The Suffering and Death of Christ

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. I will admit to you that it was rather difficult for me to study for this message. It seems like a pretty heavy message, and yet it's something that I think we need to be reminded of, I need to be reminded of. [00:00:36] And also, as I studied, I just felt like somehow Satan didn't want this to come out this morning. I don't know why, it just seemed there was a lot of distraction. So, I ask that you pray for me if you think about it this morning. This message should be a message of hope for the redeemed Christian. It's not very pleasant to talk about the death and dying of our Lord. And I was reminded of something that I heard in the program the other evening. [00:01:09] One of the girls said something like this, a king dying for his people. It kind of seems like a backward concept of what we think of in our humanistic way of thinking. And yet, this is something that we're all familiar with. We know that we have a Savior. I trust we do. And we sense His presence with us each day. And I trust that as we talk about these things, as we consider this this morning, [00:01:42] It brings a deeper appreciation for our Lord and what He has done for us. And it also deepens our love for Him and gives us a passion to serve Him. I was just minded to simply share on the suffering of our Lord this morning. There would be a lot of prophecies we could look at as far as what was the foretelling of Him coming. [00:02:14] And we know that scarcely had man fallen. God had a way to pick that up again. He had a plan in place to redeem us back, to buy us back. But I have chosen not to look at very many of those. I think all of us are familiar with Isaiah 53. There's a lot in that chapter about the suffering of our Lord and there would be a lot more. But I've simply chosen to try to take us on a journey from the upper room or from the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross, the grave and beyond. [00:02:50] There's one thing that I thought of. There have been many deaths. There have been martyrs. There have been people that have been tortured beyond what I can imagine. People that have been burned. But this death, this suffering is different. Because those people died because of the hope they had. Because of this death, they died. Because of the hope. And I think we need to recognize that this was something different. This was the ultimate. This was the ultimate sacrifice. And although it's hard for me to understand, I think, and I haven't spent probably as much time as I should studying Jewish culture, but I think for a Jew to become converted and see the sacrifice, I think they kind of understood that. [00:03:45] Maybe a little bit better than I do, because they were used to seeing the blood of the bulls. They were used to having a sacrifice for sins. Now, I don't think they understood it before conversion, but I think it became very clear to them after they were converted. I think this morning I'll just read quite a bit of scripture, and I think I'm going to start in Luke chapter 22, if you want to turn to that. This is the account of when he went to the Garden of Gethsemane, the suffering in the garden. [00:04:20] I think I'm going to read from chapter 22 from verse 39 to 46 for now. Now, as I did this, I don't know if I've ever done this before, and I don't know why I didn't. I've heard this since I was a little boy attending church. But I felt it was necessary for me to map this thing out, at least in my mind, where he went. [00:04:54] And it was kind of interesting to see where Jesus went. We'll start with verse 39, Luke 22. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. [00:05:28] And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow. And he said unto them, Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. This seems to me the first stop after the upper room or the last supper. [00:06:03] And in the garden there, I think Jesus' suffering started. Maybe I would imagine that his emotional suffering started before then. But I think that when he looked in that cup and he saw the terrible agony he would have to endure, the horror of crucifixion, and probably even worse, the separation from God, I think he was suffering mentally. [00:06:35] And a lot of what I'm going to say, I have a, what I'm going to share this morning, a lot of it may be in terms of physical suffering. I have, we have some reading there at home, a medical doctor went into great detail. I am not going to read all that he said, but it is just, it's almost too gruesome to go to great detail. But I think one thing we need to remember was the mental anguish that Jesus was in was probably greater than the physical anguish. [00:07:13] And maybe we'll speak some more about that later on. I chose to read this especially because I think Luke is the only one that, and he was the physician of the disciples, I think. He was the, I think he was a doctor. He was the only one that mentioned about the great drops of blood falling down to the ground that I could find. Maybe there's another gospel that shares that, but that was the only one I could find. And in medical terms, this is a rare phenomena. This is something that's kind of rare, and they have a term for it, but the common term is bloody sweat. [00:07:50] I don't know if you are familiar with that. I wasn't familiar with that. But I guess it simply comes or happens when there's great emotional stress. I cannot imagine, I have, probably all of us have worked up a sweat, but I have never seen anything like this. It happens, the tiny capillaries in the sweat glands break, thus mixing blood with sweat. And he said that this process alone weakens, could produce a marked weakness and possible shock, this process alone. [00:08:31] So we see Jesus in agony, praying, and yet I think that he was submissive to the Father, even though he was under great duress. But I don't think I can imagine even the shock that he took in the garden Knowing what he was facing Now there's much more that could be said I think I'll just continue reading there And I'm not going to make much comment about the next section here that I'm going to read [00:09:04] It's simply about his betrayal and the arrest I'm going to start at verse 47 and stop at verse 53 And while he yet spake, behold, a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? [00:09:38] and one of them smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said unto the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders which were come to him, Be ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves. When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me, but this is your hour and the power of darkness. and thus they took him in. [00:10:13] I think that, and there's a lot that could be said, I think one other gospel says that it was Peter that struck the ear or hit the other person and cut his ear off. It was the servant of the high priest actually. I also think that they had a purpose for arresting or getting Jesus in the garden. I think that if they tried that in the temple, There probably would have been a riot, but by doing it where they did it, they were, and of course, we must remember that God allowed it. It was not something that they were doing because they were able to do it, but because God allowed them to do it. We need to keep that in mind. [00:10:56] Now I would like to turn back to Matthew 26. The next stop would be Caiaphas' house, the Jewish consul. I think I'm going to read Matthew 26 from 57 to 68. Maybe make some comments on that one then. This was after they had taken him over there. And I'm sure this is just going to be a brief overview of what actually happened. [00:11:32] We wouldn't get done with all of it this morning. I don't think we could go into a lot of different directions with this. Actually, I'm going to start at verse 59, I believe. Now the chief priests and elders and all the consuls sought false witness against Jesus to put him to death. But found none. Yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. [00:12:08] And the high priest arose and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace, and the high priest answered and said, unto him I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God Jesus saith unto him thou hast said nevertheless I say unto you hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man [00:12:39] sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven then the high priest rent his clothes saying he hath spoken blasphemy What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty. Then did they spit in his face and buffeted him, and others smote him with the pounds of their hands, saying, Prophecy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee? [00:13:18] I cannot imagine the grief that Jesus was going through. And I don't know. He was placed in a trial where there was no good alternative. The outcome was decided before he got there. It was not something that they did after. We notice that in verse 59, I believe, that they had made up their mind already. I don't know if we, I don't think I have ever been in a situation, I wonder how it would feel if you would have a band of people, your own people, these were his, from his background, and all of a sudden all these people were coming at him, probably verbally, and in the end they did it physically as well. [00:14:18] Their questions deserved an answer. I would guess not. But we see then that he did answer in verse 64. He was truthful with Caiaphas. Caiaphas got a truthful answer, but the verdict was reached long before he got to this point. And it was at this point they started to spit him in the face and slap him with the palms of their hands. He was innocent, but they condemned him to die of blasphemy. [00:14:53] But I think if we read, if we study this, I think we also see that the Jews really had no power to put him on the cross. They got him before the council maybe out of spite more than anything because they had no power to condemn him really. And so it was that they handed him over to Pilate for a trial. Actually, it says in 27 verse 2 that they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. [00:15:32] And I think I'm going to read that in Matthew 27, now starting at verse 11, the trial before Pilate. I think I'm going to read from 11 to 31. And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? [00:16:07] and he answered him to never a word insomuch that the governor marveled greatly now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner whom they would and they had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas therefore when they were gathered together Pilate said unto them whom will ye that I release unto you Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ For he knew that for envy they had delivered him [00:16:39] When he was set down on the judgment seat his wife sent unto him saying Have thou nothing to do with that just man For I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus The governor answered and said unto them Weather of the twain will ye that I release unto you, they said Barabbas. [00:17:10] Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, He took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See ye to it. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us and on our children. [00:17:44] Then released he Barabbas unto them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers, and they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe and when they had plaited a crown of thorns they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying hail king of the Jews and they spit upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head and after that they had mocked him [00:18:20] they took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucify him. There is, again, much that could be said here. When he came to Pilate, I noticed this, I think it was in verse 11. When he came to Pilate, the Jews knew one thing. They knew that Pilate would not condemn him for blasphemy because he was the secular governor from Rome. He was not with them as far as their religion. [00:18:54] but they understood also that if they could make him say that he is a king then they might have a little more of a foothold in having him condemned by Pilate. It seems as though Pilate knew he was innocent and he tried several times to clear himself but he didn't stand a chance because of the crowd. And of course, I'm not sure which gospel it is, but you read that he sent him to Herod. [00:19:28] And Herod questioned him, but he never answered. I think Herod wanted to see a miracle from Jesus, but Jesus wouldn't allow him that miracle. And I think that if we think about it, Jesus was probably simply, by not saying anything, he was saying that you don't deserve. To make the Son of Man a court jester as he would try to make him perform something just for the sake of performance. [00:20:01] But he was sent back to Pilate without saying a word to Herod. And there it was that Pilate finally washed his hands before the crowd and said that he is innocent of the blood of Jesus. I don't know. It seems to me that Pilate is guilty. I'm not here to condemn or... I'll just leave that. And then it was that he allowed Jesus to be scourged. [00:20:36] And I don't know if we have... he allowed his soldiers to scourge him. I don't think that I could stand seeing my worst enemy scourged like that. I'm not a trained soldier. I have never seen death and dying the way that they might have. But I was amazed. And here again I'm going to refer to the medical terms this medical doctor had. Some of this almost blows you away when you think about it. [00:21:08] And especially when you think about an innocent man, God in human flesh, being treated like that. It's almost more than you can take. I'll just read some of this. And he just elaborates on how they did this. Preparations for the scourging were carried out. The prisoner is stripped of his clothes. His hands are tied to a post above his head. It is doubtful whether the Romans made any attempt to follow the Jewish law in the matter of scourging. [00:21:39] The Jews had an ancient law prohibiting more than 40 lashes. I think if I remember right, they could give 39, if they gave them 39 lashes, they were allowed to do it again. And if they gave them 40, that was it. I'm not sure. I didn't spend a lot of time looking into that. But I think this is what he's talking about. Maybe he says it here. The Pharisees, always making sure the law was strictly kept, insisted that only 39 lashes be given. In the case of miscount, they were sure of remaining within the law. [00:22:14] But the Romans probably didn't even abide by that. And now we have a Roman soldier with a whip consisting of several heavy leather thongs The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' back and shoulders. At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only and then as the blows continue they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial blood from vessels in the underlying muscles. [00:22:55] The small balls of lead first produce large, deep bruises which are broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn bleeding tissue. When it is determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is finally stopped. I cannot imagine. This was our Lord. This was our Savior. Took it for me. The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. [00:23:29] And here the Roman soldiers, they allowed, Pilate for some reason allowed the Roman soldiers to mock Jesus in a very cruel way. And then he's talking about this mockery and what they did when they took his own clothes off. and can you imagine getting that scarlet robe on the back of a bleeding back? I cannot imagine the suffering that was going on here. They thought it was a joke. The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement. [00:24:03] Wet with his own blood, the Roman soldiers see a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be king. They throw a robe across his shoulders and place a stick in his hand for a scepter. they still need a crown to make their travesty complete a small bundle of flexible branches covered with long thorns are plated into the shape of a crown and this is pressed into his scalp again there is copious bleeding the scalp being one of the most vesicular I'm not sure about all these medical terms [00:24:34] what they even mean but I think that means that there would be a lot of vessels there The scalp being one of the most vascular areas of the body After mocking him and striking him across the face The soldiers take the stick from his hand and strike him across the head Driving the thorns deeper in his scalp Finally they tire of their sadistic sport And the robe is torn off his back This had already become adherent to the clots of blood And serum in the wounds and its removal [00:25:04] Just as in the careless removal of a surgical wound Surgical bandage causes excruciating pain, almost as though he were again being whipped and the wounds begin to bleed. Unimaginable pain. I don't see how they could stand by, how they could inflict that amount of pain. And yet Jesus, Jesus took it all for us. and then he had released him to be crucified [00:25:39] and I think I'm just going to continue reading maybe I'll read from verse 31 to 60 now stop at verse 60 this is the story of the crucifixion and the journey to Golgotha starting in verse 32 now and as they came out they found a man of Kyrene, Simon by name Him they compelled to bear his cross. And again, in my studying, I thought that the cross, they expect the cross was about 110 pounds. [00:26:11] And in his weakened state, there was probably no way that he could handle that much. 110 pounds would probably be possible to carry if you were in good health and a strong man. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall, and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink. And they crucified him and parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. [00:26:43] 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 his accusation written, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself. [00:27:15] If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him with the scribes and 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, if he will have him. For he said, I am the son of God. The thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth. [00:27:46] Now from the sixth hour there was darkness all over the land unto the ninth hour. At about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, lama sapatani, I don't think I'm pronouncing that quite right. That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink. [00:28:22] The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly, this was the Son of God. [00:29:02] And many women were there beholding a far-off which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him. Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's children. When the evening was come, there was a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered, and when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock. [00:29:43] And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed. Now that's the story of the crucifixion as recorded in Matthew. And there's some differences. I found some differences in different Gospels, but in what he said, some of the things that he said, and I didn't read that they came and stuck the spear in his side. In this particular Gospel, I think you can read that in others. But there would be many things that we could talk about in this passage. [00:30:15] Can you imagine the back that was laid on the cross, crisscrossed with stripes? And we could go on and on. There was the darkness that came for three hours, the earthquakes, the rocks that were rent, the people that came out of the graves. I have no idea how that would feel today. I think maybe we would be scared if it would happen. I wonder if some of these people weren't, I am sure that some of them were having second thoughts about all this. [00:30:51] But I would like to again just focus a little bit on the suffering of, the physical suffering of Jesus. And I hope that this is not too much for you. I thought it was almost too much for me. I had never really just sat down and I don't know if I had read all of this before or not. But maybe I'll just read some of what this medical doctor said about the physical suffering as they put him on the cross. There's one thing that traditionally I think we think that the nails went through his hand and he said that would never work. [00:31:27] The hand in their terminology included the wrist and probably the nails went through the wrist. I don't know that it matters, but he's just saying that had he been hanging by the hands, probably they would have pulled out. Now, I cannot imagine having a nail, a big spike going through the wrist or the hand. But I'll just read a little bit of what he says. And he goes back kind of over the same thing that I read. Maybe I'll just skip some of this. [00:31:58] The crucifixion begins. Jesus is offered the wine mixed with myrrh, a mild, not sure what that word is, painkiller, I think it is. He refuses to drink, and Simon is ordered to place, Simon was carrying the cross, is ordered to place the cross on the ground, and Jesus is quickly thrown backward with his shoulder against the wood. And then the legionnaire, the man, fastened his hands on, He drives a heavy square wrought iron nail through his wrist and deep into the wood. [00:32:33] Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms down too tightly, but to allow some flexing movement or some movement. And again, this is just his idea. There were thieves on each side of him being crucified as well. Well, may I say that if I was there, I would sense that I deserved this. I would sense that, but Jesus was innocent. [00:33:04] He didn't deserve any of this. And then he goes on to say the left foot is pressed backward against the right foot. And I don't know if this is his imagination. I think most people commonly it is held that they had something that they could put their weight on at the bottom. And I think this is where he is coming from. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot and with both feet extended a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. [00:33:36] The victim is now crucified. And as he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he pulls his full weight on the nail through his feet. Again, there is searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves. [00:34:07] between the metatarsal bones of the feet. I don't know if I can imagine what kind of pain that was. I've never had anything close to that. At this point, another phenomena occurs. As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward. Hanging by his arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. [00:34:41] Air can be drawn into the lungs but cannot be exhaled. And here he is, he fights to raise himself in order to get even one short breath. And finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside spasmodically. A lot of these terms are above my head. I'll just have to admit that to you. He is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen. It is undoubtedly during these periods that he uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded, [00:35:17] and that could probably be a message in itself. But I believe, with all the physical pain that Jesus had, I think that somehow, and it was horrible, I know it was, I was just brought to that realization in studying this, but I believe that somehow, somehow that pain was not as great as the pain of rejection that he has from us. I'm not sure if I have time for this. [00:35:52] I was reminded of the story that Brother Linford Hostetler shared with the choir that one year and somewhere Rachel came up with a copy of this. And I think that with all the pain, there's no greater pain to God than when we walk away from God, when we reject what he did for us. I think maybe I'll just read a little bit of this story. I think most of you know this story. You've heard it before, but I guess it doesn't hurt to read it again. [00:36:27] This is a story about a man, and I guess I'll just read it. In the summer of 1937, John Griffith took his eight-year-old son Greg with him to work for the first time. And I'm not reading the whole story. Little Greg was understandably thrilled at the great railroad bridge and stirring excitement as the trains roared across it. He marveled at the control house filled with all sorts of levers over which his daddy had absolute sovereign control. [00:36:58] His father took him to an observation deck and told him that out here he could watch the boats and trains go by. At noon, John Griffith put the bridge up to allow for some ships, but that were coming. Since there would not be a train for some while, he made his way along the catwalk to the observation deck. There he opened his brown bag, and he and Greg had lunch. As they ate, John shared with his son some of the stories of various ships that had gone by and of the time the great flood had overflowed the banks of the Mississippi. [00:37:32] Just as John was telling his son that story, he was startled by the shrieking of a train whistle in the distance. He quickly looked at his watch. It was 107. He had forgotten the express for Memphis. With 400 people on board, it would be roaring across the bridge in only a few moments. He leaped from the observation deck to the catwalk. John raced back to the control tower. He placed his hand upon the massive iron controls and started to close the bridge. [00:38:05] He glanced down under the bridge to see if there were any ships beneath it. A sight caught his eye that brought his heart leaping into his throat. Greg had slipped from the observation deck and fallen into the great gears that operated the bridge. Greg's left leg was caught in the cogs of the two main gears. John knew if he pushed the lever, his son would be ground. His mind whirled in panic and desperation. [00:38:37] There was no way to free his son. The train would be upon the bridge. Again the train whistle shrieked and he could hear the clicking of the locomotive wheels and rapid puffing and the approaching train. There were 400 passengers on that train, 400 souls. John was a father, and this was his boy. [00:39:09] He knew what he had to do. He heaved the lever and the massive gears. The Memphis Express thundered across the bridge. John lifted his face, smeared with tears, and he looked into the passing windows of the train. Businessmen were reading the afternoon paper Conductors were looking at their large vest pocket watches And finely dressed ladies sipped coffee in the dining car While children pushed long spoons into dishes of ice cream [00:39:40] With wrenching agony, John Griffith cried out to the steel train I sacrificed my son Don't you care? Nobody heard The train rushed on John Griffith had experienced the ultimate sorrow, the sacrifice of his only son, just as God had done on Golgotha. There Jesus can be heard today, is it nothing to you? Surely his life and death mean everything. [00:40:13] The greatest offering, the ultimate sacrifice, the incomparable gift There is nothing in all the world which has so much to do with each one of us As the death and birth of Jesus Christ That really touched me as I read that story again And thinking about what Jesus did I think that the greatest agony that Jesus had Was the rejection of the people And you know what? I think Jesus saw me. [00:40:49] I think he knew where I was, where I would be. I think that the greatest rejection that Jesus has today is when people profess to be his children, and yet they live in disobedience. And also, there is one other thing. There are many other things that could be said about the death of Jesus. I think the complete separation from God is another thing that could be talked about for a long time. And there's more that I thought of. [00:41:22] He was placed in a grave and it was interesting that when it was time for him to be placed in the grave, who came forward? The disciples had fled. It was this Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin. He was also a secret follower of Jesus. And I think also that Nicodemus came forward, and this is recorded in John 19, I believe. [00:41:55] Anyway, they took him and put him in the grave. Now, having said all this, I would like to leave this on a different note. There's victory in Jesus. There were two things that really jumped out at me, and Wendell already alluded to one of them this morning, and I don't plan to go into a lot of detail. I would just like to leave this as a closing thought. One of them was the veil that was rent in the temple. [00:42:27] All of us today are able to go in the Holy of Holies to have fellowship with the Father. And I would like for us to remember that this morning. Jesus won a great victory. Victory over death. Victory over sin. We can come to Him directly. And there is another thing that struck me again. And I'm not going to take the time to read this. The empty tomb. The empty tomb. He's not there. This morning, he's in heaven. We serve a risen Savior. He is at the right hand of God and he's not only there, he's interceding for us. We have an advocate in heaven. [00:43:18] So praise the Lord Though it was a horrible thing to do It wasn't right The victories won this morning We have to claim that victory Shall we come before the Lord in prayer?