Redemption is the work of the
triune God from eternity to eternity. Now, when I say that, I realize
I've said that which in human thinking is redundant. How can
something be from eternity to eternity? It is the work which
God Almighty accomplished in eternity. performs and displays
in time and consummates in eternity when time is no more. Many words
are used in the scripture to speak of redemption. We often
talk about redemption and think about it, limiting it just to
the death of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. But redemption includes
everything involved in the deliverance and salvation of our souls into
the glorious liberty of the sons of God in resurrection glory. Redemption is salvation. Salvation is redemption. The word literally has the idea
of deliverance, loosing, setting free by the payment of a ransom,
or buying back from bondage that which had been lost by a just
and lawful payment. I said redemption is the work
of the triune God from eternity to eternity. But in time, the
Lord Jesus Christ stepped into this world, God the Son, He who
is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, he who is our surety,
he who stood our bond as it were before the world began in covenant
grace, stepped into the world in time in human flesh. And he came here for the purpose
of redeeming a people unto himself. He came here for the purpose
of saving his people from their sins. And while he was upon this
earth, he accomplished two great specific tasks. He lived the
full age of a man in perfect righteous obedience to God. If you would enter glory and
I would enter glory, we must be perfectly righteous. I never
will forget the first time I went down to Ashland to preach. Dear
Saint, now with the Lord. She was in the church when they
called Brother Henry's pastor at Pollard Baptist Church back
in 1949. Her husband was on the pulpit
committee. Ruth Adkins before I ever got back to the office
to sit down and visit a little bit. I ran into her and she introduced
herself and I introduced myself to her. She said to me, how good
does a man have to be to get to heaven? And I looked at her
and I thought to myself, well, I've never heard anybody ask
that question before. I've thought about it, never heard anybody
ask me before. And I answered, as good as God. And she just
being from ear to ear. No, it can't be that. That's
how good you got to be to get to glory. As good as God. And that can't be except by the
obedience of another, because you can't obey. That can't be
except by the righteousness of another, because you can't perform
righteousness. But it must be a righteousness
performed by one of infinite worth. And that one is Jesus
Christ, the God-man, who by his obedience unto the Father brought
in everlasting righteousness for us and became the Lord our
righteousness. And it is this righteousness
which he freely imputes and gives to every believing sinner in
free justification. But righteous obedience, not
enough. Justice must be satisfied. And
so our Lord Jesus Christ, having obeyed the law of God in perfect
obedience, the full age of a man now comes to Calvary. They came to him in the garden.
and arrested him as he had finished his intercession, pleading with
his father. Three times prayed. And at last, praying with a heart
broken, crushed, with an awesome, horrid, Anguish. Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, thy
will be done. What are we to understand by
those words? Let me not dare pry into something
that ought to be left closed. But this much I know, my Redeemer
was not praying to be kept from dying. He was not praying to be kept
from suffering all the fury of God's wrath. He was not praying
that he might bypass the cross and crucifixion. Not even a possibility. He came
into the world to die at Calvary. He created trees so that he'd
have one to be nailed on. Everything was done for this
focus event. All creation revolves around
it. He came to die and set his flint
to go up to Jerusalem to die. Nobody could stop him from that.
Well, what is the meaning of his prayer if it's possible? Let this cup pass from me. There's
never been but one man. There has never been but one
man who knew what sin is. Really. God teaches us a little bit about
it. But my soul, if he showed me
what I am, all at once he'd kill me. I know it would. You too. We don't have any idea, really,
what sin is. But this man, who is the God-man,
our blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ the Lord, knew what sin is. And it is the one thing he abhors,
the one thing he utterly despises, the one thing he hates with all
his being, the one thing that is repugnant to him is sin. And the thought of being made
sin, crushed his holy heart. And he cries, my father, if it
be possible, if redemption is possible, if salvation of my
people is possible, if the ransom of their souls is possible, without
me being made sin, let this cup pass from me. but that's not possible. Thy will be done. And his body
breaks out in a sweat of blood. And then he got up and went to
meet the soldiers. They came to arrest him. Judas
had arranged for his betrayal He said, when you see me kiss
him on the cheek, bind him fast. As if they could. And the Lord
Jesus stood up and he saw the soldiers coming with Judas at
the lead. And he said, fellas, who you looking for? He takes
the initiative. I told you he wasn't fearful
of dying. He wasn't fearful of paying the debt. He was horrified
at the thought of being made sin. And so as to demonstrate
who they're dealing with and demonstrate what he was about
to do, he says to those soldiers, those representatives of the
law, who are you looking for? They said, Jesus of Nazareth.
We've come to get him. And he said, I am. And down they went. And then
he, I suppose, said, y'all get up now, now that you understand
who you're dealing with. And he said, who did you say
you were looking for? Jesus of Nazareth. And the Lord
gives a word. Oh, what a word it is. I am he. If you're looking for me, if
you seek me, let these, my people, my sheep, go their way. The law of God came looking for
satisfaction. The justice of God came looking
for victim. The fury of God came looking
for one to punish. And the Lord Jesus steps forth
and he says, here I am! And I'm willing to go. But you
can't have me and my people if you seek me. let these go their
way and the soldiers take him. After a while they go before
Pilate and Pilate examines him and he
tries his best to figure a way to appease the Jews and be a
good politician and still let the Lord Jesus go, but they wouldn't
have it. And finally Pilate said, there's
nothing wrong with this man. I've examined him and I find
no fault in him. There's nothing in him worthy
of death. And he took the Lord Jesus out after his soldiers
had beat him, mocked him. And he stands him
before the crowd. And he makes a statement like
Caiaphas the high priest in John chapter 11, God often prophesies
by asses. He did with Balaam, didn't he?
He takes care of us, the high priest, and the high priest on
that day had not even a clue what he was talking about. He
said, he said, it's expedient for us that one man die and the
nation perish not. And thus he spoke by the Holy
Ghost, by the inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit and Pilate. Speaks like a prophet of God
This book right here Talks about a man It points to one man it
speaks of one man one man and on whose shoulders lays all the
rule of the universe. One man who is coming who will
bear away the sins of his people. One man who is coming who will
fulfill all the word. One man upon whom Jehovah has
fixed his decree and his purpose and his will to whom he's trusted
everything. One man to whom Jehovah said
ask of me and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance.
One man who must be made sin. One man who must die instead
of sinners. One man who having died in the
room instead of his people will gather them by his omnipotent
mercy and rule forever in his glory. And Pilate sets him out
there and he says, behold the man. There he is. There he is. And then Pilate
did something. Luke describes as almost beyond comprehension. The scripture says, Pilate delivered
Jesus to their will. To the will of men. Not just to the will of barbaric,
battle-hardened soldiers. Not just to the will of vile
drunks and harlots. Not just to the will of the down
and trodden. Not just to the will of the hardened
criminal. Not just to the will of the basest
of men. Pilate delivered Jesus to the
will of the noblest, best religious men walking on the earth. He delivered Jesus to the will
of the Jews, to the will of the scribes, to the will of the Pharisees. Crucify Him! Put God to death! We will not have Him. And that
is the will of every man. That is the will of every man. Man by nature despises God in
all his being. Man's heart is not just at enmity
with God. Man's heart is enmity against
God. Enmity! Deep-seated hatred for
God. And Pilate delivered Jesus to
their will. And they took him out to the
hill of Calvary. the place called Golgotha, in
the Hebrew tongue called the place of the skull. Now, in your
mind's eye, you can't help but have an image. We all have seen
the pieces of trash idolatry that the religious world has,
pictures of Christ and angels and pictures of Calvary When
you have an image of Calvary, you just have this peaceful,
serene picture of a hill sitting out by itself, covered with grass,
and perfectly shadowed, and just the proper lighting of sun, and
there are three well-carved crosses there. That's all totally contrary
to Scripture. Calvary was a little ways outside
Jerusalem because it was a garbage dump. Not just a garbage dump,
though. It's a place where they dumped
the bodies of executed criminals and the bodies of folks who died
in such poverty that they had no one to bury them. And there
they just go dig a hole, throw them in the ground and cover
them up. And so it's called the place of the skull for the bones
and skulls sticking out. It's obvious. This is a despicable
stench of a burial ground. And they take the son of God
out there. And for what's about to transpire,
a better place could not have been picked. And they stretch him out upon
a cross and nail his hands and his feet
to the cross. And they pick him up, drop him in the socket of the
ground. and there he hangs the burning scorching sun his wounds exposed to the heat
and the spit and the dirt they threw upon him turned to infection
in his body rapidly so that he bear not only our sins, but our
diseases, our sicknesses. And his body is wracked with
pain. And there he hangs. And you know
what they did? They sat down and watched. Come on, boys, let's just sit
here a while and watch this. Sip some tea, drink a little
beer, have a party, and see what's going on. This will be better
than any ballgame in town." And they watched him, and mocked
him, and watched him, and mocked him, and laughed. He cried, I thirst, and they
ran and got some piece of sponge or hyssop and gave him gall and
vinegar to drink. And they watched. Suddenly, there's darkness over
the face of the earth. Darkness, like the darkness of
Egypt. Darkness that none can imagine.
And he cries, by God, My God, why hast thou forsaken
me? Here he is, the one who came
to do his father's will. And now he is at the apex of
his obedience. Now he's come to the precise
hour for which he had created the earth to do his father's
will, for his father's glory, to save the people his father
had given to him. And there in the apex of his
obedience, when he comes at last to do his father's will, his
father forsakes him. My God, my God, why has thou
forsaken me? And the answer is obvious. He who knew no sin now experiences in his holy soul that which he so dreaded in Gethsemane's
garden. who knew no sin, was made sin for sinners, made sin for us, that we, because there was no
other way it could be done, except he who knew no sin be made sin
for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
that God now might be just and the justifier of every sinner
who believes in his son he's forsaken that we might never be utterly
abandoned that we might forever be accepted made sin, that we
might be made righteous, suffering all the hell of God's infinite wrath
at one time. And he takes the cup, the bitter,
bitter cup, With all its dregs, and with one tremendous draft
of love, he drank damnation dry. And this is what it said. John
chapter 19, verse 30. When Jesus, therefore, had received
the vinegar, he said, it is finished. It is finished. It is finished. and he bowed his head. Somebody said he hung his head
on a postless chest and died. Oh, no. Oh, no. He cries with the cry of a conquering
king. As he now casts the god of this
world out, as he now takes captivity captive, he cries, it is finished. and he bowed his head like a
reverent servant to his father and dismissed his spirit, gave
up the ghost. I've got to say this. We speak with such horrible irreverence
when we make light of the things of God. Young and old alike, if you've
got to use somebody's name to cuss, use mine or my mama's.
Please don't use God's. Please don't use his. Please
don't take God's name as a byword. I hear people, oh Lord, oh God. We hear it all
the time. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. All the
time, just a byword. Just a byword. Please take my
wife's name, will you? Please, please. The car quits running out there.
The fellow said, well, I gave up the ghost. Those things aren't accidental.
Satan's a crafty fellow. He does everything possible to
give every low opinion and thought of God he possibly can. God, the son, our redeemer, bowed
his head. and gave up the ghost. Nothing
else ever cared or did and nobody else ever could or did. He bowed
his head and gave up the ghost. Now what does our savior mean
when he says it is finished? Let me give you five or six statements
and I'll wrap this up because these things are terribly, terribly
important I want to speak with simplicity and pointed brevity,
and I want you to get them. When our Lord Jesus said, it
is finished, he means for us to understand and for all the
world to understand that all the types, promises, and prophecies
of the Old Testament scriptures were finished forever. Finished forever. Now I, I suspect some of you still got
some little Bibles that's been messed with, got notes written
all down on the bottom of the pages and they'll tell you about
prophetic things. I get questions all the time
about prophetic things. I'm a heap sight more interested
in what happened back here at Calvary than I am about what's
going to happen over Jerusalem tomorrow. Matter of fact, I'm
not at all concerned about what's going to happen over Jerusalem
tomorrow. I don't care whether the Jews win or the Arabs win.
I just hope they'll leave us alone. I really don't care. I really don't. Oh, you're anti-Semitic. No, I'm not anti-Semitic, anti-white,
anti-black or anti-anything else. I'm pro-faith. That's all. That's
all. We'll live in peace. The Old
Testament prophets did not speak about the things men vainly imagined
they spoke about. When Christ Jesus came into this
world and finished the work of redemption, he finished all the
types, promises, and prophecies of the Old Testament scriptures.
All of them. Well, but Brother Don, what about
the signs of the times? Boy, if anybody knows anything
at all about signs of the times. Do you know our Lord never told
us, never one time, never one time told us to look for the
signs of his coming. Not one time. But if I know anything,
I know this is a sign of his coming. Well, you don't know
anything then. Never one time. Not one time. He told us to look
for him. Paul was looking for him. Well,
it looks to me like Paul was confused. No, he knew Christ
was on his way back and nothing is to be done except the salvation
of his elect. And when the last one is saved,
he'll be here. But the prophets all spoke of
him. That's what he said in Luke 24,
wasn't it? That's what he said in Acts chapter 10, wasn't it?
They all spoke of me. This book speaks of a prophet
like Moses and a deliverer like Joshua. A priest like Aaron,
but not after the Aaronic Order. A priest like Melchizedek. A
king like David and a king like Solomon. A lamb that was to be
slain and a scapegoat that had to go free. A turtle dove that
must be slaughtered. And another dove is dipped in
the blood of that turtle dove and set free to fly away. Speaks of a priest who kills
the bird and the bird who's killed. an altar and a tabernacle, a
mercy seat and a showbread, a sacrifice and a sacrificer, and all those
things are right here in Him who says, it is finished. The whole of the Old Testament
points to and speaks of Him who loved us and gave Himself for
us. The whole of it. I've told you many times, When I was, I might've been 17
years old. God saved me short before I was
17 years old. First time I heard this, might've
been 17. And I hear it or read it all the time, one way or the
other. Been hearing this now since 1967. They got the rocks
already over there in the harbor. The stones, all the materials
are gathered. They're fixing to rebuild the temple anytime
now. I mean, I've been hearing that all my life. That's what
it taught us in school, didn't it? Fixing to rebuild the temple.
All the materials already over there, they're just waiting for
the right time. And God's going to come, Christ's going to come
again, and he's going to re-establish the temple in Jerusalem, and
the Jewish priesthood, and blood will again flow on Jewish altars,
and then the Messiah will be accepted. Let me tell you something. Let me tell you something. Now they may rebuild a temple
in Jerusalem. They may do that. And they may go somewhere and
find something they can call an altar and put it there. And
they may go find some yahoos to fake being priests. They might
do that. And they may even gather something up there and put it
together and put it inside that temple and call it the Holy of
Holies and the Mercy Seek on top of the Ark of the Covenant.
They may do all that tomfoolery. But if ever God Almighty is worshipped
by blood offered on a Jewish sacrifice, a Jewish sacrifice
and a Jewish altar by a Jewish priest again, we are yet in our
sins and Jesus Christ is not the Redeemer. It's just that
simple. Either he finished the work or
he didn't. Either he is our priest, or we
look for another. Either he is our sacrifice, or
we look for another. Either he is our way of access
to God, or we look for another. There's no in between ground. He is the temple, and we're the
temple of God in him. Here's the second thing. When our Savior cried, it is
finished, all those sacrifices and ceremonies of the law not
only were fulfilled, but they were forever abolished. Abolished. When our Lord spoke
of his coming, turn to Hebrews 10 for a moment. This is how he speaks of it by
the Apostle Paul. The law having a shadow of good
things to come, and not the very image of those things, can never,
with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually,
make the comers thereunto perfect. In other words, the law couldn't
do anything but show us a picture. That's all it could do. Verse
5, wherefore, since the law couldn't say, since the law could not
put away sin, since the law couldn't do one thing for you, Wherefore,
when he cometh into the world, he says, sacrifice an offering
thou wouldest not, but a body has now prepared me. And he came
here to take away the first that he may establish the second.
And now we don't worship God by ceremonies and rites and rituals. We worship God in spirit. We are the circumcision, which
worship God in the spirit. Well, but we keep baptism. We
observe baptism. We observe the Lord's Supper.
Our Lord commanded us to. And they are spiritual, visible
object lessons he's given us for confessing him and remembering
him. But if you've got to have a cross
around your neck to worship God, you don't worship God in the
spirit. If you've got to have stained glass windows to worship
God, you don't worship God in the spirit. Little iron boxes
in your house to remind you of God. You don't worship God in
the spirit. You're an idolater. Oh, well, Brother John, no, no,
no. You don't understand. Those are just helps to our worship.
Well, throw them away then. Start walking. Throw them away. They're not helps to your worship.
They're your gods. If they weren't, you wouldn't fight over them. That's all. You got to have a
certain costume. We come into the church and just
talk different. Instead of saying, well, hello,
Joe, how you doing? Well, hello, brother. How are
you today? Fake is a $3 bill, but folks
can't get it. No, we worship God in spirit
and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh
because all carnal worship, the Lord Jesus, Put a period on it
when he said it's finished. That's the end of it number three
Turn to Romans chapter 10 Romans chapter 10 Verse 4 When our Lord said it is finished
he means for us to understand that all our the commandments,
all the authority, all the rule of the moral law were now perfectly
fulfilled and brought to an end. For Christ is the E-N-D. Now that's not a terribly profound
word. That's not a word you actually
have to get a dictionary out to look up. I dare say everybody
from the youngest to the oldest sitting in this building knows
what that means, the end. Anybody not know what E-N-D means?
End. It's the very same word our Lord
spoke in John 19, 30, finished. Very same word, finished. Christ
is the end of the law. for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. And if he's not the end of the
law to you, you're not a believer. I think that's what it said in
it, Darwin. He's the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believes. You mean, Brother Don, you don't
teach folks to live by the law? No, I teach crooks to live by
the law. I teach murderers to live by the law. That's why the
law is written. For the unrighteous, so they'll
be scared to death. I teach vile folks to live by
the law. No, I don't teach folks to live
by the law. Somebody asked me one time, boy, you've got to
teach folks to tithe or they won't give. I'd rather they give,
wouldn't you? Folks who give because they love
God don't need to be told they've got to give 10% or God's going
to get it. Folks who rest in Christ and
keep the Sabbath of faith don't need to be told to keep one day
a week as a Sabbath day. They'll laugh at you if you even
think it's a Sabbath day. Those who love Christ don't need
a ball and chain on their ankles to keep them in line to do what's
right. Lots of times I hear folks say,
well, We don't believe that believers are really under the law, and
we don't obey the law in order to save ourselves, but we obey
the law just to show our love for Jesus. You ought to quit
trying to do that. You ought to quit trying to do
that. You don't need to show your love
to Jesus to anybody but him. And if you show it to him, other
folks might catch on and they might not. My wife is not near
as interested. and me convincing you that I
love her as she is in me living with her in love. She's not near
as interested in what you think about me loving her as she is
in me loving her. And there's a huge difference.
There's a huge difference. Well, we just do this to to show
our love for Jesus. Living in morbid fear under laws
and rules and keep the commandments and don't eat this and don't
go there. Don't do that. All the time Faith was growing
up, right on through college, Shelby traveled with me very
little. But if I should happen to be
fool enough to one day go out and get somebody to make me one
of those old chastity belts fellas used to put on their wives, and
bring it in and say to her, now honey, I realize you love me,
and it's not that I don't trust you, but I'm gonna be gone for
a couple of weeks now, I'd like for you to wear this chastity
belt while I'm gone, just to show your love for me. Might as well not come home. And if I got out of the house
with her beating me to death, I'd be doing good. What? What? Well, Brother Don, what
fool would ever think about that? Only a religious fool. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. We're not ruled by laws and rules
and regulations. We're ruled by faith and love,
seeking the glory of God. Brother Don, I need something
more. I know lots of folks do. Lots
of folks do. But not those who believe. Not those who believe. We ought
to be the most delightful, cheerful people in the world, walking
before God in the blessed union of faith in Christ. Free. Free. Religion, the whole business
of religion is to put shackles on people. put shackles on them,
and control them. Control them. I have folks all
the time ask me, Brother Don, do you think a believer ought
to? Do you think a believer ought to chew tobacco? Do you think a believer ought
to eat pork? Do you think a believer ought to wear shorts? Do you
think a believer ought to go fishing on Sunday? Do you think a believer
ought to watch movies? Do you think a believer ought
to do? Do you think a believer? Do you know what I've never had
anybody ask me, Klaus? Never in 40 years preaching. Had anybody asked me this? Do
you think I should? Never in 40 years. Why? Because
nobody's interested in what they ought to do. They're interested
in trying to control what you do. That's exactly right. So we love
law. We can get a measuring stick
out and say, now I measure up. Now, David Peters, if you don't
measure up, buddy, I'm going to get you. And that's what religion
does. Our Lord came to a man who was
dead, and he said, loose him and let him go. That's it. Free. Free. Oh, that scared me
to death, but I know. But Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes. I promise you,
I'll hear about that point. Number four. When Christ cried, it is finished, our Lord opened a way of access for sinners to come to God. Having therefore, brethren, by
boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say his flesh, and having a high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, He cried, it's finished in the
veil, in the temple. God ripped that thing open from
top to bottom. And he said, come and welcome. Come and welcome. Sinners, poor
and needy, come now in full assurance. God will not, by this sacrifice,
Turn into your way. Amen.