Good morning, everyone. It's my pleasure to be here again today to share the Word of God with you, and I hope that God will speak to all of our hearts as we look at the scriptures. Before we open the Word of God, let's just bow and have a word of prayer. Father, we come into your holy presence today.
We thank you for this time that we as a church can gather together and open the holy scriptures and to listen to your Word. We thank you Father, most of all for your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord, that you have revealed to us your character through Him. And we thank you, Lord, ultimately for His death and resurrection.
We know that this is the only means by which we can approach God and have life in your Son. And we just pray that your Word would be spoken today in our hearts and it would touch us and meet us where we are at. And we just pray for everyone here that's listening. You know the challenges, the circumstances, the dealings of our lives.
And we just pray that you would speak to us and meet us where we are and teach us your Word. And we pray that ultimately you would reveal to us your Son, Jesus Christ, in the scriptures today. And we pray that this would all be for His glory in His Worthy Name. Amen.
I'd like to invite you to open your Bible to the Gospel of John. And I'd like to read in John chapter 12, Gospel of John chapter 12. And we're going to begin reading at verse 31, John 12 and 31. And it says, Now is the judgment of this world.
Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all mankind unto me. I will draw all people unto me. This, he said, signifying what death he should die.
And if you have your Bible opened and you drop down to verse 38, the Lord said that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke. Lord, who have believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? And really what he's saying is, to whom has salvation been revealed? Verse 41, these things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spoke of him.
This is a direct reference to Isaiah, and particularly Isaiah 53, that Jesus was saying was a fulfillment of himself and his death. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers, also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him. Unless they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Verse 46, I am come a light into the world that whosoever believes in me should not remain in darkness.
Now I also want to read a passage in Luke 22 and verse 37. In Luke 22, Jesus has left the upper room. It is the night that he will be in agony before his crucifixion. And he takes his own disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane.
And in that context, he says, in Luke 22 and verse 37, I say unto you that this that is written must be accomplished in me. And he was numbered among the transgressors for the things concerning me have a fulfillment. I would like to ask you all a question today. The question is, do you believe in Jesus Christ?
Do you personally, individually believe in Jesus Christ? You see, that is the greatest question of your life. Is Jesus Christ your Lord? We all come to church and we say, yes, I believe in Jesus Christ.
We say, yes, he's my Lord. Do you confess him before men? As your personal Lord and Savior, can you personally say confidently that you know he has died for your sins and you are forgiven? Do you know that personally?
Do you believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead? Do you believe that he is alive today? Do you love him? Do you worship him?
Have you rested your faith for eternity in his person and work? That's the ultimate questions of your life. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? It is so remarkable to me that in his last public appearance, Jesus referred to Isaiah 53.
If you read the context of John chapter 12, he is likely teaching in the temple and the crowds are there and the scholars are there and the Pharisees are there and Jesus refers to Isaiah 53 and he says this question, who? Who has believed? Who has actually experienced the revelation of God, the salvation of their soul? Do you know what's interesting?
Many of those people that were there, it says that they believed, but they believed secretly. They didn't want to confess him. Let's stay be removed from the synagogue because they valued the praise of men more than the praise of God. Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
Would you be willing today to publicly tell the world that Jesus Christ is your Savior and that you have believed on him for the salvation of your soul and that you know confidently that he died for your sins and he rose again and he is alive? You know, I have often thought, what would I speak to a public audience if I knew that it was my last time on the pulpit? If I knew that this was my last message and I was never going to speak again, what would I tell the people? And I hope I would tell the people about Jesus Christ.
I hope I would tell you the gospel. You know, the hymn writer put it, tell me the story of Jesus right on my heart every word. Tell how he suffered. Tell of his glory.
Tell how he has risen again. And so today, I don't know if this is my last message, but I want to tell you the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I want to tell you the story one more time of what Jesus did for me on the cross and what he has accomplished and how he is the Savior of the world and how he can be your personal Savior. We read these words.
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all mankind, all people unto me so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who has believed our report. You know, it's so interesting that when Jesus that night went to get semany, he had a heavy heart. He had a burden. He had he had the darkness of Calvary was on his mind and on his heart.
And he referred to Isaiah 53 and he said, the things that are written about me have a fulfillment. And so as I think about the Lord Jesus Christ and who he is and what he has done, I want to refer you today to the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 53. And I'd like you to turn to it. Isaiah 53, in chapter 52, he says, behold my servant.
He speaks about his visage in verse 14. And then he speaks about his coming kingdom in verse 15. But in chapter 53 and verse one is the ultimate question, who has believed? I'm wondering today if there's anybody here at this church and you have not personally believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, maybe you'll come to church.
Maybe you enjoy the singing. Maybe it's a social event for you. But I want to speak to you very directly and very personally today. And I want to tell you from the word of God, you need to believe this message.
And you need to believe it with all your heart. And you need to believe it personally, or you will die in your sins and you will not be in heaven. And that is the truth of the Bible. I'd like to tell you today who the Lord Jesus is.
And I'd like to tell you what he has accomplished. And I'd like to tell you why he came to give his life as a ransom for many. When we look at this passage in Isaiah 53, it is a summary of the humiliation, the sufferings of Jesus Christ and the exaltation. It speaks of his substitutionary death for you individually and for me.
It speaks of how he is able to forgive sin, how he made intercession for transgressors, how he bore the sin of many, and how he accomplished the work that God sent him to do. I want to remind you today that Jesus Christ was human. Yes, he was human. I spoke to a man on the street last Friday night and he said to me, I don't think that Jesus Christ even existed.
This is how blind people are by the God of the age. Others will say, well, he was a historical figure. He was a great teacher and he did many good things. But is he really God?
Did he really accomplish what the Bible says he accomplished? Do you know what's striking? Is he became human? It says in Isaiah 53 that he is a tender plant, a root that spun up out of dry ground when God Almighty looked down on earth and there was no fruit for God, a barren wilderness spiritually.
There was a beautiful tender plant. This is a metaphor of the life of Jesus Christ and how he brought glory and honor to God. He is a tender plant. He is a root out of a dry ground and there was no outward form of man.
He was born in Nazareth. He was born in Nazareth. He was raised in Nazareth. The scripture says, can any good thing come out of Nazareth?
A despised place. He was considered an illegitimate child. He was born out of wedlock. Who is he?
There was no outward majesty that we should desire him. Those who believed in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, they believed they discerned by the unseen eye of faith who he is. He was human. You know, I love that passage in Hebrews that says, we have such a great high priest who is touched with the feelings of our weaknesses.
Who was in all points tested or tempted as we are yet without sin? I want to tell you this. I don't know what you are bearing today. I don't know what burdens or cares that you have in life, but I will tell you this, Jesus Christ was human.
And he bore the cares and the responsibilities and the pressures of life that every single one of us bear. He tasted of humanity. He was tested. He was tempted with all the frustrations and the burdens and the cares that you are tempted with in life.
Yet for him, without sin, never did he fail. He's human. You know what that speaks to my heart today? I have burdens.
I have cares. I have trials. And you do too. We have one who is human in heaven, a glorified man who experienced life like we experienced that.
Yet without sin. He took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the sea of Abraham. Then he might have flesh and blood so that he might destroy our greatest enemy by dying on the cross. The story of Jesus is he is human, but I need you to understand concretely.
He is God Almighty. He is the ultimate source of all things. The Jehovah of the Old Testament, the great I am of eternity. Those who walked with him, they touched him.
They ate with him. They handled him. John says the word of life, which is eternal. They experienced him.
John lay upon his bosom. The last night Peter watched as he saw. The eye witness of the majesty of his glory when he was transfigured before them in the mouth of transfiguration. They experienced Jesus Christ.
Do you know that? He is God. Yet he is human. John one day on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation chapter one, God an amazing revelation.
And here's what he says. He said, behold, he comes with clouds and every eye will see him. And all the world will marvel at his power and his glory. You see, when Jesus Christ came the first time, he came in humility.
He came despised and rejected men. He came in apparent weakness. But he's coming back in power and great glory. And he will take vengeance on those who know not God and have obeyed not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
John and the Isle of Patmos turned to hear this voice to see who is this. And here's what Jesus said. He said, I am the alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end.
I am he that was and is and is to come the Almighty. Was Jesus human? 100% Jesus was human. Is he God?
100% he's God. Now let me ask you this question. Do you believe that? It's critical.
Every person who believes in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior has ever lasting life and will not come into condemnation. But his past from death unto life, he was human. He is God. He was holy.
He was holy. This is something that's very foreign to us because we're not very holy. We are sinful. We have a sinful nature and it drives us to commit habitual sin.
Jesus Christ is holy, holy. You know that the heavens were opened on at least three occasions to declare to the world. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. He was holy.
So can I ask you this? Why is he so despised? Why is he rejected of men? And if you don't believe this, just go down on Spring Garden Road and stand up and publicly announce Jesus Christ as a Savior of the world.
I guarantee you within five minutes you will hear blasphemy. You will hear mockery. You will hear curse words and taking God's name in vain. There is something in the human heart that so naturally despises and rejects Jesus Christ.
What was it like when he came? He came onto his own and his own received him not. He was in the world. The world was made by him and the world knew him not.
They rejected him. They despised him. And this prophecy that was written some 800 years before Christ came was written in detail describing his life despised and rejected, hated and mocked, blasphemed. You know what it says in verse four?
It says surely he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows. Can I stop there for a second? I don't know what your griefs are. Have you ever lost a loved one?
Have you ever experienced deep loss? Have you ever felt rejected? Have you ever been depressed? Have you ever been depressed?
Have you ever gone through intense suffering, emotional suffering maybe because of something that you've done or maybe because of something that someone else has done? You know there are innately sorrows that are associated with this life in which we live and every one of us feel them. And if you haven't felt them, just keep living. And sooner or later in your life you're going to experience sorrow and grief.
You know what's amazing about this? I present to you today a Savior who carried our sorrows who bore our griefs who is God. And yet in an amazing step of humility, he became man. He tasted of all humanity that we experience in this life apart from sin.
And then he tasted death on behalf of every man. He carried our sorrows. What does that mean? When he was here on earth even his own brothers rejected him.
His family made fun of him. He was a song in the drunkards. He was despised by those who sat in authority and leadership. He was rejected by his own nation.
And the Jews when they finally delivered him up to be crucified, they sat down and they watched him. And you know what they were thinking? He deserves this. He made himself God.
He deserves what he is experiencing right now. Do you know how dark and sinful they were? They had absolutely no idea what's in the next verse. He was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for my iniquities. I want to present to you today a Savior who knows your grief, who carries your sorrow, who experienced humanity in every part as you have experienced it, although he never sinned. And he undertook the cause of humanity, suffered for us to bring us to God. He carried our sorrows.
He saw the brokenness of humanity. One day he got in a boat and went to the other side and he saw a man there that was in the tombs, who was cutting himself with stones, who was just chained in the wretchedness of demons. We heard today that he saw a blind man who was begging that he might have his sight back. He saw a man who went out of bed for 38 years, paralyzed.
He saw a woman who had no money. She put in two mites. He went all the way to Samaria to speak to a new moral woman to tell her that she could have a drink of living water. Jesus Christ experienced humanity in whatever you are experiencing, whether it's the sin of your life in the past that sometimes haunts you.
Or whether it's the burdens and cares of life of raising a family and trying to make ends meet, and financially you just can't swing it. Maybe there's emotional experiences that you're having that are deeply personal and no one else knows. I want to encourage you today and I want to tell you, Jesus Christ knows. And he carries them.
And he can give you comfort and sustaining grace in whatever you're experiencing. The ultimate portion of this passage that really reveals who God is is what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Not only did he carry our sorrows and the brokenness of humanity, he was violently put to death. Jesus Christ, God's Son, who's holy, experienced crucifixion.
You know that the inhumane cruelty that men afflicted on Jesus Christ and the sufferings that he bore physically were so intense that he was not even recognizable as human. That's what it says in 52. It says that his visage, the complexion that you could see when you looked at him was so hard, more than that of a human being. Folks, this is God's Son, the King of the Ages, the Creator of the universe, the one who holds it all together.
He stepped into humanity and he took your sin. He took your brokenness. He took your grief. And it was poured out upon him at the cross.
He was violently crucified. It was written in Psalm 22 that his hands were pierced. He could see all of his bones as he looked and stared at that awful experience that he had. Do you know that he was forsaken by God?
The only one that ever pleased God eternally was forsaken by God so that you and I could have our sins forgiven. Violently put to death. There's something about his wounds. Can I tell you what it says in Isaiah 53 and 5?
He was wounded. If you're reading an ESV or an NIV it might say he was pierced. He was pierced through. He was crushed for our iniquities.
What's our iniquities? All the brokenness of my life. All the crookedness of my ways. All the times that I have overstepped the boundaries of God's law.
Every time that I have lied. Every time that I have looked with lust. Every time that I've taken God's name on my lips in vain. Every sin that I have committed my whole entire life.
Jesus Christ was wounded for. Can you say that? Just think about it. How old are you?
How many years have you lived in this world? How many sins have you committed? How deep? How great is that debt?
What atrocities have you committed? All of those were laid on Jesus Christ before you were born. Amazing truth. Amazing truth.
That all the sins of my life were laid on Jesus Christ. He was violently put to death. Why was he put to death? I spoke to a lady a lot of two or five nights ago.
Her name was Brittany. She got off a bus. I gave her a card. She said, is this about Jesus Christ?
I said, yes it is. She said, well what are you going to tell me about Jesus Christ? I said, I'm going to tell you that he was crucified for your sins. She said, impossible.
First of all, she thought I have no sins. Second of all, I don't even think he existed. This is a fairy tale. Third, if he was really God's son, why would God do that to him?
Did he not love his son? Brittany, where do I start? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whoever believes in him will never perish by everlasting life.
Brittany, your sins will take you to hell. The wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life by Jesus Christ, my Lord. Can you say that?
The wages of my sin are death. What did Jesus experience? Death! He is God and he cannot die.
But the man who hung it across died. It's a mystery. No one can explore his strange design. And we sing, and can it be, that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood.
Died he for me? My cause? Amazing love. How can it be that thou, my God, should die for me?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ? It's the critical question of your life. His wounds. Let me tell you about his blood.
Was his blood human blood? Yes, it was human blood. But was he God? Yes, he was God.
Why does the scripture put so much emphasis on his blood? You know that there is only one thing that can take away your sin. Not baptism. Certainly not good works.
By the way, you have no good works. Certainly not going to church. Certainly not. Some ritual.
We're getting on your knees and climbing a mountain. We're doing penance. We're going to confess your sins to a priest. None of those things will take away your sin.
I'm going to tell you what can take away your sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. Praise God. I cannot tell you how many sins I have committed.
And you can't tell me how many sins you have committed. But I'm going to tell you something. If you're sitting here today and you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and you believe that he died on the cross for your sins, and he rose again, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son cleanses us from all sin. And there's nothing better than that.
That is the truth of the Bible. That Jesus Christ is the only one who had no sin. In other words, he qualified. No one else qualified.
I don't care how great a prophet is. Or a religious leader, or the founder of some church, or some religion. Unless they are God. And unless they have never committed sin, they don't qualify.
Jesus Christ was crucified for humanity. He was the substitute for all mankind. He died, he was buried, and he rose again, and he went up into heaven. And men saw it.
They witnessed it. You can read about it in Acts chapter 1. Great as the mystery of Godliness, God, was revealed in flesh, justified in the Spirit, believed on in the world, preached unto the nations, and ascended up into glory. When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
This is the message today. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can take away your sin. He was crucified. He's the substitute for all mankind.
You know, let me make this very, very clear. There's no one in the world that is excluded. He is the substitute for all mankind. And if you are here today living, breathing, and if syndicates God, there is an invitation.
There's an opportunity. There is a call from God for you to come. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
There is a fountain filled with blood. Drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all of their guilty sins. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day. And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
He was silent. It says that he was taken from prison, and he was submissive and silent. Pilot actually marveled at all the accusations that were said about him, and pilot marveled at his silence. Why was he silent under condemnation?
He had no sin. You know why I think he was silent? Because he stood in my place. Because he took my condemnation.
We sing sometimes, burying shame and scoffing rude. In my place, condemned and he stood. Sealed my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah.
What a savior. Do you know him? That's the only thing that matters. On the day that you die, have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ?
Will you be in heaven? He was numbered amongst the transgressors, and he bear the sin of many. You know, I'm so thankful when I read those words. I was a transgressor, and he bore my sin.
And he stood between me, a filthy wretch, and a holy God. And he interceded. And today he stands with no pierced hands in the presence of God. And he says, I intercede for John Wells.
I bore his sin. I bore his punishment. He has my righteousness. He's cleansed.
It says that he interceded for transgressors. And he bore the sin of many. Can I ask you, are you part of the many? Did he bear your sin?
You know what's amazing? It pleased the Lord to bruise him. How can this be? That God's only well-beloved son was crushed to death on behalf of filthy humanity, and it pleased God.
And God in his character has been satisfied. The wrath of God has been appeased. The temple, on the moment that he cried, it is finished. The veil of the temple was ripped open.
The way into the very presence of God was made open. The veil speaks of his flesh. That was so rudely torn. And God now invites all humanity.
Come to Jesus. Receive the forgiveness of your sins. Be washed in the blood of the Lamb. You have an opportunity today to come to Jesus Christ.
It pleased the Lord to bruise him. I'm going to wrap this up with the last thought that I think is critical. You know, it says in verse 11, He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
God will divide him a portion with the great. And he shall divide the spoil with the strong. The Lord Jesus Christ has a coming kingdom. Are you going to be in it?
Are you going to be there? I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to Jerusalem. I'm going to be in Jerusalem, and I might be there God willing physically before I die.
If I don't get there again, I'm going to be in Jerusalem. And I'm going to be reigning with Christ for a thousand years. He has a coming kingdom. And he says in his word that we have the opportunity to be part of that kingdom.
He will divide the spoil. He will be exalted given a name that's above every name and every name we'll bow. When he comes in power and great glory, this world will be devastated by the power that comes from his spoken word. It will destroy the enemies of God.
He will set up a righteous kingdom. He will reign on the earth. And all those in that day that have believed in Jesus Christ will be part of that kingdom. Are you going to be there?
Amen. You know what I say? Amen. Even so.
Come Lord Jesus. Are you ready to be raptured out of here? Amen. I hope it happens this week.
I'm going to tell you something. I'm ready to go. I've had enough of this crazy filthy world. I want my life to be lived with God, with Christ.
I want to be free. From the burdens of life which he offers to everyone of us come to Jesus today. If you're sitting here today and I don't know and you haven't believed in Jesus, I don't know what more to tell you. But I've got these life-altering questions.
Do you believe in the Messiah Jesus Christ? Is he your Lord? Would you be willing this week to confess him before men? When someone says in blasphemy, Jesus Christ.
And you say, that's my Lord and my Savior. You've just taken his name in vain. Whose whoever shall confess me before men. Him also will I confess before my Father.
When he comes. Can you confidently say, this is the ultimate question. Can you personally confidently say, He died for my sins. Did he rise again?
Will you see him? Will you stand in his presence? Will you bow the knee and worship him? Where will you spend eternity?
It all depends on the answer to that greatest question. Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your Son.
We thank you for the cross. We thank you Lord that he suffered so much. He bore my sin. He purchased my redemption with his own precious blood.
We thank you Lord that he rose again and he is alive. And we think about Paul could say, that which is of most importance I delivered unto you. How that Christ died for our sins. He was buried and he rose again and he is alive.
Lord, we thank you for everyone in this church. That even today puts their faith in trust in you. And we pray that as we go this week, that we will be strengthened. That we will be built up.
That we will be confident walking in Christ Jesus. Bless our church. Bless our families. And bless us as we part.
And we thank you that whatever the future holds, we can face tomorrow because we lives. We give you our thanks. In Jesus name. Amen.
We will close with the cause he lives standing as a ravel.