08.14.22 - Mark 14:12-21

Open your Bibles to Mark 14:12-21. We are continuing our study of the Gospel of Mark.  •This morning we come to the beginning of the portion of Mark’s Gospel that tells us about the day before our Lord was crucified.  •We come to a text that tells us about Jesus’ preparation of the Passover and His revelation that He would be betrayed by a disciple.  Last week we considered Judas’ agreement with the chief priests to betray Jesus.  •We saw how Judas went to them with the intention to betray our Lord. And how Judas from then on began to try to find an opportune time to betray Him.  •A darkness of sorts has settled upon Mark’s Gospel. •The betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus is on the horizon. The stage has been set. The wheels are in motion.  •And there is no turning back.  Now, some liberal theologians (unbelievers) believe that this was all outside of Jesus’ control.  •They believe that His betrayal, mock trial, and death on a cross were simply bad things that happened to Him.  •They believe that Jesus was the helpless victim of an elite ruling class and a disciple who loved money.  •They believe that Jesus was simply a man who claimed too much, opposed people who were too powerful, and got stuck in a bad situation beyond His control that led to His death on a cross.  A liberal heretic named Albert Schweitzer once wrote this: “There is silence all around. John the Baptist appears, and cries ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Soon after that comes Jesus, and in the knowledge that He is the coming Son of Man lays hold of the wheel of the world to set it moving on that last revolution which is to bring all ordinary history to a close. It refuses to turn, and He throws Himself upon it. Then it does turn; and crushes Him. Instead of bringing in the eschatological conditions, He has destroyed them. The wheel rolls onward, and the mangled body of the one immeasurably great Man, who was strong enough to think of Himself as the spiritual ruler of mankind and to bend history to His purpose, is hanging upon it still.” •Schweitzer, and many others like him, believed that Jesus overplayed His hand during His earthly ministry and as a result was mangled like a doll in the merciless gears of history.  •People like Schweitzer believe that Jesus was a victim of circumstance and bad people. And even today you sometimes hear evangelical Christians say things that sound similar.  •They talk about how Jesus was a victim. They talk about “poor Jesus” and how He was a victim of wicked men.  •And they turn the betrayal and death of Christ into mere emotionalism. Just a sad story about how kind Jesus was treated terribly by bad people.  •Now, hear me: There is some truth in saying that Christ was a victim. He was wronged. He was murdered.  •But, strange as it may sound, He was a WILLING VICTIM.  •More than that, He was a victim who CONTROLLED HIS OWN DEATH and permitted it to happen.  •He was a victim. But not a mere one. Not like you or I would be if a similar thing happened to us.  •And it is because of this that we glory in the Cross.  This morning, I want to show you that our Lord was in full control of everything about His betrayal and death.  •I want you to see that nothing happened that He did not permit.  •I want you to see that nothing happened that He did not know would happen ahead of time.  •I want you to see that nothing happened before He said, “Go.”  •I want you to see that everything that happened to Jesus was actually His will and the divine plan of God to bring about the salvation of sinners.  •And, in doing so, I hope to show you how much Jesus Christ loves you.  •And I also hope to show you that our God is so sovereign that even sin, even sorrow and darkness and terrible things, serve His holy purposes to glorify Himself and do good for His People.  If you would, and are able, please stand with me now for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.  Mark 14:12-21 [12] And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  [13] And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,  [14] and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  [15] And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”  [16] And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. [17] And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.  [18] And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”  [19] They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”  [20] He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.  [21] For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (PRAY) Our Heavenly Father,  We come before you once again thankful for your Word.  It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.  In it, there are treasures untold, glories we couldn’t imagine, and joy unspeakable for those who believe.  In your Word there is encouragement and comfort for the weary soul who will receive it by faith.  And so we ask now that you would bless us and, by your Holy Spirit, work in our hearts to receive your Word with faith, gladness, reverence, obedience, and love.  Open our hearts so that we might behold the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus this morning.  Teach us, Father. And change us. Sanctify us in your truth. Your Word is truth.  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.  Amen.  1.) vv12-16 of our text this morning tell us about the directions that Jesus gave two of His disciples concerning the preparation of the Passover meal.  •It’s now Thursday in Mark’s Gospel. Our Lord will be crucified and die the following day.  •But Thursday evening, our Lord would celebrate the Passover with His disciples.  A brief reminder about Passover: •Passover was the most sacred feast in Jewish life. It was the kickoff to the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  •And it was in this feast that the Jews celebrated God delivering them from slavery to Egypt.  •You’ll remember that the night before the Exodus, God sent a destroying angel through Egypt to kill the firstborn of every household.  •And the only way to avoid the wrath of God was to slaughter a lamb and put it’s blood on the doorposts of the house. And then God’s wrath would pass over the house and those inside would be saved/spared from death.  •The blood of a lamb was required or death would come to the house.  So, after that night, God instituted a feast of remembrance to commemorate His work of redemption.  •And Jews had to take a lamb or goat to the Temple and have it sacrificed. Some of the blood was sprinkled on the altar, and the meat was given to the individual to take home and roast and eat as part of the Passover meal.  •And the Passover had to be eaten within the walls of the city of Jerusalem. And every house participated in this.  And we know, in light of the New Covenant, that this feast was a foreshadowing of Christ and His work.  •The blood of a lamb was required or God’s wrath would come and consume.  •This points forward to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. The blood of the Lamb would be given for the life of the People.  •And it would be on this day, Passover, that our Lord would die for the sins of His People to save them. (Remember, the Jews counted the days from sundown to sundown. So our Lord died on Passover.) •And this was no accident. It was fitting. And it was part of the plan of God.  •Even the Jewish tradition said that since Passover was a night of watching, that God would redeem them in the future on that day.  •And they couldn’t have been more right. God’s OT People watched for His Redeemer. And on Passover, God gave Him, the Lamb of God, to die for His People.  2.) But vv12-16 tell us of how Jesus directed two of His disciples to go into the city and prepare the Passover.  •Now, why would Mark include this in His narrative? •To some, it seems like “filler.” As if it is an unnecessary bit of information.  •But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Nothing in Scripture is without a purpose. God doesn’t waste ink. Everything recorded serves a purpose and is for our instruction.  •So, why then is this in here?  •I think Mark intends us to see something that we might miss if we don’t think deeply about what happened.  •I think Mark wants us to see this: Jesus Christ orchestrated the preparation for the Passover. He was in control of where it would take place. And He displayed divine sovereignty in ordering everything just how He desired it to be.  Allow me to summarize vv12-16: •In v12, the disciples go to Jesus and ask, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” •They need a place to celebrate the meal. And it needs to be within the city walls of Jerusalem. They’ve been staying outside the city in Bethany and they don’t know what the plan is for them to properly celebrate Passover.  •They don’t yet have anywhere to go. And they don’t know what Jesus wants them to do.  •BUT IT NEEDS TO BE PRIVATE, wherever they go, so Jesus isn’t arrested and the meal interrupted.  •Remember, John 11:57 tells us that the chief priests and Pharisees had put out an announcement that they were looking for information on where to find Jesus so they could arrest Him.  •So, wherever Jesus and The Twelve go to celebrate the meal needs to be a private place or Jesus will be found.  So what does Jesus do? •V13 says that He sent two of His disciples into Jerusalem and gave them orders and told them what they’d find when they got there. (Luke 22 tells us that these men were Peter and John.) •In vv14-15 Jesus tells them that when they get into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet them.  •When this man approaches them, they are to follow Him. And whatever house that man goes to, they are to enter and speak to the master of the house.  •And they are to tell the master of the house, “The Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may the eat the Passover with my disciples?’” •And after they say that, they will be taken to a large upper room that has everything they need to prepare the Passover.  And then v16 tells us that they went into the city.  •And, lo and behold, they “found it just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.” •Everything happened just as Jesus told them it would.  •That sentence has some power to it, I think. And I don’t think Mark wrote it that way on accident.  Do you see here how, even in this brief and simple narrative, Jesus is exercising complete authority in this situation? •There is no guessing on His part. There is a sense of authority and certainty and power and calm control. Consider the “wills” in this passage: •V13 “a man…WILL meet you.” •V15 “he WILL show you a large upper room…” •Jesus isn’t guessing. There is no question as to what will come to pass. This is how it will be. Period.  And consider how Jesus wants them to address the master of the house: •In v14, the disciples are to say that Jesus calls the guest room “MY guest room.” •There is a sense of ownership of some sort. He will borrow the room, sure. But nevertheless, today, it is HIS ROOM and the master of the house will willingly give it to Him.  And then v16 really just ties it all together: “And the disciples…found it just as He told them…” •Just as He had said. Every detail.  Jesus orchestrated this whole event. He chose and ruled over where the Passover would be eaten.  •I believe that this is an example of Christ’s divine foreknowledge of future events. He knew what would take place. There was no guesswork.  •And I believe that this was a miraculous work of Christ. That it was a sovereign work of the Son of God.  •And I say that because the text doesn’t mention that Jesus made arrangements beforehand with the master of the house.  •It just says that Jesus told them what would happen and what to say and then sent them on their way.  •As God, Jesus was exercising divine authority over this whole situation. He was moving hearts and wills to do HIS WILL. He was governing the free actions of men so that His will came to pass and He could eat the Passover in private with His disciples.  Our Lord was controlling His betrayal: •Where it would take place. When it would happen.  •And it would not happen a moment before He consented to it. And it would not take place anywhere other than where He desired it to take place.  •He had earnestly desired to eat this Passover with His disciples. He desired to spend an evening alone with them so He could teach them and pray for them. And He did not want to be interrupted.  •And so, Jesus governed this situation to His holy ends.  Now, some say that this was an arrangement Jesus made privately with the master of the house.  •And I admit that is a possibility, even though the text doesn’t hint at that, in my opinion.  •But, either way, you can see that JESUS WAS IN CONTROL. Whether by divine means or human preparation, Jesus was in control.  Let me be even more explicit about what I’m getting at: •Jesus was preventing Judas from betraying Him prematurely.  •None of the Twelve knew where they were to celebrate the Passover. So Jesus sent Peter and John ahead, told them what to look for, and then came LATER with the other disciples. •And then everything happened just as He had told Peter and John. And so they prepared the Passover.  •Jesus would have privacy with the disciples before He was crucified.  •And He would not be handed over to His death until He was ready to go. And He ensured that.  He wanted to have private time with His disciples. So He got it.  •He needed a place to have the Passover. So He got it.  •He did not want to be interrupted as He taught, prayed, and instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. So He got it.  •Jesus was in control of everything. He got what He wanted the whole way through.  Our Lord would not be taken before His time.  •Judas would not have the opportunity to betray Him before He said, “Go.” •And we see that as we meditate on the details of vv12-16. The sovereign Son of God was controlling everything surrounding the night of His betrayal.  •All that would happen to Jesus, would happen according to His time and His will. 3.) Now we move to the second half of our text this morning: vv17-21.  •V17 tells us that Jesus and the disciples came to the house that evening. And they began to celebrate the Passover.  •They ate symbolic food: Bitter herbs representing the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. Unleavened bread representing the haste with which the Exodus happened. And roasted lamb to remind them of the blood of the lamb that covered the doorposts. And there were shared cups of wine, cups of joy for what God had done.  •There were prayers, and ceremonial recitations of what the feast was about, and singing psalms to God.  •It was a great time of worship and praise to God for His work of redeeming the Israelites out of Egypt.  And then in the middle of all of this praise and celebration, we read in v18: “And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.’” •Jesus drops a bomb on the disciples. He says that one of them would betray Him.  •Can you imagine how devastating this would’ve been to hear? Especially in the middle of such a holy and joyful time of worship. The disciples were shocked.  •This is the first time that they had ever explicitly heard of a betrayer.  •Jesus had said many times that He would die at the hands of the chief priests and scribes.  •He had said that He would be “delivered over” to them in some sense.  •He had said that He would die in Jerusalem.  •And He had said that His time was near at hand.  •But He had never mentioned a betrayer among the Twelve. This was totally new to them.  The Twelve, minus Judas, had no idea that one of them would betray our Lord.  •Judas certainly didn’t announce this to anyone. He had agreed to betray Jesus in a private meeting. His actions, as far as he knew, were a secret.  •Judas didn’t tell anyone. BUT JESUS KNEW.  •And in v20 Jesus says it again, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.” JESUS KNEW.  •And Jesus didn’t just know that it was one of the Twelve, He knew it was Judas.  •In John 6:64 we read, “(For Jesus knew who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.)” •And again in John 6:70-71, “Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.” •The Eleven didn’t know who it was among them who would do it. And they all became sorrowful, wondering if somehow they would be the one to betray the Lord they so dearly love. •V19 says, “They began to be sorrowful and to say to Him one after another, ‘Is it I?’” •The Eleven didn’t know. BUT JESUS KNEW exactly which one of them would betray Him.  •And Jesus knew that it was going to happen THAT NIGHT. As He said to Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:27) SEE HERE HOW JESUS CONTROLLED THIS ENTIRE SITUATION.  •Judas thought he was slick. He bought nobody knew but him. The Eleven had no idea what was going to happen that evening.  •BUT JESUS DID.  •Jesus had divine knowledge of all events that were to take place. He knew what Judas was going to do.  •And yet, He still allowed Judas to be there, didn’t He? •He could’ve kept Judas away. He could’ve kept Judas from knowing any of the plans they had for that evening.  •But He didn’t. He knew what was going to happen. And He let Judas be there anyway.  And not only did Jesus know, but He ALLOWED Judas to go through with His act of betrayal.  •Now, our text doesn’t mention Judas’ act of betrayal. That’s a little further ahead in Mark’s Gospel. So what do I mean that Jesus allowed Judas to betray Him? •Answer: What do you think Peter or the other disciples would’ve done if Jesus would’ve explicitly said, “Judas will betray me”? •Judging from Peter’s actions toward Malchus in Gethsemane (Peter cut his ear off), I’d say that he would’ve probably killed Judas if Jesus would’ve told him what Judas was going to do.  •But Jesus didn’t. Jesus allowed Judas’ identity as the betrayer to remain hidden.  And Jesus knew what the result of this all would be: His betrayal and death on a Cross.  •He knew that His death was coming the following day.  •AND HE LET IT HAPPEN.  •He was in control of everything. And He let it all happen to Himself.  4.) And Jesus knew that was to happen to Him was the plan and will of God.  •In v21 He says, “For the Son of Man goes as it is written of Him…” •All that would happen to Jesus that night and the next day was foretold in the Scriptures.  Jesus would be the total fulfillment of what David wrote in Psalm 41:9: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” •He would be betrayed. Just as King David was by Ahithophel. But in an even greater way.  Jesus would be the total fulfillment of Psalm 22: •He would cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1) •He would be mocked: “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; ‘He trusts in the LORD; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, for He delights in him!’” (Psalm 22:7-8) •And He would be pierced by the wicked: “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—” (Psalm 22:16) Jesus would be the fulfillment of the Suffering Servant Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 53: “But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6-7) •He would be “stricken, smitten by God and afflicted” for the sins of His People. (Isaiah 53:4) •He would be tried and remain silent: “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) •He would be “cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression” of God’s People. (Isaiah 53:8) •And in all of this, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief;” (Isaiah 53:10) Jesus would be the promised one of Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” •The Serpent Crusher, the seed of the woman, the promised Redeemer, would be struck by the Serpent and die.  What was to befall Christ was foretold in Scripture. It was written of Him.  •It was foretold in so many portions of Scripture.  •It was foretold in the sacrificial system. That blood must be shed for the forgiveness of sin.  •It was foretold in the celebration of the Passover. That something must die as a substitute for sinners.  •The Crosswork of Christ was written of Him before He ever came into the world.  •It was written that the Messiah would offer Himself on behalf of God’s Elect and suffer, shed His blood, and die in their place for their transgressions (for their sins).  God had foretold in the Scriptures that the Messiah was to be betrayed, handed over to death, and slain for the sins of His People.  •And all of this was so that He would crush the head of the Serpent (Satan), make atonement for His People, and rescue them from sin and eternal death.  •It was written of Him. The Scriptures prophesied all that would take place.  And it was written in the eternal decree of God.  •God ordained this! That’s why it was written in the OT Scriptures. God ordained all of this.  •This was the plan and will of Almighty God to bring about the redemption of His People for His glory.  And that means that THIS WAS JESUS’ PLAN.  •The death of Christ was the plan of God. And Jesus is God. And there is only one will in God.  •There are three divine Persons in the Holy Trinity, but there is only one will and plan because there is only one God.  •Brothers and sisters, this was all Jesus’ plan and will.  His betrayal and going to the Cross was absolutely His plan.  •His work of redemption is founded upon an eternal covenant within God.  •2 Timothy 1:9 says that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” •Titus 1:2 says with regard to the eternal life we have in Christ, “God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” •This means that God, in Himself, before the world began, in eternity past, made a covenant. The Father pledged a People to the Son. And the Son agreed to come to earth and work the redemption of the Elect. And the Spirit agreed to regenerate and apply the work of the Son to the Elect.  •This is the Covenant of Redemption. The eternal covenant that God made within Himself about the redemption of the Elect.  •THIS IS WHY JESUS CAME! This is why Jesus allowed all of this to happen to Himself! What was going to happen to Jesus was written and planned by God.  •And that means that it was written and planned by Jesus Himself.  5.) HEAR ME: Our Lord was not an unwitting or unwilling victim of circumstance.  •He went to His Cross with full knowledge and full consent.  •There was no way that this could’ve happened except with His divine permission and plan.  •Jesus didn’t just know what was going to happen. He was in control of it all.  •As R. Kent Hughes said, “Jesus is the only man who has ever been the captain of His own soul.” He chose the plan. •He chose the day.  •He chose the place. •He chose His betrayer.  •He chose the time.  •He chose the Cross.  And why did He do this? •Because it was His will to die for sinners.  •Because it was HIS WILL to redeem HIS PEOPLE by HIS BLOOD.  •He did it because He wanted to do it.  •Mystery of mysteries and glory of glories! Why He would ever want to die for us, I will never fully understand.  •And the only answer I can give is this: Because He loves us! •Why does He love us? I’m sure I’ll never know.  •But this I do know: He loves us! The sovereign Christ was at work in all of this.  •James R. Edwards wrote,  “Jesus is not a tragic hero caught in events beyond His control. There is no hint of desperation, fear, anger, or futility on His part. Jesus does not cower or retreat as plots are hatched against Him. He displays, as He has throughout the Gospel, a sovereign freedom and authority to follow a course He has freely chosen in accordance with God’s plan. Judas and others may act against Him, but they do not act upon Him.” •Brothers and sisters, Jesus was in control. 5.) We come now to the end of v21. And it is a hard and unhappy portion of Scripture.  •We come now to Jesus’ declaration about the fate of Judas.  •Jesus pronounces woe against him. He pronounces a curse against His betrayer: “…but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” •Judas’ eternal destiny is Hell. That’s what Jesus is saying here. Judas will receive the most severe penalty for his treachery: Damnation.  •He will be eternally and consciously tormented in Hell.  •Hear this and fear: The damned would be better off to have not been born.  But the punishment of Judas will be even more severe than that of other unbelievers.  •As Hebrews 10:29 says, “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” •Those who falsely profess Christ, those who claim to love Him but later betray Him will receive a worse punishment from God than others.  •It would’ve been much better for Judas to have never been born than for him to betray Christ.  Now, let me address something here. It’s a difficult thing, but v21 clearly states it: •What was going to happen to Jesus, including His betrayal, was written of Him and decreed by God.  •And yet, at the same time, Judas would be held responsible for his sin and would be damned for it.  •Judas acted according to God’s plan from eternity. And Judas is still responsible for his own sin.  Brothers and sisters, we confess that there is a holy mystery here.  •But the Scriptures teach us here and in other places that even sin is part of the decree of God. And man is still responsible and willful when he commits sin.  •We call this Divine Concurrence: God predestines all things that come to pass for His own good and holy purposes. And at the same time, men commit predestined sins of their own will, really want to commit them, and are really responsible for them.  Though this was the decreed will of God, Judas was NOT trying to do the will of God.  •Judas hated Jesus and loved money. That was his motive.  •But God was at work in this predestined event. And He was at work to bring about the redemption of His People.  Scripture teaches that God is sovereign over all and that man is also responsible for His own sins.  •This text is a great example of that.  •So we must believe both are true. Even if we cannot reconcile them in our finite minds and fallen abilities.  •We live by the revealed truth of Scripture, not by our ability to reason things through to the end.  •When God has spoken, the matter is settled. Whether or not we can completely fathom what God has said is irrelevant.  Hear me: God is sovereign. And man is responsible.  •God, while never participating in sin or making anyone sin, nevertheless ordains sin to come to pass and does so for holy and good purposes.  •This is a truth that we cannot fully wrap our minds around. But it is shouted from nearly every page of Scripture. (Genesis 50:18-21; Acts 2:23, 4:28) •God has spoken. And so, we confess it.  NOTE: See here the responsibility that each person has to come to Christ! •You must! You must repent and believe on Him! •There will be no excuses in the judgment. •You must believe on Christ.  And catch this from v21: Every sin is ordained and overruled by God for His own good and holy purposes.  •All things, whatever they are, are ultimately part of God’s plan to glorify Himself and go good for His People.  •And the sin of Judas is one example of this: •His sin, contrary to his intentions, was ordained by God to set in motion the death of Jesus Christ that brought redemption to the world.  •Through sin and darkness came the light of the Gospel shining forth for the world on the Third Day! •Praise God for His sovereignty! Out of darkness, God brings light.  6.) Let me come back to an earlier thought before we move to application.  •I think it’s one of the main points of this passage: •Jesus controlled everything about His betrayal and death.  •It was His will and His plan.  •It was the purpose for which He came into the world: •As the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”                                   (1 Timothy 1:15) •And we know that this was accomplished by His cross.  Brothers and sisters, the death of Christ was neither an accident nor a tragedy.  •It was God at work reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus.  •It was the Son of God working salvation for all who will believe on Him throughout the ages.  7.) So, brothers and sisters, this is what I want you to see from all of this: 1. See the love of Christ for His People! •Rejoice in this! Be comforted by this, Christian! •It was His will to die for you.  •And why was this? Because He loves you and desired to save you.  •What a thought! Hallelujah! What a Savior! •He loves you, Christian. You need to know that. He really loves you.  Let me give you some real-life application of this. I want to encourage you this morning: •It doesn’t matter how you feel right now. It doesn’t matter what difficulties you’re facing. It doesn’t matter what has happened to you and how down you’ve been about it.  •Nothing changes this fact: JESUS LOVES YOU.  •And in this we rejoice no matter what else is going on! •We are loved by Almighty God! Are you sick? Jesus loves you.  •Do you have money problems? Jesus loves you.  •Are you mourning? Jesus loves you. •Are there problems in your family? Jesus loves you.  •Are you lonely? Jesus loves you.  •Are you stressed out? Jesus loves you.  •Are you in the midst of trials? Jesus loves you.  Look to the Cross and see the proof! •Look to how Jesus controlled everything leading to His death and see the proof! •Look to how Jesus went forward willingly and see the proof! •Behold God’s love for you in the crucified Christ!  •He loves you! And there is nothing that can change that fact.  •There is nothing that can take that away from you.  •Jesus loves you and gave Himself up for you. And that is your joy in life.  I’m not saying that your problems aren’t real problems and that they don’t really hurt.  •They do. And I hurt with you. And I have my own problems. We all have hardships.  •But nothing can assail this one glorious truth revealed to us in the text today: JESUS LOVES YOU! •Hold on to that. Take it with you.  •And when the difficulties of life attempt to crush you and rob you of all joy, answer back with the full assurance of faith and say, “Jesus loves me and nothing can change that.” 2. And also, see the sovereign God at work even through sin and darkness.  •Judas’ sin, while really sin and really his own for which he is damned, was nevertheless part of God’s plan to bless the world in Christ Jesus.  Know this: Truly, all things are for God’s glory and the good of His People.  •“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) •“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36) Remember that, Christian! Hold fast to it! •All things, even bad things, even sinful things, are all part of the overarching plan of God to do you good in the end.  •All of the difficulties we endure are part of the plan.  •EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! •The Lord God Almighty knows what He is doing. And He promises to do you good, even through sin and suffering and darkness.  We don’t know how. But we know for sure.  •And in the sovereign God we place our trust for our lives and our futures.  •Fate is not the master of our lives. GOD IS.  •And we know that we are safe with the overruling, Almighty God who loves us and gave Himself up for us all.  May God teach us all to trust Him and rest in His love for us.  •Amen.