John chapter 19. The title of my message this morning
is Seven Words from the Cross. As you know, our Lord Jesus spoke
seven things distinctly as he hung upon the curse tree that
are recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. often referred
to as the seven sayings from the cross. Three of those are
found in our text this morning here in John chapter 19. We'll
begin reading with verse 25. Now there stood by the cross
of Jesus his mother and his mother's sister Mary, the wife of Cleophas,
and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his
mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto
his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple,
behold thy mother. And from that hour, that disciple
took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus knowing that
all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith I thirst. Now there was a set of vessel
full of vinegar and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put
it upon Hissop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore
had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. and he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. Seven words from the cross, spoken
by our blessed Lord Jesus when he was suffering the wrath of
God as our substitute. When he was made sin for us,
that he might make us the righteousness of God in him. When he was fulfilling
the final work that he came here to accomplish, finishing all
that he had come to do as Jehovah's righteous servant, the Lord Jesus
speaks these seven words for our learning, for our instruction. to teach us, to guide us, to
instruct us in the way of faith and of obedience to God as both
our substitute and our representative and our example. These words
that are recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are deliberately
written in these four gospels by divine inspiration to teach
us specific things. We must not imagine that these
are the only words our Lord spoke from the cross. I'm certain that
what we read in Psalm 22 just a few minutes ago are words that
our Savior spoke as he hung upon the tree. Certainly, the 40th
Psalm, the 69th Psalm, the same can be said of those. So there's
much more that our Lord spoke, perhaps not audibly, but from
his heart as he hung upon the tree, as we often speak much
more from our hearts with never moving our lips than we do when
we speak audibly, moving our lips. And those things are recorded
for us again for our learning, for our admonition, for our comfort
and instruction in Psalm 22, Psalm 40, and Psalm 69. In this volume of inspiration,
God the Holy Spirit has given us these seven final words from
our Savior. Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. Today, thou shalt be with me
in paradise. Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold
thy mother. My God, my God, Why hast thou
forsaken me? It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. Now, mountains of words have
been spoken about those seven statements. Books have been written
about them. I will add nothing to that which
has been written or spoken in the past I simply want to call
your attention to what I see here here We see our Savior as
he set forth in these statements God the Holy Spirit shows us
his glorious person His finished work his accomplishments as our
mediator and our Redeemer the only fear I have as I preached
from this blessed portion of scripture again, is the fear
of reducing these statements to just homiletical points to
bring a sermon. O Spirit of God, cause us to
hear our Savior speak. Cause us to hear Him speak, who
laid down His life in our room instead. The horrid load of all
my guilt was on my Savior laid. When he who knew and did no sin
for sinners, sin was made. Enduring all God's wrath and
death, my Savior prayed for me. In love he took my place and
died upon the cursed tree. Amazing. Love beyond the reach
of mortal tongue. This love shall be the subject
of my immortal soul. All right, let's begin in Luke
23. Luke 23. Verse 34. Here's the first word that fell
from our Savior's lips as he suffered upon the cursed tree. Luke 23, verse 34. The Lord Jesus says, Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Imagine that. Imagine that. Clearly, This portrays for us
and declares to us something about the person and work of
our Lord Jesus Christ as our mediator. Father, forgive them
for they know not what they do. Here he is hanging upon the cursed
tree, suffering by the hands of wicked men who wanted to see
him suffer. who laughed and walked and jeered
and parted while he suffered. Wicked men whose hearts are filled
with enmity, thirsting for his blood. He cries, Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do. Never, ever was such
a mediator to be found among men. Turn to Hebrews chapter
5. Let me show you something about
what's required of a mediator. Hebrews chapter 5. The Spirit
of God tells us there's one mediator between God and me and the man,
Christ Jesus. We must have a mediator. We've got to have somebody as
a daysman, someone to stand between us and God, representing us to
God and speaking to us for God. We must have a mediator, a go-between,
one who represents God and man perfectly, one who can lay hold
of God in heaven and lay hold of fallen man upon the earth
and bring them together. Hebrews chapter 5, verse 1. For
every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men,
for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both
gifts and sacrifices for sins. The high priest in Israel were
taken from among men that they might represent men to God and
represent God to men, receiving gifts for God and receiving gifts
from God, receiving sacrifices by which God's justice was typically
portrayed as satisfied and by which they received gifts, bestowing
blessings upon Israel for the people of God. These represented
that great high priest who alone by the sacrifice of himself satisfies
God's justice and by whom alone the blessings of God's grace
come upon us. Jesus Christ, the God man, the
mediator, the high priest, not only must be one who we need,
but this mediator must be a man of God's choosing, not of ours.
Look at Hebrews chapter five, again, verse four. And no man
taketh this honor unto himself. No man. God set aside Aaron and his family,
his boys, to be priests. And then he took the priesthood
away from Aaron and gave it to the tribe of Levi. And Levi alone
were those from whom the priests came. Somebody said, but I want
to be a priest. Doesn't matter. But I'm as good
as Levi. That's insignificant. The priest
must be one chosen by God. Not only chosen by God, but accepted
of him. Look at verse 5. So also Christ
glorified not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said
to him, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. When the Lord God raised him
up from the dead, having received his sacrifice by which sin was
put away. The Lord God said to him, sit
on my right hand till I make you fold your footstool. And
this one is a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,
having neither beginning of days nor end of years. One who has
neither mother nor father, but comes from God himself, for he
is God. This high priest ordained of
God. chosen of God and accepted by
God. No one meets these qualifications
except our Savior, the Lord Jesus. The priest must be one who is
heard of God. And we're told in verse 7 that
our Savior cried unto God and was heard. In the days of his
flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with
strong crying and tears with him that was able to give, to
save him from death and was heard or was heard in that he feared. Here is a priest, one whom God
has ordained, one whom God has accepted, one whom God hears. And he says to Peter, I have
prayed for thee. I prayed for thee. As if to say,
Peter, you need nothing else but this. I have prayed for thee. Now hear me, you who believe. You believe this day because
the Lord Jesus back in John chapter 17 said, neither pray I for these
alone. but for them also who shall believe
on me through their word. The Lord Jesus, our high priest,
sacrificed himself for us. And now he intercedes at the
right hand of God on our behalf as our priest on the basis of
the sacrifice he has made. And every sinner for whom this
priest intercedes shall have the blessings of God forever. Christ is our mediator. Children
of God, don't forget it. Don't forget it. This great high
priest, our blessed mediator, is he of whom John speaks when
he says, these things write I unto you that you sin not. That you
sin not. Let us never make an excuse for
sin. Let us never attempt to justify
evil in ourselves or evil done by ourselves. Make no excuse
for sin. But if any man said, no, that's
not what it said. These things right eye unto you
that you sin not and if any man said. David Burge. The slightest sin
is inexcusable. the slightest sin, let alone
what goes on in you and in me. It's inexcusable. Got no excuse. But sin you are,
and sin you do. For what happens then, and if
any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ,
the righteous. Jesus, the Christ, the Savior
whom God appointed, the righteous one whom God has accepted. And
he is the propitiation, the justice satisfying sacrifice for our
sins. That's our advocate, our high
priest, our mediator. Look in Luke 23 again, verse
43. Luke 23, 43. In verse 42, the
dying thief prayed, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom. And in verse 43, Jesus said unto
him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. Here's Christ our King. Our Lord Jesus was made king by virtue of his
obedience as our substitute as Jehovah's righteous servant.
Psalm 2 speaks of him in just that way. And the triune Jehovah
says, ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. And when our Lord Jesus came
to the end of his days upon the earth in John 17, he said, Father,
The hour has come, glorify thy son with the glory that I had
with thee before the world was. And he says, for thou hast given
him power, power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. Our Lord was made king by
virtue of his obedience. And so when he satisfied justice
and sin was put away, he arose from the dead. He was resurrected.
And then he ascended up into heaven and took his seat at the
right hand of God, pouring out his spirit upon all flesh. So
the Jews and Gentiles throughout the world are now called by grace,
by the spirit of God. But our savior was king when
he was born. The glory he has as the king
is a glory that he earned, but it's a glory that was his for
everlasting. For he earned it as our everlasting
surety in the covenant of grace when everything was accomplished
by him before the world began. He's king by virtue of the fact
that he's God and he's king by virtue of the fact that he's
our mediator King by virtue of the fact that he has done everything
Jehovah required of him as his righteous servant. He's Lord
over all So that even here as he hangs on the cross our Lord
Jesus Exercises dominion as the king this dying thief Called
him Lord Because he's the Lord and king
over everything. He's the sovereign king who rules
in the kingdom, saving whom he will. This thief, not the other. This thief, not Pilate, not Herod,
not those Jews standing there, but this thief. He chose him. He redeemed him. He said, today
thou shalt be with me in paradise. Here's the king. who opens the
door that no man can open. He opens the door that John saw
standing open in heaven. Here's the prince of peace, giving
peace that no man can give. The king of glory, promising
mercy and eternal life that no man can merit. Now, you want
mercy? You want God's salvation? You
want this life everlasting? There's only one place to get
it. That's at the throne of the king. That's at the throne of the king.
You know what you're going to have to do to have God's salvation? You're going to have to bow to
the king. I thought all you had to do was
say, I believe in Jesus. That's what everybody thinks. I thought
all he had to do was walk down the aisle and shake the preacher's
hand, sign a decision card, say, whoopee, now I'm saved. I decided
to let God save me. You must bow to the rule of King
Jesus or perish in your sins. He's King. He's Lord. Lord over all. I just read this
morning an article in Brother Maurice Montgomery's bulletin
on the Riches of the Ascension by Roth Barnard. I've read it
many times before the riches of the Ascension He who is the
Savior of sinners is the Lord of the universe and Salvation
is given to sinners only on his terms and his terms are absolute
surrender nothing else absolute surrender So you give up all
to him. Give up all to him. Come humble
sinner in whose breast a thousand thoughts revolve. Come with every
guilt and sin oppressed and make this last resolve. I'll go to
Jesus though my sin hath like a mountain rose. I know his courts
I'll enter in whatever may oppose. Prostrate I'll lie before his
throne and there my guilt confess. Tell him I'm a wretch undone
without his sovereign grace. Out to the gracious king approach,
whose scepter pardon gives. Perhaps he may command my touch. And then this sinner lives. Perhaps
he will admit my plea. Perhaps will hear my prayer.
But if I perish, I will pray and perish only there. Oh, brother
Don, I thought this was all up to me. No, it's up to the king.
He can give you mercy or not give you mercy. He can save you
or damn you. It is all together up to Him. Perhaps He will admit my plea. Perhaps will hear my prayer. But if I perish, I will pray
and perish only there. You see, I can but perish if
I go. I am resolved to try, for if
I stay away, I know I must forever die. But if I die with mercy
sought, when I, the king, have tried, this were to die a delightful
thought, as sinner never died. Oh no, he doesn't have to save
you. He's not obliged to save you, but there's never been a
sinner who kissed his golden scepter, who bowed at his feet,
who surrendered to him, to whom he didn't give everlasting mercy
and life and grace. Never been one. Salvation is
of the Lord. Grace comes from the throne of
grace, and the one who sits on that throne is Jesus Christ,
the King, who quickens whom he will. All right, turn to John
chapter 19. John chapter 19. Here's the third
word spoken by our Lord. John 19 verse 26. When Jesus therefore saw his
mother and the disciples standing by whom he loved, he saith unto
his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple,
behold thy mother. And from that hour, that disciple
took her unto his own house. Here is Christ our representative
and our example. We cannot make enough. of the fact that Christ was more
than an example. He didn't just die as an example
at Calvary. He died as a legal penal substitute. But Don Renari, he died as our
example too. He said so. The Apostle Peter
tells us plainly he left us an example as he hung upon the tree
that we should follow in his steps. He died as our representative
and example, showing us how to live and how to die for the glory
of God. Would you live for God's glory? Would you? Then come to Calvary and behold
Christ, our example. even in the agonies of death,
under the penalty of sin, enduring the wrath of God, fulfilling
everlasting covenant terms as our substitute, accomplishing
eternal redemption for us, satisfying divine justice. Even in all that,
our Lord Jesus did not neglect the responsibilities of manhood. He gave us an example. deliberately
here giving attention to responsibilities he had as a man in the very last
moments of his life on this earth. He fulfilled all righteousness
in everything that he did, in that everything he did was right.
And he did everything that was right for a man to do. He was
circumcised as a baby. He was subject to his parents
all the days of his life. He was baptized symbolically
fulfilling righteousness, showing us how that righteousness is
accomplished by his death and resurrection. And he attended
the synagogue. Every Sabbath day you'd find
him in the synagogue worshiping God. Our Lord Jesus was made
of a woman made under the law because only by that could he
redeem them that were under the law. He fulfilled all righteousness
as our legal representative as well. For as by one man's sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon
all men, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. By the obedience of one shall
many live in free justification. And our blessed Savior fulfilled
all righteousness for us as an example of righteousness and
obedience to God. Turn back to John 13. John 13,
this very familiar text. Verse 13. Our Lord has taken a towel and
a bowl of water and washed his disciples' feet. Now, he was not establishing
an ordinance here. There are various groups who
have foot washing called an ordinance like baptism in the Lord's Supper.
The problem is, before they get ready for church in the morning,
we're going to have a high communion, have foot washing. If they don't
wash the feet for six months, that day they wash their feet.
They come with them already clean. That's not what this is pictured.
Our Lord was not establishing an ordinance by which men could
act humble. He was establishing a picture
of true humility. Men and women serving one another. as the sons and daughters of
God Almighty. Look at John 13, verse 13. He
called me master and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and master
have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. For
I've given you an example that you should do as I have done
to you. Everywhere I go, somebody comes along. I mean,
everywhere I go, somebody comes along and they got to argue about
in what sense are believers really under the law. And I don't do
much arguing anymore. I'm getting old, man. When I
was young, I used to like to prove what I know. I don't have to
prove what I know to anybody. I just don't do much arguing.
I'll try to answer a few questions, and then when folks continue
arguing, I will give them a statement that stops the argument. Just
this past week, a fellow wanted to know about believers in the
law, and I gave a couple answers, pointed to scriptures, we're
free from the law. Not under the law, but under grace, and
he kept pushing. And I said, if you prefer to live in bondage,
live in bondage. It's all right with me, but I
ain't under the law. If you want to live in law, live
under the law. That's okay. That's okay. Believers
aren't under the law. Well, how do you know how to
live? Do any of you have any question
about how you ought to live? Yeah, I'm talking about saved
folks or lost folks. You have any question about how
you ought to live? Well, I need some rules and regulations. That's
because you're an unrighteous man. And if you weren't threatened
with punishment, you wouldn't do what's right. If you weren't
promised a reward, you wouldn't do what you think is right. That's
what law is. Believers aren't mercenaries. If you want to know how to live,
you follow the master. You follow the master. If you
want to live in this world for God's glory, behold the crucified
son of God. And you'll find out what it is
to live in submission to the will of God. What does it mean to bow to Christ
as Lord? Not my will, your will be done. That's what it means.
I don't own anything. I don't have any rights. I don't
have any authority. I don't even have a right to
have an opinion. Not my will, your will be done. Bow everything
to Him. Is that what Christ did here?
Is that what He did, Sammy? He bowed to God. He bowed to
God. You want to learn how to be patient? in suffering, go to Calvary. Next time you think about murmuring,
griping about your situation, your hangnail, griping because
you, oh, I'm starting to go bald, what am I going to do? We live in a society where men
are such sissies, they fret about such things. Now, I can almost
understand women going and getting their skin stretched, you know.
I don't really understand it, but I can almost understand it.
We want them to look pretty. But you men, little tinkerbell
days of stupidity, afraid about nonsense,
nonsense. The son of God bore God's wrath,
Mark Henson, for you and me. Now, what are we going to gripe
about? Hm? What are we going to murmur about? Learn patience. Want to learn
how to love your brethren? You lay down your life for them. You lay down your life for them.
Well, Brother Don, I'd die for you. I love you that much. Have
you? That's true. That's the issue.
Not what you wouldn't do. Have you? Do you? Believers lay down their lives
for the brethren. They don't live for themselves.
They live for Christ and his people. Want to learn how to love your
wife? Behold how Christ loved his church,
gave himself for it. I know there are exceptions.
I know there are exceptions because men are rebels and women are
too. But you ladies, you ladies, none of you will find it too
hard to live with a man who continually dies to himself
for you. You won't find it too hard to
submit to him as your husband, as a wife ought to submit to
and reverence her husband. Oh, no, no, no. Not if he loves
you. As Christ loved the church and
gave himself for it. You want to learn how to give?
Well, I've given my part. Have you now? Have you now? I
paid my tithes. Well, who'll pay? I'm happy for
you. You'll learn how to give. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, how that though he was rich, yet for your sakes,
he became poor. that you, through his poverty,
might be rich. Now, brag to me a little bit
about what you give. Turn to Matthew 27, verse 46. Here's the fourth word of our
Lord as he's dying in our stand. And about the ninth hour, that
is three o'clock in the afternoon, after three hours of darkness
that covered the earth. Perhaps emblematic of the darkness
that covers the earth. the darkness of sin that rules
the world, the darkness of sin that reigns in the hearts of
men. After three hours of darkness, Jesus cried with a loud voice
saying, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani, my God, my God, why? hast thou forsaken me." Here is Christ, our substitute. This is the only place in all
of Scripture, the only place in all of Scripture, where the
Lord Jesus called God his Father God rather than father. You remember what we read in
Psalm 22? The master said, you've heard
of me, but I'm a worm and no man. I'm a worm. I'm reduced to something less
than humanity. And here he cries as a poor,
pitiful creature. to his creator, rather than a
son who might expect something from his father. In his great
agony, this mighty man, who is God, reverts to his childhood
and speaks in his native Syrian tongue, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,
not in the Hebrew of his father's and not in the Greek that he
learned as he matured, but in his native childhood Syrian tongue. at the height of his obedience
to his father. The Lord of glory was forsaken
of God. Because we deserve to be forever
forsaken of God, who has spent our lives forsaking God. Yes, that's how you spend your
life in unbelief and rebellion. Forsaking God. Hating God. He was forsaken of God. He was forsaken of God. because he fully deserved to
be forsaken of God as my substitute when he was
made sin for me. has now broken his heart. In infinite anguish from the
depths of a broken heart, he cries this cry that no mortal
mind can comprehend, this mystery that no mind can fathom. My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Martin Luther, One day, he
studied this declaration by our Lord for hours. At last, he closed
his Bible and he slammed his fist on his desk and he said,
God, forsaken of God, my God, no man can understand that. That being the case, let no man
attempt to explain it. Let no man attempt to explain
it. Every effort I've ever read by men, and I've read a lot of
them, to explain this declaration of our master as he hung upon
the cross, every effort by every man I've ever read to explain
what our Lord went through here, has in some way clearly compromised
something of his character as the God-man, our mediator. Every
explanation. Well, brother Don, we have to
explain the scriptures. We're here to declare the scriptures.
To declare what the scriptures reveal. To declare to men the
very word of God. Here's our savior in his greatest
substitute, greatest sorrow as our substitute. This was not
a type. It's not a type. When Aaron laid
his hands on the head of the goat on the
day of atonement. That was a type. A typified sin
transferred from the sinner to the goat. When the sinner came
and laid his hands on the head of the sacrifice he brought for
his offering, it was a type. He typified. transferring sin
from him to the goat. This is not a type. This is the
real thing. This is not a picture. This is
reality. The substitute was real. When he was made sin for us,
the sin was real. The transfer was real. I woke up I don't have any idea
how many times through the night last night thinking about this. How can we illustrate it? How
can we picture this transfer? This transfer that broke his
heart, caused him in the garden as he anticipated it to sweat
drops of blood falling to the ground. Well, it's having sin
imputed to him, having a reproach cast upon him that wasn't his. I've had those things happen.
Haven't you? I've had people accuse me all
of my life as a believer of things that I'd never done. Things I'd
never done. I've had it happen a lot. And
some folks believe it. And they repeat the tale. And
it hurts. After a while, you get places
that don't bother you much. Just forget it. You just move on.
And after a while, even in the midst of the hurt, There's an
honor of bearing reproach for Christ's sake. That didn't break
my heart. If it were worse, and I were
cast into prison for a crime I hadn't done, and I were charged
with a crime and found guilty of the crime and cast into prison
for it, as long as I'm not guilty, that's not gonna break my heart.
No matter if everybody else believes it, that's not gonna break my
heart. But for the Lamb of God who knew no sin, to be made sin. Oh, my God. Who can fathom that? He paid a debt he didn't know,
but paying a debt doesn't break your heart. He was made sin. The transfer was real, so that
the guilt he bore was real guilt. The sacrifice and the suffering
was real and him being forsaken of God was real. The Lord Jesus was forsaken of
God and that means that those for whom he was forsaken shall never be forsaken. He declares, I will never leave
thee nor forsake I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. Oh, how anxious, how willing,
how ready the holy Lord God is to save sinners. He delighteth
in mercy who gave his son and made him sin for us that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. All right, John 19. Back to John 19. Here's Christ the man. Verse 28, after this, Jesus,
knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture,
the scripture of Psalm 69, I believe it's verse 21, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. This is the shortest of the seven
cries. And for the sake of time this morning, I'll spend a little
time on it. But that doesn't mean it means any less than the
others. It's just as instructive as the others. Our Lord's thirst
was a bodily thirst. He's a real man. Everything about
this wonder of redemption, David Coleman, everything about it's
real. God the Son really did become
the God man, the man who is God. A real man, thirsting. He thirsted. His tongue swollen, his body
burning. He thirst, thirst. But not only did he thirst in
his body in the midst of his sufferings, his soul thirsted. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? As the heart panteth after the
water books. So panteth my soul after thee,
O God, the psalmist sang. And so our Savior, forsaken as
our substitute, thirst for God. And there's a thirst of his heart
as well. He thirsted for his people. I can almost hear him cry as
he says, I thirst. Father, I will that they also
whom thou has given me be with me where I am that they may behold
my glory. He thirsted that he might be
thirsted after. All right. Skip down to verse
30. Here's the sixth cry. Here's Christ our surety. After this, Jesus, knowing that
all things were accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith I first. And there was set a vessel full
of vinegar, and they filled the 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 he bowed his head. and gave
up the ghost. It is finished. What does that mean? It is finished. The Lord Jesus as our surety
committed himself before the world began to save his people
from their sins. to perform everything required
of a holy God to save fallen sinners. And when he comes now
at the end of his suffering, he says, it is finished. He's not breathing a sigh of
relief, but a declaration is made of accomplishment. It is
finished. What's finished? Did he come
here to save his people from their sins? It's finished. Did he come here to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself? It's finished. Did he come here
to bring in everlasting righteousness? It's finished. Did he come here
to magnify the law and make it honorable? It's finished. Did
he come here to glorify God in the saving of sinners? It's finished. Did he come here on this earth
to seek and to save that which was lost. It's finished. Did
it come here to bring in everlasting righteousness? It's finished. Did it come here to satisfy divine
justice? It's finished. Did it come here
to redeem us from the curse of the law? It's finished. Did it
come here to put an end to all consequences of sin? It's finished. finished as God himself would
have it, the works finished. And then back, if you will, the
book of Matthew. I'm sorry, Luke, Luke chapter
23. Lord willing, next week, I'll
come back to verse 30 in John 19. Luke 23, verse 46. When Jesus had cried with a loud
voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Having said thus, he gave up
the ghost. Here is Christ, our Sabbath. John tells us a passage we just
read that he cried as finished and he bowed his head. He bowed his head like a servant
who's come now to his last work and presents everything to the
one whom he serves. Here Luke tells us that he said,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Speaking to us the
very words of the psalmist, I commend my spirit. And he bowed his head
and he gave up the ghost. He dismissed his spirit. He did so as this blessed one
who is our Sabbath rest. He entered into his rest. Turn
to Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews the fourth chapter. Let
me show you this. I'll quit. Hebrews chapter 4. Verse 9. You remember Moses couldn't bring
Israel into the land of Canaan, because Moses represented the
law that violated. But Joshua, whose name is Jesus,
Joshua, the type of our Lord Jesus, brought Israel into the
land of Canaan and gave them rest from all their journeys.
And that's a picture of what we have here in Hebrews 4, verse
9. There remaineth therefore a rest,
a rest. If you have a pen somewhere and
you haven't already put it there, write this down. That word rest means
sabbath. There remaineth therefore a sabbath.
If you were to write it out, just write out the letters from
Greek into English, it would spell out sabbath. There remaineth
therefore a sabbath unto the people of God. This is not the
sabbath day. Sunday is not the sabbath day.
Never has been, never will be. Saturday used to be the Sabbath
day, but it's not the Sabbath day. It's not the Sabbath day.
Well, what's the Sabbath day? Faith in Christ! We rest. There remaineth therefore
a rest to the people of God. How come? Because he rested. For he that is entered into his
rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from
his. You know what Christ did? You
know what he did? He said, Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit. And he, uh, he sat down. He sat down. Hebrews 10 says
he sat down. The only priest who ever took
a sacrifice into the Holy of Holies and sat down is that one
who saw to it there's nothing else to do. Would you have the rest of everlasting
life, forgiveness and acceptance with God? Quit working. Quit working. Quit trying to
do something to make up to God. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, the master says. For my yoke is easy, my burden
is light. He said, come unto me, all you
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Oh, God, help me to call. Amen.