 The title of our sermon this morning is render your verdict render your verdict We're in part two and we work we're working through the gospel of John verse by verse and we come this morning again to John chapter 19 verses One through sixteen as we work through this text We began with verses one through three last week as we work through this text and dig into the details of John chapter 19 Verses one through sixteen the Lord Jesus Christ now is rapidly approaching his four ordained appointment with Calvary Pilot is weak Pilot is compromising pilot is cowardly He simply refuses to do what he knows that he should do and pilot is inching closer and closer now To the precipice of a full and final break with his accusing conscience The violent mob Outside the praetorium is growing They're growing both in numbers and they're growing in their bloodlust to see the Lord Jesus Christ here put to death the Jewish leaders are Undeterred in their plan to murder him and the Jewish leaders are working amongst the crowd fomenting a mob mentality inciting the crowd to an increasingly forceful and increasingly irrational demand Crucify him right. We see pilot. We see the mob. We see the Jewish leaders But we see Jesus Right in these verses we see the Lord Jesus Christ made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death Crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. It was fitting for him For whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings Jesus here has been subjected to a brutal scourging and a merciless reviling at the hands of hardened Roman soldiers unimaginable pain Unimaginable pain as the score scourge tore Into his flesh Into the flesh that he voluntarily took upon himself as the son of God in order that he might taste death for everyone As he bore the shame the humiliation that we deserve Counting it a trivial thing compared to the joy that was set before him and Time and again now pilot goes before the mob to announce that he finds no fault in him Finally Matthew records in Matthew chapter 27 verse 22 Pilate said to them What then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ? We're faced with the very same question this morning from our text And we see the bloodthirsty mob of this world renders their verdict They all said to him Matthew chapter 27 verse 22 Let him be crucified and the governor said in verse 23. Why what evil has he done? But they cried out all the more saying let him be crucified and then Pilate Unprincipled cowardly compromising Pilate looking out only for himself his conscience pounding a drum in his heart and in his mind In verse 24 when Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all But rather that a tumult was rising He took water washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this Just person you see to it and all the people answered and said his blood be on us and on our children And then he Pilate Released Barabbas to them and when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified Pilate Like the mob renders his verdict What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? This is a life-and-death question This is the question of life and death This is a heaven or hell question The most important question you'll face in your life. What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? There's no middle ground here. There's no Bipartisan compromise. There's no Abstentions you can't send this to committee. You can't put it off your delay of a decision is your decision No further opportunity to consider this question when you're dead It is appointed for men to die once and then the judgment a fearful thing Like the terrifying for thing for you. If you're outside of Christ is that you and I You and I we were born into this mob that we see here You and I were born into the mob that cries out for blood in the courtyard of the Praetorium Apart from the grace of God in Christ to change your wicked heart You run you run with the mob of this world You're a part of this mob Among whom we also once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind as Paul says So you rebel with this mob you sin with this mob The breath of your sin Flows through the vocal cords of this mob as they cry out crucify him And with the mob you crucify him again and again to your desires Crucify the Son of God and put him to an open shame Because you have the beating heart of the mob in your chest We're born Into that you see and daily right daily Sometimes hour by hour minute by minute in the great mercy in the great patience of God You're called again and again and again and again to the pavement to render your Verdict before you die. What then shall I do? With Jesus who is called Christ Today while it is called today do not harden your heart Will you turn your back on the mob today? Will you come out from the world today? Will you turn your back on your sin today or will you? Continue to turn your back on Christ from these verses John chapter 19 verses 1 through 16 As in the rest of the scriptures were to behold the Son of God were to be hold the Son of God pierced through for our transgressions right bruised for our iniquities What then are we to do with this Jesus who is called Christ? John writes his gospel the gospel of John is written for the purpose that you might have the evidence that is necessary All sufficient evidence necessary evidence to render a right verdict to render a right answer To that question he writes that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ That Jesus is the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name Well that overarching purpose providing the backdrop for our text We see that evidence presented to us in John chapter 19 verses 1 through 16 in three ways First we are to behold the king. We looked at that last week in verses 1 through 3 Secondly in our text were to behold the Son of God. We'll look at that this morning from verses 4 through 7 Next we are to behold the righteous judge in verses 8 through 11 And then finally we will behold the verdict of this world verses 12 through 16 As we go we're to see ourselves in the text See ourselves in the crying Screaming of the bloodthirsty mob. We're to see ourselves in the weak and vacillating and cowardly pilot And we're given opportunity to render our own verdict. What then shall we do with Jesus who is called the Christ? Last week we began Beholding the king in his glory in verses 1 through 3 where the text reads in verse 1 So then Pilate took Jesus and he scourged him and The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head and they put on him a purple robe And then they said hail king of the Jews and they struck him with their hands Now Jesus Christ we know Jesus Christ is The king not only the king of the Jews but king of kings and Lord of lords and in this text We beheld the glory the majesty the divinity and the deity the Lord Jesus Christ one of his Suffering we beheld our king in his suffering Secondly we beheld our king put to an open shame the physical suffering of the scourge at the hands of Merciless Roman soldiers and the shame that was heaped upon him through a mock coronation and a scornful dishonor here At the apex of all of human history God now having sent his only begotten son into the world. This is how the world treats his only begotten son This is what the world does with God when they take him in their lawless hands You think with me now for a moment. It doesn't go far enough to say that this is how the world Treated him. It simply doesn't go far enough to say that I bear responsibility for what we see here You bear responsibility for what we see here He came into this world think about it with me. He came into this world and took upon himself a body He says to God the father in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 5 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire But a body you have prepared for me in burnt offering offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure Then I said the Lord Jesus Christ saying to God the father behold I have come in the volume of the book. It is written to me written of me to do your will oh God Do you realize do you realize? that Jesus Christ Will forever Jesus Christ will for all of eternity in my sight bear the marks of my sin upon his back Will for all eternity bear the marks of your sin in his hands in his feet Absolute sovereign power absolute sovereign authority having stooped so low to save a wretch like me to save a wretch like you right But this scene of his pity shouldn't provoke pity this scene of his passion shouldn't provoke pity It should provoke worship It should provoke awe It should provoke wonder and praise and glory and exaltation and honor Because our eyes have seen the king right the Lord of hosts In it we see the a tragedy of our own sin, but we see the glory of Lord Jesus Christ given for sinners Behold the king The point two on your notes we come to verses four through seven and this morning as we look at our text We're to behold the Son of God Behold the Son of God Verse four pilot then went out again And he said to them behold I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no fault in him Then Jesus came out in verse five wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe and Pilate said to them behold the man Therefore when the chief priests and officers saw him they cried out saying crucify him crucify him And Pilate said to them you take him and crucify him for I find no fault in him The Jews answered him we have a law and according to our law He ought to die because he made himself the Son of God The first thing I want you to notice in these verses Is the tragic irony that is loaded packed in here in verses four through seven In verses one through three Jesus Christ is scourged. He's mocked. He's reviled for claiming to be king The reality and therefore the irony is that he is king. He's the David king And they are scourging mocking and reviling God's promised king One verses four through seven Jesus Christ having been handed over as Matthew says because of envy The Jews want dead Because he claims to be the Son of God The reality here and therefore the irony is that he is The Son of God and they're crying out for the death of God's promised Deliverer so we come to verses eight through eleven Pilate presumes to be the authoritative judge Over Jesus Christ who is the authoritative judge these verses just packed with irony I might maybe like me you guys have heard the the story that preachers love to tell About the guy who's stranded on a roof right and the flood waters are coming the floods rising Guy standing on the roof and he's waiting for God to save him Guy comes along in a canoe And he says to the guy on the roof I've come to save you The guy on the roof says no, thank you. I'm trusting God and God is going to save me All right, so red cross comes along in a boat We're here to save you the man responds. No, thanks. I'm waiting on the lord The lord will save me So the national garden flies over in a helicopter drops the ladder. We're here to save you No, thanks. Don't eat saving the lord is going to save me. So the story goes That the man finally drowns in the flood Flood waters overtake him. He stands before God and he says I trusted you. Why didn't you save me? And God says to the man I sent you a canoe a canoe a boat in a helicopter. What more did you want? Now if the story were true to life and if the man on the roof were a Pharisee The Pharisee would have stoned the guy in the canoe Stabbed the guy in the boat shot the helicopter out of the sky And standing before God giving the opportunity He would crucify God for implying that he even needed saving in the first place In the parable of the wicked vine dressers in luke chapter 20 God Represented by the vineyard or represented by the vineyard owner in that parable Sends servants to his hired vine dressers for fruit Wicked vine dressers beat those servants treat them shamefully wound them and cast them out So last of all as the parable goes he sent his beloved son surely Surely they will respect his son So what are those wicked vine dressers do? It says in luke 20 that they reasoned among themselves saying this is the air Come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours Incidentally luke says That the jewish leaders knew That jesus spoke the parable against them They saw that the son the air has come they reasoned among themselves. Let us kill him The inheritance will be ours They knew that jesus spoke the parable against them. So we see now the irony right the irony in these passages these verses Isn't pointing specifically at the ignorance of the jews. Think with me The irony the irony is pointing to their willful rejection of the truth They are blinded By an unreasonable hatred. So what do they do? They crucify their king They're blinded by an irrational envy. So what do they do? They kill the son of god That willful rejection that Blind hatred that irrational envy is what fuels Their murderous intent here Why why well jesus says in john chapter 7 that they hate him Because he testifies of them that their works are evil Their works are evil steven Here steven comes along and rebukes these same jewish leaders in ax chapter 7 Which of the prophets he asks them right which of the prophets did your father's not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one of whom you now have become the betrayers and the murderers And what did they do with steven? Yeah, they drug him out and stoned him So the irony here the irony isn't pointing to their ignorance You know unbeknownst to them. They killed their messiah. No They've been given sufficient Revelation they've been given all sufficient revelation and jesus christ himself The irony here the irony points to their hard hearts they kill him For claiming to be the one they simply refused to acknowledge that he is do you see? Jesus said to them in john chapter 8 verse 45 because I tell you the truth. You do not believe me You hear the order of that Because I tell you the truth. You do not believe me And you and I We have to recognize the same seeds of that same hostility in our own hearts. Don't we? when you get Self-righteous when you get defensive somebody comes alongside you To talk to you about your sin And you get defensive and you get self-righteous and you get hostile. It's the seeds of the same Hypocrisy in your heart that we find here in the jews who are seeking to murder their messiah Leave me alone. I want to sit here on my roof living my life And I'd rather die here than submit myself to him The tragic irony is That because you know the truth you choose to reject him In verses 4 through 7 Jesus the son of god here Is presented before these self-righteous men and they presume to render a verdict upon him Verse 7 says he ought to die Because he made himself the son of god now. We're going to unpack that verdict From three perspectives The revelation the response and the reason The revelation of the son of god that they've been given Their response to that revelation And then their reason the reason they give for the final verdict That they render the revelation the response and the reason So let's look first now as we consider This passage let's look first at the revelation that they have been given beginning in verse 4 It says in verse 4 that pilot then went out again again. If you remember The jews the jews are outside the praetorium They're outside the praetorium and they have murder in their hearts. They have envy in their hearts Their hearts are defiled But not wanting to be ritually defiled by going into a Gentiles house They stand outside and pilot has jesus inside the praetorium Questioning him and so pilot's moving back and forth now moving from inside questioning jesus Outside addressing the jews moving back and forth between the two inside and outside So after now having questioned jesus inside verse 4 pilot goes back outside to the jews again And said to them Behold the words give me your attention. I want to make this very clear I'm bringing him out to you so that you may know That I find no fault in him pilot's making this point as clearly as he knows how here Once again, he says I have absolutely no basis for a charge The accusations that you've made against him that he's guilty of sedition that he's guilty of revolution That he's guilty of insurrection guilty of treason those accusations are all baseless I find no fault in him verse 5 Then jesus came out Upon that testimony jesus comes out himself Wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe And pilot says to them behold the man This is the official Of the one that they have accused pilot brings him out before rendering a verdict Now thanks to the jews initially And then thanks to pilot and thanks to the soldiers There's no question at this point how he looks Isaiah chapter 52 verse 14 Many were astonished at you So his visage was marred more than any man In his form more than the sons of men We can all imagine How he looked at this point beaten bloody swollen unrecognizable Isaiah chapter 53 stricken smitten by god and afflicted wounded For our transgressions bruised for our iniquities By this point the lord jesus christ would have been a startling spectacle The effects of the brutality would have been shocking And he's displayed here before the crowd before the jews before the mob He's displayed here in the kingly garb of his mockery The twisted crown of the curse upon his head a faded course garment upon his shoulders And pilot here in verse five mocks the jews With his presentation notice. He's not king of the jews now Behold the man You know, here's the guy that you said was so dangerous Here's the threat, you know, take a look at him. I've beaten him senseless now He's not a threat any longer. Look look at him What the jews don't fully understand at this point And what even the disciples will only come to understand after the resurrection and by the spirit of god Is that this is how the son of god their messiah? This is how the son of god has been revealed in the old testament He is the suffering servant turn with me to isaia chapter 42 isaia chapter 42 He is the suffering servant This is their messiah This is their messiah and they hate him for it in isaia we have Four what are called servant songs Pointing to the son of god pointing The jews to their messiah the ancient jews were all of one mind that this Was speaking of the messiah These servant songs that we see the first is in isaia chapter 42 beginning in verse one verse one Behold my servant Whom I uphold this is the lord god speaking right matthew affirms in chapter 12 verses 17 to 21 That this is the lord jesus christ The servant Is the lord jesus christ paul said right that although he did not consider it robbery to be equal with god He took the form of a Of a bond servant took the form of a servant Behold my servant whom i uphold my elect one my chosen one in whom god says My soul delights I've put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the gentiles He will not cry out Nor raise his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street In other words, there aren't going to be trumpets that go before him. There's no fanfare no parades No pop in circumstance He says in verse three a bruised reed. He will not break Smoking flax. He will not quench He will bring forth justice for truth. He's gentle. He's patient. He's not coming to break Or to quench But he will bear with them. He considers their frame that they are but dust. This is grace and this is mercy And though he is rejected And though he is despised by men look at verse four He will not fail Nor will he be discouraged Until he has established justice in the earth and the coast land shall wait for his law From isaia 42 turn to your right to isaia 49 isaia 49 And in a second servant song here in the prophet isaia in isaia 49 Look with me beginning at verse seven verse seven Thus says the lord The redeemer of israel their holy one To him whom man despises to him Whom the nation abhors matthew henry said that to be despised by man who himself is a worm This speaks of the lowest and most contemptible condition imaginable He's despised by worms Abhorred by worms Man whom he came to save and to put honor upon despised him and poured contempt upon him Henry says so wretchedly ungrateful were his persecutors To the servant of rulers Kings shall see and arise princess also shall worship Because of the lord who is faithful the holy one of israel and he god has chosen you Thus says the lord verse eight in an acceptable time I've heard you and in the day of salvation. I've helped you I will preserve you and give you as a covenant as a promise to the people to restore the earth To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages He's given as a covenant, right? He's given as a promise of all the blessings of the new covenant secured in him god Secures the word jesus christ purchases the new covenant in his blood and god was in him Reconciling the world to himself the world who hates him the world who despises him the nations who abhor him God was in him reconciling his own to himself not imputing their trespasses to them Flip the page and look at isaac chapter 50 isaac chapter 50 Look beginning in verse six I gave my back To those who struck me I gave my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard I did not hide my face from shame and spitting the lord submitted himself to this treatment. Do you see for sinners? Verse seven the lord god will help me therefore. I will not be disgraced Therefore I have set my face like a flint and I know that I will not be ashamed Someone might say well, what about all the shame that's heaped on him in the scourging What about all the shame that's heaped upon him at the crucifixion? It's temporary It's passing Something that he counted a trivial meaningless worthless thing Temporary thing For the glory that is set before him for the joy that was set before him Yet he doesn't need our pity He is deserving of our worship Verse eight he is near who justifies me who will contend with me. Let us stand together Who is my adversary? Let him come near me Surely the lord god will help me who is he who will condemn me Indeed, they will all grow old like a garment the moth will eat them up In this life living in this world There may be times when you're shamed There may be times when you feel a sense of shame for taking a stand for the gospel Because of the scorn that this wicked world heaps upon those who are followers of christ Well, listen brothers and sisters that shame is is a worthless thing It is a temporary thing. It is a fleeting thing. It is nothing Less than nothing For the joy that is set before us right for the glory that will come Because of the lord jesus christ and all that lord jesus christ has done what he's done for you What he's done for me So let's with him. Let's with him Count that shame a weak and worthless thing Let us go forth to him outside the camp bearing his reproach because lord jesus christ is worthy amen Flute the page and look at isaia 52 isaia 52 A fourth servant song in isaia all this revealing One of many four here servant songs of many texts In the old testament that all point forward to the lord jesus christ This is revelation that they had and if you remember from Acts chapter 8 verse 30 This was the point in which philip overtook the ethiopian eunuch in his carriage As he was reading the scroll of isaia and was reading here a fourth suffering servant the fourth servant song of isaia and isaia 52 Look beginning at verse 13 behold My servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high Just as many were astonished at you So his visage was marred more than any man his form more than the sons of men So he shall he sprinkle many nations kings shall shut their mouths at him For what had not been told to them they shall see and what they had not heard they shall consider Again the ancient jews believe that this passage was referring specifically to their messiah look at 53 chapter 53 verse 1 Who has believed our report And to whom has the arm of the lord been revealed in other words They don't believe our report because the arm of the lord has not been revealed to them Right rejecting the truth of god in christ. They forfeit the grace of god in christ. Do you see Verse 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant as a root out of dry ground He has no form or comeliness and when we see him there's no beauty that we should desire him He is despised Rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we did not esteem him Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet. We esteemed him stricken Smitten by god and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities The chastisement for our peace was upon him and by his stripes. We are healed More than one occasion. I've read this passage in witnessing to jewish people Without telling them where it is. Who is this speaking of what speaking of jesus christ Written in isaias 700 years before christ came Verse 6 all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way and the lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all He was oppressed. He was afflicted yet. He opened not his mouth He was led as a lamb to the slaughter as a sheep before its shears is silent So he opened not his mouth He was taken from prison from judgment. Who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living For the transgressions of my people He was stricken They made his grave with the wicked but with the rich at his death Because he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth Verse 10 yet it pleased Word there means delight It delighted the lord to bruise him he Who is the he the lord The lord has put him to grief When you make his soul An offering for sin He shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and the pleasure Of the lord shall prosper in his hand His pleasure his pleasure Is the salvation of sinful men for his glory And the efficacy of christ's sacrifice the efficacy of of christ's atoning work displayed here was something that the father delighted in he delighted in it Verse 11 he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied By his knowledge My righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great He shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death And he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many made intercession for the transgressors transgressors He is the the child born the son given in isaac chapter 9 verse 6 right his name shall be called wonderful counselor mighty god everlasting father prince of peace He's the foundation stone of isaac chapter 28 verse 16 He's the redeemer In isaac chapter 59 verse 20 and all of this all of this right from one Book in the old testament Jesus tells the jewish leaders These leaders that want him crucified he told them in john chapter 5 verse 39 You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life And these are they which testify of me Psalm 22 you don't have to turn there Just listen Psalm 22 my god my god Why have you forsaken me? Where do we hear those words? And jesus christ on the cross Why are you so far from helping me and from the words of my groaning written originally by david here, right? This is a messianic song In verse 6 david says i am a worm And no man a reproach of men despised by the people All those who see me Ridicule me They shoot out the lip they shake the head saying he trusted in the lord Let him rescue him let him deliver him since he delights in him Verse 13 they gape at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring lion I am poured out like water All my bones are out of joint My heart is like wax it is melted within me My strength is dried up like a pot shirt My tongue clings to my jaws You have brought me to the dust of death dogs have surrounded me The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me they pierced my hands and my feet I can count all my bones they look and stare at me they divide my garments among them and for my clothing They cast lots you see all of that fulfilled by the lord jesus christ He is the son of god He is the son of god sent by the father You might object you might object right and say that All this evidence in the old testament that for them It would have been difficult for them to understand For them back at that time it would have been difficult for them to get all this We're a member on the road to Emmaus and luke chapter 24 Cleopas and another disciple were walking and talking they were sad Over all the things that had happened in jerusalem to the lord jesus christ And luke records in verse 25 That jesus drew near and said to them. Oh Foolish ones You foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken They were slow of heart Right slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken ought not the christ To have suffered these things and to enter into his glory is not this what the scripture teaches And beginning at moses Genesis chapter 3 We have a promise of the coming seed Right from jenesis on beginning at moses and all the prophets He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself Behold the son of god This is the son of god From jenesis to revelation So back in john chapter 19 back in john chapter 19. This is the revelation that they've been given And we've just seen a portion of that revelation, right? primarily one book from the bible In all of the scriptures as the lord jesus christ says in luke 24 to those disciples on the road to maus All of the scriptures point to christ So now having considered the revelation that they have the revelation they've been given What then is their ultimate response? To the sum of that revelation What's their response when the fulfillment of all of god's promises is presented before them Embodied in the lord jesus christ when their messiah comes doing the will of the father right healing the lame Casting out demons proclaiming liberty to the captives How do they respond? How do they respond? Look at john chapter 19 verse 6 therefore When the chief priests and officers saw him They cried out shouted again that word screamed It has the sense of anger They cried out saying crucify him crucify him Pilate said to them Exasperated in disgust you take him and crucify him For I find no fault in him Now notice first notice first in verse 6 That ultimate responsibility for the response of the mob here is leveled against two groups Primarily the chief priests and the officers that does not diminish the sin of the mob But it levels primary responsibility here in verse 6 To the chief priests and to the officers the mob Certainly bears the guilt of their rejection But it's obvious here that the chief priests and the officers were responsible for Stirring up the crowd against him their hatred for the lord jesus christ is Simply irrational in in light of his innocence in light of all the evidence Testifying to who he is their hatred here is irrational. It's unreasonable. It's brazen. It's unanimous They all cry out And these are imperatives so that you understand these are not requests Yeah, please take him and crucify him. No These are imperatives their demands They cried out again meaning they cried out as they had already before Crucify him That's the response of the mob response of the Jewish leaders the chief priests and the officers notice second Notice second pilots response in verse 6 Pilots response pilots said to them You take him and crucify him for I find no fault in him. I think about that statement for just a minute Right again Again pilot finds no fault in him six times pilot makes this the comment that I find him innocent. He's innocent But pilot here certainly isn't going to take a stand for justice Pilot wants free of this whole ordeal and he thinks that by this He absolves himself I find him innocent I found no basis for a charge. I found him not guilty So you take him and crucify him But consider with me That pilots heart is corrupt Pilots heart is corrupt and because Pilots heart is corrupt pilot is cruel In other words pilot doesn't take a stand for righteousness He doesn't take a stand to release the lord jesus christ You take him and you crucify him. I find no fault in him absolving himself of the whole matter You crucify him. What is that to me? Pilots heart is corrupt and so pilot is cruel The same heart listen The same heart lies within every person who rejects the lord jesus christ today If you reject the lord jesus christ And what he has done for sinners that same Heart lies within you if you're in christ today if you've turned from your sins And you've entrusted yourself to him you trust him for salvation that heart was once in you We would attest to that who would say amen to that amen We have to acknowledge that about ourselves I reject the claim of christ to be the son of god is what that person would say I reject the work of cross the work of christ on the cross It's not a person here who doesn't See that Doesn't understand that to some degree the lord jesus christ came into the world to save sinners And yet you reject That work you reject the person of the lord jesus christ Crucify him. What is that to me? You reject the work of the lord jesus christ cross. What is that to me? You reject that they crucified him. What is that to me? Right, you're gonna live your life in rejection of the lord The human heart is corrupt and therefore the human heart is cruel If these things don't move you it's not because They aren't moving things It's because your heart is dead and immovable You know Human heart is corrupt. Therefore the human heart is cruel. We don't want to be inconvenienced by a baby And so let's kill the baby Right the human heart is corrupt And so the human heart is cruel Justifying the death of that baby up one side down the other I want my sin accepted, you know, I want my sin accepted and so The christian baker who won't bake a cake for my gay wedding my gay mirage Let's take their business from them cares about their religious liberty What is that I have my sin I want my sin accepted the heart of man is corrupt And so man is cruel I don't like the way that church confronted me in my sin. So it's a cult and all the people in it are lost You want your sin? You want your sin? You want your sin? And so you will leave your wife To have your sin you will divorce your husband to have your sin. You will kill that baby You will rebel against your parents You will say and do cruel things in self-righteous anger and self-justifying anger Your heart is corrupt and so you are cruel and the fact these don't these things don't cause you To put your head in your hands and weep before god and cry out to him for mercy for the cruelty of your heart Is further evidence that your heart is corrupt and you are cruel And the human heart is hopelessly so apart from the grace of god in christ amen You need a new heart You need a new heart and jesus christ Went to secure that promise for you if you will turn from your sin and you'll put your trust in him Turn from your sin repent of that hard-hearted cruelty and trust christ The spirit of god the spirit of god will produce in you love The spirit of god will Turn you from cruelty the spirit of god will produce in you joy In that once cruel corrupt heart There'll be peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness Gentleness and self-control That's what the lord produces in the heart of every genuine believer. It's exactly Opposite of what we see in the heart of this mob in the praetorium isn't it in the heart of pilot It's all produced by the grace of god in christ by the spirit of god at work And a genuine believer someone who's been born again so after being given overwhelming revelation That jesus christ is the son of god The jews respond with their verdict crucify him What's the reason that they give for the verdict that they render? What reason do they give? I'll give verse 7 The jews answered him We have a law In according to our law he ought to die Because he made himself the son of god So to this point how the jews have refused to explain themselves to pilot if you remember back in john chipper 18 verse 29 pilot asks for an accusation And they respond if you weren't an evil doer we wouldn't have brought him to you They refuse to give him an answer so This is The first time in their interaction with pilot they speak plainly about their charge about their intentions according to our Law he ought to die Because he made himself the son of god Now the law that they're referring to Is found in leviticus chapter 24 verse 15. I'll read that for you Whoever curses his god Shall bear his sin And whoever blasphemes The name of the lord shall surely be put to death All the congregation shall certainly stone him The stranger as well as him who is born in the land When he blasphemes the name of the lord he shall be put to death The jews then here in john chipper 19 Are accusing lord jesus christ of blasphemy verse 7 explains that the basis for that charge of blasphemy Is that he made himself the son of god he made himself the son of god. They see that as blasphemous In the way that jesus Claims this On the lips of any mere man it would be But not On the tongue of the lord jesus christ Now what exactly? More john irony here. What exactly that do they believe That he is claiming by that title turn back with me to john chapter 5 john chapter 5 what do they believe That he is claiming By that title John chapter 5 John chapter 5 and look with me beginning at verse 15 John chapter 5 verse 15 There's a man that the lord jesus christ had healed by the pools there at Bethesda In verse 15 the man departed and told the jews that it was jesus who had made him well For this reason the jews persecuted jesus And sought to kill him Because he had done these things on the Sabbath So there were other reasons also that he wanted that they wanted him dead But then jesus According to them just adding insult injury here verse 17 jesus answered them And said my father has been working until now And i have been working therefore the jews sought all the more to kill him Because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that god was his father what? Making himself equal that's right with god the jews know Exactly what the lord jesus christ is claiming here And just by virtue of the revelation given to us in the new testament every jahovah's witness Every Mormon Should also every arian should also know exactly what the lord jesus christ is claiming here and what they sought to put him to death for verse 19 Jesus answered and said to them Most assuredly i say to you the son can do nothing of himself But what he sees the father do for whatever he does the son also doesn't like manner now look At this passage and look at all the parallels that take place all right between the lord jesus christ and god the father Understand that the teaching of the bible with respect to the trinity Is that there is one god one god in three distinct persons? And so the way that the revelation is laid out for us is careful very careful to maintain one god But also very careful to maintain that those Three persons of the trinity are distinct And so what we see here in john type or five one god But these parallels in what that one god does How the distinct persons of the trinity act verse 17 my father's been working And i have been working All right verse 19 whatever the father does The son also doesn't like manner verse 20 for the father loves the son shows him all things that he himself does And he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel verse 21 For as the father raises the dead And gives life to them even so the son We know the son raises the dead and also gives life to whom he will verse 22 the father judges no one But has committed all judgment to the son That all should honor the son Verse 23 just as they honor the father He does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him look at verse 24 Most assuredly i say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me Has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment But his path from death into life Most assuredly i say to you the hour is coming now is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of god And those who hear will live for As the father has life in himself. He is eternal and unchanging He is not created uncreated. He is Eternal father for as the father has life in himself So he has granted the son to have life in himself. This is the eternal generation of the son Verse 27 it has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the son of man Do not marvel at this the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice voice and come forth Those who have done good to the resurrection of life those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation I can of myself do nothing as I hear I judge My judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me There is a perfect economy of work a perfect economy of will A perfect economy of a tent a perfect economy of purpose In the godhead between god the father god the son god the holy spirit. There is no wasted energy There is no divergence of purpose divergence of will right. They are one And does not jesus christ say the same i and my father are one Now paul emphasized the same truth In philippians chapter two verse six jesus christ Being in the form of god Did not consider it robbery to be equal with god jesus christ was equal with god but jesus christ made himself of no reputation He made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men And being found in appearance as a man He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross Therefore god also has highly exalted him Given him the name which is above every name that at the name of jesus every knee should bow Those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth And that every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father There's absolutely absolutely no confusion About what jesus christ was claiming with these statements. He claims to be equal with god and the jews Clearly understand that the jews intend to put him to death for blasphemy They clearly get it now More irony in john more irony in john the jews Want to put to death the lord jesus christ To fulfill their law Which says A blasphemer should be put to death So the jews want to put the lord jesus christ to death To fulfill the law The lord jesus christ dies To fulfill the law Lord jesus christ comes right? Where you and i born under the law Could never keep it scholars theologians talk about The three uses of the law the three uses of the law of god One of those uses of the law of god is to be a mirror It's to be a mirror the mirror reflects The glory of god The perfections of god the attributes of god That mirror of the law also reflects our Horrid Despicable destitute condition It reflects our sin So that sin might become to us exceedingly sinful And where we fail in every respect To keep the law of god And to reflect god's glory He perfectly fulfills the law in its entirety No sin of thought no sin of word no sin indeed perfect Fulfills the law perfectly And he's the only one who can he is the son of god He is the son of god They want him to put they want to put him to death to fulfill the law the lord jesus christ dies to fulfill the law And he dies To fulfill the law so that we Through the body of christ might become dead to the law praise god Praise god roman's chapter eight that we might fulfill the law in him Look with me real really quickly at roman's chapter seven roman's chapter seven roman's chapter seven Brothers and sisters do you believe this do you believe this text? What a glorious glorious truth Look at verse one roman's chapter seven verse one Do you not know brethren for I speak to those who know the law That the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives For the woman Who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives This is an illustration here mind you right? This is an illustration the lord is giving But if the husband dies She is released from the law of her husband So then if while her husband lives she marries another man she will be called an adulteress But if her husband dies She is free from that law So that she is no adulteress though. She has married another man Therefore do you see the illustration do you see the example? Therefore my brethren You also have become Dead To the law through the body of christ that you may be married to another To him who is raised from the dead that we should bear fruit to god. What a glorious glorious thing Because of christ Because christ died to fulfill the law you and I brothers and sisters you and I we have become dead To the law and married it to another What a glorious glorious truth For when we were in the flesh the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death But now we have been delivered from the law having died to what we were held by So that we should serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter What is the purpose of all that? That we should bear fruit to god We've died to the law in christ if you turn from your sin You say I don't live for myself anymore. I don't live for myself anymore I'm turning for my sin. I'm turning for my life. I am trusting christ and I'm entrusting myself to him in all things Then you are dead to the law by repentant faith in christ That no longer is a is a means or a way by which you will earn right standing before god You never can you never could in the first place And now you are married to another that in you God may bear fruit to his glory That's why we serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter The jews in john chapter 19 pride themselves on being obsessive law keepers But while they suppose while they presume To keep the law their hearts are full of evil thoughts and adulteries fornication murders thefts covetousness wickedness deceit Lude-ness and evil eye blasphemy pride and foolishness Do you see the hypocrisy of that while they presume to keep the law? That's the condition of their heart Maybe you're here today and you believe yourself to be a pretty good person. You know, I'm a pretty good person Even religious I pray I read my bible and go to church And lord says it's mark chapter 7 the lord says that all that wickedness resides in your heart Do you acknowledge that? Do you confess that? And the jews here in john chapter 19 the jews are angry. They're defensive. They're self-righteous Because jesus reveals their hypocrisy What about you? What about you? You will never be righteous. You will never be righteous through your lawkeeping You'll never be right righteous by what you do Jesus christ is the only one who fulfilled the law. He is the son of god He is the only one righteous and you need that righteousness The righteousness that god says is yours by faith in the son of god Trust him alone trust him alone Jesus christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes And only he can change your wicked heart What then will you do with jesus who is called christ? Maybe to this point this morning You're still running with a mob of this world You haven't given it up up to this point. You don't you don't want to you've lived for yourself and you know it Right You haven't wanted to deny yourself. You haven't wanted to consider yourself dead to the world and follow christ And you know this morning. You're not right with god. You know, you're an open rebellion against him Confess your sin acknowledge your state confess it this morning All right, the time has come when you are confronted with the reality of your sin against god You've broken his law. You've gone astray. You've turned to your own way and god your creator Offers you grace and mercy in the lord jesus christ. You see in the cross In the awful treatment that the lord endured at the hands of sinners You see the awful weight and penalty of your sin What will you do with jesus who is called christ? You weren't there in the courtyard that day yelling crucify him, but up to this point in your life You've been complicit in his death Turn from your sin Turn from your sin come out of the mob today trust christ alone and be saved Maybe you're more like pilot Your conscience just weighing heavily on you Your conscience accusing you you know the way that you're living is wrong and sinful and rebellious against the god who created you and gave you life Gave you breath But all that is in the world Right the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life Have won your heart so far they've won your affections to this point But you know it you know it you are marching ever closer To a point of no return What then will you do with jesus who is called the christ? Your brothers and sisters think with me for a moment. Where are the disciples? Where are the disciples at this point in time? they've They've abandoned him peter denied him three times before the sun even came up the next morning Right and peter though the bible says wept bitterly wept bitterly The lord in great grace great mercy preserves them The bible says not many days from now. They are endued with power from on high Holy spirit comes upon them And by the grace of god with the strength of the spirit of god supplies They live and they serve and they preach the glory of his resurrection So jesus christ the son of god was raised for your justification So brother and sister what then will you do with jesus who is called christ? All praise all honor all glory be to the one who Having loved his own who are in the world He loved them to the very end. Amen let's pray Father in heaven when we praise you and we thank you lord for the sacrifice of christ Thank you that through him the the son of god Giving himself for sinners lord that we can be justified Forgiven of our sin made right in your sight Clothed robed in the glorious white linen of his perfect righteousness lord. We can stand before you Justified stand before you Dead to the law But alive to you in christ That we can bear fruit for your glory Worship your name Have fellowship with our god What we praise you and thank you for these glorious blessings I pray that not one person would leave here without Clearly understanding the state of their own heart their condition before you that sinners lord would be converted to you that saints the saints would be edified and Or just Fueled by that glory to serve you more faithfully to love you as we should Until one day finally lord set free from the fetters of our sin We worship you and praise you and serve you for all eternity in the way that you are worthy to be worshiped and praised and serve We love you. Thank you for this text. Thank you for our time together in jesus name. We pray amen