Having been betrayed by Judas
Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, our Lord was brought by a band
of men with lanterns and torches, bound to stand before the high priest
of Israel. And this man Caiaphas held the
office which was a very clear type. If you remember our studies
in Exodus, he was a very clear type of the Lord Jesus Christ. A very clear type of the coming
Redeemer. And now in the providence of
God, this man Caiaphas, the high priest of Israel, stands in judgment
of him who has come to fulfill his very office once for all. And he stands in judgment of
him. They could find no crime of which
to charge him because he did no sin. Yet they took him as
though he was a dangerous felon. They bound him. Bound him. Came out with lanterns and torches
like a mob. And they came out there and they
bound him, took him, bound him like he was a dangerous felon.
And now they were going through the motions to justify their
evil deeds, and they began to send him from one to another.
This man, Annis, was nothing. He was a father-in-law to the
high priest. He held no office. He was just
a father-in-law to the high priest. He was close to the man who held
the office, but he didn't hold office. And going through the motions
to justify their evil deeds, they began to send him from one
to another. And now as he stands before the
high priest, he begins to quiz him about his disciples and about
his doctrine. Now, I'm just going to suppose,
because I've been quizzed about my doctrine and quizzed about
those of you who come to hear me, And so I'm just going to
kind of put myself in his shoes and suppose what this man Caiaphas
would have been asking him and talking to him about his doctrine
and his disciples. How do you account for these
men? They've not attended our schools.
They've not acquired our approval. We didn't send them. And we didn't
send you. to minister to the people of
Israel. We know nothing of this new ordinance
of baptism. We know nothing of the types
and symbols that you babble on about. We know nothing about
a spiritual kingdom. We do not recognize your disciples
and we certainly do not sanction your doctrine." He asked him
about his disciples and about his doctrine. And my friend,
those who are the true servants of Christ, they don't need the
sanction of men. They don't need it. They don't
need it. Paul wrote to the churches in
Galatia, and he said, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man. Not after Him. It's not after His approval or
His sanction or His money or His support. And it's not after
His influence and His power. If God Almighty sends a man,
God Almighty will enable that man to do His job. He told His
disciples, He said, I'm going to send you out here and don't
you even take two coats with you. You take one coat. You don't worry about what you're
going to eat when the time comes. I'll lay it on somebody's heart
and they'll feed you. And you don't worry. You go down
to this city and if this city won't hear you, you shake the
dust off your feet. You don't pretend to be their
friends to get one scrap of clothing, one scrap of meal. You shake
the dirt off your feet and I'll supply everything you need. Who are these men that you've
chosen and called and taught and sent out to minister? By
whose authority are they sent? Who gave them the right to preach
such controversial subjects and introduce these new ordinances?
The high priest stood in his royal robe. I can just picture
him standing there. Standing there in all his glory
in that high priestly robe and uncondescendingly looked down
his nose at the Lord of Glory and demanded answers of him. And he asked him about his doctrine. Where did you come up with these
things you preach and teach? Where did you come up with this
idea of a representative righteousness? Where did you come up with that? One coming to represent a people
under the law. One coming to obey the law for
them. Where'd you come up with that?
You didn't get that from Moses. Where'd you come up with that?
One to live on their behalf and obey on their behalf and serve
on their behalf and provide for them what they could not or would
not do for themselves. Where'd you get this idea of
a spiritual kingdom? A kingdom not of this world.
A kingdom which you cannot see as it's being established. One made up of Jews and Gentiles. One made up of sinners. One made
up of harlots and tax collectors and demon-possessed men and women.
Where did you come up with the idea of justification by faith? that the righteousness of God
is manifested without the deeds of the law, that God has sent
forth His Son as the propitiation for our sins through faith in
His blood, that all who believe on Him are justified freely by
His grace through the redemption that He accomplished at Calvary,
that through this man is preached unto men the forgiveness of sins,
and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from
which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Where did
you come up with these doctrines? Where did you come up with the
idea of preaching to convert sinners? Well, that's foolishness. That's just foolishness. Where
did you come up with this idea of preaching and making disciples? We can't find that in the law
of Moses. We can't find that in the prophets.
We catechize. We teach, we indoctrinate our
people, we provide them with schools and seminaries and teachers. Where did you come up with this
idea of preaching and this doctrine of a man dying for sin? Where on earth did you come up
with that? Don't you know that the law of God requires a lamb? Are you a Jew? And don't you
understand that the law of God requires goats, and lambs, and
doves, and heifers, and bullocks? Where have you been? Where are
you coming up with all these doctrines? Abraham was provided a ram, and
God provided it for him. Moses sacrificed a lamb, Where
in the world do you come up with this idea of a man dying as an
atonement for Israel? And this thing of the resurrection,
oh my soul, from the beginning of time, it's never been heard
of any such thing. He questioned him about his disciples,
and he questioned him about his daughter. sitting before Him was the sovereign
King of glory. And He questioned Him and demanded
answers from Him concerning His doctrine and the doctrines His
disciples preached and questioned their calling. Now listen to
how our Lord answers His question here in John 18 beginning in
verse 20. Jesus answered him. I speak openly to the world. To the whole world. I didn't
hide in the back room of a pool hall. I stood up on the mountainside. Plain view of everybody. I walked
down your streets. I preached in the marketplace.
I preached on the seashore. I preached out of ships. back
to people standing on the beach. I ever taught in the synagogues.
Isn't that where the Jews resorted to worship? In the synagogue?
That's where I preached. I preached in the temple. Boy, that's the high and holy
place in Israel is the temple. Solomon's Temple. He said, I
preached in your temple. Whether the Jews always resort,
and in secret, I've said nothing. I've said nothing. I didn't call
any secret meetings or preach these things in a back alley.
I didn't sneak around privately trying to stir up people. to
abandon their places of worship, I preached in the synagogues
and in the temple. I preached in the streets and
on the mountainside. I preached on the seashore and
out of ships. I didn't sneak around trying
to hide my doctrine or hide myself or hide my disciples. And if
you really want to know what I preached, ask them that heard
me. Ask them that heard me. Verse 21, ask them about my doctrine. Behold, they know what I said. You know why? Because His sheep
hear His voice. They hear it. And behold, you
know what that word, behold, in astonishment, They know. You don't know. You're the high
priest of Israel and you don't know. But you ask them. They know. They know. And as I read this passage, I
thought to myself, could I say this of you? You that are gathered here this
morning, could I say this of you? If I were called into question
about what I preach, could I say, ask them that heard me? Or somebody
comes up to you and says, well, where do you go to worship? Well,
I go over to the little church over there on Walker's Creek.
Well, where's that at? Well, that's over there around
Taylor, just right up off of Lutheran. Well, what in the world
do you go way over there for? There are churches all over the
place over here. There's synagogues, there's temples,
there's churches, there's all kinds of places to go out here
and worship. There's signs everywhere. What
do you go way over there for? What's that man preach? Could
you tell it? Could you tell it? Well, that's an hour and a half. What is it that he preaches?
that would cause you to pass all these churches up and drive
all the way to Walker's Creek. Could you tell them? Well, if I'm fulfilling my office
as your pastor and my calling as a preacher of God, you should
be able to. You should be able to. And I
wonder this morning as I stand before this congregation if you
can lay aside your problems and lay aside your traditional understanding
and whatever else it is that keeps you from hearing and see
if you can at least understand what it is that I'm saying to
you. My doctrine is the doctrine of
Christ. Isn't that what Paul called it?
It's the doctrine of Christ. That's what he's being questioned
about. His doctrine. Well, he is the doctrine. He
is the doctrine. And so I can say when men say,
well you preach, I can say I preach Christ. Because he is the doctrine. And I've got nothing to say apart
from him. I preach that God in eternity
past purposed to save a people through the person and work of
His dear Son for the glory of His name. I preach Christ. And by appointment He made Him
to be preeminent in everything. He is preeminent. Read Colossians
chapter 1. By Him were all things created
that are in heaven. that are in earth visible and
invisible, whether we're talking about thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers, all things were created by Him. Now
listen, and for Him. How come? Because He's the preeminent
One. That's why. He is before all things, and
by Him all things consist, and He is the head of the body, the
Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things, how many? All things, He might have the
preeminence. For it pleased the Father that
in Him should all fullness dwell. I preach the eternal purpose
of redemption in Christ Jesus. And that's why creation was spoken
into existence, and that's why it's being ruled over, and why
it's being preserved even now. God has chosen a people and appointed
His Son as their surety, as their guarantor, and the sovereign
mediator of His grace, the sovereign mediator of His mercy. Paul said,
we're bound to give thanks always to God for you. Beloved of the
Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,
whereunto He called you by our Gospel, now listen, to the obtaining
of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, He has
given us an everlasting consolation. and a good hope through grace.
I preach the eternal purpose of God to save a people for the
glory of His name through the person and work of His dear Son. Now you can go places and hear
them talk about Jesus, but you can't hear them talk over there
about the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Because
they don't know anything about that. They don't know anything
about it. And then secondly, I preach the
manifestation and accomplishment of this redemption by the coming
of God the Son into this world as a man. He accomplished redemption. Why did He come? He came to accomplish
redemption. Not to make a stab at it. Not
to make a down payment. But to accomplish it. The Word. Now listen to me. The eternal
Word. John specifies what he is talking
about in John chapter 1. He said, In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And this Word, this eternal Word, who was with God in the beginning
and who was God, was made flesh. My soul. Made flesh. was born of a virgin. Do you
believe that? I'll tell you, you've got no
hope apart from it. You've got no hope apart from it. I preach
that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin exactly as He was
foretold by the prophets and was one glorious person who is
both God and man. Listen to this. Philippians 2,
he who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took on
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
become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. God also
hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name. And every one and every tongue
will confess that name to the glory of God the Father." Everybody
is going to do it. Some are going to do it in faith,
willingly, brokenly. They are going to confess it
on their knees. He the Lord, to the glory of
God the Father. And some of them are going to
do it in judgment. But they're all going to do it. They're all
going to do it. I preach salvation in the person
and work of Jesus Christ. I preach Him, not a system. You'll be saved when you embrace
Him. Now, you embrace Him, and you'll
embrace the system. But He's not a system. He's a
person. He's a person. I preach Christ crucified, not
a plan. To be saved is to hear and believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's to see the glory of God's
name manifested in the face of Jesus Christ. It's to see His
justice, God's holy justice, inflexible justice, totally satisfied,
His righteousness established, and His mercy freely bestowed.
He and He alone is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone that believes. He and he alone justified chosen
sinners as God raised up our substitute from the dead. He was delivered, Paul said,
for our offenses and raised again for our justification. A friend
of mine was asked here a while back, when was you justified? When was you justified? And he said, well, have you got
a minute? He said, I was justified in eternity
when God chose me in Christ that I might be holy and unblameable
before Him in love. He justified me. In His purpose,
He justified me from all eternity. And he said, I was justified
when Christ came down and kept the law and died for my sins,
was delivered from my offenses, and God justified me when He
raised Him from the dead. And then 2,000 years later, 2,000
years later, God let me in on my justification
when He enabled me to believe. And I was justified by faith. And I'll be justified when I
stand in judgment before Him. And He said, well done, my good
and faithful servant, enter thou in. Now He said, when was you
justified? That fellow didn't have anything
else to say. Our God is eternal. Everything
He does is eternal. Everything that God has purposed
to do in eternity, He counted it as done. That's why He didn't
burn this whole outfit up when Adam sinned. In fact, these are the words
He uses in Ephesians 1, along about verse 10 or 11, somewhere
right along in there, or 12. He said, He who first trusted
in Christ. Who was that? That's God the
Father. What did He trust Him for? He trusted Him for your
justification. He trusted Him for your calling.
He trusted Him for your atonement. He trusted Him for your righteousness.
He trusted Him for all things. And then He said, You trusted
Him when you heard the Word of Truth. Then you trusted Him. How do I know if I'm justified
before God? Me, a guilty practicing sinner,
a sinner by choice and practice and deed, how can this guilty
conscience ever be put to ease? It'll be put to ease when God
Himself enables you to believe and makes you to know how He
can be just and justify you that believe. What does that man preach over
there at Grace Baptist Church? Can you tell them? Can you tell
them? I preach the reigning, resurrected,
victorious King of Glory. The Savior of sinners now sits
expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. Everything
God required of chosen sinners in Christ, Christ accomplished
and provided by His accomplishments. I preach accomplished redemption,
particular effectual redemption. I preach a Savior that saves
to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. Pays what's owed, satisfies the
debt, justifies the debtor. Woman, where art thou thine accusers? She said, Lord, they're all gone.
He said, neither do I accuse you. Do you know anything about
that? Our Lord sat on the throne of
glory, having full principalities and powers, and made an open
show of them. And now He sits there glorified,
accepted, crowned, and given power over all flesh to give
eternal life to as many as the Father hath given Him. Isn't
that what He prayed just before He went to the cross? He rules
in the armies of heaven and over all the inhabitants of the earth.
He rules over kings and kingdoms, over nations and the rulers,
and even the devil wears a chain held in his hand. What does that man preach over
there at Walker Creek? I preach one man who is the way,
the truth, and the life. I preach that Christ is all. He is all. And in the counsels
and purpose of God, He is all. And He is all in the creation
and providence. And He is all in the salvation
of His elect. And He is all in the judgment
of this world. And He is all in the glory of
heaven itself. Can I say to Him, if I am ever
asked concerning this church and the doctrines I preach, and
these men that I call upon to preach for me while I am gone,
Can I say this? Ask them that heard me. Now,
not everybody comes in here hears. Some of them fidget around in
the seat and count the ceiling tile and look out the windows
and do this and do that. Not everybody comes in here hears.
But I tell you this, you can ask those who hear, and they
can tell you. Because God gave them ears. to
hear. And the Holy Spirit asked them
this question, how can you hear without a preacher? And they
understood the question. And now they hear. They listen. They hear. And somebody said,
well, what's that mean, preacher? Have you got a minute? Have you
got a minute? Sit down here. Let me tell you
what I've heard. What I've heard. Oh, God, give
us a heart to understand these things that He said.