I'm so thankful the Lord has brought us together again. I want to go to God in prayer again. I want to remember those congregations who have no pastor, those who are struggling, those who are in great need of one. I pray that God would give them a pastor after their own heart. My heart desires that God would fill these places with His men to declare His gospel, since there are so few. There seem to be fewer, but who knows? There may be millions that I don't know, and I'm sure that's possible. I have the Elijah syndrome. I'm the only one left. No, no, no, that's not so. But as I see our brethren depart and be with the Lord and their vacancies not being filled, it grieves me. It grieves me. Pray God will raise up men. Preach His gospel. I ask your prayers this morning for me. I don't believe I am sufficient to do this. I don't ever think I've Maybe when I was younger, I felt like I had some sufficiency. And then it was really bad. It was really bad. But I recognize I don't. I can't dig. I can't scratch the surface of this thing. It's too deep. Sometimes you just have to wade out in the water and swim around a little bit. And I think that's what we're going to do today. We're going to go out there, and we're going to swim around in it. And peradventure, the Lord give me words for your comfort, for your settlement and your peace. This morning, that's my desire for you. And so pray for that. Pray for God's blessing. Pray for those that are sick. Those who have needs. Those who are spiritually in great peril. Those who suffer afflictions in the mind and the body. Many who are incapable of being in the worship service, pray for them. I know of many people that are just trapped in the place that they are, and incapable physically or confined. by other means not able. Pray that God give them the ability, that God open the opportunity for them to go where the gospel is preached. I don't know. It just seems to me, I don't know how I would go on without this. Too vital. Too important. The gospel is a is the foundation on which I stand. It's how I get up in the morning. It's how I'm able to live and move, knowing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, my Savior. It's all my standing. I don't know how people live without it, hearing it. I know we're capable of it. Every one of us here is. If God moved his hand from us, we would not want to hear it. We'd be busy about other things, too. But pray for God's people who are in such places. Let's go to him in prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow before you, thanking you for this time you have granted to us. Not only have you set it in our hearts to be here to worship and to hear the gospel, but you have given us the means, the ability, the strength, the mind, the determination to be here, and we are here at your hand of mercy. We're not here because of any praise to ourselves. Father, I lay out before you those who are weak, those who are in body, in mind, in spirit. I plead for them that you would comfort them by your gospel, give them opportunity to hear it, to rejoice in it, to fellowship among your saints. I pray for those churches without pastors this day that you'd grant them grace and send them a man after your own heart. Father, you would fill the empty pulpits that you would fill them with a man that is faithful to declare the gospel of Christ plainly. Bless those, Father, who are preaching the gospel today. I ask for it. I need your grace. I need your power. I need your strength. I need your wisdom. Without you, I can do nothing, and these men recognize the same. Be with them as you are with us. Fill each heart and mind with the gospel. of Jesus Christ that might be overflowing, that we might have great cause to rejoice. And I pray that you would do this in Christ's name, for His sake. Amen. I take your Bibles, turn back with me to John chapter 19. John chapter 19. I've entitled this message, Jesus is Christ. Jesus is Christ. Look at this text. He says in verse 28, after this, our Lord is now being crucified at the moment He is fixing to give His life, a ransom, for his people and he says, John says, after this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith I first. I'm telling you as I contemplated what this phrase, all things being now accomplished, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished. As I contemplated what this meant, the more I looked at it, the bigger it got. The more I looked at what he is actually saying, the larger it became. And what I went to the Word of God for was some refreshment. But what I found was a fire hose. I didn't get a drop of water. I didn't get a simple drink from a calm brook. It seemed like the floodgates opened. And I was overwhelmed with what this means. Now this morning, I don't want you to be overwhelmed. That was my part. That's my business, to be overwhelmed by it. My intent this morning is that you be refreshed. I don't want you to be overwhelmed. I want you to be refreshed. Because that's really the intent of this text. It's that you should be refreshed. That you should be encouraged. And so my desire is the same as the Spirit, to show you this one thing. to testify clearly the irresistible, irrefutable truth that because Jesus Christ accomplished all things that were fulfilled according to Scripture, listen to this, it's irrefutable, He is the Christ of God. This is irrefutable. We're going to see just how irrefutable this is. And anyone who would refute this has lost all credibility to any logic whatsoever. To refute this, you would have to be mad. You'd have to be insane. The evidence of it is overwhelming. That Jesus is the Christ. Now, what do I mean by that? He's the Messiah. The one anointed of God to save sinners. To save men. No such Savior was given to angels, but God appointed that one should come and be the Savior. This is who is called Christ. Christ. Now Paul testifies, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ. That's necessary. has come into the world to save sinners, and then Paul puts himself in there, of whom I am chief. I desire you to see this, the importance of this fact that Jesus is Christ. It is vitally important. We say Jesus Christ, we pray it, we think it, but I really want you to get the sense because it's for your comfort that you understand this. the importance that He is the Christ. I want you to know that all of the friction that took place when Jesus came into the world had to do with this, Him testifying that He was the Christ. They didn't mind that He was a prophet. They knew He was a prophet. Nicodemus said, we know you're a prophet sent from God. Nobody denied that. Nobody denied He was Jesus. What they had problems with is this. He was Christ. That was the friction. When he met that woman at the well, she said, we know when Christ comes, he'll explain all things. And he says, that's me. He said, he that speaketh with thee, am he. And she left everything. And she went in the village and she said, listen, I found Christ! He came, He told me everything I did. Is this not the Christ? When Peter was confronted, what did he say? He said, We believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Why were the Pharisees so intent of trying to trip him up? Because he confessed to be the Christ. That's what was so offensive. Not that he was a prophet. Not that he did good things. They didn't mind that. They were offended because he claimed to be Christ. In other words, every time he said that, he said, I'm your king. That's what he said. He said, I'm your king. Not my king, oh yes I am. And he proved it to them every single time, and it only infuriated them. But I want you to know this, I'm going to give you vast amounts of things that prove he's the Christ, but I can't ever reveal it to you. I can show you plainly what the scriptures say concerning Christ, and show you that Jesus is the Christ. Remember, this is not an academic exercise, is it? What did he say to Peter when Peter said he's the Christ? He said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father which is in heaven. For you to know that Jesus is the Christ is an act of God's sovereign grace and mercy on you. You know that this morning? You who believe on Jesus Christ. You believe He's the Christ. You know He's the Christ. Well, listen to what the Christ said to you. Blessed art you. You're blessed because my Father from heaven hath revealed that unto you. It's not an academic thing. It is a very intimate and spiritual knowledge. I don't just know Him to be Christ. You see, He's my Savior. He's my King. And I know Him to be Christ. We who believe on Him, we hold fast to this. It's the foundation of my salvation that He's the Christ. If He's not the Christ, I don't have any hope. If He's not the Christ, you don't have any hope. But we who believe know. It's not something we... This is not something that is confusing. We know He's the Christ. We know He's the Christ. We trust our souls. to his acceptable work as Christ. Yet how many times do we doubt? We as believers in Christ often are cast down, we're fearful and we doubt. Now when you doubt, you doubt two things. You either doubt him or you doubt your interest in him. Now one of those two things. How often have you needed help and doubted he would help you? What are you doubting? Well, you're doubting He's the Christ. Christ is King, and if He's King, He said, I will help thee. And you think, I don't think He's going to help me. What are you doubting? You're doubting either His ability or His will. How often do we do that? And there are times where I don't doubt Him at all, and I doubt my interest in Him. I know God's good for Israel, Asaph said, Psalm 73, I know God's good to Israel, but ask for me. And these are brought about by different dark providences and circumstances. Sometimes false prophets come in and ask questions that we can't answer. So we begin to doubt, we begin to question. Don't worry, you're in good company. John the Baptist, I'm going to give you this illustration, and this is why I'm preaching Jesus as the Christ, to comfort you. When John the Baptist was put into prison, our Lord said of him, there's not a man born among women greater than John the Baptist except me. That's what he was saying. The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He was talking about himself. He had humbled himself to be the least. So he said, no one is greater than John the Baptist except me. And you remember this, that John had sent his disciples, he was ready to die. This is in Matthew chapter 11. John was ready to die. And he sent his disciples with this doubting question. He said, Are you Christ? Are you He? Or should we look for another? Are you the one that is to come, or are we to look for another? John doubted. Now if John doubted, or maybe his disciples, I know some men are saying that John did not doubt or whatever. John was a man like us. He was capable of doubting, but whether it was him or his disciples, it doesn't matter. How often do we doubt? Now what did Jesus do to comfort John? He quoted basically Isaiah 61. He went back to the Scriptures to prove, I'm the Christ. He said, Do not the lame walk, the blind see, The deaf hear? He was quoting the prophecy concerning himself in Isaiah 61. And that's what I want to do for you. I want you to know, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus, whom you worship, whom you believe in, He alone is Christ. He alone is Christ, for your comfort. Now there are three things I want us to see, the importance of him fulfilling scripture. Why was it so necessary that he know all things are accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled? Why is it necessary? Secondly, I want you to see the result of it. I want you to receive the final, the final result of what Christ came to do. And then I want you to see the joy of it. I want you to rejoice in it. Okay, first of all, the importance of fulfilling scripture. Hear our Lord Jesus Christ now. He says, knowing that all things were now accomplished. In other words, our Lord was looking throughout His life. He was at the point of death, and He looks back through all of His ministry, and this is something He knew, that all things were accomplished. And John doesn't leave us to guess what that means. that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. He said, I thirst. The importance of Jesus fulfilling Scripture, why was it so necessary? Now, I'll tell you this, He went out of His way to make sure we know that He fulfilled the Scriptures. In Matthew's Gospel, it's stated over 16 times. that the scripture might be fulfilled, which says sixteen times in Matthew's gospel, our Lord says it two times in Luke when he rises again from the dead, three times in Mark and six times in the book of John. How important is it? It's vitally important. Now three of those times is mentioned in this chapter alone, that the scripture might be fulfilled. Why was it so necessary? I want you to grab a hold of this. If one prophecy failed, if Jesus failed to fulfill one prophecy, one type, one picture, one shadow of what Christ was said to be, then He would be an imposter. Why do you think the Pharisees were always trying to trip Him up? They wanted to prove He was not the Christ. They would quote scripture, they would quote the law as though, well, why do your disciples don't eat with washed hands? He said, wait a second, you're not quoting scripture, you're quoting tradition. And so every time he corrected them, showing this, that I'm the Christ, I'm the Christ. It's important because if it failed, he would not be the Christ and then ultimately, if that were true, all of our faith is vain and empty. If he's not the Christ, then you're sitting here and we're all idiots. If he's not the Christ. He must have done all things, all things must be accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled in order for him to say what he says in verse 30. It is finished. He must have accomplished all that the Scripture fulfilled. Now this morning I am going to just, like the children of Israel, when they went up in the morning, they woke up and they scraped the manna off the top of the grass. That's all I'm going to do this morning. I'm just going to scrape the top. I'm going to show you without a doubt that Jesus is the Christ and all I'm going to do is just pick up the pieces off the surface. There were 350 prophecies concerning Christ. And every single one of them are fulfilled in one man, Jesus of Nazareth. I'm just going to show you a few of them. Because again, when I opened this faucet, when I opened this valve, it just gushed out. There's just no way I could go through the whole scripture and show you every prophecy. But I'll just scrape off the top. What's the first one? What's the very first one given? Genesis 3 and verse 15. The seed of the woman shall crush the head of the serpent. He said to the serpent, I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed. And this is what he's going to do. He's going to crush your head. And by crushing your head, he bruises his heel. It's like you see a snake and you put it down so hard and crush his head. And the crushing of his head bruises your heel. That's what he did. So what do we learn first? He's going to be a man. He's going to be the seed of a woman. This is why when she first conceived, she said, I've got a man child of the Lord. She thought it was it. No, it wasn't him. It wasn't him. Later on, it gets more specific. Isaiah chapter 7, he said, He shall be born of a virgin. Kind of narrows it down, doesn't it? As to who's Christ? He must be the seed of the woman and He must be born of a virgin. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. Who's that? Matthew tells us plainly. Luke tells us plainly. Mark, That He was born of the Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. Is He the Christ? I just gave you two prophecies. That's just two. Now there are a lot of mythologies that claim virgin births. There are a lot of mythologies. So how do you know that that virgin birth was the right one? Well listen, God gets more specific. He says, listen, this one who is born of the seed of the woman, this one who is a virgin son, listen, he's going to be born of the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now what he told Abraham, ìBehold, in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.î Heís not talking about Isaac. Nobody in the world knew Isaac. Very few people knew Isaac, you understood that? Not the whole world, not everybody in the whole world knew Isaac. Heís not talking about that seed, heís talking about Christ. So we know He's of the seed of Abraham, the seed of Isaac. Why? Because Isaac was chosen over Ishmael. We know He's the seed of Jacob because Jacob was chosen over Esau. Then God gets specific. Jacob has 11 sons. One of those sons splits the tribes into 12. So 12 tribes. Okay, which tribe? Specifically Judah. I think it's Genesis chapter 49 and verse 10. A lawgiver shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh comes, Prince of Peace. Until Shiloh comes. And unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Kind of narrows it down, doesn't it? See the woman, virgin born, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah. More specific, the son of Jesse, the son of David. God swears to David, I will put thy son on the throne, listen to this, forever. And then you go to the New Testament, what do you find? It just so happens that Joseph and Mary, both are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, of the tribe of Judah, of the descent of Jesse and David. Both of them. Who's Christ? Could it be anyone else? Yet He's just not supposed to be man. That's another thing. He's not going to be just any man. He's going to be God. That's really specific, isn't it? He's not just going to be a virgin-born son. He is going to be a man, but He's not going to be just a man. He is going to be God. In that same prophecy in Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and thou shalt call His name Immanuel, God with us. Jesus Christ was confronted by the Pharisees He said before, Abraham was, I am. Who did He confess to be? He confessed what Paul said, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh. So, in order for Jesus to be Christ, He had to be God manifest in the flesh. Now, anybody that doesn't fulfill those prophecies is not Christ. We see how much more sure I am that He is Christ. He is the Christ. Oh, but that's just the beginning. That's just the beginning of this. Behold the necessity then of His condescension. What was His work to be? If He was to come into the world, Christ specifically had a work, and His work was to be a representative man. representative man when Christ should come into the world he should represent one group of people Israel Israel this is what the scriptures say concerning Christ and Paul reveals this in very clearly in Romans 5 that Adam was a representative man wherefore is by one man Adam sin entered the world and Result, death by sin and death passed upon all men for all have sinned. You and I sinned and Adam as a representative man. How then should man be made righteous? God declares plainly that by a representative man we are to be made righteous. By the disobedience of one, many were made sinners. Even so, in the same way, shall many be made righteous by the obedience of one. You see, Christ was to come as a representative man. Now this is seen clearly in many scriptures, but I think the best way to look at this is in the types in the pictures. The types in the pictures. The work of Christ, according to the Scriptures, was this, that He should accomplish righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for all His elect people. And this is pictured best, I think, with the Great Day of Atonement. It's one of my favorite pictures of Christ in the Old Testament. Everything about that pictures Christ. The High Priest. The High Priest. You see, Christ is, when He comes, He's going to be a priest. The scriptures plainly declare this. Paul says He's not a priest after Levi. Levi's tribe was a picture of Christ, but it was not the perfect picture. You see, Christ was after the order of Melchizedek. He was an eternal priest of God. God had chosen Christ to be the high priest of His people. And what did a high priest do? What was his purpose? To represent His people, Israel. What is the purpose of Christ? The purpose of Christ is to represent His people, spiritual Israel. Think of that great day of atonement. There's the high priest. He's in his royal garb. He's got all of his priestly garments on. And he's getting ready to perform the ceremony. And the first thing he is required to do is take off those priestly garments. And exactly what Christ did, Christ who is God, condescended to come into this world and as that priest put on those linen garments, that's Christ putting on flesh. Sinless, spotless flesh. For what? To obtain our righteousness. Then you see that high priest, he has those two goats and he takes the one and he confesses the sins of Israel on the head of the scapegoat. Isn't this exactly what Christ was doing on the cross here in our text? He was bearing the sins of His people. It was not for His own sins, but for the sins of His people. God transferred our guilt to Christ. And you've got that strong man that comes on. This is a picture of Christ. He picks up that goat and He carries him into a land uninhabited. What did Christ do with our sins? He bore them away. Isn't this what John said? He said, Behold the Lamb of God that beareth away the sins of the world. It's what Christ was come to do. He come to bear away the sins of His people. Then the high priest, he slits the throat of that other goat, the offering, and his garments are covered with blood. Isn't this what Isaiah said concerning Christ? Who is this that comes from Bozrah, whose garments is dyed in the blood? Who is that? Christ. Christ would come to make an offering for His people, a sacrifice of Himself. And the priest was to take off of that linen garment covered with blood, wash himself, and put on those royal garments again. and take that blood into the very presence of God. Isn't this exactly what Christ was to do? To take His blood into the presence of God as an offering for our sins? Who else could picture that but Jesus? Who else? He's the priest. He's the scapegoat. He's the sin offering. He's the mercy seat. He's the altar. He's the tabernacle. Everything pictured Christ. And it only comes to one man who could fulfill all that. Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He's the only one that could fulfill this. And so as He came into this world, our Lord Jesus, as the Christ was to provide for us righteousness. Go to Isaiah chapter 42. Isaiah chapter 42. Now God says this, Behold My servant. Now who's He talking about? He's talking about Christ. Every Jew in the world that ever read this scripture knows that He's talking about Christ. Everyone. Behold My servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put My Spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Now look at verse 19. He's going to describe Him. He says, Who is blind as my servant, and deaf as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not. Opening the ears, but he heareth not. The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make it honorable. Now tell me, who in the world has ever been deaf to sin, blind to sin, incapable of sinning? Name one person. I can only name one. The one who was the seed of the woman, the one who was born of a virgin, the one who is God manifest in the flesh. He is the only one that fits that prophecy. He magnified the law of God and made it honorable. Even God Himself approved. He said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Now what of the man did He say that about? Is there anyone else who could be Christ? Anyone but Jesus. Anyone. And our Lord Jesus Christ, even His enemies couldn't find fault in Him. You ever found somebody whose enemies couldn't find fault in you? Pilate said, I find no fault in this man. They had to bring false accusers to try to accuse him. Why? Because he's fulfilling prophecy, he's fulfilling scripture. The scripture had said this, he is a tried stone. Who tried him? Everyone. Who tested him? Satan tested him. And what did Jesus say about that? He said, the prince of this world found nothing in me. No sin in me. What did men find? No sin in him. Why? What was the purpose? He was making our righteousness. By fulfilling the scriptures, our Lord Jesus was making our righteousness. But this was not sufficient either. Christ was also determined to die. This was confusing to the disciples after his death. You remember what the Lord said after his death? He'd come back to those disciples on the road to Emmaus and he said this, Ought not Christ to have suffered and entered into his rest? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures, what? Things concerning himself. His death was necessary. His death was purposed. Go to Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9 and look at verse 24. I want you to see this. We're going to get very specific in just a minute. But again, am I not just making broad strokes here? These are just broad things you just pick up right off the surface. Look how specific it gets in Daniel. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city. From the time the temple foundation was laid. Four hundred and ninety years. Seventy weeks. These are prophetic weeks, they're years. Seventy, I'm seven, four hundred and ninety years. Specifically, four hundred and ninety years from the time the temple was laid. Listen to what's going to happen. Seventy weeks are determined upon my people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophecy, to anoint the most Holy Christ. What happened 490 years later? Specifically, what was taken here? He made an end of transgression and sin, and he sealed up the prophecy. It's done! Isn't that what our text is telling us? Jesus knowing that all things had been accomplished. What is he saying? The visions, the prophecies were sealed up. They're done. They're finished. He is the accumulation of all the prophecies of Holy Scripture, Jesus Christ. And notice what it says in verse 6, it says, After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, killed, but not for Himself. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with the flood, and the end of the war of desolations are determined." We saw the destruction of the temple. After Christ had come and made an end of sin, sealed up the prophecy by his own death, listen, God says, I'm going to send somebody and destroy that old economy. Who else could be the Christ but Jesus? Who else? Is there anyone else that done this? Our Lord Jesus Christ, as He looks on the cross, He says this, I've done it all. I've done everything that the scripture might be fulfilled. Now then, time remaining, I want to get now more specific. Okay, Christ's got to be born of a virgin, got to be of the right line, the lineage. He has to be God and He has to be man. He has to come to perform a work which is the salvation of His elect people as a representative, provide righteousness, and by His death provide atonement. That's still too broad. The Lord is not satisfied with just telling you He's going to die. There's going to be very specific instructions as to how He dies, the manner in which He dies, and the environment surrounding Him when He dies. Just to make sure you understand who He's talking about. Just in case you found somebody else to fit those other things. Let's get more specific. I want you to know that even the smallest details of prophecy must be fulfilled. Now we're to know he's a virgin-born son, he was to be of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jesse, and David. Listen, God even tells you where he's supposed to be born. Isn't that something? He doesn't even let you guess where he's going to be born. Micah chapter 5 and verse 2 says, Bethlehem of Ephra. Thou being the lowest shall be exalted. Why? Because that's where Christ would be born, Bethlehem. Now, one day, Caesar Augustus just happened to have an itch. And he said, I think I'm going to tax the whole world. He didn't know what he was doing. He was fulfilling Scripture. But he taxed the whole world! And it just so happened that Mary and Joseph were living in Nazareth, But they were children of David. They had to go back to Bethlehem where their father was born. David was born to be taxed. And it just so happened that it was in the ninth month of her pregnancy. And it just so happened that the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem. No, it didn't just so happen. It was determined that Christ should be born there, and that's exactly where He was born. And remember Herod, when he desired to kill the Lord. He said, where should Christ be born? And his prophets got together, they looked at the Scripture, and they said, Bethlehem. And so, he was now one or two, and an angel tells Mary and Joseph, get your stuff and go into Egypt. Why Egypt? Herod then comes in and kills all those little children, thinking he eradicated Christ. And then when Herod dies, here comes Mary and Joseph back from Egypt. Now why is that? Because the scripture says, my son shall come out of Egypt. Fulfilling the prophecy concerning Christ. That Christ should somehow come out of Egypt. He did. He came out of Egypt. Matter of fact, that's Hosea 11 in verse 1 in case you want to know where it's at. I can't go to all these places, we are too long. Now, let us look then at the events of the text and the things surrounding Christ. Behold the manner of His death. Why crucifixion? How many times did they try to stone Him? How many times have they tried to grab Him, arrest Him, and kill Him on the spot? And they couldn't. Why? Because He was not to die by stoning. God determined that He would die by crucifixion. Now how do I know that? Psalm 22 tells us very plainly in verse 16, He said, My hands and My feet have they pierced. So Christ is going to die for the people, and God tells you exactly how He's going to die for the people. He's going to be crucified. A manner not known to the Jews. Now David's hands were never pierced. His feet were never pierced. God said, My son, when He comes, His hands and His feet will be pierced. Why? That the Scripture might be fulfilled. He was crucified. that the scripture might be fulfilled. Now, if you take a moment and read concerning Christ the things that are going on around the cross, now specifically we see that He's the Christ. But there are certain things that God prophesied would happen when He was dying. Look at Psalm 22. Look at Psalm 22. Now, as you read some of these things, it's as though the crowd had a script. It's as though they were acting out a play. Because they verbatim are doing exactly what God said they would do. Look at Psalm 22 in verse 8. Let's go to verse 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn, They shoot their lip and shake their head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing He delighted in Him. Look at Matthew chapter 27. Hold your place there. Now look at Matthew chapter 27. Look at verse 42. It says, He saved others. This is the crowd speaking. He saved others. Let Him save Himself. If He be the King of Israel. What is that? Christ. Let Him come down from the cross and we will believe Him. Listen to this. He trusted God. Let Him deliver Him now. It's as though they all had a Bible in their hands. They said, what are we supposed to say? Oh, let's go to Psalm 22 and verse 8. And we'll cite that. They didn't know what in the world they were doing. What were they doing? Showing us He's the Christ. They were testifying that He's the Christ. Now look at the feet. At the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. What do you see? You see soldiers down there. They strip Him of His... He had two garments. He had an inner garment, a woven linen garment. It was sewn on the sides. And they said, hey, this is worth some money. Let's just split this. And they tear it. And they give each one apart. And they look at his coat and said, man, that's a nice coat. We can get some real money for that. But we can't tear it or it won't be any value. So let's roll dice for it. Why would they do that? Why would they? do that because the scripture says they parted my garments and cast lots for my vesture. It's as though they read the psalm themselves and figured out what to do. Why do that? Because God very specifically is telling you, this is the Christ. This is the Christ. And it just so happened that day that there were two other thieves being crucified with Him. One on His right hand and the other on His left. Now why was Christ not on the left side? Why was Christ not on the right side? Why was He in the middle? Why put Him in the center between two thieves? Because the scripture said He was numbered with the transgressors. Isaiah chapter 53 tells us He would be numbered with the transgressors. And now in our text. Go back there real quickly. Look at your text. John 19. And look what he says. He says, After this, knowing that all things were accomplished, all the scriptures concerning himself were now accomplished. Yet there were some other things that must be done. Listen to this. He saith that the scripture might be fulfilled. He saith, I thirst. I thirst. Now this was not like, I'm thirsty. Well, I'm thirsty. That's not what he's doing. Psalm 22 15 says, My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue cleaveth to my jaws. He hath brought me to the dust of death. This thirst was one of great pain. Remember the rich man in hell, what did he say? He said, send Lazarus that I may have one drop of water. Why? Because of the thirst of hail. There's the fires of hail. Christ is telling us that He suffered the fires of hell for our sins. And He thirsted. He thirsted for God's salvation. He thirsted for the joy that was to be His. He thirsted. And yet, for whatever reason, right? There just happened to be a thing of vinegar down there. The Scripture says, and the next verse, He says, I thirst. And look, and there was a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it on a hyssop and put it to his mouth. Now why in the world would he do that? That the scripture in Psalm 69 verse 21 says, They gave me gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Very specific, isn't it? Not only after this, two men come up and the Pharisees come up and they say, hey look, it's about Passover, we need to get these guys off the cross. And you go over and break their legs. They go over and break the legs of the one guy and he suffocates and dies. They break the legs of the other thief on the cross, he suffocates and dies. They come to Christ and they look and they see he's dead already. They've done a lot of cruel things to him, why didn't they break his legs too? that the scripture might be fulfilled, not a bone of him shall be broken. And one of the soldiers, in malice, or just to make sure he's dead, whatever reason, takes his spear and plunges it into his side. Now why would he do that? The scripture might be fulfilled, they'll look upon him whom they have pierced. And what'd they see? When they pierced him, out flowed blood and water, What is this? It's a fulfillment of the prophecy, there shall be a fountain open for Israel for both, what? Sin and uncleanness. What pays for sin? Blood. What does water do? Cleanses. It's a fulfillment of scripture, very detailed. This was no accident. And when they took Him off the cross, these two men, they spent a lot of money and time. They only had about three hours to bury Him. They took those two thieves and threw them in a ditch. They didn't do that to Christ. Why? Because the Scripture says He will make His grave with the wicked and the rich in His death. It just so happened a rich man had a tomb. It was just right near there. What a coincidence. And he says, you know what? For expedience sake, I'll just let him have my two. What was he doing? He was testifying to you and me that Jesus is the Christ. And we know what happened three days later. We know what happened three days later. He rose again from the dead. Now Peter is very clear in this in Acts chapter 2, you can read it later. Peter said the prophecy of David, he said, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, nor see thy holy one to see corruption. And Peter said, look, David's over there, his body's dead. He's not talking about David. He said this same man, this same man, Jesus of Nazareth, who did wonders and miracles before you, whom you by wicked hands have crucified and slain, God hath raised from the dead. Why? Because it's according to the Scriptures. Paul testifies that I have revealed unto you that Jesus is the Christ, that He died, He was buried, and He rose again according to Now I'm going to give you the joy of it. Now can you, in all honesty, say that there's anybody else who could be the Christ? Now like I said, I've just scratched the surface. In every text I gave you, every text you can dive deeper. I promise you, every text I gave you, you can go deeper if you want to. And you're going to find out it's more true. What's the joy of this? Look back to your text and see the joy of it. Therefore, when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. Here's the joy to everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ. Listen to this. It's finished. It's done. All that God promised to do in Christ is done. Therefore, we are sure of our salvation. Because He's the Christ, we're sure of it. We're sure of it. You see, God tells us also in prophecy that Christ will call His people. Christ will call His people. He said, I will say to the North, give up to the South. Keep not back. Bring my sons and my daughters from far. Even everyone that is called by my name. You see, in order to be Christ. Jesus must be successful. The prophecy said he shall not fail nor be discouraged. This is why Jesus Christ said of himself, he said, all that the father giveth me shall come to me. Why? I'm the Christ. I'm the king. God has now raised him up. He's seated on the throne of heaven. And I'm telling you right now that our Lord Jesus Christ is doing his will in everything. And this is his will to save his people. That's the will of Christ. And he said of all that the father giveth me, I should lose nothing. Why? Because he's Christ. Because He's Christ, He'll lose nothing. And you who believe in Him, listen, when He came into the world, you were in Him. When He lived, you lived. When He died, you died. When He rose, you arose. When He sat on the throne of God, you and I sat on the throne of God in Him. And so how sure is your salvation? It is as sure as Jesus is Christ. Now how sure is Jesus Christ? So you who believe on Him, you know this, because Jesus is Christ, He is all my salvation. He is all my salvation. He's all my righteousness, my hope to be accepted with God, and I believe on Him, and I do not count my feelings or my opinions. Matter of fact, I with Paul count all things done that I may win who? Christ. And be found in who? Christ. Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which is by the faith of Jesus, We sing that hymn often, not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul. Not all my sighs and prayers and tears could bear my awful load. I bless the Christ of God in His love divine. I praise the God of grace. I trust his truth and might. He calls me his. I call him mine. My God, my joy, my light. In whom do you trust? I trust that Jesus is Christ. And because he's Christ, My salvation is sure, regardless of what happens in time, regardless of what happens in this body. See, that has no effect on that, does it? Do any of your circumstances have any effect on Jesus being Christ? Your feelings. You have so many feelings. Do they have any effect on Jesus being Christ? No. And because He is Christ, My salvation is secure. Christ said, it is finished. That's my joy. Is that your joy? Now again, I'm not trying to convince you academically that Jesus is Christ. That's not going to do any good. But do you believe He is the Christ? The Son of God? Son of Man? representative of his people who finished the work and fulfilled all scripture for my salvation. I do. I trust him. I pray God will bless this to you. Let's stand, be dismissed, and pray. Gracious Father, dismiss us with your own mercies. I beg your grace. I beg your mercies upon your people. I pray, Father, that they might be able to drink from the fountain of this grace that Jesus is Christ. He is King. He is Lord. Not because we've done anything, but you have made Him both Lord and Christ. I pray that you cause every soul to bow and believe on Him. I ask you to comfort your people with this. In Jesus' name. you