We’re going to look at two passages this evening, the first in Mark, chapter 6. That’s on page 1,070 of your Pew Bibles. And then Numbers, chapter 11, which I believe is on page 151 of your Pew Bibles. 1 Mark 6, beginning at verse 32. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. And when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, this is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.
Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. But he answered them, you give them something to eat. And they said to him, shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat? And he said to them, how many loaves do you have?
Go and see. And when they had found out, they said, five and two fish. Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing, and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they took up 12 baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.”
Now, if you turn to Numbers, chapter 11, we’ll continue our study there. And I’ll be reading the chapter. Once again, let’s give attention to the very word of God. And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes. And when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Tibera. because the fire of the Lord burned among them.
Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, oh, that we had meat to eat. We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength has dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. Now the manna was like a coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium, People went about and gathered it and ground it in hand mills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it. Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly and Moses was displeased. Moses said to the Lord, why have you dealt ill with your servant?
And why have I not found favor in your sight that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth that you should say to me, carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child? To the land that you swore to give their fathers, where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, give us meat that we may eat. I’m not able to carry all this people alone. The burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once. If I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.
Then the Lord said to Moses, gather for me 70 men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them, and I will bring them to the tent of meeting and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there, and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them. And they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.
And say to the people, consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat. For you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt. Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or 10 days, or 20 days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why did we come out of Egypt? But Moses said, the people among whom I am a number 600,000 on foot, and you have said I will give them meat that they may eat a whole month.
Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them and be enough for them? And the Lord said to Moses, is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.
So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered 70 men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the 70 elders.
And as soon as the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not continue doing it. Now, two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other named Amidad, and the spirit rested on them. But they were not among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent. So they prophesied in the camp.
And a young man ran and told Moses, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. And Joshua, the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, my Lord, Moses, stop them. Moses said to him, are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people, Lord’s people, were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit on them. And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
Then a wind from the Lord sprang up and it brought quail from the sea Let them fall beside the camp about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side around the camp about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day and gathered the quail. Those who gathered the least gathered 10 homers and they spread out for themselves all around the camp.
While the meat was yet between their teeth before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. Therefore, the name of that place was called Kibroth Hatava, because they buried the people who had the craving. From Kibroth Hatava, the people journeyed to Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.”
That’s from the reading of God’s Word. Thanks be to God. Praise the Lord. Amen. Would you pray with me? Father in heaven, we ask now, as we come to a passage An Old Testament passage, a passage of truth, a passage of reality, a passage of sin, passage of your anger. Help us, Lord. Guide us. Guide us tonight. Convict us of our own sin. And then, Lord God, we pray, comfort us with the comfort of Christ. We ask this in his name. Amen.
How weighty is your sin? Seemingly, the disciples didn’t believe that their sin was very weighty as they questioned Jesus. He called them to go and feed the people as they had come to him in a desolate place and as they were weary and the Lord knew it and he had compassion upon them because he knew that they were like a sheep without a shepherd. He calls his disciples and calls them to give them something to eat. And they doubt that it’s possible to feed this throng, 5,000 men plus women plus children. It was the sin of disbelief. It was the sin of doubt.
Seemingly viewed in the disciples’ eyes, their hearts as being very small, but Jesus knew the weight of it, he was beginning to feel the weight of the sins of these disciples, even as he feeds the 5,000, proving to them his compassion and proving his power.
In a sense, that brings us to our passage tonight in Numbers chapter 11. At this point, we know that the Lord has provided all that the people needed in order to head to the promised land, to begin their journey to the promised land. The tent of meeting has been assembled. It’s been constructed. The priests have been consecrated. The Levites have been set aside. The work of the temple has been, the tabernacle has been established. And now it’s been taken down and they have set out. They’re on the way. And that’s where we are. In Numbers chapter 11, we begin to, in a sense, watch the people as they walk, as they travel to the promised land. Tonight, in this chapter, we have many things going on.
Seemingly, at the same time, we have the people complaining and sinning against God as they were dissatisfied with that which he had given them in the manna. We have the burning anger of the Lord. flowing, in a sense, just flowing out upon the people as a result of their sins against him.
We have Moses’ complaint that the Lord is not favoring him as he sees the weight of the people bearing down upon him and complaining to the Lord that he is unable to continue bearing it. We see the Lord’s mercy and grace given to Moses as 70 elders are appointed to help Moses with bearing this burden. all of this tonight in this short chapter. I’m hoping that we see here that the Lord Jesus Christ only is able to bear the burden of the sins of the people of God. The Lord Jesus Christ only is able to bear the burden of the sins of the people of God.
We’ll see that in three points tonight. First, sin is offensive to a holy God. Secondly, burning anger is a just response. And then finally, finally, the Lord Jesus is able to bear the weight. Well, first, as we begin to open this passage, I want you to be asking yourself that question, how weighty is my sin? First head, sin is offensive to a holy God.
It seems that the Israelites barely get out of the doors of their tents as they begin their journey to the promised land. And what happens? They immediately began complaining, murmuring, grumbling, weeping over their misfortunes, as the translators have it for us tonight in verse 1. Remember, we just read about four verses ago that they set out from the Mount, the Mount Sinai, on a three days journey. The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was before them. It was seeking out a resting place. God, in a sense, is with them. He’s leading them to their next place of rest.
And initially, we’re not quite sure what brings about this discontentment. They are complaining about their misfortunes. The new American standard puts it this way, the people became like those who complain of adversity. But then we’re told this all has to do with food.
The rabble that was with them had a strong craving, they had greedy desires, and they wanted everyone to know what they wanted. And so they encourage or lead the people, the entire congregation, the entire assembly, to weep and remember what they had in Egypt. Oh, we had meat to eat. Remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing? Cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlics. But now we just have this manna, that which the Lord was providing, the bread of heaven.
From their perspective, according to their desires, it wasn’t satisfactory. Like the rabble, seemingly all Israel wanted something else. The Lord’s menu fell short, according to their desires, according to the longings of their stomachs. And so they weep, they complain, they grumble, they murmur, they express their discontent. They deserved more. They deserve something better, from their perspective. The Lord had not provided. He had not provided well.
So in their hearts and minds, they were right to grumble, complain, even weep in this three-day journey. In their hearts, they were a worthy people, worthy of more and different, and from their perspective, worthy of better. Even as we have this description of the manna that which the Lord provided.
Ultimately, this was doubt, wasn’t it? Ultimately, this was doubt or disbelief that the Lord desired to bless His people. Ultimately, this was doubt that the Lord was actually providing good for them in the manna that was falling day after day. Ultimately, it was doubt or disbelief that the Lord knew what was spiritually good and physically best for His people. Doubt is a theme, actually.
In this chapter, the second sin mentioned here, maybe you missed it, maybe you didn’t notice it, but as Moses receives the grumbling and complaining of his fellow Israelites and he’s overcome with the burden that that causes to be left upon his shoulders, this leader, this one who was chosen by God to lead his people out of Egypt, has now been burdened by their sin and with their dissatisfaction, their discontentment, and their complaining.
And Moses is beside himself. And so he seeks the face of the Lord. And he brings his complaint to him. Even as the Lord hears the complaining of the people, he brings his own complaint. And what does the Lord do? He says, fine, I’ll provide meat. Now, certainly he does this in judgment upon the people.
But he tells Moses that I’m going to provide meat, not for a few days, but for an entire month. And it’s as if Moses is now scanning the camp, and he’s looking at it, saying, there’s 600,000 men here, plus women and children. Where are you going to get that? The fish of the sea wouldn’t feed this group.
And so Moses doubts. He doubts the power of God. He doubts the ability of the creator of the universe. He doubts the one who brought about the ten plagues on the Egyptians. He doubts the one who parted the Red Sea and has given him this task of leading his people to that promised land. He doubts the ability of the sovereign God of all.
Well, when we read passages like this, I think our tendency is to begin pointing fingers. Look at those rabbles, those discontented Israelites. How is that possible? The Lord was so kind and gracious to them, pulling them out of Egypt and blessed them at the foot of Mount Sinai. How is it possible for them to now complain like this? How is it possible for Moses to question the power of God?
The people were blessed. Pillar of cloud and fire was leading them. The Ark of the Covenant was going before them. The Lord himself was with them. They were headed to a land flowing with milk and honey, which had been promised by God to them forever. How could they complain? How could they weep so loudly that the Lord would hear? How could Moses doubt? It reminds us of the garden, doesn’t it? They had everything that God had given to them in paradise, just like the Israelites. Adam and Eve wanted something different, and just like Adam and Eve, so did the Israelites.
And we are constantly pointing our fingers at them, aren’t we? But each of these events should cause us to examine our own hearts. in part why the Lord gives us passages like this. I think in part the Spirit is saying to us tonight, examine your own heart. Like Adam and Eve, like the Israelites on the other side of the Red Sea, like these here in Numbers, we’re quick to forget and quick to complain. We’re quick to discount the Lord’s blessings and quick to determine in our own corrupt wisdom that we deserve more and better. So every time we come to a passage like this, I think we must be quick to turn our fingers back upon our own hearts. I think we must be quick to say, thank you for this reminder of my own folly. Must be quick to remember that we don’t deserve anything but hell and damnation, and must be quick to remind ourselves of the grace, mercy, blessing, and power of God.
The blessing that he showers upon us every day, just like that manna falling morning after morning. The Lord is showering us with blessings day after day. How could they complain? How could they weep? We can answer that question ourselves when we ask the same question next time. We’re quick to look upon our circumstances and jump to the conclusion that the Lord has no desire to bless me, to bless his people, that the Lord is incapable of providing good for me, that he has no idea of what is spiritually and physically best for me.
Every time we come to those circumstances and these thoughts go through our minds, he’s actually calling us back to remember his goodness and his mercy and his everlasting blessings of peace through his son. That brings us to our second point, that burning anger is a just response.
Well, the response of Moses is key in this passage, as he hears the people weeping and complaining What’s his response? Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. Just think of that picture just for a moment. Everyone’s outside their tent, and everyone’s crying. Everyone’s weeping so loudly.
The Lord hears, but Moses hears. The anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. He hears their weeping, their crying. Their sinful, their ungrateful complaints. He hears their discontentment, and His reaction is displeasure. The Lord’s anger hotly blazes, but Moses is displeased. What does that mean, that he’s displeased? That’s our English translation. The footnote in the New American Standard Bible states that this literally means, it was evil in Moses’ sight. The only question is, what was evil?
The complaining of the people in the ears of the Lord, or the complaining of the people in the ears of Moses? I think it’s a second, because he explains that in the very next verse. Moses said to the Lord, why have you dealt ill with your servant? Why have you burdened me with their complaining? He’s not complaining about the manna or his own desire to return to Egypt. No, Moses is complaining about the burden of the people that’s been laid upon him. The cravings of the people have placed a heavy load, a heavy weight upon Moses. And that comes to light as he’s explaining to the Lord. Did I conceive these people? Did I give them birth? Can I carry them? Like a nurse carries a nursing child?
Where am I to get meat? See, that’s the problem for Moses. It’s a twofold problem for Moses. First, it’s dissatisfaction with the work that he’s been given to do the task. And secondly, he’s seeking to solve the presenting problem. Where am I to get meat? Not the root problem.
Dissatisfaction with the will and the providence and the goodness of the Lord. Both of these lead to Moses’ failure to consider the effect of the people’s sin upon God. Ultimately, it was a failure to seek the glory of God. Do you see anything in this passage, as far as Moses’ response is concerned, wherein he’s actually seeking God’s glory? I don’t think you can. I couldn’t.
This passage begins and ends with the anger of the Lord. The first verse, as the Lord hears the people complaining, the fire of the Lord burned among them. And then the last, as the meat was between their teeth before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. The beginning, the chapter is bookended with the anger of God.
Moses’ first thought is upon himself. What have you done to me? Why haven’t you favored me? Why have you burdened me with these people? See, like Moses, our first thought and emotion usually is how someone else’s sin or offense affects us. Indeed, we’re immediately able to see that, aren’t we? We can see the sins of others so clearly and see what effect it has upon us crystal clearly. We know immediately how we should react to the offensives of others, how they make us feel.
Just like Moses. But what did Jesus teach? Why do you see the speck that’s in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the log that’s in your own eye? Now, Jesus is saying you need to pull the log out before you can address the speck that’s in your brother’s eye. But Jesus is also saying, look, you’re so quick to to see how you feel from the sins of others.
That’s what we focus on, isn’t it? Because we placed ourselves at the center of all things. And we fail to consider the Lord. We fail to consider how the sins of others have an effect upon the God of creation. The Lord’s anger burns in this passage. Again, it’s front and center. It’s at the beginning and it’s at the end.
The weeping, the complaining of the people, their ingratitude and rejection of his goodness and kindness to them was shown forth. Their wicked hearts are exposed before the Almighty. And while the Lord does not change, putting this in human terms, he was offended. The holy, holy, holy, and righteous God was slighted, hurt, aggrieved, and wounded again in human terms. Their sin was wretched in his sight, and it and they could not remain in his presence.
And so God responds with righteous anger against that which was in opposition to his perfection and his goodness. Should not this have been Moses’ first thought? That this people with to whom I’m joined have caused the righteous anger of God to burn. How awful would that be? But that wasn’t Moses’s first thought.
How often do you even consider the effect of your own sin upon the living God? Upon his spirit? Paul writes to those in Ephesus and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. And Paul’s referring to our sins. He’s saying, don’t sin against God, because as you do, you grieve the Spirit. How often are you grieved as you do sin against a holy God? Shouldn’t that be our first thought? Not only the sins of others, but our own sins? How we grieve the Spirit.
And then consider how the Lord would have you respond. Paul continues in his letter to those at Ephesus after he writes, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Let all bitterness, wrath, and anger, and clamor, and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.
That’s how the Lord would have us to respond. Yes, we can talk about church discipline and those kinds of things, but as others sin and sin against us, we should be filled with forgiveness and filled with a concern for what their sins and our sins have done to a holy God, and then praise him. For he is the one who pours out forgiveness by and through the blood of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, burning anger is a justified response to our sin. And that brings us to our third point. The weight of sin is fully borne by Jesus Christ.
Well, one of the themes of this passage is this burden that has been laid upon Moses, as the people weep, each one outside of their tent, weeping as a result of the manna that’s falling and not liking it, wanting something different, thinking that they should have something different. They’re complaining, they’re grumbling, only into a three-day journey. Moses, why have you dealt ill with your servant? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? In a sense, Yes, Moses was complaining, but Moses was actually also correct.
He was the intercessor. Moses was the mediator between God and his people. He was charged or tasked by the Lord Almighty to lead his people out of Egypt into the Promised Land, and as a result of that charge, As a result of that, he’s been given the task of mediator. We know that since Adam and Eve sinned against God, there must be a mediator between God and men. Can’t come into the presence of a sinful people. And so we need a mediator.
And at this point in time, Moses is filling that role, so to speak. He is the intercessor. He’s the mediator. We see it in this passage. We see it right away in this passage in verse 2. The people cried out to Moses as they’re crying out to God as the Lord is hearing them and his anger is burning among them and consuming some of the outlying parts of the camp. The people cry out to Moses because they know he’s the intercessor. They know he’s the mediator. And so Moses prays to the Lord and what happens? The fire dies down.
Seems to be a title, a headline to this entire passage. Again, think of the camp. It’s huge. 600,000 men, plus women, plus children, and the tents outlying. And so you can just envision this burning circle that’s going on in the outermost regions of the camp, where people were complaining and grumbling and murmuring against God. And so the people cry out, those who are not consumed, They cry out to Moses, and he prays. He intercedes.
It’s not the first time. Remember the golden calf. Remember as Moses goes up to the mountain in Mount Sinai to speak with the Lord, and he’s gone 40 days, the people don’t know what’s happened to him, and so they say to Aaron, hey, make a golden calf for us. It will lead us. We don’t know what’s happened to Moses. We don’t know what’s happened to our intercessor, so make another one that we can worship. And what happens? The wrath of God is about to consume the entire assembly, and Moses intercedes.
Moses speaks to the Lord, why should the Egyptians say, with evil intent, Did he bring them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth? So that’s what others would think. Turn. These are incredible words from Moses to God. Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. That’s the work of an intercessor. That’s the work of a mediator. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore. Moses is reminding God of his covenant and he intercedes, he mediates for the people of God.
But now it becomes too much. He’s no longer able to bear the burden of the sins of the people, of their complaining, of their crying, of their weeping over food at this point. It’s become too great. And Moses pleads with the Lord for help. I’m not able to carry all this people alone. The burden is too heavy for me. He asks for the Lord to kill him because the weight is too much. And so in mercy and grace, what does the Lord do? But he appoints elders. Lord said to Moses, gather for me 70 men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people.
And I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the spirit that’s on you and put it on them. And they shall bear the burden of the people with you. Just consider that for a moment, that picture. Moses alone, bearing the weight of the people, And the Lord saying, okay, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to take 70 other men. I’m going to take a portion of the spirit that’s on you and place it upon them so they can bear the burden with you. The fact that 70 men were identified and selected and given to Moses helps indicate to us, helps tell us the weight which has been laid upon this one man, Moses.
It indicates the weight was too great for this one man, one man born in the image of Adam to carry. And it speaks of the weight of sin, doesn’t it? The weight of sinful hearts, the burden of sinful actions. That our sin is weighty and too great for mortal men to bear. It should take us to Christ. This passage should take us to Christ.
Moses was unable to bear the weight, the burden. And it should take us right to Christ, because he’s the only one who was and is physically and spiritually able to bear the weight and burden of your sin. Moses was unable. It took 70 elders, 70 others to serve along with Moses, to serve this people. And really not even to bear their sin, but to bear the weight of their complaints. And it’s only the God-man, Jesus Christ, whose shoulders are big enough and broad enough to bear the weight of your sins.
Only the pure, innocent, righteous blood of Jesus has the power to wash away the filth of your sins. Isaiah writes this in chapter 55, for you shall go out and joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and hills before you shall break forth into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
How is that possible? As sin bears upon you, it’s only as that sin is removed from you. We don’t read of singing in the camp at this point. Sin was too weighty, too heavy. But it’s only by the power of the blood of Christ that you can be led forth in peace. It’s only as Jesus Christ has the power to carry the weight of your sin. Jeremiah writes in chapter 31, I will satisfy the weary soul and every languishing soul I will replenish.
It sounds like Christ, doesn’t it? It sounds like a reference to Jesus. See, what was it that the people of God were longing for? You might say, well, food. But in actuality, their hearts, even though they probably wouldn’t admit it, were longing for the cleansing of Christ, longing to be clean. longing to really have that true peace with God and not having it. And so it comes out in terms of complaining about the food.
For I will satisfy the weary soul. Every languishing soul I will replenish. Think of Paul as he writes to Those in Ephesus, in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace. I have redemption through the blood of Christ. And that only. Sorry. And then Paul writes, if I can speak. There is thou, therefore, Now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Why?
Because he condemned sin in the flesh, the power of Christ. And in Colossians, Jesus Christ is made peace by the blood of his cross. See, that peace was missing, was lacking in Moses. But in the blood of Jesus Christ, the powerful blood, You’ve been given peace. Your weary soul is satisfied. And your languishing soul has been replenished. See, that’s the power of Christ. That’s His ability to bear up your sinful weight. But there’s more.
Not only is Jesus Christ able, not only does he have the power, but he has the desire. Do you see anything in this passage with regard to Moses that shows that he had the desire to bear the weight, the burden of the people? No. He said, Lord, why don’t you favor me? Why don’t you get this off of me? I can’t bear it any longer. What does Jesus Christ say?
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He calls you. He calls you to himself so that he can bear your weight, so that he can bear the weight of your sins. And in exchange, as you give him the weight of your sins, what does he? He gives you the righteousness of his pure blood. calls you to himself, come to me.
Jesus Christ willingly went to the cross, he willingly laid down his life, he willingly gave up his spirit, even as he prayed to his father, that’s what was happening in his own heart. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Do you hear the desire of Christ? Not only the power, he knew he had the power, Now he’s asking his father, I so want to remain in communion with you, but if this must be the only way, then let it be done to me according to your will. He has the desire to carry the burden of your sin. And he has, if you’ve trusted in him tonight.
Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ only is able to bear the burden of the weight of sin of the people of God. The disciples doubted the power and compassion of Jesus. And even if they had thought through it, and I’m not sure that they did based upon our record, they probably thought their sin was really small, not heavy, not weighty whatsoever. But Jesus Christ knew the weight of their sin and he was willing and able to bear it. And he’s willing and able to bear yours as well. All you need to do is trust in him.
Praise God. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for Jesus Christ. We thank you for his power. We thank you for his broad shoulders, his ability to bear the weight of our sin. But Father, even more so tonight, we thank you and praise you for his desire, his desire to bear our sin, the pure one receiving upon himself the weight, the unbearable weight of our sin, and yet bearing it up, satisfying your righteous judgment so that we might have life and have it in him tonight. We praise you for our Savior. And we ask all these things in his precious name. Amen.