Congregation, we open God's holy and fallible word this afternoon in the gospel according to Matthew. We read from chapter 26 verses 47 through 56. Matthew 26 verses 47 through 56. There we read as follows, Matthew 26 starting verse 47 and while he that is the Lord Jesus yet spake lo Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he. Hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, Hail, Master, and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And behold, one of them, which were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priests, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword in his place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple and you laid no hold on me but all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled then all the disciples forsook him and fled so far the reading of God's holy words Dear congregation with the help of the Lord I preach the word of God this afternoon from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 26 I read verses 53 and 54 as text verses for the sermon Matthew 26 verses 53 and 54 thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? The theme for the sermon is Christ taken captive. You have three points. The first point, like a lamb. Second point, fulfilling the scriptures. And the third point, to set captives free. So the theme is Christ taken captive, three points, like a lamb, fulfilling the scriptures and to set captives free. Congregation, I love to read as a boy. I don't know about the children here. Do you like to read, young people? It's good that you read books. I know there's a lot of information we receive by watching screens but we need to learn to read books because the Bible is a book. But I loved to read books when I was younger and I remember one time I read a book about a boy in Amsterdam and you know someone who was evangelizing and this boy afterwards was reached by the gospel in a wonderful way but I read about this boy living in Amsterdam, big city boy of the street you could say. And after the World War there was a boy coming from Rotterdam because the houses were ruined there and he came to live in Amsterdam in this neighborhood and they met each other on the street. And this boy from Amsterdam he felt like I'm kind of the, yeah, he was the strongest boy in that neighborhood so he was you could say the champion and he wanted to be that you know and So he wanted a fight to show that he was stronger than this new boy. So he challenged him and said nasty things against him. You know this boy, this new boy from Rotterdam, he just didn't want to fight. He didn't react in anger and so that was hard for this boy who wanted to fight. How can I make this boy fight? He's just standing there peaceful. I can say whatever I want. He might say something back, but he's not going to fight. It made him kind of desperate because he wanted to fight. And then so he ended up to beat him, you know, and they ended up to fight. But I thought about this boy standing there just not willing to fight. When I was studying this chapter, this scripture part, When you see in your imagination this situation in the garden, the Lord Jesus Christ, how they came in the darkness to catch Him, to take Him captive. He did not fight. He didn't want to fight. He didn't come in this world to fight. He didn't come to be a worldly king to conquer enemies with worldly weapons. No. His kingdom is totally different. When you see him there, you see his meekness. Like he has spoken, learn of me that I am meek and low in heart. That's how he was. We could say he is the only one, isn't it? that really was that way, like we should be before God, humble. That's how Christ lived. He didn't come for glory of this world. And so here He is in the garden. And they came to take Him captive and He allowed it to happen. That's how He had prayed before. Yes, He did pray, If it is possible, take this cup away from me." The cup of suffering. He saw so clearly he had to drink a cup of suffering. A cup of punishment because of the sin of his people. He prayed about it. He was totally human. He was man like you and I. And that burden was such a burden that he was sweating blood. But he also prayed, not my will, thy will be done. And that's what we see here. When they come to take him captive, he is willing. He's speaking in verse 46, rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. That's what he spoke to his disciples. An angel came to strengthen him, and here he is prepared to drink the cup of suffering. Rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. And there they come, the enemy. In the darkness of the night they come. It's a great multitude, Matthew says. They are prepared. They have swords, they have staves, they have weapons. Are they afraid? Are they scared? A great multitude with swords to take the Lord Jesus. That's how the chief priests had sent them and the elders, the religious leaders of the people to take Jesus of Nazareth. as if he was the most dangerous criminal. Well, we can understand something of their fear and their precautions, isn't it? They had seen his power and his might, but oh, if they had really believed in him, they would not have come. It's kind of foolish that they thought they could take him with swords. and stays and a multitude of people that he was not able, he had shown his divine power as if he was not able to stop them and with them there is someone leading this multitude it's Judas, one of the disciples of the Lord Jesus And He had given them a sign so that in the darkness of the night they would know who He is, Judas. He was the one who could do that because He knew him so well. He had been like one of His closest friends, a disciple. And He gave them a sign, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that should be the sign. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same as he, hold him fast." Can you imagine that situation? Can you see it? Judah's coming, and he would kiss the Lord Jesus. What does it mean to kiss someone? Well, it's to show love and connection and relation. And that would be the sign to betray the Lord Jesus that He would be taken captive to be killed. He had sold Him for money and He would betray Him with a kiss. And the Lord Jesus knew, and we cannot express the hurt and the pain and the suffering for Christ in this situation, but He was willing He was willing to suffer this way. So there He comes. And forthwith He came to Jesus and said, Hail, Master, and kissed Him. What would Jesus do now? Would He answer in anger, in indignation? There's every reason for that. Can you think about anything lower, darker, more nasty and evil, to betray his master who did only good to him with a kiss? What will Jesus do? And Jesus said unto him, Friend, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Friend, as if the Lord Jesus wants to awaken his conscience, Judas, what are you doing? Friends, wherefore art thou come? You can hear compassion in his voice, isn't it? Jesus did not only know what Judas was doing, betraying him with a kiss, but he also knew what Judas was doing to himself. bringing himself in an even deeper darkness by this sin of betrayal. Friends, the compassion of Christ, you could say, that he is speaking words. Could it be to awaken his conscience? And then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And that was too much for Peter. Peter took his sword and he struck one of those servants and he cut off his ear with his sword. He would fight for the Lord Jesus. But the Lord Jesus told him, no, put up again thy sword into his place. For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Peter, he thought he would fight with worldly power to defend the Lord Jesus. But the Lord Jesus didn't need that. He didn't want that. It was actually a lack of insight at the sight of Peter in the purpose of this whole situation. The Lord Jesus had told them that he had to be crucified in this same chapter. that He would be betrayed. And so they should have understood that He had a purpose in these things, that He wanted to go this way of suffering. Christ was like a lamb. He wouldn't fight back. He wouldn't resist. He is the Lamb of God. Like Isaiah says in chapter 53, He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. He did not fight against the enemies, a lamb. Yes, he warned. You could say he warned Judas. And he witnessed about what they did. Why did they come in the darkness and not take him in the light when he was teaching in the temple? But he did not fight. He did not want to destroy them. but he gave himself like a lamb. So here we see a powerful picture, you could say, of the willingness of Christ to take the punishment of sin upon himself. But there's something more in this scripture part. The Lord Jesus speaking about, and that's our second thought, fulfilling the scriptures. No, it was not that Christ was not able to resist these enemies, although it was a great multitude. He says in verse 53, Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? He says, I can right at this moment pray to my Father, and He will send His angels 12 legions. So a legion is 3,000 through somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 soldiers, Roman soldiers. And so the Lord Jesus could pray and there would be like between 36,000 and 72,000 angels, strong heroes to set him free, to defend him. to protect him. He didn't do it. He, the King of Glory, he gave himself. And he says, but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must thus be? The Scriptures have to be fulfilled. The Scriptures. So that's in those days the Old Testament or we would say the Bible. So in other words, what is written in the Word of God, it has to happen. Christ came to fulfill the Scriptures. These words show His love to the will of His Father. His love for His people to save them out of their sins. His attitude of obedience. If you read Psalm 40, there we read, I delight to do thy will. Oh my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. And that Psalm, Psalm 40, is prophesying about Christ. So hundreds of years before he came it was prophesied that Christ would come to fulfill the will of God. The Scriptures had to be fulfilled. So everything that was prophesied about Christ had to happen. It would exactly happened like God had prophesied and planned it in His counsel. And Christ, He would exactly keep also the will and the law of His Father. It shows His deep trust in the Word of God and in His Father. but also his obedience that he would do everything according to the will of his father. So here's a great example for us. The Lord Jesus, he was totally dedicated to walk according to scriptures. He had a deep desire to keep what was written in the Word of God. He has fulfilled the Scriptures in several ways. He fulfilled it in that every prophecy happened and was done like it was spoken at forehand. But also in every command of God, He was obedient. He was totally obedient to the Word of God. That's an important lesson. There's a lot of confusion also in our days about religion, about the truth. But if we stick to the Word of God, then we will not be ashamed. It's so important that there is a deep trust in our hearts, in the truth of the Word of God, that it is a divine Word. It might be that there is someone here who is struggling with questions, maybe a young person or someone else older, that you sometimes wonder, is this word, is this book, the Bible, is it really the defined word of God? Do you have that sometimes? Maybe you don't dare to say it, but you struggle with that question. I know for sure that is a snare of Satan. If he could separate you from the truth of the Word, then he will have power over you, even more power, because there is such a strong protection in a surrendering to the Word of God, in a sticking to the Word of God, in obedience to the Word. It is the Word that God has inspired. It is revealing the divine will to us. It is the truth. And I know for sure, those that dig in the Word, like knocking at the door, they will discover and find the riches of the knowledge of God, Christ. He was connected so much to the Word. What a wonderful example. And that's important to be kept from going astray in any heresy, in any false teaching that we always come back to the Word. Whatever people may say, go to the Word of God. Read your Bible, study it. and it will become a blessing for your soul. That's the promise of God. God is not lying. If you pray for the light and the help of the Spirit, you will experience something of what we see perfectly in Christ, that He had that full desire in His heart to obey the Word and to walk in the ways of the Word. Christ came to fulfill the Scripture. Now it could be that you are sitting here and say, Pastor, that's what I try to do. I have a zeal to live according to the Bible. I have a zeal to study the Word. I have a zeal to obey the law, like you say now about Christ. He had that zeal. I have it too. I'm thankful to hear that. But wait a minute. I would like to talk a little bit more with you, you who have that seal in your heart, that desire to walk according to the Word. I would like to discover a little bit more about your intention, because it is so good, I'm so thankful about it, but still there can be kind of a snare or a trap that we get into. What do you mean? Well, I mean, it can be that we think that by our seal to study the Word, to try to keep the Word, and that is the way to be accepted by God. Well, is that not true? Is that not what God wants us to do? Well, I want you to see that we can never fulfill the scriptures like Christ has done that. It's so important that you will see, that your eyes will be open, that you see that Christ is the only one who has fulfilled the scriptures perfectly in an acceptable way, a way that is acceptable before God. Otherwise it could be that you end up to be like the scribes and the Pharisees, that you start to trust in your own zeal, and your own knowledge, and your own decent life, and there you are caught in sin, in the sin of pride, of self-righteousness. So the Scriptures are given so that we would discover the righteousness of Christ, which is our only hope and foundation for salvation. That's why God has given his word to us. It's like a sword to discover who you are before God. I hope you use it that way, that it hurts you, that it will cut you off, from all hope you have in yourself, to enter glory in what you accomplish, because that would be a false hope. The only hope is to enter glory, because what Christ has accomplished, I come to fulfill the Scriptures. I delight to do Thy will. So that's a question I have. I would like you to think about and to answer it for yourself. Why do you study the scriptures? And what does it do to you? Because Paul, before he was converted, he had a lot of knowledge and a strong zeal for God, but he was totally on the wrong way. He was actually fighting against God. till the law came in. The word became so sharp and pierced his heart and showed him that he couldn't keep it like he should. You cannot. You cannot. You have to see that. Be honest about it. God is not only demanding an outward obedience, but he is demanding the obedience of the heart like Christ has here. when He is giving Himself in the garden, it is in the total submission to the Word of God and His will. We have that not. To obey God's Word with my inward life, with my heart, which means to love God every moment above all, and my neighbor like myself, I fail. I fail every day. I'm sad about that. But I am not desperate. It's like what Paul says, and when the law came in, I died. That means he gave up. He lost all hope to save himself, so that Christ would live in me. That's why I'm not desperate. because I look to Christ and I see the one who fulfilled the Scriptures, who took my punishment upon himself when he was hanging on the cross, who obeyed God's law perfectly in his life on earth. And I read in Scripture and I believe and I experience the fruit of peace in my heart. And when I look in faith to Him, that God is imputing which means giving his righteousness to me and then he's seeing you as if you have fulfilled the scriptures I mean kept his law perfectly because Christ did it in your place he is your substitute and now you understand how you can have peace with God don't you? So did your heart break already? That proud, natural heart? To be healed by Christ. So he is willing. He is like a lamb before the slaughter. He sacrifices himself. Christ is prepared to suffer. Yes, he spoke about what they were doing, but he didn't fight against them. But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? You could say this is a divine must. This is the way that God had in his counsel prepared in his great plan of salvation to save his church. It must be. And so it happened. In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are you come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I said, Daily with you teaching in the temple, and you laid no halt on me. Yes, he is speaking, like revealing their hypocrisy. Why are you doing this way? You work in the dark, It's as if they could hear in his words, you walk in the darkness because what you do are the works of darkness. I was daily with you and you laid no hold on me. But then again, he finds deep comfort in that the Scriptures are fulfilled but all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled so he is speaking two times in his scripture part about fulfilling the Scriptures the first time he's showing his willingness to be taken captive to obey his father and the second time He is finding comfort in it. Although he is betrayed and taken in the darkness as a criminal, he finds comfort in it. This is according to what is written in the Scriptures. This is prophesied by the prophets, like Isaiah is prophesying in chapter 53 that he was counted with the criminals, transgressors. So, here is another wonderful example that we see in the life of Christ. The one is, let there be in our heart a love for the Word of God as a fruit of faith in Christ, that we will walk in the ways of the Word of God, like Christ did. He only did it perfectly. but that we may follow His footsteps. But the other one is, in the deepest darkness of our lives, in the greatest trials and tests and afflictions you may experience, that there may be in your lives something of that trust, that surrendering to the Lord that you believe that what happens to you is not outside of the counsel of the Lord. It is under His control. No, we cannot blame God for evil in this world, but that we know that He is in control and ruling these things, and that we believe what He has written in His Word, that all things work for good to those that love Him, that are called according to His purpose. Do you understand that? in the darkness of the night when everything seems to be against me, that I still might find comfort in the Word of God, that I believe that God has a purpose in my life, that He is shaping me and molding me to prepare me for glory, that I one day will share in that glory of Christ that he has now." But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. There he is alone. He is alone. This is a task he will do all by himself, forsaken by his disciples, And at a certain point, forsaken by his father, Christ taken captive. But our third thought is to set captives free. So when you could see this whole situation, I'm sure you can see it before your eyes in your imagination. There in the darkness of the garden, this multitude, the Lord Jesus, His disciples, and they take Him, and they bind Him, they take Him captive. It seems that the Lord Jesus is weak here. It seems that He is a transgressor. It seems He is in the most dark spot in His life. But let's look a little bit better. Oh yeah, he is forsaken by his disciples. But things are different than they seem to be. It's important to think about it. Things are so many times different than they seem to be. Because Christ is free. Here, right at this moment, He is free. There is a freedom in His heart, which they don't have, this multitude with their swords and staves. And I will explain that. Christ has the power right now to destroy them all. He does not. He is giving Himself freely, willingly, So, it seems He is weak, but what a power there is in Christ, the power of His love towards His church to deliver them from punishment and curse. Yeah, if you would read John 18, verse 6, there we read, they went backward and fell to the ground. So they couldn't do nothing when they came to catch Him. But then He gave Himself, fulfilling the Scriptures. So that's Christ. And actually He's in the light. He's in the light of doing the will of His Father. He knew what He was doing, and He knew that He was doing the right thing, that He was fulfilling the Scriptures. Don't you think He's in the light there? and that He is free there. But let's turn around and let's see His enemies, the chief priests, this multitude, Judas. They are caught. They are captives. They are caught in their pride, in their anger against the Lord Jesus. They want to get rid of Him because He's a threat for them. All the people follow Him. They want to kill Jesus of Nazareth while he did nothing wrong to them. Don't you feel they are like captives? They are. Of Satan? Don't you feel like they are in darkness of hatred and evil? Yes, things are so different than they seem to be, isn't it? Do you understand that? That even after the miracles, after they fell back, they must have experienced the power, after the Lord Jesus took the ear of the servant and healed him, after those miracles, they're still so blind that they take him captive and they want to accuse, condemn, and kill Him. What a darkness, what a miserable spot to be in for those enemies of the Lord Jesus. And Christ is free, walking in the light of the love of His Father, the light of the love for sinners to save them. and they are caught in the power of darkness and selfishness. Even the disciples are not free like they should be. I do not deny that they follow the Lord Jesus, those eleven, with sincerity, but they fled, caught in doubt and fear or even being offended that he allowed this to happen lack of insight and they forsook him but this has to happen so that his scriptures will be fulfilled and so that captives will be set free this has to happen so that you may be free, that you can be free, that you would be free. Are you free? That's my question for you personally, young people. You that are older, adults, are you free? Well, you have to understand the word free in the right way. I mean, someone can be locked up in prison, being persecuted for Christ's sake, but have freedom in his heart. experience fellowship with God by faith and it can be a king in his palace in a most miserable, depressed and desperate state, not free at all. But are you free? Or are you caught in unbelief? Did the truth make you free? The knowledge of Christ and his work did it set you free by nature we are not free at all by nature we are a slave of self we want glory and power and money and pleasure and everything in this world and you know there's no worse slave master than self it's never enough but Christ came to set captives free to set you free and me from doubt and sin and darkness and power of evil and self. Like Paul was set free when the light came from heaven and he fell on the ground and then he got to know himself and lost all hope in himself so that his hope would be in Christ. You know the form of the Lord's Supper says, he was bound that we might be freed from our sins. He was bound that we might be freed from our sins. Christ came in this world to set you free from sin. Pastor, do you mean that there can be a situation that you are without any sin? No, that's not what I mean. But I mean that the power of sin will be broken in your life. That's reality. That happens through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So what is the situation of your life? Are you caught in unbelief? You don't believe, you say, yes, but, yes, but, and you're always reasoning and there's never that surrendering to the Lord as bad and guilty and helpless as you are. Never really falling at His feet and looking to the cross and resting in His work. Yeah, caught in unbelief. Or are you caught in sin, in lust, in pride, in self-righteousness? Maybe there's even a certain addiction in your life. There's a certain bosom sin in your life that is too strong for you and it's binding you. And you feel like, oh, it's impossible for me. I cannot be saved. So, now you're sitting here, you hear this preaching, and you have to look to Christ. He came to set you free. But Pastor, how could it ever happen in my life? Well, there is power in the blood of Christ to set you free. But Pastor, I tried so hard, I tried to overcome sins or unbelief, but I couldn't. So how can that ever happen? Well, only through Christ. So you have to give up. You said, I tried hard and you cannot, and that is true, you cannot. So now you have to acknowledge, I cannot Lord, it's impossible for me. And because you are probably caught in the thought, if I could only improve my life enough, then I would be acceptable before God. But you know, grace means that you are not acceptable. You do not deserve it. Grace means that you come at the feet of Christ as bad as you are, with all that sin. Bring it. Bring all that sin to Him. that that impossibility, bring it to Him. All that guilt, bring it to Him. He died at the cross and Scripture says the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God is washing and cleansing from all sin. Why would you try to do it yourself? It's impossible. But it's also a dishonoring Christ. He has accomplished everything and there's power in the blood. He has to wash all your sin away. All your sin. He has also that one sin. To set you free from all that guilt and that burden of sin. But Pastor, wait a minute. But I have to change. I can't continue to live this way. Wait. Don't turn it. I said, come as miserable and bad as you are. to Christ and look to the cross and believe that His blood is cleansing from all sin. And that love is something you can never, never comprehend. It is overwhelming that He did that for me, for enemies. And that love of Christ filling your heart will change your life his spirit dwelling in your heart will change your life you will have a new desire and you will not need the empty pleasure of sin like you did before I'm not saying that it is all over at once it is a fight you will be disappointed many times in yourself but you come to Christ again and again and again and again till the end of your life and you will experience that his love is breaking the power of sin in your life but the Lord will teach you and you will learn that there's no hope from yourself that's why you will be deeper and deeper disappointed in yourself so that your only hope will be in Christ the Lord will take care that he will cut off all expectation from yourself no reason to boast in yourself anymore He will bring you low enough that you will sink at the foundation, the rock of ages, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's painful. I cannot do it, Lord. But then when you look away from yourself and see it all in Him, that's transforming your life. He is taken captive so that you would be set free. And that happens, that's reality. No, not in a way that you can glory in yourself. Not in a way that you can say, I'm arrived, I'm fine. No, Paul says that he is chasing after it, that if he could only receive it, but at the same time he knew it. Paul says, oh miserable man that I am. But at the same time he says, I am persuaded that nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ. Those two go together. Miserable in yourself when you look to yourself, but assured in Christ when you look to Him. You understand that? Christ taken captive so that you would be set free. That's the gospel. You see Him before you. Oh, it's in the Word of God. If the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty. That is what happens. When you fall at His feet, surrender to Him, trust in Him. That is the work of the Spirit. The Spirit is dwelling in your heart from that moment and will never leave your heart. That's Spirit. will work the freedom of the knowledge of Christ in your heart, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Amen. Congregation, let us close with prayer. O Lord Almighty and most merciful God, we thank Thee for Thy Word. We pray, Lord, that it will be a power of God unto salvation in many hearts, that the Holy Spirit will make it powerful in each heart, Lord, we pray that thou would set us free from all our unbelief. We confess our guilt before thee. The many times we have doubted thee, O Lord, how dare we do it? Thou art never lying. Thou art the truth. Christ has spoken. I am the truth, the way, and the life. And Lord, that we may find in him our life and the way to be reconciled to God. Lord, we pray that thou would break all the power of darkness. By nature we are so in darkness, and the depravity of our natural heart is so deep. And Lord, when we see something of it, then we will lose hope in ourselves. And that's good, so that we will seek it outside of ourselves, in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is sufficient. He has cried upon the cross, it is finished. And there is nothing we can and have to add and to live out of Him is to bring glory to Him, Lord. We pray, help us the rest of this day that we may meditate upon Thy Word and that we will take it in our hearts and that His Spirit will apply it, Lord, and it will be blessed and fruitful, Lord. Help us in all the things we have to do in this new week. and Lord that thou would give us wisdom in our labors, in thy kingdom, in the offices, the consistory, we pray help them Lord in the visiting of the families Lord and in all the things that are done in the church and we pray that thou would bring many to Christ to fall at his feet to be helped by him while it is still the time of grace and keep us Lord when we go home on the dangerous road and that we may be in this dark world like lights shining through the knowledge of Christ that others will be drawn to him to see that there is grace and that there is a way of salvation by faith. Lord hear us, help us, keep Satan from us and keep us from sin. We pray all these things in Jesus' name, amen.