You turn in the Bible tonight to Matthew's Gospel. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 27. It's nice to be here again with you. I trust that God will bless His word to all of our hearts. Matthew 27, and I want to focus your attention upon verses 50 through 54. Let's begin at verse 50. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost, and behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city, that is Jerusalem, and appeared unto many. And when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly this was the Son of God. May God bless his word. to all of our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. We'll take a moment to bow for prayer, please. We thank thee tonight again for the privilege of turning to thy word. We thank thee for many things that are familiar to us in the scriptures, the things that we've known for a long time. And we also thank Thee for the things that we may not be so familiar with. We do pray that even regarding those things, that light will be given to us. And that with the passing of time, we will come to have a greater understanding of the Holy Scriptures, that we might inquire into things that may appear to be difficult. And we find many difficult things in the Scriptures. But we thank Thee for the guide that thou hast promised to help with our understanding of the things of God. And so tonight we pray, thou wilt send thy gracious spirit to lead us. Bless the very youngest one here, bless the oldest one here as well. And may it be a joyful time, gathering around the word of God. May we sense thy nearness, sense thy presence. And when we leave the house of God, May we take at least one thing new, one thing that we've learned with us, and may it always be in the mind and may we never forget it. Hear us as we pray and do us good tonight for Christ's sake. Amen. All four Gospels report the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, Matthew, unlike the others, includes in his report details of certain miracles that took place when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross. Now, it's not surprising that miracles accompanied the death of Christ, since they also accompanied his birth. Of course, we think about the virgin birth. That was a miracle. And the visitations of the angels, those were miracles too. And then we think of the star sent to the wise men to lead them to Bethlehem. But we do not often pay the same attention to the miracles wrought at Calvary. These other miracles are more familiar to us and maybe we hear more often about those things. And there's maybe a good reason why we don't hear so much about the Calvary miracles is that his death was followed by his resurrection, which is the most important miracle of all. And we tend to focus on that. And that's a great theme to dwell upon from time to time. Now in Matthew chapter 27, we are at Calvary. Calvary was a place of great malice. Calvary was a place of great mercy. And Calvary was a place of great miracles. And for a little time, we're going to think about some of the Calvary miracles. Our brothers asked me to speak in this, and I trust it will prove to be beneficial to you. But by way of introduction, did you know that when the Lord Jesus Christ was hanging on that little cross, He was offered vinegar, or wine, on two different occasions. The first time is in Matthew 27 and verse 34, and there we read, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall, and when he had tasted the wrath, he would not drink. Now the parallel passage is Mark's Gospel chapter 15, verse 23, Only there Mark's account is slightly different because he says there that they gave him wine mingled with myrrh, but he received it not. Now the bitterness in the vinegar or in the wine was due to the myrrh. The myrrh was used for a variety of things in Bible times as a perfume. as a scent to put on beds and clothes, even for embalming and so on, things like that. But the bitterness in the wine was due to the myrrh. So having tasted this mixture, the Lord refused to drink it. Now you may ask the question, why did he do that? In a short time he would cry for water. He cried out, I thirst. So obviously he was thirsty. His throat must have been dry and his lips must have been parched. So why did he not drink this drink, this mixture that was offered to him the first time? The reason is very simple, just bear with me. It was customary for a wealthy woman, a woman of Jerusalem, to provide a narcotic drink. I suppose we could say it was a drug. to those who were being crucified to help ease their excruciating pain. To die by crucifixion was an awful ordeal, and those who were crucified suffered terribly. And these wealthy women from Jerusalem, they had compassion on these men who died from time to time. And they made this mixture and they brought it down. Whether they handed the drink to the people who were dying or gave it to the soldiers to pass on to those men, I cannot say for sure. Jesus was offered this particular mixture and he tasted it. And when he realized what it was, he refused it. And there's a reason why he refused that, because he chose to endure with full consciousness the sufferings appointed him by the Father when he became our substitute on Calvary's cross. Because that day on the cross, Christ would actually suffer hell. And he did not draw back or he would not accept anything that would ease that. And anyway, that's the reason why he refused to take this particular narcotic drink. Now, it's interesting that myrrh is associated with his birth, and it is also associated with his death. Remember the wise men who came from the East? They brought three gifts. That does not mean that only three wise men gathered on that occasion. They brought the gold, the frankincense and the myrrh. So myrrh is associated with the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and now, as he is about to leave the world, Myrrh is associated with his death because it was mingled with the wine and that gave the bitterness taste to the drink that he was offered on that occasion. And I think that the Lord in his providence saw to it that the wise men brought the Myrrh to teach an important lesson. And the lesson is very simple, that the baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when he gave his life on the cross for sinners. He was born to die. He was born to die for sinners. And I think even in the Myrrh being brought by the wise men was an indication of that right from the very beginning. God was saying this is why he was born. so that one day he would offer himself as a sacrifice for sin. I thought that was interesting. That was offered to him, as mentioned there in verse 48 of Matthew 27. And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink. And the thing about it is, according to Mark's account in chapter 15 verse 35, he received it. So why did he receive one drink, this drink, and then he refused to accept the other one? Well, I told you, the other one was like a drug, a narcotic. And he wanted to have a clear mind to be able to face the cross with that clear mind. Now, as death approached, according to John's gospel, chapter 19, Christ cried, I thirst. And in verse 29 of John 19, we read, There was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon Hesop, and put it to his mouth, and he received it. Now this was really a sour wine vinegar mentioned in the Old Testament. as a refreshing drink. For example, in the book of Ruth, chapter 2, verse 14, remember the time Ruth went out into the barley field, the time came for a break, And the reaper said to Ruth, you can come, you can dip your bread in the vinegar. It was there in the field for the laborers. It was cheap and expensive. It was the common drink for laborers, the common drink for the soldiers. And that's the reason why it was provided there for Ruth and for the reapers in the harvest field. It was a common beverage used by the laborers and the soldiers because it apparently relieved thirst more effectively than water and was inexpensive. And that was the cheap wine that the soldiers would bring to relieve their thirst. They would be supervising the scene and they were there from nine o'clock, maybe three o'clock, whatever, noontime sun, the heat of the day. It was warm work. And so they brought this drink from the barracks. It was the common drink. And then when they were thirsty, they were able to take it. And we're told here that someone took a sponge, attached it to some hyssop, and they put it to the lips. His hands were nailed to the cross. His feet were nailed to the cross. His throat was parched. His lips were dry. and they put the sponge, and so you can see them putting the sponge up here, and we can see the Lord Jesus Christ sucking, sucking. That's the only way he can do it, sucking the wine, because he had something important to say. When I come to the pulpit, I like to have a glass of water. I like to be lubricated when I come to preach. I'm sure Mr. Stewart is the same. Christ has something important to say, and they want it to be lubricated. After all, he came through a lot, previous night, nine o'clock in the morning, right through, and what a saviour. He's coming to die for his people. And this was in fulfillment of what was written there in Psalm 69. They gave me also gall. There's a mention of the gall, the bitter substance from wormwood or from the myrrh for my meat. And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. He's fulfilling prophecy. Everything Jesus did fulfilled prophecy. and prophecy was fulfilled when he came to die on the cross of Calvary. So the first wine was designed to dull his pain, to keep him from having to endure the cross with full, but he wanted to endure the cross with full consciousness, so he refused. The second wine was given to keep him conscious for a little bit longer, thus having the effect of prolonging his pain. But I also mentioned there, in John 19, 29, they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon Hyssop, and they put it to his mouth. Have you ever heard that word Hyssop before? I'm sure you've heard Mr. Stewart preach in the book of Exodus, chapter 12, when the Israelites marked their doorposts came to the Passover night with the lamb's blood in order for the angel to pass over them that night. What did the Lord say they were to use? Like a paintbrush. I'm sure some of you have painted at times. Maybe not. Your time's coming. They were to take the hyssop you see and dip it in the blood. And then they were to put it in the side posts and the door posts. And here at Calvary, they put the sponge on the hyssop and they're dipping it into the bucket of wine, the red wine, that we don't see typified in the Old Testament, in the blood. And here we see now, he's coming to die. And they're taking the hyssop. I don't know how high Christ was up on the cross, but they reached it up to him. on the hyssop. That was the first Passover ever and God told them to take the hyssop, to use that to apply the blood. This was Christ's last Passover, last Passover for him. And here we see him now receiving this wine and we have it attached there to the hyssop on the sponge. And in the book of Exodus, the application of the blood signifying that God was marking his people as being pure, as being acceptable, not the targets of the judgment that would fall on the Egyptians. David mentions hyssop in Psalm 51 verse 7. He says, cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean. We have the thought of cleansing. And when Christ went to the cross, he went to the cross to cleanse away our sins, to make his night to God, to bring forgiveness to those who would trust in him for salvation. So this is just a few words by way of introduction. to the one hanging on the cross, and then he comes to die. And the Bible tells us that the veil of the temple was rent or torn and twined from top to bottom, verse 51. Now the temple, the first temple, the initial temple, was built by Solomon on Mount Moriah. That's where the temple stood and Christ said, well, on that same spot, Mount Moriah. Solomon built the temple a thousand years before Christ. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586, completely destroyed. It was rebuilt on the same site by Zerubbabel, remember, in the days of Ezra. After the return from captivity, remember the work Ezra did, he was responsible for the temple. You think about the writings of Malachi and Zechariah to encourage those involved in the work of building the temple at the return from Babylon. And then it was repaired and extended and beautified by Herod But it was still unfinished in the time of the Lord Jesus Christ. So Christ worshipped in this temple. The first temple was destroyed. The second temple was erected by Zerubbabel. And then, it wasn't the third temple, it really was expanded and beautified by Herod, the king. This was the temple that Christ worshipped in. And the temple proper was divided into two parts. You have the holy part and the priests ministered in here. And then you have the holy of holies. Only the high priest entered once a year in through the veil into the presence of God. And the two compartments, if you like, were divided by a veil, a beautiful veil. And into the holy of holies, no man ventured except the high priest who points us to Christ. The ordinary believers point us to believers who are a holy priesthood, but the high priest points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. And once a year, the high priest lifted the corner of that heavy curtain and entered into the Holy of Holies, carrying with him the sacrificial blood, and he sprinkled the blood before and on the mercy seat. And there he made supplication for the people of Israel. And that thick veil separated its sinners from the Holy God, and it hung there solemnly declaring to men, thus far and no further. Keep out, you're not fit to enter here. I'm sure that somewhere around Portland, Owen, I'm not too familiar with Portland, Owen, but I'm sure there are places you see signs, keep out, no entry, so on. You know what it's like? Well that was just like the big sign in a sense. That's what the veil was saying. No entrance. You can't come into the presence of God. Something has got to be done in order for you to be able to enter into the presence of God. So the veil teaches man is separated from God. That's the truth that we all need to keep before us. Isaiah 59 verse 2. Now we are told I'm just wondering, what height would that be up to that point there? How many feet would that be up to that very point up there? Up there, it could be 20, 25 feet. Well, we are told that the veil was 60 feet high. Have a good look at that there, that's 20 feet, maybe it's more than 20 feet. 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and the thickness of the palm of a man's hand. Now that cannot be confirmed, but most commentators believe it was about four inches thick and was composed of 72 squares woven of thick fabric. It took a lot of men, priests, to put that up. So 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, four inches thick. And the Bible says it was torn in two equal places. Luke 23, 45 says the veil was rent in the midst. Only Matthew and Mark tells us it was torn from the top to the bottom. Now you think of that, 60 feet up there. No man's gonna get up there really. It had to be from above. God had to come down and tear it from the top. It began at the top and all the way down to the bottom it was rent in the midst. No man tore it down. It did not fall apart from natural decay. There wasn't a rent in it. God tore it in part. It was rent at the precise moment Jesus died on the cross, the time of the evening sacrifice, which was 3 p.m. in the afternoon. So at the very moment Christ died on the cross. My, you can imagine what it must have sounded like. The veil, 60 feet up. It was run from the top all the way down to the bottom. And the priests would have been in the holy place at that time, in front of the veil, engaged in their priestly duties. And God meant for them to see his hand upon the events. And one of the results of the rent veil was a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith, Acts 6 verse 7. And they were convinced through what God did on that occasion. So God opened a way into his presence for trusting, believing sinners. There's access to God through the work of Christ. And Paul tells us in Ephesians 2.18, we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. And that word translated access is used to introducing a person into the presence of a king or where a ship docks, where a ship docks as a haven. haven of rest for the ship and through the blood of Christ a way has been opened up into the presence of God that brings us nigh into his presence and introduces us to the King of glory and we have a haven of peace through the blood of the cross. So you get the picture now, you get this massive veil It's saying, you can't commend your sinners. Something has got to be done for you to be able to come into my presence. And when Christ died on the cross, that veil was rent from top to bottom. And God is saying now, the way into my presence is opened through the work I accomplished on the cross. That's the first miracle. And then we're told, it goes on, and behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. Now, we cannot understand, and we do not understand certain aspects of these miracles. The meaning of the veil is the easiest to decipher, I think, in a way. But the darkness that accompanied Christ's dying on the cross is not explained here. Let me suggest to you something about the darkness that fell for three hours when the Son of God hung on the cross from 12 noon to 3 pm. It was Passover time and for three hours there was darkness. And that reminds us of the first Passover way back in Exodus chapter 12. And before that Passover, before the 10th plague came, according to Exodus chapter 10, 21 and 22, God sent a darkness that was felt, a thick darkness over all the land of Egypt. It was followed then by the shedding of the blood of the lamb and the judgment upon the Egyptians. Now, hell is described in the Bible as outer darkness. Three times over in Matthew's Gospel that very term is used, outer darkness. It's associated with being cast out into outer darkness. It's the thought of weeping and gnashing of teeth. And it certainly refers to the judgment of hell. Now remember at this time, In the darkness, those three hours of darkness, the Lord Jesus Christ suffered hell for his people. And that's the reason why there's no hell for those who trust and believe in Christ. Because he stayed on the cross until he paid in full the ransom price. And he had to pay by suffering hell for his people. Compacted into those three hours in the darkness. because as I've said, outer darkness represents hell. In the Old Testament, we're told about those three days of darkness preceded the Passover. Three hours of darkness associated with Christ taking our place and suffering. And when he cried, it is finished, What was he saying? All the suffering of hell has been completed. It's finished. And for my people, there will be no suffering in hell. Because I finished it. I've taken it all. I have satisfied the Father. I have performed all that He required of me. It's finished. It's done. It's complete. And for those who die unrepentant, they will have to suffer this in person. The darkness, the agony, the pain for eternity. Remember what Jesus cried? I thirst. Thirst is associated with hell. Luke chapter 16 verse 24 tells us about the rich man and he wanted Abraham to send Lazarus. Lazarus was a believer. His name means Jehovah helps. Jehovah was his helper. and he wanted Abraham to send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. He was thirsty, for I am tormented in this flame. Earthquakes themselves are not miraculous, but the timing of this one was. It took place the moment Christ died. And because of the timing of the earthquake, it is evident that God may have known his presence at Calvary. The whole earth cried out for the death of the Saviour. Matthew does not explain what the earthquake meant. but it probably corresponded to the giving of the law at Mount Sinai in the book of Exodus, chapters 19 and 20. And when the law was given at Mount Sinai to Moses and to the people of Israel, we're told that the earth shook. And the people who stood at the bottom of the mountain, they trembled with fear. God was giving his law. And the law of God really speaks of the holiness of God and it shows the sinfulness of man. And the people stood there trembling when the law was received and the earthquake came. And the law reveals the sinfulness of man. And it makes sin appear in its true light. We're condemned by the law because we've broken the law. And the earthquake at Calvary parallels the earthquake at Sinai. And reminds us that the law was given by Moses. And by that law we're condemned as sinners. It exposes our sin. We're lawbreakers. But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He lived a holy, spotless life. He kept the law perfectly for those given to him in the covenant of redemption. And when he died on the cross of Calvary, he sealed the covenant by the shedding of his blood to redeem his people from the curse of the law. So Calvary quenches the fires of Sinai. In verse 50, we're told Jesus, when he cried with a loud voice, I want you to think about that voice as I move on to the final point. Think about that voice. It's a loud voice. And it's the word megas. You've maybe seen a saying outside a store. Megastore. It's a big store. Massive store. And that word is used. That's the word for loud. Translate it loud. And it can refer to a big fish or a large upper room. That's the idea. That's the picture. And this was with a loud voice. And this loud voice is associated with a tree. It's mentioned a number of times there, but it's all to do with the cross. He's on the tree. You have the different accounts in the different Gospels talks about the loud voice. So in that context, it's associated with a tree. there's another time, the only other place, as far as I can make out, where that loud voice of Christ is heard. So, all these references at the end of the Gospel is to do with the tree, his suffering. The only other time a loud voice is mentioned is John's Gospel, chapter 11, and there it's associated with the tomb. because he comes to the tomb of Lazarus and then with a loud voice he cries, Lazarus, come forth. So this loud voice is associated with the tree and then it's associated with the tomb. Why am I telling you this? He triumphed over the tomb by his work on the tree. Now the first time, I'm sure you know this, You may be getting some of these days in your quiz. So I'm telling you now, just in case it ever turns up, the first time his voice is heard in scripture after his birth is Luke 2, verse 49. Wrong book year, Mark. This is Luke 2, verse 49. Where was the voice heard? Remember, Mary and Joseph found him in the temple, verse 46. Final time, before his death, his voice was heard When? Or where? On the tree. Luke is very specific. In Luke chapter 2, he tells us where in the temple it was. In the midst of the doctors. Who were the doctors? It's not a doctor, surgery you're talking about here. Not a physician. It's a teacher. That was the term used for teachers. So he was found in the midst of the teachers. And John is very specific. where Christ used this loud voice on the tree in the midst of the thieves. Both places are associated with sacrifice. The first time he spoke, do you remember what he said? He said to Mary, I must be about my father's business. And the final time he spoke, He said, Father, into my hands I commend my spirit. The first time he spoke about the Father, and the second time he spoke to the Father. You see, all through his life, from the time he was 12 to the time he was 33, whatever, he sought to glorify the Father. Now, as young people and as older people, we need to strive for that too. And all that we think and do and say, we ought to glorify the Father. So we have looked at two of these things. Then finally, we want to think then about the next part, verse 52. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and were into the holy city and appeared unto many. So it seems As a result of the earthquake, then, these rocks were split. It's not a little seam split, you know, it's a mighty split here. It took an earthquake to split the rocks covering the bodies or around the tombs, the graves. So it took a miracle to open these graves. Most of them, if not all, were located at or around Calvary, certainly close to Jerusalem. I don't think that went any further than that. I think it was limited to the Calvary area and close to Jerusalem. But not every tomb was opened. It was only the graves of the saints. Now, we do not know whether these Old Testament saints had died long ago or just recently. We're not told that. Or how long they remained alive. Were these permanent resurrections? We don't know. when they transport it to heaven like Elijah? I don't know. Or did they die again? What were the examples of the better resurrection Hebrews 11 verse 35 talks about? The final resurrection body? I don't think so. Or were they in the case of Lazarus merely the resurrection of their mortal earthly bodies? Opening the graves implies an earthly resurrection because the idea that the gravestones needed to be moved so that spiritual resurrected bodies could be released is illogical. A spiritual body has spiritual properties. What do I mean by that? In his resurrection body, Jesus entered the room where the disciples were on the resurrection day. He didn't come in through a door. He didn't come lower down into the midst from above. He didn't come in through a window. He just appeared, you see. He's in a spiritual body. And the restrictions are gone, you see. He just suddenly appeared in their midst. And then he suddenly disappeared. So the fact that an earthquake was needed indicates to me that these were earthly resurrections. He was out of the tomb long before the stone was removed, when he was brought forth from the tomb. The tomb, or the stone was removed from the tomb to let the disciples see that the tomb was empty. It wasn't rolled away to let Jesus out, because he was gone long before that. He was in a spiritual body, you see. And that's our example. This is what it will be like with us and our new glorified body. All the limitations will be gone. And I can't go into all the details of what it must be like and what it will be like for the people of God. But his resurrected body is the true model for all true believers. Now, we're not told about the state of these raised bodies. They weren't zombies. They weren't corpses. They were bodies. They're probably revived natural bodies, but their final resurrected bodies will only be given to them at the second coming of Christ. Now, at this point of time, all those who are, who were trusting in Christ and who've died in Christ, their souls are in heaven. There's no such a thing as soul sleep. All those loved ones of ours who've gone on before in Christ, in their souls, they are fully conscious, enjoying the presence of Christ in their souls. But when the day of resurrection comes and Christ returns again, there will be a reunion of the soul with the body, a new glorified spiritual body. and then for eternity we'll go in, in that glorified body to our eternal inheritance in heaven because we're not fit to get to heaven in these bodies of ours. So that's gonna be a glorious day. And here we can see these bodies being raised, the bodies of the saints in the locality around Jerusalem and the cross. Christ has torn away the bars from death. He's defeated death. And he's liberated his people. And he's freed his people. And we have peace with God. This is a foretaste of what will come at the end of time. The final resurrection of which the apostles spoke of in 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 6, the dead in Christ will rise. That's a glorious thought. And that day, then the body will be reunited with the soul, will go into the presence of the great king and be with him in these spiritual bodies. And there's no telling what it's going to be like, really. We have information given to us, but the half has not been told yet. And when we get home and experience it, we'll, oh, we'll wander for eternity in the presence of Christ. Now it seems then that the graves were opened and then three days after Christ's resurrection, if I'm reading it right I could be wrong, but the graves were opened and then when Christ was raised, he's the first fruits of those who sleep, then three days later they were raised And then they went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and I don't know what they said, where they went, what the people thought when they saw these things. I don't know, we're not told that in the holy scriptures. But the open graves were a demonstration of the power of God before a watching world. This is what God did. This is what God did through the death of his son and through his resurrection from the grave. He tore away the bars from death and hell. And ever since the resurrection and ascension of Christ, all believers ascend to the presence of the Lord and they are awaiting that great resurrection when they will be reunited with their resurrection bodies. The same thing happened, you know, when the Lord spoke with that loud voice in John's gospel at the grave of Lazarus. What happened when that voice was heard? Lazarus came out of the grave. Was that not a foreshadowing then of what took place when Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God? Bodies came out of the grave. There's life in Christ. There's life for Luke at the crucified one. His death destroyed the power of death and thank God has saved his people from the penalty of sin and sin is no longer a grip upon the redeemed of God. And the truth is a better day is coming. I suppose I could say many more things. But I've tried as best I can and as simple as I can to deal with some of these Calvary miracles. You think about the veil of the temple being rent in Twain. Next time you come into the church again, look over that point of that a few more feet onto it and say, that was a powerful veil, 30 feet wide, four inches thick. and yet God opened up a way into his presence. Adam was excluded from the Garden of Eden, put out, but through the death of Christ we're brought in. Think about the earthquake, think about Sinai and the law, and Christ then satisfying, fulfilling the law of God. And we are no longer law breakers, but in Christ we're law keepers. And then you think about these resurrected bodies. That is a wonderful picture of what's going to happen one of these days, maybe sooner than later. I trust that our Bible study tonight has been of some benefit to you. I know there may be deep things here, but if you take time to sit down some time and think about it quietly, turn these things over in your mind. Look at the scriptures I quoted tonight, and I trust and pray that God will bless you and give you enough time to study the scriptures for yourself. May the Lord be pleased to bless this word. We just close in prayer. Let's just close in prayer. We thank thee tonight for thy word. We trust that even now it will be used of the Lord to educate the young people who have sat so patiently tonight and have shown good attention to thy word. There may be things here hard for some of them to understand and comprehend. That's the way we all find it from time to time. But even as they take time, quietly, sitting by themselves, may they be able to turn these things over in their minds. and begin to study the Bible in a fashion and in a way that makes Bible reading profitable for them. Change our hearts and change our lives even through studying the cross, studying the work of Christ, and keeping our thoughts focused upon the one who died, the one who was buried, the one who was raised, and the one who's coming again. Hear us as we pray, and if there should be one here yet out of Christ, we ask that even though by the spirit to cause them to look to Christ by faith alone and to trust in the atoning blood to save them from their sin and fit them for that day when they appear before God. Dismiss us with thy blessing. We ask these things in the Savior's name and for Jesus' sake, amen.