"Some Say It Thundered" (The Last Week of Jesus, Part 8) - Frank Brancato

In the verses that are before us today, our Lord speaks of his

crucifixion in very direct terms.

In fact, in verses 32 and 33, it tells us that very thing.

Jesus said, if I am lifted up from the earth will draw All

Peoples to myself this signifying, what death?

He would die, you know, historically the Jews, when they

executed someone they did. So by way of stoning, I'm not

going to spend a whole lot of time.

On this, but I have to make this point.

Jesus is speaking to there were Greeks their present, there were

also Jews their present but when the Jews executed, someone they

didn't do it by way of crucifixion, what they did is

they delayed the person on their back and they would be like

this, they would Elevate the Executioner twice, the height of

the person. So if he was 6 feet tall he

would be elevated. 12 feet tall standing on rocks or a little

Hill or whatever it was. And then he took a stone Own and

thrust it down on the chest of the victim.

That's what a Jewish stoning was all about.

If the first blow did not take his life, then here comes the

second one and so on, and so forth until they die.

But Jesus was talking about something else here.

He was talking about being lifted up now.

Interestingly, and I think they're this is not an accident.

I think this is absolutely the work of God.

In ad, 30, interestingly, when Jesus began his personal

Ministry, there was what was considered or called in Latin

pox Romana and it literally meant Roman peace.

And what that was is that gave Rome and only Rome that the

power of the sword or the right of the sword that meant this.

Nobody could ever execute someone on their own court, or

their own Merit, they had to go through Rome incidentally,

that's why they Went to pilate not for any other reason.

They went to pilate because they had to interesting.

Jesus starts his personal Ministry and AD 3080 33, he is

crucified and it proves this point, the Jews not only could

not have executed Jesus by way of stoning, which would have

made the Bible a lie, but it would also been against the law.

And God no doubt, no doubt God had his handiwork in that Jesus

here. Speaking of his crucifixion, how

do we know that verse 34? The people answered him.

We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever.

And how can you say the son of man must be lifted up.

And then they said, who is this son of man.

Apparently, the idea was very synonymous with crucifixion.

The words being lifted up. The Romans had done this tens of

thousands of times to people in the land of Israel.

And also to other parts of the Roman Empire.

People knew exactly what it meant to be lifted up.

In fact, it actually became a euphemism for being crucified

and they all knew it. Why did Jesus come though?

Is so very important by the way, because it's going to help us to

understand some passages. In just a minute.

The Bible talks about why Jesus came and understand this.

Everything is the plan of God, man has no power at all.

Everything is the plan of God. Why did Jesus come in?

Revelation 13 and verse 8, notice he was a lamb slain,

before the foundation of the world.

You know what that means. Look how the language says, it

says it doesn't say he would be a lamb slain before the

foundation of the world. It said he was a lamb slain

before the foundation of the world.

That means that Jesus is purpose before.

The foundation of the world would not only be deity, but it

would come to this low ground of sin sickness and sorrow and he

would be the Lamb of God. In other words, that would be

his fate. That was the plan of God from

the foundation of the world. But there's more in first John

1 John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 and verse 5, he appeared to take away sin by the

sacrifice of himself. And may I also add this please,

this is really a big Point here. I think that all the

implications of obedience behavior and godliness in our

life are implications of the cross.

Everything. All that's implied in our

Behavior godliness. All the things that we do it is

implied or it has implications in the cross.

In other words, if he died for us, how can we not live for him?

You know the passage it says the love of Christ constrains us.

You know one translation says this the love of Christ leaves

us. No choice.

I'm tell you, you all understand.

We all understand about choice, right?

We get it. Everybody has choices.

We free moral agents and all that stuff.

That's true. But you know, when somebody does

something for you, that is so great.

Sometimes we say, man, I just had no choice.

I just had, I just had to respond or this was so

wonderful. I just had no choice in this had

to that's exactly the point that I am making the love of Christ.

That was extended to all mankind to die for the sins of the world

leaves us. No choice but to serve him.

So all the implications about our life in a Godly way, are

implications of the cross. Why can't we live for him now?

Regarding our passage, it's the expansive truth and reality

regarding the death of Jesus. Now, whatever day it was and I

do believe it was still Tuesday. I want you to picture in your

mind's eye. Here is Jesus, and he's having a

conversation. He had already done so many

things. He had already shut down.

So many people, it's Tuesday, but his mind is on Friday.

That's all he can think about is Friday.

Can you imagine what was going through the Lord's mind at the

time? What about this?

Have you ever stopped to consider?

What went through his mind? His entire life.

You know, when we pray we thank God for Jesus because he lived a

life that was in view of his death.

In other words, that's the entire purpose.

He was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

His mind is on Friday. He speaks of his own death, in

fact, in verse 27 of our text, we find a mystery to us, the

Lord opens up a mystery, or an enigma, which is another word

for mystery that's revealed. There are three things that are

revealed in the cross 3, far-reaching and profound

things. Number one, as our Lord is

looking to the Cross. We see the mystery of the sun's

anguish We see the mystery of the sun's anguish or the Enigma

of the sun's Amos anguish verse 27.

Jesus says this, this is very puzzling.

Very disturbing. He said my soul is troubled, you

know, I wondered how a soul like Jesus heard or being deity.

Jesus Is God, how could he be troubled?

You know what people say? People say, oh, wait a minute,

this is why he was troubled. It was The Human Side of Jesus.

Now I got to make this point, you know, this Jesus our Messiah

was both human and divine. We know that he's the son of man

and he's the son of God. So what people try to do is they

try to say no, wait a minute. His soul was troubled because of

the human side of Jesus. Not so fast as they say, not

quite so fast. How could he be troubled?

He is God. Some people say, well, as his

humanness now, think about it this way, if God was, if Jesus

was both human and divine, don't you think that his Divine side

can suppress the human side is? He more man than God one scholar

said it that way? Is he more man than God?

What does it actually mean? He says he was troubled in fact

What people do is they go right to the fact of the physical

suffering of Jesus, that's too easy.

Why was he trouble? Well, the physical suffering.

He had to go through to easy Reuben Creek.

Bomb, gave me a book that I have known about all my life, but he

gave me a copy of it to my office and foxes book of

Martyrs, okay. And foxes book of Martyrs, it is

filled with people that were burned at the stake that were

executed for their faith. Do you know what they did?

Men like polycarp, he was 86 years old.

And they said all you have to do is renounce Jesus right now,

that's all you got to do and you go free, you know what?

He said, 80 and six years have I served him?

He has never left my side. How can I do that?

And you know what they did? They burned him at the stake.

How about men like Peter? When they decided they were

going to crucify Peter in the same way?

They crucified Jesus, you don't Peter said, nope.

Nope, unworthy crucify me upside down.

Here's my point. Folks, it's too easy to say that

he was troubled because of the physical suffering that was in

front of him. That's too easy.

We find all these Martyrs that were impervious to what was

going on. They were praying to God.

Proclaiming the gospel singing hymns as they lost their life.

So how is the Son of God troubled in his soul?

Well, we already know that it was possible because in John

John 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11, this is possible showing that the Lord can be

troubled in his soul. In John chapter 11, remember

John 11 · chapter mention

that? Remember when Jesus was going to

go and raised Lazarus from the dead?

He comes on the scene and when he comes on the scene, here, he

is. And he noticed his Mary, and

Martha and their weeping. And then it says, and he noticed

his also, the Jews also weeping and it says he groaned in his

spirit and was troubled. The word grown there means he

was filled with indignation. Do you know why we all know

this? He was filled with indignation,

because of the hypocrisy of the Jews.

The professional mourners that came on the scene, and they went

through the going through the motions of wailing and weeping

and all of that. So he groaned in the spirit.

So we know that Jesus did that? What else?

What about another time? How about when Jesus talked

about the realities of betrayal? John 13 and 21.

When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in

spirit. And testified and said most

assuredly, I say to you. One of you will betray me.

So here's my point. If Jesus could be troubled, what

is the word actually mean? And what is it referring to

number one, the word comes from the Greek word Torah.

So, and it means to shake up or disturb, that's what the word

means. In a literal sense.

It brings the connotation of somebody in the kitchen,

stirring something it's an action word.

That's the literal sense of the word but there's a figurative

sense to and the figures give senses this when it says he was

troubled, it means he was in anguish.

It means he was in anguish, he was agitated deeply Disturbed.

He was uh, nups ette, he was unsettled sometimes.

The word can be translated as terrifying, frightening or

horrified. It's a very strong word.

In fact, it's the same word used by Jesus when Jesus was walking

on the water. Remember that?

The Bible says that Jesus walking on the water and the

disciples see, Jesus coming in the night and they look out and

they think it's a ghost in there scared.

You know what it said they were troubled, they were scared.

They were terrified, same word and by the way I'm setting all

this up, I got to pull mate. We're going to drive it home in

a minute. I'm setting all this up to show

you the power of this word and what it's referring to because

Jesus was troubled in his spirit.

Same word that's used for a frightened terrified.

It's also the same word used to describe the attitude of the

disciples in the upper room. The night that Jesus rose from

the dead. You remember that?

He raises from the dead, he goes to Emmaus, sends the disciples,

seven miles back to Jerusalem. And you remember where they

were, they were in the upper room and the door was shut.

Can you imagine this? And all of a sudden door was

shut and Jesus walks through the wall?

Through the wall. And it says, they were

terrified, you know, Jesus says, let not your heart be troubled.

He said that more than once same work, talking about the same

thing. In Luke 24 and 30 80 comes to

the wall. He says this.

Why are you troubled? And why are your thoughts

arising in your hearts? Jesus actually used the word on

Thursday night in the upper room, with his disciples.

He said, in John 14 and one, let not your heart, be troubled.

All right, all that being said, how can he be troubled?

How can he be agitated? How can he be destroyed?

Stressed, how can he be less than a martyr?

Why the distress Especially when many were very calm as they went

to their death. Is it weakness?

No. And don't you buy it.

Don't you buy it when you read from a commentator that says

that this shows his weakness, not not our Lord.

Not our Lord at all. I'm going to taste something

folks. You know, when people talk about

submission, people talk about submission in such a negative

way. In fact, they use it in a

negative connotation. Meaning it's a sign of weakness.

Remember, last time we talked about the Widow's mites, when I

said meekness, and I said, sometimes, people think meekness

is weakness, but it's not. It is a willful choice.

When the Lord submitted himself to what his fate was supposed to

be. And he did that.

That was the ultimate Act of strength.

Our Lord was not weak at all. It is Constitution.

He was not weak at all. He was not agitated because he

was going to be scourged. He was not afraid because he was

going to be beaten. He was not afraid that he was

going to be nailed to a Roman cross.

That was not it at all. That's not what tormented him.

And what people think though is they think this is evidence that

his Humanity was more powerful than his deity.

And that's not true. It's the flip side of that.

Did you get that? This is evidence that his deity

is more powerful than his Humanity.

Do you know why? Right here.

His trouble came not from anticipating physical suffering.

But anticipating Divine wrath that spiritual suffering.

Divine Wrath. You know why?

You have got the perfect sinless Lamb of God.

That lived for about 33 years and never send one time.

He was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin

and because of that God accepted that as a spotless lamb.

He accepted that as a spotless land.

Now, what if your Jesus and you are the Spotless lamb but you

have to bear the sins of the world.

You've got the shame and let's not forget about the shame.

Let's not forget about the shame and Hebrews.

The Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews that Jesus despised

the shame. He had to Bear the sins of the

world. It wasn't a physical problem,

folks. He had to Bear the sins of the

world and you know what else? He would have to do it without

the father. That's because of God's Wrath.

He had to do it without the father no doubt.

Jesus said those words so long ago when he was hanging on the

cross he said my God, my God. Why hast Thou forsaken me?

You know, what else, in the Old Testament, the Old Testament

prophecy of that, exact phrase, that Jesus said on the cross,

says it like this, my God, my God, why are you so far from

helping me? That's what it says.

So you know what, the Lord was troubled about?

He was troubled, that he had to Bear the sins of the world, all

the sin of the world, be placed on himself as he was pure and

sinless and perfect. Number two, he would endure

God's Wrath. Number 3, God would turn his

face and he would do it all alone.

Yeah, I think I'd be trouble too.

I think I'd be trouble to, don't you see folks if you just say

it's the physical suffering, it's way too easy.

And there's a lot of people that had the courage to endure

physical suffering. You remember, when you remember,

Stephen, remember what happened with Steve?

And he was the first martyr that died for his faith in X chapter

7. He was the first one that died

for his faith. Do you remember what the Bible

says? It says he looking up saw Jesus

standing on the right hand of God.

Do you know why? He was looking up?

Just the reason that I just described before about a stoning

because he was laying on his back and he looked up He didn't

chicken out. No he took it polycarp didn't

chicken out, either took it. Peter didn't chicken out either.

Finally, finally he took it and he died for his faith folks.

These people are not better than the Lord and they're not

stronger than the Lord physically.

No way. Jesus was talking about

something else. He was troubled about something

else. Now, watch this.

I have heard this phrase right here red, when somebody has

waited on the table or preached on the crucifixion and they say

it like a statement. It's not a statement.

It fits the whole context and they read it like this.

What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.

Like it's a statement like Jesus was saying, please save me from

this hour, that's not, it's a question.

Look what he says. Now, my soul is troubled

anguish, but what shall I say? In other words, what

hypothetical question should I should I ask what shall I say?

Shall I say? Father, save me from this hour,

don't you see? That's the reason I'm here.

That's the whole reason I'm here.

So would it be right for me to say father, save me from this

hour. It's a question.

The very next phrase. But for this purpose, I came to

this hour. You know, in chapter 7, in John

John 7:38

7, verse 38, he said He said my hour has not come remember that.

How about 8:20 only said, again my our hasn't come now.

His hour had come in fact in John Chapter 13 and verse 1.

John 13 · chapter mention

It says Jesus knowing that his hour had come.

So Jesus was now at that hour he knew he was at that hour.

He knew that he came for the purpose of that hour and he's

saying what will I say? Father, take me from this hour.

Save me. Certainly not.

Please understand this. You've heard me say this many

times you're going to hear me. Say it again.

I love to say that love saying it.

Jesus was no man's victim. How do I know that for absolute?

Sure right here. I know that for absolute

certain, this is what the Lord could have done in Matthew 26

and 53 or do you think that I cannot now pray to my father and

he will provide me with more than Twelve.

Legions of angels. Do you know what that means?

That means that if Jesus would have put a stop to it, if you

wanted to God, would have allowed him to.

In fact, he said, I could pray to the father and the father.

Father would provide me twelve Legions of angels.

How many are they how many are twelve Legions of angels?

You know, I don't know about the innumerable host in heaven.

I don't. But I know that he wasn't asking

for all of them. Some, how many angels are in

heaven and Jesus was not saying, I could have asked for all the

angels of heaven. No, he said I could ask for

twelve Legions. How many is that a legion is

6,000? So, 6,000 times 12 is 72

Thousand. Angels.

Jesus said, if I wanted to I could have asked my father and

he would have sent 72,000 Angels.

Who's in control and who is willing and determined to die

for your sins. Oh, he could have.

But this is why. This is why he didn't.

Therefore, my father loves me because I lay down my life.

Then I might take it again. This is not unwilling father

folks this is totally completely and thoroughly willing, but that

doesn't mean because he was willing that there was no

anxious anguish. In fact, when Jesus prayed in

the garden and Luke chapter 22 he said father if it is your

Luke 22 · chapter mention

will This is the new King James. Take this cup away from me.

Nevertheless not my will, but yours be done.

All right, this is later on this is about Thursday night or so.

And I want to know this, what is the cup now, let me just say the

cup has to be something that we've already established, it

has to be something more than just the cup of suffering has to

be It has to be more than that. In fact, did you know this that

the phrase cup of the Lord in the Old Testament, it goes all

the way back to the Old Testament, it speaks of God's

Divine wrath. What he's saying is, he says, if

it's possible if it is, your will, please take the Divine

wrath away from me. Jesus wasn't afraid of the

physical punishment on Golgotha. He was troubled.

Because It was God's Divine wrath.

It was the sins of the entire world.

It was the fact Jesus had to do it alone and even God turned

away his face. That's what he said.

That's what the word cup means. It means God's Divine wrath.

That concept, as I said, it's in the Old Testament to Now, I have

to say this though. I have to say this, please do

not leave here today. Please do not do that.

Please do not leave here today and think that I'm diminishing

the painful suffering on the cross.

I am not and please don't leave here thinking that Jesus was not

human to the point that he could feel every bit of the pain of

the Cross. I'm not saying that either.

I saying this that crucifixion was so awful, it was so

terrible, that a Roman citizen literally shuddered to even

speak of it. It was so bad that a Roman

citizen could never be crucified.

And crucifixion was for foreign slaves and criminals, that's

what it was for. So please don't leave here

thinking, oh, he just downplayed what Jesus did on the cross

physically. I didn't say that.

I'm not saying that, that's not what I'm saying.

What I'm saying is what terrified him?

And what troubled him was the cup, he spoke of In The Garden

of Gethsemane which was the Divine wrath of God, bearing,

the sins of the entire world Now, we know that he was in

agony. Luke 22.

Says he was praying fervently And his sweat became like drops

of blood falling to the ground and incidentally, you know, I've

often wondered about that. I'll tell you what, I believe.

That passage is actually saying, I believe it.

What it's saying is that his sweat was and sometimes we can

get. So physically worked up that,

our sweat drops, like great big drops, kind of like blood would

drop and Blood using drops with a bigger drop bigger, drip

bigger drop and splatters when he hits the ground, that's what

blood does. And normal sweating doesn't do

that. Just kind of runs down, okay,

little beads So sometimes when we are really up so we're really

worked up. We have sweat.

That's like that. I think that's what it's saying

here. Although some Scholars say that

it he was in such anguish over the cup of God's Divine wrath

and all that he would have to do for the sins of the world from

the standpoint of putting the sins on him was so terrible.

That the capillaries busted at all about any actually sweat

blood. I don't know that to be a fact,

but I do know I can it makes a whole lot of sense because it

says about sweat because his sweat was As it were great drops

of blood. It doesn't say, he sweat actual

blood. Okay.

That's a little freebie as my fall in love with say, But

notice what Jesus says, he says this.

What am I going to say? Save me from this hour.

Why would I do that? This is the purpose that I came

to this hour. And then he said, father,

glorify your name. In other words in my death,

glorify your name. How does the cross?

Glorify the Father, the cross, glorifies the father in several

ways. First of all, the cross puts on

displaying. All of God's attributes.

In other words, God is glorified when we are aware or made aware

of who he is. Okay, so how does the cross

glorify God just like this. We see God's love in action for

God. So loved the world that he gave

his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish but have everlasting life.

Make no mistake about it and God is glorified when we all

recognize who he is and all that he is in his attributes.

God is loves. This is God's love and action.

Number two. We see God's grace in action.

Grace is unmerited favor. You know what that means?

I didn't deserve it. And when Jesus went to die for

my sins, I didn't deserve that, he did that for me.

Therefore, when I have salvation is by grace and I don't deserve

it. And neither do you.

We see God's grace in action on the cross.

What else? How about this?

We see God's mercy and action, too.

Mercy, that's extended to all mankind.

What else? His Justice, folks?

I'm going to tell you something. God, hates sin.

And God hates sin for a very important reason.

First of all number one, he's pure and he can't even look upon

it. That's number one.

Okay, we get that against the ugliness of sin, but understand

this too. When sin happens, somebody has

to pay a price. So when Justice had to kick in,

somebody had to pay the penalty, somebody had to pay the fine.

Somebody had to be the propitiation for it all.

What do I see? That's God's.

Somebody paid the fine, somebody paid the price.

What else? Well, we do see God's Wrath.

We see God's wrath upon the sin of the world.

We see God's judgment. We see God's wisdom and finally

the Fulfillment of all the prophetic accounts.

Concerning this idea, we see true that is Vindicated, even

though there were many people that rejected that this was true

All of these things happened on the cross prophecies fulfilled.

We see the power declared all of this is glorified in this event.

This is great comfort for us, too.

Because I want to say something to you, please hear this, please

get this. Conflict.

With sin. Is not sin.

Who do you mean by that? I didn't say, sinning isn't sin

and say that. I said conflict with sin is not

sin. Jesus had a conflict with sin

and yet he did not sin. Did you know that?

If you're going to live a Christian Life, you're going to

live in conflict. With sin.

Do you know that? There was Agony in the tortured

soul of Christ over the thought that he would have to bear the

sin of the world be encouraged though.

Because you know what, the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 7

Romans 7 · chapter mention

now picture this he was not only a Christian, he was a chosen

vessel of Jesus. He was one that would be the

great Apostle Paul divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.

He would write over two-thirds of the New Testament.

Do you know what? Paul said?

Paul? Paul said, I got some serious

conflict. He says, when I would do this,

talk about the Flesh and the spirit, I would that when I

would do, this evil is present with me.

He said, I find then a law that when I would do good evil is

present with me. You know, that means that means

a Christian is going to have a conflict with the outward ways

of sin, all of his life. But conflict in itself without

succumbing to, it is not sin. We that are trying to live a

Godly life, folks are confronted by Evil all the time.

And we and wages War all the time but please be encouraged.

Let me encourage you with this your genuineness as a Christian

your authenticity. As a Christian is as much

manifest by your conflict as it is by your joy.

Who you are as a Christian is manifested by your conflict too.

And not just by your joy and your peace.

Do you think for one minute? This is going to be an easy way.

You're sadly mistaken. It's not We're in a fight.

The fight is for our soul and is for our entire life.

So guess what, guess what? If you're a Christian, and

you're in conflict and your warning against the outward,

things that are coming your way in The Temptations, your way,

you know what that means? If you are resisting that, let

me just tell you this. It is Manifest of what you are.

You're genuineness your authenticity, not just by your

peace and not just by your joy. The Lord's in anguish here.

He's totally obedient though, and this is really the mystery

of the Lord's. Anguish, a real struggle, a real

battle in his soul, but he was perfect.

He had willing loving obedience to the father, but in addition

to this, we also see something else.

We see the mystery or the Enigma of the father's answer while

Jesus was praying. He said, this, my soul is

troubled, then he said in verse 28.

Father, glorify your name. Here's the here, is the Father's

response. Then a voice Came From Heaven

saying, I have both glorified it and it meaning his name and will

glorify it again. Powerful Passage.

In other words, I have glorified my name through you Jesus in

your life and now I'm going to glorify my name again in your

death. I did it for your life, I'll do

it through your death going. Back to verse 29.

Now, we're going to get back to this in just a minute.

This is when God spoke here. Obviously now the father did

speak from heaven. two other times, remember, in Matthew

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 and verse 17, When Jesus was baptized remember when

John, the Baptist said that? Wait a minute, wait a minute.

You should be baptizing me and John.

The Baptist had to learn that to baptize.

Jesus was to fulfill all righteousness that had to

happen. Okay?

When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan,

however, it sounded. But from Heaven, the voice said,

this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased God, spoke

their number one. Guess what?

Matthew 17. God spoke again on the Mount of

transfiguration. When Peter has his great idea,

let's build. Three, Tabernacles.

We all know the story. All of a sudden when they fell

prostrate on the ground because of the voice from Heaven, The

Voice from Heaven, said, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well

pleased hear, ye him, so he spoke number one at the baptism.

He spoke at the Mount of transfiguration and guess what?

He spoke right here. He spoke right here in John

John 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12. Verse 29.

Therefore the people who stood by it though.

And heard it said, it thundered, others said, an angel has spoken

to him. I'm going to get back to that in

just a minute. We need to look at verse 30,

look at verse 30, Jesus answered and said, this voice did not

come because of me, but, for your sake now, who's he talking

to? When he says, for your sake, I

think he's talking to the disciples.

I think he's talking to the ones that Jesus had to indict time,

and Time again. Oh, you of little faith.

I think he's talking to the disciples, the followers of

Jesus, that struggled, mightily, with the whole concept of

everything that was going to happen.

So I think that's exactly what he was saying.

Jesus said, I already knew what my father would say.

I know those facts and the father didn't say it for my

benefit. The father said it for your

sake, for your benefit. That's the disciples, right?

Now, on the other hand, what about the rest of the crowd?

Some of them said, it thundered. Thunder. you know, I think

today, I think this is very fitting Here was the voice of

God. Jesus said it was said for you,

the disciples your sake, but there were others there you

don't. They said oh Did it thunder?

You know, sometimes people hear the word of God.

They hear the word of God to hear what they need to do to be

saved. And you preach right from it,

you read right from it and some people are persuaded to obey the

gospel. Some people just hear noise,

empty noise and walk on out. It thundered.

If thundered. They were talking about.

A weather event. They were taking the voice of

God and the words of God and reducing it to a weather event.

Did it thunder? Do it thunder.

Not only that, though. Here's some others do and there

and these others are closer but they're still missing the point.

No some other said no it was an angel has spoken to him.

In other words it was a supernatural event.

So some said it was nothing but whether thundering and all that

and other said, no it's a supernatural event.

It was an angel that spoke to Jesus.

Now you can imagine that they're trying to understand all of

this, he's saying all kinds of things to them.

You got to mix crowd and so forth and so on maybe there was

still great That were there that came to see Jesus there, there

may be the leaders in the temple are there and they're trying to

figure out what happened. And by the way, let me just say

as a side note here, Thunder in the Old Testament is often used

as a word to describe the word or the mouth of God.

I think that's a rather interesting point quickly now

Exodus 19 God thundered second Samuel, 22 and 14.

The Lord thundered From Heaven and uttered his voice joke, 37

and five God Thunders marvelously with his voice,

Jobe, 40, and verse 9. Can you thunder with a voice

like that? So Thunder was associated with

the voice of God. Okay.

But that's not what they meant. They said, oh, she's the rumble.

It's just the Rumblings out there.

It's just whether that's what they meant.

I think very sadly some people fall into that same category.

There were those others though. They thought it was an Angelic

event, it's a little closer. But the bottom line is this God

had spoken and God had validated authenticated and affirmed the

death of his son. And in that we see the mystery

of the sun's anguish, we see the mystery of the father's answer.

And finally we see this, we see the mystery of the Cross as

accomplishment. In other words, what began is

anguish and torture and Terror in the soul of Our Lord.

All of a sudden is terms to Triumph and it's found in Verses

31 and 32 now is the Judgment of this world.

Now, the ruler of this world will be cast out and if I be

lifted up from the earth will draw All Peoples to myself,

three massive statements. Look at this.

In other words, He's troubled early on in the statement about

the cross but then he says this look what's going to happen.

It's going to be the Judgment of this world. and may I say may, I

say, Folks, God's judgments are always right?

There are things that we cannot fathom.

We can understand when it comes to judgment.

I might be able to judge according to whatever.

But I'm so thankful that I am not the righteous judge.

All I know is because of the Cross.

Jesus Christ will be the righteous.

Judge, he is our savior. Now, when this world is over,

he'll be the judge and whatever he determines will be right,

please get that. It'll be right.

Why? Because of the Cross.

What else? I love this.

Be encouraged by this. The ruler of this world will be

cast out. Do you know who that is?

He is also called The Prince of the power of Darkness, the

prince of the power of the air. That is Satan, the God of this

world. Did you understand that the

cross at the cross? The devil took a definite final

weapon. He is a relinquish fo folks and

he has no control over you in your life that you do not allow,

and he's bound now by the word of God.

What else? So what's going to happen?

Jug of this world will come as a result of the Cross.

Satan will be cast out according to this, and finally, look at

this. And if I be lifted up from the

earth will draw All Peoples to myself, I love that.

Now. this does not mean as I've heard it interpreted, this does

not mean that if I lift up Jesus with my life.

I will draw people or the Lord will draw people to to him if I

and my life lift up Christ. Now that is a principle that we

need to do in our life. We need to be crushed like an

all that that has nothing to do with this passage.

When he said, if I be lifted up, he's talking about being lifted

up on a Roman cross. He's talking about dying in a

different way, than the Jews would have assumed that he would

die, which was by stoning. He is saying, if I be lifted up

from the earth, literally will draw All Peoples to myself.

And you know what folks Bible says?

There's no other name given among men whereby we must be

saved. No, no other.

There's no other way. Jesus says, I am the way, the

truth and the life. I am the way, the truth and the

life. Jesus says, no one comes unto

the father except by or through me.

Why is that? Because he was lifted up from

the Earth. On calvary's Cross.

Here's the response and then I'm finished.

Now, you know, it's interesting. Remember when I started the

series, I said that for a long time, I said for a long time, I

wanted to preach on this because I wanted to find out what

exactly happened as we went along the change.

People's thinking that went from hosanna in the highest, to let

him be crucified. He says all of this right?

You know how they responded? This Is How They responded.

This he said signifying, what death?

He would die, by the way, that's how I know that.

That's what lifting up means. The Bible just tells me that I

didn't guess that. The people answered him.

We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever.

And how can you say the son of man must be lifted up.

Who is this son of, man? Now he had already established

that, he is the only one that could fulfill the fleshly

Bloodlines or the criteria of fleshly Bloodlines and also

fulfill the criteria of being deities.

The only one we already studied that, you know, they said, oh

wait, wait, wait, wait. We heard the crisis going to

live forever. It's gonna remain forever, and

you're saying that the son of man is going to be lifted up and

they knew what that meant. They knew that make crucifixion,

people rejected Jesus because they rejected the fact that he

had to die, they misunderstood the whole thing, they

misunderstood the whole point. And you know what they've done?

Folks on Sunday. They said, oh, hosanna in the

highest on Tuesday. They said, wait a minute.

I don't know about that. Okay.

My Thursday night. Friday, let him be crucified.

Be encouraged today. Please be encouraged. that when

you think about all the things in your life, when you think

about all the things that happen in your life, the greatest thing

that will ever be done for you has already been done.

That's a fact. So if he died for me, Surely I

can live for him and you know Jesus said if you're faithful

unto death I'll give you a Crown of Life.

Let's go do that. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

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