Well, we'll flatter ourselves again as we come to the young people's address. The youngsters are not with us, but we're saying a few words for them that will go out and we'll put those out on the internet, probably for them to receive tomorrow morning. But anyway, good to be able to speak once more about the big events that the Bible has to us to say. We're looking, and we're coming really towards the end of it, aren't we? We started this way back when, back in the Old Testament, looking at some of the key events that stand out and which really, in a way, give the structure to all the rest of the Bible and all the other parts sort of fit together around these big events. We've come to the New Testament and we've come to an event, no bigger, bigger event than this. Because we looked a few weeks ago, the coming of our Lord Jesus. We looked the other week at his life, his life of perfection, his life of obedience. Today, well, there is no bigger, bigger event than this. Not in the Bible, not in human history, nowhere. And that's the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? That's his death. That is the biggest of big events. Everything about the Son of God is a big event. But within those big events, this is the one that really undertakes to do good for us, for the whole world, to bring us into relationship with God. and all of his life. And he had to live that life. We were seeing it. He had to live 33 years of obedience, following the law of God, loving God, loving his neighbor as himself, proving that he was pure, absolutely good, that his whole heart was right before God. So as to show to the world and to be able to then bring to us the righteousness that we need to be able to approach God, make a gift of his life to us. But all of it was leading to that one appointment that was always his to have to keep. Never to be thought of as a mistake or a disaster that happened. How did he end up dying like this? Somebody so wonderful and glorious and good. How did it end in such shame and humiliation and degradation that he had to die upon the cross? But he knew that that was what was appointed for him. He knew it in eternity. And he knew it in his life here on earth, knew it from his youth upwards, that he must be about his father's business and that that business, no greater business than him to lay down his life for his people. and have to do it in the way that was appointed in Scripture, because it was there way back when, the kind of death he would die, the circumstances of it, and how he'd be betrayed, and how he would be ill-treated, and how he'd be mocked, and people that should have loved him and served him would hate him, and conspire to have him put to death. And everything predicted about his death came to pass, and he submitted to it, didn't argue against it, didn't say, no, stop there, this will not be. because he knew it was the will of God for him to endure those pains and those sufferings. And so he did. Of course, then he had to die on the cross itself. And that's moments, three hours of darkness that descended where he was bearing the sin of his people. No greater work than this, no bigger event than that. And all of the New Testament, as it looks back upon that, says, this is what's made all the difference. This is what's done it for us. And when he said when he died on the cross and gave up his spirit, it is finished. He meant that every obstacle that stands between the sinner and God, his judge, has now been removed. And that by his death, by the shedding of his blood, by the giving up of his body, before a holy God, he bore the punishment that was due to all of us, but that he willingly made that to be his punishment. Didn't deserve it because he was sinless, but he made it his punishment, that God would visit him with our sin. that we today, every day. could be rejoicing, relieved, happy to think that now we can worship God and pray to him freely and have joy in our hearts and that freedom to love him and serve him and to look forward beyond this world and all of its disappointments and all of its cares and death itself, of course, look beyond it to the glory of heaven. And it all comes down to his death. All the way through the Old Testament, all the sacrifices, pointing to his death, all of the blood that was offered on the altar, pointing to his death. The prophets saying what he would accomplish. or looking forward to his death. Well, we could speak and speak and speak of this. And when we come to the sermon in a little while, we'll be speaking again of this because that's supposed to be the subject, what people like me have on our minds. The Apostle Paul said when he had been in Corinth, that was it, he determined to know nothing among the people except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Simple as that. And as wonderful as that. And such, such good news. So that's a big event. very big event. God willing, next week we'll look at the big event that followed three days after his death. May the Lord bless those thoughts to us this morning.