Good morning, brethren. Please take your Bibles and turn to 1 John chapter 4 and verse 2.
1 John chapter 4 and verse 2. And it's great to be able to preach for a Sunday morning service,
especially being Easter Sunday. And I think, you know, at least one of the great things our
nation does is take a holiday period during this time for us to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ
and what he's done for us, that he became that sin offering for us, that he cleanses us from all
sins. And it's a great thing, at least, that we still have this in place in our nation.
But 1 John chapter 4 and verse 2 reads,
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is of God. It said that every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh. The title for the sermon this morning is Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
Now if you can take your Bibles and turn to Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter 1,
I will be focusing today on the flesh of Christ, the flesh of Christ. Quite often we think about
the blood of Christ, and that's important, you know, that he shed his blood for us, that he
cleanses us from all our sins with his blood. But sometimes we forget the focus on his body,
that he became flesh, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. You see, Jesus Christ is still in
the flesh today. When he was resurrected, he was resurrected in a new resurrected body, okay?
And so that's why it's said there in 1 John 4, even though this is written after the resurrection
of Christ, it says that Jesus Christ is come present tense in the flesh. And so in Matthew
chapter 1 verse 21, we want to start off by looking at the virgin birth. This is so important
that Jesus Christ was born a virgin. It's so important that he did not have an earthly
or a fleshly father and mother, but rather he was born of Mary the virgin at this point in time.
In Matthew 1 verse 21, it says, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name
Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Notice that. He shall save his people from
their sins. Jesus Christ came in flesh because he came to pay for our sins. He came for our sins.
Verse 22, Now all this was done, that he might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us.
See, Jesus Christ, not just the Son of God, but he is God with us. Jesus Christ is God. We can't
forget that very important truth. And when he was born of Mary, his mother, the virgin,
he did not have an earthly father. There was no fleshly father. She was a virgin. She had not
known man at that point in time. And of course, the power of God overshadows her, and she's able
to fall pregnant through this miracle. But please go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Let's understand
the importance of that fact that he was born of a virgin. Why is that important? You go to 2
Corinthians chapter 5, and I'll read to you from Romans chapter 5. You go to 2 Corinthians 5.
I'll read to you from Romans 5-12, which reads, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin, and so death pass upon all men, for that all have sinned. You see,
all men have sinned because sin entered into the world by one man. And of course, that one man is
Adam. Now, what you need to understand about the Bible is when you read the accounts of Genesis,
it was actually Eve that first sinned. And then Eve came with that fruit and offered it unto Adam,
and Adam partook of that fruit, and he sinned. But because he was the head of his house,
because he was the first created human being, and Eve was accountable to him, you'll notice that
sin is attributed toward Adam. And the fact that Adam was a sinner means that all descendants of
Adam would be a sinner. So that sin nature is passed down through our father, our father Adam,
and our sin nature then is passed down through our fathers. It's that lineage of fathers,
the seed of a man mixing with the egg of a woman that brings conception, that brings forth life.
It is through that process that that child which is born receives that sinful nature,
because we are all descendants of Adam. Now, you're in 2 Corinthians 5, look at verse 20.
2 Corinthians 5 verse 20, and so Jesus had no earthly father. He did not have that sin nature
passed down through him when his mother conceived. His mother conceived by the power of the Holy
Ghost, and of course the Holy Ghost is God, God who has no sin. So Jesus Christ had no sin nature
when he was born of Mary. But notice 2 Corinthians 5 verse 20, the Bible reads,
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ
said, Be ye reconciled to God. But verse 21 is what I want you to focus on. For he have made him,
that is Jesus, to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God
in him. The Bible says that Jesus knew no sin. When Jesus Christ walked this earth,
born as a baby, as a child grows up into a teenager and into a man, throughout his entire life
he never committed a single sin. He did not have the sin nature. He could not commit sin
because he didn't have the sin nature, number one, but number two, because he is God Almighty
who cannot sin. Jesus Christ knew no sin, but verse 21 said he was made to be sin for us,
made to be sin for us. And so all of our sins, all the sins that we commit in our body,
was put onto the body of Christ, was put onto the flesh of Christ. He bore our sins on his flesh.
Now it's so important to understand who Jesus Christ was. Once again he is not just a man.
We often say that Jesus Christ was 100% God and 100% man. Yes he was 100% man born of a woman,
but he was also 100% God. In Acts chapter 20, 28, the Bible reads,
take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost have made
you overseers to feed the church of God which he have purchased with his own blood. Okay,
so it talked about the church of God which he have purchased with his own blood. You see the
blood of Jesus Christ was not just the blood of man. In case it wasn't the blood of man,
it was the blood of God. The church of God was purchased by the blood of God. The blood that
was running through the veins of Jesus Christ was the blood of God. Because Jesus Christ 100% man,
yes, but 100% God as well. And so we know again the importance of the blood of Christ,
the blood of God. That cleanses us from all sins that was shed for us abundantly and covers
every sin known to man. It cleanses us from all sins, but our focus this morning is to be focused
on the flesh or the body of Christ. That earthly body that he received when he was born from Mary.
Okay, so that's our focus today. Now I want you to turn to John chapter 10 for me. Turn to John
chapter 10 and I'll read to you a few portions of scripture. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. I'll read
to you from 1 Timothy 3 16 because it's difficult for us to wrap our heads around the fact that God
was a man. That Jesus Christ when he walked this earth was the living God walking this earth. And
the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3 16, and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.
What is the mystery of godliness? What is mysterious? God was manifest in the flesh.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world, received up into glory. And so the great mystery of godliness is the fact
that God was manifest in the flesh. You know there are so many men in this world, false Christs,
that claim to be God. You know claim to be deity. There's so many cults out there and these stupid
foolish men that are able to convince their followers that they are a God. The Bible tells
us that Jesus Christ wasn't a God but that he was God manifest in the flesh. God walking the earth
2,000 years ago. God crucified on the cross of Calvary. God resurrected from the dead. That's
who Jesus Christ was and great is this mystery of godliness. Also Colossians chapter 2 verse 9.
Colossians 2 verse 9 says for in him, that's referring to Jesus, for in Jesus for in him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You see the flesh, the body of Christ
was indwelt by the fullness of the Godhead. Now some people get this mixed up. They think that
Godhead is another way of saying Trinity and you know those two things are compatible of course
but Godhead speaks of Godhood, the nature of God, the deity of God. This is not teaching that the
Father you know God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and God the Son were all indwelt in that
body of Jesus Christ. No rather the fullness of the Godhead that he is fully God. You know when
he was flesh walking the earth it's not like he was 50% God. It's not like he was 10% God. He was
100% God. You know the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ in that body when he walked the
earth and even in the body that he has today the fullness of God is in that body and so it's so
important to understand that because this is a body that belonged to God. This was a body
that had the fullness of God, the fullness of the power of God. Jesus Christ when he speaks of doing
the great works that he did he attributes those works to the Father. These are works that the
Father has given him to do and when he does you know his miracles in the power you know the Bible
speaks about the power of the Spirit resting upon Christ. You know he had the power of God
in his body and great is the mystery of godliness and so this is why we're going to focus on the
body on the flesh of Christ. You know turning our attention on this there are so many things
bothering us these days you know this coronavirus fears of man you know fears of the future but it's
important for us to just take a break from all that all that noise and focus on what is more
important than any of that and that is Christ coming in a body in a in in in the likeness of
man in the likeness of sinful flesh we'll have a look at that later on and you know when Christ
died on the cross you know this was within his control this was in within his power he allowed
himself to be arrested to be humiliated to be beaten to be put to death to be crucified this
was something that Jesus Christ allowed for himself it's not like this was out of control
it's not like this was something that was not planned this was something that was planned by
Christ from the very beginning remember when he was born it said that he came for our sins he
came to die for our sins and in John chapter 10 if you can hear that noise that's a bit of rain
going on right now but John chapter 10 verse 14 Jesus Christ says these words I am the good
shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine as the father knoweth me even so know I the father
notice the next words and I lay down my life for the sheep you see Jesus Christ made the decision
to lay down his life for his sheep he laid down his life for sinful man once again he wasn't
out of his control it was his purpose it was his mission it was his goal to lay down his life
to die for his sheep to die for the sins of the world please turn to Luke 23 verse 44 Luke 23 verse
44. Luke 23 and verse 44 the bible reads and it was about the sixth hour and there was a darkness
over all the earth until the ninth hour and the sun was darkened and the notice the next words
and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst we're reading about the crucifixion of Christ
we're reading about this point when he's about to give up his life for all of mankind and the
bible says that the veil of the temple was rent in the midst you see in the in the old testament
temple or even in the tabernacle there was a veil that would cover or hide the holy of holies
and only the high priest was allowed to enter through that veil into the holy of holies once
a year to offer up a sacrifice and what we see here at the death of Christ that veil was torn
into two that veil was separated and so the access to the holy of holies was made available
through the death of Christ and in verse number 46 it says and when Jesus had cried with a loud
voice he said father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the ghost
he gave up the ghost you see Jesus had the power to lay down his life not only did he allow
himself to be crucified to be put to death but he himself timed exactly when he would give up
the ghost when he would give up his spirit to the father he he he announced this is the time
I'm going to do it into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the ghost
you see Jesus Christ even gave up the ghost himself he laid down his life okay
you know and the other two that were crucified on the right and on his left hand side they were
still alive they hadn't died from their injuries they hadn't died from the crucifixion but Jesus
Christ made a decision to give up his life at that point and of course the words that Jesus Christ
says as he you know before he passes away is it is finished it is finished and what I believe
he's saying that he's finished is that his body had taken on all the sins of the world all the
sins that have ever been committed against God from Adam to the last man you know my sins your
sins have been put on Christ and he says it is finished and I'll show you that in a moment
but we're looking at the veil right the veil of the temple that was rent in the midst there
and the book of Hebrews speaks about this veil in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19 the Bible reads
having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus so once again
that holy of holies that that place that could only be entered once a year could only be entered
by the high priest and in the New Testament we have a high priest and that high priest is Jesus
Christ and he's made the holiest accessible by his blood instead of it being by the blood of bulls
and goats and of lambs and of sheep no this access was made accessible to us by the blood of Jesus
but notice verse number 20 by a new and living way which he have consecrated for us through the
veil or what veil is there a veil in the New Testament yes through the veil that is to say
his flesh you see that veil represented the flesh of Jesus Christ and when it was rent into it was
to indicate that the body of Christ had been broken that he had borne the sins of man and
through his blood we can enter the holiest through his blood we can enter heaven his
sacrifice has been made available to us by his blood yes but also by his flesh by his body and
in the New Testament the veil that brings us into the holiest of course is the broken body of Christ
crucified on the cross that he paid for the sins of all mankind and so we saw that Jesus Christ
please turn to John chapter 2 we saw that Jesus Christ had the power to lay down his life
but Jesus Christ also had the power to resurrect his life to resurrect his body
John chapter 2 verse 18 please John chapter 2 verse 18
John chapter 2 verse 18 reads then answer the Jews and said unto him what sign showest thou
unto us since thou doest these things that thou doest these things I should give you the context
this is of course Christ going into the temple with his whip and and and chasing off those that
were trying to conduct business you know financial business in the house of God and so who gives you
authority to do this ask the Jews look at verse number 19 Jesus answered and said unto them
destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up then said the Jews 40 and six years
was this temple in building and will thou rear it up in three in three days they didn't understand
of what Jesus was saying or they were mocking him and speaking of that temple in Jerusalem
they thought Jesus was saying that if you destroy that temple he can build it up in three days
but that's not the temple that he was speaking of verse number 21 but he
spoke of the temple of his body when therefore he was risen from the dead his disciples remembered
that he had said this unto them and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said
what are the words that Jesus had said once again destroy this temple and in three days I will raise
it up I will raise it up said Jesus Christ hey who rose Jesus from the dead
Jesus rose himself from the dead he had the power over death he was in full control of what was
happening to him you know he voluntarily gave up his life and he also picked up his life from the
grave you know Jesus Christ is God you know he has the power of God he has the power over
sin the power over hell the power over death Jesus Christ is all powerful he has the power
to raise himself from the dead and so what did he offer brethren what was his offering
you know in the old testament we had the offering of the bulls and the goats you know we had the
offering of those animals but the new testament way is the offering of his body of his body
please turn to Romans chapter 8 for me Romans chapter 8 and verse number 3 Romans chapter 8
and verse number 3 and if you can also turn to Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 Romans
chapter 8 and Hebrews chapter 10 but let's read Romans chapter 8 first verse number 3
the Bible reads for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh so there's
something the law could not do you know God gave his laws you know the 10 commandments the old
testament laws the commandments but it was weak through the flesh no flesh could keep the
commandments no flesh was ever saved by keeping the commandments of God it's impossible it's
impossible for the flesh of man to do such a thing and then it says God sent in his own son
and let's stop there for a moment Jesus Christ before he was sent was already the son of God
the trinity God the father God the son God the holy spirit and yet all one God see God the father
sent his son Jesus did not become the son at birth he was already the son that was sent
okay God sent in his own son notice the next words in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin
condemned sin in the flesh why did Jesus Christ come he came that sin would be condemned in his
flesh in his perfect flesh in his sinless flesh sin was condemned in the flesh of Christ now again
he did not come with his own sin nature what did it say they there God sent in his own son in the
likeness of sinful flesh Jesus Christ did not have sinful flesh he came in the likeness of sinful
flesh okay we are people that have the sinful flesh he came in our likeness when he was born
of Mary he came looking like a average man okay he looked like the normal man he was a hundred
percent man but he did not have the sinful flesh because he was a hundred percent God and yet in
that perfect body of his in that perfect sinless body of Christ sin was condemned in the flesh of
Christ okay look notice that verse number four there that the righteousness of the law might
be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit you see you cannot be saved
by keeping the law the righteousness of the law because this flesh it's pointless it's corrupt
it's got sin it's got a sin nature in it that's why we walk after the spirit but that spirit was
is available to us because sin was condemned in the flesh of Christ sin has been taken care of
and you've got to be careful of false prophets you've got to be careful of people that teach
a false gospel they'll start by saying that sin is what separates us from God it's sin what condemns
us in the sight of God and that is true and then they'll say so we need to take care of that sin
and that is true that sin does need to be taken care of but how was it taken care of oh you've
got to live righteously you've got to turn from your sins no no sin was taken care of
in Christ by the flesh of Christ he bore our sins in his flesh it is Christ who took care of our
sins we don't have to take care of our sins in that sense for us to be righteous in God no this
flesh can never be made righteous that's why we are commanded to walk in the spirit the new man
which is after the likeness of the holy spirit and after the likeness of Jesus Christ
please go to Hebrew chapter 10 you may have already turned there Hebrew chapter 10 verse 10
the bible reads by the which by the which will we are sanctified how we sanctified
through the offering of the what of the body of Jesus Christ once for all how we sanctified what
cleansed us brethren what is the offering the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all
how many times does Jesus have to die on the cross he only had to die once the Roman Catholics that
believe every time they participate of the of the mass of the of the wine and the and the bread
they think they're crucifying Christ afresh for all the new sins you've committed we've got to
keep sacrificing Christ every day they're doing the mass they think that's what he represents no
Jesus Christ came he died once and he died for all there goes Calvinism okay Jesus did not die
for some he did not die for a few he died for all once for all okay that means he died for Adam
he died for all of those that came before him but he died for all and he died once that means
he died for all those that would come after him as well every man that would ever live Christ came
offered his body once for all verse number 11 and every priest standeth daily ministering and
offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins there's another false
teaching that I've heard in baptist churches especially those that come from the rachmanite
camp or the hyper dispensationalist they say hey no the old testament saints were saved by keeping
the commandments they were saved by offering the sacrifices no it says here that those same
sacrifices of the priests of the old times which can never take away sins say why did they do it
then if you could never take away sins they did it as a picture as a type of what Christ would
ultimately do it would bring people's remembrance that one day the messiah will come and he will
condemn sin he will be the offering for sin that's why they did the sacrifices in the old days not
because they ever covered or took away sins it was a picture of what Christ would ultimately do
once for all verse number 12 but this man that's speaking of Jesus after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins notice those words forever one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the
right hand of God what about my future sins what about the sins that I've not yet done
you know can I lose my salvation if I commit those sins no one sacrifice for sins forever eternal
life the reason you can be assured of eternal security you can know you're going to heaven
no matter what you do in life is once you've believed on Christ that sacrifice that you
believe on is a sacrifice and offering forever even the future sins that you're yet to commit
and you'll say oh that's a license for to sin no it's not a license for anything it's speaking
of the fact that Jesus has done all the work for our salvation he has paid for all our sins
that's good news that's good news verse number 13 from henceforth expecting till his enemies
be made his footstool for by one offering he have perfected forever them that are sanctified
for by one offering the offering of his body okay we give keep the context the offering verse
number 10 the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all verse number 10 verse number 12 one
sacrifice for sins forever verse number 14 for by one offering the offering that was made for
our sins was on the body of Christ crucified on the cross he bore our sins in his flesh
now i want you to turn to first peter chapter 2 please first peter chapter 2 verse 22
first peter chapter 2 verse 22 and while you're turning there i'm going to read to you from
galatians 3 13 which reads christ have redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse
curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree
jesus christ on that cross or on that tree if you want to say it in that context was made a curse
for us instead of us having the curse of the law a law of the commandments which we cannot keep
which we cannot do perfectly if you try to seek your righteousness in the law of god
you're going to be cursed by god but rather christ became the curse for us when he hung
upon that tree so that we cannot be cursed by god we can receive the blessing of god
should we place our full faith and trust on jesus christ alone you're in first peter chapter 2 look
at verse 22 first peter chapter 2 verse 22 the bible speaking of jesus says who did no sin
neither was guile found in his mouth jesus did no sin verse 23 who when he was reviled reviled not
again when he has suffered he suffered not sorry he so let me read that i'll read that again verse
23 who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself
to him that judgeth righteously verse 24 who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree
that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed
the stripes are the whipping the whipping that christ received in his body before he was
crucified you know his body was torn apart and then he was placed on that wooden cross
you know lifted himself rubbing his whipped back against the wood of that flesh so he could take
a breath every time he would need to breathe he would have to lift up his body in his his bare
back that was you know split open by the whipping was rubbing on the splinters of that wood you know
jesus christ suffered a very physical torturous death and we think about that sacrifice and it's
amazing but not only that he bore our sins in his own body we can we fully grasp that
that he bore all of our sins on his body you know the the anguish of of the pain of our sins
was put on jesus christ but what did it say in verse 23 he committed himself to him that
judge of righteously he did so for the father's sake you know he said no this is the righteous
thing to do that i will come and i will die for the sins of all man you know think about
that sacrifice how a father could sacrifice his son in such a way and this is why john
316 is so lovely so beautiful you know for god so loved the world god loves you that he gave
his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have or shall not perish
but have everlasting life what an amazing truth of the word of god now if you can please turn to
i'll get you to turn to isaiah 53 is that passage in the old testament
which speaks of the sacrifice of christ and his sacrifice on the on the cross and while you're
turning to isaiah 53 i want to read to you from matthew chapter 8 so i'll give you a moment to
turn to isaiah 53 because i want you to focus on the words of matthew 8 as well
matthew chapter 8 has a story of of the apostle peter and his mother-in-law was sick and of course
jesus christ comes and heals his mother-in-law of that sickness but in verse 14 it reads
and when jesus was coming to peter's house he saw his wife's mother laid and sick of a fever
and he touched her hand and the fever left her and she arose and ministered unto them when the
even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils and he cast out the spirits
with his word and healed all that was sick so let's before i read verse 17 he heals peter's
mother-in-law of her sickness then he's going around healing people that are possessed of
devils and not only that but he also goes about healing others that were sick it says he and he
healed all that was sick okay now we know that because he's god he has the power to do these
things but i want you to notice on verse number 17 what it says because this ties into isaiah 53
which he turned to in in matthew chapter 8 verse 17 it reads that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by isaiah the prophet this is why i got into isaiah saying himself took our infirmities
and bear our sicknesses think about that so when jesus christ healed the sick when he did so
he took our infirmities but not just that he took it away but it says he he bear our sicknesses
jesus christ knows even though he had a body that could not get sick but when he healed the sick
he bought that sickness in his body so he knows what it's like to be sick even though he himself
could not get sick you know jesus christ you know he never was tempted he couldn't be tempted and
commit sin but he knows what temptation is okay he knows what all these things are because he
bore all these things onto his body look at isaiah 53 verse 4 this is where the saying comes from
remember in matthew 817 it speaks of him bearing our sickness by taking the infirmities that's
talking about actual sicknesses like a cold a flu a fever the coronavirus you know all kinds
of sicknesses that people can have you know chronic illnesses jesus christ was able to heal
people from all these things and when he did that he bought those sicknesses he took that upon
himself and this is where it comes from isaiah 53 verse 4 saying surely he have borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows that's where it's coming from so even though you know isaiah 53 verse 4
it doesn't speak of the infirmities and the sicknesses it speaks of the griefs and the
sorrows because you see sickness can bring grief and sorrow i'm sure somebody that is
suffering from chronic sickness and illness can can say yeah you know this pain that i suffer
with these problems that i have in my body brings great sorrow into my life and yet the bible says
that jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows he knows what it's like and brethren if you're
suffering especially from sicknesses you know and look people we suffer from the consequences of
our sin but if you're even just suffering from the consequences of your sicknesses
jesus christ knows what it's like he bore that as well when he died on the cross you know and people
you know we don't always grasp this because we know he died for our sins but he died for your
sorrow he died for your sicknesses your infirmities he died for your griefs all of that was put on
his body let's keep reading there in isaiah 53 verse 4 it says yet we did esteem him stricken
smitten of god and afflicted verse number five but he was wounded for our transgressions
he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him
and with his stripes we are healed okay so the entire sacrifice of christ
is what heals us from our sins again he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised
for our iniquities you know he took on all our sins on that body i want to drop down to verse
number 10 it says here yet it pleased the lord to bruise him he have put him to grief when thou
shall make his soul an offering for sin and we already saw what that offering that one time
offering was that was offering of his body and of course his soul was in anguish when his body was
being offered you know he took on the sins of the entire world he says he he shall see his seed and
shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the
travail of his soul and he shall be satisfied you see christ came and he redeemed us you know he's
that propitiation for our sins he's all that is required for us to be healed he's all that is
required for god the father to be satisfied that the payment of sin has been made in the body of
jesus christ and then it says by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many and he
shall bear their iniquities verse number 12 therefore will i divide him a portion with the
great and he shall divide the spoil of the strong because because he have poured out his soul unto
death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bear the sin of many and made intercession
for the transgressors and so when it says then he was numbered with the transgressors
that's a a portion of scripture that's used to say that that was fulfilled when christ was on
the cross and he had the transgressors on his right hand on his left hand those other two
malefactors that were crucified with christ and so those two on the right and the left
they represent the entire world in fact you know the one that did ultimately believe on jesus
christ and was promised paradise that very day that represents the sinner who believes on christ
that represents the sinner that accepts the sacrifice of christ unto himself and the one
that reviled christ but did not believe on christ he represents the sinner that rejects
jesus christ that rejects the offering of the body of christ of the sacrifice of christ christ
and goes to hell paying for his own sins when christ was the one offering himself for all of
mankind and so you know the suffering of christ is overwhelming it's overwhelming to think that
he died for all our sins but he also bore our signatures our infirmities our griefs so it's
i don't think it's fully appreciated because we don't fully understand it you know we understand
sin in a sense we understand the consequences of sin we understand pain and suffering and grief
all of us have a portion to share in this this suffering in this life because we are we do live
in a sin-cursed world you know the entire world has been cursed by god when adam and neve sinned
you know man has been cursed woman has been cursed that's the judgment of god
and so we all share in sin and sorrow and pain but you know i looked up what the average life
expectancy is in the world and it's 73 years so if you've lived past 73 years you've lived a good
life but the life expectancy in australia is 83 years another extra 10 years on top of that 83
years is the average life expectancy in australia and if someone lives a full life 83 years in
australia obviously they've lived a life of of joy they've lived a life and had lots of experiences
but they've also lived a life of pain and suffering you know in many ways by their sins
or because of their sicknesses and ailments especially those that come in old age and so
you've got 83 years you know to to experience sorrow and grief and you know all of your sorrow
and grief pain and the consequences and the sins and the consequences of our sins
were put on christ he paid for all that for you in a moment one sacrifice for all could you imagine
instead of you having 83 years of your life to spread out all the sorrow and grief what if all
the sorrow and grief that you would experience in your lifetime what if it was all compressed
down to one moment you know it's it's hard enough to grow go through grief and sorrow it's hard
enough to go through pain it's hard enough to struggle with sin but what if all that was
compressed instead of 83 years all compressed in one moment of your life you wouldn't be able to
bear it okay thank god that he's given us many years to stretch out the pain and suffering that
comes on this earth but what if it was all just in one moment now what if it's not just your
payment your griefs and your sins what if let's just take your direct family your mother and your
father your siblings you know your brothers and your sisters your spouse your children your direct
family just your direct family what if you took on all of their sins all of their pain all of
their griefs all of their sorrows that they would experience in their lifetime as well as yours
and you bore all of that on yourself in one moment there's no way you would be able to handle
that i mean it'll tear you apart what if not just your sins and your griefs and your infirmities
and not just your direct family but what if you took it all for the entire world you know i looked
at the world's population right now it's just shy of 8 billion people what if you took on the
entire world's sins sicknesses in your body in one moment and that's not even what christ did
christ did more than that he died for the sins of the entire world that's the man that's ever lived
every man that's ever lived from adam to the last man that takes his final breath
all in his body all in one moment all that pain suffering anguish sicknesses grief and sorrow
then you can start thinking about how much did christ suffer i mean it's not just the beatings
and the whippings and the crucifixion the crown of thorns and the mocking but that he took on
all of our sins and iniquities our trespasses upon himself i think then we can start to realize
the great sacrifice of christ and if you can turn to luke 24 now luke 24 for me we'll end on this
we'll end on this one luke 24
because this is resurrection sunday so as as sad as it is to think of what christ had to go through
there's great victory there's great joy to know that he rose from the dead three days later
okay christ himself rose himself from the dead luke 24 verse 36 reads luke 24 verse 36
and of course this is after the ascension yet the resurrection of christ i should say
and as they thus spake jesus himself stood in the midst of them and say if unto them peace be unto
you so he came and he appeared to his disciples look at verse number 37 but they were terrified
and frightened and supposed that they had seen a spirit they thought they were looking at a ghost
okay they thought what what is this is this is christ what what are we looking at but look at
what jesus christ says in verse 38 and he said unto them why are you troubled why and why do
thoughts arise in your hearts look at this behold my hands and my feet look at my hands he says look
at my feet that's where he was crucified and of course you know the jehovah witnesses they don't
believe jesus christ was risen bodily they actually believe his resurrection was a spiritual
resurrection no it was a bodily resurrection he says look at my hands look at my feet
it's not just looking at it because then he says that is that it is i myself handle me
and see handle he says touch me touch my hands touch my feet okay why is that important because
it says for a spirit have not flesh and bones as you see me have so what's jesus trying to
turn their attention to that it's a bodily resurrection that he has flesh that he has
bones that he can be touched okay what had appeared before the disciples is not just some
ghost not just some spirit but it was the bodily resurrection of christ him standing in the midst
of them in that body that was sacrificed that body that was in the grave and we know of course
the door of the tomb was rolled away verse number 40 and when he had thus spoken you showed them
his hands and his feet it's like come on have a look right verse 41 and while they yet believed
not for joy and wonder he said unto them have ye here any meat he said hey have you got any food
verse 42 and they gave him a piece of broiled fish and foreign honeycomb and he took it and
it eats before them so it's like just in case they don't fully understand that he's risen from
the dead bodily he says look let me show you have you got some food and he eats it you know right
in front of them he eats of course physical food in that physical body that he was resurrected in
verse number 44 and he said unto them these are the words which i spoke unto you while i was yet
with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of moses and in the prophets
and in the psalms concerning me notice those words he says look what's happened what i'm
telling you this bodily resurrection that i had died and come back to life he says these things
were written in the law of moses and in the prophets in the psalms it's written in the
old testament this was known this is plan a this isn't plan b this is plan a christ always came
to die on the cross it was written for us already we saw isiah 53 these things were written already
for us that you know and for the old testament saints that they would know that messiah would
come and die for them and be risen again this was known by the old testament saints i recently heard
a sermon just a recent one saying that the old testament saints knew nothing about the sacrifice
of christ baloney nonsense that stupidity jesus christ is the one saying these things were written
about him from moses the prophets and even the psalms and of course the psalms speaks highly
very much of jesus christ and if you don't believe that well you need a bit of a dose of knowledge
that jesus christ is about to impart upon his disciples look at verse number 45 then opened
their understanding that they might understand the scriptures okay so his disciples struggled
with understanding this but moses and the prophets they all knew they taught about the resurrection
of christ but his disciples at this point in time had no knowledge they hadn't fully understood
that this was going to happen and so jesus christ had to open their understanding that they might
understand the scriptures and if you are still believing that the old testament saints knew
nothing about the resurrection of christ then you need your understanding opened by god you need to
go to god and ask him can you open my understanding so when i read the old testament i can see how
christ would come and die pay for our sins and rise from the dead verse number 46 and he said
unto them thus it is written and thus it beholds christ or behooves christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day now i want to conclude in verse number 47 so in light of this truth in
light of the body of christ is sacrificed the flesh of christ what is our job verse number 47
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning
at jerusalem but among all nations and one of those nations that make up all nations is australia
our job reverend is to ensure that we go and preach repentance and remission of sins people's
sins can be remitted of if they repent okay and what do you repent from well for those that are
trusting in their works those that have their faith placed on the wrong things by following
the law of moses they think that's going to get them saved no they need to repent from that and
place their faith on jesus christ their faith that jesus christ bore their sins on his body that he
had died on the cross was buried three days three nights and that he was resurrected from the dead
that resurrection was a bodily resurrection that's what they need to repent from
okay put all their faith and trust on jesus christ alone for salvation that's our job
brevin if you're saved then it's our job to go throughout the entire world
and preach the gospel unto them god bless