[0:00] Take your Bibles if you would, and let's go to Matthew chapter 26. What a beautiful thought that we should see Christ, show us Christ. What a great thing. I hope that you will see Him today.
[0:12] In the passage of Scripture you're going to read, I want you to think about how you would react to Jesus. You're going to read about how different people reacted to the Lord Jesus in this passage of Scripture. And then I would like you to consider as you read that, where would you have been that day?
[0:26] How would you have reacted? How are you reacting right now? So go with me first, if you would, to Matthew chapter 26 and verse 56. The Bible says in Matthew 26, 56, But all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
[0:41] Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. If you have your Bible open, you should underline in that verse right there that everything that's happening in this story is according to the plan.
[0:52] Everything that's happening in this story is according to the plan. All this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Underline, all done, that the prophets' Scriptures would be fulfilled.
[1:06] So I want you to maybe make a note somewhere here. Everything's happening according to God's plan. You need to understand that the story of salvation is not the story of an accidental death, of an innocent guy who was grabbed and drug across and put into judgment and then falsely accused and crucified on a cross.
[1:28] This is God's plan to save you so that you wouldn't go to hell when you die. This is our story. This is the story of how our God rescued us from sin. And it was all done according to God's plan.
[1:41] As you read the story, you could easily get caught up in the details and miss the main point. God is doing all of this to bring about our salvation. This isn't a Mel Gibson movie about how he suffered and we're watching his suffering.
[1:55] We're watching our salvation. We're watching God rescue us. The Scriptures are being fulfilled. The Bible says in Psalm chapter 41 verse 9 that a close friend would betray him.
[2:08] And the story you have in front of you, that's what's going to happen. Psalm 41 verse 9, the Bible says, Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
[2:22] In the story, Judas, who is one of the twelve, who is a very trusted one of the twelve. He's one of the twelve. Nobody has in mind that Judas is the betrayer.
[2:32] Jesus knows because he's God and he knows everything. But the other eleven have no idea. Please don't think that the other eleven look at Judas and notice that he has horns under his hair and all through the three and a half years they're all thinking he's the wicked one and he's the one that's going to do something bad.
[2:47] He was the treasurer. You make the treasurer of any organization. You're trying to look for the most trustworthy, highest charactered person you have. You don't want somebody handling your money you think's a thief.
[2:59] They often are. Judas was and CFOs of many organizations have been. But obviously that's not what you're looking for. They didn't think of Judas as a thief. He was a familiar friend.
[3:11] He walked with them. He talked to them. He ate with them. And Jesus said, I trusted him. Verse 55, or Psalm 55, verse 12. Another prophecy says, For it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have borne it.
[3:24] Neither was it he that hated me, that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him. But it was a man, my unequal, my guide, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked into the house of God in one company.
[3:39] That's what's going on in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 47. Open your Bible there. All according to Scripture. Now listen to me. All according to Scripture.
[3:50] You understand that there's something bigger happening in the story here than a man going to die on a cross. There's somebody bigger than all of this who from before the foundation of the world has worked out a plan of salvation to save sinners from their sin.
[4:05] And that's what's going on. In chapter 26 and verse 47, the Bible says, And while he yet spake lo Judas, one of the twelve, came with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people.
[4:16] Underline Judas. Maybe circle the word Judas. Underline one of the twelve. You've got to understand. Think with me a second. You don't even know the names of hardly anybody that Jesus hung around.
[4:26] Of all the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John stories, of all those stories, there are very few names of individuals that were his friends. We know there were 70 that were sent out to go witness them in groups of two, 35 teams of two.
[4:41] We know that. We know about Zacchaeus he spent an afternoon with. We know about Nicodemus he spent an evening with. We know about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and another Mary maybe.
[4:51] But there are very few people's names that are mentioned. But there are twelve guys. They're with him. There are twelve guys. They're his team. There are twelve guys that serve with him and go everywhere with him.
[5:02] And one of the most trusted is a guy named Judas who is the actual treasurer. He carried the bag of the group and he is the one who is going to betray Jesus. One of the twelve.
[5:12] Not a Pharisee. Not a Sadducee. Not a religious leader of another group. But one of the inner circle will betray him. By the way, he will betray him with a kiss and mock respect.
[5:25] Look at Matthew 26, 48 if you would. The Bible said, Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss the same as he, hold him fast.
[5:35] And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, Hail, master, and kissed him. Get this. The whole big crowd of guys come and they're kind of, I don't know what they're doing. They're hiding out in the dark, just beyond the reach of the candlelight or the lanterns that they've got lit or the campfire.
[5:49] And they're out hiding behind that and you can't see them. And Judas comes walking in to the crowd and he walks up to Jesus and in front of everybody, he's making sure everybody can hear him because he's got all these people hiding.
[5:59] There's a big crowd. They're fixing to grab Jesus. And he walks up and says, He says, Hey, Jesus. Hey, Jesus. Hail, master. And he kissed him. Jesus even responds to him and says, Friend.
[6:12] Look at chapter 26, verse 50. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, why'd you come? Wherefore art thou come? Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him.
[6:23] Now stop a second and understand, all of that was known before it ever happened. Do you understand you serve a God who knew the future before it ever happened?
[6:34] And it may be past now when we're reading about it, but before the world was ever created, God knew exactly what was going to happen. He knew Judas was going to betray Jesus. He knew the whole story. Did you realize that when the psalmist was alive hundreds of years before and he's writing stories about it, he's going to write about the crucifixion.
[6:49] And you might not recognize that until you understand the New Testament. But then when you go back and read the psalms, you'll say, I see that happening. That happened just like he put it in the psalms because God's got a plan and he's working that plan to bring about our salvation.
[7:04] Jesus doesn't want to be defended. When they come to get him, he doesn't want to be defended. Look at chapter 26 and verse 54. What happens is, oh, Peter's going to draw a sword.
[7:17] Chapter 26, verse 54, he says, how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? See, when they came to get him, old Peter reaches, grabs his sword and he's going to split old Malchus' head in two and he misses his head and chops off his ear and he's standing there with a sword and Jesus says, whoa, whoa, whoa, put your sword up.
[7:34] Put your sword up. If you'd stop them from getting me, how are we going to fulfill the scriptures? We're on a plan here. I got something working here. God, from the beginning of the world, has planned that I would die so that the people sitting at Vision Baptist Church on this day in November could hear the gospel and be saved.
[7:52] So in chapter 26 and verse 51, the Bible says, and behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and he struck a servant of the high priest and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, put your sword up, buddy, because if you take a sword, you'll die by the sword.
[8:07] And by the way, Peter, your puny little sword's not much in this game because if I wanted, I'd call the angels of heaven. You don't realize I got armies at my behest.
[8:19] I have armies I could call if I didn't want to die right now, but I came to die. Chapter 26, verse 53, look at it. Underline, thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels?
[8:32] You and your puny little sword and I could have 12,000 angels standing here who could whip anybody. I could call them, but I came to die. But I came to die. Peter puts your sword up.
[8:43] Don't try to stop what's happening here. This is intentional. I came to die. Jesus was willingly laying down his life. He told Peter to put the sword up because he didn't need or want protecting.
[8:56] He even turns to the crowds and says, guys, chapter 26, verse 55, you didn't need to plan all this little plot you got going on and have Judas come out here and kiss me and try to trap me at night like a thief.
[9:09] I've not even tried to hide from you guys. I've been right in the middle of you. Chapter 26 and verse 55, read what it says. In that same hour, said Jesus to the multitudes, to the crowd, are you come out against me as a thief with swords and staves for to take me?
[9:22] Hey guys, I sat daily with you teaching in the temple and you didn't lay hold on me. He said, I was there all the time. I sat around all the time teaching. I mean, any day you could have wanted, you could have gotten me. I was there. I haven't been hiding.
[9:32] I haven't had soldiers around me. I haven't tried to hide. You didn't need to treat me like a thief. You didn't have to get a traitor to come and get me. You didn't need a plan. I've been available all along. But all of this is happening because God was providing our salvation.
[9:49] Look again at 26, 56. But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled that all the disciples forsook him and fled.
[9:59] I need you to understand something really big and deep and special here. The word of God is just that. The word of God. And so what God said in Genesis and Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers and Deuteronomy and what God said in the Psalms and what God said in the prophets was true and it would take place.
[10:20] And Jesus wouldn't stop it or hinder it because God had a plan. God knew you were going to sin. God knew you would deserve to go to hell. God loved you and before the foundation where he made a plan where he would come in human flesh and die on a cross and pay your sin debt so you could be saved.
[10:36] It's the plan of God. Not the plan Adam and Eve made up. They didn't have one. They hid and covered themselves with fig leaves. Not the plans that the apostles had. They drew a sword and tried to stop Jesus from dying on a cross but the plan that God had.
[10:50] He loves you. He loves you and he's loved you all along and that's why he died on a cross so you could go to heaven when you die. He loves you. Now there's only one way they can convict Jesus of any crime.
[11:00] You see he's perfectly innocent. He is perfectly perfect. He's never sinned and so when they bring him on the trial I mean what are they going to convict a guy of that's going about feeding people that are hungry raising people from the dead healing people that are sick and just being good all along.
[11:14] I mean he wouldn't even hurt a bruised reed. He was a wonderful man. He was God in human flesh. How could they convict him? They had to get some false witnesses. Look at chapter 26 in verse 59.
[11:25] The Bible says now the chief priests and elders and all the council sought false witnesses against Jesus. Put a circle around the word sought. They went looking. They went looking and said we need somebody to testify.
[11:36] We got to get some liars to come and say some stuff so we can kill Jesus. So they went and they sought out these people so they could put him to death. Verse 60. They got a bunch. They found none really.
[11:46] Yea though many false witnesses came yet they found none. At the last came two witnesses. So they're going over and saying hey could you come give a word of testimony? They came and give a word of testimony. Everybody's like that ain't true. Another guy stood up and said Jesus ought to die because that ain't true.
[11:59] And nobody could convince them because nobody had anything they could say against Jesus because he that knew no sin became sin. For us that were sinners could be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
[12:12] Amen? That's what's going to happen. And so two false witnesses finally come underline it in verse 60. They finally get two false witnesses. Two liars. They're going to tell just enough of the truth.
[12:24] They're going to tell just enough of the truth to get Jesus ready to say what's happening. So look if you would at verse 61. They said that Jesus said he was able to destroy the temple.
[12:35] In verse 61 it says that he said this fellow said I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days. But Jesus didn't actually say that. He actually said you destroy the temple and I will rebuild it in three days.
[12:49] And when he said it he was talking about his own body and not about the temple. Jesus doesn't answer anything as they are accusing him. He doesn't say a word. He could have done so if he had wanted but he doesn't say a word.
[13:02] They said something that he did said way back in the early time of his ministry and they bring it up. Everybody knows what's going on. Everybody knows Jesus is being falsely accused.
[13:12] Everybody knows what's happening. In 2662 the high priest arose and said are you not going to say anything? Answerest thou nothing? What is it? You're not going to say nothing about what these witnesses are saying?
[13:25] So the high priest pushes Jesus. He's goading him and pushing him. In chapter 26 and verse 63 Jesus held his peace and the high priest answered and said unto him I adjure thee I call on you I'm telling you by the name of God in heaven that you should tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of the living God.
[13:44] Are you the Messiah? Are you the special one that was sent from God? Are you the Son of God? And Jesus said verse 64 you said it you said it and I'll tell you what I'll say look at it it won't be long when you'll see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.
[14:08] You say are you the Christ the Son of God? He said I'll tell you what you said it but it won't be long hereafter you'll look up and you'll see me sitting on the right hand of power on the right hand of God Almighty and I'll be coming back in power.
[14:20] Right now I'm going to let you have your way. Right now I'm going to let you take my life. Right now you're working out things according to my plan but I am God. I am God. You know what the truth is?
[14:30] You've said it. What I do tell you is that I will be coming back in great power. I will be at the right hand of God. They now have what they need for his execution.
[14:41] Chapter 26 and verse 66 What think you they say? They answered and said he is guilty of death. So now starts some pretty horrible mistreatment of our Savior.
[14:55] Please understand he was all human. He felt every blow. He was 100% God. He was 100% man. He was God Almighty in flesh but he really did have hunger and thirst and he really did feel and he knew everything that was happening to him.
[15:13] In verse 67 it says they spit on him and they buffeted him and they smote him. They spit in his face. I don't know of any place in the world where that's a nice thing but that was to say you are nobody.
[15:31] You are nothing in your face and then they punched him. They buffeted him. They started hitting him. Knocking him around and he took every blow and they slapped him.
[15:44] They opened their hand and they slapped him in the face with the palms of their hands and they made fun of him and they said in verse 68 why don't you tell us who's hitting you?
[15:55] Prophesy unto us thou Christ you holy man of God you God in human flesh you say that so you are well tell us who hit you. Why don't you tell us our names? Jesus is doing exactly what he had come to do.
[16:09] He is being judged. He's taking punishment that our sins deserved. He is intentionally dying. You understand that?
[16:23] We're in Matthew chapter 26 chapter 27 next Sunday morning we're going to get into pure agony. Our God our Savior on purpose planned from before the world began came to die and he is allowing them to kill him.
[16:41] I want you to think about how you'd react. The first reaction was old Judas denying him mocking him kissing him calling him master turning him over for all this mistreatment.
[16:56] Now Peter who is so proud of who he is and he says if all the other guys betray you you don't have to worry about me.
[17:07] I'll stick. I will not betray you. So go with me if you would Peter now will deny Jesus. Go with me if you would to chapter 26 and verse 69 and here's what's so funny. Peter is a big strong robust fisherman.
[17:22] I mean he's kind of sunburned. You know he's darker skin than a probably a white guy. he's a Jewish guy and he's out in the sun all the time as a fisherman. I mean his hands have got to be strong and massive for throwing those nets in the water and pulling those fish out.
[17:36] He's got muscles. This is no wimpy guy by any stretch of the imagination. He's an outdoorsman and it's two girls that will make him tremble in his boots. Two little girls.
[17:48] Look at what it says in 2669. Now Peter sat without in the palace and a damsel. That's a young girl. I don't know. What is she? 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
[17:59] She's a damsel. She's not married. She's a senorita. She's a little girl. She came to him saying, you were with Jesus. And Peter would go, I was not.
[18:11] No way. Then look at verse 71. Another maid. And when he was going out into the porch, another maid saw him and said to him, you're one of them. This fellow was with Jesus.
[18:23] And Peter went, no, this ain't true. This ain't true. Two girls put the big, strong Peter to fear. Made him want to run, made him want to hide, and made him afraid. The big fisherman, the one who had a sword and cut off Malchus's ear.
[18:38] That guy is afraid of two girls and what they got to say out in front of everybody else. He had been so sure of himself. He had told Jesus, everybody else will deny you, but you don't have to worry about me.
[18:49] He knew everybody would fail, but not Peter. He had actually taken the sword and stood with Jesus, bravely cutting off the soldier's ear. Look at John chapter 18 and verse 10. Make a note in the margin of your Bible so you remember who it was.
[19:00] John chapter 18 and verse 10. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it and smote the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. That guy's name was Malchus. So he chopped off old Malchus's ear.
[19:12] He had followed to see what was going to happen in his very story. You know, of all the others, I don't know where they went. Judas has betrayed him and he's gone off. There's still 11 good guys and 10 of them, we don't know what's happening with them, but Peter's following along.
[19:27] He wants to watch and see what's going to happen. I guess he loves Jesus. He didn't want to betray him, so he's standing where he could get nailed and he denied Jesus in front of everybody. Chapter 26, verse 70, look at what it says.
[19:39] He denied before them all, saying, I am not what you say I am. I am not a Christian. I am not a follower of Christ. I am not one of his apostles.
[19:51] I am not. Look how he reacted. In chapter 26, verse 72, he swears. Look at it. And again, he denied with an oath. I swear by the God of heaven, I am not the man.
[20:06] No way, not me. I'm not the man. They come to him again in chapter 26, verse 74. This time he starts cussing. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man and the cock crew.
[20:24] So get the picture. Judas has betrayed him. He's been taken off. He's been being slapped around, spit on, punched. They're making him try to figure out who it is that's hitting him.
[20:36] He is dying, but all of it because God wanted it to happen. All of it. And now Peter, who had been so proud, so braggadocious, so sure he would stand with Jesus, has denied him three times, just like Jesus said he would.
[20:52] And Peter remembers, chapter 26, verse 75. Peter remembers the words of Jesus. The Bible says, And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
[21:05] And he went out and he wept bitterly. So I want to bring you to the question today. How will you react to Jesus? How are you reacting to Jesus?
[21:19] Understand that this is much bigger than you or your opinion. God was at work providing for your salvation before the world ever began. There are no accidents in this story.
[21:30] Jesus is intentionally dying to rescue you and me from our sins and take us to heaven. I think the story is great to tell me how Jesus died for me but I think when I try to consider what am I supposed to take home from this and how am I supposed to react from this would be how am I reacting to Jesus?
[21:52] How have I reacted to Jesus? Where am I on this spectrum? Am I like old Judas who would betray him? Am I like Peter who would deny him? Am I like a crowd that's finicky and one day follows him and loves him and the next day comes with sticks and ways to beat him up and take him as a captive?
[22:11] Where am I in that story? Will you like Judas be friendly to the things of God and Jesus but never really believe? I would like to really ask you a serious question.
[22:23] I feel an awesome weight on me as a pastor of this wonderful church and when I look out and see your faces I feel a tremendous pressure because I'm the guy that's supposed to be calling you to trust Jesus and I wonder how many of us could be like Judas and we come to church and it looks like we love Jesus and it looks like we believe and it looks like we're faithful and it looks like anybody looking would say that's the number one guy that loves Jesus in that church but not be saved not be a believer be faking it all the way be faking it all the way be faking it come offering time be faking it when it comes baptizing time be faking it when it comes time to give a word of testimony be faking it when it comes to time to come to church I don't want you to be a Judas I don't want you to be that close to Jesus I don't want you to sit under the sound of my voice week after week and hear the gospel preached and go to hell when you die so it's time to examine how you are reacting to
[23:23] Jesus do you really believe him do you know that you have sinned against the holy God do you realize that he really is God do you realize that God had a plan from way back before the foundation of the world to save you don't be Judas you say that's harsh Judas would have looked so good till that night he would have looked so good but he wasn't really a believer and you do look so good and I don't know your heart and I can't see beyond what's out outward so do you believe will you believe that this is a great story of a great man without realizing that it's all about you and for you Mel Gibson can make a story about the crucifixion and the whole world will love it it's a great story it's a great story I mean it makes a great movie I mean I mean this good guy gets caught by all these bad people and he gets put to death and there's these people that believe in him and follow him and well they watch all the suffering and they feel about all these things going on but it's just a story is that what it is is this just the
[24:26] Easter story is it just the Christmas story is it just a historical event is it just oh well we all know about Jesus we know about him dying or do you know him as your savior how are you going to react to Jesus or will you be like the mindless masses not but not able to make up your mind you realize what happens in the story you got old Judas you got Peter denying him then you got this mindless mass of people they they had come to get Jesus when they knew better you know during the night like cowards that's well it's dark and you can't see their faces well and they come with Judas and they come with a high priest and they come with the religious leaders and they come to grab Jesus they know better than that just a week earlier they were welcoming him just a week earlier they were saying Hosanna Hosanna to the king of kings mindless crowds of people days before they worshipped him and now they treat him like a criminal the majority of the crowd probably never even thought about what they were doing they just went along with what everybody else was doing maybe you come to church because mom and daddy brought you to church maybe you come to church because now you're a grown-up adult but you just do what you're supposed to do on Sunday but you don't know Jesus I often wonder if in America it was as against the law to worship God as it is in
[26:00] Morocco or China if we'd have such good attendance would we love Jesus I wonder if they chose to convict you of being a Christian if it could even find enough evidence that you're truly born again that you're truly on your way to heaven they weren't really angry with Jesus they just wanted to do what their friends were doing when their friends want to throw down palm branches throw their coats down and say welcome Jesus welcome Jesus they're there and when their friends want to crucify him they're there they're cowards that didn't think about the truth or the consequences and I'm afraid so many of us may be there and I'm asking you to stop being a part of the crowd I wish I could talk to you individually and ask you do you believe forget what mama thinks forget what your brother thinks forget what else in this room thinks because this is between you and almighty God do you believe do you believe had a guilty conscience they came by night and they were cowards they came by night they were just doing what everybody else did and I'm so afraid that so many people in the southeast have cultural Christianity that is just what we do I was told that the Moroccans would say to be
[27:29] Moroccan is to be Muslim it's just the way it is to be Peruvian would be to be Catholic that's where I used to live and to be American would be to be Christian wouldn't it but are you that's a real question this isn't a game this isn't a religious exercise we do on Sunday morning this is eternity and just because your daddy's a believer doesn't make you a believer and just because your family's gonna go to heaven when they die that doesn't mean you're gonna go to heaven when they die if you haven't come face to face with your own sin and your reality and trusted Christ you're not saved do you twist scripture to feel good about your rebellion against the truth that's what the religious crowd was doing that day will you use your religion and your morality to say that you don't need Jesus see some of us are like do you know who I am I'm one of the biggest givers at this church you know who I am I've raised a great family do you know who I am the question would come back does he know who you are does he know who you are will you like Judas and I that
[28:39] Jesus is who he says he is and turn from him to the world all the years I've been preaching and been pastoring churches and ministering the word of God I've watched so many people that for years I thought were good Christians but 10 years later or 20 years later they don't even love God they've turned their back and they've walked away so that means something wasn't right I don't want that to happen with you will you like Peter be made a coward even though you believe because you fear what others think do you live out your Christianity we're preaching about Jesus dying for us we're all like it's a great story but that story is supposed to affect you tomorrow morning that story is supposed to affect the way you handle your money the way you lead your home the way you live your life it's who you are it's not a story whether you realize it or not Jesus is on trial in your heart today some of you will not see your need of his death on the cross you consider yourself better than needing him you can listen to the story and think that's a great story but I'm okay others of you have yet to believe that Jesus is deserving of your full surrender your full life your efforts you're like I want to not go to hell when I die I want to know for sure that
[30:00] I'm saved but I want to live my life the way I want to live my life I don't want really to have God I mean why should God control my life why should God have that he's on trial in your heart today is he really all God all we need or is it just something we do at church I'm through but I'll just leave it with you this way all across America churches are full this morning there'll be empty tonight or no services there is a picture of Christianity in everybody's minds that has no effect on every other day of their life their love for Jesus is a cultural social event it is not a reality that I am a sinner and I deserve to go to hell but Jesus died for me it is not a truth that has grabbed your heart grabbed your life and said this is more than a story if it's not more than that you need to be saved today and Christian if you're not surrendered I don't know how you hear this story I don't know how you read what God has done without saying I must honor Jesus that's the way you read that because of you it is the way for yourself and that you've never experienced I just means that you know you know how you're on it and that you absolutely had I want to remember me yes or I wish for you to enjoy the smelling, you know free rawizable thank you just for your love for your death especially amazing and challenge you