All right, open with me to John
chapter 11. John chapter 11. And I want to begin by reading
the text. It's going to be from verse 47
to the end of the chapter. John 11 verse 47. Then gathered the chief priest
and the Pharisees a council and said, what do we? For this man
do with many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all
men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away
both our place and nation. And one of them named Caiaphas,
being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know
nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that
one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should
perish not. And this spake he not of himself,
But being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should
die for that nation. And not for that nation only,
but that also he should gather together in one the children
of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth, they
took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore
walked no more openly among the Jews. but went thence unto a
country near to the wilderness into a city called Ephraim, and
there continued with his disciples. And the Jews' Passover was nigh
at hand, and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before
the Passover to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and
spake among themselves as they stood in the temple. What think
ye that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priest
and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he
were, he should show it, that they might take him. Verse 54 says, Jesus therefore
walked no more openly among the Jews. No more after that. A man named Arthur Pink said,
this marks the end of our Lord's earthly ministry. When I read that, I thought,
really? He said, this marks the end of
our Lord's earthly ministry. The end of his time traveling
throughout the people, spreading the gospel to the people, healing
all their sicknesses. This is John 11. There are 21
chapters in this book. 21 chapters. We're only halfway
through. But chapter 12 is where he goes riding triumphantly into
Jerusalem. That's what happens in chapter
12. Chapter 13 is his last Passover supper. It's where he gave Judas
the sop. They kept saying, is it I? Is
it I? He said, whoever I give this sop to. Chapter 14, he explains
to them why he must go. He said that the comforter may
come to tell everybody what Christ has accomplished. Chapter 15,
he comforts them by saying, I am the vine, you are the branches. I'm the source, you're secure. Chapter 16, he plainly spells
out that he's going to die, be buried, rise again, and ascend
back to his father. Chapter 17. John chapter 17,
he prays for all of them. And he prays for every generation
of believers that's going to follow. Chapter 18, he is apprehended
and convicted. Chapter 19, he is crucified and
he gives up his ghost. Chapter 20, he's risen and he
appears to his disciples. Chapter 21, he issues the charge
to go preach the gospel unto all the world. And then after
that, he ascends back up into glory. All right. Now from the
middle of chapter 13, we're finishing out chapter 11 from the middle
of chapter 13 to the middle of chapter 18 is one night. It all happens in one night. the night in which he was betrayed. John 17, that glorious prayer,
he prayed it the night in which he was betrayed. So this does mark the end of
his earthly ministry. And it's marked with a clear
declaration of what he's about to do. Chapter 11 verse 47 says, Then gathered the chief priest
and the Pharisees a council and said, what do we for this man
do with many miracles? What are we going to do with
this man? Clearly they don't have any idea who God is. If
they did, they'd be asking, what is he going to do with us? Isn't
that what we say? Oh, what is he going to do with
us? But for Christ, but for the grace of God, what would he do
with us? But they said, What do we? For this man doeth many
miracles. Verse 48, If we let him thus
alone, all men will believe on him. And the Romans shall come
and take away both our place and nation. They were saying,
If we don't do something to put him away, everybody's going to
believe on him. And they're going to believe
that he really is the king of the Jews. And then the Romans
are going to come in and take over. They're not going to have
a king that's going to rival Caesar. So they're going to come
in and take over. And then we're going to lose
our authority over the people. What are we going to do with
him? Turn with me over to Psalm 2. Psalm 2 verse 1 says, Why do
the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings
of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have
them in derision. Verse 6 says, Yet have I set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Verse 9 says, Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye
kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Serve the Lord with fear. and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son lest he be angry
and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." But they
didn't, did they? They said, we've got to bring
him down. That's our only objective is
we've got to bring him down. They meant it for evil. But God
meant it for the indescribable good of His sheep. The indescribable
good. Back over to John chapter 11.
Verse 48 says, If we let Him thus alone, all
men will believe on Him. And the Romans shall come and
take away both our place and nation. And one of them named
Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them,
Ye know nothing at all." He said, why are you still talking about
this? Are you that ignorant? Kill him. Kill him. It doesn't matter who he is.
It does not matter what he's done. It doesn't matter what's
right. Kill him. Verse 49, one of them
named Caiaphas being the high priest that same year said unto
them, no ye nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient
for us. That means it's to our advantage. That one man should die for the
people. and that the whole nation perish
not." What he was saying was, compared to this whole nation,
he is of no value. Kill him. That man represents the heart
of every sinner, every man, every woman born in Adam. The thoughts
and imaginations of man are only evil continually. only evil continually. We sing amazing grace, don't
we? Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound that saved an absolute wretch like me. Amazing love,
how can it be that thou, my God, would die for me? Verse 50, he
said, consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die
for the people and that the whole nation perish not. But verse
51 says, this spake he not of himself, meaning not of his own
accord. He thought it was his mind. He
thought it was his heart. But this spake he not of himself,
but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should
die for that nation and not for that nation only, but that also
he should gather together in one the children of God that
were scattered abroad. That's what he's about to accomplish.
He willingly gave himself over to their wickedness. so that
he might die for the nation of the children of Israel. Our Lord
said, out of every tribe, out of every kindred, out of every
tongue, every people, every generation, the ministry of Jesus Christ
had one end, one purpose. He came to be the substitute
for the children of God. That's what this is, substitution.
That's what this table is all about. He said, this is my body. Didn't
he? He said, this is my blood. That's what the Passover was
all about. Whenever Moses led the people
out and God said, you tell them all kill a lamb. That's what
this is about. Substitution. You're going to
go free. Somebody has to die. substitute for sinners. Caiaphas
had no idea what he was saying. Romans 8 says, all things work
together for good and even his wickedness brought glory to God
and good to his sheep. Even his wickedness. David wrote
in Psalm 76, surely the wrath of man shall praise thee. Even
the wrath of man is going to praise thee. He said, it is expedient
for us that one man should die for the people. He had no idea
what he was saying. Neither did the ones who crucified
our Lord. Go with me over to Matthew 27. Matthew 27 verse 22 says, Pilate
said unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus which is called
Christ? They all say unto him, let him
be crucified. And the governor said, why, what
evil hath he done? But they cried out the more saying,
let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could
prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water
and washed his hands before the multitude saying, I am innocent
of the blood of this just person, see ye to it. Then answered all
the people and said, his blood be on us and on our children. In their wrath, they cried the
glory of the gospel. That's our greatest hope. That's
my greatest hope come the end of this whole thing. You know
what I want? I want His blood to be on us and on our children. That's what I want. That's all
I want. That's all I want come the end of this whole thing.
I want to find His blood on me, on you, and on our children. What can wash away my sins? Nothing
but His blood. Nothing but His blood. What glorious
words were spoken right there. Look at what else they said in
verse 39, Matthew 27 verse 39. They that passed by reviled him,
wagging their heads and saying, thou that destroyest the temple
and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the
son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise, also the chief
priest mocking him with the scribes and elders said, he saved others
himself. He cannot save. You cannot say that substitution.
That's what that is. Christ died not only in my place. Not just in my place. Christ died not only for me. Christ died as me. He died as me. Had he not died as me, justice
would not be served. I'm the sinner. You know that?
Had he died, had the sentence been against me, you got to die.
And had Christ said, I will die for him. And then they crucified
him and then he died. Everybody could have turned right
after that and looked at me and said, but you're the one who
did it. That was nice of him, but we don't trust you. He had
to die as me. As me. Our sin, the actual DNA
of our sin was put on him. And his blood, the DNA of his
blood was poured on us. He was made sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God. That's substitution. Hebrew
seven says he became us. I love that. He became us. And when God saw us, God killed
him. As soon as God looked at that
cross and saw Gabe Stoniker, he killed Christ. And as soon as he looks at Gabe
Stoniker and sees Christ, he smiles. That's my beloved right
there. I love you. I've loved you with
an everlasting love from the beginning. You know why? It's because the blood of Christ
is on me. It's because he sees the one who was with him from
the beginning. That's why. We died in him, we died in him. Now if he became us, who did
we become? Go with me over to Romans chapter
one. Romans chapter 1 verse 16 says,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew
first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed. Christ is the righteousness of
God. He said, I'm not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed. Christ is the righteousness of
God. Now look at chapter 3 verse 21. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested. Manifested. being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. That's Jesus Christ, the righteousness
of God. Now turn with me over to second
Corinthians chapter five. 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, For he
hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. Explain that to me. Somebody else come stand up here
and explain that to me. I can. I can't. I just believe it to be so. Back
over to John 11. Verse 50 says, Consider that
it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people
and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of
himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that
Jesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only,
but that also he should gather together in one the children
of God that were scattered abroad. When Christ died, all of the
children of God were gathered together in him. And all of them
died in him. And all of them were buried in
him and all of them arose in him. That's what Ephesians one
says, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, that
in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together
in one, all things in Christ, all things in Christ. Did Christ
die for everybody? What we have right here, does
this represent death for everybody? No, it does not. Did Christ make salvation possible? No, he did not. In his death, he saved God's
elect, and they're saved. He saved the remnant that is
scattered abroad. Scattered abroad. And if a sinner
did not die in Christ, then there's no salvation. No salvation possible. That's what makes this so precious. Do you know that? Outside of
this, there is no salvation. In His death, all things are
possible. They're not only possible, they're
ordered ensure. That's what this represents,
ordered ensure. He said, every one, every soul,
every center that my father gave me, I will raise him up at the
last day. Verse 50, consider that it is
expedient for us that one man should die for the people and
that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of
himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that
Jesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only,
but that also he should gather together in one the children
of God that were scattered abroad Then from that day forth they
took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore
walked no more openly among the Jews, but went thence unto a
country near to the wilderness into a city called Ephraim, and
there continued with his disciples. And the Jews' Passover was nigh
at hand and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before
the Passover to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus and
spake among themselves as they stood in the temple, what think
ye that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priest
and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he
were, he should show it that they might take him. They could
never take him. Never. They could never take
his life. Thank God, he willingly laid
it down. He willingly gave himself. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Let's remember
his death, okay?