Well, good morning, everyone. If you would care to turn your Bibles to Mark chapter 15 is where our lesson will be from this morning. Mark chapter 15. Before we begin, let's bow before our Lord together in prayer.

Our Father, how thankful we are that out of your goodness and mercy and grace to your people. You've given us one more opportunity to meet together, to hear your gospel preached, to worship the precious name of your son. And Father, how I beg of you this morning that you would send your spirit upon us and enable us to worship you in spirit and in truth. Father, let everything that is said and done here today be done to the praise and the glory and the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let him be held up on high as much as is possible in these bodies of flesh. Let him be lifted up on high and father give us each of us each one here this morning the faith to see him. to believe him, to bow to him, to trust in him. Let him consume our mind, our senses, our heart, and let us worship him and believe him, Father, from the heart.

How we thank you for a savior who completely saves his people from all of their sin by sacrificing himself in our place as our substitute. Father, there aren't human words to express our thanksgiving and our awe and wonder that you would send your own darling son to take the place of guilty, vile sinners so that our sin could be put away by his precious blood. Father, we thank you. And ask one more time, Father, that you would mix faith with everything that we hear and enable us to worship him. Father, it's in Christ's name, for his sake and his glory we pray, amen.

Now I've titled the lesson this morning, Substitution and Satisfaction. I don't know that there's anything that I love to think about and talk about more than substitution. That someone as glorious as the Lord Jesus Christ would take my place. Suffer and die in my place. Substitution is at the very heart of the gospel. There's no gospel without substitution. But you know, it's more accurate for us to talk about substitution and satisfaction. It might be a nice gesture on my part if I would take your place, be your substitute, suffer the penalty that you deserve, but it wouldn't do you any good. Because another sinful man cannot make satisfaction to God's justice for another. The only one who can make satisfaction to God's justice for sinners is the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless one, the sinless sacrifice. And the more I've studied this this week, the thought just kept coming to my mind, and it's overwhelming to think that the Son of God, would take the place of his sinful people and suffer everything that we deserve. Suffer the condemnation that we deserve so that his people could go free in justice. The death of Christ made it right for the Father to show mercy to sinners like you and me. It's amazing. I hope that we see that as we look at Christ the sinner substitute this morning.

And the first thing I see here in Mark chapter 15 is Christ the willing substitute. Verse one says, in a straight way in the morning, the chief priest held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and they bound Jesus and carried him away and delivered him to Pilate. There are two words here I want us to consider, bound and delivered. which shows me the Lord Jesus had to be the willing substitute for his people. There is no way one of the creature, one of God's creatures could bind the Son of God against his will. There's no way. There's no way that they could deliver him somewhere he did not want to go, that he was not willing to go. He had to be a willing substitute, a willing sacrifice.

But I'll tell you what's really happening here. It's not that men did this. Christ, the sinner substitute, is now bound by God's justice because he had already been made sin for his people. Even though he never sinned, he'd already been made guilty of the sin of his people, and he's bound, not to man's justice, but by God's justice.

But he's also bound by his love for his people. The willing substitute had to go. He had to be bound by justice. He had to take the punishment that his people deserve because it's the one and only way their sin could be put away. And he was willingly bound because he loves his people. Think about that and let that settle in for a minute. Because he loves his people.

And he was delivered to Pilate. He was delivered Not just the pilot, he was delivered to his father's justice because he'd already been made sin. He'd already been made guilty for the sin of his people and the price must be paid and he's the only one who could do it. So he willingly became the substitute for his people.

Then second, I see this, Christ had to be the willing substitute because he's king. Verse two says, And Pilate asked him, art thou the king of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, thou sayest it. Now of all the charges that were leveled against our savior, the one and only charge he answered was this, are you king? And he told Pilate, you said it, I'm king.

And they accused him of this because, you know, the scribes and the Pharisees and these religious folks wanted him to be put to death. They knew that nothing would make Rome more upset than this man is saying he's king. He's committing insurrection against the Roman government, you know, and the very government they always wanted to overthrow. You know, they put this charge against him.

But when Pot asked him, are you king? He answered, you said it. It's true because he is king. And all throughout his earthly ministry, even when he became an embryo in the Virgin's womb, even when he was a baby, depending on the milk from his mother's breast, he's still king. All throughout his time of humiliation, and even in his time of suffering on the cross, when it looks like he's the weakest victim on the planet, he never stopped being king. He was always in charge of everything that's going on.

And it's probably wrong to say especially at the cross, but for lack of a better word, I'll say especially at the cross. Everything that happened beginning with our Lord being taken and through his mock trial, this was all an act of God. It was an act of God. The Father and the Son were in full agreement that this is what must happen. This is the way that the Father and the Son, when they entered into that covenant of grace, had always agreed this is how God is going to save his people from their sin, by the suffering of the substitute.

If the Father and the Son were not in full agreement that this must happen, the cross never would have happened. We wouldn't have that story. We wouldn't know anything about it unless the father and the son were in full agreement. You know, the cross is the most God-like act that humanity has ever seen. The father made his son guilty and he punished him fully for it. He gave him the exact sentence that all of that sin deserved. And he did that to satisfy justice. so that he could show mercy to sinners like you and me. Remember, mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. The only way God can not give you and me what we deserve and still be God is if he gave our substitute everything that we deserve. This is an act of God. This was the will of the king, and that's why the cross happened.

Number three, I see this. Christ, the substitute. was made sin for his people. Verse three, and the chief priest accused him of many things, but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, answerest thou nothing? Behold, how many things they witness against thee, but yet Jesus answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Now the Lord Jesus, you know this, he lived a life of perfect obedience. Never one time did he sin. in thought, in desire, in heart, in motive, in action, never one time did he ever sin. He obeyed the law perfectly. He obeyed his father's will perfectly. He never even wanted to sin. Now I know you and I will say that we don't want to sin, but we still do. He never even wanted to sin, and he didn't. He wasn't even acquainted with any sin. The Lord Jesus was innocent of every charge that they threw against him. And they knew it. They knew it. He never did those things. He's the lamb without blemish and without spot. In him is no sin. And the chief priest knew it. That's why they sought false witnesses who were willing to perjure themselves because somebody had to lie to trump up this charge against him, because they knew he didn't do it. Pilot knew he didn't do it. Pilot said, I find no fault in him. The dying thief knew it. This man has done nothing amiss. He told the other thief, you and me, we're getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing amiss. Now that's true. They knew it, I know it, and you do too.

Then why didn't he defend himself? Nothing makes me more angry than somebody accusing me of something I didn't do. I mean, you can accuse me of a lot of things that I've done. I mean, my soul. But nothing makes me more angry just Self-righteous indignation. You know, somebody accuses me of something I didn't do. I mean, I'll die on this hill defending myself. Why didn't the Lord defend himself? He didn't do any of these things.

It's because he'd already been made guilty of the sin of his people. And these charges that they threw against the Savior, his people are guilty of every single one of them. And even though he never committed those things, He'd been made guilty of the sin of his people. He felt the guilt of it and the shame of it. That's why he said, I'm not able to look up. My sins are more than the hair of my head. I'm so ashamed I'm not able to look up into the face of my father because I've been made guilty.

So he never one time defended himself. He never one time sought to escape this punishment. He didn't seek mercy. He didn't seek for the charge to be lessened. He didn't try to arrange a plea bargain because sin demands death. And the only way his people cannot die eternally is if the willing substitute dies in our place. If Christ dies for the sin of his people, he made it right for the father to show mercy to his people.

If Christ died for you, now you think of this, The very justice of God that demands death for sin, that very same justice demands that you have eternal life, demands that you could never be condemned because Christ paid the price for you. The price is already paid. Even the believer's conscience is clear because of the sacrifice of Christ.

Now, I'm not saying my conscience is clear because I don't sin. I sin more than I'm aware of, you do too. But the believer's conscience is clear in this way, that when we sin, we don't feel like, oh, I better do something to make up for that. Because the blood of Christ has already done it. The blood of Christ has already put it away. So our conscience is clear.

And I'll say it again, the Son of God did that. The Son of God willingly suffered that. All of that humiliation, all of that pain, all of that suffering, he even suffered death. I mean, how can life itself die? I had no idea, but he did. Doesn't that make your heart so thankful? Doesn't that make you want to worship him? Doesn't that want to make you bow and say, thank you, Lord? I mean, of all the things that I deserve, I mean, I do not deserve that, but you did that for me? Somebody as wonderful as him did something so wonderful. He suffered this awful justice of his father so that a sinner like me could have mercy? Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.

Substitution and satisfaction. Now, that's the doctrine that's taught there. in those first few verses of Mark chapter 15. And then we get an illustration of what happens to God's people because of substitution and satisfaction. Verse six. Now at that feast, he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them, that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection, And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them saying, will ye that I release unto you the king of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priest had delivered him for envy. But the chief priest moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, what will ye then? That I shall do unto him whom ye call the king of the Jews, and they cried out again, crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them and delivered Jesus when he encouraged him to be crucified.

Now the nature of man It's so evident in those verses, isn't it? Shows you how guilty and how vile we are. This is the heart of sin, the heart of a nature of sin. We hate God. We hate God's son as he is, as he's revealed in the word. I know we don't hate the Jesus of our imagination. We're only gonna make up something that we like. But this is the heart of sin that it began with Adam. We hate God. We hate his rule over us. We hate that he can save sinners as he will, when he will. We hate it.

And even though the Savior, he's already been beaten and pummeled by the Jews. The Romans hadn't started on his body yet, but he'd already been beaten. His eyes and his face were puffy from the beating and things that he'd taken. And there he stood looking out this mob saying, crucify him. Crucify Him. He came to die for sinners so that they might have life, so that they might be saved, so that they might be brought to God. He came to bring them the greatest blessing that a human being can ever have. And they're yelling, crucify Him. They're showing all their hatred of Him. I don't know about you, but I'd say, all right, boys, have what you want. Instead, He went to the cross. And while he was hanging there, said, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. And whoever it was he prayed for is forgiven. Because he's king, he gets everything that he desires.

And I don't know where this custom started that they would release a prisoner at the time of the Passover. I don't know why it started, I don't know when it started, how long it had been going on, but I do know this. The Lord made sure that this custom started for this Passover, for this one in particular, to show us the results of Christ the willing substitute for his people.

Now Barabbas, he's a picture of everyone that God saves. He's guilty of insurrection. That's you and me, aren't we? Now, come on. We're guilty of insurrection against God's rule over us. We are. We hate it. By nature, we hate it. We're guilty. Oh, I mean, there's no excuse. There's no denying it. We're guilty. We can't do anything but sin. And we're just as helpless as Brabus was. It says he's bound, laying in the filth of our sin, laying there on that dungeon floor or whatever kind of prison that they had him in. That's us, we're helpless. We're bound by a nature of sin so that all we can do is sin. Just laying in the filth of our sin and can't do one thing to get out of it. Can't do one thing to free ourselves, can't do one thing to cleanse us of our sin.

Barabbas tells me Christ came to save sinners, to save sinners. God make me a Brabus, a sinner, a guilty, vile sinner.

And old Brabus, I bet he's a tough guy. Don't you? He's a tough guy. He's not going to show fear of punishment. He's not going to show any fear of the authorities and stuff. He's been thumbing his nose at him his whole life. I bet this kid was a hellion from the time he was a little guy. But I know how he spent that night, bound on the floor of a damp, dark, cold prison. And on the outside, he might not have shown much fear, but on the inside, I bet you he just didn't sleep much that night, you reckon? He, I mean, besides being uncomfortable, he knew what was coming. He'd seen people crucified before. You know, crucifixion is not like, you know, an instant kind of death, you know, that we do in capital punishment today. Sometimes it could take days and days for that victim to die. He knew what was coming. And there he lay. The sun had come up, and all he could hear was that crowd. And he knew from hearing their cries, they're bloodthirsty. I mean, they're out for blood. They're out for entertainment on this Passover weekend.

Now he couldn't hear Pilate questioning the crowd, but he could hear that crowd roaring back their response to Pilate. And all Barabbas heard was, give us Barabbas, crucify him. That's all he heard. And he knew that's what was coming. And then a little bit, he hears those Roman guards walking down the hall. He hears their armor clanking. He probably heard their spear, you know, kind of hitting the floors as they walked. And he heard them stop outside the door of his cell. And he heard that big old key turn in the lock, that big heavy door open. and some Roman guard, just rough as a cob, just, oh. I mean, how he's been toughened by battles and, you know, blood and gore and suffering doesn't bother him in the least. He probably enjoys it. And he grabbed Barabbas by the arm, jerked him up, and untied him. Probably kind of upset about this. He'd probably been looking forward to seeing Brabus suffer and putting him to death for this insurrection against the government and just shoved him out the door. He said, go on. You're free. And Brabus said, what? And that guard said, you heard me. Get out of here. Go free. Get before we change our mind. And Brabus said, why? Why? He said, well, this is the custom. We're gonna let you go free and crucify Jesus in your place.

I always wonder about old Brabus. Had he ever heard about Jesus of Nazareth before? I don't know. Maybe he went free, maybe. I can't hardly think this man went free without wondering, without asking some questions. Who is this Jesus of Nazareth? They said he's the one on the middle cross. That cross had been set up for you. The one on the middle, you know, that's the worst criminal. You're the leader of this insurrection. That middle cross was designed for you. But the Lord Jesus is hanging there. in your place so you can go free.

I bet if they had that song was written in that day, I bet Brabus would have sung it at the top of his lungs.

I was guilty with nothing to say.
And they were coming to take me away.
But then a voice from heaven was heard
that said, let him go.
Take me instead.
Oh, I should have been crucified.
I should have suffered and died.
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace.
But Jesus, God's son, took my place.
Those rusty nails, oh, they're meant for me.
But Christ took them and he let me go free.

Isn't that something? The guilty went free so that the innocent could die. Hang on a minute. No, sir. The guilty died so that the innocent could go free. See, Christ took the sin of his people away from them and gave them his righteousness, made them the righteousness of God in him, and he was made sin for his people. He bore the guilt, he bore the shame, he bore the condemnation of the sin of his people, and his blood put it away. substitution and satisfaction to God's justice because of who was crucified, because of who died in the place of his people. And God's elect now are innocent.

If you feel innocent, I'm afraid to tell you, you don't know the Lord yet. But if you feel guilty, Christ made you innocent. He made you innocent by his precious blood. Scripture says that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Now, why is God faithful to do that? Because his son satisfied justice for us. And he's just. He's right to do it because of who died in our place. His death took away all of the sin of all of his people and made him righteous.

Substitution and satisfaction. I don't wanna put, this is one of the great pillars of the gospel, isn't it? Substitution and satisfaction. I don't wanna put that above the other great pillars and great truths of the gospel. But what can give your heart more confidence, more calmness, more calmness to think about leaving this world and facing God in judgment than this great story. I don't want this just to be a doctrinal thing to us, substitution and satisfaction. Now, I mean, it's as plainly taught in scripture as anything. It's true doctrine. But this is the great, great story of the gospel, substitution and satisfaction, the one who is holy, who is righteous, the one who never sinned, took the sin of his people into his own body on the tree and put it away by the sacrifice of himself, by sacrificing everything that he is. And when you consider who he did it for, I don't know that there's a greater story that's ever been told And I want to hear it over and over and over again, don't you?

All right. Oh, God bless that to you.