Tomorrow, Monday, the last Monday
in May, is that time that has been set aside now for quite
a few years, which is known as Memorial Day. It's that time
that we remember those who gave their lives in defending this
country. The expression is usually put
this way, who gave the ultimate sacrifice I can't think of a
better way to describe what men and women fighting in wars, protecting
our way of life. I can't think of a better way
to describe those who have fallen than they gave John the ultimate
sacrifice. They can't give anymore. Can
they? Can't give anymore. Greater love have no man than
this. Our Lord said that a man lay down his life for his friends. And they deserve to be remembered.
Do they not? Notice here again what we read
in Romans 5. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet per a venture for a good man some would even
dare to die. I remember years ago there was
a movie made. It was supposed to be based on
a true story and you've probably seen it or heard of it. It was
entitled Saving Private Ryan. Now if I remember right, there
was a mother who had four sons. And during World War II, they
all joined the army. They all were in combat. And
three of her four sons died in combat, died on foreign soil
fighting for the freedom of this country. Only one remained, the
youngest son. And when news of this reached
the higher ups, And it was pointed out that this dear mother had
one remaining son. Three out of her four sons had
died in combat. There was a captain given a group
of men and his assignment was to go find, wherever he was,
go find, at all costs, find that lone remaining son and bring
him back home. Bring him back home. And they
found him. They found him. But in the search
and in the battle that they engaged in when they found this last
son, this Prophet Ryan, all those died who went out in search of
him. Every one of them died. And as
the captain who led those men laid dying, this prophet Ryan
kneeled down next to him and he could barely make out what
the captain was trying to say to him. With his dying words
he said this, Don't you forget what was done for you here. Don't
you forget. Look at verse 8 here in Romans
5. But God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Today is our Memorial Day. It's when we remember him. Turn
back, if you will, and then we'll come back to our text. Turn to
Luke. Luke, for a moment, chapter 22. This is the record of that night
that our Lord instituted what we call the Lord's Supper. This
is when it first came into being, here in Luke chapter 22, verse
14. And when the hour was come, that
hour for which time began, That hour when he would pray, Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. That
hour, soon after this, when he would sweat great drops of blood,
he would go through such a mental spiritual struggle of soul, that
the blood would force its way through the pores of his skin.
I've read, I don't know that it's accurate, I suppose that
it is, I've read it that doctors say for anyone to endure such
a thing as that, that it would cause blood to come through the
pores of their head. that they would leave them so
mentally retarded, they would be like a vegetable. Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, oh Father, but
for this hour came I into the world. When the hour was come,
he sat down and the twelve apostles with him. Oh, the faithful shepherd
with his little band of sheep. And he said unto them, What words
is this? Knowing what laid before him,
he says, with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer. And he knew, oh how vividly he
knew what this Passover represented. It was him. And yet he said,
I desire to do it. I want to do it. He endured the
cross, despising the shame for the joy that was set before him
of bringing many sons to glory. Verse 16, For I say unto you,
I will not eat any more thereof until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God. And he took the cup and gave
thanks and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves. For
I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until
the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread. and gave thanks
and break it, and gave unto them, saying, this is my body, which
is given for you, this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also
the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the New Testament
in my blood, which is shed for you." Again, referring to the
national holiday tomorrow, Memorial Day, there'll be picnics, there'll
be parades, There'll be sales at all the stores. They say the
first day of summer, pools will be opened. All that will take
place and for the majority, there'll be no remembrance of what Memorial
Day is about. Go try to get 20% off, have a
picnic, But never think about why Memorial Day was first declared
a holiday. That's shameful, isn't it? That's
shameful. That's disgraceful. But it's
just so. But brothers and sisters in Christ,
how much more shameful, how much more disgraceful is it to eat
the bread and drink the wine and not remember Him? The hymn writer put it this way,
and it's my prayer for Larry and for you. If now with eyes
defiled and dim we see the signs but see not him, oh may his love
the scales displace and bid us view him face to face. And when
we take that bread representing his body, and we take the wine
representing his blood, Oh, may we hear the words from Christ
our Redeemer saying, don't you forget what I've done for you. Our memorial day here in verse
9 of Romans 5. Look at it again with me. Much more than, much more than
being now justified, oh justified, oh glorious thought. Being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Verse 9 speaks of the sure and
certain consequences of his death. That's mentioned in verse 8.
Christ died for us, then what did that produce? Christ died
for us, then what did that accomplish? Were there any sure consequences,
sure and certain fruit from the death of Christ? And notice I
use the word deliberately because our text speaks of what Christ's
death accomplished. accomplished, got done, secured,
not made possible child of God. If Christ's death only made something
possible, let's don't observe this. It's not worth observing. It doesn't mean anything. If
He didn't, when He died, then by Himself purge our sins, if
He didn't get the job done there and there alone by Himself, then
let's not do this. Oh, but He did. If He did, if
He by Himself attained eternal redemption for us, oh may God
give us grace from our hearts to sing glory to His name. Jesus paid it all. He paid it
all. He took the whole load of our
debt of sin and He bore it upon His mighty shoulders completely
away to where it cannot be found. Jesus paid it all. and all to
him we owe. Yes, verse 9 speaks of the accomplishments
of his death. He himself said, I have a baptism
to be baptized with and how am I straightened till it be accomplished. Mmm, accomplished. I was reading
from Luke 12, now I'm reading from Luke chapter 18. Then he
took unto him the 12, verse 31, Luke 18, and said unto them,
Behold, behold, we go up to Jerusalem, we, and all things that are written
by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be, and there's
the word again, accomplished. You mean, Larry, Jesus didn't
come into this world for a maybe? I mean, that's what I've heard
all my life, that he took a stab at something, that he did something
and it's up to the sinner in time to determine whether what
Christ did on the cross was successful or not. That's what I've heard
all my life. You've heard a lie. Because Jesus Christ accomplished
just exactly what he intended to accomplish when he came to
this world. What a derogatory saying it is against
the all-wise God to say anything otherwise. Why in this world
would He send His Son to live, to die, to suffer for a perchance? Why in the world would God do
such a silly thing? Oh no, everything written concerning
the Son of Man shall be accomplished, for He shall be delivered. No
mites in these texts, notice, he shall be delivered unto the
Gentiles. And he shall be mocked, and he
shall spitefully be entreated and spit it on. And they shall
scourge him and put him to death. And the third day he shall rise
again." Oh, don't you love that? The death of Jesus Christ was
no mistake. It was certainly no miscarriage,
it was no pureventure, it was no taking a stab in the dark,
but the glorious accomplishments of our High King of Heaven. And
Paul mentions one of them being this, being now justified in
verse 9. Justified, as we pointed out
in the reading, in verse 25 of chapter 4. He was raised again
because of our justification. The justice of God demands. Larry, can you use such language? Have you crossed the line? Is
that going too far? No, no, no, no. The justice of
God demands the release of all those for whom Jesus Christ redeemed. They must be justified. Payment. You've heard it many times. And
it's good, it's accurate. Payment God cannot twice demand. First at my bleeding surety's
hand and then again at mine. God's justice will not allow
such a thing. Therefore all those for whom
Christ died must be justified. They are justified. Atonement
was made and the payment was accepted. Notice again, being
now justified I almost want to pitch tent there. Because for
every child of God sitting here this morning, you're not waiting
to be justified. You're justified right now. God Almighty, the Holy Lord God
of Heaven, looks upon everyone and his son. For whom his son
was made sin, he declares concerning them, they're not guilty. And
they'll never be guilty. Right now. That's what the text
says, does it not? And it's by his blood. That's the cause. The only cause. Do you remember what our Lord
said? And we read of it, the last real observance of the Passover
was that night our Lord observed it and then did away with it
and instituted the Lord's Supper. But that first Passover, remember
what the Lord told Moses, I'm going to pass through Israel
tonight, or Egypt, I'm sorry. And he says, Moses called all the children
of Israel, all the elders, and said, draw out and take into
you a lamb according to your families and kill the Passover.
And you shall take a bunch of his and dip it into the blood
that is in the basin. And strike the lintel and the
two side posts with the blood that is in the basin. And none
of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning,
for the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians. God does
that? God killed them people? God killed
men, women, and children? God did that? Yes, He did. God
says, I will execute judgment. And God still executes judgment.
And God's going to execute judgment. And there's nobody going to get
by. There's no exemptions. Nobody's going to slip in or
slip out. God demands perfect righteousness. He demands it from you. God's
appointed a day for you. Yeah, you. in which you'll stand
before him and he'll judge you not according to your morality,
not according to your religion, not according to your will or
work or merit, but he'll judge you according to absolute righteousness. And if you're not perfect, he's
going to say, depart from me, I never knew you. God will pass
through just as he did here. And Moses told the elders of
Israel, The Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians, but when
he seeth the blood upon the linen and the two side posts, the Lord
will pass over the door. Oh my soul, he'll pass over you
and will not suffer. He won't allow it. Payment God
cannot twice demand. He will not suffer the destroyer
to come in unto your houses to smite you. And it came to pass
that at midnight The Lord smote all the firstborn in the land
of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne,
until the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and
all the firstborn of cattle. God did this. And Pharaoh rose
up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in
Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
There was not a house where there was not one dead. That includes
the house of those Israelites. There was one dead there, that
substitute, that lamb. And God says, when I see that,
I'll pass over you. I imagine, I don't think it's
wrong to say that the children of Israel that night heard the
cries, the moans, Wales, Deterra, coming from all those houses,
mothers running in the street, oh my son, my firstborn is dead,
he's dead, one after another, that's all they heard. And yet,
they're in the house, safe and secure. They're spared. Why? When I see the blood. That's it. Not when I see nothing
in you, nothing from you, nothing done by you. But when I see the
blood, I'll pass over you. By His blood, our text says,
justified. By His blood we shall be saved
from wrath through Him. Christ's blood is effectual to
atone. What's that word? You hear preachers
throw that out a lot. Effectual. That just means it
gets the job done. That just means it works. It's
effectual to atone, to redeem, to justify, to reconcile, to
cleanse from all sin. Christ's blood is enough to satisfy
the Lord God. I want to just read a sentence
or two from the two articles on the back page of your bulletin
this morning. one by Brother Henry Mahan, one
by Charles Spurgeon. Henry's on the text from 1st
John 2 and 1. If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So Henry concludes,
when I sin, when I consider my pastor present and come creeping,
that's right, come creeping to my closet with a guilty conscience
and an aching heart, I can rejoice in the mercy of my Father, for
I have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He prevails."
Spurgeon, commenting on the text, Oh Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt
says. But his love for his people was
so strong that he took the cup in both his hands. Can you see? Can you see? And with one tremendous
draft of love, he drank damnation dry for all his people. He drank
it all. He endured it all. He suffered
all. So that now forever there are
no more flames of hell for them. No rocks of torment. They have
no eternal woes. Christ has suffered all they
ought to have suffered. And they must They shall go free. The work was completely done
by himself without a helper. That's effectual. Christ's blood
is enough. John saw a multitude that none
could number, and Revelation stood before the throne of God
and before the Lamb. John, where did they come from?
These are they who came out of great tribulation. and have washed
their robes in the blood of the Lamb. That's why they're before
the throne. That's why they'll enjoy everlasting
fellowship with their Redeemer. That's why, John, they'll see
His face. That's why they'll never suffer
any sort of pain whatsoever again. That's why God Almighty, their
Heavenly Father, will wipe away every tear from their eye. There'll
be no reason for them to weep in heaven, none whatsoever. Why? Because they've been washed in
the blood of the Lamb. And God says, when I see the
blood, I'll pass over you. Oh, what a comfort that is. One
hymn writer put it this way, Jesus thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are my glorious dress, mist flaming worlds in these
arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand
in that great day, for who ought to my charge to lay, while through
thy blood absolved I am from sin and fear and guilt and shame.
Jesus, be endless praise to thee, whose boundless mercy hath for
me, for me a full atonement made, and an everlasting ransom paid."
What a memorial day that was, when the angel said to the shepherds,
I'm bringing you some good news. Tonight, oh just moments ago,
There was born unto you this night in the city of David, Bethlehem,
the house of bread. That's what Bethlehem means. The bread of life has come down
out of God from heaven. Unto you is born this night in
the city of David a Savior. A Savior, which is Christ the
Lord. Oh, what a memorial day that
was. When the angel said to Joseph,
call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. What a memorial day that was. When He said, the Lord of Glory,
coming into this world, said, Father, in burnt offerings and
sacrifices for sin you have had no pleasure, lo, I come to do
thy will, O my God, in the body that you have prepared for me.
Oh, what a day that was. When God sent forth His Son,
made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law. What a day. Christ came on purpose
to save, to put away sin, to redeem. He said, I come to give
my life a ransom for many. Did he succeed? Was he successful? Most people I don't mean the
winos and the harlots. I mean most professing Christians
believe he only made salvation possible. They think that they
determine the success of Christ's redemption. They think they determine
if whether the redemption and what Christ did upon the cross
succeeds depends upon what they do with their will or their worth
or their work. No, no, no. Am I misrepresenting
them? Is that not so? Is that what
you hear in 9 out of 10, probably a greater ratio than that of
all the churches around us? You make it work. You make it
succeed. Is it not true if you preach
What the Lord Jesus Christ himself said, Christ laid down his life
for the sheep. I love the sheep and give myself
for them. Christ loved the church and gave
himself for it. When you say Christ didn't die
for the whole world, He died for his people. He saved his
people. He redeemed his people. He atoned
for his people. He brought in everlasting righteousness.
He did it. He got it done. People say, man,
you're crazy. You're crazy. That guy's a heretic. Well, just label me a heretic.
Because bless God, I see my glorious substitute with those thorns
smashed down on his brow. His back lacerated with that
cat of nine tails. The spit upon his precious face. The beard plucked out. The religious
folks making mockery of him while he died. And then I hear him
cry. Oh, I hear the captain of my
salvation cry, it is finished. And I say, glory to his name. He got the job done. And it's done. The great transaction's
done. Not half done, not almost done. He said, it's finished. So when I eat the bread and I
drink this wine, I remember the accomplishments of my great God
and Savior. I remember that the life that
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. Look at verse 11. It speaks of another memorial
day here in Romans 5. It says, not only so, but we
also joy in God our Savior our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we
have now received the atonement. Now what does that mean? The
atonement took place on Calvary. Redemption was attained at Calvary. What does it mean that by now
we have received the atonement? It's speaking of when we experienced
that blessed redemption in time. When God Almighty applies the
blood of Christ to our hearts and our conscience, when the
blood is applied to our hearts and conscience, we come to know,
then we know, He loved me. He redeemed me. All that was
for me. And oh, as the old hymn writer
put it, amazing grace, to his heavenly love, to feel the blood
applied, and Jesus, only Jesus, no, my Jesus crucified. I enjoy watching John teach,
because often, usually, there is something while John is teaching,
it's not planned, it's not put on, but what he's teaching almost
overcomes him. Have you seen it? I like that.
He feels it. He feels it in his heart. And
he wells up with tears. He feels it. I've told Bobbie,
I hope I don't embarrass her, but there are times when she's
singing, she's blessed by the words of the song. And she apologizes
to me afterwards, and I've told her a dozen times, don't you,
don't apologize for me. Thank God we ought to feel We
ought to feel it in our hearts and in our souls. The blessed
redemption when it's applied. Oh, that memorial day. What a
memorial day that was. When the great shepherd sought
and found this sinner. When he comes and speaks powerfully
and personally, Lazarus, I'm not talking to anybody else.
I'm talking to you. Lazarus, come forth. Zacchaeus,
I'm talking just to you. Come down. Saul, Saul, I'm not
talking to those soldiers with you. They don't understand what
they're hearing. Saul, Saul, I'm talking to you. Oh, what
a memorial day that is to hear him say to me, Thy sins, which
are many, are all forgiven thee. To hear him say, neither do I
condemn thee. To hear him say, I say unto you,
this man is going home justified. And my soul, wonder of wonders,
he's talking about me. That's what verse 11 means. It's
the experience of blood applied, grace tasted, salvation wrought. Oh happy day, oh happy day, when
Jesus washed my sins away and made me to know it. What a happy
day. Let me wrap this up. In the last
scene of that movie that I mentioned in the beginning of the message,
Saving Private Ryan, that young man at that time who was saved,
the lone son of his mother, lone survivor. The last picture has
him now standing in Arlington National Cemetery with all those
white crosses, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds, just one after
another. And now he's an old man, John.
And he walks feebly until he finds a grave. He's looking for
one grave, that captain who led that band of soldiers that rescued
him. And when he finds the grave with
the name of that captain on it, he straightens up as much as
he can that old body that'll allow him. And with tears just
gushing down his face, he salutes him. May God grant us grace to salute,
not with that. but with hearts full of gratefulness
to the captain of our salvation and bow down in true worship
at the memorial of his giving himself for us. We read it in
a moment in 1st Corinthians 12, you do show the Lord's death
only till he come, only till he come. And oh then, there'll
be another memorial day But this day will never end. This day
will be an eternal day. And oh, what a day that will
be when my Jesus I shall see. What a day. And he takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised
land. When I look upon the face of that one who saved me by his
grace, oh, what a day, glorious day that will be. God bless you.