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this time we'll go ahead and dismiss our kids to little district and for the rest of us if you have your Bibles go and open them up to Luke chapter 23 Luke 23 is where we're going to be today um I'm Pastor Dwayne and so glad to worship with you this morning uh we're going to be looking at the death of Jesus today so if you were in a chipper mood before this morning um but here's the thing when looking at the death of Jesus if I just read the text as it stands you might actually miss the meaning behind the death of Jesus we

we already know in this room for the most of us uh that Jesus died we we know that all right if you have any kind of church background or even just know anything about history we know that Jesus died even if you're a non-believer um that he was a man 2,000 years ago that he lived and that he died of brutal death and uh we know this I'm not talking about the resurrection yet we'll get to that next week but if I just read the story we will at least walk away knowing that Jesus died it's a very important point in the scriptures that really

all of the scriptures lead up to if a crime scene investigator were to come upon the murder scene of Jesus it was so brutal and so horrendous and so terrible that they would likely say something in the vicinity of we've never seen anything like this before and based on the eyewitness accounts his death was absolutely brutal but what at first seems like bad news when you look at it might in fact be good news if we just read the text we're GNA think or feel this is bad this is just awful news because at first looks like bad news behind the scenes is actually good

news and that's why instead of just reading the text what I actually need to do this morning is I need to preach the text I need to preach the text so that I can expose what is actually going on in the death of Jesus what is actually going on behind the scenes I need to show you the meaning of the death of Jesus because this is actually one of those few scenarios we're saying it's not what it looks like actually applies to the situation it actually applies there was this um situation that happened one time with me and Kelsey and I probably should have asked

permission to share but it's all right we were engaged and while we were engaged um a couple of our best friends worked at the church that I was working at at the time uh so I was the the student pastor and our worship pastor we were really close close um Kelsey was also really close with his wife they're made of honors and so forth we were engaged at the time and and when we were engaged there was this one night where I was taking one of my students out to uh just go hang out I can't remember what we were going to do but we

were going to go hang out and I remember I was texting with Kelsey and she was a teacher at the time and so she was leaving her school or she was still at her school um that was about 25 30 minutes away from where the church resided and so I was on my way back to the church and just kind of trying to catch up with her see where she was she was still at the school was going to have a late night there and so I get back to the church and when I get back to the church my best friend Blake at the

time like his his car is parked in the parking lot and I was like oh sweet Blake's here so I'm gonna like run in and like see what he's doing and as I pull in the student gets out and like you know gets into their car and they end up leaving and I see some people like Silhouettes in the window that like pause and then like off running down a hallway and so immediately in my mind I'm thinking like oh like Blake's probably in his room and doesn't know that like someone's like broken into the church or like they're in there and they shouldn't be

in there like what's going on so so I come in and I just start like going through the hallways and seeing what's happening and I go into Blake's office and when I go into Blake's office he's just sitting there at his computer and I was like dude there's someone in the church with us and he was like what I was like I just saw someone that was like in the window and they took off running down the the hallway and Blake's like that's super weird I'm the only one here and I was like so he gets up and he starts going through literally different rooms

in the church and I was like I don't know man I don't just see things but I was like someone's in here and then I happen to look over in his office and Kelsey's purse is in his office and so in this moment I mean I just like you know those feeling that I'm like what in the world she just texted me that she's at her school that's like 30 minutes away why is her purse here and then I go over and I'm like her keys are in the purse like there's there's no way that she can be at the school and this be here

in this moment and then Blake I mean just bless his heart he's just like I have no idea why that purse is there I I do not I I don't know how I got there maybe her and Caroline were here and they I have no idea so in the moment I'm I mean again my head has gone to the worst possible situation and I'm sitting there thinking if she's here somewhere then I'm going to have them sweat this out so I was like Blake's like are you like staying long or are you going to be heading out soon like what do you what's your I

was like I'm gonna go work in my office for a while and so um so I then leave and I head to my office and at this point as I'm getting to my office I'm getting angry and so I then start thinking you know what if this is going down if this is happening then I'm just leaving I'm just out of here so I start to go and leave and get into my truck and I start um heading out and then my phone starts blowing up they're like okay she is here all right she's in the bathroom like Blake had a bathroom in his office

she's here but you need to trust us it's not what it looks like it's not what you're thinking um and so apparently what was actually happening was Kelsey was there in the room she was in the bathroom she was also in the bathroom with Blake's wife because they were there recording the wedding song that we were going to dance to at our wedding and so at first what I thought was just incredible bad news ended up turning out to be wonderful news like one of the best things but again I had to like trust the moment of what was going on what we're seeing and

you're like how does this apply what we're seeing in today's passage is literally the horrendous death of Jesus which at first appears to be incredibly bad news like just awful news but actually what's going on behind the scenes is incredibly good news for you and me it's the best thing that Jesus could be doing that we don't even realize he is doing in the moment that is good news for us what what I want to show you today is actually the power of the Gospel like it this like today what we are going to look at this is the power of the Gospel this is

the power of the church if the church does not preach this message the church is not a church if the church does not share this message we will not grow as a church if we do not engage and believe this message we are not forgiven of our sins like we are not brought into the presence of God like this is why Paul says in First Corinthians 1:1 17- 24 for Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel all right like sometimes we and again we we want to baptize people because that is a representation of what we are talking about today

all right baptism does not save anybody but it is an illustration of what we're talking about today so Paul's telling them I I was not sent to just baptize people as if that baptism was some kind of miracle that happened for them no I was sent to preach the gospel and not with words of eloquent wisdom lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power so he's saying I didn't take the message that God gave me and then wrap it up in a TED Talk in order for people to be like whoa that was the best thing I've ever heard in my entire life

all this new insight that I got and all this look how he communicates and look at the way he speaks and all these eloquent words that he is using that I never knew before he's saying no no no no I preach to you something that is very very plain and very simple because I didn't want to take away from the Cross of Christ all we need to preach is the Cross of Christ for the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God where is the one who is wise where

is the Scribe where is the debater of this age I mean you just think about in the current cultural moment that in everyone is considering themselves to be wise everyone is a scribe who is basically their version of saying we create what law is we create what the moral law is we create what your law should be we create what you should believe where is the Scribe who where is the one who is wise I mean everyone thinks they're wise at this point everyone thinks they're right where is the debater of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world for since

in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom it pleased God through Folly through something that sounds foolish it pleased God through Folly of what we preach to save those who believe for Jews and signs so Jews wanted to see the power of God if they were going to believe God and then Greeks seek wisdom they want understanding in the situation they want it to make sense to them but but we preach Christ crucified so we're not we're not trying to draw people with signs we're not trying to draw people with just this eloquent wisdom of understanding what actually draws people

as preaching Christ crucified which if they don't believe it it's a stumbling block to the Jews who are seeking signs and its Folly to Gentiles because it doesn't make sense why would you choose something weak in order to show something strong but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God so if they're seeking signs which is the power and they're seeking wisdom which is the understanding what he is saying at the end of the day is if you want that then preach Christ crucified because it is displaying the power of God and it's displaying

the wisdom of God and that's what I want to show you today as we look at the death of Jesus in Luke 23: 26- 49 what is going on behind the scenes that shows the power of God and the wisdom of God so much so that when we preach this it actually draws people calls them to God and he saves them when they believe why he died on the cross and so I'm going to read through the whole whole thing and then we'll take a little bit of time of explanation and application so starting in verse 26 and as they led him away They seized

one Simon of sirene who was coming in from the country and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus at this point Jesus has already been brutally tortured all night as we saw a couple of weeks ago he's been then publicly put on trial which was an legal trial to begin with falsely accused um and then again flogged and beaten even that much more to finally having the Jewish people demand for him to be crucified so as he's now making his way to um Calgary he's even unable to carry his own cross because of how brutally he's been beaten and tortured and so

that's why they pull this man Simon from sirene to begin carrying the cross for him and there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him but turning to them Jesus said Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me but weep for yourselves and for your children for behold the days are coming when they will say blessed are the baren and the wound that never bore and the breasts that never nured then they will begin to say to the mountains fall on us and to the hills cover us for if they do these things when the

wood is green what will happen when it is dry two others who were criminals were LED away to be put to death with him and when they came to the place that is called the skull There They Crucified him and the criminals one on his right and one on his left and Jesus said father forgive them for they don't know they doom and they cast lots to divide his garments and the people stood by watching but the rulers scoffed at him saying he saved others let him save himself if he is the Christ of God his Chosen One the soldiers also mocked him coming up

and offering him sour wine and saying if you are the king of the Jews save yourself there was also an inscription over him this is the king of Jews one of the criminals who were hanged ra railed at him saying are you not the Christ save yourself and us but the other rebuked him saying do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation and we indeed justly for we are receiving the due reward for our Deeds but this man has done nothing wrong and he said Jesus Remember remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus said to him

truly I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise it was now about the sixth hour and there was Darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour while the Sun's light failed and the curtain of the temple was torn in two then Jesus calling out with a loud voice said father into your hands I commit my spirit and having said this he breathed his last now when the Centurion saw what had taken place he praised God saying certainly this man was innocent and all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle when they saw what a taken place they returned home

beating their breasts and all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him From Galilee stood at a distance watching these things father I pray fast as we continue to unpack these verses that your word of God would Pierce our hearts that it would convict our hearts that it would inform our minds to understand what it is that you have accomplished in the death of your son Jesus would you show us how this bad news is in fact good news for the world that it is the gospel that it is the power of God for salvation father show us that if we are blind to

it give us sight if we can't hear give us ears to hear father let us see your glory and your infinite power and wisdom in the death of your son Jesus and what it is that you are actually accomplishing In This Moment your pray amen the first thing there's a few things here that we need to cover in helping with a bit of the explanation the first one is looking at verses 26 through 31 Jesus foretells the coming destruction of Jerusalem again that's essentially what he's doing as these women have gathered around him and as they're crying and lamenting his death or his pending death

in this moment they feel like they're helpless and hopeless in providing him any sort of Aid and instead of being able to help them or minister to him what Jesus does In This Moment is as he is being brutally tortured and beaten is still taking an opportunity to minister to them which is incredible just in the heart and the compassion of Jesus but what he's actually doing is giving them another warning and I'm not going to be able to go through and repr preach that sermon again if you were to go back in our history of sermons and look at the times of the Gentiles

which was based on Luke 212 38 that is the full snapshot of what Jesus is actually explaining to these women but the short of it is Jesus knows what he is doing in this moment again these women they're weeping and they're lamenting the brutal torture and pending death of this innocent man there's nothing that they can do um but he gives them a warning of really an object lesson that is about to happen in 8070 Jerusalem is going to be ransacked it's going to be destroyed D it's going to be taken over not only Jerusalem but also the temple both are going to be wiped

out and completely destroyed and that is an object lesson not only for the Jews who rejected Jesus but for the world of the coming Judgment of God for them to where there will literally be a day where they will lament the fact that they're even alive and they would rather have the mountains come and fall on them or the hills to cover over them to essentially annihilate them from what is being done to them and so he warns those who have um basically small children which a lot of our church can understand this moment of it's hard to get anywhere quickly right and so what

he's kind of warning them is is is those who can't get out of Jerusalem quick enough um you're going to fall into despair because of the destruction that is coming it's another way of saying that if you don't believe what I'm actually preaching and proclaiming to you you're not going to be able to get out you're not going to be able to um um avoid the coming judgment that is happening and so despite the fact that the man can barely breathe despite the fact that Jesus can barely speak barely hold himself up barely stay awake he is still considering the interests of those who are

around him and what is in their greatest interest in In This Moment is for them to be warned that hey in about 30 or 40 years Jerusalem is going to be destroyed and that's just a dress rehearsal for the destruction of the world in the Judgment of God that is coming towards it and so he is telling them the bad news before he is able to actually offer them the good news and so Jesus In This Moment is giving these women the bad news that preaches or precedes the good news of the Gospel the second thing I want to explain to you is that Jesus

Reveals His compassion for the crowds he Reveals His compassion for the crowds we see this in verses 32 through 38 think about this with me for a moment Jesus is essentially on death row now after an unfair trial all right he's on death row after an unfair trial as Chris covered last week the the governing political Powers have unanimously found no fault in him and actually no reason to kill him like when he went to Herod and went to pilate both of them came to the conclusion yeah he's stirring up some trouble but we don't find any reason why you should kill him we actually

find no fault in him we don't think he's done anything wrong so according to them the verdict that was handed to Jesus is not guilty before the courts but the religious leaders of the Jewish people would not take that verdict they demanded for him to be crucified they demanded the death penalty and in this case the judges of the the the governing powers in fear of the Jewish people rioting or disrupting the peace that actually Caesar was wanting they give the people what they want they give give the Jewish people what they demanded which is why pilate eventually says like I'm going to wash my

hands of this all right I'm not the one that said to kill him but I know you can't do it unless I actually give you permission so he tries to clear his conscience of it because he doesn't find any fault in Jesus but again still gives the yes that it's okay for you to go ahead and kill him but in that moment we see Jesus do something really interesting what do you think a man who has been illegally tried unfairly um accused and beaten and tortured and and like un unfairly sentenced when you're then giving him the death penalty and you're hooking him up to

the injection chair how do you think he's going to speak about those who are putting him in that place like if that were to today and it were a man on death row who again has been illegally tried unfairly sentenced and unfairly treated and then given the death penalty in that moment he's going to continue screaming his innocence he's going to basically tell everyone that they're wrong that they're um treating him unjustly and if it were to ever be proven later the reparations are going to be Monumental that this actually was an innocent man but Jesus says what does he do when they're hooking him

up to the chair verse 33 when they came to the place that is called the skull There They Crucified him the criminals one on his right and one on his left and Jesus said not father Can You annihilate all these idiots no he says father forgive them for they don't know what they're doing forgive them while Jesus is re receiving what he does not deserve he is praying for the crowds to receive what they do not deserve forgiveness while Jesus is receiving his unfair sentencing he knows and this is where we go from Bad News to Good News Jesus knows what they do not know

he knows what he is accomplishing in the moment that they don't he knows that even though they deserve death for the sins in their life for rejecting the Son of God and murdering him he knows that their act of killing him God uses to enact his wrath upon their sin in other words what they meant for evil God meant for good and so stay with me on this point because this is the this is the heartbeat of the Gospel message this is the hinge which takes it from Bad News to Good News because without this point the gospel has no legs to stand on no

legs to stand on so let's do just a little bit of deeper theology here with this point just as Jesus is the hypostatic union all right and what we mean by that it's just theological term that means he is 100% God and 100% man at all times in his fullness all right that means that God is able to connect in Union the spiritual and the physical in the same person or thing so just as God and man are able to be United in the person of Jesus Christ the same thing is happening in the actions of these men and the actions of God the Father

all right so keep keep following me let me bring it into the story specifically as the people are unrighteously striking the sinless Savior God is righteously striking the sinful sinner like those two things are being overlaid and played out in the exact same moment as a sinner is striking and crucifying Jesus God is righteously striking and crucifying The Sinner that's what's happening in this moment because at this moment 2 Corinthians 521 is being fulfilled in Luke 23 for our which is you and me for our sake he which is God made him Jesus to be sin which was our identity all right so for our

sake who are sinners God made Jesus to become what we are who knew no sin so that in him that is Jesus we you and me might become the righteousness of God which is Jesus's identity that's what you seeing played out in this hypostatic action of the Cross of Christ Martin Luther calls this The Great Exchange Scholars call it substitutionary atonement the Bible calls it propitiation whereby Jesus offers himself as payment to appease God's Wrath towards us allowing those who by faith receive the Gospel of Jesus to now be in good standing with God and reconciled in relationship with him and so because God has

no reason to be angry with you anymore because Jesus took our punishment for you for me God has no reason to be angry at us anymore to have a wrath towards us anymore because in this moment in Luke 23 when Jesus is dying on the cross God's Wrath towards you is being placed on Jesus as he is becoming you so that his righteousness towards Jesus might be directed towards us when we receive him by faith and believe this is why he died on the cross Romans 3: 21-26 elaborates on it this way the righteousness of God has now been manifested apart from the law although

the law and the prophets they all bear witness to it they've all been pointing to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe so he's just saying the if you want to know what the righteousness of God is this is the righteousness of God which is now made known to us verse 20 um three for there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God we're we're all Sinners every single one of us but we are Justified that is to be declared pardon we are justified by his grace as a gift through the

Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Redemption he paid something for you whom God put forward so who God sent as a propitiation by his blood as a substitute in your place by the shedding of his blood not yours and we receive it by faith this was to show God's righteousness because in his Divine forbearance which is just basically saying his Godlike patience he passed over former sins this is why when Adam and Eve sined they did not die in that moment this is why when Noah sinned he did not die right in that moment when Abraham sinned he did not die right in that moment

when Moses sinned he did not die right in that moment that's what the wages of sin is but the reason why God ex um exuded patience and forbearance in all of their s their sins is because he was coming to the moment in history where all of sins are vind ated in the person and work of Jesus Christ at the cross so that now Adam can be redeemed because of Jes or because of Jesus's sacrifice Noah's redeemed because of Jesus's sacrifice Abraham's redeemed because of Jesus's sacrifice Moses is redeemed because of Jesus sacrifice they're all Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb they're all forgiven

just as we look back on what Jesus accomplished for us they look forward on what the Messiah was going to accomplish for them and that's why in his Divine forbearance he passed over former sins it was to show his righteousness at the present time the perfect time so that he might be just which is basically God saying like I'm going to deal with sin if I don't deal with sin I'm not a just God that he might be just he deals with sin in his wrath on the cross and he is also the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus he's able to

then declare them no longer a sinner but an actual Saint because of what is happening at the cross as a narrative illustration we see this theology played out in the life of Joseph if you don't know who Joseph is Joseph is actually one of the 12 sons of Jacob but he's actually not one of the 12 tribes of Israel or Jacob explain why in a moment but Joseph is loved by Jacob all right parents aren't supposed to have favorites but Jacob has a favorite and his favorite is Joseph we see that played out with the story of the coat of many colors therefore the sons

the other sons of of Jacob they hate Joseph I mean they so hate him because he is the Beloved of his father Jacob therefore the other Sons hate him for it and they seek to kill him by by throwing him into a pit leaving him for dead sound familiar where are we at in Luke 23 what is Jesus thrown into a pit keep this story overlaid with the story of Jesus as you look at this Joseph then comes out of the pit he flees to Egypt and eventually gets elevated or exalted to the right hand of the Throne of pharaoh now watch this Joseph has

two sons while he is in Egypt Ephraim and Manasseh back in the land of Canaan the land that was given to the Israelites were Joseph's brothers and their households and there was a famine and they ended up traveling to Egypt because Joseph actually listened to the Lord and He stored up enough provision for all of the people to weather the famine the brothers who then sojourned to Egypt they learn that Joseph who they thought died in the pit they learn that Joseph survived and so now they fear that Joseph in his position of power is going to kill them but instead he shows them mercy

and he ministers to them just like Jesus did while on the cross but wait it gets better Jacob AKA Israel receives word that Joseph is alive and Jacob rejoices as he's reunited with Joseph his beloved Son they both weep weep on each other there's next it's this beautiful moment of embrace each other as again as Father and Son but there's even more than that reuniting remember the two sons of Joseph who were born in Egypt which being born in Egypt or just Egypt in general in the Bible is a symbolism for sin for sin so they're born in sin and in Genesis 48 Jacob wants

to meet the two sons of Joseph all right you had sons while you were away I want to meet these children I want to meet essentially my grandchildren so he wants to meet the sons of Joseph he wants to bless them which is his way of actually adopting them into his family so that the same inheritance that the other sons of Joseph would receive or the other sons of Jacob would receive Joseph's Sons would also receive the same inheritance giving Joseph a double portion of the inheritance more than than what the other Sons would get that's why when you see the 12 tribes of Jacob

or Israel you don't see the tribe of Joseph you see the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh because Joseph received a double portion more than his brothers they're called considered the the two Hal tribes of Israel so these two sons of Joseph were outside of the Covenant of God and are brought into the Covenant of God now how were they brought brought into the family and covenantal promise between God and Israel by way of the evil act Joseph's brothers had placed on him that God used to literally then Graft in these two adopted sons that were outside of the Covenant because they were from Egypt aka

the world if the brothers never threw Joseph into the pit we we would never have the tribes of Israel known as Ephraim and manasse we would never have them if Jesus never went to the Cross you would never be grafted in and adopted the entire Bible is God writing a story of what happens at the cross all of it is pointing to this so much so that Genesis 50 this is what Joseph recalls in the story when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead they said it may be that Joseph will now hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we

did to him his brothers also came and fell down before him and said behold we are your servants but Joseph said to them do not fear for am I in the place of God which also sounds like what Jesus says in Philippians 2 counting equality of God a thing to be grasped as for you you evil against me but God used that act and meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today so do not fear I will provide for you and your little ones thus he comforted his brothers and spoke kindly to them I

mean if that's not Jesus in the story what is what first looks like bad news turns out to be good news even the New Testament and the first few sermons of Peter preaches the same theology in Acts chap 4: 27- 28 this is pet Peter's second sermon that he's preaching after Pentecost and he says this for truly in this city talking about Jerusalem there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and pontious pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel so he's saying everyone gathered against Jesus that sounds like bad news to do whatever your hand and

your plann had predestined to take place that's good news what they thought they were gathering in U hostility towards Jesus God in his infinite wisdom and power is using their evil actions towards Jesus as righteous actions towards you towards you as the father is crushing his own son he is adopting you as a new son and daughter and all that criminal um let me show you what happened next therefore jesus' condemnation actually what Sav sinners from their condemnation look at verses 39-43 and this is why Jesus is able to look at one of the criminals on the cross and tell them that today he will

be with Jesus in Paradise because in that moment Jesus is paying for that man's sin by his death and he's therefore able in that moment to offer forgiveness for this criminal and Grant him access to the kingdom of God because that criminal has become the righteousness of Christ and all that criminal did do do do do you think he like got off the cross real quick and said hold on a second let me go let me go get baptized let me go um tithe let me go help the poor and the widows let me go do all of the activity no he said who is

like who is this man being CR if next to me I believe you are the Son of God and I believe you are innocent and Jesus looks at him and says your sins are forgiven essentially now you can be with me in Paradise what did this event then do for those who witnessed it this is verses 44 through 49 the murder of an innocent man the sacrifice of our savior it brings conviction to those who hear it it BRS conviction to those who hear it what does this meaning behind the death of Jesus do to the people when they witness it or read about it

it convicts their hearts it was now about the sixth hour verse 44 and there was Darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour which it's not supposed to be dark at that time all right this was not um you know their fallback daylight savings time like this is it was supposed to be light and it's not like that they're experiencing what we've experienced here in Indie for a couple of times like they're they're experiencing a type of eclipse total eclipse but it is lightness or I don't know if that's a word uh it's light that is literally being um blurred out by darkness in

this moment evil is Killing Jesus but at the same time the light is dying because Jesus is the True Light it was about the hour the sixth hour and there was Darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour while the Sun's light failed and then the curtain of the temple was also torn into two which is just another moment of Jesus giving an object lesson I mean he's on the cross and he's still manipulating physical things that are happening he's still expressing his power to to where he's blotting out the Sun so that darkness is in the moment rainning and at the same time

the only access that they have to God was in the holy of holies that was where the presence of God resided and nobody goes in there except for a priest once a year and In This Moment before that priest is actually able to go in because if y'all don't remember this is the moment of Passover so they are sacrificing animals left and right right in order to appease God's Wrath towards their sins for that year they're trying to cleanse their consciences in this moment and so at that night what would happen is the priest would finally go behind the curtain of the holy of holies

and offer a sacrifice once and for all or not once and for all but once for the year for the Forgiveness of the people of Israel before he gets access to be able to go do that because it's not time for him to do that according to their calendar Jesus tears the curtain in two saying everyone now has access to me everyone now has access to me because of what I am doing in this moment what he is fulfilling to where God's presence is now achievable because of Christ to where you and I can come to him instead of having to go via a priest

we become priests as Hebrews tells us and so that's happening in this moment as well then Jesus calling out with a loud voice said father into your hands I commit my spirit and having said these things he breathed his last now when this happened what happened to those who witnessed it first of all the Centurion which is one of those who are uh putting him on the cross there he's been beating him for the last 24 hours he's been nailing or putting the nails into his wrists and his feet um lifting him up into the place at the same time hurling insulted him but when

Jesus paying for the sins of the world was complete and the wrath of God was satisfied all of a sudden now the power of the Cross begins to work its way out it's the gospel going out I mean you got to see this all right where now we preach it and we Proclaim it by words because we're not there like we're not eyewitnesses of it they being eyewitnesses of what Jesus just accomplished it didn't have to be proclaimed with words they're seeing it the power of that begins working itself out so that the first person which was the one who lifted him and put him

in the place falls down in worship of God and says this man actually was who he says he was like Jesus saves that man in that moment and then it begins working out the crowds what do they do they all went home beating their breath saying oh my goodness what did we just do what did we just witness we just witnessed the hinge of history in the Son of God Vindicated we just witnessed the Messiah even though moments before they were yelling and screaming crucified by him they were coming for a spectacle not realizing that they were coming to witness their salvation what at first

looked like bad news turned out to be good news the first application is this believe and be baptized baptism does have a place for those who believe this message what God calls us to do is follow in giving an illustration to others the power of the cross all right and so because it would have been um I don't know I think sometimes maybe God has a sense of humor but it would be probably weird if when we got saved and believ forgiveness that he's like show Everybody by nailing yourself to a cross like that's probably not going to be the best way of like you

know giving an illustration to people so instead he gives us a different type of illustration he gives us baptism which shows the death of Jesus being buried and thrown into the pit the great and then being raised to walk in the newness of life because the wrath of God was satisfied and so he gives us this illustration and it's because he wants this message proclaimed and preached for generations to come for generations to come and so the idea is that when we preach the message and people believe in what Jesus did at the cross we then go and Proclaim that to everybody that we are

team Jesus that we do believe that he was crucified for our sins that he died and that he was bu and that he rose again and not only do we preach that with words but we show it by way of illustration in the action of baptism and so those are the first two things that we do we believe and we be baptized that's the application if you don't believe in Jesus we ask that you believe in what he accomplished at the cross for you in your place and that then you follow up in baptism the second application is to be a living and bold sacrifice

because what was Jesus in that moment for us a sacrifice Jesus knew exactly what God was doing he knew exactly what the government was doing he knew exactly what the guards were doing he knew exactly what God's purpose and what God's people were doing he knew the motives of each one of them because they were serving the greater purpose of Jesus unfortunately sometimes people view the the cross as if Jesus is a victim and he wasn't the victimhood of Jesus is not what brought about Victory we want to grieve and lament the fact that they killed Jesus and yes I understand that like when we

celebrate Good Friday it's a bit ominous because again they're killing and murdering Our Savior and it's not just them who are doing it it's our sins that put him there and that's why it's so ominous is because it's our sins that God in his Divine forbearance sent his son Jesus to then have to take the substitute for us he had to die because we deserve to die but we call it good Friday because Jesus doesn't see it as if he was a victim he doesn't see it if he as if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and there was a driveby

shooting and he happened to be there and he died that's not what happened we call it good Friday not bad Friday because nobody took his life if we say that we actually robed the cross of its purpose listen to how Jesus describes what went down at the skull in John 101 14-8 Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd I know my own and and my own know me just as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and I have other sheep that are not not of this fold and I must bring them in also

and they will also listen to my voice just like Jacob bringing in Ephraim and manasse and just like the gospel going to the Gentiles so there will be one flock and one Shepherd for this reason the father loves me because I lay down my life life and that I may take it up again no one takes it from me you hear that like at this moment when Jesus is being brutally tortured and unfairly tried and unfairly sentence he's saying I'm doing this I'm doing this they're not doing it to me I'm doing this I lay it down on my own accord I have authority to

lay it down and I have authority to then take it up again this charge I have received from my father that's why at the cross Jesus is not a victim but he's a sacrificial savior he was not a passer by who got hit by a straight bullet the gun was aimed at Sinners and Jesus with the father's Authority and permission he put himself in front of us and he took the bullet of God's Wrath for our sake and the father loves him for it that's the heart of the Gospel that's the gospel that's the good news that's the mission of Jesus Jesus volunteered to be

our sacrifice and then he commission us to not be dead sacrifices like what he was but to be living sacrifices following Jesus is having this missional and sacrificial mindset in our own lives we don't lay our lives down in the same way as Jesus did his blood is sufficient no more death is necessary but we do offer our lives as living sacrifices we don't offer blood but what we do offer is our treasure we offer our time we offer our talents we offer our lives to advance the mission of God when you see what he did at the cross it does two things it says

this accomplished salvation for me forgiveness of my sins and also teaches me and trains me that I should go and offer my life as a sacrifice so that others would be able to receive what it is that I have also receive and that's why Romans 12 1-3 Paul again pleading I appeal to you therefore Brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship like you want to ask the question how how can I worship God be a Living Sacrifice that tells other people about what Jesus has accomplished for them that

worships God do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect what is that verse three for by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think that's Living Sacrifice language Philippians 2 1-1 says it similarly so if there's any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy basically if you are a Christ CH that's what that verse is saying

complete my Joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full Accord and of one mind that's Paul's way of saying there's no other way of doing Christianity and this is what he says in verse three do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourself Let each of you look not only to his own interest but also to the interest of others exactly what Jesus was doing while on the cross that's why when the the the the criminal is Railing at him saying save yourself Jesus is saying I'm not looking at my own interest

right now I'm looking at the interest of those who are here I need to forgive them of their sins so that I can purchase a church a bride for me that I will be in relationship ship with for eternity and I can't do that if I don't lay my life down right now and sacrifice myself for them so don't tell me to consider my own interests I'm considering their interest which yes I know is Jesus also considering his interest because he's perching himself a pride but that's good news for us because that's what makes his Joy complete and that's what he's referencing when he tells

us to be of the same mind so that our joy would be complet you want to know what would like you most of you probably you bought a house you bought a house because you went into that house and you were like man I can I can Envision a like a family here I can Envision a life here I can Envision this wall looking like this and this Outlet you know I I can I can Envision all of these wonderful things about this place I love the the the character and the construction of it and all these things like this is a good I I

feel good about this place you know what makes that home a home raising a family that Treasures Jesus in you want to know what makes that home a home is seeing the neighbors around it come to know Jesus Christ that's what completes the joy of the living sacrifices that we offer it's not how we decorate it in this and that that will ultimately complete our joy it's what we do with what he's given us that brings the gospel forward and his mission more that's what brings us joy have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form

of God did not count it f with God a thing to be grasped again Joseph in response to his brothers but he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by Bec obedient to the point of death even death on a cross like that's Jesus offering himself as a sacrifice for us and therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth again

just like Joseph's brothers ended up doing to him bowing at his feet tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the god to the glory of God the Father therefore I'm able to tell you or say that you being a living sacrifice for the sake of those around you is the greatest thing you can do on this side of Heaven that's it the greatest thing you can do this side of Heaven is be a living sacrifice for the sake of those around you will it be easy absolutely not you're a sacrifice usually doesn't go well for the sacrifice right you're a Living Sacrifice it's not

going to be easy but that's okay because just as Jesus was highly exalted and lifted up you too will be highly exalted and lifted up in glory your reward is coming and that's why Paul is able to say in other passages like I'm able to kind of um just take these sufferings because if I'm comparing these sufferings to eternal glory that I'm going to receive in Christ Jesus then um I'll deal with sufferings for 40 50 60 years it's nothing that's chump change compared to what I'm going to receive for eternity so pour me out as a drink offering until I'm empty because of what

I'm going to be receiving in glory in addition to that Jesus has promised to Grant strength so that you don't grow weary or fainthearted listen to Hebrews 122 through3 it says this looking to Jesus the founder and perfector of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross again don't don't victimize what happened at the cross for the joy that was set before him all right in other way like if I ever say man for the joy set before me I'm going to go do this it's because I'm excited about it now is it difficult for him yeah he shed

BL over he did pray for the cup to be removed but that's the main component of him seeing the sacrifice that's happening and coming into play it was difficult but he endured the cross despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the Throne of God consider him who endured for um from Sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted you see that like when we look at the cross it actually strengthens us to be living sacrifices that's why we come to communion every single week is because it's the fuel of our discipleship it's the fuel of

our evangelism it's the fuel of our mythology like it's what takes the power of the Cross to the world it's what gets it out listen up Church like what at first looks like bad news turns out to be good news God's able to do whatever he wants with any situation that's why Romans 8:28 says we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose if you are a Living Sacrifice you are those who love God and are called according to his purpose the death of Jesus at first looks like bad news but

it is the ultimate sacrifice for you in your place so that you can have life and have it abundant which is good news good news believe this good news get baptized if you hav't and then be a living sacrifice in order to consider the interest of others and minister to them as Jesus has Min as we conclude this morning First Corinthians 14 tells us that the preaching of God's word convicts us the people will experience a conviction of the heart maybe even coming to know Jesus for the first time again Hebrews 4:12 adds that for the word of God is living and it's active it's

sharper than any two-edged sword it's piercing to the division of Soul and Spirit of joints and Marrow and it discerns the thoughts and intentions of of our hearts right now that right now there may be someone in this room who for the first time feels this conviction in their heart to to believe in Jesus and to follow it up in baptism if that's you I just plead for you to receive the boldness of Jesus and to let someone know that yeah I believe for the first time and I want to be baptized I want to follow Jesus and treasure him and then I want to

help others do the same right now our lives might not be marked by The Living Sacrifice it might look a little bit more like living just for ourselves and if it is just living for ourselves this is an opportunity for us to come to the Cross come to the feet of Jesus and say thank you for already paying for my in this moment thank you for already paying for my shortcomings will you help strengthen me to be a Living Sacrifice every day every day that's why in the rows right now you'll see that we have um these little pieces of paper that have who your

one on them because the greatest thing we can do is share the gospel with somebody that's the greatest that's the number one thing Jesus tells you to do go and make disciples and so what we are going to be doing again just as a church over the coming months and over the next year is we are requesting living sacrifices of our people and that's going to look like several things we're asking everybody to have one person that they know that they are going to just get over that hump just do it get over that hump and share the gospel with them stop worrying about if

they think that you're going to be too conservative or that you're going to be too narrow-minded and that you're going to be bigoted and that you're going to be hateful and that you're going to be those things yeah you know what they might say that also they might get saved they might get saved and if they get saved guess what they're in like this isn't a bad they're indebted to you the rest of their life that's why once a year on January 26 I text a friend of mine Clint Lambert and I said thank you for sharing the gospel with me like thank you someone

shared it with us there are people out there that we're called to go and share it with and so who's your one and yes that's a play on words because we're Indiana hoers you have a who's your one who is your one figure out who they are this is a resource that you can go to the website you can look up different ways different strategies on how to bridge you can even put their name in the website and there will be thousands of people over the country that are going to be praying for that person by name be a Living Sacrifice and share the gospel

that's just one of the things that we are going to be doing over the next months to bring more people to Jesus and see 25 baptisms by the end 2 I want you to go ahead and stand with me this morning as you stand as we come to this time of communion man I mean we just saw