WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.519 I mean, warning signs are two-edge things, aren't they? Warnings are good things, but they never sound very good. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:23.600 ! So let's say you go to a beach in Australia, you swim on a beach in Australia, and you see the sign, no swimming sharks are there. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:32.500 No swimming, warning sharks. And you might think, well, that's a really unfriendly sign, I was desperate for a swim, it's a hot day. 00:00:34.060 --> 00:00:38.480 But it's a good thing, isn't it? It's a good thing that you're warned. Warnings are good things. 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:45.140 And so it is in Matthew's Gospel, it's a good thing that we are warned. 00:00:46.340 --> 00:00:50.820 And these verses this morning at the start of chapter 27 show us wrong responses. 00:00:50.820 --> 00:00:55.859 And Matthew doesn't want you to make those same choices. 00:00:57.100 --> 00:01:04.599 But the sting in the tale is that these warnings come from people who we might call insiders. 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:13.099 Judas Iscariot, do you remember? He had been a follower of the Lord Jesus for three years. 00:01:13.099 --> 00:01:14.939 He'd been a friend. 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:24.719 The chief priests and the elders, one of the religious leaders, right at the centre of religious life. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.019 And it's these two groups of people that are a warning. 00:01:30.399 --> 00:01:31.259 So two warnings. 00:01:31.379 --> 00:01:37.119 The first warning is this, the tragedy of a stubborn refusal to accept Jesus. 00:01:37.479 --> 00:01:40.519 The tragedy of a stubborn refusal to accept Jesus. 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:43.459 And we're going to focus on the chief priests and the elders. 00:01:43.539 --> 00:01:44.119 Look at verse one. 00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:53.299 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 00:01:54.939 --> 00:02:01.019 And they'd come to that decision not because they'd had a look at all the evidence and they thought that is the right verdict. 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:04.199 It was because they'd wanted Jesus dead all along. 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:10.060 So just turn back to the page before, chapter 26, verses 3 and 4. 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:18.340 And you'll see there, the chief priests and the elders of the people, same group, gathered in the place of the high priest, whose name was Cariphas. 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:23.080 And they plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:23.800 There's the agenda. 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:27.259 Turn over page 2, 26, 59. 00:02:27.259 --> 00:02:35.319 And you'll see there that they are looking, they are searching for false evidence. 00:02:35.620 --> 00:02:41.579 The chief priests and the whole council of the elders were seeking false testimony against Jesus so they might put him to death. 00:02:42.280 --> 00:02:44.259 And then you come to chapter 27, verse 1. 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:48.099 And they come to this decision, but they were never going to decide on anything else. 00:02:48.739 --> 00:02:50.439 They were never going to do anything else. 00:02:51.299 --> 00:02:52.780 Other than get Jesus to die. 00:02:52.780 --> 00:03:01.159 Here are people whose heart is pre-deciding, set in stone rejection of Jesus. 00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:05.039 They will not allow Jesus to be their saviour, their lord and their king. 00:03:06.379 --> 00:03:09.300 And there is a particular reason why this is so tragic. 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:11.539 Who are these people? 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:14.659 The chief priests and the elders. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:16.759 Who are they? 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:17.580 What were they meant to be? 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:20.159 They were meant to be the shepherds of the people. 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:23.939 Shepherds who did the people good. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:25.539 Who looked after them. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:27.300 Who cared for them. 00:03:27.859 --> 00:03:30.639 Who nurtured them like shepherds are supposed to do. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:32.500 But look how they treat people. 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:34.479 We'll come back to Judas. 00:03:34.579 --> 00:03:35.979 But just look with me at verse 4. 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:38.560 Judas has come to them. 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:40.599 He is wracked with guilt. 00:03:41.900 --> 00:03:44.180 It has dawned on him what he has done. 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:45.819 And he wants forgiveness. 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:48.479 He wants comfort. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:51.479 But do you see how these shepherds respond? 00:03:52.219 --> 00:03:52.919 Look at verse 4. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:57.560 Judas says, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. 00:03:57.979 --> 00:04:02.459 And the elders say, they say, what is that to us? 00:04:03.979 --> 00:04:05.519 That is your responsibility. 00:04:06.139 --> 00:04:07.259 See to it yourself. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:13.939 The shepherds of God's people, they have no compassion here, do they? 00:04:14.079 --> 00:04:16.099 For those who come to them in their need. 00:04:16.100 --> 00:04:24.000 Ordinarily, you would go to a priest and he would arrange a sacrifice to deal with the sin in some way. 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:26.920 But they just say, what is that to us? 00:04:27.620 --> 00:04:28.740 What's it got to do with us? 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:31.100 You go and see to it yourself. 00:04:31.840 --> 00:04:32.840 You sort it out. 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:35.299 Some shepherds they are. 00:04:37.719 --> 00:04:39.839 Someone comes and says, I've stuffed up. 00:04:40.819 --> 00:04:41.579 A big time. 00:04:43.619 --> 00:04:45.739 I've done something which I'm so ashamed of. 00:04:45.799 --> 00:04:47.839 And they say, you've done it. 00:04:48.359 --> 00:04:49.139 You deal with it. 00:04:51.039 --> 00:04:53.699 Just as a aside, if somebody comes to you, 00:04:53.699 --> 00:04:57.420 and they're crushed by their sin and by their guilt, 00:04:58.159 --> 00:04:59.779 you never say to them, you. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:02.599 You say to them, Jesus. 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:05.860 These people, they've got no compassion. 00:05:06.159 --> 00:05:07.240 They've got no consistency. 00:05:09.259 --> 00:05:10.599 Look again at verse 6. 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:12.319 Judas brings the money back. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:18.620 And verse 5, he throws the money in the temple and he leaves and he tragically hangs himself. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:19.540 And what do they do? 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:20.220 Verse 6. 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:21.300 Look what it says. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.060 The chief priest taking the pieces of silver said, 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:29.040 it's not lawful to put them into the treasury since it is blood money. 00:05:31.220 --> 00:05:33.040 It's incredibly inconsistent. 00:05:33.259 --> 00:05:35.519 Where did the money come from in the first place? 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.560 Presumably from the temple treasury in order to betray Jesus. 00:05:41.019 --> 00:05:43.980 They take it out in order to frame Jesus. 00:05:43.980 --> 00:05:48.920 Because it's a bit rich that suddenly they're all so sensitive about how it should be used. 00:05:50.180 --> 00:05:54.319 They are worried about it being blood money because it's come from Judas. 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:58.180 But they themselves wanted to kill Jesus all along. 00:05:59.379 --> 00:06:03.680 It was blood money far before it was handed to Judas. 00:06:04.960 --> 00:06:13.620 The thing about stubborn refusal is it reveals what the people are like who are doing the refusing. 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:21.060 Here are people who are not only rejecting a Messiah, but they are rejecting a Messiah who is perfect and innocent. 00:06:21.980 --> 00:06:23.220 And Judas knows that, doesn't he? 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:24.819 Judas says he is innocent. 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:28.580 Next week we'll see that Pilate knew that. 00:06:29.340 --> 00:06:30.900 He says Jesus is innocent. 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:36.640 And when you stubbornly refuse the one who is clearly innocent, 00:06:37.340 --> 00:06:40.400 you just reveal that you are clearly guilty. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:44.719 So we have the second of the three handing overs. 00:06:45.039 --> 00:06:49.099 Judas handed Jesus over in chapter 26 and verse 14. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:52.620 Next week we'll see Pilate hands Jesus over. 00:06:52.979 --> 00:06:55.799 And here the Jewish leaders hand him over. 00:06:56.899 --> 00:07:02.399 This stubborn refusal to accept who he is and that attitude is alive and well today. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:08.339 So you can agree that Jesus' life is spotless. 00:07:09.719 --> 00:07:12.620 And Judas understood, didn't he, the concept of death, paying for sin, 00:07:12.739 --> 00:07:16.039 and yet he stubbornly refused to receive Jesus. 00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:19.580 And that may be some of you this morning. 00:07:20.939 --> 00:07:24.400 You've decided, like these chief priests and the elders have, 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:26.060 I'm never going to come to Christ. 00:07:27.140 --> 00:07:30.700 You can be happy with some of the things that Jesus said. 00:07:31.760 --> 00:07:33.700 You can be happy with, don't judge. 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:35.320 Yeah, we're all okay with that. 00:07:35.580 --> 00:07:36.120 Love your neighbor. 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:38.320 Well, we could all certainly do with a bit of that at the minute. 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:47.620 Or like the chief priests here, we dismiss Jesus without even ever having looked at the evidence properly. 00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:50.000 I'm not going to be a Christian. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.019 Entrenched stubbornly. 00:07:54.219 --> 00:08:00.339 Beware that as we reject the one who is innocent, it just shows us where the fault lies. 00:08:01.659 --> 00:08:07.240 And those who stubbornly reject the innocent one show themselves to be the guilty ones. 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:14.680 When you reject Jesus, it just shows more about you than it reveals about him. 00:08:16.099 --> 00:08:18.740 And Matthew goes on to tell us how tragic it is. 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:20.279 Look at verses 9 and 10. 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:24.719 Matthew is saying something about where this leads, and it leads to condemnation. 00:08:25.039 --> 00:08:27.279 The chief priests, they have this blood money. 00:08:27.620 --> 00:08:28.980 They buy this field. 00:08:29.719 --> 00:08:31.060 It's going to be called the field of blood. 00:08:31.159 --> 00:08:33.539 And verse 9, do you see what they say? 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:38.059 They say, then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:44.980 Saying, and they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of him on whom the price had been set by some of the sons of Israel. 00:08:45.140 --> 00:08:48.580 And they gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me. 00:08:50.160 --> 00:08:58.060 We've seen in Matthew again and again that the Old Testament is all fulfilled in the life and the death of Jesus. 00:08:58.520 --> 00:09:01.460 And even the betrayal of Jesus is part of that fulfillment. 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:04.000 He's got two passages in mind. 00:09:04.340 --> 00:09:07.600 One is from Jeremiah and one is from Zechariah. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.139 And here he cites the major prophet, Jeremiah. 00:09:11.139 --> 00:09:15.019 And that should reassure us. 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:21.159 It should reassure us that even in this terrible moment of betrayal, it was all part of God's plan. 00:09:22.059 --> 00:09:23.100 It was not out of control. 00:09:23.100 --> 00:09:27.300 And Matthew wants us to understand a little bit more than that. 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:31.060 This stubborn refusal meets with utter condemnation. 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:38.080 And the reason I say that is that as you look at what Jeremiah prophesied and as you look at what Zechariah prophesied, 00:09:38.139 --> 00:09:41.800 it's clear that they were given messages to communicate judgment to the people. 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:45.399 The Old Testament prophets, they were wonderful preachers. 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:48.820 They had visual aids to help the people understand. 00:09:48.820 --> 00:09:55.120 And so Jeremiah had to take a big clay pot and smash the clay pot in front of the people. 00:09:56.740 --> 00:10:00.420 And he was to do that in front of the chief priests and the elders. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:03.960 And the pot smashing said condemnation. 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:10.120 It said judgment is coming for how you've led and how the people have lived. 00:10:11.660 --> 00:10:14.580 And Zechariah's visual aid was to be a shepherd for the people. 00:10:14.580 --> 00:10:21.240 You are to be a good shepherd, he said to the leaders, unlike the people of the time. 00:10:22.420 --> 00:10:24.740 And I'm going to give you two staff, said Zechariah. 00:10:25.020 --> 00:10:26.680 And the people hated Zechariah. 00:10:26.800 --> 00:10:27.879 They dismissed him. 00:10:27.980 --> 00:10:30.160 They paid him off with 30 pieces of silver. 00:10:31.020 --> 00:10:33.720 And then Zechariah breaks both the staffs. 00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:38.600 And he's saying your relationship with God is over, is broken. 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:40.640 It's a very dramatic moment. 00:10:41.740 --> 00:10:43.780 And it's spelled judgment and condemnation. 00:10:43.779 --> 00:10:48.779 And so Matthew takes both that incident, the smashing pot and the broken staffs. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:52.379 And he says the same thing is happening here. 00:10:53.939 --> 00:10:58.259 God's shepherd, not Zechariah, but Jesus is being treated cheaply. 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:00.059 Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. 00:11:00.419 --> 00:11:04.439 And it is so serious, it spells condemnation and judgment. 00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:09.299 I wonder what your definition of sin is. 00:11:11.339 --> 00:11:13.039 Or the worst of sins. 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:15.819 Racism. 00:11:17.819 --> 00:11:18.379 Adultery. 00:11:20.259 --> 00:11:20.740 Murder. 00:11:23.019 --> 00:11:23.459 Lying. 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:35.800 Let me tell you, there is no greater sin than refusing to accept the innocent King, Jesus, as your Saviour and your Lord. 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:40.099 It will never be a headline crime. 00:11:40.179 --> 00:11:44.579 There will never be protests about it in central London. 00:11:44.580 --> 00:11:47.960 It will never be in the news headlines. 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:50.120 But it is all around us. 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:53.879 And it is all around us amongst religious people. 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:55.960 Churchy types. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.280 God type people. 00:11:58.980 --> 00:12:01.320 Those who think that they're part of things. 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:04.200 And it spells condemnation. 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.980 Because it refuses the innocent King. 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:10.080 The tragedy of stubborn refusal. 00:12:10.280 --> 00:12:12.060 Secondly, the second tragedy is Judas. 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:14.480 And that is the tragedy of mere remorse. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:15.480 Judas. 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.200 The tragedy of mere remorse. 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:18.680 Judas. 00:12:18.680 --> 00:12:18.680 00:12:18.680 --> 00:12:18.680 00:12:18.680 --> 00:12:20.879 Judas. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:22.120 The name. 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:24.780 It conjures up for us, doesn't it? 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:25.220 Traitor. 00:12:26.900 --> 00:12:28.879 If you think of football fans. 00:12:29.140 --> 00:12:32.660 So if you think of the Queen's Park Rangers, the QPR manager. 00:12:32.800 --> 00:12:33.780 He's Mark Warburton. 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:37.000 And he used to be Brentford football club's manager. 00:12:37.620 --> 00:12:42.179 And so when Brentford played QPR last year, they were chanted from the terrorists. 00:12:42.579 --> 00:12:43.019 Traitor. 00:12:43.379 --> 00:12:43.779 Judas. 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:44.600 Judas. 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:45.279 Judas. 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:46.939 It conjures up, doesn't it? 00:12:47.199 --> 00:12:48.519 The image of a traitor. 00:12:50.059 --> 00:12:52.519 It's what we associate the name Judas with. 00:12:54.199 --> 00:12:57.120 And Judas is tragic here, as we can read. 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.199 And Judas is particularly tragic because he's got so much right. 00:13:01.980 --> 00:13:02.959 Look at verse 4. 00:13:04.019 --> 00:13:05.199 He's right about himself. 00:13:06.819 --> 00:13:08.019 He says, do you see it? 00:13:08.079 --> 00:13:08.519 Verse 4. 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:10.339 I have sinned. 00:13:12.620 --> 00:13:15.939 Judas knows he's acted wrongly before God. 00:13:16.299 --> 00:13:17.299 And against God. 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:20.639 He is right about himself. 00:13:20.839 --> 00:13:21.740 And he's right about Jesus. 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:23.220 Do you see what he says about Jesus? 00:13:23.419 --> 00:13:24.839 He says, I have betrayed, what? 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:26.259 Innocent blood. 00:13:27.899 --> 00:13:29.179 He knows Jesus is innocent. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:29.939 He's right about that. 00:13:31.379 --> 00:13:33.319 If anybody could have framed Jesus. 00:13:34.140 --> 00:13:35.160 It would have been Judas. 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.140 The time that he'd spent with him for three years. 00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:39.320 He'd heard his teaching. 00:13:41.160 --> 00:13:43.060 He'd seen his private life. 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:47.279 But Judas is able to tell us here in the midst of his guilt. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:47.399 Judas. 00:13:47.899 --> 00:13:49.819 That Jesus is an innocent man. 00:13:51.079 --> 00:13:52.500 He can't pin anything on him. 00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:54.279 He gets a lot right. 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:54.980 Judas does. 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:57.559 And maybe he was wishing. 00:13:57.699 --> 00:13:58.980 It never got to this. 00:13:59.059 --> 00:14:00.860 That certainly seems to be the hint of the passage. 00:14:00.860 --> 00:14:05.240 That this Jesus would somehow have broken free. 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:08.139 He never imagined Judas that this would get so serious. 00:14:08.340 --> 00:14:10.019 Look at his reaction in verse 3. 00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:14.000 Judas, the one who betrayed him. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:18.960 When Jesus was condemned. 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:20.139 He changed his mind. 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:23.080 And brought back the 30 pieces of silver. 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:24.740 That's not a great translation. 00:14:26.019 --> 00:14:29.779 It should be that Judas was filled with remorse. 00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:32.360 That changing of his mind there. 00:14:32.579 --> 00:14:33.559 He feels terrible. 00:14:34.439 --> 00:14:36.480 He is sick with his guilt. 00:14:37.439 --> 00:14:39.980 He thinks, I never thought it would get this bad. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:44.539 And we think, well, surely verse 3 is a good reaction, isn't it? 00:14:44.539 --> 00:14:51.539 To feel bad about your wrong and about your sin. 00:14:52.860 --> 00:14:54.000 That is a good thing, isn't it? 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:54.679 Well, of course it is. 00:14:55.579 --> 00:14:57.620 To feel bad when we've done something wrong. 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:02.299 But Matthew uses the word remorse. 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:06.399 It's not really changing your mind. 00:15:08.939 --> 00:15:12.939 It's a deliberately different word from the word repent. 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:16.280 Judas feels terrible. 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:18.380 But he doesn't turn back to Jesus. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:22.300 The only thing he does is he turns to where? 00:15:22.500 --> 00:15:23.220 Where does he turn? 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:24.560 He turns back to the high priest. 00:15:24.940 --> 00:15:26.180 To the chief priest in the temple. 00:15:27.460 --> 00:15:28.480 And what do they do for him? 00:15:29.160 --> 00:15:30.140 They do nothing. 00:15:31.760 --> 00:15:35.180 They say, you really have stuffed up Judas. 00:15:35.340 --> 00:15:36.200 See to it yourself. 00:15:38.020 --> 00:15:40.380 And Judas, surely, tragically, in verse 5, 00:15:40.380 --> 00:15:42.600 throws down the pieces of silver into the temple. 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:45.320 He departed and he went and he hung himself. 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:49.740 Just as Jesus had said at the supper, isn't it? 00:15:49.800 --> 00:15:52.200 Woe to the man that betrays me. 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:54.420 It would have been better for him not to have been born. 00:15:57.379 --> 00:16:01.940 You see, mere remorse will not get you into heaven. 00:16:01.940 --> 00:16:06.540 You may think back to Peter last week at the end of chapter 26. 00:16:06.660 --> 00:16:08.100 That very last line of Peter. 00:16:08.260 --> 00:16:09.060 There's Peter. 00:16:09.160 --> 00:16:10.580 He's denied his Lord three times. 00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:12.880 And he weeps over his sin. 00:16:14.760 --> 00:16:20.780 And the Bible teaches us that Peter brought his guilt and his sin to Jesus. 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:23.019 And he is restored by Jesus. 00:16:24.139 --> 00:16:25.539 But Judas never did that. 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:30.600 Peter is guilty of sin just as Judas is guilty. 00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:32.899 Just as the chief priests are guilty. 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:39.240 And the only hope for them and the only hope for you and the only hope for me. 00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:44.299 is to find one who isn't guilty. 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:52.899 The one thing that is clear about the Lord Jesus from chapter 26 and chapter 27 of Matthew is that he is innocent. 00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:54.039 He is innocent. 00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:58.359 And so he is the one that can take our sin and our guilt. 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.639 Because he is innocent and nothing. 00:17:00.899 --> 00:17:04.500 And no one else will be able to deal with our sin and guilt. 00:17:06.360 --> 00:17:15.440 It is strange, isn't it, sometimes, how you find it easier to tell another human being about your sin than to actually come to Jesus about it. 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:18.059 You know how it is. 00:17:18.140 --> 00:17:20.460 You can feel so wretched about something. 00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:25.440 You perhaps tell your spouse or a friend. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:29.220 Maybe you text someone about it or you give someone a ring. 00:17:29.960 --> 00:17:33.600 And because you've told them, you feel a little bit better about it. 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:34.519 And that's the end of it. 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:36.960 And you've never repented. 00:17:38.740 --> 00:17:41.440 You've never turned to Jesus about it. 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:46.039 And just like no other person can deal with your sin and guilt, 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:49.820 so no thing can deal with your sin and guilt. 00:17:49.820 --> 00:17:51.660 Look at Judas in verse 5. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.059 He's left with all his silver coins. 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:56.220 But they don't help him. 00:17:57.539 --> 00:18:00.319 He doesn't think to himself, well, perhaps I can live with the guilt. 00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:03.700 Perhaps at least I've still got the money. 00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:04.839 Have you ever said that? 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:10.139 Perhaps I can live with the guilt because I've still got dot dot dot my reputation. 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:13.240 No one knows what I've done. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:14.539 My friends don't know. 00:18:14.899 --> 00:18:16.039 My family doesn't know. 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:20.200 So we never get around to actually turning to Jesus. 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:21.539 It's so, so tragic. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:27.339 That you can do so much right and not truly repent. 00:18:27.339 --> 00:18:37.199 If you're seeing a sign which says, don't swim, there are sharks in the water. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:38.379 Where are you? 00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:42.500 Well, you're not in a car park, Ian. 00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:46.700 And you're not at Bunny Park. 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:49.300 You're on the beach. 00:18:50.600 --> 00:18:52.580 And that's the place where those signs are. 00:18:52.579 --> 00:18:58.460 And these signs in Matthew's gospel are in a particular place. 00:18:59.419 --> 00:19:02.259 These warning signs are in a particular place deliberately. 00:19:02.879 --> 00:19:04.339 They're placed in the church. 00:19:04.980 --> 00:19:06.000 Churches like ours. 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:10.079 And they are potentially, aren't they, alarming pictures. 00:19:10.179 --> 00:19:10.939 The chief priests. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:12.679 The elders. 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:15.079 Judas, a follower. 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:24.159 But it is as you and I bring our sin and our guilt to the good shepherd. 00:19:25.659 --> 00:19:29.599 As we heed that warning, then we can know full and free forgiveness. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:34.960 Judas says to the priest, I've really sinned. 00:19:35.639 --> 00:19:39.319 And the priest said to him, yeah, that's your problem. 00:19:41.299 --> 00:19:44.839 But you and I, we bring our sin and our guilt to the good shepherd. 00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:48.159 And he says, yes, you have. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:55.220 And I'm going to make it my business to make it my problem. 00:19:57.259 --> 00:20:02.659 And so I think as we read this passage, as we see these warnings, 00:20:03.659 --> 00:20:10.339 we are meant to face the wonder of Jesus looking over everything that is sinful in our lives. 00:20:12.539 --> 00:20:13.419 Our failures. 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:16.079 Our selfishness. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:16.699 Our selfishness. 00:20:17.639 --> 00:20:18.699 Our guilt. 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:21.779 Our pride. 00:20:23.339 --> 00:20:26.919 And hear Jesus saying to us of those things, 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:28.960 by the cross, 00:20:29.339 --> 00:20:30.899 that's my problem. 00:20:32.859 --> 00:20:34.000 No sin is too big. 00:20:35.819 --> 00:20:37.119 No sin is too old. 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:41.399 Some of you may have been sitting on a sin for years. 00:20:41.399 --> 00:20:44.699 A fierce hatred. 00:20:45.379 --> 00:20:46.959 A bitter anger. 00:20:47.719 --> 00:20:48.659 A bitterness. 00:20:48.939 --> 00:20:50.119 A hidden lust. 00:20:50.299 --> 00:20:51.659 A deep, deep pride. 00:20:52.179 --> 00:20:55.279 And Jesus says that too, via the cross, 00:20:56.399 --> 00:20:56.959 his problem. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.840 You go anywhere else and you will face the words of the priest. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:04.799 That's your problem. 00:21:06.420 --> 00:21:07.880 That's your responsibility. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:09.819 You see to it yourself. 00:21:09.819 --> 00:21:12.500 You go to Jesus. 00:21:14.039 --> 00:21:15.599 And he says, I'll see to it. 00:21:16.939 --> 00:21:18.559 I'll see to it for you. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:27.500 And so the message for you and I is to be aware of the stubborn refusal of Jesus. 00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:31.500 And to be aware of mere remorse. 00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:37.680 That does not turn to him with your sin and guilt. 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:41.039 And Jesus will see to it. 00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:43.440 By his death on the cross. 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:45.259 Let's pray. 00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:45.839 Let's pray. 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:45.839 00:21:45.839 --> 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