Now this morning we're going
to go back to Matthew chapter 26. I'm going to use for a title
for the message what we see happening in these verses. We see the Lord
Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. Behold God's Lamb. In God's purpose,
in God's decree, He's the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. But here we see in time, in the
fullness of time, He came. And now we see unfolding before
us what was prophesied in all the Old Testament scriptures.
We see the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God being led
to the slaughter because of our sin, because of our iniquity. And we see the trial of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord of glory, the God-man,
the mediator, the surety, the everlasting covenant, stand before
this mocking trial of these self-righteous priests, Pharisees, scribes,
and is falsely accused and condemned to death for speaking the truth. Speaking the truth. Down there
in verse 63, Matthew 26, and the Lord held his peace and the
high priest entered and said unto him, I command thee by the
living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the
Son of God." And the Lord said, yep, that's me, I am. We're going to turn in a minute
to Mark 14, but there it's recorded the Lord answered when He said,
the high priest said, are you the Christ? Are you the Son of
God? And there it says, the Lord said,
I am. I am, I am. And then over in,
I believe it's John 18, where this is also given to us, and
we have a little bit more information through Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John. It says there when they was asked
that question, yes, yes, I am the Christ. Yes, I am God the
Son. And then I love what he says
in verse, 64 thou has said or he's saying what you have said
is right what you said is true nevertheless I say in you that
hereafter Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man the God-man
sitting on the right hand of power coming in the clouds of
heaven he declares not only that he is a God Almighty, but he
also declares that he is God Almighty manifest in the flesh. You shall see the Son of Man
sitting on the right hand of power, sitting on the throne
of God, coming again at judgment as a judge of all the earth.
This is a God with whom we have to do. The Father judgeth no
man, but I've committed all judgment unto the Son. What we see here
in these verses in the closing of chapter 26. We see the Lamb
of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, coming to Calvary's tree. We
read a moment ago He set His face like a flint. No one can
deter Him. No one could stop Him. He's determined
to carry out God's purpose in dying for our sin, shedding His
blood to obtain for us eternal redemption. They bound Him and
led Him away, as it says in verse 56, In Matthew 26, all this was
done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Everything he was doing, he was
doing because it was written of old about the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole Old Testament said
someone's coming. The Christ of God is coming.
The Gospels declare unto us the Lord Jesus Christ has come. And
then the epistles, they declare what? He's coming again. The
Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. They bound him and they led him
away. Just like Abraham of old, when
he took Isaac up on a mountain to offer him as a burnt sacrifice,
he bound him and laid him on the altar. And that's what's
happening to the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, he was oppressed and
he was afflicted. He opened not his mouth. He is
brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before shears
is dumb, so we open not his mouth. Now look at verse 59, Matthew
26. They lay hold on him and led
him away to Caiaphas the high priest. We'll come back to verse
58 in a minute. Verse 59, the chief priests and
elders and all the council sought false witnesses against him to
put him to death. Here we see this angry mob of
most self-righteous religious people. The scribes were those
who detail, in great detail, copied out the scripture. The
Pharisees were those who were so self-righteous going about
to establish their own righteousness. In the elders of Israel, they
made up what was known as the Sanhedrin court, this very religious
court. Saul of Tarsus at one point was
a member of this court. These men had one object in their
heart, murder. Premeditated, it was premeditated
first degree murder. They had murder in their wicked
heart. They sought to do away with this
man from Nazareth, because it threatened their religious doings,
it threatened their religious ways, it threatened their salvation
by the Jewish traditions of the law. Remember how Matthew 26
started out? Turn back to verse 1, Matthew
26. And it came to pass, when Jesus
had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, you
know that after the two days of the Feast of the Passover,
the Son of Man is betrayed and crucified. Then assembled together
the chief priests and scribes and elders, the same bunch of
people, and to the palace of the high priest who was called
Caiaphas, and they consulted that they might take Jesus by
subtlety and kill him. But they said, not on the feast
day, lest there be an uproar among the people. They were worried
about their own reputation, weren't they? Premeditated murder. Murder in their heart. That's
what they wanted. They wanted to put an end to
this man's ministry. Our Lord describes these Pharisees
and scribes and Sadducees. He said, you are they which justify
yourselves before men, God knows your heart. That which is highly
esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. I love the
conversation that's given to us in John chapter 8 when the
Lord confronted those Pharisees and upset those Pharisees and
they said, Oh, Abraham is our father. We've been not born of
fornication. Abraham is our father. He said,
if you were Abraham's seed, you'd believe me. You'd be like Abraham. You'd believe me. But he said,
you're not of Abraham's seed. And then he said this. And here
he's describing these men. He said, you are of your father,
the devil. And the works of your father
you do. He was a liar and a murderer from the beginning, and so are
you. Boy. You talk about something cutting
to the heart. You are of your father the devil. These religious folks were most
upset. The Lord had the sharpest rebukes
for those self-righteous Jews. He had the kindest, kindest words
of compassion toward those who were sinful. He said, come to
me, I'll give you rest. But to those who were going about
to establish their own righteousness, oh, he was harsh with them. Works
religion, free will, works religion is no different in our day. As
those Pharisees hated the way of free grace, religion in our
day, and talk about mainstream Christianity, they hate the way
of true salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God. In
Christ alone, faith alone, to the glory of God alone, grace
alone, because it shuts out, why do they hate? The Gospel
of God's free grace, it shuts out all their merit, doesn't
it? It shuts out all their works. It shuts out all their creature
merit and human glory, and it shuts them up to the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. The whole Reformation period,
Martin Luther's day and John Calvin and others, they stood
for the Word alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, to
the glory of God alone, and they gave their lives for those things.
The salvation that we see of and is taught in the Word of
God boldly and plainly teaches us the way of salvation in Christ
alone. Our Lord said in John 14, I'm
the way. I'm not a way, I'm the way, the
truth, the light. And then he said, no man come
to the Father, but by and through me. So it is Christ alone, it
is grace alone. Grace alone, not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
according to his grace that he saved us. And it's faith alone. It is of faith that it might
be by grace that the promise might be sure to all the seed.
We're justified by faith, having peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. We're justified by faith, having
peace with God in and through Christ. Now, what can we learn
here from our Lord being arrested and being hated so, so fiercely? And they were seeking nothing
but his death. What can we learn from this?
Well, several things. We see, first of all, that lesson
of depravity, don't we? The sinfulness of men. Now, it
shows the absolute hatred of sinners toward the true living
God as He stands before them bound. And when they declared
that He's guilty and ought to die, what did they do? They spit
in His face. And then they strike him in the
face and mock him as the prophet of God. So we see the depravity
of men, don't we? We see our depravity. We see
our depravity. Pilate said, what shall I do
with this one called the Christ? Crucify him. Crucify him. We're gonna see that in Matthew
chapter 27. But here's a lesson for us about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We see the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, as the willing, submissive
Lamb of God. Willingly and submissively bowing
to the will of God. Our Lord said in John 18, excuse
me, John 10, verse 18, He said, the good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. And then he said, no man takes
my life from me. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
from my father. And then we read last week from
John 18, verse 1 through 5, there when he comes out of the garden,
and there Judas and a band of army soldiers met him. And the
Lord stood forth and said, whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus
of Nazareth. He spoke two words. I am. You remember what happened? They
hit the ground. They hit the ground at the Word
of Almighty God. Now don't tell me the Word of
God is not quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.
He spoke two words and they fell to the ground. But the Lord couldn't
easily walk away. But that wasn't His purpose.
He submitted Himself to the will of God, to the wickedness of
men, to the will of God. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken Him by wicked
hands, have crucified the Lord of glory. But in all this the
Lord is fulfilling what was pictured on the Day of Atonement. He was
set forth as a propitiation for our sin. That's what happened
on the Day of Atonement when the blood was shed. Innocent
blood was shed and put on that mercy seat. It pictured the Lord
Jesus Christ. putting His blood on the mercy
seat in glory, covering our sin, making atonement for our sin. Here in His love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us, and that He sent His Son
to be the sacrifice for our sin. He came not to destroy the law
of God or the prophets, He came to fulfill the law of God. He
satisfied the law of God. He fulfilled every shadow, type,
and picture. Every animal sacrificed under
the law, every one of them, And there was thousands and thousands
and thousands. It all pictured Christ our substitute. Christ our substitute. So we
see the willingness of the Savior. We see something else. Secondly,
back there in verse 58. Well, verse 56, it said, then
all the disciples forsook him and fled. Verse 58, it says that
Peter followed afar off unto the high priest's palace, and
went in, and sat with the servants to see the end." So we see the
willing servant, but we also see the wayward disciples. We see Peter after he forsook
the Lord and fled, and Peter was probably the one in the lead,
and John and the rest of them followed, and then in verse 58,
John and Peter, it says in John chapter 18, it says that Peter
and another disciples, and most think it was John, they find
some fainthearted courage to follow, as it says there in verse
58, that Peter followed afar off, afar off to see the end,
to see what would happen. Many people, I fear, religious
lost people, I fear, want to follow as Peter did and John
at a distance. They want to follow the Lord
afar off. Instead of identifying with the gospel of Christ, instead
of identifying where the gospel is preached, instead of identifying
with his people and attending where the gospel is preached,
they somehow want to follow at a distance. I just don't want
to get too involved, you know. My friend, his people are not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He said, if you're ashamed of
me, I'll be ashamed of you. Peter sat down, it says there.
He sat down with the servants to see the end. Now, who did
he sit down with? He sat down in the camp of the
enemy. Now, you can't expect any good
to come from sitting in the camp of the enemy. Peter sat down
with the enemies of the Lord. Not a good place to be. And he
does so, why does he just kind of snuggle in with that crowd
and sit there? So as not to be seen. So as not
to be noticed. So as to protect himself and
to hide himself. It says there to blend in with
the crowd, I think. And then it says there he came
in to see the end. To see the end. This is not the
end, this is the beginning. This is the beginning. To see
the end or to see what would happen. Maybe out of curiosity,
maybe out of real care and concern, didn't he? Maybe he thought the
Lord Jesus would call down those 12 legions of angels. Remember
he told Peter, put up your sword, I can call 12 legions of angels
to wipe out this army. Maybe he thought the Lord would
call on those angels and destroy all them men. But remember, all
this is happening to Peter as the Lord told him that he would
deny him and he would flee. Remember back, turn back to Matthew
26, verse 31. Matthew 26, 31. All you shall
be offended because of me this night, for it is written, I will
smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered
abroad, but after I'm risen, I'll go before you into Galilee.
Peter answered and said unto him, though all men should be
offended because of thee, I will never be offended. Pretty proud. Pretty proud boast, isn't it?
And the Lord said, and verily I say unto you, verse 34, that
this night before the cock crow, before the chicken crows in the
morning, you'll deny me three times. Peter said to him, though
I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. Likewise, also
said all the disciples. If you read the rest of Matthew
chapter 26, we're going to see next week, Peter did the very
thing that he said he would never do. Now, let's look at this trial
here for a moment, see if we can learn a few things. Their
purpose in arresting the Lord and accusing him was to put him
to death. To put him to death. They wanted
to end his ministry. They could not stand his ministry. When he came into the temple,
what did he do? He drove out the money changers.
He turned over the money changers' tables And he said, you've made
my house, it should be a house of prayer, you've turned it into
a den of thieves. They hated what he did. They
wanted to put an end to his ministry and they wanted to disband all
of his followers. They saw how easily Judas betrayed
the Lord for money. And maybe they thought they could
buy the rest of them out for money. Maybe they thought the
other disciples would just surrender and disappear and go away. We'll be done with this man named
Jesus. It wasn't the end, was it? It was just the beginning.
The beginning. At first they tried to accuse
him of preaching false doctrine. Hold your place there and turn
over here to John 18. We have to look at these other
places to kind of get the whole story. In John 18, at first they
accused him of preaching false doctrine. I want to look at John
18, verse 19. John 18, 19, the high priest,
and asked Jesus of his disciples and his doctrine. And the Lord
said, I speak openly to the world. I ever taught in a synagogue,
in the temple, whether the Jews always resorted. And in secret,
I've said nothing. Why askest thou me? Ask them
which heard me, what I've said unto them. Behold, they know
what I've said. And when he had thus spoken,
one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm
of his hand. and saying, answerest thou me?
Answerest thou the high priest so? And the Lord said, I have
spoken evil. If I preach false doctrine, you
bear witness of that evil. But if well, why do you smite
me? The word that he spoke Turn back
a few pages to John chapter 12. I was looking at this this morning.
John chapter 12. Look at verse 49. John 12, 49. He said, For I have
not spoken to myself, but the Father which sent me, he gave
me commandment what I should say and what I should speak.
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever
I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. So they tried to accuse him of
preaching false doctrine. He said, my doctrine is not mine,
but the Father who sent me. He preached the truth. And then
they sought to bring false witnesses against him. Now, I want you
to turn to Mark chapter 14. Mark chapter 14. So, bringing
false doctrine accusation against him did not stick. So they tried
to bring false witnesses against him. Turn to Mark chapter 14,
and let's begin reading at verse 56. Mark 14, for many bear false
witness against him, but their witness agreed not. Remember,
in the mouth of two or three witnesses, so every word be established. And there arose certain and bear
false witness against him, saying, we've heard him say, I'll destroy
this temple that is made with hands, and within three days,
I'll build another without hands. But neither so did their witness
agree. And the high priest stood up
in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, Answered thou nothing?
What is it which these witness against thee? But he held his
peace and answered nothing. And again the high priest asked
him and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
And he said, I am. And you shall see the Son of
Man sitting on the right hand of power coming in the clouds
of glory. So they brought the charge of
false doctrine against him. And he says, what I speak, I
speak the truth because I speak the word of my Father. They sought
to bring false witnesses against him, but their witnesses could
not agree. And the Lord did not answer them. Look back at the text again. Matthew 26. Verse 63, and the
Lord held his peace, and the high priest answered him, I command thee by the living
God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of
God, thou hast said. What you said is right. What
you said is true. The Lord did not answer, nor
did he try to defend himself. Although the Lord Jesus Christ
was completely innocent of all their charges against Him, He had no sin. Such a high priest
became us who was holy, harmless, undefiled, totally separate from
sin. He had no sin, the Scriptures teach us. He did no sin. He is
a spotless Lamb of God. He knew no sin, but He is guilty. He's not guilty of what they
charged him of, but he's guilty before the law of God as being
made to bear our sin in his own body on the tree. Christ suffered
once for us to just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God.
Isaiah 53 says the Lord laid on him, the Lord God Almighty
Jehovah laid on him the iniquity of us all. He's indeed guilty
of sin, but only guilty by way of The old preacher John Owen, considered one of the greatest
preachers in England. Back in the 1600s, he died in
1683. He said, the purpose of our holy
and righteous God was to save his church from their sin. But
their sins could not go unpunished. It was therefore necessary that
the punishment for that sin be transferred from those who deserved
punishment and could not bear it to one who did not deserve
it but was able to bear it. in His own body on the tree. He said this is the foundation
of the Gospel and of all divine revelation contained in the Scripture. Substitution and satisfaction. It says in 2 Corinthians 5, verse
21, God made Him sin for us who knew no sin that we might be
made the righteousness of God in Him. Verse 63, Caiaphas was
enraged. when he heard what the Lord said
there, when he held his peace, he said, I, now watch this, verse
63, I juror thee, and I looked that word up that has a sense
of command thee, I demand of thee, I demand of thee, and he
evokes the name of the living God. You tell us whether thou
be the Christ. Tell us whether you be the Son
of God." And the Lord said, Thou hast said right. I am, yes, yes
I am. He tried to exercise his priestly
authority over the Lord Jesus Christ. I demand of thee, this
high priest was totally ignorant of the fact he was looking in
the face of the living God. He was looking in the face of
the great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he's so blinded
By his sin and depravity, he looks at the Lord dead in the
eye and does not see the true and living God. He does not see
the Lord Jesus Christ as our great high priest. Our Lord said,
I and my Father are one. He said to his apostles, when
you've seen me, you've seen the Father. I and my Father, we are
one. Tell us whether you be the Christ.
He told them before. Do you know that? Turn over here
to John 10. Back to John. But look at John
chapter 10. Tell us if you be the Christ.
He told them before. And they wouldn't believe Him.
John chapter 10. Look at this. Verse 22. John
10, 22. It was at Jerusalem, the Feast
of the Dedication, it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple
of Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about
him and said to him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? If
you be the Christ, tell us plainly. And the Lord said, I told you.
And you believe not the works that I do in my Father's name.
They bear witness of me. Now watch it. Watch it, verse
26. You believe not. Because you're
not my sheep. That's why they didn't believe.
My sheep hear my voice. I know them. I give them eternal
life. They follow me. I give them eternal life. They
shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave to me is greater than all.
And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I am
my Father. John 10 verse 30. I am my Father. We're one. We are one. One and the same. You've seen
me, you've seen the Father. He told them before that He was
the Messiah. Yes, indeed, He is the promised
Messiah, the anointing of God. Psalm 2 says, I've set my King
upon my holy hill of Zion. The apostles confessed He was
the Christ. Turn back to Matthew 16. Matthew
16. Matthew 16, verse 13. When Jesus came to the coast
of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do
men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Well, some,
that thou art John the Baptist, Elijah, or another prophet, Jeremiah,
or maybe another. But He said unto them, Whom do
you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the
Christ. Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father. Over in John chapter
6, when the multitude that had been fed there in the wilderness
walked away, and the Lord said to his disciples, if you want
to go, follow the crowd. Peter said, Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. We believe and we are sure you are that Christ, the anointed
of God, the anointed of God. I've set my king upon my holy
hill of Zion. God said, He is my anointed. He is the Christ of God. He is
the Son of God, manifest in the flesh, and He is the Son of Man.
The Word made flesh and dwelt among us. He boldly declared
His deity, didn't He? Verse 64. Nevertheless, I say
unto you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man. Now he confesses
he's the Christ and the Son of God, but here he says, I'm the
God-man mediator. I'm the Son of Man. And you're
going to see this Son of Man sitting on the throne of almighty
God, the throne of absolute power and all authority. The Lord Jesus
Christ, as God, has all power and authority. But the Lord Jesus
Christ, as the Son of Man, as our Savior, as the Mediator and
Intercessor and Advocate, all power has been given unto Him
in heaven and earth. Look over here at Matthew 28.
We're going to see how this book ends. In Matthew 28, look at
verse 18. This is the risen Lord addressing
His apostles, all power is given unto Me in heaven and earth.
All power. He prayed, Father you've given
me all power over all flesh that I should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given to him. He has all power. He has
all power to save or to destroy. He has all power to forgive sin
or not to forgive sin. He has all power to save to the
uttermost He has all power to make us willing in the day of
His power. He has all divine power to give us all spiritual
blessings according as His divine power has given to us all things
that pertain to life. Godliness, who called us to power,
glory, and virtue through our Lord Jesus Christ, He has all
power. All power. He has the power of
God Almighty sitting on the throne of God, exercising his sovereign
dominion, his sovereign right. And then it says there He's coming
again. He's coming back the second time to receive us unto Himself. He said, I go away to prepare
a place for you. If I go away, I'll come again
and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be
also. Turn over here to Hebrews, the
book of Hebrews, one of my favorite books, the book of Hebrews, and
find Hebrews 9. Hebrews 9. Can you turn there
and find Hebrews 9? You'll be blessed to see this
in Hebrews 9, verse 24, where Christ did not enter into the
holy places made with hands like those Old Testament priests did,
which are figures of the true, but in heaven itself, Now to
appear in the presence of God for us, or yet that he should
offer himself often as a high priest enters into the holy place
every year with the blood of others, for then must he have
often suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed, and the
man wants to die after that judgment, So Christ also once suffered
to bear the sins of many unto them that look for him, shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. He came the
first time to put away our sin. He's coming back the second time
to receive us to himself and to condemn this wicked, wicked
world. The high priest, what did he
do when he heard this gospel message of Christ, the only Savior? Look at verse 65. The high priest
rent his clothes. I mean, he ripped his clothes
off in anger. Saying, he's spoken blasphemy.
What further need have we? We don't need any more witnesses.
We've heard him ourselves. We've heard him speak evil. He turned to this mocking crowd.
What do you think? What do you think? They answered,
guilty. What's the verdict? Guilty. He must die. And they spit in his face. They hit him in the face, saying unto him, prophesy thou
Christ. They mocked him, didn't they?
They mocked the lovely son of God. Although the Lord Jesus
Christ spoke absolute truth, because it's impossible for God
to lie, they considered the truth he spoke to be evil, had he not
been God incarnate. Had he not been the Son of God,
had he not been the Christ of God, he would have spoken blasphemy. But the Lord Jesus Christ indeed
is the Christ of God. He is the Christ of God. He is
God manifest in the flesh, come to put away our sin. Here's what
we see man's natural response to the absolute lordship of Christ
and his successful work, the carnal minded enmity against
God. They spit in his face. They hit the lovely son of God
in the face. They mocked him in his office
as prophet, priest, and king. Those who by the grace of God,
closing statement, Those who by the grace of God have seen
the lovely face of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's commanded the light
to shine in our heart that we might see the glory of God that
shines in the face of Christ. Those who by the grace of God
have seen the lovely face of the Lord Jesus Christ. They don't
spit in his face, they kiss the sun lest he be angry. and he perished from the way
when his wrath is kindled but a little. They kissed the sun.
They embraced the Lord Jesus Christ. They looked to the Lord
Jesus Christ for all of their salvation. Don't we? Would you
look anywhere else? The Lord said, I'm the only just
God and Savior. Look to me and be ye saved. He is, as we studied in the Song
of Solomon, he is altogether lovely. To you who believe, he
is precious. He is precious.