Bearing

Genesis 4 and verse number 13. We'll explain the story here, if you're not familiar with it, about Cain. He says these words, Genesis 4 and verse 13, and Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

I'll read that verse again for you. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Now John chapter 19, right over to the New Testament, the last half of our Bibles.

Gospel of John and chapter 19. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then the Gospel of John. John chapter 19, this is referring to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus hours before.

We'll pick up at verse number 13. John chapter 19 and verse 13. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat.

Notice, in a place that is called the pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. And then we are given some information there. Go to verse number 16.

Then Jesus delivered him. Therefore unto them to be crucified and they took Jesus and led him away. Verse 17.

And he, referring to the Lord Jesus, and he bearing his cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull. Verse 18. Where they crucified him.

Verse 20. This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Finally, 1st Peter, which is near the end of our Bible.

1st and 2nd Peter. 1st Peter chapter 2. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, Jew revelation, just right near the end. 1st Peter chapter 2, marvelous words.

Verse number 24. And here's what we read. 1st Peter chapter 2, verse 24.

Referring to the Lord Jesus, we know that if we took time to read the preceding verses, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. That we being dead to sin should live on to righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. So the first part of that verse, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree.

Now that's all we're going to read and we'll look to the Lord to give help as we try to close the meeting. Now if you followed what is in those readings, it's the idea of bearing. We started in Genesis 4 about a man that has become very conscious of his sin and to whatever measure he got a hold of this, he understood that he was beyond God's salvation.

And he understood that the judgment that was coming was greater than he could bear. Now we'll touch on that in just a minute. I really want to start in John chapter 19.

I want to, I want to take you back, if it was yesterday, good Friday, I want to take you back just about 1984 years. There was a tremendous event that took place in the city of Jerusalem. It was a Friday.

The year was 8033. And as that sun arose upon that city of Jerusalem, that sun beheld an amazing sight. There was the son of God, God's unique son, and he stood in a place before a judgment seat.

It's hard for our minds to comprehend the vastness of God's grace that would allow such an event to take place. And upon that throne stood a human governor called Pilate. And he was governor over the province of Israel appointed by the Romans.

And it was his job to keep the peace. And into his little life had come this so called troublemaker, this man from Nazareth, Jesus of Nazareth. And there was all kinds of people calling for his blood.

And then there was the events of his wife. And there was many things that just were all going against him that day and words they were saying and words the Lord was saying, it just nothing was making sense. He comes before the people and he says, Look, I find no fault in this man.

Yet here are these Jewish people just literally at the top of their lungs, crying out, crucify him, crucify him. And Pilate is realizing this time of year was a tremendous time of year. It was Passover time.

Millions of people flocked into the city of Jerusalem. It was just teeming with people. The Jewish people are very excitable people.

And really during this particular holiday season, Pilate's only concern was just keep the peace. Just keep the peace until this rowdy bunch goes back home and things somewhat settle down in the city. And he's got this mob outside of his palace and they're there.

It's growing bigger and they're crying for the blood of this man, crucify him. And Pilate's state sits and the Lord Jesus stands before him. And I love how the word of God just says the Lord was in a place.

Do you know what that man did? That man lifted his finger and he listened to the people and he said, take this man out and crucify him. What a thing. And then the next place we're introduced to the Lord Jesus is being led and he comes to a place.

And you know what happens? What's presented to him is the cross member. Of that cross that he's going to hang on. Amazing to think, I often wonder what was heaven thinking, who was going through the mind of those angelic hosts.

As they're they're viewing this whole scene down here on Earth, what was going through the father's mind? And you know what the amazing thing is, Jesus bearing his cross went forth into a place. Amazing to think maybe you're sitting here tonight, you're wondering why is that man up there taking us back into antiquity, way back into history? Why is he bringing before us this place, this man? Why? Because, friend, if you never visit that place, you're going to die in your sins and go to hell. If you never understand, if you never come to realize the importance of this event, if you never come to understand that all of time, right from Genesis chapter one, just simply look forward to and longed for this moment when into this world would come the only person, the only person capable of answering for our sin, the Lord Jesus.

It's a tremendous event. There were so many people in the city, as I said, millions of people. And you can come to the cross and you can read it.

And people stood afar off. Some people were near. Some people smote their breasts.

Some people wondered what is happening. Other people were railing upon the Lord Jesus. People were confused.

But friend, that's why I read in first Peter, because God doesn't want you to be confused. In spite of all of the noise of the people and all of the crowds that gathered and the darkness that gathered. Do you know what God wants you to understand, friend? When the Lord Jesus was crucified and nailed upon a cross.

Listen to what the Bible teaches who his own self. Bear our sins in his own body on the tree. That's my message tonight, friend.

I don't want you to taken up with all of the details of the day. I want you to get taken up with the end result of what this all meant. What was the reason? What was the purpose? What was the grand scheme? Not that men were working out, but what God Almighty was working out.

And friend, if I'm speaking to someone here tonight and you've been touched by the testimony, salvation stories of these men that get up before we get up and you're somewhat concerned about your sin. Friend, could I direct you to what the word of God says about this one bearing a cross? Listen to it again, friend. First Peter chapter two, verse twenty four, who his own self.

Bear our sins in his own body on the tree. That's why I'm going to heaven. That's why I rejoice in this.

That's why I love preaching it. There's no other way for our sins to be taken away. It's not that God sort of had a number of options before him and he sort of sort of spun the dice and thought, oh, I guess I'll send my son to die.

No, friend, there was no other way, no other possible way. As we've been hearing, where a person come into the blessedness, where they can stand before a holy God and realize on the authority of the Bible that my sins are all forgiven. Friends, a marvelous thing to be saved, marvelous thing to know that before God, every sin has been taken away.

Do you know it? Are you able to claim this man, Jesus, as your savior? Are you able to read this story and not get lost in what's happening here? I'm all confused. I'm not. No.

Can you read it with clarity? Yes, sir. When he died, he died for me. When I hear people preach, I get saved all over again.

I'm not really too concerned about who's in the audience. They're preaching about Jesus dying. I'm sitting there going, that's right.

He died for me. It's wonderful. Do you know it? Here's this event.

You ever thought upon it? My wife and I were driving to the funeral there on Friday, and she was reading to me from the Bible, and we were speaking, talking about the crucifixion. She said, isn't it amazing? People today wonder how can an historical event do anything to them right now in the present? That's the power of the cross. That's why we preach it.

That's why there's nothing else worth preaching. We're not speaking about something that might work. No, no.

Friend, I've experienced it. I have experienced the forgiveness that comes from understanding what took place. I want to back up for a minute, because as the Lord Jesus was present at that cross beam, it's called his cross.

Do you know what I see without any hesitation of being told it's wrong? As soon as they present at that beam, I just see the Lord go forward. That's why he came. That's the very reason why he left heaven.

It's not something that became clear to him as he started to grow up and started to drift by the city of Jerusalem and, oh, maybe I'm going to... No, no, no. This is what he knew from eternity. This was the Father's will.

It wasn't even a concern to him, the suffering and the pain. What was before him was this. My Father has decreed.

This is how sin will be dealt with. And friend, there was an anticipation. There was a longing for it.

And he willingly took it. Those men didn't have to push him out toward the city, out of the city. They call it over there the Via Dolorcia, the way of sorrow.

That little cobblestone pathway, maybe possibly close to two miles or maybe a mile and a half. I've walked it myself when I was over there. And they have all these different stations that they add in that's not in the Bible, but whatever.

I just want to go from the starting point. I want to go to the end point. And that cross beam that was presented to him, the Lord Jesus just willingly carried it right out outside that northern gate.

And he went to a place called the Skull Hill. And those soldiers didn't have to wrestle those arms down. They didn't have to wrestle those feet into place.

There were those hands just waiting to be nailed. There were those feet waiting to be spiked to that beam. What a moment.

When the son of God. Was lifted up. And that thing was put in the ground.

At a moment. This is what heaven long for. Think of the thousands and millions and billions of Christians of the Old Testament.

This is what they look forward to in faith. Every time a little animal was taken and killed on an altar. I don't know what they might have understood at the time, but I'll tell you what God, the father understood his mind went way down the line of history right to this moment.

When his son would hang upon that cross. Do you know what would happen? God would clothe the heavens in darkness. The sun just simply ceased to shine.

And there was a tremendous avalanche. One mighty stroke. The sword of Jehovah was just unsheathed.

And it just fell in all of its fury. Right into his heart. I say hallelujah.

It's the only reason I'm going to heaven. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord that there was such a one that was able, able to endure it.

You go back into the Old Testament and all of those little animals that just only were a little picture that just simply pointed forward to this ultimate sacrifice. All of those animals died before the fire hit them. Not with the Lord Jesus.

He felt the full fury of the fire of God friend for your sin. He did. I am not one of these preachers that are afraid to tell you on the authority of this book, whether you believe it or not.

I can tell you on the authority of this book that when Jesus died, he died for your sin. And you can know that and still drop into hell. Just refuse to believe it.

You can know it as a fact. That's what the Bible teaches, friend. There's nothing limited to this tremendous sacrifice.

And I think what a moment as it were, the final drop of judgment consumed by the son of God. And from this earth, just that mighty shout finished heaven, just hallelujah. That's what God wanted.

Friend, listen, Calvary did not turn God into a God of love. Calvary is only the outworking of a God that is love. God's always wanted to save the world.

He's always want to save sinners, but he couldn't do it through animals. He couldn't. And what a moment when his son stepped into this world, it wasn't an accident.

It happened right on time. And to think how I agree with my brother, the older I get, it's amazing. This is the month of April, as you know, amazing to think I was saved April the 4th, 1990.

And you know what happened this month? I forgot about it. Couldn't believe it. And two days ago, my son-in-law emailed me April the 12th, I think it was, or 13th.

He said, when is your spiritual birthday? I went, April the 4th, I missed it. April the 4th, I've been saved 27 years. 27 years ago, I can take you right back to the day.

I can take you to the place where I discovered who his own self, bear our sins in his own body of the tree. Friend, you know it. It is knowable.

It is real. This is not something unique to those of us in the gospel hall. This is a worldwide message.

I've been enjoying the end part of Romans 16, that doxology where Paul is praising the Lord and we're brought there to the commandment. God wants the gospel preached throughout the world. This message doesn't matter the color of the skin on your face.

It doesn't matter the voice, doesn't matter the culture you come from. This salvation works with every sinner. Friend, it's available for you.

Why did I read in Genesis 4, knowing everything that you know, just having heard what you have heard. Do you want to know what lies out before you if you refuse it? But there's something that Cain did not know that I'm gonna tell you. Cain looked at the sin that he had committed.

He understood to some measure that God had brought a sacrifice right to his door that would take away that sin. And Cain and Eric and stepped over it. Basically trampled in New Testament terms in the blood of Christ.

And now Cain is at a position where he has become very aware straight from God. You're heading for judgment. You know, Cain understands there's no way of getting out of it.

And then he says these words, my punishment is greater than I can bear. You know what the New Testament teaches, friend? Tomorrow this world will celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Palm Sunday or whatever they call it.

Easter Sunday, I guess it is. Do you know what Acts, the book of Acts, tells us? The resurrection is a guarantee from God to the world that he will actually judge sin. That's solemn.

I'll tell you what else is solemn about it. We often get occupied with one side of the resurrection of Christ, but there's another side of the resurrection of Christ that will affect every single sinner. If God was to send you and I to hell right now in our sin in this body, we'd be annihilated.

Couldn't handle eternal fire. Burnt up. But you know what the resurrection of Christ has done? God will actually give you a body that will endure the flames of hell.

And what Cain said in ignorance, my punishment is greater than I can bear. God will make sure that you do bear it. And you'll bear it forever.

If you dropped into hell tonight, friend, and if somehow we were able to visit you 10 trillion years into the future, you wouldn't be able to tell me that you've started to pay for your sin. It's eternal. So that's what I bring before you, friend.

That's why the death of the Lord Jesus is so unique. Because he's an infinite person. Therefore he suffered.

He bore the weight of our sin, which is infinite. You could never measure that. You couldn't limit that.

Friend, that's what God is offering you tonight. The complete, eternal forgiveness of sins. Turn away from it and you might find yourself in hell bearing it.

Please don't take the gospel lightly. I'm amazed as I sat over there and listened to these brethren tell their testimonies. I'm amazed because it makes me think of my own life.

How many times God spoke to me and I turned away, not realizing that it could have been the last time. My God is gracious, isn't he? How many of us heard the message? Heard preaching like this? Better preaching than this? How many people were moved? They couldn't even sleep and the devil tricked them and they went on with their life. You ever stopped and wondered why didn't God stop dealing with me right there? Why? Why did he keep dealing with me? Friend, always remember, only a Christian cannot frustrate the grace of God.

I got the scripture for that. As Alex says, I can prove that from the Bible, from the words of Paul. I do not frustrate the grace of God, but a sinner can.

I have no idea when and where God chooses to deal with a sinner. I don't know how long it will be. I go through this Bible and this is what scares me.

There are people that God gave a long time to respond and then there's other people that God gave only one opportunity to. That's his prerogative. So if you're troubled about your sin, friend, you're wondering about heaven, hell, you know my advice to you tonight? You get to the cross where Christ died.

You get to this book and I'll leave you with these words. Whatever was all that noise and all those people in Jerusalem and all the darkness and everything else, here's what God wants you to understand took place there. 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 24, Who? His own self.

They're our sins in his own body on the tree. Believe that and heaven will be yours eternally. Let's pray.