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To Matthew chapter 26, this morning I'm taking a quick, small break this Lord's Day from 1 Peter. Our study as we're going through 1 Peter, I believe it's appropriate as we come to the Lord's table in communion to focus on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Beloved, I'm here to tell you this morning, no matter how well I preach, this text is not going to... It's so great. My preaching will not touch it. I heard Pastor John MacArthur preach from this text in 2005 as I went to the Shepherds Conference and afterward I went up to him and I said, Pastor John, that's such a wonderful text.
Thank you so much for unpacking that. And he even said, no matter how well I preach this, there's no way you can do justice to this text. So I want to warn you that I will do my best by God's power. I need your prayers this morning as we worship together in the Word, but there's no way we can do justice to such a great text.
And we will see why in just a minute. Matthew chapter 26, one text we're going to look at. We're going to look at lots of verses, but I want us to focus on one phrase from this text. Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 26, one verse of Scripture, verse 39.
The Word of God says,. And he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. Let's pray.
Our Father in heaven, this is your holy word. It's so powerful, it's so beyond us. It is eternal. You honor your word. And Father, our prayer this morning is speak, Lord, for thy servant hears. And Lord, change us forever by your word for your glory.
And I pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
In 1953, there was two men by the name of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. There was another team that was with them as well, and a team leader. They had an expedition that was really an impossible task in that time period in 1953.
And it was a mountain by the name of Everest, as I'm sure you know of. It was located in the Himalayas along the border of Nepal and Tibet, China, soaring at a height of 29 ,000 feet and 35 ,000. The highest mountain in the world.
On May 29th, exactly at 11 .30 a .m., these two men reached the summit of this mountaintop. They did something that no one had ever done in that time period. And it actually comes from this phrase in verse 39, they went a little further.
Hillary and Tenzing went a little further. They did something that no one else did. And can I say this from that small introduction this morning, that over 2 ,000 years ago, there was someone that came out of the ivory palaces into a world of woe.
From the glory of heaven's splendor into a sin-cursed world, from heaven's light to earth's darkness, a great condensation and condescension, I'm sorry, and from the pinnacle of glory, from the third heavens to Bethlehem's stable, all the way from the bosom of the Father to the womb of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus Christ went a little further. I don't want you to forget that phrase. I've heard many passages, and I've heard preachers preach from this, a few I should say. One, an old-fashioned Pentecostal tent preacher, and I'm telling you, it forever changed my life as a child of God as I heard this message, and it was so Christ-focused, and I said, Lord, what a message.
And I said, I've got to preach that one day. So Lord willing, here I am, I'm preaching it to you. The Word of God says in Galatians 4,. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman made under the law.
God sent forth His Son. After leaving heaven's glory, born in a little humble town called Bethlehem, Jesus goes from Bethlehem to Egypt, to Nazareth, to Capernaum as He grows. He's full of the Spirit of God, and He learns the Scripture as a man.
We have very little in Scripture of His account as a child, but we do know that He baffled the doctors and the lawyers with His wisdom, even as a child at the age of 12. He grows up, He ministers in Capernaum, round about Galilee, and He went about everywhere doing good and healing all that was sick and diseased.
He was a prophet, priest, and king. He went from north to south, south to east to west, all over as prophet, priest, and king. As a homeless stranger in the world, made by Him, made by His own words. The Word of God was made flesh.
The world did not know Him. He who made the worlds did not recognize Him and did not know that He was very God, a very God, and very man, a very man. And if that wasn't far enough, Jesus went a little further.
Jesus now goes a little further in this text. That one phrase, into the dark and dreadful second mile, would you please. He traced the steps, measured the length, spanned the great, yawning the guff of agony, pain, and anguish, that the man of sorrows in which we sung this morning went each step that spanned until He came to the last of them all, until He faced Golgotha's mountain, the place of a skull.
We're going to take this journey together this morning, just briefly. And as we see Jesus, as He goes a little further, we're going to look how that no one else had ever gone where He had gone. And a road to which no one else could ever go.
He is deserving and worthy of our praise and worship this morning as Savior, Lord, and King. The question I'd like to set before you, and I'd like to answer this in six points, is how far did Jesus go?
How far did He go? Well, He paid a debt He did not owe. He paid the price, an awful price, with His own precious blood, and for our redemption, beloved. From glory to Bethlehem's manger, Jesus goes a little further.
Number one, first of all, He goes a little further to Gethsemane. And He goes to Gethsemane where He overcame the flesh. Beloved, no one can approach this account of the Garden of Gethsemane without realizing that He is walking on holy ground.
And anyone who attempts to even comment on it feels a tremendous sense of awe. One commentator by the name of Guy King wrote this, quote, the supernal character of the event causes one to fear, lest one should in any way spoil it by touching it.
Verse 36, look at our text, then come at Jesus, I'm sorry, verse 36, I want to go back a little bit and then go to our text. Verse 36, it says, then come at Jesus with them into a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples.
Now He's speaking of the 11 disciples there, and He says to them, sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. The word Gethsemane means literally an oil press, an oil press. This was a frequent meeting place for Jesus and His disciples just across the Kindron Valley from Jerusalem.
And it's interesting to note also that Judas, the one that betrayed Him, Judas Iscariot, was familiar with Jesus' patterns that enabled Judas, when Satan entered into Him, to find Jesus there, because he knew that's where Jesus would be.
But so Judas knew where to find the Lord when he betrayed Him, but the Lord Jesus also knew that as well. Look at verse 37,. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, that's James and John, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Jesus tells the eight disciples to stay back, and it's interesting to note that Peter, James, and John are the core, the three disciples that was really closest to the Lord. Out of the eleven, the three was closest.
That should bear something to us as a disciple of Jesus Christ. How close are you to the Lord? Well, Peter, James, and John was the closest. I don't know about you, but I desire to be close as I possibly can to Jesus.
I'm sure the other disciples felt the same, but it was Peter, James, and John that was His closest. And He actually gives them a command to sit and wait, to watch, as He draws deeper into the garden of Gethsemane.
It goes a little further. He desires to share this agony with them, but beloved, can I tell you this, as one preacher said it, they didn't have it. Even Peter, James, and John did not have it. They were not made out of the same stuff Jesus was made out of.
The greatest time in history that boggles the mind is about to take place, and they had no idea of what was about to become. Jesus began to be deeply grieved, as the text says. It means to be deeply sorrowful and very heavy.
He tells Peter, James, and John this, shares it with them.
He tells them this.
Such intimacy with these three. And what's interesting about this text is that Jesus desires to share this with them. Notice verse 38. Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.
Tear ye here, and watch with Me. This is no doubt the unspeakable revulsion of His holy perfect soul, as He anticipated becoming a sin offering for us. He was to become sin. And this is why Jesus was born, beloved.
This is why He came. This was His divine commission from the Father. This is the purpose in Him coming into the world, to destroy the works of the devil, to fulfill and to pay for the redemption of God's people, His elect.
And He feels the weight of it. He feels the weight of all that was about to come upon Him. In 2 Corinthians 5 .21, the gospel in one verse. Paul the apostle says, for He, speaking of God the Father, for God the Father, He made Him, Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We who are sinful cannot even conceive what it meant to Him. Think of it for a second with me. The sinless Son of God, the sinless perfect Son of God, to be made sin for us. Think of that. Sin was completely foreign to Jesus.
As holiness is foreign to us. He was about to take upon Himself all the sin of the world. This is the Lamb of God. This is God's Lamb. This is God's suffering servant. And here, while He was in pain and anguish like no other person ever, according to Luke 22 .44, His capillaries dilated to the point in His body, literally bursting under the pressure of the deep distress and the sorrow of sin.
Upon Him, blood was literally leaked through the pores of His skin, mingled with sweat and falling down upon the ground. Beloved, we have a hard time to even labor in prayer, period. But Jesus Himself was laboring so heavy under the burden of taking the wrath of God upon Himself and literally sweated great drops of blood.
Think of that. Deep, deep sorrow. No wonder He's called a man of sorrows. Jesus knew His only solace in this time was with His heavenly Father. And He retreats to that holy place. Let's look at verse 39 and the phrase there,.
And He went a little further. You see that? And He went a little further. And what does He do? And He fell on His face and He prayed, saying, Oh, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.
Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. What a text.
What a text.
Jesus goes a little further. Praise God. Aren't you glad He went a little further? Beloved, in His deep sorrow and His anguish and pain and had nothing to do, and by the way, it had nothing to do with the fear of men, and had nothing to do with the physical torments that He was about to endure physically on the cross, even though as bad as that is, so many people look at that on the physical side, which was horrifying and horrible, but there was something deeper and more sorrowful than what Jesus was feeling the weight of.
He was sorrowful because within the hour in which He was agonizing, He knew that He was going to have to drink the full cup and measure of the divine fury of sin, the divine fury against the sin that would be His own to drink.
I remember a story by the name of Leonard Ravenhill, a great evangelist of the past, and he's written just a few books. One of his books I thoroughly enjoy was Why Revival Tarries. It's a book that I believe the man wrote it on his knees.
I really did. He speaks about one time he went to this little English lady's home, and she was very poor, and offered him a drink, and he noticed that within the cup it was really dirty and nasty and slimy and filthy and disgusting, and he said, I looked into it, and he said, he didn't want to hurt her feelings by no means, and he was invited there as he was pastoring at that time part in Leeds, England, I believe, and she was being generous and cordial and showing hospitality to him, and as he looked into that cup he thought he could not help but think about the cup that Jesus was about to drink, and that's what Jesus was doing here.
He was looking into the cup. And Ravenhill said he looked into that cup, and he says that was the most horrible slimy gook he's ever seen in his life, and all of a sudden he said the Spirit of God just brought to his attention, as he retracted in Matthew 26 as Jesus was about to drink this cup.
A cup that had the wrath of God in it. That's what the Old Testament Scriptures are full of about God's cup of wrath. Such a struggle here that was going on as Jesus was struggling, and keep in mind he fell on his face posturing.
He prays to his Father. What an example for us when we are under a tremendous amount of weight. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been to a place that no one else knows about, but I must tell Jesus alone?
And you have to go to that place of prayer and solace, and no one else knows but Jesus. I must tell Jesus. And by the way, that's the only best place. It is the best place to go, is to go before God in prayer in the secret place of the Almighty, under the shadow of the Almighty, and know that God knows to take that burden.
Praise God, and only He knows it. But why the struggle here? Why? Let's look a little bit at it. Jesus wasn't in any way trying to avoid the cross, as some might think, which was in the Father's redemptive plan and purpose.
His struggle and cry was one that was uniquely the perfect man, the sinless Son of God, for whom the sentence of death should not even apply to. He was our substitute. So He looked longingly to the Father for another option.
That's pretty much what He's doing here. He's basically saying, Oh Father, if it be possible, is there another way? And notice here, He does this three times. Look at verse 40. And He cometh unto the disciples and findeth them asleep.
They went asleep in the garden. He says unto Peter, What? Could you not watch with me one hour? And then He tells them, Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
He's basically saying that to them. Verse 42. And He went again the second time and He prayed. Saying, Oh my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And notice again, He comes back in verse 43.
He came and found them asleep, for their eyes were heavy. Legitimately, they walked a whole mile from the upper room to the garden of Gethsemane. And they were very tired. It's interesting to note also that Peter, James, and John, the same group, the inner circle disciples, were the same ones.
If you look previously, I believe it's, where is it? It's found on the Mount. The account of the transfiguration comes to my mind a few chapters back. You don't have to turn there, but you know the story.
That Peter, James, and John, Jesus takes them and where does He take them? On the mountain. Now isn't it interesting that these Hebrews, being the Hebrews, got caught up and all of a sudden a vision takes place and Moses is on one side of Jesus and Elijah is on one side.
By the way, that represents the Law and the Prophets. Jesus is in the middle. Peter gets carried away and says, Oh, let us build a tabernacle for them. And they get carried away with these great Hebrew patriarchs.
And then the Father had to come and wisp them away. And He said, This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him. In other words, their eyes were getting upon these patriarchs, not Jesus.
But Jesus.
And what were they talking about? The text actually says that they were talking about the Exodus. Jesus' resurrection. Also it could speak about the Exodus that God, in the book of Exodus, took out the children of Israel and used Moses as the leader, a type of Jesus Christ, to lead them out of Egypt.
The Exodus.
And Elijah was the Exodus of a prophet that God took him out by a chariot of fire. And here Jesus, the greatest Exodus of all, was going to take place through the resurrection.
Isn't that great?
But right here, they fell asleep. They fell asleep and Jesus goes back to them three times. Jesus is struggling. You see the prayer, Oh my Father, Oh my Father. And verse 44,. And He left them and went away again and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
And He went a little further. The Son would drink the full measure of the Father's wrath against the sins of His people. Perfect submission. Perfect submission. Full submission. Resting completely in the perfect will of God.
Jesus accepted what was to come. He went a little further. He went a little further. Jesus goes a little further.
He overcomes the flesh.
From Gethsemane, Jesus still goes a little further. Gethsemane is where He gained the victory over the flesh. And won the temptation over Satan to bypass the cross. That was the temptation. Bypass the cross.
The struggle was real. Don't fulfill the will of God, but Jesus fulfilled the will of God perfectly. He goes a little further. Secondly, notice He goes to Gabbatha. Gabbatha.
Gabbatha.
I said that right. Where He gained the victory over the world. Not only the flesh, but over the world. Gabbatha was the Aramaic and Hebrew meaning of ridge. It means ridge or height. With a particular meaning of the ridge of the house.
Or the temple mound. Or was located in Jerusalem near the fortress of Antonia. A combined palace and Roman military barracks named after Mark Anthony. As you well know in history. It was connected to the northwest corner of the temple area.
Gabbatha was covered with a mosaic colored stones. If you ever go to that part of the world. In which I've never been personally. But I've seen on television. There's the mosaic stones that still exist from years back.
In that time period of the Romans.
It's beautiful.
Now a lot of them has been preserved. But that's where it was. Gabbatha was covered with mosaic colored stones. Hence it was known also in the scriptures as the pavement. Jesus goes a little further from Gethsemane.
After he's arrested. Judas basically kisses him. Betrays him. Into the hands of the religious leaders. And it was a custom of the Romans by the way. The governors to conduct their tribunals in open areas.
So a judgment seat was placed in the pavement outside of the judgment hall. Where it's called the Petorian. And it was here that Pilate the governor judged Jesus. Little did he know that one day that Jesus.
He would stand before Jesus. And Jesus would judge him. So determined to kill Jesus. These religious leaders were. They broke several commandments in order to do so. Flip over to Matthew 27. Let's just look at a few verses here.
Look at verse 1 and 2. And the morning was come. And all the chief priests and the elders of the people. Took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him. They led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
And skip to verse 11. And Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked him saying. Aren't thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him. Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priest.
And the elders answered. And he answered nothing. And he said. Then said Pilate unto him. Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him. To never a word. Jesus did not say a word.
And so much that the governor marveled greatly. They marveled. He marveled. And then it says in verse 15. Now at the feast of the governor. Was wont to release unto people a prisoner.
Whom they would.
And they had. They had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore when they gathered together. Pilate said unto them.
Whom will you.
That I release unto you. Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ. And listen to what the text says. And for he knew. For that for envy they had delivered him. And when he was set down on the judgment seat.
Speaking of Pilate. His wife sent unto him saying. Have thou nothing to do. With that just man. For I have suffered many things to stay in a dream. Because of him. We know that that's satanic. Satan wanted to have Jesus.
Put on the cross. And verse 20. But the chief priest and elders. Persuaded the multitude. That they should ask Barabbas. And destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them. Whether of the twain.
Will you.
That I release unto you. They said Barabbas. And Pilate said unto them. What shall I do then with Jesus. Which is called Christ. And they all say unto him. Let him be crucified. So there you have the account.
At the pavement. The praetorian. Where Jesus was handed over. Jesus gained the victory over the world. At Gabbatha. False charges was made against Jesus. He remained silent. He was as a sheep before its shearers.
Isaiah 53 7 says. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before its shearers is done. So he goeth not. He opened not his mouth.
Wow.
He was charged with being a worldly king.
And yet.
Little did they know.
They was.
Crucifying the king of glory. He was struck. Yet. He did not strike back. He was reviled. He did not revile back. He kept his mouth.
Quiet.
And shut. He was charged with being an enemy of Rome. Yet he was a true friend. Of all that would befriend him. Religious. Politics ruled the day. And that day. But truth and justice. Would win out in time.
Jesus. Overcame. The world. The third thing. I like to point to you. A gift of your attention.
Is.
That Jesus goes a little further. Not only. To Gethsemane. And to get. Gabbatha. But he also goes. A little further.
To.
Golgotha. Golgotha. Golgotha is the place. Of a skull. Jesus. Dies. To gain the victory.
Over.
Satan. He overcomes.
The flesh.
He overcomes.
The world.
Satan.
Look at. Chapter 27.
Look at.
Verse.
32.
44.
And as they came out. They found.
A man.
Of Cyrene.
Simon.
By name.
That compelled.
Compelled him. To bear his cross.
Could you imagine.
Being that man.
They said.
You.
Compelled.
They compelled him. To bear his cross. As Jesus fell. Under the load of it. And when they were. Coming to a place. Of Golgotha. That is to say. A place. Of a skull. They gave him vinegar. To drink. Mingled with gall.
And he had.
Tasted thereof. And he would not drink it. He did not anyone. He did not want.
Any.
Sedatives.
Numb his pain. He wanted to take. The full pain.
Beloved.
Verse. Thirty-five.
And they.
Crucified him. They parted his garments. To casting lots. That it might be fulfilled. Which is spoken. By the prophet. They parted my garments. Among them. And upon my vesture. Did they cast lots. And sitting down. They watched him.
There.
And set up over his head. Accusation.
Written.
This is Jesus. The king of the Jews. And there were two thieves. Crucified with him. One on the right hand. And another on the left. And they. That passed by. Reviled him.
And wagging their heads.
And saying. Thou. That.
Destroys.
The.
Temple.
And.
Buildest it in.
Three.
Days. Save thyself. If thou be the son of God. Come down from the cross.
They were literally.
Mocking him.
And you and I know.
That he could have easily. Came off that cross. But he went all the way. He went a little further.
Verse. Forty-one. Likewise.
Also the chief priest. Mocking him. With the scribes. And the elders said. He saved others. Himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel. Let him now come down from the cross. And we will believe him.
He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now. Listen to the mockery. And if he will have him. For he said. I am the son of God. See there you have the temptation. That Satan is just hurling at him. Come down from the cross.
If you are the son of God. The thieves also were. Crucified with him.
Cast.
The same in his teeth.
You know. This is the purpose. That Jesus came into the world.
To destroy.
The works of the devil. Go with me to. First John. First John.
And we will see this.
From the scriptures. This was the purpose. That Jesus. That not only to fulfill. And pay for the redemption. Of God. Of God's people. Then which the father would elect. And to purchase them. But also.
Jesus came to destroy. The works of the devil.
First John.
Chapter three.
Look at chapter three. Look at verse. Eight through. Five through eight. Five through eight. And you know. That he was manifested. Speaking of Jesus. To take away our sins. Number one. He was manifested.
That's why he came. That's why he was born. That's why he entered into this world. To take away our sins. And he took them away. And notice what it says. And in him. Is no sin. Verse six. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.
That doesn't mean we're without sin. Basically what he means in that context is. He does not continue to practice sinning. He does not continue to run that course. Whosoever sinneth. Hath not seen him.
Neither knoweth him. Little children. Let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous. Even as he is righteous. In other words. This is the transformation that John the Apostle is saying.
Within those that are born of the spirit of God. They practice righteousness. It doesn't mean they're perfect. Completely like Christ. But they have an example as Jesus is the righteous one. That they have a righteousness that's not of their own.
That is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And in that new birth and regeneration. We love righteousness and hate sin. There's a hatred towards sin. Like we've never had before. And we love righteousness.
And what does he say in verse eight. And this is what I want to get to. He that committed sin is of the devil. And that word committed again means practices sin. He practices sin. He goes on practicing sin.
Is of the devil. For the devil sinneth from the beginning. We know about his history, don't we? He was a Lucifer, an archangel in heaven. And he sinned against God. And pride is what was found. Iniquity was found in his heart.
And he was cast out of heaven. With a third of the angels. And then what does it say? For this purpose the son of God was manifested. That he might destroy the works of the devil. Aren't you glad Jesus destroyed the works of the devil?
He went a little further. Well, from glory to the manger. To Nazareth, to Galilee, to Gethsemane. Where he defeated the flesh. To Gabbatha where he defeated the world. To Golgotha where he defeated the devil.
Even after that Jesus went a little further. Fourth, he goes a little further. To the grave. Yes, he went to the grave. He was buried. It was actually in a tomb. They put him in. And it was not his own.
It was one that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. And it was actually, he was only borrowing it for three days. As you well know. Jesus gained a victory over death and hell. Aren't you glad of that? Go with me to Revelation chapter 1.
We now see Jesus not only resurrected. But he's glorified. He's in his glorified state in this same John. That leaned upon the bosom of Jesus. That was one of his closest disciples. Sees Jesus on the Lord's day.
In a vision on the isle of Patmos. In verse 13. In the midst of the seven candlesticks. One likened to the son of man. Clothed with a garment down to the foot. Gird about the pats with a golden girdle.
This is the way Jesus, this is a picture of him now in his glorified state. His head, his hairs are white like wool. As white as snow. His eyes were as a flame of fire. His feet like unto a fine brass.
And if they burned in a furnace. And his voice is the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And his countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength.
You ever try looking at the sun in midday? The countenance of Jesus is like that. Verse 17. And when I saw him, how did John the apostle respond? I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me.
Notice the loving compassion of Jesus. And he told him, saying unto me, he said, fear not. I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore.
And notice what he says. And I have the keys of hell and death. He defeated death and hell. Hell and death. He is resurrected. He's glorified. He's victorious. He occupies the throne. Praise his name.
Fifth, he gained the victory over death and hell and also the grave. He goes a little further. But he's victorious. He's victor. He goes to glory. He goes to glory. He is victor over time as well as we know it.
Up from, as the old hymn says, up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph over.
His foes.
He arose a victor from the dark domain. He lives forever with the saints to reign. He arose. He arose. Hallelujah. Christ arose. Praise God. That's the gospel, beloved. First Corinthians 15. First Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul, again the resurrection chapter.
There's so much there. Please read it in your devotional time. But he begins this chapter by saying this, moreover brethren. He speaks to the brethren at Corinth, I declare unto you the gospel. What is the gospel?
That I preached. He preached it. Preaching is ordained of God. Unto you, which also you have received and wherein you stand. We receive it and we stand by it. By which also you're saved. We are saved by the gospel.
We believe it. We receive it. We stand on it. And we're saved by it. Notice what he says. If you keep in memory. We must remember what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain. And what does he say?
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. He received it how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Notice what he says. And that he was buried. And that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
According to the scriptures. According to the scriptures. And that he was seen of Cephas, that's Peter. And then of the twelve. And after that he was seen above five hundred brethren at once. Whom the greater part remain unto this present but some are fallen asleep.
And they're asleep basically means they're in the grave. And after that he was seen of James. Then of all the apostles and last of all he was seen of me also as of one born out of due time. And Paul was humbled by this because only an apostle has seen the resurrected Christ and met him head on.
For I am the least of the apostles and I am not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. What a heavy burden Paul had upon him. Jesus overcame. First Timothy 3 .16 and without controversy that means there's no argument to it.
Without controversy greatness the mystery of godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen by angels preached among the Gentiles believed only in the world received up in glory.
Last Jesus went a little further. And one day he's going to go a little further beloved and he's going to come back. Don't take my word for it. Take God's word for it. It's here. He's coming back. Jesus promised it.
One of the most wonderful promises we have is found in John 14. Jesus said it himself verse 1 verse 2 verse 3 listen to this. Let not your heart be troubled beloved don't let your heart be troubled. You believe in God believe also in me.
In my father's house are many mansions. They know that word mansion to mean many dwelling places. If it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again.
Notice what he says there. I will come again and receive you unto myself and where I am there you may be also and whether I go you know and the way you know and some of the disciples didn't get that quite Thomas was one of them he said to them Lord we know not whether that goes and how can we know.
The way.
What a question. But Jesus has got a great answer for that. Jesus said unto him I am the way the truth and the life. Excuse me no man cometh unto the father but by me. Did you get that? No man cometh unto the father but by me.
There's only one way to God. That's Jesus Christ. He's not just the best way or one of many ways he is the way. Praise God. Tell people that's in religion out there today that's engrossed in all the religions of the world there's only one way to God the father and that's through Jesus Christ.
He's the door. He's the way. He's the truth.
He's the life.
Praise God. Well there's so many verses I can go to on that conclude. He went a little further beloved. He went a little further back to our text and he fell on his face and he prayed oh my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as.
Thou wilt.
He fulfilled obediently the will of God the father completely. Go over it once again. Gethsemane he went a little further to Gethsemane victory over the flesh. He went a little further to Gabbatha victory over the world.
He went a little further to Golgotha victory over Satan. He went a little bit a little further to the grave victory over death and hell. He went a little further to glory victory over time as we know it.
Praise the name of the living God beloved. We have a savior and a Lord that's risen today and he's worthy of our praises and glory and to be glorified and be exalted above all. He has conquered all.
We know who wins.
And all that's going on today. This is no time today for us to be asleep in the garden like the disciples. I close with this and as we prepare our hearts for the communion. 1 Peter 2 .21 is an application text.
I'd like to give us something to apply for all of us to really think. And I want you to think about this verse 1 Peter 2 .21. For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us.
Did you hear that?
He suffered for us. Oh how he suffered. He drank the bitter cup. Those bitter dredges in that cup in the full measure of the wrath of almighty God. Something that we would never be able to, even in glory beloved.
No one has ever done this to take upon himself God's wrath. But that's how he suffered. And you notice what Peter says? Who would know it but Peter? Leaving us an example. What an example. What an example that you should follow in his steps.
You should follow his steps. You should follow his steps. Think about that. You should follow his steps. We should walk as he walks.
He walked.
My question to you, will you follow Jesus all the way? All the way to the garden of Gethsemane? Will you follow him all the way to Gavitha? Will you follow him to the cross? And not turn back? Not to desire anything that this world, which passes away.
Will you follow him to the cross and follow Jesus to the end? Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, as the writer of Hebrews says, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.
He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And what does he say? For consider him. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. Least you be weary and faint in your minds.
I tell you what, the kind of Christians we need to be is the kind that we are set on following Jesus, no matter what the cost may be. We don't follow men. We don't follow pastors. We don't follow evangelists.
We don't follow so-called apostles and faith healers. We don't follow politicians. Beloved, follow Jesus. We follow Jesus. We look unto Jesus. And by the way, as the writer of Hebrews says, looking unto Jesus.
We look unto Jesus. Look unto Jesus. He's the author and finisher of our faith. He made it, you can make it. He endured the cross, you can endure the cross. That's what the writer is basically saying.
For the joy that was set before him, he endured that cross. He had the joy that was before him. Beloved, if you endure the persecutions and even all the weight that comes against you as a child of God, for Jesus' sake, you have a joy before you.
We have the joy. Candace knows that joy now. Her suffering is no more. Whatever you go through and what little suffering we have pales in comparison to the glory that awaits. That's what Paul said. One more verse and we're going to go to communion.
Isaiah 50, chapter 50. Look at this, this is such a wonderful verse. Isaiah 53 now, oh my goodness, speaks of the suffering servant who is Jesus Christ. That whole chapter speaks about Calvary's cross and the suffering servant, the Lord Jesus Christ.
But notice in Isaiah 50, there's some great verses here. Notice verse 3, I like to read 3 all the way to verse 11 to the end. Then we will go into communion. Let this be an encouragement for you. This is a prophecy of God helping those who trusted Him.
And by the way, God the Father helped Jesus. Because Jesus was fully trusting the Father as He would drink the cup of wrath. Notice what it says in verse 3, I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine ear to hear as the learned. Let me stop right there.
Do you wake morning by morning and desire and yearn after God? Do you desire God because you love Him for who He is? Do you desire Him above anything that this world has to offer? Verse 5, the Lord God hath opened mine ear.
Does He open your ear? Well, He does. And I was not rebellious, neither turned away a back. I gave my back to the smiters. This is a prophecy of Jesus. And my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.
I hid not my face from shame of spitting. Look at how accurate the word of God in prophecy. Thousands of years before Jesus even endured the cross, that is a full fulfillment right there, a prophecy of Jesus.
Verse 7, for the Lord God will help me. Therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint. And I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifies me. Who will contend with me?
Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me. Who is He that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old as garments, as a garment. The moth shall eat them up.
Who is among you that feareth the Lord? That obeyeth the voice of His servant? That walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord. And stay upon his God. Behold, all you that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire.
And in the sparks that you have kindled, this shall you have in my hand. You shall lie down in sorrow. Praise God. That's the command of the living God. Will you go that extra mile today? Will you go a little further as Jesus went a little further?
You may not go as far as Jesus, but you could go and follow Jesus in His train to glory, to the Gethsemane, and to Gabbatha, and to Golgotha, and eventually to glory. Set your face like a flint, like Jesus did.
He's our example. For this you were called.
Do you hear that?
You were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps. Will you follow Him all the way to the end? Praise God. Let's pray.