Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:06.759
Brothers and sisters, let's turn to
John Chapter Nineteen and continue our reading in
2
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:33.179
The gospel of John John Chapter Nineteen. So once you arrive at John Nineteen,
3
00:00:33.299 --> 00:00:37.969
look for Verse Sixteen, and I
will be Reading Verses Sixteen through twenty
4
00:00:38.049 --> 00:00:51.679
two. All right, let's give
our attention to God's word. So they
5
00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:57.359
delivered him over, or so he
delivered him over, to them to be
6
00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:02.600
crucified. So they took Jesus and
he went out, daring his own cross,
7
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.590
to the place called the place of
a skull, which in Aramaic is
8
00:01:07.790 --> 00:01:12.109
called Golgotha. They are. They
crucified him and with two others on either
9
00:01:12.150 --> 00:01:19.180
side and Jesus between them, pilot
also wrote an inscription and put it on
10
00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:23.780
the cross. It read Jesus of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
11
00:01:25.140 --> 00:01:29.420
Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified
12
00:01:29.659 --> 00:01:34.129
was near the city, and it
was written in Aramaic, in Latin and
13
00:01:34.849 --> 00:01:38.849
in Greek. So the chief priests
of the Jews said the pilot, do
14
00:01:40.010 --> 00:01:42.569
not write the king of the Jews, but rather this man said, I
15
00:01:42.890 --> 00:01:49.400
am the king of the Jews.
Pilot answered what I have written I have
16
00:01:49.560 --> 00:02:01.909
written. My God bless his word
to us. In First Corinthians, Paul,
17
00:02:02.390 --> 00:02:07.150
the apostle, Paul, is talking
to them about his ministry. To
18
00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:14.469
them he's trying to help that church
understand who he is, what is intention
19
00:02:14.629 --> 00:02:16.139
is, what it is God has
called him to do. And there he
20
00:02:16.300 --> 00:02:23.939
says that I desire to know nothing
among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
21
00:02:23.979 --> 00:02:31.610
I desire to know nothing except Jesus
and him crucified. This strong statement
22
00:02:31.650 --> 00:02:38.610
that comes from the Apostle Paul is
remarkable because the apostle taught on so many
23
00:02:38.849 --> 00:02:43.530
things. A large portion of the
New Testament is taken up by Paul and
24
00:02:43.610 --> 00:02:49.080
he talks about the place of the
Jews and the gentiles and the history of
25
00:02:49.159 --> 00:02:54.800
the world, the Holy Spirit,
adoption, eschatology, the nature of knowledge.
26
00:02:54.840 --> 00:03:00.629
He talks about marriage and love and
church government, and he talks about
27
00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:06.270
the sacraments. He talks about all
kinds of things. And yet at the
28
00:03:06.349 --> 00:03:10.069
core of it all is this desire. At the core of everything that he
29
00:03:10.189 --> 00:03:15.259
says, at the core of all
of these copics that he covers is Jesus
30
00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:22.139
Christ and him crucified. So central
is it that he says I desire to
31
00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:28.210
know nothing except this doesn't mean,
of course, that all these other topics
32
00:03:28.250 --> 00:03:31.009
are unimportant and that we don't need
to read anything else but John Nineteen,
33
00:03:31.889 --> 00:03:35.849
but it means that all things are
bound up in this and if it's not
34
00:03:36.050 --> 00:03:39.009
bound up in that, it doesn't
really have a place in Paul's thinking,
35
00:03:39.090 --> 00:03:45.680
even in Paul's life. In another
place Paul talks about being willing to give
36
00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:53.199
up everything that he had attained anything
in this world, to know Jesus,
37
00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:59.550
to belong to Jesus. And it
wasn't just Paul who says this. This
38
00:03:59.710 --> 00:04:02.909
is not just Paul's particular theology.
This is the message of all of the
39
00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:10.900
Bible. All of the scriptures are
centered on this point. Jesus himself talks
40
00:04:10.939 --> 00:04:15.420
about this in Luke Chapter Twenty four
after he had risen from the dead,
41
00:04:15.500 --> 00:04:19.699
he had been crucified. He rose
from the dead and he meets some disciples,
42
00:04:21.740 --> 00:04:29.930
and I will read to you from
Luke Chapter Twenty Four. They are
43
00:04:30.009 --> 00:04:32.850
are talking about Jesus and his suffering, the cross and all of these things,
44
00:04:32.889 --> 00:04:36.410
and in verse twenty five he says
to them they don't know who he
45
00:04:36.529 --> 00:04:40.319
is yet. They said, oh, foolish ones, and slow of heart
46
00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:46.639
to believe all that the prophets have
spoken? Was it not necessary that the
47
00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:51.949
Christ should suffer these things and enter
into his glory? And, beginning from
48
00:04:53.029 --> 00:04:58.949
with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them in all the scriptures
49
00:04:59.269 --> 00:05:04.310
the things concerning himself. So they
drew near to the village to which they
50
00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:08.379
were going. He acted as if
he were going farther, but they urged
51
00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:12.019
him strongly, saying stay with us, for it is toward the evening and
52
00:05:12.139 --> 00:05:15.860
the day is now far spent.
So he went in to stay with them.
53
00:05:15.699 --> 00:05:18.779
When he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed it
54
00:05:18.939 --> 00:05:23.850
and broke it and he gave it
to them, and their eyes were opened
55
00:05:23.889 --> 00:05:29.250
and they recognized him, and he
vanished from their sight. They said to
56
00:05:29.370 --> 00:05:32.329
each other, did not our hearts
burn within us while he talked to us
57
00:05:32.370 --> 00:05:38.879
on the road, while he opened
up the scriptures? And they arose that
58
00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.600
same hour and returned to Jerusalem,
and they found the eleven and those who
59
00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:46.439
are with them gathered, saying the
Lord has risen in a deed and has
60
00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.430
appeared to Simon. Then they told
what had happened on the road and how
61
00:05:49.509 --> 00:05:55.949
he was known to them in the
breaking of the bread. So this amazing
62
00:05:55.990 --> 00:06:00.949
scene in which the Lord himself meets
with these disciples and says, don't be
63
00:06:00.189 --> 00:06:05.420
surprised about this, don't be confused
about this. Everything, everything, everything
64
00:06:05.579 --> 00:06:11.259
was leading up to this point.
It was necessary. And then he goes
65
00:06:11.300 --> 00:06:15.420
to all the scriptures and he proves
this from the scriptures. And then later
66
00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:20.129
they say we knew it, our
hearts were burning within us as he he
67
00:06:20.850 --> 00:06:30.370
spoke. Amazing. All this means
is that when we read the Bible,
68
00:06:30.529 --> 00:06:32.959
in order to understand the Bible,
we have to read it in light of
69
00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:39.839
Jesus crucified. He's in the middle
of it all, and this means that
70
00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.439
when we desire to know God's will
and how to follow, it has to
71
00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:48.389
begin and end with Jesus Christ and
him crucified. And means that when it
72
00:06:48.430 --> 00:06:53.589
comes to our hearts as well,
what our hearts need to be attuned to
73
00:06:54.589 --> 00:07:01.100
this fact. We feel things rightly, we love rightly, when our Hearts
74
00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:08.259
Know Jesus Christ and him crucified,
he must be at the center, and
75
00:07:08.379 --> 00:07:15.540
this is expressed in a few ways
in our passage today. For one,
76
00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:19.410
he's at the center of attention.
The Passover is going on. There is
77
00:07:19.529 --> 00:07:25.889
a lot of different things going on, important things, and the yearly life,
78
00:07:26.689 --> 00:07:31.720
religious and civil life of Israel.
And despite all of that going on,
79
00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:38.759
the attention is on Jesus. What
happens to Jesus here in this moment
80
00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:45.949
will will affect things one way or
another. There are Jews, relationships to
81
00:07:46.110 --> 00:07:54.670
one another, their relationships to their
gentile rulers and the gentile world. All
82
00:07:54.829 --> 00:08:00.620
of these things will depend, are
depending on what happens here to Jesus.
83
00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:09.819
He's also at the center of these
three or at this at the center of
84
00:08:09.980 --> 00:08:15.370
these three crosses. So in John
Nineteen and the other gospels, notice how
85
00:08:15.410 --> 00:08:20.410
John Puts this. In verse eighteen. There they crucified him and with him
86
00:08:20.449 --> 00:08:28.399
two others, one on either side
and Jesus between them. It's somewhat remarkable
87
00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:37.480
the way that somewhat it is remarkable
the way that John and the other gospels
88
00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:46.750
understate the crucifixion. Here's what I'm
putting. I'm trying to say in verse
89
00:08:46.789 --> 00:08:52.789
eighteen it simply says there they crucified
him. If there's no sort of gory
90
00:08:52.950 --> 00:08:58.620
details, and those are helpful to
understand. This is a terrible torture,
91
00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:03.539
and I'd encourage you at some point
to read about what a crucifixion is,
92
00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:07.019
what it is our Lord suffered.
But John doesn't get into that here.
93
00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:11.769
He chooses, by the direction of
the Holy Spirit, to simply say there
94
00:09:11.889 --> 00:09:18.490
they crucified him and instead of talking
about the things that he was experiencing in
95
00:09:18.690 --> 00:09:22.610
his body and the pain and all
of that anguish, which is it described
96
00:09:22.690 --> 00:09:30.120
in some ways this understated way,
here it is. It's understated that the
97
00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:35.480
experience on the cross, but his
presence there is kind of is amplified,
98
00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:39.509
and with him two others, one
on either side and Jesus in between them.
99
00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:46.470
Where does John Place the focus?
Where does John want to draw our
100
00:09:46.710 --> 00:09:52.470
attention to? He wants us to
draw our attention to the what Isaiah says,
101
00:09:52.549 --> 00:09:58.299
and Isaiah Fife twelve. He was
numbered among the transgressors. It's not
102
00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:03.059
just that Jesus suffered greatly, and
he did, but it's the why he
103
00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:09.250
suffered. Why is he there?
What's going on? How are we to
104
00:10:09.289 --> 00:10:15.889
understand that? And we are to
understand it as him being numbered among the
105
00:10:16.090 --> 00:10:20.370
transgressors, two others on either side
of him, criminals. We know from
106
00:10:20.370 --> 00:10:26.519
the other Gospels Jesus is here on
across that he doesn't deserve, with people,
107
00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:30.879
well, that do deserve, perhaps, to be on a cross,
108
00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:39.590
people who are suffering for their sins. And this teaches us, it points
109
00:10:39.669 --> 00:10:45.429
us to the fact of Jesus's mission
that, yes, it would end and
110
00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:48.710
result in glory, but the way
he would come to it, the way
111
00:10:48.750 --> 00:10:54.740
the glory would be to achieved,
is through the cross. Without the grace
112
00:10:54.899 --> 00:10:58.340
of God, none of that glory
would be known. Without the Cross,
113
00:10:58.940 --> 00:11:01.940
the glory would not happen. We
would not know the love of God,
114
00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:07.250
we would not know the presence of
God, anything that we would desire in
115
00:11:07.409 --> 00:11:11.250
our connection, in our communion with
each other, with him, none of
116
00:11:11.330 --> 00:11:16.289
it would happen unless the problem of
sin is removed, and that's what's happening
117
00:11:16.370 --> 00:11:22.559
on the cross. Jesus is being
numbered among the transgressors by becoming one who
118
00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:33.070
is counted as sinful, who knew
no sin. God on the Cross,
119
00:11:33.070 --> 00:11:39.590
representing man, so that our sins
could be forgiven. And because of this,
120
00:11:39.429 --> 00:11:45.669
because Jesus is in the middle,
is at the center, we are
121
00:11:45.870 --> 00:11:50.779
saved. Want to ask you this
question. What do you long for?
122
00:11:50.940 --> 00:11:56.740
What do you want? Do you
want to be heard. Do you want
123
00:11:56.779 --> 00:12:03.049
to be known? Do you want
meaning? Maybe you want hope or love
124
00:12:03.690 --> 00:12:11.570
or compassion? Maybe you want friendship
or family, or true knowledge or True
125
00:12:11.610 --> 00:12:18.600
Religion, a lasting kingdom or forgiveness
of your sins, eternal safety or fellowship,
126
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:26.240
peace on Earth, justice, holiness. None of it will come to
127
00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:31.909
you apart from the cross, and
all of it will come to you in
128
00:12:33.110 --> 00:12:39.669
the Cross of Christ. That's why
Jesus is there. He's being numbered among
129
00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:46.620
the transgressors, he's in the middle
of sin and wrath so that God will,
130
00:12:46.740 --> 00:12:50.259
can give us these things, so
that the very thing that separates us
131
00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:54.379
and as ever, always separated us
from God ever since the fall, would
132
00:12:54.379 --> 00:13:00.129
be removed, so that when God
looks at us, there's no more condemnation,
133
00:13:01.850 --> 00:13:09.610
only justification and, one day,
glorification as well. Jesus here is
134
00:13:09.730 --> 00:13:15.799
inaugurating, by the blood, by
his shed blood, a new covenant,
135
00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:22.639
a New People and a new kingdom, and the centrality of his place among
136
00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:28.669
all the sinners that continues on as
we see him, central among the saints,
137
00:13:28.710 --> 00:13:35.470
as he transitions us out of as
he transitions us out of this kingdom,
138
00:13:35.629 --> 00:13:39.549
rescues us, delivers us, brings
us out of this kingdom and Dominion
139
00:13:39.590 --> 00:13:45.620
of darkness into the Kingdom of the
beloved son God can now continues to dwell
140
00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:52.259
with us and abide with us.
In John Chapter Twenty, on Verse Nine,
141
00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:56.250
in Verse Nineteen, we read on
the evening of that day, the
142
00:13:56.409 --> 00:14:01.690
first day of the week. This
is right the week, the day of
143
00:14:01.730 --> 00:14:07.409
the Resurrection Day the Lord, the
doors being locked where the disciples were for
144
00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:11.519
fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood among them and said to them,
145
00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:18.279
peace be with you. Jesus is
with us in our death, and
146
00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:26.230
now he's with us after our death. Peace be with you, he proclaims
147
00:14:26.830 --> 00:14:31.990
to the saints. And then again
in Verse Twenty Six, again on the
148
00:14:33.110 --> 00:14:37.309
Lord's Day, eight days later,
his disciples were inside again and Thomas was
149
00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:41.980
with them, although the doors being
locked, Jesus came and stood among them
150
00:14:41.379 --> 00:14:48.100
and said peace be with you.
This is the announcement of the Kingdom of
151
00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:52.490
God. This is the announcement of
our salvation. God no longer is angry
152
00:14:52.649 --> 00:14:58.490
with us, God no longer is
um it is is promising to punish us
153
00:14:58.610 --> 00:15:03.970
for our rebelliousness with his wrath,
but instead he's promising us to give us
154
00:15:05.049 --> 00:15:11.519
his love and his glory, his
peace, because wrath has been set aside,
155
00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:16.960
because Jesus, our mediator, our
substitute, went in our place.
156
00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:24.389
He stood in the middle, or
hung in the middle of sinners so that
157
00:15:24.549 --> 00:15:31.549
he could come and stand with us
as saints, as Holy Ones. Jesus
158
00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:35.980
is our safety, he's our hope, he's our peace, he's our everything.
159
00:15:37.539 --> 00:15:41.740
And so the Christian life begins and
ends here. All is defined and
160
00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:46.860
refined on this major point, and
that's why Paul says what he says,
161
00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:54.250
and that's why you should say it
too. Interestingly, pilot seems to say
162
00:15:54.370 --> 00:15:58.970
something along these lines, perhaps unwittingly, when he nails this sign to the
163
00:16:00.169 --> 00:16:07.039
Cross of the of the crucified King, this grand proclamation written in three languages,
164
00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:15.039
Aramaic, Latin and Greek. Right, this is official business, right,
165
00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:22.590
this multilingual proclamation, some commentators have
note, this is probably again,
166
00:16:22.950 --> 00:16:30.269
probably unwielding, unwittingly, but probably
the first, first written Gospel. They're
167
00:16:30.629 --> 00:16:36.340
on the Cross, proclaimed not just
for the Jews but for the gentiles as
168
00:16:36.419 --> 00:16:42.340
well. Jesus Christ, King of
the Jews, from Nazareth, a man
169
00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:48.970
who became man to save man.
Now, all this sign was probably a
170
00:16:49.409 --> 00:16:56.009
anti Jewish joke. As one commentator
put it, the joke was on pilot
171
00:16:56.169 --> 00:17:03.599
and all who mock this crucified figure
ever since. So this leads us to
172
00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:11.319
a choice that we have to make
whenever we hear the Cross of Christ proclaimed
173
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:18.029
in the Scriptures and sermons, in
our hymns and our prayers, when we
174
00:17:18.150 --> 00:17:23.190
hear the Cross of Christ proclaimed,
how will we react? What will we
175
00:17:23.349 --> 00:17:30.900
choose? Will we mock and ignore
and walk by the central focus of all
176
00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:37.460
of history? Will we walk by
and mock and ignore or even hate the
177
00:17:37.700 --> 00:17:42.259
one to whom all the scriptures testified, the one who has come to bring
178
00:17:42.380 --> 00:17:52.890
salvation and peace to the world?
Or will we take the crucified King as
179
00:17:52.049 --> 00:18:00.200
our King? Will we see ourselves
in him? Will we have him dwell
180
00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:07.799
in this central place, not just
in history, but in our hearts,
181
00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:17.750
in our minds, in our walk? My encouragement and exhortation to you from
182
00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:22.390
the word of God is let Jesus
be your King. The world will mock
183
00:18:22.509 --> 00:18:27.500
you as they marked him. The
world will cause you to suffer as it
184
00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:33.740
caused him to suffer, but it
doesn't matter, because on the third day
185
00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:37.059
he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and now is preparing
186
00:18:37.099 --> 00:18:44.049
a dwelling place for us, is
interceding for us. Every day, you
187
00:18:44.170 --> 00:18:48.210
can give your life to Christ,
completely, every aspect of it, and
188
00:18:48.450 --> 00:18:55.250
know that safety belongs to you,
friendship, fellowship, love, hope,
189
00:18:55.569 --> 00:19:03.079
peace, justice, holiness and all
the rest, because you have Christ.
190
00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:10.150
This is why, as we sing
in the him, our hope is built
191
00:19:10.190 --> 00:19:18.509
on nothing less than Jesus Christ and
his righteousness given to us and our sins
192
00:19:18.549 --> 00:19:25.259
forgiven in him through the cross.
Let's pray our
