You don't have to worry about
that. Open your Bibles if you will
to Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23. We'll begin reading at verse
13. Pilate, when he had called together
the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them,
ye have brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the
people. And behold, I having examined
him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those
things whereof ye accuse him. No, nor yet Herod, for I sent
you to him, and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I
will therefore chastise him and release him, for of necessity
he must release one unto them at the feast. And they cried
out all at once, saying, away with this man, and release unto
us Barabbas, who for a certain sedition made in the city and
for murder was cast into prison. Pilate, therefore, willing to
release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying,
crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third
time, why, what evil hath he done? I found no cause of death
in him. I will therefore chastise him
and let him go. And they were instant with loud
voices requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices
of them and of the chief priest prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence
that he should It should be as they required. And he released
unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison,
whom they desired. But he delivered Jesus to their
will. And as they led him away, they
laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country. And
on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
And there followed him a great company of people and of women,
which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them
said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming,
in the which they shall say blessed are the barren and the wombs
that never bear and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall
they begin to say to the mountains, fall on us, and to the hills,
cover us. For if they do these things in
a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also
two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when
they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they
crucified him. Did you notice the words, the
place? The place which is called Calvary. Not just any place would do. They must come to this specific
place, the place which is called Calvary. It was at this place,
at Golgotha, the place of the skull that the God-man must suffer
and die by divine arrangement. When the Lord set his face to
go up to Jerusalem, he knew what he was doing. He knew where he
was going. He knew what would happen there.
But to Calvary, He must go. What shall I say, he said to
his father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came
I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. As you read the gospel narratives,
you will see clearly that Satan tried to put him to death in
the wilderness. The Jews on numerous occasions
sought to stone him. On one occasion, they sought
to shove him off the precipice of a cliff. Again in Gethsemane,
Satan tried to put an end to his life. That was their hour. He said, mine hour is not yet
come. Even when Judas came and betrayed
him in the garden, he said, this is your hour, the hour of darkness. This is your hour. But mine hour
is not yet come. But now his hour has come. His hour has come. And this is
the hour for which he came into this world and the place for
which he came into this world. The Jews thought they had dragged
him as a helpless victim to the place of his execution, where
they would vent their spleen, their hatred, their malice of
God upon God's darling son. But in reality, he, the king
of glory, had led them to the place where he would by their
wicked hands be put to death and thus elevated to the throne
of his glorious kingdom, the place of his great conquest.
God, the eternal son, had purposed from eternity to come to this
place. It was the object, the desire,
the purpose of his heart to come to this place before the world
began. as he sat with his disciples
in the previous chapter, and broke with them the bread and
wine, establishing for the first time the blessed ordinance of
the Lord's Supper that we observe today. The Lord Jesus said as
they kept that final Passover, the very last one, He said, with
desire, I've desired to eat this bread and drink this wine with
you. He said, I had desired, I had desired, with desire no
man can understand for this day, for this hour, for the things
that shall be accomplished here. This is the thing that he had
on his heart and his mind from old eternity when in covenant
mercy he stood forth as our shepherd and struck hands with his father
and said he would come to redeem his people. And he said, Lord,
I come to do thy will. Oh, my God. And when he finally
came into this world through the womb of his virgin mother,
the Lord Jesus says as he's breaking his mother's womb, Lo, I come
to do thy will, O God. This is the thing he had on his
heart when he said he set his face like a flint. He set his
face like a flint to go up to Jerusalem. The disciples said,
Lord, the Jews of old have sought to stone you. But he set his
face like a flint. He would not be deterred. He
was determined to go to Calvary. The fact is, it could truthfully
be said, it should truthfully be said, that the great purpose
for which God created this world was that in the fullness of time,
the Lord of glory might come to this place. Our great Redeemer
from old eternity fixed his heart on the place called Calvary,
the cause of his everlasting love for his people and his determination
to glorify the triune God in the redemption of his people.
In my mind's eye, As I read through the scriptures, I try to picture
the Lord Jesus, our Savior, God's darling Son, marching through
history throughout the ages of time, marching through history
in a direct path, in a direct path, never turning to the right
hand or to the left, but in a direct path for that which we read about
here in Luke chapter 23, where He's brought to Calvary, the
place called Calvary, where they crucified him as a common thief. Indeed, crucified him between
two thieves as though he were the worst of the three. I call
on you now to come with me to Calvary, the place called Calvary. That's my subject. I have but
one purpose in bringing this message. I want you to behold
the wonders of Calvary. And being overcome by the love
and grace and mercy of God revealed in Christ Jesus our crucified
Savior. I want your soul to be conquered
by Him. And He calls you to believe Him
so that you trust your soul to Him now. And I want us who are
His wants more that our souls may be ravished with him and
his love for us. That he may, by the revelation
of himself, compel us, compel us to give ourselves in wholehearted
devotion and consecration to him. Except he compel us, Darwin,
we won't do it. Oh, son of God, so make yourself
known that we are forced to embrace you with passion and with love
and devotion. Now, I want to raise and answer
four or five questions. I will be very brief. Not questions
about curious things. Children of God, especially you
preachers, learn this. Every time you have curious ideas
about scripture, especially curious questions about the accomplishments
of our Redeemer. Push them aside. Push them down. Don't seek an answer to your
curiosity. All that is is carnal questions
about nothing. Don't seek an answer to your
curiosity. We're not here to have our curiosity
satisfied. But rather we want to know and
worship our Redeemer in the glory of his accomplishments as our
Redeemer at Calvary. Here's the first question. Read
through this gospel narrative in Luke. Go back and read Matthew
and Mark and John's account. And you see who was there? To be sure there were multitudes
who gathered around the hideous site. It was the sport of depraved
minds in those days for wicked men to watch men being executed
in the most torturous manner. Wicked men of every rank were
gathered around the cross at Calvary. Self-righteous Pharisees
joined in sport with Roman soldiers whom they hated. Refined, educated
men joined with uncouth men of the streets in their diabolical
amusements. Housewives and harlots danced
together around the cross. Women and children joined the
hellish concert with the songs of drunkards. But they don't
interest me. I hope they don't interest you.
The world really should never interest us much. The people
of this world should never really interest us much. The events
of this world should never really interest us much. The things
of this world should never really interest us much. Those people
are all insignificant. But there were some people there
we might expect not to be there. And there were some people who
were not there we might have expected to be there. Where were
those disciples who boasted that they had forsaken all and followed
the Lord? Where were those chosen men,
those apostles who had walked with our master as he said in
all his temptation? They walked with him for three
and a half years. They walked with him through all the time
of his earthly ministry, through all of his temptation on this
earth. Where was that bold and boastful Peter? Where were the thousands who
had been fed by the loaves and fishes? The people who had been
made to witness astounding miracles. People who saw him raised folks
not just from the bed of affliction and adversity, but saw him raise
people from the dead. Where were they? Where were our
Savior's kinsmen? Our Lord had prophesied, and
so it came to pass. I had trodden the winepress alone,
and of the people there was none with me. He said, reproach hath
broken mine heart. I'm full of heaviness. I looked
for some to take pity, but there was none. And for comforters,
but I found none. But then there were some there
that I wouldn't have expected to be there if Peter wasn't there. This man who drew out his sword
and cut off the high priest servant's ear in defense of the master,
a bold man. These apostles who had followed
the Lord through thick and thin, if they weren't there, I certainly
wouldn't have expected these others to be there. We read in
the scripture here about a man named Simon, a Cyridian, who
carried the Savior's cross. It's recorded for us by Matthew,
Mark, and Luke. As our Lord Jesus was coming
forth to suffer without the gate, fulfilling the type of the red
heifer, This man Simon was compelled to bear the cross, following
the Savior to the place of sacrifice. Why did God the Holy Spirit tell
us that? Why this man out of all the hundreds,
maybe thousands gathered around the cross on that day, why tell
us about this man? This Cyrenian, this black man? The Lord used this bloodthirsty
mob, a mob of lost religionists, a mob of Roman pagans to gather
one of his elect to the Savior. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that
wonderful? All things, all things That includes every
devil in hell and every wicked man on the earth. Accomplish
his will perfectly. Perfectly. Not women. They're ignorant of what they're
doing. But perfectly. The time had come for this man,
the Cyrenian, to be born of God. Brother Don, how do you know?
There's no indication here that this man knew God. No indication
that he had any interest in the things going on here, except
of his curiosity. Gathered here with this hellish
crowd. But the scriptures make it clear that something happened
to this man afterwards. Because his wife And his two
sons, Alexander and Rufus, were people of renown in the early
church. This day, God takes the ungodly
man who thirsted for the blood of his son, who forced this man
to compel him to carry the Savior's cross. God uses them to give
this man a revelation of his son. and the things that he must
have seen and heard like that dying thief or certainly means
by which God might graciously reveal himself to him. Simon's
name means hearkening and obedient. None are fit to bear and none
will bear the cross of Christ except those who hearken to his
voice and are obedient to his call being made willing in the
day of his power and this man Simon was compelled to carry
the Savior's cross. It's what the master calls for
you to do, isn't it? He said, except you take up my cross and
follow me, you cannot be my disciples. Except the man take up his cross
and follow me, he cannot be my disciple. except you lay down
your life and take up my cross and follow me you cannot be my
disciple except you hate father and mother and brother and sister
yea in your own life also you cannot be my disciple that's
what it means David Coleman to take up your cross and follow
him well ain't nobody gonna do that ain't nobody gonna do that
you're not gonna do it and I'm not gonna do it Donnie Bell you'd
never do it except he compel you to. Except he sweetly force you to
do so. You will never take up his cross
and follow him. And if he sweetly forces you
to, you do so gladly with a willing heart. You serve him because
you want to, because he sweetly compels it. There were some other
folks there Some devoted believers there, but not the men. Some women. Three Marys were
there. Mary, the mother of our Lord,
who heard from the angel, she's carrying God in her belly. Mary,
the mother of our Lord, who heard Simeon speak in the temple how
he was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Mary
who understood that he who is Born of her womb is God the eternal
son by whom she was made and created Mary who worshipped her
Redeemer even as she was in her womb as her Redeemer She stayed
by him right to the end Mary, the mother of James and John,
Zebedee's sons, she was with him. And Mary, that woman out
of whom he cast seven devils, who broke the alabaster box,
precious ointment, and washed his feet with her tears and wiped
them with her hair, anointing him for his burial, she was there. Holy, courageous, bold, beyond
any of the men who taught them. Holy, courageous, and bold simply
because of their devotion to, love for, attachment to, and
God-given faith in the Redeemer. They stay with Him to the end.
But the thing that's most important is that God was there. All three
persons of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I love the way Abraham spoke
when he was taking Isaac up to Mount Moriah. Remember I spoke,
Abraham and Isaac, they got up early in the morning and they
went up both of them together to the Mount. And there they
both worship God and they came back down from the mount together
worshiping God. So it is with the triune Jehovah. Before the world began, in the
dawning of time, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
agreed together in covenant love to redeem and save our souls
by the sacrifice of God the Son, our Mediator, the Redeemer. And
throughout the ages of time, the Father, Son, and the Holy
Spirit manipulate and govern all the affairs of the universe
to bring this to pass. And while he's at Calvary, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost are present performing the work that they
had agreed to from eternity. And now that he's risen again,
having satisfied justice on our behalf, having redeemed our souls,
God the Holy Spirit sent forth by God the Father and God the
Son comes and sprinkles our conscience from dead works in the new birth,
giving us life and faith in the Redeemer and causes us now to
be sealed in his grace, sealing to us, sealing to us all the
blessings of covenant mercy and love. Not only was God there,
all God's elect were there. Turn to Galatians chapter two,
Galatians two. The Lord Jesus did not die as
a private person. Soon I will breathe my last breath. And when I have, I will die.
Nobody else. Should the occasion come that
someone were to attack my family, my wife, my daughter, my grandchildren,
my son-in-law, and I stepped in, in rescuing their lives,
I gave my life for them. Gladly doing so. Still, I die
as a private person. The Lord Jesus did not die as
a private person. When the scriptures speak of
him laying down his life for his people. The good shepherd
giving his life for the sheep. It's not talking about one man
willing to die for another man. No, no, no, no, no, no. He died
in the stead of his people. But more than that, when he died
for us, we died in him. Now please understand this. The
crux of redemption is right here. The vital necessity is right
here. When he died for his people,
all his people died with him and in him when he died. Now
let's see if the book says so. Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. In the second chapter of Galatians,
the Apostle Paul is showing us the salvation by grace alone,
without works. He asserts that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ. Not by faith in Jesus Christ,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ. By the faithful obedience of
God the Son in our flesh as our substitute. By Christ's faithfulness
unto death as our surety. Now look at verse 19. Paul continues. For I, through the law, am dead
to the law, that I might live unto God. How on this earth can
a man become dead to the law? dead to the law. I don't mean
it's just as if the law didn't have any effect on him. Please
get this. I've been telling our congregation
here over and over and over the last several months. God doesn't
play pretend. God never plays pretend. If God says I'm dead to the law,
that means I'm flat out dead to the law. But how can that
be? I've got to be dead. I've got to be dead. The law
pursues a man who's committed a horrible crime. And the law
is after the man. And the man gets away with it.
And he gets away with it. Finally, the law catches him.
And when they start to arrest him, they have a shootout. And
the fellow is killed on the spot. He's dead to the law. He's dead to the law. That's
the only way. When he quits breathing, he's
dead to the law. What? Paul, how can it be you
living say I am dead to the law that I might live unto God? Read
the next verse and you'll get the answer. I am crucified with
Christ. That's not talking about beating
yourself to death and say, well, I will crucify the flesh. I'm
going to quit eating potato chips with salt on them. That's not
what it's all about. What's he saying? If you care
to look it up for yourself, you can. This is how it literally
reads. I was crucified with Christ. When Jesus Christ died, I died. When God executed his son, he
executed me. When God put his son to death,
he put me to death. I was crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless, I live! Does Christ live again? Does
Christ live again? He doesn't live as a private
person. He doesn't live in our stead
alone. He lives as one with his people
and we live in him having been raised up together with him and
made to sit down with him in heavenly places. Well that's
talking about, you know, that's our experience now and we come
after a while Real spiritual plateaus, we ascend up to heavenly
places. No, no, no. It took place, Joe,
when Christ ascended to glory. Took place when Christ ascended
to glory. We sat down with Him. When He
was regenerated, we were regenerated with Him. When He was made to
live, we lived in Him. Now watch this. Nevertheless,
I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. Christ in you, Paul says, is
the hope of glory. In the new birth, this one who
is our life comes and takes up residence in us, causing chosen
redeemed sinners to live in him, giving us everlasting life. And the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. What happened at Calvary? What happened there? Again, I
hope we have more reverence for our Redeemer than to raise questions
only to satisfy curiosity. If you're merely curious about
the events of that great Passover, You'll leave here empty. But
the answer to this question, what happened to Calvary, will
prove to be most blessed to your soul if you come here to worship
our Redeemer. He who was crucified between
two thieves was there crucified as though he were the vilest
of the three. And with our hearts fixed upon him, the God-man who
suffers upon the curse tree, Let's look around this place
called Calvary and see what's taking place. Here we read that Pilate delivered
Jesus to their will. Verse 25. Isn't that an astounding
statement? Pilate delivered Jesus to their
will. if I could bring no more charge
against the blasphemy of free will religion and the blasphemy
of man's imaginary free will. This is sufficient to denounce
it forever. Pilate delivered Jesus to their
will and this is the will of man always kill God. You see, the carnal mind is enmity
against God. The carnal mind is hatred of
God. The carnal mind is hatred of
God. Every natural man, every child born of a woman, every
son, every daughter, every man, every woman by nature lives in
continual hatred of God. And if you could get your hands
on it, you'd nail him to the tree. That's exactly what these
men did when they exercised their will. Pilate delivered Jesus
to their will. But now watch what happened.
I see here a most unusual thing. Here the free will of wicked
men perfectly, precisely accomplished
the sovereign will of God Almighty from eternity. What did the book
say? These men with their wicked hands
crucified and slew the Lord of glory, Acts chapter 2. Him being
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. I love to read gospel narratives
in the light of the Old Testament because it looks like, it looks
like when you get to the trial, the mock trial, the arrest of
our Savior, the mock trial, His betrayal, His crucifixion, all
those things, it looks like those wicked men those Jews, and the
soldiers, and Judas, and Pilate, and Herod, it looks like they,
wait a minute, what did the psalmist say we're supposed to do next?
That's what we're doing. What's next thing we're supposed
to do? Wait a minute, wait a minute, there's something about that
over in Isaiah. What are we supposed to do next? And that's what they
did. It looks like they were deliberately trying to obey what
God wrote in his word. Looks that way. Looks that way.
But they weren't. They only desired to murder the
Son of God. That's all they desired. But
as they did, they persuaded a friend for 30 pieces
of silver to betray him. His own familiar friend. Just
like he said they would. Psalm 69. They mocked him. He became the son of the drunkard.
just like he said they would. They pierced his hands and his
feet and his side, just like he said they would. They cast
lots for his garments, just like he said they would. Just exactly
like he said they would. They didn't tear it, but cast
lots for it, just like he said they would. Wait, wait, wait.
We're not supposed to tear this thing. We're supposed to keep
it in one whole piece and cast lots for it. watched him as he's crucified.
And they spoke the very words the prophet said they'd speak.
They nailed him up between two thieves because the book said
he would be numbered with the transgressors and would be with
the wicked in his death. They didn't stone him to death.
They didn't kill him with a sword. They didn't throw him off a cliff.
They hung him on a tree because God said, person is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, they took him down from the tree.
But they came by, you know, with a club. And they'd smash the
legs of those fellows, make sure they were dead, it'd be the Sabbath
day. Oh, we can't have him hanging out there on our Sabbath day.
Oh, no, that'd be against the law. Would y'all please go take
the club and smash his legs and make sure he dies before the
Sabbath day begins. Because we can't defile our Sabbath
day. And so the soldier goes out to do so. But the scripture
said, You know what Scripture said? Not a bone of them shall
be broken. You mean preacher? You mean when
men do what they want to by their most vile designs even against
God, they only accomplish what God purposed? Now if that bothers you, I'm
bothered for you. Oh, what solace for my soul.
What comfort for my heart. No man, no devil, no demon, nothing
ever does anything except that which God from eternity ordained
and that which God in time brings to pass exactly according to
His will for the good of my soul, my everlasting good. God teach
me to quit murmuring and griping and complaining and fretting. These wicked men accomplished
God's will perfectly. If I could find that Roman soldier
who pierced the heart of our Lord Jesus, I'd tell him that
the blood he spilled is sufficient atonement for the crime of spilling
it. It's sufficient to put away your
sin too. His blood was spilled at Calvary,
the Lamb who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world, but is now made manifest in due time to you who are His. Standing here at the place called
Calvary, I hear ungodly men, ungodly men, ungodly men, telling
the truth as plainly as any prophet of God ever did. And I find it a great delight,
once in a while, to hear somebody tell the truth, because they
just can't help it. Folks don't do this with me anymore.
They may do it with you still. But every now and then, somebody
comes up and says, well, you know, old Jimmy Swaggart, boy, I've heard
him say some good things. I've heard drunk say some good
things. I was sitting at the table with
them stuck in the Cincinnati airport and a drunk came over
talking to my wife. They got a little bit loud, but
he was just as polite as he'd be, called her ma'am. Just like I was taught to say.
I've heard drunks say some good things. God forces folks to say
things when he wants certain people to hear them. Wasn't there a high priest named
Caiaphas? who said it's expedient that one man die for the people
and the nation perish not. And he told the truth. There
was a man by the name of Balaam who declared God's never beheld
iniquity in Israel. He'd never seen transgression
in Judah. That's what he said. And I'd like to have been the
first person to say that, but he was. He said it well. Now listen to what men said.
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders They poked fun. They laughed
at him. They said, he saved others. Himself he cannot save. Oh, thank God that's true. That's
true. He saved you, but he can't save
himself. Either you die, he dies. He saved others himself he cannot
save. Pilate said, I find no fault in him at all. He had a large sign printed up.
And had it hung on the top of the cross. I don't have any idea
what was written on the other two. But it had a sign hung up.
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. And the Jews came, oh,
don't, don't, don't say that, no, don't say that. And for the
first time in his life, that man got a backbone. He's what
I've written, I've written, ain't gonna change it. How come you
reckon? because God was determined that
everybody who passed by the cross, Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, it
was written in the three languages, could not help knowing this one
who's hanging here is Jesus, the man, Jehovah, the Savior,
the King of the Jews, whom all the Jews have been looking for
for 2,000 years. One of the Roman soldiers looked
at him at the end of the day, After the sun had darkened for
three hours, the veil of the temple was ripped in twain. Folks
got up out of the graves and walked the streets of Jerusalem.
He said, surely this man was the son of God. I'm going to tell you what, you're
going to hear some good preaching this week, but you never heard
any better preaching than those things. You never heard better
things than those things. Surely faith come by hearing
and hearing by the word of God These were the preachers God
sent to preach to Simon the Cyrenian These were the preachers God
sent to preach to that chosen dying thief hanging at the Lord's
side Behold again the place called Calvary There an innocent man
died in the place of a guilty man. We read that Pilate must
of necessity set one free. Reckon who forced him to? The
Jews didn't. The Roman government didn't require
it. They just had a custom. It wasn't a law. It was just
a custom. In order to appease the Jews,
whom they held as enslaved under their rule, they would own the
Passover. In the honor of the Jews, Passover,
to make the Jews feel good about celebrating the Passover, they
would release one prisoner. They'd release one prisoner to
them. Every Passover, they did so by custom. But the book of
God says, He must of necessity release one into them. Why? Because
God ordered it. God ordered it. And if God ordered
it, it's coming to pass. Well, how did Luke know that?
I don't know that Luke did, but the Spirit of God who wrote the
book did. It must of necessity release one to them. How come?
Because the whole thing, the whole thing, in all that transpired
that day was to reveal one thing. One thing. This man dies in the
room of other men. This man dies for the crimes
of other men. This man dies in the stead of
other men. This man dies as a substitute
man. But there's something that couldn't
be done. There's something that couldn't be done. I've been studying
this several days now. And just this morning, I believe
God showed me something. I believe he did. He did, or
the devil did, or somebody did. But I believe God did. You can
figure it out. Pilate did not charge the Savior
with Barabbas' crimes. Find it. What's his charge? This is Jesus,
the King of the Jews. Why not put down there he's dying
for an insurrectionist and a murderer? Why not put down there he's dying
for a thief, an insurrectionist, and a murderer? Barabbas! He
died in Barabbas's place, but he could not be made chargeable
with Barabbas's crimes. Law won't allow that. Not even
Roman law won't allow that. Won't allow that. You can't charge
a man for something of which he's not guilty and prove it. You can't do it. You can't do
it. Get some false witnesses to rig
it. Well, the Jews got some false witnesses. But Pilate still didn't
charge him with Barabbas' crime. They cried, release Barabbas
to us. Crucify him. But never was he charged with
his crimes. You see, the type never fulfills
the anti-type. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
5, and I'll wrap this up. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Christ was made a
curse. Our crimes were imputed to him. Our crimes were imputed to him. But God doesn't play pretend. God doesn't play pretend. God
didn't just treat him as if our crimes were imputed to him, as
if he were one of us, as if he were guilty. God made him the
curse when God made him sin for us. For he, verse 21, 2 Corinthians
5, hath made him to be sin for us I'm not looking for something
to say I want you to hear what God said and worship God made his son to be sin for
us So real, so true, that he said
there'd never been any sorrow like my sorrow. He said the Lord
bound up my transgressions and hung them on my neck. He said
my iniquity is more than I can bear. I can't look up. My transgressions
are more than the hairs in my head. My heart fails me. made him to be sin for us. And when he did, Jehovah said,
Awake, O sword, against the man that is my fellow, and smite
and slay the shepherd. And God slaughtered his son. God slaughtered his son. I can't
find a word sufficient to describe the horrendous death he died.
Slaughter is too pleasant. That's the best I can do. God
slaughtered his son in the fury of his anger when he made him
sin for us. Because God will not pass by
iniquity. God will not ignore transgression. God will not pretend the sin
didn't happen. But where God finds it, God punishes
it and punishes it and punishes it until there's nothing left
to punish. So it was when he made him to
be sin for us who knew no sin. He punished our sins until justice
said enough. Enough? That's enough! I require no more and sin is
vanquished. Put away. And he was justified. Made righteous. He did this that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The righteousness God in him
now look here look here The ugliest Monster of Adams
race I've ever known is the one talking to you And the most perfect, righteous,
holy human being you shall ever know is the one talking to you. What's that called? Made the
righteousness of God in him. and without blame by free grace
through blood atonement shed at Calvary. Amen.