Well, thank you. Thank you for your warm welcome. It's lovely to be in fellowship with our brothers
and sisters in Jesus Christ here in this congregation and to renew that fellowship. I
thank the Lord for so many blessings received through my life, not least as a child growing up
in this congregation and through in Laxdale in the Sunday school there. We lift up our hearts
to the Lord in worship to praise his glorious name and we worship God with the words of Psalm 149
from the Scottish Psalter. Let's sing together Psalm 149 from the Scottish Psalter at the beginning
and the verses 1 to 4. The tune is Montrose as we sing, praise ye the Lord, unto him sing a new song
and his praise in sweet songs do ye raise. Let's rise and sing praise to our great God.
is he the Lord, unto him sing a new song and his praise in thee, that sent me all his praise.
in sweet songs do ye raise. Let Israel in peace make your joy, and to him praises sing. Let all that thy
the words of a body to sing the gospel is known for your greatest song forounding
and theesiom
be do ye raise. Let them and do his great hymp 57
With them with timbrel and with harb, His songs His praise advance.
For God doth pleasure take in those that His own people meet,
and He with His salvation the meek will beauty.
We draw near to our God in prayer. Let us pray.
It is sweet indeed, gracious Lord, to come to make melody in heart and in mind before the Lord.
We ask that we would be reminded constantly of the grace and the goodness that we have received from our faithful God, our Maker.
We ask that our worship will be characterized by the privilege of Christian joy.
Let Israel in His Maker joy, and to Him praises sing.
As we look around this world of war and of confusion and of tragedy,
as we see around us wickedness seeming to be out of control in so many places,
Lord, where is there to be found any source of comfort, any source of joy,
apart from eternal truth and eternal holiness, eternal beauty,
that which comes from beholding the face of God.
may we be still in the Lord's presence in this hour of worship tonight,
and may our hearts be prepared and made ready
for a Lord's day of blessings and of rest and of good things.
As we turn in these days around communion to the Gospel of John to read together,
and as we hear again the familiar story of our Saviour's obedience and humility and love,
give us ears to hear.
Give us understanding.
Increase our love for your holy child, Jesus.
Help us in our minds and our imaginations to see Him
and to adore Him,
to love Him,
and to rejoice with thanksgiving in all your works.
We come with the church through ages past
to worship God,
and we join our prayers and our praises
with the church that is in heaven around the throne.
Paul could pray,
leading the church in its prayer,
bowing the knee to the Father,
in whom the whole family,
in heaven
and on earth,
finds its name,
its identity,
and its source.
We pray to our Father,
but we do not yet see His glory fully.
But the church in glory
is bathed in light.
Our praises
and their praises
coming together
in Jesus
to the glory of the Father.
How wonderful.
Lord, bless the work of this congregation,
in this community,
and in its influence throughout the island
and further afield.
We thank you, Lord,
for missionary partnerships
that have been rich and rewarding
through decades.
and we ask that tonight,
as a church,
in our commitment to Jesus,
we would be concerned
for the care of the church
and of the saints,
but also for the welfare
of those who are not yet part of the church,
and for children
and young people
who have yet to
show covenant obedience
by an adult
and a maturing faith.
How we long
for the church of today
to be used of God
as a means
to sow the seed
for the church of tomorrow
and the latter days.
Take pleasure
in your people,
gracious Lord.
Take pleasure
in your own people
and with your salvation
make beautiful your people.
make mature
and fruitful
your people
so that your people's praises
will not be merely in form,
but with the whole heart,
with the whole mind,
leaning towards the Lord
and declaring his praises.
May we declare
our Savior Jesus
when we lift the cup of salvation
when we break
and share with one another
the bread that speaks
of his body
tomorrow.
May we proclaim
the Lord's death
until he comes.
And may the meek
be beautified
by the Spirit's work.
And may we eat
and drink
with each other
and with our Lord
as friends
and as the people
who know peace with God.
We pray that you would remember
this nation.
Even the king
is frail
and made of dust.
Send healing
and blessing
upon him
and his family.
and remember
those who govern
in Edinburgh
and in the
assemblies
and parliaments
of the United Kingdom
in the various
nations
and in the UK.
But most of all
we pray
for that kingdom
that is coming
and for that kingdom
that is growing
and for that kingdom
that will never,
never end.
the kingdom
of our Lord
and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
May the light
of his face
be turned
towards
his praying people
today
in this land
and in every land.
Keep us
and use us
and bless us
and grant to us
that for which
Jesus prayed
in the upper room.
Keep us united
and keep us
loving
our Lord
and one another
and keep us
as lovers
of your truth.
Remember those
who are suffering
and sick
who are known
to us
and who are
in our prayers.
Remember those
who join us
over the internet
and make
your servants
hear
ministering the word
in this town
and from this pulpit
fruitful
joyful
faithful
and thankful
that they have
seen the Lord
working mighty
things
to his glory.
Remember
your servants
here
and all
whom they love
and remember
us all
pardoning sin
for Jesus'
sake.
Amen.
I'm going to sing
a further psalm
from the Scottish Psalter
Psalm 73
at verse 23
in the psalm
the tune is
Weatherby
if you're using
the books
Psalm 73
at verse 23
is on page
316
the psalmist
here is
disturbed
but the wicked
are
apparently
getting on
with life
without God
they do
their own
thing
it doesn't
seem to matter
and often
God's people
and even
God's king
can be
in the gutter
and bewildered
by providence
but to draw
near to God
and to worship
God
is to make
all things
clear
so we sing
from verse 23
to 26
to Weatherby
nevertheless
continually
O Lord
I am
with thee
let us stand
and sing
thou dost
behold
by thy
right
heart
and still
thou hold
us
near
now
with
thy
hands
still
while
I live
wilt
be
conduct
and
guide
and
took
thy
glory
afterward
receive
me
to
abide
O
Mah
Abayin
the
heavens
high
that
live
O
Lord
alone
and
in
the
air
will
my
desire
besides
me
there
is
come
my
flesh
and
heart
my
flesh
and
heart
thou
faint
and
fail
but
God
doth
fail
forever
for
of
my
heart
God
is
less
than
and
portion
forever
we're turning to the
scriptures to the New Testament and to the gospel of John to chapter 19
in john 19 last evening if you were with us we read the opening verses of john 19 and we take
up the reading in the middle of verse 16 this evening to give you the setting the lord jesus
was with his disciples in the upper room on the thursday evening of the last week of his life
he broke bread with them he washed their feet judas left to betray him and wonderful teaching
was given in that upper room and he prayed for them as perhaps no man has ever prayed
in the history of the world and then they went out into the night and chapter 18 records his arrest
in the garden of gethsemane and the beginnings of his trial and now in chapter 19 the cross
draws near john 19 verse 16 so they took jesus
and he went out bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull which in aramaic is called
golgotha there they crucified him and within two others one on either side and jesus between them
pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross it read jesus of nazareth the king of the jews
many of the jews read this inscription for the place where jesus for the place where jesus was crucified was
near the city and it was written in aramaic in latin and in greek so the chief priests of the jews said to pilate
do not write the king of the jews but rather this man said i am king of the jews
pilate pilate answered what i have written i have written when the soldiers had crucified jesus
they took his garments and divided them into four parts one part for each soldier also his tunic
but the tunic was seamless woven in one piece from top to bottom so they said to one another let us not
tear it but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be this was to fulfill the scripture which says they divided
my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots so the soldiers did these things
but standing by the cross of jesus where his mother and his mother's sister mary the wife of clopas
and mary magdalene when jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby he said to his mother
woman behold your son then he said to the disciple behold your mother and from that hour
the disciple took her to his own house to his own home this is the holy and inspired word of god
may he bless to us the word and may it come alive for us before we study these verses together
we're going to sing again a psalm of the cross psalm 22 from sing psalms in sing psalms psalm 22 at verse 16
page 26 in the blue book psalm 22 at verse 16 the psalmist is persecuted and suffering
a pack of dogs encloses me their circle round me is complete i am beset by evil men and they have pierced
my hands and feet prophesying beyond whatever the psalmist experienced the horrors of the cross
the tunis maro will stand and sing verses 16 onwards
a pack of dogs encloses me their circle round me is complete
i am beset by evil men and they have pierced my hands and feet i count the number of my
my hands and feet i am beset by evil men and they have pierced my hands and feet i am beset by
the people they have pierced my hands and feet i am beset by the people they have pierced
they throw the dice to get my coat among themselves my clothes they share
and probably cover the dividing line of jade caman it will happenir
O Lord, save me from power of evil dogs, my precious life from cruel storm.
From menace of the lion's mouth, and from their fury setting me,
from peril of wild oxen's arms, he heard my guide and rescued me.
Brothers and sisters in Jesus, the story of the cross is a holy story,
and these chapters around the cross are holy ground.
Perhaps we could briefly pray.
May we receive, gracious Lord, the truth of your word in a fresh way,
in a way that brings certainty and conviction and Christian joy to each one of us.
May we see Jesus, show us Jesus in his beauty and in his service and humility.
To the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The word behold is a really beautiful word in the English language.
It's a word that invites us to stop, to look, to consider.
I know it sounds a little bit old-fashioned.
Behold.
But sometimes Bible translations are conservative in their use of language,
even their use of the English language.
And I think that was probably true even centuries ago, 400 years ago,
when Bible translations were being made.
Sometimes they were a little bit clunky and a little bit archaic when they were brand new.
Because they were trying to get a hold of the truth written in Hebrew, written in Greek,
that was itself reverent and presenting things to us
that are not always common or ordinary or everyday.
You cannot talk about Jesus and his cross without stopping,
pausing, thinking, looking.
And my problem and maybe your problem is that we're often so busy
that we just don't stop to think, to meditate, to look.
And our world and our culture is in such a hurry.
It doesn't want to look at the cross.
It finds God and the Bible an embarrassment.
You can talk about spirituality.
You can talk about culture.
You can talk about belief.
But if it becomes too focused on the story of the Scripture,
we want to look the other way.
That is sad.
What do we have that invites us to look and to behold in John's Gospel
and in the account of the cross in John?
It's an eyewitness account.
I don't doubt that John was an old man when he wrote this Gospel.
And that probably at least three decades and maybe more had passed
from the events he was talking about
and coming to write them down.
John was an old man when he died.
But he talks about the cross
in the way someone speaks about an event that is absolutely life-changing.
A day he is never going to forget.
And it's as if he's back there seeing things,
hearing things.
The sights and the smells of that day must have been appalling.
There were others that he loved there.
The family of Jesus was there.
The enemies were there.
But this reads as a first-hand account
from a man who has had a lifetime to think about what he saw.
Last night, if you were here,
we were invited looking at the way Pilate treated Jesus
to behold the man,
to behold the king.
What do we think of the prisoner
who's getting this unjust trial?
Tonight,
behold the son
Mary's son
suffering and dying.
Behold the son,
God's son
suffering and dying.
And to behold
the shame
of it all.
The shame
that John remembers
years
afterwards.
In chapter 18
and at verse 15,
you hear the language
of the eyewitness.
Simon Peter followed Jesus
and so did another disciple.
Since that disciple
was known to the high priest,
he entered with Jesus
into the court of the high priest.
And he was able to get Peter in as well.
Who is this anonymous disciple
who's being referred to in chapter 18?
Surely it's John himself.
He knows so much about what happened.
And Peter wasn't there for the whole time.
Peter went out and wept bitterly,
having denied his Lord three times
in the courtyard of the high priest.
But the disciple
who got him in
is the disciple
who doesn't like
to talk about himself
too much in this gospel.
He always finds a way
to say the disciple.
The disciple who Jesus loved.
He's talking about himself
in chapter 18
in all likelihood.
And here in chapter 19
from verse 16 onwards,
again on the way to the cross,
you have an eyewitness account.
He is the disciple
whom Jesus loved,
who from that hour,
the hour of the death of Jesus,
would take Mary
and be responsible for her
until she died.
Jesus was handing over
the care of his beloved mother
to his most well-beloved follower.
Woman,
behold your son.
Son,
behold
your mother.
Two things to notice this evening.
First of all,
the son
is put to shame.
The son
is put to shame.
In this eyewitness account,
what does John want you
to see?
In verse 5,
Pilate says,
behold the man.
And that word,
behold,
is a little bit like
ringing a bell.
Many key words
run through
the gospel of John.
Many
symbolical
incidents
keep being repeated.
There are contrasts
between, say,
light and darkness
in this gospel.
And so,
when you come across
certain words,
you look for connections.
connections.
And this word,
behold,
on the lips of Pilate
in verse 5,
is a very important word
in the first chapter
of this gospel.
it's John the Baptist,
the one witnessing
on the side
of the truth
and preparing
the way
for the Messiah
who sees Jesus
and in chapter 1
declares
in verse 29
and verse 36
of chapter 1,
behold
the Lamb
of God
who takes away
the sins
of the world.
in chapter 12,
we have a quotation
on Palm Sunday
on the day
that Jesus
enters his city
as a meek
and lowly king
to great acclamation
from the crowds
and they seem
to want to make
a king of him
and they seem
to love him.
Five days later,
they will be saying,
kill him,
away with him,
crucify him,
release Barabbas
to us,
but on Sunday
before the cross,
they're treating him
like the Messiah
and he's riding
on a donkey,
on a colt,
the foal of a donkey
and in John 12
verse 15 and 16
there is an echo
of the prophecy
of Zechariah,
behold your king
is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt,
but the comment
of the writer
in John 12
is that at the time
they failed
to see Jesus
as the fulfillment
of all the promises
about the coming king.
At the time
they did not understand
but we're told
chapter 12 verse 16
when Jesus was glorified
then they remembered
that these things
had been written
about him.
And what had the prophet said?
Your king
is coming to you
but he's coming
meekly
and in peace
and not to wage war.
He's coming to die.
It was after
he was glorified
that the scriptures
about him
made sense.
But before
they could see him
in his glory
and understand him
he had to taste
shame.
And the beholds
start to come
thick and fast
in our reading
tonight.
For in John 19
we have
behold
in verse
14
it was about
the sixth hour
so
nobody wore a watch
in those days
but sixth hour
is halfway through
the day
twelve hours
in the day.
So somewhere
in the middle
of the day
Jesus is on the cross.
The other gospels
probably would move
that up a bit earlier
more towards
the morning
than towards
the midday
but these are not
supposed to be
specific time markers.
It was about
bright
full
sunlight
midday
when they put him
on the cross.
Behold
your
king
on a cross.
some king
on a cross.
And then
you have
behold
in verse 26
and in verse 27
and we're supposed
to remember
the behold
in chapter 1
I think.
Look
the Lamb of God
taking away
the sin of the world.
Look
the king
on a cross
taking away
the sin of the world.
And in verse 26
verse 27
woman
behold
your son.
your son
is dying.
So from now on
John will be
your son.
John
behold
your mother.
I'm dying.
From now on
Mary will be
your care.
The son
tasting death
tasting pain
tasting rejection
being the Lamb
of God
what does
the writer
want you to see?
Shame.
Judgment.
The wrath
of God
on this man.
I think
the way
I've been
conditioned
to think
and the way
the church
in the West
has presented
the cross
from the time
of the Reformation
onwards
the way
we've tended
to talk
about the cross
think about it
disciple
our children
preach about it
we have tended
to focus
quite rightly
on how
the cross
answers the
problem
of guilt
before God
and removes
the reality
of sin
before God
sin is a
real problem
there is a
real debt
and the cross
deals with it
and solves it
and the Reformation
was about
recovering a
biblical idea
of how the
death of Jesus
saves people
by dealing
with our
sin
one sacrifice
dealing with
guilt
justifying
sinners
in a
righteous
way
but there's
an aspect
of the work
of Jesus
on the cross
that the
early church
seemed to
understand
that the
church in
the first
few centuries
seemed to
understand
that I
don't think
we've been
so good at
holding on
to
in the
last few
centuries
certainly
in Europe
and in
the West
and that
is not so
much dealing
with
objective
guilt
but dealing
with the
consequences
of guilt
on our
minds
and on
our hearts
what we
could call
shame
and guilt
are obviously
related
they're obviously
connected
and guilt
should make
you feel
ashamed
if you really
are guilty
naturally
you would
expect to
feel shame
but what I
want to say
to you
is that in
the world
that Jesus
lived in
in that
ancient
world
people cared
as much
about
shame
loss of
dignity
loss of
glory
loss of
name
loss of
face
they cared
as much
about it
as they
cared about
issues of
truth
I'm not
going to
play down
issues of
truth
sin
is sin
guilt
is guilt
and we
should care
about these
facts
but while
we care
about these
facts
we should
also care
about
what these
facts
mean
for how
people
feel
and how
they relate
to other
people
and how
they relate
to God
because in
the ancient
world their
culture was
much more
a culture
of shame
and honour
so if I
swear
that's a
sin
if I
swear
in front
of my
grandmother
or my
mother
or a
four year
old
child
that's
still a
sin
but it's
also a
shame
it's a
disgrace
it's a
dishonour
and
the
Bible
wants you
to look
at the
cross
and see
that Jesus
carries
guilt
and he
pays for
it
and he
answers for
it
but he
also
experiences
rejection
and dishonour
and disgrace
and mocking
and shame
and that's
part of the
good news
of the
gospel
because we
live in a
world where
people
sometimes
rightly
feel shame
and sometimes
wrongly
are drowning
in shame
when objective
truth says
you are a
child of God
you have peace
with God
you have
been forgiven
Jesus has
died for
your sins
he has
paid for
your sins
and still
whether it's
the culture
you grew up
in
the home
you grew up
in
the way
you're wired
yourself
or people
around you
or the
work of
Satan
you believe
you are
worthless
you believe
you are
unloved
you believe
you are
rubbish
you are
ashamed
now the
cross
deals with
both
sin
guilt
and
shame
Hebrews 12
begins
let us run
with perseverance
the race
marked out
for us
fixing our
eyes on
Jesus
the pioneer
and
perfecter
of faith
for the
joy set
before him
he endured
the cross
scorning
its
shame
and
sat down
at the
right hand
of the
throne
of God
thank
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
that
God's
Son
was put
to shame
for your
salvation
and
his
disgrace
is
the
answer
to
any
shame
that is
crushing
you
today
that's
the first
thing
the Son
is put
to shame
the second
thing that
we have
here
is an
invitation
through the
gospel
to nail
your
shame
to the
tree
to nail
it
to his
cross
to his
tree
why do I
labor this
point about
shame
well
as the
soldiers
gamble over
his clothes
it
dawns
on us
that
Jesus
who was
forced to
carry
his
cross
probably
just the
beam across
his shoulders
to the
place of
execution
he was
stripped
naked
before he
was nailed
to the
cross
to be
in pain
and to
be mocked
and to
be facing
death in
the next
few hours
or minutes
is bad
don't you
think to
face all
that
absolutely
naked
is even
worse
in terms
of shame
there's
something that
Don Carson
says in
his writings
about the
cross and
on John's
gospel that
is worth
quoting
Carson
says in
the ancient
world this
most terrible
of punishments
is always
associated
with shame
and
horror
it is
predicted of
course in
prophecy in
the Old
Testament in
scriptures like
Psalm 22
which we
sang from
a few
minutes ago
a thousand
years before
Jesus was
placed on
the cross
in fulfillment
David had
tasted shame
and David
understood
that God
and God
alone can
lift shame
from the
shoulders of
his people
but how
how would
God lift
shame
from his
people
how would
he do
it
if people
are oppressing
us by
trying to
give us
inappropriate
shame
maybe
legalism
sometimes
tries to
do that
rules that
don't come
with any
good sense
and they
don't come
with the
word of
God behind
them
expectations
that are
beyond
human
ability
Jesus
met people
like that
the Pharisees
of old
were experts
at spreading
illegitimate
shame
are you
washing your
hands the
right way
when your
disciples feed
themselves in
the fields
with the
heads of
the corn
are they
breaking the
Sabbath
it's
nonsense
of course
but I'm
sure if
you are
accused
of
breaking
some
man-made
taboo
even if
you know
with your
head
that's
ridiculous
it's very
hard not
to feel
shame
we are
experts
we humans
at ignoring
real sin
and things
that stink
before God
and making
a great
fuss about
things that
don't matter
well we
need to
repent
of that
and nail
it to
his cross
and we
need to
care about
real holiness
and God's
glory
and God's
name
and the
great name
of God
being lifted
up high
where it is
not known
or where it's
lying in the
gutter
and not
just care
about my
name
or your
name
or the
things that
seem
more important
in my
kitchen
and probably
in yours
there is
a smoke
detector
nowadays
these things
are
very clever
they're often
wired into
the mains
or they're
linked to
other smoke
detectors
and carbon
monoxide detectors
in the
house
and they
make a racket
if they go
off
so if you
burn your
breakfast
burn your
toast
the whole
street knows
about it
and you
probably have
been like me
many a time
standing on a
kitchen chair
waving a
copy of a
magazine or
something
furiously
trying to get
fresh air
at one of
these detectors
that has taken
a dislike
to the way
you made
the breakfast
these machines
are giving
a warning
and often
it's a
piercing
warning
and God
gave us
shame
to help
us
to hear
the warning
so that
when the
warning of
shame
goes off
like an
alarm
it says
to us
am I
dishonoring
God
what can I
do about
it
am I
drifting
into sin
what can I
do about
it
am I
heading
away
from joy
and glory
and salvation
and towards
the jaws
of death
and hell
am I
pleasing
God
or pleasing
Satan
and sometimes
the alarm
is blaring
and there
is no
fire
because our
heart
and mind
has gone
wrong
and we're
feeling shame
when we
shouldn't
I
could never
sit at the
Lord's
table
because
well
whatever
comes next
in the
sentence
is rubbish
if you
have been
forgiven
your sins
because of
Christ
and his
cross
if you
have confessed
your sins
then the
blood of
Jesus
Christ
God's
son
cleanses
us
from all
sin
and if the
devil
has caused
the alarm
to start
sounding
of shame
we check
is this
alarm
right
or is it
a false
alarm
but in
either
case
we flee
to the
cross
of Jesus
and if
fear
or guilt
or shame
is illegitimate
we speak
to Jesus
about it
and we
say I
feel so
weak
I feel
so useless
I feel
such shame
help me
to nail
it to
your tree
and if
we discover
that the
alarm is
quite right
to be going
off
and that
we are
a terrible
woman
a terrible
man
a wicked
woman
a wicked
man
then the
gospel is
for us
and the
gospel
is the
gospel of
John chapter
1
behold the
Lamb of
God
who takes
away the
sins of
the world
and the
gospel is
the gospel
where the
grain of
wheat falls
into the
ground
and it
dies
and that
way there's
fruit
and you
are the
fruit
he dies
so that
you will
be fruitful
not held
by guilt
not held
by shame
but because
of Christ
going forward
in the life
of faith
going forward
in Christian
growth
going forward
to live
for the
glory of
God
for most
of our
lives
we probably
have not
lived
in a
shame
kind of
culture
shame
on our
culture
like
India
or Japan
or much
of East
Asia
is a
shame
kind of
culture
you
you know
even Christians
in in
Southeast Asia
will often
really struggle
to be honest
with each
other
about a
problem
they'll
struggle
to speak
honestly
and say
that's
a root
of bitterness
that's
caused
offence
we need
to discuss
this
sort it
out
weep
over it
and then
make up
and love
one another
and move
forward
in Asia
very often
Christians
they don't
do that
because
their culture
says
you can't
be embarrassed
and you can't
embarrass
anybody else
so we'll
just ignore
it
and avoid
each other
for the rest
of our lives
that is not
the gospel
way
the gospel
way
is to go
to the cross
with guilt
and
to go
to the cross
with shame
legitimate
or illegitimate
shame
it needs
to be nailed
to the tree
for he
tasted
shame
and death
to take
that bitter
taste
away
from his
people
he does
not want
you
burdened
by shame
paralyzed
by the
past
if you
are
part of
this modern
world
of technology
and social
media
then
it is
doubly
hard
for us
today
to avoid
the idea
that everybody
else has a
wonderful life
and a rosy
life
and they're
all doing
wonderful things
and we
may feel
that that's
not
us
and it's
very easy
in this
modern age
to believe
a lie
or to
spread a
lie
or to
tell a
lie
using
things like
Instagram
or Facebook
the cross
says
if these
things are
a problem
if these
things are
holding you
back
spiritually
from maturity
and peace
and love
and unity
with your
family
or with your
brothers and
sisters in the
Christian family
there's a
cross
take your
use of
time
and nail it
to the tree
take your
use of
social media
and nail it
to the tree
take your
use of
gossip
rumor
nail it
to the
tree
I heard a
testimony
about a
year ago
from a
lady
who came
forward
having lived
with shame
over a
serious
thing
from years
before
a thing
she regretted
and a thing
she was
forgiven for
but a thing
that was
many decades
in her
past
and yet
it had
held her
back for
such a
long time
and it
was the
gospel
Jesus
and his
cross
that enabled
her
to just
tell her
story
and by
taking a
little step
of faith
and commitment
and getting
a little
more involved
in the
life of
the local
church
now serving
so well
being a
blessing to
others
being an
encourager to
others
because what
happened to
that shame
that Satan
was really
happy for
her to live
under for
for 30
years
well it's
gone
Jesus
took it
Pilate put
a notice
above the
head of
the Lord
Jesus
in Aramaic
the language
of the
common
people
in Latin
the language
of the
authorities
of the
Roman Empire
and in
Greek
the common
language spoken
all around
the world
this is the
king of
the Jews
why did
he write
it
well
Pilate
had been
ashamed
and embarrassed
by Caiaphas
and his
chums
and he
I think
was trying
to annoy
the Jews
and mock
Jesus
and mock
those who
had Jesus
crucified
there's the
claim
there's your
king
no I won't
change the
notice
it's part
of shaming
shaming
everyone
but you
know what
he was
the king
he is
the king
and because
the king
died on
that cross
shame
is
gone
we have
a young
lad
in our
congregation
who was
just converted
about
last
summer
from
atheism
nobody
in his
family
is a
Christian
somebody
in his
high school
challenged
his
atheism
have you
really
looked
into
this
and he
was
honest
enough
to
acknowledge
that he
hadn't
and so
he did
his
research
and he
went to
google
and he
found out
a bit
about the
bible
and christianity
and he
started to
read
and he
started to
read good
things
and god
saved him
and brought
him into
fellowship
with a
christian
church
he was
baptized on
profession of
faith on
christmas eve
and i met him
this week
we had a
coffee
we read the
first chapter
of romans
together
we prayed
together
what a happy
day in
ministry that
was
with a
he's now
seventeen
and i asked
him what he
was doing
and he told
me while i'd
been doing
some writing
i found
this great
hymn he
said do
you know
it
i'd heard
of it
when i
survey the
wondrous
cross
by isaac
waltz
you've
heard of
it
well this
boy
new to
christian
things
is writing
an essay
unpacking
every line
of that
hymn
for the
biblical
truth
that is
in it
see
from his
head
his hands
his feet
sorrow
and love
flow
mingle
down
did
e'er
such
love
and sorrow
meet
or thorns
compose
so rich
a crown
were the
whole realm
of nature
mine
that were
an offering
far too
small
love
so amazing
so divine
demands
my soul
my life
my all
tonight
there is
a liar
who hates
you
and he
wants you
to feel
shame
and the
God of
truth
who gave
his only
son
wants you
to know
that the
cross
takes
guilt
and shame
away
let nothing
hold you
back
from living
the rest
of your
life
for Jesus
and to
glory
and to
let him
show you
the
wondrous
cross
where sin
and shame
is gone
lord bless
the gospel
of the
crucified
lord
Jesus
to each
one of
us
show us
your
son
mary's
son
and may
we take
him
close to
our hearts
and give
him
our fears
our
failures
our
guilt
our
shame
to the
glory of
God the
father
amen
we'll sing
the same
psalm to
conclude
psalm 22
and sing
psalms
psalm 22
at verse
26
the poor
will eat
and will
be filled
and those
who seek
the lord
will give
a shout
of joyful
praise to
him
after the
suffering
comes the
joy and
the fellowship
of those
who eat
and drink
in the
presence of
God
let's stand
and sing
psalm 22
the poor
will eat
and will
be
filled
and those
who seek
the lord
will
give
a shout
of joyful
praise
to him
oh
may your
hearts
forever
hear
him
till
over
him
on
he
them
and
all
who
will
people's will
bind
to him
the
nations
of the world
have
dominion
to the
Lord
be us
and
over nations
he is
king
the rich of
all the air
will feast
and worship
with an
offering
for those
who
stay
to me
is
that
will
humbly
near
before
his
throne
they
cannot
keep
themselves
alive
and
they
are
they
depend
on
them
alone
host
to
who
know
to
come
and
the
people
will
serve
and
the
Lord
will
serve
the Lord
and
generations
still to come
and
come
and
the
righteous
acts
that he
has
done
amen
lord
god
the poor
will eat
and
will
be
satisfied
may we
feed on
christ
and may we
know
tonight
and all
of our
days
the grace
of our
lord
jesus
christ
and
the love
of god
and the
communion
and fellowship
of the
holy spirit
the comforter
amen
to
you
and
if
were
part
was
Josh
a