Alright, turn to John chapter
2 again. I will not, or at least I will
try not to review much from last week. But, if you were here last
week, David wasn't able to make it, but last week my message
was basically the Cana of Galilee miracle. And there's where we
read the account in John chapter 2 of where our Lord made the
water wine. And I will say this, I do not,
I know, it's not just I do not believe, that doesn't matter.
I know that nothing in the Scripture, nothing in the Scripture is coincidence.
Nothing. The water made wine. That's what it says in verse
9. Let me read just that verse as kind of a starting place this
morning. John 2 and verse 9. When the
ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine,
and knew not whence it was. And this is not my message, but
let me tell you, that's kind of the way God starts with all
of us. We begin to taste the water that was made wine. We
had no idea where it was even coming from. But I'm not even
going to preach on that. And when the ruler of the feast
had tasted the water that was made wine, let me also say there
are some who taste, but they never ever comprehend the true
glory. They taste to a degree. They
taste outwardly. not physically, but they taste
in a religious sense. But they never know what they
really tasted. When the ruler of the feast had
tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it
was, but the servants which drew the water knew, the governor
of the feast called the bridegroom. But the phrase is this, the water
made wine. As I mentioned last week, John
actually mentions this again in chapter 4 verse 46. He talks about the water that
was made wine. And it was just so revealing
to me. It just conquered my heart and
my mind when I began to see that there were two things concerning
the person and work of Jesus Christ. There were two maids. Scripture says He was made to
be a curse for us. And He was made sin for us. When I began to study those words
made, I realized it was almost, give or take a few, fifty plus
or minus words, David, translated made. Fifty Greek words that
are translated made in the New Testament. Some of them are different
words, David, just because they're connected to other words. They
may be the same word, but they're connected to another word in
the text. But yet, there's 50 different ways this word made
is used. And yet, when it says the water
was made wide, that's one Greek word. And then in chapter 4 and
verse 46, John says again, he reminds us back in Cana of Galilee,
where the Lord made the water wide. both of those words made
out of all these 50 are what the Apostle Paul then a different,
totally different writer uses when he says Christ was made
a curse for us and that Christ was made sin for us who knew
no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Mason, that is not coincidence.
It's not coincidence. The miracle That is, the miracle
of Christ making the water wine from the context says that it
manifested forth His glory, right? That's what it says as we read
last week. But specifically, it manifests forth the glory
of His hour. Because He told Mary, Thine hour
has not yet come. And it hadn't come. And she didn't
move him ahead of time to cause it to come. His hour would come
in the foreordained time that God ordained for it to come.
But he did manifest forth his glory. So specifically, our Lord
here illustrated something that would take place during his cross
work. The water made wine. May God
give you and me both an ear to hear this morning. And if you
get anything else, I pray that you get this. And I searched
for words. I searched for words that I thought
would be compelling, telling. But I realized there was probably
no better way to say it than just this simple statement. Listen
to the statement. And I mean when Christ hung on
that tree at Calvary during His passion as they often call it.
When He suffered on that tree at Calvary a transfer took place. You hear what I said? At Calvary
a transfer took place. Now when I looked up that word
and related words You find like a conveying, a conveyance, a
moving of something or someone from one place to another. That's what a transfer is, right?
Now you may not hear that much. But I want you to turn back to
Isaiah chapter 53. And there is nothing new under
the sun. This is no new message. This
is the message that has been clearly set forth in scripture
from time immemorial. and then fully revealed even
before it happened through Isaiah the prophet. And listen to what
Isaiah says in Isaiah 53. Let me just read the first few
verses. Who hath believed our report?
And what's this report about? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? That's what our report's about,
the arm of the Lord. Our message is the arm of the Lord. And who
is the arm of the Lord? For He. The arm of the Lord is
a person. Our message is Jesus Christ.
That's what it's all about. For He, that is the arm of the
Lord, our report. For He shall grow up before him
as a tender plant. Now, even right there, that lets
me know that what? Jesus Christ would become something
more than what He had been originally. He would what? Grow up. Now,
while we may look at it, Mason and Lawton, we know now, and
as we say, hindsight's 20-20, we look back now and say, there's
His humanity. That may have been, Roy Jr., difficult to gather
from this, but yet it's right there. For he shall grow up before
him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, and
that's physically, when we shall see him, there is no beauty that
we should desire him. He was not a charismatic looking
person. He probably was what most would
call an ugly Jew. Can I be blunt? There was no
charisma to his physical person. You didn't look at him and say,
there's the man that draws my interest just by seeing him physically. And when we shall see him, there
is no beauty that we should desire him. All but there is in what? Inward beauty. Just like those
people, Paul mentioned it yesterday, that looked upon that tent in
the wilderness, that tabernacle, and yes there were white sheets
we might say, white clothing or cloth all around it, yet that
temple, that tabernacle, was nothing but a badger skin tent
on the outside. But inside was much more than
gold. and silver and broader work, inside that very tent,
this very badgerskin tent, dwelt the Shekinah glory of God Almighty
in that Holy of Holies. There God was Shekinahed visible,
but only as a glorious light, but it was real. There, God said,
I will meet with you between the two chariot bends. So therefore,
David, God came down and sat right there on the top of that
box. And Jews later began to call it the Shekinah. Inside
that tent was what? The very Shekinah glory of God
Almighty. But yet, when you looked at him
physically, when you looked at that tent, what was it? Just
another badger skin tent. The look, he is despised and
rejected of men. a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces
from him. He was despised, but what did
we do? We esteemed him not." Now, I hear my conscience screaming
out, yeah, but that's those Jews. Yeah, that's right. That's those
Jews. But I also remember Gentiles
doing the same thing, remember? Some of our, maybe some of our
very forefathers may have been some of the ones Mason standing
around crucifying him to that tree. Who knows for sure? You
know? It may have been my great great
great great great granddaddy Paul that stood there and did
some of those things. Smote him in the face. Planted
the crown of thorns upon his brow. He was despised and we
esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our grief. Now note the language. and note
the progression. He's born. What's this? It's
like a weight being on you, right? I don't say this is the exact
meaning of the Hebrew, but it's along the lines of you think
of a beast of burden and then you put that big weighty load
on top of that mule or whatever it is. Surely he hath borne our
griefs and carried, what do you say, like this, when you think
of it, like that, or on his back, but he carried our sorrows, yet
Yet, we did esteem him what? Stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. In other words, our minds was
this way. He's getting what he deserves.
That's the way, apart from the grace of God, that's the way
I would have been had I been standing at the cross of Calvary
when Jesus Christ died there. I would have said, he's probably
getting what he's, yeah, look at him hanging between. He's
up to two other thieves, just like himself. That's what we
are by nature. Yet he was born out of our griefs,
carried our sorrows, but he was wounded for our transgressions. Now I ask you a question, is
that real or not? That's as real as it can be. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him. In other words, the punishment,
the correction, took place upon Him. Do you see it? And with
His stripes, we, what? People get mad at us all they
want for teaching that those for whom Christ died will be
saved. But right here it says, by His
stripes we can be healed if. Might be healed since. Knowing
by His stripes we are healed. So much so that when Peter quotes
from this, he changes it because he realizes the healings already
took place and he says, by whom stripes ye were. healed. Not our being healed, but we're
healed. But look, all we, like sheep,
have gone astray. Now a lot of people talk, oh
sheep, be one of the sheep. One of the first characteristics
of a sheep is what? To go astray. That's the first
thing. The first thing a sheep does
is not follow the master. By nature, the sheep go astray. Because that's what sheep do.
All we like sheep are gone astray. We have turned everyone to His
own way. And look at this next statement. And the Lord, and notice that
capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. And the Lord, not
me, not you, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us
Oh, now can you take your place as a way-going sheep? Can you
take your place there first? And the Lord hath laid on him
our minds. Sometimes because maybe we don't
study. Sometimes because maybe we don't go into depth on these
things. We read this, and the Lord hath laid on him, and we've
just read he's borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, right?
Look, think of it. He's got the weight on his shoulders, right?
Or on his back. He's carried our sorrows. We
think we, now the Lord hath laid on him, and what do we think?
We see that beast again, that beast of burden sitting there,
David, on all fours with that burden on him. But that's not
the word here. The word laid here is impinge.
Impinge. You know what impinge is? It
actually comes from the old word that means fang. Like fangs on
a snake. And you know what fangs on a
snake do, don't they? They don't just come up and lay on you.
What do they do? They impinge. They stick into
and interject into the body that which is foreign to the body. And the Lord. hath laid on him."
Do you see that? That's much more than just Mason,
him sitting there under our burdens. That's him taking within himself
our very what? Iniquity. That's what it's talking
about. Now, you may come up with a better
word. Some have tried before, and I
know this upsets some people because we We've held to certain
phrases and when we're rebuked maybe, or we feel we're being
rebuked to that phrase, we kind of rise up. Some have used the
word imputation. But imputation is not a personal
thing. Imputation is simply to put something
on someone else's account. Jesus Christ when he bore our
sins did not merely have them to his account as We will see
from scripture. There was a literal actual transfer
he bore our sins in his own body on the tree the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all In that transfer, Christ was
made a curse. Christ was made sin. So much so, that the Scripture says that
He was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might
be what? Imputed the righteousness of
God? Is that what it says? No, it says that we might be
made the righteousness of God. How? In Him. Not in ourselves, but rather
in Him. In that transfer, Christ was
made a curse. And in that transfer, Christ
was made sin. And in false religion, you will
not hear that truth taught. They will talk about Christ's
suffering for our sins as maybe a mere beast of burden, but not
having our iniquities laid, impinged upon Him, transferred into His
very being, because you cannot have that happen and sin not
be literally dealt with. You can't have that happen and
not have sin literally dealt with. This is the degree to which God
put the Son to wherein God the Father might be just and justify
him which believeth in Jesus. He did far more. And I, because
I've just not, after looking back, I've looked and I've looked,
I've examined all the words I could possibly find and there's not
one reference to Christ being imputed our sin. Not one. People read verse 6 of chapter
53, and the Lord hath laid on him. That's not imputation. That's impingement. And there
is a big difference between the two things. My intent this morning
is not to try to prove these two maids. You know why? Because
I can't prove to you the Lord made the water. Why? Can I explain
how He did that? Can I? But does the scripture
not say he did that? He made the water wine, did he
not? I don't have to prove it. I just declare it. That's all
I can do. I can't prove it. There is no
physical. explanation of how the Lord made
the water wine. All as I know is, God Almighty,
who is truth, by the incarnate Son, who is truth incarnate,
God says He made the water wine. Did He not? How many of us, I
wonder, believe? Did He make the water wine? Or
did He make the people just think the water was wine? Did He just
act like the water was wine? No, He made the water wine. So when the scripture says he
was made flesh, it means what? He was real flesh. When it says
he was made a curse, what's that mean? He really became the curse. When it says he was made sin,
it means he was made sin. And I don't have to justify it.
I can no more justify that than I can justify our Lord making
wine for a party. Can you? Huh? Go ahead, try to justify it,
can you? Do you think that maybe someone, David, could have overindulged?
Huh? But do I need to seek to try
to justify our Lord in what He did? No, because He was manifesting
forth His glory. And even though men might take
it and turn it to their own designs, and they may twist it, and they
may abuse it, I'm just a declarant. I don't even have to try to justify
it. Hmm? Yeah. Well, you seem so dogmatic. I'm not dogmatic. This Word is
dogmatic. So my intent this morning is
not to prove these two maids. I need not prove it. I don't
have to prove what God has expressly decreed. Look at Galatians chapter
3. And I'll give you the two main
verses. Galatians 3 and let me find it here. Notes Galatians 3 and verse 13.
Yeah, there it is Christ Hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law being made a curse for us That's the same words that
John you one of the same words John uses in the two places in
his Gospel according to John when it says the Lord made the
water wine that right there Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of law being what made a curse I don't have to explain it. I
don't have to justify it. I don't have to try to make it
make sense. I'm simply here to declare it.
Why? Because thus God has revealed
in His Word. Christ was made a curse. Now,
2 Corinthians. Turn back a few pages. 2 Corinthians
chapter 5, verse 21. For He, and that would be God
the Father we might say. For He hath made Him, that would
be Christ the Son. For he hath made him, and the
to be is okay, but it's almost like they're trying to explain,
because made means to become. To be, that's the word. And it's
like they, David, were trying to explain it, but just, you
know, it's, but it, the to be don't help me understand it any
more than it ever would, does it? It doesn't hurt anything.
I'm not saying it obscures anything. They're just, they're trying
to explain. And it's, how can I explain water made wine? I
can't explain this, for he hath made him, sin for us. Who knew no sin, that is He personally
knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God
in Him. Now God says it, that makes it
so. Right? I'm not looking for the
deeper meaning. What's that really mean? What
does it mean when the Lord made the water white? It means it
was wine after that, doesn't it? Same thing applies when God
was made flesh. What's that mean? He was truly
human. Truly human. Literally human. And as I've said over and over
again, The best approach to scripture is to take it as this. God is
revealing to us his truth. He means exactly what he says. Unless God in the context of
any subject gives you reason to believe that he's being metaphorical
or symbolical, then do not take it that way. Take it that God
means exactly what he says. He made him to be a curse. and
he was made sin for us. This is what the scripture says.
So what's that mean? It means exactly what it means.
Water was made wine. I can't explain it. And yet there's
still a part of me right now that wants to be able to try
to explain that to you. That wants to somehow be able to give
you some illustration. The only illustration I can give
you, listen, the only illustration I can give you that Christ was
made a curse and that Christ was made sin is this. He made
the water white. He gave that illustration. I'll
stop right there. I don't need to use any other
illustration. That's good enough. He used it to manifest forth
his glory. That's good enough. That's good
enough. It's good enough for the eye
of faith. I say it's not good enough for unbelief, but it's
good enough for the eye of faith. This concerns, does it not? This
subject concerns the very person and work of Christ, does it not?
Now does anybody want to say that's not vital? Does anyone
want to say that this is just matters of scruples of conscience,
like meat, irrespective of holy day? No, this has to do with
the very person and work of Jesus Christ in the central theme of
the sovereign God's purpose. When Christ came into this world
and condescended and was made flesh, his heart and mind and
soul was set toward Calvary and that was all that it was about.
go to, cannot make it to Calvary. He was going to make it to Calvary.
It was going to Calvary, going to Calvary, going to Calvary.
And what shall he say? I said, Father, save me from
this hour, but for this cause came I unto this hour. Now here's why this is so vital.
Remember, I asked you to do this. There's four reasons why this
is vital. Did anybody find those? Did you look? Don't tell me if
you didn't look, because you let me know you didn't do your
homework. They're not that hard to find. Let me give you those
four reasons. I'll state them to you, then
we'll look at the scripture. Here's the four reasons why this is
vital. Our redemption from the curse of the law hung on this. Secondly, the promise of the
Spirit and our blessing by faith hung on this. Number three, our
predestinated adoption. We're quite fond of that subject
around here, are we not? Our predestination unto adoption
hung on this. Number four, apart from Christ
being made sin, we could never have been made the righteousness
of God in Him. We never could have ultimately
stood in Christ, in God's presence perfected had sin not been literally
and actually dealt with by God Almighty. Because God is holy
and just and sin must be dealt with. The soul the soul that
sinneth, it shall die. And we will read here in a moment,
his soul was made sin. So those four things hung on
this truth. First of all, Galatians chapter
3 again. Now turn back. Galatians chapter
3. Again, I'm not going to be able
to give you great oratory words to make this all seem to understand
that now I Cannot explain to you the workings of how Christ
made the water wine Therefore I'm not going to be able to explain
to you the workings of how God made him to be a curse and God
made him to be sin I can't do it. I don't know Mason how the
molecular structure of the water was changed into I can't explain
it. It's beyond my capability But I know it was true because
God says so But here's those reasons remember first our redemption
from the curse of the law hung on this look at verse 13 again
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Being do
you see that? Now you're going to the explanation
of it. Here's why. Here's how he did
it. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. How? Well,
by teaching us that it's all of grace and it's not by works. Is that how it's done? Is that
the foundation of it? No. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. That's how He
redeemed me from the curse of the law. He was made a curse. He took my place, not just under
the curse, but as the curse. Do you see it? Do you see it? I hope you see it. Christ hath
redeemed me. Say it this way. It's okay. Christ
hath redeemed me. Christ hath redeemed me from
the curse of the law. How? Being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now did he hang on a tree? He
did. Literally. Physically, Mason,
he hung on that tree. And Him, now not the other two
that were with him, but Him, having hung on that tree, He
redeemed me. He redeemed you if you're in
Him. He redeemed us from the curse of the law. When? Then! Then! Oh, what a glory. Number two, the promise of the
Spirit and our blessing by faith hung on it. Look at the next
verse. That. The truth of this first verse,
that's verse 13, comes with a that. Now what does that imply? It
implies here's going to be a result. Right? There's a cause. That
implies here's the effect of the cause. That. the blessing
of Abraham might come. You see, the might was not dependent
upon what you do with Jesus Christ. The might was dependent upon
what Jesus Christ did when he hung on that tree. That is where
the might comes in. Men, religious men, men who hate
God and are trying to twist the truth of God always say, well,
you might if you. This is not might if we. This
is might since he. You see it? That the blessing
of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. That we might receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith. So even the reception of the
Spirit by faith, that promise, depended. It hung upon what?
And I mean no cliché by that. It hung upon Him hanging on that
tree. I've not really had to do a whole
lot of explaining. I've just testified to what God
says here. And when religion can explain
to you how the water was made wine and yet preach all of their
works for salvation, when they can actually explain how the
water was made wine, then they can explain how Jesus Christ
was made a curse for somebody, but yet the blessing of Abraham
doesn't come on them that they might receive the promise of
the Spirit through faith. Did he die on that tree? Or, more
important, did he hang on that tree? We're not even dealing
with him dying on the tree yet. Just hanging there, David. Cursed
is everyone that hangs on a tree. He was made a curse. Therefore,
the curse has been satisfied. Right? The promise of the Spirit
and our blessings by faith hung on this. The third one, our predestinated
adoption. You know about that, right? Ephesians
chapter 1. Turn over to Ephesians, verse
3, for the sake of time. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians chapter 1, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
And how did he bless us with all these blessings? According
as he hath chosen us. in Him before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption. But let
me tell you something, the predestination didn't make me adopted. I was
predestinated unto the adoption. Do you see it? Predestination determined that
the destiny would happen later because it was predestinated. Do you see that? It's that simple. And yet, Mason, that profound
and that glorious. But look, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace wherein he hath made us accepted. Where? in the Beloved. Now there we see we were predestinated
unto the adoption of children or more appropriately the adoption
of sons. But I'm not going to deal with
that itself. So think about it. Our predestinated adoption, it
hung on this. Now the question, do I have proof
of that? I do. Turn back to Galatians now, chapter
4 and look at what he says. Galatians 4, this is the third
thing now, verse 5, Well, let me read verse four. But when
the fullness of thee time, do you see that? But when the fullness
of thee time was come, God sent forth his Son, what? Made of
a woman. Now how literally do we take
that? just as literally as you can get, he was in her stomach
for some odd nine months and grew from fetal all the way until
being born in sweat and blood and pain, a real living human
being, was he not? sent forth His Son made of a
woman, made under the law. How real was that? How literal
was that? He was circumcised the eighth
day according to the law. But look, to redeem them that
were under the law, now how did He redeem us who were under the
law? He's already told us, by being made a curse for us, right?
To redeem them that were under the law, That, there's that word
again, that we might receive. Now we were predestinated unto
it, but there comes a time when we actually receive what we were
predestinated unto. And what did that reception hang
upon? Him redeeming us. out from under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. When Jesus Christ hung on that
tree and was made a curse, he guaranteed that the predestinated
adoption would come to pass. Now Joe mentioned this to you
a couple Sundays ago, and I think it was a very well made point.
The blueprint, I'm putting it in my language, but I think you'll
remember this from the from his account of the ark, the blueprint
must be distinguished from the boat or the ark or the building. Predestination is the blueprint,
we might say. Now I don't mean that to be disrespectful
under God Almighty. I don't mean that at all. I'm
just trying to put it down into human language. The blueprint
Yet, that's predestination. That's the blueprint, David.
He predestinated us into adoption. He drew up the blueprints. Here's
how it's going to be. But the blueprint has to be distinguished
from the building. You go hire a man to draw you
up the blueprints that you tell him. Here's how I want my house
built. You pay him money and he draws up them blueprints.
You gonna go live in that blueprint? Huh? Well, ain't this glorious?
I got me a blueprint to sit on now. Huh? What do you want? You want that house built, don't
you? According to the blueprint. Predestination was the blueprint. Christ made a curse is the building. That's what it's all about. And
Him being made a curse? What? That we, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons. God
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying,
and you don't cry this out to no man from Rome? Some man who
sits in some country called Italy? You don't call him Papa? You
don't call him Pope? God is our Papa! And God only
is our Papa. And if they put me to death for
that one day, then by God's grace, so be it. Because our adoption
unto sons is what? That we might cry, Abba, Papa,
Father, unto God Himself alone. Even Christ came along, David,
and he said, don't call any man your father. And yet religion,
the accepted religion of today. Look on TV. You'll see it's accepted. Oh, they might not accept every
detail about it, Ellen, but they glorify it! Don't they? And they
call Him the Holy Father. God's people call God only the
Holy Father. Our Father which be in heaven,
hallowed, holy be Thy Name. I'm not your father. No man is
your father in that sense. So again I say, our predestinated
adoption hung on this maid. Number four, apart from Christ
being made sin, we could never have been made the righteousness
of God in him. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter five, I need to move
along. Verse 21 again. For He hath made Him to be sin
for us. Who knew no sin? That we. Do you see that again? There's
another that. You think that's not that important,
is it? It is most vital. That one little four letter word
we have in the English defines what the Greek is saying. Here
is cause and here is effect. If the cause is wrought, the
effect will come to pass. because it is cause and effect. If you have a cause that doesn't
have an effect, it ain't no cause. Now, I'm not real bright, but
I'm smart enough to know that. And yet, we are so blinded by
nature, we can read it right here in this word, and apart
from a work of God in our heart, minds, and soul, we won't see
that. Look, for he hath made him to
be sin for us, who know no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Everything I've said to you this
morning points you to Jesus Christ. And the only reason someone would
have any real problem with this is because they don't like Jesus
Christ. Because there's something about
Him and in Him and of Him that they just don't agree with. And
you know what? If you do, it's just tough. Because
this is God's blueprint. And this is the way God's building
His building, the church. This is the only way it is. And
what's the foundation of that building? Jesus Christ. And apart from Him being made
a curse, and apart from Him being made sin, There is no glory. There is no promise fulfilled. There is no blessing. There is no reception. But, the
fact that He was made a curse, and that He was made sin, guarantees
the blessing. It guarantees the blessing from
these two maids. From these two maids. All the
others, we see it. Galatians 4. We can't separate
Him being made flesh and made under the law from Him being
made sin or made a curse, either one, can we? Why? Because this
is about who He is. It's His person of work. It's
all one unified whole. But I'm saying that from these
two maids issued forth Christ's ultimate joy and His enthronement
at God's right hand. Can I prove that? Yes. Hebrews chapter 12. Verse 2. Looking unto Jesus. The author and finisher of faith. So now we see that means much
more than just he gives it. He wrought it. You see it? That the blessing, that the promise
of Abraham might come through faith. You see that? Looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was what set before him. In other words, basically it's
kind of like it was out there. He's seen it out there. It was a prize,
a destiny if you will, a thing to be attained unto. Who for
the joy that was set before Him did what? He endured the cross. He despised what? The shame. Not the shame we had. The shame
that was laid on Him. Endured. David, he put up with
it, we might say. And I don't mean that. I say
that in the most solemn reverence toward God Almighty. He endured
the cross, despised, or as some would say, disregarded the shame.
In other words, the shame that I'll have to go through is nothing
compared with what's out there. You see it? who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
having done that, he's done it, is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God. You remember what Paul said in
Philippians? Let me turn to you, if you want to turn to it, Philippians
chapter 3. No, Philippians chapter 2. Verse 7, Philippians 2, but made
himself of Christ, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient How far and how long? Obedient unto death. But what kind of death? Not just
a regular death. That wouldn't have done. Why
couldn't if he just died in his bed and somebody come along and
beat on him, wouldn't that have been good enough for us, David?
Why? Because he had to take care of
the curse. He had to be made a curse for us to deliver us
from that. Look! "...and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things
in heaven, of things in earth, and things under the earth, and
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to
the glory of God the Father." And you know the Scripture says,
it will. All flesh one day will be made
to profess that, even either through this way. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power, or God Almighty will
force that from all the rest of humanity at the judgment,
because they will stand before this very man. That's right. They'll stand before this very
man. His ultimate joy His ultimate
joy issued forth from these two maids. He endured the cross.
That was real. Wasn't it? He despised the shame.
The shame was real. Our salvation hung on these two
maids. Now turn to Psalm 22. Our salvation
hung on these two maids. The 22nd Psalm. Now, you bear
with me. I may take a little bit this
morning. Here's the first thing, Christ
suffered the reality of the curse by hanging and in hanging on
that tree. Now when you look at Psalms 22,
I'm going to give you a bit of advice here. Do not read this
Psalm thinking that there is dual meaning. Read this psalm knowing this,
that the psalmist wrote about Jesus Christ himself and himself
only. Now we may find application of
certain things to ourselves, but let me put it to you this
way. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Who said that?
Jesus Christ did when he hung on that tree. Who could ever
say that in truth? only Jesus Christ. I can't say
that. I may feel that way at times
and thus I can run to this David and his truth and find comfort
because he was forsaken so I wouldn't be. But David, I've never been
forsaken of God and never will be forsaken of God, especially
if I'm in Christ. This doesn't apply to David and
his greater son. This applies to his greater son
only. Look at it. Verse 16, they pierced
my hands and feet. That happen to David? No, uh-uh. Verse 18, they part my garments
among them, they cast lots from my vestures. My vestures, not
my vestures. Boy, I've been watching too much
of that pope on the TV. My vestures. No, I'm thinking of vestments.
I didn't say it wrong, did I? Never mind. Who's that talking about?
That's talking about what they did when Christ was hanging on
that tree. Verse 22, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. He's
thinking that while he's hanging on that tree. In the midst of
the congregation. He was thinking about us. You
think about that. Huh? That's Christ. But now think
about it. Now look at these words. Verses
6 Now look, but I am a worm. And then you read some commentator,
well now David's talking about himself. No, this is Christ talking
about Himself because the Lord had laid on Him the iniquity
of us all. Because God made Him to be a
curse because He hung on that cursed tree. He hung there the
worm. Look, but I am a worm and no
man, a reproach of men and despised of the people. All they that
see Me, to the scorn, to scorn, they shoot out the lip, they
shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver
Him. Let Him deliver Him, seeing that He delighted in Him. And
that's exactly the way we conducted ourselves by nature. Just like
the way they mocked Christ when He hung on that tree. But thou
art He that took Me out of the womb. Do you see that in the
midst of this suffering, even while He cries out, I'm a worm,
yet He's still obedient unto death. At the same time. Right? Look. But thou art He that took
me out of the womb. Thou didst make me to hope when
I was upon my mother's breast. That's how He ate when He began,
Mason. He suckled at the breast of Mary.
I was cast upon thee from the womb. Thou art my God from my
mother's belly. Be not far from me, for trouble
is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have come past
me. Strong bulls of Bashan have beset
me round. They gaped upon me with their
mouths as a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted in the midst of
my bowels. That word melted means I am fatigued
with grief. You and I will never know, and
we best thank God for it, what that is like. Because he was
made a curse for us that we might be delivered from the curse of
the law. My strength is dried up like a pot shirt, and my tongue
cleaves to my jaw. What did he say? My mouth was
so dry that my tongue stuck to the side of my mouth. And did
he not cry on that? Why did he cry on that? My thirst.
And I can see Mason pulling his tongue away from his jaw to even
cause the tongue to move to say those words. You see, that was
real, David. Thou hast brought me. Thou! Who's
he praying to? Even the one that had forsaken.
Huh? Thou hast brought me into the dust, for dogs have compassed
me. The assembly of the wicked have
enclosed me." They pierced my hands and my feet. Was that real? That's just as real as when He
made that water into wine. Look at it. While on that tree,
a real transfer took place. I've already mentioned it to
you. You go back. I'm not going to read it. 1 Peter 2, 24. He
bore. our sins. Where? On his body. In, in, in his own, his own body. On the tree. There was a transfer. How did that transfer take place?
I can't explain that to you no more than I can explain how the
water was made wine. How that transfer, water transferred from
what? Water was made wine. I can't explain it to you, but
I know God did it because God said He did. Well, on that tree, a real, a
real, not just imputation. It wasn't just put on His account
somewhere up in glory and then God punished Him. God, He was
made a curse. He was made sin. So Christ suffered
the reality of the curse by hanging on that tree. While on the tree,
a real transfer, maybe you can find a better word, but a real
transfer took place. Number three, in that transfer,
Christ owned the sins, the sins that were in His body as His
own. Now look at it, chapter 40, and
look at Psalm 40, I'm sorry, not chapter 40, Psalm 40. Who is this speaking of? Look
at verse 7 of Psalm 40. Then said I, lo, I come in the
volume of the book that is written of me. I delight to do thy will,
O God. Is that David? Now it's the Psalm of David,
but it isn't the Psalm about David. It's the Psalm of David
about his greater son, Jesus Christ. And look at what he says
in verse 12. For innumerable evils have come
past me about, mine iniquities. Do you see it there? Mine! Well, David's down. Now he's
got to be talking about David. Who gives you the right to say
that? In a very psalm, which is a psalm. These are not chapters.
These are separate psalms. Who gives me, or you, the right
to say, well, the first part, verse 7, that talks about Christ,
but we've got to leave off there. There are some commentators that
do that. They're wrong. Mine iniquities have taken hold
on me so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the
hairs of mine head." Why? Because it was the sins of all
of his people of all time that were heaped, read, right upon
him. Now, if he owned my sins as he
is, And He dealt with them on that tree. How is God going to
require those sins at my hand? If He is, how shall I ever escape? If Christ did that to Him, and
God still requires something more of me, how am I supposed
to do more than what He, the Holy Son of God did? Huh? Can you be made sin for somebody
else? You can't even be made sin for yourself, because you
are sin by nature. I am sin by nature. I can't satisfy
God's holy justice. But a righteous, holy sacrifice
not only can, it did. It did. Look at the 69th Psalm. Now here again, let me just point
it out. Verse 4, they hated me without a cause. Now does that
happen to us? Sure it happens to us. But he ain't talking about
us right here. Can we apply that principle to
us? Sure. But it's not who he's talking
about here. Verse 4, they hated me without
a cause. Verse 9, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Who's that talking about? That's even quoted in the New
Testament. It's talking about Christ. The reproaches of them
that reproach thee. What? are fallen upon me. And then, verse 21, notice how
it's all encompassed. Verse, they gave me also gall
for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Is that David talking about himself? Is that Asaph maybe talking about
himself? You got a bad case of wine? No, this is Christ hanging
on that tree. And look what he says. of himself
in verse 5. Oh God, thou knowest my foolishness. Now he had no foolishness of
his own, Mason. Where did that foolishness come from? Had to
be a transfer of some kind, didn't it? He had to be made something
he wasn't before, didn't he? Oh God, thou knowest my foolishness
and my sins are not hid from thee. Look at
verse 7. Because for thy sake I have borne
reproach. That's what I'm talking about.
So that God might be just. God can't just come down here
and say, alright, you're a bunch of sinners, but I love you so
much. We'll just let it slide. God is holy. He cannot let it
slide. Because for thy sake I have borne
reproach. Shame hath covered my face. Look at verse 19 and 20. Thou
hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonor. Did he
ever do anything to warrant shame, reproach, dishonor? No, but we
did. And he was made sin for us. You see it? Huh? We did. Reproach hath what? Broken my
heart. I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity,
but there was How many? None. And for comforters, but
I found none. I said I was thirsty. They didn't
even give me a drink of water. They gave me gold. And what did he do? He refused
that, didn't he? He refused that. Under these
two maids, the son was forsaken of God. Psalms 22 verse 1. Martin Luther is quoted in one
of the famous quotes, God forsaking God? I can't explain that. I can't explain that any more
than I can explain water made wine. I can't explain water made
wine any more than I can explain my God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? But He did. But He did. Under these two maids Christ
was stricken, bruised, put to grief, According to Isaiah 53,
his soul was made sin. That says to be an offering.
You look up, you get your concordance out, your strongs or any of them,
you'll see when they said to be an offering, they have put
that in there. It's the same word sin you find
everywhere else. I don't know why they put that
in there. Maybe it was they felt a little uncomfortable with what
it really said. I don't know. But I fear maybe
that's part of the reason. He said, when thou shalt make
his soul Sin. His soul. Sin. So under these
two maids Christ was stricken, bruised, put to grief. His soul
was made sin. He travailed under these. And it says, Isaiah gloriously
says, and by these things God the Father was what? Starts with
an S. Remember what it is? Satisfied. Isn't that glorious? I don't
have to explain it. God didn't tell you, now if you
can explain this, I'll save you. What does He say to do? Believe
it. Now, I'll sum it up with this.
Turn to Psalm 69 again. Now look. Remember Psalm 69,
verse 5, verse 7, but look at verse 6. This will be my summary. Let not them that wait on thee,
O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake. I got no reason
to be ashamed of this truth. Well, but if you believe that,
then this must be so. Don't come up with all your human
nonsense. We believe what Christ made wise
so they could go get drunk. Is that why He made the water
wise so they could go get drunk? No. He didn't make Christ sin
so that Christ could experience the least of the joys of it.
Some kind of people accuse you of all kinds of stuff. Well,
you're saying that Christ hung on that tree and wanted to go
get drunk, or wanted to go out and womanize. Don't be a fool. But the holy God, He who cannot
look upon evil, right? Being made sin, had to, with
all of His being, Mason, despise that shame. Huh? Despise that
shame. Oh, the glory of substitutionary
satisfaction. Look, don't let them be ashamed
for my sake. Let not those that seek Thee
be confounded for my sake. Oh God of Israel, you know why?
Because it's alright. He was made a curse for us that,
that, what? He might redeem us from the curse
of the law. He was made sin, why? That we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him. It all boils down to this. Can
you believe that? Or not? It ain't about arguing
the technical things of it. Well we want to, you know, the
theologians want to debate. They want to debate some of these
things. People today want to debate these things. It's not
up for debate. It's not up for debate. When you can disprove
that Christ made the water wine, then I'll believe that you could
disprove He was made a curse and made sin. You can't. You know why? Because all we
have for the testimony of it is words. That's it. You can't
go, David, nobody can go back and prove any different. I dare
you to try. Go on. And when they can prove
that, they can prove everything else is there. They can't do
it. You know why? Because God said it. And it's
not about proving it. It's about believing it. Father,
teach us these things that we desire to understand and to know,
but most of all, Lord, to believe. To take you at your word. To
believe the record you gave of your Son. Comfort us in these
things in Christ Jesus our Lord. day.