The Weight of Sin and the Lightness of Grace: Christ’s Atonement in Isaiah 53

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] We will pray for that. We're going to be continuing in the gospel of Luke chapter 22. Yeah, you could turn that down if you want. I think it's a little high. Pastor Andy read a call to worship from Luke 22, I believe the first 20 verses, and our sermon text will just continue where he left off. So he left off with the institution of the Lord's Supper, and we're
[00:00:30] going to start in Luke and then go to Isaiah 53. But let's start here in Luke 22, right where Pastor Andy left off, now in verse 21. Right as our Lord is instituting the Lord's
[00:00:45] Supper, then in the midst of the assembly, it should be a holy assembly, and yet there is one who is not holy. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the
[00:00:58] table. And truly the Son of Man goeth as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed. And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do
[00:01:10] this thing. And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so.
[00:01:26] But he that is greatest among you, let him be as that younger, and he that is chief as he that doth serve.
[00:01:33] For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth?
[00:01:38] But is it not he that sitteth at meat?
[00:01:41] But I am among you as he that serveth.
[00:01:43] Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto your kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom,
[00:01:53] and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
[00:01:57] And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
[00:02:04] But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.
[00:02:07] When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
[00:02:09] And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death.
[00:02:15] He said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
[00:02:23] And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked you anything?
[00:02:29] And they said, Nothing.
[00:02:31] Then said he unto them, But now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip, and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
[00:02:39] For I say unto you, That this that is written must yet be accomplished in me.
[00:02:45] And he was reckoned among the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end.
[00:02:51] And they said, Lord, here be two swords.
[00:02:55] He said, it is enough.
[00:02:56] And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed him.
[00:03:02] And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
[00:03:07] And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeling down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.
[00:03:15] Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.
[00:03:17] There appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
[00:03:23] And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly.
[00:03:27] And his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
[00:03:32] When he rose up from prayer and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow.
[00:03:39] Sounds familiar.
[00:03:40] And said unto them, Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
[00:03:49] May God add his blessing and understanding to the reading of his holy word.
[00:03:54] Let's pray.
[00:03:55] Heavenly Father, please help me now.
[00:03:58] Thank you for your healing in my body.
[00:04:00] And now strengthen me in my voice, but especially my mind and my spirit and my heart, Lord, that I might preach forth that which you would have.
[00:04:09] Open the ears of the hearers here, and I pray others, hopefully my own family watching at home, that they might receive, for truly faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. May it
[00:04:21] be so this night, to salvation and to your glory. In Christ's name we thank you. Amen.
[00:04:28] Tonight, I want to show you where you are in this story I just read. Did you see yourself there?
[00:04:36] Perhaps you didn't hear your name, but you're there nevertheless, and I want you to see that as we move forward. Here in the garden, you are there. It mentions you in this passage. And we'll
[00:04:49] come back to it in a moment. But in this passage, we have Jesus telling his disciples that the scriptures must be fulfilled. Notice he says again here in verse 37, for I say unto you that
[00:05:09] this that is written must yet be accomplished in me and he was reckoned among the transgressors for the things concerning me have an end so they still don't quite understand that he's getting ready to be on the cross the next day he's saying look i am here all of this is fulfilling prophecy
[00:05:29] as a matter of fact this specific prophecy that he quotes in this precious time this night that we remember after the Lord's Supper? And where does he quote from? Where is he quoting from?
[00:05:42] Isaiah chapter 53. Those of you who know Isaiah chapter 53, this is the main Old Testament passage, or perhaps the most preeminent Old Testament passage that talks specifically about the atoning sacrifice of Christ, of him dying for us, of him bearing our sins and iniquities.
[00:06:01] But here is the place where Christ makes it abundantly clear that he is undeniably and without question the one that is specifically spoken of 700 years earlier in Isaiah chapter 53 by quoting this passage and applying it directly to himself.
[00:06:23] Let's take a look in Isaiah 53 where we'll find that quoted.
[00:06:27] You see that in the last verse of the chapter, verse 12, where it says, Therefore will I divide him, and the question is, who's the him?
[00:06:35] A portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled with the strong.
[00:06:39] Who's the he?
[00:06:40] Because he hath poured out his soul unto death.
[00:06:43] Who's the he?
[00:06:44] And he was numbered with the transgressors.
[00:06:46] There it is.
[00:06:47] Reckoned with the transgressors.
[00:06:49] Numbered with the transgressors.
[00:06:50] Jesus is quoting Isaiah 53 and saying, this is for me, and this has not yet happened, and there's a purpose for this.
[00:06:59] And so, since that's the case, the he here is Jesus Christ.
[00:07:02] As a matter of fact, the he is Jesus Christ, not just in verse 12, but in verses 1 through 12 of Isaiah 53.
[00:07:09] So let's read that for a moment there.
[00:07:14] Isaiah 53, verse 1, Who hath believed our report?
[00:07:17] And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
[00:07:19] For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground.
[00:07:25] He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
[00:07:30] He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him.
[00:07:37] He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[00:07:39] Who's the he here?
[00:07:41] Jesus.
[00:07:42] How do we know?
[00:07:43] Because he said so.
[00:07:44] When did he say it?
[00:07:45] When he just quoted verse 12 in this chapter.
[00:07:49] The he is the same he throughout this whole chapter, okay?
[00:07:53] Continuing on verse 4.
[00:07:54] Surely he, Jesus, hath borne our griefs.
[00:07:58] What do you mean borne?
[00:08:00] Bare, right?
[00:08:01] Bare.
[00:08:02] Okay, he's borne our griefs.
[00:08:04] He's carried them.
[00:08:04] He's carried our sorrows.
[00:08:06] Yet we did esteem him stricken and smitten of God and afflicted.
[00:08:09] But he was wounded for our transgressions.
[00:08:12] He was bruised, why?
[00:08:13] For our sins, our iniquities.
[00:08:16] The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
[00:08:18] And with his stripes in the back, with the whip, we are healed.
[00:08:24] All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him, who's the him?
[00:08:32] Jesus, the iniquity of us all.
[00:08:35] He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.
[00:08:38] He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
[00:08:43] He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation?
[00:08:47] For he was cut off from the land of the living.
[00:08:50] Why? For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
[00:08:54] And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
[00:09:03] Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.
[00:09:05] He hath put him to grief, when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.
[00:09:09] He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
[00:09:15] He, verse 11, who's the he?
[00:09:18] Y'all are catching on.
[00:09:19] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.
[00:09:23] And by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.
[00:09:27] Why?
[00:09:28] For he shall bear their iniquities.
[00:09:32] And who's the there?
[00:09:34] See, you're in the story.
[00:09:36] I'm in the story.
[00:09:38] You see?
[00:09:42] Verse 12.
[00:09:42] Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many,
[00:09:54] and made intercession for the transgressors.
[00:09:57] that's us once again Isaiah 53 notice all of this that he went through now certainly he was oppressed afflicted in different ways before the cross but his main passion if you will is starts tonight the Lord's Supper and of course
[00:10:19] in the garden we see that he's very troubled and then of course he's been and betrayed by Judas, and we know from there he goes through the gauntlet of sufferings, being kept up all night and beaten and then arraigned in the morning or brought into the
[00:10:36] Sanhedrin and beaten again and questioned and taken to Pilate and then taken to Herod and then taken back to Pilate and scourged and crucified and wow.
[00:10:48] So this is primarily talking about that suffering from this time until the cross.
[00:10:57] And that's why Jesus, when he quotes it, says, hey, there's still something to happen.
[00:11:02] The disciples don't quite get it yet.
[00:11:05] In one day he's going to be on the cross, and they haven't figured it out.
[00:11:08] And he said, hey, the Scriptures have to be fulfilled where it was written, he was reckoned among the transgressors.
[00:11:13] That's what's going to happen in a moment of minutes, hours, and then throughout the next day so all of this is talking about what he did and really it is literal but is also theological for us and I say for us for those who are believers okay and
[00:11:29] notice the types of things he number he bore our griefs verse 4 he carried our sorrows he's stricken smitten of God he was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him
[00:11:46] all of this stuff's happening to him why because of our sin do you get that now if it's not if you're not born again it's not because of your sin he didn't do it for you he did it for those
[00:12:01] who are saved all of this he went through because of your sins and mine and it says it every time the chastisement of our peace is upon him the idea i believe is that uh our peace we shouldn't
[00:12:17] have any peace because we're at enmity with God. And so it's been chastised, it's been disciplined, but he took it upon himself to have no peace and to be separated from God and to say, my God,
[00:12:29] my God, why hast thou forsaken me that we who are his might have peace? You see, the chastisement of our peace was upon him. Yes, and he was wounded for our transgressions, verse 5, bruised for our
[00:12:43] iniquities. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Verse 6, and he was oppressed, afflicted, cut off from the land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, because he shall bear our iniquities. He was
[00:13:03] numbered with the transgressors. Notice this language. Again, he bore our griefs. He carried our sorrows. Our iniquities were laid upon him. He bears our iniquities. So what did he suffer?
[00:13:20] Well, the words there, he suffered sorrows, griefs. He was stricken. He was smitten. He was afflicted.
[00:13:26] He was wounded, bruised, chastisement of his peace. Our peace was upon him. He stripes, oppressed, cut off from the law, land of the living. And he did all of that for who? But if he didn't do it
[00:13:42] for us, he wouldn't have had any of that trouble at all, would he? Because he had no sin at all.
[00:13:50] He took it all for us. He bore our grief for us. Again, verse 6, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Verse 8, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Verse 9, made his
[00:14:04] soul an offering for sin. Verse 11, for he shall bear their iniquities. Verse 12, he bear the sin of many this reminds us in isaiah it begins out in chapter one of god's indictment of judah and
[00:14:17] the sins of his people and he gets to this point in verse uh in chapter one verse 13 and 14 where he says uh well it's not song of solomon it's isaiah he's not talking about a bundle of myrrh
[00:14:32] not at all verse 13 bring no more vain oblations incense there's at least incense is an abomination unto me, the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with. It is iniquity,
[00:14:46] even the solemn means. He's saying, listen, you're coming to church, but you're sleeping. No, that's not what he's saying, but he's saying, look, if you come and go through the services and just, you know,
[00:14:54] check the box and everything, this is sin. I don't want it. Stay home. It'd be better for you to stay home than to come and to do this sinfully or to do this without your heart in it, because this is
[00:15:04] actually a sin greater than not coming at all. And then in verse 14, notice what he says, your new moons, and your appointed feast my soul hateth. They are a trouble unto me. I am weary to
[00:15:16] bear them. What's he talking about? I'm weary of bearing your iniquities. Isn't that? But guess what? Someone is going to bear them. The same Lord, but the second person is going to bear them to the cross. This reminds us, the imagery is kind of picked up again in
[00:15:35] In the book of Amos, I know the brothers have been going through the Minor Prophets.
[00:15:41] In Amos 2, God is telling them again about their sin and the seriousness of their sin.
[00:15:49] In Amos 2, verse 13, God says, Behold, I am pressed under you, under your sins, under the weight of your iniquity, as a cart is pressed under that is full of sheaves.
[00:16:05] how I feel because the weight of your sin is is so much for me to bear and that's interesting we come back so I pastor Joseph I thought this was about the Lord's Supper and what are you doing well go to Matthew and let's go back to
[00:16:22] the night of the Lord's Supper this time in Matthew chapter 26 the parallel passage to our initial passage in Luke Matthew 26 look at just a few verses beginning in verse 36 then cometh Jesus with them unto the place called Gethsemane that's the garden
[00:16:41] and saith unto the disciples sit ye here while I go and pray yonder and he took with him Peter and two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy now if you have a Bible beside the
[00:16:57] King James, it will not say he began to be very heavy.
[00:17:02] It will say something else, different thing.
[00:17:06] Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.
[00:17:12] Tarry ye here, and watch with me.
[00:17:15] And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
[00:17:26] Now of course you all know that I'm fond of the King James.
[00:17:31] It's not perfect, but it's the best English Bible I've found.
[00:17:36] And I do believe the translation is accurate.
[00:17:38] If you go study yourself, you'll see that the literal meaning of the word behind very heavy is very heavy.
[00:17:47] But I guess people are afraid of calling, you know, somebody fat.
[00:17:50] I don't know why they feel like they've got to change it to something else.
[00:17:53] It doesn't make sense.
[00:17:54] But he began to be sorrowful and feel very heavy.
[00:18:00] Now, why would he say that?
[00:18:01] Now, we think, well, he's heavy with grief, or he's heavy with worry.
[00:18:07] Of course, Jesus didn't worry like we do.
[00:18:10] So what was he heavy with?
[00:18:14] The weight of your sin and mine was beginning to come upon him and press him down as a cart under a lot of sheaves.
[00:18:24] Your sins I'm weary to bear.
[00:18:28] The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[00:18:31] How big is that load?
[00:18:36] He began to be very heavy.
[00:18:38] I believe that translation is not only right, but it's important to understand what's being said.
[00:18:44] He began to be exceeding sorrowful and very heavy.
[00:18:52] Now with that in mind, let's go back to our text, the parallel passage in the Gospel of Luke, where we started, chapter 22.
[00:19:04] and we find that jesus is in the same garden he is he's suffering for us he is sore troubled sore amazed sorrowful and very heavy and by the way what's the name of that garden
[00:19:22] gethsemane okay very good and um by the way is anybody here besides pastor andy he came in anybody here otherwise know what gethsemane means the word without asking AI it means oil press very good very good get a star by your name oil press
[00:19:52] gethsemane now why do you think it's named oil press it's on the Mount of Olives there's a lot of olives there and there would be a press and so you press the olive to get what? The oil. And the oil was often used for what back then? For lighting
[00:20:13] lamps, but for anointing, olive oil. Okay, interesting. Notice here in Luke 22, verse 39 and following. And he came out and went, and as he went to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, pray
[00:20:36] that you 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 real quickly do you think jesus was afraid to die not at all uh the
[00:21:00] martyrs many christian martyrs have gone to the stake and been burnt and and others without crying or going through this kind of extreme distress just before us.
[00:21:13] So why Jesus?
[00:21:15] Well, because they didn't have the weight of your sin and mine crushing them at that.
[00:21:21] And that's what we see, him being so in such a difficult place that even he, though he is God, yet he is man, an angel came to strengthen him in this time of great temptation, if you will.
[00:21:37] Because he tells them, pray that you enter not into temptation.
[00:21:41] Temptation is, right, for him not to receive the cup that God has given him.
[00:21:48] But he says, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be done.
[00:21:54] And there appears an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him, and being in agony he prayed more earnestly.
[00:22:02] Notice this, his sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
[00:22:13] And when he rose up from prayer, he was come to his disciples.
[00:22:16] He found them sleeping for sorrow.
[00:22:18] Here's Jesus in the most intense time of his life.
[00:22:22] He is very heavy.
[00:22:24] He's extremely sorrowful.
[00:22:25] It says in one of the gospels, sorrowful even unto death.
[00:22:28] And he's being pressed down by the weight of your sin and mine and disciples.
[00:22:40] What's the disconnect?
[00:22:41] What's going on?
[00:22:43] I mean, this is the most powerful, most poignant time of the ministry of Christ, and disciples are all sleeping.
[00:22:50] I can relate.
[00:22:51] I've seen that before.
[00:22:52] And so, not exactly that, but so what's going on?
[00:22:57] They don't have the weight of your sin and mine and all the others who are true believers.
[00:23:03] pressing down on him but he does and here in the place of the oil press where you press down the oil and what comes out is holy that oil used to anoint here the weight upon the son of god is
[00:23:18] so heavy and so exceeding sorrowful that it's as if the blood itself is being pressed out of him that holy blood that cleanses us and makes us righteous for that weight of your sin and mine is tremendously crushing him he who knew no sin became
[00:23:43] sin that we might become the righteous of God in Christ he never knew what it felt like he never had ever felt what it felt like to be the least bit sinful to have any connection with sin whatsoever not even a sinful thought and then at that moment all of
[00:23:59] your sins and mine and whoever would believe come down like a torrent upon that man you and i our own sin will drag us down to hell for him think of the power of god in him to uphold him and the
[00:24:15] angel comes to strengthen him in this time but he's been pressed he's been pressed it's interesting the weight of sin this idea of his sweats and whether it was blood or whether it was sweat
[00:24:31] like blood or red sweat we don't know but the bible tells us it was and that reminds me of something one of the passages that encourages us based on christ example is hebrews 12 let's take
[00:24:44] a look you'll remember this recognize it i often quote it but let's just look at the first four verses hebrews 12 verse 1 wherefore seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud
[00:24:59] of witnesses let us do what lay aside every what way awaits that press down jesus don't let them hold us back in our walk let us lay aside every weight and the sin see how sin and weights go
[00:25:20] together. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of
[00:25:32] our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now that's where I usually stop my quote, but let's
[00:25:44] continue in the next two verses. Verse three, for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds whatever you're going through it may be tough it may be difficult but it is not to belittle you or the problem but it is nothing
[00:26:03] compared to what christ went through for you if you're his child and then notice what he says don't be weary don't lose heart don't be weary uh and faint in your minds and now listen to this
[00:26:21] Verse 4, because you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, but Jesus did.
[00:26:34] There he is, so sorely tempted.
[00:26:38] Oh, if there's any way that I can do this a different way, Lord, any way, let this pass from me.
[00:26:45] And our weight of sin is pressing him down, pressing him down to the point of blood.
[00:26:54] you never resisted sin like that have he did and that's why the Lord is telling us don't lose heart no matter what you're going through don't faint don't be weary you have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin but there's
[00:27:16] someone who has and that is our Savior Jesus Christ now as I mentioned before if you're not a believer that's a different story isn't it I told you that you're in this story. But if you're not a believer, you're not in this story. You're in a different
[00:27:41] story in the Bible, by the way. But in this story, you're not there. Because the sins of unbelievers were not pressing down Jesus. Unless, of course, those are people that will get saved later.
[00:27:56] The sins of unbelievers were not involved in pressing down Jesus. Believers getting proud.
[00:28:03] Well, see, I didn't put Jesus to all that trouble.
[00:28:05] You sorry Christians did.
[00:28:10] And look at all that he suffered because of us.
[00:28:12] Wounded, afflicted, oppressed, stricken, smitten, cut off from the land of the living.
[00:28:19] All sorts of horrible things.
[00:28:21] Griefs that he bore.
[00:28:22] The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
[00:28:26] He did it all because of our sins.
[00:28:31] Well, if you're an unbeliever, who gets to bear all that?
[00:28:36] Now, Cain, after he killed his brother Abel, was cursed by God, and God told him, you know, you're going to be a vagabond upon the earth, and, you know, the ground is not going to
[00:29:01] bring forth food for you.
[00:29:03] It's Genesis 4.13, and Cain is in great anguish, and maybe very heavy, and you know what he says my punishment is greater than i can bear he got that right he got that right he felt it
[00:29:24] and he couldn't bear it and he went around in misery until he died and for every unbeliever all of that that happened to christ will happen to them because he did not bear their sins he did not
[00:29:39] bear the chastisement of their peace or their griefs he did not he was not wounded for them He did not receive stripes on his back for them.
[00:29:47] He did not go through such intense, great sorrow and heaviness, even unto death for them.
[00:29:53] They will experience all of that, maybe some of it before they die, and all of it in hell for all eternity.
[00:30:06] That weight they will not be able to bear, but it will sink them straight to the pit of hell for all eternity.
[00:30:14] Because just like Cain said, This is greater than I can bear.
[00:30:21] My punishment is greater than I can bear.
[00:30:25] But for you, we are persuaded better things, brothers and sisters in Christ.
[00:30:31] For if you have truly been born again, Christ has in fact paid it all.
[00:30:38] All to him I owe.
[00:30:40] Sin hath left a crimson stain, but he has washed it white as snow.
[00:30:46] this passage and this interesting insight that i believe the lord has given me to share with you tonight has made me see some different verses and in different ways that i haven't before and particular one that uh another one that i like to quote which you all are familiar with
[00:31:07] matthew chapter 11 verse 28 and following let's take a look at that before we come to the table Matthew chapter 11 who does Christ call to come unto him he said you know the Pharisees were
[00:31:32] upset with him because he would minister to the tax collectors and to the outcast and the sinners he says you know why are you hanging out and eating with sinners and tax he says I didn't
[00:31:42] come to to heal the well but the sick and so who does he call to come who does he invite to come to him come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden heavy laden with
[00:32:00] what with your sin but now if you don't believe that you have much sin oh I'm just as good as the other person he's not asking you to come he's not expecting you to come because you don't even know you don't realize that great
[00:32:16] weight of sin that will one day pull you down to the pit of hell come unto me who all you who that that labor and are heavy laden and I'll give you rest how because he's born at all but notice do we ever have any struggles even as
[00:32:38] believers here on the earth do we ever have any griefs do we ever have any pains Jesus says that's alright I've borne all of them at the cross and by the way come on over here now you all know what a yoke is like a yoke of oxen
[00:32:54] When I told my kids about a yoke, they said, well, where does the egg come in?
[00:32:59] I said, no, no, not a yoke, a yoke, Y-O-K-E, right?
[00:33:05] Jesus says, take my yoke upon you.
[00:33:09] Jesus has a yoke, and he's in it, and you're going to get teamed up with Jesus.
[00:33:16] That's a heavy load you've got to pull.
[00:33:18] Like Cain said, it's more than I can bear.
[00:33:20] But if Jesus is in the yoke with you, is there anything too difficult to bear?
[00:33:27] Nothing too difficult to bear if Jesus is pulling with you.
[00:33:34] Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden.
[00:33:37] I will give you rest.
[00:33:39] Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
[00:33:47] Why?
[00:33:48] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
[00:33:55] One final thought.
[00:33:59] We just naturally try to do it ourselves, don't we?
[00:34:01] sooner or later we figure out we can't problem is is generally too late Christ is the only one who can bear the great weight that our sin has accounted unto us but notice he says look what has been written about me must come true and
[00:34:31] what's that he was reckoned with the transgressors Christ was considered a a transgressor, so that we might be made free and righteous.
[00:34:47] Isn't that what it says in Galatians?
[00:34:49] The idea that he was cursed so that we might become righteous.
[00:34:57] Let me read it to you before we come to the table.
[00:35:00] Actually, we have a song before.
[00:35:02] But in Galatians, if you turn there, the Bible tells us that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.
[00:35:13] Really interesting.
[00:35:17] He says in Galatians chapter 3, verse 10, For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.
[00:35:26] For it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
[00:35:33] And every time we break the law of God, whether a sin of commission or a sin of omission, not loving our neighbor as we should, not loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength,
[00:35:43] Romans chapter 2 tells us it's as if another weight is added.
[00:35:46] another is added another is added another is added that we are we are laying up for ourselves wrath storing up for ourselves wrath against the day of wrath and greater and greater weight is accruing to our account if you will of
[00:36:00] sins and curses so that like Cain who got it right though he got it wrong my punishment is greater than I can bear cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Galatians 3
[00:36:14] 11, but that no man is justified by the law and the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by, and the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in
[00:36:24] them.
[00:36:24] And here it is, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.
[00:36:39] And that's why you'll find in the Gospels that the cross is called a tree in the actual Greek, because he was hung on a tree, he took the curse, he took the judgment, the iniquity,
[00:36:56] the weight of sin, the punishment that we deserve was laid on him.
[00:37:01] Why?
[00:37:02] Verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith how free how lightning what has god wrought for us are you in the story or not if you are mourn because look at the cost
[00:37:34] of our sin you want to see the cost of our sin look what jesus went through because everything he went through was the cost of your sin and my sin and yet may your morning be turned into dancing
[00:37:48] and into joy because just as we see the effect of our sin on friday we see the effect of his glorious victory on sunday morning in the resurrection that is given to all who believe
[00:38:05] by faith the blessing of abraham coming upon you and me and all who would believe to god be the glory amen amen praise the lord we have another song go to dark gethsemane did you want to do
[00:38:22] the hymn oh okay i have two so we're good and um before he plays let me pray the heavenly father thank you for your holy word remind us lord god again and again uh help us lord not to just look
[00:38:38] at these passages and nonchalant, but Lord, may we recognize that everything he went through is what we deserve and what we would have gotten had you not chosen us before the foundation of the earth in your Son, Christ, and that we had believed upon you.
[00:38:55] And so, Lord, help us now to be lightened and filled with the joy of the Lord, which is our strength, and to give you praise and thanks, in Christ Jesus' name, amen.
[00:39:05] stand and we'll sing number 281 go to dark Gethsemane John if you want to play that through or give us a good intro as people may not be familiar