20250713 Alton Bailey Unedited

It's been a wonderful weekend. Diana and I appreciate so much being with you and your stand for the truth. It's amazing to me. When you all have the same book, you can get on the same page, and you can know what God wants us to do. I've preached in South Africa and England and different cities, different places out west, and I'm telling you, we all do the same thing on the first day of the week because we have a pattern, and it's in God's Word. I want to speak to you a few moments this afternoon concerning five events that took place when Jesus died, when he died on the cross. It's an interesting event, and I want to read. I'll use the New Tuesday version. I think that's what most of you use, the New King James version, and I want to read to all four of these Gospels, and then we can bring from this reading some thoughts that we want to talk about this afternoon. Matthew 27, beginning at verse 50. You know, Jesus Christ was the only man that ever lived to be above 30 years old, with an accountable mind, who never sinned. Out of the billions of people on the earth, he's the only one. In Matthew 27, verse 50, beginning, it's recorded for us, it says, And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, not a quiet voice, but a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. And then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose. And coming out of the graves after the resurrection, it was after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many that went into Jerusalem. So when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, Truly, this was the Son of God. They lived in atheism before the crucifixion, but they were in atheism after the crucifixion. Now, if you will, turn with me to Mark, chapter 15, and verse 13, 33. Mark, chapter 15, beginning in verse 33. And I want to read down through verse 39. Now, when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. That's 12 noon, the pre-abstinence. Darkness over the whole land. And at the ninth hour, verse 34, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eloi, Lamech, Shabbath, and I, which is translated by God, by God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of those who stood by when they heard that said, Look, he's calling for a wagon. Then someone ran and filled a splash bowl of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to him to drink. Let him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come and take him down. And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. And then the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. So when the centurion who stood opposite Jesus saw, and he cried out like this and breathed his last, he could see that this man was the Son of God. Now, if you will, go with me to Luke chapter 23 and verse 33 beginning. Luke 23, verse 33 beginning, and it's a little bit lengthy, but I like to read this because each one of the Gospels brings up some good points. In Luke chapter 23, beginning in verse 23, I mean, excuse me, 33. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Jesus, and the criminals were on the right hand and the other on the left. And then Jesus said, Fathers, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And they divided his body into ten parts. And the people stood looking on, but even the rulers, the rulers of the Jews, when they sneered and said, He saved others. Let him save himself, if he is the Christ, the Chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked Jesus, coming and offering one cup of wine and saying, If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself. And an inscription also was written over Jesus in letters of Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and says, And it says, This is the King of the Jews. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blaspheming Jesus said, If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. But the other answered, Beguiled him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same kind of nation? And we, indeed justly, for we receive the true reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing wrong. And then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the bell of the temple was pointed to. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, Father, into your hands I submit my spirit. And having said this, he breathed his last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, Certainly, this was a righteous thing. And the whole crowd, they came together to that side, seeing what had been done, and beat their breasts. I may be a monster, Jim, but I can't help but beat their breasts. And so they returned with all of his acquaintances, Jesus' acquaintances, and the women who followed Jesus from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. And like all, let's look at John 19, verse 17, beginning. John 19, verse 17, beginning. And Jesus, bearing his cross, went out to a place called the place of the skull. I read some of this. It was a rock formation that actually sort of looked like a skull. And so they took Jesus, and they went out to a place called the skull, which is called in Hebrew, Galapagos. And where they crucified Jesus, two others with him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a poem and put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. So this is the only scripture that reveals where Jesus was from. Not at Nazareth. The others didn't reveal that. Then many of the Jews went there, Pilate, and from the place where Jesus was crucified was here the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priest of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write the King of the Jews, but he said, I am the King of the Jews. And Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seams, woven from the top, and was a piece. And they said, Therefore among themselves, Lo, there is none to wear it, but ten slots for it, whom it shall be. But the scripture might be fulfilled, which says in Psalm 22, verse 18, They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they kept slots. Therefore the soldiers did these things. Now therefore stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother said to Mary the Bible, And Mary the wife of the Pope was named Mary Magdalene. And when Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved said to her, He said to his mother, Woman, behold, I saw thee. And he said to the disciple, Behold your mother. And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. And after this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scriptures might be fulfilled, said, I fill it. Now a vessel full of sour wine was filled, and they filled the slot with sour wine, put it on a dish, and put it to his mouth. So that when Jesus had received the sour wine, he could get his things. And knowing this, he said he gave up his spirit. Therefore because it was the preparation that the body should be, that the body should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the person, the other who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, and they saw that he was already dead, and they did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers pierced the side of the spirit, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and John speaking of the third person here, and he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true to justice, and my testimony is true, and he knows that he is terrible too, so that he may go to him. For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, not one of his bones shall be broken. And again another scripture says, they shall look on him in whom they have pierced. Let's first of all look at the thought of the sun was darkened. We read in Luke 23, it was about six hours, about twelve minutes to three in the afternoon, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. Because the sun was obscured, it was darkened. Who did it become? God did. God but darkened. Leper's Dictionary defines the word obscured as no thought. Them are in the streets to conceal or to hide as of a covering. Since God darkened the sun, without the sun or the moon, the stars give off a new blue light. On the front of the mind, well, darkness signifies that it is. And Jesus is God. It may be, you know, it's just, it's what God determines to be. And death is personal. Hebrews 9, 12 says, it's appointed on demand that God walk in that position of judgment. No matter what the reason, that God darkened the earth, he did it. And so, Jesus died spiritually that day, so we can die spiritually. Secondly, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. Not the bottoms of the domes, but the tops of the bottoms. It was a thick piece of garment. And, as I've been told in commentaries, you couldn't rip it. Man couldn't tear it. And it had to be God that tore it, because it was torn from the top to the bottom. And notice what it says, that it was torn in two. Not in one, not in three, but in two. So, it was torn completely, in two. The veil was. The veil separates the holy from the most holy. We know from Exodus 26 and verse 33, the New American Sabbath version, it says the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies. Only the high priest could go into the most holy place, and that was only once a year. Oh, how much we've missed. When that veil was torn, now we can, we can approach Jesus 24-7. We can enter into his presence in prayer to the Father. In Hebrews 6 and verse 19, it says, This hope we have is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which enters within the veil. It's a hope of the soul. It's an anchor of the soul. I remember, we left Yankee State in South Vietnam, it was in December of 1968 at the end of the intervention. We were going there for a while. Coming to China in 26 miles away. We anchored out. Anchored out in the harbor of Hong Kong. I think in a car rent, as Kim was teaching us this afternoon. Car rent was a C4 town. I've been there. You know, car rent in multiple languages. You go to Hong Kong, multiple languages. These ships come in all kinds of languages from all over the world. It's just, it's a thing. So we anchored out. So I'm on beach in Yankee. I work down the bottom. So I'm on duty this particular day. And I go up outside, and I look around for my father. And there's the beautiful city of Hong Kong. I go black that whole day. Two or three hours, I pull up at noon. I look to the starboard. And Hong Kong's gone. I look to the port. And there's Hong Kong. What happened? What moved? The ship. What about the anchor? It was sugar and steadfast. It didn't move. Who's our anchor? Jesus. He sure needs steadfast. He will not move. And so he's given us an access to him. Because the veil of the temple is torn. In 2nd verse 10, verse 9 through 22, the New American says, Therefore brethren, if we have confidence to enter the holy place, the holy place, Jesus' church, at 1st Peter 2 and verse 9, through the holy priesthood, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he, speaking of Jesus, inaugurated for us through the veil, that is his flesh. So the veil was torn in two, and Jesus died on the cross. Let us come here with the sinful heart of a foolish youth and faith, having our hearts stripped of sin, and our bodies washed in pure water. Jesus is our mediator. In fact, he's the only mediator. There's not another mediator. Verse 22 in verse 5, it talks about, For there is only one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself up ransom for all. Through Jesus, as our high priest, we have access out to the Father. In fact, Jesus said in John 14 and verse 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can come to the Father except through me. Through Jesus, as our high priest, we have that access. In 1st John 2 and verse 22, if anyone sins, we have an access with the Father. You look at the definition of all this stuff. It's like an attorney. It's like a counselor. I read 9 in verse 2. Who's our counselor? Jesus. We have an attorney. We have a counselor. We're the Father. Jesus Christ the Risen. Indeed, speaking of Jesus. In yourself is our perpetuation. Is that word perpetuation important or not? Well, it's your signature. It means to keep one's anger. You see, without Jesus dying on the cross, we would have no hope. It's to give favor, the perpetuation. To give favor to us through His own Jesus. Through His blood. And only through Jesus, as our high priest, can we approach the Father in Christ. In Hebrews 9 and verse 12, Jesus died for the sins of men. I want to read Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10. 10 through 12, in Hebrews chapter 2, verses 10 through 12, concerning Jesus. Who it was stated for Him, for whom are all things, that is Jesus, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory. Without Jesus there would no one be able to walk in glory. He brings many sons to glory. And notice what it says. To make the captain of their salvation. Perfect through suffering. I think of it sometimes, and go back to, I was in the Navy. You know, we had a captain. He was the boss. And we had shipmates, fellowship, like fellows in a ship. We all were going in the same direction. We all had the same mission. We all had the same captain. And this captain would bring many sons to glory. And that's Jesus Christ. And to do that, the veil of the temple needed to be torn. And God did that. What is it? The earthquake. And the rock split. At the time of Jesus. In Matthew 27, verse 21, it says, The earthquake and the rock were split, and it took great power. The earth shook at the coming of the Lord Moses. Exodus 19, verse 8. Do you remember that Mount Sinai? The earthquake there? In Haggai chapter 2, verse 6, all of this is prophesied. And Jesus fulfilled this. Haggai 2 and verse 6 in the first part of verse 7. For thus says the Lord of hosts, Once more, a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will shake all the nations. And God has done this. I want to read Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 25 again. In Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 25, the beginning of this annulment. Well, let us use the Eucharist. Hebrews 12, 25 through 28. See that you do not refuse me of Jesus, who speaks. You Hebrew Jews, don't refuse Jesus. For if they did not escape, they refused him who spoke on earth. What more shall we not escape if we turn away from him, from Jesus, who speaks from heaven? Whose voice did shook the earth, but now, see, Jesus has promised him. Yet once more, I shake not only the earth, but also heaven, God. And now this, yet once more, Indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken and the things that are made. That the things which cannot be shaken may remain. What does that mean? Well, from all notice that has been taken out of the way. Verse 28. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God as heavenly revivers and baptizers. Oh, the earth was shaken even when the ball of Moses came. And whenever Jesus died, the earth shook. Well, that's only show you. He may have been an atheist, but he delivered him to the cross. Look at him. He said, truly, this is the power of God. Have you ever heard the expression? Boy, they're going to shake up the office to them. You know what that means? They've been a child at the top. They're going to shake them. The earthquake, the wall of Moses. The clock is two foot ten. It's out of the way. They're going to shake up. Now, why? The gospel of Christ. So, they've been a shaker. And he said in Haggai, there's going to be much more of that. And it took place when Jesus died. They're going to be a shaker. In shaking of heaven and earth. With the tearing of the veil, we can indicate that the change has taken place. And that took place. And it's recorded for us in Colossians 2 verse 14. A new covenant. A new agreement. The gospel of Jesus is now in effect. It's your heaven. It's your earth. You know, heaven is the place of God to build the church. We don't hear on the earth. It is the kingdom that cannot be moved. Hades cannot destroy it. The wall of Moses bore it. But it's taken out of the way. I think of it. I got this from Bill Hall. He was preaching at General's Prince. He told me. Said, there's still a little more. And he was going to leave and go on down somewhere in Florida. So, he gets up. He and Charlotte. And he said, the moon was so bright that you don't want to dry up without your bed light. And I think of these. I think of the stars on a crystal pool. That's what they talk. Look at them. There's one. There's a black one. What about the full moon? I think of that as like. Like the wall of Moses. Wasn't that glorious to the full moon of Moses? Saving his face? But it was nothing compared to the sun. Have you ever noticed? Have you ever noticed on a full moon night and then the sun comes up? What happens to the moon? It fades away. Can you still see the image of the moon? Yeah. For a few hours. But it's not giving any light. So, what happens to the gospel? Yeah, it's the light of the world. And so, this took place. When Jesus. He died. He took the wall of Moses. He took the wall of Moses. Out of the way. We have the complete world. Jesus is now full of King and Lord of Lords. First Timothy 6 and verse 15. Fourthly. Jesus is resurrected. And Matthew 27, verses 62 and 63. Jesus was raised first. And then many of the saints there in Jerusalem. Do you think those saints that were raised by God out of the good ways of the people in Jerusalem, you know? Sure. They weren't saints raised two or three hundred years earlier. They weren't a lawmaker raised from the dead. It had to be someone that they would recognize. And God was proving to man that he had power over death. And he raised those saints from the dead. And first Corinthians 16 and verse 26. The new American Standard version said, The last enemy that will be abolished is death. And through Jesus' resurrection, that was accomplished. Because, as we read this morning from the history of 15. That was accomplished. Number five. The Roman soldiers became believers. Matthew 27, verse 64. And when the centurion and those with him saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly and they said, Truly this was the Son of God. This was a confirmation that they acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God. If the Roman soldiers were atheists before, they are no longer atheists. Imagine hardened Roman soldiers. I mean, this is just a job. They've done this evidence many times before. And as we all understand, according to some of the resources I've studied, that whoever did the crucifixion or the crucifying, whatever that was that they were crucified, the possessions that were there at the crucifixion belonged to those soldiers. They took their clothes off of them. I mean, in your magnia. I think that's why the Hebrews 47, verse 2. For the shame. For the joy that was there before them. Enduring the thought, despising the shame. It was a shameful and despicable way to die today. And Jesus did that for us. The Roman soldiers' chest locks were closed. Matthew 27, verse 35. They had no compassion for the Babylonians. It doesn't appear to me. Oh, they cast locks for his tomb. They divided it up in four. And notice Hebrews 12, verse 2. Talking to Jesus. For the joy that was there before him. Enduring the thought, despising the shame. And now he's sitting at the right hand of the Son of God. So here is these Roman soldiers. They didn't seem to mind the crucifixion. They were just doing their job. In Luke 23, verse 19. When they came to the Prince Paul's school, there they crucified Jesus and the criminals. Can you imagine? They put him in the middle. Between two criminals. Jesus, yes, is the Savior of the world. But that very day, he saved Barabbas. Barabbas was saved. He died. That's part of it. And Jesus died in his place. So he spared him for a short time, at least. I wonder if Barabbas would have done that. I wonder if Barabbas saw all these of me that we talked about this afternoon. I hope he did. But those, going back to the soldiers, they were just obeying orders. And they were taught exactly what drives us. And Jesus said in John 4, verse 19, in conclusion, If you destroy this temple in three days, I will raise it up. But he, speaking of Jesus, was speaking of the temple of his mother. Many exciting events took place at the time of Jesus' death. And you know who reached into the wards of Alabama? Us. Without that, we would have no hope. Oh, thank God for Jesus. His willingness to go to that cross. He said it was his life. He could lay it down, and he could take it up. And for our sake, he laid it down. And God took it up and set him at the right hand of God. For our sake, he laid it down. If you're here this afternoon, and you're not a Christian, we beseech you to become a Christian. I mention this, there's more time for things you don't take care of than we do. Zero. You're not going to take anything forever. If you could take one thing, that other thing, what would be the value of Jesus' life? What would be the value of God? So, we have to have our sin committed, and let use of the blood of Jesus to wash our sins away. If you've fallen back into the ways of the world, you can come back. We did a little short synopsis, just recently. You know, in 1 Peter 1, verses 3-5, it talks about the dead in hope. Over in 1 Thessalonians, where I believe it's chapter 4, it talks about no hope. What about a dead hope? Well, that would mean the first 2 Peter chapter 2. In 2 Peter chapter 2, I think of this, it's even been 3rd for sure. Someone who has obeyed the gospel, and then go back into the ways of the world. What happens to that hope? Is it still living? Or is it now dead? Well, let's read. For if I could do this, they would have escaped the collusions of the world. This is someone who has obeyed the gospel, Peter is saying. How did they escape? Well, through the knowledge of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. We are again entangled in them and over calling them. The latter is worse than the beginning. Notice what he says in verse 21. For if, for it would have been better if they had not known the way of righteousness. Had they known it, they would have turned from the holy commandments. Can you imagine? Hell, knowing what we've already done. And we give that up, and we go back into the ways of the world. That rolls over and over in our mind. Eternally. Notice verse 22. It happened to them according to the truth of the prophet. A dog returns to its father, and a sow has gone to her watering in the mine. I was raised on a farm. And I've seen a dog return to its father. It's sick. And we had that in the house. We'd get raised on a farm. I literally took a bottle of oats and washed them off in a little bit. The old hog would get that water in the mile. In the mile, there's nothing but mud and water. Waste. It stinks. So God is using methods that sin is sickening, and sin stinks. And if we return back into those ways, after knowing the way of truth, it would have been better to have never gone. So if you have a need for the gospel invitation, you know what? We need you to come. We thank you.