Alright, let's take our Bibles
and turn to John chapter 12. John chapter 12. We looked last week at a single
verse of Scripture. And this week I want to look
at three, and I'm going to kind of overlap a little bit from
last week. Let's look at verses 31 through
33. John 12. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this
world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying
what death he should die. Now what he's talking about here
is the manner in which he died, the manner of his death. This is all important in the
gospel. The death of Christ is the very
heart and soul of the gospel. And there is no gospel apart
from his death. There's no good news. There's
no justification. There's no righteousness. Nothing
faith can do for you. Everything is vain apart from
this, apart from his death. And what I want you to see this
morning is that his death was not a natural death. There was
nothing about him natural. Nothing. The Lord Jesus Christ
was a one of a kind. His birth was of a virgin. His
birth was not as other men. He is not after any of the sons
of Adam. who were heirs of the curse,
but he was born of a virgin. He's the woman's seed foretold
in the garden to Adam and Eve at the very beginning. God established
it. The woman's seed. Only one. Only one. The Lord Jesus Christ. And he
did not live as other men. He was holy, harmless, and undefiled. Tempted, the Bible said, in all
points, like as we are, yet without sin. You can't say that of another
human being in this world, just Christ. Yet without sin. I don't even think we have a
concept of what sin is so integrated into us and into our minds and
hearts that we have no concept of that word sinless perfection. And yet He was without sin. Tempted as we are, yet without
sin. We come forth from the womb and
go astray immediately, speaking lies, David said. Yet he was
born and lived on this earth 33 and a half years, exposed
to it like we are, surrounded by it as we are, integrated into his family like
ours is, surrounded by it at his job, surrounded by it everywhere
he went, yet totally unaffected by it. And then now it says he comes
to die. Here he is. He's born not as
other men, he lived not as other men, and neither does he die
as other men. He does not die a natural death,
but he dies one appointed of God. He comes to die and he calls
our attention to his death and especially to the manner in which
he would die. Now, I'm going to give you five
things very quickly this morning, six things, I'm sorry, very quickly
this morning concerning this manner of his death. First of
all, his death was appointed. He was appointed to die. This
had been God's purpose from the very beginning. The Scripture
calls him a lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
His death was appointed from the very beginning. It's the
basis of all that God has purposed to do. Redemption is eternal. In order for redemption to be
eternal, His death must have been purposed from the beginning.
You see what I'm saying? His death was appointed of God.
Now, the Scriptures, they identify Christ. as the Lamb slain. And look back at verse 27 here
of John chapter 12. He calls our attention, I talked
to you about that last week, that his soul was troubled. His
soul was troubled. And he said, What shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto
this hour. His death was appointed. And
one of the clearest verses concerning his death as it is decreed of
God is found over in Acts chapter 4. If you want to, you can turn
over there. Acts chapter 4. While you turn
in, I'll tell you what was going on. The apostles had been warned
not to preach in his name. This was after the day of Pentecost.
And they went out preaching Christ. They went out preaching in his
name, healing in his name. doing all these things in the
name of the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. And the high priest
took them in and the high council of Israel took them in and told
these men, warned these men not to preach anymore in this name.
Don't you do it. Threaten them. Threaten them. Don't preach anymore. And here
is what they said, ìWhether it be right in the sight of God
to hearken unto you more than unto God, you judge.î And then
the rulers and the high priests warned them again, to which they
answered, ìWe cannot but speak those things which we have both
seen and heard.î So then they got back to where
the congregation was. They got back to where the multitude
was gathered together and relayed all the things that had happened
to them, that they'd been taken captive by these Jews. But they
didn't put them to death. They turned them loose. Set them
free with just a warrant. And here they are, back into
the camp, and they tell the They tell the people about this and
with one voice and one accord, all in agreement with this, all
understanding this, all of them rejoicing in this, all being
inspired by this. They said unto the Lord, verse
24, Acts chapter 4, Thou art God. My wife and I are talking
about this coming over. Thou art God which has made heaven
and earth and the sea and all that in them is, who by the mouth
of thy servant David hath said, Why did the heathen rage? And
the people imagined vain things. The kings of the earth stood
up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against His Christ, against the Lord who created all things,
against the Lord who created all things that in them is."
You see what he's saying here? For of a truth, verse 27, now
watch how they apply this. This is Psalm chapter 2 that
they are quoting. But listen to how they applied
it. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast
anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, And
the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." His death
was appointed of God. Everything about it, all the
people who made the judgment, Pilate, Herod, The Gentiles,
all of Israel, all the providence that led up to this, all those
thousands of years that led up to everything about this was
geared for this hour. This hour. For this one appointment
of God. And nobody could resist it. Everybody
did exactly according to the decree of God. What God's counsel
and God's will determined before to be done. He died an appointed
death. All right? Shakingly. His death
was vicarious. What in the world does that mean?
And I didn't say that so that you know I read a lot of books,
but I know that you're going to read books. And when you do,
you're going to run on to this term vicarious. And what it means
is that he didn't die for himself. He didn't die for reasons that
that were to blame, that he would be to blame for. He died as a
substitute. He died for another. It was for another. Christ died,
the Scripture said, the just for the unjust. It says he gave
himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present
evil world according to the will of God. And over in 2 Corinthians
5 verse 21, he tells us the basis when we stand before men as ambassadors
for God and we plead with you. We pray you in Christ's stead
be you reconciled to God. Here is the basis of that reconciliation. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. He did not die for his sins,
but he did die with sins on him, sins laid on him. So his death
was appointed of God, and his death was for another, it says,
for us. And then thirdly, His death was
penal. Now, I think men really get turned
around here. This is something I believe that
in my day, when I hear men preach, that they've totally missed.
Totally missed this. His death was penal. He didn't
die of natural causes. He was put to death. Put to death. And he was put to death as a
punishment. His death was a punishment. God poured out His wrath on him. That's what men aren't seeing.
The wrath of God poured out on his son. He drank the bitter
dregs of God's wrath. All of it. All of it. Put to death as a punishment.
His death was not as a martyr who gives his life for a cause. gives his life to inspire. His
death was not simply an example showing us the way. His death
was the judgment of God upon sin. Isaiah 53, 4, listen to
this, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace
was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." Now watch this,
verse 6, "...all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned
every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all." He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth. He was brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened
not his mouth. He was taken from prison, from
prison, from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the
land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him, he hath put him to grief." Can you see that? His death was
penal. His death was a punishment for
my sin. Now, when I look at that death
of Christ, can I find any sin that I believe that death did
not pay for? No way. But apart from seeing that death
as a penal death, how are you going to find satisfaction for
your sin? You're not going to do it. You're not going to do
it. His death was penal. And then fourthly, his death
was sacrificial. Isaac followed his father. We're going to be getting to
that very soon in Genesis in our study. following his father
Abraham up that mountain. Now, this was a boy of his mid-teens,
probably 14, 15, 16 years old. This wasn't no baby. And he was
carrying the wood and going up that mountain. And he'd been
with his father many times when his father went out to worship
God, and he knew what was involved. He was taught of Abraham how
to worship God. I guarantee it. Walking up that
mountain after a while, he got the best of him. I believe he
was thinking about it from the time he left the house. And he
was sure thinking about it when they left the servants. But he
finally got the best of him going up that mountain. And he said,
Father, he said, I see the fire and I see the wood, but where's
the lamb? Where's the lamb? We can't worship God without
a lamb. And he said, son, he said, God will provide himself
a sacrifice, a lamb for a burnt offering. His death was sacrificial. I purposely left off reading
these verses over in Isaiah 53 a few moments ago so you could
hear them read in the light of what I just said. His death is
a sacrificial death. But in Isaiah 53 10, where I
left off a while ago, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath
put him to grief, when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin. He shall see his seed. Where
is he going to see it? Where is he going to see his
seed? He is going to see his seed in thee seed. Yes, he is. He shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord will prosper. in his hand. Oh, this
is where it's at now. Paul wrote to the Hebrews and
he said, Christ, being come a high priest of good things to come,
over in Hebrews chapter 9, of good things to come by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say,
not of this building, Neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us." One time, he said, in the end
of the world, hath he appeared. Now, I want you to stop and think
about this, because he's going back to the beginning of the
book of Hebrews. And when he talks about this
one time in the end of the world, he is talking about one time
in the way in which God has set him forth. Hath he appeared? Hath he appeared? Appeared as
a surety of God's everlasting covenant. He covered that in
chapter 9. Appeared as a priest after the
order of Melchizedek. Appeared as the testator of the
Father's will. appeared as a sacrificial offering
once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice." Ain't that what that says? Of Himself. His death was sacrificial. And
then fifthly, His death was expiatory. Now what on earth does that mean?
It means that He died to set things right. That's what it
means. to set things right. The only way that a sinner can
be saved is to set things right with God. There is not going
to be any salvation apart from a righteous judgment of our sins. There is not going to be any
salvation apart from a righteous obedience to God's commands and
His law. What this death does is set things
right. It's expiatory. Someone said
one time, atonement, the word means at-one-ment. He makes things
one. He brings them all back to one.
Reconciled. Isaiah said, he shall see the
travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. He said in another
place, I read this to you not too long ago. He said to speak
comfortably to my people and cry to Jerusalem and say unto
her your warfare is accomplished, your iniquities pardoned for
she hath received of the Lord's double for all her sins. Righteousness
for the covering and redemption for her debts. Now there is no
gospel in the death of Christ apart from God being satisfied.
If he's satisfied, then he can't be unsatisfied, can he? You see what he's saying here?
When he talks about the manner, this he said, I must be lifted
up. He's not talking about just being
up on a pole. on a pole that you can make out
of silver and hang around your neck like all the other idols
men make. He's talking about the manner
of his death, the reason why he was lifted up, the reason
why he was set on this cross. Why must a sinless man be nailed
to a cross and suffer these agonies? You see what I'm saying? It's
the manner of his death. His death was appointed. Nobody
could lay a hand on Him because His hour was not yet come. They
wanted to. They desired to. They took up
rocks to stone Him and He walked through their midst because His
hour was not yet come. They took him over there on the
brow of the hill the day he stood up and he said, the Lord has
anointed me to preach His gospel. I'm sent of the Father. I am
the Son of God. They took him over to that cliff
and was going to throw him off, but they couldn't because his
hour was not yet come. The reason when his hour come
that he must be lifted up was because God appointed him to
it. And he willfully agreed to it. It's the manner. There's no gospel
in the death of Christ apart from God being satisfied. If
he did not pay the debt, then I still owe it. And if he did
not satisfy the law, then one day I must stand before that
law and bear its judgment. One or the other. And then lastly,
and this is something I get a lot of flack about, his death was
particular. He died for certain individuals. Death was not for all men, and
to deny His death to be particular is to deny His death to be effectual. If you really want to reason
with somebody about this, you can't. It just looks like a bunch
of opinions when you stand and you say, well, you know, you
start in with this and that, it says here, well, they can
go here, it says here. And then you go here, it says
here. When they go back over here, it says here. And they've
got as many says as you do. And you just go back and forth,
back and forth. But go here. Go to the cross. and tell me
what was accomplished on the cross. Was it just something thrown
in the air? Or was something certain accomplished
on that cross? Now, if it was accomplished for
a particular people, then something particular can be said. Something
particular can be put into your heart. But if it's just up in
the general, then anything I say goes. Anything I say goes. And that's why you hear what
you hear in religion. To stand up and tell you His
death was for all men is to deny the whole manner of His death.
Everything that I've just set forth before you, it's to deny
the whole thing. It's a denial of it. Denial of
the purpose of God. A denial of the justice that
was satisfied. A denial of the punishment. He
bore our punishment. A denial of the love of God that
put Him there. It denies everything involved
in that cross when you start talking about universal atonement. And I've already showed you that
His death was not an offer. His death was sufficient. It
satisfied God who both appointed it and judged Him and put Him
to grieve. And he saw it, Isaiah said, and
was satisfied, and he raised him from the dead to declare
it. Now, when you talk to somebody about this, here's what they
say, oh no, no, no, we don't mean that. That's not what we
mean. We're not trying to say that his death wasn't sufficient
to put away sin. What we're saying is it's the
free will of man who refuses it. That's the reason for it. It's his decision. It's man's
free will. We're going to point the blame
on man's unwillingness to believe. Now, let me tell you something. Faith does not justify the blood
of Christ. The blood of Christ justifies
faith. If there is no blood shed, there's
not going to be a spirit sent, and there's not going to be faith
given. That's pretty clear, isn't it? Faith does not justify the blood
of Christ. The blood of Christ justifies
faith. Faith is based on revelation. Revelation is based on regeneration. And regeneration is based on
reconciliation accomplished on the cross. Paul said, All things
are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself, and then gave
us the ministry of reconciliation. Brother, if there was nothing
accomplished on the cross, we've got nothing to preach. If somebody
was going to be willing, they would have been willing by now.
Nobody's willing. I know you, he said. I don't
need anybody to testify of me about man. I know you that you
will not come unto me that you might have life. I know that. If nothing certain was accomplished
on the cross, then nothing certain can be preached or believed.
I can't just merely stand up and preach peace, peace, where
there is no peace. Peace was accomplished on the
cross. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Peace with God. I cannot preach
these things. If our reconciliation is not
accomplished, then we're yet enemies of God. And what's being
preached today is a faith that has more value than the blood
of Christ. Isn't that what they're saying?
The blood of Christ wasn't sufficient. It takes my faith to make it
sufficient. Well, then your faith is more
valuable than the blood of Christ. That can't be. That can't be. And I tell you this, they say
His blood is not sufficient to put away sin without my consent. Now you've exalted your will
above the will of God. You've exalted your ideas of
holiness above the character of God. This universal gospel gives faith
a preeminence over the blood of Christ and therefore is a
reproach to all His offices, His persons, and all of his work. Now what I've been trying to
do this morning is to show you the manner of his death. It was
appointed of God, substitutionary for the punishment of sin. It
was sacrificial. It was given to satisfy and it
was given to a particular people. All of these things are so. And
then having stated clearly that he came to fulfill the will of
God, which all of these things are according to the will of
God. In John 6, the Jews began to murmur. And the Lord said
unto them, he said, murmur not. There is no reason to murmur.
There is no reason to get upset. John 6, verse 44, No man can
come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. and I will raise him up at the
last day. It is written in the prophets,
and they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that
has heard and has learned of the Father cometh unto me." He said, "...and I..." Now listen
to the text one more time. "...and I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, set in distinction from all others, looked upon
as not of this world, but sent of the Father. Lifted up as a
revelation of God what the law could not do in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. You see what
I'm saying? Lifted up as a revelation of God. Lifted up in order to
see. Lifted up as the only remedy
for sin. Lifted up Expose our sins. Lift it up as the evidence of
the love and willingness of God to save chosen sinners. Lift
it up to convince of righteousness and judgment. Lift it up to satisfy
justice and righteousness." He said all of that. He said,
if I be lifted up, now watch what he said, I'll draw all men. Look at that word men in your
Bible. Isn't that in italics? Lift that
out. I will draw all unto me. All who? All for whom He died. All that were given Him of the
Father. If I be lifted up in this way, if my gospel be preached
according to the manner of my death, I'll draw. All for whom I die, I'll draw. I draw. It has no draw to the
self-righteous. It has no draw to the traditional
religionist. It has no draw to the experientialist. But it draws chosen sinners. Sinners, vile sinners, enemies
of God. It draws them. You know why it
draws them? Because it contains everything
they need. Everything they don't have. is
in that cross. Righteousness. Justice. All things in that love. I tell
you, if God ever convinces you of sin, He'll have to convince
you of righteousness. There's no way, once He convinces
you of sin, there's no way you can find anything you do, say,
think, or someday might have as righteous. He'll have to convince
you of that righteousness. And when He does, He's going
to take you to the cross. He's going to take you to the
cross and show you that righteousness. Old Joseph Hart wrote this old
hymn years ago. I'll read this to you and I'll
stop. Come you sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded,
sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, joined with power. Let not conscience make you linger,
nor a fitness fondly dream. All the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him. Come you weary, heavy laden,
lost and ruined by the fall, if you tarry till you're better,
you will never come at all. That's what he's saying here. What God purposed in eternity,
accomplished on the cross, that causes Him to send His sovereign,
irresistible Spirit to draw men and women to cry. And He's going
to draw them. They're all going to murmur no.
There's no need to murmur. Nobody's going to come to me
except my Father draw them. I tell you this, every man, every
woman, every boy and girl for whom Christ died will be drawn
to Christ, brought to faith, and preserved in that faith until
they die. Why? Because his death cannot
be frustrated. He cannot fail. That's what the
Scripture says. He cannot fail. It's not even
in the realm of possibility for him to fail. And we trust in
Him, Paul said, in whom God first trusted.