Chapter 15. You know, the Lord Jesus Christ
is that unspeakable gift. But I'll tell you another unspeakable
gift, and that's God's Word. Where would we be without the
Word of God? And here in Romans, Chapter 15, is a fourfold purpose. The Word of God fulfills a fourfold
purpose for you and me here in Romans 15 verse 4. Look at it. For whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning. That's the first purpose,
for our learning. Scripture says, These shall be
taught of God. And every man therefore that
hath heard and learn, come unto me, Christ said. So God's word
is for our learning. Secondly, that we through patience,
that's what the pastor just talked about, sit still, wait on God. We know this. We know that all
things are of God. And we know that all things work
together for the good of those who love God and according to
his purpose. that we may learn to wait, that
we may learn patience, to wait on God, sit still. I love that
scripture. All right. These things are written
for our learning that we through patience and comfort, comfort,
comfort one another. How? With these words. That's right. In this world,
you'll have great trials and tribulations, but be of good
comfort. Be of good cheer. I've overcome
this world. The Bible serves for our learning,
for our patience, for our comfort. What's this now? Comfort of the
scriptures that you might have hope. There you have it. The Word of
God written, preserved, revealed, for your learning, for your patience,
for your comfort that you might have hope in Him. So the Spirit of God with great
care has recorded these seven statements of our Lord. That's
what I'm preaching on this morning. The seven words, seven words
of Christ from the cross of Calvary. And the Holy Spirit has, with
great care, recorded these seven words. Now, I'm not, I'm not,
I'm not certain that these are the only words our Lord spake
from that cross. I'm not certain of that at all.
I kind of doubt that they were, because Psalm 22 would be just
about all the words that he said from the cross. Some people believe
that, that Psalm chapter 22 is the psalm of the cross, and that
he really spoke all those words from the cross. But here in these
seven statements from the cross, our Lord's glorious person, his
office, and his works are clearly seen from these seven statements
from the cross. So I'm going to look at them.
you look at them with me. First one is in Luke chapter
twenty-three. Luke chapter twenty-three and
verse thirty-three. Luke twenty-three verse thirty-three. Luke twenty-three verse thirty-three. And when they were come to the
place which is called Calvary. there they crucified him. And
the male factors, one on the right hand and the other on the
left. I believe I'll ask you to turn
to that Psalm 22 and let's look at this crowd that was around
that cross who heard these words of our Lord. Turn to Psalm 22
and let's look at this crowd that the Spirit of God has revealed
here in Luke in the Psalm 22, starting with verse 8, verse
12. Psalm 22, verse 12. Many bulls
have compassed me, strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their
mouths as a ravening and roaring lion. And I am poured out like
water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax,
it melteth in the mist to my bowels. My strength is dried
up like a potsherd. My tongue cleaveth to my jaws. And thou hast brought me into
the dust of death, for dogs have compassed me. The assembly of
the wicked have enclosed me. They pierce my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones, they
look and stare upon me, and part my garments among them, and did
cast lots upon them." And then what did he say? Back to my text,
Luke 23, 34. In Luke 23, 34, then Jesus said,
Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. And they parted
my garments and cast light. Then our Lord prayed, Father,
forgive me. This is Christ, our Mediator. There's one God and one Mediator
between God and men. That's the man, Christ Jesus.
And here on the cross, our Mediator, surrounded by dogs, the dogs
of And they gaped upon him and laughed at him, said, he saved
others he cannot save himself. And he said, Father, forgive
them. They know not what to do. Fifty
days after these people assembled and gaped upon him, he forgave
them and God saved them. About three thousand of them. Three thousand of this lot right
here. Our Lord said, Father, forgive
them. They know not what they do. Yes, we have a mediator who
prays for our forgiveness just like he prayed for them. And
they won't be saved without him praying for them. Let me show
you something in Hebrews chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5 verse 1. Hebrews 5 verse 1. Hebrews 5.1. Now look at verse
1. Every high priest taken from
among men is ordained for men in pertaining, in things pertaining
to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin. Now look at verse 4. And no man
takes this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God,
as was Abram, so also Christ glorified not himself to be made
a high priest, but he that saith unto him, Thou art my son this
day, have I begotten thee. Christ is our high priest. God
made him our high priest. Now look at verse seven. Who
in the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications
from the cross with strong crying and tears that was able to save
him from death, and he was heard in that he feared. Our Lord,
our Mediator, the one Mediator died on the cross, looked out
over that mob of rabble, he said, Father, forgive them. They know
not what to do. And 3,000 of them, 50 days later,
were saved and prayed for us. He's our Mediator. All right.
Here's the second statement. In Luke 23. Luke chapter 23,
verse 39. Here's the second statement. I'm not even sure they're in
this order, Paul. Are you? I just know they're
there, and I know he said more than those things, but here's
those seven. And here's the second one. In Luke 23, verse 39. And one of the male factors,
which were hanged, railed on him. saying, if thou be the Christ,
save thyself and us. You know, Matthew said both of
them did that. Matthew said this, both thieves
cast the same in his teeth. Both. But one of them, one of
them had his eyes open. One of them, the Holy Spirit
quickened him to know who that was on that cross. Read on. But
the other answering, verse 40, rebuked his friend, saying, Don't
you fear God, seeing that we're in the same condemnation? Don't
you fear God? This man, the Spirit of God,
had opened his eyes, and he sees who Christ is. He sees he's God. He sees he's the King. That's
what we're talking about here, that we got Christ our Mediator,
now we got Christ the King. And this man says, don't you
fear God? See, we're in the same condemnation,
and we indeed justly. But this man, this man, hath
done nothing amiss. And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember
me when you come into your kingdom. You are a king. And you're coming
into a kingdom. That's what this man sought. He's a king. He's the king. He's, the scripture says, king
of kings and lord of lords. That's right. I'm he that liveth
and was dead and behold I'm alive and I have the keys of hell and
death. And our Lord Jesus Christ held
those keys and he's the king. And what did he say then? Read
on. And we indeed justly. And he
said, verse 42, Lord, remember me when you come in your kingdom.
And Jesus said, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be
with me in paradise. The king exercised his crown
rights And he had the keys of hell and death. These keys are
not to lock people up. It's to set them free. And that's
what our Lord did with these keys of the kingdom. He set this
man free. He set him free. Turn to Revelation
chapter 19. Let's look at this. Revelation
chapter 19. The keys of hell and death are
in the hands of our Lord, not to lock people up. but to set
him free. He sets the captive free. That's
what he did for us. He set this man free. Look at Revelation 19, verse
11. His eyes were as a flame of fire,
on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that
no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood. And his name is called the Word
of God. And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed with fine linen,
white and clean. And out of his mouth went a sharp
two-edged sword, that with it he should smite the nation. And
he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And
he had on his vesture, he had on his vesture and on his thighs
a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. One hymn writer wrote this, King
of Kings, Lord of Lords, thou art great, and with awful words, thy name is praised, Jesus Christ,
let thy people sing thy song, King of Kings, All right, here's the third word. Christ our Mediator, Christ our
King. And in John chapter 19, we have
Christ the Good Shepherd. John chapter 19. What's this? John 19 verse 25. John 19, verse 25. Now there stood by the cross
of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife
of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. Now, we believe Joseph was dead
I'm not sure of that either, but evidently Joseph was dead
because no mention is made of him at all in this area. Talk about his brethren and others,
but nothing about Joseph. So we think maybe she's dead,
and as a result of what we're going to say in a minute, we
feel certain that he's dead. But Mary stood close enough to
that cross, she and the other Marys, stood close enough that
they heard everything and saw everything that was taking place
there. Mary stood close enough to the
cross to hear the words of our Lord. And I'll tell you something
else about Mary. He died for her sins, too. Our
Lord died for the thief's sins, and he died for that bunch of
rabbles that prayed for him, and he died for her sins. Mary said this. Two statements. She said, My soul doth magnify
my Lord. My soul doth magnify my Lord.
Christ is my Lord. And my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior. That's what Mary said. She stood
close enough to the cross. And in this great, terrible hour
of his death, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, The
great shepherd, the chief shepherd, the second Adam, fulfilled all
righteousness by taking care of his mother. Watch this. Verse 25. Now there stood by
the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary,
wife of Cleopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his
mother, And the disciple standing by
whom he loved, there's somebody else standing there, that's John.
John the disciple. And the disciple standing by
whom he loved, he said unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. And then he said to John, the
disciple he loved, Behold your mother. And from that hour, that
disciple took her into his own home. What do you see here, Brother
May? I'm seeing this, that our Lord
Jesus Christ, even in that greatest, deepest, most awesome hour of
his suffering and death, he turned and looked at his mother. And
he said, Woman, there's the man that's going to take care of
you in my place. And son, you take care of your
mother. Scripture says if a man does
not care for his own family, he's denied the faith, he's worse
than an infidel. I'm just confident that this
dear lady over here is going to be taken care of because her
son loves Christ and loves his mama. Let me show you a scripture
in Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six, verse
one through three. Look at this. Ephesians Chapter
6, Ephesians chapter 6, verses 1 through 3. Children, obey your
parents in the Lord. This is right. Honor your father
and your mother. That's the first commandment
with promise. That it may be well with you
that you may live long upon this earth. Our Lord is a good shepherd,
and he takes care of his mother, all the mares, and all of his
sheep. He provides for them. All right, here's the fourth.
Turn to John 19 again now. Here's the fourth word from the
cross. Christ Jesus, our Mediator. Christ
Jesus, our King. Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd,
who cares for his sheep. Now in John 19 verse 28, Now there was set a vessel full
of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, put it upon Hyssop,
and put it to his mouth. Why did they do that? Our Lord
said, I thirst. Look at verse 28. After this,
Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
scripture might be fulfilled, he said, I thirst. What do we
have here? Jesus Christ, the Mediator, Jesus
Christ, the King, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. We have Jesus
Christ, the man, the man, the human, the man. You say, Jesus Christ is God,
isn't he, preacher? Yes. Can God thirst? No. But the God-man can. He can. And he did. And he cried,
I thirst. I thirst. He made the rivers
of water. He made the lakes. There he is.
No, he's a man. He's the man. The God-man. Will
God ask a man for anything? Nope. You know what God said?
He said, if I was hungry, I wouldn't ask you. The world is mine. But he did. He said, I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty. And he came to the
woman at the well. And he said to that Samaritan
woman, he said, give me a drink. Would you draw some water and
give me a drink? You see, our Lord is a man. The God-man must
ask for food and drink. The God-man never performed a
miracle to provide for his own needs, his own comfort, his own
deliverance. He had to ask somebody. He had
to ask somebody. Let me show you this. Let me
read it to you. And Mary brought forth her firstborn
son. Jesus Christ was born of a woman.
Born of a woman. And she wrapped him in swaddling
clothes and laid him in a manger, laid him in a crib, in a stall,
because there was no room for Mary and Joseph and the Son of
God to be born in the end. Jesus Christ was in the world,
made the world, but the world knew Him not. He came to His
own and His own received Him not. Jesus Christ was born put
in a manger, in a crib, in a stall, unwanted, unwelcomed, unrecognized,
and an outcast. Why? That he might save outcasts
like you and me. The man, Jesus Christ. That's
right. He was not allowed to be born
in Bethlehem's inn. He was not allowed to be crucified
within the camp in Jerusalem that took him outside the camp. There he died. Why? Let me show
you. Hebrews chapter 13. He was taken
without the camp. Hebrews chapter 13. Listen to
this. Hebrews 13 verse 12. Wherefore Jesus that he might
sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the
gate. Let us therefore, let us go forth
therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach."
Christ Jesus, the God-man, both God but all man. Man as if he wasn't God. God
as if he wasn't man. I can't explain that. I just
know it's so. He was a man. The man who thirsted. The man who did without food
40 days fasting. All right, number five, Matthew
27. Matthew chapter 27. Jesus Christ, our mediator. Jesus Christ, the King. Jesus
Christ, our great shepherd, and Jesus Christ, the man. The man, Christ Jesus. Now look
at chapter Matthew 27, verse 45. Matthew 27, verse 45. Now, from the sixth hour there
was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And Jesus Christ cried with a
loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama, sabbathanai, that is to
say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Martin Luther sat at his desk
one day studying this scripture right here. the scripture out
here. He sat there, his wife said,
for hours. She came in to bring his food,
his new meal, and he sat there and didn't touch it. And after
a while, the writer said, Martin Luther rose from the desk there
when he read this. My God, his wife was sick of
him. And he hid his fist on the desk. And he said, God, forsaking God,
no man can understand this. No way. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son
of Man, was numbered with transgressors. He bared the sin of many. He
bore our sins in His body on the tree. He who knew no sin
was made sin for us. Literally, actually. And that's
the reason he cried, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And
the scripture says, forsaken because you were numbered with
transgressors and you bear their sins. Actually bore their sins. has redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us, and cursed it is everyone
that hangs on a tree." What are you saying, preacher?
I'm saying that Jesus Christ actually bore our sins, was made
sin for us, and died under the judgment of God for those sins. You understand this, preacher?
I believe it. I believe it. This wasn't a charade. It wasn't
a put-on. It wasn't a play that they were
acting. It was actually, actually bore
our sins in His body on the tree. And God turned His back on Him as He died. And if He hadn't
bore our sins, He wouldn't have had to die. seeing what is spread
is bringing forth death. Do I understand this? No, sir.
I believe it. Can I explain it so that people
can understand it? No, sir. But I'll preach it and
God will teach it to whomever He will. I'll show you an illustration.
Here I am, born of a human father and a
human mother. covered with sins. I've got sins,
our sins are very great and very many, just sin, sin, black, wretched. Between God and me, my sins,
my sins. Christ came down to this earth,
a man, born of a woman. He had no sin. He did no sin. He knew no sin. He was tempted
without sin. But all my sins were literally,
actually, by God Almighty laid on Him. And He died under those sins.
And that's when God besook Him. That's when He cried, My God,
why this? And He bore my sins like the
scapegoat of all, took them all away. He doesn't have any sin. He's
without sin. And I am too. Justified, sanctified, washed
in the blood without sin, hath no transgression. There is therefore
now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. That's the
gospel. That's the gospel. All right,
here's the sixth statement, John 19. John 19, verse 29. John 19,
verse 29. And therefore, verse twenty-nine,
now, there was set a vessel full of
vinegar, and they filled it with a sponge and put it upon him
and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore received
the vinegar, he said, It's finished. It's finished. And he bowed his
head and gave up the ghost. What's finished? Well, I'll tell
you. The Old Testament tithes, shatters, sacrifices are all
fulfilled and finished. All of them. The Levitical law. He said, I didn't come to destroy
the law. I came to fulfill it. He fulfilled
it. He fulfilled all. That's the
reason he said when he came to be baptized and he said to John,
I have John said to him, I have need to be baptized today. He
said, suffer to be so to fulfill all righteousness. And that's
what our Lord did. He fulfilled as a man all righteousness,
all Levitical law. The curse of the law is put away. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law. You know what? You're complete
in Him. Absolutely complete in Him. The
best way to preach this Christ Jesus, our righteousness and
just and justifier, is to read John 17. Turn to John 17 in just
a few moments. John chapter 17. Start with verse
1. It's finished. Now in John 17 verse 1, these
words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that thy son
may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. This is life eternal. They might
know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast
sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the
work You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Thou
me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was. I have manifested Thine aim unto
the men which Thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they
were, and Thou gavest them me. They kept Thy word. They have
known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the
words which you gave me, and they have received them, and
they have known sure that I came from thee, and they have believed
that thou didst send me. And I pray for them. I pray not
for the world. I pray for them which thou hast
given me." And that brings me to the seventh statement. In Luke 23, Luke 23, verse 45,
23, verse 45, And the sun was darkened,
and the veil of the temple was written in twain. And when Jesus
cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit, and into God the Father's hands, seated at his right hand,
he is our intercessor. our intercessor, Christ our mediator,
Christ our king, sovereign, Christ the
good shepherd who cares for his own, Christ the substitute, the
man Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus, who bore our transgressions
in His body on the tree, actually became our center of prayer,
the Lamb of God. Christ Jesus, who said, all these
things are finished, and Christ Jesus said, I pray for them. You know, Peter, our Lord said
to Peter one day, He said, Peter, you'll deny me. you'll deny me,
three times you'll deny me. But Peter, I pray for you, that
your faith fail not. Your faith, your faith. And one
old writer said this, and I'm going to read it to you, it's
just so awesome. I may be condemned by the laws.
I may be found guilty before the world. I may often be condemned
by my own conscience, but one day, in the day of our
Lord's return, I shall carry the day in the court of all courts,
the ultra supreme court of heaven, because I have an advocate, and
my advocate is Jesus Christ. Son of God, Lamb of God who was
slain, my Advocate who is in the midst of the throne, my Advocate
to whom all judgment is committed, my Advocate who said, I pray
for him. He pleads for you and he pleads
for me. Mother, I will that those which
thou hast given me be with me where I am. that they may behold
my glory which thou hast given me, for you love me before the
foundations of the world." Christ Jesus, our great intercessor. Let's bow for prayer. Our merciful Father in heaven
we are, human beings, we are but men. But we strive and we
long and we deepen in our hearts to glorify you and exalt your
name and preach your gospel. And I pray that you take these
words that I believe that you have given me to preach to the
people today and that you'll take them and sanctify them,
cleanse them, make them pure and powerful and use them by
the power of your Holy Spirit to convince men of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment, and give them a love for Christ Jesus, especially
our young folks. I pray, Lord, you'd take this
message in a special way, make it a blessing to them. They have
so many heartaches and conflicts and trials in this evil day in
which we live, and we pray for them. We pray for them, and we
know You pray for them, and we know You are our great Mediator.
It may please You to give them a love for Christ, a love for
Your Word, and a love for one another. Thank You, Lord, for
Your mercies to us. Order our steps through this
day. Pray for Pastor Paul and And Brother Walter, as they journeyed
in Tennessee, give them journeying mercies, protect them on the
highway, and give them a word from thee to preach to the people
there. We pray it in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, it be His glory. Amen. Let's turn to hymn number 681
and stand together. We'll sing the first and last
verse of 681. I will sing of my Redeemer and
His wondrous love to me. On the cruel cross He suffered,
from the curse to set me free. Sing of Thee, of my Redeemer,
with His blood He purchased me. On the cross He sealed my pardon,
Paid the debt and made me free. Last verse. I will sing of my Redeemer and
His heavenly love to me. He from death to life hath brought
me, Son of God, with Him to be. Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer. With His blood He purchased me
on the cross. He sealed my pardon, made the
dead and made me free.