It's a real privilege for me to be able to read these verses.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters
and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
and they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him
and twisting together a crown of thorns,
they put it on his head and put a reed in his hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him saying,
Hail, King of the Jews!
And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe
and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.
They compelled this man to carry his cross.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means place of a skull,
they offered him wine to drink mixed with ghoul.
But when he tasted it, he could not drink it.
And when they had crucified him,
they divided his garments among them by casting lots.
Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And over his head, they put a charge against him,
which read,
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
There were two robbers.
Then two robbers were crucified with him,
one on the right and one on the left.
And those who passed by derided him,
wagging their heads and saying,
You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself.
If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
So also the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him,
saying,
He saved others, he cannot save himself.
He is the King of Israel.
Let him come down now from the cross,
and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God.
Let God deliver him now,
if he desires him.
For he said,
I am the Son of God.
And the robbers who were crucified with him
also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour,
there was darkness over all the land
until the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour,
Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying,
Eli, Eli,
Lema sabachthani?
That is,
My God,
Why have you forsaken me?
And some of the bystanders hearing it said,
This man is calling Elijah.
And one of them at once ran and took a sponge,
filled it with sour wine,
and put it on a reed,
and gave it to him to drink.
But the other said,
Wait,
let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.
And Jesus cried out again,
with a loud voice,
and yielded up his spirit.
And behold,
the curtain of the temple was torn in two
from top to bottom,
and the earth shook,
and rocks were split.
The tombs also were open,
and many bodies of the saints
who had fallen asleep were raised,
and coming out of the tomb
after his resurrection,
they went into the holy city
and appeared to many.
When the centurion
and those who were with him,
keeping watch over Jesus,
saw the earthquake,
saw the earthquake
and what took place,
they were filled with awe
and said,
Truly,
this is the Son of God.
Will you pray with me
as we come to God's word?
Father,
I ask for your spirit's power
to work through your word.
in showing us
who you are
in the face of your Son,
seen most clearly here
at the cross.
I can't break through
even in my own heart,
so I ask that
you do it
for each one of us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Well,
a Navy SEAL,
a US Navy SEAL
named Matt Bissanetti,
he was part of the raid
to capture and kill
Osama Bin Laden,
and he wrote a book
about it,
and he said that
after Bin Laden
was shot
and killed,
they were taking his body
in the helicopter,
and one of the Navy SEALs
sat on Bin Laden's chest
as the seat
for the duration
of the flight.
He also says in the book,
apparently,
that they found
in Bin Laden's room
some just-for-men
hair dye.
Now,
I could use
some of that.
It's not great.
I get
that's an interesting story,
the capture
and end
of such
an enemy,
but why the mockery?
He's already defeated.
He's gone.
Why the mockery?
It's really...
I don't have
a real answer here.
A psychologist
in the room
might have a better answer,
but we all know
mockery,
don't we?
We all know it.
It's making sport
of a person,
using someone
for your amusement,
for other people's amusement.
It's humiliating
their very person
to their very core,
even if they're dead.
Now,
I'm guessing
you've experienced it.
We've all experienced it
to one degree
or another.
Now,
going through this passage,
one effect
that it had on me
is it convicted me
of something
I'm now
very ashamed of,
and I'll get a phone call
from my parents later
asking what that is,
but I'm not going
to share that
because it's not
the place to do it.
James 3,
8-9
addresses Christians
saying,
no human being
can tame the tongue.
It is a restless evil
full of deadly poison.
With it,
we bless our Lord
and Father,
and with it,
we curse people
who are made
in the likeness
of God.
We've not all
just been
the recipients
of ridicule.
We've all been
the perpetrators.
I'm assuming
that.
Mockery of
Bin Laden
as unworthy
of any
basic dignity,
it's distasteful,
but how much
worse is it
for an innocent
teenager?
The target
of the jeering
crowd,
their person,
their worth.
Now,
please,
if that's
happening to you,
reach out
to your parents
and reach out
to teachers.
You were very
much loved
by God
and us,
but
so much
worse.
How much
worse is it
still who we
have here?
How much
worse is it
the one
who gives
all men
their life
and breath,
the one
who has
every right
to speak
into my
life and
say,
here's how
you should
think,
here's what
you should
do?
He has
the right.
He has
all right.
The one
who came
to us,
not with
an iron fist
or something,
he lowered
himself by
becoming one
of us.
He came
to serve,
he was
gentle and
lowly.
how many
people did
he restore
body and
soul through
his miracles
and teaching?
I don't
understand why
all these
people in
what happened
that day
mock.
I don't
fully get.
I don't
fully get
why I
mock.
I ridicule
human beings.
I don't
fully understand
it, but
I think what
Matthew wants
us to see
is what
all humanity
will do
to God
if given
half a chance.
If God
doesn't fight
back, here's
what humanity
will do to
him.
If you
still hold
on to a
notion that
most human
beings are
basically good
if they've
got the
right upbringing,
here's how
a survivor
of the
Soviet Union
gulag,
the atrocities
that happened
there.
He had
every right
to say
those
perpetrators
are evil
and we're
the good
ones.
And here's
what he
said,
the line
dividing
good and
evil cuts
through the
heart of
every human
being.
And we
see that
here in
our passage.
Jesus is
already condemned
by Pilate,
he's a dead
man walking,
but the
soldiers,
verse 29,
ridiculed
him.
verse 31,
Matthew
emphasises it,
after they
mocked him,
they take him
out to be
crucified.
Now,
while hanging
on the
cross,
verse 39,
the crowds
come past
and they
derided him,
they joined
in on
ridiculing
him.
And then
you've got
the chief
priests,
verse 41,
the scribes
and elders,
they mock
him.
And then
you've even
got verse
44,
the criminals
who are
hanging either
side,
they get
in on
it.
Everyone,
given half
a chance,
here's what
we will do
to God,
for insisting
that he
is God,
even if
he comes
lowly and
serving.
There's a
great
differences
between Jew
and Gentile,
they were
hostile,
but here
they are
united in
their mockery
of God.
Now,
there's two
aspects
that Matthew
wants us
to focus
on.
The first
section
focuses on
his identity,
Jesus as
king.
And then
the second
part focuses
on his
salvation,
you who
saved others,
you can't
even save
yourself.
King and
saviour.
So let's,
I just want
to feel
the weight
of it,
let's go
through the
story,
and we'll
see what we
learn.
So pilots,
these are
pilots,
soldiers,
verse 27,
the whole
company,
so 600
or so
soldiers,
whoever were
present
probably,
this was
over the
top,
let's get
the whole
company who
are present
here to
just surround
this guy.
They
humiliate him
and strip
him naked,
he's
impotent,
he can't
defend
himself,
they
imitate
Caesar's
crown,
if you see
on the
coins,
the
Caesar's
wreath
on his
head,
and so
they put
a crown
of thorns
together and
shove it on
his head
and then
they get
a staff
to symbolise
a ruler's
scepter and
they use it
to whack
him.
Avah,
Caesar,
hail,
king of
the Jews.
You can
imagine one
of the
extroverts in
the room
coming out
and being
the first
to do it.
I'm saying
that as an
introvert to
try and
kind of,
I wouldn't
have done
it of course,
spit on
him.
I remember
my dad
getting really
got me in
trouble,
I'll put it
that way,
when I
spat at
my brother.
It is
such an
offensive
thing to
do,
to spit
at someone.
It's so
unnecessary,
he's already
condemned.
They're just
making sport
of him.
So after
this,
the four
soldiers
were the
execution
squad and
make him
carry,
usually it
would just
be the
cross beam,
not the
whole cross
as usually
the pictures
say,
but take
him to
a public
place.
And now
crucifixion,
2,000 years
of Christian
tradition is
kind of
someone put
it as
domesticated
it.
Let me
read Tom
Holland's
description
now,
that's not
Spider-Man,
I'm sorry,
but something
way cooler,
he's a
historian,
way cooler,
he's not a
believer,
here's how he
describes it,
no death
was more
excruciating,
more contemptible
than crucifixion.
To be hung
naked,
long in
agony,
swelling
with ugly
wheels on
shoulders and
chests,
helpless to
beat away
the clamorous
birds,
such a fate
Roman
intellectuals
agreed was
the worst
imaginable.
This in
turn was
what rendered
it so
suitable
a punishment
for slaves.
The
corpses
of the
crucified,
once they
had first
provided
pickings for
hungry birds,
tended to be
flung into
a common
grave.
So foul
was the
reek of
their disgrace
that many
felt tainted
even by
viewing a
crucifixion.
Despite
the ubiquity
of crucifixion
across the
Roman world,
few cared
to think
much about
it.
The
surprise
is less
that we
should have
so few
detailed
descriptions
in ancient
literature
of what a
crucifixion
might actually
involve,
than we
should have
any at
all.
Even the
Roman
intellectuals
were going,
well,
we didn't
invent that,
the Assyrians
invented that.
It ended
by suffocation
usually,
or shock,
or heart
failure.
have to
lift
themselves
up on
the
wounds
to
breathe,
and then
collapse
again.
Now,
surprisingly
for Matthew,
the pain,
the pain
isn't focused
on at
all.
But I'm
hoping,
hearing from
Tom Holland,
we hear the
shame of it,
the disgrace
of it.
It's the
world rejecting
you as
lower than
human.
Roman law,
apparently,
citizens,
Roman citizens
were not
allowed to be
crucified,
unless Caesar
gave a direct
edict.
So here
we see
his world
mocking
him,
putting him
to shame,
because he's
weak,
he's a weak
king.
It's not
surprising
that the
enemies,
Gentiles,
would treat
the Son of
God that
way,
but then
verse 39
to 44,
for his
very own
people,
his own
family,
if I can
put it that
way.
But for
the Jews,
viewing the
cross,
it's not
just shame,
it's shame
from God
as well,
you're under
a curse.
Deuteronomy
21,
23,
you're
cursed by
God.
So the
leaders,
their aim
in getting
him crucified
is to
inflict as
much
public
revulsion
as possible
onto him.
He's
cursed,
cursed even
by God.
Verse 34,
the mockery
continues.
They offer
him a
drink
mixed with
gall.
Now,
possibly it's
a narcotic
to ease
the pain,
man,
but if
that's the
case,
then Jesus
is choosing
to be in
his right
mind through
this,
but more
likely,
it was part
of making
fun of
him.
Here,
let's put
something so
bitter in
his drink,
he thinks
it's going to
give him a
little bit of
comfort that
he has to
spit it out
because it's
so bitter.
And probably
naked,
they cast
lots,
they gamble
for his
sandals and
belts and
inner and
outer garment.
And the
people passing
by,
they hurl
insults as
well.
And here's
where we
turn to the
salvation
theme.
You who
are trying
to destroy
the temple
and rebuild
it in
three days,
save
yourself.
You can't
even save
yourself.
And the
Sanhedrin,
he saved
others.
that's
probably
referring to
his healing
ministry,
he saved
others.
He doesn't
even have
supernatural
power to
save himself.
What kind
of saviour
are you?
You can't
even save
yourself.
Why are
they saying
this?
He's already
condemned.
I don't
know,
it seems
to me,
let's see
what you
think,
it seems
to me,
they're
trying to
strip
him of
any
human
dignity
or worth
reputable
even as
he's
dying.
The
mockery
continues
with this
whole
Elijah
bit.
Some
Jewish
tradition
held that
Elijah would
come rescue
the righteous.
Now,
offering him
a drink,
that's
hard to
say
to
a drink,
that's
hard to
say
whether
they're
is that
compassion
or it
could be
part of
their
hey,
here,
have a
drink so
that you
survive
longer
and suffer
longer.
It could
be part
of their
mockery.
it probably
is them
sitting there
going,
all right,
let's wait
to see if
Elijah comes,
he's not
coming.
Let's
prolong his
life
because God's
not going to
rescue him.
There's no
reference to
Psalm 22.
Matthew
doesn't say
this is to
fulfill
but it
is
fulfilling
Psalm 22
written by
King David
with
precision.
The
religious
leaders,
they did
not know
that they
were
fulfilling
verse 8
of Psalm
22.
He trusts
in the
Lord,
let him
deliver him,
let him
rescue him
for he
delights
in him.
The
dogs
encompass
me,
a company
of
evildoers
encircles
me.
They
have
pierced
my hands
and feet.
For my
clothing
they
cast
lots.
This is
the one
man in
all history
whose
biography
was written
before he
existed.
weak,
king,
cursed,
king.
Psalm 22
and Isaiah
53 say,
yes,
that's right.
That's
exactly
right.
my God,
why have
you
forsaken
me?
That
verse is
the key to
understanding
this passage.
My God,
my God,
why have
you
forsaken
me?
what does
the cross
mean?
Now,
some
who
claim the
title
Christian
use the
cross as
he's our
example.
Look at
his love
laying down
his life
for others.
It is that,
but some
people claim
that's what's
the primary
meaning,
that's it,
he's an
example to
follow.
I've heard
an illustration
how strange
that idea
is.
If you
were walking
beside a
riverbank with
someone and
you said,
I want to
show my
love for
you and
the river
is in
flood.
I'm going
to show
my love
and you
just dive
in and
get swept
away and
die.
That's not
showing love.
That's why
on earth
would you
do that?
But if
that person
was in
the river
and you
jumped in
to save
them and
you were
swept away
and die,
okay,
that's love.
There must
be
some
salvation
happening
here for
it to
even be
an example
of love.
My God,
my God,
why have
you
forsaken
me?
It is
way more
than just
example.
He's doing
something for
us.
I've only
been married
12 years,
I hope
that's right.
I'm
beginning to
appreciate
older saints.
When they've
been married
and they
lose their
spouse of
30,
40,
50 years
and just
the
expressions
of
just a
massive
part of
themselves
are gone.
One
person is
like the
world is
lost its
colour.
It's just
black and
white now.
I'm
starting to
appreciate
that.
When you've
known that
love for so
long,
now that's
just 50
years,
what
agony
would it
be to
lose the
love you've
experienced
for eternity?
you've
known it
for
eternity.
Here's
his
relationship
in
Matthew
11.
No one
knows the
son except
the father
and no one
knows the
father except
the son.
But it's
worse than
just loss
and tragedy,
it's
abandonment.
It's
rejection.
It made
me think
of someone
falsely
arrested by
the police
and their
father was
against
them.
It's
abandonment.
He really
is being
forsaken,
abandoned.
We are
witnessing
hell.
that I
deserve
to receive
from God.
The darkness
is just
the darkness
in the sky
at that time
was just
this hint
at the
deep
rejection
taking place.
The
horror of
the world's
sin
laid on
him.
reading the
Bible story
with Sam
last night
and he
said it
wasn't the
nails
keeping
Jesus
there.
I was
like,
oh,
that's an
insightful
comment.
What,
what,
why did he
stay there
then?
to die
for our
sins?
We see
the love
of God
in Christ,
the whole
world
debasing
him.
His
father,
he's known
his love
for all
eternity,
abandoning
him and
he stayed.
He stayed.
that's
his love.
There's
going to
be times
in each
of our
lives
where we
feel like
we are
utterly
forsaken
by God.
He's not
answering
our
prayers.
You
feel
nothing
of his
presence.
His
word
just
doesn't
feed you
as it
once did.
there
was
a
Christian
poet,
we sing
some of
his songs,
William
Cowper,
who had
several
rounds of
suicidal
depression
and
this
lady wrote
a poem
for him
about
this
passage.
Yea,
once
Emmanuel's
orphaned
cry,
his
universe
hath
shaken.
It
went up
single,
echo-less,
my God,
I am
forsaken.
It
went up
from the
Holy's
lips
amid
his
lost
creation,
that
of the
lost
no
son
should
use
those
words
of
desolation.
In
other
words,
Jesus
cry,
my God,
I am
forsaken,
you should
not use
those
words,
because you're
not,
you never
will be.
However you
feel,
you never
will be,
now or
for all
eternity.
I should
never say
I'm
forsaken,
!
He
summarizes
what the
cross is
all
about,
what the
whole
Bible
is
all
about
in
two
lines,
ready?
The
essence
of
sin
is
man
substituting
himself
in
God's
place,
the
essence
of
salvation
is
God
substituting
himself
in
my
place.
That's
what we're
seeing
here.
then in
verse 51
to 54
we see
the
victory.
He is
raining
on the
tree.
Nothing
has
shaken
up
life as
we know
it,
the world
order as
we know
it,
or
nothing
in your
life,
whatever
experiences
you've
gone
through,
nothing
has
affected
your
life,
if you're
a believer,
as
profoundly
as
this
moment,
this
moment
when he
yielded
up
his
life,
his
spirit
to
God.
Yes,
the
resurrection
confirms
and puts
into effect
Christ's
victory,
but Matthew
wants us
to see
that the
victory
was won
here,
right in
this
moment,
when he
yielded
up his
spirit
at the
cross.
I think
we're
meant to
be seeing
him
reigning,
he is
king,
in this
moment where
his body
is hanging
limp
on a
cross.
My
death is
probably
going to
be the
end of
what I
accomplish,
but see
what he
accomplishes
with his
death.
Verse 51
to 54,
there's
three world
heavenly
shaking
victories.
The
curtain
temple was
torn in
two.
The
tombs of
Old
Testament
saints
are
broken
open
and
they're
raised
and
this
Roman
centurion
confesses
faith.
If we
can go
through each
of these,
the temple,
if you
tried to
go near
God's
presence in
the temple,
you'd be
met with
get out
signs at
every stage.
If you're a
Gentile,
you couldn't
go further
than the
outer court.
If you're
not a
priest,
you couldn't
go further
than the
inner court.
if you
weren't
the high
priest,
you couldn't
go further
than the
holy place.
You couldn't
go into
the most
holy place.
He could
only go
in once
a year.
He had
to clean
vigorously
and confess
and blood.
Jesus
taking our
curse,
the curtain
is torn
top to
bottom.
open
access
to
walk
and
talk
with
God
as
your
heavenly
father
every
day,
all day,
all night.
Open
access.
I learned
from Cole
that little
storage room,
this used
to be a
Catholic
church,
that was
the
confessional.
I don't
know if I
knew that
but I've
forgotten it.
Priest comes
in the
back,
you come
in that
way,
confess
your sins,
get
forgiveness
from the
priest,
here's
what you
do for
penance.
No.
You have
open
access.
There's
no place,
there's no
person except
for Christ.
He's your
high priest,
Hebrews
says.
You who
would destroy
this temple
and rebuild
it in
three days.
He is
the new
and living
way.
If you
just look
at his
dying
breath in
this moment
hanging
lifeless on
the tree,
if you
trust that
is enough,
he's
opened the
way to
the
Father.
Not only
no entry,
come in,
please.
You don't
come in
often enough.
Come.
The way
to the
Father is
open,
trusting this
very moment.
to see
him
raining
on the
tree.
Then we
have the
resurrected
saints.
Only
Matthew
records
this.
This is
unreal.
Verse 52,
53.
Matthew
seems to
jump ahead
himself.
We're
not up to
the
resurrection,
Matthew.
Hang on.
It's like
God can't
wait to
show us.
Look at
the victory.
He's
just won.
The
earthquake
is the
thing that
breaks open
the tombs,
but the
resurrection
is tied
to his
resurrection.
Matthew
ties it
to his,
Jesus'
resurrection.
So these
Old Testament
saints,
whoever they
were,
they were
Old Testament
saints,
share in
the victory
over the
curse of
sin.
As much
as you and
I today
will share
in that
victory.
And
Matthew,
I think,
places it
here so
that we
see that
the victory
was won
at the
cross.
Speaking
to a
Muslim in
Sydney after
indoor soccer,
I've lost
touch with
the guy
now,
but he
objected to
my Christian
arrogance to
say that I
know for
sure that
after judgment
we agree
there's going
to be a
judgment,
that I'm
going to
live.
Allah is
merciful,
but a
devout Muslim
cannot presume
to know the
final judgment.
There's no
assurance of
life.
A pastor
in the UK
once received
a letter in
his mailbox
from a
Roman Catholic
family who
had a sudden
tragedy.
someone died
and they
asked him
to pray for
their child
to survive
the thousands
of years
in purgatory.
Now,
it's heart
wrenching.
They're in
deep pain,
but they
had no
assurance.
They were
devout.
They had no
assurance.
Then you
got the
non-religious
poem of
Dylan Thomas
about his
dying father.
Do not
go gentle
into that
good night.
Old age
should burn
and rave
at close
of day.
Rage,
rage against
the dying
of the
light.
No
assurance.
Do you
see the
power over
your death,
over your
tomb in
this moment?
Because he
yielded up
his spirit
in your
place.
We can
say like
Paul,
to live
is Christ,
to die
is gain.
If I'm
to live
in the
body,
that means
fruitful
labour for
me,
yet which
I shall
choose,
I don't
know.
There's
assurance.
see him
reigning,
nailed to
the tree.
Now,
I know
theologically
he's raised,
he's ascended,
but I'm
saying Matthew
wants us to
see the
victory was
won at
the cross.
Then the
third barrier,
unbelief.
Verse 54,
the universal
rejection
and mockery
of God
becomes a
universal
church
confessing
faith and
awe in
this sun,
in this
moment.
Matthew is
the most
Jewish of
the four
gospels.
But you
know where
it's going
to end in
terms of the
Great
Commission,
go to
all nations
and here
we get
the first
fruits of
that.
This
Roman
centurion
seeing the
darkness,
feeling the
earthquake,
no doubt
seeing something
in this
Jesus as
he died,
filled with
awe.
Truly this
was the
Son of
God.
And the
message of
Christ
crucified is
invading
every culture
one heart
at a time.
When we
were at
Bible
College,
we shared
a unit
with a
Nepalese
couple,
a Pakistani
couple,
and the
most
different
to us
of all,
New
Zealand
couple.
I love
any
New
Zealanders.
It was
just a
cheap joke,
I'm
sorry.
I
joined the
mockery,
don't I?
Now that's
just a taste
of the
universal
church.
It's
one thing
for one
culture to
find something
beautiful,
but for
all the
differences
among us
in the
world,
and we're
all looking
at this
moment of
this limp
body going,
wow,
it gives
glory,
it gives
glory to
God.
We see
the universal
church.
So do you
see the
power of
God and
the love
of God
to save
you in
this mocked
and weak
and
lifeless
king?
does it
move your
heart to
awe and
humbled and
thankful for
what he's
done for
you?
It made
me think of
1 Corinthians
1,
for the
message of
the cross
is foolishness
to those who
are perishing,
but to us who
are being
saved,
it is the
power,
it is the
power.
I want to
finish two
things.
What is the
fundamental,
if you can
see the
power of
God in
Christ
crucified and
his victories,
what's the
fundamental
reason why
you see
his salvation?
Why did
the Roman
centurion,
I think
it's a
pretty safe
presumption
that he
was part
of that
crowd
who were
kneeling before
this guy,
spitting in
his face,
just a few
hours later,
this is the
son of God.
Why did
he see?
Why did
the criminal
hanging next
to him,
Matthew says
he joined
in with
the reviling?
Luke tells
us something
changed.
He ended
up saying,
remember me
when you
come into
your kingdom.
Imagine
saying that
to this
dying man
on the
cross who
the world
is
condemning.
You've
got a
kingdom,
let me
in please.
Why did
he see
it?
Why did
Nicodemus,
a Pharisee,
he saw it
in the end,
John's
gospel tells
us.
Acts 6
verse 7
says that
a great
many of
the priests
became
obedient to
the faith.
Why did
they see?
Why do you
see him as
king when
others hear
the same
message and
don't?
a lady
came to
R.C.
Sproul,
a Bible
teacher,
and he
asked,
he pressed
her on
why,
why you
and not
others,
gently I
think,
but are you
wiser than
others to
comprehend the
Bible?
No,
no,
it's not,
I'm
paraphrasing
it,
no,
it's not
my wisdom.
Then did
God see
some kind
of raw
material in
you that
you're more
useful to
him than
others?
No,
no,
it's not
anything like
that.
Were you
more humble?
Are you
more humble
in receiving
this news?
No,
I don't
want to
say I'm
more humble
than
others.
I just
received
his grace.
But why
did you
receive it
and not
others?
I saw
him and
what he
did in
the gospel
story,
but why
did you
see when
others don't
see?
He was just
pressing the
point.
In the
end,
when you
ask why
do you
believe,
if you're
a believer,
why do you
believe and
others don't
see the
glory here?
Either you've
got to say
I'm not
much,
but I'm
a
teensy
wincy
bit better
than other
people.
Either you've
got to say
that,
I see no
way around
that,
or you
say,
I'd still
be rejecting
him and
mocking him
if he
hadn't
revealed
his glory
to me.
In my
utter weakness,
he opened
my eyes.
saying,
it was
him
choosing
me.
I think
they're
your two
options.
I'm
saying
this to
urge us,
let your
boast only
be in
him.
If you
see his
glory,
his power
at the
cross,
let your
boast be
in him.
Going
back to
Matthew
11,
Jesus said,
at that
time,
Jesus
declared,
I thank
you,
Father,
Lord of
heaven and
earth,
that you
have hidden
these things
from the
wires and
understanding
and revealed
them to
little
children.
Yes,
Father,
for such
was your
gracious
will.
All things
have been
handed over
to me by
my Father,
and no
one knows
the Son
except the
Father,
and no
one knows
the Father
except the
Son,
and anyone
to whom
the Son
chooses to
reveal him.
Come to
me,
all who
labor and
are heavy
laden,
and I
will give
you rest.
Take my
yoke upon
you and
learn from
me,
for I
am gentle
and lowly
in heart,
and you
will find
rest for
your souls,
for my
yoke is
easy and
my burden
is light.
Let's
give all
the credit
to him,
if you
see his
power and
glory.
And just
quickly and
finally,
if we
see God's
power working
through his
weakness and
rejection and
feeling utterly
overwhelmed,
let's
expect God
to powerfully
work through
us in
our weakness
and rejection
and utterly
overwhelmed.
strong.
I keep
wanting to
be strong
as the
world counts
strong.
If we
want this
message of
the cross
to be
shown in
our lives
and spoken,
get ready
for weakness,
but let's
embrace it
God's
power,
this message
of the
cross
will shine
forth
through our
weakness.
This is
an abrupt
ending,
but that's
all I've
got.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Our
Father in
heaven,
that we
can call
you our
Father,
we give
all praise
to you,
we thank
you.
May the
depths of
our heart
thank you.
Thank you.
May we
trust you
deeply,
whatever
sense of
being forsaken
we go
through and
you lead
us through.
May we
see at the
cross the
victories that
we will
never be
forsaken and
I pray that
you would
help us
embrace
using us
to spread
this message
through our
weakness.
By your
spirit's
power I
pray.
Amen.