Sermon Tone Analysis

Hour of the power of darkness … Cross is a dark place … feel like descending like classic novela: Heart of Darkness!

Book actually begins with little boy - place finger on map … Maybe like how we often approach Christianity .. like the teaching, like the promise of heaven, like the fuluffy inspirituaional stuff!

But this novel takes the steam ship journey into heart of the Congo and intot he heart of the city of London - discover equally lead to heart of darkness!

Well congregation hasn’tthe gospel led us there too -in this broken world - the gospel take us to the heart of darkness - and to the darkness of our own hearts!

Hour of the power of darkness … Cross is a dark place … feel like descending like classic novela: Heart of Darkness!

Book actually begins with little boy - place finger on map … Maybe like how we often approach Christianity .. like the teaching, like the promise of heaven, like the fuluffy inspirituaional stuff!

But this novel takes the steam ship journey into heart of the Congo and intot he heart of the city of London - discover equally lead to heart of darkness!

Well congregation hasn’tthe gospel led us there too -in this broken world - the gospel take us to the heart of darkness - and to the darkness of our own hearts!

Why Christian novelist CS Lewis has his heroine ask the question - Why must holy places always dark places?

Now that could mean religion wrecks everything …

“Holy places are dark places.

It is life and strength, not knowledge and words, that we get in them.

Holy wisdom is not clear and thin like water, but thick and dark like blood.”

Why are holy places always dark places?

Till We Have Face, shows that true religion can’t be a turning our backs to hard cold realities of suffering, sin injustice in this wrold our lives… God and humanity dealing with them -is going to take us to dark places!

In another story has a shipload of people - sailing into deeper and deeper darkness, … and they go further in whatever your worst nightmares … start living that - going crazy!

And Lucy calls out O Aslan if ever you loved us, help us now.

Phoenix - pin point of light - blazing lead them out!

Well congregation, our world, your life and mine - like that ship - maybe not in complete darkness now - sin, suffering, temptation and death - curse on sin - IN the life of Jesus he goes to the heart of darkness on that Cross, and if you like Lucy call out - see the Light that must overcome your darkness!

Key Truth: Jesus bore the curse of God outside the gates in darkness, to bring us into His Blessing and Light!!

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

A. Jesus was Sent Out by More than the Puppets & Peacocks of this World -

by Far More than the Puppet & Peacocks of this World -

Pilate doesn’t get it - king not of this world, if so defend myself with swords; doesn’t even answer the power hungry high priest… kill an innocent man… Gabbatha is a mockery of justice and a joke

But what you have to sense is there is more than tragedy here -saw it in the Garden - Jesus knowing ly acting as a King, Priest- his binding by corrupt human authorities was not so much the issue, as his willingness to use that even a as asign - that he is becoming the criminal, the guilty, one with no rights = For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We saw this when he was arrested and bound, Now tried at Gabbatha.

But who does John say is leading Jesus out to Golgotha?

And now you must understand the picture that John gies us to understand - Christ’s death!

It comes in thse words that form a new paragraph in 16,17.

So They took Jesus and he went out!

It is only John wh records that it wasn’t just civil law, Romans leading Jesus out - 16a Pilate deliverd X over to them to Jewish religiosu leadership , Priestly ruling class to the High Priests

It is only John wh records that it was just civil law, Romans leading Jesus out - 16a Pilate deliverd X over to them to Jewish religiosu leadership , Priestly ruling class to the High Priests

What is the picture thta God in His soveriegn will painted, and John paints in such viivid colour?

Now you must see it - Pilate the chief preists fading from the picture - why?

They have said - beyond the law - can’t stand in the gates - most guilty of guilty - cast out of society - justice was to be decided in the city gates … But where is Jesus led? Outside the gates!

Jesus was Condemned by Far More than the Puppet & Peacocks of this World -

B. Jesus was Being Cursed by God

Who do prietsts, indeed with the high pirest inovled - who do they lead out of the city - Think on it, on the hgih and holy day of Atonement, kill one sacrfical goat blood on th altar, caracass thrown out of the camp - but take other goat - confess all the sins of the people - as a representative - loaded with the guilt of Gods’ people - that scape goat -led out of the camp, out of the city gates -into the wilderness to die … Of course all those sacrfices only symbols - couldn’t cleanse -types pointing to atonement God promses d to provide in another wilderness!

It is only John wh records that it was just civil law, Romans leading Jesus out - 16a Pilate deliverd X over to them to Jewish religiosu leadership , Priestly ruling class to the High Priests

What is the picture thta God in His soveriegn will painted, and John paints in such viivid colour?

Who do prietsts, indeed with the high pirest inovled - who do they lead out of the city - Think on it, on the hgih and holy day of Atonement, kill one sacrfical goat blood on th altar, caracass thrown out of the camp - but take other goat - confess all the sins of the people - as a representative - loaded with the guilt of Gods’ people - that scape goat -led out of the camp, out of the city gates -into the wilderness to die … Of course all those sacrfices only symbols - couldn’t cleanse -types pointing to atonement God promses d to provide in another wilderness!

but now as a Priest and even more as the Lamb.

Sginficance of the place - spiritually - outside the camp goes ont o say - outside is where the reproach is born!

- leaving Jerusalem the holy city - judged by God as unclean… Do you see the priests preparing himas the sqacrfice…

- leaving jersualem the holy city - judged by God as unclean… Do you see the priests preparing himas the sqacrfice…

And here you must understand that the wilderness is a picture of hell!

Small picture of it immediately in the garden of Eden, exiled out of God’s dwelling presence.

Frisbee cosmology - temple mountain of Lord, city , walls, gates… wildrness - chaos of the sea!

But now JOhn is saying at this place outside the gates, in the wilderness of that Place of a Skull - real and full hell was goign to be paid!

And here you must understand that the wilderness is a picture of hell!

Small picture of it immediately in the garden of Eden, exiled out of God’s dwelling presence.

Frisbee cosmology - temple mountain of Lord, city , walls, gates… wildrness - chaos of the sea!

But now JOhn is saying at this place outside the gates, in the wilderness of that Place of a Skull - real and full fell was goign to be paid!

What did Jesus call the wilderness in the gospels.

Three times explicitily said when a person falls into sin, doesn’t deal with it, when a person rejects God’s Son the Saviour - cast out into OUTER DARKNESS - weeping and gnashing of teeth!

John recors it was about the sixth hour, twelve noon - they crucify him outside of the camp, inthe wildrness - image of hell- why outside th camp here -gehenna - place of refuse, garbage dump, burning fire that never went out - pagan worship had gone on there - Need to understand - Jesus not jsut being humanly condemned, so the sad part of this day - is they got the wrongfully accused.

Sasd sad part of this day, is the only one to live holy life, the incrante Son of God - living it for us - they were calling Him - UNCLEAN, UNHOLY, UNFIT for the hoy city, people of God, life on planet earth

And the fact tah it was these priest who led him out like the scape goat - that shows God was approving that Yes Jesus your life pure spotless, fulfilled all rightesouness -suitable perfect Lamb a Sacrfice that will measure up - for the righteosuness each of you owe God and could never give!

C. Suffering the Curse meant Being Utterly Cut Off in Hell, but in this life!

C. Suffering the Curse meant Being Utterly Cut Off From God in a Way that None Outside of Hell Ever Is!

This is the meaning of that darkness - consider the first and greatest gift of God - which upholds whole universe - God said let there be light!

Hell is there reverse of that - no one ever fully experiences that this side of the grave - only lost souls and one day embodied souls!

The order is that we die, and without salvation - the darkness of separation from God - active punishment!

But Jesus hasn’t died yet, and the darkness the separation is already occurring - what is going on?

The OT had predicted it:

= midday the Son hands suspended in darkness at midday.

= Day of the Lord = world creating light, even agter fall, suspended = pointing to the evening of the world =

Christ in the catastrophic curse, he stumbles - there is a fall - the abyss of out darkness confronts him -= He has stepped over the borderline; He has no valid passport

“And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.

I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.

= Christ in the catastrophic curse, he stumbles - there is a fall - the abyss of out darkness confrotnts him -= He has stepped over the borderline; He has no valid passport

= Christ in the catastrophic curse, he stumbles - there is a fall - the abyss of out darkness confrotnts him -= He has stepped over the borderline; He has no valid passport

And now Jesus is experiecning in his full huamnity, in HIs full person experiencing it!

Story is told by one who survived the horrdenous torture of th Gulgags…

Gulag’s in Russia -in dark prison -told how possible form him not to cry aloud under the impact of the most terrible tortures, and not to lose consciousness.

He decided - at the suggestion of another - to keep a point of light steadily before his eye, a lamp, a shining thing, something of copper, or of brass, or the like; so long as he could keep that point of light within the focus of his eye, he could remain himself, not lose himself, nor be crazed by the pain!

O GOD how can HE preserve thee and Himself?

That point of light - waht Son of God from all eternity enjoyed with Father and the Spirit - mutual indwelling, communion, fellowship - as Christ became sin for us - the Father withrdarws that felt presence and blessing, that is hell and it is what we in our sins deserve - not Jesus!

And he cries out Eli ELi ELi - don’t lose sight of this Christ still in union with God, not full communion , still God-incarnate dying for us - God incarnate trusting and submitting to only way of salvation - trusting Father in obedience - Foot in hell, and hand in heaven - calling out - why have you forsaken me!

Those 3 hours truly forsaken - as the full wrath of God - utter separation - torment loosed upon him, - worse than the physical pain, humiliation of human family scorning him

Lifted up between earth and heaven - cursed anyone hangs on a tree - why rejected by both - Son of God never in this terriotry wilderness - hell before - no passport no rights, no recourse, suffers the infite wrath - ..

Not just the gates of Jerusalem that opened up, but he gates of the whole good universe God created us to live, the gates of fellowship within the Triune God - though he remains God, he in our human nature forgoes that fellowship - rejected by heaven and earth - as the ultimate sacrifice that will pay for our sins, and overcome the separation between God our sins bring upon us!

This is the heart of Christ’s suffering on the Cross - bearing the curse of God!

Tis myserty all -Once Martin Luther sat for hours in deep contemplation as if in a trance.

Finally he arose and exclaimed, God forsaken by God! who can understand it?

The cross staggers our minds and shocks our sensibilities.

Leon Morris called it one of the most horrifying passages in Scripture.

F. F. Bruce called it the hardest of Jesus sayings yet the most credible because no one would have invented it.

Don’t admire him as mere heroic sufferer, understand he is not just bearing shame and scoffing rude as a misunderstood victim- no admire Him as he who voluntarily even delighting in the Father’s will, divine justice, seeing the order and the plan - He is bearing the curse of God, forsakenness - wrath of God… made q curse - He understands the wages of sin is death - he understood the cup of wrath drunk by you for your sin - revolted by it in hiuman nature - flinches not to take that cup for you now as he dies on the cross!

understand no one gets the full curse in this life, before death - never final punishment ,not even physical death - curse after that is hell!

And Christ must suffer that in this life before He dies - that God-forsakness.

He is proving that he not only will pay for the punishment of our sins; but that he is stronger than that punishment, that He in facing hell for you will win fellowship, oneness, atonement, heaven!

He in taking our sin on himself had become the Great Sinner - and now He is utterly exiled - and has no ground beneath His feet!

He descends as it were in in His forsakness into hell - and take it for you!

Catechism this what His descent into hell means: sure place of dead Hades 3 days… but not what church is saying: “To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross, but also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.”

Heidelberg Catechism QA 44

But listen now at the foot of the Cross, even as you hear Jesus ministering to his mother, his best friend, before the wrath consumes him.

With a love similar to holding out the bread to Judas, and healing Malchus’ ear… Jesus contnues ever even in His suffering, dong the Father’s will of salvation for lsot sinners and borken sufferrs!

He is not suffering in vain, this is not cosmic childabuse - suffering this hell being paid by the spotless Lamb of God is no accident.

Saviour of the World with gracious plan of our holy God - saying Don’t do it to them, as they deserve Father, do it to me!