I'm entitling the message, The
Lord's Last Sermon, this is part two. Last week we brought the
first three of those seven sayings that the Lord uttered from the
cross. While the Lord Jesus Christ is
being crucified upon Calvary's tree, bearing our sins in his
own body on the tree, the sins of His people, the sins of those
the Father had given to Him in that covenant. The Lord Jesus
Christ once again, as the preacher of the gospel, preached and declared
unto us the gospel of God concerning salvation in Him. The Lord spoke seven short, brief
sayings from the cross, but they declare unto us a an ocean of
truth, a mountain of revelation. In each of these statements,
these seven statements, they speak volumes unto us. There have been countless sermons
preached upon and about these seven sayings. And in these seven
sayings, the Lord declares unto us His office, His person, His
doctrine and His work, and they are tremendous. And consider
that the Lord in His pain and in His agony, He dies the death
reserved for the most violent offenders of the day, but He
dies the death being appointed of God. This is God's sacrificial
lamb. Now by way of review, We'll look
here at the first one that the Lord uttered from the cross,
found in Luke 23 verse 34. Father, forgive them, they know
not what they do. and they parted his raiment and
cast lots. Father, forgive them. Here we
see the Lord Jesus Christ in his office as our only mediator
between God and men, that is, the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ
as our advocate before the Father. As our great high priest, he
intercedes for us, Father, Forgive them, those for whom He prays,
those for whom He dies, those for whom He represents. Mark
it down, they're forgiven. With the Lord Jesus Christ, there
is forgiveness of sin. This is a mediator that we need,
and I trust this is the only mediator that you look unto,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, forgive them. Is there
forgiveness of sin? Yes, only in Christ and by His
mediatorial priestly work for us on our behalf. Now here's the second saying
found in Luke 23 verse 43. The Lord says to the dying thief
who was granted repentance, who was made alive by the power of
God, The dying thief said, verse 42, Lord, remember me. You're
coming into a kingdom. You are king in your kingdom.
Have mercy on me. Remember me when you come into
your kingdom. And the Lord said verily, truly,
I say to you, Today, you're going to be with me in glory. There's the word of salvation.
And here we see in this statement, we see the kingship of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Or we could say it this way,
His Lordship. Who can give salvation and who
can forgive sin? None but the one who is Lord
and Savior. He is King in salvation. He is God our Savior. Thank God that salvation is by
His will, His purpose, and His grace. He gives salvation to
whom he will. He said, I will have mercy upon
whom I will have mercy. God said, I've set my king upon
my holy hill Zion. When he came here, he was king. Remember they kept saying, he
said he was the king of the Jews. He said, I am king. I and my Father, we are one."
The Lord Jesus Christ came as King. You remember the wise men
said, where is he that's born King? The Lord Jesus Christ lived
as King. The wind and the seas obeyed
Him. The crippled were raised up. The dead were made to live. The
blind were made to see. He controlled the elements of
the weather, the sea. Who can do that? None but God. He's King in providence, King
in salvation, and King in all things, providence. He is King
today. You'll be with me in glory. Now, here's the third saying,
turn to John 19. John 19, the Lord Jesus Christ
looks upon his mother in verse 26, when Jesus therefore saw
his mother. Imagine the anguish of Mary's
heart as she sees this one whom she loves, the one whom she said,
my soul doth rejoice in God my Savior. and the disciple standing
by whom he loved, both John and Mary, there beholding this terrible
sight of God Almighty in human flesh dying such a horrible appointed
death. And he said to his mother, Woman,
behold thy son. Then he said to the disciple,
that is, the disciple whom he loved, and it's John. He says
to John, the beloved, John, behold thy mother. And from that hour,
that disciple took her unto his own home. Here we see the Lord
Jesus Christ in his office as provider. Even in his death,
you know the law of God says, thou shalt honor thy father and
thy mother. The Lord Jesus Christ, even in
his dying hour, honors the law in providing for his mother.
Now, I don't know where Joseph is at this time. Some of the
writers think that Joseph, whom Mary was married to, had died
and was no longer able to take care of her. But even in his
dying hour, the Lord Jesus Christ is honoring the law and providing
for his mother, whom he loves. And we can learn from this, the
Lord in his office as shepherd, surety, and savior. Just as the
Lord provided for his mother, he provides for his family. His
people, His church, His own. He said, I will provide. His
name is Jehovah Jireh. David said, The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. The Lord took care of Mary and
the Lord takes care of us. And you know why He took care
of her? Because He loved her. And you know why the Lord takes
care of us? Because He loves us. Having loved His own, He
loved them to the end. The Apostle Paul writes about
the love of God. Nothing can separate us from
the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Again,
the Apostle writes, My God shall supply all your need according
to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. Aren't you glad
we have a shepherd like this? The one who provides for us.
And only that which God provides will God accept. And the Lord
Jesus Christ has provided all things for our salvation. He's
our righteousness. He's our redemption. He's our
sanctification. He's everything in salvation. Now that's the first three. Here's
the fourth one I want to look at right here in John 19 verse
28. John 19 verse 28. After this, Jesus knowing Now remember who this is, he
knows all things, he is the omniscient God. Jesus knowing that all things
were now accomplished, that the scriptures might be fulfilled,
he said, I thirst, I thirst, I thirst. Here we see his office and his
person. The Lord Jesus Christ had a real
human nature. He thirsted. He hungered. He wearied in body. Remember
in John 19 verse 5, when Pilate brought forth the Lord Jesus
wearing the crown of thorns, 19 verse 5, in a purple robe, Pilate said unto them, The man. He is the man, isn't he? He's
THE man. He's THE man. The Lord Jesus
Christ had a real human nature, a body prepared by God, body
and soul. We read in Hebrews 10 verse 5,
When he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering
thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me. The Lord Jesus Christ was God
Almighty manifest in the flesh. But let us always remember that He never stopped being God. When He was manifested in the
flesh, when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, He
never stopped being who He is, God Almighty. He never stopped
being God. The Son of God and the Son of
Man in one blessed person. He is a real man, but he never
stopped being God when he was manifested in the flesh. Son
of God, Son of Man in one blessed person. Isaiah writes about it,
the child is born, but the Son is given. He's totally and fully
God and totally and fully man. In one holy person, we do believe
according to the Word of God that the Lord Jesus Christ is
God. We believe in what is known as
the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's turn and read some
scripture about it. Hold your place there in John
19 and find Matthew chapter 1. And let's see if we can help
ourselves here, understand something of His humanity and something
of His deity in one blessed person. In Matthew chapter 1, Joseph,
her husband, being a just man, verse 19, not willing to make
her a public example, was minded to put her away. She was found a child of the
Holy Ghost, it says in verse 18. Verse 20, but while he thought
on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto
him in a dream, saying, Joseph, Thou son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in
her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus." And the name means there,
Savior. That's his name of humiliation,
his name of humanity, Savior. For he shall save his people
from their sins. Now all this was done that it
might be fulfilled which is written, which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet saying, verse 23, Behold, a virgin shall be
with child, and shall bring forth his son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel. which is being interpreted, God
with us. No wonder the apostle, often
times, when he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, writing by
divine inspiration, calls Him God, our Savior. And truly He is. Fully and totally
man, and fully and totally God, in one blessed person. Now turn back to John, the book
of John, and find John chapter 1, John chapter 1, Verse 1, John
1.1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. Speaking of God the Son. Look
at verse 14, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Was He a real man? Yes. Was He
really and truly and fully God? Yes, and one blessed person. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and full of truth. Turn in your Bible to John 10,
John chapter 10. Are you the Son of God? Are you
the King? Yes, I am. I'm the Son of God. In John chapter
10, in verse 27, My sheep hear My voice, I know them, they follow
Me, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which
gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of My Father's hand. I and Father You notice the two words I left
out there are italicized. I and father are one. What did the Jews do then when
he declared his deity and his real humanity? They took up stones
again to stone him. Turn to John 14 this time, John
chapter 14. I'm trying to show you from the
word of God that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly a real man that
knew thirst and yet he's God Almighty who created the water
and one blessed person. And it has to be both, I'll show
you in just a minute. In John chapter 14, Thomas saith unto
him, verse 5, we know not whether thou goest, how can we know the
way? And the Lord said unto him, I am the way, the truth, the
life. No man come to the Father but by me. If you had known me,
you should have known my Father also. From henceforth ye know
him, and have seen him. And Philip said to him, Well,
show us the Father, and it will satisfy us. And the Lord said,
Have I been so long time with you? Yet hast thou not known
me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. How sayest thou, Show us the
Father? You see, He is the mighty God
and He is the man Christ Jesus. As the man Christ Jesus, He suffered
hunger and thirsted. As the man Christ Jesus, He knew
agony, turmoil of soul, a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief.
It says in Hebrews chapter 4, He was tempted in all points
like as we are, yet without sin. Yes, a real man. And yet he never
stopped being God in one blessed person. Now that's his office,
here's his doctrine that is taught here. As the God-man mediator,
it says in verse 28, knowing that all things were now accomplished
that the scripture might be fulfilled. The Lord Jesus Christ as the
man sent of God fulfilled all God's purpose in saving his people. The Lord Jesus Christ as a real
man identified with us and as our representative for us, our
surety, our federal head, he fulfilled all that God required
of us. The Father speaks from heaven
and said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
God is well pleased with all those in Christ Jesus. You see the Lord Jesus Christ
as our surety, as our shepherd, as our savior, as our representative
and mediator. He perfectly obeyed the law of
God in thought, motive, word and deed. His faithfulness under
the Father was Perfect. He is the impeccable Christ.
His obedience unto God was without spot and flawless. Such a high
priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate
from sin. He is the man without sin, the
Lamb of God without spot, without blemish. His obedience unto the
Father was perfect. Obedient even unto death he prayed,
not my will but thy will be done. The Lord Jesus Christ had to
be fully and totally God, fully and totally man and one blessed
person in order to redeem us from our sin. He had to be both.
God alone cannot suffer. Man alone cannot satisfy, but
the Lord Jesus Christ being both man and God and one blessed person,
He did. He accomplished salvation. And
He gives us by His grace, freely by His purpose, all that He merited
before the Father. You see, His faithfulness is
ours. His obedience, which was perfect
obedience, is ours in Christ. His righteousness that He rendered
unto God is ours in Christ. He is the Lord, our righteousness. His perfect work is ours. before the Father. You see, it's
based upon our salvation, based upon His faithfulness, His righteousness,
His obedience, not ours. Aren't you glad it's that way?
He honored the law of God for us. Blessed is the man whom the
Lord imputes righteousness without work, saying, Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
will not impute sin. By one man's disobedience, many
were made sinners. Adam was a federal head too.
Adam was a representative head too. And when he sinned, we sinned.
When he rebelled against God, we rebelled against God. We were
in his loins. And that's also true of those
in Christ. For by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of another shall
many be made righteous." You see, it's upon His life, upon
His death, upon His faithfulness. One old songwriter put it this
way, upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die, another's
life, another's death, I rest my hope eternally. It's upon
His faithfulness, His righteousness, His obedience as the man Christ
Jesus. And because He honored the law
of God, as the perfect man and earned salvation for us, now
the Lord says to every thirsty sinner, you know what He says?
Come unto Me and drink. You see, He's fulfilled all things
for us. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
the water of life. It's through His obedience, through
His faithfulness. He said, I thirst. He thirsted
for us, suffered the wrath of God for us, and gives us salvation. Hold your place there in John
19 because we're coming back. But here's the fifth saying.
Back over here to Matthew chapter 27. This is given in Matthew
27 and also Mark 16. Matthew 27. The fifth saying
that the Lord uttered upon the cross in Matthew 27.45. You got
it there? Now from the sixth hour, there
was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about
the ninth hour, three hours of darkness, the Lord Jesus cried
with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, or Eli, Eli, lama sabachthanai. That's the language, it's not
pure Hebrew nor is it pure Latin, it's a mixture and some think
it's the language of the common people spoken in that day that
all understood. He made it all in a language,
gave it all in a language that everybody who heard it understood
what he said. That is to say, my God, my God,
Eli, Eli, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?" Now this comes
from Psalm 22, and we'll turn there and read it just a minute.
But here we see the Lord Jesus Christ in His office as Savior. Savior. He came, we read a moment
ago, He came to save His people from their sin. The Lord didn't
come to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance. He came
to seek and save that which is lost. And here we see His office
as Savior. You see, He sacrificed Himself. He saved us by the sacrifice
of Himself. He is what He is called. He came
to do the Father's will in accomplishing our salvation. He is the Savior
of sinners. He does justify the ungodly. The Lord Jesus Christ put away
our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. That's His office. He is our
Savior. Now here's His doctrine. What
is this teaching us? The Lord Jesus Christ died as
a substitute. A substitute. Pilate said not
once, not twice, but three times, I find no fault in him. The Father
speaks from heaven and said, this is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Why did the Holy God forsake
His Holy Son? Because He was made sin for us.
Turn over here to Matthew. Pass Matthew over here to Luke. Pass Luke over here to Psalm
22. I'll get it right here in a minute.
Psalm 22. Turn over there. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
didn't die as a private person. The Lord Jesus Christ died as
a public head. He died as a representative man.
And as a representative man, having our sin laid on Him. How
was our sin laid on Him? Pilate didn't do that. Judas
didn't do that, even though he betrayed Him. He said, I betrayed
the innocent blood. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity
of us all. And he cries out from the cross,
quoting Psalm 22, verse 1. And here we see the reason why
the Father forsook the Son. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping
me from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but thou hearest not, and in night season am not silent, but
thou art holy. Thou that inhabitest the praises
of Israel, our fathers trusted in Thee. They trusted and Thou
didst deliver them. They cried unto Thee and were
delivered. They trusted in Thee, and were not confounded. Look
at verse 6. But I am a worm, and no man of reproach of men
despises the people. Look at verse 12, Psalm 22. Some
of the old theologians think the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's
tree quoted this whole Psalm. Verse 12, many bulls have compassed
me, strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon
me with their mouths as a ravening and roaring lion. I'm poured
out like water. All my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax. It's melted in the midst of my
bowels. And during the wrath of God,
no wonder he cries, I thirst. My strength is dried up like
a potsherd. My tongue cleaveth to my jaws.
Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have
encompassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me,
they pierced my hands and my feet." That was written a thousand
years before the Lord Jesus Christ came and fulfilled all scripture
for us. And he cries, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Christ was not spared the holy
wrath of God. When He was made sin for us,
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ would not spare the holy wrath of God,
He endured the wrath of God. And when the Lord laid on Him
our sin, the Father had to forsake the Son. Thou art holy, I am
a worm, and no man. Why was he forsaken of God, God
too holy to look upon sin with favor? All of you remember the
old reformer, his name was Martin Luther. Martin Luther one day
was sitting, this is back five, six hundred years ago, sitting
in his study, looking at this scripture that we're reading
and considering right now. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? And he studied it, meditated
upon it, and came away with this conclusion. How can God forsake
God? He said, no man can understand
that. No man can explain that. Believe
it, I do. Declare it, I do. Understand
it fully. I don't. How can God forsake
God? The Lord Jesus Christ is God.
And yet as God, He was forsaken by God. When sin was laid upon
Christ, and our iniquity charged, our transgression, the charge
of our sin, the sin of God the elect was laid upon the Lord
Jesus Christ, He was separated from the mercy of God, the love
of God, and the grace of God. God deserted him that we might
never be deserted. He spared not his own son, but
delivered him up for us all that we might be spared, that we might
have salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ being made
sin for us, bearing our sin in his own body on the tree, that
we might forever enjoy the righteousness of God given unto us through
Christ and him crucified. You see, the Lord laid on him
our sin, and the Lord Jesus Christ, by the sacrifice of Himself,
honored the law of God. The law of God said the guilty
must die. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us, and He gives us that
blessed salvation upon His death, upon His blood, upon His righteousness. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?" He was forsaken that we might never be forsaken.
He said, I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you, no, not
ever. Now, back to John 19. John 19,
look, verse 30. John 19, verse 30. When therefore,
when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, it's done,
it's finished. And he bowed his head in total
submission and he yielded up his life, gave his life for us. Now I love this statement here,
it's finished, it is finished, it is done. Our Lord said in
Luke, Chapter 2, his first recorded words, I must be about my father's
business. And his last words was, it's
finished. He prayed in John 17, Father
I've glorified thee on the earth, I've finished the work you gave
me to do. Here we see his office as Redeemer
and High Priest. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished
the work of redemption for us. Not with the blood of bulls and
goats. The Lord Jesus Christ as our High Priest, He didn't
bring a typical animal sacrifice. He brought His own blood and
doing so obtained for us eternal redemption. We are redeemed with
the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is finished. It's finished. Salvation is not
something we do. Salvation is something He has
done for us. It's not do, it's done. Done.
Now here's his doctrine. What does this teach us? It teaches
us that his work, his office was successful. Successful. His redemption was a successful
redemption. The scripture says of him in
Daniel chapter 9, he shall bring in an everlasting righteousness. What happened upon the cross?
He said, it's finished! The scripture says of him that
he shall accomplish salvation for us. And upon Calvary's tree,
when all things were fulfilled, he said, it is finished. It's done. Every type and picture
of shadow, type and picture and shadow of the gospel throughout
the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ finished all things, honored
the law of God in precept and in penalty. His death was not
a defeat. It's a victory. Victory. He accomplished that
for which He came to do. The work of redemption is done.
Don't bring anything or try to add anything to His perfect work.
You just mess it up. Don't bring anything. Look to
Christ. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The work of redemption is done. Rest in Him. Rest in Him. Now, be careful here. Oftentimes
you hear the religious circle say, well I'm trusting, people
say, well I'm trusting the finished work of Christ. That's not right. We're trusting Him who finished
the work and there's a difference. We're not trusting just the work,
we're trusting Him. Faith looks to Him, the Lord
Jesus Christ. We see in Him we have complete
Salvation. In Him we have complete victory
over sin, death, hell, and the grave, because He conquered and
won the victory for us. Revelation chapter 1 says, I
am He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore.
I have the keys of hell and death. He's in charge. He said, because
I lived, you shall live also. Aren't you glad that we have
the victory in Christ, that He has won the victory for us, that
He said it is finished? God who has begun a good work
in you, He will finish it. It is finished. It's done. Don't bring anything to try to
add to His perfect redemption, His perfect salvation. Rest in
Him. Look to Him. Abide in Him. Now here's the last one. And
we have to turn back to Luke 23. Luke 23. Here's the seventh
one. Luke 23, verse 46. Luke 23, verse 46. Verse 44, it says, it was the
sixth hour and there was darkness over all the earth until the
ninth hour. Three hours of darkness, the
sun was darkened. And when he died, the veil of
the temple was rent from top to bottom. Verse 46, And when the Lord Jesus
had cried with a loud voice, He didn't just whisper. In the
full vigor of His humanity and in His deity, He cries with a
loud voice, Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit. And having said thus, He yielded
up. His Spirit. He gave His life. Here we see His office. The Lord
Jesus Christ as a forerunner entered into glory for us as
a covenant head. The forerunner has entered in
for us. Turn over here to Hebrews chapter
6. He appears now in the presence of God for us. When He by Himself
purged our sin, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high. In Hebrews chapter 6 verse 18,
that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for
God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for
refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we
have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner
for us is entered, even Jesus. May the high priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek, turn to Hebrews 9 verse 24. For
Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hand, which
are figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us right now. Father, into thy hand
I commend my spirit. You see, no one took his life. In John chapter 10, our Lord
said, I laid down my life for the sheep. No man takes my life. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father. You remember Pilate told him,
I have power to crucify you. I have power to release you.
And the Lord said, you don't have any power over me. I have
all power to lay down my life. and to give my life." You see,
no man ever died like this man died. He yielded up as God. He yielded up his spirit. Dismissed
his spirit. So there we see his office as
the forerunner, as God our Savior. And here is the doctrine we can
learn from this. They took his dead body down
from the cross and laid it in a new tomb. But he didn't go
there. He didn't go there. Remember
what he told the thief? Today, you'll be with me in paradise. In paradise. Father into thy
hands, I commend my spirit. Oh, they put his body in the
grave, but he went immediately to glory. And the thief went
with him. And you know what? All of his
covenant people went with him too. You see, He represented
us when He came, when He lived, when He died, we were crucified
in Him. When He was buried, we were buried. And when He was
raised, we were raised. When He ascended, we ascended
in Him. When He sat down, we sat down in Him. Already seated
in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Now, three days later, His body
came out of that grave. Three days later, He commanded
His Spirit to come back and occupy that body and it came out of
that tomb as a glorified body, a real body, a glorified body. Turn to Luke 24. When the resurrected
Lord appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He lived
among men for 40 days before He ascended, bodily ascended.
But when he came back and took up that body, it was a glorified
body, but look what he says here in Luke 24, 36. As they thus
spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and he said
unto them, Peace be unto you. And they were terrified, and
frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he
said unto them, Why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your
heart? Behold, my hands and my feet, that it is I myself, handle
me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see
me have." He had a real tangible body, not just a spirit floating
around. He came out of that tomb The
resurrected body came out of that tomb, a real body. Now, the doctrinal truth that
we can glean from this here is great comfort to every believer.
The Apostle Paul writes, to be absent from this body is to be
present with the Lord. The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians
1, to live is Christ, to die is gain. He said, I have a desire
to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. One day, one day we'll place
our sinful bodies back into the ground, but at death there's
a separation. There's a separation of our soul
from our body. And the soul and spirit goes
back to God who gave it. One day we'll take our sinful
bodies and place them back in the ground. Our redeemed souls,
redeemed by the blood of Christ, will go back to the Father who
gave it. And this is all by His appointment. It's appointed that
a man wants to die. After that, the judgment. But
death to a believer is not something to be dreaded. He's changed the
character of death for the believer. You see, the forerunner entered
into glory. And he came out of that tomb,
his body, three days later, a glorified man. He's the first fruits of a resurrection. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians
15. Let's read about it. 1 Corinthians
15. We'll put our body back to the
dust, into the ground, and we'll wait for the glorious resurrection
of our bodies that will come forth from the grave, and we
shall have a body like unto His glorious body. There will be
a resurrection day. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
firstfruits with many more to come. 1 Corinthians chapter 15
verse 19. In this life only, if in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first
fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection from the dead." I told you he
was a real man. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive. But every man in his own order,
Christ the firstfruits, he must have the preeminence. Afterwards,
day that of Christ at his coming. I turn to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50. I often read this when I go to
the cemetery and our dear loved ones that we have buried Those
who believe the gospel, and I read this standing there over that
body that we're about to place in the ground, but we have a
resurrection hope. Verse 50. First Corinthians 15,
now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. We're going
to be changed just like conformed to the image of Christ. In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, there's
going to be some living when the Lord comes back. Those who
have died in Christ will be raised up, and then will be changed
and caught up in the air to be ever with the Lord. For the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death! Swallowed up in victory. O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. The
Lord took care of that, didn't He? Put away our sin. The strength
of sin is the law. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law. Oh, but thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor in the Lord
is not in vain." You see, we are predestinated to be conformed
to the image of Christ. That's what predestination is
all about in the Scripture. Every believer looks forward
to being conformed to the image of Christ, having a glorified
body that we might worship Him without any possibility of sin. You see, The Lord Jesus Christ,
in seven simple statements, declares unto us the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And volumes have been written
about it, and these seven statements speak volumes. May God be pleased
to cause us to hear it, to receive it, and to believe the truth
of it, and rest in Him as all our salvation. He said it's done. It's finished.