Only the Bible would say something
like this. Surely, the wrath of man shall
praise thee, and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain. I've entitled this message, The
Wrath of Man Shall Praise Thee. And how comforting this is to
the child of God, the wrath of man, his hatred and enmity against
God and his people is among the all things that work together
for good. To them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose, everything that
was, is, and shall be is for the praise of his glory. Pharaoh learned this glorious
truth when he said, who is the Lord that I should obey him? And the Lord said to him, even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my
power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout
all the earth. Therefore, hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy. and whom he will, he hardeneth."
Now, at no time was the wrath of man allowed to be vented out
to its full extent until the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. There, the wrath of man expressed
itself in the murder of the Son of God. The cry of man is we
will not have this man reign over us. And the scripture says Jesus
was delivered to their will. When men were allowed by God
to do what was in their heart, they nailed the Son of God to
a tree, but the wrath of man shall praise
thee, and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain." Now, this
verse of scripture is a commentary on what the enemies of Christ
said during his crucifixion. When they spewed out their venom
against the Son of God, they unwittingly sang his praise. And here's why. Surely the wrath
of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath shalt
thou restrain. Judas Iscariot. Whom our Lord called the son
of perdition. The son of destruction. The one
who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. When he comes to betray the Lord
with a kiss. Remember the way the Lord said,
Judas betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss. When he came
to kiss the Lord on the cheek. He had these words, master, master. And he said these words in utter
phoniness and hypocrisy. He was coming to betray the Lord
with these words, master, master. But have ever truer words been
said? The Lord said, one is your master. Even Christ, he is the master. This is not talking about teacher.
This is the word rabbi, my master. He is the master. Surely the wrath of man shall
praise thee. And here we have an example of
it. When the mob comes to take the Lord with swords and spears
and staves, he says, whom seek ye? And they said with contempt,
Jesus of Nazareth. You know how he replied? I am. The same voice that spoke to
Moses in the bush said, I am. I am that I am. I, not I was, not I would be,
could be, should be, or will be, but I am that I am the name
of God. And you know, when he said, I
am, they were driven backwards. They were made to fall backwards
because our Lord is letting them know and us know at this time,
he's in control of this situation. He's no victim. He's in control
of everything. And they were made to see, even
then, that he reigns. I am that I am. In Matthew chapter 27, verse
4, we read where Judas, when he saw that he was condemned,
repented himself. He didn't have that repentance
that leads to salvation. He repented himself. But here's
what he said. And Judas, when he saw he was
condemned, repented himself and he brought the silver back and
said, I betrayed the innocent blood. The innocent blood. There's only one blood that is
innocent blood. And that is the blood of Jesus
Christ the Lord. His blood was innocent blood. You know why? Because He never
sinned. And this is why there's saving
efficacy and power in His blood. Because His blood is the innocent
blood and when his blood was shed, it was as a substitute. The sins of God's elect became
his and he was guilty but he was first innocent and that is
why there's saving efficacy in his blood. You see, my blood,
if my blood was shed for you, you know how much good it would
do you? No, because my blood is not innocent blood. I'm a
man, I'm a sinful man. I couldn't do anything for you,
but because of his blood, his blood is the innocent blood. They're saving efficacy. You
see, if he died for you, you must be saved. You see, this
innocent blood that was shed didn't make salvation possible. If you do something to make it
work, no, the innocent blood accomplished salvation. So when we hear of the innocent
blood, this is the only innocent blood there is. And that is why
there is saving efficacy in his blood. Oh, make much of the blood. Make much of the blood. In Mark chapter 14 verses 61
and 62, he's brought before the high priest who asked him this
question with the intention of condemning him for it. Art thou
the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And he had mal-intent. He didn't
believe he was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed. He thought
he was an imposter. And he asked him this question
to condemn him in wrath. Are thou the Christ, the son
of the blessed? You answer yes to this and you're going to be
condemned. And I love his answer. Once again, I am. Boy, there's something so powerful
in him using those words, the words of God. I am. And from henceforth thou shalt
see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming
in the clouds of heaven. You see, surely the wrath of
man, this wrathful priest shall praise thee. He's brought before Pilate now
with This accusation in Luke 23, 5. Here's what they accused
him of. He stirreth up the people. That's what he's guilty of doing.
He stirs up the people. He incites them to do bad things
and to think wrong things and not be right. He stirreth up
the people. That was their accusation against
him. But never has an accusation been more true. He stirs up the
people. He stirs up His people, He stirs
them up to love and to zeal and to faith and to commitment. He
does it by Himself. You know, He makes His people
feel this way, the best thing that could happen to me, the
most honorable thing that I could ever do is if my blood was shed
for His. His glorious name. That's how
He stirs up the people. You'd count it a privilege, a
blessing of His grace if you were allowed to die for Him.
That's how He stirs up the people. Nobody stirs up the people like
Him. They meant it in a bad way, I
realize. He incites the bad things, but
they didn't know, yes, He stirs up the people. And you know,
He stirs me up. I love Him. I want to be found
in him. I want to honor him. I want to
glorify his gospel. He stirs up the people like no
one else. They found somebody to witness
against him. We heard this deceiver say. I'll destroy this temple
and I'll raise it up again at the last day. And you know, he
really did say that over in John chapter two, after he had made
that whip and drove those people out of the temple, they said,
who gives you the authority to do something like this? Who do
you think you are? And he said, I'm going to give you a sign.
You destroy this temple and I'll raise it up in three days. He's
talking about his body. He was talking about his death, burial
and resurrection three days later. But all they thought was he was
talking about Forty and six years was this temple in building and
you're going to destroy it in three days. And this was what
they were so proud of, this temple. But they unwittingly, when they
made that accusation against him, he said, I'll destroy this
temple and raise it up in three days. They didn't know anything
about the Lord saying. No man takes my life from me,
I lay it down of myself. And I raise it up of myself.
I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up. These words glorify the Lord
Jesus Christ. You see, this is one of those great mysteries
His own wrath destroyed Him. His own justice against sin.
His own wrath destroyed Him. And He had the power, somehow,
actually dying. God the Son died. He laid dead
for three days and He gave Himself life. He was raised from the
dead. He raised Himself from the dead. What a glorious statement regarding
the Son of God. He had power to lay His life
down. Nobody could do it like He did
it. Everybody else, you don't have any choice. You're going
to die. He's the one who gave death permission to come and get him.
He destroyed this temple, his body in three days. And in three
days, he raised it from the dead, having accomplished eternal salvation. Oh, they meant this to accuse
him. But surely, surely, surely the
wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath shalt
thou restrain. Now in Matthew chapter 26 verse
66, this is the people's response to this question. What think
ye? What think ye? And here's their
response. He is guilty of death. This is what the people thought.
They hated him so bad, he needs to die. He's guilty of death.
He's guilty of being put to death. Maybe in fact, in utter hatred
toward his person. But you know what? Never have
truer words been said. He was guilty of death. He ought to be put to death. His crimes deserve death. He himself is guilty. of death. You see, God would
never put to death a man who was not guilty, would he? Jesus
Christ is guilty of death. And let me tell you why. Because
I am guilty of death. and because you are guilty of
death. And the sins of God's elect became
his sins. So that he said, my sin has a
heavy burden. It's too heavy for me. My sin
became his sin and he is guilty of death. He deserved, fully
deserved the full wrath of God. They said he's guilty of death. They didn't know how true they
really were. He was guilty of death. When Pilate delivered him to
the Roman soldiers, they mocked him. They pressed a crown of
thorns upon his head. They beat him and they covered
him with a purple robe and they put a reed in his hand for a
scepter and bowed down and said, Hail, King of the Jews. Never were truer words spoken. He's God's King. He's the King
of Kings. He's the Lord of lords. Hail,
King of the Jews. Never was his kingship more resplendent
than when he hung on the cross. And that thief looked at him
and said, Lord, you're the Lord. Remember me when you come in
your kingdom. You're a mighty reigning king. I know you're not going to stay
on that cross. You're going to come back as
a mighty reigning king. Remember me when you come in
your kingdom. And in sovereign authority, as
only a king can say today, thou shalt Be with me in paradise. Only the king can speak like
that. What was the placard over his
head? King of kings. Jesus of Nazareth, written in
Greek, the language of the common man. Hebrew, the religious. Latin,
the intellectual. They're all given the same message.
Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews. Oh, He is the King. You know, when they were mocking
His kingship, the Scripture says, they bowed down and worshipped
Him in mock jest. But is there anyone who ever
ought to be worshipped except Him? He's the object of divine
worship, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. And His kingship
is most real, no empty title. Pilate said, speakest thou not
to me? Knowest thou not that I have
power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee? He said,
thou couldst have no power at all over me, except it be given
thee from above. You see, he is the king. All hail the power of Jesus name. Let angels prostate fall. Pilate sent him to Herod. And Herod and his men of war,
the scripture says, set him at nought. Now Herod had been greatly
desiring to see him for a long time. You remember the account.
He'd been greatly desiring to see him. He hoped that perhaps
he'd see some miracle done by him. And the Lord didn't do anything. He didn't say anything. He asked
him if he'd do a miracle. The Lord didn't respond. And
all the scripture says Herod and his men of war set him at
nought. They said he's nothing. He's
nothing. He's an imposter. There's nothing to this man.
All these claims are false. They set him at nought. He also said regarding himself,
I am a worm and not even fit to be called a man. He made himself
of no reputation. Although he thought it not robbery,
not a thing to be grasped for, to be equal with God, he made
himself nothing. He emptied himself. He truly became nothing. They set him at naught. They
didn't realize what a nothing he had become when all the sins
of all of his people were made to meet upon him. Truly, he was
naught. He sent back to Pilate after
this. And Pilate says, I find no fault
in this man. He didn't want to crucify him.
I find no fault in this man. Do you remember when his wife
sent him a message and said, have nothing to do with that
just man? I've suffered many things this day in a dream because
of him. But he bowed down to the pressure of the crowd. He
said, I find no fault in him. And you know how the crowd replied?
They said in utter wickedness. His blood be upon us and our
children. We want to be held responsible
for what He did. Go ahead and jerk His blood. It's our fault.
We'll take blame. This is how bad they hated Him.
We'll take blame. His blood be upon us and our
children. What a wicked, evil thing to
say. That's the very desire of my
heart. His blood be upon us and our children. Surely the wrath
of man shall praise thee. His blood be upon us. Now, please
listen real carefully. If Jesus Christ's blood was shed
for somebody, and if he died for somebody, and they wind up
in hell anyway, you know what his blood is? Worthless. Useless. Not saving. You know, this teaching that
goes on in our day that Jesus Christ shed his blood for everybody
and made salvation available for everybody, but it's up to
you to make it work. You won't find that in the Bible.
That's not the teaching of scripture. That's a false gospel. That's
a message of salvation by works. Now, when we pray, Let your blood
be upon us and our children. Here's what I want. Lord, see
me only through the blood of your son, because his blood has
done something. His blood actually put away the
sin of his people. And God says, as he said in the
Passover, when I see the blood, what's the one thing God was
looking for? the blood. He didn't say when I see your
faith or when I see your sincerity or when I see your intentions
to stop sinning and start becoming a good person. He said nothing
like that. He said, when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. His blood be upon us. and his blood be upon our children.
That's what we desire. What a prayer. Surely the wrath
of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath thou shalt
restrain. Now here's what inspired this
message. As he was hanging from the cross,
I was reading this this week in Matthew chapter 27. As a matter
of fact, turn with me there. I've been quoting all the scriptures,
but turn with me to this one. Matthew 27. Verse 41, while he was hanging from the
cross. Likewise, also the chief priests
mocking him with the scribes and the elders said, he saved
others. Himself, he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel,
let him now come down from the cross and we'll believe him.
He trusted in God, let him deliver him now. If he'll have him, for
he sayeth, I'm the son of God. Oh, they were making fun of her.
He saved others, but there's really nothing to him. He can't
save himself. Look at him hanging there. Prove it. Come down from
the cross. You talk about saving others, but you can't even save
yourself. And this is what inspired this message. I read that passage
of scripture and it hit me like a ton of bricks. for Him to save
me. He could not save Himself. I could not be saved. If He did come down from the
cross, I would be in hell. How true! Never have truer words
ever been spoken. He saved others. Himself. He cannot save. You see, for
me or you to be saved, He could not save Himself. Why? Because God is just. That's my only answer. Because
God is just. Sin must be punished. I've sinned. My sin must be punished. Because God is just. God would
not be God. He would lose his Godhood if
he could let one sin go unpunished, because God's just. God's just. He must punish all sin, or he's
no just God. So if he's going to save me,
he couldn't save himself, because my sin became his sin. He loved me so much. Me. Me. You too, if you believe. This is the heritage of every
believer. He loved me so much that he would be damned in order
that I might go free. He saved others. himself he could
not save. Alas, and did my savior bleed
and did my sovereign die, would he devote that sacred head for
such a worm as I? Was it for crimes that I have
done he groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity, grace unknown,
and love beyond degree. Well might the sun in darkness
hide to shut his glories in when Christ the mighty maker died
for man the creature sin. But drops of grief can ne'er
repay the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself to
thee. Tis all that I can do. The Lord Jesus Christ died on
the tree. And in Mark 15, verse 36, we
read that the centurion, which stood over against him, that
man who was in charge of the crucifixion, that man who was
giving the orders as to how to torture and mutilate and murder
the Son of God, this wicked man, this hardened Roman centurion,
when he saw that he so cried out." You know what he heard
him say? He heard him cry out. This is
what he cried from the cross. It is finished. He was converted. And he said, surely this man, was the son of God. He felt the
earthquake under his feet. He saw the sun darkened and he
heard him so cry out, it is finished. I wonder if somebody here hears
those words. It's finished. There is absolutely
nothing for you to do. He did it all. It is finished. Quit trying to do anything. Quit
trying to work. Rest. It is finished. That's the gospel. And that man
cried out. Surely, this was the Son of God. He was right, wasn't He? Turn with me to Matthew 27, verse
62. Now, the next day that followed,
the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came
together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that deceiver
said while I was yet alive, after three days I'll rise again, command
therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third
day, lest the disciples come by night and steal him away,
and say unto the people, he's risen from the dead, so the last
error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them,
you have a watch, Go your way, make it as sure as you can. Do everything you can. Make it
as sure, make it as stable, make it as fixed as you can. Make
sure that stone stays right there over that sepulcher and he remains
there dead. You make it as sure as you can.
You're soldiers, you do everything you can. Make it as sure as you
can. Could they? Could they do anything to prevent
the Son of God from rising from the dead? They said, make sure
this deceiver stays in the grave. That was their thoughts of him,
a deceiver. A deceiver. I want you to remember this.
When you reject the gospel. You're not just rejecting a doctrine
or a philosophy. You're rejecting him. A person. And they rejected him. This deceiver
said he'll rise from the dead. You know something that I always
find amazing is the fact that the Lord said that on at least
three different occasions. Why weren't the disciples sitting
there waiting for him to come out? They weren't. I'll tell
you why. Same reason me and you wouldn't
have been. Because they didn't believe what he said. They didn't
really believe what he said. But shall their unbelief negate
him from rising from the dead? You see, Jesus Christ must be
crucified. Why? Because he's a lamb slain
from the foundation of the world, the scripture says. God's justice
demands, when my sin became his sin, God's justice demanded his
death. He must die. But you know what
else? He must rise from the dead. You know why? Because the moment
he died, complete satisfaction was made. All my sin was put
away. He was delivered for our offenses
and he was raised again for our justification. Now you can make
that seal as sure as you can, but it's not going to prevent
him from rising from the dead because he did what he came to
do. When he was born, listen to this
scripture. I don't care if you've heard
it a thousand times, listen to the glory of this scripture. Thou shalt
call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And when he was raised from the
dead, there's only one reason. He did what He came to do. He saved His people from their
sins. Now you're looking at someone
who is saved. And you know why I'm saved? Because
my Savior came to save His people from their sins. And that is
what He did. Now we see all these Horrible things said in wickedness. His blood be upon us and our
children. He saved others, himself he cannot
save. If he's the Christ, let him come
down, prove it. All these horrible things. Hail, King of the Jews.
But don't you see what the psalmist meant when he said, surely the
wrath of man shall praise thee. and the remainder of wrath thou
shalt restrain. One of the things I love about
the Bible is it is obviously the word of God. Men don't say
things like that. They couldn't come up with them.
Surely, surely the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder
of wrath thou shalt restrain. Let's pray together.