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[0:00] Lord may help we return again to the Gospel according to John chapter 3 verses 14 and 15.

[0:15] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

[0:42] The Gospel according to John chapter 3 verses 14 and 15. Looking at these words this afternoon we look how that Jesus spake them after having that searching conversation with Nicodemus.

[1:12] Speaking that solemn word that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

[1:24] Amen. How that as we looked a little at that incident relative to the children of Israel in their journey through the wilderness.

[1:41] At a time of their murmurings and complainings how the Lord caused that those fiery serpents should bite them that many people died.

[1:55] And how that they sought of Moses that he would plead with God that these fiery serpents might be removed.

[2:05] But that that was not the will or purpose of God. But that the means on that occasion was that Moses should make a fiery serpent like unto them in brass.

[2:22] That this should be raised up and as many as should look upon it in their bitter state and condition should live.

[2:33] Now he says as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

[2:46] We did know that it was but one serpent that Moses had to raise up. They were bitten by many serpents but it was one alone that he should raise.

[3:01] And that serpent though made like unto the fiery serpents yet that serpent contained, possessed none of that poison, none of that venom that the other serpents had.

[3:19] And as we said concerning its being made of brass, the meaner metal, how it would set forth the humanity of Christ.

[3:31] Well not to continue with those things of this afternoon. If the Lord granted them then and I humbly trust he did, they must serve my friend as the manner of that time.

[3:44] We must come again. We must draw again. Manner laid up, accepting that which was gathered on the sixth day for the Sabbath.

[3:56] But the manner otherwise that was laid up did breed worms and sting. Ah my friends we want it fresh even as they did of old.

[4:08] May the Lord in his mercy grant it. The Son of Man must be lifted up. So then may the Lord help us in these few moments that are ours tonight to speak of a precious Christ.

[4:28] Where the work of grace is begun in the heart, in the soul. Where there is a desire found, a right desire in an exercised soul.

[4:42] I am sure the desire is this. To know more of him. To know more of Christ. Oh could we bow with clearer eyes.

[4:57] His excellence is trace. My friend there is a beauty in Christ that our poor tongues will never express to the full.

[5:13] There is a beauty in Christ that our natural desire will not go after. And that the desires of our soul in time will never fully be satisfied with.

[5:28] Living tongues, they are done at best. We must die to speak of Christ. Ah we would bless God for the earnest.

[5:39] We would bless God for the fortes. That he does give to these wayfarers. These pilgrims on the road to Zion. But my friend the time will come.

[5:53] When they shall enter into their desired haven. To be with Christ. No longer to see him with the eye of faith.

[6:06] For faith shall give place to sight. And grace shall give place to glory. Well might the poet ask in the hymn.

[6:18] What must it be? To be there. What must it be to be there? Well may the Lord grant an earnest.

[6:31] More earnest. In the pilgrimage. He must be lifted up. How many there were.

[6:43] When the Lord Jesus was here upon earth. Who despised him. Some gave up for us.

[6:54] To that which alas is sometimes. Yea which is found in the hearts. Of one and another. Until they are called by grace. They said we are not of this man to reign over us.

[7:08] O what a mercy friend. That the Lord's thoughts are not ours. For has not such been the desire of your heart?

[7:23] Has the Lord overruled it? So that now there is a desire. That he would reign all you as king.

[7:36] And accomplish his will. And powerfully bring you forth from all else. And my friend the son of man.

[7:47] Must be lifted up. We read in that portion. In Paul's epistle to the Philippians.

[8:00] Of how he humbled himself. He humbled himself. And came in fashion as a man.

[8:14] True. Without sin. True. Did we not sung it together in our hymn? Dressed in such feeble play as they.

[8:26] And my friend as we would view. A precious Christ. In that human body. There would we trace. That the Lord of life and glory.

[8:39] New weariness. New heaviness. New sorrow. New life. New life. New life. New life.

[8:49] But my friend. In that he knew these things. Oh. That he may comfort. And support. His own dear followers.

[8:59] As they too. Know something. Of these paths. But his way. Was much rougher. And darker than mine.

[9:10] The word of God. The word of God. Must be fulfilled. And the son of man. Must be lifted up.

[9:25] There are three ways here. If we may but touch upon them this evening. In which the son of man. Must be lifted up. He must be lifted up.

[9:41] At Calvary. Oh. That great work. Oh. That great work. Which he came. Even to do.

[9:53] And that. As the will. Of his father. Now hearer. Observe this. As you would trace. The walk and line. Of the Lord Jesus.

[10:04] Here below. In everything. It was according to the will. Of his father. But I do always. The thing.

[10:15] Which pleaseth. My father. I can't lay claim to that. Can you? Can you say.

[10:26] Of every thought. That comes close. Doesn't it? Not only your action. But every thought.

[10:36] Every secret intent. Of the heart. It is your pleasure. To do that. Which is. His will. I know the Lord.

[10:49] Will have us. To walk in that way. That he has appointed. For us. But oh my friends. What strugglings. What kickings. I don't wonder. That the apostle Paul.

[11:01] Was told. It's hard for thee. To kick against the bricks. jumbo. And I say. To. To come with us. And I say. tracing Christ all that he said or did was according to the will of his son.

[11:16] He came to accomplish that will. He came to perfect it. And he did accomplish that will.

[11:28] My friend there is not one scripture that is recorded concerning the Lord Jesus Christ his walk, his teaching, his work here upon earth that was ever broken or not fulfilled.

[11:45] Everything came to pass according to the scriptures. According to that which was foretold by the prophets, by the salmons.

[11:58] It was all foretold. Now the son of man must be lifted up. Time and ability will forbid to go into any detail of the ways in which he walked and he came to that place called Calvary.

[12:21] Sometimes we have been favoured by faith to take just a step or so with him in some of those ways.

[12:33] My friend we shall never enter into the fall of the ways in which the Lord Jesus went. But sometimes by precious faith we have stepped just a little with him.

[12:49] Oh what a sweet and precious portion this has been. We have known what it has been to shed a tear. We have known what it is to heave a sigh.

[13:04] Words have failed. Our friend did words fail you as you were enabled to tread with him into the precincts of that garden of Gethsemane.

[13:20] The son of man must be lifted up. My friend there he was bowed down. There he was pressed. Oh what grief was in his heart as laid upon him was the sin the burden of the sin of the whole election of grace.

[13:45] He who knew no sin was made sin for us. He knew no sin in the act of sin but my friend he knew sin in the weight and burden of it.

[14:02] Was it your sin my sin that pressed him even then? So that he cried out Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done he must be lifted up.

[14:30] Are the solemn events that took place there when Judas would come to betray him with a kiss he fell before him but my friend he never fell in an act of worship he fell backwards.

[14:58] Oh what a solemn event as he was taken there into the hall of judgment as he was taken from the hall of judgment to a place called Calvary there my friend he was lifted up.

[15:24] As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up. He was lifted up upon that cross.

[15:38] our friend have you come by faith to that place and viewed a precious Christ there. Here it is I find my heaven while upon the Lamb I gaze love I much I'm much forgiven I'm a miracle of grace.

[16:12] Ah to some it was nothing to them to some they looked upon that seed in scorn and derision. we read of one who looked upon him there and who gave utterance to a blessed cruel he said this man hath done nothing amiss.

[16:38] I do love that expression of the poet I sometimes speak of it to our dear ones at home to view him there as our sin bearing victim.

[16:55] They shall look they shall look on him whom they pierce. He must be lifted up.

[17:11] He must lay down his life. He must take it again. And I know there were those instrumental who nailed him to that cross but the life they could not take away how willing was Jesus to give.

[17:39] Friend do you covet that portion even to come and to view him there oh how this will humble the soul how this will melt even that hardest heart.

[17:56] You know I love to think of Bunyan's character was there that he lost his burden. Have you? Have you? Have you? perhaps there's one here tonight who knows what it is to bear the burden and like Christian he's sought many ways to rid himself of it but you can't you can't but there as he came to that place there his burden rolled away and my friend a precious view by faith of Christ at Calvary the burden will be gone it will be rolled away and the son of man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up that serpent in the wilderness there it was that the bit of Israelites must look my friend there it is that sinners must come here is the only way of salvation here is your only hope in a crucified resurrecting ascended

[19:12] Christ as many as looked at the serpent dead my friends I said this afternoon the simplicity in looking the simplicity in looking or you may feel such a burden of sin so pressed down friend you couldn't run toward it you're not asked to run look ah perhaps in their bitten state they had no strength to call I know that there is a right calling on the name of the Lord my friend the command is to look look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth ah my friend there may be one here tonight who feels in such a far off place remember the greatness of that company of the

[20:18] Israelites I can't tell you over what an area they must have covered but my friends there were those who were near to Moses as others must have been at a greater distance but they must look as we hinted this afternoon no doubt the shining of that brass it attracted their sight my friend does a precious Christ attract you it does indeed attract real faith oh what a beauty there is in him my friend there's a sacred beauty in the sufferings of Christ oh I don't say that lightly I would bless God if I can say it feelingly there's a beauty there to look on him now he must be lifted up we must hasten on the Lord give us a spirit of meditation on these precious truths not only was he lifted up at Calvary where he did cry with a loud voice seems something most wonderful in that friends when we think of the what we are told was the most painful death the death of crucifixion yet he would cry with a loud with a strong voice it is finished that sacred body was taken down ah

[22:13] Nicodemus was there wasn't he I don't know friends we can't speak any fanciful thought to you but I wonder what might have gone through the mind of Nicodemus perhaps he went back to this occasion when the Lord had spoken to him there was the foretelling of that blessed event now he's taken down from that cross that sacred body is wrapped in pure linen pure linen as you would look at the life of the Lord Jesus my friend it's purity from his birth even to his death he was laid in the pure womb of a virgin and all through his life we may trace this purity and even now as that sacred body is wrapped it is wrapped in pure linen but the grave could not hold him he became the first fruits of them that slept he rose triumphant from the dead he was pleased to reveal himself to one and another until that time when he led some out as far as to

[23:48] Bethany there he lifted up his hands and blessed them and while he blessed them he was parted from them my friend he was lifted up and even so must the son of man be lifted up and he is lifted up even to that right hand of his father which is in heaven and think of him now in that wonderful word as our intercessor as our mediator he must be lifted up oh my friend have you viewed him there since my savior stands between in garments dyed with blood tis he instead of me is seen when I approach to God oh that glorious work the work of our intercessor of our mediator who pleads the chorus of each of his own dear people even before his father's throne even so must the son of man be lifted up then my friend thirdly he must be lifted up in the preaching of the gospel this is the ordinance which the lord has appointed the preaching of the word hearer

[25:32] I say unto you value it value it the word of god is set before you value the preaching of the word let me remind you of that which the apostle writes even to the romans faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of god instance upon instance of it have we in this sacred volume of truth Lydia who gave heed to the things spoken of Paul spoken by Paul my friend what it brought in her heart the eunuch as he sat in that chariot as Philip came and preached Jesus unto him all the effect of it my friend observe what the preaching of Christ the preaching of the gospel has accomplished and will accomplish his own word shall not return unto him void the son of man must be lifted up all my friends the folly of those

[26:54] Israelites who were bitten by the serpents and who would not look those that didn't look died I have no authority from the word of God as to say how many looked and how many didn't there was a means for their healing for their restoration and the command was given them to look were there those who despised it that I must leave my friend but are there those who despise it today are there those who despise the preaching of the word the setting forth of the glorious gospel they despise the word my friend to their own condemnation oh is there that desire to hear the word ah well one may say well what can we do in and of our own strength we have no strength ah my friend the word is to be preached to every creature whether they will hear whether they will forbear my friend how will it be with them in the day of judgment who have rejected the word but how will it be with us in that great day if we have not faithfully set forth the word ah sometimes this is charged holy how it is ours to set forth the word of

[28:37] God to warn the ungodly to preach the gospel to every creature we are looking at that word recently at home concerning the Passover and where the lamb where the family was too small for the lamb how they were to bring in their neighbour the one nearest to them my friend is there that concern for our neighbours today the one nearest to us I know there must be a personal desire and a personal application of these truths but my friend is there that concern for our neighbours now even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever whatever his age whatever his case whatever his condition that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life whosoever believeth in him where that faith my friend that precious

[29:52] God given gift is found was not this found even in the heart of the eunuch to whom Philip spoke as he sat by him in that chariot he preached unto him Jesus and marked the effect of it when the eunuch saw that water and said what doth hinder me to be baptised he said if thou believest all the simplicity of it and yet the fullness of it if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest and look at the answer from the heart of the eunuch not from his mouth or not from his mouth only from his heart he said I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God do you wonder that he went on his way rejoicing there was faith in his heart there was faith in exercise whosoever believeth in him should not perish that is should not eternally perish ah my friend I know there will be the taking down of the earthly tabernacle there will be the leaving of all things here below but they should not eternally perish they looked upon a precious

[31:21] Christ lifted up faith in him repentance toward God they shall not perish but have eternal life eternal life here my friend is the promise oh to look to him as many as look live my friend have you looked I use the word rightly I use it guardedly have you looked upon a precious Christ oh have you seen a beauty in him has it drawn out your heart's affections toward him ah there were those we read of them in Matthew's gospel I believe it is who as he revealed himself unto them they fell down at his feet and worshipped him blessed posture blessed posture my friend you know what it is to worship Christ at his feet it will be an earnest of falling down before him as we cast our crowns before him and my friend then it will be worship forever worth is the land oh what it will be to have that new song in our mouth the son of man must be lifted up and my friend Christ the land will be all the glory oh my friend it will be Christ forever to view him there

[33:12] I sometimes said how I do not feel that we shall recognise one another in heaven ah my friend it will be Christ only what rapture will it be to fix upon him to praise him to worship him continually friend is there looking forward to that time he must be lifted up well if such the sweetness of this stream what will have found him be to praise him unceasingly to know eternal life as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up he must be my friends he must be that whosoever believeth within him should not perish but have precious gift but have eternal life now the

[34:29]  Lord spake this even to Nicodemus having set before him that truth the necessity of the new birth my friend may it be a concern an exercise even with a sin amen