The title of my message this
morning is Christ Crucified, the Scriptures Fulfilled. Our
text will be John chapter 19, verses 28 through 42. Christ
Crucified, the Scriptures Fulfilled. Now this portion of John's gospel
contains several points of considerable interest which are silently passed
over by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And we're not told why. And since
we're not told why, Matthew, Mark, and Luke were inspired
not to record these things, and John was inspired to record them. Since we're not given a reason
for those things, we should never foolishly seek to know the reason. We should never Read the word
of God and study it merely to satisfy our vain curiosity. Let us rather read the word of
God with the reverence that it deserves, recognizing that what
Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote, they were inspired of God to
write. And what John wrote, he was inspired
of God, the Holy Spirit, to write. So the book we have before us
is indeed the book of God given by divine inspiration to be read
with reverence, with faith, and with submission, ever bowing
to God's revelation. I often have folks tell me, I
don't understand this, I don't understand that. And I tell you
plainly, as I tell people everywhere, when you bow to the word, you
will understand the word. When you bow to God's revelation,
you will understand God's revelation. As long as you insist on trying
to make God's word fit your puny brain and fit in with your illogical
logic and your unreasonable reason, you will never understand this
book. You bow to the word, believing God, and faith gives understanding. All right, let's read together.
John chapter 19, beginning at verse 28. After this, Jesus, knowing that
all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith, I thirst. Now, there was said a vessel
full of vinegar, And they filled a sponge with vinegar and put
it upon his sip and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore
had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. Luke tells
us he cried with a loud voice. It is finished. And he bowed
his head and gave up the ghost. The Jews, therefore, because
it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon
the cross on the Sabbath day, for that Sabbath day was an high
day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that
they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers and break
the legs of the first and of the other, which was crucified
with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was
dead already, that's important, they saw that he was dead already. These seasoned soldiers, they
were not likely to make a mistake about that. They saw that he
was dead already. They break not his legs. But
one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith
came there out blood and water. And he that saw it, that is John
the Apostle, he that saw it bear record, and his record is true.
And he knoweth that he saith true that you might believe. For these things were done that
the scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith,
they shall look on him whom they have pierced. These soldiers
did not break the Lord's legs, because he was dead already,
that the scriptures might be fulfilled, not a bone of him
shall be broken, as was repeatedly given in the Old Testament. And
as Zechariah said, they shall look on him whom they have pierced. So the soldier shoved the spear
through the master's heart. Verse 38. And after this, Joseph
of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear
of the Jews. Besought Pilate that he might
take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave him leave. He
came, therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came
also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night
and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound
weight. Then took they the body of Jesus
and wound it in linen clothes with the spices as the manner
of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was
crucified there was a garden and in the garden a new sepulcher
wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore
because of the Jews preparation day for the sepulcher was nigh
at hand. Our Lord Jesus Christ, God's
darling son incarnate in our nature, lived, died, and was
buried in the sure hope and blessed prospect of his resurrection
glory. And this he did that sinners
might live, die, and go to their graves in the sure hope and blessed
prospect of his resurrection glory. He lived and died and
was buried in hope and in the blessed prospect of his resurrection
that we might live and go to our graves in the blessed prospect
of his resurrection glory. Now there are seven things that
I believe are clearly set before us in this passage of scripture
that I want to give to you this morning. I'll make just seven
statements, and I won't be lengthy dealing with any of them. The
first is this. Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures. At the opening of our service
this morning, I read that statement from 1 Corinthians 15 3. Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Throughout the
biblical accounts of our Lord's crucifixion, we read that the
things done to Him by the hands of wicked men, the things accomplished
in His crucifixion, were done and accomplished specifically
that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. In this 19th chapter
alone, John shows us three things that the scriptures had prophesied
Three things that were done that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
Look at verse 24 They said therefore among themselves. Let us not
rend it that is his vesture but cast lots for it whose it shall
be that the scripture might be fulfilled would say if they parted
my raiment parted my clothes among them and And for my vesture,
they did cast lots. These things, therefore, the
soldiers did. There were four of them. And
they parted his garments among them, each one receiving a little
bit of what he was wearing. But his seamless vesture, his
robe, they did not cut in pieces, but rather they cast lots for
it. And they did this, not out of
respect for him, but that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. Look in Psalm 22. Psalm 22, verse
18. Hold your hands here in John
19. Look at Psalm 22, 18. I want you to see how these things
are plainly written in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus is speaking here
in this 22nd Psalm by the mouth of his servant David. And he
says they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. Back in John 19 verse 28. After
this, Jesus, knowing that all things were accomplished, that
the scripture might be fulfilled, saith I thirst. We read earlier
in Psalm 69, they gave me gall for my meat and in my thirst,
they gave me vinegar to drink. Look at John 19 verse 36. For
these things were done that the scripture might be fulfilled.
The soldiers passed by our Lord Jesus, shoved a spear through
his heart and did not break his bones because the scripture must
be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken. They didn't pierce
him or they didn't break his legs but pierced his heart because
Zechariah said they shall look on me whom they have pierced. In Exodus chapter 12 and in Numbers
chapter 9, both places, the scriptures speak about the Passover and
says, you roast it with fire and not a bone of the Paschal
Lamb shall be broken. Psalm 34 says, he keepeth all
his bones, not one of them is broken. these things were done
that the scriptures might be fulfilled now here specifically
the Spirit of God gives us prophecies from the books of Exodus, Numbers,
the Psalms, and Zechariah, and tells us about three specific
details concerning the crucifixion of our Lord from these portions
of Scripture written hundreds of years, some of them thousands
of years before they came to pass. These details, these details,
not a bone of them shall be broken. They shall look on me whom they
have pierced. In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. I could
easily point you to many, many others. All of these fulfilled
prophecies tell us one thing. Now listen carefully and understand
it. They tell us that the death of
Christ at Calvary was a thing planned, predestined, and prophesied
by our God. Nothing accidental about it.
Not a second thought here. When I was in Bible college,
we, in both the colleges I attended, our textbook principally for
theology was a Schofield reference Bible. If you have one, I suggest
that you put it on the shelf and don't pay any attention to
the notes. Don't get Bibles that have men's
notes in them. They'll mess your thinking up.
Read the Bible as it is written. Read the scriptures as they're
written. Don't read what I say about the Bible as though it
is the Word of God. The Schofield reference Bible
suggests that the Lord Jesus actually did come here to be
a king in Jerusalem, to set up his throne over yonder in that
little scrap of land about the size of New Jersey. There he
was going to set up a monarchy and make the Jews heads over
all the races of men, king over all the earth. He would sit in
Jerusalem on a earthly material throne like David did. But since
the Jews would not pretty please let him be their king, God had
plan B. And plan B was that he would
crucify his son and set him up in heaven and he would save his
people by redemption and then he would come again at the last
day and then be king in Jerusalem as if the Jews might pretty please
let him be there. Well, redemption is not plan
B. It's the only plan there was.
The only purpose there was. Everything done to and done by
the Son of God in his death at Calvary was exactly according
to the purpose of God from eternity and was prophesied in detail
by the Old Testament prophets. From first to last, everything
was accomplished by divine purpose. Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures. Now, I stress the point that
these things were prophesied as they were hundreds of years
before Christ came, some of them at least 2,000 years before he
came into this world. I stress that because I want
you to understand something. See what you got in your lap
right there, Bob? That is the word of God. That book you hold in your lap,
is God's Word. Anything else that pretends to
be a word from God is a fabrication of man. And I'm about to demonstrate
it to anyone who is the least bit reasonable, to anyone who
just thinks a little bit. This book alone is given by inspiration
of God. The prophets did not merely foretell
Christ's death. Had they merely foretold that
the Messiah would somehow, by some means or other, at some
time die, that would not have been terribly significant. But
the prophets foretold the particular details of his death. I'm talking
about in the very words that were later used to describe what
came to pass. It's impossible to explain so
many accomplishments of specific details by any means except this,
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. All scripture, all scripture
is given by inspiration of God, is breathed of God. All scripture
is that which God has given us inherently upon the pages of
this book, God breathed, inspired by God. To say that these things
came to pass, well, so David said they cast lots for his vesture
and they parted his garments and then the soldiers parted
his garments and they cast lots for his vesture. For Zechariah
said they shall look on me whom they have pierced and so the
soldier shoved a spear in his side. For the prophets to say
not a bone of him shall be broken. So they came by and they broke
the legs of this thief and that thief and they came to the Lord
Jesus and he had already given up the ghost. He had already
dismissed his spirit. He was dead already. So they
did not break his leg. Well, that was just a remarkable
coincidence. You can't put any stock in that.
That was just coincidental. Those things aren't real prophecies.
The very words spoken in Scripture came to pass exactly as they
were spoken in Scripture. To deny that is as preposterous and absurd
as it is blasphemous. The only rational account of
these prophets and their fulfillment is the divine, inerrant inspiration
of this book. The prophets who told God's elect
the details of the crucifixion of their Redeemer and ours, hundreds
of years before they were accomplished, were inspired by the only Lord
God who knows the end from the beginning and does it. The book
of God must never be read. Never read this book as though
it were a mere book of human composition. I will often say
when I'm preaching, John wrote, or Paul wrote, or Peter wrote,
or Isaiah wrote. I try to remember to say, God
the Holy Spirit by John wrote. Or simply to say, God the Holy
Spirit has recorded this, because this is not merely the composition
of Peter, James, and John, Isaiah, and the other prophets. This
book, while God the Spirit used those men in their personalities
and in their characters, wrote this book by himself. God the
Spirit did that. It's inspired of God. The infidel
who denies this runs in the face of all reason and credibility. Those who regard the repeated
fulfillment of minute prophecy about Christ's death, such as
the prophecies about his clothes, his thirst, his pierced side,
and his bones not being broken as the result of chance, They
say this is just a matter of accident, just a coincidence,
not a matter of design. Do so by blind rebellion. Rebellion that renders them incapable
of rational thought with regard to the things of God. Now, I
chose my words deliberately. Merle Hart, anybody, anybody,
who refuses to recognize these prophecies are plainly inspired
of God, does so because of a rebellion that makes rational thought with
regard to divine things an impossibility. Well, why do you say that? Pay
them no attention. Pay no attention to it. Do not
regard their opinion. Well, I'd just like to know what
these fellows think. You'd be smart to quit questioning what
they think and pay attention to what God says. When you see
these programs come on television and they're supposed to investigate
the Bible and the mysteries of the Bible and the miracles of
the Bible and the life of Jesus and all the stupidity. that they say concerning those
things. Well, this is how we will explain what happened at
the Red Sea. This is how we will explain the
account about Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt
and fire and brimstone raining down upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
And what they mean by that is that this is how we trash God's
word and make faith in God as confusing as we possibly can.
Give no heed to anyone who gives an opinion about this book who
does not recognize that this is God's Word. All right, second,
back in our text in John 19. We must rest our souls upon the
finished work of Christ. After this, Jesus, knowing that
all things were now accomplished, verse 28, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, saith I first. Now there was set a vessel full
of vinegar and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon
hyssop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus, therefore, had received
the vinegar, he said it is finished. And bowed his head and gave up
the ghost. Our Lord's work was accomplished. He cried, it's finished. This is that death of which Moses
and Elijah spoke to him on the Mount of Transfiguration that
he should accomplish at Jerusalem. He had honored God's law in his
life of perfect obedience and holiness as our representative.
Now, by his suffering and death under the wrath of God against
sin, the sins of his people that were made his, our Lord Jesus
had fully satisfied divine justice as our substitute. That the scripture
might be fulfilled, he cried, I thirst. He suffered the burning
thirst of hell that we might drink the water of life and never
thirst. Then, once it was all done, he
cried with a loud voice, it is finished. It is finished. What was finished? All the prophets,
all the types and ceremonies of the law, all the commandments
of the law, all the wrath and justice and fury of God against
sin, all the curse of the law, All righteousness and all our
salvation was finished. Christ came into the world to
save sinners. And when he finished his work,
he said, it's finished. He came here to save his people
from their sins. And when he finished his work,
he cried, it's finished, bowed his head and said, father, into
thy hands, I commend my spirit and gave up the ghost. And when
he did with his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. The work then
was finished. We trust. our Lord Jesus Christ
in his finished work of redemption. The proof that it's finished
is his resurrection from the dead. Salvation and eternal life
is the gift of God, not of works on our part, but altogether through
the substitute, his person and his work. Tis done, the great
transaction's done. I am my Lord's and he is mine. We can add nothing to the work. Nothing. Our only righteousness
is His obedience. Our only atonement is His blood. Our only satisfaction for sin
is His sacrifice. We find everything in Him. The only way you will ever have
life before God is to trust the finished work of Christ. Cast
your deadly doing down, down at Jesus' feet. Stand in Him,
in Him alone, gloriously complete. Trusting Christ's finished work,
we lack nothing. What does the book say? Ye are
complete in Him. Would you be complete before
God? What would you give? What would
you give? to stand before God complete
so that God himself could not ask for, seek, or accept anything
more. That's completeness. That completeness
is Christ the Lord. For of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. As it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. All right, here's a third thing. Our Lord Jesus really did die
under the wrath of God as our substitute. It was late in the
afternoon. The Jews' Passover was at hand. Their Passover began immediately
after sunset. And so the Jews came to Pilate
and asked him to break the legs of those who were hanging on
the crosses so that they might take down their bodies before
their Sabbath began, because to have a body hanging on a tree
while the Sabbath commenced would defile their holy day. What hypocrisy. What hypocrisy. What religious hypocrisy. These men thought nothing of
crucifying the Son of God. They thought nothing of hiring
men to lie to bring accusations against Him. They thought nothing
of falsely accusing him. I'm not talking about they just
they thought maybe these things might have been so. They knew
they concocted lying accusations against him in order to have
him put to death. They thirsted for his blood. But they were scared to death
of messing up their Sabbath day. Of defiling their Sabbath day.
Corrupting their Sabbath day. So the soldiers broke the legs
of the two thieves. But when they came to the Lord
Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they didn't break his
legs. Not out of compassion, that wasn't
the case. As we see in the next verse,
one of them took a spear and shoved it through his heart. What restrained them then? God's purpose and God's providence. For God said, not a bone of him
shall be broken. Oh, how minute is the care of
God for his people that he gives us this word and the soldiers
Who shouldn't have thought anything about breaking his legs. Why
would they even spare them? So he's dead already? These fellas
had beat him. They'd mocked him. They'd spit
on him. They'd pulled out his beard. They had hit him with
a reed. They shoved a crown of thorns
on his head. They nailed him to the tree. They stripped him
naked. They cast lots for his vesture. They parted his garments.
What would move them then? Well, he's dead already. Let's
just leave him alone. No. their hard, venomous hearts would
most naturally take the mallet and crush his legs anyway. Let's
just give him one more blow. But no, they walked by him, put
the mallet down, shoved a spear in his side. Because God Almighty
would have us to understand that this is all together according
to his purpose. And that he rules the world,
even the hearts and thoughts and deeds of the most maliciously
wicked men only to accomplish his purpose. Larry, these soldiers
didn't have a clue, but they were as fully the servants of
God as the man preaching to you right now. Unwittingly and unwillingly,
but they were God's servants. Understand this, all men, all
angels, all devils, all the righteous and all the unrighteous, all
events in creation, everything serves our God for the saving
of his people and the glory of his name. These soldiers passed
by the master with their mallet and shoved a spear through his
heart because the piercing of his heart is what the scriptures
required. And now the soldiers demonstrate
clearly his life is gone. For there came out of his side
water and blood. His heart was pierced. This was
not his death stroke. He had already dismissed his
spirit. But by this means, the soldiers demonstrate irrefutably
that the one hanging on the tree really did die. Why is that so
important? Do you know there are brilliant
fools who would pretend to be teachers of the word of
God who will tell you that Jesus didn't really die. He just kind
of fainted. He just swooned. Why, you know
the resurrection's an impossibility, don't you? Why, that's not biologically
possible. A man can't be raised from the
dead. No, he just suffered these things
in his body as an example for us to follow and surrendering
our lives to God. But he didn't really die. Let
me tell you something. Everything about our savior's
crucifixion and death was real. Alan Kidby, he really did bear
your sin and your guilt before God. If that's not real, you don't
really have His righteousness. He really was made a curse for
us. If that wasn't real, we are not
really blessed of God in Him. He really did die. If that's not real, We don't
really have life before God. You see, the whole of our faith,
the whole of Christianity, stands or falls with our Lord's death
and his resurrection. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians
15. Look at verse 14. If Christ be not risen, then
is our preaching vain, meaningless, empty, just a bunch of noise.
And your faith is also vain. Your faith, well, your faith
is just a religious superstition. Your faith is a bunch of religious
hooey. Yea, and we have found false
witnesses of God, because we have testified that God raised
up Christ, whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise
not. For if the dead rise not, then
is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain, and you're yet in your sins. All right,
here's the fourth thing. The crucified Lamb of God is
a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. The soldier shoved
his spear through the Savior's heart. And forthwith came thereout
water and blood. Water and blood. In that day,
Zechariah said, there shall be a fountain open to the house
of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. Look at how this fountain is
described in 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. Verse 6. This is He that came by water
and blood. Even Jesus Christ, not by water
only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. And there are three that bear
witness on earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood. And these three agree in one.
Why water and blood? Why this emphasis? Why this emphasis? First, it is a declaration that
our Lord's heart was pierced. But then John speaks of this
as having a connection with our everlasting salvation. Water
and blood. Speaking of both redemption and
regeneration. Of both justification and sanctification. Let the water and the blood from
thy wounded side from float be of sin the double cure save from
wrath and make me pure the water and the blood. When we are washed
with the water of the spirit of God, by the word of God in
regeneration, the blood of Christ is sprinkled on our consciences
and we are justified and sanctified by the crucified redeemer. All
right, here's the fifth thing back in our text. The man Jesus
of Nazareth is himself God. Let me put that in a way that
will just shock. Some fellows, they'll
be fully convinced your pastor is just ignorant, he doesn't
understand anything. Jesus is God. Jesus is God. Not a representative
of God. Not like God. not a God, Jesus,
the man, is God eternal. Now let's see if I can make good
on that. Look in John chapter 19, verse 37. Again, another
scripture saith, they shall look on him whom they have pierced. Here's John. He said, I'm telling
you what I've seen is so. I'm telling you it's true. I
was there, I saw it, this is so. That soldier shoved his spear
in his side, and forthwith came there out water and blood. Because the scripture said, they
shall look on him whom they pierced. You see that? John says, the
scripture says, they shall look on him, that man, Rachander,
the one hanging there with human spit, and his own blood covering
his monstrously hideous looking body when he bears the wrath
of God and the hatred of man as our substitute. Him, they
shall look on Him whom they have pierced. But do you know what
the scripture said, Jerry? Zechariah chapter 12 verse 10. God, the Lord Jehovah spoke and
said they shall look on Me, whom they have pierced. They shall look on Me, God says,
whom they have pierced. John says, the scripture says
they shall look on Him, whom they have pierced. John is declaring
with subtle sweetness, this man who dies as our substitute at
Calvary is himself God. If he's not God, Babi Estes,
he's a liar, a charlatan, and a fake. If he's not God, he is
not incarnate. If he's not God, he is not our
Redeemer. If he's not God, he is not the
Lord our righteousness. If he's not God, he is not Jehovah
Jesus, God our Savior. Because only God can satisfy
justice. Only the infinite one can bring
in everlasting righteousness. Only God can please God. This man, Jesus of Nazareth,
is himself God. All right. Here's the sixth thing,
and I want you to be sure you get this. I want you to get this. Our blessed Savior has many disciples
unknown to you and me. Our Savior has many disciples
unknown to you and to me. I was in a preacher's house several
years ago, and he and his wife both had the idea that they could
They could tell you who God's elect were right now. And she
actually made this statement to me. She said, I can tell you
by looking at a person whether they're saved or not. She said that to me. I said, would you please tell
me what they look like? There are many who will not hesitate
to set in judgment over all who do not meet their measuring stick
and declare those folks are all lost. They don't know God. They
don't know God. There are many disciples of our
Lord who have not yet been identified to you and me. We are too much
prone to be like Elijah. Lord, I alone am left. I alone am left and cut everyone
off. You and I, brother Nevils, have
no business cutting anyone off. That's not our business. That's
not our business. The gospel we preach may do so,
but it's not our business. It's not our business. The Lord
said to Elijah, I've still got 7,000 fellows you've never heard
tell of who haven't found the need to bail. Just because you
don't know them don't mean I don't have them. I get calls, and I
welcome the calls, people looking for gospel churches. And I had
one just the other day out in the Los Angeles area. I said,
is there a gospel church near us? And I said, I don't know
of any, but that doesn't mean there's not one. That doesn't
mean there's not one. There's a lot of things I don't
know and a lot of people I don't know. Folks have the idea that somehow
another You just got to draw these lines of distinction. The
Scripture tells us here about two men, Joseph of Arimathea
and Nicodemus, who were disciples of the Lord Jesus, but secretly. Nicodemus had come to the Lord
Jesus back in John chapter 3 by night. And somehow, somewhere
between that time and this time, Nicodemus became a believer. But he hadn't yet come out of
Babylon. He was still hooked up with the Pharisees. Not just
with the Pharisees, he was hooked up with the head honchos. He
was among the Sanhedrin. He was right there with them.
Joseph of Arimathea was just like him, a secret disciple.
Oh, you can't say those are disciples. I've had folks actually tell
me that these fellows were lost. But the Spirit of God says they
were disciples. They were disciples. Followers
of the Lord Jesus. That's what it said. That's what
it says. Though they were still secret
disciples, they were true disciples and they proved it. When Peter
cussed and denied the Savior, Joseph of Arimathea stepped forward. When all the rest of the disciples
forsook him, Nicodemus identified himself with him. When he was,
as far as all outward appearance is concerned, beyond the possibility
of giving any aid or assistance to them, when there was nothing
for them to gain by it, Joseph and Nicodemus came to identify
themselves with that man who died upon the cursed tree. that
came to identify themselves. You see, all who are Christ trust
Christ, and all who trust Christ are Christ. All who trust the
Lord Jesus Christ are His, but none of us knows who the Lord's
disciples are or where they are. Let us therefore be guarded and
gracious in our judgment concerning them. I've had people ask me,
and they were serious. I've had preachers ask me, and
they were serious. You don't think Solomon was saved,
do you? Huh? The man who wrote the book of
Proverbs? The man inspired of God to write the book of Ecclesiastes?
The man who wrote the book of the most intimate communion with
the Son of God in the world, the son of Solomon, well, he
couldn't have been saved. What makes you say that? Well,
he worshipped idols with his wives. Yeah, God's people are
likely to do most anything if God just leaves us to ourselves
for any reason for a little while. Anything. was a saved man, wasn't
it? I reckon that's safe, isn't it?
God called Aaron to be Moses' mouthpiece and a type of Christ
our Savior as the high priest in Israel. Is it safe to say
he was a saved man? And Aaron led Israel in the worship
of golden calves and called it having a feast to Jehovah. I
think you would have to acknowledge that Peter was a saved man. I think you'd have to acknowledge
that. But I'll tell you something Peter did that was even worse
in a lot of ways than him cussing and denying the Savior. On the
night of the crucifixion, Peter sided with the Judaizers at Antioch,
led a dissimulation that caused many to embrace the teaching
of the Judaizers that were justified by circumcision, by works, and
not by grace alone. I think it's safe to say that
Paul was a truly saved man. I believe that'd be all right.
I think most everybody would accept that. And Paul got so
weary of the fight and the battle at last, when he came to Jerusalem, he shaved his head to take a
stupid legal Jewish vow. John. Now, John was the disciple
whom Jesus loved. David, do you know what he did
when he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day? That's what it tells us when
it tells us he had this vision in Revelation, didn't it? That
was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. And an angel revealed some
things to him. You know what John did? He fell
down to worship the angel. Now, what was it you told me
a believer wouldn't do? Just what is it that you won't
do? What is it? Joseph and Nicodemus
had not yet come out of Babylon, but they were true disciples
of the Lord Jesus. And God, our Savior, has many
disciples of whom you and I, as of yet, know nothing. What do you do then with these
folks? You preach the gospel and wait
for God to make manifest who He is. Not up to you, not up
to me. In fact, it's none of your business and none of mine. Our business
is not to find out who we can't embrace, but rather our business
is to embrace all who embrace the Redeemer. Embrace all who
embrace the Redeemer. Don't try to prove to folks that
they can't possibly be saved, because they don't meet your
measuring stick. Those who trust Christ are Christ. All right, one last thing. Here's
the seventh thing. We bury our dead in hope of the
resurrection. Our Savior's body was buried because he said, thou wilt not
suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me
the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of
joy. at thy right hand their pleasures forevermore. It was
necessary for him to die and necessary for him to be buried
in humiliation. And it was necessary that though
he died as one under the sentence of divine justice, he should
have an honorable funeral. And so Joseph and Nicodemus came
to bury him. to bury him in the prospect of
him doing exactly what he said he would do in three days. I want to rise from the dead. They came to anoint him and prepare
his body for the burial at the manor of the Jews, just like
that woman Mary came to anoint him for his burial before he
died while he was at the house of Simon the leper. Joseph and
Nicodemus came because there was a seeming contradictory prophecy
in Isaiah 53. He was numbered with the transgressors and was with the wicked and the
rich in his death. How's that going to happen? This
poor man who had not where to lay his head This poor man, this
poor man born at Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, this poor man who
didn't own a stick of wood. He didn't own anything. He's
crucified like a common male factor out at Golgotha's Hill. There he hangs. There he dies. Who's going to bury him? there
he is between these two thieves numbered with the transgressors
with the wicked but uh... the scripture says he will be
with the rich in his death so here comes Joseph of Arimathea and he begs the body of the Lord
Jesus and he and Nicodemus prepare the body and they take him to
Joseph's rich man's tomb And there he buried in hope and sure
certain hope of the resurrection. And so we bury our dead and the
sure certain hope of the resurrection. One of these days, I'm going
to take you out and I'm going to watch as they lower your body
into the earth. I urge you not to have it cremated.
Don't rob us of that privilege. Lower the body. Well, it's just
it's just a body. That's not really me. Yeah, but
that body is coming forth in resurrection glory. We're going
to lower it in the earth. And somehow or another, before
it's over, I'm going to say a whole lot about a hope soon. This body is coming out of the
grave. Sown in corruption, raised in
incorruption. Sown in mortality, raised in
immortality. Sown a natural body, raised a
spiritual body. And if that's not what happens
soon, you're going to follow my body out to the cemetery. And it's going to be lowered
in the earth and covered with dirt, awaiting the resurrection. We bury our dead in the anticipation
of Christ's glorious second advent, when we shall be raised in His
glory. Amen.