Wednesday Night Service 7PM - The King is Coming, Pt 3, The Sacrifice, John 19, Pastor Ryan Nichols

Huh? It's been a long time since I've been able to play with the drummer. Leading worship on... Yeah? I'll message you. Whenever I'm leading on Wednesdays, I try to get here between 6 and 6. I don't have a key, you know? There's always somebody here at 6 and 6. Oh, awesome. Hey, Jared!

Songs I was really comfortable with, because the lights went out and I could like barely sit.

Good evening! How are y'all doing this evening? You all want to stand with me, and I'll pray, and we can sing some praises to our Lord. Dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you for us being able to gather in your name. Lord, where two or three of us are gathered, Lord, we know that you're here with us. And God, I just pray that you would just show your presence to us, God,

that you would soften your heart, that you would soften our hearts, and that I just pray your whole... Your spirit would just do a work in this place this evening. In Jesus' name.

All creation of water, earth, and sky.

The heavens are your tabernacle.

Glory to the Lord on high.

God of wonders beyond our galaxy. The universe declares your majesty. You are in the morning. All your name bears your name. Father.

Amen. If y'all want to be seated, you can for these next two. I'm sorrowing dead in my sin. Lost without hope. No place to begin. Your love made a way to let mercy come in. When death was arrested and my life began.

Ash was redeemed, only beauty remained. Amen. My orphan heart was given a name. My morning grew quiet, my feet rose to dance. When death was arrested and my life began. Oh, your grace so washes over with you. It's your end pouring from my chains. I'm a prisoner no more. My shame was a ransom. He faithfully bore. He answered my debt and he called me his.

My life began.

Wash his oath.

Yes, rejoice. Though heaven had.

India swift.

And my life began. And my life.

Amen. Give him a praise. Lord, I just thank you. God, for the work that you've done on the cross. Lord, I just, I know that the longer that we walk with you, God, we can be tricked into. Forgetting about that reality, that it just becomes mundane. God, I just pray that in this Easter season, Lord, that we would just be reminded of how great and magnificent, magnificent and how powerful you are in Jesus name.

Ask my to Calvary where Jesus bled and died for. I see his wounds, his hands, his feet. My savior on that cursed tree.

Body bound and drenched in tears. They lay him down in Joseph.

And tread by heavy stone. Messiah.

He's the. Oh, put. Shall be fixed on Jesus. Thank you for giving us this time, God, that we can. Just sing you the praises that you deserve, God, and remind ourselves who you are and what you've done for us, Lord. I just pray that as Ryan comes up this evening to give your word, I just pray that you would go before him and prepare our hearts that we could understand and that we could take action on your words.

I just pray this in your name. Amen.

Good evening. If you brought a Bible, if you could please open up to John chapter. Nineteen.

John 19.

Well, a little something different. Tonight's part three of the series of the king is coming and it's the sacrifice of the king. And so tonight what we want to look at is the crucifixion of Jesus. I told my wife earlier, I said, it's really hard to get creative with the story of the Christmas and Easter. You can't get real creative, right? Because the stories, they pretty much stay the same for the last 2000 years.

But we'll do the best that we can to try to put a new story out there. Probably won't, but the story's still good nonetheless. Well, so on Palm Sunday, Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem, right? On the cult of a donkey, exactly as it was prophesied. We call it Palm Sunday. And Jesus went to work shortly thereafter. This entire week is called Holy Week. And so there's a lot of events that take place.

And so during this week, there's a lot of teaching that Jesus does. There's a lot of work that Jesus does. As a matter of fact, Jesus cleanses the temple. He does some healings there in the temple. He is challenged by the Pharisees, by the Sadducees, and by the scribes. And ultimately answers all of those in a fantastic sort of way. And of course, during this time is when Judas makes his deal to betray Jesus.

And so there's a lot that takes place in this week. Well, then you come to the very end of the week. And I'm kind of summarizing an incredible number of chapters that have taken place here. You come to the very end. And Jesus celebrates that Passover with his disciples. They meet there in the upper room. And he celebrates that Passover with them. And of course, several significant things take place during that Passover meal.

During that Passover meal is when Jesus washes the disciples' feet. Teaches them what servanthood really looks like. That if you want to really be a servant, you must take the lowest place. And that's what he does for his disciples. And he talks to them about the great commandment that you should love. That you should love one another as I have loved you. He, of course, declares the fact that one of them is going to betray him.

Oddly enough, no one thought that it would have been Judas. Even when Judas got up and left early, nobody thought anything about the fact that Judas was the one that was going to betray Jesus. And of course, Jesus told them, you're all going to be scattered because of me. And Peter, being the guy that he was, says, I don't know what these knuckleheads are going to do, but I'm sticking with you.

And Jesus says, well, unfortunately, Peter, before the night's over, you're even going to deny that you know me. Three times. And Peter goes, come on. Like that's going to happen. And of course, Jesus, also on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, gives that John 15 discussion on abiding in the vine. And then in John chapter 17, he gives that high priestly prayer.

Right? All of those things kind of take place in this week. And so Jesus arrives there in the garden. And as he arrives in the garden, he says, hey, guys, hang out with me and pray for a little while. Of course, sleepiness overtakes them. And Jesus goes and he prays in those three times. He has to surrender his will to the Father where he says, Lord, if there's any other way, then let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. And of course, each of the times he comes back to his disciples, they're asleep. And finally, he says, boys, it's time to get up because they're here and it's time to go. And so in that moment, he ends up being arrested by that crowd that is brought. He's brought to him by none other than Judas himself. And Judas comes and betrays him with a kiss.

And so Jesus is arrested there in the garden. And as he is arrested in the garden, that's when everybody else scatters. Peter, of course, tries to make his last-ditch effort to protect Jesus. Starts wielding a sword and cuts off the high priest's servant's ear. And Jesus puts the ear back on. And that's a fantastic moment all in and of itself. And Jesus is led.

The way to his trial. And kind of following at a distance is Peter. Well, that brings you to chapter 18 or the end of chapter 18 and the trials that Jesus would go through. Again, I'm summarizing an incredible amount very fast just to bring us up to speed where we are in chapter 19. And so Jesus stands trial, first of all, before Annas, who was the given high priest by the Romans.

And then there was Caiaphas and the trial that took place before him. And ultimately... Annas and Caiaphas, they find Jesus guilty of blasphemy, that he had declared that he is the Son of God and that he was going to tear down the temple and build it back up again. Of course, they can't take that to Pilate because they know that Pilate, the Roman governor of the province, won't have anything to do with that kind of a charge.

So they bring a charge of insurrection before Pilate. And Pilate tries to pass it off to Herod. And Jesus doesn't want anything to do with Herod. He doesn't say anything to him. And so Herod sends him. He sends him back to Pilate and says, you deal with him. And that kind of brings us to where we are in the beginning of chapter 19. Pilate doesn't know what to do because he knows Jesus is innocent.

He knows these are trumped-up charges. He knows that this guy is not deserving of any kind of death. And yet this is what they keep crying for is to crucify him. But Pilate, rather than making a strong stand, tries to appease the people. And the first way that he tries to appease the people is he thought, oh, my gosh, I have found the absolute perfect way out of this.

I found the perfect way out of this. I'm the smartest guy that's ever lived. It's the Passover. And we've always done the Jewish people a favor by setting one criminal free. An act of mercy on the part of the Roman government to try to appease the people. There's this guy sitting back here right now. His name is Barabbas. I'll say, who do you want, Jesus or Barabbas?

This guy is a stud. Clearly they're going to say, give us Jesus. And so he goes before the people. And he says, Which, by the way, was guilty of everything that they said that Jesus did. I just blew by seven different sermons I could have preached on different moments that happened. I just want you to know that right now. But Barabbas himself understood more than anyone else.

The substitutionary death of Christ. Because he was literally guilty. And Jesus actually physically took his place in that moment. I always wonder if we'll see Barabbas in heaven. Right? Well, that brings us to chapter 19. Because that didn't work. So now Pilate still has a decision to make. What am I going to do with Jesus? And so in order to appease the crowd,

he says, I will give them a little bit of blood. And to hopefully appease them. And so this is what I'll do. Chapter 19, verse 1. Pilate then took Jesus and he scourged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns. And they put it on his head and put a purple robe on him. And they began to come up to him and say, Hail, King of the Jews. And to give him slaps in the face.

Now, again, let's paint the picture for ourselves. The physical state that Jesus is in at this point in time. Right? Jesus at this point in time has been up for over 24 hours. Or at least close to 24 hours. And in that 24-hour time frame, he has faced one of the most intense prayer times. Some of the most intense spiritual oppression anybody could have ever faced.

As he prayed in the garden. And so I think that the intensity of the anxiety. Which, by the way, if we were to go back and look. When it says that Jesus came into the garden. And talked about his soul in that moment. You will find that the strongest word for depression. Is used of how Jesus felt in that moment. Because he knew he was about to bear the sin of humanity.

And so he's dealing, first of all, with the emotional stress. Of everything that's going to take place. And the knowledge of what's about to face him. And then when he gets arrested. As he stands trial before Annas and Caiaphas. They blindfold him. And they begin to beat him. And they say, prophesy. Who was it that hit you? And so he's already been tossed around.

And he's already been tossed around. Like a rag doll. Blindsided over and over again. While he's in this particular state. It's now very early in the morning. And Jesus is physically and emotionally exhausted. And has already dealt with multiple amounts of contusions. On his face and head. And so Pilate, trying to appease the people. Says, I will have him scourged.

Now you all know a lot about this. But I think it's important to paint the picture. It's important to paint the picture. Of exactly what took place in this week. As Joe and I prayed. Before the service. We both prayed the same thing. Lord, this can become a mundane thing. This can become the story we've heard every year. Since we were little kids. Lord, don't make it the same story.

We've heard since we were little kids. Make it fresh for us. So that we truly understand the sacrifice. That Jesus made for us. And so he brings Jesus before these men. These Roman soldiers. Who were trained in doing this. You see, scourging was used for three purposes. It was used, first of all. To try to elicit confessions out of prisoners. It was, second of all.

Used as an actual physical punishment. But third, it was used as a way to weaken a victim. So that he did not stay alive as long on the cross. Now I don't know about you. But nothing about that sounds like it's a pleasant experience. It's about to take place. They would strip them from the waist. Or they would strip them down to their waist. So that their bare back was laid open.

And they would lay them over top of a stump. Or something along those lines. And then they would take that whip. That would have pieces of metal. And shards of glass in it. And they would take that whip. And they would take that whip. And they would take that whip. And they would take that whip. And they would take that whip. And they would lay it across their back.

Some people went crazy. Just because of the beatings. Like mentally and emotionally. They went mad. Some people physically could not survive the beatings. They would die of a heart attack in the middle of it. And since Jesus had nothing to confess. There was no reason for them to stop. And so the Romans being merciful as they were. It was 40 lashes minus one.

So it was 39 lashes that he received across his back. And you can imagine what that means. And you can imagine what his back would have looked like. I don't know how many of you watched the Passion of the Christ. Probably most of you did. At some point in time. But it did a decent job of portraying that. Only I still don't know that we could have fully grasped what Jesus looked like in this moment.

And so after facing all of this. And literally his back being so born open. That muscle and fiber was laid bare. And probably down to the bone. And all of the loss of blood. Which by the way. I can testify to you. What the loss of blood does to a person. And weakening them. That wasn't the end of what Jesus went through. You see then the Roman soldiers. Being the hardened men that they were.

Brought him into the praetorium. A large stone room. And they took that crown of thorns. And they placed it upon his head. And as you know. Those thorns were not what we think of on a thorn bush. I've gotten entangled in those a few times. And that wasn't fun. But these were the thorns that were. Probably a couple of times. They were a couple of inches long.

They twisted it together it says. Into a crown. And they placed it on his head. And we're told that they took a rod. And they beat it into his head. Now as somebody who injures his head a lot. I can just tell you right now. That would have been incredibly painful. And as the blood was flowing down over his face. And as the blood was flowing down on his back.

It says that they took a purple robe. And they laid it across his back. And then they began to mock him. And they said. Hail. King of the Jews. You see if you ever wonder. Whether or not Jesus loved you. If you ever wonder whether or not. He truly loves you for who you are. No strings attached. You just have to look at what took place right here. The fact that he continued to endure this.

Listen. And never once opened his mouth. Never once. Never once. Never once. Never once. Never once. A railing accusation against these hardened men. Who were willing to treat him like this. Never once. Stopped in the moment. And said you can't do this to me any longer. I don't deserve this. But just stood and took it.

Well it was time for them to be done with their fun. And so they pulled the robe off of him. Again. And I don't know if you've ever. I don't know if you've ever had a sore. That something gets stuck to. As the blood dries. And you pull that band-aid off. Or you pull that piece of cloth off. And you know that it opens it right back up. And the pain would have been intense.

I would imagine that Jesus was almost in a semi-state of shock by this point in time. As he was led back out into the praetorium. Or back out in front of all the people with Pilate. And when she noticed what it says. Verse four. Then Pilate came out again. And said to him. Behold I am bringing him out to you. So that you may know that I find no guilt in him.

Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said. Behold the man. I don't know why that statement is so powerful. But it's underlined in my Bible. If you're an underliner it might be a good one to underline. Because there's just something about that statement. Because for some reason this year. In our study in Hebrews. The humanity of Jesus is what has really come out to me.

The humanity of Jesus is what has really indelibly imprinted itself on my soul. The fact that he experienced all of this. Not as the creator of the universe. Although he was still the creator of the universe. But he experienced all of this in his humanity as a man. In other words all of the fear that he would have faced when they said. It's time to scourge you now.

And they stripped him down and he was laid over. All of the fear that would have gone through his mind in that moment. He felt. All of that. He felt all of the angst that went into that. Even though his mind was set for Jerusalem. Even though his heart had already surrendered to Jesus. You cannot stop the fact. That there's still fear that goes through your mind in that moment.

And yet he continued to endure it. And as Jesus stood before them. As we read in Isaiah. With his visage marred more than any man. Probably unrecognizable as a person. Unrecognizable as a human. Pilate stands with Jesus next to him and says. Behold. The man. Because in his humanity. He endured everything. That belonged. To us. You would have thought that that would have been enough.

For these Jewish people to say. My gosh let the man go. But I want you to notice what it says in verse 6. So when the chief priest and the officer saw him. They cried out. Crucify. Crucify. Pilate said to them. Take him yourselves and crucify him. For I find no guilt in him. The Jews answered and said. We have a law. And by that law he ought to die. Because he made himself out to be the son of God.

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement. He was even more afraid. Now I want you to think about something. Crucifixion was the most horrific way. That someone could be put to death. So much so that Roman citizens were not allowed to be crucified. So for the Jewish people who hated the Roman occupation. And hated everything about the Roman occupation. To cry out crucify him.

Would have almost been a shock to the ears of Pilate. And a shock to the ears of the Roman soldiers. Because they would have hated this particular act. Which shows just how much they hated Jesus. And so they cry out crucify him. They say we have a law. And he ought to be put to death. Because he made himself God.

So Pilate's going well what does this even mean? And so he brings Jesus back in. In an almost indignant sort of way. In verse 9 he says this. Where are you from? But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate said to him. Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the authority to release you. And the authority to crucify you? And Jesus answered and said. You would have no authority over me.

Unless it had been given to you. From above. For this reason. He who delivered me to you. Has the greater sin. See I think Pilate's really stressed at this moment. Because he doesn't know what to do with Jesus. It doesn't make sense to him that these guys hate him this much. Because clearly he had no crime to confess. Otherwise he would have squawked like a bird.

When the very first lash went across his back. Right? Like he has nothing to confess. He hasn't done anything wrong. And he's shown nothing but grace and humility. Through this entire thing. Pilate had seen insurrectionists before. Pilate had seen people that had tried to take over the kingdom before. He knew what a violent criminal looked like. And Jesus was not it.

And so when they make this statement. He makes himself out to be God. It's like he kind of stressed out a little bit. He goes I don't know what to do with this guy. So he brings him back in and says where are you even from? I don't know anything about you. And of course Jesus just stood there. Because that's the lamb before it's shears of Silas. So he opened out his mouth.

And he looks at him and he says. Don't you know the power that I have? Don't you know the authority that I have? And you can just imagine right? How Jesus would have spoken in this moment. Remember physically exhausted. Extreme loss of blood. Extreme lack of sleep. In a state of almost shock. Jesus looks up. Blood running down his face. And he says. You'd have no authority.

If it hadn't been given to you. From above. I will remind us all of one thing. Jesus was not a victim. He was not a victim. Jesus was a willing sacrifice. He was the one in control of the entire situation. And he just reminded Pilate of that. So Pilate responds this way. He says as a result of this. Verse 12. Pilate made efforts to release him. But the Jews cried out saying.

If you release this man. You are no friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself out to be a king. Opposes Caesar. Therefore when Pilate. Heard these words. He brought Jesus out. And he sat down on the judgment seat at the place. Called the pavement. But in Hebrew. That was the day of preparation for the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews.

Behold. Your king. It's interesting. Because the first time he comes out. He says behold the man. And now he comes out the second time. And he says behold your king. That's not what he said. That's not what a king looks like. And yet that's what a king did. He came down. And began to sacrifice for us. He says behold your king. And they cried out. Away with him.

Crucify him. Pilate said shall I crucify your king? And the chief priest answered. We have no king. But Caesar. What a dangerous place to be. When you hate Jesus so much. That you are willing to make Caesar. Your king. When you reject Jesus. And you make Caesar. Your king. And that's what they did. The group of people who hated Roman occupation. More than any group probably ever hated it.

All of time. And yet their hatred for the one who came. To do nothing but give his life for them. Was so great. That they said we choose Caesar. Over Jesus. And can I tell you. That this. This rejection of Jesus. Would ultimately end. With the destruction of Jerusalem. In AD 70. And the Jewish people being put on the shelf. Blindness in part. As Paul refers to it.

Had come upon the Jews. Until the fullness of the Gentiles would come in. Can we just understand the fact. That what we have watched take place. In the history of the Jewish nation. Since this time. Has been a result of the rejection. Of Jesus. In this moment. It doesn't say it in this gospel account. But in other gospel accounts. It says that in this moment.

There was a bowl of water up there. That Pilate had asked for. He goes over to the side. Imagine it. Goes over to the side. And he washes his hands in the bowl of water. He says. My hands are clean. Of this man's blood. And do you remember in that moment. What all of the chief priests said. They said. His blood be on us. And on our children. And unfortunately.

God's really good at giving us. What we ask for. And this is exactly what's happened to the Jewish nation. It doesn't mean God is done with them. But it does mean. That what we have seen take place. Is as a result of that rejection. And so Pilate washes his hands. Of the situation. But ultimately. Condemns Jesus. To crucifixion. It says in verse 16. So he. So he.

Handed him over to them. To be crucified. They took Jesus therefore. And they. And he went out. Bearing his own cross. To the place. Of a skull. Which is called in Hebrew. Golgotha. John doesn't give a lot of details on this. But other gospel accounts do. And that's kind of why he chose his. Because it's a little easier to read through. But let me tell you what some of the other gospel accounts say.

First of all. Let me explain to you what Jesus carries. Jesus did not carry the full on cross. That would have been. Just. Just an enormous amount of weight. That a man in the best shape possible. Wouldn't be able to do. Because it would have weighed an incredible amount. As a matter of fact. The cross. The upright beams. Always stood. Just outside of town.

Just outside of Jerusalem. And you always have to wonder. How many times. When Jesus came to Jerusalem. For all of those feasts. That he would have been coming to. Since he was a boy. That he would have been coming to. Since he was 12 or 13 years old. How many times. Did he walk by. And see those uprights. And know that that was ultimately his destination. And know that ultimately.

That was what he was going to face. And you almost just have to wonder. Although poetically we're not given this in scripture. But you do have to wonder. If when Jesus came riding into town. On a donkey. On Palm Sunday. If he didn't ride right by. Those uprights. As they were crying. Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Knowing that five days later.

They would cry out. Crucify him. And so. So what they would have laid on Jesus. Is that they would have laid the cross beam on him. And so Jesus is carrying the cross beam. Now I want you to remember. The physical state he's in. At this point in time. Very few people have survived this long. And Jesus survives. And he's carrying the cross beam. Only he continues.

As we learn in the book of Matthew. To stumble. Excuse me. The book of Luke. To stumble under the weight of this cross beam. So. So they find a man. And they say. You. Carry his cross. That man's name was Simon. Of Cyrene. Interestingly enough. We read about him. And his sons in the book of Acts. This man becomes a believer in Jesus Christ. And his sons end up.

Becoming a part of the church in Antioch. And it's just fascinating to see. What God does. Through the most simple of circumstances. And so. So this man carried the cross. For Jesus. And he carries it. Where? Where does he carry it? He carries it outside of town. Why is that important? Well because where were the sacrifices made? Where were the sacrifices burned up?

They were burned up outside of the city. And so Jesus. As we're told in the book of Hebrews. Carried it outside of the city. And as he carried it outside of the city. We're given a simple statement. In the book of John. It says there. They crucified him. Only since we didn't live in that time. It's important to talk about what that crucifixion. Would have looked like.

As Jesus carried that beam. They would have brought it all the way. To the outskirts of town. Where these upright beams would have been. And they would have laid him down on it. And they would have stretched out his arms on it. And they would have then nailed him. To that cross beam. Again probably not in his hands. Probably in his wrist. Otherwise it would have torn away.

And they put those nails in. And then they would have hoisted. The cross beam up. Now as somebody with incredibly terrible shoulders. I always think. My shoulders would have dislocated. From the moment that all of my weight. Was suspended on them like that. And you often have to wonder. Did that happen to Jesus? How many muscles were torn? How many joints were dislocated?

And so they would have hoisted him up. And attached him then. To the upright beam that was already there. By the way. David Hawking holds to the fact. That it was actually just a tree. That they hoisted him up. And attached him to. I don't know if that's true or not. But it is kind of an interesting thought. Since we just read a few weeks ago. In the book of Deuteronomy.

Cursed is he who is hung on a tree. So they would have hoisted him up. And then they would have placed his feet. At just a little bit of an angle. One foot on top of the other. And nailed his feet to the cross. Because here's what would have happened. As he sagged down. It would have cut off the ability for his diaphragm. To take a full breath. People that died of crucifixion.

Died of one of a handful of ways. They either died from a heart attack. From the shock of everything that took place. They would have died from blood loss. From what took place. Or they would have died of asphyxiation. In other words. They would not be able to take a complete breath. And so eventually they would have just choked out. Because they can't get a breath.

So the only way that Jesus could have gotten a breath. Was to push up on those nails on his feet. Inhale. And take a breath. Which absolutely paints an even more dramatic picture. Of every statement. That he made from the cross. Amen. And so as Jesus is there. It says they crucified him. And with him there were two other men. One on either side. And Jesus was in between them.

And of course John's account doesn't tell us this. But we know that those two men were thieves. And when Jesus was first hung up on that cross. They mocked him. And finally one of them said. We deserve to be here. He doesn't. When you go into your kingdom. Would you remember me? And Jesus said today. Today you're going to be with me in paradise. Simple faith.

What we read on in verse 19. And it says this. Pilate wrote an inscription. And he put it on the cross. And it was written. Jesus the Nazarene. The king of the Jews. Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription. For the place where Jesus was crucified. Was near the city. And it was written in Hebrew. And it was written in Latin. And it was written in Greek.

And so the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate. Don't write the king of the Jews. But he said. I'm the king of the Jews. And Pilate answered. What I have written. I have written. It's interesting. Because when a person was crucified. Their crime was written. So that everybody knew. This is why this person has been crucified. This is why he's up here.

This is the crime that he's guilty of. And of course they accused him. Of being the king of the Jews. And so that was the crime. That he was crucified for. Jesus of Nazareth. The king of the Jews. Interestingly it's written in three languages. It's written in Hebrew. It's written in Latin. It's written in Greek. And I found that to be fascinating. I've never really thought about that too much before.

But this go around I thought about it. And I thought about the fact that we are reminded. That Hebrew was the religious language. Latin was the political language. And Greek was the common language. So whether you were a religious person. Or a political person. Or just the average person. Well Jesus died for you. It's kind of interesting to think about it like that.

Is it not? And so Pilate finally grows a set. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that from the pulpit or not. But he says. They say no no. Say he said he was the king of the Jews. And it's like of all the times for Pilate to get a backbone. He's like I've written what I've written. And they had to. It's like come on man. You had like a thousand chances. To actually act like a man.

And this is the time that you choose. So the statement is left up. And there's Jesus on the cross. Thieves on both sides of him. It's always interesting to think that Jesus died among thieves. Because he died in my place. And then down in verse 23 it says this. The soldiers when they had crucified Jesus took his outer garments. And they made four parts. Part to every soldier.

And also the tunic. And the tunic was seamless woven in one piece. They said to one another let us not tear it. But let us cast lots for it. And decide whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the scripture. They divided my outer garments amongst themselves. And for my clothing they cast lots. A couple of interesting things to think about here. First of all how hardened do these men have to be.

To sit below men tortured in the way that these were. They gamble for their clothing. But that's what they did. But there was one piece of clothing. That they were unwilling to separate. And that was the tunic that he wore. Because it was a tunic. And it was woven of one piece. Now this is fascinating. Because first of all it fulfills the prophecy. As it points out here.

But the second reason why it's fascinating. Is if you were to go all the way back into the law. And you were to read about the garments of the high priest. You would find that the high priest wore a tunic. That was to be woven of one piece. And so it's kind of interesting to pay attention to that. Because of course Jesus is our ultimate high priest. And our ultimate high priest.

Who not only would be the one who would make the sacrifice. But also would be the sacrifice. Hangs there on the tree. And so they cast lots. The soldiers did these things. Verse 25. But standing by the cross of Jesus. Where his mother and his mother's sister. Mary the wife of Clopas. And Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple. Whom he loved standing nearby.

He said to his mother. Woman behold your son. And he said to the disciple. Behold your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her. To his own household. I find it interesting that the majority of the people. At the foot of the cross of Jesus. At this point in time. Were not the hardened fishermen. They were not the men. Who said we will never run. It wasn't Peter.

Who said he would never deny Jesus. John was there. Although seems to have a smaller role oddly enough. The people that were there were the women. And I always think that's a really good challenge for us as men. Is because. For whatever reason. Women have a tendency to be a little bit more spiritually sensitive. And women tend to be the ones that. That are closer to the feet of Jesus than men are.

After all. We're a little too tough for that right. And yet in the time when it took a lot of bravery. And it took a lot of guts to stand strong. The ones at the foot of the cross were the women. Of course his mother. His mother's sister. And his aunt. Mary the wife of Clopas. And of course. Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene who just couldn't seem to leave the side of Jesus.

Who just couldn't. Couldn't bear to not be where Jesus was. After all. Those demons had been cast out. And he gave her brand new life. A life that she knew she didn't deserve. A life she never thought she'd have. So if Jesus was going to be there. Come hell or high water. Come death or crucifixion. She's going to be there at his side. And there she was. At the foot of the cross.

Of course. He looks down. And in this moment. The man who came not to be served. But to serve. And to give his life as a ransom. For many he looks down. And he sees his mother. And he sees John. He says someone's going to need to take care of her. Most people believe Joseph had died by this point in time. Probably even before Jesus' earthly ministry began. So perhaps a widow at this point in time.

And Jesus. That's her oldest son. Wasn't going to be around to take care of her. And at this stage in the ball game. His brothers didn't really want anything to do with Jesus. And he needed. He needed someone that he could trust to take care of her. So he looked at John. And he said. Behold your mother. He looks at his mom and says. Behold your son. And John took care of Mary.

I always wish we knew a little bit more. About what that looked like. After Jesus ascended into heaven. But John took care of Mary. And there it was. At the end. And so. Doesn't tell us this in John's account. But we know from other gospel accounts. That at this point. In time. Something very strange took place in the atmosphere. Again. It's probably somewhere between three and four in the afternoon.

At this point in time. And complete darkness came over the whole land. Came over that whole area. Because the father had to turn his back on Jesus. Because in that moment. The full weight of the sin of humanity. Was placed upon Jesus. We always put a great deal of emphasis. On the physical suffering that Jesus went through. And rightfully so. It was intense.

But other people had been through the physical suffering. That Jesus had been through. No one. Had ever. Endured. The guilt. Of the sin of humanity. In his own body on the tree. Like Jesus. See it's one thing to endure physical things. But I think you know well. You know as well as I do. That there is nothing like emotional strain. That you carry. That there's nothing like that feeling of guilt and shame.

That you carry with you. And to think that all of that was heaped on Jesus. In that moment. And that his father had to turn his back on him. Matter of fact. We're told in one of the other gospel accounts. That Jesus cries out. My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me? Because in that moment. That's exactly what he did. And so we come now to the last part of what.

John has to say. About the situation. Says in verse 28. And after this Jesus. Knowing that all things had already been accomplished. To fulfill the scripture.

Said I'm thirsty.

The jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the sour wine. Upon a branch of hyssop. They brought it to his mouth. Again I'm just. I'm struck with the humanity of Jesus. That in this moment. He just says man I'm really thirsty. So he had one more thing he had. He had to say. And he needed to say it with the full weight. Of whatever strength he had left in him.

And so his mouth needed to be clear for it. He said I'm thirsty. So they dipped the sponge in some sort of a sour wine. And they put it up with a piece of hyssop. Interestingly enough. Most of the sacrifices that were made. Including the Passover sacrifice involved hyssop. If you remember. They took the blood with hyssop. And they coated the door post with it.

So they reached that thing up. And he. He takes a little drink of the sour wine. It says in verse 30. And therefore. When Jesus had received the sour wine. He said. It is finished. He bowed his head. And he gave up. His spirit. It's a fascinating way for this to end. With this last statement that Jesus. Made. The word of course in the Greek is to tell us die.

And it means to be paid in full. Or to be. Complete. It indicates a completion of a transaction. They've actually found receipts. Tax receipts. In excavations. In Roman communities. That were stamped with the word. To tell us die. Paid in full. John Corson had something interesting to say about this. I never heard this before. This one was new for me. He said it was also a statement.

That an artist would make. When his painting was finished. To tell us die. It's finished. The work of art was done. And in that moment. When Jesus cried out it is finished. We're told in the Gospel of Matthew. That there was an earthquake that shook the foundation. Of the temple. And that the veil of the temple was torn in two from top. To bottom. And I think there's something so symbolic and poetic.

About the fact that the foundation. Of the temple. Was shaken. Why was the foundation. Of the temple shaken. Because they did not need a temple anymore. Because Jesus had fulfilled everything that the temple was to do. The temple was where you came and met with God. And you didn't need a temple to go and meet with God anymore. Because God had come and met with man.

And he did it on a cross. And that veil of the temple was torn in two. Indicating that we now have a new. And living way to enter. Not through the veil of the temple. But through the veil of his flesh. That was torn for us. And in that moment. It truly was finished. Of course we're not told this in John's account. Or are we told this in John's account? No we are.

Verse 31. Then the Jews because it was the day of preparation. So that the bodies would not remain on the cross. On the Sabbath. For that Sabbath was a high day. They asked Pilate that their legs might be broken. That they might be taken away. So the soldiers came. And they broke the legs of the first man. And of the other who was crucified with him. But coming to Jesus.

They saw that he was already dead. And they did not break his legs. Which is important. Because it's going to tell us. Not a bone shall be broken. But the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. And immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified. And his testimony is true. And he knows that he's telling. And he knows that he's telling.

And he knows that he's telling the truth. So that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the scripture. Not a bone of him shall be broken. And again another scripture says. They shall look on him whom they have pierced. Of course they took that spear. And Jesus would have been lifted up on the cross. They took that spear. And they came up right in between.

Underneath the rib cage there. And they pierced the pericardial sac that had water in it. And then of course the heart that was full of blood. Blood and water flowed out. And there's a couple of very interesting things about this. First of all. Remember when John wrote his gospel account. Both Gnosticism and Docetism had really come on the scene. Both of which proclaimed that Jesus was not actually a human being.

That he didn't actually come in the flesh. Only in order for this to take place. It had to prove that he was real. He was a real man who died a real death. And it's proven with the fact that that blood and water flowed out. Number two. There's no question that he died. Because in order for the blood and water to separate. That takes place at a point of death.

And so that separation of the blood and water indicated the death of Jesus. And of course number three. We know that he's dead. Because they made sure that he was dead. They did that with the piercing of his heart. But poetically speaking. Can we point something out? If an autopsy were to be performed on Jesus. The autopsy would find that Jesus died of a pierced heart.

Can we just say it a little more poetically than that? That Jesus died of a broken heart.

A heart that was broken over the sin of humanity. A heart that was broken and said I can't live without him. And so I'm going to die for them. And that blood and water flowed. And as Jesus was left there hanging on that cross. Completely alone. We come to verse 38. It says after these things. Joseph of Arimathea. Being a disciple of Jesus. But a secret one for fear of the Jews.

Asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate granted permission. So he came and he took away his body. Nicodemus who had first come to him by night. Also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloe. About a hundred pounds of weight. They took the body of Jesus. And they bound it in linen. Wrappings with the spices. As is the burial custom of the Jews.

In the place he was crucified there was a garden. And in the garden a new tomb. In which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation. Since the tomb was nearby. They laid Jesus there. Two men who had followed Jesus secretly. Throughout his three years of walking on this earth. Nicodemus who we meet at the very beginning. Of the gospel of John.

And Joseph of Arimathea who we meet here. Both had something in common. They both knew that Jesus was real. They both knew that Jesus was God. And they were both scared. To make a public proclamation of faith. Because of what it might do. To their reputation. With the Jewish leadership. But there was something about the cross. That brought boldness. Into their lives.

There was something about the cross that changed them. You see we find that when you really understand. The work of the cross. It creates in you a response. And that response. Is a public declaration of faith. That says. I may have lived behind the scenes up to this point in time. But once I've understood what Jesus did for me. All I can do is respond. By living it out as publicly as I possibly can.

And we read in the other gospel accounts. That Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate. And petitioned him for the body of Jesus. And Pilate released it to him. And so they took Jesus. And they took him. And they took him. And they took him. Down from that cross. I always wonder what this scene was like too. They took Jesus down from that cross. And they washed his wounds.

And they wrapped him in a cloth. And they packed those spices around him. They laid him in the tomb. And they rolled the stone in front of it. The way tombs would have been built. Is there would have been a kind of a trough. Built in front of an opening in a cave. Because that's what a tomb was. And there would have been some sort of a stone. That would fit just inside of that trough.

That they would roll downhill. So that it would seal that grave off. And we're told in other gospel accounts. That the Jews were scared. They said listen. He made some bold claims about rising from the dead. Oddly enough. They heard what his disciples did not. And they believed what his disciples did not. That Jesus said he would rise from the dead. And they said.

But lest his disciples pull a fast one on us. Could you seal it with your signet ring. And put a guard on it. So he did. He put the guard in front of the tomb. So there it was. Jesus is dead. It feels like all hope is lost. The tomb has been sealed. The guard has been placed.

But a new and living way. Had been created by Jesus. And we were just waiting for the greatest miracle. Of all times. Of all time to take place. I want to leave you with one verse. It's out of Romans chapter 5 verse 8. It says. But God. Demonstrates his own love for us. In that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. Because the greatest declaration of love.

Was made with three nails. And a spear. Amen. Father thank you so much. For the sacrifice. For the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Thank you so much for what you have done for us. For how you love us. And Lord may we rest in that love today. And may we. Like Joseph and Nicodemus. Find ourselves saying. There's just something about the cross. That's going to change the way that I live.

Lord may we live publicly for a Jesus. Who died so publicly for us. In Jesus name. Amen. Be blessed.