WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 Where we ought to begin, the cross represents forgiveness. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:11.320 There is forgiveness for sinners like you, for sinners like me. 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:26.339 Jesus said on the cross,"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Because of this forgiveness, we come to the second word that Jesus uttered from the cross. 00:00:26.339 --> 00:00:28.839 And that was the word of salvation. 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:33.119 The cross is not just forgiveness, it's reconciliation. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:37.240 It's being brought back into the presence of God. 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:55.840 Jesus said to the thief, "The malefactor, the sinner,"truly I say to you today,"you will be with me in paradise." This is marvelous for all of us to know that there's not just broad general forgiveness. 00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:05.560 There's actually specific forgiveness where we can have a relationship, a right relationship with this holy God. 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:12.640 He's not just our maker and creator, he's our reconciler, redeemer, he's our Lord. 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:19.519 And we can have the assurance that we will be with him for all of eternity. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:30.340 Isn't that the great news of the old covenant where God says, "I will be your God"and you will be my people?" Yes. 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:44.200 So today on the heels of a word of forgiveness, a word of salvation, we have this wonderful word of affection. 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:55.579 Since we're in the gospel of John, let's take a look at John chapter 19, picking up the second half of verse 16. 00:01:55.579 --> 00:01:59.540 And we'll read to verse 27. 00:01:59.540 --> 00:02:20.719 The gospel narrative says,"So they took Jesus"and he went out bearing his own cross"to the place, the place of the skull,"which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:31.860 "There they crucified him"and with him two others,"one on either side and Jesus between them. 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:38.780 "Pilot also wrote an inscription"and put it on the cross. 00:02:38.780 --> 00:02:43.780 "It read Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:51.500 "Many of the Jews read this inscription"for the place where Jesus was crucified"was near the city. 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:56.000 "And it was written in Aramaic, in Latin"and in Greek. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:08.199 "So the chief priest of the Jews said to Pilate,"do not write the King of the Jews,"but rather this man said,"I am King of the Jews. 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:14.319 "Pilot answered, what I have written, I have written. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:24.300 "When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,"they took his garments and divided them"into four parts. 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:29.080 "One part for each soldier, also his tunic. 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:38.199 "But the tunic was seamless,"woven in one piece from top to bottom. 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:46.319 "So they said to one another,"let us not tear it, but cast lots for it"to see whose it shall be. 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:57.539 "This was to fulfill scripture which says,"they divided my garments among them"and for my clothing they cast lots. 00:03:57.539 --> 00:04:11.740 "The soldiers did these things,"but standing by the cross of Jesus"were his mother and his mother's sister,"Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:25.139 "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple"whom he loved standing nearby,"he said to his mother,"Woman, behold your son. 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:32.120 "Then he said to the disciple,"behold your mother. 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:50.399 "And from that hour, the disciple took her"into his own home." That is the biblical text, that's the narrative from John's gospel. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:55.399 And we ask, why did Christ suffer and die on the cross? 00:04:55.399 --> 00:05:06.959 There are many, many reasons why Christ suffered and died on the cross, but here would be one that could answer that question. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:17.720 Christ suffered and died to learn obedience and to be made perfect, to be perfect for us. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:27.259 Do you remember in Matthew chapter three, verse 15, it's the Baptist, he is preaching repentance to the people. 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:38.439 He is telling them that they should forsake their sin and then go through purification, go through the waters. 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:42.839 And Jesus, of course, he is the spotless, sinless Lamb of God. 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:57.800 He comes to John and says, "Baptize me." And John is confused because he knows this is the pure one, the holy one, the one that has never committed any sin and he's reluctant to do that. 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:18.600 But Jesus says to him, "Let it be so now,"for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus is there standing in the place of us as one of us. 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:27.860 He is a man that is going to identify with his people and he's going to fulfill it all. 00:06:27.860 --> 00:06:33.939 Where we haven't fulfilled it all, Christ fulfilled it all. 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:41.139 We did not fulfill the demands of the covenant, the terms of it. 00:06:41.139 --> 00:06:44.480 In Adam, we all fell. 00:06:46.600 --> 00:07:08.879 But Christ is going to be that second man, the last man that will say,"I will do it all on behalf of my people." Hebrews helps us by saying this,"For it was fitting that he, for whom"and by whom all things exist." Hebrews recognizes that yes, Jesus is God. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:26.339 He created everything, but he's also incarnate, that it was fitting that he would bring many sons to glory and should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 00:07:26.339 --> 00:07:28.720 Christ suffered and died. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:35.000 He learned obedience so that we might have his perfection. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:46.800 Later on in Hebrews chapter four, verse 15, we read,"For we do not have a high priest"whose unable to sympathize with our weaknesses." No, he really was man. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:49.480 He was the God-man, he took on flesh. 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:53.000 He could understand our weaknesses. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:06.360 He can sympathize with us, but he's the one who is in every respect that has been tempted as we are, yet he's without sin. 00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:08.319 He suffered all of that. 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:17.339 Hebrews chapter five reads, in verse eight,"Also, he was a son. 00:08:17.339 --> 00:08:37.779 "He learned obedience through what he suffered." Or as Peter writes in his first epistle, chapter two, verse two, "He committed no sin"and neither was deceit found in his mouth." Isn't that wonderful? 00:08:37.779 --> 00:08:43.440 See, Christ suffered and died to learn obedience and be perfect. 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:57.840 If the Son of God had not gone from incarnation to the cross without a life of temptation and pain to test his righteousness and his love, he would not be a suitable savior for fallen man. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:10.679 His suffering not only absorbed the wrath of God, it also fulfilled his true humanity and made him able to call us brothers and sisters. 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:12.340 This is glorious. 00:09:12.340 --> 00:09:23.379 And on the cross, we see Jesus giving us a word where he is fulfilling obedience. 00:09:23.379 --> 00:09:32.019 We see this word of affection in one of its glorious manifestations as a fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:43.200 Do you remember in Luke chapter two, how the story of Simeon, he's the one that's waiting for God's Messiah. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:10:01.039 And he breaks out into a song and he says,"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace"according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation." Can you just imagine the old man holding the child? 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:04.299 I'm seeing your deliverance for your people. 00:10:04.299 --> 00:10:31.600 "For my eyes have seen your salvation"that you have prepared in the presence of all people"a light for revelation to the glory of the Gentiles"and for your people Israel." And then Simeon just says,"You can let your servant depart in peace." But he also goes on and he says something to the mother, Mary. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:44.759 Simeon blesses them and says to Mary,"Behold, this child is appointed for the fall"and the rising of many in Israel. 00:10:44.759 --> 00:11:04.580 "And for the sign that is opposed,"a sword will pierce through your own soul also"so that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Her heart would be pierced through and that's what we see here on the cross. 00:11:04.580 --> 00:11:15.879 Could it be that Mary's the greatest of all privileges was to bring in the greatest of all sorrows, watching the savior her son die? 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:24.039 Never such a bliss at a human birth, never such sorrow at an inhumane death. 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:28.080 No mother ever suffered as she did. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:36.080 His friends may have forsaken him, his nation may despise him, but his mother stands there at the foot of the cross. 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:40.519 Oh, who can fathom or analyze the mother heart? 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:44.080 What would it have been like? 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:47.159 But it fulfilled that prophecy that Simeon gave. 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:53.279 Many of you guys use a catechism with your own children. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:12:00.320 One catechism says, "What's the fifth commandment?" And of course it quotes from Exodus 20 verse 12. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:08.559 The answer is to honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:20.840 Deuteronomy also has the same verse because it's the same 10 commandments given, but in Deuteronomy's account, verse 16, we have an expanded version. 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:26.519 It says, "Honor your father and your mother that the Lord your God commanded you." Why? 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:47.320 "So that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." Christ learned obedience and he is obeying and honoring even to the last moment of his physical life. 00:12:47.320 --> 00:13:19.120 The catechism goes on and says,"What is God's will for you in the fifth commandment?" The answer, that I, that you honor and love and be loyal to my father, to my mother and all those in authority over me, that I obey and submit to them as is proper when they are correct, when they correct and punish me, and also that I be patient with their failings for through them God chooses to rule us. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:27.879 But the answer is it's not just that we obey them, it's that we honor them, that we love our parents and that we're loyal to them. 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:43.039 That brings us to a second great picture here of Christ, that he is the perfect man setting an example for all children of all times to honor their parents. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:52.600 The command for children to honor their parents goes far beyond just bare obedience to their expressed will. 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:56.159 Though of course it includes that. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:58.019 It embraces love and affection. 00:13:58.019 --> 00:14:00.679 It embraces gratitude and respect. 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:07.039 Children owe, children owe their parents a debt that they can never fully discharge. 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:17.679 The very least they can do is to hold their parents in high esteem, to put them in the place of superiority and to reverence them. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:27.360 In the perfect example of the Lord Jesus Christ, we find both obedience and esteem manifested. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:33.139 Furthermore, as it is with us, so it was with Christ. 00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:38.879 The years of obedience to Mary and Joseph ended, but not the years of honor. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:52.240 In the last and awful hour of his human life, amid the infinite suffering of the cross, the Lord Jesus fought of her who loved him and whom he loved. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:15:05.580 Thought of her present necessity and provided for her future needs by committing her to the care of that disciple who most deeply understood his love. 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:16.360 Jesus thought for Mary at that time, and the honor that he gave her was the manifestation of his victory over pain. 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:18.720 Is this not awesome? 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:32.000 He was fulfilling even what we find in the New Testament, not just the old, children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:34.200 Honor your father and your mother. 00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:41.279 This is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. 00:15:41.740 --> 00:15:45.740 Johnathan Edwards capitalizes on this whole idea of example. 00:15:45.740 --> 00:16:00.399 He says, "All the virtues which appeared in Christ"shown brightest in the clothes of his life"under the trial he then met." Eminent virtues always show brightest in the fire. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.960 Pure gold shows its purity chiefly in the furnace. 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:27.220 It was chiefly under those trials which Christ endured in the clothes of his life that his love to God, that his honor to God's majesty, that his regard to honor his law, his spirit of obedience, his humility, contempt of the world, his patience, meekness, and spirit of forgiveness towards men appeared. 00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:36.860 Indeed, everything that Christ did to work out redemption for us appears mainly in the clothes of his life. 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:40.740 Here mainly is his satisfaction for sin. 00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:45.740 Here chiefly is his merit of eternal life for sinners. 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:55.179 And here chiefly appears the brightness of his example, which he set for us for imitation. 00:16:55.179 --> 00:16:57.480 Why did Christ suffer and die? 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:06.220 He suffered and died to call us to follow his example of lowliness and costly love. 00:17:06.220 --> 00:17:12.359 Do you remember what Philippians two said that he humbled himself? 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:19.799 He took on flesh, he humbled himself, even to the point of death, death on the cross. 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:49.039 Hebrews 12 verse three says,"Consider him who endured from sinners"such hostility against himself"so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted." Christ suffered and was obedient so that it would be an example for us in our walk so that when we're going through hardship, we'll look to him and glean from that. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:57.480 First Peter in chapter two verse 19 and in verse 21, who's writing to a church that's being persecuted, that's suffering. 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:31.880 Peter writes, "For this is a gracious thing"when mindful of God, one endures sorrow"while suffering unjustly." And then in verse 21 he says,"For this you have been called"because Christ also suffered for you,"leaving you an example"so that you might follow in his footsteps." Christ suffered and died, honored his mother to the end so that it would be an example for us. 00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:35.839 We might need to hear that word. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:45.079 But when we also look at the cross and we see this word of affection, we should see a tender, compassionate side of Christ. 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:54.359 How many times did Jesus say in the gospel of count, that you will all fall away because of me? 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:57.839 The shepherd will be struck, the sheep will be scattered. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:02.400 And of course some of the disciples were like,"No, that won't happen, not me. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:09.339 "I'll be with you to the end, to death." And of course, you know the story. 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:12.539 We don't need to name names, they all left. 00:19:12.539 --> 00:19:15.680 Every one of them. 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:21.720 Even in John 18 verse 19, the high priest even asked like,"And where's your disciples? 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:23.220 "Where are your followers? 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:40.759 "How can we believe you and even those that were closest"forsook you?" Some of us have forsooking Christ at a moment of time, but we have a word here for all of us, when that has occurred. 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:46.539 Is there one who has wandered away from the side of the Savior? 00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:50.039 Who is no longer enjoying sweet communion with him? 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:52.440 Who is in a word, a backslider? 00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:55.539 Perhaps in the hour of trial, you denied Christ. 00:19:55.539 --> 00:19:58.519 Perhaps in the time of testing, you failed. 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:09.180 You have given more thought to your own interest rather than Christ, the honor of his name, which you bear you have lost sight of. 00:20:09.180 --> 00:20:25.039 Oh, may the arrow of conviction now enter your conscience, may divine grace melt your heart, may the power of God draw you back to Christ, where you, where alone your soul can find satisfaction and peace. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:28.500 Here is a word of encouragement for you. 00:20:28.500 --> 00:20:30.539 What is that word of encouragement? 00:20:30.539 --> 00:20:35.539 Well, remember, Christ did not rebuke John on returning. 00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:42.619 Instead, his wondrous grace bestowed on him an unspeakable privilege. 00:20:42.619 --> 00:20:49.059 We are to cease our wandering and return once to Christ. 00:20:49.059 --> 00:21:13.279 He will greet you, he will greet me with a word of welcome and cheer and who knows, but he might give us some honor, some commission that may await us just like John, where he entrusted his mother to his care, one that left him, one that forsook him. 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:21.420 A fourth glorious thing that we see is an illustration of Christ prudence. 00:21:21.420 --> 00:21:31.299 Isaiah says in Isaiah 52 verse 13, that he shall act wisely, he shall act prudently. 00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:37.539 And we do see this on the cross that Christ is acting prudently. 00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:50.119 Christ is not saying I'm going to honor my mother to the very end and hand my mother over to my other brothers, fleshly brothers who are unbelievers. 00:21:50.660 --> 00:22:00.460 No, he's going to hand that care over to someone that is redeemed, that is in the faith, that is in the household. 00:22:00.460 --> 00:22:03.799 He acted very prudently. 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:17.140 Moreover, in commending his mother to the care of his beloved apostle, the savior displayed wise discrimination in his choice of the one who was henceforth to be her guardian. 00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:28.019 Perhaps there was none who understood the Lord so well as his mother, and it is almost certain that none had apprehended his love so deeply as had John. 00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:38.440 Yes, we do see that the servant acted wisely, prudently when dealing with this situation. 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:52.039 Here we see therefore how they would be fit companions for each other in as much as there was an intimate bond of common sympathy uniting them together and uniting them to Christ. 00:22:52.039 --> 00:23:05.720 Thus there was none so well suited to take care of Mary, none whose companion she would find so congenial, and on the other hand, there was none whose fellowship John would enjoy more. 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:07.960 A fifth. 00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:17.640 We see that spiritual relationships must not ignore the responsibilities of nature. 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:21.279 This is practical, listen. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:33.880 No duty, no work, however important it may be, can excuse us from discharging the obligations of nature, from caring for those who have fleshly claims upon us. 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:45.640 Not in 2019, but in 1919, A.W. Pink points out three ways that we could apply this to our lives. 00:23:45.640 --> 00:24:00.740 He says, "They who go forth as missionaries to labor in heathen lands and who leave their children behind or who send them back to homeland to be cared for by strangers are not following the steps of the Savior. 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:20.359 These women who spend most of their time at public meetings, even though they may be religious meetings or who go down to the slums to minister to poor and needy, to neglect their own family at home, but do bring reproach upon the name and the cause of Christ. 00:24:20.359 --> 00:24:57.339 Those men, even though they stand at the forefront of Christian work, who are so busy preaching and teaching that they have no time to discharge the obligations that they owe to their own wives and children, need to study and practice the principle exemplified here by Christ on the cross." Friends, don't over-spiritualize your service at the neglect of the things that God has put clearly in front of you. 00:24:57.339 --> 00:25:02.880 Six, there's a universal that is exemplified here. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:10.880 Jesus said, "Behold, behold your son." Woman, behold. 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:15.859 Here is the epitome of the divine salvation. 00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:28.059 Deliverance from the wrath to come, forgiveness of sins, acceptance with God is obtained, not by deeds of merit, not by good works, not by religious ordinances. 00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:37.740 No, salvation comes by beholding, behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world. 00:25:37.740 --> 00:25:42.079 There is life in a look. 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:46.119 There is life in a look. 00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:50.759 Have you beheld the divine sufferer, the Lord Jesus Christ? 00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:58.299 Have you seen him dying on the cross, just the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God? 00:25:58.299 --> 00:26:02.799 Mary was to look to Christ. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:05.700 We're to look to Christ. 00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:10.079 You must look to Christ. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:15.980 Mary, the mother of Christ, indeed needed to behold him. 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:18.380 And so must you. 00:26:18.380 --> 00:26:23.380 Look, look unto Christ and you shall be saved. 00:26:23.380 --> 00:26:32.119 Seventh and finally, here we see the marvelous blending of Christ's perfections. 00:26:32.119 --> 00:26:36.200 Here we see Christ's perfections in full view. 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:43.940 This is the one of the greatest wonders of his person, the blending of the most perfect human affections with his divine glory. 00:26:43.940 --> 00:26:56.019 The very gospel which most of all show him to be God is here, careful to prove that he was man, the word made flesh. 00:26:56.019 --> 00:27:03.559 Engaged as he was in the divine transaction, making atonement for all the sins of all his people. 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:11.400 Many of his mightiest works were done on the highway, in the cottages or among the little groups of sufferers. 00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:24.200 Many of his words, which today are still unfathomable and inexhaustible in their wealth of meaning, were uttered almost casually as he walked with a few friends. 00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:28.279 And so it is here we see at the cross. 00:27:28.279 --> 00:27:32.279 He was performing the mightiest work of all history. 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:52.359 He was engaged in doing that, which in comparison the creating of the world fades into utter insignificance, yet he forgets not to make provision for his mother, much as he might have done and had been together in the home of Nazareth. 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:58.680 Rightly it was to be say, his name shall be called wonderful. 00:27:58.680 --> 00:28:02.079 Yes, his name shall be called wonderful. 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:04.579 Wonderful he is in all that he did. 00:28:04.579 --> 00:28:07.319 Wonderful he was in all that he did. 00:28:07.319 --> 00:28:12.319 Wonderful he was in every relationship that he sustained. 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:19.000 Wonderful he was in his person and wonderful he was in his work. 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:24.000 Wonderful he was in his life and wonderful in his death. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:41.640 Let us wonder and adore this Jesus who died for sinners by giving a word of affection and honoring his mother, his parents, even to his dying words. 00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:45.559 This should cause us to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:48.720 This is what he's done on the cross. 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:49.559 Let us pray. 00:28:49.559 --> 00:28:56.759 Oh Lord, we thank you for your example. 00:28:56.759 --> 00:29:03.599 May it encourage us in our walk as we follow you. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:26.799 Lord, some of us have not honored those that we should have and we ask Lord that you would grant us forgiveness and newness of life to respect those that have been placed in authority over us by your good hand. 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:44.359 Lord, we thank you that you did suffer and die to secure people that may have backslidden but then you restore to yourself even like John and giving him a work. 00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:49.519 Oh Lord, may we work in your kingdom for your honor and for your glory. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:52.220 In Christ's name we pray, amen. 00:29:52.220 --> 00:30:02.220 [BLANK_AUDIO]