In spite of all this This horrible scene that we just
read about. And you can't read this without. I can't even, there's no words
can express our emotions, can it? Hearing about our Lord being
treated in this way. But in spite of all that, this
is a glorious picture of our Lord's love and mercy and grace
to endure this, to put up with this as our substitute. If the Lord would come down here,
Scripture says, for the joy set before Him, and endure the cross. They despise the shame. They
think nothing of it. They just abused him. Just abused him. Oh, my. Now, we're going to notice
how everything is according to Scripture. And I hope that we'll be amazed
at our Lord's great wisdom and power in how everything man says
and does fulfills God's Word. Everything He does, even the
wrath of man shall praise Him. Everything man says and does
fulfills God's Word, God's purpose, and glorifies God. Verse 57,
it says, They that laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas,
the high priests, where the scribes and elders were assembled. They
laid hold of Him, not by faith, By the grace of God, we lay hold
of Him by faith, don't we? But they laid hold of Him intending,
meeting together, assembling, and verses 3 and 4 says, to kill
Him by subtlety. This assembly of the wicked,
the scribes and Pharisees. And they led Him away to Caiaphas,
the high priest. Consider with me the profound
irony of all this. This is the High Priest, our
Lord Jesus Christ, none higher, after the order of Melchizedek.
And they lead Him. He allows them to lead Him. He is not this Jesus men lead
today, but He allowed them to lead Him through this usurper,
this Antichrist, where the scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites were
gathered in assembly of the wicked to try and find some fault in
him to condemn him. Verse 58, it says that Peter
followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace. This high
priest, as were all of the religious leaders, were wealthy men. He
lived in a palace. He had many servants. He wasn't
God's servant. But Peter followed Him afar off
and went in and sat with the servants of the high priest to
see the end, to see how this thing would end, even though
the Lord had already told him that it wasn't going to end here.
But Peter followed Him afar off to see how it would end. Now,
every word is significant, written by the Holy Spirit. You cannot
follow the Lord far off, or you will end up sitting with
the other people of this world and end up denying Him. Scripture
says, draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh unto you. If
we do not follow Him closely, like Caleb, a faithful dog, our
Lord said, He hath followed me Faithfully. And my, my, what
a blessed man he was. And Joshua. But Peter followed
him afar off and he ended up sitting with the servants of
sin. Servants of Satan. This was the
beginning of Simon's denial. We're going to look at that on
Sunday. But the other three Gospels say
that they kindled a fire. It was cold at this time. And
they kindled a fire around the end of March or April, first
of April. It was cold. All the more telling us what our Lord endured
in the garden when He sweat. He was sweating, as it were,
great drops of blood. But these people kindled a fire,
and Peter sat, and the other Gospels say he warmed himself.
I've said this several times. He tried to warm himself. And if we do not cleave to the
Lord, if we do not follow Him closely, we will feel cold. We will become cold-hearted.
You've been through it. We've all been through it. And
we won't find any comfort with the people of this world. If
we try to find some sort of comfort or companionship or fellowship
with the people of this world, It won't work. You'll just end
up being like them. Like Peter did. Couldn't tell
him apart. He reverted right back to what
he was. There's no fellowship. Scripture says, how can light
have fellowship with darkness? How? And my pastor stood up for
years and boldly and adamantly stated to all of us, warned us
that the two things that believers face that are the greatest danger
The things of this world, material things, take away your heart,
and the people of this world are dangerous. The children of
Israel didn't go into the Promised Land because of those two things.
They didn't fall. They fell captive to the world
and the things and the people, and they wanted to mingle, and
they did mingle with, and they became just like them, and they
didn't go in. The Lord ate and drank Republicans
and Senators, didn't He? He did. Why? To save them. To save them. Unless that is
our motive, we'll end up denying Him. And we will. We can't be companions with the
people of this world who deny our Lord and hate Him, or we'll
be just like them. Every verse is significant. He
followed Him afar And he ended up denying the Lord. Now, verse
59 and 60, the chief priests and elders and all the council
sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death, but
found none. Yea, though many false witnesses
came, yet found they none. At last came two false witnesses. Many, it says. Did not our Lord
say that In the last day, many false prophets shall arise and
deceive many. And Paul wrote this. In the last
day, perilous to evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse. False witnesses. They sought
false witnesses. They wanted to find men who could
bring some false witness against our Lord. And it says they found
none, meaning they could not come up with any credible sources,
believable sources, men who seem to have any integrity or honesty
at all that anybody would believe. And isn't that exactly today
in false religion? Oh my, that's exactly the way
it is. You cannot find any credible
Witnesses in false religion, but foolish men and women, nothing
but fools. Same way in politics. You can't
think of one world leader who commands our respect and a man
of integrity and honesty because wisdom, real wisdom, comes from
above. David said this, he that ruleth
over men must be just. That is, he's unbiased and he
can't be bought. Just means you can't be bought.
You're not to hire. He that ruleth over men must
be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord. Anyone who doesn't
do that is a fool. and be clear. We suffer fools
gladly, don't we? Well, our Lord said back in verse
55, He said, I sat daily with you teaching in the temple and
you laid no hands on me. His doctrine was plain. It was heard by all, wasn't it?
Everyone. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees
And scribes came out to hear him, didn't they? They all came
out. Everybody heard him at one point.
Had they not all heard? Yea, verily, the sound has gone
throughout the world. Everyone in this world has heard
something of this book, something of the truth, enough to make
them accountable for it. Enough. He said, I spoke plainly,
why didn't you take me then? Because this is their condemnation. They turn away their ears from
the truth to fable, to lies. Why do men hate the truth? Because
the truth condemns us. The truth exposes us, our sin. Our Lord said that, didn't He?
They would have had a covering for their sin, but now they don't.
Light is coming to this world, but men love darkness. So they're
trying to put out the light. And the truth of God, the truth
of God's Word doesn't say what a good man is, a good person
man is, but rather the opposite, does it? God's Word declares
God's holiness, God's sovereignty, man's utter ruin and corruption,
and only one way to God. And man has nothing to do with
it. And man hates that. And so they
heaped to themselves, teachers having itching ears. Turn with
me to Jeremiah chapter 5. The whole book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah
himself is a type of Christ. No one was more mistreated in
the Old Testament prophet than Jeremiah. Someday I hope to go through
this, but Jeremiah chapter 5, look at verse 30 and 31. Jeremiah
5, 30 and 31. A wonderful and horrible thing
is committed in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests bear rule by their means, or that is, any
way they want to, not by the Word of God. And my people, or
those that say they are, love to have it so. What will you
do in the end, thereof, or when the last days come? Perilous
time. Jeremiah 23, over there. Jeremiah
23. You know these verses that speak
of false prophets and how plain this is. Jeremiah 23. Look at verses 16 and following. The Lord thus saith, the Lord
of hosts, hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy
unto you. They make you vain. They speak
a vision of their own heart, not out of the mouth of the Lord.
They say still, or continue to say unto them that despise me,
The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace. God loves you. They say unto everyone that walketh
at the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon
you. Who hath stood in the counsel
of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard His word? and have
marked His Word and heard it." They never heard Him say that.
The Lord never said that. So it's only a false witness
who would say that in it. Only a false witness would stand
up in front of everyone and say, peace, peace, when there is no
peace. God loves you. Jesus died for
you. It's okay. Just accept Him. That's a false witness. You won't
find that anywhere in this Word. You won't find that. It's a false witness. Our Lord
said this in Proverbs 6. He said, There's six things the
Lord hates, yea, seven are abomination to him. The first is a proud
looking. The next to last, he says, false
witnesses speak of lies. You know, misunderstandings are
bad enough, but you hope that they'll be straightened out and
there'll be reconciliation. But lies and slander. When somebody
purposely, in order to bring you down out of spite, to slander
you, says something that absolutely patently false, God hates that. In order to hurt somebody. Only
ten commandments were given. And one of them was, thou shalt
not bear false witness against your neighbor. And this is exactly what religion
does. Oh, the Lord. Love, on the other hand, rejoices
in the truth. Hatred stirreth up strife, but
love covereth a matter. But these fellows were trying
to... Read on in here, Jeremiah 23.
It says in verse 19, Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord is gone
forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind. It shall fall grievously
upon the head of the wicked. Does that sound like God loves
everybody? The anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath
executed and he hath performed the thought of his heart. In
the latter days we shall consider it perfectly. And we have. have declared his righteousness,
his anger in the latter days. He said in verse 21, I have not
sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them,
yet they prophesied. If they had stood in my counsel
and caused my people to hear my word, then they would have
turned them from their evil ways, from the evil of their doings.
And he goes on and on to say that these prophets will not
profit them at all. Go back to our text now. Matthew
26. So they found no credible witnesses. They were all fools. They all
couldn't agree on their stories. And that's the way it is today.
My, my. No true wisdom or honesty or
integrity or no fear of the Lord, that's why. But thank God he
has not left himself without a witness. In every generation, He has raised
up a few. Right there, Psalm 61. He has
not left Himself without a true and a faithful witness. Just
a few. I was going to have us tonight look at Revelation 11,
and you can look at that yourselves later. But it's about those two
witnesses that came, and people hated them. Two witnesses. that represent the Word of God,
the prophets and the apostles. Two witnesses. Read it for yourself.
Revelation 11 and how the people finally killed them. But they
didn't kill them. It was just for a while. And
they rose up again. But the people were angry at
what they had to say. They didn't have anything good
to say about the people. False witnesses, though, they love.
They receive false witnesses. Alright, look at verse 60 here
in our text. It says that They found none. Yea, many false witnesses
came. They found none. But at the last,
in the end, finally, came two false witnesses. And they said,
here's what they said. And you notice the fellow is
in italics. Because they couldn't put their
disdain and their disgust against the Lord Jesus Christ
in words. And it said, this fellow. He
said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it
in three days. But he did not say that. He did
not say that. They twisted his word. They corrupted
his word, just like their father the devil did to the first woman
in the garden. Twisted it. Corrupted it. add to it or leave it out or
twist it and make our Lord say what He didn't say. Peter said
they rest the Scriptures to their own destruction and the destruction
of others. If you'll look with me at John
chapter 2, we'll see what our Lord did say about that temple.
Exactly what He said. What came out of His mouth. John
chapter 2. And if they'd have followed Him
like our Lord said of those false prophets, if they had heard My
words, They would have maybe turned from their evil way and
from the evil of their doing. But John chapter 2. Now follow
closely with me and we'll see what our Lord says here. This
is an expose, an exposure of false religion that pretends
to believe in Jesus. John 2 verse 18. Then answered the Jews and said
unto him, What sign shalt thou unto us see that thou doest these
things? You remember what our Lord said
about those that seek a sign? Do you remember that? He said
an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. That's
all this generation wants to see. That's the whole Pentecostal
religion, charismatic movement. That's all they want to see.
Come see what's happening. Our Lord plainly said no sign
will be given but one, didn't He? And that's what He shows
His people over and over and over again, like Gideon, like
Manoah and his wife, like us. And one sign. Here it is. Here it is. The same sign. Verse
19, Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple. He
didn't say, I'm able to destroy this temple. He said, Destroy
this temple. Meaning, this is what's going
to happen. That they're going to take Him. and crucify him. Destroy this temple. And in three
days, he didn't say, I'm able to raise it up. Isn't that what
false religion says? He's able. He wants to. He can't
unless you let him. He didn't say that, did he? He
said, I will raise it up. Read on. The Jews said forty
and six years was this temple of building. Will thou rear it
up in three days? He didn't answer them. But he
spake of the temple of his body, and you knew that, so do all
his disciples. When therefore he was risen from
the dead, his disciples remembered, they're the ones that know this,
that he had said this unto them. And they believed the scripture
and the word which Jesus had said. He didn't say, I'm able
to destroy this and able to raise it up again. He said, it will
happen and I will. You will and I shall. And all His disciples, all the
chosen and loved and taught of the Lord know who Jesus Christ
is, know why He came. The Lord of glory, our substitute,
He came to die. That's going to happen. And it
did. And His kingdom and His temple is His church which He
has built. He's not going to build another
temple over in Jerusalem. You know that. But He has been
building, is right now building or assembling His stones in His
building. Stones made ready. His people
into His church, which is His temple where He resides and where
He rules right now. Well, this high priest, verse
62 and 63, the high priest arose. Can't you see this fellow? with his robes on, you know,
looking just like our present-day pope or cardinals or just common
priests. The high priest arose, lifted
himself up to his full height, and said unto our Lord, who was
saying nothing. He was not answering them. And
he said, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness
against thee? But Jesus held his peace. Held his peace. Our Lord was
not saying a word. Did not he say one time, Answer
not a fool according to his father, lest ye be just like him. Our
Lord does not answer to men. And you know why he was not saying
anything to fulfill the Scripture. He was led as a sheep before
her shearers is done. So he opened not his mouth. But
he's not going to deny himself, is he? When they finally ask
him who he is, he's not going to deny himself. But this high
priest said in verse 63, I abjure thee by the living God. I command
thee. I demand of thee an answer in
the name of God, by the living God, that thou tell us whether
thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Over in chapter 27, In verses
11 and 12, he stood before Pilate and Pilate, the governor, and
he asked him these things. He asked him these things. And
he wasn't answering him either. Look at that. 27, verse 11, Jesus
stood before the governor and the governor asked him, Art thou
the king of the Jews? Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he
answered nothing. And Pilate said unto him, Hearest thou how
many things may witness against you? And he answered him, Never
a word. And they marveled greatly. But then when they asked him,
when he asked him finally in our text, he said, I adjure thee,
are you the Son of God? Are you the Christ? And Christ
said unto him, and he said this to Pilate, Thou hast sinned. Oh, the wisdom of our Lord. Oh,
the self-control of our Lord. Not to answer these false witnesses. Everything they said about Him
was false. You know, there's nothing harder
to take than being falsely condemned of something. And you want to
justify yourself, don't you? You want to defend yourself.
But He didn't. None deserve to defend Himself. Like he did,
but he didn't. He answered not a word. But when
he did, in three words, he could condemn. He condemned men. You know, Scripture says, by
thy words thou shalt be justified, or by thy words thou shalt be
condemned. And when this man said, I adjure thee by the living
God, in the name of the living God. Does not the Scripture say, God
is in heaven? Thou art on earth. Let your words
be few. Be not hasty to utter anything
before God. I, the Lord, search the hearts.
I adjure thee by the living God. Oh my! Now this man is under
the Lord's judgment, isn't he? He said,
Art thou, whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God? And the
Lord said, That's it. You know what he was doing there?
Like to Pilate. Are you a king? You said it. This man is not going to bow
his knee and confess that he's Christ, Son of God. But he just
did. Without thinking. Pilate's not
going to do it either. But he did. King. King. Men's words condemned them every
time someone takes God's name upon their lips. Oh, my God. Condemned themselves. Condemned
themselves. Well, God's people, by the grace
of God, God's people, they praise His name, don't they?
They call upon His name. How blessed we are. How blessed
we are that he didn't leave us in the multitude, that he revealed
his name, that he made mention that his name is exalted, made
us to know this is salvation to know the living God and Jesus
Christ whom he hath sent. If this man knew the living God,
he would know this is indeed the Christ, the Son of God. Simon
Peter did, didn't he? Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. We're sure of that. But our Lord
said to this man who took his name on his lip, you said it,
and now you're accountable for it. Now you're accountable. Better not to have ever heard
it than to hear it and reject it.
It will be more tolerable for natives in the jungle who never
heard the Word than it will be for those who reject it. But our Lord said, nevertheless,
I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on
the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. And
that's all He said. Hereafter. You know what the
next thing this world is going to hear and see from Him who
has been silent all this time? You want to hear the Word. Behold,
the bridegroom cometh, and every eye shall see him, and wail because
of him whom they have pierced. My, my. You're going to see.
And what they said in verse 65, Then the high priest rent his
clothes in some show of self-righteous indignation, saying, He hath
spoken blasphemy. Blasphemy is to speak against
God. You know, our Lord is the only
one who has never blasphemed. He's the only one who's never
blasphemed. They said, he's guilty. What
further need have we of witnesses? You've heard his blasphemy. What
think ye? They all answered, he's guilty
of death. You know, our Lord's the only man who ever lived who's
not guilty of death. Isn't this ironic? They said to man, what do you
think about him? They said, he's guilty. Ask God what he thinks
about man. Guilty. whose judgment matters. They all, to a man, say, He's
guilty. Yeah, we've heard it. He's guilty. The whole world. My, my. And then these verses, my, my. Remember our Lord said, Don't
weep for me. Remember that when He was carrying His cross? carrying
His cross, and those women were weeping. They loved Him. They
did. And you cannot see someone suffering like He suffered, like
someone you love, treated like this, and not weep. And they
were weeping. And if you can read this and
it not hurt you, something's wrong with you. They spit in His face. They spit. It's the height of
contempt that a human being can show to another. To clear the
throat like an open circular and spit in the face of the Son
of God. And then they began to buffet
him and taunt him. And they blindfolded him. He who sees all. He who looks
on the heart. Blindfold him. And they smote
him with the palms of their hands. They laid their filthy hands. Some say they smote him with
rods. And they mocked him saying in verse 68,
prophesy unto us thou Christ. Mocking him. Who is he that smote
thee? Behold what manner of Why would He do that? Would you? Except for someone you love.
And I thought about this. And consider, go with me in closing
to Isaiah 50. Isaiah 50. Now, every single
thing our Lord went through was according to Scripture. And very
soon, we're going to look at this, the substitute. We're going
to look at every single thing they did to Him and look at how
Scripture said they would. as our substitute, how He took
exactly what we needed and what we deserved and did for us what
we needed. But Isaiah 50, go over there,
Isaiah 50, it says in verse, well, look at verse 5. The Lord
hath opened mine ear. This is Christ speaking. The
Lord God hath opened mine ear. I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face
from shame and spitting. The Lord God will help me, therefore
shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face
like a flint. And I know that I shall not be
ashamed, He is near that justifieth me. Who will contend with me?
Let us stand together. Who is mine adversary? Let him
come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help
me. Who is he that shall condemn me? Let all wax old as a garment. The moth shall eat them up. Who
is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice
of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God.
But those that kindle fire, remember, Peter is standing by that fire.
Oh, encompass yourself with sparks. Walk in the light of your fire
and the sparks you've kindled. Oh, you'll have nothing but sorrow.
You'll lie down in sorrow like Peter. In consideration of all
of this that our Lord went through, how we should esteem Him, huh?
How should we honor Him? How should we meet to worship
Him often and watch with Him? How should we? What insult or
injury have we endured for His sake? Or how should we receive or endure
the things that we go through? Nothing. Nothing. Many of them
are unintentional, but oh, may the Lord give us the grace to
endure whatever He calls us to do for His name's sake. Simon
Peter. I'll tell you that Sunday. Stand
with me. Our Lord, we just thank You for coming
here and doing what You did for Your people. We still can't enter
into it. We don't rightly know and can't
fully appreciate what you did as our substitute, what you endured,
especially in the garden, especially being cast out by your Father
so we would not be, and all that men did to you as our substitute. Oh, Lord, we thank You. Oh, what
love. We thank You, Lord, for setting
Your face like a flint, enduring what You did, We believe and
are sure that thou art the Christ. We know it by your character.
We know it by your courage. We know it by your work that
you came to do. We know it by what you endured
and what you suffered for us. And we know it by your resurrection. We know it by your ascension.
We know it that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God. Trust You. Look to You. And be saved from
this untoward generation. O Lord, call out more, we pray.
Call out more from this multitude that's against the Lord and His
anointed. Call out more, we pray, for Your
name's sake. In Christ's name, we're met here
tonight. Amen. Thank you very much.