Amen. Well, please take your Bibles and open them up again to John chapter 19.
Only three more sermons left in the Gospel of John, if you can believe it.
We've made our way now to the cross of Christ.
Chapter 19, and I'll pick up in the second half of verse 16.
We'll read through the end of the chapter, and when you found that there in your Bibles,
John 19, 16 through the end of the chapter,
if you would, let's please stand in honor of the reading of God's Word.
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 with him 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 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 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 were 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 home.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the scripture,
I thirst.
A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch
and held it to his mouth.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said,
It is finished.
And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Since it was the day of preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath,
for that Sabbath was a high day,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken,
and that they might be taken away.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other,
who had been crucified with him.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs.
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear,
and at once there came out blood and water.
He who saw it has borne witness.
His testimony is true.
And he knows that he is telling the truth that you also may believe.
For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Not one of his bones will be broken.
And again, another scripture says,
They will look on him whom they have pierced.
After these things, Joseph of Arimathea,
who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.
And Pilate gave him permission.
So he came and took away his body.
Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night,
came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
about 75 pounds in weight.
So they took the body of Jesus,
and bound it in linen cloths with the spices,
as is the burial custom of the Jews.
Now in the place where he was crucified,
there was a garden.
And in the garden, a new tomb,
in which no one had yet been laid.
So because of the Jewish day of preparation,
since the tomb was close at hand,
they laid Jesus there.
This is God's holy word.
Let's pray once more.
Lord, as we've come here to this crucial moment
in the Gospel of John,
this crucial moment in human history,
Father, we pray that we would,
with fresh eyes,
see the truth of the cross.
And as John would have us,
Lord, we pray that we would see it,
hear it, and believe that Jesus is
exactly who he claims to be.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You may be seated.
What do you think
is the most important question
a person could ask?
Your answer to that question
might depend on who you ask.
And I read a couple of articles this week
just searching for what others
might have to say about that question.
Harvard Business Review
published an article several years ago
arguing that the most important question
a person could ask is,
why am I here?
That's a good question.
It's a question of purpose.
Another article that I read this week,
it listed 15 important questions to ask.
What are my values?
Am I living in accordance with my values?
We're numbers one and two on the list.
How can I better take care of myself?
Was on there.
How can I improve the lives of others?
Was on there.
All of them pretty good questions.
And when you stop and think about it,
you realize that so much of our life
is shaped and defined
by the answers that we give
to certain key questions.
Who am I going to marry?
Where am I going to live?
What kind of work am I going to give myself to?
But if I could add in my two cents
to that conversation,
I'd like to just point out
that all of these questions
have one thing in common.
Did you notice what they were?
They all start in the wrong place.
All of these questions begin with us.
And interestingly enough,
what I'd like to point out this morning
is that the most important question
that any of us could possibly ask this morning
doesn't begin with us at all.
The most important question we could ask is,
who is Jesus?
Who is this man, Jesus?
And what we've seen in the Gospel of John
is he's been trying to answer
that question for us all along.
He began in chapter one,
telling us,
in the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was God.
And the Word was with God.
This Word has come down
and has become flesh
and dwelt among us.
We've seen His glory,
glory as of the only Son
from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
We've seen these claims
from the lips of Jesus,
that I am the light of the world.
I am the good shepherd of the sheep.
I am the door of the sheep.
I am the resurrection and the life.
He's claiming for us,
building a case,
that this man, Jesus,
is God in the flesh.
He is the Christ,
the Son of God,
and that by believing,
we might have life in His name.
See, these are bold claims,
aren't they?
And John is making a bold claim
for us this morning.
And as we follow Jesus now
to this crucial moment,
as He prepares to suffer
and die on the cross,
now is the time
where we have to settle
this question in our minds.
John is forcing us this morning
to pick a side.
Is He who He claims to be
or is He not?
What John gives us this morning
is a claim and a case.
The claim is that Jesus is King.
He is the Messiah,
the Son of God.
And then He builds this case for us
to substantiate that claim
by pointing us to four Old Testament passages
that prophesy the death of Jesus on the cross.
So, the claim and the case.
First, let's consider the claim.
Look there to verse 16 with me.
Verse 16 says that 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.
And there they crucified Him
and with Him two others,
one on either side,
and Jesus in between them.
It was customary for the condemned criminal
to carry the cross beam,
the horizontal cross beam,
on their back as a part of the sentence.
And this, after being beaten and whipped
nearly to the point of death,
but just nearly,
the Romans were very skilled at this.
They knew exactly how far
they could push the guilty party,
the condemned party,
before the point of death.
And they prolonged the suffering
as long as they possibly could
while beating them
as much as they possibly could.
The condemned would carry
that wooden cross beam
to the place of their execution
where the upright beam
would likely already be in place.
They would be forced to lay down
on their back
and have their arms secured
to the beam,
whether by tying them there
or in the case of Jesus,
by nailing them in place.
And then the Romans would then
lift up that horizontal beam
with the criminal attached
and secure the horizontal beam
to the vertical beam
and then fasten their feet
to the vertical beam
in the same way that they did
the arms.
We know from the other gospel writers,
Jesus carried His cross
as far as the city gates
before collapsing.
He was so weary
and so exhausted
from the beating
that He had endured
to that point.
Simon of Cyrene
was enlisted to carry
the cross the rest of the way.
And John tells us
that Jesus was lifted up
and He was crucified
alongside two others.
There were three men
crucified that day,
but He was crucified there
between two thieves,
one on His left,
one on His right.
We know from Luke's account
that one of the criminals
railed at Him
if you are who you say you are,
come down.
Bring us down with you.
Save yourself and us
if you are who you say you are.
But the other criminal,
we know,
rebuked Him and said,
we're guilty.
We're receiving what's due
for our sins,
but this man on the middle cross
is innocent.
And He asked Him,
Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom.
This last moment,
this guilty criminal
believed that Jesus
was in fact the King,
that He was in fact
headed to His kingdom,
and that if He so desired,
He could bring
even a guilty criminal
along with Him.
And Jesus told him,
truly I tell you,
today,
you will be with me
in paradise.
It was also customary
for the crime of the accused
to be written down
and fastened
to the top of the cross
right there
in public eye
for all to see.
And the goal here
is not just public execution,
it was public humiliation.
They did this in public.
They wrote this sentence
in three languages
right there
in the side of the city
on a hill
so that anybody
who walked by
might be able to look up
and see the shame
and the guilt
of the condemned party.
They wanted to shame
the accused.
So verse 19,
it tells us that
Pilate wrote a message
and put it up on the cross.
And here's what it said,
Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews.
Naturally,
the chief priests
of the Jews
tried to correct him.
They didn't like
what that sign said.
They said,
don't write
the King of the Jews,
rather write
this man said
I am King of the Jews.
Do you see the difference?
The King of the Jews,
an identity claim
or this man simply said
I am King of the Jews.
That's his crime.
He claimed to be King
but was in fact
not.
Pilate said,
I have written
what I have written.
What I want us to see
and understand
is that this inscription
hanging there
above the head of Christ
written there
in three languages
so that any
who looked up
and read
might read it.
This was a claim.
This is a bold statement.
It's a truth claim.
This man,
Jesus,
is King.
The man on the cross
that you are crucifying
is King.
This is the claim
that John's been making
all along
that Jesus,
this man,
is the King.
Not just a King
but this is
the Messiah.
This is the King
that we've been waiting for.
God promised David
all the way back
in 2 Samuel 7
a King from His line
who would rule forever,
whose kingdom
would have no end.
Jesus is that King.
John's claiming
that Jesus is the King
from Daniel chapter 7
who was promised,
prophesied
that He would have
glory and a kingdom
that all peoples
and nations
and languages
should serve Him.
An everlasting dominion
which shall not pass away,
a kingdom
that shall not be destroyed.
This is the claim
John is making.
And you can agree
with that claim
or you can disagree
with that claim
but you cannot
ignore
that claim.
And you cannot
be neutral
here.
John is forcing us
to take
a side.
I was at a coffee shop
the other day
and I had my Bible open.
I was studying
and writing
and preparing
for a message
and somebody
struck up
a conversation
with me
and as we talked
we started talking
about what I was reading,
what we were doing
and we started talking
about the Bible
and he said,
you know,
you really ought
to meet Bill.
I'm making that name up.
Not you, Bill.
Sorry.
It's a fake name.
Bill.
You ought to meet Bill.
He's in here all the time.
He talks about
religious things.
He knows a lot
about the Bible
and other religions too.
And another man
that was at the same table
he piped up
at that point
and he said,
oh yeah,
you know,
Bill is,
he's not one of those
unreasonable Christians.
He's the most
reasonable Christian
you will ever meet.
And so Bill,
what he does
is he just basically
says that there's
something good
that you can pluck
out of just about
every religion
and he finds the good
in all of it
and he's very,
very,
very reasonable.
And so what I said
in the moment
was,
well that's interesting.
I'd love to meet Bill
and talk about that.
It wasn't the right time
to get all the way
into it right then
and I do hope
one day I will get
to meet Bill
and talk with him
about these things.
But what I thought
was,
I guess that makes me
unreasonable.
I guess I'm one of
those unreasonable
Christians
that thinks that
there actually
is a truth
or an untruth
that he is king,
he may be king,
he isn't king
are not all
equally valid
answers to the
question,
who is Jesus?
Do you see the issue
here?
This is a black and white
yes or no proposition.
Either he is not
king of all the earth
and if he's not,
disregard him,
ignore him,
forget this.
But if he is,
then that defines
every other question
we might ever ask
about our life.
The question,
who is Jesus,
defines
every other
question
you could ever
ask.
What is my purpose
if he's king
is to honor him?
I wonder what
you would say
if
someone found out
you believe
Jesus Christ
is Lord,
absolute truth
statement.
And they told you,
I think that
that is unreasonable.
I wonder how
you would respond.
What John does
in the rest of our
passage,
what I want us to see
is he builds
a case here
to substantiate
this claim.
From the Old Testament,
he shows us
that this isn't
just some religious
mumbo-jumbo,
some unfounded
claim that we
made up to say
we follow Christ,
Christ is our king.
No,
he takes the Old Testament,
these passages
written thousands
of years before
Jesus was born,
thousands of years
before the events
of the cross
and he says
we've been talking
about this moment
all along.
So second,
let's consider
the case
that John makes
here for us.
I praise God
that we have
good reason
to believe
that Jesus Christ
is Lord.
John builds
the case
with four
Old Testament
prophecies
that are fulfilled
in the death
of Jesus.
I want us to look here.
This is exhibit
A, B, C, and D.
Look with me
to verse 23.
John says,
when the soldiers
had crucified
Jesus,
they took his garments
and divided them
into four pieces,
four parts.
One part
for each soldier
and also
his tunic.
But the tunic
was seamless,
woven in one piece
from top to bottom
and so they said
to one another,
let us not tear it
but cast lots
for it
to see
whose it shall be.
Why in the world
does John
feel the need
to include
this seemingly
meaningless detail
about Jesus' crucifixion?
Why does he feel
the need
to tell us
about his clothing
and what the Romans
did with his clothes?
Well, he says there
in verse 24,
look there,
this was to fulfill
the scripture
which says,
they divided
my garments
among them
and for my clothing
they cast lots.
This is exhibit A.
And I just want you
to note here
that whenever John
says something like
this was to fulfill
the scripture
or this happened
in order that
scripture might be fulfilled,
we ought to marvel
at this.
And when we're reading
our Bibles
and we come across
something like this,
slow down
and dig backwards
in the Old Testament
to see the link
that he's making.
We tend to just
jump right past this
but when we see
that he's doing this,
what he's doing
is he is building
a case for us
from the Old Testament
that we might believe
what he's saying
about Jesus
here in the New Testament.
This is proof
of the identity
of Jesus.
He's quoting
the Old Testament
scriptures written
centuries before
the events of the cross
and he's telling us
that this moment
was planned out
by God
before the ages began.
It has been foretold
and prophesied
all along
every step of the way
in the Old Testament
and now we're here
and it's executed
perfectly
in the life
and death
and resurrection
of Jesus.
So,
exhibit A.
Here he's quoting
from Psalm 22.
You can turn there
if you like.
I'm going to read it
for you.
You'll recognize it
as I read it.
Psalm 22
begins like this.
My God,
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
Do you recognize that?
You recognize this
because
this is,
these are Jesus' words.
Jesus quotes this psalm
up on the cross.
Psalm 22 continues
verse 6.
Verse 14.
It says,
I am poured out
like water
and all my bones
are out of joint.
My heart is like wax.
It is melted
within my breast.
My strength
is dried up
like a pot shirt
and my tongue
sticks to my jaws.
You lay me
in the dust
of death.
In verse 18,
Psalm 22,
they divide
my garments
among them
and for my clothing
they cast
lots.
You realize
the Romans
likely would have
had no idea
what Psalm 22
said.
And it seems
like such a
small detail.
But John
here as he stands
at the foot
of the cross
as he reflects
on what he's
seeing,
he says,
it was written
so the soldiers
did these
things.
He's showing us
that the death
of Jesus
down to the
very smallest
details
was exactly
as was written
centuries before
it happened.
Exhibit B,
verse 28.
John tells us
yet another
fulfillment
in verse 28.
He says,
after this,
that is,
after Jesus
entrusts his mother
into the care
of John,
he says,
Jesus,
knowing that all
was now finished,
said to fulfill
the scripture.
Do you notice that?
Do you see that
phrase?
He said,
to fulfill the
scripture,
I thirst.
You can only
imagine the
physical anguish
that Jesus is
experiencing here
in this moment.
The loss of blood
and sweat.
He's been up all
night having his
body pushed to
the breaking point.
We know that he
was under such
physical duress
that his body
literally sweat
blood in the
garden as he
prayed.
Here's a good
time for a
reminder that
we have to
remember as we
look at these
accounts of the
cross that this
man, Jesus,
is both God
and man.
This is God
in the flesh,
God incarnate.
The word of God
became flesh and
dwelt among us.
Jesus is both
God and man,
not 50% one or
the other.
He is 100%
God,
100% man.
the eternal
son of God
took on our
physical weakness,
stepped into our
physical weakness
in order to
redeem us.
And we see his
humanity on full
display here as
we march to the
cross in the
suffering.
The eternal
all sufficient
son of God
who in his
divine nature
has never needed
anything.
Here in his
humanity, in his
human nature,
says I thirst.
And again,
John shows us
that Jesus is
quoting again
here from the
Psalms.
This time,
Psalm chapter
69.
I'll start at
verse 16 of
Psalm chapter
69.
Answer me,
O Lord,
for your
steadfast love
is good.
According to
your abundant
mercy,
turn to me.
Hide not your
face from your
servant, for I am
in distress.
Make haste to
answer me.
Draw near to
my soul.
Redeem me.
Ransom me
because of my
enemies.
Verse 19.
You know my
reproach and my
shame and my
dishonor.
My foes are
all known to
you.
Reproaches have
broken my heart
so that I am in
despair.
I looked for
pity, but there
was none.
And for
comforters, but I
found none.
Listen to this,
verse 21.
They gave me
poison for food
and for my
thirst.
They gave me
sour wine to
drink.
And so John
says, back in
our passage at
verse 29, a
jar full of
sour wine stood
there.
So they put a
sponge full of
the sour wine on
a hyssop branch
and they held it
to his mouth.
For my thirst,
they gave me
sour wine to
drink.
Does this sound
like coincidence
to you?
Maybe.
And maybe you
could chalk up
the garment
thing to
coincidence.
Maybe.
But this is at
least a little
bit odd, isn't
it?
These Old
Testament passages
of these events
dividing garments,
sour wine, and
here it's happening
in real life and
in real history and
real time.
John is witnessing
these things,
recording them
for us and he
says, this is a
little bit odd,
isn't it?
Isn't this a
little bit more
than coincidence?
Just think about
it for a minute.
I know we get so
used to what we
know from the
scriptures, but when
you zoom out and
just recognize this,
these are Psalms of
David all the way
back here in the
Old Testament.
Psalms of David,
the king, Old
Testament David,
king of Israel,
David.
He wrote these
Psalms roughly a
thousand years before
Jesus was born.
But John is saying
that this Psalm of
King David all the
way back here in
the Old Testament
was pointing forward
to a greater,
truer, more
accurate fulfillment
in the true
king.
John is showing
us Jesus isn't
just quoting these
Psalms, he is
fulfilling them.
they are written
about him.
I love Luke
chapter 24.
That may be one of
my favorite chapters
in the whole Bible.
After the resurrection
of Christ, he goes,
he walks with his
disciples on the road
to Emmaus.
His disciples are kept
from recognizing him.
They're discouraged by
his death.
They're processing all
these things that have
happened.
And he says to them
in verse 25 of Luke
chapter 24,
O foolish ones
and slow of heart
to believe all
that the prophets
have spoken.
Was it not necessary
that the Christ
should suffer these
things and enter
into his glory?
And beginning with
Moses
and all the
prophets,
he interpreted to
them in all the
scriptures the things
concerning himself.
Did you hear that?
beginning with Moses.
That's where Jesus
went when he wanted
to explain to his
disciples the
significance of the
cross.
You know where he
went?
Moses and the
prophets and all
the Old Testament
scriptures and he
interpreted to them
all the things
concerning himself.
What would I give
to be a part of
that Bible study?
There are
There's a pastor
out of Atlanta.
A very popular
pastor who
over the past
several years
he made a claim
that said,
you know,
to reach the
current generation
we really ought to
unhitch our
Christianity from
the New Testament.
Have you heard
this?
excuse me,
from the Old
Testament.
In order to reach
our current climate,
our current
generation,
we have to
unhitch Christianity
from the Old
Testament.
I hope you see
the point that
John is making
is exactly the
opposite.
Christianity
unhitched from
the Old Testament
isn't Christianity
at all.
We cannot have
an unhitched
Christianity.
Our gospel
is thoroughly
hitched to
all of the
scriptures,
prophets,
Moses,
the Psalms,
all the way
from Genesis
to Malachi.
If it's not
properly hitched,
it's not
believable.
The gospel,
the death of
Christ,
His resurrection
is rooted
in an eternal
plan of God
that He has
worked out
in human history
and foretold
from the very
first pages
of Genesis.
Jesus.
The point
that He was
making and
the point
that John
is making
is this.
All the
scriptures
are about
Jesus.
All the
Old Testament
scriptures
have been
talking about
His death
and His
resurrection,
the reign
of the King.
The cross
is not a
tragic accident.
The cross
is a perfect
fulfillment
of the eternal
plan of God.
Which is why
here in verse
30 of our
passage,
John says
this,
when Jesus
had received
the sour
wine,
He said,
it is
finished.
And He
bowed His
head and
gave up
His spirit.
What is
finished?
If we
remove the
Old Testament
scriptures,
what in the
world is
Jesus saying
is finished?
That word
there, it
means fulfillment,
it means
completion,
it speaks
about the
complete carrying
out of a
task given
to you
by an
authority.
This is
the fulfillment,
the complete
fulfillment of
the task that
was given to
Jesus by the
Father.
It means
His suffering
is finished.
His
obedience,
the plan of
God written
and foretold in
all the scriptures,
the plan of
God for the
Son of God
to bear the
wrath of God
for the people
of God
is finished.
His suffering
on behalf of
sinners and the
place of sinners
is finished,
which means
for us who
bowed the
knee to the
crucified King,
for us it
is finished.
Our separation
from God
is finished.
The curse of
sin for you
who believe
is finished.
The weight of
sin and guilt
that we used
to bear,
the sting of
death,
the powers of
darkness that
stand against
you for us
who are in
Christ,
it is finished,
is nailed to
the cross and
I bear it no
more as we
sing often.
That's glorious
news.
John tells us
in verse 31
that since it
was the day of
preparation so
that the bodies
would not remain
on the cross on
the Sabbath for
that Sabbath was
a high day,
the Jews asked
Pilate that their
legs might be
broken and that
they might be
taken away.
Again, the
normal practice
for a Roman
crucifixion was
to just let the
victim hang on
the cross until
they died.
And even then,
they would let
the bodies stay
and be eaten
by the birds.
They're in the
sight of all
the people.
Out of
observance of
the upcoming
Sabbath day and
that being a
high holy day
with Passover
approaching,
the Jews asked
Pilate to go
ahead and break
the legs of
the criminals,
get it over
with.
This would
keep them
from being
able to push
up the weight
of their bodies
and essentially
with their legs
broken,
they would
suffocate there
on the cross.
And they
started with
the other two
thieves on
either side,
but as they
made their way
to Jesus,
they discovered
that this man
was already
dead.
So instead of
breaking his
legs,
says they
pierced his
side with a
spear and at
once there
came out
blood and
water.
We often
sing another
song,
a rock of
ages cleft
for me.
Let me hide
myself in
thee, let
the water
and the
blood from
thy wounded
side which
flowed be
of sin the
double cure,
save from
wrath and
make me
pure.
And again
John says
that this,
even this,
down to the
very finest
details of the
last seconds of
Jesus' earthly
life before
the resurrection,
all of this
happened in
fulfillment of
the scriptures.
He says in
verse 35,
he who saw
it has borne
witness,
his testimony
is true,
he knows he's
telling the
truth that you
also may
believe.
It's as if
he's saying
maybe you can
write off the
first as
coincidence,
maybe you can
write off the
second thing as
coincidence,
but this is so
clearly in line
with scripture,
it's so clearly
a fulfillment of
the divine word,
I was there and
I saw them
pierce his side
with a spear,
and you gotta do
something with
that.
He won't let us
ignore it,
will he?
So John says
this is exhibit
C and D,
verse 36,
says these things
took place that
the scriptures
might be fulfilled,
not one of his
bones will be
broken.
And again,
another scripture
says they will
look on him
whom they
have pierced.
He's shown us
two from the
Psalms,
and now in this
third fulfillment,
exhibit C,
he takes you all
the way back to
Exodus,
to Moses,
Exodus 12,
verse 46,
where the law
was given,
instructions for
the Passover
lamb,
preparing the
Passover lamb
for the sacrifice,
and it says of
the Passover lamb
that you shall not
break any of
its bones.
Now John the
Baptist has
hinted about this
already,
all the way back
in chapter 1,
as he saw Jesus,
you remember what
he said?
Behold the,
what?
The lamb of
God,
who takes away
the sin of the
world.
John the Baptist
understood,
he's been talking
about this all the
way back in
chapter 1,
and now,
here on the
Friday before
the Passover,
John tells us
that the true
Passover lamb
is sacrificed
to take away
our sin,
not one of
his bones
are broken.
Is it coincidence?
All the way
back to Moses,
he says it's not
only what they
didn't do,
it's also what
they did do,
it's also
fulfillment.
They didn't break
his bones,
that's fulfillment
in Moses,
but they did
pierce his side,
and John says
that's fulfillment,
of Zechariah 12
verse 10,
which says,
they will look
on him whom
they have
pierced.
Do you see
the case
that's being
made here?
Our
religion,
Christianity,
our belief
in a sovereign
God,
and a reigning
King,
Jesus Christ,
that is a
thoroughly
founded and
reasonable belief
because of
the scriptures.
You begin to
look at all
the evidence,
all the many
scriptures,
the way they
weave together
to find their
fulfillment perfectly
to a T,
and just this
one man and
the events of
his life,
his death,
and soon to
be his
resurrection,
when you take
all of this
into account,
you start to
wonder,
how can all
of this be
accidental?
How could
this all be
just coincidence?
What are the
odds of all
of this coming
together exactly
as the
Old Testament
said that
it would?
I've mentioned
this study
before.
It's appropriate,
I think,
to mention it
again this
morning.
Dr. Peter
Stoner,
he was the
former chairman
of the
Department of
Mathematics
and Astronomy
at Pasadena
City College
and a believer,
and he set
out to
calculate the
mathematical
probability,
the mathematical
probability of
just one
person
fulfilling
just eight
of the
clearest
messianic
prophecies.
So he
looked through
all of the
messianic
prophecies of
the Old
Testament,
and there
are way
more than
eight,
but he
whittled it
down to
make this
as friendly
as he
possibly
could to
skeptics
and non-believers
and said,
let's just
read eight
statements here
from the Old
Testament and
calculate the
probability that
those eight
statements would
come true
and be fulfilled
in just one
man.
And what he
determined
was this,
he said,
the chance
that any
one man
might have
fulfilled all
eight prophecies
is one
in ten to
the seventeenth.
That would be
one in,
I can't even
read this number,
one in one
hundred quadrillion.
That's one
with seventeen
zeros at the
end,
right?
And we can
hardly imagine,
our minds
can't really
comprehend
that type
of number.
One in
one hundred
quadrillion.
Dr. Stoner
goes on,
he says,
if we were
to take
one in
one hundred
quadrillion,
if we were
to take
ten to
the seventeenth
silver dollars
and lay
them all
over the
face of
the state
of Texas,
they would
cover the
entire state
of Texas
two feet
deep.
Now,
take one
of those
silver dollars,
and mark
it,
get a
sharpie,
mark it
up,
however
you'd like
to mark
it,
throw it
back in
the mask,
stir up
the whole
lot
thoroughly,
blindfold a
man and
tell him
he can
walk as
far as
he'd
possibly
like,
as far
as he'd
wish,
but he
must pick
up that
one
marked
silver
dollar.
What
is the
chance
he would
have
of getting
the right
one?
He says
he would
have just
the same
chance
that the
prophets
would have
had of
writing those
eight
prophecies,
and having
them all
come true
in any
one man.
See,
the point
John is
making is
that Jesus'
death is
not accidental.
This is
fulfillment of
the eternal
plan of
God.
The case,
I believe the
case is clear.
This man,
Jesus,
is exactly
who he
claimed to
be.
He is the
promised king,
king,
and if
that's
true,
then now,
now that
that's
settled,
now we
can begin
to ask
the question,
well,
what does
that mean
for me?
If you're
with us
and you're
not a
believer,
what that
means for
you,
this is a
call to
repent and
bow the
knee to
King
Jesus.
It is a
call for
you to
stop raging
against his
rightful rule
in your
life and
in the
world and
to humble
yourself,
if you
still have
breath in
your lungs,
you still
have the
opportunity
now like
the thief
on a
cross to
say,
I believe
you're the
king,
would you
please forgive
me and
carry me
into your
kingdom?
And for
the believer,
church,
the fact that
Jesus Christ
is king,
that's reason
to rejoice
at this
death on a
cross that
we're so
familiar with,
the death
of Jesus
that we
read about
weekly and
especially
here at
Easter,
is not
accidental,
he did
not die
a meaningless
death,
he died
to conquer
our enemies,
to deliver
us out of
the domain
of darkness
and to
transfer us
into the
kingdom of
God.
He came
to perfectly
obey in
our place
and to
die in
our place
so that
he can
say on
our behalf
that it
is
finished.
The
Westminster
Shorter
Catechism
asks the
question,
how does
Christ
execute
the office
of a
king?
And it
answers,
Christ
executes
the office
of a
king in
subduing
us to
himself,
in ruling
and defending
us,
in restraining
and conquering
all his
and our
enemies.
John
closes
this chapter
out by
telling us
about Jesus'
burial.
He says
in verse
38 that
after these
things,
Joseph
of
Arimathea,
who was
a disciple
of Jesus,
but secretly
for fear
of the
Jews,
asked Pilate
that he
might take
away the
body of
Jesus.
And Pilate
gave him
permission,
so he
came and
took away
his body.
And Nicodemus
also,
who earlier
had come to
Jesus by
night,
came bringing
a mixture
of myrrh
and aloes,
about 75
pounds in
weight.
So they
took the
body of
Jesus and
bound it
in linen
cloths with
the spices,
as is the
burial custom
of the
Jews.
And now,
in the place
where he
was crucified,
there was a
garden,
and in the
garden a
new tomb,
in which no
one had yet
been laid.
So,
because of the
Jewish day of
preparation,
since the
tomb was
close at
hand,
they laid
Jesus there.
Why do you
think John
tells us about
these two
men?
why do you
think he
thinks it's
important for
us to know
about Joseph
of Arimathea
and Nicodemus?
Joseph of
Arimathea,
John says,
was a secret
disciple of
Jesus for
fear of the
Jews,
he said.
He was a
member of the
Sanhedrin,
and he feared
what the Jews
might think of
his loyalty to
Jesus,
but here in
the aftermath
of the
cross,
it seems like
something has
changed,
doesn't it?
That fear
seems to have
turned into
boldness.
He goes
straight up to
Pilate himself
and asks if
he might be
able to take
away the
body of
Jesus.
And
Nicodemus,
John says,
this is the
same Nicodemus
that we saw
earlier from
John chapter
3.
Do you
remember
Nicodemus?
Nicodemus who
came to
Jesus by
night,
out of
fear,
possibly,
out of
shame,
possibly,
out of
embarrassment,
came to
him by
night for
fear of
the Jews,
for fear
of being
publicly
associated
with this
man,
Jesus.
Here Nicodemus
came to
anoint the
king.
It says he
anointed him
with how
much?
75 pounds.
You know the
average Jewish
burial only
called for
five pounds
of spices?
And Nicodemus
apparently brought
15 times that
much.
Something has
changed in
Nicodemus
and in
Joseph.
Here's the
point.
These two
men have
apparently
become
convinced
that this
is the
king.
And if
he's the
king,
why should
I fear
what anybody
else might
say about
my loyalty
to him?
Why should
I withhold
honor from
him?
Why should
I be scared
to be
associated
publicly
with him?
If he
is the
king,
then he
demands
my
loyalty,
he demands
my praise,
he demands
my honor,
and he
demands my
life.
Something's
changed about
these men.
They've become
convinced that
Christ is
king.
Their lives
are different
for it.
as we
close out
this passage,
I think
the question
we have to
ask ourselves
is what
about you?
What about
you?
Have you
become
convinced
that this
man Jesus
is who
he says
he is?
Is your
heart
convinced
that this
man Jesus
is the
king?
And if
he is,
then have
you bowed
the knee
to him
in submission?
Have you
brought your
heart to
him and
committed
yourself to
him to
say,
my life
is yours,
I want
to give
you
everything
I am?
These
men were
convinced.
And we
close out
this chapter
with Jesus
in a tomb,
but if we
know our
Old Testament,
we know
that this
is not
the end.
I'll close
by reading
Isaiah 53
for us.
It says
this,
Yet it
was the
will of
the Lord
to crush
him.
He has
put him
to grief.
When his
soul makes
an offering
for guilt,
he shall
see his
offspring,
he shall
prolong his
days.
The will
of the
Lord shall
prosper in
his hand.
Out of
the anguish
of his
soul,
he shall
see and
be satisfied.
By his
knowledge shall
the righteous
one,
my servant,
make many
to be
accounted
righteous,
and he
shall bear
their
iniquities.
let's
pray.
Lord,
we praise
you for
the death
of Christ
the King.
This was
not a
surprise to
you,
this was
no accident.
The King
himself laid
down his
life willingly
for our
good,
for our
salvation.
We thank
you for the
scriptures that
so clearly
point us
forward towards
Jesus,
and we
pray,
Father,
that you
would give
us eyes
to see
and ears
to hear
what you've
written.
Lord,
we pray
that we,
Father,
would bow
the knee
to King
Jesus.
We pray
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.