In this sermon, the preacher begins by referencing Isaiah 61, where Jesus reads a portion of the scripture and stops in the middle of a verse. The preacher mentions that some people argue about dispensations, but he doesn't delve into that topic. He then moves on to Galatians 5, where Paul talks about the law of God and emphasizes the importance of loving one's neighbor. The preacher also highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' preaching and mentions Luke 4, where Jesus is moved by the Spirit. The sermon concludes by mentioning the silence in the Bible regarding Jesus' childhood and boyhood, suggesting that there is something to learn from both the sayings and the silence of Scripture.

We're looking at the Spirit's work Christward in the days of his flesh. Let's sort of get it into our minds what we're really doing in the class this evening. We desire to look at the thirty-three and a half years stretching from the moment of his miraculous conception right through those years of his pilgrimage down here, sometimes called the days of his flesh. Those thirty-three and a half years from the moment of his miraculous conception to the moment of his miraculous resurrection. And we want to sort of look at almost every word he spoke in those days. And we want to sort of examine in total all the thoughts that he thought, and every thought, and every word, and every deed, and every step. His faithfulness toward the Pharisees, and his tenderness toward sinners, and his gentleness towards his own, and his victoriousness as far as the old serpent was concerned. We're looking at the Spirit's work Christward in the days of his flesh. We're looking at his life on earth, and we're wanting to try to find out just how much our Lord Jesus as the servant of Jehovah, as the slave of Jehovah is the old Greek word, of the slave of Jehovah, how much he depended on the Spirit of God. And that's a mighty thing for us this evening. I think that I put this in the notes just to carry the thing properly. His incarnation by the Spirit, but we don't want to go back into that again this evening. Last Tuesday we looked at his incarnation, and we found out that the Holy Ghost came upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, and there and then she conceived in her womb, although she was a virgin. And we went into the statement that when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman. And we sort of looked at Mary's part, and we sort of looked at the Spirit's part. And when our Lord Jesus came to this earth, he came saying, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will, O God. He said, sacrifice and offering belonging to the old economy thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me. And we went into this last Tuesday. It was the work of the Spirit of God. And then a Tuesday back further still, we looked at his unction by the Spirit. You see, all the preaching he did, it was in the power of the Holy Ghost. What a lesson for all us preachers, because we've got to confess there are times when we begin the message in the Spirit, and somewhere through the message the devil gets the best of us and we end in the flesh. But not our Lord Jesus. Oh no, he was moved by the Spirit. Have a look at Luke's gospel, chapter 4 for a moment. Luke's gospel, chapter 4. Let's read just a word or two from verse 16. Luke's gospel 4.16. And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. He was brought up in this city of Nazareth. And those of you who have been to Palestine recently, even in this day and hour of 1977, you know how miserable and stinking it is. It's one of the stinking little cities of Palestine, even to this night. And mind you, our Lord lived there for about 28 years, lived there where he had been brought up. And as his custom was, and that's a great thing, isn't it? He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read, because they were used with him there and they'd recognized that he was something of a teacher. And when he stood up for to read, there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And that's just the Greek way of saying Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. You know, the preacher always should know the place, be able to find the place, found the place where it was written. But watch very carefully what he found. He rolled out this scroll of Isaiah. It wasn't just a book you leaf over, great big scroll. And you roll it out and you roll this bit in and you roll it out till you get to the place. And he found the place, because there were no chapters and verses in it then. But it helps us, these chapters and verses. It was Isaiah 61. Now I want you to watch this here. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. So that he's sort of openly saying to this crowd, the Holy Ghost has come upon me. And this anointing is for me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he just stopped there. And the next phrase says he closed the book. Because you need to know when to close it and when to open. Oh, that's rather funny if you go back to Isaiah. Let's go back to Isaiah. I think we should have a look at this just for a second. And we're at Isaiah 61. And I want you to remember what we've been reading. And this is the place he found. He rolled out the scroll till he found this place. And he read this. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. Because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And there is a comma there. And that's where he stopped. He stopped in the middle of a verse, you know. Because, you know, I get some people around me here sometimes. And they argue with me about dispensations, you know. Because I'm quite prepared to take you on any day you like. I want you to notice just now, if you've never noticed before, that our Lord stopped in the middle of a verse. Now, if you look at what comes after this, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance. Oh no, he didn't come to do that at that time. So he was only reading the bit that he had come to do. Did you notice that? Because the Spirit of God helped him to open the book and helped him to shut it. And all his preaching was under that sort of direction all the time. And if you don't believe now in the day of vengeance, in the great tribulation, you're going to have ball with this. Why did he leave it out? Because he'll come back in another day to do it. Oh, yes, he will, you know. Oh, he'll come back one day and his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and the book says it will be the day of vengeance. Oh, it's a different thing altogether. We are not up dispensations tonight, we are just up what the Spirit of God did for him. And his incarnation was by the Spirit, and his unction for preaching was by the Spirit. And remember the Spirit was not given by measure unto him. But I think we need to get on with the subject this evening because we thought of done the incarnation and the unction. We want to see his direction by the Spirit. Now, let's go over to Matthew's gospel and we're at chapter four, please. Matthew's gospel, and we're at the fourth chapter. I almost felt like putting a little bit in this evening, not only about the incarnation and the unction, but about the silence over his childhood and boyhood. Because the Spirit of God has inspired this book. And you know, there are years of childhood and years of boyhood, and there is not a word about them in this book. And sometimes we can learn from the silence of Scripture, as well as the sayings of Scripture, and you must always pay attention to that. You see, when our Lord Jesus Christ was born, we see the babe in the manger. And then we see Mary taking him up when he was eight days old to be circumcised. And then we see him when he's 12 years of age. And from the eight days to the 12, there's a silence. And he's sitting in the midst of the doctors now, and that passes by quickly. And then we see him when he's about 30 years of age. Now, I think we should pay attention when the Spirit of God does a thing like that. You see, I know that there is a book written by a Roman Catholic, supposed to be scorned, but I don't think so. You see, he has written a book about the miracles that the Lord Jesus did in his boyhood days. And he talks about our Lord Jesus plucking a flower from the field, a poppy, I think he said, and taking it into the schoolroom, and he turns this poppy into a bird immediately. And he talks about a lot of miracles Jesus did at school. I can tell you now it's tripe. That's what I can tell you. And I tell you why I said that so loudly, because when he went to the marriage feast at Cana of Galilee, and he turned the water into wine, this is what this book says, this is the beginning of the miracles. This beginning of miracles did Jesus, and manifested forth his glory. That's where the miracles began. When he was 30 years of age, this is tripe, it's imagination. It is not in this book. We should pay no attention to that. We only go by the word. I think we should respect the silence. Now we come to the direction of his footsteps by the Spirit, and we're at Matthew's gospel chapter 4. Verse 1, then, just then, then was Jesus led up of the Spirit, let's get that bit, led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Yes, you know, he was taken up by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. And the whole purpose was he was going to be tested. That word tempted is the old word tested. He was going to be tested by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came, the tempter was cunning enough and subtle enough to wait 40 days and 40 nights. You see, he's meeting the worst of enemies, meeting the devil himself. I know that we talk about the devil did this on you and the devil did that on you, and I don't believe that. I don't think that very many of us meet the devil. You know, the devil is not omnipresent, you know. Well, if he's away in America tonight, well, that's all right. But he's got a lot of demons who come desperately close to me at times. I don't think I've ever really met the devil. And I don't think that very many ever met the devil. I know that Job met the devil. I know that Eve met the devil. I know that David met the devil. I know the Lord Jesus met the devil. But the rest of us, we've had enough of trouble with the principalities and powers that assist him. But he's meeting the worst of enemies, in the worst of places, in the wilderness, at the worst of times, when he's down and out physically, as it were. You know, one of David's mighty men, it says he slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day. That's the same thing all over again. This mighty man met the worst of enemies, a lion, in a pit, in the worst of places, on a snowy day, at the worst of times. Well, our Lord Jesus is meeting the worst of enemies, in the worst of places, at the worst of times. For any sakes, don't let us ever get away with this strange, stupid notion that the devil was allowed to tempt him to see if he would sin. Who ever taught you that? Let me tell you, before we begin talking at all, he can't sin. Let me say that to you. And let me say this to you, if he could sin then, he can sin now. Because he's the same yesterday and today. Oh, no, I don't think that was in it at all. The fellow said to me once, well, what's the use of this temptation? What's the use of bringing him to the devil? Oh, I said there's a mighty use. You see, when they built Tower Bridge, it's away in America now as an exhibition, when they built it first over the Thames in London. The day before it was opened, they brought about 20 steam rollers and they took them over the bridge all day long. And the fellow standing on the footpath said, are they trying to break it down? Oh no, said the big policeman, they're just proving that it can't be broken down. And the spirit was taking him up into the temple, into the wilderness, to be tested of the devil after he had been in hunger 40 days and 40 nights, just to prove he cannot be broken down. Then, oh, somebody came to Spurgeon once and said, oh, I think that the Lord Jesus could sin, that's why he was tempted. You really think so, said Spurgeon, where do you come from? South Africa, he said. Know anything about the silver mines there? He says, yes, I do, I work in a silver mine. He said, tell me this, do you ever see a piece of silver without any alloy whatsoever? He says, there's a bit in my pocket, brings it out. There's a bit that was brought out of the mine, there was no alloy, it's pure silver. Spurgeon said, how do you know? He says, we had it in the fire and tested it. Oh, well, he was in the fire and tested, but he was pure, don't make any mistakes about it. Wasn't a chance in the world. What I want you to get this night is that the spirit of God led him there. Now, I don't want to go into the leading tonight, because we're going to come to a mighty statement. Let me take you to it now, and I'll keep it for again. It's in Galatians, and it's Galatians chapter 5. You see, Paul is talking to the believers here. And he's talking about the law of God. And he says in 14, verse 14, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you bite and devour one another, he's talking to believers now, because sometimes believers do this, and your hackles get up for very little at times. And if you bite and devour one another, you know what the end will be? Well, you'll be consumed one of another. Now, this is the way to keep the thing right. For this, I say, walk in the spirit. That's what I'm trying to get around to, because you see, it was the spirit that led him. His direction by the spirit. He was led up of the spirit. There was a time when he must, needs go through Samaria, and it was the spirit that was bringing him through Samaria. He must go. He came and said to Zacchaeus, today I must abide. The spirit was pressing upon him to get into this wee man's house and lead them into the joy of salvation. You see, this is the mighty phrase, walking by the spirit. You see, it's a phrase to be pondered. What do you mean when you talk walking by the spirit? We'll get to this one night. But look, it's not only a phrase to be pondered, it's a principle to be employed. It's a principle, this, you know, it's not just a phrase in a book. This is a real principle. And I'll tell you this, there's something attached to it. It's a promise. It says walk in the spirit and ye shall not. Oh, that's the way you keep the old man in his place. Just walk by the spirit. You're led by the spirit. Every step is taken by the spirit of God, but we'll come to it because it's not only a phrase, it's not only a principle, there's a promise there. And you know, there's a power to be smashed here. It says walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. But I don't want to go on with that because we must keep that walking in the spirit for another night. But I want you to notice this. That you have his production by the spirit here. You see Christ's whole life, his inward emotions. And when I talk about his inward emotions, I mean his emotion of love, and his emotion of joy, and his emotion of peace. And then I think of his outward expressions. Because you know, outwardly emanated from him all the time, long-suffering, and gentleness, and goodness. And not only do we notice his inward emotions, and his outward expressions, but his upward exercises. You know, he trusted God the whole way through. Actually the book of Psalms says he trusted God from his mother's breast. I'll tell you this friend, what we're thinking about now, love, and joy, and peace, and long-suffering, and gentleness, and goodness, and faith, and meekness, and temperance, is the fruit of the spirit. See where we're at, Galatians chapter 5, see verse 22. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace. These are inward you know, these are inward things. Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, these are outward things. Faith, and meekness, and temperance, these are upward things. You know, faith is towards God. You know, a man is only humble when he's humble before God. My dear brother, you all used to preach about being proud you're humble. That's a sort of subtle one with us. You can act this humble business, there's no use. You're only humble before God. No use of playing at it you know. You don't put on a neck before God. And you see, if we're going to be right in God's sight, there must be a balance. There must be a temperance. It's the word balance actually. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. I know all type brethren fellows, you know we have brethren men in here, they've got to just talk truth all the time. And you know, they're as tight as a fiddle string. Under all truth, but no grace. Then you can swing the pendulum over and you get a lot of boys that's all grace, and no truth. Oh well let's have a balance. Oh Lord Jesus had a balance. You know at this very moment, he's a merciful and faithful high priest. And it's a bit hard to work both of those, when you're the ruler of a meeting like this one. You know, we've got a lot of people here and there are mistakes made sometimes. And sometimes we have to stand somebody on the red carpet before the rulers, the elders, the shepherds of this church. And before they're stood there, I say to all the elders, look boys, remember if we err here, we err on the mercy side. Always that. Nevertheless, you've got to be faithful to this book. And if you think you're going to be in the assembly and do whatever you like, you'll find you're not. Because we will take you to book. And there is a faithfulness, and there is a mercifulness, and it's a very hard tight wire rope to walk. But our Lord walked it. Oh can't you see this? You know this don't you? You know that there was always love in his heart. Oh what a wonderful person he was. He loved the Father. When he left the upper room, he said to his disciples, arise and let us go hence that the world may know that I love the Father. He was going to Gethsemane, and he was going on to Gabbatha, and he was going to Golgotha just because he loved the Father. But then you know that he loved his own. He loved his own which were in the world. They loved Peter the whole way through his denial. Although he didn't like the denial, but he loved him. He loved Thomas the whole way through that week of unbelief. He loved his own. Let me say this, that he loved sinners. Yes he did. Let me say this, that he loved his enemies. Remember the Sermon on the Mount, it says love your enemies. Oh we've got a long way to go sometimes. Yes you'll find that this love was ever emanating from him. Loved the Father, loved his own, loved his enemies, loved those who turned their backs on him. But a young ruler went away. Jesus loved him, it says. Watched them walking away the fool. But he loved them. Then the book says he loved me. Sometimes I wonder why. I don't know. If there is any answer to it, it is just this one. He loved me because he loved me. Let's get it quite clear that there was love in his heart the whole way through. And body tackled me about this once. I hardly know where it was. I have preached on the joy of Jesus. And this fellow was waiting on me. He said I shall inform you that he was a man of sorrows. I said I shall also inform you that while he was a man of sorrows, he was not a sorrowful man. Is that what you're trying to say he was? Oh I think we'd better get this right. You see he carried our sorrows. And he bare our grief. You see as he walked through this swift howling wilderness, when he came to the grave of Lazarus, you know he could see what death had done. He could see what sin had brought to these sisters. He could see the mourning that had been brought to Mary and Martha. And you know he carried their sorrows and he bare their grief. When they mourned he mourned with them. Oh but don't let's get this out of balance at all. Because he carried our sorrows he was called a man of sorrows. But he was not a sorrowful man. Let's get the hold of this. He could sing you know. Oh yes he sang hymns at times. Just before they went out to go to Gethsemane they sang a hymn you know. He stood up with them. Sang with them too. I'll tell you this I said to this big fellow just before he went out of the door to go to Gethsemane. He said to them my joy I give on to you. Thought you said he had none. I shall inform you sir that he was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. What do you think of that now? Oh don't let's get off the balance of truth by some text. Let's keep it all in the balance. Of course he enjoyed. When he hung on the cross it was for the joy that was sat before him. You'd think they never read the book come and talking like this. Oh it was always there. Now I'll tell you there was always peace there. You can't find them without it. He's going out through the doors and he's going into Gethsemane and he's going down to Gabbatha and they're going to put the crown of thorns upon him and he knows all about it and he knows that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so he must be lifted up and he says my peace I give on to you. Oh they didn't disturb him at all. Yes this is all the Spirit's doing and you can see this love and joy and peace. Oh when you think that he walked with Judas Iscariot for three and a half years and he knew everything about him. He knew as he looked at his face that one day you'll stab me in the back, you'll sink me, you'll sell me for 30 pieces of silver. He knew all about that. Oh yes he knew from the beginning which one was the devil. And you know friends he put up with him, long suffering it's called, knowing right well what he would do but he gave Judah all the chances. He walked into the temple with Judah. How do I know? He says my old familiar friend who went up to the house of God with me. Why is Judas called his familiar friend? He's the only one out of the 12 that belong to the same tribe as the Lord Jesus. They both belong to the tribe of Judah. Yes I want to tell you this. You know he gave him every chance. He made him, he made him carry the bag. Oh he was the treasurer. He made him the treasurer. When they sent them out two by two I wonder who the Lord sent with Judas. I can never answer that but I thought a lot about it. You can never be sure. I'm almost sure that Peter and John went together. Who did James go with? I think when the Lord broke up the tree of Peter, James and John to let in James. They take Judas under your wing. And he gave him all the chances. Here he is with somebody who's got sense and who is steadfast and unmovable. I'm not sure of that but that's what I believe. I'll tell you this. When they were at the table when they were at the Passover supper he dipped the sop and he handed it to Judas. There's no argument now. It's an old Jewish custom and it means this. When you dip the sop and hand it over the table it just means no matter what you are planning in your mind. No matter what you have been concocting in that heart of yours. I'm prepared to forget you now. Let's start over again. He gave him a chance. Oh this long suffering. This is the work of the Spirit of God. I had this hammered into me when I was a young fellow. Oh I've made mistakes in my life. I went to preach at Mogstown once. Frank Forbes. And the chairman. My goodness you do meet some chairman men. Some mothers do have them. Yes I tell you he barneyed all day. Talked all day. I said to Frank when am I going to get started this thing. He says now just take your time. I says I shall tell you this Frank. When I get up on my feet I shall tear this fellow from limb to limb. He says will you now. He says I shall tell you that the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy and peace and the next one is long suffering. You know nothing about it. Oh what a battering I got. Yes you know it's there all right. And this emanated from our Lord all the days of his life. Long suffering. And gentleness. You take our Lord Jesus with all the women in this book. With the woman at the well. With the woman taken in adultery. Take Mary and Martha. Take all the women in the book. You'll see the gentleness of Jesus. And the book says he went about doing good. And you know that his faith was in God. As he moved towards the cross. You know he knew thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Oh thou wilt not suffer my holy wonders e'en corruption. He is faith you know. And I'll tell you this. He has set an example of humility that we can't follow. You know he was God the Son. He was in the form of God. He made the worlds. He made the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of his hands. And yet he stepped into this planet was born in a stable. And he made himself of no reputation. Preached one Sunday morning that he could have come here as the greatest heart specialist that this world has ever seen. He knows everything about this. He made it. Could have come to this planet as the greatest eye specialist. Oh the wonders of these eyes but he knows them all. Could have come to this world as the greatest astrologer that ever lived. He knows the number of the stars. He can tell them all by name. Leave Patrick a million miles behind him. He'd get lost in the Milky Way somewhere. Oh yes but he made himself of no reputation. Oh we follow this master of ours. For goodness sake forget about your reputation. Won't let ever luck get into us at all. I think you can see this production. And I think you're bound to know something about us. The expositions by the spirit. Let's go to the Acts of the Apostles chapter 1. The Acts of the Apostles. And we're at chapter 1. Now this needs to be just watched very carefully. It is Luke that is writing. And in chapter 1 verse 1 he says the former treaties have I made. Oh Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. I like the way it's put both to do and teach. You think you have to do a better doing before you do a better teaching. Until the day in which he was taken up. After that he through the Holy Ghost. Let's get this. Had given commandments unto the Apostles. Oh you know when he spoke to these men. It was always in the energy of the Spirit of God. I tell you that all the preaching. And all the sayings and all the mighty super sayings of the Savior. Were all governed. Yea closed. By the Spirit of God he was depending on the Holy Ghost all the time. You will find this. We want to force on here. I believe the day he began at Moses. The Holy Ghost was there. That that I've already told you the closing of the book. It was directed by the Spirit of God. Yes you'll find that the Spirit of God was there at the incarnation. And at the junction of his preaching the anointing. The direction being led of the Spirit. The production of his life inward and outward and upward. And the expositions were all of the Spirit of God. And then we come to the cross. And I think this is a very mighty bit. Let's go over to Hebrews and we're at chapter 9 here. I think this is one of the great passages of the book of course. Now let's read it carefully. We're at Hebrews 9 and we're at verse 11. But Christ being come and high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and cows, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place. Having obtained eternal redemption for us. You see he came to this earth and he did this mighty work. And when his own blood, his own blood, we could take that phrase up and stay a long time with it. Because that's what made the precious blood. It wasn't merely his blood. His own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And I can't see how you can be lost again if he obtained eternal redemption for you. I don't know why you talk like this. I don't think you believe in eternal redemption. Nor do I think you know what eternal salvation means. Nor do I think you know what eternal life is. Some of you wee fellows come round and try to tell me that you get eternal life for six months. And then if you fail away, well it wasn't eternal life at all. Oh what a pity you used the word. Why don't you say you get six months on trial. This is eternal life you get. This was eternal redemption. This is eternal salvation. The day the Lord called me, he called me to his eternal glory. Now I want you to give this. Verse 13, the apostles are arguing now. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God. Ah that's the bit I'm after. You know when he offered himself on the cross. Thinness, spotless, holy. Yes I want you to get that. I want you to get that the Holy Ghost was there. And the Holy Ghost gave him the power to offer himself to God. Can you see the Trinity there? Some people say they can't see the Trinity sometimes. Well do you see God waiting on the suffering? And his holy throne is depending on this. Do you see Christ making the offering? Do you? Do you see the eternal spirit? Do you? Cause the Russellites come around and tell me that this was just an influence that helped them at Calvary. Oh you don't think that an influence was helping the eternal son to meet the requirements of the eternal father do you? Oh no the book distinctly says the eternal spirit. Oh the Holy Ghost was at Calvary. That's a mighty thing you know. You know the spirit of God was with him right through. Yes at his incarnation. When he preached that was the unction upon us preaching. He is directing his feet. He was led. He walked in the spirit. You can see the production of his whole life. Inward and outward and upward. I think you can see that. You know that his preaching was marked by the spirit of God. His expositions. And then you can see his devotion to the father. It was by the eternal spirit that he offered himself to God. But let's just finish this this evening. Let's have a look at the resurrection. And we're away at first Peter chapter 3. First Peter chapter 3. A tickly old paragraph but it's it's not too bad if you take it easy. First Peter and we are at the third chapter. Verse 18. First Peter 3 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. Being put to death in the flesh. But quickened by the spirit. The spirit had a lot to do with the quickening of the body when the bodily resurrection took place. I want you to get the hold of that. Because the spirit was there the whole way through. Yes the spirit did a mighty work in the womb of men. The spirit did a mighty work in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Yes I want you to get this now because there are arguments about this. You can see him suffering for sins. The just for the unjust. You can see the purpose of all that to bring us to God. You can see him being put to death in the flesh. That's why he took upon him the form of a servant. That's why he took upon him the seed of Abraham that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. He came to die and the death was in the flesh. But this body was quickened by the spirit, capital S there, by the Holy Spirit. By which also he went and preached. It was by this spirit that he went and preached. Now we want to be very careful of that. We want to know exactly where and when he preached. Now watch this. By which, by which is the Holy Ghost also. By the Holy Ghost also he went and preached unto the spirits. Now let me read it the way I see it. Unto the spirits now in prison. At the time Peter was writing that they were in prison. Which sometime were disobedient, way back in the days long ago. When once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah. That's when Jesus Christ by the spirit went and preached. Oh yes you know Noah was the preacher. Ah but the Holy Ghost was in Noah. Ah yes the spirit came upon him. Yes and it was Christ, it was the spirit of Christ of course that was preaching away back there. So that Peter's allowed to say this. That by that same spirit he went through Noah and preached unto these spirits that are now in prison. When once the long suffering of God waited, God waited and Christ preached by the spirit through Noah. You see the Israelites tried to tell me that when he died he went to hell and preached, give them a second chance. Just to the people of Noah's day. They were trying to tell me that they went their way down into the depths and there are millions of lost souls down the edges of Calvary and they sing of this we cried out and preached this to them you must be daft. I don't think you can read that's your trouble. Oh no it was by the spirit he went in Noah's day and through Noah by the spirit preached to that crowd when God with long suffering waited on them. Oh but they wouldn't listen and they're now spirits in prison and they're not only doomed they're damned. Has God been talking to somebody in this place? God talking to you? Has God spoken once yea twice to you? Has the spirit of God striven with you? If today you hear his voice won't you play about with it? Because you can drop into the prison too and when you do you're damned. Do you see this spirit at work right through? Now we've got the incarnation and the unction and all the work of the spirit during the days of his flesh. Now we come to the place now where Christ not only died but rose again and went back again and when he was glorified he sent the Holy Ghost. I would just show you how wonderful he is he says if I go I will send you another comforter. You know anybody would like to come up here and say I'll go to heaven tomorrow and I'll send the Holy Ghost? Nobody dares say that. But the Lord Jesus was glorified went to heaven and he sent the Holy Ghost. And he told them when the Spirit has come ye shall receive power. Oh that's where we're at next week. We're coming up to the baptism of the Spirit. But we'll take a night or two on it just to make sure you get it absolutely correctly. So until then see you then.