"It is done!"

As it's already been said, today is Palm Sunday, so all throughout the world, many churches

today are calling to mind Jesus entering into Jerusalem on a donkey.

And as he was going in, people were throwing down palm branches and their cloaks, and as

you can see in your bulletin, Mark 11, they were saying to him, Hosanna, blessed is he

who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David.

Hosanna in the highest.

Have you ever wondered what Jesus was actually thinking during that time?

What was going on in the mind of our Savior as he was riding that donkey into Jerusalem?

Was he thinking about logistics?

Where are they going to eat?

Where are they going to stay?

Where is he going to go and teach?

Maybe he was thinking about the up-and-coming encounters with the high priest, Herod, Pilate.

Maybe he was thinking about what he was about to suffer.

Maybe he was focused on doing the will of his Father.

We see that in Gethsemane.

This morning, I want to ask you this question.

Is it possible that Jesus had you in mind as he entered into Jerusalem?

He was thinking of you.

With all these things, he's thinking of you as well.

And we've got to ask the question, why was he thinking about you as he entered into Jerusalem?

Well, the reason why that Jesus was thinking of you is the reason why he was going into Jerusalem.

And that has everything to do with the passage that we just heard Randy and Dana read.

Revelation chapter 16.

Revelation 16 · chapter mention

In Revelation chapter 16, we have this graphic description of the full and final wrath of God being poured out on the earth.

Revelation 16 · chapter mention

Fierce and fair.

Last week, Eric Tully preached.

I'm so grateful for him.

He brought us through chapter 15 where we see these angels in 15.1 gather together, given bowls.

And they're given these plagues that are in these bowls.

And we're told that they're the last of its kind.

These are the last judgments.

And with them, the wrath of God will be finished.

Done.

So up until this point, we have seen the seven seal judgments poured out on a quarter of the earth.

We've seen the trumpet judgments poured out on a third of the earth.

And now we see these judgments, the bowl judgments, and they're called plagues in 15.1, poured out on all the earth.

This is it.

With these, God's wrath is done.

Poured out on all the earth.

And if you look at 15.1, you say, I saw another sign and angels with seven plagues.

And when you hear that word plague, you should be going back to the book of Exodus.

Remember the ten plagues God poured out on Pharaoh in Egypt?

And at the very beginning, I want to remind you of something about those plagues.

All throughout those plagues.

If you read Exodus 7, 8, 9.

As you read through those, there's this refrain that gets said.

God's speaking.

God's speaking to his people.

God's speaking to Pharaoh.

God's speaking to Egypt.

And he says things like, so that you may know there is none like me in all the earth.

Plague.

So that you know that I am the Lord.

Plague.

What we have going on here in Revelation 16 is the final and full outpourings of God's fierce and full wrath.

And it is God saying, there's none like me.

In chapter 16, at the end of 15, all of these angels are standing poised for action.

And God acts.

Acts 16:1

Chapter 16, verse 1.

This voice from the temple tells these seven angels, go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.

And then what you have in verses 2 through 21 is exactly that.

Each angel in turn pours out his bowl with plague on the earth.

And it builds.

It's not like one plague is poured out, stops, and then another.

One plague gets poured out, and on addition to that, another plague gets poured out.

It's awful.

The first four bowls are poured out on the earth and the sea, the rivers and springs, and on the sun.

Just like the trumpet judgments.

But like I said, these are on all the earth.

The last three bowls are poured out on the throne of the beast, on the great river Euphrates.

And finally, into the air, resulting in these massive hailstones coming down and crushing people.

So that you may know that I am the Lord.

Here we have before us God's full and final wrath poured out on earth.

It is terrifying.

So here's how we're going to proceed.

I'm just going to walk us through the seven bowls, and then I'm going to summarize it all,

because I want you to feel the weight of something.

And then we're going to apply it to Palm Sunday.

When we go through the bowls here, I'm going to draw out some.

I just want you to notice, what is the bowl poured out on?

What is its effect?

And how is it responded to?

So let's just walk through these bowls now.

Starting in chapter 16, verse 2, the first bowl.

So the first angel went out and poured out his bowl on the earth,

and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.

So what was this bowl poured out on?

It was poured out on the earth.

But very specifically, all those people who bore the mark of the beast.

And remember, when we talked about the mark of the beast in past sermons,

it's essentially saying property of the beast.

The one who dictates their actions.

The one whom they follow in worship.

It's being poured out on those people who bear the mark of the beast,

not on those who have the name of the lamb and of God written on their foreheads.

Sealed with the seal of God.

And then you see the effect.

It's poured out on these people, and harmful and painful sores arise.

It's alluding to the sixth plague God poured out on Egypt, boils.

Has anybody had a bed sore before?

Or has anybody helped someone who's had a bed sore before?

They are awful.

Terrible.

It's hard to heal from.

These sores are awful.

And if you haven't noticed, the punishment fits the crime.

The sore matches the mark.

God is pouring out His judgment to those who are marked by the beast with sores.

It would have been extremely painful.

But remember why God in Exodus poured out the plagues on Pharaoh in Egypt?

So that they may know that God is the Lord.

That there's none like Him in the midst of the earth.

We don't see any kind of a response right here.

So we don't see how those who've been afflicted with these boils and sores,

how they respond.

We're just left guessing.

It would have been miserable.

And what you can't deny is that this is an act of God of judgment upon them.

But we go to a second bowl, which means they must not have repented of the first one.

And so the second bowl we see in verse 3,

notice it's poured out into the sea.

Just as the first bowl was poured out on all the people bearing the mark of the beast.

It's universal in that sense.

So too here.

The sea is all salt water.

All oceans.

God is devastating His creation to judge those who are not worshiping Him.

And the effect is that the sea becomes like the blood of a corpse.

Do you know what the blood of a corpse is like?

It's thick.

It congeals.

It's dark.

And it's toxic.

And so what is to come to your mind when you hear about all the seas being turned to blood,

this image, this picture that's being shown to us,

is you should have in the back of your mind what God, the plague He poured out on the Nile.

In Exodus chapter 7, the first plague, He turned the Nile into blood.

Exodus 7 · chapter mention

And remember what happened to the fish, if you're familiar with that story?

They all died.

So that they may know that I am the Lord.

So imagine all the creatures in the sea at this moment dying.

It's universal.

It's catastrophic.

All the whales dying.

All dolphins dying.

Schools of fish.

All schools of fish dying.

All crustaceans dying.

We thought bleached coral reefs is an issue.

This is going to be blooded coral reefs.

It's going to be awful.

And what's the effect economically?

Like, if you are surviving off the sea at this point, that means a sustenance is done.

We haven't even talked about the stench.

How do you think people at that time are going to explain stuff like this?

That they may know that I am the Lord.

We're not told the response of the people dwelling on the earth, those who bear the mark of the beast at this point.

But there's another bowl judgment that follows, which means that they don't repent.

They don't acknowledge God as the Lord.

And so here we're left after the first two bowls, thinking that people are just covered with harmful, painful sores,

and now they have a bloodbath of a sea to go to in the summertime.

The third bowl we see in verses 4-7.

We see that this bowl is poured out by a third angel in obedience to 16.1 into the rivers and springs of water.

Fresh water.

The source of drinking water.

And the effect is that this bowl poured out, this plague poured out, is like the first plague of Egypt again.

It turns fresh water into blood.

And in Exodus 7, we read that the Egyptians could not drink from the Nile because it had been turned to blood.

And the scope of this is not limited to the Nile River.

The scope of this plague, this bowl, is on all the rivers and springs of the earth.

It's catastrophic.

It's universal.

It's total in its scope.

Where are they going to get their drinking water from?

So think about it this way.

If this picture is helping us think about what's to come,

that changes the Mississippi.

It changes the way you think about the Ohio River and the Missouri River,

the Wisconsin River, the Fox River.

And then what about Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes?

And then what about the Pike River?

Has anybody been to Petrifying Springs?

Have you ever walked in that little hut where you get the water from?

No.

Is there going to come a day when that's pumping blood?

It's interesting is we have a response now.

There's a response to this plague in verse 5.

And it's the response of the angel who has authority over the water.

That angel says in verse 5,

Just are you, O holy one, who is and who was.

Just, right, in all your ways.

Holy, there's none like you, who is and who was.

Eternal, for you brought these judgments.

God is behind these outpourings of wrath.

You're right to do it, he says.

And then we read this, verse 6,

The explanation of why it's right.

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,

and you have given them blood to drink.

It's what they deserve.

From an angel.

You're right in doing this, God.

You're right in this devastation.

Why?

Because the ones this is being poured out on,

they shed the blood of your people.

The punishment fits the crime.

They shed the blood of God's people,

those whom he shed his blood for.

And now those who shed this blood,

they're going to drink the blood of the plague.

Fierce.

But it doesn't stop there.

There's another voice that joins this response.

In verse 7,

and I heard the altar saying,

it's not literally the altar.

It's not the altar speaking.

Chapter 6,

verses 9, 10, 11.

Do you remember what happened?

Under the altar,

seal 5,

there were the martyrs.

And you remember what they were saying?

Oh, sovereign Lord,

how long,

how much longer

until you judge

and avenge

the blood,

our blood,

spilled by the dwellers of the earth?

And you know what they're saying?

Yes.

Yes, Lord,

the Almighty.

True and just

are your judgments.

God is vindicating

his people here

in graphic,

graphic detail.

The very ones

who shed their blood

are saying,

yes,

God,

take vengeance

on our behalf.

They've waited.

The response here

is not from those

who are bearing

the mark of the beast.

It's from

an angel

from heaven

and then martyrs

under the heavenly altar.

And there is the sense

of rejoicing

in God's

just wrath.

It's vindicating.

It's right.

God's justice

is finally coming down.

And it's in stark

contrast

to those

who've rejected God,

the unrepentant,

who are full

of painful sores.

They have

a bloodbath

of a sea

and now

their fresh water

sources

have been turned

to blood.

Bowl number four.

Verses eight and nine.

This bowl

is poured out

on the sun

just like

the fourth trumpet

but instead

of darkness

this plague

intensifies

the heat of the sun

resulting

in the scorching

of those

who dwell

on the earth

with the mark

of the beast.

It's an added pain.

The effect

is this scorching

have you ever

been sunburned

before?

Severely

this changes

you going

outside.

And if

those who are

dwelling,

those bearing

the mark

of the beast

are being scorched

like this

which is just

a foretaste

of the lake

of fire

they're being

scorched

like this

what does this

mean for plants

and animals

on the planet?

What we see

going on

throughout

these plagues

is God

is acting

very purposefully

devastating

incrementally

his creation

as a way

of judging

the unrepentant

living on the planet.

God is saying

that you may know

that there is

no one

like me.

And in verse 9

we have the

first explicit

response

of those

who bear

the mark

of the beast

experiencing

these plagues.

Let me read

that for you.

They were scorched

by the fierce heat

and they called

out to God

and said

have mercy

on us.

And they cursed

the name

of God

who had power

over these

plagues.

They did not

repent

and give him

glory.

That word

curse

is where

we get

blasphemy

from.

They blasphemed

God.

They did

not repent.

The heat

that he

is pouring

out through

this plague

doesn't

soften

their heart.

It hardens

their hearts.

They don't

repent.

They don't

turn from

worshiping

the beast.

They keep

on

worshiping

the beast.

It's as if

God is saying

through this

I am the

Lord

there's none

like me

and those

with the

mark of the

beast are

saying

we know

that

but we

refuse

to worship

you.

These are

not innocent

ignorant

people.

These are

people who

are consciously

rejecting

the God

of the

Bible.

They refuse

to give

him glory.

They refuse

to worship

him.

There's

this

truism.

You become

like the

one you

worship.

you take

on the

character

and conduct

of the

one that

controls

your heart.

And in

136

if you

flip back

to 136

we have

kind of

the beast

in action.

It opened

its mouth

to utter

blasphemies

against God

blaspheming

his name

and his

dwelling

that is

those who

dwell in

heaven.

These

dwellers of

the earth

bearing the

mark of the

beast

they're

just

doing

what

their

savior

their

false

savior

is

doing.

They're

becoming

like the

one they

worship.

It's a

settled

state of

spiritual

rebellion.

So the

blasphemy

would be

going with

something like

this.

You call

yourself a

loving God

and you're

scorching

us.

How can

you do

this to

us?

us.

We

knew

it.

All

along God

has been

pouring out

warning after

warning and

sealed judgments

and trumpet

judgments in

his kindness

calling all

these people to

repentance to

turn from the

worship of

false gods and

to turn to

worship the

one true God

and they're

not having

it.

They're

blasping

him.

Refusing

to repent

and blaming

God for

their misery

when they

in fact have

brought it on

themselves.

It's a stark

contrast to

what we just

read in verses

five and

seven.

There we have

people rejoicing

over the

outpouring of

God's wrath.

His justice

has come and

here we have

people blaspheming

God because

they think it's

somehow an act

of injustice.

The fifth

bowl.

Bowls one

through four

fall on the

created order

and now

bowls five,

six, and

seven, they

fall and

they fall

hard.

We read in

the fifth bowl

that God's

plague, this

bowl is

poured out

upon the

throne of

of the

beast.

The throne

of the

beast.

That throne

is symbolic

of a domain.

Chapters four

and five, the

throne of God

in heaven, he's

seated over

all heaven

rules, Daniel

chapter four.

Here, this

throne is on

the earth and

if you remember

Pergamum, chapter

two, verse

13, there

dwelt the

throne of

Satan.

And so the

object of this

plague is the

satanic dominion

on earth being

carried out by

the beast.

What we see

going on here is

a definite

counter-assault

from God

most high.

And the

effect is

darkness.

It reminds us of

the ninth plague in

Exodus chapter

Exodus 10 · chapter mention

10.

And it's

deeply ironic

because the

domain of the

beast was

established upon

deception.

The false

prophet deceiving

the nations into

the worship of

the beast.

They're in the

dark.

And now what

is going on

here is God

is pouring out

darkness onto

the throne, the

domain of

darkness.

confusion,

chaos,

unraveling,

disorder.

What we have

going on here is

the unseating of

the beast, the

dethroning of

sorts of the

beast.

That you may

know

that I alone

am God.

The response of

the wicked,

verses 10 and

11.

yes, God,

thank you.

Thank you for

delivering us from

the throne of the

beast, for

transferring us from

the domain of

darkness into the

kingdom of the

beloved son.

We don't see

that.

In verse 10, we

read people nod

their tongues in

anguish.

Under this

darkness,

Jesus warned of

final judgment,

being, people being

cast into outer

darkness where

there will be

weeping and

gnashing of

teeth and

apparently gnawing

of tongues.

And they

continue the

blasphemy in

verse 11.

And they

cursed the God

of heaven for

their pains and

sores.

They did not

repent of

their deeds.

They didn't

repent.

God is

pouring out

this plague so

that they may

know that he

is the Lord of

the earth.

They do not

repent.

They persist in

their following

after the

beast.

The sixth

bowl.

Things get

really interesting.

In the sixth

bowl, we

learn that

this bowl

is poured

out upon

the Euphrates

River.

The great

Euphrates.

Verse 12.

And you

might be

saying, well,

what's up

with that?

Well, the

Euphrates was

a natural

barrier for

ancient Israel

that protected

ancient Israel

from enemy

invasion coming

from the

northeast.

And so what

we see going

on here, the

effect of this

plague, is

that the

Euphrates is

dried up.

It's God's

will that it

was dried up.

The Euphrates

is dried up

and it makes

a way for

the kings

from the

east to

come and

assemble

against God

the almighty.

Really?

Really?

assemble

against God

almighty?

How is it

possible

that a

human being

would

entertain

the very

idea

of

drawing

to a

battlefield

opposed

to

God

the

almighty?

How is

that

possible?

Well, we're

told how

it's

possible.

Not only

are these

human beings

settled in

their opposition

to God,

but we read

in 13 and

14,

I saw

coming out

of the

mouth

of the

dragon

and out

of the

mouth

of the

beast

and out

of the

mouth

of the

false

prophet,

the

anti-trinity.

Out of

their mouths

three unclean

spirits like

frogs,

demons,

for they are

demonic spirits

performing signs

who go abroad

to the kings

of the whole

world,

not just

kings of

the east,

but they're

going to

assemble all

kings from

all the

world to

move towards

God

almighty

and draw a

battle line

against him

to fight

him.

They're not

in their

right minds

because not

only settled

in their

opposition to

God,

they're

demonically

deceived.

Those frogs

make you think

about the

second plague

of Egypt

in Exodus

Exodus 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8.

And if you

remember that

account,

this was one

of those plagues

that Pharaoh's

magicians were

able to

replicate.

And so

maybe a way

to think

about what's

going on

here is

God is

pouring out

his plagues

on earth

and here's

the anti-trinity

kind of

replicating a

little plague.

But they're

all falling

into God's

grand plan

because it's

God who

dried up the

Euphrates

and it's

God who's

waiting for

them on the

battlefield

called

Armageddon.

Literally

in verse 16

Armageddon

means Mount

Megiddo.

And what you

need to know,

I'm not going

to get into a

lot of detail

here, but what

you need to

know on that

site, there

was several

battles fought

and a couple

of them in

particular were

fought against

foreign kings.

And so what

we have here

is a place

where God

engages foreign

kings in a

battle, epic

battle of

all, for

all time.

And they

think that

they're sneaking

up on God.

Euphrates

dried up,

resulting in

foreign kings

from all the

world, drawing

a battle line

against God

under demonic

influence for

the great day

of battle of

God the

Almighty.

Do we see

any kind of

a response

here?

We don't

read the

words they

weren't willing

to repent.

We don't

read the

words cursing

God.

But when you

see humankind

gather in

opposition to

God on a

battlefield, that

is opposition

to God

pictured.

These are

people unwilling

to repent,

unwilling to

give God the

glory due

his name.

They are

standing there

and by virtue

of, they're

blaspheming

him.

We're not

told how the

battle goes

here.

We're told how

the battle

goes at

Armageddon

in Revelation

19, 11

through 21.

We're given

a clue here.

Look at

verse 15.

It's kind

of out of

nowhere.

Behold, I'm

coming like

a thief.

Blessed is

the one who

stays awake,

keeping his

garments on,

that he may

not go about

naked and be

seen exposed.

In the middle

of this

assembling, we

have this

promised coming

of Jesus.

And then that

coming of

Jesus is

pictured in

Revelation 19,

11 through

21.

And in that

passage, Jesus

not only shows

up as the

warrior king who's

going to rock

the world, he

actually invites

birds to this

battle because

they're going to

eat the flesh of

all of these kings

that he defeats.

It's gruesome.

That they may

know that no

one on earth is

like God.

What is obvious

about this

particular plague is

that God is

orchestrating it

all.

Bringing about

this final battle

that will happen

at Armageddon

in which God

wins the

victory.

The seventh

bowl.

Verses 17

through 21.

The final

angel throws

his bowl,

the contents

of which,

into the

air, we

read.

Ephesians 2.2,

we read that

Satan is the

prince of the

power of the

air.

All that is

below heaven.

All under

his domain.

And immediately,

the effect that

we read is in

verse 17,

that there is

this voice from

heaven, from

the temple,

and it cries

out,

it is

done.

It is

done.

With the

pouring out of

this last

bowl, God's

wrath is

finished.

And then,

then we're

shown what it

is.

Verse 18,

this,

it is done,

this

pronouncement,

it is

immediately

followed by

flashes of

lightning,

rumblings,

peals of

thunder,

and the

greatest

earthquake the

earth has

ever known.

Here's how you

need to think

about those.

Think about

those as

natural

exclamation

points on

those three

words,

it is done.

It is done!

Exclamation point,

lightning.

It is done!

Exclamation point

number two,

rumbling.

It is done!

Exclamation point

number three,

peals of

thunder.

It is done!

The biggest

exclamation point

of them all

is the greatest

earthquake that

has ever been

experienced.

It's the same

earthquake referenced

in Revelation

Revelation 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6,

and the unveiling

of the sixth seal.

That earthquake.

And this

earthquake,

verse 19,

breaks the

great city

Babylon

into three

parts.

It's destroyed.

Not just

Babylon,

all the

cities

of the

nations

connected

to Babylon.

Babylon

is the

embodied,

peopled

rebellion

against God.

And

Babylon

shares

her

drunken

immorality

with all

the nations

of the world

that they

oppose

God.

It's the

whole global

system opposing

God,

and it

crumbles

with this

it is done,

with this

earthquake.

All of it

becomes

undone.

And you

don't read

about

Babylon

drinking

down the

cup of

the fury

of God's

wrath.

You don't

read about it

in full

until you

get to

chapter 18.

It's

gruesome.

And

in verse

20,

again,

there's an

echo from

Revelation

Revelation 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

Islands

fleeing,

mountains

moving.

It's

geologic

devastation

before God

on His

great day.

God

is undoing

the old

heavens and

the earth

and making

way for

the new

heavens and

the earth.

And in

verse 21,

hailstones,

seventh plague

of Egypt,

Exodus

Exodus 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9.

the hundred

pound

hailstones

falling down

and crushing

people.

Not just

crushing

people,

crushing

anything.

That you

may know

that there's

none like

me in

all the

earth.

And the

impression

you get

here is

shocking.

The response

is like,

am I reading

that right?

these

hundred

pound

hailstones

are falling

in this

complete

geologic

devastation

and they

cursed God

for the

plague of

hail because

the plague

was so

severe.

It's

like this.

You're

watching

hail fall

and those

on the

earth who

oppose God

are giving

God the

finger.

They're

unrepentant

to the

end.

it's

done.

It's

done.

In

15.1

we read

with these

plagues

which are

the last

for with

them the

wrath of

God is

finished.

Verse 17

it's

done.

It's

done.

God has

poured out

his

justice.

He's

poured out

his

wrath.

Okay we've

walked through

these seven

bowls.

Let me just

kind of bring

them to a

summary.

The first

thing that you

need to know

about this

wrath you've

already sensed

it.

It's

incredibly

fierce.

It's

terrible.

Pain,

death,

thirst,

scorch,

gnawing,

tongues,

slaughter,

crushing,

mountains moving,

islands fleeing.

God's

unrestrained

wrath poured

out on

earth is

awful.

It's

terrible.

But it's

not just

fierce.

It's

fair.

God's

wrath is

fair.

In verse

six do you

remember what

the angel

said?

They

deserved

it.

They

deserve

it.

Just and

true are

your

judgments.

what we

see here is

unrepentant

rebellion.

Men and

women unwilling

to give God

the glory and

they go all

the way to

their deaths

saying no

way, no

way, no

way.

Again and

again they

would not,

did not,

care not to

repent and

give glory to

God.

It's

fair.

There's no

one innocent,

no one

ignorant on

that day.

Three, not

only is it

fair, it

is full.

Ultimate in

scope.

On that

day if

you're outside

of Christ

you will

not escape

this wrath.

In the

first bowl

all those

who bear

the mark

of the

beast are

given

sores.

In the

second bowl

all living

creatures die.

Third bowl

all fresh

waters turn

to blood.

Fourth bowl

all are

scorched by

the sun.

Fifth bowl

all plunged

into darkness.

Sixth bowl

all the

kings are

slaughtered

at Armageddon.

Seventh

bowl all

of creation

wiped clean.

Every island,

every mountain

leveled.

All are

crushed.

No escape.

Complete.

Full.

Full.

Do you

remember back

in Revelation

6 when

we have

this picture

of God's

wrath being

poured out

in 614

and those

unrepentant

on the earth

they call

out who's

able to

stand on

that day?

Only those

who belong

to the

lamb.

We will

find safe

haven with

our God

on that

day.

Because we

have been

delivered.

It's full

and it's

final.

this is the

last of a

sequence.

The seals

were poured

out on a

quarter of

the earth

incomplete.

The trumpet

judgments

poured out on

a third of

the earth

incomplete.

The bowl

judgments are

poured out on

all the earth.

It's complete.

It's just.

Think number

seven.

And with

these last

plagues the

wrath of God

is finished.

It's done.

no more

wrath to be

poured out

on earth.

It's done.

Revelation

16 is a

picture God

gives us to

see what will

happen when he

pours out his

full and final

wrath that is

fierce and

fair on all

the earth.

Why is he

doing this?

So that you

may know

that there is

none like God

in all the

earth.

That you

know that.

So how do

you respond to

this?

Well in the

text we see

three responses.

We see people

rejoicing in

God's wrath

not fearing

God's wrath

and that's

designed to

encourage

suffering saints

to press on

justice is

coming.

And then we

see people who

reject God in

experience God's

wrath.

They are the

unrepentant to

the end.

And so this

serves as a

warning.

If you're not a

follower of

Jesus be warned

today's the day

to repent.

You have time

to repent.

Call on the

name of the

Lord Jesus Christ

and be saved.

Today act on

it.

A third

response comes

in verse 15.

Be ready.

Be ready at

the coming of

Christ.

It's a call to

be vigilant.

It's in the

midst of the

spiritual conflict

of cosmic

proportions.

We are to be

awake.

It's a wake

up call.

Don't be

lulled to

sleep by the

false prophet

or beast.

Be vigilant.

But I told you

at the beginning

of the sermon

I want to apply

this to Palm

Sunday.

How does that

work?

Well remember

what I asked

you at the

beginning of

the sermon?

When Jesus

entered Jerusalem

what was he

thinking?

Is it possible

that he was

thinking about

you?

And if he was

thinking about

you why was

he thinking

about you?

Well when

Jesus rode that

donkey into

Jerusalem he

went into

Jerusalem resolved

to deliver you

from the wrath

to come.

He knew

full well what

was going to

happen to him

in five days

time.

He had an

appointment on

a hill outside

of Jerusalem

called Calvary

in which God's

wrath would be

poured out on

him.

Do you remember

Gethsemane?

If possible

he's praying to

his father if

possible let this

cup pass from

me.

Nevertheless

as not as I

will but your

will be done.

What cup is

that?

The cup of

God's wrath.

Fierce,

fair,

full,

and final.

Jesus knew it

and he knew it

going into

Jerusalem and

he had you in

mind as he's

entering Jerusalem

amidst all the

palm branches and

cloaks.

People singing

Hosanna, glory to

God in the

highest.

He's like I'm

coming for Mike,

coming for you

to deliver you,

to bear God's

wrath on your

behalf.

God has made a

way.

God has made a

way.

The fierce wrath

that we see in

Revelation 16 was

poured out on

Jesus, the

beloved one of

the Father.

He knew God's

favor, not his

wrath, but he

endured God's

fury for those

of us who were

rebels.

And not just his

fierce wrath, his

fair wrath.

Jesus bore God's

wrath but he was

innocent.

We were the

guilty ones.

That first good

Friday, Jesus bore

God's just wrath

for sinners.

And it was a full

wrath unrestrained

on Jesus for all

who would one day

believe.

And it was

final.

Do you remember

what Jesus says in

John 19, 30?

He's been hanging

on the cross for

hours.

He's about to give

up his spirit and

the last thing he

says according to

John is, it's

finished.

It's done.

Wrath of God

satisfied for all

who would put their

faith in me.

God has made a

way for you to

escape the wrath

to come.

That's why Jesus

was thinking about

you when he was

entering Jerusalem.

Jesus paid it all.

all of it.

All of it.

So that he could

say it is finished.

So we can say

it's done.

That's what he was

thinking about when

he entered Jerusalem

with you in mind.

To offer you a way

of escape that's

only through him.

that's why if you

are a Christian

you don't need to

fear Revelation

16.

Jesus already

endured God's

wrath for you.

It's been paid in

full.

But let me tell you

something.

When you see the

cross through the

lens of God's

wrath being poured

out and it's being

met by the love of

God in Christ Jesus,

do you know what

effect that should

have on you?

hear the

declaration.

Hear what God

is saying.

At that moment

it is a plague

poured out on

Jesus and God

is saying there's

no one like me

in all the earth

to provide a

deliverance and a

salvation like that.

What a God.

What a salvation.

What a Savior.

What a Savior.

Let's pray.

God in heaven,

thank you so much.

We are

uncomfortable

praising you for

your just wrath.

But when we see it

in light of the

cross, we are so

grateful that you

would deliver the

likes of us who

were worthy of

death and of

punishment.

that you would

love us so much

to deliver us from

the wrath of God

to come by taking

on that wrath

2,000 years ago.

God, we're so

grateful that that

work that Jesus

did on the cross,

it is as powerful

as ever.

God, would you

deliver now?

Would you comfort

now?

Would you

discomfort now?

In the name of

Jesus, amen.