LutheranLectionary.org

Series A – Palm Sunday – Sunday, April 02, 2023 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:22	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint Matthew chapters 26 and 27.
0:35	good when Jesus had finished all these
0:41	sayings he said to his disciples you know that after two days the Passover is coming and the son of man will be
0:48	delivered up to be crucified then the chief priests and the Elders of the people gathered in the Palace of the
0:54	high priest whose name was Caiaphas and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him but they
1:01	said not during the feast lest there be an uproar among the people now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of
1:08	Simon the leper a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask a very expensive
1:13	ointment and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table and when the disciples saw it they were
1:21	indignant saying why this waste for this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor but Jesus aware of
1:28	this said to them why do you trouble the woman for she has done a beautiful thing to me for you always have the poor with
1:36	you but you will not always have me in pouring this ointment and on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial
1:42	truly I say to you wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world what
1:47	she has done will also be told in memory of her then one of the twelve whose name was Judas Iscariot went to the chief
1:54	priest and said what will you give me if I deliver him over to you and they paid him 30 pieces of silver
2:01	and from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him now on the first day of unleavened bread the
2:07	disciples came to Jesus saying where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover he said go into the city to
2:14	a certain man and say to him the teacher says my time is at hand and I will keep
2:20	the Passover at your house with my disciples and the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and they prepared the
2:27	Passover when it was evening he reclined at table with the twelve and as they were eating he said truly I say to you
2:34	one of you will betray me and they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another is it I Lord he
2:41	answered he who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me the son of man goes as it is written of him but
2:48	woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed it would have been better for that man if he had not been born
2:55	Judas who would betray him answered is it I Rabbi he said to him you have said
3:00	so now as they were eating Jesus Took bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take
3:07	eat this is my body and he took a cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying drink of it all of you
3:14	for this Blood this this my this is my blood of the Covenant which is poured out for many for the Forgiveness of sins
3:21	I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I
3:26	drink it it drink it new with you in my father’s Kingdom and when they had sung A Hymn they went
3:32	out to the Mount of Olives then Jesus said to them you will all fall away because of me this night for it is
3:39	written I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered but after I am raised up I will go
3:45	before you to Galilee Peter answered him though they all fall away because of you
3:51	I will never fall away Jesus said to him truly I tell you this very night before the rooster crows you will deny me three
3:58	times Peter said to him even if I must die with you I will not deny you and all
4:04	the disciples said the same then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples
4:11	sit here while I go over there and pray and taking with him Peter and the two
4:17	sons of Zebedee he began to be sorrowful and troubled and then he said to them my
4:22	soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch with me and going
4:27	a little farther he fell on his face and prayed saying my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me
4:34	nevertheless not as I will but as you will and he came to the disciples and
4:39	found them sleeping and he said to Peter so could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray that you may not enter
4:46	into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak again for
4:51	the second time he went away and prayed my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it your will be done and again he
4:59	came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy so leaving them again
5:04	he went away and prayed for the third time saying the same words again and then he came to the disciples and said
5:10	to them sleep and take your rest later on see the hours at hand the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners
5:16	rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand and while he was still speaking
5:21	Judas came one of the twelve and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs
5:26	from the chief priests and the Elders of the people now the betrayer had given them a sign saying the one I will kiss
5:33	is the man sees him and he came up to Jesus at once and said greetings Rabbi
5:38	and he kissed him Jesus said to him friend do what you came to do and then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and
5:45	seized him and behold one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and Drew his sword and struck the
5:51	servant of the high priest and cut off his ear then Jesus said to them put your sword back into its place for all who
5:58	take the sword will perish by the sword do you think that I cannot appeal to my father and he will let at once send me
6:05	more than 12 Legions of angels but how then should the scriptures be fulfilled that I’m that it must be so
6:13	at that hour Jesus said to the crowds have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to capture me day
6:20	after day I sat in the temple teaching and you did not seize me but all this has taken place that the scriptures of
6:27	the prophets might be fulfilled then all the disciples left him and fled then
6:32	those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest were the scribes and the elders had gathered and
6:39	Peter was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest and going inside he sat with the guards
6:45	to see the end now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might
6:52	put him to death but they found none though many false Witnesses came forward
6:57	at last two came forward and said this man said I am able to destroy the temple and to rebuild it in three days and the
7:05	high priest stood up and said have you no answer to make what is this that these men testify against you but Jesus
7:11	remained silent in the high priest said to him I Adore You by the Living God tell us if you are the Christ the son of
7:18	God Jesus said to him you have said so but I tell you from now on you will see
7:25	the son of man seated at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven then the high priest tore his
7:32	robes and said he has uttered blasphemy what further witness do we need you have now heard his blasphemy what is your
7:40	judgment they answered he deserves death then they spit on his face and struck
7:46	him and some slapped him saying prophesy to us you Christ who is it that struck
7:51	you now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came up to
7:57	him and said you also were with Jesus the Galilean but he denied it before
8:02	them all saying I do not know what you mean and when he went out to the entrance another servant girl saw him
8:09	and she and she said to the bystanders this man was with Jesus of Nazareth and
8:15	again he denied it with an oath I do not know the man after a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter
8:21	certainly you too are one of them for your accent betrays you then he began to
8:27	invoke a curse on himself and to swear I do not know the man and immediately the rooster crowed and Peter remembered the
8:34	saying of Jesus before the rooster crows you will deny me three times and he went out and he wept bitterly
8:41	when mourning came all the chief priests and the Elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to
8:48	death and they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to pilate the governor when then when Judas his
8:55	betrayer saw that Jesus was condemned he changed his mind and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests
9:01	and the Elder saying I have sinned by betraying innocent blood they said what is that to us see to it yourself and
9:09	throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple he departed and went and hanged himself but the chief priest
9:15	taking the pieces of silver said it is not lawful to put them into this treasury since it is blood money so they
9:21	took counsel and brought bought with them The Potter’s field as a burial place for strangers therefore that field
9:27	has been called the field of blood to this day then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah
9:34	saying and they took the 30 the 30 pieces of silver the price of him on of
9:39	him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel and they gave them
9:44	for The Potter’s field as the Lord directed me now Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him are
9:51	you the king of the Jews Jesus said you have said so but when he was accused by
9:56	the chief priests and the elders he gave no answer then pilate said to him do you not hear how many things they testify
10:03	against you but he gave them no answer not even to a single charge so the governor was greatly amazed now the
10:10	feast the governor was accustomed to release for The Crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted and they had then a
10:17	notorious prisoner called Barabbas so when they gathered pilate said to them whom do you want me to release for you
10:24	Barabbas or Jesus who was called Christ for he knew that it was out of envy that
10:29	they had delivered him up besides while he was sitting on the Judgment seat his wife sent word to him have nothing to do
10:35	with that righteous man for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream now the chief priests and the
10:41	elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and Destroy Jesus the governor again said to them which of the two do
10:48	you want me to release for you and they said Barabas pilate then said to them then what shall I do with Jesus who is
10:55	called Christ they all said let him be crucified and he said why what evil has he done
11:02	but they shouted all the more let him be crucified so when pilate saw that he was
11:08	gaining nothing but rather that a riot was beginning he took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying I am
11:15	innocent of this man’s blood see to it yourselves and all the people answered his blood be on us and on our children
11:23	then he released for them Barabbas and having scourged Jesus delivered him to be crucified then the soldiers of the
11:30	governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters and they gathered the whole Battalion before him and they stripped
11:36	him and put a Scarlet robe on him and twisting together a crown of thorns they put it on his head and put a reed in his
11:43	right hand and kneeling before him they mocked him saying hail King of the Jews and they spit on him and took the Reed
11:50	and struck him on the head and when they had mocked him they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and
11:57	led him away to crucify as they went out they found a man of Cyrene Simon by name they compelled this
12:04	man to carry his cross and when they came to a place called Golgotha which means place of a skull they offered him
12:11	wine to drink mixed with gall but when he had tasted it he would not drink it
12:16	and when they had crucified him they divided his garments among them by casting lots then they sat down and kept
12:24	watch over him there and over his head they put the charge against him which read this is Jesus king of the Jews then
12:33	two robbers were crucified with him one on the right and one on the left and those who passed by derided him wagging
12:40	their heads and saying you who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days save yourself if you are the
12:47	Son of God come down from the cross so also the chief priests with the scribes and the elders mocked him saying he
12:54	saved others he cannot even save himself he’s the king of Israel let him come down from the cross and we will believe
13:00	in him he trusts in God let God deliver him now if he desires him for he had
13:06	said I am the Son of God and the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way
13:13	now from the sixth hour there was Darkness over all the land until the ninth hour and about the ninth hour
13:20	Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying
13:26	that is my God my God why have you forsaken me and some of the bystanders
13:32	hearing it said this man is calling Elijah and one of them at once ran and took a sponge and filled it with sour
13:38	wine and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink but others said wait let’s see whether Elijah will come to save him
13:45	and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit and
13:50	behold the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the Earth Shook and the Rocks were split the
13:58	tombs also were opened in many bodies of the Saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after
14:04	his resurrection they went into the Holy Spirit City and appeared to many when the Centurion and those who were with
14:10	him keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place they were filled with awe and said truly this was
14:18	the son of God there were also many women there looking on from a distance
14:23	who had followed Jesus From Galilee ministering to him among whom were Mary
14:28	Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee when it was evening there came a
14:36	rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who also was a disciple of Jesus and he went
14:41	to pilate and asked for the body of Jesus then pilate ordered it to be given to him and Joseph took the body wrapped
14:48	it in a clean linen shroud and said to his and and laid it in his own new tomb
14:54	which he had cut in the Rock and he rolled a great Stone to the entrance of the Tomb and went away Mary Magdalene
15:01	and the other Mary were there sitting opposite the tomb next day that is after
15:06	the day of preparation the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said sir we remember how that
15:12	impossible Pastor said while he was still alive after three days I will rise therefore order the tomb to be made
15:19	secure until the third day lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people he has risen from the dead
15:25	and the last fraud will be worse than the first pilate said to them you have a guard of soldiers go and make it as
15:32	secure as you can so they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and
15:37	setting a guard this is the gospel of the Lord in the name of Jesus
15:43	here a portion of the assigned psalm for today which is taken from Psalm 118
15:49	starting at verse 19. open to me the gates of righteousness that I may enter
15:56	through them and give thanks to the Lord this is the Gate of the Lord the
16:01	righteous shall enter through it and I thank you that you have answered me and you have become my salvation the stone
16:09	that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone
16:15	gates and doors all right think of gates and doors here for a second when you
16:21	think of like good movies good movies always have a way of making very dramatic props or setting scenes that
16:26	are pretty dramatic I think back to when I was a kid I loved to watch this time of the year uh The Wizard of Oz it was
16:32	always on CBS This time of the year around Easter time right and those of you who remember you had to get the
16:38	rabbit ears just right and and I always liked it when they would when when Dorothy and the Tin Man and the Cowardly
16:45	Lion and the Scarecrow would finally get to the Emerald City and when they got there what were they met with
16:51	ginormous doors right and so and and in good Hollywood fashion when they bang on
16:57	the door it makes that echoey right it’s just crazy stuff and then you can also
17:03	think another one would be the Return of the Jedi when C-3PO and um and R2D2 are
17:10	on the rescue mission to rescue Han Solo from being frozen by Jabba the Hutt you know they come up to Jabba the Hutt’s
17:17	Lair and there’s this ginormous door right doors are kind of big things and
17:22	so you’ll note something here if we were to think of Salvation like a door or a gate something huge and dramatic you’ll
17:30	note that in Psalm 118 it says open to me the gates of righteousness that I may
17:36	enter through them and here’s where we have to soberly take something into consideration and that is this this
17:43	small fact who are you to demand of God that he opens the gates of righteousness
17:49	to you who do you think you are you’ll note that because of our sin
17:56	um the gates of righteousness and the gates of Salvation are barred they will
18:01	not open at our Command in fact that’s really a problem for us if you were to
18:09	think of it this way there’s a lot of things that we can give in exchange for crimes and misdemeanors that we perform
18:17	here on Earth you’ll note that when somebody commits a misdemeanor or a
18:22	felony they are arrested and in order to pay their debt to society they can offer
18:28	their body or actually it’ll be taken from them their body and their life will be taken for them for a brief period of
18:35	time while they cool their heels and think about their bad decisions in prison if you live in Texas and you
18:42	murder somebody right you you will be giving your life as the penalty for the
18:49	crime of murder but what can you give in exchange for the sins that you’ve
18:57	committed in order that you might be saved can you give your own blood can you give your
19:03	own life no the answer is no to all of that you are you are not able to do that so the gates of righteousness stand
19:11	close to every single one of us who by Nature are born dead in trespasses and
19:17	can in sins and we are conceived in unrighteousness and we have transgressed
19:22	God’s holy law and so open to me the gates of righteousness well how can I
19:28	expect the gates of righteousness to open for me or for you and it’s here where we
19:35	consider again the substitutionary work of Christ and in our gospel text today I
19:41	won’t reread the entire thing but we’ll pick up some highlights you’re going to notice there’s a big theme here and that
19:48	theme is that Jesus Christ himself has pretty much every single door slammed in
19:54	his face every single one of them so that at the
19:59	end of this he doesn’t have any Mercy there’s no way out all ways of Escape are barred all doors are closed all
20:08	gates are closed and there is only one one outcome and
20:13	that’s the death of Christ and so we read in the beginning of our gospel
20:18	texts that the chief priests and the Elders of the people they had gathered in the Palace of the high priest whose
20:24	name was Caiaphas and they plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him but they said not
20:32	during the feast lest there be an uproar among the people you’ll you’ll know that that the fact that they wanted to arrest
20:38	Jesus by stealth and kill him without anyone knowing shows that their intent
20:43	from beginning to end was nefarious they were up to no good if real Justice was
20:50	to be in play Then Jesus would have been properly arrested with everybody understanding the crime and the
20:56	allegations against him spoken very clearly and the trial would have taken place and Witnesses would have come
21:02	forth properly right in order to bring about the end and demise of Christ but
21:08	the fact that they had to do this by self mean that Jesus has done nothing
21:13	wrong if they’re going to get rid of Jesus if they’re going to unalive him they’re going to have to do it on false
21:20	pretenses and so from there you’ll note that Judas
21:25	one of Jesus’s inside guys one of the twelve he went to the chief priests and
21:32	he said what will you give me if I deliver Jesus over to you and they paid him 30 pieces of silver
21:39	is anyone else think that that is just an absolutely ridiculously low price for
21:45	any human life yet alone the life of the very Son of God what is going on here
21:52	and from that moment Judah sought an opportunity to betray him the chief priests now have a guy on the inside
21:58	working with him so that they can arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death
22:03	before anybody figures out what’s going on doors are closing for Christ doors
22:11	that should never have been shut and then to make matters worse Jesus knows
22:17	full well what’s going to go down and he tells his disciples all of them you all
22:22	fall away because of me this night for his written I will strike The Shepherd of the sheep and the flock will be
22:27	scattered and but after I am raised up I will go before you to Galilee and of
22:33	course Peter the pretentious the Peter the ah it
22:39	sounds so much like me at times he just thinks he’s got everything figured out and really doesn’t doesn’t quite get
22:44	what’s going on here puts on a Brave’s front says well I I you know I they’ll
22:50	all fall away I will never fall away and Jesus looks him straight in the eyes and says I tell you this very night before
22:56	the rooster crows you’re going to deny me three times and then Jesus in The Garden of
23:02	Gethsemane three times praise to the father that if it’s possible that this cup would pass for him from him but then
23:09	he notes but not my will but your will be done and you can hear doors creaking
23:15	and closing all over the place for Jesus his world is getting smaller and smaller
23:21	and by the time he has finished praying and note none of his disciples had enough energy to even join him in any
23:28	kind of meaningful prayer themselves Judas arise betrays Jesus with a kiss
23:33	what a horrible betrayal that is and then they seize him a scuffle ensues and
23:39	we know from the cross references who took off the ear of the of the servant
23:44	of the high priest in fact we even know his name his name is malcus and the guy who took off his ear the one wielding
23:50	the sword it was Peter and you’ll note right from the from the get-go here when things start to heat up it looks like
23:57	Peter’s right Peter’s the one who’s really he’s he’s not going to deny Jesus no matter what in fact he even drew a
24:04	sword and Drew some blood but Jesus heals the fellow and then he chastises his disciples do
24:12	you think that I cannot appeal to my father and that he will at once send me more than 12 Legions of angels but how
24:19	then should the scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so and Christ knows what he’s talking about
24:26	the scriptures are clear God’s word cannot be broken God’s word cannot be
24:32	broken that being the case you’ll know if for anyone out there who sits and goes well the bible really can’t be
24:38	inerrant really it can’t be inherent you think the Bible cannot be with without
24:44	error God’s word itself says it cannot be broken and Jesus here when he’s
24:51	arrested he’s basically telling his disciples to stand down because the
24:56	scriptures must and will be fulfilled and then he addresses the crowd Jesus
25:02	always a repentance preacher leaves him with a little bit of a message a little bit of law to get them to think about
25:08	what’s going on have you come out against me as a robber with swords and clubs to capture me day after day I sat
25:14	in the temple teaching you and you didn’t seize me but all of this is taken place that that the scriptures the
25:20	prophets might be fulfilled you’ll note that Jesus kind of them in the eyes and goes you guys do realize that you’re
25:26	doing exactly what the Bible said you were going to do don’t you think that that should make
25:32	you a little bit nervous you might want to rethink your life decisions Jesus clearly is still in control here and so
25:39	they seize Jesus and led him to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and the elders had gathered and we know
25:44	where this took place it’s actually it’s on this list of sites that you can visit in Jerusalem if you were to go on a Holy
25:51	Land Tour and I would note that the uh the the caiaphas’s house this Courtyard
25:57	that’s in his houses where is where the trial took place it ain’t much bigger than Kong’s finger right here I mean
26:03	that shows you kind of how intimate of a place this was in fact I think Kong Zinger is a little bit bigger maybe if
26:10	we just take the middle section right if we just took the middle section that shows you how intimate of a place this
26:16	was and it says this that Peter was following him at a distance and the chief priest and the
26:22	whole Council were seeking listen to this they were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to
26:30	death let me give you an analogy that we can kind of grasp on to this would be
26:36	the equivalent of the Pope looking for people to give false testimony against
26:42	somebody for whatever reason right popes aren’t supposed to do that neither are
26:48	pastors or leaders in the church so if the if the head of the aalc the
26:54	presiding Pastor were to basically put some Pastor on trial for whatever things
26:59	and he was soliciting people we need some guys to bear false witness against so and so anyone up for that you’ll note
27:06	that this is corruption of the highest order and here’s the problem is that when you’re seeking false testimony
27:12	against somebody it’s really difficult to get the testimony to agree so you can
27:18	see some guy coming up saying and they go what would you like to say what do what would what are you testifying
27:24	against Jesus well he threatened to turn me into a newt right uh-huh he did really yeah did he yes
27:32	well he did turn me into a nude and how come you’re not a newt now well I got better right we know how this goes down
27:39	and so you’ll note that uh getting false testimony to agree is a little bit difficult but finally they found two
27:45	guys they finally found two guys who said the same thing and what did they
27:51	say oh we heard this man say I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days we all know
27:58	about this this is actually recorded for us in the Gospel of John and of course the temple that Jesus was referring to
28:04	was the Temple of his body but don’t let details get in the way so Jesus they
28:10	said this guy said he can tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days and the high priest stood up and he has to
28:15	go with it at this point this is the best that he’s got he says have you no answer to make
28:20	right yeah what is this that these men are testifying against you oh this is
28:25	serious stuff Jesus right but Jesus
28:31	remained silent isn’t that interesting long before the
28:38	Miranda writes you have the right to remain silent Jesus did nothing to defend himself not
28:45	a thing doors more doors are slamming so the high priest said to him I Adore You
28:52	by the Living God you tell us if you are the Christ the son of God Jesus said to him you’ve said so
28:58	but I tell you from now on you’ll see the son of man seated at the right hand of the power and coming on the Clouds Of
29:05	Heaven at this point [Music] all right
29:10	and he goes ballistic the high priest tore his robes and said he’s uttered
29:15	blasphemy what further witness do we need you’ve heard the blasphemy what is
29:21	your judgment and they all answered he deserves death
29:26	and they spit on his face and they struck him some slapped him saying prophesy to us
29:33	you Christ who is it that struck you more doors are closing in on Jesus
29:44	of course Peter he’s there watching all of this we learn from another gospel
29:49	that when Peter finally denies Christ the third time Jesus looked at him because this is an intimate sight
29:57	Peter was sitting outside the courtyard and a servant girl came up to him said you also were with Jesus the Galilean ah
30:04	the brave Peter who just cut off the ear of malcus all of a sudden he’s become Mr
30:11	Frady cat a servant girl has asked a question has made a statement he says I
30:16	don’t know what you mean and then he went out to the entrance and another servant girl saw him and said this man
30:23	was with Jesus of Nazareth and again he denied it with an oath didn’t Peter say that even everybody if everybody were to
30:31	leave you I’ll never leave you even unto death well here’s your great opportunity Peter
30:36	but you’re gonna know the word of God cannot be broken the word must be
30:42	fulfilled the scripture says I will strike the shepherd and the Sheep will scatter
30:47	and here you have this ornery sheep dot trying doing his best to disobey the
30:52	word of God you can’t do it that and so things are not going well for him he
30:58	denied that he knew Jesus and after a little while the bystanders came up to him and said well certainly you two are
31:03	one of them and then he began to invoke a curse on himself and swear I don’t know the man and then immediately the
31:10	rooster crowed Peter remembered the saying of Jesus before the rooster crows you will deny me three times
31:16	anyone out and he wept bitterly so they take Jesus to pilate and pilot
31:23	well you know he knows that the reason why that they brought him to him this
31:29	early in the morning was because of their jealousy of him and so Jesus stood
31:34	before the governor and pilate asked him are you the king of the Jews and he could almost hear him asking it kind of like nonchalantly it’s like listen I got
31:41	breakfast in like 10 minutes can we get this over with are you the king of the Jews or not and he says well you’ve said so and then the chief priests and the
31:48	elders they began hurling accusations against him and pilate said well do you hear how many things they testify
31:54	against you Jesus gave them no answer not even to a single charge so that the governor was
32:01	greatly amazed I mean the scripture cannot be broken just like a sheep before her Shearer’s as silence so
32:06	Christ will be silent before his accusers and so now
32:12	Pilot’s door closes the doors of the high priest have closed in on Jesus but
32:18	what about the crowd maybe the crowd the people that the uh the scribes and the Pharisees and the chief priests didn’t
32:24	want to involve in this maybe they’ll come to Jesus’s rescue remember they wanted to arrest Jesus by night so that
32:30	the crowd wouldn’t Riot and put up a fuss well the crowd that had gathered at gabitha that morning the uh well the
32:38	scribes and the Pharisees and the chief priests they were able to work the crowd to basically say listen he’s going to
32:43	give us two options here one is to release Jesus the others to release Barabbas you scream and demand that he
32:49	released Barabbas and so they did
32:54	they screamed when the governor said which of the two do you want me to release for you they said Barabbas
33:00	and pilate said to them well what should I do with Jesus who’s called the Christ they said let him be crucified
33:06	and he said why what evil has he done and they shouted all the more let him be crucified
33:15	and in one of the most fruitless Endeavors I’ve ever seen of somebody trying to purge themselves of their own
33:20	sin pilate saw that he was gaining nothing and that a riot was beginning he
33:25	took water and washed his hands before the crowd and said I’m innocent of this man’s blood see to it yourselves Oh no
33:32	you’re not you know that this is an injustice your
33:37	responsibility Governor is to do what’s right you can’t just wash your hands and
33:42	be done with this I’m innocent of this man’s blood he cries out
33:47	and then all the people answered his blood be on us and on our children I
33:53	remember during the men’s bible study last week when we were reading this out the fellow who was reading the section of the scripture said oh wow
34:01	oh wow indeed what a statement it’s breathtaking when you consider its
34:07	implications his blood be on us and on our children
34:12	huh and you know that’s a statement that’s one of these kinds of statements that can cut two different ways
34:20	let me explain each and every one of us according to the apostles when you read the apostles
34:26	in the book of Acts each and every one of us although we were not present when Christ was on trial we’re all guilty of
34:32	crucifying Jesus it was our sin that put him on the cross it was our sin that he
34:38	was bearing that being the case we’re all guilty of the blood of Christ if you
34:43	were to think of it that way we’re responsible so when an a Believer says
34:49	his blood be on us and on our children he is not invoking a curse he’s invoking
34:56	a blessing think all the way back to the Garden of Eden the very first Brothers if you ever thought that your family was
35:02	dysfunctional well just go all the way back to Adam Eve Cain and Abel right what did Cain do he slew his brother
35:10	Abel and the his blood was crying out from the earth against him and God
35:16	brought Justice to Cain as a result of his murder and so blood is one of these
35:21	things that can cry out blood is one of these things that people can have on their hands blood is one of these things
35:27	that can testify about a person and they could be brought to Justice because of
35:33	the blood that they have shed and so when the crowd cries out his blood be on us and on our children the
35:41	first implication is to think that they’re calling down a curse but for all who believe the blood of Christ is on us
35:47	and we pray that it be on our children because when the blood of Christ is on us by grace through faith rather than
35:53	face Justice in God’s Wrath we are pardoned and forgiven by the blood of
35:59	Christ Christ’s blood is a blessing but if you persist in sin and unbelief and
36:06	you refuse to trust that Christ has died for your sins and that in him and him
36:11	only is salvation then his blood is on you and potentially on your children not
36:18	for good not for a blessing but instead for God’s Wrath and justice
36:24	his blood be on us and on our children man like I said in our Bible study oh
36:31	wow so what do they do they released Barabbas and having
36:36	scourged Jesus they delivered him to be crucified and scourging is I I like the
36:41	fact that it just talks about it so briefly they scourged him oh that’s great well the that is not an easy
36:48	ordeal basically they took Christ and then secured him to a pole his hands and had
36:56	his back to these soldiers and then they took a cat of nine tails and just
37:02	got into his back the 40 Lashes minus one
37:09	it’s a mess it really is truly a very painful horrible mess but there’s
37:16	Barabbas Brabus the actual murderer the actual insurrectionist the guy who
37:21	legitimately has done evil he walks out scot-free for him the doors of the
37:27	prison open for him the door of the palace opens
37:32	that day he was able to walk free in the sunlight the doors had opened for him he
37:39	had been saved strange when you think about it and then we hear that Jesus is mocked
37:46	he’s beaten has a crown of thorns pressed into his head then he is Led
37:51	away and he is crucified and he lays down his life with the final insult the final door to
37:59	slam on Jesus’s face is the one that is the most startling
38:05	it says from the sixth hour there was Darkness over the land until the ninth hour at noon while Christ was on the
38:12	cross the sun could no longer give its light the moon stopped shining and it was dark
38:19	it was Darkness all over the land all over the Earth for three whole hours and
38:25	Christ cried out with a loud voice that is my God my God why have you
38:32	forsaken me and with one last loud clang
38:39	the last of the doors shut on Jesus there are no open doors for him
38:46	he is now bearing your sin and mine he is bleeding and suffering in our place
38:52	so that we can be forgiven by God all the doors were shot on Christ so that
39:00	the gates of righteousness could open to you and to I and Christ laid down his life and crying
39:06	out with a loud voice he yielded up his spirit and at that point things happen the
39:13	curtain the temple was torn in two from top to bottom the Earth shook the Rocks were split the tombs were open Saints
39:20	came out of their tombs can you imagine that and they appeared to many and even the Roman soldiers there at the foot of
39:27	the cross said truly this this man was the son of God what does this have to do with what
39:33	we’re saying here again the words of our psalm for today open to me the gates of righteousness
39:39	that I may enter through them and give thanks to Yahweh
39:45	who are you that you can ask God to open the gates of righteousness to you well here’s the best bit you’re nobody and
39:51	neither am I and Christ died for all of us in fact it’s by Jesus’s shed Blood on
39:56	the cross that we now are forgiven and pardoned and declared righteous by grace through faith and so we can boldly and
40:04	confidently approach the gates of righteousness and say open up
40:10	I’m here and we can enter through them why because Jesus is the gate he’s the door
40:19	he’s the way he’s the truth he’s the life this is the Gate of Yahweh the
40:25	righteous shall enter through it Jesus is the gate and he’s the door and it’s through him that you enter through well
40:32	damnation into salvation I thank you that you have answered me and you have
40:37	become my salvation this text also says of Christ the stone the builders has rejected has become the Cornerstone and
40:45	that’s really the point throughout our gospel text today we see that Christ is rejected rejected rejected rejected door
40:53	after door gate after gate slams in his face he is rejected but he has become
40:59	the Cornerstone and through his rejection we are finally accepted by God
41:06	that’s the point of his death this is the Lord’s doing the psalmist writes and
41:12	it’s marvelous in our eyes and then when we consider that in the context of what
41:17	we read in our introit today blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh
41:22	we bless you from the house of Yahweh so lift up your heads O Gates and be lifted
41:28	up o ancient doors so that the king of glory may come in you’ll note that the end of the story is not that all the
41:35	doors shut on Christ and the gates were barred against him it’s that because he
41:40	was obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore God has bestowed on him highly exalted and
41:47	bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven on Earth
41:53	and under the Earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father the great
41:59	reversal has already taken place beginning then with the resurrection but that’s something we can only Whisper of
42:05	today because next week we get to shout it as loud as we can so blessed is he who comes in the name
42:12	of the Lord hosanna in the highest we’ve blessed Jesus from the house of God here
42:17	at Kong’s finger so lift up your heads O Gates you cannot bar Jesus anymore no
42:23	doors can be slammed in his face be lifted up o ancient doors so that the king of glory may come in who is this
42:30	king of glory Jesus strong and mighty Jesus mighty in battle the one who
42:37	overcame Satan the world and our sin for us so lift up your heads O Gates lift
42:43	them up o ancient doors the king of glory is coming in in the name of Jesus Amen

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