How often do we think about God? “Well, I pray before I eat and before I go to sleep at night, and maybe when I get up in the morning if I think about it. So, that’s about 4 or 5 times a day.” Let me rephrase my question. How often do we think deeply about God? What do I mean? I am talking about regularly considering the greatness of God -- His power, His knowledge, His wisdom - so that we get an idea of what we are doing and who we are before when we come here to worship Him. I am convinced we humans don’t really grasp the character, nature, and power of the God we serve. We are like the Samaritans in John 4. In vs. 22 Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Ye worship ye know not what.” "Know" has the idea of perception. We cannot, with our finite minds, fully perceive God. I fear that for many people today, even those who know Christ as Savior, “church” is just that - church. For some, it is a building, a place we go on Sunday out of a sense of duty or expectation. It is such a habit to be sitting in a pew in a church building on a Sunday morning that we would feel odd or out of place if we were absent. Some (certainly not Baptists) have been convinced that if they do not show up for “church” they will lose their salvation, so they attend out of a sense of obligation or fear. When we come into a service designed, designated for the worship of God, all thoughts of self need to be set aside. We are before the Creator of the universe, and He should occupy our thoughts. But, let’s get back to the original question: How often do we think deeply about God or consider God? From Psalm 96:8 we may ask the question, “How much glory does God deserve?” And the answer comes back, “All glory!” Well, how much is that? In Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment.” When it comes to glorifying God, to worshipping God, and to serving God, we must give all we have. That means of our time, of our treasure, of our talent. That means that God deserves every inch, every ounce, every fiber of our being in glorifying Him. Psalm 96:9 says we are to worship Him “in the beauty of holiness . . . ” Holiness speaks of sanctification; separation. That is why we must not use worldly means and methods to “enhance” the worship service. If the person, power, and presence of God and the proclamation of His Word are not enough to produce the praise of His people, then we need to look at ourselves in relation to Him. But again I must ask, on a daily basis how often do we deeply consider our God? Yes, it is important that we give God all glory and worship Him here, but what about our daily lives? I fear it is possible that we may know all of the “terms” that refer to God (omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent) and still take Him for granted. Here is the key. The word “worship” comes from the old English “worthship.” It speaks of the worth we attach to something or someone . . . in this case, God. We who are saved must, on a daily basis, worship and demonstrate the “worth” of God. How do we do that? We must give Him our whole hearts! Because if the lost world does not see His “worth” in our response to Him, they will consider that it is not enough for them to turn to Him. The same is true for our families. We may know all of the terminology that relates to God’s character and to our worship of Him, but how does that knowledge affect us . . . how should it affect us? For the next few minutes this morning, I want us to CONSIDER GOD.

I. GOD IS AWESOME IN HIS PERSON.

II. HE IS AWESOME IN HIS POWER.

The story of John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania. In teaching on the last days, Jesus reminded us several times that we are to be ready for His return and be faithful to the end -- to do the work He has given us to do. Matthew 24:42, 44: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Vs. 44 "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:13: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” In I Thessalonians 5:2 Paul reminded the Thessalonians that “the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” All of this tells us that when Jesus returns, He will come suddenly and unexpectedly. But while we wait and look for the Lord’s return, what are we supposed to be doing? We are not to be star gazers -- Acts 1:11: “. . . why stand ye gazing up into heaven . . . ” In Luke 19:13 the Lord is pictured as the nobleman who said to his servants, “Occupy till I come.” The word "occupy" means to be busy; be involved in a business. The account we read is commonly called the Parable of the Talents. It sets forth our individual responsibilities as children of God and as members of this church. This church has an “institutional” work to perform -- Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission was given to churches. However, without each member doing his/her part, the church’s work will not get done. So, as members of this church, we all have a work to do, and the responsibility to witness - Acts 1:8. As we examine this parable we can see what the Lord reveals to us concerning our responsibilities and labor as members of His church here. We see:

I. THE DEPARTURE - VS. 14.

II. THE DISTRIBUTION - VS. 15.

III. THE DEALING - VV. 16-18.

IV. THE DETERMINATION - VV. 19-25.

V. THE DECLARATION - VV. 28-29.

This psalm is the second of the so-called “penitential” (or penitent) psalms. It is the first of the 13 “maschil” psalms (“maschil” = for instruction). (David is going to teach us something.) It was almost certainly written after David had committed adultery and premeditated murder. In Psalm 51:14 he prays, “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness . . . ” (BLOODGUILTINESS = the shedding of blood that causes death.) David knew what he had done, and for nearly a year he resisted the accusations of his conscience, the conviction of God’s Spirit, and, possibly, chastisement by ailments in his body. This presents another great teaching of Scripture - God chastens His children -- Hebrews 12:6-11! His repentance did not come until Nathan’s message, “thou art the man,” cut him to the heart. The reading, studying, and declaration of God’s Word will reveal and convict us of our sin. The preacher who preaches God’s Word doesn’t aim to “step on toes,” he goes for the heart. Psalm 51 was probably David’s first prayer for pardon with Psalm 32 being written later for the instruction of others in fulfillment of his resolve in Psalm 51:12-14: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (13) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. (14) Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.” David’s humility and repentance are seen in that he, the king, would commit this psalm, which told of his own sin and shame, to the chief musician for use of the temple choir at public services. This psalm teaches us that great sin can be met by a greater grace. It is possible that backsliding can ultimately produce blessing (not separation) if one is willing to give heed to the Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Obviously, this is not an “encouragement” to backsliding but instruction to repentance and forgiveness. God has called believers to be sanctified, holy, and set apart to Him. However, as long as we are in this flesh we will never be perfectly sinless. This is why we need God’s grace and mercy that this psalm speaks of. Who knows how many sins we are guilty of every day -- thoughts, attitudes, failures, refusals to witness, to walk in the Lord, to serve Him, to read and study His Word, and -- pray all fall under the heading of “sins of omission.” Remember, James 4:17 reminds us that “. . . to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” And any unconfessed, unforgiven sin is a heavy burden for a child of God to bear. But we see something wonderful in this psalm. It is the very thing that David experienced. God’s grace and forgiveness await His penitent children. I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So, first of all we see:

I. THE POSITION OF THE SAVED - VV. 1-2.

II. THE PAIN OF SIN (GUILT) - VV. 3-4.

III. THE PARDON OF SIN - VV. 5-7.

IV. THE PRAISE OF THE SAINT - VV. 8-11.

The practice of using set forms of prayer (i.e. prayer books, memorized prayers, etc.) finds no justification in the Psalms. Here and throughout the book we see a complete disregard for “mechanical praying.” When you have a burning concern, prayer comes from the heart, not the head. Such prayer gets straight to the point. It reveals our need without regard to words and phrases. Much modern-day praying is merely “saying” our prayers, like little children do when they first learn, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep.” The Psalmist knew how to pray. He prayed: early, audibly, thoughtfully, earnestly, orderly, daily, expectantly, reverently, and wisely. In Psalm 5 his prayer begins with words, deepens into sighs, and rises into cries. In other words, he prayed with purpose! This is a psalm of David, written at a time when he was beset by his enemies. Either when King Saul was hunting for him, or when he was running from Absalom. In either case David had no option other than going to God in prayer. Sometimes God has to bring us to the point that we realize, “I can’t do this. I have to have help.” That is when we should realize that our “last resort” should have been first resort. That is when we need to pray like David did in this psalm. In these verses we see:

I. THE REQUEST OF THE RIGHTEOUS - VV. 1-3.

II. THE REVULSION OF THE REBELLIOUS - VV. 4-6, 9-10.

III. THE RELATION OF THE REDEEMED - VV. 7-8, 11-12.

God’s Word teaches us that, as believers, we can bring our requests before Him. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace” to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Note that it says we can come “boldly,” not arrogantly. BOLDLY = with all outspokenness; frankness of speech; bluntness; by implicate on, assurance.) In other words, we can do just like the psalmist did and express our needs before the Lord with the assurance that we may “obtain mercy, and find grace to help . . . ” Philippians 4:6 is the essence of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (speaking of our needs) shall be added unto you.” What is to be the priority of our lives and of our prayers? “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness . . . ” I am afraid that many times in prayer God’s people put the priority on seeking their needs and ignore the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And James 5:16 tells us, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (RIGHTEOUS = right, just; a right state, of which God is the standard; fulfilling all claims that are right and becoming. EFFECTUAL FERVENT = active; working. God forgive us for our weak, ineffective praying! AVAILETH = to be mighty; to be powerful; to be strong; to prevail.) I like to have people praying for me who are right with God (righteous) and who have power with God when they pray. The 119th Psalm is the longest of all the psalms. It is about the Word of God. The theme of it is the surpassing excellence of divine law. It is written in stanzas of 8 verses with each stanza starting with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalm as been ascribed to David, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, and Ezra. While we do not know for sure the identity of the human author that penned it, but we do know that it is Holy Spirit inspired. It is quite possible that Ezra, the scribe, recorded this psalm. In Ezra 7:6 he is called a “ready scribe” (READY = skilful). He clearly resolved to make God’s Law the governing principle of his life. Ezra 7:10 says, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” In this section of the psalm we see 7 requests the psalmist made of God in relation to his life. What is the thing for which we today ask for the most in prayer? You see, what we ask for most is that which is most important to us. What 7 things would we find important enough to ask God for in prayer? As we look at section five (vv. 33-40) of this 119th Psalm we are going to note 7 things that the psalmist asked for and that we should find important enough in our lives to ask for. First, the psalmist asks God,

  I.  TEACH ME – VS. 33.

 II.  GIVE ME – VS. 34.

III.  MAKE ME – VS. 35.

 IV.  INCLINE ME – VS. 36.

  V.  TURN ME – VS. 37.

 VI.  ESTABLISH ME – VS. 38.

VII.  QUICKEN ME – VV. 40, 37.

Nehemiah was a man of vision. When he received news of the condition of the people of Judah and of Jerusalem, he stepped forward. God had prepared him for this time. He had been promoted to a place of political power. He was the king's cupbearer (vs. 11). It was, more or less, a rather cushy job. He lived in the palace. He was greatly trusted by the king. The job only had one drawback - he had to taste the king’s wine before the king drank it to make sure it had not been poisoned. He saw his position as an opportunity from God to rebuild Jerusalem and bring the restoration of Israel. We may be thousands of years removed from Nehemiah, but we need people of vision who want to see our Lord’s work here prosper. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish . . . ” Where do we begin? Right where Nehemiah did -- in our own place, and with our own people. We can sit and worry about the future, or we can do something about it. Nehemiah was willing to sacrifice all that he had to perform what God had laid on his heart. Nehemiah is most noted for directing the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, but he was also a great leader of men. He led them to do what some said could not be done. He did it in the face of incredible odds. He did it in record time. But he did not do it alone. (For what it’s worth, no pastor can build a church alone!) Nehemiah was a MAN OF FAITH. (Note the number of times he trusted God and encouraged his brethren to trust God in what we would call impossible conditions. But the main thought I want us to see in this message is that Nehemiah was a man of prayer. We see his prayer in chapter 1. We see him praying in 2:4 before he makes his request of the king: “Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.” In 4:7-9 he prayed when he was confronted and being harassed by the enemy. “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, (8) And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. (9) Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.” And that is what we want to examine in this message - Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter one.

I. THERE WAS A SERIOUS CONCERN - VV. 2-4.

II. THERE WAS STRONG CONTRITION - VS. 4.

III. THERE WAS SOBERING CONFESSION - VV. 5-7.

IV. THERE WAS A SETTLED CONFIDENCE - VV. 8-11.

Fear is probably the greatest tool Satan uses against us today -- fear and laziness. There is the fear of failure. We are afraid to witness (or try) because we fear we might fail. There is the fear of security -- of what might happen to us (if we do witness). But God said, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee." There is the fear of the future. Sometimes we fail to serve because we're afraid of what tomorrow might bring. Notice what God says to His people in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee . . . " God says not to fear, because He is with us. This is the promise of His presence. He also says, "Be not dismayed . . . " Dismayed means to be perplexed; to have to look around for help. The reason we are not to be perplexed -- He is our God. We need no other reason to refuse to be dismayed than because God is our God. This is the peace of His power. If these were the only reasons not to fear, they would be sufficient. However, God gives us more reasons in our text: He will strengthen us; He will succor us; He will sustain us. He says:

  I.  I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU.

 II. I WILL SUCCOR YOU.

III.  I WILL SUPPORT THEE.

This is “Resurrection Sunday!” (Of course every Sunday is “Resurrection Sunday.”) Today, at a time that coincides with the Jewish Passover we place a special interest or acknowledgement on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Passover marks God’s freeing of His people, Israel, from Egyptian bondage. If there had been no Passover, if God had not sent that final plague on Egypt, the Israelites might still be in bondage. Christianity is unique in this world for several reasons, but the first and most important reason is that we serve a risen, living Savior. That is the message that the angel had for those who came to the tomb. It is the message that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:22-24. It is the message Paul preached everywhere he went proclaiming the Gospel. In fact, he declared the resurrection to be a part of the Gospel (“good news”) – the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection, merely the death of burial of Jesus is not good news. The Gospel message is the message that gives us hope. It is the message that we need to be declaring in our (hopeless) world today. Here is the reason why. Do you realize that if there were no resurrection to remember, no resurrection to acknowledge, if the body of Jesus had remained in the grave (tomb) we would still be in bondage to (the law of) sin and death today? That we’re all going to die, and we’re all going to go to hell if Jesus did not rise from the dead? In I Corinthians 15:13-19 Paul gave a whole list of problems and difficulties we face “if Christ be not risen.” In Vv. 13-14 – There is the danger of false preaching (deals with our credibility). “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” VAIN means empty (as referring to content). If Jesus was not raised and there is no resurrection, we are like those Paul talked about in II Timothy 4:4 – “ . . . turned unto fables.” (That’s how vital the reality of the resurrection is.) And if we preach it but do not believe it enough to live it, we are hypocrites and deceivers. Vs. 15 – There is the danger of being false witnesses of God (for saying He did something He did not do if Jesus was not raised.) Do you know what it is called to accuse or credit God for doing something He did not do? Blasphemy! What was the penalty for blasphemy, or taking God’s name in vain. Death! Exodus 20:7: “ . . . for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Leviticus 24:16: “And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death . . . ” Vs. 17 – There is the danger of a “false faith.” "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” Strong Statement Warning! If Jesus did not rise, if His body decayed in Joseph’s tomb, we have NO forgiveness for sin. We have had a false faith in a false Messiah! Neither the blood of bulls, nor goats, (Hebrews 10:4), nor ANY MAN can take away sin. (Micah 6:7-8: “. . . shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”) Vs. 18 – If there is no resurrection, there is no hope of anything but destruction and punishment after death. "Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” PERISHED means destroyed; ruined; punished. Vs. 19 – If there is no resurrection we are miserable people. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” If there is no resurrection, we have practiced the worst form of deceit – self deceit. Some try to deny the resurrection or at least its power because the resurrection is the very heart of Christianity. It declares the deity and power of Jesus. It is the very reason we can have hope. There are those who deny the reality of God, the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the resurrection. There are lost people who refuse to repent and trust Jesus, thus denying the only sacrifice for their sin. And many saved deny the power of the resurrection and the resurrected life by the way they live. However, note what I Corinthians 15:20 says, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” And Paul names witnesses of the resurrected Christ in vv. 5-8. So, we come to our text and we find that Jesus had been crucified. Now, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. He had been hurriedly wrapped and placed in the tomb because of the coming Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathaea requested His body of Pilate and placed it in his new tomb. Now the Sabbath is over, and the women come to properly prepare His body for burial. However, when they arrived at the tomb, they found that it was empty! There are many interesting thoughts we can observe in relation to Christ’s resurrection. There is a message that rings from this empty tomb. It sounds forth clearly and triumphantly as we examine it today. Let's examine some of these truths this morning. The message from the empty tomb:

  I.  IS A MESSAGE OF FULFILLED PROPHECY.

 II.  IS A MESSAGE OF VICTORY.

III.  OFFERS A MESSAGE OF REDEMPTION.

 IV.  OFFERS A MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT TO COME.

      We began this series of messages several weeks ago by presenting the politically incorrect Jesus. As we pointed out, by the world’s opinion today, He is neither politically nor religiously correct. This present world has “conformed” the Son of God to its liking, but the world’s Jesus IS NOT the Jesus of the Bible. Next we joined Jesus in Pilate’s judgment hall and heard Peter, who had sworn his devotion to the Lord, even unto death, deny Him, not once, not twice, but three times. Remember Ecclesiastes 5:2? “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” And vs. 4? “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.” Be careful of the commitments you make, and do not do like Peter and deny your Lord. Then last week we listened as wishy-washy Pilate, though he was convinced that Jesus was not worthy of death gave Him into the hands of those who wanted to crucify Him. We live in a world today that would much rather have Barabbas than Jesus! I John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” And this world seeks to conform believers to its ideals and its standards. That’s why Romans 12:2 tells us “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed . . . ” Today we will stand on Mt. Calvary and look to and listen to the man on the middle cross. Jesus spoke seven times from the cross. Each time He spoke He had something important to say -- to fulfill prophecy and to instruct us. He prayed (Luke 23:34) – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He promised (Luke 23:43) – “Verily, I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” He provided (John 19:26-27) – “Woman, behold your son” and to John, “Behold thy mother.” He pled (Matthew 27:46) – “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He pronounced (John 19:28) – “I thirst.” He  professed (Luke 23:46) – “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” He proclaimed (John 19:30) – “It is finished.” “It is finished.” Three simple words, but they contain so much for us. Jesus was saying He had fulfilled all. He had done all that that was necessary so that we might be saved and be secure in the knowledge of that salvation. Let’s see some of the things this means to us.

  I.  “IT IS FINISHED” SPEAKS OF HIS SUFFERING.

 II.  “IT IS FINISHED” SPEAKS OF OUR SALVATION.

III.  “IT IS FINISHED” SPEAKS OF OUR SECURITY.

Have you ever been a substitute? A substitute is “a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.” Here is the example that was given: “soy milk is used as a substitute for dairy milk.” I agree with the definition, but I heartily disagree with the example. I tried substitute teaching once. (I think I would rather drink soy milk!) We are going to talk about THE SUBSTITUTE, the ONLY substitute today. Look with me to John chapter 18. Review of events of vv. 28-34. Jesus has been taken before Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Annas “sent him bound unto Caiaphas.” Matthew 26:57-65 gives us an account of His mock trial before the kangaroo court of the scribes and pharisees. Then in vv. 66-67 Jesus is given the death sentence and then mocked and abused. As Hebrews 12:3 reminds us, “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Then, Caiaphas sent Jesus from his presence to Pilate’s judgment hall. Pilate sent Him to Herod (who simply wanted to see Jesus, hoping He would perform a miracle before him). That’s the only reason some people care about Jesus - for what He can do for them. Then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, and now we see Him before the Roman governor. In Vs. 36, in answer to Pilate’s question, “Art thou the King of the Jews,” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world . . . then would my servants fight . . . ” In Matthew 13:24-30 we have the parable of the tares. In vv. 37-43 Jesus gives us the interpretation of the parable. The field is the world. The good seed is the children of the kingdom. The tares are children of the wicked one. The enemy is the devil, Satan. The harvest is end of the age (world). And, the master of the house said of the wheat and the tares, “Let both grow together until the harvest . . . ” In that parable Jesus teaches us that there will be a time of separation of the righteous from the unrighteous, and we do not have to seek to advance His kingdom by violence. We understand that the kingdom of God is not advanced by violence. Some have imagined that violence is the way to promote His kingdom. During the Dark Ages, when 50 million Anabaptists were put to death. Some today kill in Christ’s name, blow up abortion clinics, murder abortion doctors. Others kill in the name of “allah,” their god. But Christ’s kingdom is not of this world! Then, Jesus revealed His purpose for coming into the world the first time - “that I should bear witness unto the truth” (vs. 37). Pilate asked the question so many ask today, “What is truth?” Man has many different answers to this question, but simply stated, Jesus is truth. The Word of God is truth. Jesus is the embodiment of truth -- John 14:6. As to His essence and character. (Because He is God, He is all truth and all truthful.) As to His teaching and example. (He taught God’s Word -- John 17:17). As to His death, burial, and resurrection (which showed His deity and man’s lost condition and need of a Savior). He told Pilate (vs. 37) that everyone that is of the truth hears Him. He revealed the lost condition of the religious people (Jews) who rejected Him. He revealed Pilate’s own lost condition. Pilate is like so many today. He had the truth of God standing in front of him, and he could not (or would not) see it. Then, vv. 38-40 bring us to the bulk of the message. Pilate, again like so many, sought to avoid the question which he asked in Matthew 27:22, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” Instead of choosing Jesus, he relied upon the custom of the Jews and his judgment of men to settle the issue. So in vs. 39 he asked, “But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?” Matthew 27:16 tells us, “And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.” Remember, Matthew 27:18 tells us that Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered him.” As a Roman governor Pilate had, no doubt, judged men’s motives many times, but on this occasion he grossly under estimated the evil that is in the hearts of those who do not know Christ. Of course, we know that the people, stirred by the religious leaders of the day, asked for Barabbas to be released to them. Even in this we are provided with a beautiful picture of the substitutionary death of Jesus. First, we want to look at . . .

I. THE STANDING OF BARABBAS.

II. THE SUBSTITUTE FOR BARABBAS.