Moore College Mission Joshua Russel
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 16th March 2013
Passage: Luke 23:1-56
00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Today I want to tell you, first of all, about a building called the Domus Gelatiana,
00:00:06 --> 00:00:10 which was unearthed in 1857, and it's in Rome.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 It's on the Palatine Hill in Rome.
00:00:12 --> 00:00:17 And in the building there's a picture which dates from about the 3rd century.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:22 I wish I had it for you, but in the picture there's a young man to the left
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 who is making some kind of gesture with his hand,
00:00:25 --> 00:00:32 and he's looking at a man to the right, a figure who is hanging on a cross
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 and has the head of a donkey.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:39 And underneath the picture, written in Greek, but I'll translate it for you,
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 according to Wikipedia, it says,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 Alexa Menos worships his God.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 What an embarrassment.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 How cutting.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:58 No one else has to follow such an embarrassing leader.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 The atheists follow intelligent scientists.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 The Muslims follow the mighty Muhammad.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:10 The Buddhists follow their peaceful, liberal Dalai Lama.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:15 And the Hindus have so many to pick from, one of them has got to suit your tastes.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:24 But for Christians, nothing is going to change the fact that we worship a pretty stupid-looking God,
00:01:24 --> 00:01:28 a pretty pathetic-looking leader.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 No one else follows such an embarrassing God.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:38 Whoever heard of a God who was caught by his creatures and killed on a cross,
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 naked as the day he was born,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 he was the laughingstock of the nations.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:47 Yet Paul writes,
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 I am not ashamed of the gospel.
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 And his worshippers still sing,
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 thank you for the cross.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 And we celebrate Good Friday.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 In fact, we're on mission together this week,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 just so that everybody knows
00:02:03 --> 00:02:07 that we follow this embarrassing God.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:12 So as we look at Luke chapter 23 together,
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 tonight we're going to remember why.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 And you will want to have it in front of you,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 because we're going to move fairly swiftly through the story.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 In verse 1,
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 the time has come,
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 the moment the scribes and the chief priests have been waiting for.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:28 As Jesus had predicted,
00:02:29 --> 00:02:30 and as they had planned,
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 they handed Jesus over to a Gentile,
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 a Roman governor.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 The story then unfolds in three trials.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:40 In trial 1,
00:02:41 --> 00:02:42 Jesus stands before Pilate.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:43 That's in verse 1 to 5.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:45 In trial 2,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 Jesus stands before Herod.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 And in trial 3,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 he's back in front of Pilate again.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 Now as we look through these three trials together,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 there are two main themes
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 that Luke highlights for us.
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 I'm going to flag them right up front,
00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 and we'll see them as we go through.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:02 Okay, firstly,
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 Luke shows us that Jesus is king.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 So look out for that.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 And secondly,
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 that he is innocent.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:08 Okay,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 those are the two themes,
00:03:09 --> 00:03:10 that Jesus is king,
00:03:10 --> 00:03:11 and that he is innocent.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 Take a look at verse 2 in the first trial.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 Although Jesus is accused of several different things,
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 they all boil down into one issue,
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 and that's Jesus' claim to be king.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:23 You see,
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 Jesus is accused of misleading the nation.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 How has he been doing that?
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 By opposing payment of taxes to Caesar.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 Why has he been doing that?
00:03:32 --> 00:03:33 They say,
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 because he claims to be king himself.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 Now in verse 3,
00:03:41 --> 00:03:42 Pilate asks,
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 are you the king of the Jews?
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 And Jesus' response is surprisingly vague.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:51 Because,
00:03:52 --> 00:03:53 I think it's because,
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 Pilate doesn't know what he's asking.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:56 Really.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:00 Pilate wants to know whether Jesus is out to overthrow the Roman rule.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 Is Jesus an insurrectionist,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:02 a terrorist,
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 trying to arouse a rebel army?
00:04:06 --> 00:04:07 Now the answer to that,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:07 of course,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:07 is no.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 Jesus says in John,
00:04:10 --> 00:04:11 my kingdom is not of this world.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:12 And actually,
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 if you look back as to whether Jesus opposed payment of taxes to Caesar,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 he didn't.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 But Jesus says,
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 you have said so,
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 because that isn't the full story,
00:04:22 --> 00:04:22 is it?
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 Jesus is in fact the king of the Jews.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 And that's exactly Luke's point.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 Now,
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 whatever Pilate thinks this means,
00:04:32 --> 00:04:36 he obviously doesn't think that Jesus is a threat to the civil order.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 In verse 4,
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 he announces his verdict.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:40 You see it there?
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 It seems to be a fairly clear-cut case.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 Pilate says,
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 I find no basis for a charge against this man.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 And this is the first declaration of Jesus' innocence in the chapter.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:53 It is certainly not the last.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:55 We've already seen our two themes,
00:04:56 --> 00:04:56 haven't we?
00:04:56 --> 00:04:57 Jesus' kingship,
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 is the issue in contention.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 And Jesus' innocence is obvious.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 That should have been the end of the story.
00:05:07 --> 00:05:07 But instead,
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 the mob shout louder to get their point across.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 They say,
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 he stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:19 Now,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 during their little speech,
00:05:20 --> 00:05:20 however,
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 Pilate spots a way out.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:24 If Jesus is from Galilee,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 he is under Herod's jurisdiction.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 So,
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 Pilate sends Jesus off to Herod,
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 who happens to be staying about 10 minutes down the road.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:34 And with that,
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 we come to the end of trial one.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 We've seen those two main themes.
00:05:39 --> 00:05:39 Jesus' kingship,
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 Jesus' innocence.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 Before we launch into trial two,
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 which goes from verse 6 to 12,
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 let me just give you a taster of what's happened
00:05:47 --> 00:05:51 previously between Herod and Jesus so far.
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 Okay,
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 previously on Herod and Jesus.
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 In chapter 13,
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 some Pharisees came to Jesus
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 and said to him,
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 leave this place and go somewhere else.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 Herod wants to kill you.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 Jesus replied,
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 in his usual calming way,
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 go tell that fox,
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day,
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 So,
00:06:20 --> 00:06:20 meek and mild,
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 Jesus trying to smooth everything over.
00:06:23 --> 00:06:24 How do you think
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 the trial between Herod and Jesus
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 is going to go down then?
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 You know?
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 Look at verse 8.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:31 Knowing the background
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 certainly puts a different spin on verse 8,
00:06:34 --> 00:06:34 don't you think?
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 When Luke says that
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 Herod was greatly pleased to see Jesus
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 because for a long time
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 he'd been wanting to see him,
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 it sounds more like a spider
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 pleased to have just caught a fly in his web
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 rather than a distant admirer.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 meeting his celebrity hero.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 But perhaps Herod is a genuine fan.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:56 I mean, look at what Luke goes on to say.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 Herod wanted to see Jesus
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 perform a sign of some sort.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 Maybe that's not so sinister after all.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 But that's only if you haven't read Luke 11 recently.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 Now, some of us may have,
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 but for the rest of us,
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 let me remind you
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 what Jesus tells us about sign seekers.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 You might want to turn there.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 You don't have to,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 but I'm going to be reading from verse 29
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 if you look at Luke 11.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 As the crowds increased,
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 right,
00:07:25 --> 00:07:26 Jesus is becoming very popular,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 and to keep the crowd on side,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:29 he says,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 this is a wicked generation.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 It asks for a sign,
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 but none will be given it
00:07:36 --> 00:07:37 except the sign of Jonah.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 For as Jonah was assigned to the Ninevites,
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 The Queen of the South,
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 or the Queen of Sheba,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:47 if you've heard that name,
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 the Queen of the South
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 will rise at the judgment
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 with the people of this generation
00:07:51 --> 00:07:52 and condemn them,
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 for she came from the ends of the earth
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 to listen to Solomon's wisdom,
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 and now something greater than Solomon is here.
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 The men of Nineveh will stand up
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 at the judgment with this generation
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 and condemn it,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 and now something greater than Jonah is here.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:13 So do you see what Jesus says about sign seekers?
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 This is a wicked generation.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 See, Herod's sign seeking
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 is not such a positive thing after all, is it?
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 Luke tells us that sign seekers are evil
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 because, the reason in Luke 11 was,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 because they do not, in fact,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 listen to God's messengers, do they?
00:08:35 --> 00:08:35 Did you see that?
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 They want to be amazed and entertained,
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 but not taught,
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 when signs are actually about teaching.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 Herod is a typical sign seeker,
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 just like the crowds of people in Luke 11.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 When he meets Jesus,
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 he wants to see magic tricks,
00:08:50 --> 00:08:54 but he has failed to notice
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 that he is standing before
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 a prophet even greater than Jonah
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 and a king even greater than Solomon.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 Jesus actually did many, many signs
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 which attested to who he was,
00:09:07 --> 00:09:07 who he is,
00:09:07 --> 00:09:11 but sign seekers don't pay attention
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 to what the signs actually say.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 They just want to see magic tricks.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 Herod should repent of his sins
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 like the Ninevites did
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 when Jonah came to them.
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 He should bow down in honor of the king
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 as the queen of the south did
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 when she met Solomon,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 but that's not what he does.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 Let's keep reading.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:32 In verse 9,
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 he bombards Jesus with questions.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 Jesus gives no reply.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 Why do you think that is?
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 I don't think Herod will be listening.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 You see, sign seekers
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 don't listen to God's messengers anyway.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 What is the point?
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 Even worse though,
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 when Jesus refuses to answer his questions
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 and after the chief priests
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 and the teachers of the law
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 have had their go at accusing Jesus again,
00:09:57 --> 00:10:00 Herod begins to mock Jesus' kingship.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 Herod and his soldiers
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 ridiculed and mocked him,
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 dressing him in an elegant robe,
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 they sent him back to Pilate.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 Now, I think the robe
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 reminds us of Solomon again.
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 Did it ring those bells for you?
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 You see, Solomon,
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 clothed in all his splendor,
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 is the archetypal Old Testament king.
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 You know, he's the bee's knees king
00:10:27 --> 00:10:27 of the Old Testament.
00:10:27 --> 00:10:32 The robe is certainly royal and kingly.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:33 And you see,
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 the awful mistake
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 that Herod and his soldiers
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 have made,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 and the terrible evil
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 that they are committing,
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 is that they are standing
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 before a king
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 greater than Solomon,
00:10:44 --> 00:10:45 yet they mock him
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 as if he were a common jester
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 for their entertainment.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:51 Not a king at all.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:58 In fact, though,
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 the mockery
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 that Jesus endured that night
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 only further confirms
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 his identity
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 as God's anointed king.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 You'd think
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 a palace
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 and a robe
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 and all that kind of thing
00:11:13 --> 00:11:13 would confirm
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 someone's identity as king.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 But you see,
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 the Old Testament
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 foreshadowed a king
00:11:20 --> 00:11:20 who would come
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 and who would be mocked
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 and spit upon
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 and treated badly.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 That's why we read
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 from Psalm 89.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 Now, Psalm 89 was long
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 and I hope you were able
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 to follow all the way through.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 If not, go over it again.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 It's rockin' awesome.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:37 Anyway,
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 back to Psalm 89,
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 the psalm,
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 the mood of the psalm
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 radically changes
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 halfway through.
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 Okay, so in the first half,
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 the psalmist begins
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 by recounting
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 God's amazing promises
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 to David,
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 the promises he gave
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 to David in 2 Samuel 7.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 Okay, that one of David's sons,
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 one of David's descendants
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 would sit on his throne forever
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 and would conquer
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 all his enemies
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 and so on and so forth.
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 Would reign over
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 this perfect kingdom forever.
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 Okay.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 But halfway through the psalm,
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 the mood changes dramatically
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 because the Lord
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 does not seem
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 to be keeping
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 his promise.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 Let me read
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 from verse 49
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 of Psalm 89.
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 Lord,
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 where is your former
00:12:24 --> 00:12:24 great love
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 which in your faithfulness
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 you swore to David?
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 Remember, Lord,
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 how your servant
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 has been mocked,
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 how I bear in my heart
00:12:33 --> 00:12:33 the taunts
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 of all the nations,
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 the taunts
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 with which your enemies,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:37 Lord,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 have mocked,
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 with which they have mocked
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 every step
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 of your anointed one.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:47 Do you see how
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 what God's anointed king
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 is experiencing
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 in the psalm
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 is fulfilled
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 in Jesus' experience
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 before Herod?
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 The mockery
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 that Jesus endured
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 in Luke 23
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 only further confirms
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 that Jesus
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 is God's anointed king
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 because that's what
00:13:10 --> 00:13:10 God's people
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 are always taught
00:13:11 --> 00:13:11 to expect.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:16 Now,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 before we move on
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 to trial three,
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 let's just think about this
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 just really briefly
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 in the 21st century
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 for a moment.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 We still have
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 sign seekers
00:13:25 --> 00:13:25 and mockers,
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 don't we?
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 People who say,
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 I will only follow Jesus
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 if he shows me a sign
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 or shows me a miracle
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 or appears to me
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 in some way.
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 And when he doesn't,
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 they mock us,
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 his people.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 which Jesus takes
00:13:42 --> 00:13:42 personally.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 They mock us.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 But friends,
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 remember that Jesus
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 is the king.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 He has already
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 given us
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 plenty of evidence
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 of that.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:55 It is just that
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 sign seekers
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 will not listen
00:13:57 --> 00:14:00 to God's words,
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 to God's messengers.
00:14:03 --> 00:14:07 Well,
00:14:08 --> 00:14:08 finally,
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 let's go to trial three.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 The third and final trial
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 begins in verse 13.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 And much of the same ground
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 is repeated again.
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 I'm not going to cover it
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 in detail for the sake
00:14:17 --> 00:14:17 of time.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:18 But you see,
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 in the first half
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 of verse 14,
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 Jesus is accused
00:14:23 --> 00:14:23 again.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 In the second half,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 Pilate declares
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 his innocence
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 again.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 In verse 15,
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 we are told Herod's verdict
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 agrees with Pilate.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 So even Herod
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 says Jesus has done
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 nothing to deserve death.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 That's the third statement
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 of Jesus' innocence.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 And in verse 16,
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 in light of all this,
00:14:43 --> 00:14:43 we're told that
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 Pilate wants to punish
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 Jesus
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 and then release him.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 It seems absurd
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 that he even wants
00:14:50 --> 00:14:50 to punish him,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:51 doesn't it,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:51 really?
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 But he wants
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 to release him.
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 And from this point on,
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 there's one major question
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 that begins to overhang
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 the whole story.
00:15:01 --> 00:15:01 Okay?
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 And that question is,
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 who will be released?
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 A prisoner called Barabbas
00:15:07 --> 00:15:07 is introduced.
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 And it's either him
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 or Jesus.
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 As it becomes more
00:15:13 --> 00:15:13 and more apparent
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 that it will be Barabbas,
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 our two themes
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 turn into two
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 tragic ironies.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 We've seen as we've
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 gone through these trials
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 that Jesus is king
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 and that Jesus is innocent.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 In the last scene,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 we see that the crowd
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 want Barabbas to be released
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 even though he's not the king
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 and he's not innocent.
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 Now, the first irony then
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 is hidden in the meaning
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 of Barabbas' name.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 Barabbas actually means
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 son of the father.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 Bar meaning son
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 and Abba meaning father.
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 Right?
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 Now, you see,
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 the irony is
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 that the title
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 son of the father
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 is a title
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 often used
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 of God's
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 anointed king.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 If you can think back
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 to the Old Testament again,
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 and we've already been
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 talking about 2 Samuel 7,
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 you might remember
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 when God promised David
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 that one of his descendants
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 would sit on the throne
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 over God's kingdom
00:16:11 --> 00:16:11 forever,
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 God says
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 of that descendant,
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 of that son,
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 I will be to him
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 a father
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 and he shall be
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 to me
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 a son.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 But Barabbas
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 is not the true
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 son of the father,
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 is he?
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 Not in that kingly sense.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 Jesus is the true
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 son of the father,
00:16:30 --> 00:16:30 the true king
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 descended from David
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 who will rule
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 over God's kingdom
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 forever.
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 Yet the crowd
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 don't want their king.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 They demand
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 that Barabbas
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 be released,
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 the unworthy son,
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 the son whose name
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 only underscores
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 how inadequately
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 he has lived up to it.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:52 Now the second irony
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 relates to our second theme.
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 Jesus is innocent
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 but the crowd
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 want Barabbas,
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 the guilty one,
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 to be released.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 In verse 19
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 you'll see Luke
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 gives details
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 of Barabbas' crime.
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 He actually did
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 pretty much
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 exactly
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 what Jesus
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 is being accused of.
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 He was thrown
00:17:11 --> 00:17:11 into prison
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 for an insurrection
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 in the city
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 and for murder
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 during that insurrection.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 This was a crime
00:17:18 --> 00:17:20 deserving of crucifixion
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 but the crowd
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 want Jesus
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 to be crucified.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 You see in verse 20
00:17:24 --> 00:17:24 we're told that
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 Pilate appealed
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 to the crowd
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 again
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 wanting to release Jesus
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 but they kept shouting
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 crucify him,
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 crucify him.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 For the third time
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 he spoke to them
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 why?
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 What crime
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 has this man committed?
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 I have found in him
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 no grounds
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 for the death penalty.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 That's at least
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 the fourth time
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 Jesus has been
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 declared innocent.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 Who will be released?
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 Pilate says again
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 therefore
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 I will have him punished
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 and then release him.
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 But with loud shouts
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 they insistently demanded
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 that he be crucified.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 And their shouts prevailed.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 So Pilate decided
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 to grant their demand.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:12 He released
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 the man
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 who had been thrown
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 into prison
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 for insurrection
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 and murder.
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 Notice how Luke's
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 already spelled that out.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 He doesn't just call him
00:18:20 --> 00:18:20 Barabbas.
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 He spells out again
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 the guilty one.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 The guilty one
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 was released
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 because he was the one
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28 they asked for
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 and they surrendered
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 Jesus to their will.
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 And with that
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 we come to the end
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 of our passage.
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 I want to close
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 with just two
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 implications
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 that come out
00:18:42 --> 00:18:42 the two main themes
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 and the two
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 tragic ironies
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 that we've been
00:18:45 --> 00:18:45 looking at.
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 Okay?
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 So these three trials
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 have shown us
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 that Jesus is innocent
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 and that he is king.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 That is clear as day,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 right?
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 Let's look at the
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 implications of Jesus'
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 innocence
00:18:56 --> 00:18:56 and the implications
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 of Jesus' kingship.
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 Number one,
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 the fact that Jesus
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 was innocent
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 means that when,
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 means that he was not
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 taking the punishment
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 for his own sin.
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 That is the heart
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 of the good news
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 that we find
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 in this passage.
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 Barabbas is a wonderful
00:19:13 --> 00:19:13 picture of that,
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 isn't he?
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 Jesus took the punishment
00:19:16 --> 00:19:19 for Barabbas' sin,
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 didn't he?
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 And what the Bible
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 tells us is that
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 this is actually
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 what he's done
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 for all of us,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 for all those
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 who trust in Jesus.
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 Just like Barabbas,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 we have all been
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 inadequate sons
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 of our heavenly Father.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 And we have all
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 rebelled against
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 his rightful rule
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 over us.
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 Because of that,
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 we all deserve
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 to be punished
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 by him.
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 But Jesus,
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 when he died
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 on the cross,
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 he died in our place
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 as our substitute.
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 All those
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 who trust in Jesus
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 get to go free
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 because Jesus
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 has taken
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 our punishment.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 It's just
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 a simple swap.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 It's not
00:20:13 --> 00:20:15 too complicated,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 really.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 Children do this
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 on the playground.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 It's a simple swap.
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 See,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 we are treated
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 as innocent
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 because he was
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 treated as guilty.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 This is the only way
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 to be freed
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 from the punishment
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 you deserve.
00:20:30 --> 00:20:36 last of all,
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 let's talk about
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 the implications
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 of Jesus' kingship.
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 Because Jesus
00:20:40 --> 00:20:42 was and is
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 God's true son,
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 death could not
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 hold him
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 as the Old Testament
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 also foretold,
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 and Jesus rose
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 from the dead
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 on the third day
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 to take his place
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 on his throne
00:20:52 --> 00:20:54 until the time
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 when he will return
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 to judge
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 all the world.
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 On that day,
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 the Bible tells us,
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 no one will be
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 at all embarrassed
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 or ashamed
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 to be associated
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 with Jesus.
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 In fact,
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 all those
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 who had judged
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 Jesus
00:21:11 --> 00:21:13 unworthy of their
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 honor and respect
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 will find that
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 when he returns
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 to judge them,
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 the sheer sight
00:21:18 --> 00:21:18 of him will
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 terrify them.
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 And that will be
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 only the beginning
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 of their eternal
00:21:24 --> 00:21:24 suffering.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:27 I'm afraid
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 we've got to end here.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 There is a day coming,
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 says the book
00:21:31 --> 00:21:31 of Revelation,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 chapter 1,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 when Jesus Christ,
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 who is the true ruler
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 of the kings
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 of the earth,
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 isn't that a scary
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 title for Herod
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 and Pilate,
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 who is the true ruler
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 of the kings
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 of the earth,
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 who loves us
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 and has freed us
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 from our sins
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 by his blood,
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 will return.
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 And he will come
00:21:52 --> 00:21:54 with the clouds
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 and every eye
00:21:56 --> 00:21:58 will see him,
00:21:58 --> 00:22:00 even those
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 who pierced him.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:05 And all the peoples
00:22:05 --> 00:22:05 on earth
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 will mourn
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 because of him.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 Do you see?
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 King Jesus
00:22:11 --> 00:22:13 will not put up
00:22:13 --> 00:22:13 with rebellion
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 forever.
00:22:14 --> 00:22:14 forever.
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 So I plead
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 with you,
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 if you haven't
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 already,
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 before it is too
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 late,
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 show him honor.
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 I'm not
00:22:28 --> 00:22:30 mucking about.
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 I'm not just
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 preaching
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 because I have
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 a slot.
00:22:35 --> 00:22:37 And it almost,
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 I'm not forcing you,
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 but it is
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 going to happen.
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 You know,
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 we need to be
00:22:43 --> 00:22:43 prepared for this
00:22:43 --> 00:22:45 event that is
00:22:45 --> 00:22:45 going to happen.
00:22:45 --> 00:22:47 Show this one
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 honor.
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 Bow down
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 and adore him
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 for his love
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 towards you.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 Lest when he
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 returns
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 and you have
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 yet refused him,
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 you will weep
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 and wail
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 and suffer
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 eternal torment
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 at his
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 hand.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 He will be
00:23:04 --> 00:23:04 gentle with you
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 now,
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 but there comes
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 a day when he
00:23:07 --> 00:23:07 will not be.
00:23:08 --> 00:23:12 If you have
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 already bowed
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 the knee to
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 King Jesus,
00:23:15 --> 00:23:17 first of all,
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 make sure that
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 you live that
00:23:19 --> 00:23:21 way by obeying
00:23:21 --> 00:23:21 his word.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 You are in
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 his kingdom.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 You have been
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 transferred from
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 the kingdom of
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 darkness into
00:23:26 --> 00:23:28 his good kingdom.
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 Live that way.
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 It's a good way
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 to live.
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 You don't live
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 that way to get
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 into the kingdom,
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 but you live that
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 way because you
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 are in this good
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 kingdom.
00:23:37 --> 00:23:37 kingdom.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:38 So live that
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 way.
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 Secondly,
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 remember that
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 he loves you.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 Think about
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 what he has
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 done for you.
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 Thirdly,
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 pray for your
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 friends who
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 don't yet know
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 him and warn
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 them.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 Please pray this
00:23:52 --> 00:23:54 week as we go
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 together on
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 mission to the
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 lost.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:58 This is
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 wonderful.
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 Please use
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 this.
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 This would be
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 great to focus
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 your prayers on,
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 especially,
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 where is it?
00:24:05 --> 00:24:08 If you look at
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 it, especially
00:24:08 --> 00:24:10 Friday the 22nd,
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 the last bullet
00:24:11 --> 00:24:13 point, that guy
00:24:13 --> 00:24:15 there in desperate
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 need of your
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 prayers.
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 Please pray for
00:24:18 --> 00:24:20 this Joshua Russell
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 fellow.
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 Anyway, please
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 pray for us.
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 Pray for the
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 coming of Christ's
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 kingdom.
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 Pray that it will
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 come soon.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:31 because at that
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 day, every eye
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 will finally see
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 that Jesus
00:24:35 --> 00:24:37 deserves praise
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 and honor and
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 glory.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 Amen and
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 amen.
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 Come, Lord
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 Jesus.
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 Let's pray about
00:24:44 --> 00:24:44 that now.
00:24:44 --> 00:24:55 Gracious Father,
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 we thank you so
00:24:56 --> 00:24:58 much for sending
00:24:58 --> 00:25:01 your Son, who
00:25:01 --> 00:25:01 though he was
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03 innocent, he bore
00:25:03 --> 00:25:03 our punishment.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 Though he was
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 king, he was
00:25:06 --> 00:25:08 mocked and
00:25:08 --> 00:25:10 treated scornfully.
00:25:10 --> 00:25:14 Father, we know
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 that he is
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 coming again
00:25:15 --> 00:25:17 and will gather
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 to himself all
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 those who have
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 bowed the knee
00:25:20 --> 00:25:22 to him.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:24 We pray that you
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 would speed that
00:25:24 --> 00:25:26 day and that there
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 would be many
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 people on that
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 day worshipping
00:25:28 --> 00:25:30 him, praising
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 him for his love
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 towards them.
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 We pray that you
00:25:32 --> 00:25:34 would help us to
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 take the gospel to
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 those who do not
00:25:36 --> 00:25:38 yet know him, to
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 bring them into
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 his kingdom
00:25:40 --> 00:25:42 before it's too
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 late, before they
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 are crushed under
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 the force of his
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 kingdom.
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 We pray for his
00:25:47 --> 00:25:49 glory and for
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 their good.
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 Amen.