Well, good morning to you in the Saviour's name. When others are joining us via Facebook Live, we're going to maybe sing a few hymns, some resurrection hymns, and I trust that you'll be able to join us in your home. Don't claim to be a singer, but we're going to on this Resurrection Sunday, so if you can remember the words, join with us, and let's lift our hearts in praise to God. Though in the grave you lay, Jesus my Saviour, wait in the coming day, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints. He arose. He arose. Hallelujah Christ arose. Death cannot keep his prey. Jesus my Savior. Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph for his foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose, he arose, The next one is thine be the glory, risen conquering son. Thine be the glory, risen conquering son. Endless is the victory, vow or death as one. Angels in bright raiment, Robed the stone away, Kept the folded grave closed, Where thy body lay. Thine be the glory, Risen conquering son. Endless is the victory the Lord Death has won. Though Jesus meets us Risen from the tomb, life lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom. Let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing. For her Lord now liveth, death has lost its sting. Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son. Endless is the victory, Thou o'er death hast won. No more we doubt Thee, Glorious Prince of Life. Life is naught without Thee, Aid us in our strife. Make us more than conquerors through thy deathless love. Bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. Thine be the glory ♪ Risen conquering Son ♪ ♪ Endless is the victory ♪ ♪ Thou o'er death has won ♪ Our last one, I serve our risen Savior, he's in the world today. ♪ I serve our risen Savior, he's in the world today ♪ I know that he is living whatever men may say I see his hand of mercy I hear his voice of cheer and just the time I need him he's always near he lives He walks with me and he talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know he lives. In all the world around me I see His loving care And though my heart grows weary I never will despair I know that He is leading through all the stormy paths. The day of His appearing will come at last. He lives! He lives! lives today. He walks with me and he talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within my heart. Everyone sing the last verse. Rejoice! Rejoice! O great shem! Lift up your voice and sing. Eternal hallelujah! to Jesus Christ, the King, the hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find. My Father is so loving, so good and kind. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus. He walks with me and he talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He lives Salvation to impart You ask me how I know He lives He lives within my heart Well, we welcome you in our Saviour's precious name to this church service today, live from Portland-Owen Free Presbyterian Church. This is Resurrection Sunday. and we're rejoicing today that we serve a living and a risen Saviour, and because He lives, thank God we shall live also. Let's unite briefly in a word of prayer, and then we're coming to the reading of the scriptures, so let's seek the Lord together in a word of prayer together, please. Let's pray. Our loving Father, we thank Thee that this day finds us well, healthy, and enable dear God to worship thee in spirit and in truth. We thank thee for the promise of God that where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Lord, we pray that thou wilt be in the midst of my people today. We thank you for one who is alive and in the glory and who lives to make intercession even for us. Bless us as we minister the word. We pray that everything will run smoothly today. Lord help with regard to the technology and we pray that even our live streaming service will be upheld right through the service. and grant dear God a blessing for every soul who watches in today. Help us in our families and all of our cares and worries and anxieties in these days. May we roll our burden upon the Lord, casting our care upon him. knowing that he'd oft care for us. And so bless us now around thy word. We pray these prayers in and through the Saviour's precious name. Amen. We're turning to Matthew's gospel and the chapter number 27. We've been reading through the book of Psalms, but we believe that today we should read some of the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so turn in your Bibles there to Matthew chapter 27, and we'll begin our reading from verse 62, and then we'll move down into chapter 28. So let's read from Matthew 27 and the verse number 62. Now the next day that followed, the day of the preparation, The chief priests and the Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, While he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again. Command, therefore, that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead. So the last error shall be worse than the first. Highness said unto them, ye have a watch, go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone and selling the watch. In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him, the keepers did shake and became as they had been. And the angel answered and said unto the woman, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen. As he said, Come. See the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee. There shall ye see him, though I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word. Amen and may God bless the reading of his precious word and what a thrill to remind ourselves that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ no longer is in the tomb, but he's on the throne, and he's a living, and he is an exalted saviour, one who is alive forevermore. Let's again unite in prayer together. We encourage you to bow your head and heart before the Lord as we worship him wherever you be in this world today, and let's therefore seek the Lord in prayer together, please. Let's pray. Our loving Father and our gracious God, we come before thee through Christ our exalted head, we thank thee, O God, that Christ has lived and died and has been raised again from the dead. We praise thee, dear God, for one in the glory, whoever liveth to make intercession for us. We thank thee that death could not hold its prey, but that up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes. We thank thee that this day finds us in the land of the living, We praise Thee, O God, for the One who has preserved our lives another week, and we bless Thee, dear God, for Thy manifold mercies toward us. We can lift our hearts, and we can raise our head to Thee, Sir, and we can say, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. We thank Thee for He who is the resurrection and the life. Lord, O God, we thank Thee that He died for sin. We praise Thee that Christ was raised from the dead by the Eternal Spirit. We thank Thee for the public vindication of His work there at Calvary's Cross, the empty tomb, the clothes that were left behind there in the sepulcher. Christ is arisen and we praise Thee that because He lives, we shall live also. We come, dear God, aware God of our great need in these days. We think of our nation and all of its need. We think, oh God, of the great pandemic that is spreading throughout the public domain. And Lord, we think of those families that have been plunged into death in a week that has passed. Lord, we pray that comfort might be given to such in their time of need and in their day of crisis. We pray that that will comfort them greatly. And for those who do not be a savior, we pray that there might be a great turning on to God in these days of uncertainty, these days when death is very much to the forefront of all of our minds and the need to make preparation. Oh God, we pray that multitudes will be brought into the Redeemer's kingdom by the Spirit of God. I pray for every church member, every friend, O God, of this congregation, and those that have joined us via Facebook Live, this virtual congregation that thou has given to us. We thank you for it. We thank you for those who are joining us throughout the province and throughout the world. And we pray that thou will bless them in their old families and in their old souls. We pray that the word will be a blessing We pray that help might be given, though we preach here to an empty church. We pray, O God, that thou will present thyself with us, and that we might know blood-bought liberty in this house today. Grant, O God, a word fitly spoken for every heart and for every soul. We pray for those who need our prayers in these days. We think of our Prime Minister. Lord, we ask that the Saviour's name that thou wouldst use the witness that has already been given to him, O God, in these days by Christian doctors and consultants and nurses. We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst turn him on to God, turn his heart farther from his sin and on to Christ and to the Saviour. And Lord, we pray not only for him, but for the entire cabinet And Lord, for those who rule over us here in Stormount, may there be a turning on to God and a turning on to Christ. And Lord, be pleased, O God, to be with us. We do pray for our health minister, Mr. Swan, in these days. Uphold him, dear God, and encircle him, and help him, and give him great wisdom. We ask of thee, and may thy blessing even be upon him in these days. Grant, dear Father, all to turn to God, and may there, dear Father, be a relinquishing of human wisdom, and may there be a seeking for God's wisdom. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and prayeth not. We pray for the church family here. And Lord, we cry to Thee, O God, that Thou will continue to preserve, O God, those within our congregation. And Lord, give to us the desires of our heart that we might meet again for public worship. We recognise that this day would have been a day when we would have met around the table of the Lord. Lord, how we will miss that today. And yet, dear Father, what joy it brings to our souls, that we'll soon meet again around the table of remembrance. We'll remember our Saviour's dying love, and Lord, His resurrection, and we praise Thee for His ongoing ministry. But until that day, Lord, keep us faithful. Let us not backslide. Lord, may we return to the house of God and fire for God, with our hearts ablaze with love for Christ. Lord, come now and meet with us, we pray. We grant dear God thy blessing, not only upon the congregation here, but every congregation. We think of our missionaries across the world, in Australia, Nepal, in Africa, in Kenya, in Uganda, Liberia. We pray, O God, for our sister denominations in Nepal and in North America. Bless thy servants, every minister of the gospel. Uphold them in these days, Lord. Father, the burden is great, and Lord, the desire is to minister to the congregation in a very public manner. Bless, O God, we pray, and help every internet connection to be upheld, O God, that people will be able to watch Him. In the Lord, we pray these our prayers in and through the Saviour's precious name. Amen and amen. Well, we welcome you in the Saviour's precious name. Thank you for joining with us via Facebook Live. And if you're listening to the service, maybe later on via sermon audio, we do warmly welcome you in our Saviour's precious name. And whether you're in the province, whether you're watching in locally, whether you're watching in nationally or even internationally, We just welcome you in the Saviour's name and thank you for joining with us. We're glad of a virtual congregation. The pews are empty before us but thank God we know that there are those that are watching in and we're praying for you all and we're very thankful for His mercies towards us in a week that has passed. Just to make the announcements at this time, we encourage you to continue to pray for us in these days. We want to thank you. As a congregation, for praying for myself and my own family, for Andrea and for Abigail, we really appreciate that. The telephone calls to the mass, we thank you in the Saviour's name. We know that many of you are praying for us, and we are praying for you, and we're praying that God will help us through these dark and difficult days. Remember to pray for our Prime Minister, that God's hand of mercy will be upon him, for those within his cabinet, those within our nation who rule over us. Pray for those who are on the front line and really at the very forefront of all that is happening. Pray for those who work in the NHS within our own congregation and further afield. Pray for them that God will continue to protect them. Pray for those who are caring that our carers throughout the province as well going into homes and caring and nursing homes and residential care pray for such people and then our delivery men and all those that are driving and preparing food for us and keeping us all provided with our basic needs and how thankful we are even in these days for these mercies from God and they are mercies. I want you to remember that God is providing for his children, our daily bread, and may our hearts be lifted heavenward to thank God for every good and perfect gift. Can I remind you, all those in the congregation, concerning your tithe and offering, continue just to set that aside week after week, and then when we'll gather again for public worship in coming days, we trust, in coming weeks or months, whenever it will be, then we'll bring in our tithes and our gifts and our offerings into the Lord's treasury. So let's be faithful. Let's be faithful in our giving, week after week, and let's not be negligent even in that. And may the Lord bless you even for setting that aside. There are three ways in which you can contact us. We want to remind you of them. You can contact us via Facebook Messenger, or you can contact us via the church's email address, and that is PortlandOwnFPC, P-O-R-T-G-L-E-N, O-M-E-F-P-C, all one word, Port Glen 1, F-P-C, all one word, at hotmeal.co.uk, or you can telephone the manse at 02825 02825 821 765. 02825 821 765. All are well within the congregation and we're very thankful to report that to our own church membership and friends of the congregation. Everyone is well and we're very thankful for that. One of the last decisions that the church committee made before COVID-19 really took a hold of the province and we had to close down our public services. One of the final decisions that the church committee made was to help the little flock there in Rutherd Lane Free Presbyterian Church in Glasgow. And I've received a letter of thanks from the Reverend Wesley Irwin and I just want to read it out at this time. Dear Reverend Stewart, on behalf of the Church Committee in Rutherglen, I want to thank you for the very generous gift of £1,500. This is a source of great encouragement to us and I know it will make a good impact in covering some of our costs which we had in the church recently. I want to thank you in the session in Portland Hall, Free Presbyterian Church, for giving me the opportunity to bring our witness in Rutherglen before the congregation. It was good to be able to renew fellowship with you all. Do continue to remember us in your prayers and encourage God's people to do the same. These are difficult days for everybody, but we are glad that we have a God who not only governs, but guards and guides his people at all times. Irwin from Brother Len Free Presbyterian Church. And so we were glad that we were able to help this little congregation. They are a small number and we were able to give them a gift of £1,500. And so we thank God's people for their giving and also the Church Committee for their generosity towards this congregation and how we need to be those who help one another. I remind you of the weekly meetings at eight o'clock on Wednesday night, the Bible study from the mass and we know that many are being encouraged by the messages. I want to encourage you to join with us family, around God's precious word, and make that meeting known to others. Others are your friends. Send out the little invitation that we put up on Facebook. Share it. Let's be bold in these days. Bold in our witness for Jesus Christ. Doesn't take much to send out a share on Facebook. We normally put that up on Wednesday morning. Send it out and let others know that there is a Bible study on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. live from the Manson. Then next Thursday, 12 noon, and 6 p.m., 6 p.m. for the service. Remember the service tonight at 6 p.m. as well, and let's be faithful in our attendance at the worship service. Though we cannot publicly gather, we can still gather in our homes. And so let's not be lazy in these days. Let's be at the place of worship both morning and evening, and we trust that the Lord will bless you for even doing that. Remember those in our congregation that are unable to join us via Facebook Live, via Sermon Audio. There are a number of individuals who have no access to the internet. And so really what they're doing is that they're listening to radio broadcasts throughout the day. Just to remind you that there is a Let the Bible Speak broadcast on Radio North. That's 846 Medium Wave, three o'clock this afternoon, 846. medium wave, there's a Let the Bible Speak broadcast, I believe that's on for an hour. And then tomorrow, 3.30 from the Martyrs Memorial, the Easter convention is coming live from the Martyrs Memorial. Our moderator will be preaching, and so you can access that via the Martyrs Memorial YouTube channel, or via their Facebook page. So I want to encourage you to log in, to watch in, Tomorrow afternoon, our moderator, the Reverend Dian, will be preaching God's precious word, and so we encourage you to watch in to that service tomorrow afternoon via the Martyrs Memorial YouTube page or their Facebook page, and I trust that you'll be able to watch in. We welcome you in the Saviour's name. We want to thank you for joining with us this afternoon. We're turning in the word of God to Luke's gospel chapter 23. Luke's gospel and the chapter number 23, and we're beginning our reading at verse 33 of the chapter. Luke chapter 23, and we'll begin our reading at the verse number 33. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, There they crucified him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots. And the people stood beholding, and the rulers also with him derided him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew, this is the king of the Jews. One of the malefactors which hanged, reeled on him, saying, if thou be the Christ, save thyself, But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise, And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost. And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that site, beholding the things which were done, smoked their breaths and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the woman that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. Amen, and we know that God will bless the reading of his precious word. Let's unite in prayer before we bring the word of God. Let's sing the word together in prayer. Our loving Father, we thank thee for this opportunity to preach the word again and to be before this congregation. We praise thee for all who join us today, where'er they be found. Bless them, their homes and families, and grant dear God now thy blessing. thy spirit to accompany thy word across the airwaves. We pray against the great wicked one who would come to disrupt and to cause the even internet connection to be disabled. We realize that there is one who is known as the Prince of the Power of the Air. Lord, we pray that thou will bind this strong man. And grant, dear God, help thou in the preaching of thy word. Come, Lord, near. And may our hearts be blessed and encouraged, and may our souls be lifted heavenward, and may, dear Father, Thy blessing be upon the ministry of the Word, now. Grant, Lord, the infilling of Thy Spirit for the preacher and for the hearer, those who love Thee and know Thee, and may our souls be encouraged and blessed, for we offer prayer in and through the Saviour's precious Name. Amen and amen. Extraordinary, unusual, supernatural, are but some of the words that we could employ to describe the events that surrounded the crucifixion of the Son of God on the cross of Calvary. It would be a day like no other day in the land of Israel when God the Son would offer himself to God as a sacrifice for sin. Nature itself wrenched and writhed as its Creator was affixed to the cross. History records that during the hours of the Saviour's suffering, between 12 noon and 3 pm, a darkness was prevalent over the whole earth. That darkness accomplished two things. Firstly, it concealed the sufferings of Christ from the view of the general public. Secondly, it conveyed a message of judgement upon a people who had rejected their Messiah and put him to death in such a cruel and a wicked manner. This darkness was to be the first dramatic event that accompanied the Saviour's death. But darkness was not the only dramatic event on that particular day. After the Lord Jesus Christ had given up the ghosts, we are told by the Gospel writer Matthew that the earth did quake and the rocks rent. The entire earth was shaken to its very foundation, rocked on its axis, as though to show that it itself was horrified at the most awful deed that had ever been perpetuated on its land, Mars. The third dramatic event that took place when the Son of God hung upon the tree was the resurrection of many of the dead saints. Matthew 27 verse 52 and 53 informs us that after the earthquake the graves were opened and many of the bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. Darkness The trembling and quaking of the earth and the resurrection of many of the dead saints were three supernatural events that occurred when the Son of God died upon the cross. But today I want us to consider some other dramatic events that occurred when Jesus Christ became the great sin bearer of his people. Each of these dramatic events centers on the rending of certain And you'll come to understand what I'm speaking about as we make our way through this message today. If you want the title for today's message, it is Three Veals Rent at Calvary. Three Veals Rent at Calvary. The first veal that was rent at Calvary was the veal of Christ's flesh. of Christ's flesh. Not wanting any body to remain on the cross during the Jewish Sabbath, the Jewish religious leaders went to Pontius Pilate to request the removal of the bodies from the crosses. Fearing that the Savior would still be alive, these Jews requested that his legs be broken in order to hasten his death. However, when the soldiers appointed to remove the Savior from the cross reached the place of public execution, they were amazed to find that the Son of God was already dead. He was already dead. Despite his obvious decease, John tells us, and he is the only gospel writer to inform us of this detail, but John informs us that one of the soldiers with a spear and forthwith came out blood and water. John 19 in the verse 34. That action by the soldier resulted in the veil of Christ's flesh being rent once again, so that from his ruptured heart and side there flowed blood and water. Now consideration of that action by that unnamed soldier his piercing of the Saviour, reveals to us certain truths. It reveals, firstly, the reality of the Saviour's death. The reality of the Saviour's death. The piercing of Christ's side and the subsequent blood and water that flowed out from that wound, a wound that, by the way, was large enough for Thomas to thrust his hand into, Evidence that Jesus Christ did not swoon, he did not faint, he did not lose consciousness, neither did he slip momentarily into a coma-like state on the cross of Calvary. But rather, in evidence that Jesus Christ literally died upon the cross of Calvary, and the piercing of his side made certain of his death. This is important. You may ask the question, is the certainty of the Savior's death important? Of course it is. The whole edifice of the Christian faith is built upon the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Without his death, William Jay said, the whole gospel is a cipher, and all our hopes are a delusion. Without his death, all of our hopes are but a delusion. Jay went on to say about the death of Christ, if it be false, I am left to all of the effects of the fall. If it be true, my triumph is complete. The flowing blood and water prove the reality that Christ did die on the cross of Calvary and thereby He paid the wages of sin death for all who will but trust in Him. And so sinner, doubt not the death of the Saviour on the cross. Christ died for us. Christ died for our sins. This is the gospel. He shed His precious blood. And so it is for you to accept that the blood that He shed is able to cleanse your sin away and to bring that much-needed peace of conscience and heart that you so desire in these days. Christ has died for sins, and the rending of His flesh, the piercing of His side, the flowing out of blood and water proves the reality of the Savior's death. Fellow believer, rejoice today that Christ has done. Christ died in your place. Christ died in your stead. And because he has done so, he has paid the sin debt to the full on our behalf. And thank God today for those who are but trusting in Christ for salvation. There is none, none that can lay anything to the charge of God's elect because Christ has died. Christ has shed his blood. Christ has made atonement for sin. Christ has met the demands of the law on our behalf. He has paid the price in its entirety. He cries, it is finished. Christ has died for our sins, and God for that. The rending of His veal of the flesh of Christ proves the reality of the Saviour's death. Not only that, but the rending of the side of Christ and the piercing of His side and the rending of His flesh reveals to us secondly of scriptural prophecy. Not a bone of the Messiah was to be broken. Prophetic utterances by the Psalmist David hundreds of years before the Son of God stepped into this world foretold that he would be pierced in his hands and his feet, Psalm 22. However, other prophets would speak of his piercing. In Isaiah chapter 53, the prophet Isaiah said, but he was wounded. The word is pierced for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes, we are healed. The piercing of Christ foretold by Isaiah the prophet. Zechariah, another Old Testament prophet, would speak of the Messiah's piercing there in Zechariah chapter 12 and the verse 10. Read there, and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. And they shall mourn for him as one mourned for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Isaiah, David, Zechariah, they speak about this piercing, the rending of Christ's flesh upon the cross. Think of it, when the spear of the Roman soldier and ruptured his heart, that spear was following the predetermined pathway planned by God in the council of eternity. This is no accident. This has been determined by God. prophetically spoken of, and that very spear is now moving as it moves towards the very side of Christ. It is moving in a predetermined pathway, ordained by God in the counsel of eternity, because the piercing of Christ is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and his piercing, the rending of his flesh upon the cross, proves the validity of Old Testament prophetic utterances. Not a single Old Testament prophecy concerning the death of Jesus Christ was left unfulfilled. You read through the Gospel accounts and you'll find the repeated phrase, so that it might be done as it was spoken. You'll find references to Old Testament prophecies, Christ knew every single one and he made sure that everyone was fulfilled in his death upon the cross. Every prophecy concerning his death upon the cross was fulfilled to the very letter. Now think of that. Because if every prophecy concerning Christ's first coming and death was fulfilled to the letter, then every prophecy concerning his second coming will be fulfilled in the exact same way. And that should thrill your heart as a believer today. That should thrill your soul today to think that Christ is coming with ten thousands of his saints to gather his redeemed ones home. Thank God for that. And yet while The fulfilment of every prophecy concerning the Saviour's second coming should thrill the heart of every believer. That same truth should terrorise the heart of the unconverted to think that he's coming again to, as Jude put it, to execute judgment upon all. and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them, to think of that sinner, to think that all that has been promised concerning the second coming of Christ and how he is coming to judge the world, that very thought should fill your soul with terror and with dread, to think that he's coming again, not to be your savior, but to be your judge. Oh, sinner, I would counsel you today, before the day of Christ's return breaks, I would counsel you to fly, fly to his wounds, ye guilty ones. His love and his mercy share. We cannot leave you lost alone. want you over there, turn to Christ, turn to the Saviour. Yes, the rending of Christ's flesh improves the reality of the Saviour's death. It improves the validity of scriptural prophecy. Thirdly, when that Roman soldier thrust his spear into the side of Christ and rend his flesh asunder, it revealed the depravity of sinful humanity. It revealed the depravity of sinful humanity. Lord Jesus Christ was already dead when this wicked deed was inflicted upon his body. John 19 verse 30 informs us, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. that we are told that the soldier pierced the side of the Savior with his very spear. Such was the hatred of this man for Christ. And after the Savior had expired, he still saw it necessary to inflict hurt and damage upon the body of Christ. Such an action revealed this man's true feelings for Christ. He despised him. He hated him, he detested him, and therefore he pierced him. He pierced him. Before you're too quick in your condemnation of this man, this soldier, I remind every sinner listening today that you have shamefully treated the Savior. Now you may not have pierced his heart by a spear, But your sin has pierced and grieved his heart. Your sin. Hebrews 10 verse 29 warns the Christ rejecter of how much sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and had done despite to the spirit of Greece. Sinner, to continue on in your sin only reveals the utter depravity of your own heart. I would encourage you to bring that heart, that sinful heart of yours to Christ and let him give you a new heart. And all then will be well with your soul. Piercing of the Saviour, and of his flesh revealed the utter depravity of sinful humanity. This is what the creature does to its creator. They pierced his side. They inflict hurt upon the dead body of Jesus Christ. Such was his hatred. Such was his hostility. Such was the enmity that existed within this man's heart that he takes his spear and pierces it into the very side of Christ. Christ's flesh, the veil of his flesh was rent. The second veil that was rent at Calvary was the veil of a sinner's heart. The veil of a sinner's heart In 2 Corinthians 3, in the verse 15, the apostle Paul speaks of a veal that has come to settle upon the human heart. Let me read that verse for you. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 15. But even until this day when Moses is read, the veal is upon their heart. Now Paul is specifically speaking here of the Jewish heart. And yet the same could be said of every sinner's heart, whether Jew or Gentile, whether those in the Commonwealth of Israel or those outside the Commonwealth of Israel. When the scriptures are read, such is the veal upon the heart of the sinner that they are unable to spiritually comprehend the truths that are presented therein, especially when it comes to the true state of the sinner and the way of God's salvation. Now whenever we think of a veal, we often think of a veal that is worn by a bride today. A thin lace covering that is placed over the head and over the face of the bride so that the bride's features can be seen and can be discerned, yet not fully, but yet in part, the features of the bride's face can be seen. through that thin veil of leaves. However, this is not the kind of veil that Paul is speaking of here. No, this veil was a veil that was used in Bible times that completely concealed the identity of the person who wore the veil. There is an example, I believe, in scripture that proves that the veil in Bible times was much thicker, much denser, than what we have today with regard to the veil that is put over the face of the bride. You'll recall how Jacob had to flee from his brother Esau because he had stolen from him the birthright. Well, Jacob went to live with his uncle Laban. And whilst he was there, he fell in love with Rachel, Laban's wife. youngest daughter, willing to serve seven years for her hand in marriage, Jacob then takes to the looking after of Laban's livestock and flocks. Those seven years flew by and the day of marriage arrived. However unknown to Jacob, Laban brought Leah, not Rachel, but Leah, into Jacob's tent. You can read the account there in Genesis chapter 29. I've often wondered to myself why Jacob didn't realize that it was Leah. But then I remembered that the custom of that day was that the bride was veiled. And with the veil being such a dense covering, with the inability of Jacob to see who it actually was behind the veil, Jacob would have been unaware that it was Leah instead of Rachel. that he was marrying. It wouldn't be until the next morning that Laban's craft and deceit was fully exposed to Jacob. I believe that the dense veil helped Laban in his craft and in his deceit. Such is the veil that is upon the human heart, a dense impenetrable covering that blinds us to our true state before God. The thing about this veil is that it has many and various layers to it. Let me highlight just a number of those layers to you. I think of the layer of ignorance. This is part of the layers that makes up the veil, the layer of ignorance. What a thick layer that is. to the veil that is upon the human heart. In our ignorance, we sin against our Creator. Being ignorant of God's righteousness, we go about to establish our own righteousness. Because of the inherent ignorance within us, we are alienated from the life of God. Our minds are wrapped up in such thick clouds of ignorance that we know neither God, and neither do we know our true state before God. And so there is the layer of ignorance. There is another layer to this veil that is upon the human heart. I think of the layer of pride. Our pride doesn't allow us to admit how sinful we are. Instead of pride, we would believe ourselves to be better than others, and therefore, we think that we have grounds upon which God should accept us. And yet, as Archibald G. Brown said, pride is a daring sin. and disputes the very sovereignty of Jehovah and ventures to rob him of the glory which is his due, it hardens the sinner in his sin and insures his doom by making him spurn the only salvation that saves. And so pride is another layer to the veil that is upon the human heart. There is a third layer to the veil that is upon the sinner's heart. It is the layer of unbelief. We enter this world in unbelief, and such is its hold upon us that we cannot believe the things of God until they are made known to us by divine revelation and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, by illumination and by regeneration. And so, upon the human soul, upon the human heart, upon the human mind, there is this layer of unbelief that makes up the veil It's upon the human heart. What about the layer of enmity? This enmity is man's outright hatred and hostility to God. We read there in Romans chapter eight, verse seven, that the carnal mind is at enmity against God. Sinners oppose God at every turn. They despise his laws. They hate his truth. They reject his son. Such is the enmity of the sinner that they reject the one who came on wings of love. to redeem and to rescue the fallen sons of men. They spurned the one who took the place, who bore the sin, who endured the curse for sinners. Such is the entity. It makes up part of this dense, impenetrable veal that is upon the human heart. To these multiple layers of this veal are added the layers of self-righteousness, the layer of hypocrisy, the layer of religious superstition, the layer of self-will, so that the veil upon the human heart is so thick, so impenetrable, that the light of the gospel cannot penetrate the human heart. Such a veil rested on the hearts of two men. who accompanied the Saviour to the place of public execution. To the Bible reader, they are known as the dying thieves. These were men who were hardened in their sin. They had violated the law of the land, and more importantly, the law of God, and now they were justly suffering for their crimes and for their sins. Both began their time on the cross, reeling on Christ, each blaspheming him and questioning his ability to see. And yet, as the day progressed, something happened in the life of one of the dying thieves. God lifted the veil. God read the veil that was upon his mind and upon his heart, and he came to understand and he came to appreciate who Jesus Christ was and what he could do for him. And that is why he made this request to the Savior, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. That request evidenced the veil that had been upon that dying thief's heart had been rent asunder. Gospel light and truth now flooded into this man's soul, and he was unable to exercise faith now in Jesus Christ. The Savior would respond to that man's faith and promised him that by the close of the day that he would be with him in paradise. For some listening to this message, there is a veil upon your heart today. that inhibits you from seeing Christ and in Christ the beauty that the believer sees in him. If that is you, then I would encourage you to pray that God would lift the veil, that he would rend it asunder so that you would be able to see Christ for who he is and what he has done for sinners. Because whenever the veil of sin is removed, the sinner sees that God can pardon the sinner because propitiation has been made for sin. When the veil of sin has been removed, the sinner sees that the atoning blood of Christ has been shed to satisfy the claims of the broken law. When the veil of sin is removed, the sinner sees that a sacrifice has been offered up to God, which has been accepted. When the veil of sin is removed, the sinner sees that a ransom price has been paid, which the Father has received as satisfaction for the dead Jew. May God then, in his mercy, be pleased this Resurrection Sunday to lift the veil, to rend it asunder, so that you might be able to behold the Lamb of God, who for sinners was slain. At the cross, the veil of sin, with regard to this dying thief, was rent asunder, and this man received gospel light and gospel truth, that enabled him to embrace Jesus Christ in his dying hours. Oh, that today God would rend the veil and that gospel light would flood into your soul, that you would see Christ for who he is and what he has done for sinners. One final veil that was rent at Calvary was the veil of the temple, the veil of the temple. Three of the four gospel writers make mention of this dramatic event within the temple precincts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We're told by each of the three gospel writers that at the moment the Savior yielded up the ghost, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to the bottom. That thick curtain which separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple and through which The high priest alone would pass once every year to make atonement for the sins of the nation. That thick dividing curtain was split from the top right to the bottom. The direction of the rending of that veal is important from top to bottom because it shows us that God, not man, was the one who rended the veal. It signaled that Christ's death first and foremost satisfied God and provided then for us a way into God's presence. I believe that the rending of the veal signified three important things. Firstly, it signified the abolition of the Jewish ceremonial system, the abolition of the Jewish ceremonial system. The rending of the veal testified that the animal sacrifices and the ordinances of the temple were no longer needed. The work was done the moment Christ died for sin upon the cross. No need for any other earthly high priest. No need for the mercy seat, as it were, the physical mercy seat. No need for the sprinkling of blood. No need for the offering up of incense. No need for a day of atonement because the great high priest has appeared and he has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. It is the end of the ceremonial Jewish system. The abolition of it. No more need for animal sacrifices. Christ has made a sacrifice for sin. Secondly, the red field signified the opening up of salvation for both Jew and Gentile. The opening up of salvation for both Jew and Gentile. J.C. Rye remarked, the way into God's presence was unknown to the Gentile, and only seen dimly by the Jew until Christ died. But Christ having now offered up a perfect sacrifice, and obtained eternal redemption, the darkness and mystery were to pass away. All were to be invited now to draw near to God with boldness and approach Him with confidence by faith in Jesus. He says, a door was thrown open and a way of life set before the whole world. A door opened and a way of life set before the whole world. Let me ask you, have you entered through that door, that open door? God has removed all barriers, all hindrances that you must, but you must come to him. You must come to him. When the veil of the temple was rent, it signified that God who dwelt behind the veil upon the mercy seat was coming out to pardon the sinner in mercy. as well as then to bring them into the Father's house of grace. I asked you, have you met God in this way? The way to God has been opened up by Christ, but have you come to God by him? Do you know the Son savingly? The rent veal signified a third and final thing. It signified the free and full access that now the Christian has into God's presence. In Hebrews 10 verse 19 and 20 we read, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veal, that is to say his flesh. Christ in his humanity died to open up this new and living way to God. By his death the Christian has unfettered access to God. As Hebrews 10 verse 22 goes on to say, the believer, the late, can now draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. So let me encourage every Christian to avail themselves of that high privilege today, to come before the throne of grace and to speak to your God in prayer Calvary has made such possible. A new and living way has been opened up for us that we can with confidence, we can enjoy the privileges of the priesthood of all believers. We can enter into God's presence. We can call upon his name. We can find ourselves, thank God before him, in prayer. How we all need to be on praying ground. in these days, with nothing between us and the Lord, and nothing between us and other believers, so that our prayers be not hindered. Christ's death has opened heaven for the child of God. And so today we remember how Christ's veil was rent upon the cross, and how his blood freely flowed for our redemption. We remember that the opening up of the blood-filled fountain made it possible for the dying thief, whose veil of ignorance was rent asunder, to be cleansed of his sin. We remember the temple veil was rent, and so now every child of God has free and full access into God's presence, whether they be Jew or whether they be Greek. There is a cessation of the Jewish ceremonial system, the opening up of salvation for both Jew and Gentile, and the full and free access that the Christian has into God's presence. May we dwell upon these truths on this Resurrection Sunday, and may these truths be a rich source of comfort in these days. Three veils that were rendered Calvary. The veil of his flesh, Christ's flesh. The veil of ignorance and sin upon the dying thief's heart. The veil of the temple. Thank God we can now approach God. We can now access God in prayer. We can exercise God. May God be pleased to bless his word to your heart and may you be encouraged as you've listened to God's word today. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. Let's seek the Lord. Loving Father, we commit our time together. We pray in our Saviour's precious name that thou would use thy word and may it be an encouragement to all who are watched in today. We thank thee for the Saviour, the rending of his flesh. We thank thee for the blood that flowed from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. May today many plunge. This is a day of resurrection, a day, as it were, of new beginning. May it be a day of new beginning for many a soul, and may many enter into the Redeemer's kingdom. Lord, we thank thee. for this man who was saved in his dying hours. We thank thee, O God, for the veil.