John chapter 17, and I'm entitled
to the message, The Lord's Prayer, Part 5. The Lord's Prayer, Part
5. And I want to start where we
left off last week at verse 9. You see verse 9? The Lord Jesus
Christ as a representative man of a covenant people. The high
priest representing God's people. He says in verse 9, I pray for
somebody. You see that? I pray for them. Them. Those given to me. Then he says, I pray not. I pray
not. I pray not for the world. but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thy people."
Now today we begin here where we left off last week in our
Lord's priestly prayer for us, seeking to enter into the Lord's
special, effectual prayer for His own people. And as we do
so, I pray you'll enter into this as I do with reverence and
with godly fear, but also rejoicing in the Lord. knowing that He
prays for us. He intercedes for us. Now, let's
take a good look at verse 9. Now, I'm not getting in a hurry
going through this study or in this chapter. We've been in the
book of John, I think, about two years now. But He says here,
I pray for them, for them which thou hast given to Me. Now who's he talking about here?
Who are these people that he's praying for? Look over in verse
20, "...neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their preaching." Who are these people
that the Lord prays for? Well, they're His covenant people,
given unto Him in that eternal covenant of grace of which the
Lord Jesus Christ is called the surety of the everlasting covenant,
of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the sacrifice of that covenant.
He appeared once in the end of the age to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
high priest of that covenant. Seeing we have a high priest
and has entered into the heavens, He said, let us come boldly unto
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, find grace to help
in time of need. Time of need seeing that we have
a great high priest. Now who are these people? Let's
see if we can find a scriptural description of who they are.
Turn back to John chapter 3. They're called his bride. The
bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. These people, the church of the
Lord Jesus. Turn back to John chapter 3.
Look at verse 27. John answered and said, A man
can receive nothing except it be given him from above. You
yourselves bear witness that I said I'm not the Christ, but
I'm sent before him. He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom
which standeth and heareth him rejoices greatly because of the
bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, I must decrease. These people here are called
the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's married to them. He's called
the husband of his people. Turn over here to John chapter
10. These people given to him in
that covenant, that eternal covenant of grace, are also called his
sheep. His sheep. Look at John chapter
10 verse 14, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd. He says, I
know my sheep, and I am known of mine. As a father knoweth
me, even so I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. So that's who he is praying for,
his bride, his sheep. He's also praying for his church.
Turn over to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. And notice this scripture here.
Husband, verse 25, loved your wives even as Christ also loved
the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and
cleanse it with a washing of water by the word, that he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, but that it should be holy, holy in him,
accepted in the beloved, and without Blemish. So who are these people? His
bride, His elect given unto Him. They're called His sheep. They're
called the church. They're called His elect. Turn
over to 1 Peter 1 Peter 1 verse 2. Simon Peter, a servant, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter chapter 1. Peter, an apostle
of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. You see verse 1. Look at verse
2. Elect. They are the elect of God. Chosen
of God. Elect according to the foreknowledge,
the foreordination of God the Father through sanctification
of the Spirit unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. That's who these people are.
They're his bride, his sheep, his church that he purchased
with his own blood. He loved the church and gave
himself for it. God bought the church with his
own blood. They're called his elect. They're
called his chosen people. First Peter 2.9, he said, you
are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar, a purchased people. He says, you are no more your
own, you're bought, you're bought with the blood of Christ. We
are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. And then his
people are also called his redeemed, redeemed of the Lord. Isaiah
62, and they shall call them holy people. Holy people? How? Only in Christ. As we stand in Him, accepted
in the Beloved, the redeemed of the Lord. We've been redeemed
with His precious blood. Now, what a privilege it is to
be included in this family. Believers are called sons of
God. Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God. Now think with me. Look back
at John 17 verse 9. I pray for them. You see that? I pray for them. Now what a blessed privilege
we have as believers, sinners saved by God's grace. The Lord
prays for us. The Lord intercedes for us. How
can we fail? Thanks be unto God who has given
us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. He always causes
us to triumph in Christ. What a privilege these people
have! The Lord prays for us. How can
we fail? The Lord prays for us. How can
we be disheartened or discouraged? All things are working together
for our good, according to God's eternal purpose. He worketh all
things after the counsel of His own will. The Lord prays for
us, ever lives to intercede for us. How can any for whom He prays
be eternally condemned? They can't, can they? It's impossible.
It's impossible. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make
intercession for us. Now, stay with me, look back
at John 17, verse 9. He says, I pray not. I pray not for the world. There
are some for whom the Lord Jesus Christ does not pray. That's what it says there, isn't
it? That's what it says. I pray not for this world. Now, let's look a moment Look
at this statement carefully. Who are these people for whom
the Lord does not intercede and pray for? It is the Lord Himself
now that makes this distinction between His own, to whom He does
pray, and this world of ungodly rebels and reprobates that He
does not pray for. The Lord makes the distinction
between the tares and the wheat, between the sheep and the goats,
not us. I don't make that distinction.
The Lord does. The Lord knows. The Lord draws
a line of distinction in a most plain way. between goats and
sheep. The goats never become sheep
and the sheep never become goats. Turn back to John chapter 10
again. Remember our Lord said to those
Pharisees when they asked Him that question, in John chapter
10, look at verse 22. It was at Jerusalem, the Feast
of Identification, and it was wintertime, it was cold, and
the Lord walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Then came
the Jews round about Him and said unto 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. You believe
not the works that I do in my Father's name, for they bear
witness of me. But you believe not, because
you're not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep,
hear my voice. I know them, and they follow
me. The Lord Jesus Christ does not
pray for those who are not his own. Now turn over here to Matthew
chapter 25. Matthew 25. And it is the Lord
Himself who makes the distinction. He will have mercy on whom He
will have mercy. He will be compassionate and
He will love whom He will. And it's the Lord Himself that
draws the line of distinction between the sheep and the goats.
He prays for His people. He died for His people. But He
does not pray for the goats, the reprobate. Look what it says
here in Matthew 25 verse 31. When a son of man shall come
in his glory, talking about the second coming, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
And before him shall be gathered all nations, he shall separate
them one from another, as the shepherd divided his sheep from
the goats. And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on his left hand. Then shall
the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of
my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Eternal purpose, look down at
verse 41, Matthew 25. Then shall he say unto them on
the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire,
prepare for the devil and his followers. Verse 46, These shall
go away to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life. Now who draws the line of distinction? Who makes us to differ? It's
God's sovereign mercy. It's God's sovereign grace. The Lord makes the distinction
between saved and lost. So we learn here, back to the
text again, John 17, 9. We learn here that the Lord Jesus
Christ does not pray for all men everywhere without exception. Now, I know that's contrary to
what this religious world says, but I'm reading what God says. I don't care what they say. I'm
reading what God says. His intercession is sovereign
and discriminating as His atonement is. discriminating as his sovereign
revelation of the gospel is. Now stay with me, turn back to
the book of Matthew, and let's see if we can make good on that.
Look at Matthew 11, Matthew 11 verse 25. He is sovereign in
his intercession as the great high priest, and he is sovereign
and discriminating in his atonement, that is, for whom he dies. Matthew
11, verse 25. Matthew 11, 25. By that time,
Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth. You hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
revealed them unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in your sight. Look at verse 27. All things
are delivered unto me of my Father. No man knoweth the Son, But the
Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and
to he to whom the Son, whomsoever the Son will reveal himself unto
them." There's got to be a sovereign revelation of the glory of God
in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now stay with me. The
Lord Jesus Christ did not die universally for all men everywhere
without exception. Nor does he pray for them, that
is the world of the ungodly, reprobate, or unbelievers." He
prays for his own. He prays for his covenant people.
One old writer said this, This is said back in the 1700s, John
Gill. As the Lord Jesus Christ died
not for them, so he prayed not for them. For whom he is a propitiation,
the mercy seat, he is their advocate. And for whom he died, he makes
intercession. for no other in a spiritual saving
way that's so. That's what this book teaches.
He'll have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Now I want you to
listen to these three statements. And I'll borrow these three statements
from my dear pastor, Brother Henry Mahan, who's preached here
many times. And I heard these three statements
from him, And I'll pass them along to you. I think I've given
them to you before. Now consider with me for a moment.
If the Lord Jesus Christ prays for
all men without exception, and those for whom He prays for and
intercedes for as surety, mediator, and advocate, perish in their
sin anyway, If he prays for them and they perish in their sin
anyway, his prayers as a mediator and his advocacy as a surety
of the covenant have nothing to do with salvation. If he prays
for them and they perish anyway, his prayers mean nothing. You
see what he's saying here? But thank God that's not the
case, because those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes
as surety and Savior for His elect, none can perish. God forbid, none can perish. Now, I can make good on that. Turn over to John chapter 6.
John chapter 6. I know these things are very
familiar to many of you, but some of you probably have never
heard these things before. But this is what the book of
God teaches. And as a servant of God, as a
minister of God, I must teach what God teaches. Look what it
says in John 6 verse 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and those that come to me I will in no wise
cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, of all which he
hath given me I'll lose nothing." but raise it up again at the
last day. There will not be one sheep of
Christ perish." That cannot happen. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone would see it the Son, and believeth
on Him, may have everlasting life, and I'll raise Him up at
the last day. I'm saying this plainly, those
for whom the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes as mediator, as surety,
as advocate, cannot perish. He ever lives to intercede for
us. Notice, if you will, back in
John chapter 17, verse 24, he prays this way, Father, I will
that they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am,
that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me, for
Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world." Every time a believer
dies, this prayer is answered. So, you got the first point.
Here's the second thing. If the Lord Jesus Christ loves
all men everywhere without exception, and some end up in eternal condemnation
anyway, His love has nothing to do with salvation. Those for
whom He loves, they must be saved. Now, if He loves them and they
perish anyway, what does His love have to do with salvation? Absolutely nothing. Those for
whom God loves, they cannot perish. Can they? No, they can't. Those for whom He loves must
be saved. They cannot perish because they're in Christ. You
see, they are one with Him. Did you notice that in verse
21 of John chapter 17? He said, I pray for them, neither
pray I for these alone, verse 20, but for them also which shall
believe on Me through their word, that they all may be one as Thou,
Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in
Us. For a believer who's been elected unto salvation, and called
by God's grace, and made a new creature in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and put in Him by that sovereign mercy of God, for him to perish,
Christ must perish. Because the believer and the
Lord Jesus Christ, they are one. The glory which thou gavest me,
I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. Look at verse 23. I in them,
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. You see, He's my perfection.
And that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved
them as thou hast loved me. Those for whom the Lord Jesus
Christ loved with that everlasting love, He draws them unto Himself,
and my friend, they cannot perish. You see, this idea of universal
love is universal nonsense. God loves all men everywhere,
and yet some perish anyway. What kind of love is that? That's
no love at all. You love your children, don't
you? If you saw some danger coming
upon your children that might cause them to perish, what would
you do? You would step in and divert
the danger. Why would you do that? You love
them! You love them! And because of
that love, you act in accordance with that love. God loves His
own with an everlasting love, and my friend, they cannot perish.
He says, I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. with the Lord Jesus Christ, they
are one. They are one. For the believer
to perish, Christ must also perish because of this, what we call
vital union, vitally united to the Lord Jesus Christ. What's
true of him is true of us. One old hymn writer put it this
way, so dear, so dear, dearer I cannot be, for in the person
of his son, I'm as dear as he. So near, so near, nearer I cannot
be, for in the person of His Son I am as near as He. We're made perfect in one, in
Christ. I tell you, if the Lord prays
for me, if the Lord loves me, my friend, I cannot perish. Thirdly,
if the Lord Jesus Christ died for all men without exception,
Now that's what we hear. We hear that God loves all men,
and that Christ died for all men, God doing a dead-level better
job to save all men. You know all three of those things
are a lie. The love of God is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those
for whom He died, they must be saved. Now here's the third thing.
If the Lord Jesus Christ died for all men everywhere without
exception, and put away all the sin of all men everywhere without
exception, and some end up in eternal condemnation anyway,
What does that say about his death? It didn't do much, did
it? No. That makes his death have
nothing to do with salvation. It must be on something else.
But my friend, thank God, the truth of the scripture is, since
he died to put away the sin of God's elect, Only and exclusively
and completely those for whom He dies, they are justified in
the Lord Jesus Christ and they shall never, no never, no never
perish. God's justice can't twice demand,
first at my bleeding surety's hand and then again at mine.
If He paid my debt, it's paid. If justice is satisfied, there's
no condemnation to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember Hebrews chapter
10, where it says, God Almighty said, their sin and their iniquity
will I remember no more. You see, our sin in Christ, because
He made complete and full atonement for our sin, we no longer have
any sin to be condemned for. My sin's already been judged
in my substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. As far as the east is
from the west, so far hath the Lord put away our sin from us.
None can perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ prays, loves,
and those for whom He died. They are eternally and forever
secured and justified in Christ Jesus. Now listen to this. There's nobody
in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for, loves and
died for. There's nobody in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died. Here in His love, not that we
love God, but that He loved us, and He sent His Son to be the
propitiation, the mercy seat for our sin. Having loved His own, He loved
them unto the end. There's nobody in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ loved. That's impossible. His love is an effectual love
that actually delivers us from all condemnation. There's nobody
in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ may complete atonement
for their sin, is there? Call His name Jesus, He shall
save His people from their sin. There's nobody in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ intercede. That cannot be. Preacher, can
you make good on that? I can. Turn to Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8. Look at verse 31. What shall
we say to these things? What shall we say to these things?
Whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called,
them He justified, and whom He justified, He glorified. What
shall we say to these things? Look at verse 31. If God before
us Who can be against us? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Now read on. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, that is, all for whom he predestinated,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who? Who in heaven, earth, and hell?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God that elect? It
is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemned me?
Who is He that condemned me? It is Christ that died. Yea,
rather, is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also makes intercession for us. For us. You see, those for
whom the Lord represents as surety, as mediator, as advocate, those
for whom He dies, those for whom He prayed, they cannot perish. That gives this sinner hope.
Because my whole hope of salvation is totally rooted and grounded
and established upon Him. What He has done, not what I
do. Salvation is not based upon what
I have done or are doing or will do. You see, salvation's all
done. He says here in this same chapter,
John 17, verse 4, I have glorified thee on the earth. I finished
the work you gave me to do. Now, let's move one more verse,
verse 10. John 17, verse 10. He said, All
mine are thine, thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. The Lord, remember now, is praying
unto the Father. And He's saying, all mine are
yours, yours are mine, and I have glory. I've glorified them. I've glorified them in saving
mercy." Or he's saying it this way, all my people are thy people,
and thy people are my people, and I'm glorified in them. He's
simply saying, Father, what's yours is mine. What's mine is
yours. You know why? Because they're
one. They're one. Look back at John
chapter 10. You remember he said, I and my
Father, I give them eternal life. John chapter 10. I and my Father,
my Father which gave them me is greater than all. Verse 29,
no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and
my Father are one. Look at John chapter 14, verse
9. He said to Philip, when Philip
said in verse 8, Show us the Father, and we'll be satisfied. And the Lord said, Have I been
so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. How sayest thou then,
Show us the Father? Believe it's not that I am in
the Father, and the Father in me, and the word that I speak
unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father dwelleth in me,
he doeth the works." I and my Father are one. He's saying,
what's yours is mine, what's mine is yours. We are one. The
Father and the Son are one in purpose, power, essence, nature,
perfection, and ownership. The Father owns what the Father
owns, the Son owns. No distinction or difference
can be made between them. All mine are thine, thine are
mine. I like that language. Remember
our Lord prayed, And he declared, I and the Father are one. The Father and the Son are one,
so too are the elect of God, vitally and forever united to
the Lord Jesus Christ. As we read a moment ago, verse
22, The glory which thou gavest me, I've given them, that they
may be one, even as we are one. Now, One more verse, look at
verse 11, John 17 verse 11, and now, and now, I'm no more in
this world, now the Lord prays this on the shadow, on the eve
of being crucified for our sin. We're going to see when John
chapter 17, when this prayer is ended, they came to arrest
him in the garden as he prays for us. And now I'm no more in
the world, but these are in the world. I come to thee, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou has given me that they
may be one as we are one. Look down at verse 13. And now
I come to thee. You see, when he had by himself
purged our sin, having finished the work God gave him to do,
he said, I'm going back to glory. Seated on the throne of glory
because he successfully accomplished all the Father's purpose, all
His redemptive will in accomplishing our salvation. I come to Thee,
Holy Father. having satisfied God, delivered
for our offenses, and raised again for our justification,
he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God." The Lord,
when He was finished praying this prayer, was arrested, falsely
accused, mocked, beaten, and crucified for our sins according
to the Scripture. But He knew He's looking beyond
that, to glory and he's saying, I come to thee. Look back at John chapter 17
verse 5, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self,
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Notice our Lord says, I must,
I must die, I must come to thee. Look back at John chapter 16
for just a minute. Several times we've seen the
Lord mentions about going away. John 16 verse 5, He said, But
now I go my way to him that sent me. And none of you ask me where
I go, but because I've said these things, sorrow hath filled your
heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it's expedient for
you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come. But if I depart, I will send
him unto you. Look at verse 16, John 16, 16.
He said, a little while and you shall not see me and again a
little while you shall see me because I go to the Father. Look down at verse 28, John 16.
I came forth from the Father, I'm coming to the world and again
I leave the world and I go to my Father. Remember, our disciples
said to the Lord, don't go to Jerusalem. They've mistreated
you. They've hated you. They've spit in your face. They
attempted to kill you, to stone you, to cast you off the cliff.
And He said, I must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the
chief priests and the scribes and be killed and be raised again
the third day. This is a must. Having accomplished
all that God gave him to do, he said, I come to thee, holy
Father. He ascends to the throne of God
as our representative man, the God-man mediator, absolute, holy,
having put away all our sin. Our sin was made to be on Him. He was made sin for us, but having
put away our sin, He ascended to glory as the holy God-man
mediator. And the good news of the Gospel
is, we have ascended in Him. The forerunner for us has entered
in and is seated at the right hand of God. Keep through thine
own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one. He was raised from the dead for
us, He came for us and represented us. He was raised from the dead
for us. He ascended to glory for us.
He is seated on the throne of God with absolute holiness, dominion,
and power for us. Now He prays, Father, keep them. Keep them. Keep them from the
evil one, he says down in verse 15. Thank God his prayers are
always answered. We are kept by the power of God
through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is able to keep us
from falling and to present us faultless before the presence
of God's glory with exceeding joy. Father, keep them through
thine own name, thine own power, thine own will, thine own purpose,
those you have given me, that they may be one as we are one."
He presents us before God, faultless, holy, unblameable, unreprovable
in His sight. Who shall ascend to the hill
of the Lord? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who has
never lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully, that's
true of every believer in Christ Jesus. He's entered in for us,
and He's seated in glory for us. Now, in closing, let's look
at verse 12. John 17, verse 12. And this verse
here is about Judas who betrayed the Lord. While I was with them
in the world, I've kept them in thy name, those that you have
given me." The Lord said, I've kept them. I've watched over
them. I've guarded them. And none of them is lost but
this one right here. The son of perdition. The son
of condemnation. And he's talking about Judas
who betrayed the Lord. That the Scriptures might be
fulfilled. Now what about Judas? The Lord Jesus Christ knew all
about Judas when he chose him to be an apostle. Turn back to
John chapter 6. Judas was no surprise unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. He knew when He chose him that
he was a reprobate, that he was a reject. In John chapter 6,
look at verse 63, "...It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh,
profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you
that believe not, For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were
that believed not, and who should betray Him. You remember the
confession of Peter in verse 69 of John 6, verse 69, And we
believe and we are sure, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. And the Lord answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve,
and one of you is the devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot, the
son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him, being one
of the twelve. The Lord knew all about Judas,
and He chose him to be an apostle. Judas was a chosen apostle. He
lived with the Lord Jesus Christ three years, heard all the sermons
that he preached, that the Lord preached, saw the Lord's miracles,
yet remained dead in his sin. He was chosen to be apostle,
but not chosen unto salvation. The Lord used him, raised him
up for his own purpose, to show his power. While Judas had a
part in the Lord's ministry, he never had a part in the body
of Christ. No part in the grace of God,
the love of God, or the mercy of God. A reject, a reprobate,
a rebel. Judas was born a sinner, lived
a sinner, and died without mercy. He died in his sins. He did exactly
what he wanted to do. He went to those Pharisees and
said, what will you give me? What will you give me? I'll sell
him out. What will you give me? Thirty
pieces of silver, price of a slave. He did exactly what he wanted
to do in betraying the Lord. but from all eternity a son of
condemnation, a reprobate from the beginning." And all of this,
look what this says right here in the last part of verse 12,
all that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The Lord never
prayed for Judas, never interceded for Judas, He never loved Judas,
as he loved his own with that special, intimate, electing love.
He never died for Judas. Judas was left to perish in his
own sin that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Two Scriptures
particularly. Psalm 41, Yea, my own familiar
friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted
up his heel against me. Psalm 109, verse 7 and 8, "'When
he shall be judged, let him be condemned. Let his prayer become
sin. Let his days be few.'" Remember,
he went out and hanged himself. "'And let another take his office,'
and the Apostle Paul did. "'Let his children be fathers
and his wife a widow, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.'"
Now listen to me. I'll let you go. God will use
whom He will to fulfill His own purpose. He will use even wicked,
reprobate sinners to accomplish His own eternal will and purpose. Even the wrath of man serves
to praise Almighty God. As He did, you remember, a pharaoh
of old? Romans 9 says, "...for the same
purpose, for the Scripture saith of Pharaoh unto Pharaoh even,
for the same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my
power in thee, that thy name might be declared throughout
all the earth." Let me give you another prime example. I'll let
you go with this. Turn to Acts chapter 4. You see,
God has an eternal purpose. that shall be accomplished. He
shall save His people from their sin. And He will use whom He
will to the glory of His mercy, or to the glory of His justice,
to the glory of His wrath, or to the glory of His love. And
we see the prime example here in Acts chapter 4 in the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts chapter 4, Luke verse 26,
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered
together against the Lord and against His Christ. This is from
Psalm 2. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, Pontius Pilate, the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together for to
do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to
be done." You see, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is not
an accident. He's not the helpless victim
of godless men. He is the holy Lamb of God appointed
and anointed of God to put away the sin of God's people. And
it's not what men did at Calvary that day. That's not our hope.
That's not our hope, what men did. They did, they treated Him
wickedly, didn't they? But it's not what they did, that's
our hope. It's what God was doing at the
cross. That's our hope. God made Him sin for us, who
knew no sin, that we might be made the very righteousness of
God in Christ Jesus. That's our hope. That's our hope.