Let's take our Bibles once again
and turn with me to John 18. John 18. I'm going to be looking at verses
28 to 38. The Lord Jesus has been betrayed. Peter has denied Him. According to the Lord's Word, the eternal counsel of Almighty
God is unfolding before our very eyes, and men are doing just exactly
what they want to do in rebellion against God. Now I'm going to look at four
things this morning. Number one, the wickedness of the carnal
heart. Number two, the truth about Christ's Kingdom. Number
three, the reason that He came into this world. And number four,
an answer to every man's question. Alright. The wickedness of a carnal heart. Now we're going to be considering
what has been Carried on now for the last hour or so during
that period of time. It all began back in chapter
18, verse 12 and 13 in the garden. It says then, the band and captain,
officers of the Jews, took Jesus, bound him, led him away to Annas
first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high
priest that same year. And verse 24 says, Now Annas
had sent him down unto Caiaphas the high priest. And now he's
being led as the scripture said he would as a lamb to the slaughter. He's just in obedience. He's obediently doing as his
father had commanded him. But I want you to notice in seeing
the wickedness of the carnal heart, just plain as the nose
on our face, if God gives us eyes to see it, I want you to
notice the hypocrisy of false religion. Verse 28, Then led
they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment. My margin
says Pilate's house. They led him from Caiaphas to
Pilate's house. And it was early. They themselves
went not into the judgment hall, they didn't go into Pilate's
house, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Now it was early. They'd been
buffeting him all night, quizzing him, asking him. Couldn't wait
to get this thing done. But here's the hypocrisy of it. They themselves, these Jews,
they wouldn't go into Pilate's house lest they should be defiled. Didn't have any earthly idea
that the problem is the heart. It wasn't Pilate's house. That
wasn't a problem. They were willing to murder the
Messiah. They didn't believe he was the
Messiah. They thought he was an imposter.
But they were willing to commit murder. But they can't take a
chance on becoming ceremonially unclean. Now listen to what the
Lord had said before, hypocrites. He said that's what you are,
you're hypocrites. Whited sepulchers which indeed
appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead men's
bones and of all uncleanness. Now they go to the garden you
know, with Gentiles to apprehend him. But you can't be involved
in sentencing or executing him. You can't go into Pilate's house.
They're just too religious. They're just so spiritual. False religion is just nothing
but a charade. It's just a circus. That's all it is. It's like a
carnival. Like a parade going down the street and everybody's
dressed up. We looked at that in Proverbs. Y'all remember that?
They're all dressed up, you know, and they got their suits on.
And I'm a queen for the day, you know, and I'm a duck, and
I'm this, that, and the other. Everybody's looking at them. Pilate then, verse 29, went out
unto them and said, What accusation bring ye against This man, and
they answered and said unto him, if he were not a malefactor,
we would not have delivered him up unto thee." These proud, arrogant
haters of God were saying, don't question us. Pilate was saying, this is what
he said, he said, prove to me. What accusation bring ye against
you? Prove to me. What you're saying! Now, this
goes right back to the heart of false religion, which is what
I'm going to say. I'm going to prove what I'm saying
by these scriptures. You prove to me what you're saying
by these scriptures. And if you can't back it up,
then you're a liar. You're a liar. That's what I'm
saying. What they said to him is, don't
question what we're saying. This is what my mama told me,
and that's what her mama and daddy told him, and that's what
they told him. I believe what they believe. Because that's
what we've always believed. The Lord saw to it that the Christ's
accusers would, of their own mouths, Be condemned. Now you
listen. Matthew 12, 57. Matthew 12, 57. The Lord speaking
said these words. I'm sorry, 37. Matthew 12, 37.
I said 57. By thy words thou shalt be justified
and by thy words shalt thou be condemned. This is what he's
saying. Words manifest the state of the heart. Out of the abundance
of the heart, the mouth speaks. Luke 23.2 says, they began to
accuse him saying, we found this fellow perverting the nation,
forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself
is Christ the King. Accusing him, resting his words,
finding or trying to find somewhat to accuse him. They're saying,
according to our law, the law of the Roman government, this
man's guilty. Now you listen to us, Pilate.
We wouldn't have brought him here if we didn't know that he's
guilty. He's guilty. Then said Pilate, verse 31, unto
them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. And
the Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us
to put any man to death, that the saying of Jesus might be
fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. Now, he was brought before Pilate, and Almighty God, according to
their law, made it where they couldn't put According to Roman
law, it made it to where they couldn't put a man to death.
See, if he would have been put to death by the Jews, you know
what they would have had to have done? Stoned him. Stoned him. Carnal passion and hatred for
the Savior prompted these Jews to push the issue. Pilate, in fear of being involved,
tried to put the issue back on the Jews. He said, no, you take
him. This man's guilty, they said. Now, he's guilty. And Pilate
says, that's fine. Go ahead then and execute him,
then according to your law. But the Scripture says that they
couldn't do it. God had providentially ordered
things. Roman law forbid the Jews from
carrying out executions. They said, we can't. You do it. But the Scripture says that the
Lord Jesus, the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spake
signifying what death He should die. Now I want you to look at
something. Hold your finger there and turn to Numbers 21. All of
this was ordered. God Almighty had ordered that
the Jews couldn't execute anybody according to Roman law. But He
did it for this reason. This is why He put this restriction
on the Jews. Now this was a law. They couldn't
do it. They couldn't do it. They'd have
stoned Him. But He couldn't be stoned that
the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled. Now look at numbers.
Chapter 21, Numbers 21, all the way back in the Old Testament,
this is what happened. Numbers 21, starting in verse
4, verse 9. And they journeyed from Mount
Hor by the way of the Red Sea to Compass, or Compass, the land
of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because
of the way. Here's what was happening. The
Lord was leading them, the Lord was directing them. You remember
the pillar of the cloud? The pillar of fire at night,
protection, warmth, light. God was leading them. God was
leading them. Had them out there in the wilderness.
They journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea. And
the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. They started getting agitated. What's going on here? Why are
we coming this way? And the people spake against
God, against Moses. Wherefore have ye brought us
up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread,
neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light
bread." God, I don't like the way you're doing things. I don't
like the way you're doing things. And I don't like the way your
servant's doing things either. And the Lord sent fiery serpents
among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of
Israel died. Therefore the people came to
Moses and said, We've sinned for we've spoken against the
Lord, against thee. Pray unto the Lord that he take
away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent and
set it upon a pole. It will come to pass that everyone
that's bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses
made a serpent of brass, put it upon a pole, and it came to
pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, When he beheld a serpent
of brass, he lived. Had them all the way back there
in the desert. People were arguing and fussing
against God's providence. We don't like the way you're
doing things. I don't like your servant. I don't like you bringing
us back. We ain't got nothing to eat. We ain't got nothing
to drink. And what you're providing, what this light bread, I'm sick
of it. I'm sick of it. Okay, okay. Well, God just sent some fiery
serpents and started biting the people and started dying. And
they said, we made a big mistake, a big mistake. We're sorry. Pray the Lord take away these
serpents. Pray God have mercy upon us. We're sorry we ever
opened our mouth. Make a brass serpent, put him
up on a pole. Anybody looks, he's going to
live. Moses did it. All the way back then. And then
Scripture says that the saying of Jesus, you take Him, Pilate
said, you take Him and kill Him. We can't. We can't. Your law
forbids us. But you know why their law forbid
them to do that? Because Almighty God ordained
that the Roman law would forbid them from doing it. Because God
Almighty had from the beginning ordained that Christ would be
lifted up on a cross, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled. All of that came down to the
saying of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 3. I'll read it to you. John 3, 14, 15, he said, And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish but have eternal life. Pilate said, you take him. They
said, we can't. We can't do it. Why? That the
saying of Jesus, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. Almighty
God is going to accomplish His Word, His will, His purpose in
exactly the way that He said He's going to do it. Acts 4 27-28
says these things, And for a truth against thy holy child Jesus,
whom thou hast anointed, both Herod Pontius Pilate with the
Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together for to
do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to
be done. He's going to die. He's going
to die as God's Lamb. He's going to die as God's sacrifice,
God's Redeemer. But he's going to die exactly
the way that God Almighty ordained. And the Lord, in His sovereign
will and purpose, left those Jews to themselves, exposing
their wickedness while He accomplished His perfect will. Even the wrath
of man is going to praise Him. Man is a wicked creature. Secondly,
the truth back in John 18 of Christ's kingdom, verse 33, then
Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, called Jesus and
said unto him, Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus answered,
Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell it thee of
me? Pilate answered, I looked at the right verse and
it took my eyes off. Pilate answered, verse 35, Am
I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief
priest have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? Jesus
answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were
of this world, then would my servants fight that I should
not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from
hence. Here's the truth. The Lord Jesus
Christ has a kingdom. Man's wicked and Christ has a
kingdom. Now Pilate was, it's gravely
obvious that Pilate was concerned about the Lord. Didn't know,
he didn't know anything. But he could tell that something
was gravely wrong here. You take him, no. No, you take
him, no. He brought him back in and he asked him, he said,
now, he said, let me ask you something. Are you the king of
the Jews? And the Lord said, did you say this of yourself?
Or did somebody else tell you that of me? Pilate seems to desire
to acquit him. He doesn't know why. Just something
is not right. His wife told him. She said,
you better leave this just man alone. I had a dream. I don't
think this is going to go well. The Lord, in obedience to His
Father's command, refrains from trying to escape the accusations. Are you the King of the Jews?
Are you asking me that of yourself? Listen to somebody else. Where
did you come from? Are you the king over a kingdom? Are you
guilty of their accusations? If you're their king, why do
they hate you? Who told you that? Who told you
that? This is what the Lord asked Pilate. What think ye of Me? What do
you think of Me? What think ye of Christ? Whom
do men say that I am? Who do you say I am? Peter said, well, they say you're
this prophet, that prophet. Who do you say? He said, you're
the Christ. Are you the King of the Jews? What do you say? What do you say? Am I a Jew? Am I a Jew? Man by nature, will not face
his corruption. He won't, you know, he'll give
some sarcastic answer to try to change the subject. Same spirit
as the Jews, just a different country. And then the Lord reveals
in verse 36 the truth of his kingdom. He said, my kingdom
is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world,
then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered
to the Jews, but now is my kingdom not from hence." Yes, he has
a kingdom. And I said earlier there is a
remnant right now according to the election of God's grace.
Yes, I am the king of the Jews. And it's in this world. And it's
not of this world. And His kingdom, His people,
a kingdom has subjects. A kingdom has a king and it has
subjects. And He's the ruler. He's the
head. He's the Savior of His kingdom,
given Him by the Father. And His kingdom is His bride,
they're His body, and He's their surety. My kingdom is not of
this world. And by the grace of God, they're
going to be delivered out of this world. His kingdom is not taken by force. He's not sitting here fussing,
fighting, and trying to break away. His kingdom has eternally
found its foundation and surety in Him, the angel of the everlasting
covenant. the reason that he came into
this world. Verse 37, Pilate therefore said
unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that
I am a king. To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto
the truth. Every one that is of the truth
heareth my voice. Now I'll tell you this, that's
a very revealing statement right there. Pilate wants a yes or no answer. Are you the king of the Jews? The Lord told him, I am. I am. I am the king, but I wasn't
made one. Not by these people. He was born
king of the Jews. Brother Henry said this on this
verse. He said he was born and came
into the world from heaven as king and savior. Nobody made
him king. God made him king. Nobody in
this world made him king. He came as God's prophet. That's
what he said. To this end was I born. This is the reason I came into
the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. And everybody that is of the
truth, everybody that is of Christ is going to hear me. My sheep
hear my voice. He came as God's prophet, Brother
Henry said, to declare the truth of God's glory. of God's redemption,
of God's kingdom. And he came as God's priest to
offer himself a sacrifice and atonement for his people. Came
as the king to rule over his kingdom, his people. And all
that are his according to God's electing grace, hear his voice
and they're going to follow him. He's going to take His kingdom
out of this world. He's going to redeem them. He's
going to robe them in righteousness, spotless, spotless. One day He's going to bring them
into heaven itself to forever be with Him. Now that's the truth. He said, I came into this world
to bear witness Unto the truth. This is the truth. Does God have
a people? Yes, He does. That's the truth.
Did Christ die for them? He said, I did. I laid down my
life. I bear witness to the truth. This is the truth. This is the
truth. Then lastly, an answer to every
man's question. Lost, saved. Every man's got
this question. Look at verse 38. Pilate saith
unto him, what is truth? And when he had said this, he
went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no fault
in him at all. I don't find him at all. What
is truth? Here's every man's question. You take one lost, indifferent,
untaught, blind, dead heart, physically alive. And that man
will say, what is truth? Is it this religion? Is it that
religion? Is this one right? Is that one
right? This one says he's right. This
one says he's right. This religion says you've got
to do this. This one right here says you've got to be baptized.
If I'm not baptized, am I saved? If I don't speak in tongues,
am I saved? Do I have a free will? Is man's
will free? Is it bound by nothing? How am I going to know? How am I going to know? I've
told you before, Brother Darwin Pruitt told his nephew, and his
nephew asked him that. He said, but for the grace of
God, you won't. You won't. What is truth? How do I know? To a believer, the Spirit of
God teaches him this. You shall know the truth. And
the truth is going to make you free. You're going to know the
truth. You know what I know? I know
this, unless Almighty God has mercy on my soul and teaches
me by giving me a new heart, makes me a new man, creates me
in righteousness. Carl, I won't know. I will not
know. I will not know. And the Spirit
of God will bear witness to my spirit that the Lord Jesus Christ
is God's Messiah. And He's going to teach me this.
Here's the truth. That I can't do anything save
myself. I can't do anything. I know that's the truth. If salvation
in any part is left up to me, I'm going to hell. If there's
anything that I must do in order to be saved, then salvation is
by my works and God's a liar. If it has anything to do, because
the Scripture says it's not by works of righteousness that you've
done, that we've done, but it's according to His mercy. The world says, I can't know
the truth. I can't know the truth. I don't
know what to do. I'm going to do the best I can.
I knew somebody that belonged to two or three different denominations. And you know what they said to
me? So help me. They said I was just trying to
cover all my bases just in case. So help me. I mean it. That's
the truth. A believer says, Christ is my
life. I'm going to trust Him. Casting
myself upon the mercy of God because He said, I am the way,
the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but
by me. Lord bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake. Amen.