Welcome to Truth for Life weekend as we are looking forward to celebrating Easter next month. We're examining the significance of the crucifixion and today we'll consider what Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross signified to God the Father, to humanity, and even to Jesus himself. Alistair Begg is teaching from the book of Acts. We're looking at chapters 2 and 4. Now, at this point, as Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost, clearly Saul of Tarsus is still Saul of Tarsus. He's not Paul the Apostle. We don't have his theological treatise in the book of Romans.
Therefore, we have yet to await a more unfolded, extrapolated, explained doctrine of the atonement. We're not at the point where, as Paul says in Romans chapter 4, that he was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Remember that in the Gospels, Jesus is revealed. In the Acts, he is preached. In the Epistles, he's explained. So that by the time you get to the Epistles, you have the explanation of that which is described for us in the Gospels and which is preached in Acts. So Peter is preaching here in Acts, and he says that this event that has taken place here in the death of Jesus is an account of the fact that God delivered him up. And the terminology there is worthy of your further consideration.
I leave it to you. In other words, there is already, on the part of Peter, as a result of the instruction of Jesus and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, an understanding that through the death of Jesus, the purpose of God was being worked out. A purpose that is rooted in eternity, a purpose that was unfolding throughout the pages of the Old Testament. And when you ponder that, and you think in terms of Jesus giving this study to those who were listening, you have to wonder whether, as Luke says, he explained to them all the things in the Bible concerning himself. It's hard to imagine that he went through the entire Old Testament. He may have done, I suppose. And I often wonder, where did he stop? Where were his points of emphasis?
What did he use? When he went to Isaiah 53, surely he went to Isaiah 53. Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? But I wonder, did he stop on verse 10?
It would fit with this, wouldn't it, yet? It was the will of the Lord to crush him. He has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for sin. In respect to God, the providence that is revealed in the death of his Son is an expression of justice and of mercy.
What does that mean? Well, it means at least this, that Christ's death was not something that was contrived in time in order to fix a defect in a theological system, but rather it was that which was conceived from all of eternity. Theologians talk about the covenant of redemption, trying to peer, as it were, back into the eternal counsels of God, and putting together the fragments of things in such a way as to be able to conclude that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit entered into a covenant of redemption, that the Son was assigned a task to accomplish, and the Father would glorify him in return. So that when Jesus prays to his Father again in John 17, he prays exactly along those lines, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you. Peter, by the time he writes his first letter, he is able to say, he, that is Jesus, was chosen before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. It is this, you see, that allows Peter to use language that is so unequivocal. This Jesus is the one who has been in that position as a result of God's definite plan and in relationship to his foreknowledge.
There's nothing vague, again, about that, is there? You crucified and killed him, but he was delivered up according to the definite plan and the foreknowledge of God. In the NIV, I think it is the set purpose of God. Now, let us just note then that on the cross, the mercy and the justice of God are equally expressed. In the cross, the mercy of God and the justice of God are equally expressed. In the cross, God pardons those who believe in Christ, even though they have sinned and deserve his condemnation. Without this, we would be banished from the presence of God forever. But it is also true that in the cross, he displays and satisfies his perfect justice by executing the punishment on sin that we as sinners deserve.
Again, classically stated at the end of 2 Corinthians 5, that he who knew no sin became sin for us, that in him we might become the righteousness of God—this amazing and great exchange which is at the heart of this strange providence whereby God is delivering up his Son. Again, poets and hymn writers help us with this, don't they? How deep the Father's love for us! How vast beyond all measure that he should give his only Son to make a wretch his treasure! How deep the pain of searing loss the Father turns his face away as wounds which mar the chosen one bring many sons to glory! Or in an older hymn that begins, Beneath the cross of Jesus, I fain would take my stand, and that amazing verse, O safe and happy shelter!
O refuge, tried and sweet! O tristing place, where heaven's love and heaven's justice meet! In relationship to God, an expression of his justice and his mercy. Secondly, in respect of man, humanity, men and women, in respect of man, Christ's death was murder and cruelty. In respect of God, justice and mercy. In respect of man, murder and cruelty.
That's what he says. And it is important for us to allow the Word of God to adjudicate on our thinking, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Well, that seems to take everybody off the hook, doesn't it?
Well, we can just relax now. No, he says, you are culpable, you crucified and killed, and it happened by the hands of lawless men. The same is true again in chapter 4, and around verse 28, isn't it? And as he identifies these individuals, Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. But it was at your hand.
It was at your hand. So, here we are at the mystery of it all, aren't we? The fact that the primary cause of the death of Jesus lies in the definite plan of God.
Because that's what it says. That does not relieve the instigators, the Jews, or the perpetrators, the Romans, of their violence and of their responsibility. This, of course, is the paradox, isn't it? The foreknowledge and the counsel of God did, says Vovell, no more compel or force their wicked hands to do what they did than the mariners hoisting up his sails to take the wind to serve his design as if somehow or another by doing so, he compels the wind.
He doesn't compel the wind to do anything. He chooses to hoist up his sails, and the wind moves. And here is the great mystery. It's the mystery that we had in the unfolding story of Joseph, to which we alluded just briefly last night. That all of the badness and the cruelty and the animosity and the spite and the jealousy that was represented in being the mechanism, if you like, whereby Joseph ended up in such a privileged place. He eventually, in the great denouement with his brothers, says to them classically, you intended this for evil, but God intended it for good. It's paradoxical.
And the exact same thing is here. That the purpose of man in the death of Jesus was cruelty and malice. The purpose of God in the death of Jesus was justice and mercy. Here we are.
You put him to death. We will not have this man to rule over us. And frankly, the deeper truth is that the whole of humanity participates in this responsibility. None of us is free from this. Before I come to my final point by John Knox, let's just pause and acknowledge something, that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. I mean, we can sit in here today—and I don't know where everybody is in their head or in their heart. God knows that. But frankly, the things that we're affirming in these moments are, as I said last night, absolutely radical. They're radical. The affirmations that we are seeking to make as we bow to the instruction of Scripture is that the very epicenter of the entire human existence is to be traced to the cross of Jesus Christ, a Galilean carpenter dying in a miserable bit of real estate in a backwater province of the Middle East. Are you going to go out into the coffee shops and buy ways of Princeton and declare this, are you?
Well, be prepared for people to say, you're a complete loony. You've absolutely lost your mind. I knew you weren't that bright when I studied with you, and it's very obvious to me now. Now, you see, we'll never get to this by way of investigation. The only way we get to this is by way of revelation. You see, there is an unseen boundary between ourselves and the living God. We cannot access God on our own time and on our own terms.
He is beyond the scope of our intuitive radar. We know enough about him as a creator to be held accountable for the fact that we are as we are, but we do not know enough about him by creation to be saved and changed by him for that. We need the Word of God, and we need the Son of God. In terms of God, then, it is justice and mercy. In terms of man, it is cruelty and murder. And in terms of Jesus himself, it is obedience and humility. You see why I say this was such a fine?
What's a great fine? Because it's very clarifying, isn't it? If you forget all of the sandwich in the middle, if you forget all of the tuna, as it were, that I'm putting in between these slices, then you can always remember the slices, and you will be fine. It's true, then, that the Father gave the Son, but it is equally true that the Son gave himself. He steps forward when they come for him in the garden. He says, Are you looking for somebody? Maybe me? No, don't do that, Peter, for goodness sake.
How many times have I told you? Either you're really good with that sword or you're really bad. If you were going for his head, that was hopeless.
If you were going for his ear, that is remarkable. But you don't need to do that. You don't need to do that, because I could call twelve legions of angels, and we could take care of this thing in a moment.
No. No, the Father gave the Son, and the Son gave himself. Augustine said, The cross is the pulpit from which God preached his love to the world. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. My Lord, writes Graham Kendrick, my Lord, what love is this that pays so dearly that I, the guilty one, may go free? Ian Murray, who's a friend to many of us here at this conference, in a little book that he did on Augustine, which was entitled The Pulpit of God's Love, I think, something along those lines, he says in that, The men that sweeten the church the most are those taken with, captivated by, carried away by, God's love for sinners.
Are you captivated by, carried away by, captured by, constrained by, the love of God for sinners? Is it very possible at a conference like this that has some measure of at least supposed theological erudition to it that delves into some of the mysteries of God vis-à-vis providence, for us simply to be note-takers, affirmers, realigning ourselves to make sure that we fit within the bounds of historic evangelical orthodoxy and walking down the street and forgetting that the one under whose banner we march was the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep? No, you see, this is the real test, isn't it? John Murray, in conversation with William Mackenzie, the publisher in the north of Scotland, years ago, driving in the car, engaged in a little playful theological banter. Murray, the professor from Westminster, says to William Mackenzie, the publisher from the Highlands, he says, William, what is the difference between a lecture and preaching? And as they drove in the car, Mackenzie tried his best to come up with a decent answer and failed miserably, according to the professor.
He gave him zero in his test. And looking out of his one good eye, quizzically, as they drove in the car, he said to him, no, you don't have it, William, let me tell you what it is. So Mackenzie said, well, then, what is it? Murray says preaching is a personal, passionate plea.
Mackenzie says, in what sense? Says Murray, in the Pauline sense, we beseech you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. And where is that reconciliation provided? In the cross. And from where is that reconciliation to be proclaimed? From the pulpits of God's church. And where is that reconciliation to be modeled and displayed among the community of God's people? You see the real impact of the Bible, the primary aim of preaching the Bible, whether it is on preaching this topic or any other topic, is not in order that you or I may have a little bit of information about this theological framework or about this passage of scripture.
And then at the end of it, three practical points of application, so when you go home, you can talk about it over lunch. That's all well and good, but that's not the primary aim. The primary aim in teaching the Bible is that we might have a life-shaping, life-changing encounter with God, that ultimately Jesus Christ is the preacher. He preaches through his Word. It is to him we are to listen. He who gave himself up freely for us all in this amazing and strange, mysterious event. So, persuading men of the love of God, says Ian, is the great calling of Christian ministry.
Well, I spoke too long last night, so I speak shorter now as an encouragement to you. And merely to reinforce, in saying all of this, that we bow before the mystery of the cross. You see, one of the problems for some of us, especially the theological eggheads, is that we think we're going to do a better job than we could ever do. You know, that Deuteronomy 29, 29 is in there for everybody else except us, you know? There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God. There's things that have been revealed, which most people know, but I know the secret things. Well, I got news for you.
No, you don't. And therefore, to bow before the mystery is right. Tis mystery all, the immortal dies.
Who can explore this strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine. Amazing love. How can it be that thou, my God, would die for me? I take courage in the fact that truths that look contradictory to us are not contradictory in the light of heaven, and that it is not the preacher's responsibility to explain the unexplainable. What a relief. What a great relief. You're listening to Truth for Life Weekend. That's Alistair Begg examining the mysteries of the cross.
He returns in just a moment to close today's program. As we learned in today's message, reconciliation with God is provided in the cross. It's proclaimed from pulpits in God's churches, and it's supposed to be modeled and displayed among the community of God's people. We need to keep in mind that God's people are mere men and women, and there are times when someone's church experience can be disappointing or even hurtful. And if that sounds familiar, we want to recommend to you a book called Sighing on Sunday, 40 Meditations for When Church Hurts. The author of this book drew from her own experience as a pastor's wife and daughter.
She saw people being neglected or betrayed or led astray often enough that it compelled her to write this book. Whether you're currently struggling with a painful experience at church or extending support to someone who is, Sighing on Sunday offers solace, perspective, and the hope that healing and reconciliation are possible through Christ. This book is a balm for the soul. It reminds us that while the church on earth may falter, God's love and his commitment to his people will never fail.
This is the last weekend we'll be featuring the book Sighing on Sunday. For more information, visit our website at truthforlife.org. And while you're on the website, if you'd like to learn more about what to look for in a local church, there's an article from Alistair Begg called Finding a Church.
Simply search truthforlife.org slash find. Now here's Alistair with a closing prayer. Oh God our Father, we put our toe, as it were, in the waters of the vastness of your eternal counsels and purposes. How could we, as puny men, somehow or another, search out the mind of God? We would know nothing of you had you not chosen to disclose yourself.
I could have stood here for thirty minutes and said nothing, and nobody would have known whether anything was going on in my head or nothing. But only as my voice is heard is there some indication of cognitive understanding and reason. You have breathed out your word to us in the Scriptures. We search the Scriptures in order that in them we might find life—life in the Lord Jesus Christ, life by his death, healing by his suffering, restoration by his brokenness, forgiveness on account of his being forsaken. So help us as we proceed in the day.
Save us, Lord, from just idle speculation. We want to know you. We want to know you in a manner of intimacy that allows us, by the Holy Spirit and in the pages of your Word, to be able to speak and to live our lives in an environment that is increasingly confused and unsure of itself in a way that commends this wonderful love. That you, the Father, in dealing with your Son in this way, deal in justice and in mercy.
That we, in our rebellious hearts, deal in murder and in cruelty. And, Lord Jesus Christ, you, in your self-sacrificing love, deal in obedience and in humility. Hear our prayers, O God.
Meet us where we are today. You're the only one that can soften a hard heart. You are the only one that can open blind eyes. Hear our prayers and let our cry come unto you. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
I'm Bob Lapine. Thanks for taking time out of your weekend to study the Bible with us. Next weekend, we'll learn how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as our prophet, priest, and king. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life, where the Learning is for Living.
