We're so glad to see you today. 00:00:13.91\00:00:15.88 We give you a very warm welcome 00:00:15.91\00:00:17.41 to our studio in Southern California. 00:00:17.45\00:00:20.68 Listen, when one is continually 00:00:20.72\00:00:24.59 bombarded on television, 00:00:24.62\00:00:27.26 Fox News CNN, CBS, 00:00:27.29\00:00:30.69 when you're continually bombarded 00:00:30.73\00:00:33.06 with the trivia and the sensational, 00:00:33.09\00:00:38.90 the time soon comes 00:00:38.93\00:00:40.54 when the most important thing in the world 00:00:40.57\00:00:42.70 is of no consequence. 00:00:42.74\00:00:45.77 Now today, we're talking about something which is... 00:00:45.81\00:00:49.61 Now, these are superlatives but it's true, 00:00:49.64\00:00:51.91 something which is everlasting, 00:00:51.95\00:00:55.15 all consequential 00:00:55.18\00:00:58.05 of eternal significance 00:00:58.09\00:01:02.62 and on which 00:01:02.66\00:01:05.43 the fate of the world that you and me depend. 00:01:05.46\00:01:10.93 We're talking today about, 00:01:10.97\00:01:12.87 "The Killing of Jesus". 00:01:12.90\00:01:18.54 The killing of Jesus Christ who was, 00:01:18.57\00:01:22.91 most people would say an obscure Jew. 00:01:22.94\00:01:27.05 We're talking about the violent murder of a Jew 2,000 years ago 00:01:27.08\00:01:30.69 that fixes the destiny of every person. 00:01:30.72\00:01:33.46 I want you to take your Bible please 00:01:33.49\00:01:34.99 and come with me to the Book of Acts 00:01:35.02\00:01:37.16 4:26-28, 00:01:37.19\00:01:41.50 Acts 4 in the Holy Bible, 00:01:41.53\00:01:44.70 Acts 4:26-28. 00:01:44.73\00:01:49.57 The Bible says, 00:01:49.60\00:01:51.61 "The kings of the earth took their stand, 00:01:51.64\00:01:53.78 and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord 00:01:53.81\00:01:57.18 and against His Christ. 00:01:57.21\00:02:00.18 For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, 00:02:00.22\00:02:03.82 whom You anointed, 00:02:03.85\00:02:05.89 both Herod and Pontius Pilate, 00:02:05.92\00:02:09.52 with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, 00:02:09.56\00:02:15.43 were gathered together to do whatever..." 00:02:15.46\00:02:18.47 Now, look at this two. 00:02:18.50\00:02:19.83 "Whatever Your hand 00:02:19.87\00:02:22.04 and Your purpose 00:02:22.07\00:02:23.44 determined before to be done..." 00:02:23.47\00:02:27.31 And this talks about the people 00:02:27.34\00:02:29.74 who were responsible for the killing of Jesus. 00:02:29.78\00:02:33.28 I wants you to notice this. 00:02:33.31\00:02:34.72 The actors in the Drama of the Ages, the Bible says, 00:02:34.75\00:02:41.09 "The Lord Almighty was somehow involved in this." 00:02:41.12\00:02:45.16 This is almost too hard to believe that 00:02:45.19\00:02:46.90 God was also responsible for the killing of Jesus. 00:02:46.93\00:02:51.87 It says whatever His hand 00:02:51.90\00:02:54.10 had determined before hand to do, 00:02:54.14\00:02:56.37 so God was also responsible. 00:02:56.40\00:02:59.71 Of course Jesus, the Messiah 00:02:59.74\00:03:01.88 was a willing participant in His own death. 00:03:01.91\00:03:07.98 That was Herod Antipas, the person, 00:03:08.02\00:03:10.85 the murderer of John the Baptist, 00:03:10.89\00:03:12.75 Pontius Pilate the weak, vacillating Roman Governor, 00:03:12.79\00:03:17.43 the gentiles, the Roman soldiers 00:03:17.46\00:03:20.23 and the Bible says, 00:03:20.26\00:03:23.43 the people of Israel, they were the chosen people, 00:03:23.47\00:03:29.20 they were the people of the covenant the Bible says, 00:03:29.24\00:03:33.54 "The people of the covenant, the children of Israel 00:03:33.58\00:03:36.75 actually were responsible 00:03:36.78\00:03:39.71 for the killing of Jesus as well as some others." 00:03:39.75\00:03:45.22 Now before we discuss the actors, my friends. 00:03:45.25\00:03:49.59 Not everybody believes the Bible story 00:03:49.62\00:03:51.79 that Jesus even died on the cross. 00:03:51.83\00:03:55.70 The Muslims on the whole do not believe 00:03:55.73\00:04:00.00 that Christ even died on the cross. 00:04:00.04\00:04:02.90 Did you know that? 00:04:02.94\00:04:04.87 And I know this telecast is going to Saudi Arabia 00:04:04.91\00:04:07.68 and some other places. 00:04:07.71\00:04:09.71 Most Muslims do not believe that Christ died on the cross. 00:04:09.74\00:04:12.98 The Encyclopedia of Islam says, "The denial... 00:04:13.01\00:04:17.99 is in perfect agreement with the logic of the Quran... 00:04:18.02\00:04:21.82 For Jesus to die on the cross would have meant the triumph 00:04:21.86\00:04:25.79 of the executioners, 00:04:25.83\00:04:28.06 but the Quran asserts this undoubtedly failed..." 00:04:28.10\00:04:32.57 They believe that a price the Messiah 00:04:32.60\00:04:35.00 had died in the cross, 00:04:35.04\00:04:36.60 then the will of God would have been thwarted. 00:04:36.64\00:04:39.61 So they believe that Allah is great 00:04:39.64\00:04:41.58 and Allah would not have allowed this. 00:04:41.61\00:04:45.08 The Muslims and most Christians don't I think understand this, 00:04:45.11\00:04:50.09 the Muslims believe 00:04:50.12\00:04:51.55 that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah 00:04:51.59\00:04:57.29 and a mighty, mighty prophet of God 00:04:57.33\00:04:59.39 They say peace be on to Him. 00:04:59.43\00:05:01.80 Of course, the state of Israel 00:05:04.90\00:05:08.84 does not believe that. 00:05:08.87\00:05:12.41 The Orthodox Jewish religion believes 00:05:12.44\00:05:15.84 that Jesus was a fraud and an impostor. 00:05:15.88\00:05:21.72 But the Muslims do not believe 00:05:21.75\00:05:23.35 He was a fraud or an impostor, 00:05:23.39\00:05:27.52 but they believe that He did not die on the cross. 00:05:27.56\00:05:30.06 One Muslim theory is that Jesus was substituted 00:05:30.09\00:05:34.46 and another person died on the cross 00:05:34.50\00:05:36.56 while Jesus went to heaven. 00:05:36.60\00:05:38.20 Did you know this? 00:05:38.23\00:05:39.63 This is one of the big theories among the Muslims. 00:05:39.67\00:05:43.84 Muslims do not believe that Jesus 00:05:43.87\00:05:46.64 died for the sins of the world. 00:05:46.68\00:05:49.78 They do not believe that Jesus 00:05:49.81\00:05:51.88 made an atonement for the sins of the world. 00:05:51.91\00:05:56.12 And of course, the Muslims 00:05:56.15\00:05:59.89 are not alone in that belief. 00:05:59.92\00:06:03.46 Now we will pause and ask really big questions. 00:06:03.49\00:06:08.66 Number one: Who were, and it's plural. 00:06:08.70\00:06:13.97 Who were responsible for killing Jesus? 00:06:14.00\00:06:18.71 Number two: Does God understand human suffering and pain? 00:06:18.74\00:06:24.25 One of the great arguments against belief in God 00:06:24.28\00:06:27.45 is that if God loves us, 00:06:27.48\00:06:29.35 why does He tolerate all of this pain in the world? 00:06:29.38\00:06:34.26 What was crucifixion like? 00:06:34.29\00:06:36.99 Christ was crucified. 00:06:37.03\00:06:39.46 What was it like? 00:06:39.49\00:06:41.23 What motives were involved in the killing of Jesus? 00:06:41.26\00:06:45.87 And do mainstream... listen to this one. 00:06:45.90\00:06:48.37 Do mainstream Christians believe 00:06:48.40\00:06:50.97 in "slaughterhouse" religion? 00:06:51.01\00:06:55.64 I'll explain this as we go along. 00:06:55.68\00:06:59.21 Many Christians particularly in Southern California say, 00:06:59.25\00:07:03.35 "If you believe that Christ died for your sins, 00:07:03.39\00:07:07.29 you believe in a pagan concept." 00:07:07.32\00:07:10.83 These people believe the theory of the moral influence. 00:07:10.86\00:07:16.53 How did the affairs of King David 00:07:16.56\00:07:18.70 and his family 3,000 years ago 00:07:18.73\00:07:21.47 helped me to understand God's problem with sin? 00:07:21.50\00:07:27.18 Now David had an affair... 00:07:27.21\00:07:30.81 What is this got to do with the story of Christ? 00:07:30.85\00:07:33.82 David had an affair with a beautiful woman, 00:07:33.85\00:07:38.59 then later on one of his sons 00:07:38.62\00:07:41.76 raped a beautiful girl by the name of Tamar. 00:07:41.79\00:07:47.03 We're going to talk about this, 00:07:47.06\00:07:48.86 because this will help us to understand 00:07:48.90\00:07:51.70 the problem God had with sin. 00:07:51.73\00:07:55.30 And why is the understanding of the death of Jesus 00:07:55.34\00:07:58.87 the most important thing in the world. 00:07:58.91\00:08:01.64 A million times more important than politics. 00:08:01.68\00:08:05.41 Let me tell you something. 00:08:05.45\00:08:06.78 All of the stuff you hear today on CNN and Fox and CBS 00:08:08.98\00:08:13.62 and all these other things, 00:08:13.66\00:08:15.59 within a few days or a few hours 00:08:15.62\00:08:18.46 will be forgotten. 00:08:18.49\00:08:21.80 All the stuff that we spoke about, 00:08:21.83\00:08:23.90 we got so uptight about 00:08:23.93\00:08:26.17 when the elections were going on 00:08:26.20\00:08:30.04 and people were just about ready to die for it. 00:08:30.07\00:08:35.04 Those things one day will be seen 00:08:35.08\00:08:37.08 to be largely of no consequence. 00:08:37.11\00:08:42.78 But there is one thing of consequence 00:08:42.82\00:08:44.82 and we're going to talk about that today. 00:08:44.85\00:08:46.59 Who were responsible for killing Jesus? 00:08:49.12\00:08:52.29 Well, come over here to Acts 2:22, 23. 00:08:52.33\00:08:57.20 Who were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ? 00:08:57.23\00:09:02.60 Acts 2:22, 23, 00:09:02.64\00:09:07.44 "Men of Israel, hear these words: 00:09:07.48\00:09:11.15 Jesus of Nazareth, 00:09:11.18\00:09:12.68 a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs 00:09:12.71\00:09:17.39 which God did through Him in your midst, 00:09:17.42\00:09:21.32 as you yourselves also know 00:09:21.36\00:09:23.63 Him, being delivered by the..." 00:09:23.66\00:09:26.86 Look at these words. 00:09:26.90\00:09:28.50 "By the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God... 00:09:28.53\00:09:32.27 By the determined purpose and the foreknowledge of God, 00:09:36.10\00:09:40.48 you have taken by lawless hands, 00:09:40.51\00:09:42.71 have crucified, and you've put Him to death..." 00:09:42.74\00:09:46.51 One of the most astounding passages. 00:09:49.18\00:09:52.02 So the Bible says... 00:09:52.05\00:09:53.69 God was also responsible for the killing of Jesus, 00:09:56.19\00:10:02.93 not the murder of Jesus, 00:10:02.96\00:10:06.23 but the killing of Jesus. 00:10:06.27\00:10:09.90 This was a part the Bible says, 00:10:09.94\00:10:12.84 a part of His determined purpose. 00:10:12.87\00:10:17.31 So God, Almighty God, the Father was involved. 00:10:17.35\00:10:20.72 Then it says, "The people of Israel." 00:10:20.75\00:10:23.95 And my Jewish doctor who is my close friend said to me, 00:10:27.09\00:10:30.06 when the movie came out years ago, 00:10:30.09\00:10:32.03 on the death of Christ, The Passion of Christ. 00:10:32.06\00:10:34.30 He said explain it to me. 00:10:34.33\00:10:37.03 It says that the Jewish people put Christ on the cross. 00:10:37.07\00:10:40.90 I said, "Doctor, the Jewish leaders put Him on the cross." 00:10:40.94\00:10:46.11 Most of the early Christians were Jews. 00:10:46.14\00:10:49.34 Jesus Christ Himself was a Jew. 00:10:49.38\00:10:52.45 But the Jewish leaders and the mob 00:10:52.48\00:10:59.12 put Him on the cross. 00:10:59.15\00:11:01.49 Herod, Pilate, the Roman soldiers 00:11:01.52\00:11:05.33 put Him on the cross, 00:11:05.36\00:11:06.70 but the Bible teaches this incredible truth. 00:11:06.73\00:11:11.60 Want you to think about this. 00:11:11.63\00:11:13.03 The Bible teaches the incredible truth 00:11:13.07\00:11:15.77 that even though all of these people, 00:11:15.80\00:11:18.51 every one of them was guilty of the killing of Jesus, 00:11:18.54\00:11:24.21 the Bible teaches the astounding truths 00:11:24.25\00:11:29.58 that it was the sin of every man and woman 00:11:29.62\00:11:31.65 that put Him on the cross. 00:11:31.69\00:11:34.06 Now, if you take your Bible please 00:11:34.09\00:11:35.49 and come back here to Isaiah, 00:11:35.52\00:11:37.26 Isaiah 53:5, 6 00:11:37.29\00:11:40.43 and this is a prophecy that concerns the coming of Christ. 00:11:40.46\00:11:43.93 The Bible says, "But He was wounded 00:11:43.97\00:11:46.90 for our transgressions, 00:11:46.94\00:11:48.74 means he was killed for our transgressions. 00:11:48.77\00:11:51.31 He was bruised for our iniquities, 00:11:51.34\00:11:54.18 the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 00:11:54.21\00:11:57.08 and by His stripes we are healed. 00:11:57.11\00:11:59.61 All we like sheep have gone astray, 00:11:59.65\00:12:01.52 we have turned, every one, to his own way, 00:12:01.55\00:12:04.29 and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 00:12:04.32\00:12:08.72 The awesome truths my friend is this, 00:12:12.49\00:12:18.47 that when Christ, 00:12:18.50\00:12:20.04 God incarnate hung upon the cross. 00:12:20.07\00:12:25.47 By the act of imputation, the sin of every man, 00:12:25.51\00:12:30.65 woman and child was laid upon Him. 00:12:30.68\00:12:33.42 It was this massive weight of sin 00:12:36.28\00:12:39.82 that caused His death in six hours 00:12:39.85\00:12:42.76 whereas a normal man could live on the cross for almost a week. 00:12:42.79\00:12:47.23 And that is why they were amazed 00:12:47.26\00:12:48.80 that He was dead at three in the afternoon. 00:12:48.83\00:12:50.87 Pail said, "It was I that shed the sacred blood, 00:12:53.44\00:12:56.60 I nailed him to the tree, I crucified the Christ of God, 00:12:56.64\00:13:02.31 I joined the mockery. 00:13:02.34\00:13:04.85 Of all that shouting multitude I felt that I am one, 00:13:04.88\00:13:09.48 And in that din of voices rude I recognize my own. 00:13:09.52\00:13:15.46 Around the cross the throng I see, 00:13:15.49\00:13:19.59 Mocking the Sufferer's groan, 00:13:19.63\00:13:22.23 Yet still my voice it seems to be, 00:13:22.26\00:13:26.77 As if I mocked alone." 00:13:26.80\00:13:30.47 So the Bible teaches 00:13:30.51\00:13:32.44 every person was there at the cross 00:13:32.47\00:13:34.84 because of his sins. 00:13:34.88\00:13:38.91 Now we ask this question and answer it, we hope. 00:13:38.95\00:13:41.82 Does God understand human suffering? 00:13:41.85\00:13:47.56 This is the great argument 00:13:47.59\00:13:48.99 that is used against Christianity 00:13:49.02\00:13:51.49 with some validity by atheists and cynics and agnostics. 00:13:51.53\00:13:57.47 If God exists, 00:13:57.50\00:14:00.14 how can He understand my pain, 00:14:00.17\00:14:02.77 and my suffering, my depression, 00:14:02.80\00:14:05.67 my battle with cancer? 00:14:05.71\00:14:07.28 How can He understand the sorrow of all those people 00:14:10.05\00:14:13.62 who died in San Francisco in that fire? 00:14:13.65\00:14:17.69 We are horrified by images of Aleppo. 00:14:17.72\00:14:21.12 How does God feel about Aleppo? 00:14:25.79\00:14:29.16 We understand somewhat from the words of 00:14:29.20\00:14:33.64 I think Studdert Kennedy when he said in his poem, 00:14:33.67\00:14:37.01 "God cried Himself to sleep last night." 00:14:37.04\00:14:41.34 God sees much more than we. 00:14:41.38\00:14:43.45 He saw ten thousand lonely hills, 00:14:43.48\00:14:47.45 each hill a Calvary. 00:14:47.48\00:14:49.95 But that of course is rhetoric and a bit of doggerel. 00:14:49.98\00:14:55.52 You cannot understand human suffering 00:14:55.56\00:14:58.79 unless you understand and believe in the trinity. 00:14:58.83\00:15:02.60 Now come over here 00:15:02.63\00:15:03.97 and we spoke about this last week. 00:15:04.00\00:15:05.80 Come over here to Philippians in the New Testament. 00:15:05.83\00:15:08.84 The words of Paul, Philippians 2:5-8, 00:15:08.87\00:15:14.44 my friends, Philippians 2:5-8, Paul says, 00:15:14.48\00:15:20.25 "Let this mind be a new which was also in Christ Jesus, 00:15:20.28\00:15:25.12 who, being in the form of God." 00:15:25.15\00:15:27.46 The Greek word actually means the full expression of God. 00:15:27.49\00:15:34.36 The image of God everything that God was, image of God, 00:15:34.40\00:15:38.37 "who, being in the form of God, 00:15:38.40\00:15:40.50 did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 00:15:40.54\00:15:43.87 because he was, 00:15:43.91\00:15:45.67 but made Himself of no reputation, 00:15:45.71\00:15:47.91 taking the form of a bondservant, 00:15:47.94\00:15:51.11 and coming in the likeness of men. 00:15:51.15\00:15:53.08 And being found in appearance as a man, 00:15:53.11\00:15:56.08 He humbled Himself 00:15:56.12\00:15:57.65 and became obedient to the point of death, 00:15:57.69\00:15:59.95 even the death of the cross." 00:15:59.99\00:16:04.26 Now last week I tried in my inadequate way to, 00:16:04.29\00:16:10.70 to amplify the great truth 00:16:10.73\00:16:12.43 that is taught in the Bible 00:16:12.47\00:16:14.74 that Christ is God in human flesh. 00:16:14.77\00:16:19.07 The Bible teaches this. 00:16:19.11\00:16:20.74 The little baby that was born 00:16:20.78\00:16:22.98 of the Blessed Virgin Mary was God in human flesh. 00:16:23.01\00:16:27.25 He was Yahweh Elohim come down to this earth. 00:16:27.28\00:16:34.02 Now, there are some people in the Christian church 00:16:34.06\00:16:35.99 who do not believe in the trinity. 00:16:36.02\00:16:38.89 But if you do not believe in the trinity, 00:16:38.93\00:16:40.86 you cannot answer the question, 00:16:40.90\00:16:42.36 does God understand. 00:16:42.40\00:16:45.20 Richard Rubenstein, 00:16:45.23\00:16:47.40 a very earnest 00:16:47.44\00:16:48.77 and a good Jewish gentleman said this, 00:16:48.80\00:16:51.21 "It is impossible to believe in God after Auschwitz." 00:16:51.24\00:16:57.01 No wonder, the Jewish people 00:16:57.05\00:17:00.42 who were tormented by the Nazis said, 00:17:00.45\00:17:04.42 so many of them said, "Then where is God?" 00:17:04.45\00:17:08.26 And many of them came to the conclusion 00:17:08.29\00:17:10.19 because of suffering there is no God... 00:17:10.23\00:17:13.13 and therefore millions of those people 00:17:16.00\00:17:17.70 have given up believing in God... 00:17:17.73\00:17:19.30 but what they failed to understand was this, 00:17:23.20\00:17:26.31 that Christ was God in human flesh. 00:17:26.34\00:17:31.95 Now think about this. 00:17:31.98\00:17:34.95 When Christ was on the cross, this was God on the cross. 00:17:34.98\00:17:39.12 Christ was tortured. 00:17:39.15\00:17:43.83 On the cross, He felt the pain of cancer. 00:17:43.86\00:17:47.70 People would say, I can't, 00:17:47.73\00:17:49.06 I don't understand what you mean. 00:17:49.10\00:17:51.13 On the cross 00:17:51.17\00:17:53.17 when the bowls of God's wrath 00:17:53.20\00:17:55.34 were directed against Him, 00:17:55.37\00:17:56.84 He felt the pain and the sorrow of the entire world. 00:17:56.87\00:18:02.88 He felt the despair of the atheist, 00:18:02.91\00:18:08.38 a dying atheist who dies with no hope, He felt that. 00:18:08.42\00:18:11.82 He felt the loathsomeness of a man 00:18:15.36\00:18:19.73 who is the lowest of the low. 00:18:19.76\00:18:22.86 He felt the pain of mental anguish, 00:18:22.90\00:18:25.73 the defilement of evil, loneliness, despair, 00:18:25.77\00:18:30.97 hatred 00:18:31.01\00:18:33.94 and the sufferings of Christ 00:18:33.98\00:18:35.41 were more than we could ever understand or bear 00:18:35.44\00:18:37.98 because they were the sufferings of a God. 00:18:38.01\00:18:43.79 Therefore, when we asked the question, 00:18:43.82\00:18:47.96 does God care? 00:18:47.99\00:18:49.32 And does God understand my pain? 00:18:49.36\00:18:53.50 The answer is yes, 00:18:53.53\00:18:55.33 because of the truth of the cross. 00:18:55.36\00:18:59.40 Can you understand why I say most of this nonsense 00:19:04.14\00:19:06.71 about politics that bombards us every day 00:19:06.74\00:19:09.54 is trivia in the extreme? 00:19:09.58\00:19:12.41 It doesn't matter. 00:19:12.45\00:19:16.05 It would soon be gone. 00:19:16.08\00:19:17.79 People will have another little toy to play with, 00:19:17.82\00:19:22.86 but hanging on the cross was God. 00:19:22.89\00:19:26.73 What was crucifixion like? 00:19:26.76\00:19:31.57 It was the most horrible of deaths. 00:19:31.60\00:19:35.10 When a person was put on the cross, 00:19:35.14\00:19:36.81 he was nailed there, 00:19:36.84\00:19:40.11 and usually he was roped on the cross 00:19:40.14\00:19:42.54 to stop the bones from tearing out. 00:19:42.58\00:19:46.41 He sat on a little pin so the body could be held there 00:19:46.45\00:19:50.99 and there was something for his feet. 00:19:51.02\00:19:53.79 His feet were crossed 00:19:53.82\00:19:55.16 and a nail was driven through the feet. 00:19:55.19\00:19:57.69 The cross was a terrible death 00:20:01.40\00:20:03.60 because the way the person was placed on the cross 00:20:03.63\00:20:06.97 meant that he found it very difficult to breathe. 00:20:07.00\00:20:12.37 So every breath was labored 00:20:12.41\00:20:15.81 with tremendous pain. 00:20:15.84\00:20:20.72 Now when Christ was put on the cross, 00:20:20.75\00:20:22.08 He was already starting to die 00:20:22.12\00:20:23.45 because the rabble the night before had beaten Him up. 00:20:23.49\00:20:27.72 So He was beaten up by the religious leaders, 00:20:27.76\00:20:34.56 so don't put too much trust in religion 00:20:34.60\00:20:37.03 unless God is in it or else you'll be surely deceived, 00:20:37.07\00:20:42.10 because most religion is bad. 00:20:42.14\00:20:46.47 One of the reason so many atheists exist today, 00:20:46.51\00:20:48.84 they say look at what religion has done to the world, 00:20:48.88\00:20:53.01 and I say to them that is true, 00:20:53.05\00:20:55.95 but it was not the religion of God. 00:20:55.98\00:20:57.75 And I respond to them, 00:20:57.79\00:20:59.12 look what atheism has done to the world. 00:20:59.15\00:21:01.82 Look at the 70 million killed by the atheists 00:21:01.86\00:21:05.29 in Russia and Ukraine. 00:21:05.33\00:21:07.00 You said, it's not so. Yes, it is so. 00:21:07.03\00:21:09.16 Been there 46, 47 times, 00:21:09.20\00:21:14.64 I've studied it that millions have died. 00:21:14.67\00:21:17.94 And so the cross 00:21:24.15\00:21:26.01 brought tremendous suffering to the person. 00:21:26.05\00:21:30.79 He had lost a lot of blood. 00:21:30.82\00:21:34.76 He was a strong young man in his mid 30s 00:21:34.79\00:21:39.86 wiry, strong, suntanned. 00:21:39.89\00:21:44.07 After all is said and done, He was a carpenter. 00:21:44.10\00:21:49.54 He was a real man, not an apology for a man. 00:21:49.57\00:21:53.84 So He was dying by the time they got Him on the cross 00:21:57.75\00:22:00.35 but He could still have lived for a few days, 00:22:00.38\00:22:02.88 because He's so strong with great tenacity. 00:22:02.92\00:22:06.05 But in someway sin was laid upon Him, 00:22:06.09\00:22:12.63 and this caused Him to cry out, "My God, my God..." 00:22:12.66\00:22:17.57 Now, this is why the doctrine of the trinity is so important 00:22:20.47\00:22:25.67 because this man is God incarnate. 00:22:25.71\00:22:28.38 One of my favorite authors is Dr. John Stott, 00:22:28.41\00:22:32.01 who wrote the masterpiece, "The Cross of Christ,? 00:22:32.05\00:22:38.05 page 335, 336, Dr. Stott says, 00:22:38.09\00:22:41.76 who came from London. 00:22:41.79\00:22:44.46 "I could never myself believe in God, 00:22:44.49\00:22:46.96 were it not for the cross. 00:22:47.00\00:22:48.80 The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed 00:22:51.27\00:22:54.64 as 'God on the cross'. 00:22:54.67\00:22:59.11 In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God 00:22:59.14\00:23:01.98 who was immune to it? 00:23:02.01\00:23:05.55 I have entered many Buddhist temples 00:23:05.58\00:23:07.25 in different Asian countries 00:23:07.28\00:23:08.62 and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, 00:23:08.65\00:23:13.49 his legs crossed, arms folded, 00:23:13.52\00:23:16.12 eyes closed, the ghost of a smile 00:23:16.16\00:23:18.93 playing around his mouth, a remotely look on his face, 00:23:18.96\00:23:23.40 detached from the agonies of the world. 00:23:23.43\00:23:27.57 But each time after of while I have had to aside. 00:23:27.60\00:23:32.27 And in imagination I have turned instead to that 00:23:32.31\00:23:36.98 lonely, twisted, tortured, figure on the cross, 00:23:37.01\00:23:42.25 nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, 00:23:42.28\00:23:46.15 limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, 00:23:46.19\00:23:51.36 mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, 00:23:51.39\00:23:56.73 plunged in God-forsaken darkness. 00:23:56.77\00:24:00.64 That is, Dr. Stott, is the God for me! 00:24:00.67\00:24:07.41 He laid aside his immunity to pain. 00:24:07.44\00:24:11.68 He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. 00:24:11.71\00:24:16.89 He suffered for us." 00:24:16.92\00:24:18.45 So if you understand the doctrine of the trinity 00:24:22.66\00:24:24.99 that the Bible clearly teaches, 00:24:25.03\00:24:27.36 you can never seriously doubt 00:24:27.40\00:24:29.56 whether God understands pain or not, 00:24:29.60\00:24:32.93 because He has felt more pain than anyone here 00:24:32.97\00:24:36.54 could ever possibly understand or experience. 00:24:36.57\00:24:41.38 He suffered the pain of every person 00:24:41.41\00:24:44.91 who'd ever lived and much more, 00:24:44.95\00:24:48.18 because the sufferings of Christ 00:24:48.22\00:24:50.29 were infinite sufferings 00:24:50.32\00:24:52.02 because they were the sufferings 00:24:52.05\00:24:53.62 not merely of a man, 00:24:53.66\00:24:55.06 they were the sufferings of a God, 00:24:55.09\00:24:59.33 so does He understand. 00:24:59.36\00:25:01.36 When perhaps I may feel depressed 00:25:01.40\00:25:03.50 and the burden of life is too much. 00:25:03.53\00:25:06.20 When perhaps I may feel discouraged 00:25:06.23\00:25:09.60 or when perhaps I may be feeling sick. 00:25:09.64\00:25:14.11 I can know on that occasion that God knows 00:25:14.14\00:25:18.15 because Christ was God. 00:25:18.18\00:25:19.65 Now, here is an important question. 00:25:23.69\00:25:29.06 What motives were involved in the killing of Jesus? 00:25:29.09\00:25:33.86 When people decided that they 00:25:36.80\00:25:38.27 were going to get rid of this man, 00:25:38.30\00:25:40.97 the leaders of the church and the common people, 00:25:41.00\00:25:46.24 what were their motives? 00:25:46.27\00:25:47.84 We'll answer that in our next section 00:25:47.88\00:25:54.68 as we talk about 00:25:54.72\00:25:57.35 "The Killing of Jesus". 00:25:57.39\00:26:00.72 We should never say something is impossible 00:26:12.73\00:26:15.60 because Jesus said, 00:26:15.64\00:26:17.61 "With God, all things are possible." 00:26:17.64\00:26:20.64 It seems impossible to think that a group of Americans, 00:26:20.68\00:26:25.31 Australians could come here to Castro's communist Cuba 00:26:25.35\00:26:30.22 and preach the gospel. 00:26:30.25\00:26:32.85 We're here with the permission of the Cuban government. 00:26:32.89\00:26:35.66 We've got special visas so we can preach here. 00:26:35.69\00:26:40.23 I've had the privilege of preaching 00:26:40.26\00:26:41.86 in the most difficult places, 00:26:41.90\00:26:43.57 Moscow, all across Russia, 00:26:43.60\00:26:45.77 all around Ukraine, dangerous places in Africa, 00:26:45.80\00:26:50.37 but this is one of the biggest miracles of all. 00:26:50.41\00:26:53.14 Here we are, a Carter Report team, 00:26:53.17\00:26:55.84 just a little team. 00:26:55.88\00:26:59.18 But we're here by the grace of God, 00:26:59.21\00:27:01.78 because with God all things are possible. 00:27:01.82\00:27:05.85 But God works through people, 00:27:05.89\00:27:07.96 He's working glory be to God 00:27:07.99\00:27:10.03 we believe through us, 00:27:10.06\00:27:12.13 but He's also working my friend through you, 00:27:12.16\00:27:15.96 because of your prayers and your support, 00:27:16.00\00:27:19.13 your gifts, these people, 00:27:19.17\00:27:21.30 many of them are hearing the true gospel of Christ 00:27:21.34\00:27:25.24 for the first time. 00:27:25.27\00:27:26.71 So my heart is full of thanks to God 00:27:26.74\00:27:29.94 and to you today. 00:27:29.98\00:27:31.95 Would you please drop me a line? 00:27:31.98\00:27:34.12 John Carter, PO Box 1900, 00:27:34.15\00:27:36.62 Thousand Oaks, California, 91358. 00:27:36.65\00:27:40.56 And of course, you can write to me at Terrigal in Australia. 00:27:40.59\00:27:45.06 Let's get a fire going in this country. 00:27:45.09\00:27:49.96 We have established a beachhead on the shores of Castro's Cuba. 00:27:50.00\00:27:56.57 A gospel beachhead, not a military one. 00:27:56.60\00:28:00.11 We are the ambassadors of peace 00:28:00.14\00:28:02.34 and we've come here to preach the gospel of peace. 00:28:02.38\00:28:06.18 Stand with us and thank you for your support. 00:28:06.21\00:28:09.28 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:14.99\00:28:17.03 please contact us at PO Box 1900, 00:28:17.06\00:28:20.63 Thousand Oaks, California, 91358. 00:28:20.66\00:28:24.67 Or in Australia contact us at PO Box 861, 00:28:24.70\00:28:29.84 Terrigal, New South Wales, 2260. 00:28:29.87\00:28:34.11 This program is made possible 00:28:34.14\00:28:36.01 through the generous support of viewers like you. 00:28:36.04\00:28:38.81 We thank you for your continued support. 00:28:38.85\00:28:41.95 May God richly bless you. 00:28:41.98\00:28:44.29