The sermon 'Looking to the One Lifted Up' by Jason Dohm explores the biblical account of the fiery serpents in Numbers 21 and connects it to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. In Numbers 21, the Israelites complain against God, leading to God sending venomous serpents that cause many deaths. Moses intercedes, and God instructs him to create a bronze serpent; those who look at it are healed. This event prefigures the crucifixion of Jesus, who is lifted up as a symbol of sin and redemption. The sermon draws parallels between the Israelites' acknowledgment of sin and faith in God's word and the necessity of faith in Christ for salvation. The crucifixion is described as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, highlighting God's plan from the beginning. Jesus' crucifixion, reserved for the worst of criminals, underscores His role as a substitute for sinners, enduring shame and suffering. The preacher emphasizes that God's ways are not for human comfort but for His glory, and believers are called to unconditional surrender to God's will. The sermon also illustrates Jesus' love and forgiveness, even praying for His persecutors, and warns against demanding proof of God's power on human terms. Ultimately, the crucifixion is a profound demonstration of the Gospel, where the King of Kings dies for His subjects, offering salvation through faith.

And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD that he may take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people.

Then the Lord said to Moses, make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. God had brought the people out of Egypt and he was actually miraculously feeding them with manna. But they're grumbling against a great God and against a good God, a God who's been kind to them. And they call the bread that he's giving him just something that they loathe.

And God makes them reap what they've sown. And he sends death among the people by sending these fiery serpents, these venomous snakes who are biting them and they're dying. And the people realize that this is happening because of their sin. They make the connection between these venomous snakes that are killing them and they're grumbling against God and they acknowledge it and they seek mediation, they seek someone to intercede for them. They go to Moses and say, Moses pray for us.

And Moses prays and God tells them to make a representation of the thing that is cursing them, this fiery servant, make that and put it on a pole and lift it up. And If someone will believe what God has said and look to this representation of the curse, then that person will live. But if they don't believe God and they won't look to this symbol, then they'll die in their unbelief. The Gospel is here in Numbers 21. That's where I was reading from.

Numbers 21 verses 5 through 9. The Gospel is here. Now fast forward to John 3. In John 3, Nicodemus, the Pharisee and teacher of Israel, has come to Jesus by night. And Jesus has said to him, you must be born again.

And Nicodemus does not understand. And to explain being born again to Nicodemus John says this in John 3 verses 14 and 15 now understand where this is John 3 16 is going to be the very next verse. God loving the world and sending his Son is going to be the very next verse. But Jesus says before that, Jesus says this in John 3, verses 14 and 15, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." When Jesus wants to preach repentance and faith to Nicodemus in John 3, when he wants to preach the irreducible elements of the gospel, repenting of your sins and transferring your trust to Jesus Christ and his work. He reaches back 1500 years to Moses and he goes to Numbers 21 and talks about a serpent.

The image of the curse lifted up on a pole. And he says, the son of man must be that. He essentially says to Nicodemus, Nicodemus, when a man is dying of the venom and death is coming because of sin, if you'll acknowledge your sin like they acknowledged their sin in Numbers 21, And if you'll believe my word like they believed the Word of God in Numbers 21 and you'll look to the symbol of the curse, to the one lifted up according to the commandment and will of God you'll be set free, you'll be born again, you'll be made a new creation. Jesus preaches the gospel out of numbers 21 because numbers 21 is always and ever just been a picture of how God redeems. He takes the image of the curse and He lifts it up.

And if someone will acknowledge their sin and will believe God, it will be credited to them for righteousness. So Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, has become a symbol of the curse. Jesus on the cross, that's what he is. He's a symbol of the venom of sin. He's a symbol of the wrath of God against sin.

He's a symbol of sin bringing death into the life of every man and woman and child. And he's become the object of faith. Believing God and it being credited to a person for righteousness. This is what's happening in our text in Matthew. It is the Son of Man being lifted up so that if someone will look to Him, they'll be saved.

Verses 35 through 38. Then they crucified him and divided his garments, casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. They divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots. Sitting down they kept watch over him there, and they put up over his head the accusation written against him, this is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and another on the left.

This is Jesus Christ being lifted up for sinners just like the picture in Numbers 21. In verse 35 this section begins with the words, then they crucified him. And all the gospels say almost those exact same words and in all the gospel accounts it's as unadorned as it is here in Matthew. And you just have to look at that and marvel and say, this is remarkably understated. Every bit of the Bible has been pointing towards this.

The types of the Old Testament have been pointing towards these moments in time. The sacrificial system where they've been killing animal after animal after animal after animal for century after century after century after century has been pointing towards these moments in time where the Son of Man would be lifted up for sinners. The prophets had said that there's going to be a suffering servant, that that's how people are going to be redeemed, that that's how sins are going to be forgiven. But God has chosen in His providence that the Gospels would just say then they crucified Him. And there they are, these words that all the Bible are about, as unadorned as you can imagine them being, particularly if you consider that everything's been pointing towards these moments.

Crucifixion was the cruelest form of execution, and it was reserved. It was reserved for the vilest criminals. And so this was the death that was reserved for Jesus Christ who was made sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. No Roman could be subjected to crucifixion without an express declaration by Caesar himself. In other words, Romans are too good for crucifixion.

No Roman would ever be crucified. And crucifixion is to lay a person out on the cross beams and to drive a nail through the palms or through the two bones that form the forearm, either or, and to drive a nail through the feet so that a person is just hanging by flesh. And from the moment that they lifted up the crossbeams and you were hanging there from nails through your hands and nails through your feet. You're in a fight for life and you're trading agony for seconds. This is how crucifixion works.

You're trading agony for additional seconds of life. And if you don't pull against the nails with your hands, and you don't push against the nails with your feet, then your chest is compressed and you're suffocating. You can't get enough air. And so when you needed air, When you were desperate for air, you'd push against the nails with your feet, and you'd pull against the nails with your hand. And you'd get air until you just couldn't stand it anymore.

And then you'd sag down again, and you'd begin to suffocate again. And this goes on, this cycle goes on, until finally you just don't have the energy to push against the nails anymore or pull against the nails anymore and you drown with no water in sight. You drown. You run out of air and you die. It could take if you're at full strength it could take two or three days out in the elements.

Cycle after cycle push, sag, push, sag, push, sag. All the while trading trading off for seconds. To live a few more seconds. Jesus, having been scourged by the Romans, lasted somewhere between three to six hours. So he was not at full strength and it didn't last nearly as long with him.

But this is a death reserved for the worst of the worst, the vilest and the most despised and it's the death that was reserved for Jesus Christ. Sinners should know that this is what Jesus Christ endured to purchase pardon. It was customary for the Roman soldiers who were performing the crucifixion to divide the clothes among themselves. They're splitting the spoils essentially. And they're fulfilling Psalm 22 verse 18.

At the end we are going to read Psalm 22. But God has already said this is how it is going to happen when his people are redeemed. That there is going to be a casting of lots for the garments. And so this is what happens. Now you say, well what's left?

What's left for Jesus? Maybe nothing. So Jesus was left with a loin cloth or he was left with nothing at all. It was the custom for Romans to crucify people completely naked. And The idea is complete and utter humiliation.

And it's possible that they made an exception for the Jews as a sort of respect for their sensitivity for complete nakedness. So it's possible that Jesus did have a loin cloth. But the idea here is a punishment reserved for the worst of the worst and you want them to be completely and utterly humiliated. Now remember, Remember what Jesus is doing. He's being a substitute.

He's trading places. He's trading places with sinners. Consider the letter to the Church of the Laodiceans. You'll find this in Revelation chapter 3 verses 17 and 18. Jesus says to them, But you say I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed. That the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with eyesalve that you may see. Jesus is describing the condition of the unregenerate man, the natural man, and they can never see it. They always think that they're rich and in need of nothing. You can talk to homeless people who are in the natural condition, and they'll talk this way.

Like there's nothing in the world that they need. Like they have a million dollars in the bank, and they don't need anything from anyone. But Jesus counsels the natural man the unregenerate man to come and buy Gold refined in the fire and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. If you are clothed, if you have the white garments of righteousness, it is because Jesus was naked for you. This is what's happening.

This isn't just a neat little ditty from Psalm 22 that happens to be fulfilled. The significance of the dividing up of the clothing of Jesus Christ is that he's taking the place of naked miserable sinners And he's purchasing white garments to offer them to you. If you're clothed, it is because Jesus was naked for you. Luke 23 records something that Matthew doesn't record. And it's that Jesus immediately after being crucified prayed for the men who had just crucified Him.

Listen to Luke 23 verse 34. Then Jesus said, Father forgive them. For they do not know what they do. Forgive them. Jesus has just been crucified by these men.

Everyone is reviling him, including these soldiers. Luke records that, that the soldiers are also among those who are heathen insults upon him. What does Jesus do? He does exactly what he taught his disciples to do. Turn to Matthew 5.

This is in the Sermon on the Mount. It's the end of Matthew 5 beginning in verse 43. Jesus is teaching his disciples about what the law has always meant. So he is taking the twisted interpretations of the law of God and he is setting them straight one after another. And in Matthew chapter 5 verses 43 through 48 Jesus says this, you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you have more than others?

Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore, you shall be perfect just as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Jesus is training his disciples to be unlike everybody else who walks the earth. So that when they are persecuted, instead of speaking back, hitting back, They bless those that curse them. They pray for their enemies.

They love not just their friends and their family, but people who are doing harm to them. Friends, this is the majesty of the incarnation. This is the majesty of the incarnation that God, who has told us what to do sends Jesus to show us how to do it. He puts flesh on the commandments by sending Jesus to be the perfect example in every category. Here it is in living color.

Jesus has taught his disciples to pray for their enemies so when he's nailed to the cross and these men join in with everyone else to heap insults on him, he says, Father, forgive them. He has room for compassion for those who are his persecutors. He shows us what it looks like to love our enemies and to pray for the ones who are persecuting us by doing it. Even when his life is being taken from him. Jesus can see beyond the blind flesh and blood.

He says, God, they don't even know what they're doing. And so he can have compassion even on his enemies who are crucifying him. In verse 37, The written accusation is put over Jesus' head. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Other gospel accounts say that the crucifixion happened right off the road, near the city.

And It's feast week and there's a lot of traffic in and out of Jerusalem all during the course of this week. There are many people passing by. Luke and John both say that this placard above Jesus' head is in Hebrew and Greek and Latin so that nobody misses the message. This is what happens when you raise yourself up against Rome. Pilot wants everyone to know this is what happens when you raise yourself up against Rome.

And yet, in doing this, Pilate is just an instrument of Almighty God to proclaim Jesus Christ the King of His people. It's what He is. The placard is right for all the wrong reasons. This is Jesus, King of the Jews. This is Jesus, the King of the Lord's people.

In John 19, the chief priests go to Pilate when they see that this is what has been put above Jesus' head. And they say, do not write the king of the Jews, but he said I am the king of the Jews. And Pilate answers, I have written what I have written. Pilate is sticking it to the Jews. But in doing this, he's only doing what God would have him do, to put the truth above Jesus' head, that he is the king of his people.

In verse 38, we see that Jesus is not crucified alone. That there's a thief on his right hand and there's a thief on his left hand. And Mark 1528 notes that this fulfills Isaiah 53. He was numbered with the transgressors. He's right there in the middle of the other criminals and he's right alongside the most despised.

He's right there with the transgressors. Now the new King James calls these two men robbers The NIV actually renders this rebels, and I don't particularly like the translation, but here's why they do that Here's why the NIV renders it rebels because the Greek word is lestace. It's the word used in John 18 verse 40 where it says, Barabbas was a robber. So these men are this Greek word that Barabbas was. And we know Barabbas was a murderer and an insurrectionist.

In Mark 15 verse 7, it says, Barabbas was chained with his fellow rebels. They had committed murder in the rebellion. So Barabbas is the name that we know, but he wasn't incarcerated by himself. He wasn't imprisoned by himself. There are fellow murderers and insurrectionists who are there with him.

And Barabbas in John is called the same thing, Same word that Matthew uses here for these other two robbers. That's why NIV says rebels. It could have very well been the two men who were captured with Barabbas. Barabbas goes free and these two men who were imprisoned with him are now hanging on the cross beside Jesus. That's not certain but it's very possible.

Now let's look at verses 39 through 44. And those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise, the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him.

He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him, for he said, I am the Son of God. Even The robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. In this section, Jesus is enduring the cross, despising the shame. He's enduring the shame of the cross to have insults heaped on him from every direction. Of course that's Hebrews 12.2.

Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame. Why did he do this? For the joy that was set before him. Should always keep this in view. Even in this darkest moment in human history where the Son of God, the all righteous God is dying, He did it for the joy that was set before Him.

Jesus is taking insults from every quarter. In verse 39 it says that those who passed by. Verse 41 it says the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. In Luke 23, 36 it says the soldiers also mocked him. Jesus is being reviled and mocked, made fun of by everyone.

Those who pass by say, you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. If you're the son of God, come down from the cross. And they picked up the refrain of the false accusation of the trial before the Sanhedrin. Do you remember that in chapter 26, just a few sermons ago, Jesus is before the Sanhedrin. He's addressing the high priest.

And they bring false accusers. And what they say is exactly what the people are saying now, that Jesus said that he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. What he had actually said is recorded in John 2 19, destroy this temple. He understood, you destroy this temple. You destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

And in John 2, it makes it clear explicitly what Jesus is saying. He's talking about his body. So consider the deep irony here. This is the beginning of what Jesus was talking about even in this false accusation Jesus said you destroy this temple and In three days, I will raise it up. This is the starting line not the finish line.

It's not the time to mock Jesus The jury is not in until the end of the three days and this is the beginning of it. Consider another deep irony. They say come down off the cross and save yourself. Jesus is not coming down to save himself. He's staying up on the cross to save sinners.

He's not there to save himself. He's there to save sinners. And so his mission, as precious as his life is, as precious as his sermons are, thank God for his life and example. Thank God for his sermons, but he came to do this. He's not coming down off this cross, He came here to go to the cross.

In verses 42 and 43, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders are also mocking him. Now, the first group was those who were passing by. They're coming and going from the feast because Jesus was crucified by the road and he was crucified near the city and it's high traffic week. Jerusalem swells from 200, 000 to maybe 2 million, maybe 3 million during Passover week. So there's people always coming and going and that's why the Romans crucify him here is because crucifixion is to make an example.

Crucifixion is to humiliate and so the passerby, The ones who are passing by are just on the way somewhere, but the chief priests and the elders and the scribes aren't on the way to anything but this, to see Jesus hanging on the cross. And they've come with the express intention to mock him and to heap insults upon him. Listen to what they say, verse 42 and 43. He saved others himself he cannot save. If he is the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him.

He trusted in God, let him deliver him now if he will save him, for he said I am the son of God. Where is Lazarus now, Jesus? Where are the blind men now? Where are the deaf who hear? Where are the lame who walk?

You saved others, but you can't even save yourself. Something both groups say is, if you are who you say you are, prove it. Did you get that? The first group said that. Those who were passing by said that.

And now the chief priests and the scribes and the elders are saying it. If you are who you say you are, prove it. I hadn't remembered this, but I stumbled across it in the commentaries. We've heard that before in Matthew. We've heard that before.

Matthew chapter 4 verse 3 says that the tempter came to Jesus and said, if you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. Jesus, if you are who you say you are, prove it. Make the stones bread. A couple of verses later in Matthew 4 verse 6, Jesus is taken to the pinnacle of the temple. Satan says, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

Jesus, if you are who you say you are, prove it. Throw yourself off. The angels will save you if you are who you say you are prove it throw yourself off the angels will save you if you are who you say you are When anyone Anyone demands proof on their own terms they echo the voice of Satan. And this happens all day, every day, somewhere, where people demand proof on their own terms and they just echo the voice of the enemy of souls. So it is with the chief priests and with the scribes and with the elders.

They mimic their father the devil. And they demand proof on their own terms. There is lavish proof. God is not against giving proof that Jesus Christ is His Son. For honest minds there is ample proof, but God never gives proof on our terms.

He gives proof on His terms. They actually say, Jesus, if you come down, we'll believe you. And some of the translations actually say believe in you. We'll believe in you. We'll put our faith in you.

You come down from the cross. We'll put our faith in you. Is this true? No, it is not true. It is not true.

In Luke 16, Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a poor beggar who's begged for years outside the gate of this rich man. They both die. The beggar is a righteous man and goes to be with the righteous. The rich man is a wicked man and he dies in his sins and he's tormented. And he looks out across the chasm and he asks the beggar to cross the chasm with just one drop of water to put on his tongue to ease his torment.

And Abraham says, that cannot be done. And so the rich man in his torment asked that At least this poor beggar be sent back to the rich man's relatives to warn them that destruction awaits those who will not repent. Here's how this account ends in Luke 16 verse 31. Abraham says, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead if Jesus had come down off the cross they still would not have believed. You have the testimony of Moses and the prophets and you can take it or you can leave it.

But if you leave it, you would have left it if somebody had risen from the dead to come and tell you. The terms of peace are set by God and here are His terms. Unconditional surrender. You do not demand proof from Him. Him.

Now you have many accounts in the Bible where God gives proof to weak sons. Get in. God keep the ground dry. Make the fleece wet. God I really need to be sure.

Make the ground wet and the fleece dry. And God is willing to do it for a feeble son. But he's not willing to give proof to a rebel as the King of kings and lords of lords. Do you see the distinction? No way.

God sets the terms for peace, and the terms are this, unconditional surrender. And when you have unconditionally surrendered, then you might have these favors of his mercy. Finally, in verse 43, these chief priests and scribes and elders advance a proposition that we must unequivocally reject. This is so important. Verse 43, The chief priests and the scribes and the elders are advancing a proposition that the people of God must unequivocally reject, which is if someone trusts in God, If God delights in a person, if that person is a son, then God will immediately send relief from difficult circumstances.

This is not true. This has never been true. This is inconsistent with almost every word of the Bible. This is what they're saying to Jesus, right? If you trust God and if God delights in you, and if you're really a son, then God will send you immediate help.

Says who? Where is that in the scriptures? What a man-centered world that is. But God is ordaining all things for His own glory. And sometimes that means His sons are going to suffer for his own glory.

This is the God of the Bible. This is the Christian faith. That all things are for the glory of God. And sometimes God uses trials like this to train sons. And it's happening somewhere in the world right now.

Where a son, someone who does trust him, someone who God does delight in, Someone who is a son of God is losing their life right now so that God will be glorified. God doesn't always treat his sons this way, but he reserves the right to treat all of his sons and daughters this way. And it's happening in some corner of the world right now as I'm preaching. Verse 44, those who are crucified with Jesus also revile Him. Now turn in your Bibles to Luke 23.

Matthew, Mark, and John all leave it compressed like this. Luke expands. And there's more to this story and we get it in Luke 23. So Jesus has a rebel on his right and he has a rebel on his left. And not only is Jesus being reviled by those who pass by, not only is Jesus being reviled by the chief priests and the elders and the scribes, Not only is Jesus being reviled by the soldiers who crucified him, he's actually being reviled and insults are being heaped on him by the crook on his right and the crook on his left.

Now, Luke 23 verses 39 through 43. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed him saying, If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Do you not even fear God? Seeing you are under the same condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.

And Jesus said to him, Assuredly I say to you today you will be with me in paradise. Assuredly I say to you Today you will be with me in paradise. These accounts appear to be in conflict because Matthew, Mark, and John all say that these other men revile him. Luke says one does and one doesn't. There's a number of ways that commentators go about harmonizing the Gospels to preserve the integrity of the truth of all the accounts.

The one that seemed most satisfactory to me was to acknowledge that there's more happening here than what's recorded. You have hours that are boiled down into a couple of sentences. And in these hours of time, there are things that we don't have visibility to, conversations that we can't hear because they've not been recorded for us, and that during this three to six hour period of time, depending on how you go about harmonizing the accounts, that both reviled him, but at some point, one of these men repented. That at first they're joining in with the soldiers and those who pass by and the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. But at one point, this man who's been blind all his life and this man who's been deaf all his life and this man who's been dead all his life to the things of the Spirit of God is awakened.

And he has eyes to see and he has ears to hear and he is raised from the dead and he repents. This stands as a mighty example of true repentance and faith, of saving repentance and faith. In verse 41, this man, this rebel, this robber admits that his condemnation is just, that he's receiving the due reward for the life that he's lived. And he affirms the righteousness of Jesus, That Jesus is hanging there completely differently than he is. Knowing that he deserves what he's getting, but knowing that Jesus is innocent.

In verse 42, he acknowledges that Jesus has a kingdom. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. Now, this is Jesus, numbered with the transgressors, dying the same shameful death that the one on the right is dying and the one on the left is dying. But he says, Jesus, you're a king. You have a kingdom.

Remember me in your kingdom. He believes in Jesus. He believes that Jesus is a king, though he's crucified right next to him. And he asks to be remembered. He believes God, and it's credited to him as righteousness for righteousness.

Do you see the eagerness of Jesus to receive this man? Do you see the eagerness of Jesus to receive one who repents and believes? J.C. Ryle says, Luke gives us this account so that we might have hope and so that we might not presume. He says, one repents and is saved so that all might have hope and only one repents and is saved so that none might presume upon God.

I am so glad that Luke gave us these words. That the inspired Luke. I'm so glad that the Holy Spirit gave us these words. Because if you ever wondered if salvation really was by grace alone, through faith alone, you don't need to go anywhere else. This man doesn't have time to do any works.

He's out of time for works. He can't even move. Even if he did have the time. But he does the work of God. He believes in the one who was sent by the Father.

Do you remember John 6? What works of God must we do to be saved? And Jesus says, this is the work of God. That you believe in the one that he sent. Salvation is by faith alone and if you ever wondered come to the cross and see this murderer repent and believe and be saved.

Turn to Psalm 22. Psalm 22. Psalm 22. I will read the whole thing. And it really doesn't need much commentary.

So, Numbers 21, I started out by reading Numbers 21. Jesus reaches back 1500 years to Moses. Now, we're reaching back 1000 years to David. David wrote this a thousand years, something like, something like, a thousand years before Jesus went to the cross, when they weren't even crucifying people. Psalm 22 to the chief musician set to the deer of the dawn, a Psalm of David.

It opens with words that will actually be part of our text next week. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me and from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry in the daytime but you do not hear, and in the night season, and am not silent. But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were delivered. They trusted in you and were not ashamed. But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.

All who see me ridicule me. They shoot out the lip, they shake their head saying, He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him. Let him deliver him since he delights in him. But you are he who took me out of the womb. You made me trust while on my mother's breast.

I was cast upon you from birth. From my mother's womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for There is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

They gait at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it has melted within me. My strength is dried up like a pot sherd, and my tongue clings to my jaws. You have brought me to the dust of death.

For dogs have surrounded me, the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

But you, O Lord, do not be far from me. O my strength, hasten to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen. You have answered me.

I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly. I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him. All you descendants of Jacob glorify him and fear him all you offspring of Israel. For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden his face from him.

But when he cried to him, he heard, My praise shall be of you and the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever.

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations shall worship before you. For the kingdom is the Lord's and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before Him.

Even He who cannot keep Himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born that He has done this." From the words that Jesus will speak in our next section, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? To the casting of lots for His clothing and the dividing up of His garments, to the piercing of his hands, the piercing of his feet.

So many details of the crucifixion are here in Psalm 22, which was given by God a thousand years before the crucifixion. In closing, I have three things that I want to say, three remarks. The first is out of Isaiah 46 verses 9 and 10 listen Isaiah 46 9 and 10 remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure." The God of the Bible is the God who declares the end from the beginning. And He works all things according to the counsel of His own will, for His own pleasure. And this is what we see.

This is why Jesus can preach the gospel from Moses 1, 500 years before. And David can record what's going to happen 1, 000 years in advance because God has declared the end from the beginning. This is the God of the Bible. And we can trust this book. You can build your life on this book.

You're a fool not to build your life on this book. Because God already knows the end because He's declared it. He said what it's going to be. Number two. I've said this once but I want to hammer on it.

This is how God treats his sons. This is how God treats his sons. He loves his sons. But he works his sons into his own plan for his own glory and not for their own comfort and not for their own pleasure, not for their own entertainment. It's for His own glory.

Jesus loves, excuse me, God the Father loves Jesus most. And if He'll do that to Jesus, He'll use you for His own glory in any way that He wants. And sometimes He'll cast aside your comfort. If you want to be a son, This is what you're signing up for. Count the cost.

Come to the text where Jesus Christ is crucified. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He goes to the cross for the glory of his father. People are being martyred in some corners of the world today. And it's not because they didn't trust in God.

And it's not because God doesn't delight in him. He does. It's not because they're not real sons. They are real sons. It's because God is going to be highly exalted.

He's going to be lifted up. Lastly, glory in the gospel. If you don't come to this text and glory in the gospel then something has been missed. There's nothing like the gospel. Kings don't die for their subjects.

Where does that happen? Where are even the fairy tales where that happens? Where are even the made up stories where the king dies for his subjects? This doesn't happen anywhere else. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

All things are made by him, through him, for him, and he laid all that aside to take on the form of a servant, and to humble himself and become obedient to death, even a despicable, shameful death, the death of the cross. Let's pray. Father, we thank you. You're the only king that we know of that dies for his subjects. Lord, it humiliates us to think that you would do this.

When we search our own hearts, we know we're not worthy. That you would die for us. That you have done it. For your own glory. Oh receive glory receive the glory that is due to your name for laying down your life and taking enemies and making them subjects.

We weren't even subjects when you died. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. We praise you. Oh, how easy it is to worship you after we read the words of today's text. Oh God, be highly exalted.

In Jesus' name, Amen.