Well, let's pray. Lord, as we say this, we are reminded of how thy mercies and tender are indeed firm to the end. And we owe everything to the Lord Jesus Christ. who paid the price to redeem us from our sins. Ever help us to be always thankful from the depths of our heart for what our Jesus has done for us. We pray in his precious name, amen. In our study of the gospel of John, we've come to chapter 19. which deals with essentially the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. My purpose here this afternoon is not to go through the narrative of all the particularities that you're probably very familiar with, but we need to ask ourself this question. What are we to learn from all the events leading up to Jesus' death? What does it mean for us, in other words? And I trust that you will see that there is an overarching purpose being conveyed in Jesus's death and in the manner in which he was killed. So the whole purpose we know from the scriptures of the incarnation is what? For the eternal son of God taking to himself true human nature and he had to take that nature to save sinners like you and me. And what does that mean to me personally to know this fact? So when we, for example, when the angel came down and conveyed to Joseph that the child that Mary was carrying was no ordinary child, that indeed this was a holy child, and that you were to give this name to this son, Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. So when we're thinking about the death of Jesus on the cross and all those events leading up to it, including it, all of that, we need to understand that Jesus, he saved us from our sins, not maybe, he actually did save us from our sins. He didn't give us, as some would say, the possibility that we might be saved, no. For all those whom he came to save, he saved, and not one was lost. If you recall, in chapter 17, Jesus says, I didn't pray for the world, I prayed for those, Father, you gave me, and I haven't lost one, except for the son of perdition. So Jesus came, And on that cross, when he was suffering, he was saving his people from their sins. So you and I, as we look at this, we have to ask ourselves, well, I was one of those doomed sinners. And because I couldn't keep the law perfectly, you can't keep the law perfectly, but that's what God demands, right? Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the law to perform it. This is what God expects of us. And yet we realize I cannot give in myself what God demands. And so I'm a doomed sinner, you're a doomed sinner, without hope outside of someone coming to rescue us. So if there is gonna be anyone who's going to be saved, then it's gonna have to be a substitute, right? It has to be a substitute because I can't give God what he expects. And in that regard, this substitute can't just be any substitute. For one thing is for sure, can't be a human, It can't be a mere man, because how can a sinner atone for the sins of a sinner? If the substitute is going to save us, this substitute has to be unique. And that substitute is none other than one who is perfect. it must be the God-man, and that's why our catechisms, if you read through to the confession of faith, and you read through the larger and shorter catechism, you're gonna see, why was it requisite that the mediator be God? Why was it requisite that the mediator be a man? Well, he had to be God in order for, to be the perfect sacrifice, Remember, the sacrificial system required what of the sacrifice? A blameless sacrifice, as much as possible. And when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Well, you can't take away the sins of the world if you're a sinner. And so this mediator couldn't be just an ordinary person. It had to be God in the flesh. And in being God in the flesh, what should that death of Jesus as that substitute mean for us? Well, here's what it ought to do for us. It should create within us a profound humility and thankful heart. That's what it should do. When you think about all that Jesus went through, that's what it should conjure up, humility and thankfulness. Because I couldn't save myself, you can't save yourself. And if we've learned anything from John's gospel account, it's this, is that Jesus came to die for the elect and only for the elect. He came to save his people from their sins. Remember, that was the focus of his prayer in John 17. I'm not praying for the world, he said. I'm praying for those whom you gave me, Father, out of the world. That's who I'm praying for. And we learn that all that the Father gives to the Son will come to the Son. That was the focus of John chapter six. That was the focus of John chapter 10. All that the Father gives me shall come to me. In him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. John 10, I'm the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep. Jesus voluntarily laid his life down. No one made him. He took it upon himself to do so. So what does the death of Jesus really mean for you and me? Well, it means that there was going to be nothing that was going to stop Jesus going to the cross. Nothing was going to prevent it. It was foreordained, it will come to pass. Whatever God plans, he will perform. And so the elect are going to come to saving faith. They will come to saving faith, most assuredly. And we got to ask this question. Do the elect have to believe in Jesus in order to be saved? You know, that's one of the questions we ask men coming for ordination. We'll go through this long thing of predestination election, then all of a sudden we say, do you have to believe in Jesus in order to be saved? Well, they better say yes. The elect will be saved. That's the glory of Acts 13, 48. All those who were ordained to eternal life believed. They will believe. You know, Jesus, I mean, the opening chapter of John, as we're coming to the end of John's gospel, he said in John 1, 12 and 13, but as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the children of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. So I want us to understand this as we're focusing on the death of Jesus here in chapter 19. This overarching idea surrounding Jesus' death, just as the scripture says in Acts 2 and Acts 4, it makes it very abundantly clear, he was predestined. All of those events were foreordained. In fact, Acts 4 says, the nation, the Gentile people, that was foreordained. Everything that Pontius Pilate did was foreordained so that Jesus would surely be put to death. We saw last week, did we not, that Jesus says he can't die just any ordinary death, right? He can't die the way the Mosaic Law says, of being strangled or stoned. No, he had to be crucified. That means he had to go and die under the Romans. So it couldn't be any kind of death that was prophesied. It had to be a certain kind of death, and we need to understand that, and we need to appreciate that. So as Jesus said about, remember that's what he said about Judas Iscariot. The son of man is going to go as it's been determined, but woe to that man who betrays him. It would have been better if that man had never been born. Woe not only to Judas, woe to that corrupt Sanhedrin. Those religious leaders, who did everything they could to kill Jesus. Who themselves, what are they? They're the teachers of the law, right? They violated the law of God in order to put Jesus to death. That's what they did. Woe to those, not just Judas, woe to the Sanhedrin who did that, who broke the law of God to murder Jesus. Woe to those who cried out for Barabbas when Pontius Pilate was doing everything in his power to rid himself of Jesus. He knew there was no fault in him. The scripture says he knew that they were jealous of Jesus. He says he knew they were delivered in that because of envy. Oh, I'll give them a chance to choose between Jesus and Barabbas and surely they're gonna choose Jesus, no. No, we'll take Barabbas. Well, I'm washing my hands of his blood. Well, we're willing to accept his blood on our hands and on our children's hands. They had no idea what they did, what they were saying. And in 70 AD, they paid that price. Woe to those who cried out for Barabbas. But it was predestined. It had to happen. And so in John 19, We gotta point out that all these events surrounding the death of Jesus had to occur. Just take a look at verse 11 in John 19, what it says here. Jesus is before Pilate and he says, Jesus answered, and said to Pilate, who by the way said, you know, by you're not saying anything, you're only making it worse on you. He says, do you not know that I have the power to crucify you? So what are you gonna say about yourself? Well, here's what Jesus said to Pilate. It's great. You would have no authority over me unless it had been given you from above. For this reason, he who delivered me up to you has the greater sin. So we're talking about this overarching theme about the death of Jesus being predestined. I can kill you, Jesus. Well, yeah, but you have no power unless God gives it. You can't do anything to me unless my Father permits it. And I have willingly put myself in front of you. I am voluntarily going to lay down my life for the sins of my people. And so what we see here, all those who came to arrest Jesus, do you remember? When they came, Peter wanted to defend them. Put your sword up. Put your sword up, Peter. That's not how my kingdom is going to be advanced. Do you not think I could have called on 12 legions of angels? At any moment, I can rescue myself. But what good would that do? It's not going to accomplish your salvation. If I do that, nothing happens to save you from your sins. Pilate thinks he's in control. He's not in control. God's in control. Jesus is in control. And so my fellow saints, you and I need to live our lives with, on a daily basis, and it really needs to be a daily basis, I can't do anything outside the permissive will of God. Everything that happens in my life and in your life, has been determined. Now in saying that, that doesn't mean that you and I don't have responsibility, because we do have responsibility. But what does Romans 8 28 say? All things work together for good to those who love God on a call according to his purpose. So when events happen in your life, God has brought it for a purpose. And that's how we need to understand. Everything that happened in the life of Jesus on that cross happened for a predetermined, foreordained plan to accomplish its ultimate purpose, to save you and me. So when Jesus was crucified, you know where a text says in John 19, 19, that Pilate said, he had it posted above the cross, the King of the Jews. Now, that really upset the Sanhedrin. They came to him and said, no, no, what you need to say, he says, I'm the King of the Jews. And Pilate's response to them says, what I have written stands. Now, see, that is a fulfillment of prophecy right there. Jesus is the King of the Jews, right? He is the Messiah. And Pilate was not gonna be persuaded by these men not to say he is the King of the Jews. And what God was doing was saying, no, the nation, this corrupt apostate Judaism put their Messiah on the cross and killed him. You know, John makes it very clear in the opening chapter, chapter one, where it says that Jesus came to his own and his own received him not. Well, who didn't receive him? The covenant nation didn't receive him. They didn't. They did not recognize the day of their visitation. Jesus had told them multiple times, you're being condemned because you didn't recognize the day of your visitation. The Messiah was rejected by the covenant people of God, and these apostate Jews, the Sanhedrin, and all those who cried out for Barabbas, they will pay a horrible price for their rejection. You know, the events surrounding Jesus' death John 19 says specifically, it mentions fulfillment of prophecy. We won't look at the passages, but I'll just want you to look at the reference. Take a look in John 19, look at verses 23 and 24. John 19. The soldiers, therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his outer garments and made four parts, a part for every soldier, also the tunic, and the tunic was seamless, woven in its piece. They said, therefore, to one another, let us not tear it apart, let's cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be. What does it say? that the scripture might be fulfilled, they divided the outer garments among them, and for his clothing cast lots." In other words, it fulfilled what Psalm 22 said. Then look at John 19, 28. It says there in 19, 28, and Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished in order, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I am thirsty. What was he doing there? Quoting Psalm 69, 21, that the scripture might be fulfilled. Even something so minute, he said, what does that got to do with anything? No, every scripture is going to be fulfilled. It must be fulfilled. If you look at John 19, 32 through 36, He talks about the soldiers came, and they were gonna break the legs of Jesus, but they already found out he'd already died, so they didn't need to break his legs. Well, the scripture says, verse 36, for these things came to pass that the scripture might be fulfilled, not a bone of him shall be broken. And that's from Psalm 34 verse 20. And then verse 37, and again, it says, scripture says, they shall look on him whom they have pierced. That's Zechariah 12. My point here is this. All of these things that are happening to Jesus on the cross are an exact fulfillment of a prophecy given centuries earlier. Now when God prophesies something, it's gonna happen. And there's nothing gonna stop it. So scripture prophecy not only will be accomplished, it must It must be accomplished, all things. So when they gave Jesus the vinegar, we're told in John 19, immediately after that, here's what the words of Jesus, it is finished. And then it says he gave up the ghost. Well, what is finished? Our redemption is what is finished. That is what is finished. the eternal Son of God took upon himself human flesh in order to save sinners like us. And God had, here's the thing, why was it requisite that God had to be a man? He had to become a real man in order to shed real blood on a cross to save sinners because what does the law demand? The soul that sins must die. Somebody's gotta die. It has to be a real man who dies. And that's why the eternal son had to become a real man. Not only did he have to become a man in order to shed real blood, he had to become a real man in order to keep the law of God perfectly as our substitute, as your substitute. He had to be a real man. You know, one of the things I try to tell people in evangelism is that you gotta be perfect to get into heaven. You gotta, what? Because they think, well, God's got this balance scale. Well, that's a false understanding of scriptures. No, you gotta be perfect. It's what the law demands. And if you can't give what God demands, that perfection, then you gotta die. You're gonna need a substitute who's Death in your place can not only atone for your sins, do you know it had to atone for the sins of God's people all down through the centuries until Christ comes again? It had to accomplish that. That's how powerful the death of Jesus was. And he had to be that real man to keep the law perfectly in our place, so that when you and I, we have to be clothed, what is it? Zechariah talks about this. We have to be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. And when Jesus, on that judgment day, we will be acquitted, not because of something that we have done, we'll be acquitted because we got the robe of Jesus covering us, his perfect righteousness. He had to become a man because the first Adam blew it. You know, the scripture does refer to Jesus as the second Adam or the last Adam. Why does it use that? Because Adam was the representative head of the human race, was he not? Romans 5 brings that out very clearly. We were there in the Garden of Eden with Adam. And when he sinned, we all sinned. And so representatively, Adam sinned, so the last Adam has to do something that the first Adam was unable to do. And Jesus did. Jesus kept that law perfectly. And he merited for you and me that eternal life that only he could purchase for us. You see, that is life-changing when you think about it, or it should be. When we finally realize I can't do anything myself, and I'm worthy of being doomed, and it finally dawns on me, just like the publican who was praying, Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner, only in this substitute, Can I find salvation that God will show me and show you mercy? So what should be our attitude in light of all these things when we understand what Jesus has done, his death? Well, here's the first thing it ought to do for us. You and I ought to stand in awe of a God who would actually become a real man to save us When he didn't have to, he was under no obligation to come and save us. He wasn't. But the fact that he did means he showed us mercy and he showed us grace. So that's the first thing we need to do, realize this was an act of God and his great grace and mercy. Second, we must realize that in his shed blood, As 1 Peter 2.24 says, by his wounds, we were healed. When Jesus was dying on that cross, guess what? You and I were healed. Those of us that have trusted in Jesus, we were healed by those wounds that were inflicted against Jesus. When he bore down those thorns on his head, when he stuck that spear in his side, They nailed those nails in his hands and his feet. All of those, we were healed because he's our perfect substitute. And we gotta remember that. Third, we gotta realize that just as 1 Peter 2, 9 and 10 says, we should proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. called us out of darkness, because that's where we were. You know, when Jesus began his ministry, recorded in Matthew 4, he goes to Galilee, the Gentiles, and it says he came to those who were under the shadow of death, and then calling them to repentance. He came to those who couldn't help themselves. who were doomed. And what has God done in his redemption of us? He's taken us out of that spiritual darkness. And as the scripture says elsewhere, like in Colossians, he transfers us from that domain of darkness into the domain of light. That's what he's done. That's what his death on the cross did for us. And you see, you and I, In light of that, that we should proclaim the excellencies of him who called us. What does that mean for you and me personally? Well, it means we need to tell somebody. What do you think proclaiming his excellencies entails? One thing is telling those who are in darkness. There is a way of salvation. There is hope, but it's hope in Jesus. And so what that means for us, the death of Jesus, and if you and I appropriate that the way we ought to, it means that we should be telling other people about Jesus. We should not be ashamed. Look, I've told you this before in my own testimony in college. I didn't want to be seen carrying a Bible around on campus. I was ashamed. Why would I be ashamed to let people know I was a Christian? But I was. We shouldn't be ashamed, because when you realize what Jesus has done for you, and the darkness he delivered you out of, it should change your life. It should make you more bold. It should make you compassionate to those who are still under the shadow of death. You know, a fourth thing it should do, the crucifixion of Jesus, realizing what was involved there, You and I must live every day of our life with the reality that our bodies are not our own. 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20 says, our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not of your own, for you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God with your body. Bought with a price, the blood of Jesus, therefore glorify God with your body. That should be our response to what Jesus has done for us. We owe it to him. We owe him everything in our life we owe to Jesus. Therefore we ought to glorify him every day of our life. You know, each of us, We owe Jesus all for he died that horrible death in our place. And we owe it to Jesus, what? To die to sin and to live into righteousness. That's what we owe Jesus for what he's done. That's what the crucifixion should mean in our life. We owe everything to him. And finally, what did Jesus' death accomplish? Hebrews 2, 14, 15 says it the best of any place I know. It says that through Jesus' death, he rendered powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, that he might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. So what did Jesus' foreordained death accomplish for us? The devil no longer has a stranglehold on your life. That's the one thing he accomplished. And it says we were subject to the fear of death. Whether they acknowledge it or not, unbelievers may have this fear of death. And sometimes though they may not verbally articulate it, they think maybe there is this judgment day coming. And it may not end well for me. But you see, there is a way that that slavery, that fear of death, we can come to our lives, to the end of our lives, and we don't have to be afraid. Our souls are safe. Yeah, the Bible talks about Satan walks about like a roaring lion, seeking him able to devour, but he can't get your soul. He can't get that. Oh, he can cause you trouble, and he does, but he can't get your soul. The death of Jesus rendered powerless. You know, the biggest way it rendered it powerless You know, one of the names of the devil is he is the tempter. He's also Abaddon the destroyer. Well, what does he do? What does he like to do? He likes, he knows our weaknesses and he will tempt us so that we will fall into sin. And the Bible says the soul that sins must die. And so, but with the death of Jesus, that power that the devil had was forever broken. We have to live in light of that. We have to live in light of that precious truth. So what does this mean? It means that you and I have assurance of salvation is what that means. We no longer have to fear death. We know all is well with our soul. So when Jesus cried out on the cross, It is finished. It means our salvation was forever secured at that moment. And you and I, you and I should thank him every day for that fact. That's what the death of Jesus accomplished. Let's pray. Lord, drive home this precious truth to us of what Jesus has done, that our hope lies solely in Him. Hallelujah. Amen.