeking to be with Him at one moment and railing on Him for all the woes of sin in the next. And the final wretchedness and despair of putting to death the only righteous man. We will not have this man to reign over us anticipated by the Lord Jesus Christ, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up His heel against me. So I might have thought that with this lesson from history the error would be avoided, but not so. Subsequently we learn of those whose tragic destiny was still to tread underfoot the Son of God and to put Him to an open shade. So my dear brethren and sisters, the nature, character and purpose of God and the nature of man are the two essential prerequisites in our understanding of the basis for atonement. Let us consider next some introductory points to set the wider context of what we have to say later on in this series. We might describe this as it were as a long view to give us the distant vision so that subsequent details may be seen in perspective rather like beholding a bridge from a distance so that later on when we come to look at the bricks and the mortar, the components of the bridge we're not in danger of losing sight of losing understanding of what the bridge is or what the bridge is for. As it seems to me central to the cross of Christ are firstly the forgiveness of sins. Was this not an important aspect of the first century preaching? Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the law. And the Lord Jesus Christ throughout His ministry emphasized the terrible reality of sin and its true source. It came from within the very heart of man defiling, degrading, deceiving and debilitating. And over against this predicament Jesus proclaims the gracious forgiveness of God. The woman taken in adultery, the prodigal son, the man sick of the palsy and many others. The list is legion, isn't it? Forgiveness centered in the Lord Jesus Christ but only at great cost. Firstly to the Redeemer Himself and then subsequently to man also. For just as Jesus had to count the cost of going to the cross so man also had to count the cost of taking up the cross personally, individually and corporately. To count the cost of forgiveness in a renewed and in a transformed life. Show your repentance by the fruit it bears was the message that came out of the wilderness for the attention of the scribes and Pharisees in the days of John the Baptist. The Lord Jesus Christ taught men to practice forgiveness. Not as it were as a temporary theory but as a continual practice indefinitely. No limited number of wrongs makes the practice of forgiveness perfect. To quantify it, to measure it, to seek to delimit it was to misunderstand it, to miss the point, to nail it down was to nail him to the tree. Father forgive them for they know not what they do. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Our world, my dear brethren and sisters, seeks easy ways out of this challenge of Jesus. And perhaps even we do too. Diminish sin and wrong. Make light of the deadly deed. And even joke over unseemly behavior. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. After that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews established by God. and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. Man's weakness, my dear brethren and sisters, is revealed in a paradox in the very heart of human strength for both Jew and Gentile. The Jew held that God had revealed himself in history. And so it was naturally easy to presume to know how he would reveal himself in the future. A temptation to seek to calculate God's favor or his disapproval by outward signs. And so it was that many Jews believed that when their great deliverer came, he would bear himself in the anticipated way and accomplish the goals that they looked for. Similarly, if you were a Greek and had developed the power of abstract thought, you were led to suppose that nothing could be true or real which disturbed the balance and completeness of that thought. Intellectual satisfaction brought about by the exercise of true reason. The Greeks came to see Jesus. Sir, we would see Jesus, they said. And they were sent away with the most disturbing message. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. The fundamental error of both Jew and Greek was to suppose that man's theory of life was complete and satisfying. That you could use a human yardstick to measure out God's ways in relation to man. How is it possible for us, my dear brethren and sisters, to avoid these dangers? How is it possible for us to see more fully the crucified Christ as the power and as the wisdom of God? By what steps or by what stages may this mystery be made known unto us and fully revealed? Well, I think it's elaborated in 1 Corinthians chapters 1 and 2 where we began. And the pathway, I think, is firstly humility, secondly faith, and thirdly putting on the mind of Christ. The first prerequisite is humility, because that was what Jesus demanded of the Greeks. And in a sense that's the whole context, isn't it, of the opening chapters of Corinthians, that humility of mind is an essential prerequisite for life in the Ecclesia. Not self-exaltation, but self-abasement. And faith is also necessary. Chapter 2 and verse 4. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. And thirdly, we have to put on the mind of Christ. Verse 16. Who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ. And the fourth key element is to understand obedience and suffering. Not in isolation, in sole connection with the sacrifice of Christ, but to understand its place and its path in the purpose of God. It came to its focus in the Lord Jesus Christ. He learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Many of those Old Testament prophecies foretold of the suffering, the precise nature of that suffering that he would endure. Why suffering, my dear brethren and sisters, such an integral part of God's purpose and the lives that we are called upon to play in that purpose? We shall consider that in our later addresses. But once again, it's an invitation for us to go back where we should really be on the basis of our subject, to consider the Divine Originator, His sovereignty over all. It cannot be questioned. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? If we do not understand it, my dear brethren and sisters, in humility we must accept it, the final inscrutability of God where man cannot go and where in the end he has no right to inquire. All our desolating and painful experiences rightly viewed in humility of mind can under God's good hand lead to spiritual growth. Faith is never abandoned, but rather ennobled through suffering. Think of the Apostle Paul. I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And it was in one of his later epistles that Paul still spoke of a name that was not yet achieved, an aspiration that was still not realized to know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings through the continual process of becoming conformed to his death. And remember too what the Lord Jesus said of Peter, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself and walkest where thou wouldest. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. To be fully obedient, my dear brethren and sisters, is to share with Christ in his death, to truly fellowship his sufferings, to have a sense of participation in his cross, that the new man in Christ might be revealed and might give honor and glory and majesty to the Creator and the Lord of all. So we come to our conclusions from this first address. The conclusions are threefold. Firstly, the cross of Christ and the preaching of the cross and an understanding of the cross is a positive and an objective message. It is the power of God unto salvation. It begins with God and is primarily concerned with goals, with objectives and with destination. Secondly, all procedures and mechanisms, theories and explanations are attempts from man's viewpoint and man's viewpoint alone to understand the mechanics of our salvation. They all have their limitations because of necessity. The full reasons and the full details are known only to God. What we can understand are the foreshadowing of the cross, its promise and its expectation, the realization of the cross, the proclamation of the cross, the observation of the cross and the portrayal of the cross. What we can understand are the spiritual, practical and excitational principles of the cross, its value, its importance, its meaning, its blessings, its privileges and its responsibilities. Thirdly, in order to understand the atoning work of Christ, in order to understand the principle of atonement, we must first understand the primacy of God and His self-revelation in His Son. We need to understand the nature of man, the principle of forgiveness and the need for obedience and sacrifice.

Transcript

and when they were come to the place which is called calvary which is called calvary there they crucified him and the male there they crucified him and the male factors one on the right hand and the factors one on the right hand and the other on the left other on the left then said jesus then said jesus father forgive them for they know not father forgive them for they know not what they do what they do and they parted his raiment and cast and they parted his raiment and cast lots lots and the people stood beholding and the people stood beholding and the rulers also with him derided and the rulers also with him derided with them derided him saying he saved with them derided him saying he saved others others let him save himself if you be christ let him save himself if you be christ the chosen of god the chosen of god and the soldiers also mocked him coming and the soldiers also mocked him coming to him and offering him vinegar to him and offering him vinegar and saying if thou be the king of the and saying if thou be the king of the jews jews save thyself save thyself the superscription also has written over the superscription also has written over him him letters of greek and latin and hebrew letters of greek and latin and hebrew this is the king of the jews my dear beloved brothers and sisters in the distance upon the horizon in the distance upon the horizon he could see he could see the hill of calvary the hill of calvary three crosses three crosses on the hillside on the hillside three crosses three crosses bearing three dead men bearing three dead men the two on the outside were those whose the two on the outside were those whose lives would drain away lives would drain away but the one on the inside but the one on the inside was the one who was to become was the one who was to become the true life-giver the true life-giver and that cross of the lord jesus and that cross of the lord jesus cast a shadow cast a shadow over all that preceded it over all that preceded it it cast a shadow it cast a shadow [Music] [Music] across his ministry across his ministry the son of man goeth as it is written of the son of man goeth as it is written of him him and i if i be lifted up and i if i be lifted up will draw all men will draw all men unto me unto me words spoken by the lord jesus words spoken by the lord jesus in those immediate circumstances in those immediate circumstances before the cross before the cross so that shadow of the cross reached even so that shadow of the cross reached even earlier didn't it earlier didn't it to that turning point in his ministry to that turning point in his ministry at caesarea philippi at caesarea philippi from that time forth from that time forth began jesus to show unto his disciples began jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto jerusalem how that he must go unto jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again and be raised again the third day the third day [Music] [Music] that shadow reached even earlier that shadow reached even earlier to better borrow behold the lamb of god to better borrow behold the lamb of god which taketh away the sin of the world which taketh away the sin of the world even earlier still even earlier still to his gracious birth this child shall be set for the falling and rising again and rising again of many in israel of many in israel yea yea the sword shall pierce through thy known the sword shall pierce through thy known soul soul also and even further back the shadow was cast cast over all the preparatory work in the over all the preparatory work in the purpose of god purpose of god before the revelation of his son before the revelation of his son the prophet jeremiah behold the days the prophet jeremiah behold the days come saith the lord come saith the lord that i will make a new covenant with the that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel and the house of judah house of israel and the house of judah the prophet isaiah the prophet isaiah foretold one who was despised and foretold one who was despised and rejected of men rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief grief the psalmist the psalmist anticipated what was to come anticipated what was to come [Music] [Music] lo lo i come in the volume of the book it is i come in the volume of the book it is written of me written of me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me me they pierced they pierced my hands my hands and my feet and my feet and even further back your father and even further back your father abraham rejoiced to see my day abraham rejoiced to see my day and saw it in his glass and even further back because in the beginning was the word because in the beginning was the word the thought conceived the purpose the thought conceived the purpose planned planned the destiny delineated in the mind of the destiny delineated in the mind of god from the very beginning god from the very beginning and surely it is in this sense and surely it is in this sense that we may begin to understand the word the lamb slain from the foundation of the world from the foundation of the world and the word of jesus and the word of jesus in his prayer to his father in the in his prayer to his father in the shadow of the cross shadow of the cross thou lovered me thou lovered me before the foundation of the world and so this crossed upon calvary catholic dark shadow catholic dark shadow throughout all the preceding history throughout all the preceding history and on the other side and on the other side it cast a light of hope it cast a light of hope and of glory and of glory into the future into the future for the joy that was set before him for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross he endured the cross despising the shame despising the shame and he sat down at the right hand of the and he sat down at the right hand of the majesty majesty on high on high i go unto the father i go unto the father jesus said to his disciples jesus said to his disciples that was the underlying theme wasn't it that was the underlying theme wasn't it of that of those chapters 14 to 17 of that of those chapters 14 to 17 of john's gospel of john's gospel the way the way to the father to the father the way to ultimately be a partaker the way to ultimately be a partaker of the divine nature of the divine nature and that brings to our minds and that brings to our minds something in our first talk that without something in our first talk that without an understanding of god an understanding of god and his nature and his nature this cross of christ this cross of christ stands in isolation stands in isolation it stands open to misunderstanding it stands open to misunderstanding and misrepresentation and misrepresentation you must always see the beginning you you must always see the beginning you must always see the destination must always see the destination and that was the way to the father and that was the way to the father for the lord jesus christ for the lord jesus christ i have finished the work i have finished the work which though gave us me to do which though gave us me to do i have glorified the honor i have glorified the honor i have manifested thy name i have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave us me unto the men which thou gave us me out of the world it was a manifestation out of the world it was a manifestation of god of god and the characteristics of god and the characteristics of god and the purpose of god that was the as and the purpose of god that was the as it were so preoccupation it were so preoccupation of the lord jesus christ and so the lord destiny was calvary's hill on occasions it was an overt an overt destiny destiny a decision of the mind a decision of the mind a conscious decision of the a conscious decision of the will but at other times because it were will but at other times because it were unconsciously revealed to us unconsciously revealed to us that this was where the lord jesus that this was where the lord jesus christ was going christ was going it came to pass we read in luke's gospel it came to pass we read in luke's gospel as he went to jerusalem as he went to jerusalem that he passed through the midst of that he passed through the midst of samaria samaria and galilee almost as it were and galilee almost as it were incidentally incidentally but we know my dear brother and sister but we know my dear brother and sister that there is a fuller meaning that there is a fuller meaning to those words there is a an undertone to those words there is a an undertone a sobering consciousness a sobering consciousness that there his destiny that there his destiny would ultimately be fulfilled would ultimately be fulfilled and on the way to jerusalem and on the way to jerusalem he passes through galilee he passes through galilee the place of activity the place of activity the place of interest in the message the place of interest in the message which he brought which he brought the place where the fishermen were the place where the fishermen were as we have just considered in our last as we have just considered in our last session session i went out of fame of him to all the i went out of fame of him to all the region round about and he taught in that region round about and he taught in that synagogue synagogue being glorified being glorified of all of all if we may choose one passage out of all if we may choose one passage out of all the many passages which as it were the many passages which as it were epitomized epitomized the work of jesus the work of jesus on the way to the cross perhaps matthew on the way to the cross perhaps matthew chapter 15 chapter 15 is a good example is a good example matthew 15 matthew 15 and verse 29 jesus departed from thence and came down to the sea of galilee and came down to the sea of galilee and went up into a mountain and went up into a mountain and sat down there and sat down there and great multitudes came unto him and great multitudes came unto him having with them those which are lame having with them those which are lame blind domed and many others blind domed and many others and cast them down at jesus feet and he and cast them down at jesus feet and he healed them healed them in so much that the multitude wondered in so much that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak the when they saw the dumb to speak the maimed to behold the lame to walk and maimed to behold the lame to walk and the blind to see the blind to see and they and they glorified the god of israel glorified the god of israel that's it isn't it that's it isn't it the glorification the glorification of the god of israel that inseparable link with the past god's purpose as it has so far been god's purpose as it has so far been revealed revealed in the glorification of his name in the glorification of his name in the earth and so he passed through galilee on the way to jerusalem on the way to jerusalem bethlehem nazareth cana capernaum bethlehem nazareth cana capernaum judea samaria tyre sidon judea samaria tyre sidon bethsaida bethsaida all on the lord's journey all on the lord's journey to the to the cross and so just across itself cross and so just across itself we have to understand we have to understand the way to the crop the way to the crop that the quality of his sacrifice that the quality of his sacrifice and the extent of that sacrifice and the extent of that sacrifice was revealed in all those preceding was revealed in all those preceding events events that led up towards it and so the lord jesus christ steadfastly sets his face steadfastly sets his face to go to go towards towards jerusalem when you read his entrance for example in the gospel of john in the gospel of john and the 12th chapter john 12 and verse 12 on the next day much people that were on the next day much people that were come to the feast come to the feast when they heard that jesus was coming to when they heard that jesus was coming to jerusalem jerusalem took branches of palm trees and went took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried forth to meet him and cried hosanna hosanna blessed is the king of israel that blessed is the king of israel that cometh in the name of the lord cometh in the name of the lord jesus when he had found a young ass sat jesus when he had found a young ass sat there on as it is written there on as it is written theo daughter of zion theo daughter of zion behold thy king cometh behold thy king cometh sitting on an attacker's cove sitting on an attacker's cove these things understood not his these things understood not his disciples at the first disciples at the first but when jesus was glorified then but when jesus was glorified then remembered they that these things were remembered they that these things were written of him written of him that they had done these things unto him that they had done these things unto him the people therefore that was with him the people therefore that was with him when he called lazarus out of his grave when he called lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead and raised him from the dead their record and so from the baptism of the lord jesus jesus his temptations in the wilderness his temptations in the wilderness he now comes he now comes to jerusalem to jerusalem he comes to do he comes to do the will of god and what a welcome he received he received as he enters into jerusalem as he enters into jerusalem the city of destiny the city of destiny he would know all the associations he would know all the associations of this place of this place that it was the place that it was the place where melchizedek had stood where melchizedek had stood and met abraham returning from the and met abraham returning from the slaughter of the king slaughter of the king it was the place it was the place where isaac had lain upon the altar where isaac had lain upon the altar it was the place where abraham had it was the place where abraham had worshipped worshipped in the mount of the lord in the mount of the lord it shall be seen it shall be seen it was the place also it was the place also where david had wept where david had wept over the child that was soon to die at over the child that was soon to die at the hand of the lord the hand of the lord bathsheba's child bathsheba's child and it was the place and it was the place where our lord was destined to be where our lord was destined to be crucified crucified o jerusalem o jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem thou that killest the prophets and stone thou that killest the prophets and stone us them which are sent unto thee us them which are sent unto thee behold your house is left unto you behold your house is left unto you deathless the city of destiny in the purpose of god the preoccupation of the father in his purpose in his purpose the holy city the holy city have proved itself to be have proved itself to be time and time again time and time again the unholy city the unholy city taking the people of the lord taking the people of the lord murdering them murdering them putting them to death putting them to death casting them out if there has known the things which belong unto thy peace belong unto thy peace but now they are hid but now they are hid from thine eye from thine eye jerusalem jerusalem a place that throughout all its history a place that throughout all its history had known joy and sorrow had known joy and sorrow and it's seen all the wisdom and the and it's seen all the wisdom and the folly folly the king the king the princes the princes of human nature in all its form of human nature in all its form it's very interesting to notice my dear it's very interesting to notice my dear brothers and sisters brothers and sisters god's preoccupation god's preoccupation his place his place and time and time now that repeatedly and his purpose now that repeatedly and his purpose become as it were back become as it were back to the same place to the same place but at a different time but at a different time that his purpose might be furthered that his purpose might be furthered and build upon all the events and build upon all the events that have previously been associated that have previously been associated with this place with this place does he not do the same thing today does he not do the same thing today in our lives of discipleship in our lives of discipleship not only concerned with time not only concerned with time in the purpose of our lives that they in the purpose of our lives that they might do his will might do his will but also place but also place that we might be in the right place that we might be in the right place at the right time at the right time to serve him in that place to serve him in that place and perhaps to build on and perhaps to build on upon all the work that god has done upon all the work that god has done before before in that same place surely we should all in that same place surely we should all have that consciousness have that consciousness that we are called to cooperate with the that we are called to cooperate with the lord god lord god in time in time and pray and pray just as the lord jesus christ so just as the lord jesus christ so graciously did graciously did this particular point in history so the lord jesus christ comes comes to jerusalem to jerusalem but it might be fulfilled of him as the but it might be fulfilled of him as the apostle paul later declared apostle paul later declared this is a faithful saying and worthy of this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation all acceptation that christ jesus came into the world that christ jesus came into the world to save sinners and as jesus goes into the city he knows what he knows what lies ahead of him lies ahead of him he could look behind him he could look behind him and see all the way that he had and see all the way that he had come bethenny the home of martha and come bethenny the home of martha and mary mary that oasis that oasis along the final road to the cross the place of sucker and of help to our lord and of help to our lord in his final journey in his final journey he could look back further and see he could look back further and see jericho jericho the city of the palm trees the city of the palm trees the city of benjamin the city of benjamin the passage of samaria and the hills of the passage of samaria and the hills of galilee and the shimmering lakes galilee and the shimmering lakes are all but a memory now the places where the multitudes glorified the god of israel glorified the god of israel when they saw the gracious healing power when they saw the gracious healing power of god of god revealed in his revealed in his son small beginning perhaps son small beginning perhaps insignificant beginnings in the ministry insignificant beginnings in the ministry of jesus of jesus far reaching conclusion far reaching conclusion as he comes to jerusalem and these hosannas that were sounded in his ears that were sounded in his ears as he entered into the city as he entered into the city soon die away soon die away and the lord jesus christ is to be found and the lord jesus christ is to be found in a garden in a garden a small garden the garden of gethsemane a small garden the garden of gethsemane and they brought him from this garden and they brought him from this garden into the sleeping city into the sleeping city into the palace of california the lord's three adjudicators adjudicators all involved all involved in that terrible miscarriage of justice in that terrible miscarriage of justice what a revelation my dear brother what a revelation my dear brother sisters this must be to each one of us a revelation for all time for all to see that man's justice that man's justice will always miscarry will always miscarry because it reflects his own human nature because it reflects his own human nature to a greater or lesser extent the lord jesus christ is on his own there's another multitude now with him with him or alongside him or alongside him the gracious feeding of the four the gracious feeding of the four thousand thousand or the five thousand or the five thousand are all history now they've all are all history now they've all disappeared disappeared or the lame who could now walk or the lame who could now walk or the blind who could now see or the blind who could now see or the death who could now hear or the death who could now hear or even the dead who had been raised or even the dead who had been raised they're not with him perhaps there's a lesson here my dear brother and sisters brother and sisters for each one of us that perhaps for each one of us that perhaps in the end in the end your best friends your best friends your closest companions your closest companions may tend to leave you alone may tend to leave you alone [Music] [Music] if you have to choose between pleasing if you have to choose between pleasing them them [Music] [Music] and enjoying the cross and enjoying the cross of discipleship of the lord jesus christ how was it precisely that that glad expectation that that glad expectation the hosannas of what came to be known the hosannas of what came to be known later as palm sunday later as palm sunday turned into the cruel nails turned into the cruel nails of good friday surely a testimony here of good friday surely a testimony here that circumstances may change that circumstances may change that human nature never changes that human nature never changes that's the other part of our two-fold that's the other part of our two-fold foundation isn't it foundation isn't it that we mentioned in the first address that we mentioned in the first address the nature of god the nature of god and the nature of man and the nature of man alongside the cross of christ alongside the cross of christ and the preceding events and the preceding events the true nature of man the true nature of man is revealed fully for all to see is revealed fully for all to see they were given a choice they were given a choice between jesus between jesus and and the rabbit the rabbit what did they say what did they say not this man not this man that blabber that blabber that was their choice that was their choice an incomprehensible choice an incomprehensible choice if you were to view it as it were in the if you were to view it as it were in the sober light of day sober light of day a man who had led a rebellion a man who had led a rebellion a murderer a murderer a man who was already destined for a man who was already destined for crucifixion but pilate had a dilemma didn't he had to get himself out of that tight had to get himself out of that tight spot spot between between this inescapably just man he must have this inescapably just man he must have known it known it on the one hand on the one hand and the envy of the jews on the other and the envy of the jews on the other how could he extricate himself how could he extricate himself give them a choice no one is going to choose the rabbit but he was wrong what might have thought my dear brothers and sisters that and sisters that our world would have learnt from this our world would have learnt from this mistake and that things might have moved in a better direction that human nature never changes you would have thought similarly you would have thought similarly that no one in our world would ever that no one in our world would ever choose choose a man such as hitler a man such as hitler but they did but they did and they still do today and they still do today and that's the reason isn't it and that's the reason isn't it why they chose the rabbit why they chose the rabbit rather than jesus rather than jesus i think of the atrocities i think of the atrocities that hitler perpetrated that hitler perpetrated there's a museum on the outskirts of there's a museum on the outskirts of jerusalem which i'm sure jerusalem which i'm sure some of you have seen and visited some of you have seen and visited the abbasid monument in memory of the holocaust and the murder of six million jews and the murder of six million jews the hands of nazi germany the hands of nazi germany in that museum in that museum are all the evidences are all the evidences of the terrible atrocities that were of the terrible atrocities that were committed committed and it's hard to go through that museum and it's hard to go through that museum it's hard to remain unmoved it's hard to remain unmoved in the face of such desolation in the face of such desolation such suffering such suffering from such death from such death six million jews and what's not six million jews and what's not so often appreciated so often appreciated one and a half million children one and a half million children in a little coat in a little coat in their tiny shoes in their tiny shoes can be seen there can be seen there with a testimony with a testimony and a memory and a memory to those dark days at the exit to the museum there's a placard there's a placard on the wall and it bears the word on the wall and it bears the word forgetfulness leads to exile forgetfulness leads to exile remembrance remembrance is salvation is salvation and those are words my dear brothers and and those are words my dear brothers and sisters that we can remember today sisters that we can remember today it's words perhaps that the children of it's words perhaps that the children of israel throughout all their history israel throughout all their history failed to fully remember failed to fully remember but it's words that we can see with but it's words that we can see with their fuller meaning their fuller meaning in the cross of christ in the cross of christ in our memory of him in our memory of him week by week week by week in bread and wine forgetfulness in bread and wine forgetfulness leads to exile leads to exile remembrance remembrance is and salvation perhaps we've all chosen something other than jesus something other than jesus from time to time and our lord is to be from time to time and our lord is to be found alone found alone in the judgment hall in the judgment hall we've all been the rabbit's friends we've all been the rabbit's friends and deserted our lord and deserted our lord in the hour of his greatest need in the hour of his greatest need all alone and yet of course all alone and yet of course paradoxically not alone paradoxically not alone because the father was with him because the father was with him and that's something that we must and that's something that we must remember remember as we strive to follow him jesus goes to the cross and the rabbit and the rabbit is a free man just through force of is a free man just through force of circumstances circumstances in the presence of our lord and his in the presence of our lord and his destiny destiny the rabbis gains his freedom the rabbis gains his freedom and surely on a in a larger sense and and surely on a in a larger sense and with a wider perspective with a wider perspective if it were not for the lord jesus christ if it were not for the lord jesus christ we would all be bound we would all be bound to the chains of sin to the chains of sin that he brings us freedom that he brings us freedom and new life and new life in his name so as we have read in our opening reading reading they will come to the place which is they will come to the place which is called called calvary calvary there they crucified him in the there they crucified him in the malefactors one on the right hand malefactors one on the right hand and the other and the other [Music] [Music] on the left golgotha the place of the skull perhaps there was the place of the skull perhaps there was a rock or a cliff or a crag there that a rock or a cliff or a crag there that as it were in gigantic outline against as it were in gigantic outline against the sky the sky took the ominous and dreadful form took the ominous and dreadful form of a human skull there is such a crag of a human skull there is such a crag outside jerusalem today outside jerusalem today and something that may well have been and something that may well have been the place the place sandwiched between the walls of sandwiched between the walls of jerusalem and the bus station going back jerusalem and the bus station going back to the time of the british monday to the time of the british monday but there's something deeper i think in but there's something deeper i think in these words these words calling to mind our early remarks about calling to mind our early remarks about the preoccupation of god his time and the preoccupation of god his time and place place and the furtherance of his purpose and the furtherance of his purpose was not this the place where david had buried the head of goliath goliath when david when david killed this great giant of the killed this great giant of the philistines jerusalem didn't belong to philistines jerusalem didn't belong to him then him then but it did later but it did later and there they brought and there they brought this head of goliath this head of goliath as a symbol of victory as a symbol of victory the victory the victory of the tiny stone of david of the tiny stone of david over this great giant over this great giant the enemy the philistine the enemy the philistine and now as it were to continue the and now as it were to continue the purpose of god purpose of god there is another stone of david there is another stone of david the stone which the builders rejected the stone which the builders rejected about to accomplish a victory about to accomplish a victory over the great giant of sin over the great giant of sin and an even greater giant and an even greater giant just behind just behind the last enemy of death there is that simple description of the crucifixion of the crucifixion in the gospel narrative in the gospel narrative and they crucified him and they crucified him just four words no great narrative detail of all the suffering and pain that he had to endure suffering and pain that he had to endure i think perhaps we'd have to go to the i think perhaps we'd have to go to the old testament for that old testament for that as it were fill out our understanding as it were fill out our understanding perhaps we could do that now perhaps we could do that now psalm 22 psalm 22 and verse 14 and verse 14 and hear the psalmist through the and hear the psalmist through the pain of his own experience pain of his own experience looking forward in anticipation looking forward in anticipation to an even greater fulfillment to an even greater fulfillment of these words of these words psalm 22 psalm 22 and verse 19. verse 14 rather i am poured out like water and all my i am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joints bones are out of joints my heart is like wax it is melted in the my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels midst of my bowels my strength is dried up like a pot shirt my strength is dried up like a pot shirt and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and that has brought me into the dust of that has brought me into the dust of death for dogs have compassed me death for dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me me they pierced my hands and my feet they pierced my hands and my feet i may tell all my bones they look and i may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me stare upon me they part my garments among them they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture and cast lots upon my vesture [Music] [Music] but be not thou far from me o lord but be not thou far from me o lord and my strength and my strength hasty hasty to help me alone to help me alone and yet not alone and yet not alone [Music] [Music] because the lord god was with his son because the lord god was with his son to sustain him to sustain him in the hour of his greatest need in the hour of his greatest need for again isaiah chapter 53 for again isaiah chapter 53 a well-known word of the prophet isaiah 53 and verse 3 is despised and rejected of men is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief grief and we hid it where our face is from him and we hid it where our face is from him he was despised and we esteemed him not he was despised and we esteemed him not verse 6 all we like sheep have gone verse 6 all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his astray we have turned everyone to his own way own way and the lord hath laid on him the and the lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all he was oppressed and iniquity of us all he was oppressed and he was afflicted he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth yet he opened not his mouth he has broughted a lamb to the slaughter he has broughted a lamb to the slaughter and the sheep before her shears is done and the sheep before her shears is done so he openeth not so he openeth not his mouth his mouth and and they they crucified him crucified him and the malefactor and the malefactor so the scripture was fulfilled so the scripture was fulfilled he was numbered he was numbered with the transgressor and the attitude of mind of the lord jesus jesus that his crucifixion i think is very that his crucifixion i think is very revealing to those who railed upon him jesus said jesus said father father forgive them forgive them [Music] [Music] for they know not for they know not what they do what they do it is parallel and complementary to it is parallel and complementary to those earlier words that he spoke those earlier words that he spoke at the beginning of his ministry at the beginning of his ministry in what we might call his manifesto in what we might call his manifesto [Music] [Music] for the people of israel in the sermon for the people of israel in the sermon on the mount on the mount i say unto you i say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse love your enemies bless them that curse you you do good to them that hate you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use and pray for them which despitefully use you you and persecute you and persecute you that you may be the children of your that you may be the children of your father father which is in which is in heaven so our lord my dear brothers and heaven so our lord my dear brothers and sisters was no clinical theory sisters was no clinical theory giving advice giving advice and excitation and excitation in isolation in isolation he fulfilled the truth of those words to he fulfilled the truth of those words to the greatest extent the greatest extent in his own life in his own life the greatest mirror the greatest mirror and example of that principle and example of that principle for all to see for all to see love your enemies love your enemies do good to them that hate you do good to them that hate you father forgive them father forgive them for they know not what they do for they know not what they do so he was not only son of god by birth so he was not only son of god by birth he also proved to be son of god by he also proved to be son of god by submission submission to his father's will to his father's will that ye may be the children of your that ye may be the children of your father father which is in heaven which is in heaven and as our example my dear brothers and and as our example my dear brothers and sisters he calls each one of us sisters he calls each one of us to bear out in our lives to bear out in our lives the same principle the same principle that we may truly be sons and daughters that we may truly be sons and daughters of god they came to watch him die sitting down they watched hinder sitting down they watched hinder the chief priest with the scribes and the chief priest with the scribes and elders mocked him elders mocked him they that passed by they that passed by reviled him reviled him what a tragedy it was what a revelation what a tragedy it was what a revelation of the depths of sin of the depths of sin in human nature in human nature to come before the son of god in his to come before the son of god in his agony agony upon his cross upon his cross and revile him he saved others take that take that let him save himself let him save himself if he be the christ if he be the christ the chosen of god the chosen of god very interesting those were don't they very interesting those were don't they reveals first of all that reveals first of all that they didn't really understand the they didn't really understand the significance of what was being significance of what was being accomplished that there was never any possibility of him saving others of him saving others by saving himself it was the other way by saving himself it was the other way around around he could only save others he could only save others by dying himself but at the same time there is truth in those words from their point of view those words from their point of view in the very in the very on the very lips of the enemies of the on the very lips of the enemies of the lord jesus lord jesus there is the supreme confession of truth there is the supreme confession of truth about him about him he saved he saved others they said it was all true others they said it was all true they are bearing testimony they are bearing testimony to the truth to the truth of all the events in his ministry of all the events in his ministry the blind to see the death to here and the blind to see the death to here and the lane to walk and even the dead have the lane to walk and even the dead have been raised they did it on another occasion didn't they they inadvertently inadvertently reveal the truth about him reveal the truth about him in an accusatory way in an accusatory way you receive us sinners you receive us sinners and eat us with them and eat us with them each of us here today each of us here today can be eternally grateful that he did can be eternally grateful that he did just that just that receive sinners receive sinners such as ourselves such as ourselves and eat with them if you were to have any doubt my dear brothers and sisters brothers and sisters about this man and the central place of his cross and the power of the gospel of salvation those doubts should go i think those doubts should go i think in the light of this testimony in the light of this testimony for those who would count themselves the for those who would count themselves the enemies of jesus that even they had to enemies of jesus that even they had to confess confess the truth about him and upon his cross there was the title written jesus of there was the title written jesus of nazareth nazareth the king of the jew the king of the jew they wanted it changing didn't they they wanted it changing didn't they so he said he was the king of the jews so he said he was the king of the jews but pilate takes a stand on this what i but pilate takes a stand on this what i have written i have written pilate in a sense was a weak man wasn't he he there must have been a greater power there must have been a greater power than pilate behind the writing of these than pilate behind the writing of these words words it was the power of the lord god himself jesus of nazareth the king of the jew and then we come to the two thieves the one on the right hand the one on the right hand and the other on the left and the other on the left luke chapter luke chapter 23 verse 39 one of the malefactors which were hanged one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him saying if thou be christ railed on him saying if thou be christ save thyself and uh save thyself and uh but the other answering rebuked him but the other answering rebuked him saying does not thou fear god seeing no saying does not thou fear god seeing no art in the same condemnation art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly and we indeed justly for we receive the jew reward of our for we receive the jew reward of our deeds deeds that this man hath done nothing of me that this man hath done nothing of me and he said unto jesus and he said unto jesus lord remember me when thou cometh lord remember me when thou cometh into thy kingdom into thy kingdom and jesus said unto him and jesus said unto him verily i say unto thee verily i say unto thee today today shalt thou be with me shalt thou be with me in paradise in paradise difficult words my dear brothers and difficult words my dear brothers and sisters sisters easy to pass by easy to pass by but perhaps we ought to say something but perhaps we ought to say something about them about them first of all all discussions as to first of all all discussions as to whether the thief on the cross whether the thief on the cross was baptized or not was baptized or not should surely pale into insignificance should surely pale into insignificance when we realize what is being when we realize what is being accomplished here accomplished here the lord upon his cross and the thief upon his cross also also being literally crucified being literally crucified with the lord jesus christ with the lord jesus christ fulfilling in reality fulfilling in reality what we through the waters of baptism what we through the waters of baptism may with the blessing of god may with the blessing of god replicate in symbol replicate in symbol we are crucified we are crucified with christ and rise to newness of life with christ and rise to newness of life in his name in his name this thief my dear brothers and sisters this thief my dear brothers and sisters had to endure had to endure what you and i in the mercy and grace of what you and i in the mercy and grace of god god have been fair such a consideration as to whether he was baptized or not is as to whether he was baptized or not is in a sense in a sense to miss the point isn't it to miss the point isn't it at the fullness of meaning of what at the fullness of meaning of what baptism represents so perhaps we can understand that in faith that in faith and in submission to god and in submission to god and acceptance of the lord jesus christ and acceptance of the lord jesus christ upon the cross upon the cross the once for all sacrifice the once for all sacrifice here was the basis here was the basis for his salvation so perhaps we can understand that in faith that in faith and in submission to god and acceptance and in submission to god and acceptance of the lord jesus christ upon the cross of the lord jesus christ upon the cross the once for all sacrifice the once for all sacrifice here was the basis here was the basis for his salvation for his salvation but what did jesus mean by but what did jesus mean by today today shall they be with me shall they be with me in paradise in paradise well perhaps well perhaps a comma can be put in the right place a comma can be put in the right place or you can give it a certain mobility or you can give it a certain mobility and move it to whichever place you think and move it to whichever place you think is most appropriate is most appropriate but is there not a deeper meaning but is there not a deeper meaning in these words here thinking once again how god was so preoccupied preoccupied with time with time and place and place and the furtherance of his purpose and the furtherance of his purpose to go back to previous places in their to go back to previous places in their association and bring them forward in time for further fulfillment for further fulfillment it is yet to be consummated in the it is yet to be consummated in the future so think of the garden of eden the tree of knowledge of good and evil adam and eve were put out of the garden the disobedience the disobedience to the divine will to the divine will and the caribbean were placed at the and the caribbean were placed at the entrance entrance to guard and to preserve to guard and to preserve the way to the tree of the way to the tree of life and now there has just been another life and now there has just been another garden garden the garden of gethsemane the garden of gethsemane and jesus has come out of that garden and jesus has come out of that garden to do the father's will so in essence he's not the lord jesus christ christ reopening the way reopening the way to the tree of life so that what was to the tree of life so that what was lost by the first adam lost by the first adam harmony in relationship to god in the harmony in relationship to god in the garden of eden garden of eden is now to be regained by the last adder is now to be regained by the last adder that paradise that was lost that paradise that was lost is now to be regained is now to be regained by his sacrifice upon the cross so that eventually it might be fulfilled as described in it might be fulfilled as described in the book of revelation the book of revelation to him that overcometh will i give to to him that overcometh will i give to eat of the tree of life eat of the tree of life which is in the midst which is in the midst of the paradise of god of the paradise of god so in these words my dear brothers and so in these words my dear brothers and sisters sisters i think we have as it were i think we have as it were the microcosmic significance the microcosmic significance of the purpose of god of the purpose of god that d-day has now been fulfilled that d-day has now been fulfilled in jesus sacrifice upon the cross in jesus sacrifice upon the cross all the ingredients are there all the ingredients are there for the consummation for the consummation at veda at veda his return his return in the establishment of the kingdom of in the establishment of the kingdom of god as good as fulfilled fulfilled because of his faithfulness because of his faithfulness even unto death verse 46 and when jesus had cried with a loud voice and said loud voice and said father into thy hands i commend my father into thy hands i commend my spirit spirit and having said that he gave up the spirit this was a supreme pattern this was a supreme pattern for obedience and commitment to god for obedience and commitment to god a full revelation of his trust a full revelation of his trust and his loyalty and his loyalty and just as this was the pattern and just as this was the pattern for the closing words of stephen's for the closing words of stephen's prayer prayer so my dear brothers and sisters may not so my dear brothers and sisters may not be be the closing words the closing words of our prayer of our prayer when our course is done when our course is done to follow faithfully to follow faithfully in the footsteps of the lord jesus in the footsteps of the lord jesus christ himself now no consideration of the cross of jesus and his death jesus and his death is complete is complete without a brief mention of his without a brief mention of his resurrection they came to the tomb we read we read and i suppose to go to a graveyard and i suppose to go to a graveyard to a cemetery at any time to a cemetery at any time is a sobering experience is a sobering experience you see the graves that are overgrown those perhaps who died long ago [Music] [Music] memories of them are forgotten memories of them are forgotten and there are other grey and there are other grey with a fresh flower with a fresh flower an indication that the memory of them is an indication that the memory of them is still alive still alive someone remembers that someone remembers that so it was i think with the so it was i think with the tomb of the lord jesus and the women coming to that too springing as it were in spirit springing as it were in spirit a fresh flower a fresh flower in memory of the lord jesus and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth their faces to the earth the angel said unto them the angel said unto them why seek ye the living why seek ye the living among the dead jesus had said after i am among the dead jesus had said after i am risen again i will go before you into risen again i will go before you into galilee galilee there shall ye see me there shall ye see me they were looking in the place of death they were looking in the place of death they should have been looking in the they should have been looking in the place of life place of life how appropriate it was that it should be how appropriate it was that it should be galilee galilee not the mountaintop not the mountaintop the place of prayer the place of prayer not gethsemane not gethsemane the place of conflict the place of conflict and suffering and suffering and obedience to the father's will and obedience to the father's will but the place of galilee but the place of galilee the place of daily activity and daily the place of daily activity and daily worth worth where there had been that earlier where there had been that earlier interest interest and acceptance in the message that he and acceptance in the message that he brought in ordinary things are now going brought in ordinary things are now going to be transformed by the presence of the to be transformed by the presence of the risen law risen law a breakfast upon the seashore those a breakfast upon the seashore those disciples who disciples who ate with the lord jesus would never be ate with the lord jesus would never be the same again would the same again would [Music] [Music] after that incident it would live with after that incident it would live with them in their minds them in their minds for the rest of their lives but one man thomas that sturdy-minded empiricist did thomas that sturdy-minded empiricist did not initially believe not initially believe except i shall see in his hands the except i shall see in his hands the print of the nail print of the nail i will not believe i will not believe then came jesus then came jesus the doors being shut the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said and stood in the midst and said peace peace be unto you what is john telling us my be unto you what is john telling us my dear brothers and sisters dear brothers and sisters in this record he's surely telling us in this record he's surely telling us that there are greater things for faith that there are greater things for faith to see to see than merely the marks of the past than merely the marks of the past because in the end they only led you to because in the end they only led you to the foot of the cross the foot of the cross and he was now beyond all that and he was now beyond all that he was raised from the dead he was raised from the dead and alive forevermore and alive forevermore jesus said thomas jesus said thomas because thou hast seen me they have because thou hast seen me they have believed believed blessed are they that have not seen blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed think for a moment sisters sisters of the women of the women who companied with the lord jesus who companied with the lord jesus who stood before his cross who stood before his cross he came to his two they could surely enter into his suffering suffering in a way which the lord's brethren could in a way which the lord's brethren could not not stay surely above all others stay surely above all others knew what it meant knew what it meant to lose a friend and gain a savior they lost him for a time and perhaps even today some of our sisters know what it is some of our sisters know what it is have to lose a friend have to lose a friend to retain the savior to retain the savior they know what it is they know what it is to enter into the pain and anguish of to enter into the pain and anguish of loyalty to him loyalty to him to sacrifice all in this world to sacrifice all in this world in order to be with their lord at the in order to be with their lord at the last they have that capacity to enter into the pain to enter into the pain and anguish and anguish and suffering of our lord and because of and suffering of our lord and because of that that we're able to minister to him we're able to minister to him to help him to help him and to sustain him all his disciples forsook him and fled and fled no endurance at the first sign of hardship and suffering suffering they went away but for the women there was that constancy constancy consistency consistency and faithfulness and faithfulness great lesson there my dear sisters great lesson there my dear sisters a great encouragement a great encouragement and a great inspiration and so our lord was identified with us identified with us was made like unto his brethren was made like unto his brethren he was in all points he was in all points tempted like as we are tempted like as we are he was made of a woman he was made of a woman he was made under the law he was made under the law he's made unto us wisdom righteousness he's made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification sanctification and redemption and redemption so that we might be in him christ in you so that we might be in him christ in you the apostle paul said the apostle paul said the hope of glory so by way of conclusion what are we to say say to these things i think we can say three things firstly my dear brother and sisters firstly my dear brother and sisters we ought to be deeply thankful we ought to be deeply thankful for the salvation that has been revealed for the salvation that has been revealed to us to us the way to the cross for the lord jesus the way to the cross for the lord jesus led through death led through death to life again to life again [Music] [Music] galilee galilee to golgotha to golgotha and back to galilee and back to galilee and to remember and to remember that if we be dead with him that if we be dead with him we shall also live with him we shall also live with him we are either on the right side of the we are either on the right side of the cross of jesus cross of jesus in humility in humility and in faith and in self-abasement and in faith and in self-abasement lord remember me when now cometh lord remember me when now cometh into thy kingdom or on the other side railing upon him railing upon him for all the woes of sin for all the woes of sin it's one or the other it's one or the other in the end and secondly ordinary things for us can be ordinary things for us can be transformed transformed by an awareness of the resurrection of by an awareness of the resurrection of the lord jesus christ the lord jesus christ that in him there is new life new hope that in him there is new life new hope new prospects new prospects new joy new joy a new significance the daily task may never should never may never should never be seen be seen as a dead end as a dead end as a drudgery as a drudgery to be endured to be endured because of our calling because of our calling they are never fruitless my dear they are never fruitless my dear brothers and sisters they are never brothers and sisters they are never empty empty they are never worthless they are never worthless because they are all capable of being because they are all capable of being transformed transformed by this vision of hope by this vision of hope which the resurrection of the lord jesus which the resurrection of the lord jesus christ gives to each one of us that was christ gives to each one of us that was the conclusion wasn't it of his great the conclusion wasn't it of his great exhortation in coincidence for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain is not in vain in the law in the law and thirdly and thirdly what happened on calvary's hill what happened on calvary's hill has a perpetual and an eternal has a perpetual and an eternal significance significance considered earlier the shadow of the considered earlier the shadow of the cross cross going right back going right back to the very beginning of things and we to the very beginning of things and we saw saw the light on the other side the light on the other side going forward to the confirmation of the going forward to the confirmation of the purpose of god and so it is purpose of god and so it is that the book of revelation looks to the that the book of revelation looks to the future future in these terms the lamb of god slain in these terms the lamb of god slain from the foundation of the world from the foundation of the world i looked and lo a lamb stood on mount i looked and lo a lamb stood on mount zion zion the lamb of god the lamb of god which taketh away which taketh away the sin of the world and so the work of christ should be for us comprehended should be for us comprehended in all these terms that the writers of the epistles used to bring out the fullness of used to bring out the fullness of meaning meaning associated with his death associated with his death that the death of christ that the death of christ is as generous a gift is as generous a gift as the ransom of slaves could be as the ransom of slaves could be that it saves us from our sins that it saves us from our sins and can therefore be said to provide and can therefore be said to provide what we ourselves are absolutely what we ourselves are absolutely incapable incapable of providing of providing it offers us a way of deliverance it offers us a way of deliverance and so resembles the willingness and so resembles the willingness the loyalty the loyalty the self-sacrifice the self-sacrifice of a shepherd of a shepherd who's prepared to give his life for the who's prepared to give his life for the flock it provides for righteousness and holiness because our sins are inerraicable it's left to themselves it's left to themselves and it can be understood as a sprinkling and it can be understood as a sprinkling and a washing and a washing associated with the lord jesus associated with the lord jesus and his sacrifice are all the things and his sacrifice are all the things of the new covenant the better hope of the new covenant the better hope better promises better sacrifices better promises better sacrifices a more enduring substance and even a more enduring substance and even a better resurrection a better resurrection behold the lamb of god behold the lamb of god which taketh away the sin of the world which taketh away the sin of the world to truly behold him to truly behold him is to seek to be identified with him they told me he was risen so i left my quiet house and climbed the so i left my quiet house and climbed the hill hill i found the garden as they said i found the garden as they said beset with trees beset with trees and there the empty two and there the empty two the stone was rolled away just as they the stone was rolled away just as they told me told me i looked within and saw the folded cove i looked within and saw the folded cove but there was nothing more but there was nothing more no broken body no broken body no risen lord no risen lord and so i came away and so i came away [Music] [Music] back to my quiet house whom do you seek sir at my silent door at my silent door what does that require of me

Transcript

Today, my dear and beloved brethren and sisters, we come, as it were, to the most difficult part of our subject. And I hope that in the analysis we are to pursue, we don't lose sight of some of the simplicities of our faith. And I think perhaps the last verse in the hymn that we have just sung presents the simplicity in the end of our appropriation of the work of Christ. Then to life I turn again, learning all the worth of pain, learning all the might that lies in a full self-sacrifice. And I'm sure each of us, my dear brethren and sisters, when we sang those words, appreciated that there was more than just head knowledge in the understanding of the term learning. It's not just the analysis, is it, of the Word of God. In the end, it's our appropriation of these things, our entering into the experience of the Lord Jesus, our application of these principles in our own lives. Today I'd like to look at our relationship to the atoning work of Christ in terms of the appropriation and seek to analyze how that work comes to us. And then secondly, our application. And so there are really two parts. Understanding the theory, the mechanism, if you like, and secondly, understanding the practice. And you probably have already got that message from the synopsis in front of you. As it seems to me, theory and practice must go hand in hand, although of course the theory, the expositional basis, must be the foundation for our life in Christ. Now there are a number of passages in the New Testament in particular which I think focus our minds on the means by which the sacrifice of Christ is available to us. If perhaps I might just select three of them. Don't turn to them just yet. Romans chapter 3 and verse 25, Galatians 3 and verse 13, and 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. I'll just read these to you. You've no need to turn to them just yet. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. Galatians 3 and verse 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. And 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Now these are three passages, my dear brothers and sisters, which, as it seems to me, focus our attention upon the very heart of our subject as far as the expositional basis is concerned. And I think perhaps, although there are difficulties in Romans chapter 3, that's the easiest of all the three passages. And I think perhaps our understanding of the term to be a propitiation through faith in His blood is best understood in terms of the Old Testament preparation through the laws and ordinances that were there prescribed. Those Old Testament ordinances fill out our understanding of what Paul meant. He's directing our attention, is he not, to the mercy seat that it was where God met with men? And so it is with the Lord Jesus Christ. So with your permission I'd like to concentrate on the second two of our three passages. These I think are perhaps the most difficult of all the passages in the New Testament, which speak of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so if we go perhaps where the difficulties are greatest, if we can solve those, we may find the greatest help. Now those last two passages that I just read present the following picture, Christ became a curse in order that a blessing might come to others. Christ was made sin in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Now immediately, my dear brethren and sisters, we're face to face with difficult principles. For example, are these words to be understood literally? Or are they to be understood figuratively? Surely Paul cannot mean Christ became a curse. The noun there must be taken as an adjective. And the statement then means Christ came under a curse, as perhaps the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 21 verse 23 suggests. That is to say, a curse of God rather than an insult to God. But even this consideration, this observation, does not really help us with the third passage. We cannot replace noun with adjective here. Because if we do, we get Christ was made sinful. Which of us would say that that was true? It's clearly untenable. So we then ask the question, does the term sin there convey the association of sin offering? Well, there are two places in Leviticus where the term does have this sense. We now need to turn them up. Leviticus 4.25 and 5.12. Nowhere else in the New Testament is the word used in this sense. We have to ask ourselves the question, would Paul have used one word, the word sin, twice in the same sentence as he does in 2 Corinthians 5 with different meanings or different associations? It seems difficult to think so. It's very clear though, isn't it, that the term to be sin stands in opposition to the terms become the righteousness of God. So that's just a brief introduction to those two passages. I'd like now to look at each of them in more detail. So let's first look at Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13. I suppose to understand the fullness of meaning in any of these critical passages we must pay due attention to the context. The context here, as we all know well, is Paul's message to the circumcisers who have failed to comprehend the significance of the cross, or if not directly to the circumcisers, to the influence that they were having in the Ecclesias of Galatia. We know during the development of the first century Ecclesias there was that tendency to retreat back to the synagogue, to go back to the familiar things, the traditional things, to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses. But although God's once for all sacrifice had been revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, there had been that tragic tendency to lose the importance of that and to retreat to the former things. Now Paul on a number of occasions has to remind his brethren and sisters about the decisive nature of God's revelation in Christ and how a proper understanding, a full understanding of God's work throughout history can only be understood in the light of this supreme revelation. As well as the letter to the Galatians, there's another good example I think, in perhaps a rather different context, in the letter to the Romans. Chapter 4 I think presents the picture of the argument where Paul says, in effect, if you're going to have a watershed in history, you have to go further back than the laws of God revealed at Sinai. Because that of course was always the focal point to which the Jews' attention returned. Paul says you have to go further back than that. You have to go back to the promises given to Abraham. They were potentially universal, were they not, given even before he was circumcised. So there was a priority there, asserted by the Apostle Paul, that faith came before law. And those promises were supremely revealed and fulfilled in the law of Jesus Christ. So if there were two priorities, then the lesser priority had to give way to the greater, and so it was with law and grace. Paul's argument in Galatians chapter 3 is of a very similar nature. Here there were those who had failed to comprehend the full significance of the cross. Paul asserts that the true sons of Abraham are not those who accept the circumcision of the flesh and keep the law, but rather those who share Abraham's faith. In thee shall all nations be blessed. And those who fail to keep the law, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Verse 10. For that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident, for the just shall live by faith. And that's another strand, isn't it, that's taken up from the Old Testament, that as it were was of a greater priority than the law through Moses. Words of Habakkuk, prophet Habakkuk, the just shall live by faith, taken up I think three times in the New Testament in a rather different situation each time. It would take too much time to explore the subtleties of meaning there, but I think the essential primary meaning is quite evident. It is righteousness by faith which Paul is setting before that. Now the result of all this is rather a paradox. It is fulfillment on the one hand, God's purpose moving to its focus in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's fulfillment and it is annulment. Fulfillment of the blessing to the Gentiles and annulment of the curse on the Jew under the law. There is now neither Jew nor Greek. And this is represented in the cross. The cross demonstrates that Christ himself has now come under the curse from which the Jews have been set free. Christ is identified with the condition of man. Now we know that the exposure of a criminal's body on the stake under the law was the public display of one on whom the curse of God already rested because of his failure to keep that law. Our next question I think is exactly how are the Jews set free? How does the blessing come to the Gentiles? What is the mechanism? I think the closest we can get to answering this question are the well-known words towards the end of the chapter. Verse 25 Now we use these words, my dear brothers and sisters, in our public lectures to assert the importance of baptism and the way this relates us to the promises through the sacrifice of Christ. And that is true and that is important. But what I am suggesting to you here is, as it were, a further dimension of meaning to those words when understood fully in the light of the previous verses. From a curse, the earlier part of the chapter has now come blessing. There has been the annulment of the curse and there has now been the fulfillment of the blessing in Christ Jesus. Now there are a number of parallels to this kind of idea in the Gospels. For example, Jesus touches those or is touched by others who according to Jewish law were unclean. Theoretically, he should have been made unclean also. But instead, it is abundantly clear that he overcomes the power of defilement and makes those whom he touches free from all unclean nets. I'm not going to look at any examples of that, but I'll just give you one reference, Mark chapter 1, verses 40 to 45. A similar contrast, a similar picture, occurs in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, which we've already looked at. I'm just reminding you of it. Paul there is arguing against those whose understanding of the cross is emptying it of its true significance. The crucified Christ is a folly which is wiser than human wisdom and a weakness which is stronger than human strength. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Then later on he reveals to us that fundamental principle by which Christ and the qualities of Christ are revealed to us. Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. So in a sense, in both Corinthians and Galatians, Paul points out the offense of the cross, but in neither place, at least in the context of the immediate chapters, does he mention the resurrection. And I think the reason is that it was so obvious how folly and weakness had been changed into wisdom and strength, both figuratively and literally. It was in the offering of his body on the tree. And so the prime result of the cross is the opportunity for a sharing in the sacrifice of Christ. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And the means by which we enter into this life of Christ is by baptism into him. That's the verse we've already read at the end of chapter 3. And so the process of putting on Christ, of being one man in Christ Jesus, by that process we are able to inherit the promise first made to Abraham. Or to put it another way, Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13 is according to this understanding, not a simple exchange. Jesus does not take what was due to us, and we receive what should have been due to him, for his obedience during life, and faithfulness even unto death. Rather, the picture is that he entered into our experience so that through his sacrifice we might be able to enter into his by sharing in his resurrection. That I think is the implications of the words in Galatians 2 verse 20 when carried to their logical conclusion. It's not just a dead Christ in the end with which the Apostle Paul is associated. It's the risen Christ, isn't it, who is head of the body, the Ecclesia. So the Lord Jesus Christ entered fully into our situation, into our experiences. God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. With what result? Chapter 4 and verse 5, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts. So there's a certain parallelism of idea there in verses 4 to 5 of Galatians 4. And I think this parallelism is similar to that in Galatians 3. Jesus shares our experience in order that we may share his. He came under the law to set free those that were then under the law. And the result is sonship. Not of Abraham, as perhaps you might have expected, but rather of God himself. The Son of God was born of a woman in order that those who are born of woman might become true sons of God. Jesus shares our state in order that we might share his. But once again, it's not a simple exchange, is it? The end point of the roles of Jesus and of ourselves is not exchanged. Christ does not cease to be Son of God, and we receive the salvation wrought by the Son. It's interesting to notice how that in some of the epistles, the Lord Jesus Christ even then resurrected, ascended, elevated to His Father's right hand, is still regarded as being subordinate to the Father, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Christ does not cease to be Son of God after His atoning work. The second passage, 2 Corinthians 5, and verse 21. Perhaps by way of introduction, we could start at verse 14, words to which we have already referred. The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 21, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Once again, the context is a discussion of the significance of the work of the cross. There's a certain emphasis towards the application in the area of witness, of preaching, ambassadors for Christ, verse 20, but it's still the essential context of the work of Christ. The point at issue, I think, is its relationship to practical behavior and the work of the Apostles. Perhaps, certainly in Corinth, I'd been embarrassed by the Apostle Paul, his apparent lack of dignity. And so Paul has to assert that the only basis of life is the dying and rising again of the Lord Jesus. One has died for all, and therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who lived should not live to themselves, but to him who died and rose again. This ministry of reconciliation has been entrusted to the Apostles. And the basis of the reconciliation is the fact that the one who knew no sin has made sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Now, once again, this, as it were, interchange of experience, the death of Christ being repeated in pattern in his Apostles and in his followers, is not a simple exchange. We become the righteousness of God in him. If Christ has been made sin, he has also been made our righteousness. Now, those are the two, I think, most difficult passages, Galatians 3 and 2 Corinthians 5. But there are a number of others which I'm not going to ask you to turn to, which I think present a very similar picture. Do you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich? Once again, it's not a simple exchange. If riches have come to us through the poverty of Christ, it is presumably also because riches are now Christ also. He does not forgo the riches forever in order that they might come to us. It is an interchange rather than an exchange. He died and rose again. That was 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 9, of course. What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8, verses 3 and 4. The purpose this time is that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. And although this happens because we are now in Christ, it is not quite the same kind of interchange. It is more a progression of change, culminating in what Paul says later on in the chapter. Interchange and then progression of change towards the culmination and consummation of God's purpose. I think they're very similar ideas there in Romans 8, 15 to 19, with those in the Galatians 4 passage, to which we've already referred. Of course, the close identification with the Lord Jesus Christ is stated later on in the chapter, Romans 8, verses 29 and 30. Two other passages, which I'll just refer to one and mention the other. Romans 5, verses 12 to 21, is I think relevant. The second Adam took the form of the first Adam, that we can be conformed to his likeness in a new creation in the image of his Son. And then the final passage in Philippians 2, which presents a picture of what Christ became without, in that particular context, referring explicitly to what we become in him. Just a statement about the manner of the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. His humiliation, his humility, used as an exhortation to the brethren and sisters of Philippi. It's interesting to notice, and perhaps you might like to turn to this, Philippians chapter 3, that Paul returns to this theme to which I am referring later on in the epistle. So Philippians 2, I think, presents something of the background and the context, let this mind be in you, Philippians 2, verse 5, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, after those words, Paul does not explicitly refer to what we become in him. The main thrust, excitation, and lesson is the humility and self-abasement that we should have in the face of God's revelation in Jesus Christ. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. Verse 10. That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Verse 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So the main thrust of his excitation is that the disciples there might repeat in their own experience this self-abasement of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all strifes and divisions and self-exaltations might be done away. Later on in the Epistle, I think we come back to the way in which we are incorporated into this sacrifice of Christ. For example, Philippians 3 and verse 9. So that latter part of verse 8 for connection. That I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. This is linked in verses 20 and 21 with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the expectation of all disciples and their true hope, and the resurrection of the body. So our body of humiliation is to be fashioned by the Lord, who himself had humbled himself and became obedient unto death. We too can in the end be conformed unto the body of his glory. So the picture we have here, brothers and sisters, is that Christ humbled himself in order that in him and by him we might become glorious in him. Well, I hope this analysis has not been too much to take, but just in case it has, may I summarize what we've established so far. Firstly, Christ identified himself with us in order that we might identify ourselves with him in terms of law, sonship, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, salvation, redemption, resurrection and glory. Secondly, I think it follows naturally from what we've already said that it must be as man's representative rather than as his substitute that Christ suffered and died. It's only as son of man, the title, as it were, of supreme elevation of the Lord Jesus, as I think we've already considered this week, that he is able to lift men into an obedient relationship with God. And he can do this by being first lifted up himself in obedience upon the tree. And so it is not an exchange of judgments and rewards, but rather an interchange. In Christ, we may become what God intended us to be. In Christ, there is now a new creation so that men may now truly bear his image. Thirdly, if Christ identified himself with us in order that we might be identified with him, then those things which governed and characterized the old life in Adam are being done away. The old man, says Paul in Romans 6, verse 6, is crucified with Christ. And the new man rises from the dead with Christ. He is now dead to sin and dead to the law. Romans 6, 11 and 7, verse 4. But we know that the characteristics of the Adamic life still continue, sin and suffering and death. And it's very interesting to notice how that in the letters of Paul we are presented with a new dimension of meaning, a new understanding in the light of the work of Christ of the sin and the suffering and the death that we still endure despite the fact of being in Christ. I think all these things for the Apostle Paul are now regarded as being an integral part of being in Christ, rather than, as it were, just a carryover of the things that were formerly in Adam. And I think this should come to us as being a very strange thing, because you might have thought that it was really part of the Adamic existence that we were subject to suffering and to death. And there are a number of passages which I think appear to suggest this kind of understanding. Let me just read one to you. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. That could be construed as a picture of the Adamic existence as over against, contrasted with the glory that is our destiny in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a contrast there, isn't there, between present being linked to the past and our origins and the future. But if you just go back one verse, Romans 8 verse 17, If children then as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. So I'm suggesting, brothers and sisters, that verse 18 must be understood in the context of this key phrase in verse 17, suffer with Him. That's the new dimension, I think, that the sacrifice of Christ has brought to the life of disciples. Now it is no doubt true that much of the apostolic suffering and tribulation was directly due to the Gospel and their active involvement in its proclamation, imprisonments, beatings, hunger, and shipwrecks. It's very clear also that all those things could be viewed as a suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet I put it to you, isn't it very doubtful whether the Apostle Paul would have drawn a line of demarcation between apostolic suffering, the suffering brought about directly as a result of preaching the Gospel, and other kinds of suffering, personal suffering, the symptoms of mortality, if you like, those things which are evidence in our flesh of the inheritance which we bear. I submit it is very doubtful whether Paul, in the end, would have tried to draw a line of demarcation between the two and say, well, this is the suffering in Christ, and this is the suffering in Adam. The thorn in the flesh and the decline of physical strength could have been thought of as being in Adam. Yet Paul clearly treats them as part and parcel of being in Christ. Man is renewed in Christ, but he is not yet free from physical limitations. Yet because Christ was truly Son of God and Son of Man, these can now be understood in terms of the life in Christ. 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 9, I think, makes this point very clear indeed. 2 Corinthians 12 verses 9 and 10. He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. And so I think all aspects of the new life in Christ, whether directly attributable to the preaching of the Gospel and the hardship caused thereby, or whether it's personal suffering, personal distress, personal injury, they are all part of the life of Christ. Fourthly, this interchange brought about by the representative sacrifice of the Lord Jesus overflows into the lives of others. If you turn back a few pages to 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 5, we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Verse 10, Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So it's a witness, isn't it? It's not just developing the mind and character of Christ in isolation, it is that development with a purpose so that, as Paul says, we do not preach ourselves, but rather Christ Jesus the Lord. So it's a witness, isn't it? It's not just developing the mind and character of Christ in isolation, it is that development with a purpose, so that, as Paul says, we do not preach ourselves, but rather Christ Jesus the Lord. Fifthly, I think it is in the light of this introduction, lengthy though it's been, that we must seek to understand those apparently substitutionary passages in Isaiah 53 and verse 6 and 1 Peter 2 and verse 24. So what I'm saying, my dear brothers and sisters, is that there are only one half of this full of truth which I've been presenting to you, that He was identified with us, that we might be identified with Him. That's just a part view in those two verses of this wider understanding of the work of Christ. It is, I think, in the end, too narrow a basis for a full understanding of the work of Christ to regard it as just a substitutionary sacrifice for ourselves. Let's move on very quickly to the more practical side of our subject. I'd just like to create a link between the theory and the practice by reminding you of those words of Jesus in John chapter 5 and verse 24, where He says it links very clearly. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live. There's going to be a reawakening at the last day and there's going to be a spiritual reawakening even now. Just as the literally dead will be literally raised, the physically dead will be physically raised, so even today, the spiritually dead can be spiritually raised. The old way of life in Adam can become the newness of life in Christ Jesus, a life with a new dimension, new characteristics, new qualities, new perspectives, new affections, and new goals. Those two tenses, is coming and now is, in John chapter 5, I think, are a reminder of the importance of this truth. The practical effects, directly related to the atonement. I've listed these in as complete a way as I can on the synopsis, and we're not going to have time to look at all of these, so I think it's very useful that you're going to be able to take away the full list. All these characteristics and qualities that are presented here, my dear brothers and sisters, are the practical effects in the life of the disciple that are directly attributable to the atonement. I know perhaps you would want to say to me, well, surely there is no aspect of our life, of our character, of our work, and of our service that is in the end not related to God's work in Christ, and of course that's true. To a greater or lesser extent, all the teaching in the New Testament and all the preparatory teaching in the Old Testament is touching on the truth of this, even if it's only by way of implication. What I've listed here are those aspects and those qualities and those characteristics which just through the close association of the context in which the exhortation is set forward make it abundantly clear that they are directly related to the sacrifice of Christ. Perhaps just to add to the notes on the synopsis, I could just list for you what are the verses where the atoning work of God in Christ are referred to in these particular situations. We are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body. Be not ye the servants of men, walk in newness of life. Now the atonement verses where the work of Christ is set forth are 1 Corinthians 6, verse 20, and 7, verse 23. The cleansing power brought about by the sacrifice of Christ in the purging of our consciences, Hebrews 9, verses 11 and 12. Perhaps we could look at that very briefly. Hebrews 9, verse 11. Christ being come and high priest of good things to come by greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and of calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. If the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. So the sacrifice of Christ is atoning work with the intended direct result presented by the writer here to purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. It would be interesting to explore the way in which this must work itself out in practical experience, how that I think conscience is related to consciousness. Our conscience with regard to sin is related to our consciousness of sin. The love of Christ constraineth us. We must realize the price that has been paid. We must cultivate a good conscience that is void of offence. And all this is part and parcel of the practical outworking. Thirdly, Christ's sacrifice is directly linked to the expectation of His return. That's in the same chapter, isn't it? Those well-known words. Verse 28, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. So an understanding of the work of Christ must have as its counterpart the expectation of His return. While we're in Hebrews, we might as well go straight over into number four, Hebrews chapter 10, that three-fold exhortation, that three-fold practical conclusion. Verse 19, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the beholiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, three practical lessons follow. Verse 22, Let us draw near. Verse 23, Let us hold fast. Verse 24, Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. And so the blood of Christ is inescapably related to all these ordinary practical things. Fifthly, sin has been covered by His sacrifice. And yet, perhaps rather paradoxically, it has also to be set aside. May I list for you the verses which present the work of Christ as the setting and basis for this exhortation. I'm not going to look at them. Hebrews 12, verse 2, Romans 5, verses 18 and 21, and 1 Peter 4 and verse 1. Now this exhortation, I think, my dear brethren and sisters, is a very powerful one. Sin has been covered by Christ, but that does not mean that we should have an indifferent attitude towards sin from now on. It places us, as it were, in the position of greater responsibility to reject those things that formerly encouraged sin, to cultivate good habits rather than bad habits. Make a definite attempt to avoid the occasion of temptation, of being in the wrong places, of being under the wrong influences. Shall we continue in sin? That grace may abound? God forbid. By no means. So as you know well, the argument that would wish to further the grace of God by giving it greater opportunity to operate through the sacrifice of Christ, by providing more sins to be covered, is a specious argument. It was an argument that Paul had to refute, and it was an argument that we should refute today also. Sixthly, do good and communicate. Communication there, of course, being not just verbal, but being linked to those practical expressions of fellowship in our service one with another and supremely in the breaking of bread. The central passage there, calling attention to the work of Christ, is Hebrews 13 and verse 12. Seventhly, generosity to all. Perhaps we could look at this one as it's related to something that normally we would regard as being quite ordinary, very mundane, very practical, a necessity, taking a collection. Isn't it amazing how in 2 Corinthians 8 Paul lifts it to such a high level? A collection is no longer an ordinary thing for brethren and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. It must be regarded as a very spiritual thing, because we have to first consider the extent of the self-giving of Jesus Himself. You know the grace, verse 9, 2 Corinthians 8, of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. And herein I give my advice, verse 11, now therefore perform the doing of it, and as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also of that which ye have. So He told them about the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. They had the intention to give. He's now encouraging them to put that into the fullest practical expression possible, because of this central teaching and doctrine of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. But a wonderful thing it is, my dear brethren and sisters, that the highest and the holiest things in the end are related to the most mundane and practical things, or so we would have thought. Rather than bringing down the sacrifice of Christ to that level, it surely lifts the things at this level right up to the sacrifice of Christ. This is how we should regard them. This should be the motivating spirit in our giving for others. So 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9, is the Atonement passage in that connection. Next, the well-known area of human relationships, wives, husbands, children, fathers, servants, masters, and brethren. I'm sure, my dear brethren and sisters, I don't need to remind you of the great spiritual pattern that is set before us in this connection. Even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, this should be our perspective, whether we be a husband or a wife, or a child or a father, a servant or a master or a brother. All our relationships should be governed by this perspective brought upon us by an understanding of the work of Christ. And the next one, forgiveness of others. To forgive one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us. And that's the central place, isn't it, of the sacrifice of Christ, as we mentioned earlier in our first address. So the passage there is as stated in Ephesians 4 and verse 32. Enthusiasm for good works. This is another very good illustration of the point that I'm trying to make. Titus chapter 2, if you'd like to turn to it, and verse 10. Verse 11. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. We've already considered this, haven't we? The peculiar people, the special people. And this is to be the motivating and driving force in our good works. And the last three, humility. The passage there, we're not going to turn to any more passages now. Philippians chapter 2, verses 7 and 8. Suffering for Christ, 1 Peter 2, verses 23 and 24. And a basis for an active and continuing faith. Galatians chapter 2, verse 20. And really, I suppose, to precede Romans chapter 12 and the excitation there, Romans chapters 1 to 11, presenting the work of Christ in terms of justification by faith. So perhaps to summarize what we've tried to say this morning, we are called upon to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps we could just select out three things that could, as it were, provide the three-fold basis for our understanding. There must firstly be faith and baptism into Jesus. There must be remembrance of Him in the breaking of bread. And there must be the selfless and sacrificial life that should be the demonstration and the realization of our appreciation of the sacrifice of Christ for us. And so the work of Christ is really so great that it cannot be accomplished by man. But in the end, it is not totally external to us. If it were, we would be led in the direction of a substitutionary theory to understand His work. But we are called upon to participate in it. So if in our first talk we began with an objective salvation as the foundation on which to build our understanding, we are led through an appreciation of the work of Christ into an association of ourselves with Him and to develop His characteristics. We are called upon to full participation in these things. Perhaps to bring our thoughts to a focus, I've just got a short poem I'd like to read to you by way of conclusion that I think presents the essence of our appropriation of Christ's sacrifice. I asked the Lord that I might grow in faith and love and every grace, might more of His salvation know and seek more earnestly His face. I thought that in some favored hour at once He'd answer my request and by His love's constraining power subdue my sins and give me rest. Instead of this, He made me feel the hidden evils of my heart and let the angry powers within assault my being in every part. Lord, why is this? I trembling cried. Will thou pursue me to the death? It is in this way the Lord replied. I answer prayer for grace and faith. These inward trials I employ from self and pride to set thee free and break thy schemes of earthly joy that thou mayest seek thy all in me. This is about our heads in prayer.

Transcript

He could see them coming out on a night errand, away from the sleeping city and down its eastern hillside. Their torches and their lanterns glittering in the darkness. A great multitude with swords and staves coming to put out the light of the world. Jesus had said, yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus and departed and hid hide himself from them. Beyond the brook Kedron there was a garden into which the Lord Jesus Christ had entered. The hour had come. Jesus had said, had he not, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. For again, he that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Or again, if any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my father honor. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. Nevertheless, for this cause came I to this hour. My dear beloved brethren and sisters, if you were an impartial observer on the hillside that fateful night and saw this group of people on their midnight mission, what would you have thought? They are enforcing the law. It is inevitable, nay more than that. It is necessary to avoid lawlessness, insurrections, uprising. We have seen many of them and no doubt there will be many more. You have to be so careful. A passerby would have seen a strange thing, a collection of people from the so-called holy city going outside its walls on a most unholy assignment. How could they possibly justify it? You might have thought they were honoring and upholding the law. The one they sought was guilty. But in actual fact, he honored and upheld the law and they were guilty. It's a strange thing, isn't it? That the truth about the situation was the very opposite to what you might have expected. The casual observer might have said, the will of the people is being done, or at least the will of their elders. But Jesus said, thy will be done. They could have said, time has run out for him. Destiny has run its course. Jesus said, this is their hour and the hour of darkness. They came in the dark, they returned in the dark, and they continued in the dark. But he was in the light and he was strengthened by an angel to continue faithfully in that light. They had a mission to accomplish, to put an end to their doubts and fears about this man. He too had a mission to accomplish. It was exactly the same mission, if they could but see it, to put an end to their doubts and their fears. Looked at from man's viewpoint, you saw one thing, human destiny, the destiny of man. But looked at from God's viewpoint, you saw something completely different. And this, my dear brothers and sisters, is the challenge of our subject today. Taking man's viewpoint is an earthly viewpoint. Taking God's viewpoint is the spiritual viewpoint, the long-sighted view that we, with the Lord Jesus Christ in Gethsemane, is no guarantee that we will see the eternal things. It needs effort, it needs diligence, it needs understanding. So easy, isn't it, to try to resist the world using the world methods in order to accomplish our destiny, as for example Peter did, and to think that you are on the side of Jesus. But this act of Peter, this act of violence, required the intervention of the Lord Jesus, and so it could be for us. And so it was the last hour. Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. He surrendered completely to his father's will. And this, brethren and sisters, is surely the central issue, the fundamental principle, to seek above all costs the will of God, and in his willness, to carry it out, come what may. This was the way for the Lord Jesus. This is the way for us. This is the way to salvation. This is the way to fulfill our true destiny. Our human destiny is the wages of sin. Salvation's destiny is to be devoted to the glory of God, and to be a partaker of the divine nature. And so as we are now with the Lord Jesus, in his surrendering to the Father's will, let us think of ourselves in relationship to that redemption that he wrought. That the more fully the will of God might become our will, just as it did for the Lord Jesus. He was and is the Redeemer. God hath visited and redeemed his people. We were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Think of the cost, my dear brethren and sisters, that is implied in those words, the precious blood of Christ. The cost of our sins, the cost of our waywardnesses, the cost of our denial. For those who today know what it is like to be alone, perhaps to leave this place and to go to your home where you will be alone, you may remember that the Lord Jesus was alone. Alone in childhood, alone in the temple, alone by the Sea of Galilee, no luggage, no money, no prospects in this world, perhaps without the very free things that we as tourists take to Israel. We strive after all three, wealth, fame, possessions, spend a lifetime perhaps only to discover that true happiness, that true destiny does not lie down this road. He was alone on the mountaintop, he was alone in Gethsemane. He was not alone because the Father was with him. And the wisdom which comes down from above proclaims that in his resurrection is the victory over this world, the victory over all the forces that would corrupt and mar and finally destroy it. This is the victory, proclaims the Apostle John, that overcometh the world, even our faith. For those who are in difficulty or in trouble, who can see that in their own lives of discipleship, there are sure to be stormy seas ahead and perhaps an increasing storm as time goes by. You remember, you may remember that he is the Lord of all life, that during his ministry he was able to calm the troubled seas just with a few words. Peace it is I. So just as those disciples found calm and peace and security in the boat with the Lord Jesus, so too may we in the ark of salvation. With him there is always calm and assurance in the end. For those who have borne the burden and heat of the day, who have laboured over many years to serve the Lord in true faithfulness and sincerity, who have worked and served diligently and faithfully, you may remember the kingdom that he has promised, so that whether we continue awake or whether we sleep, we may rejoice together with him. Others may wonder and despair at the problems of our world, but we, my dear brethren and sisters, may have hope and have confidence because we have that anchor of the soul in the Lord God through his Son. For those who are broken hearted, for those who have lost a loved one, whether in life or in death, know that there is no turning back. You may remember that he is able to save to the uttermost. He is the Lord who is able to heal and to restore our hopes and to renew our vision. The Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings. The government shall be upon his shoulder. All remorse and regret and sorrow and tears will one day be put away forever. Jesus said, almost right at the beginning of his ministry, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Spoken by the calm of the Sea of Galilee, true then and still true today. For those who are in sorrow or affliction, distress or tribulation, you can observe this man and see if there be any sorrow like unto his sorrow. The suffering and the agony in the extremity that he had to endure. He learned obedience by the things which he suffered. I suppose, my dear brothers and sisters, that's the only way in the end in which we can learn true obedience, just as Jesus did. The captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? For those who feel the pressures of our world bearing down upon them, feeling the weights that seem to drag them down, you may remember the words of Jesus when he said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. With him there is joy and companionship, consolation and fellowship. Without him there is nothing, but with him there is everything, both in this world and that which is yet to come. For those who feel their faith growing dim, feel that somehow they have lost the certainty and the assurance and the enthusiasm that they once had, holding on to the faith, but perhaps only just, like a man clutching at a breakwater about to be swept away. Yes, you can remember the absolute certainties that are centred in him. The creation of which we are part demands a certain existence of a creator. Such glory and such beauty must have been divinely created and ordained. And the certainty of the birth and life of Jesus himself, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, and he suffered under Pontius Pilate. The word was made flesh, my dear brethren and sisters, with unquestionable certainty. And in that intervention of the Lord God in history, we have the assurance of his intervention again in the future. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is proclaimed by the Apostle Paul as but the beginning, the first fruits and the later fruits will just as surely follow. Things of the kingdom and the things of the name therefore, being based upon this unshakable foundation, have to be our foundation. The foundation for faith, for hope, for confidence and for our assurance. For those today who are afraid, there are perhaps many things that we fear, as from time to time we lie awake at night and wonder perhaps just what the will of the Lord might be for us. That perhaps the very things we treasure most might have to be taken from us, that we might be able to enter into his kingdom. Our health, our happiness, our homes, our children, even life itself. Think of how many of the faithful had to lay many or all of these things down. The Lord Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Stephen, the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul, the list is endless. For those of us who fear the judgment and the separation it will bring, perhaps even from those today whom we love. Fear too of death, not so much of death itself but of the sequel, for we know that the resurrection will bring the judgment. We know that at that time the opportunities are over. There will no longer be any time to right any wrongs, to heal any of those breaches, to show compassion to those who are sorrowing. No longer any time to seek any reconciliation or forgive those of our brethren and sisters who today are unforgiven. We always have the best of intentions. Our very presence here this morning guarantees that our intentions are in the right direction. What have we accomplished, my dear brethren and sisters, in these eternal things? Fear too for our marriage in today's evil and uncertain world. A world where promises are conditional, where words are empty of real meaning, where faithfulness is old fashioned. A world where care and consideration and constancy are rapidly becoming dead words. When the going gets rough, people take what they can and run. A world where loyalty, law and life are not respected and are treated as trivial things. A world where patience, perseverance and precept are forgotten in the headlong rush for self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment. We have to be exceptions, my dear brethren and sisters, just as the Lord Jesus Christ was. Otherwise we are doomed. The dark world will rub off onto us and we will bring it into the Ecclesia and spread its darkness around to others. Self first and God last is surely the story of every broken home and every divided Ecclesia. We need to put into practice, just as Jesus did, patience, perseverance and steadfastness. Our world encourages self-expression and self-assertion. We are in the business to encourage self-effacement and self-denial. To consider first of all the glory to God. To consider next the service of the Lord Jesus. To consider next the greater good of our brethren and sisters and the Ecclesia to which we all belong. His priceless possession. Fears too for our children. We pray that they might be preserved to an age when they might be able to accept the truth. And fears perhaps that even then they might not. We know that the spirit of our age is unfriendly to a firm reliance upon the word of God. And this is the world in which our children move. In school, in school, in school, in school, in school and in college. But while there is life, my dear brethren and sisters, there is hope. We must always be prayerful and optimistic about the future. Fears too for our younger children, innocent and defenseless and sometimes overtaken by tragedy. The very isolate Collier whom some members of my Ecclesia know well and remember him with love and affection. A quiet and an assuming man. And they tell me that one day his child of eleven was playing in the drive and ventured into the road and was run down by a lorry. Sudden, unexpected and final. Not an ordinary child. A child previously crippled by polio. And on the tomb of the little child the right slip put the following words referring to our next meeting with the Lord. In that day you will ask me no question. Jesus said, be not faithless but believing. Wherefore understanding what the will of the Lord is. Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. All things, my dear brethren and sisters, even our sorrow. And we know that it is hard for God that it is his will for us. And he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. These are the central principles of life and salvation. Fear him and give him glory. The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. With humility and with fear we seek his guidance and his blessing that his will might become our will. His will will surely be done. The scripture gives us the promise that this is so. But will his will be done in us? Will we have so submitted ourselves to his sovereignty and humbled ourselves under his mighty hand? Will our will be found to have been aligned with his will in that day when all is revealed? This is, as it seems to me, the central axis upon which our destiny will be decided. I'd like to bring you for the final part of this meditation to the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 16 to consider the challenge of these words in the light of the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. The Lord Jesus Christ has set his face to go to Jerusalem. He has told his disciples how that he must suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day. Matthew 16 and verse 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Surely one of the most important and cardinal principles in the teaching of Jesus. Every attempt to consolidate our existence in this present life, every self-oriented endeavor, every selfishness is finally and utterly self-defeating. A self-indulgent life is a pointless life. Only to the extent that we deny ourselves and take upon ourselves his life do we find true fulfillment and we find that fulfillment in him. And in finding that fulfillment we find our true self. In a sense it is the paradox of the cross that true life is incomplete and wasted unless it takes the form of his life. This is the way my dear brothers and sisters to the destiny that God has promised for us. To give him glory and to be a partaker of his nature. Verse 25. He that willeth to save his life shall lose it, but he that shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel shall save it. This is the Lord's method for self-expression, for self-development, for self-advancement. Notice that it is a deliberate aim. It is an act of the will because if we wish to save our lives in this life, to secure personal achievement, success or ambition, that is of necessity. An act of the will to make a decision. That is what we are going to do. And to such Jesus says the goal may indeed be reached but you will lose the secret of true fulfillment, of true happiness and of true greatness. But on the other hand he that shall lose his life. There is I think a slight difference between the opening phrase and this one that begins the second part. Not wills to lose his life but just simply lose. Unthinking self-abandonment for the sake of the Lord Jesus. Not calculating the expected benefits or the return. This leads to great self-development and enrichment of character. The Christ-like character has to go through the cross before it can share the crown. And just as was revealed for the Lord Jesus, this needs faith, it needs courage and it needs commitment. Who can doubt my dear brethren and sisters that these words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ in the context of his going to Jerusalem to suffer and to die and to be raised again are a picture for us of what the life of discipleship is to be for each one of us. Association with the cross of Christ is the only way. Hard though it may prove to be, but out of it will always come the highest and the best. The hours of pain have yielded good which prosperous days refuse as herbs though sentient when entire perfume the air when bruised. Out of suffering, out of sorrow, and out of tribulation, the will of God may be revealed. Though the cross and the carrying of the cross are the way to salvation, it is through personal faith as experienced in life and increasingly apprehended in all life's testing and trial. And the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ is available to us through his sacrifice. As we've been considering this week, in a sense we still have to bear consequences of our past sins. What's done cannot be undone. The wrong has been committed and in a sense its implications still stand. But I think nevertheless through the sacrifice of Jesus, past wrong can even yet be given a new direction. Repentance will lead to humility and humility is the root of all spiritual progress. That sinful act, now forgiven through repentance and confession of sin, may lead to a patient bearing of its results, to a more watchful self-discipline, to a kindlier attitude towards other sinners and to a greater desire to help those who are sinners like ourselves. This is the way to the Christ-like man to develop those qualities that are pleasing to God. And in this sense I think all cruel wrongs, all unremitting suffering, all desolating isolation and hardship can be turned to spiritual gain. With the eye of faith we can see them in the context of a richer and a better world it is yet to be. Against all human expectation we will surely find that in the end all things have worked together for good for each one of us. And so tribulation and suffering and affliction may be looked upon as an integral path of the pathway of experience that each of us is called upon to tread and it will surely lead to patience, humility, sympathy, endurance, steadfastness, maturity and finally in the mercy of God to share in his glory. The Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for us and for the Ecclesia. With his own blood he bought her and for her life he died. And so today we look for the consummation of all things. For the time when we will receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. For the completion of God's purpose of redemption we get a picture of this in Revelation chapter 19 and the marriage of the lamb is come and the bride hath made herself ready. Revelation 19 and verse 5 and a voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God or ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundering saying hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent Rainer. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him for the marriage of the lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints and he said unto me right blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb and he said unto me these are the true sayings of God. The end of our faith. The salvation of our souls. The day for which we wait and pray in faith. So my dear brethren and sisters we come to the end of our series of addresses. We have as it were been from Genesis to Revelation haven't we? Which I suppose is what you would expect in a subject of so comprehensive a scope as the work of God in redeeming us from sin and reconciling us to himself. By way of a postscript I'd like to read to you two very short letters as an illustration in our own time of the spirit of Christ, the spirit of taking up the cross that I think each of us are called upon to participate in. These two letters were written by Brother Albert Mertz and he lived during the last war in Nazi Germany. He was baptized at 23 years of age and he was formerly a catholic and he refused to be conscripted into the German army. As a result of his refusal he was put into a concentration camp for two years punished and tortured and maltreated for his faith. And he was one of a small number of brethren sisters in Germany at that time and he wrote two letters to his fellow brethren sisters in the small ecclesia there. I'd like to read these two letters to you by way of conclusion. Military prison, Berlin, 23rd of February, 1941. To all my dear brethren sisters, it is hard for me to write to you today not on my own account but because I know this letter will cause you grief. So I beg you not to take it too hard. You all know my beliefs and my hope for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So do not weep over me even if the supreme punishment comes upon me but rather be strong and of good courage. As I have been condemned to death and am to be executed the life which within me took a visible form we return to its source and then at the appointed time will again take on this form. If my time is now at an end and I must die then remember it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment. Tomorrow I will submit a petition for mercy. Perhaps the court will yet show mercy towards me and even if not I hope to be allowed to write to you once more. Think of me in your prayers and now I will close in confidence in God and his kingdom and greet you with all my heart. Yours Albert. And now I will close in confidence in God and his kingdom and greet you with all my heart. Yours Albert. His plea for mercy was turned down. The night before the execution he wrote this letter. 3rd of April 1941. To all my dear brethren and sisters I should like to employ my last hours in writing to you once more. At the same time asking you not to take it too hard for it is God's will. John 19 verse 7, Romans 14 verse 7, Romans 8, Isaiah 59. At 5.30am on Friday morning 4th of April my course is finished and so my struggle is at an end. My last wish is that you may live in peace and take care that none may be lost. Oh my dear ones, if only I could write down all the thousands of things I have said to you in silent conversation and that I am still saying. You can learn much from Holy Scripture, especially from the letters of the apostles, from the words of Jesus before his death recorded in John. And I hope that I shall see you all again after my awakening. So I will close now and you will understand why I have not written more. It would be too much. I send you my sincere greetings Albert. Greetings also to all the brethren and sisters and to all my friends. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Whatever you may be, be that completely. Not only the bright blossom, but also the simple leaf is important in the wreath. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. True then for our brother Albert. True for all our brethren and sisters whom we have known and who now rest in sleep. True today for our beloved brother Charles and true forevermore until the trump of God be heard, until the ancient graves be stirred and with the great commanding word our Lord shall come. Amen.