Now, find again in your Bible,
Mark 15. Mark chapter 15. The title of
the message today is taken from verse 31. Look at verse 31, then
we'll go back and consider these verses. Mark 15, verse 31, Likewise
also the chief priest mocking said among themselves with the
scribes. Here's what they said. He saved
others. He saved others. He healed others. He had mercy on others. Himself. Himself. He cannot save. Now that's the title of the message
today. He saved others. Oh, He did. He does, because
He did not save Himself. He gave Himself for our sins. This verse declares the mocking
words of the chief priests and scribes. They meant it as a derision,
didn't they? They meant it as a mockery to
the Lord Jesus Christ. They meant it as a ridicule,
didn't they? They meant it and said it with contempt. Nevertheless,
Out of the mouths of these reprobates, these sinners, they do declare
unto us the good news of the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ
came to save sinners. Call His name Jesus. He shall
save His people from their sin. How did He do that? He didn't
save Himself. He gave Himself. for our sins. This is a faithful saying and
this is worthy of all acceptation. It is that the Lord Jesus Christ
came to save the likes of me. He came to save this sinner. He came to save His people from
their sins. Thank God He didn't save Hisself
from that hour. And because He didn't save Himself,
but rather died His horrible death to put away our sin, to
satisfy God's divine, holy justice, that we might have everlasting
salvation through His death. His death is the cause of our
life. His death is the cause of our
very salvation. His death. He appeared once in
the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Our Lord said this, He said,
now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say about this hour,
this time of death, this time of crucifixion? Father, save
me from this hour? But for this cause came I to
this hour, to this end, to this purpose Christ both died and
rose and revived, that He might be Lord both of the living and
the dead. We bow and worship Him as all
of our salvation. He saved us from the wrath to
come by enduring God's wrath for us. This is the essence of
the Gospel. He saved others because He gave
His life for His covenant people. Now understand that. The Lord
Jesus Christ as a representative man, He came representing not
all men. He came representing His elect.
He came representing His sheep. He came to give His life a ransom
for the many given to Him in that covenant of grace. And those
for whom He died, they cannot perish. They are saved with an
everlasting salvation. Do you understand that? Do you
see that? There's none in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died. That's nonsense. That's blasphemy. That's evil speaking. Those for
whom the Lord Jesus Christ saved with His blood, they're saved
with an everlasting salvation. He said, all that the Father
has given to me, they will come to me, and I will never cast
them out. Not one sheep of Christ can perish. You see, He's a successful Savior. He did save His people with His
bloody Death. Oh, I tell you, may God grip
our heart this morning to see something of the love and compassion
of the Lord Jesus Christ toward His own. Let us this morning
be struck with holy awe, amazing wonder as we behold His infinite
love as He bears our sin upon the tree being made sin for us. being made a curse for us, dying
for us. Behold how He loves His own.
Having loved His own, He loved them to death. He loved them
to the end. He loved His own to death, even
the death of the cross. This is what Paul talks about
in Ephesians 3, the love of Christ It passes our knowledge. How
can we really enter into the full scope of His love for us? We enter in just on the fringes
of that love, that great love with which He loved us even when
we were dead in sin. Paul talks about that again in
Romans chapter 5. But God commended His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Who is this one that's dying?
Oh, it's God manifest in the flesh. This Lamb of God. John said, Hereby perceive we
the love of God that He laid down His life for us. Again, John said, Herein is love.
Not that we love God, but that He loved us. And that He gave
His Son to be the propitiation. to be the satisfying, bloody,
atoning victim for my guilt, my sin. Now think of this. He endured this for his people.
And he endured this willingly. Willingly. Our Lord said this,
no man takes my life from me. I lay it down of myself. I have
power to lay it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received in my Father. He did this willingly
out of love. Something else, He did this gladly,
freely, voluntarily. Listen to this scripture in Hebrews
chapter 12. Looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, He endured
the cross. He knows what He is accomplishing.
He's accomplishing the Father's will. He's accomplishing the
Father's purpose in saving us. And it's a joy and a delight
unto Him. "...who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down victoriously at the right hand of God." Let us consider
as well this fact. It was our sin that cause His
agony, His suffering, my sin, put on Him. Peter writes about
it this way, for Christ also once suffered for sins. He suffered
for what? For sins. He had none of His
own. He suffered for our sins, the
just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being
put to death in the flesh. being quickened by God the Holy
Spirit. Now this morning as we work through
these verses, I want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ from Pilate's
house, from his hall, where Pilate whips him, has him scourged and
condemns him to death. And then let's follow him as
he walks to Golgotha's hill. And there they nail him to the
tree. All these things happen by God's
decree. All these things happen by God's
purpose. And they carry a deep spiritual meaning in every detail
of every event of that day. It speaks volumes of the gospel
of the Lord Jesus and the good news that we see in the Lord
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now I've mapped out for us this
morning six things. Can you stay with me? You with
me? I want you to see this now. I'm
just not preaching to be preaching. I'm just not preaching to fill
up some time here. I want you to hear the message. And by God's grace, I pray He
will grip our heart. First thing we see is this in
verse 15. willing to content the people,
released the robber, the thief, the murderer, and delivered the Lord Jesus
to be crucified, to be scourged. We see the Lord Jesus Christ
delivered into the hands of the Romans, brutally mistreated,
condemned to death as a common criminal. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
One, the Righteous One, the Righteous Judge before whom all men must
stand and one day give an account. These men who whipped Him and
brutalized Him will one day stand before His face and confess that
He is Lord. God has appointed a day in which
He will judge all men by that man The Lord Jesus Christ. The Father judgeth no man, but
hath committed all judgment unto the Son. It is appointed unto
men once to die. And after that judgment, the
Lord Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be condemned unjustly, given
over into the hands of wicked sinners to be executed by their
malicious hatred. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. Now what does this teach us about
the Gospel? I know we see the facts of the gospel. We see the
facts of the events of the day, but what is the insight to it? What is the spiritual meaning
of it? How does it relate to the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, here it is. He took our
judgment. He took my weapon. He took our
judgment for our sin that we might never be judged for our
sin. that Christ might set us free from the pit of judgment
by His ransom price. You remember the Scripture in
Job 33? Deliver him from going down to
the pit, because I have found a ransom. The Lord Jesus Christ,
He is that ransom price that sets us free. He took my weapon.
He took my judgment. The wrath of God fell on Him
without any mercy at all. He redeemed us with His precious
blood. He fully paid our sin debt to
present us before God's holy throne, unblameable, unreprovable
in His sight. He said, faultless, faultless
with exceeding joy. That's what was accomplished. He took our judgment. I want
you to find Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. And consider these words. Colossians
chapter 1. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only way that any
sinner can have peace with God, be reconciled unto God, is that
the Lord Jesus Christ took our judgment. He took the weapon
that was due us. Colossians chapter 1, Luke verse
19, for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness
dwell, having made peace, Colossians 1 verse 20, having made peace
through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things
unto Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or in heaven. And you that were sometimes alienated,
enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. How did He do that? In the body
of His flesh, through death, to present you holy. You! You! Sinner! Holy! Unblameable! Unreprovable! In His sight. In God's sight. He took our judgment. He took our punishment. You see
that? Secondly, we see this. Back to Mark 15. Let's begin
reading at verse 16. We see the Lord Jesus Christ
grossly insulted and made a laughing stock by the soldiers. Notice
verse 16. The soldiers led Him away into
the hall, Pilate's hall called Praetorium, and they called together
the whole band. And they clothed Him with a purple
robe plaited a crown of thorns and crushed it down upon his
brow, and began to salute him and mock him, saying, Hail, King!
And they smote him on the head with a reed, with a rod. They
beat him on the head. They spit upon him. Bowing to
the knee, they mocked him and worshipped. And when they mocked
Him, they took off the purple from Him and put on His own clothes
and led Him out, out of the city, outside the camp, outside the
gate, to execute Him, to crucify Him. They mocked Him in His kingly
office, didn't they? God said, this is My King. God
said in Psalm 2, remember we studied that recently? God said,
I've set my King upon my holy hills. This is God's King. What
did they do to God's King? They mocked Him. They beat Him. They spit in His face. This is
no better than what the officers of the Pharisees did. Remember,
they mocked Him in His office as prophet. Remember, they blindfolded
Him. and began to hit him and say,
well, you're the prophet, tell us who hit you. And here are
these Roman soldiers, they mock him in his kingly office. They
treated him with utter disdain, didn't they? With disregard and
disrespect. Think about this. Who is this
one to whom they're spitting in his face? This is God. This is God manifest in the flesh.
Who is this One that they dare hit upon the head with a rod? Making a crown of thorns and
crushing it down upon His forehead. They treated Him as the filth
of the world, didn't they? They treated Him as the off-scouring
of all things with such utter contempt. Do you see the Gospel here? A couple of things. He wore the
crown of thorns for a while, that we might wear the crown
of glory forever. Paul calls it in 1 Corinthians
9.25, he says we have an incorruptible crown. Peter says we have an
incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven for us. Again, Peter
says in his epistle, when the chief shepherd shall appear,
then shall you receive a crown of glory. A crown of glory that
does not fade away. The Apostle Paul, in his last
epistle, his last words were this. These words, rather. He
said, there's a crown of righteousness laid up for me. How is that possible? A crown of righteousness? A justifying
righteousness before God. How can that be? Because he died
for old Paul. Put away his sin. That's our
only hope. He wore the spit of men that
we might enjoy the kiss of God forever. Remember he said, bow
and kiss the Son lest he be angry. He sunk in deep humiliation that
we might be raised up to reign with Him in glory forever. We
indeed who are the filth of the world, we indeed who are the
offscouring of the world, we indeed who are vile and ungodly
sinners, in the Lord Jesus Christ, we stand before Him without blemish
or without spot. I can make good on that. Find
Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. You see,
the church is His bride. He loved the church and gave
Himself for it. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 23,
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body of His
church. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let wives be their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church
and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the Word, with the gospel,
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 and
without blemish." That's good news, isn't it? unto Him who loved us and washed
us from our sin in His own blood. To Him be all the honor and glory,
both now and forever. He has made us kings and priests
unto our God. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all sin." Are you interested? I tell you, I'm interested. You
know why? I'm a sinner. And I know God is holy. And I
know I can't stand before His holy presence in the deeds of
old Tom. Deeds of old Tom are just filthy rags. The deeds of
old Tom are just dung in God's sight. Here's the second thing,
or third thing we see, verse 21. They compelled one Simon
the Cyrenian who passed by. You reckon it
was an accident? You reckon he was just a victim
of circumstances? They compelled one. who pass by by God's purpose,
God's cause, God's decree, coming out of the country, coming out
of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear
His cross, to bear the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, to
carry His cross to Calvary's tree, and there shed His blood
to save us. The Lord Jesus had been so viciously
and violently beaten. Isaiah said His visage so marred
more than any man. He didn't even look like a human
being. He was so physically beaten and
mistreated that He was not physically able to bear the cross, to carry
His cross to the place of execution. So they grabbed Simon and compelled
him to carry the Lord's cross. Now what does this teach us about
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? I see at least two things
here. First thing I see is this. The
Lord Jesus Christ was a real man. A real man. Flesh and bones just like you
and me. He was a real man. When He was
beaten, it hurt. He was so beaten down that he
could not stand. He was a real man. Just like
us with one very unique exception. He had no sin. He did no sin. He knew no sin. He is the God-man
mediator. Totally God, fully God, and totally
and fully man in one blessed person. He was a real man. The
Scripture says of him, he wearied in body, sitting down on Jacob's
well, thirsting for a cup of water. He knew hunger. He knew pain. He knew agony. He stood before Lazarus' grave
and he wept for his friend. The Scripture says he was tempted
in all points like as we are, yet without sin he was a real
man. Except he had no sin. He had
not the sin, the taint of sin, of fallen Adam. Something else
we see here that we learn about the Gospel. Simon, it says in
verse 21, was compelled to bear the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ. And here's what I see in that.
Apart from the decree of Almighty God, and the compelling, irresistible
power of God, none of us would believe the gospel, or love the
gospel, or serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from His compelling,
drawing power. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of His power. Simon had to be compelled to
bear the cross. And my friends, you and me, because
of our sin, because of our depravity, we have to be compelled by God's
power, God's grace, or we'll never believe the gospel. We'll
never take up the cross and follow Him. No man can come to me except
the Father which sent me. Draw him. We believe only according
to the working of God's mighty power. Thank God He compels. Aren't you glad He compels us?
with irresistible power unto Himself to take up the gospel,
to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the
fourth thing. Look at verse 22. Mark 15, 22. And they bring Him unto the place
called Golgotha. Calvary. The place of the skull,
it's called. It was a boneyard outside Jerusalem. They executed so many people
there that bones were scattered around. And they gave him to
drink this mixture of wine mingled with myrrh, and he would not
have it. And when they had crucified him,
they parted his garment. That is, they stripped him naked,
casting lots, what every man should take. And it was the third
hour, and they crucified him. The Lord Jesus Christ, God's
sacrifice for sin, my Redeemer, my Savior, my Substitute, was
stripped naked and put to open shame publicly before His enemies. The shame of nakedness came in
with what? Sin. You remember Adam and Eve, when
they were first created, they were naked. They knew no shame.
But after fallen Adam, we find him running and hiding from God
and trying to take some fig leaves to cover his nakedness. Full of shame before God. As the Lord Jesus Christ was
made sin for us, He is stripped naked and exposed to the shame
of sin. Again, what can we learn about
the Gospel here? He was stripped and put to open
shame for our sin that we might be clothed in His blessed, perfect
righteousness alone. He was stripped that we might
be clothed. You see that? You know, this Scripture we quote
at every service. 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. But listen to this prophecy in
Isaiah 61.10. He said, I will greatly rejoice
in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
has covered me with a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom
decketh himself with ornaments as a bride that adorns herself
with jewels. He's covered me with His blessed
righteousness. This is a justifying righteousness
before God. This is why every sinner taught
of God, knowing the filth of our own righteousness, our own
fig leaves, quickly count all but done that we might win Christ
and be found in Him. Not having my own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ. The righteousness which is of God through Christ Jesus. You see that? Here's the way
we stand. Believers in Christ. Find Revelation
19. Revelation 19, like verse 7. Revelation 19, 7. Let us be glad and rejoice and
give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His
wife hath made herself ready, and to her was granted, given,
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.
For the fine linen is the very righteousness of the saints,
Christ who is our righteousness. And he saith unto me, Right blessed
are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
And he saith unto me, These are the true things of God. Dressed
in His blessed righteousness alone. That's our hope. He was
stripped naked. Made sin for us that we might
have this blessed righteousness of God. That's why the Apostle
Paul quotes from Psalm 32, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth
righteousness without works. Blessed is that man to whom his
sin is covered. Blessed is that man to whom the
Lord will not charge sin. God can't charge me for my sin.
The Lord Jesus Christ paid my sin debt. God's justice can't
twice demand at my hand, and then again at Christ's. There's
no condemnation of those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Something else we see here, verse
25 and verse 26. It was the third hour they crucified
Him upon the cross. And the superscription was written,
the accusation was written, the King of the Jews. And with Him
they crucified two thieves, one on the right hand and the other
on the left. They crucified Him and lifted
Him up upon a tree. Now, have you ever thought about
that? Why not stone Him? Why not take
Him outside the gate of the city and put Him up against that stone
wall and stone him to death. Why did he have to be lifted
up? Why upon a tree? Death by crucifixion was reserved
for the most vile felons. It was a horrible death, very
slow and gruesome. It was a gruesome way to be executed.
The man on whom it was afflicted was accounted to be accursed
of God. The Lord Jesus Christ died the
curse of death for us. Now what again? What does this teach us about
the Gospel? This is so important. I want you to hear this. We are born in this life under
the curse of sin. We are born in sin, shaped in
iniquity. That's what's said in Psalm 51.
We've all sinned to come short of the glory of God. Now that's
a fact. We come into this life speaking
lies. We come into this life under
the curse and condemnation of sin. Ephesians 2 says we're children
of wrath even as others. We're born in sin. Secondly,
we know this, sin demands death. Sin demands death. The wages
of sin is death. The soul that sinneth must surely
die. The holy law of God demands the
guilty must die. The Lord Jesus Christ took our
sin to Himself. He was manifested to take away
our sin. And in Him is no sin. Peter said,
He bare our sin in His own body upon the tree. Now listen to
me. Taking our sin upon Himself,
the Father having laid our sin upon Him, said in Isaiah 53,
6, The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. God made Him sin for
us. He now suffers the consequence
of that transaction before God. Three things. Guilt, the curse
of the law, and death. That's what happened on Calvary's
tree. The Lord laid on Him, Jehovah laid on Him the transgression
of His people. And the consequent of that transaction
is guilt. Blood guiltiness. The curse of
the law. And ultimately, death. You see, He was made a curse
for us that we might be blessed forever. I want you to find Galatians
chapter 3. And mark this, if you don't have
this marked. Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3, look at
verse 10. Galatians 3 verse 10, For as
many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for
it is written, Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them. The law
of God declares that we are guilty. The law of God declares that
guilty must die. Verse 11, that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God. It is evident the just shall
live by faith, or the justified shall live by Christ. And the
law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live
in them. Now look at verse 13 carefully.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Now how
do you do that? Being made a curse for us. Now look what it says. For it
is written, Deuteronomy 21, it is written, cursed is everyone
that hangeth on the tree. He had to be hung up on the tree.
He said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even
so must the Son of Man be lifted up. He was lifted up between
heaven and earth as the curse of sin, lust, and satisfying
God's law and judgment He redeemed us from the curse of that law.
He died our death. He was cursed for us that we
might be blessed forever. He was made guilty of sin that
we might be cleared of all guilt before God and be justified before
God by His full payment for sin. Paul asks that question in Romans
chapter 8, doesn't he? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? saying, it is God who justifies. Who is He that condemns us? Who
can condemn the believer? It is Christ who has died. Yea,
rather, it is risen again who is even at the right hand of
God. You see, He was delivered for our offenses and raised again
because He justified us. He died for our sin that we might
have eternal life in Him and be with Him forever. He said,
Behold, I am He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive
forevermore. He said, Because I live, you
shall live. You see, His death is our life. I'm going to save this for next
week. The Lord Jesus Christ is crucified between two thieves. And we'll consider an example
of God saving a sinner and passing by another. What do you see in that? Sovereign
mercy? God will have mercy on whom He
will? In closing, let us remember the depth of gratitude that we owe unto
our blessed Savior. If that doesn't motivate us to
serve Him and to love Him and to worship Him, You're dead. You're dead in sin. If you're
not motivated by what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us,
you're dead. You need life. You need salvation. Oh, the deep gratitude we owe
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. All that we have in salvation
is owing to the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
are what we are by the grace of God. His condemnation is our
very salvation. His suffering is our peace being
justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. His shame is our glory. His death is our life. His glorious resurrection is
our resurrection and life. Thanks be unto God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be unto
God for His unspeakable gift of His love. He saved others Himself. He cannot save. He had to give
His life. He said, I am come that they
might have life and have it more abundantly. He came to lay down
His life for His sheep,