We'll look at verses 33 through 56 just as an overview devotional. and spend some time tonight at the cross. In verse 33, And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of the skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall, and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet they parted my garments among them and upon my vesture did they cast lots and sitting down they watched him there and set up over his head his accusation written this is Jesus the king of the Jews then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another on the left." This is the word of the Lord and he will most certainly add his abundant, gracious, and magnified blessing to the reading of This is Holy Truth. Let us pray. Most blessed and gracious, loving Heavenly Father, our Father and our God, we come before Thee because of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, wherein we may be called sons of the Most High, adopted because of the precious blood that He has shed, the wrath that He had suffered, His perfect substitutionary atonement, that we may partake so that you, Lord God, may be glorified. We humbly come before your word and tremble at this reading of the event at Calvary that is an eternal event, an everlasting event, as your word declares, because the righteous and eternal Son of God had given his life and laid down his life for the sheep. We as Your sheep, Lord, are humble before Your Word. We pray, Father, that if there is anything in us that would distract us or keep us from an understanding of Your Word, that You would take it from us, and that we may exalt Christ and glorify Thee, and that in that we would be edified to bring forth good works to Thy glory and Thy good pleasure. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. What a blessedness to be at the cross, to read the scriptures of the cross, and at this time of year, as the Lord had given His life, we see some things in verses 34 through 38, which we had read, and we see in those verses many things, but one of the things that we see is the cross of Christ expresses God's sovereignty. And though Matthew only actually recites as it is written of the prophets in one thing, we see God's sovereignty in bringing these things to pass in the very significance of Christ's crucifixion. Verse 34, they gave him vinegar. to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. They say that it was a... it may have been a potion in order to give him anesthetic, because it was such a cruel death. But we see the sovereignty of God to bring it to pass, because Psalm 69 and verse 21 says, They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. It's written here as God's sovereign over the crucifixion of Jesus Christ that is fulfilled. In verse 35, the first part, and they crucified him and parted his garments. They crucified him in Psalm 22 and verse 16, as you all know, as it's David pens this for dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me, they pierced my hands and my feet. So here in the crucifixion fulfilling Psalm 22 and verse 16, and then the second part of that, which is that which Matthew does quote of the prophets parted his garments casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet they parted my garments among them and upon my vesture did they cast lots quoting this time verse 18 of Psalm 22 they parted my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture verse 36 they're sitting there and verse 37 here is the title this is Jesus the king of the Jews that he had this is his accusation that he was king of the Jews and it bears witness against the people that cried out crucify him that for being the king of the Jews that was what they crucified him for They said that the truth that came forth from his lips, that he was the son of the Most High, they said that that was blasphemy and put him to death for it. In verse 38, When it says, then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another on the left, in God's sovereignty, we see again a fulfillment of Scripture from Isaiah 53 and verse 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death. and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bared the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors." And that being partially fulfilled as it's recorded here, but fully fulfilled in the recording of the Gospels in all four of the accounts of his crucifixion. That verse is significant. We know that Peter gives us light in the sovereignty of God to bring Christ to the cross. was that which was planned from before the foundation of the world, even before God said, Light be, in Genesis chapter 1, as Peter declares, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God, that raised him from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God, 1 Peter 1, verses 20 and 21. So we see, again, in this portion from verse 34 to 38, particularly, or 33 to 38, we see the cross of Christ expresses God's sovereignty. In verses 39 to 45, we see the cross of Christ expresses man's depravity. It says, And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself, if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Verse 41, Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, when the scribes and elders said, He saved others himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him. For he said, I am the Son of God, and the thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth. now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour here we see in the cross of Christ expressing man's depravity in verses 39 to 40 the people heard what Christ said and they reviled him and mocked him and were ignorant of his truth Jesus did say that in John chapter 2 at the very beginning of his ministry destroy this temple and in three days I shall raise it up again The Gospel of John records a few times where he had disputes with people, where they thought that he was talking about killing himself, or actually trying to destroy the temple. They misunderstood, and in their ignorance they revile, signifying that these had nothing of the revelation of God through the cross, because they rejected God's Messiah on the cross. In verses 41 to 43, we see that the religious leaders understood what Christ claimed. they brought in liars to accuse him but ultimately lied themselves in verse 41 it says likewise also the chief priests mocking him and and with the scribes and elders said he saved others himself he cannot save if he be the king of israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him they lied because if he came down from the cross they would not believe him because he was on the cross They did not believe Him. If He came down, they would not believe Him either, because it's the cross that saves them. They lied. They brought in liars to accuse Jesus, and though the liars could not agree, they took the truth and took Him to the cross as a result of that to murder our Lord and Savior. If one cannot believe Christ's claims by the truth of the cross, that one lies and deceives himself that he can believe otherwise. They're only deceiving themselves, or as some folks have said, the only fool they're fooling is themselves, because the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Backing up to verse 42, the first part of that, it says, he saved others himself he cannot save. That was an expression of the scoffers then and is an expression of the scoffers now that even as Peter again in his second epistle notes that knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts. and saying where's the promise of his coming for since the father's fall asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation 2nd Peter 2 verses 3 and 4 and this also testifies of those religious leaders at the cross that they walk after their own lusts he saved others himself he cannot save where's the promise of his coming They were scoffing in a different way of his first coming, where scoffers at Christ's second coming are saying the same things as ungodly scribes and Pharisees. Verse 43 says, he trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him, for he said, I am the son of God. Verse 45 reflects the spiritual condition of the world. As it says, now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour that God, who is the creator of heaven and earth, who put the sun and the moon and the stars on the fourth day so that they might be for appointed times, and seasons, and the appointed time is at the fullness of the time that Christ would come, born of a virgin, made under the law, and hanging upon that tree that the sun was darkened in Amos 8 and 9. Tell us, and it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. reflecting the sinfulness of the condition of the world that hated, utterly hated His Son. If the cross of Christ does not show us our depravity in light of the wrath suffered by the righteous Son of God, we are lost and salvation is as far from us as the East is from the West. The cross of Christ expresses man's penalty. Verse 46, the cross of Christ expresses God's mercy. Verse 46, and about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Here it's recorded in Matthew that he recited it or he spoke it in Aramaic. There's a few places, a couple in Mark and a couple in Matthew, and even in John, where people were speaking Aramaic. It wasn't as popular to speak Aramaic anywhere else. It's a dialect of Hebrew. But he says it's translated. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Quoting from Psalm 22 and verse 1. This expresses Christ's righteousness. I believe he said it in Aramaic so that the people that were the most common, because the ones that could speak Hebrew would know that he was reciting Psalm 22 and verse 1, but by speaking in Aramaic, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that even the most common of people that were not schooled or educated in Hebrew could at least even hear the words of God reciting the Word of God by the Son of God. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And it expresses Christ's righteousness because only Jesus could utter those words. Adam and every one of his descendants could never recite that scripture and say it is mine. I could not say that that is mine and no way can any other man say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Because Adam and his descendants, including every one of us who are sinful descendants of Adam, forsook God and departed from Him. This is the instance, the only instance in the universe and is only uttered by the one person in the universe where God has forsaken a man. and that is the man Christ Jesus Christ suffered the wrath of God in his separation from intimate fellowship with God that intimate fellowship that he had known with the father from the very beginning and being carried along in obscurity until he is thirty years of age and then after his baptism hearing that the voice from heaven as the Holy Spirit in bodily form, like as a dove, descending upon him, lighting upon him, empowering him, and filling him that he would have no moment where he did not know the intimate fellowship of he who declared from heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And He was never ever unpleasing to the Father, so that when the wrath of God was poured out upon Him, He knew a forsakenness that no man will ever know. Because even the presence of God will be in the smallest portion of hell, as it were. Because the presence of God against those who have defied God is that which is the wrath of God. Eternal torment in that lake of fire will know the presence of God But will be utterly destroyed by the brightness of its shine and the glow of its glory Because they are in utter darkness The cross of Christ in verse 46 the cross of Christ expresses God's mercy because to forsake his only begotten Son that sinful men may be spared by faith in Him." Going to that extreme that God would become a man and walk a sinless and righteous life, showing His perfection, and then diving into the sinfulness of fallen creation, that which He had created and that man destroyed, was like taking the worst of all filth, the worst of all refuse, and having a full pool of it, and jumping in headlong, and Jesus, who was righteous, holy, and sinless, walked among sinful men. He dwelt among men, and we can't even fathom the pressing of sin against He who is holy, and walking among sinfulness for thirty-three and a half years. So the cross of Christ expresses God's mercy to forsake His only begotten Son, who is altogether righteous. This passage of Scripture from John 3.16, that great passage, we can never really fathom its great glories. We can only rest in faith by God's grace upon its eternal truth. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It is a verse that is infinitely glorious, and we can never scratch the surface of that infinite glory, but only rest again. And it's worth saying, only rest again by grace through faith upon its blessed truth. And that is sufficient. God says that is enough. Believing on Christ, to have faith on Him and repentance to turn from our wickedness and turn unto God. That is sufficient by God's grace through faith. Verses 47 to 49, the cross of Christ expresses man's idolatry. In verse 47, it says some of them stood there when they heard that. They heard what He said. This man calleth for Elias, Elijah. this man called for Elijah and straightway one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him the drink and verse 49 the rest said let it be let us see whether Elijah will come to save him. This expresses man's idolatry. That despite the truth of the cross, that sinful men will not be satisfied in the satisfaction of God through the wrath poured out upon His only Son, and the death of His Son, and the shedding of His Son's blood, that God is satisfied with this Sacrifice? Men are not satisfied. They are idolaters. They're looking for something else. Even the details behind it, which I'm not going to go into in taking this vinegar. Oh, it's Elijah. Well, he needs a cup. We set a cup for him every Passover. We need to give him drink. They're idolatrous. Even in seeing the display of the cross, men are idolatrous. In verse 50 through 53, we see the cross of Christ expresses Christ's sufficient substitute. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghosts and behold, the veil of the temple was rent and twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept rose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. That having declared this from the beginning, that this sacrifice has been taken to the ultimate extreme to display to the entire created universe that the glory of God manifested by the grace and mercy of God to men. are seen in the perfect justice of God by the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection, because it mentions even the resurrection here. But we know that it includes His ascension and consummation of the gospel in and through and by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But that the death, burial, and resurrection, the simple trinity of the gospel that is reflected even in 1 Corinthians 15, verses 3 and 4, the blessedness of that truth expressed here at the cross, we see the sufficiency of Christ's substitute at the cross. It shook the world, it broke open rocks, and at Christ's resurrection also were raised again unto witnesses of that resurrection, many who were dead from the tombs that lay open on the day that he cried out and gave up the ghost. Verse 54, the cross of Christ expresses Christ's impact on the world. Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly, This was the Son of God, that even a godless pagan centurion can recognize the seriousness and the gravity of the truth of Christ's claim. Because Romans 1 and verses 18 to 20, as you know, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. And his utterance provides another instance of proof from Romans chapter 1, 18 through 20, that they are without excuse. even the worst of the lowliest and most common of pagans and idolaters can recognize that this is the invisible things of God and finally verses 55 to 56 and many women were there beholding afar off which followed Jesus from Galilee ministering unto him among which was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of Zebedee's children The cross of Christ expresses Christ's intimacy with His elect, and though only the women were mentioned, I believe that they're mentioned for this particular purpose, that as the women were Considered possibly even some of the least of Christ followers as he gave his time over and he gave his his Training over unto those men and to those disciples those whom he had called That the women were no less a part of that and that they are mentioned even to the very end least of these, they are inheritors. You are, ladies, you are special to Christ and inheritors of that inheritance and are not called daughters of the inheritance, but sons, that you receive no backseat and no second place. To even those women afar off as witnesses, they are known of God and they are mentioned of God by name. and that brings glory unto God and those whom he has elected. We know that in John 10 and 27 and 28, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them Eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand so whether you follow Nearby or whether you follow afar off your name is written in heaven because God knows your name Jesus knows you and we follow him what a grand truth to close with at the blessedness of the eternal truth of Christ at the cross Let's pray Most blessed and gracious Heavenly Father, we thank You, Lord. These truths are such majestic truths that sinful men, sinful men like myself, to proclaim these truths, it seems almost an injustice, but Your Spirit testifies that it is all of grace and efficacious grace at that. that as sinful men who were redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of his soul, given to satisfy your justice, Lord, that we may boldly proclaim, as we also have bold confidence to come before the throne of grace, to find mercy in time of need. We love you Lord and thank you for thy word and pray that Christ is exalted and thou art glorified today and until Christ come in his name we pray. Amen.