Turn with me this morning to
Matthew 26. I'm going to back up a little bit this morning
and pick up a verse that I read to you several weeks ago. But I didn't expound on this.
I had a different subject. And I want to go back and pick
this up. The lesson this morning is this,
forsaken of all. Forsaken of all. Now look here in Matthew 26,
just one verse of Scripture, verse 56. And all this was done. All of
what? All of his betrayal? the mob
coming to take him with swords and clubs, the son of perdition
manifesting himself, and his earthly ministry coming to a
close after this was done. After. Now, all this was done that the
Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples
forsook him. These were his loyal followers. These were his trusted friends.
These were his fellow laborers. And now one shows up with a lynch
mob having betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver. And all the
rest, in the light of what's going on, forsook him and fled. And standing alone in the presence
of this mob is one who is forsaken of all. My question is this,
why? Why? Why must our Savior be forsaken
of all? Why must He be put through such
indignation and shame? Why must the Son of God be given
over into wicked hands to be crucified as a common criminal? I don't know about you, but when
I was growing up, and I derived this from what I was hearing,
I didn't know a whole lot about doctrine, but I derived this
point from what I was hearing. We seldom think of the cross
as the punishment of a capital crime. That's not how I thought
of it when I was growing up. Is that how you thought of it?
The cross, the cross, the cross. They talk about the cross. But
they never, no one, no preacher that I ever heard ever set the
cross out and told me that the cross, crucifixion under the
Roman government, was the punishment of a capital crime. This was
the electric chair. This was the gas chamber. This
was a public hanging. This is where they took people
who were guilty of sedition and murder, capital offenses, insurrection,
that type of thing, and they took them there and they crucified
them. They didn't only take our Lord
out and by wicked hands crucified Him, but they set Him up as a
common criminal, one guilty of capital offenses. The worst,
the worst of sinners. Why must the Son of God be forsaken
of all? Well, He tells us in this verse,
first of all, because the Scripture said He would. That's why. All this was done that the Scriptures
might be fulfilled. They had to. It had to be this
way. Well, it could have been this
way, I heard a man say one time. No, it couldn't. It had to be
this way. Because this is the way God said
it would be done. And He's not going to vary from
the Scriptures. We need to learn that. Not just
about this, but about everything. He's not going to vary from His
Scriptures. If He states a thing in the Word,
that's the way it's going to be. Just write it down. When John the Baptist came preaching
the Gospel, he preached from the Old Testament Scriptures.
He preached that the Redeemer was coming, was at hand. And
he preached that from the Old Testament Scriptures. He preached
baptism. Where in the world did he get
that from? Old Testament Scriptures. There wasn't a New Testament.
And John himself was a prophet, the same as Isaiah and all the
rest. And then when Christ came and
announced to the people who He was, He read from the Old Testament
prophet, Isaiah. And He said, this day is the
Scripture fulfilled in your ears. And over and over as He walked
in this world and went here and there and He repeated these words, to different
men in different situations, he said that the Scriptures might
be fulfilled over and over. There is not even a remote possibility
that any portion of the Word of God will go unfulfilled. Not even a possibility. I wish
the young kids were here this morning so I could talk to them
a little bit on this point. This world is going to do everything
in its power to lump the Word of God with every other worldly
superstitious that there is and teach it to your children. That's
what they're going to do. They're going to do that. They're
going to say, My son, he was raised hearing the gospel, raised
listening to Don preach and different ones, and he knows Brother Henry
and he knows some of these other preachers. We used to have him
in our house when he was just a baby. He used to camp right
outside of Henry's room and wait on him to come out. He wouldn't
make a sound, he'd just sit there. But later on he went to college
and they took him out and they showed him how this religion
began and that religion began and then the Jews began to form
and this and made it look like it was an evolution, an evolution
from worldly religion right into the religion of Christ. The world
is going to lump all that superstitious nonsense, all those worldly principles
and errors, all these false religions, they're going to lump it all
up into one big lump. And it's going to make it all
appear to be just superstitious. Let me tell you this. There's
not a single prophecy, promise, or declaration between the covers
of this book that has went unfulfilled. Not one. Not a single one. God never said anything that
did not come to pass. In fact, he said, here's how
you're going to know my prophets. If they tell you something and
it don't come to pass, he ain't my prophet. Take him out and
stone him. Boy, that will keep men from preaching what's on
their own heart. Listen to this. Isaiah said this,
he frustrateth the tokens of liars and maketh diviners mad. He turneth wise men backward,
and maketh their knowledge foolishness. And he confirmeth the word of
his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers." That's
God. You can't find anything that
God ever said that didn't come to pass. So why would I doubt
this book? Why would I doubt this book?
Why would I say, well, that's foolishness? There's not a book
in this world written by any man with this kind of an average. 100% true in everything that
it says. I think you can trust God, don't
you? I think we can believe God. He said, I'm God. There's none
like me. I declare the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand. And I will do all my pleasure."
He said, whether it be a ravenous bird called to do my bidding
that I called from the east, or if it be a man who executed
my counsel brought from a far country, he said, I've spoken
it. I've spoken it. And I also will bring it to pass.
That's Isaiah 46, 9, 10, and 11. Jesus Christ was forsaken by
all to fulfill the Word of God. He must be. And then secondly,
He was forsaken of all because He was here for another. He must
be forsaken because He is a representative man. And I can't say this often
enough, strong enough, or plain enough, Jesus Christ was not
here for Himself. He came here for another. He
came here for His people. He came here as a representative
man. He stood for a people before
God. Turn with me to John chapter
6. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
second person of the Godhead. He is complete in Himself. He
is, Paul said, God over all, blessed forever. You can't add
anything to Him. You can't take anything away
from Him. He is the eternal God. Now listen to what He tells us
here in John 6, verse 38. He said, For I came down from
heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent
Me. And this is the Father's will which has sent Me, that
of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing. but should
raise it up again at the last day. And don't try to apply that
to things. I know that it has some application
to things, but if you'll read the verse preceding this, the
verse that led into these verses, you'll see that he's not talking
about things, he's talking about people. All that the Father giveth
me, see it up there? Shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise He came here to save His people
from their sin, and so His name was called Jesus, Joshua, Savior. And I want you to listen to me.
I know you think you know this, but we don't know it well enough.
We just don't know it well enough. Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 says,
But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His
Son, made of a woman, What does that mean? That means He is the
woman seed promised to Adam and Eve back in Genesis 3.15. That
is what that means. That means He is the sign which
God sent and declared of Himself that a virgin would conceive
and have a child. You can read about that in Isaiah
7, verse 14. To represent men, he must become
a man. Here's a verse we don't read
too often. Over here in Hebrews 2, verse 14. Look at that verse
with me for just a minute. We're talking about why must
he be forsaken of all? He must be forsaken because the
Word of God said he would. He's going to fulfill the Scriptures.
And he must be forsaken of all because he came here as a representative
man. He's not here on his own account. He said, if I was here on my
own account, don't you think I could pray the Father? And
he'd send out ten legions of angels out here. He'd smote everybody
in this place. On one occasion, when the mob
come to get him, they said, who are you? And he said, I am. And
they all fell backward on the ground. But he wasn't here for
himself. He was here as a representative
man. Listen to this here in Hebrews 2, verse 14. For as much then
as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same, that he might destroy him that
had power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who
through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Verily, he took not on him the
nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore,
in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
He was made of a woman, made under the law, that is, subject
to it. under its requirements, threatened
by its curses. Cursed. That's what the Scripture
said. Cursed is everyone who continueth
not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. Made under the law. Now listen.
To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive
the adoption of sons. Why would any man or woman who
have been given the law of God and instructed in the law of
God need to be redeemed. They have got God's law. They
have been instructed exactly what God requires. The words
are written, written by the finger of God in tables of stone. There
is no excuse. Read by the priest every Sabbath. The law was read. I don't know
how many occasions Moses stood up and read the whole law, all
of it, to Israel. Well, why would they have to
be redeemed? Because no man, no fallen son
of Adam, can keep that law. That's why. That's why. Romans chapter 3 verse 20, he
said, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. The more we know about the law,
the more it exposes our wickedness, our evil thoughts. Paul said
he wouldn't have known what covetousness was until he read it in the law. He didn't realize when he was
a Pharisee that God looked on the thoughts and intents of his
heart. He didn't know that. Oh, you mean God requires obedience
in the heart? You bet He does. He requires perfect obedience
in motive, thought, and deed. He don't see like a man sees.
Man looks on the outward countenance. I look on what you do. You show
up. You're dressed up. You come to church. You go home.
That's what I see. I can't see your heart. God sees
why you came. He sees the heart. And Jesus
Christ, as a representative man, was born under the law to do
for us what we could not and would not do for ourselves. He
put Himself under that law. Not only under the law, but He
put Himself under there and then subjected Himself to temptations
persecutions, all of these situations, all of these things. He was,
and yet, maintained a perfect obedience. And He is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believes. So when it comes
to obedience, we've all forsaken Him. And that's what He's showing
these disciples here. You remember what Peter said?
He said, though they all forsake you, Yeah, he said, you will. Yeah, you will. And then as a
representative man, he was appointed as our substitute. He's forsaken
of all because he's forsaken of God for our sins. He cried
on that cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And he's forsaken of all because
he's forsaken of God. Why would God forsake a perfect
man, a righteous man, a loving man, a good man? Because He took our place before
the holy law of God. And He bore our sins in His own
body on the tree. Paul said, God hath made Him
to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him. Explain that, preacher. No, sir,
you explain it. I'm happy with it just the way
it is. I'm happy with it. God will explain it one day.
He'll explain it. And you'll understand it clear
as a bell when He does. Till then, I'm perfectly satisfied
with the way it's stated in His Word. He alone has purged our
sins. Why must He be forsaken of God
to fulfill the Scripture? that He is a representative man
and the substitute for sinners might be fulfilled and manifested. He came into this world as the
substitute for sinners and took our place on that truth. And
then thirdly, to manifest His love. That's why He must be forsaken. To manifest His love to us. As
I said a few minutes ago, Peter proudly boasted Our Lord said
that they were all going to forsake Him. He was going to go down
there. He was going to be turned over to the hands of His enemies.
And all of you are going to forsake Me. And Peter said, wait a minute.
I am not in that mob. I am not going to forsake you.
They might. They might. He doubted everybody there. They
might, but I am not. I don't care if they kill me.
I am not going to forsake you. Then on that sea at day's end,
The Lord performed that miracle and they drawed in all those
fishes. Peter knew who he was. And he came up there on the bank
to greet him. And the Lord looked at him. I
tell you, when the Lord deals with a man, you know he's dealing
with you. And when he asks a question,
you know he's asking you. He ain't asking anybody else.
He's asking you. And you know what he asked him?
He said, Peter, do you love me? Peter said he did. He said he
did. I love you more than they do.
I'm not going to forsake you. But after he forsook him, now
the Lord asked him, in the light of his having forsaken the Lord
Jesus Christ, he said, now, he said, Peter, do you love me?
Do you love me? Now he doesn't talk about what
he knows. He said, Lord, you know all things. You know I love
you. You know I love you. Oh, how
his heart must have sank in shame. He thought about all that he
had done. Listen to this verse. Herein is love, not that we love
God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. God commendeth
His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. And I'll tell you this. When
God broke this sinner's heart, this one who is talking to you
this morning, when He broke my heart, that's how He manifested
His love to me in the light of my having forsaken Him. Forsaken Him. And that's how
He manifested His love to these. When we were yet without strength,
In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. I tell you, you
get a hold of that and you begin to know something about the love
of God. He looked at Peter and he said,
Simon, son of Jonas, Darwin, son of Adam, do you love
me? Do you love me? Do you love me more than these?
Do you love me more than these nets, and more than this world,
and more than this blissful relationships, and more than that life that
you ran to save? Isn't that why they took off?
They knew they were dead men if they stood there with you.
And they all fled. They all fled. Do you love me? Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. All must forsake Him in order
to see His manifest love for them. And to all those to whom
He manifests this love, He graciously beckons. You remember what He
said to them there on the beach? Come and dine. Come and dine. The fish is on the fire. Come
and eat. He's already prepared. All you
have to do is eat. And that's what He says to us. We'll always be guilty of that.
Forsaking Him. Forsaking Him. Forsaking Him.
Day after day. Thing after thing. Forsaking
Him. But here's love. Here's love.
He said, I won't forsake you. You can read about it over in
Romans chapter 8. Neither thing is present. For things to come,
not life nor death nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We've all forsaken Him, but here's the good news. He didn't forsake
us. He didn't forsake us. Thank you.