Grow With Pastor Joe

The Passion Week began last Sunday morning on what we call Palm Sunday. This week is the most important week in history since the week of creation. It is the events of this week that we focus on, not just every Easter season, but we do so every time that we gather together on a Sunday morning to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. The week had begun with His entrance which we covered last week, but the rest of the week is filled with His exaltation. Jesus’ true exaltation is not on Palm Sunday, rather it is as He is lifted up on the cross and then risen from the grave. This week, but truly every moment throughout time and eternity, is fixated on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Everything in the universe exists for His exaltation and our redemption is for His exaltation. There on the cross and with His resurrection, the grace and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ are on full display. Jesus had prayed about this very thought the night of His betrayal. Jesus prays in John 17:1-5, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: ² As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. ³ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. ⁴ I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” In His prayer, Jesus is not only expecting His execution, but He is anticipating His exaltation. He will be glorified through His death, burial, and resurrection just as God’s eternal plan intended so that every knee must bow in submission to His glory, honor, and majesty. Jesus’ execution becomes His exaltation. Eternity’s purpose is the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ and this Easter, we are invited in to join in singing praises to the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Today’s passage that we will cover will be a broad overview of John 18-20. We will examine the exaltation of King Jesus. In John 18:12-38 we will see that He is exalted as the virtuous King. In John 18:39-40; 19:13-24 we will see that He is exalted as the vicarious King. Lastly, in John 19:28-20:10 we will see that He is exalted as the victorious King. The fact of the matter is that each one of these reasons for His exaltation could be its own sermon. Truly, eternity is fixated on the exaltation of King Jesus, the Lamb of God who is Prophet, Priest, and King forevermore. If this is the goal of eternity, then how much more should it be what drives the Church today. Today is the day and now is the hour to exalt Jesus as King. Before we go any further, the stark reality is that you will never and can never exalt King Jesus if you have not been born again. If you have never put your trust in the finished work of Christ and bowed your knee before the King of Glory, then you don’t know the meaning of Easter, nor the majesty of His Kingship. But, if you are saved and belong to Jesus, ask yourself if you are exalting Him as the King of your life or if there is something still inside of you that has not bowed to Him. As we examine these passages, let us exalt the King, rejoicing in all that He has done for us.

            First, let’s exalt the virtuous King. Last week we looked some at this idea in Zech. 9:9, which tells us that the Messianic King (Jesus) is “just.” All that Jesus is and does is virtuous, righteous, holy, and just. If there is an ounce of impurity or a spot of blemish, then He can’t be the King or Lamb of God. The Passover Lamb from the OT was a picture of the Lord Jesus. It was to be without spot, blemish, or broken bones (See Ex. 12-13). The scriptures make it clear that the coming Messiah was righteous in both attributes and actions. As we read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection we see clearly that He not only did righteously but He Himself is righteousness and goodness. Sadly, the ruling Jews could not see this because of their own self-righteousness. They missed out on the one that they had been waiting for. How do we arrive to the place in this passage where we see Jesus the King’s virtue? One, we see the virtuous King in His interrogation in John 18:12-14; 19-24. He was then arrested and brought back to the palace of the High Priest. where He was questioned by Annas, a former High Priest, and Caiaphas the current High Priest, Annas’ son in law. Annas kept the power of priesthood through his sons and son-in-law until the end of his life. Afterwards, He was tried by the Sanhedrin and found to be guilty of blasphemy by proclaiming Himself the Son of God. He was sentenced to the death penalty. The ruling Jews interrogated Jesus like a criminal. In the kangaroo court of a trial, Jesus remained calm, cool, and collected as He continuously revealed the truth of what they knew of Him yet denied in their heart. The Jews even brought in witnesses, but they were all false and conflicted with one another (Mark 14:53-65). The interrogation only proved that Jesus was virtuous, and the self-righteous and self-appointed Jewish rulers were wicked to their core.

Two, we see the virtuous King in His inspection. Not only is He wrongfully interrogated by the Jewish leaders, but He is inspected by both Jew and Gentile. John 18:28-38 shows that the Jews deferred to Pilate who then deferred to Herod who then deferred back to Pilate. Through their further interrogation of Jesus, it becomes the inspection of the Passover Lamb. The Jews found Him guilty long before this day, but the reality is that they were the only guilty ones, and they were falsely condemning the guiltless, sinless, spotless, and blameless Lamb of God. The Jews couldn’t prove His guilt, but the Romans wouldn’t pronounce His guilt after the interrogation and inspection. The inspection of Pilate led to him saying of Jesus three different times (John 18:38; 19:4,6), “I find no fault in this man.” How ironic that an unvirtuous king (Pilate) would inspect the Lamb of God and be the only one to see that He is the virtuous King of the Jews. Through Jesus’ interrogation and inspection, He reveals His purpose and power to Pilate who himself is searching for truth in John 18:33-38; 19:11. Jesus, though the eternal King of glory possessing all power and authority, had come to die as the Passover Lamb of God. He alone is the virtuous King who is the Lamb without spot or blemish as He bears witness to the truth of God. Jesus is to be exalted today and throughout eternity as the virtuous King of Kings!

            Second, let’s exalt the vicarious King. Vicarious means to be in the place or stead of another. No one can take Jesus’ place as King, but as the virtuous and vicarious King He takes our place of punishment for us on the cross of Calvary. This doctrine is critical to understanding the gospel. The vicariousness of King Jesus is seen in John 18:39,40; 19:13-34 as He dies in the stead of sinful man. He took our place and punishment to pay the price that we owed, but could never pay. There are two aspects of the vicarious work of King Jesus. One, the vicarious King is the penal substitute. This doctrine is being shrugged off or outright denied by many. However, this core doctrine is at the very heart of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4 “Christ died for our sins”). The word penal is related to punishment for crimes or offences while substitution is simply, yet powerfully, the act of taking the place of another. I’ll state this as simply as I know how. Penal substitutionary atonement is that Jesus, the innocent one, died in the place and took the punishment of the guilty, which is all of humanity. The guiltless King vicariously took my guilt upon Himself so that I could be set free from the bondage of my sin. Look at these other glorious passages that tell us of the vicarious penal substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 3:25-26 says, “²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” 2 Cor. 5:21 says, “²¹ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Heb. 9:26 says, “²⁶ For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” 1 Pet. 2:24 declares, “²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Then 1 Pet. 3:18 says, “¹⁸ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” God’s love for sinners and justice against sinners are fully realized in the penal substitution of King Jesus.

Two, we see that the vicarious King was a personal substitute. This is where the doctrine of penal substitution gets applied to our life. Jesus took your pain and punishment. He took mine. Everything that He endured in His life and death was for YOU! The vicarious picture of Jesus’ work on our behalf is seen as He not only takes Barabbas’ place, but our place on the cross. Jesus drank my guilt so that I could drink grace. He was put to death so that I could have life. The difference between understanding the gospel and believing the gospel is seeing that Jesus is not only the penal substitute, but a personal substitute. This means that you and I must accept that we are deserving of death, and He is not. It means that we must understand that we are criminals who have offended God with our sin and Jesus alone can save us. Jesus’ exaltation is seen in His vicarious execution just as He promised in John 12:27-33 on the Mount of Transfiguration saying, “²⁷ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. ²⁹ The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. ³⁰ Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. ³² And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ³³ This he said, signifying what death he should die.” Jesus’ vicarious execution is the revealing of His grace and glory, but it is also the reason that you and I now exalt Him as our Savior and King.

            Third, let’s exalt the victorious King. John 19:28-20:10 shows us that Jesus is exalted as He is executed for us and then makes the victorious exit from the grave. Understand this, Jesus has never lost. Jesus has never been threatened by an opponent. He only is victorious and triumphant! Jesus lived, died, and rose in victory because He is eternally victorious in His attributes and actions. There are a couple of aspects to His victorious Kingship. One, He has and gives victory over our debt. Your sin and my sin have a wage, and the wage is death (Rom. 6:23). We are born with an infinite debt because of our infinite sinfulness against God (Rom. 3-5). However, in Jesus’ vicarious death for me, His death is victorious over the debt of sin that I could never pay. Notice John 19:28-30 which says, “²⁸ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. ²⁹ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” Jesus obtains the victory over our sin debt as He cries out “tetelestai” or “IT IS FINISHED!” It means that it is paid in full. There is nothing that we could do to pay for our sin debt. We couldn’t make a dent in it if we spent all of eternity as slaves to God in our flesh. However, Jesus, in one dying victorious cry settles our debt for us. We have been given victory over our debt. Truly, Jesus paid it all with His precious blood.

Two, Jesus has and gives victory over death. Our sin is the reason that we are on a collision course with death, however, Jesus truly died, but also truly rose again. Read John 20:1-10. Through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection we have been given victory over our debt and over death itself. Death couldn’t hold Him. No corruption could touch Him. The grave couldn’t contain His victorious glory. In His resurrection, our victory over our sin debt and the death that accompanies is proven and provided. Because of His resurrection, we have the promise of a future resurrection of our bodies. Death has lost its sting on us. Though we may have to take a final physical breath, we will one day see that our body will be resurrected and glorified (made like His resurrected body) as seen in 1 Cor. 15:50-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18. This is our blessed hope and the assurance that we have. His victory in life, death, and resurrection is now given freely to us. I have victory and am victorious because of the victory of the King!

            This Easter, and every Sunday that the saints of God gather, we do so to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ who is King forevermore. He is to be exalted in all that we are and do. His exaltation is the purpose of the gospel of our salvation. It is the focus of eternity. It is why we are here today. Jesus is to be exalted today because He is the virtuous King. There is none like Him in holiness, righteousness, or goodness. Jesus is to be exalted today because He is the vicarious King. He took our punishment and place to pay the price of our sin. Jesus is to be exalted today because He is the victorious King who has delivered me from my sin debt and the sting of death. To put this all together I have no other words than what Phillip Bliss wrote in his classic hymn, “Man of Sorrows, What a Name!”

“1 Man of sorrows what a name for the Son of God, who came ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior! 2 Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 3 Guilty, helpless, lost were we; blameless Lamb of God was he, sacrificed to set us free: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 4 He was lifted up to die; “It is finished” was his cry; now in heaven exalted high: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 5 When he comes, our glorious King, all his ransomed home to bring, then anew this song we’ll sing: Hallelujah, what a Savior!”