Bearing His Own Cross

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:24.460 Let's turn in God's word. Now to John, Chapter Nineteen. John Nineteen 2 00:00:26.179 --> 00:00:32.539 going to read? Well, I'll start at verse twelve and read through Seventeen. 3 00:00:33.380 --> 00:00:36.530 Focus this morning will be on that last half of sixteen and then verse 4 00:00:36.609 --> 00:00:46.609 seventeen. So John Nineteen, verse twelve. From then on, pilot sought 5 00:00:46.649 --> 00:00:50.880 to release him, but the Jews cried out, if you release this man, 6 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:56.200 you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a King Opposes Caesar. 7 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:00.719 So when pilot heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down 8 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.870 on the judgment seat at a place called the stone pavement and in Aramaic, 9 00:01:06.230 --> 00:01:11.469 Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation of the Passover. It was 10 00:01:11.469 --> 00:01:15.349 about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, behold your king. 11 00:01:15.189 --> 00:01:19.659 They cried out, away with him, away with him, crucify him. 12 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:25.299 Pilot said to them, shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, 13 00:01:25.819 --> 00:01:30.219 we have no king but Caesar. So he delivered him over to them 14 00:01:30.459 --> 00:01:36.930 to be crucified. So they took Jesus and he went out bearing his own 15 00:01:37.049 --> 00:01:42.650 cross to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is 16 00:01:42.730 --> 00:01:49.680 called Golgotha. Since the reading of God's wordy, bless it to us. 17 00:01:59.959 --> 00:02:07.670 Well, in the surface, if you were there on this day's Prepara Day 18 00:02:07.750 --> 00:02:13.310 of preparation and before the Sabbath, this day of the Passover, you would 19 00:02:13.310 --> 00:02:21.620 have seen angry crowds, fearful anxious leaders, power hungry leaders, a justice 20 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:28.819 system turned on its head, a civil order tearing apart, and the idea 21 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:35.210 proposed that Caesar was the only way to bring peace and resolution to this. 22 00:02:36.169 --> 00:02:43.250 Caesar is both the threat and the hope. Put Away Jesus of Nazareth and 23 00:02:43.449 --> 00:02:46.960 give us Caesar of Rome, and all will be well. Do Your job, 24 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:52.479 pilot, and all will be well, everything will be fine. And 25 00:02:52.680 --> 00:03:00.469 here Jesus of Nazareth, this man from Galilee, this man, would be 26 00:03:00.669 --> 00:03:09.270 crucified and all would be set at rest, so it seems. But there 27 00:03:09.389 --> 00:03:15.860 is, of course, under the surface and on the surface, a deeper 28 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:21.539 work that is going on. This is what the scriptures want us to understand. 29 00:03:22.740 --> 00:03:27.139 There's a deeper work going on that had been planned from before even time 30 00:03:27.370 --> 00:03:32.409 began, in the eternal will of God himself. This moment had been decreed 31 00:03:34.449 --> 00:03:40.680 from all time, and it was a work that was promised in time immediately 32 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:46.479 after the fall of man in the garden. I want to begin there this 33 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:53.599 morning and thinking about how we ought to understand Jesus's procession to the Cross, 34 00:03:53.719 --> 00:04:00.509 as he bears this this heavy beam, as he goes to the place of 35 00:04:00.710 --> 00:04:06.310 the skull. You remember that God, when God first made man, when 36 00:04:06.389 --> 00:04:14.020 he made Adam and Eve, they were created in righteousness and holiness. They 37 00:04:14.139 --> 00:04:17.459 were at peace with God, they were at peace with one another, there 38 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:24.569 was love, peace with nature itself. There was no death, there was 39 00:04:24.649 --> 00:04:32.129 no suffering and as God servant, King Adam was called to obey God. 40 00:04:33.410 --> 00:04:36.689 And if he obeyed God, if he passed the test, if he did 41 00:04:36.769 --> 00:04:42.079 not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would 42 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:46.839 be ushered into something that was even greater than what he already had. He 43 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:53.470 and all humanity, the the all the multiplying that would happen between him and 44 00:04:53.750 --> 00:04:59.990 Eve is this. People would be created, this humanity under Adams headship would 45 00:04:59.990 --> 00:05:11.300 be ushered into final, scatological, beatific glory forever. Things that are symbolized 46 00:05:11.339 --> 00:05:18.139 by the tree of life, things that were symbolized by God's resting on the 47 00:05:18.300 --> 00:05:26.410 seventh day. As as God so worked and rested out of his image. 48 00:05:26.410 --> 00:05:30.810 Bearer was called to do the same, to work, pass the test and 49 00:05:30.970 --> 00:05:36.040 then enter into that rest with God. This was what was promised to him. 50 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.480 This was held out, held out to him life, True Life, 51 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:49.509 glorified life, eternal life for obedience. The cost of disobedience, however, 52 00:05:49.709 --> 00:05:57.350 was was commensurate, was the parallel with eternal life. It was death, 53 00:05:57.870 --> 00:06:04.819 judgment, exclusion, disorder, hell. Adam would be cast out of the 54 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:10.339 garden, he would be sent away from the presence of God and instead of 55 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:15.459 entering into glory, he would enter into death. You shall surely die, 56 00:06:15.180 --> 00:06:23.209 God said to Adam if he disobeyed. And, as we all know, 57 00:06:23.689 --> 00:06:30.970 God's servant King did not obey. He fell and he fell with him and 58 00:06:31.290 --> 00:06:39.319 together they were both cursed outside the garden, access to that tree of life, 59 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:44.759 access to that forever Sabbath, blocked by an angel of the Lord, 60 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:50.069 sent out of this out of this place, out of this dwelling place with 61 00:06:50.230 --> 00:06:59.470 God, sent out to a place of death, of curse and of Judgment. 62 00:07:00.579 --> 00:07:06.860 But it was at that very moment that God spoke and promised something, 63 00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:14.540 in a somewhat cryptic way, but clear nevertheless, clear enough, that Adam, 64 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:16.769 in a moment, would come to call his own wife the mother of 65 00:07:16.970 --> 00:07:21.930 the living. Is a very strong thing to say after just being cursed with 66 00:07:23.089 --> 00:07:28.930 death. What change for Adom? Why did he say something and say to 67 00:07:29.009 --> 00:07:32.319 it, say it righteously? It was because of something that God had promised, 68 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:36.879 totally, something you already know, and it was this that God promised 69 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:44.670 in that moment of cursing. He promised something we call grace. He promised 70 00:07:44.709 --> 00:07:50.029 to give Adam and Eve something that they didn't deserve, a son who would 71 00:07:50.069 --> 00:07:56.310 come to crush the head of the serpent that tempted tempted them and caused them 72 00:07:56.509 --> 00:08:01.100 to fall. He would come to crush that serpent and all that the serpent 73 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:07.180 represented, all that the devil represented and stands for. He would come and 74 00:08:07.379 --> 00:08:13.569 he would crush the enemies of God, death itself, Sin itself, and 75 00:08:13.810 --> 00:08:20.050 he would bring the people of God into that eternal life that was once promised. 76 00:08:22.129 --> 00:08:24.370 In other words, God would set all things right and he would do 77 00:08:24.490 --> 00:08:31.160 so through this son, this second Adam, in a way, would take 78 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:37.799 on a headship over the people that his father failed to fulfill. He would 79 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.710 be the head of a new human race and he would achieve this thing of 80 00:08:41.909 --> 00:08:48.750 life we are told, however, that this accomplishment, this establishment of a 81 00:08:48.870 --> 00:08:56.659 new kingdom, of an eternal kingdom, would not be without struggle. We 82 00:08:56.820 --> 00:09:00.899 are told in the very beginning of the promise of grace, that the serpent 83 00:09:01.019 --> 00:09:07.539 who took them down would seek to harm this son. He would indeed injure 84 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:13.529 this son, but it would not be beyond hope, because this son, 85 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:20.690 though injured, though suffering, would crush the head of that serpent and defeat 86 00:09:20.730 --> 00:09:28.720 him finally and perfectly. Now these promises, right there at the beginning of 87 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.639 creation, are then echoed and amplified all throughout the Old Testament and all up 88 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:39.629 until you get to John the baptist, who's proclaiming the Kingdom of God, 89 00:09:39.230 --> 00:09:45.029 calling for people to repent of their sins and then seize the lamb of God 90 00:09:46.710 --> 00:09:52.389 who will take away the sins of the world. And he points to him 91 00:09:52.389 --> 00:09:58.899 and he calls out his name and he declares him and that man, both 92 00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:03.700 the son of Adam and the son of God, would come and do what 93 00:10:03.899 --> 00:10:09.889 that first Adam failed to do. And this, of course, is Jesus. 94 00:10:09.769 --> 00:10:20.049 Jesus was this long hoped for, long promised gracious salvation, and so 95 00:10:20.210 --> 00:10:24.720 everything has been leading up to this very moment. And what we have here 96 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:31.759 in John Nineteen versus sixteen, is seventeen? Is that promised son going outside 97 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:37.230 of the city, much like his father Adam did many, many generations ago, 98 00:10:37.269 --> 00:10:43.830 going outside of the city to, I don't think you could think of 99 00:10:43.870 --> 00:10:48.669 a more ominous name, the place of the skull. He's going outside to 100 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:56.899 face his death. He's going outside bearing his cross, the instrument of his 101 00:10:56.059 --> 00:11:01.500 own death, having been crowned with a crown of Thorns, having been mocked, 102 00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:07.570 having been set aside by his own people, he goes out to the 103 00:11:07.649 --> 00:11:13.009 place of the skull to face his death. Now it significant that he goes 104 00:11:13.049 --> 00:11:22.879 outside of the city to do this for a few different reasons. One is 105 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:28.919 that he is showing that Jerusalem, this is not the heavenly city, this 106 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.029 is not the final city. Jerusalem, this place, these in this place 107 00:11:33.070 --> 00:11:37.149 where they're celebrating Passover, is not the final answer, as the Jewish leaders 108 00:11:37.190 --> 00:11:43.629 thought that it was. Now this would be perhaps confusing for those who had 109 00:11:43.750 --> 00:11:50.539 set their hopes on this earthly kingdom, on this earthly Jerusalem. Those who 110 00:11:50.620 --> 00:11:54.820 set all their hopes on this place would be very disappointed to know that the 111 00:11:56.019 --> 00:12:01.570 salvation of the world was heading outside of the city. But if we remember 112 00:12:01.610 --> 00:12:07.649 all the way back to Abraham, we remember when the Covenant of Grace was 113 00:12:07.809 --> 00:12:13.610 formerly established with him, we remember that Abraham himself did not set his hope 114 00:12:13.769 --> 00:12:18.480 on an earthly city but on a heavenly one, even though he was promised 115 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:22.440 an earthly one, because Abraham and all the children of faith know that the 116 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:30.190 earthly city of Jerusalem is a sign pointing to the heavenly one. What was 117 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:33.549 happening is that the people were clinging to that sign as though it was their 118 00:12:33.629 --> 00:12:37.710 own salvation, as though it was their glory, as though it was their 119 00:12:37.830 --> 00:12:43.710 hope, and Jesus going outside of the city in one way shows that it's 120 00:12:43.750 --> 00:12:48.740 not there. But he also shows, in going outside of the city that 121 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:54.019 as God establishes that as a sign in order to face death, in order 122 00:12:54.059 --> 00:13:00.970 to face curse, he doesn't belong there. In that sense, God's plan, 123 00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:07.090 we remember it was to solve the problem of sin. Wasn't just to 124 00:13:07.370 --> 00:13:11.809 for him to come into it wasn't just for Jesus to come into a final 125 00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:16.200 rest and a glorified rest with God. He had that before the ages began. 126 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:22.679 It was to do that for us. Jesus took on that cross. 127 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.190 Jesus took on the weight of sin, not because he deserved it, but 128 00:13:26.309 --> 00:13:33.110 because we did, because it was his desire to bring us from outside of 129 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:37.789 the garden, outside of the new Jerusalem, into that place. And in 130 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:41.230 order for to that to happen, he had to meet us where we were, 131 00:13:41.460 --> 00:13:46.580 in our death, in our cursing, in our unrighteousness. Now, 132 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:52.419 Jesus doesn't become unrighteous himself, but he takes on the penalty for our righteousness 133 00:13:52.740 --> 00:14:05.889 are our unrighteousness. He endures the wrath that was due to us. God's 134 00:14:05.970 --> 00:14:13.279 plan was not simply to perfect or amplify the kingdoms of this world. God's 135 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:20.279 desire was to usher in something new, a new age, a new city. 136 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:24.350 And so when Jesus goes outside the city, he does this in accordance 137 00:14:24.429 --> 00:14:30.350 with this God given imagery. He leaves the place that had been marked as 138 00:14:30.389 --> 00:14:33.669 a symbol and a dwelling place for God to a place where death is, 139 00:14:35.110 --> 00:14:37.899 in order that he might bring us into the place where life is. And 140 00:14:39.019 --> 00:14:43.820 Hebrews Thirteen, twelve, we read. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate 141 00:14:43.419 --> 00:14:50.899 in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Hebrews also tells us 142 00:14:50.940 --> 00:14:56.049 that through this act, through his death, the new age is established. 143 00:14:56.330 --> 00:14:58.409 He Brews Nine hundred and twenty six. But as it is, he has 144 00:14:58.409 --> 00:15:05.090 appeared once for all, at the end of the ages, to put away 145 00:15:05.090 --> 00:15:11.679 sin by the sacrifice of himself. One more from Hebrews. This is nine 146 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:16.360 verse twelve. He entered once for all the holy places, not by means 147 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:20.789 of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, 148 00:15:20.950 --> 00:15:31.590 thus securing an eternal redemption. So consider what's going on here. If 149 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:37.419 you only look with your eyes, you see Jesus going outside, out from 150 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:43.019 out from the the temple, out from the the Herod's Palace and Pilots of 151 00:15:43.220 --> 00:15:48.659 governor's quarters and all the rest, going outside of the city, despicable, 152 00:15:50.129 --> 00:15:56.250 embarrassed, mocked, bloody, whipped people jeering at him. He goes outside. 153 00:15:58.210 --> 00:16:04.759 This is the epitome of offering and shame and horror. But what's the 154 00:16:04.919 --> 00:16:11.360 scriptures tell us is going on at this very moment? Is the king ascending 155 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:15.799 to His throne? Remember again what I read. It said that he came 156 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:22.669 to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself at the end of ages. 157 00:16:25.190 --> 00:16:29.429 The scriptures talk about this work of caw, of the cross that Jesus is 158 00:16:29.590 --> 00:16:34.059 going to as the end of the world, the end of the world, 159 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:40.820 and we see that symbolized in other ways with these signs of judgment coming. 160 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:45.259 When Jesus is on the cross, do you remember what happens? Darkness covers 161 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:52.330 the sky and earthquake happens, the temples curtain is torn into. This is 162 00:16:52.730 --> 00:17:02.639 judgment is happening, the end of the world is happening. He is coming 163 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:06.599 at the end of ages. He is doing what he brews nine hundred and 164 00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:11.000 twelve says. He is securing an eternal redemption, which means not only is 165 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:15.750 he bringing the end of the world about in the judgment of the cross, 166 00:17:15.029 --> 00:17:21.029 but he is also ushering in that new world. He is bringing his people 167 00:17:21.230 --> 00:17:26.029 out of Egypt at that very moment. So what the world looks at and 168 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:32.180 decides and rejects and laughs at and mocks at, Christians look at and say 169 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:37.220 this is my hope, this is the beginning of everything. Yes, my 170 00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:42.380 Lord is going to his death, but he's also going to my life, 171 00:17:45.730 --> 00:17:49.650 he is going to eternal life, he is going to glory, and we 172 00:17:49.730 --> 00:17:56.250 will see that. What is established on the Cross. What is secured that 173 00:17:56.650 --> 00:18:02.359 eternal redemptions versus Hebrews nine hundred and twelve. What is secured on the cross? 174 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:07.559 The People Hebrews one thousand, three hundred and twelve are sanctified by his 175 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.519 blood. All that happening in that moment is then that what is established there 176 00:18:12.630 --> 00:18:19.029 is then inaugurated when he rises from the tomb on that on that Sunday morning, 177 00:18:21.109 --> 00:18:26.660 the Lord's Day. Jeremy Treat in a book called the crucified King, 178 00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:30.220 a very good book. He can. He uses the analogy of our elections, 179 00:18:30.339 --> 00:18:34.180 which is timely. He says, you know, in the United States 180 00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:41.569 a president secures the victory when the votes are in and you know who won. 181 00:18:41.730 --> 00:18:47.809 That's how you become president, but the inauguration doesn't happen till January. 182 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:52.970 Right. So you you win, you established and then there's an inauguration. 183 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:56.000 That happens leader. In a similar way. We have that happening. In 184 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:00.319 other words, the Cross is central. The Cross is important. The redict 185 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:04.880 the the resurrection also important. Will get to that soon enough. But don't 186 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:10.910 pass over this, because what will happen is Jesus will want us to frame 187 00:19:11.150 --> 00:19:15.309 all of our lives through this cross. He'll say things like deny yourselves, 188 00:19:15.470 --> 00:19:22.230 take up your cross and follow me. His apostles will say things like don't 189 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:26.220 be surprised when the sufferings come upon you, when the fiery trials and persecutions 190 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:32.539 come upon you, for taking my name on you, as John has said, 191 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:37.970 as Jesus has said, will the servants a suffer with all servants not 192 00:19:38.049 --> 00:19:42.329 suffer where the master has suffered, where the world hate him, and then 193 00:19:42.890 --> 00:19:48.730 pass over us who love him? Now we can't forget the cross, because 194 00:19:48.769 --> 00:19:52.119 that's what everyone wanted to avoid. No King but Caesar. It was all 195 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:57.279 glory, all the time. Take this world and make it heaven on earth. 196 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:04.480 It's not going to be that way. Jesus is going to bring heaven 197 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:11.349 to Earth, but it is going to happen through this bloody sacrifice of his 198 00:20:11.549 --> 00:20:15.470 own body, and that's why he goes outside the city to the place of 199 00:20:15.589 --> 00:20:22.660 the skull, to endure death, death for US Second Corinthians, five hundred 200 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:26.539 and twenty one. For our sake, he would he made him to be 201 00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:33.660 sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God. 202 00:20:37.730 --> 00:20:41.769 This is how we see the cross. Let me read to you from 203 00:20:41.769 --> 00:20:48.049 a fifth century Bishop, from of a quote from a Fifth Century Bishop, 204 00:20:48.049 --> 00:20:52.599 Leo the Great. To the wicked, the side of the Lord carrying his 205 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:57.319 own cross was indeed an object of derision, but to the faithful a great 206 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:03.480 mystery was revealed, for the Cross was destined to become the scepter of his 207 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:11.309 power. Here was the majestic spectacle of a glorious conqueror, mightily overthrowing the 208 00:21:11.549 --> 00:21:18.420 hostile forces of the double and nobly bearing the trophy of his victory on the 209 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:26.420 shoulders of his invincible pain invincible patients. He carried the sign of salvation for 210 00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:30.380 all the kingdoms of the Earth to worship, as if, on that day 211 00:21:30.500 --> 00:21:33.730 he would strengthen all his future disciples by the symbol of his work and say 212 00:21:33.809 --> 00:21:38.410 to them anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not 213 00:21:38.609 --> 00:21:45.930 worthy of me. We follow Jesus and we love the cross, because it 214 00:21:47.049 --> 00:21:52.000 is the trophy of our salvation. It is the thing that he accomplishes, 215 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:59.480 and here Jesus fulfills his words that he promised back in John Chapter Ten. 216 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:04.630 I am the Good Shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep. 217 00:22:11.470 --> 00:22:17.660 Let us learn to see our savior in this way, not just some other 218 00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:22.619 king, not just some man who has some good things to say, or 219 00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:27.220 even great things to say, but as the savior of the world and the 220 00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:33.769 things that he is inaugurated beloved. That new age, that Eternal Age, 221 00:22:33.849 --> 00:22:41.450 the judgment that is already begun. It will all be consummated in just a 222 00:22:41.529 --> 00:22:48.160 little while. The Lord will perfect us, establish US and glorify us. 223 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:52.799 The resurrection has already begun, just as the judgment of the world has already 224 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:57.630 begun, because just as the judgment of the world began with Jesus on the 225 00:22:57.710 --> 00:23:03.910 Cross, so did the resurrection when he rose from the dead. The harvest 226 00:23:03.950 --> 00:23:10.589 is already ready. The Lord will come soon. Be Ready. Trust in 227 00:23:10.750 --> 00:23:15.299 him. Put Your faith in him. He will not fail you. Let's 228 00:23:15.299 --> pray