The benefit of Christ's condescending actions (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] The subject that is on my mind to speak from, as the Lord may help me this morning, you will find in the chapter that we read, that is, the 11th chapter in Mark's Gospel, and I'll venture to read the section from verse 7 to verse 10.

[0:19] Verse 7 in the 11th of Mark, down to verse 10. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him, and he sat upon him, and many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

[0:42] And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

[0:54] Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

[1:06] The whole truth or doctrine of the incarnation of Jesus Christ is impregnated with humility.

[1:30] Condescension. Condescension. Such a condescension is beyond our limit to comprehend.

[1:42] The more we think of the condescension, the more we, as it were, lose ourselves in the wonderful but essential doctrine of salvation for Jesus' sake.

[1:58] And the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, from the time of his conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, right through his parentage, the locality in which he spent his youthful years, and then as he grew up and began to, as it were, enter the public arena of his commitment, according to the will of God, my friends, event after event testifies of the willingness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who had to leave heaven, be clothed with humanity, to die for crimes which we had done.

[2:55] I don't believe in the purpose of God as perfection stands upon the gospel of salvation, that any step or any condition or position that the Lord Jesus Christ himself entered into can be separated from the perfect will of God to afford to terrible sinners, terrible transgressors of his holy law, those that by nature merit everlasting banishment from his holy presence, every step has the indelibly inscribed word, humiliation.

[3:46] Though he was rich, yet for your sakes became he poor, that ye through his poverty might be made rich.

[4:01] My friends, we can't comprehend the enrichment of the gospel of salvation to poor, lost and ruined, hell-deserving mankind, and the glory to which they are welcomed when the Lord perfects by his good spirit the knowledge of salvation.

[4:26] The knowledge of salvation, as it were, to put their hearts and harps, hearts and harps in tune for the glory of God's grace, even to a boundless eternity.

[4:39] I don't think in heaven there's such a thing as growing tired of repetition. Oh, my friends, the joy of heaven is so perfect that it's everlasting joy on the heads of those that are partakers of this great work of God, the greatest work, when he sent forth his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

[5:21] Now, this is a little incident. I was going to say, in the journey of the Lord Jesus Christ from Bethlehem, wherein he was born, and look at Bethlehem, what a place it was.

[5:40] And nevertheless, humility and poverty go hand in hand, don't they?

[5:52] To a great degree. And I was going to say, in perfection relative to the will of God concerning the condition and position physically and in the ordering of the life of Jesus, those two things go together in a most remarkable way.

[6:19] Though he was rich, one with the Father, higher than the angels and archangels in glory, all the creatures there uniting in the service of the Most High, were the servants of Jesus Christ, as well as the servants of the Father, and the ministry of the Spirit of God in the Trinity of the Godhead from everlasting and to everlasting.

[6:53] I speak certain things in reiterating the doctrines we believe in a description that almost beggars language to describe, doesn't it?

[7:09] But my friends, I hath not seen, nor art he a heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

[7:19] Oh, it's a wonderful thing if God has shown to us certain things and is showing to us certain things as we progress along life's journey.

[7:34] And I hope in such a way and manner that our appreciation and thanksgiving to God for his only begotten Son coming into this world and living and dying and rising triumphant for our salvation is growing in our hearts appreciation that we feel a sweet anticipation when we get into glory we then shall have a capacity to praise him as we ought.

[8:08] Oh, how limited are our praises here below even because we are as we are as instruments made by God for his praise but falling into the many shortcomings and limitations that are associated with fallen flesh.

[8:32] But then I shall see his face and never, never sin and from the rivers of his grace drink endless pleasures in. Now there's a wonderful connection between the gracious pilgrimage of each believer in Jesus Christ and their Saviour the path that he was called to walk and my friends his steps are a means in God's good hand of teaching us teaching us the right way the good way the only way whereby God can save our soul.

[9:25] Every redeemed person in heaven is a Christian or was a Christian when here upon the earth and maintained in the school of Christ and by his grace they walked the way appointed whether it was a long way they were called in the days of their youth and they grew up and spent many years changes overtook them and conditions altered their course but my friends each and every one he led them forth by the right way that they may go to a city of habitation and that way is an appointed way it's an individual and personal way husbands apart and their wives apart the greatest relationship to which we can attract our minds in the earth in the nature of which we now possess my friends it leaves distinctions wherein the work of God by his spirit is fulfilled and every child of God brought into the knowledge of the truth made a real

[10:55] Christian by regenerating power from on high they walk in that path ordained for them that their contribution in paradise will be in perfect harmony with every other praise praising being in paradise nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless there'll never be a discord there'll never be a soul out of tune in heaven unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood to him be glory honor praise to a never ending eternity well now I want to come to this instance and there's something very sweet in it you know Jesus Christ is king of kings and lord of lords the world was made by him and without him was not anything made that was made we think of the creation and we sometimes will say yes well God was the creator but my friends the lord jesus christ by testimony in the the gospel of john was indeed creating the creator everything everything and that has a most remarkable inscription written upon it by those whose eyes are open to see that the world just didn't develop from a big bang the world didn't just come into being from outer space sort of thing and suddenly take its place among the stars and other other sun and moon and so on my friends this world was created by God for God that it should be a place of preparation for a certain number of souls who should be born in the flesh and they should with the exception of one be born in sin and shaped in iniquity

[13:34] I don't accept the fact that there's anybody that was born holy but Jesus Christ oh he is unique and he had to be unique to do what he was called to do he was the pure lamb of God who was to be sacrificed that the sins of his people might be all forgiven yes he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him I'm going to put another thought over to you holy angels and archangels in heaven they never transgressed God's will and God's command to remain in the service and presence of God in holiness forever there were there was a fallen there were fallen angels we we subscribe to scriptural teaching but those beings that remain to the service of God in eternity they're pure they're holy but there's no shame when the children of God very conscious that they've sinned and come short of the glory of God yes there's no offense given when you tell a person made knowledgeable to their state by nature that they're pure and holy and fit to enter without any sense of shame in the presence of holiness whether it be

[15:38] God himself or whether it be holy angels and archangels my friends there's no sense of shame when sinners washed in the blood of Jesus he who was the lamb of God to take away the sins of the world and then clothed in that spotless righteousness that the Lord Jesus Christ lived through the world and never offended his father in any thought in any word or any deed he was the righteous one he was as righteous when he died as when he was born he was born sinless because of the particular miracle of his conception and motherhood but he he lived he never offended

[16:46] God in heaven he did things which his parents didn't agree with at certain points but it was always the weakness of his parents never a weakness in himself because he always kept the will of his father I do always those things that please him he said he never that was his father and he never did sin and those that are washed in his blood are clothed in his righteousness he was made sin for us I've already quoted it who never deviated in the slightest thought or inclination of his heart and mind from the purity of holiness he lived for 33 years without sinning under great provocation you say well the world's a sinful influence upon every person that lives in it ah it was no no detrimental influence on the pure righteousness of the son of

[18:02] God he knew no sin no sin and my friends I'm among you as a representative of God and the ministry of the world I'm looking forward to the time when sin is behind me forever it's a great pain to me from time to time to realize that oh some simple things happened and a wrong spirit entered into my heart I've said something I've done something and I know it's wrong before God I know Jesus Christ never would have reacted like that he never would have spoken like that and I've reacted in a sinful way but oh how wonderful is the doctrine of imputation our sins were imputed to the saviour he was made sin for us the transgressions all of them thought word and deed from the cradle to the tomb were imputed to him he bore the sacrifice he was very God the weight of sin almost crushes us when we think of our own multiplied sins all the days of our life in thought in word and deed we feel burdened almost beyond description but my friends he never did sin he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him no shame among all holiness in the very presence of

[20:02] God in the presence of the angels and the presence of the spirits of just men made perfect yes the perfection of heaven is the glory of the place and sometimes it's the very powerful hope of the Lord's people that when they've walked the ordained pathway through life and come to the end of the journey the Lord who loved them made himself known to them brought them into a right assessment that they are real blood-bought Christians prepared of God for God by God to be with God forever my friends what an exchange no consequence of sin but the praise of God is present in the exercise of thanksgiving throughout heavens high portals for sinners saved by grace he will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly well now

[21:31] I've gone off on a sidetrack haven't I I was going to say it's it's a wonderful sidetrack the way of hope for sinners everything paid for them everything perfectly ordained for them nothing nothing lacking when the child of God reaches as it were the harvest time and the sickle of God's sovereign will enters in and their life here below is terminated well it's gain for me to live is Christ to die is gain there's everything to gain in being a Christian everything to gain there's no rich people on the face of the earth they've got any riches to compare with the riches bestowed freely and fully by those who are awakened to the reality of real religion and made to be seekers and finders in the gospel of his grace love and mercy eternally numbered with them would I be now and to eternity blessed art thou

[23:05] O Israel O people saved by the Lord well let's turn to this one particular little incident as it were in the life of Christ Jesus Christ was in absolute knowledge of everything and absolute control of everything when he was here in the flesh nothing ever was out of hand with him I do always those things that please God my father everything was under control and my friends he comes here into a situation he's coming with his face set like a flint toward Jerusalem you can understand what that means set like a flint not the not the slightest inclination to deviation you and I we set our minds on something and something unforeseen happens and we have to alter course my friends

[24:32] Christ never had to alter course one iota from the moment of his birth in Bethlehem being laid into a manger etc etc his life unfolded and right through to Calvary Calvary's tree when he said it is finished everything everything I do always those things that please him God the father giving to his son the wherewithal to procure absolute purity for sinners justly condemned by the law of God having as it were rebelled against God not wanting God to interfere with their pleasure and their prosperity bitter reactions when things go awry oh my friends nothing nothing in the life of

[25:46] Christ ever occasioned the slightest wish for him to be something different if this cup may not pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done you and I can't comprehend what that cup contained Jesus Christ foreknew it as God he knew what he would have to suffer to merit the redemption of every one of his people his mind was set on the perfect payment of the price he went to the end of the law for righteousness for everyone that believeth my friends it's his work that saves us nothing less and nothing else it's what he's done real religion is focused on the perfect accomplishment of the one perfected and able to perfect that work he finished the work which his father gave him to do he's now returned to glory is at the right hand of

[27:14] God waiting till his enemies be made his footstool everyone that's opposed to Jesus Christ will be banished away from him and those things that are perfect happiness perfect peace perfect satisfaction perfection forever forever however people can read the gospel and think about the gospel and not have the slightest desire or inclination to know what they're thinking about and hearing about and meditating and reading about in the word of God my friends the attractiveness to faith in the whole plan of salvation is as perfect as any work of

[28:15] God ever is perfect well now Jesus Christ being Lord King of Kings and Lord of Lords you'd say well when it came to consider riding upon any vehicle or any means he the whole world was at his feet choose whatever means he would Solomon in all his glory he was subject to limitations but the Lord had an open door he could choose whatsoever means he would legions of angels descended and carried him we can let our minds go to certain revelations and occupations of his servants from above and realize yes but my friends for some reason the

[29:25] Lord Jesus Christ chose to ride on that last journey to Jerusalem on the colt the foal of an ass just think why did he do it he was bent on identifying himself with the poor of this world the poor it's the poor that have the gospel preached to them it's the poor that rejoiced in the condescending grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that he was willing to come and identify himself with the lowest with the lowest I'm going to ask you a question are you poor enough to appreciate and admire the infinite condescension of he that was at the right hand of the father from all eternity to come down into this world had not sin entered into the world it would have been condescension for him to come down to create to a created and a perfect creation in this universe but oh when he saw the fall of man and saw the effect death entering death entering not only because man's sin merited the anger of

[31:10] God in introducing death but the whole creation groaneth and traveleth in pain together until now animals die trees the leaves fall and eventually the wood rots and they perish don't they they die they die they die everything dies it's a dying world but my friends the lord jesus christ came to give life to give life to his people to his people under a common sentence of death by nature all have sinned and come short of the glory of God there's none that doeth good no not one if you're deceiving yourself that you're so working hard to please

[32:12] God and that sort of thing my friends come off your works your works will never save you the apostle Paul is very clear not of works lest any man should boast the only boast of heaven is unto him that loved us and gave himself for us who shed his precious blood to wash us from the stain of sin he's the one no other neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved and my friends he not only comes to as it were but the poorest the poorest is manifest in his place of birth there was no room for him in the inn and he chose to be born a carpenter and his wife as his parentage not that

[33:17] Joseph was his natural father God forbid it was a miracle and had to be a miracle of grace that Jesus Christ was a sinless man he never had any contagion by sin through through natural generation his birth was peculiar particular necessary maintaining that holiness that's essential for our acceptance with God to perfection now he comes and he's nearly at the end of his 33 years and what he's been through what enmity he's been up against what hatred crying crowds saying away with him crucify him crucify him or Pilate being the representative of the greatest power on earth so to speak he condemns him to death unjustly oh

[34:25] Pilate's wife don't I've received this night a vision concerning this man he's a sinless one oh but Pilate gave way to the pressure didn't he oh how often human nature gives way to the pressure but he never gave way to any pressure on earth and I'm going to put this as a crowning consideration he never gave way to any pressure from heaven itself what a pressure it must have been when the father laid upon his only begotten son the weight and burden of redemption of his whole loved body the church from every nation and every generation in which the people the blood bought people of God are to be found now this

[35:41] I'm going to I have another subject on my mind for this evening thy king cometh riding upon an asses colt humiliation humiliation he condescended he stooped down look look at the people he mixed with look at the disciples that he chose to be his intimate followers intimate friends as he journeyed in the fulfillment of the necessity of satisfaction given to his father he chose not the great man he didn't go into the center of Jerusalem with such characters as

[36:41] Saul of Tarsus who was a Pharisee of the Pharisees and picked his disciples from the big men of the day and age did he it wasn't Lord this and it wasn't a rich man who had almost unlimited resorted no no no he identifies himself with the poorest characters and my friends if salvation is to be ours we have to be made poor enough to receive everything from first to last through the good hands of him who was made flesh and dwelt among us and walked out the ordained path to perfection that in his knowledge of his perfect knowledge of everything that his father required to receive his church into his presence forever he said it is finished and he died he died but that wasn't the end was it that wasn't the end oh they rolled a big stove against the tomb they thought they'd locked him in but my friends nothing nothing can prevail against

[38:17] God nothing nothing can ever thwart God in his purposes remember that remember that when you say I'm not going to let religion spoil my life I'm not going to go the way of my parents because I think they miss out so much that other people enjoy my friend my friend think seriously about the wretchedness of those thoughts begotten by the devil that you may perish I know what they are I know what they are and I know what the power of them is and how sometimes you almost go along with the satanic suggestion that oh that God may open the eyes of your understanding and you see light in his light and you say one thing is needful one thing is needful to know my Jesus crucified by far excels all things beside all earthly things a dross and of no real value for the world that is to come this is a world that now is and soon will be no longer the eternal world is forever and forever and forever be more concerned about the eternal consequence of this present life than the consequences of time for you in this present life because the consequences for time

[40:05] I warn you as an old man time is very limited and life is like a shadow it's soon gone and we get to the point when we're brought by the failings of the flesh to say eternity is just a few steps ahead what about eternity oh my friends to be a Christian is all that matters it's all that matters if you die as a Christian you'll go to heaven the Lord will take care of your passage from this world into the next and the cry will be unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood to him be glory forever and ever amen I'll probably return to this subject unless the Lord clearly takes my mind otherwise in the evening hour

[41:07] I hope you've been following oh I would that you all you all sought salvation through Jesus Christ I'm an old man I've been sick lately and twice particularly I faced eternity and my friends I tell you we've got loved ones we've got good home we've got so much to be thankful for but really there's only one thing that really matters for eternity that is your relationship with God in and through the Lord Jesus Christ in a nutshell to be a real Christian amen man m

[42:22] NOW