"The Radical
Repentance of Christ."
00:00:01.40\00:00:03.20
That's the provocative
title of our study today.
00:00:03.23\00:00:06.58
Let me assure you,
00:00:06.61\00:00:07.98
we didn't pick this
title just get a reaction,
00:00:08.01\00:00:10.97
nor was it
chosen because we enjoy
00:00:11.00\00:00:13.58
a little religious
controversy from time to time.
00:00:13.61\00:00:16.92
No, we're
digging into this topic
00:00:16.95\00:00:19.59
because it was the very first
doctrine Jesus ever taught.
00:00:19.62\00:00:24.09
I can hear some people saying,
00:00:24.12\00:00:25.92
"I've read the
gospels many times.
00:00:25.95\00:00:27.66
I've never heard
about Jesus repenting."
00:00:27.69\00:00:30.63
No? Well, it's easy to miss.
00:00:30.66\00:00:34.24
But I assure you, it is there.
00:00:34.27\00:00:37.43
And this truth Jesus
came to share with humanity
00:00:37.46\00:00:40.64
is a truth so
radical, so life altering,
00:00:40.67\00:00:43.46
so transforming, so heart
changing that to explain it
00:00:43.49\00:00:47.77
is to instantly
invite controversy.
00:00:47.80\00:00:50.86
So Jesus didn't merely put
it into words. He lived it.
00:00:50.89\00:00:55.56
It was in fact the
first act of His ministry.
00:00:55.59\00:00:59.19
And that experience is
still causing thunder today.
00:00:59.22\00:01:03.27
The life lesson
Jesus came to teach
00:01:55.26\00:01:57.65
about the radical truth of
repentance was so fundamental
00:01:57.68\00:02:00.70
to experiencing divinity that
He didn't dare put it into words
00:02:00.73\00:02:04.61
that could be mistranslated.
00:02:04.64\00:02:06.72
He didn't write
it out as a creed
00:02:06.75\00:02:08.45
that could be changed over
time by culture or church dogma.
00:02:08.48\00:02:12.96
No. Jesus was a game changer.
00:02:12.99\00:02:16.39
He placed His truth
into a one-act play,
00:02:16.42\00:02:19.46
a story and experience
that was so far reaching,
00:02:19.49\00:02:23.02
so life altering, that
for generations to come,
00:02:23.05\00:02:26.96
people would be drawing living
water from this well of truth.
00:02:26.99\00:02:31.39
What Jesus taught in
actions about repentance
00:02:31.42\00:02:34.64
became the
dividing line for all time
00:02:34.67\00:02:36.88
between theory and experience,
00:02:36.91\00:02:39.64
the Rubicon in every life
00:02:39.67\00:02:41.53
between knowing
about God and knowing Him.
00:02:41.56\00:02:45.32
And it all started
down at the Jordan River.
00:02:45.35\00:02:48.96
Levi is standing by.
00:02:48.99\00:02:51.33
Thanks, Charles.
00:02:51.36\00:02:52.73
It was along the
banks of this very river
00:02:52.76\00:02:54.25
that flows south
toward the Dead Sea
00:02:54.28\00:02:56.55
that John the Baptist
was actively fulfilling
00:02:56.58\00:02:59.17
his God-given mission as
the forerunner of the Messiah.
00:02:59.20\00:03:03.33
But on a certain day
in particular, in AD 27,
00:03:03.36\00:03:05.91
a 30 year old man
from Galilee showed up.
00:03:05.94\00:03:08.37
According to Mathew 3:13,
00:03:08.40\00:03:10.86
"Then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John,
00:03:10.89\00:03:14.90
to be baptized of him.
00:03:14.93\00:03:17.32
But John forbade him, saying,
00:03:17.35\00:03:18.95
I have need to be baptized
of thee, and comest thou to me?"
00:03:18.98\00:03:23.54
Jesus in His first
official active ministry
00:03:23.57\00:03:26.90
comes to John for baptism.
00:03:26.93\00:03:29.76
And this was a profound act,
00:03:29.79\00:03:31.41
pregnant with
meaning for everyone
00:03:31.44\00:03:33.33
who would follow Christ,
taking His name, Christian.
00:03:33.36\00:03:37.30
And poor John
totally wigged out.
00:03:37.33\00:03:39.70
And there was a definite reason.
00:03:39.73\00:03:41.58
John's baptism was
for a very define purpose
00:03:41.61\00:03:45.34
and everyone knew it.
00:03:45.37\00:03:46.87
Check it out in Mark 1:4 and 5,
00:03:46.90\00:03:50.70
"John came
baptizing in the wilderness
00:03:50.73\00:03:53.47
and preaching a
baptism of repentance
00:03:53.50\00:03:55.74
for the remission of sins.
00:03:55.77\00:03:58.27
And all the land of
Judea, and those from Jerusalem,
00:03:58.30\00:04:01.29
went out to him and
were all baptized by him
00:04:01.32\00:04:05.19
in the Jordan River,
confessing their sins."
00:04:05.22\00:04:09.07
Notice two
things here, and first,
00:04:09.10\00:04:11.20
John's baptism was a
baptism of repentance.
00:04:11.23\00:04:14.74
And secondly, it was for the
remission or cancelling of sins.
00:04:14.77\00:04:19.04
And all the people knew this.
00:04:19.07\00:04:20.69
That's why they came
confessing their sins.
00:04:20.72\00:04:24.76
That is the baptism
Jesus came and requested.
00:04:24.79\00:04:29.33
John at first
denied His request saying,
00:04:29.36\00:04:31.87
"I have need to be baptized by
You, and are You coming to me?"
00:04:31.90\00:04:35.90
Now here is the place
where most of Christendom
00:04:35.93\00:04:38.59
got a little bit derailed
00:04:38.62\00:04:40.06
and have thus
missed the greater truth,
00:04:40.09\00:04:42.54
Jesus lived for us by example.
00:04:42.57\00:04:44.82
They go over to
Paul's letter to the Hebrews
00:04:44.85\00:04:47.05
and they read this
verse. Hebrews 4:15,
00:04:47.08\00:04:50.38
"Jesus was in all
points tempted like as we are,
00:04:50.41\00:04:55.07
yet without sin." It
is true. Jesus had no sin.
00:04:55.10\00:05:01.05
In John 8:46,
Jesus asked the people,
00:05:01.08\00:05:04.40
"Can any of you
prove me guilty of sin?"
00:05:04.43\00:05:07.36
And they couldn't. He
didn't do anything wrong.
00:05:07.39\00:05:10.25
He was a spotless Lamb of God
00:05:10.28\00:05:13.26
who was set to take
away the sins of the world,
00:05:13.29\00:05:15.66
not a sinner in need
of repentance and baptism.
00:05:15.69\00:05:19.17
And so they discount this act.
They minimize its importance.
00:05:19.20\00:05:22.63
But there were two
very important reasons
00:05:22.66\00:05:25.08
why Jesus needed to
repent and be baptized.
00:05:25.11\00:05:28.53
Let's go back to Matthew 3
and look at the first reason.
00:05:28.56\00:05:32.83
I don't want to be too hard
on those who have truly missed
00:05:32.86\00:05:35.60
the significance of Jesus
requesting John's baptism.
00:05:35.63\00:05:39.54
Jesus said, "There
was no greater prophet
00:05:39.57\00:05:41.70
than John the Baptist."
00:05:41.73\00:05:43.12
And even he missed it.
00:05:43.15\00:05:44.88
But it's now time to get it.
00:05:44.91\00:05:47.31
Upon John's denial of
the baptism, Christ insisted.
00:05:47.34\00:05:51.71
And here's the first stated
reason this act of repentance
00:05:51.74\00:05:54.85
was absolutely vital
and important to Him.
00:05:54.88\00:05:59.30
"And Jesus answering said unto
John, suffer it to be so now,
00:05:59.33\00:06:03.70
for thus it becometh us
to fulfill all righteousness.
00:06:03.73\00:06:07.99
Then he suffered him."
00:06:08.02\00:06:10.05
Now don't skim over
this verse, dig into it.
00:06:10.08\00:06:13.52
Jesus uses the
word righteousness.
00:06:13.55\00:06:16.39
This word simply
means right doing
00:06:16.42\00:06:18.67
in thinking,
feeling, and acting.
00:06:18.70\00:06:21.71
Here Jesus announces to John,
to the Jews, and to the world
00:06:21.74\00:06:26.70
how we get from here, sinful,
deceitful, and unrighteous
00:06:26.73\00:06:31.56
to here, born again,
new heart, and righteous.
00:06:31.59\00:06:36.34
Jesus taught that
we make this transition
00:06:36.37\00:06:38.85
by passing across
the bridge of repentance.
00:06:38.88\00:06:42.80
But what is repentance?
00:06:42.83\00:06:44.38
An excellent question
that we will answer right now.
00:06:44.41\00:06:47.81
Let's start by first
00:06:47.84\00:06:49.21
taking a look at the
etymology of the word.
00:06:49.24\00:06:51.65
The word repent
with its varied suffixes
00:06:51.68\00:06:54.40
is used 46 times
in the Old Testament
00:06:54.43\00:06:57.41
and 66 times in
the New Testament.
00:06:57.44\00:07:00.51
Two different Hebrew words
and three different Greek words
00:07:00.54\00:07:03.57
are employed to
help us understand
00:07:03.60\00:07:05.70
the varied nuances of
this spiritual experience.
00:07:05.73\00:07:09.80
After going
through every single time
00:07:09.83\00:07:12.00
these words are
used in the Bible,
00:07:12.03\00:07:13.75
we come away with a fuller
understanding of what Jesus
00:07:13.78\00:07:17.07
was trying to illustrate for us.
00:07:17.10\00:07:19.74
The first and most used
word in the Old Testament,
00:07:19.77\00:07:22.98
41 times is "nacham" which means
to sigh or breathe strongly.
00:07:23.01\00:07:28.72
This deep breathing reveals
what's going on in the heart.
00:07:28.75\00:07:32.41
We can breathe
in deep frustration,
00:07:32.44\00:07:36.30
or we can breathe in excitement.
00:07:36.33\00:07:40.26
And the second
and least used word,
00:07:40.29\00:07:42.39
just three times is "shuwb"
which means to turn back.
00:07:42.42\00:07:46.85
It is actually just a
simple directional term
00:07:46.88\00:07:49.39
that is used 1,109
times in the Bible.
00:07:49.42\00:07:53.35
When used in a spiritual context
00:07:53.38\00:07:55.20
of changing our course
from bad to good or good to bad,
00:07:55.23\00:07:58.97
it can be translated repent.
00:07:59.00\00:08:01.80
Now I'm going to
share with you something
00:08:01.83\00:08:03.50
you'll find only by
doing a deep exhaustive study
00:08:03.53\00:08:06.80
considering every
passage in detail.
00:08:06.83\00:08:09.75
This is something that
can take weeks to uncover.
00:08:09.78\00:08:12.51
So listen carefully.
00:08:12.54\00:08:14.44
The word repent in all its forms
00:08:14.47\00:08:16.64
is used 46 times
in the Old Testament.
00:08:16.67\00:08:19.94
Of those, 23 times God
is doing the repenting.
00:08:19.97\00:08:23.56
Once Jonah
complains that God repents,
00:08:23.59\00:08:26.35
and four times the
people are asking him to.
00:08:26.38\00:08:29.70
Only eight talk of God
00:08:29.73\00:08:31.75
not repenting in
certain circumstances.
00:08:31.78\00:08:35.11
For an example of God
repenting, look at Genesis 6,
00:08:35.14\00:08:38.68
"And it repented the Lord that
He had made man on the earth,
00:08:38.71\00:08:42.58
and it grieved him at his heart.
00:08:42.61\00:08:45.20
And the Lord said,
'I will destroy man
00:08:45.23\00:08:47.61
whom I have created
from the face of the earth,
00:08:47.64\00:08:50.48
both man and beast,
and the creeping thing,
00:08:50.51\00:08:53.30
and the fowls of the air,
00:08:53.33\00:08:54.77
for it repenteth me
that I have made them."
00:08:54.80\00:08:59.16
So does God repent? Yes.
00:08:59.19\00:09:02.33
In the Old Testament, man
is repenting 26% of the time
00:09:02.36\00:09:06.47
while God is
repenting 74% of the time.
00:09:06.50\00:09:11.10
Now our study title "The
Radical Repentance of Christ"
00:09:11.13\00:09:14.04
implies that Jesus
repented like John the Baptist.
00:09:14.07\00:09:17.27
Our response is
to reject the idea
00:09:17.30\00:09:19.32
that Jesus would need to repent.
00:09:19.35\00:09:21.32
But if 74% of the repenting in
the Old Testament is done by God
00:09:21.35\00:09:25.47
then why couldn't Jesus
repent in the New Testament?
00:09:25.50\00:09:28.18
The definitions
traditionally preferred
00:09:28.21\00:09:29.86
for repentance are too narrow
00:09:29.89\00:09:31.40
since all of them failed
to encompass God's repentance.
00:09:31.43\00:09:34.86
I believe that is why
Jesus came, to show us,
00:09:34.89\00:09:38.15
to illustrate the value
of this divine experience
00:09:38.18\00:09:40.75
in the human heart.
00:09:40.78\00:09:42.15
This is a hand.
00:09:42.18\00:09:44.06
The hand is a single object
that contains five metacarpals.
00:09:44.09\00:09:47.58
Each digit has its own name.
00:09:47.61\00:09:49.59
Little finger, ring
finger, middle finder,
00:09:49.62\00:09:52.14
index finge and thumb.
00:09:52.17\00:09:54.46
A detailed and
in-depth study of repentance
00:09:54.49\00:09:56.96
reveals that it is an
ongoing and heartfelt process.
00:09:56.99\00:10:00.08
And this process is also
00:10:00.11\00:10:01.48
made up of five
separate and distinct parts.
00:10:01.51\00:10:04.06
So here is a working model
of true biblical repentance.
00:10:04.09\00:10:07.21
The first step in
repentance is bethinking.
00:10:07.24\00:10:10.07
This is an Old King James
word that simply means remember.
00:10:10.10\00:10:13.83
So bethinking is simply
remembering all the good things
00:10:13.86\00:10:16.81
God has done for
others and for yourself.
00:10:16.84\00:10:19.95
This is the tap
root of repentance
00:10:19.98\00:10:21.83
and our part in making
it an ongoing experience.
00:10:21.86\00:10:25.68
This is why we
read the Bible stories,
00:10:25.71\00:10:27.58
go to testimony meetings, keep
a journal of answered prayers,
00:10:27.61\00:10:30.74
and read biographies of faith.
00:10:30.77\00:10:32.55
Anything to keep the goodness
00:10:32.58\00:10:34.15
and love of God fresh
in our heart and minds.
00:10:34.18\00:10:37.24
This is not optional.
00:10:37.27\00:10:38.94
It's as important
as watering our crops
00:10:38.97\00:10:40.80
if we want them to
bear fruit, it's critical.
00:10:40.83\00:10:43.81
Paul told the folks in Rome,
00:10:43.84\00:10:45.47
"Do you despise the riches
of his goodness and forbearance
00:10:45.50\00:10:48.81
and longsuffering,
not knowing or realizing
00:10:48.84\00:10:51.44
that the goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance?"
00:10:51.47\00:10:54.92
It is imperative
that we keep looking at
00:10:54.95\00:10:56.76
and remembering the
goodness of God. Why?
00:10:56.79\00:11:00.43
Because it leads
us to repentance.
00:11:00.46\00:11:03.07
So the first
step is remembering.
00:11:03.10\00:11:05.98
The second step is asking.
00:11:06.01\00:11:07.77
Asking for the gift.
00:11:07.80\00:11:09.62
By the way, repentance is a gift
00:11:09.65\00:11:11.69
that comes from the outside
of us to the inside of us
00:11:11.72\00:11:14.60
as a divine act of God.
00:11:14.63\00:11:17.00
We are praying for, asking for
that gift of a changed heart,
00:11:17.03\00:11:21.66
a change of feelings so that
00:11:21.69\00:11:23.06
you now feel about
things the way God does.
00:11:23.09\00:11:25.46
What he hates, you
hate, what he loves, you love.
00:11:25.49\00:11:30.02
This is the whole reason
Jesus came to this earth,
00:11:30.05\00:11:32.49
so he can gift
us with repentance.
00:11:32.52\00:11:35.42
Now pause for just
a moment to note this.
00:11:35.45\00:11:38.17
While you wouldn't
do steps one and two
00:11:38.20\00:11:39.82
without God's
willing and doing in you,
00:11:39.85\00:11:42.40
this still is
primarily your part.
00:11:42.43\00:11:45.33
And get this, these
two steps are so simple,
00:11:45.36\00:11:48.25
a very small child can do them.
00:11:48.28\00:11:50.23
You can lead children into a
daily experience of repentance,
00:11:50.26\00:11:53.38
not by badgering them
with shoulds and should nots
00:11:53.41\00:11:56.27
but by simply helping
them remember how good God is
00:11:56.30\00:11:59.82
and then teaching them to
ask Jesus for a change of heart.
00:11:59.85\00:12:03.95
So when you're asking
for the gift of repentance,
00:12:03.98\00:12:05.84
what are you
actually asking for?
00:12:05.87\00:12:07.57
You're asking for a
full dose of His feelings.
00:12:12.42\00:12:15.01
You want both sides
of the emotional coin,
00:12:15.04\00:12:16.90
both heads and tails.
00:12:16.93\00:12:18.92
So first, you're
asking for sorrow,
00:12:18.95\00:12:21.32
sorrow for sin, the sin itself.
00:12:21.35\00:12:24.18
Many people are sorry
for the consequences of sin,
00:12:24.21\00:12:26.48
the illness, the loss of
work, the divorce or the shame,
00:12:26.51\00:12:30.35
but we can never
have true freedom
00:12:30.38\00:12:32.09
until we turn away in
heart from the sins themselves.
00:12:32.12\00:12:36.02
And we're also asking
00:12:36.05\00:12:37.42
for the flip side
of sorrow which is joy.
00:12:37.45\00:12:39.83
God doesn't just
want us to feel sorrow
00:12:39.86\00:12:41.53
for the badness
and evil of this life,
00:12:41.56\00:12:43.95
He also wants us to
find joy and obedience.
00:12:43.98\00:12:47.32
Listen to this precious
promise from Jeremiah 31:13.
00:12:47.35\00:12:51.21
"I will turn their mourning
into joy, and will comfort them,
00:12:51.24\00:12:55.67
and make them
rejoice from their sorrow."
00:12:55.70\00:12:58.52
But sorrow isn't enough emotion
to effectively change us,
00:12:58.55\00:13:01.84
so he transposes
the song of sorrow
00:13:01.87\00:13:04.15
into the key of age.
00:13:04.18\00:13:05.85
Hatred, he gives us an
abhorrence of sin and evil
00:13:05.88\00:13:08.93
wherever it presents itself.
00:13:08.96\00:13:11.16
Why is that important?
00:13:11.19\00:13:12.89
Because raw hatred
always causes people to act.
00:13:12.92\00:13:16.56
God is trying to
get us to hate sin,
00:13:16.59\00:13:18.38
to violently rebel against it.
00:13:18.41\00:13:20.51
In this age, most
people either embrace sin
00:13:20.54\00:13:23.43
or at least tolerate it.
00:13:23.46\00:13:25.22
Either way, they're lost.
00:13:25.25\00:13:27.92
And, of course, the
opposite of hatred is love.
00:13:27.95\00:13:30.64
Love is the principle of
giving what is needed most.
00:13:30.67\00:13:34.60
Combine love and repentance
and here for the first time,
00:13:34.63\00:13:37.06
the mind and the heart
start working together.
00:13:37.09\00:13:40.20
The mind calls us
to do the right thing
00:13:40.23\00:13:42.47
and the heart agrees.
00:13:42.50\00:13:43.90
Now while this great emotional
change takes place in us,
00:13:43.93\00:13:47.46
it's part of our
chosen experience.
00:13:47.49\00:13:50.13
This emotional transformation
00:13:50.16\00:13:51.53
is primarily
God's part or his doing.
00:13:51.56\00:13:54.72
So in steps one and two,
00:13:54.75\00:13:56.43
we take the time to be still
and listen to his goodness,
00:13:56.46\00:14:00.18
asking him for a new heart.
00:14:00.21\00:14:02.48
Then in steps three and
four, He changes our heart,
00:14:02.51\00:14:05.46
our core feelings to hate what
he hates and love what he loves.
00:14:05.49\00:14:10.26
And what is the result?
00:14:10.29\00:14:11.92
We end up turning away from sin
00:14:11.95\00:14:15.13
and toward God
in heart and life.
00:14:15.16\00:14:19.03
So in summary,
repentance is a state of being,
00:14:19.06\00:14:22.83
of choosing daily to
remember God's goodness,
00:14:22.86\00:14:26.24
thanking him for his mercies
that are new every morning,
00:14:26.27\00:14:30.46
asking him for the
gift of a new heart,
00:14:30.49\00:14:32.96
and then allowing him
to will and to work in us,
00:14:32.99\00:14:36.31
to turn us away from
sin in heart and in action.
00:14:36.34\00:14:41.54
To put this topic of repentance
into one simple single sentence
00:14:41.57\00:14:44.96
that you can carry around with
you it would look like this.
00:14:44.99\00:14:49.06
Repentance is feeling
about things the way God does
00:14:49.09\00:14:53.09
and acting accordingly.
00:14:53.12\00:14:55.56
Through careful study,
00:14:55.59\00:14:56.96
I've discovered another
critical factor in repentance
00:14:56.99\00:15:00.07
that you won't want to miss.
00:15:00.10\00:15:02.28
Repentance just
doesn't cure our past
00:15:02.31\00:15:04.58
allowing God to forgive us for
our past sins and shortcomings.
00:15:04.61\00:15:08.16
It changes our hearts.
00:15:08.19\00:15:09.74
Thus, protecting our
future let me explain.
00:15:09.77\00:15:13.73
In the old days,
sailors left jolly old England
00:15:13.76\00:15:16.81
with barrels of jerky
as they ply the seven seas,
00:15:16.84\00:15:20.77
but very often the
sailors took sick with
00:15:20.80\00:15:23.10
and illness we
know today as scurvy.
00:15:23.13\00:15:26.46
When landing in the tropics,
00:15:26.49\00:15:28.60
they discovered that eating
limes cure them of the illness.
00:15:28.63\00:15:33.63
At the time, they didn't know
the miracle was the Vitamin C,
00:15:33.66\00:15:38.04
but they soon took to filling
barrels with the citrus fruit
00:15:38.07\00:15:41.41
and sucking them
all the way home.
00:15:41.44\00:15:43.99
Why? Because Vitamin C
not only cures you of scurvy,
00:15:44.02\00:15:48.74
but it prevents you from
getting it in the first place.
00:15:48.77\00:15:52.42
The same is true with repentance
it not only cures your past.
00:15:52.45\00:15:57.73
It prevents you from
falling in to sin in the future.
00:15:57.76\00:16:02.18
And this is why our
sorrow is turned to joy.
00:16:02.21\00:16:06.33
Remember, that the primary
word in the Old Testament
00:16:06.36\00:16:08.75
translated repent is
nacham which means to sigh.
00:16:08.78\00:16:12.92
But did you know,
00:16:12.95\00:16:14.32
the word nacham is
in the Bible 108 times.
00:16:14.35\00:16:18.20
Only 38% of the time
it is translated repent,
00:16:18.23\00:16:22.59
but 61% of the
time it is translated,
00:16:22.62\00:16:26.35
are you ready for this?
00:16:26.38\00:16:28.37
Comfort, God is so good.
00:16:28.40\00:16:32.00
He doesn't just want to give
us sorrow and hatred for sin.
00:16:32.03\00:16:35.35
He wants us to
have joy, and love,
00:16:35.38\00:16:38.10
and the comfort of a
new life, free from sin.
00:16:38.13\00:16:41.80
So now that we've gotten
a more comprehensive view
00:16:41.83\00:16:44.41
of what true
Bible repentance is,
00:16:44.44\00:16:46.86
let's ask the
questions straight up.
00:16:46.89\00:16:49.52
Did Jesus ever repent?
00:16:49.55\00:16:52.17
And if he did, why would that be
significant to our lives today.
00:16:52.20\00:16:57.38
Let's head back
to the Jordan River
00:16:57.41\00:16:59.15
and consider this
important question.
00:16:59.18\00:17:02.34
Well, Charles, we
know that He was baptized
00:17:02.37\00:17:05.55
with the baptism of repentance
and for the remission of sins.
00:17:05.58\00:17:09.44
And I'm convinced that,
this act was more important
00:17:09.47\00:17:12.16
than just showing
us how to get dunked.
00:17:12.19\00:17:14.86
I believe there are
two very good reasons
00:17:14.89\00:17:17.78
for Jesus to
repent and be baptized.
00:17:17.81\00:17:21.23
The first reason is found
00:17:21.26\00:17:22.63
in the words of John the
Baptist himself, in John 1:29.
00:17:22.66\00:17:26.88
"Behold the lamb of God,
00:17:26.91\00:17:28.98
which taleth away
the sin of the world"
00:17:29.01\00:17:33.14
It was the whole and
sole purpose of Jesus
00:17:33.17\00:17:35.98
to eliminate the sin problem.
00:17:36.01\00:17:37.99
He came to rid the
whole world of sin.
00:17:38.02\00:17:41.05
So how would He
go about doing that?
00:17:41.08\00:17:43.76
Paul explained it
in 2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:17:43.79\00:17:47.40
"For God hath made Jesus to
be sin for us,who knew no sin,
00:17:47.43\00:17:53.41
that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him."
00:17:53.44\00:17:58.01
You see, God laid upon Jesus,
00:17:58.04\00:18:00.30
every sin ever committed
past, present, or future.
00:18:00.33\00:18:05.22
The lamb bought
to the tabernacle
00:18:05.25\00:18:06.76
was not the guilty one.
00:18:06.79\00:18:08.46
The sins of the sinner
were placed upon innocent lamb.
00:18:08.49\00:18:11.72
And Christ as the lamb
00:18:11.75\00:18:13.83
had to carry every sin
of each person to Calvary,
00:18:13.86\00:18:17.17
so He could forgive all people.
00:18:17.20\00:18:20.37
He is our sin bearer.
00:18:20.40\00:18:22.94
He also perfectly repented
00:18:22.97\00:18:25.32
and was baptized on behalf
of all who had received Him.
00:18:25.35\00:18:29.40
And so the first reason,
Jesus had to repent was for us.
00:18:29.43\00:18:33.85
He died for us.
He repented for us.
00:18:33.88\00:18:37.12
And He was baptized for us.
00:18:37.15\00:18:39.51
The perfect Lamb of
God is our salvation.
00:18:39.54\00:18:43.50
He did it all for us.
00:18:43.53\00:18:45.34
The second reason, Jesus needed
to repent was for Himself.
00:18:45.37\00:18:49.32
You see, Jesus
being fully human suffered
00:18:49.35\00:18:52.91
the exact same kinds
of temptations as we do.
00:18:52.94\00:18:56.55
And thus needed divine aid
just as much as, you and I.
00:18:56.58\00:19:01.25
"Verily, verily I say unto you,
00:19:01.28\00:19:02.97
the Son can do
nothing of Himself,
00:19:03.00\00:19:06.24
I can of mine own self
do nothing," Jesus said.
00:19:06.27\00:19:10.02
In fact, Jesus even had to
learn to obey just like we do.
00:19:10.05\00:19:14.46
If that's true and the Bible
says it is, I've a question,
00:19:14.49\00:19:19.04
how did He live a perfect life?
00:19:19.07\00:19:23.09
Well, that's where the
need for repentance comes in.
00:19:23.12\00:19:25.89
Remember the
miracle of Vitamin C,
00:19:25.92\00:19:28.42
it doesn't just
cure you from scurvy,
00:19:28.45\00:19:30.61
but it keeps
you from getting it.
00:19:30.64\00:19:33.45
Repentance kept
Jesus from ever sinning
00:19:33.48\00:19:36.08
because He was daily
turning away from sin in heart,
00:19:36.11\00:19:39.63
before He even
committed a wrong act.
00:19:39.66\00:19:43.03
In fact, to make
this point very clear,
00:19:43.06\00:19:45.60
let's go back
through the repentance model
00:19:45.63\00:19:48.09
and lay that template
over the life of Christ.
00:19:48.12\00:19:51.19
Let's let the Bible
guide our understanding
00:19:51.22\00:19:53.42
as we consider
each of the five steps
00:19:53.45\00:19:56.18
in light of
Christ's earthly sojourn.
00:19:56.21\00:19:59.48
The first step is bethinking
00:19:59.51\00:20:01.32
or remembering all the
good things God has done for us.
00:20:01.35\00:20:05.04
So do we have
any biblical evidence
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.33
that Jesus took
the time to remember?
00:20:07.36\00:20:09.95
Indeed, there is.
00:20:09.98\00:20:11.61
Just before Jesus
resurrected Lazarus in Bethany,
00:20:11.64\00:20:14.84
just on the other
side of this mount,
00:20:14.87\00:20:16.94
He prayed in this
prayer of remembrance.
00:20:16.97\00:20:20.02
"Father, I think thee
that thou hast heard me.
00:20:20.05\00:20:23.42
And I knew that
thou hearest me always,
00:20:23.45\00:20:26.41
but because of the
people which stand by I said it,
00:20:26.44\00:20:29.57
that they may believe
that thou hast sent me."
00:20:29.60\00:20:33.27
Here Jesus is recounting
the goodness of His Father.
00:20:33.30\00:20:37.07
There are other times as well,
00:20:37.10\00:20:38.48
but for the sake of
time let's move to step two.
00:20:38.51\00:20:41.57
Step two is asking
God to impregnate you
00:20:41.60\00:20:44.43
with His feelings,
His emotional perspective.
00:20:44.46\00:20:48.51
Did Jesus ever do that?
00:20:48.54\00:20:50.74
I'm convinced He
did that every day,
00:20:50.77\00:20:53.44
but our best biblical
evidence is that dark night
00:20:53.47\00:20:56.42
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:20:56.45\00:20:58.24
Right here, on
the Mount of Olives,
00:20:58.27\00:21:00.30
here is Jesus'
prayer in Matthew 26:39.
00:21:00.33\00:21:04.67
"And he went a little
farther, and fell on his face,
00:21:04.70\00:21:07.72
and prayed, saying, O my
Father, if it is possible,
00:21:07.75\00:21:12.40
let this cup pass from me,
00:21:12.43\00:21:14.49
nevertheless not as I
will, but as thou wilt."
00:21:14.52\00:21:19.23
Here Jesus clearly
states that He has a will,
00:21:19.26\00:21:22.86
a desire and it's
a strong desire too.
00:21:22.89\00:21:26.44
Luke 22:44 says.
00:21:26.47\00:21:28.98
"And being in an agony he prayed
more earnestly, and his sweat
00:21:29.01\00:21:33.60
was as it were
great drops of blood
00:21:33.63\00:21:36.18
falling down to the ground."
00:21:36.21\00:21:38.48
Jesus' emotional
state was one of agony.
00:21:38.51\00:21:41.58
His agony was so
great, it led to hematidrosis
00:21:41.61\00:21:45.77
or losing blood
through your skin.
00:21:45.80\00:21:48.46
Self was very much present,
00:21:48.49\00:21:51.17
self did not want to
die or go to the cross.
00:21:51.20\00:21:55.07
But look at His prayer "Not
as I will, but as thou wilt."
00:21:55.10\00:22:01.52
Yes, Jesus was indeed, asking
the Father to change His heart
00:22:01.55\00:22:06.59
which brings us to step three.
00:22:06.62\00:22:08.58
Sorrow and joy, once again
the biblical evidence is there
00:22:08.61\00:22:13.80
the shortest verse in
the Bible, "Jesus wept."
00:22:13.83\00:22:18.26
Jesus lamented over Jerusalem's
rejection of the truth.
00:22:18.29\00:22:22.73
Jesus sighed
deeply in His spirit,
00:22:22.76\00:22:25.05
when the people
wanted another sign,
00:22:25.08\00:22:28.17
but He also had
great joy when the widow
00:22:28.20\00:22:30.83
put into the treasury
of God all that she had.
00:22:30.86\00:22:34.38
He marveled at the wonderful
00:22:34.41\00:22:36.21
simplistic faith
of the centurion.
00:22:36.24\00:22:39.89
Moving on to step four, did
Jesus reveal hatred and love?
00:22:39.92\00:22:44.69
Absolutely. He hated
seeing the worshippers of God,
00:22:44.72\00:22:48.59
taking advantage of.
00:22:48.62\00:22:50.22
He hated seeing the house of
God turned into a market place,
00:22:50.25\00:22:54.76
so... "When he had made
a scourge of small cords,
00:22:54.79\00:22:58.17
he drove them all
out of the temple,
00:22:58.20\00:23:00.24
and the sheep, and the oxen,
00:23:00.27\00:23:01.74
and poured out
the changers' money,
00:23:01.77\00:23:03.81
and overthrew the tables."
00:23:03.84\00:23:06.50
And love, love,
mercy, and compassion
00:23:06.53\00:23:10.38
were revealed in
every act of His life.
00:23:10.41\00:23:13.94
And what was the result of Jesus
remembering His Father's love?
00:23:13.97\00:23:17.79
Asking for the
Father's will to be His own.
00:23:17.82\00:23:21.04
First off, His heart
was set in obedience,
00:23:21.07\00:23:23.77
the great principle of love.
00:23:23.80\00:23:26.24
And He turned away from sin,
00:23:26.27\00:23:28.59
biblical evidence
Matthew 4:1 and 10.
00:23:28.62\00:23:33.07
"Then was Jesus
led up of the spirit
00:23:33.10\00:23:35.45
into the wilderness to
be tempted of the devil.
00:23:35.48\00:23:38.54
Then saith Jesus unto
him, get thee hence, satan,
00:23:38.57\00:23:42.06
for it is written, thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God,
00:23:42.09\00:23:45.62
and him only shalt thou serve."
00:23:45.65\00:23:49.52
Jesus was tempted
and buffeted by Satan,
00:23:49.55\00:23:52.49
but before He succumbed to
the temptation, He turned away.
00:23:52.52\00:23:57.91
Over and over, day
after day, He died to self,
00:23:57.94\00:24:01.95
choosing the
Father's will over His own.
00:24:01.98\00:24:06.06
Oh, yes, Jesus
experienced repentance.
00:24:06.09\00:24:09.68
And as a result,
He felt about things
00:24:09.71\00:24:12.60
the way His Father did
and He acted accordingly.
00:24:12.63\00:24:16.49
In fact, His whole
life is an example,
00:24:16.52\00:24:19.00
for those who would follow Him
00:24:19.03\00:24:20.66
on how to experience a
rich and obedient existence
00:24:20.69\00:24:24.47
that ends up very
well with no regrets.
00:24:24.50\00:24:29.09
It certainly
ended well for Jesus.
00:24:29.12\00:24:31.59
And that's the story
00:24:31.62\00:24:32.99
God wanted to publish
by the life of Christ.
00:24:33.02\00:24:35.90
You see, Christ
came to demonstrate
00:24:35.93\00:24:38.28
the value of divine principles
00:24:38.31\00:24:40.64
by revealing their power for
the regeneration of humanity.
00:24:40.67\00:24:44.95
By embarrassing the
divine principle of repentance,
00:24:44.98\00:24:48.70
He was able to
be fully sanctified
00:24:48.73\00:24:51.84
and according to
the teachings of Jesus,
00:24:51.87\00:24:54.41
He lived that life
as an example for us.
00:24:54.44\00:24:59.18
"And for their
sakes I sanctify myself,"
00:24:59.21\00:25:01.99
He says, "that they also
00:25:02.02\00:25:04.39
might be
sanctified through the truth."
00:25:04.42\00:25:07.82
You see, God did not call us to
be impure but live a holy life.
00:25:07.85\00:25:14.05
We desperately need a cure
00:25:14.08\00:25:15.64
for the spiritual schizophrenia
we all suffer from.
00:25:15.67\00:25:18.80
Where we believe what's
right, but do what's wrong.
00:25:18.83\00:25:22.87
God provided that cure for us
in the person of Jesus Christ.
00:25:22.90\00:25:27.82
He showed us what
simple steps must be taken,
00:25:27.85\00:25:31.16
remembering how good God is, and
asking for His will to be ours,
00:25:31.19\00:25:36.66
His thoughts and
feelings to be ours.
00:25:36.69\00:25:39.91
Then we let Him do the
hard part, the hard part
00:25:39.94\00:25:43.43
with the transforming
miracle of our feelings
00:25:43.46\00:25:46.51
and impulses followed
by a change in our actions.
00:25:46.54\00:25:51.31
In fact, this is what makes
00:25:51.34\00:25:53.43
the ministry in teaching
of Christ so controversial.
00:25:53.46\00:25:57.37
His teachings
mess with our desires,
00:25:57.40\00:26:00.55
our wants, and our will.
00:26:00.58\00:26:04.40
Repentance is not
an optional experience
00:26:04.43\00:26:07.02
for the true believer
in the God of creation.
00:26:07.05\00:26:10.36
It was important
in the Old Testament
00:26:10.39\00:26:12.91
and it's a focal point of
the New Testament, as well.
00:26:12.94\00:26:16.95
In preparation for the Messiah,
00:26:16.98\00:26:19.26
John's message and
sermon was "repent."
00:26:19.29\00:26:22.83
When Jesus started His ministry,
His message was "repent."
00:26:22.86\00:26:27.52
When Christ and His
disciples out, two by two,
00:26:27.55\00:26:30.49
the message of
their sermon was "repent."
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.72
Jesus explained that the
reason He came, lived, died
00:26:33.75\00:26:37.74
and rose again was so repentance
could be given to mankind.
00:26:37.77\00:26:42.55
And the reason
Christ was glorified
00:26:42.58\00:26:44.87
and now sits at the
right hand of the Father
00:26:44.90\00:26:47.20
is to give
repentance to each of us.
00:26:47.23\00:26:50.92
The call of Peter's great
Pentecost sermon was "repent"
00:26:50.95\00:26:55.05
and the last message
given to men by Jesus
00:26:55.08\00:26:57.97
in Revelation 2
and 3 is "repent."
00:26:58.00\00:27:01.39
And He's still inviting us
today, to enter the experience
00:27:01.42\00:27:06.49
to find comfort in
His gift of repentance.
00:27:06.52\00:27:10.76
Thunder in the Holy Land
is a simple Bible study series
00:28:12.84\00:28:15.80
that focusing on the
life and teachings of Jesus.
00:28:15.83\00:28:19.02
To learn more about this study
00:28:19.05\00:28:20.51
and how you can use it
to share our best friend.
00:28:20.54\00:28:23.59
Visit us at qlp.tv
00:28:23.62\00:28:26.23
that's qlp.tv
00:28:26.26\00:28:29.34