All right, let's take our Bibles
now and turn to the book of Mark. I want to, Lord willing, bring
several messages on these verses surrounding the crucifixion. And I want to remind you again
that the theme of Mark's gospel is Jehovah's Servant. This is
what we're looking for As we read through the book of Mark,
he's talking about all four gospel witnesses gave witness of Christ,
but each had a different theme. And Mark's theme was Jehovah's
servant. And so we look at him who is
the servant of God. The scripture said, who being
in the form of God, this is something Paul said. He thought it not
robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation
and took upon him the form of a servant. This is Jehovah's
servant. And was made in the likeness
of men. So now we see a representative
man who is Jehovah's servant. and he was made in the likeness
of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And that's what we're looking
at this morning, Jehovah's servant. Now, here in Mark 15, let's begin
reading in verse 22. And they bring him unto the place
Golgotha. which is being interpreted, the
place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine
mingled with myrrh, but he received it not. When they crucified him,
they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, whatever man
should take. And it was the third hour, and
they crucified him. And the superscription of his
accusation was written over the king of the Jews. Now, I don't
know if these accusations or the crime for which you were
dying was written above all that died on the crosses, but it probably
was. And his superscription of accusation
was this. the king of the Jews. And with
him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand and
the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled,
which saith, he was numbered with the transgressors. And they
that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, they just
shook their heads like this, wagging their heads and saying,
Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest in three days, mocking
him, save thyself and come down from the cross. And likewise
also the chief priest, mocking, said among themselves with the
scribes, he saved others, himself he cannot save. Let Christ the
King of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see and
believe. And they that were crucified
with him reviled him. May the Lord add his blessing
to the reading of his word and open unto us these unspeakable
treasures. were come down to a place called
Golgotha. They bring him to this place,
Golgotha, the place of a skull, the scripture said. And as I
was reading and studying this, I read something that said tradition
in that part of the world has this place, Golgotha, as the
burial place of Adam. Now there's no evidence behind
that. It's just a tradition. It's just
an idea. Somebody probably stated it,
and somebody else took it up, and they went on and on and on
with it. No evidence to prove it whatsoever.
But I kind of like the idea of it. I like what they're saying. The
place of a dead head. Isn't that what they're talking
about? Now think with me just a minute. In Adam, all die. All die. All are condemned. All die. Even so, in Christ,
shall all be made alive. It was the place of a skull,
not a skeleton. Just a skull. Somebody probably
picked up a skull out there, weeped out from the sun, stuck
a stick in the ground, put that skull on. They wanted this place
to appear horrifying. It was a deterrent to others. But its body had been severed
from its head just as the whole of Adam's posterity was severed
in judgment. probably raised up on a stick
to be seen of all who pass by. And this is the final end of all
those who will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is
their end. This is what they have to look
forward to, eternal death. But now comes another head to
this place. He is the head of the body of
the church. He's the federal head. And he's
not brought to a garden, but he's brought to a place of execution. He was numbered with the transgressors. And what a horrifying place this
must have been. It's a place set apart for the
dregs of men, the very worst of society. And rightfully so. because it was a place of deterrent
for all who would resist the power of God established for
our good. Now the scripture said in Romans
chapter 13, there is no power but of God. Well, what if it's
an evil power? Well, Roman power was an evil
power. Nebuchadnezzar's power was an
evil power. Cyrus the king was an evil power,
but they were all God's power. There is no power but of God.
And in Romans 13 too it said, whosoever therefore resisteth
the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation. And he goes on to tell you that
these powers are God's ministers to you for good. And whether
they be Roman powers or Nebuchadnezzar powers or Cyrus powers or whoever
is in office, be they good or bad, they're not an enemy to
good works. This is the point that he drives
home to. It's not an enemy. If you pay
your taxes, if you pay your bills, if you work a 40-hour week and
you support your family, I don't care whose government is, they're
not going to do you harm. They're not going to do you harm
for being a good citizen. They may overtax you. They may
take away some of your so-called rights, but you don't have any
rights except those that God gives you. So these powers are
of God, and this Roman power had brought him to this place,
and he submitted to it. Pilate said, don't you know I
have the power to release you, or the power to slay you? What are they going to tell him?
You had no power at all, except it were given you of God. That's why you look at these
powers, these governments. They're not here for your spiritual
good. They're here to keep men from being as evil as they could
be. And this is why our Lord must
come to this place. It's the place of judgment and
death and a place where God's enemies are put to death. But
you say Christ did no sin. He did only good. He had no sin. He manifest no rebellion, no
hatred for God. He obeyed God's law in every
jot and tittle. So why is this ordained power
of God leading him out to Golgotha? Because he, like Adam, is the
head of a people. Colossians 118 said, and he is
the head of the body of the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.
And Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. Is that
why he came? That's what Paul said. This is
a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came
into this world to save sinners of whom I am chief. That's why
he came, vile, ungodly, unholy, profane rebels, seditioners. We say, I'm not guilty of that.
Then you better thank God for his restraining hand because
that's the only reason you're not. When we were yet without strength,
the Bible said, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. You say, I'm not ungodly. Then
he didn't die for you. He died for the ungodly. That's
what he said. God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his son. This is what God
said. This is why he's here. That's why he's come to this
place, as a representative man, bearing our sins in his own body
on the tree. And this man, Jesus of Nazareth,
the substitute of all God's elect, was made to lie down on that
wooden cross while vile men took something a little smaller perhaps
than a railroad spike and drove it through his feet and through
his hands, enough to hold him on that tree. And while suffering in agony
over that, they raised him up and let that pole drop mercilessly
down into that hole. And then they left him there
bleeding. while this processional passed by and mocked him and
laughed at him until he died. That's my sin on him. He's suffering just as I will
suffer if his blood don't atone for me. I have several messages I hope
to bring in the coming days concerning the crucifixion of Christ. But
today I want to concentrate on something his enemies were made
to say, and what they said is preserved for us to hear. You
know, God often uses strange means to say things to men. He spoke to Balaam through an
ass. Old donkey's pulling longer. And that donkey spoke to him. Balaam, a false prophet, he spoke
the word of God to Balak. Caiaphas, the high priest, said this, now this is God causing
this man to say these things. And he hated God, he hated any
part of Jesus Christ. They brought him before Caiaphas
and Caiaphas condemned him. He hated Jesus of Nazareth. But
he said, you know what the word of God says? One man has to die
for the nation. Preach substitution, prophesied
about substitution. And so it is now. This thing comes from a strange
source. His enemies, who utterly were
disgusted with him, passed by in utter unbelief. And listen to this, Mark 15,
29. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads,
mocking him over what he said about the temple. And they said, save thyself and
come down from the cross. Likewise, also the chief priest
Malkin said among themselves with the scribes, he saved others,
himself he cannot save. And then they said in verse 32,
let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross that
we may see and believe. And they that were crucified
with him took up the chant. They reviled him. Now make no
mistake about it, as there were many that day who said these
things, who would one day repent and believe. On that day of Pentecost,
3,000 of them, some of which were in this very mosque. Just
a short time later, 5,000 more. believed on the Lord Jesus Christ
and were baptized. And even so, we should everyone
take our place in this processional. You should be able to see yourself
passing by. Now you may not recall it, but
I do clearly. Looking at these things and my
actions proved out utter disgust. disinterest did what I wanted
to do. Why? Because Christ was so contrary,
he was so contrary to their ideas about the Christ. Now just think
with me a minute, how contrary he must have been. They thought
somebody like David was going to come along and he'd be born
in this family of little esteem and then but God's gonna work
in him and he's gonna raise him up and he's gonna become king
and he's gonna lead all Israel against the nations and again
conquer them and they're gonna be a glorious nation again on
the earth. That's what they thought the
Christ that was coming was going to do. He was so contrary to
their ideas about the cross, so opposite to their concept
of salvation. They thought salvation was a
reform of morality. They thought salvation was keeping
the law. They thought salvation was paying
your tithes, keeping the feast days, honoring the priesthood,
bringing the lamb. They thought salvation was to
be stirred up to strictly observe the law and thereby God would
look on you as a righteous man. He was just so opposite their
concept of salvation and so utterly removed from the image set forth
by traditional religion. Save yourself. Come down from
the cross. He saved others. Why can't he
save himself? let him come down from the cross
that we might see and believe. Let me tell you something. They
did see. They did see. They just didn't
see what they wanted to see. They saw. They saw the Son of
God nailed to that tree. He was made a curse for us, wasn't
he? Huh? Made a curse. Cursed as everyone hangs on a
tree. They did see, and what they saw
is how God set forth his son as a propitiation for our sins. That's what they saw. And this
propitiation, that which enables God to show mercy, is nothing
less than redemption. Redemption accomplished by him
on that cross. And therefore it's alluded to
in Romans 3.25, calling it faith in his blood. God sent forth
his son to be the propitiation for our sins through faith in
his blood. What's he talking about, faith
in his blood? That his blood was sufficient.
That his blood was effectual. That his blood was enough. It
was enough. The life of the flesh is in the
blood. And I've given it to you upon the altar. That's what God
said. Come down from the cross. Let me tell you something. There's
only one man ever in this world who could have come down from
the cross. He could have, Larry. He could
have come down from that cross as easily as he walked on that
stormy sea. As easily as he made iron to
float up out of that river. As easy as he changed that water
into wine, as easy as he stepped on that cloud and rode back into
glory, he could have come down from the cross. He had the power to come down.
But he could not come down and glorify the Father. God's justice
must be satisfied. Every sin must be paid for. Righteousness
must be established. God must be just in our justification. See, that's the thing. That's
the point my whole generation not even looking at is the character
of God and the glory of God and the salvation of His sheep through
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the propitiation for our
sin, being freely justified. Isn't that what it says over
in Romans 3, 24? Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. There
ain't no other way to be redeemed. That's redemption. That's redemption. He's the substitute for chosen
sinners. And the word of God says he must
be raised up on a pole, just like that serpent was back in
the wilderness. He must be raised up on that pole. He must be made
a curse, and you're gonna look on him as that curse, and it's
your curse. Isn't that what those serpents
were, that God rained down from heaven, was biting them, and
they were dying like flies everywhere? That was God's curse on them.
Now he said, you take that serpent and you put it on a pole and
you raise it up and whosoever looks on that serpent will live. Christ had to be lifted up on
that pole. Why must Jehovah's servant suffer
such a death? Why must he be brought to this
awful place and mocked and ridiculed and nailed to a cross and laughed
at till he died? Why? Because all we like sheep, Isaiah
said, have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way. And the Lord, not you, the Lord,
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He justly charged
his son with our sins. He was cut off, Isaiah said,
out of the land of the living. Now listen, for the transgression
of my people, God says, was he stricken. All that slapping in
the face and spitting in his face and mocking him and ridiculing
and passing by and wagging their heads and all of this stuff,
the pain that he suffered, the cross that he was nailed to.
It's ours. It's ours. But God didn't charge it to you.
He charged it to his son. who willingly took it upon himself. He was made sin for us. That's what the scripture said.
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Well, the Bible said he looked
at his son and he saw his suffering and he said, that's enough. That
ain't what God taught. Read Isaiah 53 again. He saw
the travail of his soul. What was the travail of his soul?
What was he given birth to? What was his pain? What is this pain and suffering
all about? It's about his church. It's about
you and I giving life to his death. You
see what's going on? God looked at the travail of
his soul. He's suffering these things, not for himself, but
for us. And he said, that's enough. And he was satisfied. Huh? That's the only way you're gonna
be saved, for God to be satisfied. And he ain't satisfied with you.
He said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Now,
if you're in him, he's pleased with you. But if you're not,
He's not pleased, not at all. If you're in Him, God's satisfied. God's satisfied. He cannot be our sin-atoning
substitute and come down from the cross. He cannot be our Savior
and avoid the cross. Listen to what He said. And what
shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? But for this
cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. And
the father replied to the son, I have glorified it, and I'll
glorify it again. That's our savior on that cross. There's no hope without the cross,
no peace, no reconciliation, no hope for sinners. This is
our hope. It's in him. It's all in him. A man called me yesterday and
he said, I've got this young man, he's got a radio broadcast
that's through the computer somewhere, through the internet. Anyway,
he called me, he said, I have this young man and he's looking
for a church somewhere around Taylor, Calvinistic Church, and
this man was a Reformed preacher. And he was going on and on and
on, and I didn't debate with him about those things. I just
told him, he said, I have no idea what you believe. I said,
well, I'll tell you what I believe. I preach Christ. Am I a Calvinist? Yeah, I believe in all five points
of Calvinism. Definitely. Preach them. But
what I labor to preach more than anything is God's son, Christ,
our substitute. That's what I'm trying to preach.
The rest of it's for naught. So what if you got the wrong
church government? So what if you believe in one
preacher instead of a Presbyterian? So what? Salvation's in his son. Salvation, baptism, and all this,
that's not the issue. The issue is his son. Who is this man? You see what
I'm saying? It's all for naught. I can teach
you religious things and ceremonies and things to do and give you
things to do and you'd eat it up. If I told you you had to
crawl down here on your knees to the front, you'd do that and
then you'd hope in that forever until you died. Boy, I can tell
you when God saved me. I got down on my knees and crawled
down that aisle. That ain't, God saved me in Christ. You see what I'm saying? This
is what this cross is all about. He reconciled us, Paul said,
in the body of his flesh through death. Why? To present us holy. You can't look at yourself in
the mirror and think holy, can you? The only place you can look
and see yourself holy is in him. To present us holy. Now watch
this. Unblameable. Who's going to bring
a charge against you? God to justify. We're unblameable. But this is even greater than
that. Unreprovable. Unreprovable in God's sight. And then secondly, God's holy
justice nailed him to the cross and he can't come down until
all the sin which put him there is paid for. I first started driving, I got
a speeding ticket. 16.45 is like crawling to a teenager. And I was going a little over
the speed limit. It wasn't much, but it was enough. They pulled
me over. And I had to go to court. And the judge listened to the
charges. And he said, you got anything
to say? And I said, whatever I had to say. And he said, no.
He said, you're guilty. And he charged me. $40 or $45
was court costs. Well, I only had about $20 on
me. And I said, I ain't got that
much. I said, I'll give you what I got, and then I'll run home
and get the rest of it, and I'll bring it back up. He said, you
ain't going nowhere. You're not going anywhere till
this fine is paid in full. That's what justice is. Justice
is you ain't going anywhere. until God is totally 100% paid
in full and satisfied. He cannot save himself and others. One or the other has to die. I remember years ago, a story
was told to me that this family went to worship one Sunday. They
lived close enough to the church to walk, and it was a beautiful
spring day. So they headed out, the man and
the woman and their little boy. He was about seven or eight years
old. And the pastor brought a message that morning on the subject of
substitution. He was delivered for our offenses,
raised again for our justification. He died the just for the unjust
that he might bring us to God. And on the way home, his father
noticed that the little boy was just quiet as he could be and
kind of lagging behind. And he got this real puzzled
look on his face. And so his dad came back where
he was and he said, son, he said, what's the problem? And the little
boy said, well, I just don't see how one man's death could
satisfy so much sin. All of the sins of all God's
elect from the beginning of time to the end. I just don't see
how one man's death could satisfy so many sinners' sins." And his
daddy walked along for a minute silent and wondering how he was
going to answer his son, he looked down and spied a grasshopper. And he said, son, see that grasshopper?
He said, yes, sir. He said, how many grasshoppers
would it take to be worth the life of one little boy? Oh, he said all the grasshoppers
in the world wouldn't be worth the life of even one little boy
or girl. And his father knelt down beside
him and showed him this scripture over in the book of Isaiah that
said, the Lord, the Lord, is he that sitteth upon the circle
of the earth, now listen, and all the inhabitants thereof are
as grasshoppers. It's not how he died and what
he suffered, it's who died. This is the Son of God, God come
into the flesh. Only the God-man could make atonement
for our sins, and he did. And God was satisfied. And I
tell you, we better get satisfied with God's satisfaction. That's
what reconciliation is. It's being reconciled to his
reconciliation. That's what it is. Thank you.