Punished for Me, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer's choices for someone who is paying me Jesus Williams not only says he is and that he lacks the power to save the second option you have is you look at the cross and said while he really does love me really does care what time life. I'm your host Molly bit of edge and were so glad you're back with us today. I find it helpful to place myself into the stories of the Bible to see how I might've seen them in the moment and thought about how you might have responded if you had been present during Jesus's crucifixion is a hard one to maybe start with. But there are four different characters and responses that Pastor JD is going to walk us through in order to give us pictures of how we might have responded. Then and how we can still respond to Jesus today. Are you up for. As always, if you miss any of our programs for here in search of our featured monthly resource you can find all online@jdgreer.com. Now let's rejoin Pastor JD as he teaches her Matthew chapter 27 God was the opposite of what every other religious leader has given as their final message. For example, the boot of the Buddha's last words were strive without ceasing.

Jesus's last words were the exact opposite of that. It wasn't strive without ceasing.

It was going all the striving for and now it is finished you will be saved, not because you strive hard not because I have finished it for you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes believes me to understand that he is the payment for your sin that was done in your place, rested when you claim that is yours all the victory of Christ.

All the striving of Christ. All the things that Christ did for you, they become yours. When you believe will not perish but you will not moment have eternal life, not because of what you do because what Jesus has done. Salvation is a free gift to all, simply put their trust in Jesus. The gospel we say is for words. Jesus in my place. Jesus did not merely die for me. Jesus died instead of me took my place and with abandon utility condemn in my place.

That's what happened to Mrs. not everybody not everybody there saw this happen this all this in the same way. Matthew guys.

He puts at least four different characters there in the story. To give you ways that people respond to the cross and what you see yourselves represented in different ones of these number one around the cross we see the suffering criminals who rage against God. Verse 38 tells us about two criminals that were crucified, their Messiah Jesus warned the right one left and it tells us that they were yelling insulted him, shaking their heads and saying you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are really the son of God, we come down from the cross. According to Luke one of these criminals as the crucifixion when all would eventually have a change of heart for Matthew shows us is that here at the beginning. These criminals are both raging against Jesus and calling him a fraud and a phony because he will save himself or them. Once you understand that these criminals listen represent people who end paying curse God for not delivering them from that pain and say to God, things like if you really are who you say you are then you would make this pain stop and think about it. If you were dying like these men in agony. Why would you foist yourself up to all that pain and use that breath just are hurling insults at the man who was dying. Besides, you also you I because when you're in pain. Nothing makes you angry or them. The idea of a God who could relieve that pain but doesn't. I want you to see in these two men every single one of us who has raged against God in a moment of pain and said God if you are who you say you are. Why don't you fix this issue. Maybe you're not really God.

After all, maybe you even exist.

Like I said, eventually one of those criminals came around what he said was so important because it shows you what real repentance looks like what he said. Luke tells us this is the look of the other criminal use of the suffering that were undergoing. We deserve this man does not deserve what is happening to him. He is dying for us.

This is a confession of every person who finds repentance and faith. They basically come to play for. They acknowledge I deserve my suffering.

But Jesus did not and saying that please hear me.

I do not mean that you conclude that every single moment of you payment you been through was in direct response to something that you got because that's not true. What I mean is that you confess that ultimately you and I live in a world that is filled with pain and suffering because we live in a world that is condemned because of our sin and that you and I because of our sin. We deserve the judgment of God and we deserve to go to hell as a yes, even the pain and suffering that we live within the world as part of that judgment and that is a judgment that ultimately we deserve and then we acknowledge that the only one in history who actually served to feel no pain. Jesus, because he never sin voluntarily chose to enter it for us for no other reason than that he care for us and wanted to save us. That's what repentance looks like. You see when you go to pain you got two choices choice number one is you can conclude that your pain means that Jesus really is not who he says he is and that he lacks the power to save you the second option you have is you look at the cross, you say, while he really does love me dearly does care what he's dying for me. Should Michael Green, the Christian philosopher from Cambridge over Great Britain is what you believe in him or not the God of the gospel is the only God, but doesn't simply offer platitudes or perspective about pain, the God of the gospel is the only God that doesn't merely say to us. There is an explanation for your pain, the God of the gospel is the only God that came down and shared in the forsaken us voluntarily that we feel in the universe gone wrong is the only God that did that and see what that means is that when I look at him and I believe in him. I may not understand. I now understand everything that is happening in my pain.

I may not know what God is doing but I know what my pain in light of the cross when I see Jesus there.

I know about pain cannot me. My pain cannot mean that God is either forsaken me, or that God lacks power to deliver me.

The cross shows me that my pain cannot mean that God of all things has demonstrated his love to me and I can trust him even when I don't understand even when he's not deliver me from across and on. At that moment because he bore my ultimate cross so that he could save me eternally. So we see criminals, the rage against God. Number two, we see creation itself that quakes under the weight of glory displayed verse 45 from noon until three in the afternoon. Darkness comes over the whole land.

Verse 51 tells us this is accompanied by an earthquake.

It is as if creation itself has to respond anything about the image of an earthquake. Something quakes when it encounters a force that it cannot withstand anything of the like were walking across the pond. I serve upon it and a layer of ice was really thin and he couldn't support the weight of my body. At some point that ice would begin the quick McCracken. I was all through it is as if creation itself, cannot withstand the weight of glory that is being displayed on its surface, and so it's like the sun itself and not telling us to turn away from the earth itself cannot withstand. It has to respond point this out to show you what Matthew is saying, basically, is this the cross demands some kind of response from you. You simply cannot look at these things and pass on by. You have to ask yourself what is this true is it true it was and if you're not a believer. This is not a historical curiosity. If this is true, it means that the God who created everything the God created you came down and bore the penalty of your sin in your place so that he could save you forever. That is beyond a historical curiosity. That's true, it changes everything you go decide if it's true or not, it deserve more than just passing on by you either quake in front of it for you ignored is the worst life is believer. Do you understand the demands a response from you to understand how insulting it is to God for us to sit in a place in here about these things. I'm moved by them. Or maybe just saying about them while barely move in our lives hands in our pockets hold the coffee cup with expressionless places.

These things demand a response. Not even creation can withstand the weight of glory be displayed in an employee. Jesus said be if they were silent.

The rocks would've cried out because of the rocks are doing their crying out to this Matthew, save it demands something from you. It demands some kind of response were we say God. This is what you gone for the whole realm of nature mine. Don't be a present far too small hole 4000 tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise the glories of my God and to being the triumphs of his grace.

I don't have a thousand tongues on some like this one saying like a thousand people to sing that loudly because that's the kind of glory that he displayed, and this is the kind of response they deserve.

I love this writer.

By the way nets were forfeited to the terms were also many bodies of the saints with phone sleep or raise the came out of the tombs after his resurrection, and the holy city and appeared to many. Honestly, all not totally sure what to do it. I verse I really am. I don't know what that was like. But what it tells me is that Jesus death is so amazing that it was like some of the dead couldn't even contain themselves some of the dead believers just left out of the graves matter run around leaping and praising and telling people what Matthew was doing is you saying you who have been raised from the dead by Jesus Christ. Can you hold yourself back from leaping and praising God in worship, don't you have to run around town just telling somebody if that's what the dead happen then we who are spiritually raising their that's how we ought titled punished for me to be right back with the conclusion of today's message in just a moment the first did you know that you can find Pastor Jeannie on Facebook, Graham and twitter social media is a great place to receive daily encouragement as well as an easy way to share Jesus with those that you care about. Let's let our changing message at the gospel.

Just search for all platforms and give us to follow, but for now let's get back to reteaching Pastor Jeannie number three we see the outsiders we see the outsiders in the story to recognize is doing this for them in verse 46 when Jesus calls out a Lee LA Limassol but Donnie says that a lot of the people were sitting around a lot of the Jewish leaders looked at each other and said he's calling for Elijah and Lee sure you know what the nickname for Elijah point is are totally clueless no idea he's important Scripture. They have no idea he's talking about being abandoned by God having Jesus called on the prophets name was this 54 when the centurion and those with him when they saw the earthquake and they saw the things that it happened, they were terrified and they said truly this man was the son of God.

Many women next verse would follow Jesus from Galilee and look after him were there watching from a distance where were the disciples along the way they wanted the narrowness of the beginning.

Why is it that the only people around the cross to get what is happening are those whom the Jews considered to be outsiders second rate Gentile soldiers, no less, and women disciples will get G3's no one religious and moral leaders. They don't get Roman soldiers they spread out the first lot of the Nicene Creed and the women refused to leave why there thing. Why was in this because the gospel can only be seen from a posture of humility and the weekend those who recognize their need of Jesus.

The guilty be ashamed to despise the discriminated against. They are more likely to perceive him and lean into his grace. The proud will be because they never feel any need it all. When my oldest daughter was about three years old always noticed that she not be walking outside of the old man and she would always put out to be downplaying the blame she developed laser should always point them out but I was like how she always seemed plain that I never do this you like have like really good hearing your way up there as he looks for it and then one day it was like no dog know what she sees it.

She's always looking up at three years old. All walls up to her and because she's always looking out and she's able to see that thing which is high above both of us but me. I'm always looking down right because I'm always a good down. I never perceive with their above us. He is Lewis not using that analogy was something similar civil said that's what humble always see Jesus and Brown never do because the humble are in a place where they know that they need help into the natural place for. They perceive the grace of God, but the proud. The rich those who feel no need there always looking down, so they missed the God whose grace they desperately need. Which is why Jesus said, listen to this, it is easier for the camel to go to the eye of the needle than it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and that means rich in money, it means rich and powerful. It also means rich in religiousness I am talking to a group of people, many of whom have been raised in church you are among the most religious people on the planet. I'm also talking to a group of Americans you're in the richest, most powerful nation on the planet.

I'm talking to people in that very nation that are among the richest of the people of that nation. It means that is easier for the camel to go to the eye of a needle that is for you to go to heaven which means that you ought to be very very careful. Just because you have assented mentally to the doctrines of Jesus does not mean that your souls ever come to a place where you realize how desperately needed the grace of God simply confessing Jesus as Lord is not what the Bible is talking about when it means confessing it with your heart that means you are to place you recognize I have nothing and I mean Jesus and I give him all of my life because what am I without him. He is my hope, my life is my everything right. Be warned.

Be careful Simon us. I read who helps Jesus carry the cross we end our reflection time, hereby returning to Simon the man for securities cross. We know this would've been a terrible event to have had to watch you if you had to be there. You had to play one will miss the role that you want to play just to think that Jesus and his our weakness is our need that somehow you could do something that would lighten the load. Somehow you could do something that would help shipping Matthew put this picture in their because he wanted to give the early church a picture Jesus's followers what they had a chance to do to give them an invitation where they could willingly pick up Jesus's cross and help him continue to carry it easy. It is true in one sense the Jesus's work is finished.

It is finished is nothing I can do nothing. I need to do that as to the payment Jesus made for the world salvation, but in another sense it is not finished because like Martin Luther said it would matter of Jesus are going through this a thousand times. If nobody ever heard about the only way brings benefit to them is that they hear about it. They can only believe on the one they've heard about McCann here must be free to do and we can't preach to them unless we embrace the sacrifices that are necessary to get the gospel to in the early church was receiving an invitation of all you wanted to be there doing. Think of the cross. When I got a chance because people around the world.

Still haven't heard it is gonna cost you dearly to get the gospel to them. But if you want to take up his cross, and here it is. You can pick it up and take Jesus to the people that he died for what that means is that you begin to carry the cross when you choose to leave the place that you're comfortable with, like here you go live overseas among a group of people that have never heard the name of Jesus, so that they can hear about it from you. We got 100, 200 and some members of our church that have done that, by the way, that have left this place not because by the way, they don't like America.

Not because I got a travel which cannot because they really want to live 7000 miles away from their parents. They going to live overseas and places because people there need to hear about Jesus and doing it for him because they know that his death the work of his death is not complete until people hear and believe.

So yes, it is a sacrifice, and yes, it is costly, but they would tell you it's worth it is worth it because how can they hear. How can his work be complete unless I go to share the gospel with you and are you choose to go to a ministry stay into a ministry is not because it makes you feel happy and makes you feel like a lot to like. This is what I'm created for its because without that they can't hear and believe.

And it's taking up a rough hewn cross that tears your back is you. But you gladly do it out of love for the one who gave his life for you, you, we embrace that cross when you embrace the awkwardness of talking to somebody about Jesus.

They want to eat before they told me that there is a deal on the rigatoni by about Jesus.

All these things happen to you like people to some walking on the street. It was thought my knees. There will mother that never happens to me if I could only happen one time in the Bible. What method you say that was after parliament beaten with stripes and then you put in prison overnight and there was an earthquake which made him sound awesome either. The point is we will also ask the question without our personal investment and embracing the cross means that you embrace the awkwardness of say hey this is really important to me and it's important to you, and I was to create a weird tension here, but you got a notice that's what it means to embrace this cross. That's the invitation was given to you. That is the imitation that is given to you to pick up his cross and carry.

Maybe it's when you extend forgiveness to somebody she thought I got home and forgive them that you you do it because you want them to be able to taste the grace that you perceive them. When I saw the movie. I can only imagine the story of the behind the song, but I think the most popular song in terms of cells in Christian history Bart Miller little section of the movie where it's like a one is live things for him at the national prayer breakfast is in from Pres., members of Congress few years ago and he explains the story behind the song, etc. the song after my dad died. So my dad was abusive to the point that he literally drove me out of the house.

He was an alcoholic. He said for the last years of his life. He came to faith in Jesus Christ and totally transformed is about. I couldn't forgive them damage me too much. Some of the last six or so months of his life.

He said I saw the power Jesus turn abusive man into the father that always longed for a man. He said I also experienced the power of Jesus through his death, give me the ability to forgive my dad the way that God has forgiven me and he said the reason I sing about these things. The reason that I stand in front of you right now is because I've seen the power of Jesus. You can change an abusive father has seen the power Jesus that can transform a bitter, bitter heart. I've seen him transform me and I know that's true and I know that it can transform you as well you see Jesus unleash the power through this that was more powerful than all the armies in the universe, amassed together. The question is have you pick up back cross and begun to carry it so that others can experience it. Which brings me back finally to where I started this message. Are you ready to be baptized. Is it will not understand how that connects well the first identification that you make with Christ. Cross happens through baptism as aforesaid. Number six, three. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, you your first act of obedience is of the site was to identify with the cross… Simon did you stand up essentially but everybody and you say I'm not ashamed that cross for me and I'll gladly pick it up.

I will gladly pick it up.

This is my identification with Jesus.

Have you ever done time for excuses for you, or it's over time for obedience is at hand and told you baptism supposed to be your first act of obedience.

Your profession, but you're going all in with Jesus. How could you possibly say you understood the magnitude of the cross or fill any appreciation for. If you have not followed Jesus's first and clearest act of obedience. As you say why I got baptized as an infant.

He was on mommy at the beginning of this, I am Jesus with respect to Mrs. I was not the most important & even see me say this as a baby where you publicly identify with the death of Jesus. The that choice you are making you putting your faith on display for other people in the New Testament. It's always a display of your own faith. Paul I I am, I mean. With him about this.

I'm confessing my union with Christ by baptism we doing that when you were a baby.

I don't think you really have much say I was doing it to you and thank God for that. Thank God that your parents were doing this with a desire that one that you brought follow Jesus and now you have and I'm still your son to ratify the rear you join us late. You can always catch up by visiting us@jdgreer.com as we approach Easter this week and celebrate Jesus's resurrection. We have a new book F10 devotionals to help you refocus on the gospel in several important teachings of Jesus Janie in our newest resource to begin with the parable. That's actually about parable about the story about the soul who throughout the seed is a parable on parables is a picture of how you and I other people encounter the word of God the Word of God always bears fruit and listen if you sing fruit in your own life, you need to thank God for that and asking for more. But here's the thing you gotta drive the word deep in your heart because the weeds of temptation than the sun of persecution or difficult circumstances, and then even our enemy the devil was is coming to to try to get rid of the seat and so you got it. You gotta drive that word deep into your heart. Our newest resource is going to help you do that is 10 devotionals that take you beyond just the hearing and take you into typing into the Bible. We would love to give you a copy of this if you just reach out to us today go to JD grid.com and reach out to us and and and we can get you a copy this and I think you wanted to help.

We think this study will be perfect to help you create can your walk with God like to get your copy today will send it our way of saying thanks when you donate $35 or more to support this ministry clearly funded by listeners like you to donate and you give us a call eight 665-5220 never again think I 24.

You can get online career.com hi Molly, that if it's inviting you to join us again Thursday on my team prayer ministry