Let's take our Bibles once again.
Turn with me to the book of John chapter 13. John 13. The last time we looked in this blessed
book, we ended with verse 30. The Lord had revealed that he
was going to give the sop of the supper to the one that was
going to betray him. Judas knew it. He walked out. It was night in
his heart. Truly it was night. But the significance
was in his heart. Darkness. The light. was completely governed by the
Prince of Darkness. Doing just exactly, quickly,
what he wanted to do. Now, just remember this. He was
doing what he wanted to do. But doing what Almighty God had
eternally purposed. God is not the author of sin. God Almighty does not make men
rebel against Him. They do what they do because
they want to do it. But Almighty God, who is all-powerful, allows men to do what they want
to do. according to his will and his
purpose. I want you to look at the book
of Acts chapter 1, Acts 1, verses 16 to 20. Acts 1. Don't ever
forget that. Don't ever lay the blame for
man's rebellion on God. He's not the author of sin. Acts
1, verses 16 to 20. Men and brethren, this scripture
must needs have been fulfilled. which the Holy Ghost, by the
mouth of David, spake before concerning Judas." That Scripture
that says, my own friend, one in whom I trusted, lifted up
his heel against me. That Scripture must be fulfilled
concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. He brought
them out. Gave the Lord a kiss. Those Jews,
priests, He was guide to them, for He was numbered with us.
Had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field
with the reward of iniquity. You say, I thought the Pharisees
bought that piece of property after Judas threw the 30 pieces
of silver. I thought the Jews, I thought
the Pharisees, I thought they bought it. The scripture says,
this man purchased a field. With the reward of iniquity falling
headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels
gushed out. It was known unto all the dwellers
at Jerusalem, insomuch as that field is called in their proper
tongue, aseldama. That is to say, the field of
blood. For it is written in the book
of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate, that no man dwell
therein, and his bishopric let another take." The scriptures
set forth that Judas bought that piece of property. Judas gave that money back. Judas sold the Lord out. Judas
paid for his own death according to God's will, God's purpose. Verse 31, back in John 13, says,
Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of
Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. So soon will the Lord
be fully honored. He spoke of His death as being
glorified. Almighty God was going to render
him glorious. Absolutely rendered full of glory. Now, so soon was the accomplishment. Let me tell you something, from
right here until chapter 18, we're going to be looking at
these Scriptures right here, and all of this took place The
night in which He was betrayed right up until His crucifixion.
I mean just hours. And it's going to be the Lord
revealing to His apostles what's going to happen. What's going
to transpire. Why it's going to transpire.
Now is the Son of Man honored, gloriously honored, glorified. And God is glorified in Him. His crucifixion concerning God's
glory, God's thoughts, God's purpose to show mercy to His
people, His glorious thoughts to redeem His own by the blood
of His Son is going to be viewed. Now is the Son of Man. The hour
of the Lord had come. The very night That He ate that
supper with His apostles that very night. He would be betrayed
in the hands of wicked men. Taken, not helplessly, but powerfully. Again, allowing them to do what
they did on the very night it was the Passover. And He's the
Passover. They tried to take him before,
Gene, but you couldn't. You know why? His hour had not
come. We're going to take you. No, you're not. We're going to
stone him. No, you're not. I'm going to
kill you. No, you're not. Not until I say
you are. He laid down his life for his
people. He laid it down exactly when
Almighty God purposed he was going to lay down. that life. He was going to do for them what
they couldn't do for themselves. They could never redeem themselves. Now, the Son of Man is glorified. The Son of Man is glorified. Almighty God, the fullness... I looked that word up this morning
again. The completeness of the Godhead,
the Father who chose, the Son who redeemed, and the Holy Spirit
who calls and keeps and seals and teaches the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. Here is God in the flesh. And
the God-man glorified by one man's disobedience, many were
made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
Caused to be. Not because of their ability.
Not because of their choice. The Lord's revelation of this
truth concerning His glorification That complete fulfillment of
what Almighty God had eternally purposed. Everything fell out
according to His will, His way, His time. And soon they're going
to see Him. You're going to see Me taken.
He's telling them right here. Now is the Son of Man glorified. Now is the Son of Man in dying
for His people. Now you're going to see absolute
obedience. Now you're going to see my Father's
will openly displayed. The Father, God is going to be
glorified in Him. The scapegoat is going to lay
down his life, going to bear the sins of his people, and he's
going to take them away. Where are they going to be? As
far as the east is from the west. Behind the back of God. Cast
into the sea. I'm not going to remember them
anymore. Blessed is the man to whom God will not impute iniquity. Oh, he's chargeable. He's chargeable
in himself. That's what you just read, Mitch.
We say we have no sins. We make God a liar. No, here's
the blessing. God won't charge it to you. I've said before, one of these
days, that's going to be wonderful. One of these days, we're going
to realize. You know what grieves me is that I can sit here and
preach that, and I admit it, it just doesn't seem to have
the depth of the understanding of what I just said. We see through
a glass darkly, don't we? Now, the Son of Man glorified. And Almighty God is going to
be glorified in him. His justice is going to be glorified. His law is going to be honored.
Almighty God, the Scripture says, will by no means clear the guilty. I'm telling you right here, you
take a man, a woman that is dead in trespasses and sin, and they
all are. You say, yeah, but if you sincerely
come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness, surely God will
by no means, no means clear the guilty. No! But you mean if I'm sincere?
No! He will by no means clear the
guilty. Well, what's he going to do?
He's going to pay. How can I pay and be justified
before God? Only in a substitute. He's going
to have to be glorified in bearing my guilt, and God's going to
deal with him in absolute justice and wrath. And he's going to
suffer the penalty And He's going to pay the eternal debt owed
to that sin. That's why God the Father forsook
Him. That's why He killed Him. Now is the Son of Man glorified. And God glorified in Him. Almighty God is pure ice. than to behold evil. He can't not look on iniquity. Judgment must be rendered. Oh, but in the glorious substitutionary
death of the Lord Jesus Christ, only in Him can we truly say,
with some confidence, because we're going to die. I'm telling
you, every one of us, we're going to die. Unless we're here, as
I've said before, when the Lord returns a second time, you're
going to die. And only in Him, having had my debt paid, Only in Him having His righteousness
imputed to me, that God would look on me in absolute holiness
in Christ, can I say, O death, where is thy sting? Death has got a sting to it. Grave, where is thy victory? He put away. Now is the Son of
Man glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God be glorified in
Him, God shall also glorify Him in Himself and shall straightway
glorify Him. Here the Lord reveals the honor
that is going to be placed upon Him. He is going to lay down
His life In that obedient, substitutionary death, he's going to suffer in
his high priestly prayer. John 17. I'll just read this
very quickly. John 17, verse 1. These words spake Jesus, lifted
up His eyes to heaven, said, Father, the hour has come. It's time. It's time. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son
may glorify Thee. Father, I am Your servant. Father, I have always been with
You. Brought up with You. I was ever Your delight. Our
delight were the sons of men. According to that everlasting
covenant, You chose the people. You gave them to Me. I've stood for Him. You've ever
beheld Him in me. I've answered for Him. I live
for Him. I'm going to die for Him. Father,
it's time. It's time. Glorify Your Son as
Your servant, as Your substitute. Substitute Your people that Thy
Son may glorify Thee. as the merciful God of all grace,
who is not going to allow your people to perish. One with you. He, as the Son of Man, glorified
in His death. Glorified in His resurrection. Almighty God, three days later,
Raised him from the dead. The Lord said, I have the power
to lay down my life and to raise myself back up. That's all power. That's all power. You can give
up the ghost. Father, into your hands I commend
my spirit. Laid in that grave. Dead. Dead. Three days later, took it back.
Came out of that grave. Ascended into heaven according
to the power of His Father, and of His Spirit, and of Himself. Raised, glorified, seated in
the heavenlies under the sun, He saith, Thy throne, O God. This is what the Father says.
The Father says to the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever and
ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.
Unto which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right
hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. Our Lord reveals
that God is going to glorify Him. giving Him all authority
in heaven and earth as man, God-man, Son of Man. And the Son of Man
shall be glorified. He's going to have a name that
is above every name. At the name of Jesus, every knee
is going to bow. Every knee is going to bow and
is going to own Him. Every tongue is going to confess. What about the unbelievers? Every
knee is going to bow. Man or woman may leave this world
in rebellion, but I'm going to tell you something. They're going
to be cast into hell owning Him. You're the Lord. You're God. And He's going to do that which
is right. According to our passage, verse
32, is going to be straightway taken care of. It's going to
be accomplished in a short time. And our Lord did glorify God
in His death. All the attributes of God. I just listed a few of them here.
Here's the attribute of God. Love. Love is of God. Hearing is love. Not that we
loved Him. Now this is love, that He loved
us. Someone said before, rightly
so. I can see how God could hate Esau. The amazing things, He
loved Jacob. The amazing things, He loved
any of us. All of us were rebels. All of us were rebels. All of
us were enemies of God in our minds. All of us were children
of wrath, hating God. People say, well, I've never
hated God. God says, shit, I think we're
going to believe God. The love of God is manifested.
Why? He forsook His own Son to redeem
His people. That's love. God forsaking God? That's what the Scripture says.
Holiness. Absolute justice. Power. Hanging upon that cross was God. That's God hanging on that cross. Jesus Christ the Lord is God. Who said that? The Father said
it. Thy throne, O God. How did he die? He said, I laid
down my life. I gave it up. The Father killed
him. I'm telling you, we're in deeper
waters than we can perceive right here. I'm telling you, you're
seeing absolute power that God would lay down His life. And
right now, He's seated as the King of Kings. He's the Lord
of Lords. I'm telling you, this is God. This is God right here. Every
other little impotent, little G, God, don't even deserve a
capital G. This God that's trying to do
something, He's nobody. He's nothing. He's nothing. Nothing. Our God is in the heavens. David
said, and He's done whatsoever He pleases. I love saying that. I thank God that I can believe
it. I pray God keep me believing
it. Here's our Lord. Our great High
Priest ever living to make intercession. And the Scripture says He's going
to return very soon. He's coming back. And that same
Lord Jesus that Paul the Apostle just said, just that last service,
he said, I was one born out of due time. I saw Him. He appeared to me. I saw Him.
I saw Him. We're going to see Him too. We're
going to see the very One that walked this earth. We're going
to see Him. The very One who is right now. I'm convinced of this. I believe
this is the gospel. I believe this is the gospel.
And he said, where two or three are gathered together in my name,
according to my character, where my gospel is preached, I'm in
the midst of you. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.