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Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1 p.m. 800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Once you take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 26, you know Resurrection Son is coming up. And we need to kind of cover some scriptures leading up to that event. And it’s really the whole thing about what Easter is based upon. Did Christ come back from the dead? Yes, He did. And He was brutally murdered. He was murdered because He had committed no crime. People had done Him wrong. The Bible says, by wicked hands they have taken and slain the innocent one.

So here we are in the book of Matthew in chapter 26. As you know, Judas is going to betray the Lord. Judas is going to betray him. But he does it for a price. If you look there in Matthew 26, look at verse 14, then one of the twelve called Judas is carried, went unto the chief priest. Son of him, what will you give me? What’s the value? If I turn him over to you, what are you going to give me?

And so they agreed for 30 pieces of silver, 30 pieces of silver in verse 15. So in verse 16, and from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. Jesus is carried, one of the twelve sought to betray him. Do you think that Jesus already knew in advance that Judas was going to do what he did? He knew it. And even in the book of John chapter 6, way before the crucifixion, he says one of you will betray me and he was talking about Judas.

And he says not all of you are right. He knew that. So he says on in verse 21, and as they did eat, he said, barely I see to you that one of you shall betray me. And he says in verse 22, and they were exceeding sorrowful and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is that I? He answered and said, he that divot his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The son of man goeth as it is written of him, but woe unto that man, by whom the son of man betrayed.

He has been good. It had been good. Well, that man, if he had not been born. Well, I guess we could say that about a lot of people. Have you ever thought it’d been better if I’d have never been born? Well, the thing is, we were born, but Judas made decisions. God did not make him make these decisions. Jesus couldn’t say that if it wasn’t a responsibility upon Judas and what he did. See, some people like to teach you know, fatalism, whatever will be, in other words, God’s got everything planned.

It’s totally fatalistic. Every decision you make, God determined that. And if that is not true, God may know what you’re going to do, but God didn’t make you do it. And so otherwise, why hold me responsible for something He made me do? That doesn’t make any sense. you’ll know how many times it says he would be trade betrayed betrayed and the Lord tells us this it is what happened and so in verse 25 Jesus which betrayed him answering says master is that I and he said in him thou have said now they were all sitting there eating and Jesus says what am you going to betray me.

So then the Bible says, and mentions this more so in the book of Mark, also in the book of John, that he went out and says, what’s your without do with, no, do quickly? And immediately he went out and he did. Then I believe they had what we call the Lord’s Supper. And so only the 11 were there at that time. They were all there to start with. They ate. Then afterwards, then he says, let this bread represent and so forth.

And so you get into that, and I said verse 26 down there to verse 29. But in other words, I want you to see there in verse 29, where he says, but I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. Now there’s a good possibility that word new could be referring to new wine. The new wine is not fermented, and therefore I don’t believe that this is what they were doing.

But anyway, now we look there in verse 30. Some people say, you know, the Bible doesn’t say that Jesus ever sung. Well, it says right here in verse 30, and when they had sung of Him, they went out into the Mount of Balleth. Wouldn’t you have loved to heard how Jesus sings? I’d love to have heard of Him. I want to know what kind of a voice He had. I mean, he ought to have the most beautiful voice in the whole world.

He had a perfect voice. He could have perfect pitch. And I thought, I’d love to have heard that. But anyway, Baba doesn’t spend too much time telling us too much about it. One line, that was it. Now in verse 31, he says, I then said, Jesus, under them, all ye shall be offended because of me this night. All ye shall be offended because of me. Do you think Christians are offended because of Christ today? We’re easily offended. It’s so easy for us to be offended.

We wear sometimes our feelings all over us. And dare anybody to say anything or hurts my feelings. You know, that’s what’s all this political correctness. And you can’t say this, you can’t say that. Don’t say these words because that offends people. Well, buddy, toughen up. And what they’re doing is taking away the rights of everybody. You can’t say. You can’t. Well, that’s offensive. Well, big deal. Live with it. Get a grip. Get a life. Why take away my right to say something?

Today, they gotta try, well, that’s a hate crime. That’s hate, that’s hate, that’s hate. Don’t tell me what to love and don’t tell me what to hate. If you wanna hate somebody, hate them. It doesn’t make it right, but don’t pass a loss and you can’t hate somebody. Well, that was a hate crime. Who cares if it was a hate crime? If it’s a crime, it’s a crime. And they’re getting down into your motive of why you did what you did.

It’s it’s foolishness. The Bible doesn’t you don’t see the Bible talking about stuff that they talk about today. We live in a wicked world and people are afraid to say anything because it offends somebody and you can’t even correct somebody because that’s so offensive. And regardless, never say anything about government. Because y’all, that really offends people. And you’d be surprised how many people can love me because of my stand on the gospel, but if I say something about politics, whoa.

And I’ve had people say, well, I didn’t come to church to hear politics. Well, that’s all that’s in the Bible. Religion and politics, religion deals with what you think, and politics is how you live. You’ve got a role of government. You either have governments, sin rules and legislature making laws and everything affects our life. And so there’s the word of God that affects a lot of what we call it. The Bible is our soul authority for faith and practice.

What we believe, how we live, religion, politics. And so it because, well, that offends people. Do you think Jesus offended people? Did he offend those in politics? Yes, he did. And believe it or not, even politics offended him. But look what he says here in verse 31. All ye shall be offended because of me this night, for it is written, I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

So he’s telling them, I am the shepherd. I am going to be smitten. I will rise again and I’ll go before you. and everything that he said, it happened. And so Jesus Christ knew what was gonna take place. But now Peter in verse 33, answers said unto him, though all men shall be offended because of thee yet, well, I never be offended. It will never have, I’ll never be offended. How’d he do? It’s pretty bad, huh? How many times did Peter deny the Lord before the cock through that morning?

Three times. And the Lord told him that in verse 34, I say to thee that this night before the cockroach shall deny me thrice three times. And he says in verse 35, Peter said unto him, though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples, remember all the disciples said it, but it sure brings it out to fact. Peter was the ringleader and he was always one putting his foot in his mouth, saying things before he actually thought and he got reviewed for that on a number of occasions.

So anyways, you go through here, you know the story and it says it over again. But Jesus says something to his disciples that was so important. See there in verse 36, then come if Jesus with them into a place called Gethsemane, said unto the disciples, sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. Now what you say here? And I’m going to go over there and pray. But he wanted them to pray for me. In verse 37, he took with him Peter and two sons of Zebedee, James and John, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tear ye here and watch with me. Watch with me. Pray for me. Now, isn’t it something that hears Jesus the Son of God, God in the flesh? to flesh, they said, would you pray for me? Would you pray for me? And sometimes you wouldn’t know whose needs prayer. One time there was this guy who was the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Chryzwal. Anybody ever heard of him?

Dr. Chryzwal. He was pastor of the first Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. I went there one day with my wife, we’d come out on a trip come out of Mexico and we came up through Texas Aarons. So I said, I want to go and see this church. I heard so much about it. I want to hear this man. He was a president of one of the biggest Baptist churches. And I noticed on the offering boards where they had taken in that Sunday a million dollars in offerings.

And it was a huge church. And they fed everybody there on a Wednesday night, you didn’t pay anything. Everybody was fed. Come on Wednesday night. Good meal to him. And so I said honey after the service, I have got to go see Dr. Chris. So after it was over with, I boogied back to his office and his secretary told me says, may I help you? I said, I’d like to see Dr. Chris what she says. I’m sorry. He’s a very busy man.

He doesn’t have any time. I said man, I would appreciate it. I’m a preacher. I’m just traveling through and I would love to just see him just for a minute. If he could just have him just to pray for me, let me check. So she checked. Come on in. So I knew that I didn’t have much time and I just wanted him to pray for me because this is a big mighty man. So if I can get godly people to pray for me, I’ll do it in a minute.

I went into his office and he looked up at me and he says, may I help you? I said, yes, I just want to stop by and see you. He says, where are you from? I says, Colorado. And he said, what are you doing? I said, I’m a preacher. And he looked at me and he had his hands on the desk. He looked up at me and he says, oh son. He says, the ministry is so so heavy. He says, this church is so it is so big.

I’ve got so many people. He says, I am just weighted down. He says, the cares of this ministry and all these people. And he was an old man. And he says, I am so weary. I am so tired. He says, they’re just so much. And he got down off of his seat. He got on his knees. He says, son, would you come over here, would you have prayer for me?” So I walked over there and I put my hand on his shoulders and I had prayer for Dr.

Chris Woll. I went in there for him to have prayer for me because of all the pressure that I had. And I thought, when I get his age I won’t have that pressure. You know, it’s gonna be light and he says, pray for me. I walked out of there. I have been so humble I couldn’t believe it. But it doesn’t matter who it is. Everybody needs prayer. Everybody in this room you need prayer. So always request people pray for me, pray for me.

When men that he was over there and Bob and India where some things happen we put out a alert bullet pray for us and I believe that a lot of people did pray for us and so always pray. But he says he was Nigh unto death. I mean the pressure that was up on Jesus. We don’t always know all the pressure that comes up on somebody. And you don’t understand sometimes there’s a spirit world that we can’t see. There’s the devil and his little demons.

And they cannot possess our bodies, but they can’t oppress us by the thoughts and the weight of pressures in this world. and they can affect us. And so you don’t know at what point somebody is under a heavy oppression and need prayer. So anyway he prays to the Lord and then he comes back in verse 40 and comes unto the disciples and finds them what? Find them asleep. Verse 40 and said unto Peter, what could you not watch with me?

You couldn’t wait. You couldn’t pray for me one hour. In verse 41, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing but to flesh as we. Ah Peter, I don’t know a little bit about that. He was very quick to say, I will not be offended. Can’t happen. I’ll never forsake you. I’ll never deny you. We know if Peter had prayed that night like the Lord wanted him to, he might have stayed strong spiritually, huh?

And maybe he wouldn’t have denied the Lord because that very time, everything happened just like Jesus has told him. Your personal strength could be because you prayed for somebody else to be strong. Did you know when you asked God to help somebody else to be strong? You know in your mind you need to be strong too. It’s hard to pray for somebody else and not in your mind be thinking that could be me. That could be my problem. That could maybe that’s something I need to be watchful here and it alerts yourself.

So Peter had some lessons to learn. Anyway you’re good out through here and you see where it says again in verse 45, then cometh he to his disciples said to him, sleep on now, take your rest, behold the hour is at hand, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going, behold, He is at hand that doth betray Him.” You see that word betrayed, betrayed, betrayed in a lot of places. But isn’t it in reality the disciples who denied the Lord also betrayed the Lord in his moment of need pray for me they denied the Lord those prayers that they could have prayed for him.

I remember there was a man that he was high up in the Lord’s work. He lost his whole ministry. He messed up his life. One day I saw him and I told him I said you know I owe you an apology. I never prayed for you. I I took you for granted. I never prayed for you. He fell and he fell miserably and he took a lot of people with him, took a whole ministry with him. And I said, I never prayed for you.

I prayed for other people, and other leaders, but I never prayed for you. And it’s probably true that if we had prayed for people more, we just don’t understand how prayer works or the value of it. And yet if we would do that, you’d be surprised what could happen. If everybody in this church prayed for everybody in this church, and we prayed that we could pack the doors with lost people coming in, you believe it could happen? If we prayed more, that we would have all the money we needed to do everything that we need to do in this ministry, and no question about it.

Like this one preacher, he told the people, he said, I got some good news bad news. You know, he says, you know that money we needed for that new building project? He says, well, you finally got all the money we need for it. He says, the bad news, it’s still in your pocket. Well, God has supplied all of our needs. Sometimes we just don’t ask him to do it and to give it. He says, you have not because you, you asked not.

It’s not that he couldn’t have done it and And what did I do? But you didn’t ask. God does not force His will up on us. We have choices that we can make. And you’d be surprised how many things we lose out on because we just didn’t pray. Now look in verse 47. While He was yet spake, lo Judas, one of the 12 came in with Him a great multitude with swords and staves from the cheap priests and elders of the people.

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying, whosoever I shall kiss that same as he hold him fast because it’s gonna be at nighttime. They may not be see they came they had lighted torches and so forth but he’s going to say now the one that I kissed that’s the one so he betrayed him with a kiss. And verse 49, and forth with he came to Jesus and said, Hail Master and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, Wherefore art thou come?

Then came day and laid hands on Jesus and took him. Behold one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Anybody got a clue who that was? That was Peter. He cut off the guy’s ear. said then Jesus said on him, put up again thy sword into its place. For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Do you know what he did?

He got picked up the ear and put it back on his head. Now would you like to ISION rest the man that could take an ear that’s been cut off and put it back? Yeah, that he got power that I don’t have. I’d be very slow and careful of doing something to a guy that got power that I don’t have. Anyway, in verse 53, he says, think a style that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than 12 leagues of angel.

This is where that song comes from. Ten thousand angels, he could have called ten thousand angels. Well, this is where that verse comes from. Verse 54, but how then shall the scripture be fulfilled? That thus it must be. But if I was asked God to intervene to keep me from being taken, then how is the scripture going to be fulfilled? This has to take place and God would not intervene. God had to let the people do what scripture says, this is what they’re going to do.

So sometimes God doesn’t stop the people from doing it and he could have altered it. He could have changed it. But it would have defined the scriptures and the Old Testament scriptures must be fulfilled because the Bible says when Jesus came, he would fulfill all prophecy. And he does. In the same hour, Jesus threw them all to do. Are you come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat970 with you teaching in the temple and you laid no hand on me.

But all this was done, that the scripture of the prophets might be fulfilled. And all the disciples for shook him and fled. They all did. Not just Peter denied them. They all forsook him. They all fled. And he says there in verse 57, and they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest. So you know now this is gonna take place early that evening when they got a hold of him, but it was early in the morning.

Jesus brought before Caiaphas And K and he’s condemned and he’s mocked. They made fun of him. And then you find out that the Sanhedrin, well they took Jesus and they took him to Pilate. Well, Pilate examined him and said there’s nothing wrong that I can see that’s worthy of death. So Pilate, what did he do? Well, he sent him to Herod. And Herod and Pilate didn’t like each other, but now they have a They agreed with each other. It became friends for a night.

And so Herod sent him back to the pilot and know all these things were happening. And so then Jesus is crowned with thorns and he’s mocked. Then you have the suicide of Judas and then he was led forth to be crucified. But notice what he says up there in verse 58, but Peter followed him afar off from the high priests of the palace. When in and sat with the servants, you see those last few words, to see the end.

Come into the end, see what’s going to happen. And when he saw the end, remember this is the fearless one, this is the O brave one, one that will not be offended, one that I’ll never forsake you. out, well, he had to talk in part done. And then so what were they trying to do? Find some witnesses against Jesus. They had to have a reason to bring them to Pilate so that Pilate would condemn them. Well, now they’re trying to find some witnesses, but they couldn’t find anybody because nobody could come up with any real reasons.

Finally two guys came up and says, I heard him say, but what he said wasn’t a lie. It was the truth. Jesus had made the statement in John chapter 2, destroyed this temple and I’ll raise it again in three days. And he also claimed to be the Son of God. So you notice down here in verse 61, and they said these two false witnesses, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to bring it in three days.

Well, he was talking about his body. They thought was talking about the temple there. They said it took 46 years in building this temple. Well, Jesus was talking about his body, but what Jesus said was the truth. So what they were testifying to was the truth, but they were talking about the temple that was standing in Jesus was talking about his body. That was the temple. Anyway, in verse 62 and the high priest arose and said to him, answers thou nothing?

What is it which these witnesses against thee? But notice in verse 62, but Jesus held his peace. Now these Jesus holding his peace and didn’t say, remember as it says in the book of Isaiah 53, he was led as a sheep to the slaughter. He opened not his mouth. That means in his defense. He didn’t try to defend himself. When they would say something, he said, you said it, thou say it did, but he never came out with something in defense of himself.

So he says here in verse 63, Jesus held his peace and the high priest answered and said unto him, I adure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God. Tell us are you the Christ? Point blank means no words. Boom, right between the eyes. Good question. Are thou the Christ the Son of God? And Jesus said to him that thou have said, Nevertheless I say unto you, in the words, what you said, you just said it.

That’s what you said. He didn’t deny it. Then he says also, Nevertheless I send you here after shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then he says in verse 65, the high priest ran his clothes saying he had spoken blasphemy. What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God. Point blank. And they said that’s blasphemy.

So they have reason now because under the law he was to be killed. You could killing for that. So 66, what thank you? They answered and says, He is guilty of death. Then they spit in His face, buffeted Him, and others smote Him with the palms of their hands. Now isn’t that something? Here’s the God who created the heavens and the earth and His creation is treating the Creator like this. This is the God of that made the heavens and the earth and all the people and look how people were treating the Son of God.

We at Bibleline would like to extend a free offer to those who support this ministry financially. This month we are sending a free copy of Dr. Arnold’s teaching series on First and Second Peter. It is a small way that we can show our appreciation for your support of this radio program. Peter’s epistles are filled with lessons of suffering, trials and your faith on the The roles of husbands and wives, warnings of false teachers, and the imminency of the return of the Lord.

The CD Series is certain to help you in your home Bible studies, so contact us today to receive your CD teaching series by Dr. Arnold on 1st and 2nd Peter. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. the thoughtful gifts and prayers of our listeners who would not be able to remain on the air. God bless you. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed. caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe it that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.