All That Jesus Taught Bible Study - Part 78 — Zac Poonen

We turn once again to Matthew's gospel chapter 27 to continue our study in all that Jesus taught. We've been looking at the gospel of Matthew to see how to obey that last verse in the gospel where he told us to teach others to observe all that I commanded you.

And we need to see all that he commanded us by his life by his words and by the circumstances he took the disciples through. And the events mentioned in the gospel of Matthew. We want to look. We were looking at the cross and how Jesus cried out finally it is finished.

And we were looking at verse 51 where it says that the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom as described in the other gospels as well. And what was the significance of this one. As I mentioned in our last session the way into the most holy was open.

You know this is what it says in the book of Hebrews that the veil indicated in the old testament that the way into the holiest was not open. In Hebrews in chapter nine it says. There was a veil verse eight the holy spirit signifying this that the way into the most holy place has not yet been opened.

While that outer tabernacle was standing that was his significance of that veil. But when that veil was rent the way into God's presence was open. You know in the old testament the fire of God dwelt upon the most holy place.

The old testament tabernacle if you're not familiar with it had three parts the outer court which was open to everybody to see and a covered tent which had two parts the holy place. Most holy place between the two was this thick veil.

The high priest was allowed to go in there once a year on the day of atonement. Other than that it was completely blocked and the mercy seat was in there and God dwelt in the most holy place. He would say I speak from between the cherubs in the mercy seat.

And it was indicating that there was something blocking man from coming into God's presence and nobody in the old testament could understand it. What was it. What did this veil symbolize. You know everything in the old testament symbolized something.

Old Testament Symbols Point to Spiritual Realities

The sabbath spoke of the inner rest. The circumcision spoke of the cutting off of confidence in the flesh. The blood of the lamb spoke of the blood of Jesus Christ. The pillar of cloud symbolized the holy spirit.

Pharaoh is a picture of satan and egypt is a picture of the world. And going through the red sea is a picture of baptism. The land of canaan is a picture of the life of victory. The giants are a picture of the lusts in the flesh that can be defeated.

Going through jordan is a picture of going through the way of the cross and being crucified and taking that position permanently etc. Everything has got a meaning. The fire resting upon the tabernacle is a picture of the glory of God and the power of the holy spirit.

So what did the veil symbolize. It's very important to understand that because when that was rent something happened. So the tabernacle was also a picture of man because man is called the tabernacle of God.

The Human Person as God's Tabernacle

It says in John 1 14. The literal translation as it says in my margin is the word became flesh and tabernacled in our midst. That means dwelt like a tabernacle in our midst. 1 Thessalonians 5 23 says man has also got three parts just like the tabernacle body soul and spirit.

One part is visible like the outer court the body. Two parts are covered like the holy place in the most holy place soul and spirit. And between soul and spirit is this thick veil which prevents the holy spirit from coming and dwelling in man's spirit.

See in the old testament the holy spirit could not dwell in anybody's heart or spirit. So there are two messages that come through from this thick veil. One is that man cannot go into God's presence because of something blocking him.

And God cannot come into man's spirit because something is blocking him. And that was removed when Christ died and said it is finished. It's very important for us to understand this because there's something here that Jesus taught us through this which those disciples couldn't understand.

Then you remember Jesus said in John 16. There are many more things I want to say to you but you can't understand them now. You can't bear them now because they couldn't understand because they didn't have the holy spirit.

When the holy spirit came suddenly their eyes were opened and then they could read. It says in 2nd Corinthians 3 that there's a veil over the scriptures and long as long as you're under the law many things in scriptures you can't see you can't understand.

But it says when you turn to the lord the spirit the veil is taken away. You turn to the holy spirit to explain the meaning of that and he explains it to you. So we turn to the holy spirit to understand what is the meaning of this veil.

Hebrews and the New and Living Way

And all we have to do is compare scripture with scripture. If you turn to Hebrews in chapter 11 we read there that Hebrews 10 sorry since therefore brethren Hebrews 10 19 we have confidence to enter. It's referring to the most holy place by the blood of Jesus.

The old testament priest who take a little blood of a lamb that was slain into the holy place in the day of atonement we have boldness to enter immediate presence of God by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he has inaugurated for us through his veil through the veil that is his flesh.

So there is a way into the most holy place which has been inaugurated. Inaugurated means Jesus like you know when a road is inaugurated that's just that's not for us to admire it's for us to use. When a road is inaugurated a way has been inaugurated means that's for us to use.

And that way was inaugurated when the veil was rent and that veil it says is his flesh. Now the word flesh is used in a number of ways in the new testament. It's referring to meat. At times just plain meat.

At other times it's referring to the corrupt sinful flesh we have in our sinful flesh and there is nothing good. And it says that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh but not in sinful flesh because there was no sin in him at all.

He was the angel said that holy thing which is going to be born is called the son of God. So there was no sin or sinful flesh in Jesus. But he did have a flesh. It says here his flesh. In fact John says if you don't confess that Jesus came in the flesh as though it's of the antichrist.

It's not talking about Jesus coming in a body. It's about Jesus coming in the flesh. That's the word that's always used. One john two john three john. He always uses that Jesus came in the flesh the secret of godliness 1 timothy 3 16 that Christ came in the flesh.

Christ's Self-Will and His Obedience to the Father

So we need to understand what is this meaning of flesh. In Galatians 5 we get a little understanding. The flesh fights against the spirit. The spirit fights against the flesh. There's a conflict. These are in opposition to one another so that you don't do the things that you please.

The flesh is what makes us do what we want to do. We get that from Galatians 5 17. And the spirit opposes that tells us not to do what we want to do but we should do what we should do what God wants us to do.

Now the question is did Jesus have this conflict in his life. Certainly in Gethsemane we know he said father not my will not what I want to do but what you want me to do. Not what pleases me but what pleases you.

So that was the flesh in Jesus. This thing which was we call my will turn to john 6 38 and you find what I call the one line autobiography of Jesus Christ the one line description of his entire 33 and a half years on earth.

John 6 38 I have come from heaven not to do my will or in other words to deny my flesh. My flesh is my will and I deny that I say no to that. And I spend my entire life doing the will of him who sent me the father.

The spirit put the flesh to death in Jesus. In other words he put this thing called my will to death in Jesus. There was no sin there but this thing called my will Jesus had throughout his life and he had to deny it not to do my own will means he denied his own will.

He denied his flesh. That is the other meaning of flesh in Jesus and that is symbolized by the veil. So what was torn in the 33 years half years of Jesus life. His will his self-will was torn. He never did it and at the end of his life he said it's finished.

That means I've encountered every possible temptation that a man can face to do my own will. And I never did it. The whole range of temptation top to bottom was done and by the help of the holy spirit he never did it.

And so the veil could be torn. The new and living way through the veil that is his flesh or that is his self-will was denied torn and he only did the father's will. And now that is a way that has been inaugurated for us that we can go that way.

Denying Self and Walking the Way of the Cross

What is that way. The way of denying our own flesh today denying self. If any man will come after me let him deny himself. That means Jesus denied himself too. Otherwise how can he say follow me. I've got to do that because he did it and then I can follow him.

So you see all these scriptures fit in. That is what we call the way of the cross the new and living way. And it's a way even though the veil is like a object we think it's a door. It's not a door. It's a way.

It's a way it's called a new and living way. It's living because you go that way you always live in life. It's new in the sense that it's always fresh every day. There's something fresh something new and it's living.

Because if I go if I die with him I live with him. It is a living way and it leads me right into God's presence. And so we see the thing that hindered man from being able to come into God's presence is his own self-will.

When Adam and Eve chose to do their own will they went away from God. Jesus came and went the opposite way he never did his own will. It says in Romans 15 in verse 3 that Christ never pleased himself.

That was how the veil was rent. Now we have a choice. God doesn't force anybody but we have a choice. If you want to dwell in the immediate presence of God in the most holy place you can live there 24 hours a day seven days a week.

If you go through this new and living way that is the meaning of the rent veil in Matthew 27 verse 51. And the way is open for us all. And this is how God can dwell in our spirit too. Because as I said in the tabernacle the innermost part of the tabernacle the most holy place is where God dwell.

Yielding the Will to Become Spiritual

And that's in our spirit. God doesn't dwell in our body in our mind but in our spirit. When you say God dwelt in the tabernacle it was in the most holy place. And when we say this body is the temple of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit dwells in the most holy place the spirit of man.

But between soul and spirit is this thing called my will. And if I allow God to break down my will he can make me a spiritual person. Merely understanding truth in my mind does not make me spiritual. Getting excited in my emotions does not make me spiritual.

It's when I yield my will to that word that I can become spiritual. Like Jesus said a man can understand what I say but if he doesn't do it his house is still on sand. But when he does it that means he denies his will and does what God says.

Then his house goes on rock. And that rock is Christ's obedience to Christ. So this is the way that God wants every one of his children to walk this new and living way. In the story of the parable that Jesus spoke about the wise man and the foolish man in Matthew chapter 7 at the end of the sermon on the mount he said these words.

And let me apply it to what I just said everyone who hears these words of mine you see in our personality our soul consists of our mind emotions and will. And the will is the door to the spirit the veil.

So mind emotion and will is my soul in my mind. If I understand God's word in my emotions if I'm stirred by God's word God's word still does not penetrate my spirit till my yield my will. So it says here one who hears these words and does them that means he understands it.

Maybe he's excited about it but he does more he does them then he's built on the rock. But if he's only understands it verse 28 26 and he's excited about it but does not obey it he's still on sand sand his mind and emotions.

But the God's word must go through the sand till it hits rock. Then we are unshakable. The same thing Jesus said earlier in Matthew 7 verse 21. Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father.

What does that mean. When a man says Lord that means his mind is right. He believes that Jesus Christ is Lord. When he says Lord Lord he's excited his emotions are right. But he still doesn't enter the kingdom.

It's when he yields his will. Lord is not enough Lord. Lord is not enough obedience. When the will is broken God can dwell in his spirit. It's the same thing everywhere you find it being taught consistently in scripture.

That is the lack of yieldedness of our will that prevents us from being spiritual. And that's why you see very often in Christendom two groups of people who both say they are separated from all the dead denominational churches.

And one group concentrates on studying the scriptures. If you go to their assemblies they're always studying scripture teaching scripture and they have a tremendous knowledge of scripture. It's the mind.

Others. Here's another group that reacts against that and saying that's just dead academic study. We want some excitement and they have very emotional songs and drums and beats and clapping and yelling and all types of jumping like the prophets of Baal.

And emotion. They think that's spirituality. It's not this is mind. That's emotion. Where's the church. That says beyond emotion. And you have to deny yourself and take up the cross and die. Then you'll build on the rock.

That's the church you should be a part of. We're not against our intellectual understanding. I believe in studying the scriptures. That's why we are having this bible study. I believe in being excited about the scriptures and stirring people emotionally.

I hope you're stirred emotionally as you've gone through these studies. But ultimately our aim is to get you to deny your will and do the will of god. Otherwise we'll never become spiritual. That is the whole purpose of this rent veil.

Obedience as the Proof of Love for Christ

That is the place into which god wants to bring us where christ his lord. And when you say christ his lord is not in word it's not just an emotion but in obedience to his word. And especially you know those that word about obedience in relation to the wise man was spoken at the end of the sermon on the mount.

Whoever hears these words of mine and does them. So i would encourage you if you're serious about following all that you've heard in this study think of what jesus said to build on the rock. Matthew 7 24.

If you hear these words of mine and do them you'll build on the rock. That is the narrow way. At the end of the sermon he says enter through the narrow gate and then a narrow way that is the new and living way through the veil.

That is the narrow way and the narrow gate. And it relates to everything i have just said. So if you want if you're serious about it i would encourage you to read matthew 5 6 and 7. Go through it verse by verse and see if you've obeyed it.

We went through it some time ago in this study verse by verse see if you're obeying it all that jesus taught. If you do it your life will be unshakable. Your family will be unshakable. Your church will be unshakable.

It's that life of obedience to god's word that is not being taught sufficiently in christendom today. It is the mark of our love for christ. How do you prove your love for christ. Is it by going out as a missionary.

Is it by sacrifice and offering. No this is it says in hebrews 10 5 sacrifice and offering. He does not desire but he wants your body. He wants you to obey him with your eyes and tongue and hands. That's how he wants obedience.

And jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. A lot of people's understanding of love is just emotional excitement like cinema type of love between a boy and a girl. They think love for jesus is like that.

That's not love for jesus. Jesus said love for me is proved by your obedience. John 14 15 if you love me keep my commandments. There's no other way to prove our love for him. And you will love your brother if you can't love a brother whom you see you can't love god who's invisible.

So these are the two ways in which i prove my love for god one by keeping his commandments and the other by loving a brother whom i can see. Now a lot of brothers whom we see may not be very lovable. But if you can't love them you can't love god.

Joseph of Arimathea and the Burial of Jesus

So the christian life is very practical. We come back to matthew chapter 27. We were looking at this the cross we read here in verse 57 when it was evening matthew 27 57 there came a rich man from arimathea named joseph who himself had also become a disciple of jesus but in secret because he was in the council and they were not followers of jesus.

But there was this man in the council who was a secret disciple like nicodemus. And this man went to pilot and asked for the body of jesus and pilot ordered it to be given over to him. See this is how god has some witnesses in high places to help us.

If peter had gone to pilot's house the fisherman peter the security guards would have thrown him out of the gate and he couldn't have got anywhere near. But there was this influential man called joseph.

God had him there and god had him there to help the body of jesus to be taken down. And it's the same today. God has some very influential people who are willing to help the body of christ today in high places thank god for them.

They are maybe secret disciples. They're not called to go out and plant churches and be apostles like peter. But they are useful at certain times to help the body of christ. And it says here that joseph took the body he himself came took the body wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth and laid it out in his own new tomb which he had hewn in the rock and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away so like it was prophesied in isaiah 53.

Also his his death and his burial were with criminals on the cross and with a very wealthy man in his burial. God cares for the poor and the rich for extreme murders and rich people. He doesn't exclude anybody.

And mary magdalene was there and the other mary sitting opposite the grave. And the next day which is one after the preparation the chief priests and the pharisees gathered together with pilot and they said sir we remember that when he was still alive that deceiver said after three days i'm to rise again now.

Securing the Tomb and the Supernatural Resurrection

They were concerned just in case this is going to happen. Imagine they they didn't believe in the resurrection. And they thought but something may happen here we don't know what. So maybe the disciples will come and steal the body or something and say that he is risen.

And so they gave this. They came to pilot. They were so particular to make sure the grave was protected from this type of theft and all that which is all very good. It was good because it's proved in history that the resurrection had nothing to do with anybody rolling away the stone or any disciples coming there.

So godly ordained this that pilot should get a security of a military people to guard that tomb. So they said please give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day lest the disciples come and steal him away and say to the people he is risen from the dead.

And the last deception will be worse than the first. So pilot said go ahead you have a guard go and make it secure as you know how. And they went and made the grave secure. And along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

Not only they put a guard the roman soldiers a number of them that kept doing shifts so that 24 hours there'd always be some awake roman soldiers watching over that tomb to make sure no disciple came anywhere near there.

In any case one soldier alone would have been enough to drive away any disciples. But there was a number of soldiers continuously there around the tomb of jesus for all those three days. And they put a seal as well on the tomb which if you know if somebody had moved it or broke to move the stone the seal would be broken.

And this was god's way of sovereignly proving that the resurrection was not a fake that even this thing which pilot ordered was something that god allowed so that history would record that it was not the disciples who took the body away here was something the roman authorities the government trying to protect anybody from coming anywhere near the grave.

This is not just like some cemetery somewhere where anybody could come in and walk in and take walk off with the body. Because if it was not like this people could have spread all types of stories. And so god allowed this to happen so that there would be clear proof that the resurrection was a supernatural event that came from god you see the sovereignty of god that's what we learn that if your lives are surrendered to god god makes everything work for our good in his glory his sovereignty determines that and controls that we'll continue in our next episode.