Amen. So in our Bibles this morning to John 19, as we continue to consider the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, begin reading in verse 17, John chapter 19, beginning in verse 17. And he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called the place of the skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. where they crucified him and two other with him on either side one and Jesus in the midst and Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross and the writing was Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews. This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. And it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin. Then said the chief priest of the Jews to Pilate, write not the king of the Jews, but that he said, I am the king of the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts to every soldier apart and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam woven from the top throughout. They said, therefore, among themselves, let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith they parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things, therefore, the soldiers did. This morning, we want to look at a panoramic view of the crucifixion. Panoramic, obviously, meaning the surrounding details of the cross. There's two specific here that John will draw our attention to as he records his gospel. He will keep our attention on the cross, but at times he will take his pen like a cameraman would take his camera and Use a wide angle lens while the center is still Jesus Christ and crucified. He'll point his camera or capture some surrounding details associated with the cross in order again to point us to the reality that Jesus is the son of God. So John still wants us to believe and know that we have life through his name. But he's going to tell about a couple of events that are not specifically the crucifixion, but surrounding the events of Jesus' crucifixion. It's as if John simply mentions the cross and moves on. But his goal is not simply to tell us about the cross, but all the things that God was accomplishing and doing around the center of this great event, which was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. First, notice the superscription or the title of Jesus' cross. Now, in the background, we have Pilate making a placard to put on the cross and the conversation of the chief priest now called of the Jews no longer of God, which they were referred to previously because God has rejected them as chief priest among his people. There's a conversation that ensues as Jesus is about to go to the cross. There was this conversation about the placard. Now, the purpose of this placard was not just some thing that happened with Jesus Cross. In fact, whenever any criminal was crucified, a placard would be inscribed or written. Sometimes it would be carried by a person in front of the cross down the public streets of the cities. Because the Romans did not allow for crucifixion to take place inside the city. So Jesus went outside the city as any criminal would be to a designated place outside the city for crucifixion. Sometimes it was put around the neck of the criminal with the placard inscribed with the offense, the criminal offense that this person was charged for. But in this case, obviously, the governor having liberty put it on the cross. affixed it to the cross of Jesus Christ, saying, Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews. Now, Pilate's purpose for this placard, as we can see from his wording, was probably to connect the shame of the cross with the Jews themselves. Now, the placard had these three purposes for it. One, a deterrent for future crime. You can imagine if you're on the streets watching this scene as this beaten person is carrying a cross or going to crucifixion and you saw the crime written on the placard, either held up high by the person preceding it or around the neck of the criminal or even on the cross. In this case, you may think I'm not about if I ever thought about committing a crime, that's not the one I'm going to be engaged in. It was a deterrent in the Roman Empire for criminals so that they would abstain from such criminal activity. Second, it was an opportunity for new evidence, although we have a mockery of a trial here and what Pilate did yet in Romans idea of justice and how they really wanted to be a just society. They exalted the justice of the Romans. They would, in fact, give an opportunity if there's some piece of evidence not known, a witness could come up on that road to the crucifixion and present evidence if there were any, because the Romans wanted to be just. Even though it's very ironic that Pilate was being very unjust in his sentencing of Jesus Christ. And the third reason was, in fact, to shame and humiliate the criminal. It's one thing to be carrying a cross down the streets of the city like Jerusalem. and just people gazing upon you. But then to have a big sign or a placard affixed to a cross or your neck or the person in front of you saying this is the offense, this is what this person has done, is to heap shame and humiliation upon the criminal himself. Another deterrent, as was supposed by the Roman system, the Roman legal system. Now, Pilate is going to wax bold here with something very trivial. when he just was very weak on something very paramount. Sometimes we're like that. We will swallow a camel and strain at a gnat. So the man just swallowed a camel when it came to the hall of judgment and rendering justice with Jesus. He hasn't crucified an innocent man. It's very clear the Bible wants us to know that Jesus is innocent. And yet in a gnat, just a placard that he could have changed at the Jews request. He's very bold and principled. What I've written, I've written. Because, in fact, We can see under these words that Pilate, we know, abhors the Jews. He wants to associate the shame of the cross to the Jews themselves. That's why they say, hey, say that he said he was king of the Jews. Don't make it seem that we really think he's our king. He wrote Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps he knew. The reputation of Nazareth, the region. That he and Herod, Herod rather, ruled over. Surely Pilate would have known the reputation of a place the Jews knew. Nothing good came out of Nazareth, but that's where Jesus was raised and reared in Galilee. Jesus of Nazareth, that would have been humiliating for a Jew. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. So everybody who read the placard would associate the Jews with this activity of claiming to be a king. which there can only be one king, the Roman emperor. And so Pilate is going to associate shame and humiliation with the Jews. And of course, they try to prevent that by changing the placard. But he says what I have written, I have written. Furthermore, he writes it in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, Hebrew, the language of religion, the Hebrew people, Greek, the language of culture and philosophy and science or knowledge. the Greek philosophers, and Latin, the language of the legal system, the language of Rome. You see, it was Passover and there were multitudes of people in Jerusalem from all over the Roman Empire that, in fact, knew one of these three languages. And so it says in verse 20, the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. There was a pathway that went out of the city right by the place of the skull. It was on a hill. Anybody could have easily looked up and read the placard in one of the three languages that they might have known, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Pilate wanted to make sure that it was visible and it would be read so that it would heap scorn and shame by trying to identify the Jewish people with the cross that they rejected, with the Savior that they rejected, with the Messiah they wanted nothing to do with. Now the paradox of the placard is that it was true. Jesus, in fact, is king of the Jews. That was the prophecy concerning Jesus and Isaiah. In fact, he's king of the earth, he's king of his people, Isaiah nine, unto us a son is born and to us a child is given. His name should be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, and the government shall be upon his shoulders. That's kingly language. He shall establish and order the kingdom of David because he is the son of David. He would be a true king, Isaiah 32, one, a king shall rule in righteousness. Speaking of the Messiah that was to come, Isaiah 61 speaks of a Messiah that would rule over the Gentiles. That's what was told Mary when Gabriel spoke to her about the birth of this son, the son of God said he would rule over the Gentiles and under him, the Gentiles would trust to rule and to reign and to have dominion is to be a king. And so Pilate was writing exactly by the providence of God, although he may have intended other reasons to write it, he was writing the truth and the reality that Jesus Christ is indeed a king. He said to Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world. He announced when he came the kingdom of God, preaching the kingdom of heaven. He owned up that he was truly a king. Beloved, in a real sense, this is our title, too, isn't it? This is the title affixed to us because Revelation 1 6 says he has made us kings and priests to God. He loved us and shed his blood for us. And in that act of redemption that we're reading about, Jesus Christ has made us a co-regent. a king and a priest to God. The language of Scripture bears this out as kings with Christ were part of a kingdom which cannot be moved. Hebrews chapter 12, having received a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace that we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We've been translated into a kingdom where Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning in this kingdom. Colossians 1.13, from the power of darkness to the kingdom. of the King, the kingdom of His dear Son. We are the sons of God, sons of the King, which makes us joint heirs and co-regents with Christ in His kingdom now and the kingdom that is to come. As kings, we know that kings wear crowns, and there is a crown coming, isn't there? That's the language of Scripture. 2 Timothy 4, verse 8, He has henceforth laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me. But not only me, Paul says, but also all those that love his appearing. If you love the appearing of Christ and you trust him, there's a crown of righteousness that's coming. First Peter five three. When the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory. And James one twelve. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord shall give to all those that he's promised it to. Crown of life, crown of glory, crown of righteousness, as kings will reign with Christ. And of course, a king has a robe to wear. And in fact, Isaiah and Revelation tells us about a robe. We've been clothed with robes of righteousness. Revelation chapter 7 verse 9, when there's a multitude of people gathered around the throne of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God from every nation and the languages and the kindreds and the peoples of the earth, they will be wearing robes, white and clean. Revelation 19, when Jesus is seated upon that white horse, his garment, his vesture is dipped in blood, but the Armies that are following him are riding on horses and they have garments white and clean. It was the father who put the robe upon the prodigal son and the ring on his finger. Symbols of royalty. We are a royal priesthood. We are a kingdom of priests to God. We have been made kings and priests and we will reign with Christ forever. In a sense, that's true. But you see, beloved, the reality of Scripture is that we do not yet reign until we also suffer with him. Isn't that the reality of Scripture? We will reign, but the cross that Jesus bore as a king is now a cross that he tells us to take up and follow him daily. He says in John 12, 26, that where I am, there shall my servant be also. If any man follow me, Where will we be? We'll be with Christ on the Via Dolorosa, which was the way of grief, the way of suffering in Latin. He is on this way. He is on the pathway to the place of the skull. And Jesus says, if you follow me where I am, you'll be with me on the pathway. So I like the idea of reigning with Jesus as a king in the future. Well, Jesus says, come walk with me today and follow me on the way of grief. pathway of suffering and sorrow, the pathway of joy and delight, but a pathway of crucifixion, daily dying, denying and struggling on this pathway that leads us to glory. Now, this is the personal application of this scene of the cross. What needs to be affixed to our cross is that one day we will reign with him supremely. But today is a day of struggle, a day of battle, a day of following Jesus Christ, a day of giving up and losing ourselves that we may gain and see and be with Christ. This is the language of scripture and the shame. that is associated with the cross is the shame that we are called on to bear, bearing the reproach of Christ. The very shame, the stumbling block for the Jews was they couldn't handle the fact that their Messiah was a crucified, defeated Messiah. And when we think about Christianity and what it really is, that's some of the shame that awaits us, isn't it? You see, in our culture, Christianity is not seen as a religion for weak people, bankrupt people. people that are in need of another person. It's often seen as religion of people who are strong and that do good things and are men and women of good character. So what's wrong with that? Well, sometimes good works and good character can be like a signpost pointing in the wrong direction. Good works and good character are designed to shine to God. point to God. But sometimes in our culture, it's seen as a signpost to point to me. Look at me. Look at my character. Look at my family. Look at how we have everything together. And talking to me recently here at the church, visiting me, we're talking about the tornadoes recently that happened in April. I told him how close we were, two miles or so from from the devastation of the pathway of that storm and how that you could even tell anything happened at our house except for the electricity was off. He immediately said, you must be living right. Now, you can kind of briefly struggle with the answer to that. Well, no, no, I'm not living right. Well, yes, yes, I want to live right. But I mean, no. And the Lord gave me the words to say, no, it's the grace of God, it's the mercy of God. You see, our character, beloved, and any good works we may be blessed to do must be a a display of a signpost that every opportunity we get is with our words displaying and pointing to the mercy and grace of God and not to me and not to my family and not to my character. Yes, we are to be men and women of holiness, but the holiness is designed to reflect God to reflect Christ and what is brightly reflected on this scene, this bloody scene of Jesus Christ with a placard that says Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, but the glory of God in the will of God being done. We are pointed always to God when we look at Jesus Christ. But this language of shame preceding reigning with Christ is found in a couple of places. Consider First Second Timothy, chapter two, where Paul will Specifically, give us this language of suffering preceded by reigning with Christ. Now, the context is specifically towards ministers, as he encourages Timothy to charge those that would be teachers of the word and preachers of the gospel. And so Paul says in verse nine of Second Timothy two, he says, wherein that is the gospel, I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even into bonds. But the word of God is not bound. Therefore, verse 10 of Second Timothy 2, I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they, the elect, may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is the faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. Now, even to be dead with Christ in Scripture is the language of having a new king in Romans 6, 11 and 12. Likewise, reckon yourselves indeed to be dead to sin. If we're dead with him, then we're dead to sin's kingly dominion. Likewise, consider yourself dead, because in fact, you are if you're dead with Christ and raised with Christ. Let not therefore sin reign. Have kingly dominion. That's the language of kingdoms and kingship and battles of kings. Because you're dead with Christ, don't let sin rule like a king in your life. And don't obey sin like it's your master in the lust thereof. Rather, yield ye yourselves as instruments or weapons unto God to righteousness. Yield your bodies. Yield your complete person as a follower of King Jesus. Battling the foes of darkness. Battling your own flesh. Battling sin and the lust thereof. So if you're dead with Christ, The upshot is the proof is you will live with him forever to notice the next statement. Second, Timothy two, verse 12, if we suffer, we shall also reign with him. I can understand the dead part and being dead to sin because of the new birth and having the power to overcome sin, although we remain sinners because the flesh is never completely conquered in this life. Why is suffering a prerequisite for reigning? It doesn't seem to make sense unless you understand the word that Paul uses is characteristic and translated often as endurance. Endurance. So Paul is saying, if we endure suffering, we shall reign with Jesus Christ. If we endure, endure there, the very Greek word means to stay under it. To stay under it. To abide under it. To continue under whatever the suffering is. We shall reign with Christ. Now what Paul is doing with this word is pointing us to the root of endurance. He wants to show us the root or the anchor. The root to the tree keeps the tree stable. The anchor to the ship keeps it from dashing against the stone. What is the anchor of endurance? Well, the imagery I gave you is Hebrews 6, right? Hope is an anchor of the soul. Anchors us. The root of endurance is faith and hope in Christ. If you continue believing, you'll reign with Him. If you abide under the suffering in faith, you reign with Christ. Because faith and hope are indicators that you will one day reign with Christ. So Paul is not pointing to the suffering in the abstract, like, I guess I need to get under some suffering to have the assurance that I'll reign. No, the root of endurance in your suffering, Hupomino, is hope, faith. in Jesus Christ. Paul will talk in similar language in Romans 8.17 when he says, If you're children of God, we have the assurance of that. The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God. And if children, heirs of God, and if we're heirs of God, we're joint heirs with Jesus Christ. If so be that you suffer with Him. That you may be glorified together with him. Now, there's the same pattern that Paul is giving us there. If we suffer with him, we'll reign with him. If we suffer with him, we'll be glorified together with Christ. But if you look at the context of Romans eight, the context is hope. See again, Paul is pointing to the root of endurance. He's pointing to the root of endurance when you're under pressure and under tribulation and suffering. So he says it this way in Romans 8, about the 24th or 25th verse, if you're writing it down. For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why he is yet hoping or expecting it. If you see something, you're not hoping for that gift in the future. If you have received a birthday gift, you're not still hoping in it anymore. You're not expecting it on that day to receive it. You have it. It's in your possession. What makes biblical hope what it is, is we have not yet come into the possession of the inheritance, but it is firm, it is sure, it is steadfast. It is a confident future hope of an expectation that has been promised and guaranteed to someone. To whom? To the believer, to the one hoping. OK, so if we see that. Gift, we no longer hope for it, but Paul says, If we hope for that which we see not, we with what? Huppamone. Patience. Wait for it. How do we wait for it? How do we endure? With hope. We endure. Without hope, there's no root. There's no anchor. There's no endurance. Suffering moves you away from Christ, moves you away from God. That's why Jesus in the parable of the soils says what? Says here's a person that receives the gospel with joy, but by and by, because of some kind of suffering called persecution, what happens? Having no root. Fall away. Now, they didn't have root and it got cut or something happened. They didn't have a root. There was no root. There never was a root. Never existed. There was never an anchor there. Just a superficial joy, superficial hope. This sounds good for the day. But when the persecution came, When the suffering came, they didn't abide, they didn't stay under, they just left. And that was it. I don't need this kind of religion. They were gone for good. Jesus said they had no root. Paul is saying when you have a root. That's what keeps you under. The difficulty and hardship of life, that's why Paul would say in Romans five to which is contextual in the whole book of Romans, he says, we hope in the glory of God. Not only we boast or glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation works with patience, endurance. Patience, experience, and experience, hope. See, the root of endurance is hope. Patience comes from hope. When we hope for that, we see not, we wait, we endure, we wait for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our bodies. Hope is our anchor in Christ. So Paul is not saying we need to try to find some way to suffer so we can have the assurance of heaven. No, he's saying hope is our assurance. When the suffering comes, we abide and we stay with Christ, with our sin, with our falling, with our failure, because Christ is keeping us abiding in the vine. But what are we really staying under in Second Timothy chapter two? If we're hoping in God. And that's what hope that we're hoping in Scripture, we're hoping in a promise, we're hoping in God. Then are we not staying under the hand of God in the suffering? Hebrews 12, 7, if you endure chastening. God is dealing with you as with sons. For what child is he that is without chastisement? later in the same chapter. Now no, chastening for the present seemeth joyful, but grievous the way of grief. If you stay under the suffering and recognize it's the hand of God training you, what does that do for hope? It causes it to hang on and stay under the suffering. Oh, how important truth is, beloved, in a time of being downcast, in a time of trouble, in a time when sometimes we lose our sight. You see, God was producing and his hand was bringing the suffering chastisement of the Hebrew people. So he says, if you endure this, your endurance and staying under the suffering is because you recognize that God's hand is over the suffering and he has a purpose for the training that chasing is not always You committed a great sin and you get a spanking for its training. It's both positive and negative. It is correction. It is growth producing. It is training in righteousness. It is God's hand coming in your life to train you, to draw you to himself. Why? That you may be a partaker of his holiness. To understand that. Is to help us to know we're not rain today, the suffering is not leaving today, it will rain supremely with him with no suffering then. But today we need to endure. on our Via Dolorosa, on our way of grief, we need to endure under the hand of a loving God. Jesus said, if you remain or stay in my love as I stayed in my father's love, John. Fifteen, we learned that. So in John 19, Jesus is walking the way of Calvary and he's under the love of God as the hand of God presses so difficultly on him. He recognizes. I'm continuing in the love of God, it's his love. Coming to me in ways that the world doesn't know, love as a father who had chastened his son and say, I love you, I'm chasing you. Wait a minute, that's not the way I view love. That's because you're a human. And so am I. But when God says, I love you, He says, I'm going to train you. I'm going to chasten you. My hand is going to come in your life in such a way that it's going to produce a little suffering, a little pain. And what I want you to do is keep hoping in me and remain under it. Remain under it, because it's my loving hand that's over it. See, if you've got a root, rooting yourself and grounding yourself in the love of Christ and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Oh, how easy it is for us to be moved because we may be like the Corinthian church. You know, they thought they were reigning today. They said, well, I get this concept of being a king. So Paul addresses them in first Corinthians four about the eighth verse when he says, you are full now. You're rich right now. You're reigning as kings now. I would to God that you did reign so we could reign with you." In other words, some preacher came along and wrote a book for them and said, your best life is now. Paul says, no, it's not. It's not. The best life is then, not now. The best life for the wicked, now, not then. But for the believer, your best life is not right now. So he says, how is it that we're apostles and we're the off scouring of the earth? We are defiled. We are reviled. We are defamed. And somehow you as a Christian, you're escaping the reproach and the shame of the cross because they had aligned themselves with worldly wisdom. And somehow they were trying to carry a cross on their neck or in their pocket. without bearing the shame of the cross. Beloved, you can't be in with the philosopher of the world and. Be a follower of Christ unless you don't say anything, and that's what the church, of course, is doing, he says, you got it all backwards, Paul says, no, you can't escape the reproach and he didn't do it. That's what God calls you to do to endure. To endure, hoping in him, trusting him now, the context of the epistle to Timothy's second letter is the suffering of being ashamed. of all the suffering that we could be subjected to in America. That's probably the number one on our list, isn't it? To suffer embarrassment or shame or reproach at being a Christian openly, vividly, in the workplace or at school or in some way. Now, it's pretty easy to talk about Jesus right here. I'm presuming I'm talking to people who want to hear it, so I feel pretty comfortable right now. But out there, I'm not so comfortable. Sometimes I battle and struggle against how people view me or how they see me. That's part of our damning nature, isn't it? We want to be loved. We want to be looked and seen in a particular way. We don't want anybody not to like us. So sometimes we wear the cross, we carry the Bible. People are OK with that as long as we don't say anything that may really upset people when we just simply speak the truth, speaking the truth. Now, remember. Jesus. Endured the cross, despising what? The shame. Now, why did he list that in the book of Hebrews sort of as a second category? I mean, isn't enduring the cross enduring shame? He could have just said Jesus endured the cross and that would mean the shame, the suffering, the pain, the scoffing, the mockery, the laughing. But he pulls it out as a separate category because that's exactly what they were struggling with. The shame of the cross as Jewish people. The shame of moving out of Jerusalem and not being at the center anymore. The shame of it all. That's our biggest struggle. I would dare say that probably in some ways being a martyr for Christ and losing your life could in some ways be less challenging than suffering shame because it's over. Shame can keep going on for years and Years you don't deal with that one day and it's over, at least as a martyr. You're with Christ. It's over. Our real struggle today is. looking and awaiting for that kingly reign with Christ, but wearing and carrying the cross of Jesus Christ and bearing the reproach with joy. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame. He sat down at the right hand of the Father in the same conscience that says, if we endure chastening, we need to endure it. And the way we endure it is by hoping in God, trusting in God, and looking and having before us joy set like Jesus did. at the coming time when we will really and truly reign with Christ supremely on a new heaven and a new earth. Look at this in Matthew chapter 10 where Jesus wants to encourage His disciples by helping them deal with the fear of shame and other fears in this chapter. The fear of shame. He says in verse 26, as a transition in this chapter, he's talking to 12 apostles, which he commanded. In verse seven, to preach the kingdom of heaven, there's a kingdom, and if you preach the kingdom of heaven, Jesus is the king at the center of the kingdom. So this is the language of kings and kingdoms. So. In this kingdom that they were a part of in which they were to preach, they weren't going to reign as kings yet, they were going to be proclaimers of the King's message, which meant in verse 26, they needed to have a power and a way to deal with the fears associated with carrying a cross. So he says, fear them, not therefore. Tell about the kingdom of heaven, tell about King Jesus, where you're placard by the words you speak, But be ready because of what you say. So there are at least six threats of fear in this chapter. Verse 14, the fear of rejection. They won't hear your word. They won't hear you receive it. Verse 17, the fear of physical recourse, scourging in verse 17. Verse 21, the fear of betrayal by personal friends and family members, brother, Father, children, parents. That's pretty challenging, isn't it? Fear of betrayal. Twenty-two, the fear of being hated by all men. Jesus said, you will be hated of all kinds of men. Not every man will hate you. Some will be very glad to hear the King's message. But there will be men of all kinds that will hate you. as members of this kingdom declaring a message for the king, as ambassadors. So the fear of being hated, the fear of being persecuted, verse 23, and then there's verse 25, which is the last one, leading into verse 26, the fear of shame. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his lord, if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub or devil, how much more shall they call them of his household? If they call Jesus all kinds of names, they will call you all kinds of names. Now, you think this would not be a big issue for the apostles. I mean, come on, guys. I mean, they just call you a few names. But isn't that some of our greatest fears? Really, some of the what seems like the smallest issues are really the biggest to us. I mean, people will not like me. People will talk about me. People will slander me. People will say I'm an evildoer. Sometimes that hurts as worse as a as a punch in the arm. All right, here's Jesus. Remedy for fear. The fear associated with the shame of the cross struggle, we have times often we fail and fall to this great fear that sometimes masters us, fear not them, therefore. Number one, there's nothing covered that should not be revealed and hid that should not be known. What I tell you in darkness that speak in the light and what you hear in the ear that preach upon the housetops. Every news media correspondent that has ever said one wrong word against a Christian will own it in the face of Jesus Christ and He will bring it to light. As if to say, standing in front of you, do you see this Christian, what you called Him? Wrong! You were wrong. He will be vindicated. You will be vindicated for every false accusation and every name you've ever been called because you are a Christian will be vindicated by Christ. Speak it, brother, He says. I'm going to declare it one day, I'll uncover it. Now, that's kind of encouraging, isn't it? You ever thought I just wonder if anybody will ever know. I wonder if they'll ever know the truth that this is what I was trying to do and I was misunderstood. It will be known. It will be known. He encourages them, don't be afraid of what they say about you. If it's the president himself. that has made one sly comment about a Christian, he will own it in the day of judgment. From the presidents to the kings of the earth, it will be known. The darkness will be revealed and the light will come and Jesus will vindicate his name in you for whatever shame you've had to suffer. Don't be afraid. That's pretty encouraging, isn't it? Every small detail will be known. about how, in whatever way, you've been maligned as a servant of King Jesus. Next, don't be afraid. All they can do is kill you. That's a good one. That, in fact, is what I'm afraid of. They can kill me. Jesus says, don't be afraid. They can only kill you. I'm like, yeah, that's my problem. They can kill me. They can kill me. They can hurt me. What Jesus is doing here, He wants to radically transform our value system. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Now, the threat of fear, and we'll just say with shame, since that's what Pilate was trying to heap on the Jews, which they wouldn't own. But he says, as my followers, I want you to bear the reproach of the cross. I want you to, I want you to carry it. I want you to bear the shame of it. I want you to stay with it. All right, what is the threat of fear? When we feel fear, our greatest treasure is being threatened. I think on that. When you are afraid, your greatest treasure is being threatened. And in the case of shame, what is the treasure that's threatened? You. Me. My name. My reputation. What you think about me. How you see me. Oh, how many people dress themselves up every day just for the purpose of being seen by somebody. Everything they do, everything they say is designed to get the approval of men just like the Jewish people. There's something in you that wants that approval. And there's something in you that makes you deathly afraid if people don't like you and see you in a certain light, certain light. So when our greatest treasure is threatened, we feel fear. If it's the threat of losing a loved one, then that's a great treasure. If it's the fear of being shamed, it is the treasure of self. What Jesus is calling on here is for something to eclipse our value system. He's saying don't count your earthly life or yourself and all that is associated with your life as the ultimate value and treasure. Rather let it be eclipsed with something far superior than me or than you. And of course, that's the esteem and the honor of God. So he says, rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Now, there's the ability of both. Both groups here, the ability of man to do something and the ability of God. Now, what is behind God's ability? when in fact He will one day destroy people, both soul and body and hell. What's behind that power or ability is what Jesus is drawing our attention to because He says He's able. He's not saying He's doing it yet. He's able and He will in the future do it. What is behind that power is not a capricious, vague will behind it. There is the will of God to do so that is supremely focused on one thing. And why will God? Destroy the center, both body and soul and hell because of unforgiven sin, because of unbelief. And what is sin, but a defaming, a dishonoring, a belittling, a transgression against the greatest treasure that exists, God himself. That's why behind the power of God, he will do so in the future. Now, what's Jesus calling us to do? He's calling us no longer to fear man by placing ourselves or some earthly treasure or some attachment to this world as the greater treasure, but by the same definition, making God our greatest treasure. And so by fearing God, we're not quaking at death because of men and now quaking because God may throw us in the lake of fire. No, we change our greatest value from self earth to God himself. And now When God is your greatest treasure, what you fear is dishonoring him. You don't want to dishonor and sin against the one you so love. And in that fear, the power to overcome shame and the dishonor of God is the power of the value of God, the glory of God. That was the power of David in Psalm 63 when he says, because your loving kindness is better than my life. My lips shall praise you. If it means shame, if it means being reviled, I'm going to praise you. Now, what was the power for David? What eclipsed the value of his own life, the loving kindness and the mercy of God? It was God himself. And then Paul himself said, none of these things move me in Acts 20, the threat of bodily harm, the threat of imprisonment. I'm not moved from my hope, neither do I count my life dear unto myself. What was the power of Paul to overcome the threat of shame? He was threatened with it. Philippians 1 20. He didn't want to be ashamed of the gospel. He knew the threat. He knew the presence of that threat daily, but he battled it by counting all things lost his life. itself as greatest treasure, placing in its place the value of Christ for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Now he said he had to do that every day. He didn't do it one time at conversion and say, I think I can ride this wave out. Every day he had to wake up, die to himself, take up his cross and be ready and willing to bear the shame of the cross by seeing and looking and praying that God would show him more of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, more of his beauty, more of his glory. And then there's Luke 14. Jesus himself says, if you don't hate your own life, you cannot be my disciple. You cannot follow me. You cannot take up your cross. In other words. Our own value, our own treasures must be eclipsed with the greatest value and the greatest treasure, and that's Jesus Christ and that's was the root of Christ on endurance, wasn't he? He did despise the shame, which doesn't mean, oh, he despised it, he hated it, he abhorred it. That's maybe the way we use despise. But what Jesus meant by the Greek word is that he disesteemed the shame. He discounted it, he dis, in other words, he didn't esteem it, he didn't honor, he didn't give it thought, he didn't esteem the shame. Now, he just said fear is when You have that feeling when your greatest treasure is threatened. So Jesus wasn't ashamed because his greatest treasure was not threatened because it wasn't him. Shame happens, the wrong kind of shame. There's a good shame, the wrong kind of shame that the gospel happens when I'm at the center. Would Jesus disesteem the shame because he was not central? He was never the center. It was always the glory of God. So when they were heaping shame on him, when he was bearing shame and scoffing rude, he disesteemed it because he wasn't focused on himself. My problem is when I'm focused on myself, the looks and the gazes of the world, because I'm a Christian, causes me to be moved and sometimes may cause me to say things I would otherwise never want to say. Jesus says, don't be afraid. Let your value system be radically changed with the fear of God, which means you delight in God, you treasure God, and you don't want to dishonor God. And then he says in verse 29, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father? But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not? Therefore, ye are of many value than many sparrows. More value. Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men. Now there's the issue of shame. As apostles, you need to be able to confess before men preaching the kingdom. As Christians, we need to have the power to confess before men. We're Christian. Yes, this is the truth of God. Yes, this is the word of God. Yes, this is what God has said. We'll never have that power in ourselves. Jesus says the power not to be afraid comes from the care of your father, even the care of sparrows that fall to the ground and not one of them falls without the will of your Father, implied by the wording, if you look up the wording, without the will of the Father. Two sparrows, one farthing. Five sparrows, two farthings. In another Gospel, five for, get one free. Pretty insignificant stuff. Now, if you want to draw from this text, I must be of much value. If you just do the math on it, that thought will leave you quickly. A farthing? For a couple of sparrows, if you're worth 500 farthings, about five bucks. I mean, you know, you can't get out of this what some men try to do and say, oh, we must be of supreme value. The value here is the father's will and the father's care. It's your father that's caring for sparrows. It's your father that cares for you. Don't be afraid. And the value of the sparrow to God is not because of the feathers or the bone structure, design. It's because creation displays the glory of God. And God cares for creation because that creation is singing his praises, his power, his glory, the biggest star to the smallest sparrow. God is over it. So you're more value than many sparrows. Because your value is not intrinsic. It's not owing to you. It's Jesus Christ. It's Jesus Christ. Sometimes men have tried to convince people they needed to believe. that they had value before God. They needed to believe that they had some kind of value if they ever wanted to serve God. One man recently wrote a song expressing this when he speaks these words. Very popular song, I understand. You're worth it. You can't earn it. You're more than flesh and bone. Can't you see you're something beautiful? Yeah. You've got to believe. You've got to believe. He wants you to see. He wants you to see that you're not just some wandering soul that can't be seen and can't be known. You've got to believe. You've got to believe that you are someone worth dying for. You're someone worth dying for. Now let's just work through that practically. How much worth must I see in myself before I believe and trust in myself that I am somehow worthy of the love of Christ? and the death of Christ. Faith, beloved, is self-abasing and Christ-exalting. Anytime a man points you to yourself, it's wrong. Wrong theology. Completely and fully. To what degree of worth must I have to measure up to the worth of the glory of God? That leaves me in despair. When I see my unworthiness in light of the worth of Christ, I am filled with joy and confidence in Christ and not myself. Faith is always looking to Christ, looking to God. And any time a songwriter or any other preacher tries to direct you to believe in yourself, look to yourself and see your own worth, reject it, it will lead you to despair. Because as soon as you start looking for worth in yourself, you'll start to see more of your sin and sink. How could I ever be loved by Christ? Because it was the sovereign will of God to love you, independent of you, independent of any good you have done. He marked you out before you had done any good or evil. that the purpose of God according to election might stand. It is of God that shows mercy. And therefore, we marvel at the mercy of God. And it's this mercy that your Father is bringing to you day in and day out to help you and strengthen you so that you may be able to confess, not your worth. Jesus says, whoever confesses Me before men, I'll confess to my Father. See, He's encouraging us to wear the cross, to bear the cross, and find the deep encouragement when someone calls you a devil. Someone even could call you a right-wing Christian or something that may be intended to slander you. Jesus wants you to find strength and assurance. They did the same to him. Your father's watching over you. Your father is over these events. Your father, his concern for you is because you bear the image of Christ. And therefore, that's a strong consolation that nothing will ever befall you. without the wise providence of God, because he in fact does love you because of the blood of Christ. He loves you because of his own will. He loves you because of his own glory. And that, beloved, outside of ourselves gives us a solid rock whereby we can stand and we can battle the fear of shame. Who here has not experienced that fear? Who here doesn't battle it daily, if not weekly? We all do. Be encouraged. by the cross of Jesus Christ. You will reign one day. Let us endure God's chastening so that we may have a deeper assurance that we indeed will reign with Him. And then there's this other scene in John 19 that's rather unusual. And we'll just mention briefly. Verse 23, Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts to every soldier apart, and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam woven from the top throughout. They said, therefore, among themselves, Let us not render the cast lots for it, whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled. They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things, therefore, the soldiers did. They did it for two reasons. The first, therefore, is because the coat was without seam. It was without seam. Now, this is the fulfillment of specific prophecy. It's as if John is distracted with the cross and says, here's four guys over in a corner somewhere throwing lots. What on earth? John, get us back on the cross. What are you doing here? I want you to hear what they're saying. Just four men casting lots. They parted the garment among themselves, four pieces, and they didn't rend the coat because of how it was sewn together. They did it because of personal gain. This is hard for us to understand, but in a day where there's no department stores and Walmarts to go buy clothing at a whim, fabric was a pretty valuable thing. So these poor soldiers could have gained a little change by selling these garments. Certainly they wouldn't have wanted such garments. Very valuable in a poor society. Somebody could so find great interest in garments, even pieces of fabric. And this garment was more valuable because it probably stronger and to sell it as one whole thing. They all agree that's probably the best thing to do. That's probably what's underneath. Their interest, personal gain, so out of personal gain, they cast lots, but because God had ordained this event. They will indeed cast lots for it. Psalm 22, David said, they pierced my hands and my feet. He said, my garments, they parted and for my vesture, they cast lots. Now, whenever prophecy is given in the Old Testament, the nature of prophecy is obscure. So David's writing this prophecy, according to first Peter one, ten, he searching what manner of time the spirit of Christ did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. He's a prophet there. So, he's writing his experience in Psalm 22 and he says, they pierced my hands and feet. He says, wait a minute, I've never had my hands and feet pierced. He keeps writing, he says, they parted my garments and for my vesture they cast lots. Wait a minute, I've never had that experience. So he began to inquire and search diligently in what he wrote as a prophet. It was revealed to him, according to 1 Peter 1, 10 and 11, it was revealed to him that not unto himself were those things reported, but unto us it's been reported. through the gospel that's been preached unto you by the Holy Spirit sent down, which the angels desire to look into. That's pretty powerful thing, the prophecy of God, the full ordination of God. They had personal interest, but God had predicted it. And so God brought to pass through their instrumentality exactly what he ordained to the degree should happen. Acts 427, everything happening was by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God. Everything happening was because God's hand and counsel before determined that it should be done, and it was. Your hope is built on the fulfillment of the prophets, Ephesians 2.20. The church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets. We often overlook the prophets. Your hope, your faith is built on the reality that every word of every prophet, when he prophesied about Jesus Christ, was fulfilled to the exact detail. Who gave him this coat? Some lady maybe made it for him, I don't know, maybe bought it. He didn't have much money. There had to be more than one person interested in the garment, so they would never imparted them. Just one, he would have kept all things intact. But David said they're going to part the garment. So there had to be more than one. There's four. Had to be more than one. Had to be one garment whole, or why would you need to cast lots for it? Had to be one garment whole, just as God prophesied, so that the soldiers would be inclined to do exactly what they wanted to do and they would do exactly what God ordained that they should do. This is God's government over the world. John wants to give us a panoramic view of the cross to let us know the prophecy is fulfilled so that we may hope to the end. Not only on the apostles doctrine, but the prophets before them all centered in the truth of the revelation that God is governing the world for your good. And in so doing, he's letting us know right here, this. Christianity that you're involved with is not a human contrite, you ever heard anybody say that, well, these guys just got together and they planned it all, you know, they're just deceiving the world happens all the time. Now, think about if you were going to make up a world religion to deceive everybody. Deceive everybody. And you predicted something a thousand years ahead of time. Would you dare predict the disposal of the Founders' clothing? How would you make that happen? Put a time capsule. Look, you guys make sure a thousand years from now, our generations, make sure somebody gets those soldiers together and does exactly what I'm about to write. Ludicrous. Ridiculous. But God has brought about to the detail exactly what He prophesied. Beloved, God says, when I predict something and I bring it to pass, that's so you'll know that I am God and there's none like me. Do you know that God is God? That you're standing on a firm foundation, your hope is built on something rock solid and sure, that you can bake on it, you can put everything on it and ride it out and stand on this solid rock because of the fulfillment of prophecy. How important it is. I have spoken it, Isaiah 46, 11. I have spoken it, I will bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also do it. And here God is doing through the prophets exactly what He said He would do so that you would have hope in the government of the world that God is producing. The government of the fulfillment of everything that He has known that He would produce from the foundation of the world He is carrying out day by day. The upshot of that for us, beloved, is when we carry our cross and we bear His shame and bear His reproach, is to know that God is ruling and reigning on behalf of His people. And He's going to ultimately bring out the climactic prophecy that He said that Jesus Christ, the King, is coming back. And when He does, whosoever believes in Him will not be ashamed. You won't be ashamed in that day. Now, people may heap shame on you. You will not be disgraced, you will not be confounded, you will not be disappointed when God unveils the mosaic of His glory on that day. Let's pray.