My name is Dan Noll. I'm a director of product management at Red Hat in charge of the in-vehicle OS initiative. And I'm going to give some general and broad kind of overview of what we've been doing, especially in the community, in the spirit of the initiative that we have undertaken here at Red Hat. So as you've heard from all of our comments presenters today, the automotive industry is undergoing an exciting transformation. The industry aims to advance this concept of SDV by providing the latest advancements in computing technology, enabling functionality while holding strict ISO standards that govern functional safety of electronic systems within road vehicles. And through collaboration across these ecosystems, the automotive ecosystem, cloud ecosystem, IoT ecosystem, and functional safety communities, Red Hat believes it will be possible, it is possible, it's necessary to extend these open source practices into the vehicle to create faster scale and simultaneously provide the important standardization and consolidation that will help drive our software divine vehicle to a reality. We encourage all stakeholders to participate in one or all of the related standards projects and learn how open source is shaping the next generation of automotive computing. We invite you to participate in the CentOS Automotive SIG that we list here. The Eclipse software defined vehicle working group, which was discussed in detail this presentation. Sophie, the scalable open architecture from bed at edge led by arm. That initiative is very exciting with common threads of functional themes. AGL, the automotive grade Linux initiative and the ELISA project, ELISA which is enabling Linux in safety applications. So we really invite you to join us here to create the type of synergy, standardization, sense of community, and to drive standards in our industry. The next slide is our mission here. Let me just back up and say last year at Summit in 2021, Red Hat Summit, we announced we're targeting to deliver the first continuously certified Linux platform for road vehicles. And over the past year, we've been collaborating with the automotive industry in many of the groups you've seen in the previous slide through our work within spaces like the CentOS Automotive SIG, Eclipse, SDV, and Sophie, like we've mentioned, to deliver on this mission, which is to deliver an open, safe, and secure Linux-based in vehicle OS as the foundation for software defined vehicles to drive advanced innovation. I hope that's clear and I wanted to repeat that and underscore it. With that in mind, I'd like you to invite you to join us and everyone at Red Hat Summit 2022, coming up in just about a month. This will be, we believe, a good opportunity for you to join us in continuing this conversation about the software defined vehicle. I'll learn about what we've been working on this past year in the automotive space and hear additional stories of innovation in automotive and other markets within the open source communities. And both a place and a platform summit is where we all come together, wherever we are, to share in these journeys and explore what's next in tech innovation. Like I say, it won't be limited to automotive in any stretch, but there's some very exciting content that we're planning for you that does focus on automotive. So I encourage everyone to join us either in person or virtually, and you can register as is indicated here at redhat.com.


Ladies and gentlemen, the picture you are about to see is as important in the film document as is ever made by the Army Air Forces. In graphic detail, it reveals the operation used by gliders in the invasion of Normandy, gliders which you helped to manufacture. You will not soon forget this picture. You may even be able to recognize gliders which you built with your own hands. I think you will swell with pride when you see how well they performed but without them, the invasion of German air territory could not have been a success at once. Yes, you will be filled with justifiable pride and speaking for the Air Technical Service Command and the entire Army Air Force. I want you to know that we shared this pride with you. The job is not yet done. We still need gliders of every description. Gliders such as only you can make. In the past, you worked very hard, but now you have worked even harder. For out of your toil and come to aircraft, we need to speed victory. Thank you. This is the story of the operation which began the assault on the continent of Europe. We will transport and resupply parachute and glider elements of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division and will be prepared to transport elements of the British 1st Airborne Division as directed. The US 101st Airborne Division will begin landing approximately 30 minutes prior to civil twilight on the morning of D-Day to assist the 4th Division in the initial assault and capture the town of Carantan. The US 82nd Airborne Division will land to the immediate west of the 101st for the purpose of preventing the movement of enemy reserves to the east and north. Simple, isn't it? This mission which reads so easily calls for an attack from England on the continent of Europe walled in by the formidable defense in depth of the Atlantic Wall bristling with gun emplacements and fortifications. Combined chiefs of staff decided that frontal assault alone would not crack Fortress Europe. The Atlantic Wall must be vaulted and the cracking process begun from the rear. The initial effort by land, sea and air would be made in this area spearheaded by troop carrier and airborne forces. For the D-Day there must be a number of lesser D-Days. The first large-scale airborne operation was performed in conjunction with the assault on Sicily 10 July 1943. Taking off from fields in Africa for dropping zones in Sicily troop carrier units transported by glider and aircraft units of the 1st British and the US 82nd Airborne Divisions The year before this operation a troop carrier group transported a parachute infantry battalion from England to start the invasion of North Africa. But the invasion of Sicily was the first real test for troop carrier units which had trained and maneuvers in Texas, the Carolinas and England. The Sicilian operation indicated there was much to be learned about the planning of an airborne operation. Troop carrier aircraft were shot down by friendly forces and parachute drops were widely scattered. Factical success however, rich in experience for the units which would later participate in the assault on the continent. The lesson was driven home that more navigation aids were badly needed that gliders must be landed at slow speeds that some type of air brake was necessary to decrease the rate of descent of gliders going into small fields that protection for the nose of the glider and rough landing should be provided not only to protect the pilots but to facilitate unloading. The technique had to be worked out for gliders landing on water. The lessons of Sicily was added the experience of the highly successful operation in the Marcom Valley of New Guinea in which troop carrier and airborne forces showed the practicability of a well-planned daylight operation. The lessons learned from the operations in Sicily, Marcom Valley and Solano were made a part of training and maneuvers. The griswold nose was developed to protect the glider and rough landings. Prestor was adopted. Permit landing the glider in restricted areas. Glider was introduced. Blitz landings were out. Glider pilots were taught a slow constant rate of descent with a slow landing to a precise spot on the ground. F was suitable for towing the CG-4A glider. 5 was used as a B-17 in dual-toe. Edromes in France. Ambulance ships and overseas grew the doctrine expressed in War Department Circular 113. Employment of airborne and troop carrier forces. Doctrine was put into practice and Circular 113 became the blueprint for all future airborne operations. Airborne and troop carrier units are theater of operation forces. Their employment must be an integral part of the basic plan made by the agency directing all land, sea and air forces in the operation. The coordinating directive must be issued in time to allow realistic preparation and training by troop carrier and airborne units for the specific operation. Airborne troops must be employed in mass and the bulk of the force landed in as small an area as possible. The use of highly trained pathfinder teams dropped in advance to mock dropping zones and glider landing zones is essential. Procedures must be prescribed which will ensure that troop carrier aircraft on course at proper altitudes and on correct time schedules are not fired upon by friendly forces. Operational training groups which were committed to the United Kingdom were trained in flying procedures of the United Kingdom before they left the states. Parted overseas, the airborne planning committee headed by the air commander-in-chief of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force was composed of representatives from all the services involved in the airborne operation. Navy, ground as well as the troop carrier command and the airborne divisions concerned. British ground crews helped assemble their own horse of gliders before turning them over to troop carrier. This horse now belongs to the ninth troop carrier command. Each group now had 73 aircraft instead of the normal 52. The troop carrier force of three wings and 14 groups contained one experienced wing and five combat wise groups from the Mediterranean. Three planes in each squadron are equipped for aerial pickup is necessary for accuracy and delivery of resupply containers. Combined team of troop carrier crews and parachute technicians will drop on objective areas and set up homing devices for the main aerial convoy. Teams consist of nine to 14 technical men and five security personnel. The Pathfinder School, starting without precedent and table of organization and with little equipment turned out 50 trained troop carrier crews and 260 British and American airborne officers and men by D-Day. Finder airplanes were equipped with every navigational aid used by troop carrier and the flight crews and airborne teams received 30 to 60 hours training in their use both in the air and on the ground. Each Pathfinder team is equipped with eight specially designed holofane lights from which DZ light teas are made. By D-Day, crews who had lived, trained and were briefed together could navigate under instrument conditions to within 600 to 800 yards of a pinpointed position in unfamiliar territory. March through May, 35 lower echelon and three full scale command exercises were held culminating in a full dress rehearsal for the operation against the continent. The times, loads, distances and navigational aids were exactly as would be used in the assault. Landing zones were selected for their similarity to those in Normandy which intelligence showed were 900 to 1500 feet long and averaged 500 feet wide. Mosaic showed that the objective areas would hold 1300 gliders. The Normandy fields were bounded by trees 15 to 75 feet high along with numerous dense hedges. The pilots were allowed to choose their own fields and release was made at heights from 800 to 1000 feet. Both ideas were impractical. The high release made the gliders more vulnerable to ground fire and sacrificed accuracy and when each pilot shows his landing field there were too many conflicting patterns. Following this maneuver it was decided that leaders were to choose the landing field for the three other gliders in his element and the release would be made at 400 to 600 feet. There are certain to be crack ups. This must be made between realistic training and the number of gliders which may be expended on the maneuver. Percentage of horse or crack ups was to be so much higher in the actual operation was that a sufficient number were not available for extensive practice in full load landings into small fields. Because of their rugged fuselage construction most of the CG-4A gliders which sustained damage upon landing deliver their loads of personnel and equipment in fighting condition. Airborne infantry file into buses for their last land-born ride until D-Day. Equipment is issued. Grab a few moments to read letters from home and write a few lines that this is business and you want to be sure you're in business when the time comes so you take inventory of your stock and trade and keep everything clean and shining and ready. The ships blossomed out in their new war paint. On D-2 invasion markings were applied. Another lesson from Sicily. Invasion money revealed the objective. By now the high command insisted that individuals should know their destination. Hours before takeoff time parapacts were assembled and delivered to the C-47s. These received their quarters of troops who will cross the beaches and move forward. If troop carrier and air first was to go in by boat as were some attached in supporting units of both divisions. The lift of the required aircraft and gliders was not available to put them in by air as early as D-Day minus one. And time narrows down. Gliders for the first night's operation are assembled for the takeoff. Glider pilots are told to assemble at division headquarters after landing for evacuation to England. Airborne general has a final talk with his men. General inspection. Watch their ships. To his passengers. It's from the supreme commander. The eyes of the world are upon you and the hopes and prayers of all liberty. This trooper will drop his British leg pack loaded with demolition supplies just before he lands. Board the ships that will show the way into enemy territory. If troop-laden aircraft will home tonight on navigation aids set up by these pathfinders. This is one minute out of one hour in one day in the world's history that has rarely been equaled. These are the first ships to take off in the airborne invasion of Fortress Europe. The finder ship is airborne at 2154. The finders head for the coast of France. Other C-47s move into position for their takeoff at the head of the runway. Thirty minutes after the pathfinders take off the first serials of C-47s follow on the invasion path. The invasion fleet is already weight anchor. There's 3,000 en route clearing at DZ but actually it's variable. 500 to 1,000. Visibility is poor in less than two hours. Panzers moving into the peninsula made 100 glider loads of anti-tank guns and troops essential for the initial phases. It was estimated that only 50% of personnel and equipment would be available for use after the landing. This calculated risk was accepted. The serials were made up of the reliable CG forays which were easier to put into strange fields in darkness. Here are 200. Time for the gliders to go. This is a softened up for the beach landing. Mimicostal installations. Premisee had been obtained a long time before D-Day. The 8th and 9th Air Forces had accomplished that. Standing offshore the invasion craft weight as the light planes blast the coast. Light surface ships come in. Ways, railheads, the isolation of a battlefield. And the battlefield is isolated. No German reserves come through to the coast in any strength. The beachhead holds and grows as the Air Force piles up a record number of sorties. Sorties are flown by the fighters on D-Day. Glider serials are being marshaled for the takeoff. 47s are doing double duty. Ready to take off with gliders. Dual tow had been practiced in the States. But it was not used in this operation due to the extra time necessary for air assembly. And to the additional marshalling space which it would require on the air drums. Art-pressed paratroopers who went into action in darkness earlier today are depending on reinforcements and heavier equipment which will be delivered by these glider serials. Three groups of fighter cover are in takeoff position at air drums to the south. Shefford was made simultaneously by the British 6th Airborne Division. Transported by RAF 38 Group on objectives around camp. Particularly interesting was the delivery of 8 1.5 ton tanks of a recce regiment in 30 huge hammer car gliders. 29 of the 30 tanks were in action within 10 minutes after they were landed. Air superiority makes possible this daylight operation. Mission for this friendly airplane. Previous serials. The traps consisted of poles 12 to 15 feet long. 33 and 24 days respectively. The 82nd, having captured Salmary Glees and secured the bridgehead across the Merderay River destroyed other river crossings, protected the flank of the 7th Army Corps and drove west to the Dove River. The 101st seized the areas assigned it, destroyed bridges and drove on to Carrantan to establish a defense area there. And sent this commendation. Visions including landing list of the splendid job, effective service providing local protection for the division command post vision was under heavy attack from three sides.  This is part of the price paid for 6 and 7 June 1944. 162 troop carrier airplanes were dispatched in the first 24 hours of the assault. 43 were lost and 311 damaged by small arms fire happened here that cameras could never get. But a corporal with a path finders remembers. We were covering the landing of the first bunch of gliders. We were pinned down by German fire across the field. As the men came running out they stepped right into it and started to drop all around us. The German cannon blew one glider right apart. A veteran glider pilot. A night glider operation means more landing casualties and extreme difficulty in unloading. It is certainly not desirable if a dawn or dusk landing is at all practicable. Power pilot. I flew in a parachute serial the first night and the navigation age really worked. But I couldn't see the light T which was supposed to be on my drop zone. A department observer who entered combat with one of the airborne divisions. Troops were dropped generally in the vicinity of the DZs but were badly scattered. It appears that prearranged supply systems are not flexible enough for airborne combat. Supplies should be dropped as called for by local commanders rather than dropped in mass. Large scale parachute resupply drops are wasteful and should be restricted to emergencies. More attention should be paid to switching over to ground supply as soon as possible. A troop carrier liaison officer. Our pathfinder teams in two cases I know of suffered heavy casualties. The light T's which we expected so much help from were only 10% operational due to enemy fire. 50% of the resupply drop landed in enemy hands. Communications didn't exist to advise later serials of changes in the enemy situation. Troop carrier operations and communications personnel should move with the first parachute or glider units. 89% of the horses and 50% of the wackos crashed in landing. But 75% of personnel and equipment were ready for combat.  How much they had learned will be history. History made by an airborne army.


Welcome Trainers, another tick-melt chat with me Patrick Munley. I want to just update here the dollar index view. We have continued trading what is potentially a corrected pattern here. We've got pricey looking poise now to test the 93-82 equality objective. We've also got projected sending trend line resistance and monthly range resistance coming in there and just above the European level at 94-13. So if we get bearish reversal patterns from this area, we'll be looking to set short positions, certainly looking for a test of the sending trend line support. If we break the trend line support then we look for an immediate decline to test into the 90 handle. If we don't find sellers here and we pop higher, we look for 95-14 to contain on the first test and then we pull backs that find support at 93-17 could be opportunities to enter on the long side. As always, trade the plan, trade the plan, manager risk.


I've been suggesting this from day one. Now in addition to all this, what should of course be done, won't be done, but it should of course be done, is testing, testing, testing, tracking and isolating. But for that, you would need a government that was organized or you would need to incentivize the private sector to do it in ways that we're not doing that. How would you, for example, what do you think would be the mechanism by which you could get testing ramped up? How could we get instead of, I don't know, 100,000 tests a day, how do we get it up to three million tests a day? I wonder what the solution to that is. I mean, here's a proposal. Right now, reimbursement for tests by the government is 40 bucks, 40 bucks a test, $40 a test. So every test that a private lab or a hospital or some lab that's not there at CDC does, they get $40 for it. Now, at $40, they're making a little bit of money, but not much, they can't hire new staff, it's limiting. But you know, one of the things we know about economics is that supply curves are upward sloping. What does that mean? That means that the more the higher the price, the more the supply. That is the higher the price we will need to pay, the more supply will be provided. It's just economics 101.  Guess what will happen? Many, many porches will be produced in order to satisfy that demand. Imagine if the government tomorrow said, given that the government is the buyer of tests, not insurance companies, it is the government, that's the mixed economy we live in. Imagine if the government said tomorrow, we're paying $200 a test, not $40, $200 a test. And we want to have $100 million, $100 million tests. 100 million tests over the next 100 days. Ideally over the next 50 days, two million tests a day. They have to be legit tests, they have to be real tests but we'll pay you $200. Now how much money is that? Right, that's $20 billion, $20 billion, that's what it would cost to do $100 million tests at, you can wreck my math if I'm wrong, at $200 a test, $20 billion. We just passed the stimulus package of 2.2 trillion that is a hundred times more than what this program would cost. Imagine, we'll spend $20 billion and we'll have a third of the American population tested and we'll know so much about who has it, where the hotspots, who is like, is sped up to whom, who we need to isolate. I mean, it's all over if we could get 100 million tests. All it takes is $20 billion. This administration is spending $20 billion in all kinds of directions. This would actually be fruitful. It would actually be helpful. So I'm willing to do it. I don't like government spending money but in this case, there's nobody else and the government is spending money anyway and it's true that the government buying these tests will create corruption. You could create mechanism to minimize that by giving this money as grants to private hospitals and other places that buy the tests. But just think of this as an alternative to what we're doing today. The government's still paying for the tests. They're only paying $40. Because they're only paying $40, they're only getting a supply that is far, far less than what is needed. But pricing works. We need gloves, not gloves, masks. We need masks. Shortage a mask. What's the solution to that? Raise the price. Increase the amount you are willing to pay for those masks and suddenly supply will show up. The same with ventilators, the same with anything PPE. It takes a little time but not much. Particularly not if you put a time limit on how long the offer is valid for. But instead of fighting the price mechanism by laws against gouging, for example, embrace economics. Embrace supply and demand. Embrace gouging. Use it to your advantage. You eliminate shortages. You increase supply of goods. You get rid of hoarding. And you solve the basic economic problems and you again, make it possible for us to open up this economy because now we have enough ventilators and enough PPE and enough masks because we'll need to pay what is necessary to generate enough of all of those. All right, so we covered two things. We covered the fact that we need to open up this economy and open up our lives, not the economy. And there's absolutely no reason not to do it. And it's not an issue of reason not to do it.  The government has way exceeded its powers, way exceeded its responsibilities.  So be it. And the blame on that will fall, as I said in the beginning, on socialized medicine, on Medicare and Medicaid, on government involvement in how many hospitals we get and everything else. Too much government involvement kills people. Too much government involvement kills people. So what we need to do is stop. And in the transition, it's gonna be messy and it's gonna be deadly for some and it's gonna be unpleasant. But that unpleasantness does not justify the violating of rights of millions, tens of millions of people around the United States. So end it now. Take Trump's administration's plan and implement it today. And let's get on with our lives, cause this is not a way to live. It's not a way to live, guys. Not a way to live when you have to think about going outside, whether the cops are there to stop you. It's not a way to live when you can't open your restaurant that you've invested your life's fortune into. It's not a way to live when you can't go to a restaurant who's willing to serve you. It's not a way to live when you're stuck at home. Not by choice. Not because it's the right thing to do for your health, but because some bureaucrat in the government has decided that you need to be stuck at home. It's not a way to live. It's not a way to live financially and it's not a way to live psychologically. Freedom, liberty are the only ways human beings should live. And that's what we should fight for and that's what we should live for and that's what we should demand today, not tomorrow, today. What we need today, what I call the new intellectual would be any man or woman who is willing to think. Meaning any man or woman who knows that man's life must be guided by reason, by the intellect, not by feelings, wishes, whims or mystic revelations. Any man or woman who values his life and who does not want to give in to today's cult of the stare, cynicism and impotence and does not intend to give up the world to the dark ages and to the role of the collectivist brought. Using the super chat and I noticed yesterday when I appealed for support for the show, many of you stepped forward and actually supported the show for the first time. So I'll do it again. Maybe we'll get some more today. If you like what you're hearing, if you appreciate what I'm doing, then I appreciate your support. Those of you who don't yet support the show, please take this opportunity, go to uranbrookshow.com, slash support or go to subscribestar.com, uranbrookshow and make a kind of a monthly contribution to keep this going. I'm not sure when the next...


Our sermon title this morning is Liars Judge the Lord of Truth. Liars Judge the Lord of Truth. We find that in John chapter 18 verses 28 through 38. As we began our study of John chapter 18, we first looked at the betrayal and the arrest of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane in verses 1 through 12. We next unpacked Peter's tragic denials and the Jewish or the ecclesiastical mockery of justice that they call a trial in verses 13 through 27. So now today as we come to John chapter 18 verses 28 through 38, we have the blessed opportunity from the Lord to look more closely at what is often called the civil or the Roman trial of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And we know from the Gospel of Luke that he'll also be sent briefly to a hearing before Herod, who is also in Jerusalem here at this time. And finally, after all is said and done, the Lord Jesus Christ is delivered to be scourged and then nailed to a Roman cross. All of this we know is according to the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. It's important to remind ourselves of this fact. And we remember the words of Isaiah the prophet. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shears is silent. So he opened not his mouth. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed. Now in the narrative of John 18, we are meant to see by John, we're meant to see several primary themes through this section, this text of Scripture. One of those themes is the sovereign redemptive purposes and plans of Almighty God marching unwaveringly toward fulfillment. But also we're to see the Lord Jesus Christ fully God, fully man voluntarily laying down his life for his friends, having all authority and yet in perfect submission to the will of the Father, having all power and yet the perfect picture of humility. He's worthy of all praise. He's worthy of all honor. He's worthy of all glory and yet the Lord Jesus Christ subjects himself to such vile treatment at the hands of sinners is the captain of our salvation made perfect through suffering and thirdly in all this we're to see the infinite grace, the infinite mercy of our God.  And specifically here in John chapter 18 verses 28 to 38, John records the account of Jesus before Pilate and in this narrative he emphasizes a contrast. It's the Lord of truth, the Lord of truth standing before and presumably judged by liars. The Lord of truth standing before, presumably judged by liars. Turn with me to John chapter 8, John chapter 8. Jesus had confronted these very scribes, these Pharisees in their lies in John chapter 8 beginning at verse 42. And in this confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees in John chapter 8 verse 42, Jesus said to them, if God were your father you would love me for I proceeded forth and I came from God nor have I come of myself but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech because you are not able to listen to my word? Does that mean that they just simply weren't able to hear him? No, they wouldn't hear him. They weren't listening to him. They wouldn't acknowledge him. They wouldn't affirm his words. They wouldn't obey his words. They didn't have a love of his truth in their hearts. Why do you not understand my speech because you're not able to listen to my word? Verse 44, just a staggering indictment, right? You are of your father, the devil and the devil of the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and he does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him and here they are of their father, the devil, seeking to murder the Lord of glory.  Then he says something very interesting in verse 45. Listen, Jesus says, but because I tell the truth you do not believe me. Now notice that he did not say I tell you the truth and you don't believe me. He didn't say that, right? Notice the word order here. Very important. He said, but because I tell you the truth you do not believe me. Paul says of the unrighteous of sinners of ungodly men in Romans 1, that unrighteous men suppress the truth of God in their unrighteousness. You get that? Unrighteous men, ungodly men, sinners, those outside of Christ suppress the truth in their unrighteousness. And the sinner's unbelief is not ultimately because they're not smart enough to understand. It's not ultimately because they can't hear well. It's not ultimately because they simply don't agree with the facts about Christianity. The sinner's unbelief is ultimately because when they hear the truth, they willfully, selfishly, and stubbornly shut their ears to it. When sinners hear the truth, they'd rather have their way, their will, their sin, and so they stop their ears to the truth. They suppress the truth in their unrighteousness.  Now Jesus clarifies this further in verse 46. He asks them, which of you convicts me of sin? Now that's a rhetorical question. They expect a no answer. No one convicts him of sin. He is sinless. They've been trying to trap him in his words, trying to convict him of sin, and no one convicts him of sin because he's sinless. So with that thought in their minds, he is sinless. He cannot be convicted of sin. He asks in verse 46, so then, if I tell you the truth, why do you not believe me? Verse 47, because he who is of God, the one who is born again, the one who is genuinely converted, he was of God hears God's words. Therefore you do not hear because you are not of God. Do you see? Now back in John chapter 18, we have the Lord here, the Lord here before Pilate, the Lord before these Jewish leaders. We see they will not hear his voice. They will not hear the truth. They will not acknowledge the truth, affirm the truth, agree with the truth. They will not follow the truth. They're too interested in following their own whims, right? So back in John 18, Jesus will tell Pilate down in verse 37, everyone, everyone who is of the truth hears, affirms, trusts, obeys, loves. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Now the contrast we see between these liars and the Lord of truth in John 18 is the very same contrast that we see throughout history and certainly in our day between liars and the Lord of truth. This world, right? This world gagging on its own lying tongue presumes, presumes to stand in judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. And this wicked world presumes day in and day out to stand in judgment on the truth. You know, the foolish, wicked, so-called wisdom of this world is destroying the family, right?  Absolutely devastating the family. And yet they will judge you. They will judge you a threat to the family if you take a stand for biblical truth in yours. The scribes and Pharisees of our day in the scientific community, right?   But you're judged a narrow-minded bigot if you stand on the side of truth and declare it that it's unrighteous for two men to marry. If you think about it, the pervasiveness of this world lies, right? You cannot turn on the radio. You can't turn on the TV without having it poured into your heart and mind, right? Words, right? Words of songs that can only be appropriately sung of the Lord Jesus Christ, sung about somebody's live-in girlfriend, right? Right? The wicked deception, brainwashing that flows from movies today, from songwriters to screenwriters, from politicians to public schools, to most a vast majority of pulpits in our country today, this world is absolutely hell-bent on suppressing any truth in every single area of life. They call evil good. They call good evil.  They will judge you an insurrectionist and they will pick up a stone.  Now this is the world, this is the world in which every genuine believer is called upon to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. You are called upon, you are charged by the Lord to fight the good fight, to wage the good warfare. We must stand for the truth and proclaim Christ. Praise God, praise God, right? That his kingdom is not of this world and we look for a heavenly country. We look forward to that kingdom. Jesus tells Pilate in John 18 that his kingdom is not of this world, that he's come into this world. His purpose of coming into this world is to bear witness to the truth. And everyone who is of the truth hears his voice. So in John 18, neither the Pharisees, the scribes, nor Pilate, any of them, none of them are interested in hearing his voice. So as we look at John 18 then, as we come to this Roman trial, this section of Scripture, we see the godless world, this godless world that presumes to judge the Lord Jesus Christ. But thinking that they're the judge all the while, they're the ones being judged. We'll see point one on your notes, liars on trial in verses 28 through 32, the liars on trial. The Jewish authorities, the Roman authorities believe that they have Jesus Christ on trial, but through the pen of John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we're to see those worldly authorities on trial as we work through our text. We're to see the wicked backdrop of this trial behind the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. But secondly, in contrast, set against that black, exceedingly sinful backdrop, we'll see point two on your notes, the Lord of Truth in verses 32 through 38. So first, liars on trial, it's the liars on trial, verses 28 to 32, read there with me. Verse 28, then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning, but they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. A pilot then went out to them and said, what accusation do you bring against this man? They answered and said to him, well, if he were not an evil doer, we would not have delivered him up to you. Then Pilate said to them, you take him and judge him according to your law. Therefore the Jews said to him, it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what death he would die. Now what you see immediately as we get to this text is a convergence of authorities. First, you see the Jewish leaders representing religious authority under Caiaphas, the high priest. Secondly, you see the Roman governor, Pilate, representing this world's authority, and lastly, you see the Lord Jesus Christ, the true and ultimate authority. Verse 28 says, and then they, the they there is the Jewish leaders, the Jewish leaders led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. So after the illegal hearings before Annas that we studied last week, right, the illegal hearing before Caiaphas to the Sanhedrin, after the mock and illegal trial before the Sanhedrin, where Jesus was ultimately judged guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death, the Jewish leaders then take Jesus to the Praetorium to see Pilate. Now the Jewish leaders here, we know, have their own agenda. They're willing to lie, willing to deceive, willing to bribe, extort, manipulate, all to see it through to its murderous end. They know what they want, they're out to get it, and they're going to sin to get it. They know though, in this, that they're going to need Pilate's help to get it done. Roman law at the time, according to Roman law, the Jews weren't allowed to put anyone to death without Roman approval. So that proves a couple of things. One, if the Jews weren't allowed to put anyone to death without Roman approval, then that proves that the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter seven was nothing more than mob violence. More these Jewish leaders acting in accord with their own wicked hearts, right? And they stoned Stephen. The Jews were corrupt here, they were opportunistic. And so if it served their purpose, they would do what they wanted, and Rome would turn a blind eye, Rome would often wink to these stonings, these murders. But secondly, this Roman law, the Roman law, partly explains why the Jews didn't just take the Lord Jesus Christ and do that to him, didn't just take him out and stone him. Now additionally, we know from scripture, the Jews feared the people. So they wanted to go about this at least for appearance's sake, somewhat judicially. They feared the people, but most importantly, most importantly, we see this in verse 32.  So behind all of this, we see the sovereign, omnipotent hand of Almighty God at work. It just simply wasn't going to work out any other way, but then exactly how God had decreed that it would work out. And so these wicked Jewish leaders now jump through the proverbial Roman hoops, and they take Jesus then to Pilate. Now Pilate was the Roman governor or the prefect of Judea, Herod incidentally, right? We'll see Jesus here also by Luke's account. Jesus will take a brief appearance before Herod as well. Herod was the governor or the prefect over Galilee. Both Herod and Pilate were both in Jerusalem at this time because of Passover. Now they weren't there to observe Passover. They were there to observe the Jews or to keep a watch over them. And both of them there to quell any uprising or to squash any kind of disturbance that came about with all of those people flocked into Jerusalem at one time. Now the Praetorium mentioned in verse 28 was Pilate's official residence or his official headquarters while he was in Jerusalem. He held his permanent headquarters, his regular residence in Caesarea, but while he was in Jerusalem, he stayed at the Praetorium. Now Pilate, Pilate in a similar way, just like the Jews, just like the Jews, Pilate has his own agenda, right? He's another authority here vying for power. And Pilate, we know, has extreme contempt for the Jews. Ultimately, Pilate couldn't care less about what Jesus has to say. Couldn't care less about quote-unquote the truth. Pilate's looking out for his own interests. And before the morning is through, Pilate proves willing to hand over an innocent man to death in order to protect his own hide. So in this text so far now, we see two worldly authorities, and they're going to fight for power here that ultimately belongs to neither one of them. Because we'll see in the text also, then you have the true and ultimate authority, the Lord Jesus Christ. Sinless, sent by the Father, bearing witness to the truth. And because he bears witness to the truth, this world's authorities want him dead. Now further in verse 28, John records that it was early in the morning, likely around daybreak, right? The rooster is crowed. This gives us a time marker for the events in our text. The Lord says in verse 37, look in verse 37, the Lord says, for this cause I was born. And for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. And everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Now it's clear from our text, right? The Jewish leaders have not heard him. He came to his own, his own did not receive him, right? Pilate isn't interested in hearing him out. He responds with a sarcastic question in verse 38, what is truth, right? In response to the Lord's statement, what is truth? Now listen, maybe you've failed to hear him up to this point. John writes the Gospel of John, for the purpose that you might believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you would have life in his name. Have you heard the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ? Unbelievers suppress the truth in their sin. Lost people suppress the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ in their unrighteousness. They suppress it for their sin because of their sin. They want their sin rather than Christ. They want their sin rather than truth. They care about their sin. They don't care about the truth.  The more that the truth is presented to you, you reject it. As Paul has said, they've not received the love of the truth, right? That they might be saved. Now why is that? You need the gift of a new heart. You need to be born of God. Those who are of God hear his voice. Those who are born of God. Those who are given a new heart in Christ. Those who have their natures changed, transformed, they hear the truth that they might be saved. You need the gift of a new heart, a renewed mind that loves the truth of God as it is in Christ.  You've not been affirming his word. You've not loved the truth, yet just weaken and weak out. You continue to reject the truth for your own sin. Listen, you will perish. You'll get what you want.  Today, listen, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your heart. Hear him. Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. The first thing I want you to notice is that this spiritual deafness often comes through religious hypocrisy. Look at verse 28. Spiritual deadness, spiritual blindness, spiritual deafness often comes through religious hypocrisy. John says of the religious leaders at the end of verse 28, but they themselves did not go into the praetorium unless they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Now make the connection with me, right? These Jews, the Jewish leaders, wanted to continue their observance of Passover. It's Passover week in Jerusalem. They're all there for the festival, and they want to observe the Passover, but according to their own law, if they went into a Gentile's house, they would have become ceremonially unclean. They would have become ceremonially defiled. That would have required that they go away and wash for seven days to be deemed ceremonially clean again, and they would miss the end of Passover week. So it was important to them to avoid going into the praetorium so that they could continue to observe Passover. Now do you see the outrageous absurdity of this in our context, right? They can lie. They can deceive. They can cheat. They can manipulate. They can murder, but heaven forbid they walk into a Gentile's house during Passover, right? Matthew chapter 23, verse 25, Jesus had warned them. He said, whoa to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. He said, you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  First, Jesus says, cleanse the inside of the cup. Cleanse the inside of the dish that the outside of them may be clean also. Whoa to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.   Everything they're doing here is for show. It's for appearances sake. Outwardly, they want to appear righteous.  These Jewish leaders, these Jewish leaders so concerned with external acts of ritualistic religion that they refused to hear the Lord's voice, refused to acknowledge that God is one who looks on the heart, not on outward appearance. Their religion, their religion was an empty sham. Their religion was a fake. It was an empty husk. That kind of heartless, godless, ritualistic religion, that kind of religion knows all the right things to do, knows all the right places to go, knows all the right words to say, all the right prayers to pray, right? It will show up at the right time, it'll show up at the right place, it'll stand at the right time, kneel at the right time, walk an aisle when they're called. They'll go on a short-term mission trip, right? They'll show up at the abortion mill. They'll go through the external motions of all these various religious obedience's, all while their heart is completely devoid of any genuine love and affection for the Lord Jesus Christ. They are dead inside, hopeless, just as content with their religious activity if Jesus were dead and gone. No real sensitivity to sin, no real hatred for sin, no conviction, no mourning over sin. They can sit and listen to the Word of God preached and just be cold and indifferent on the inside, right? Angry all the while, if anything, because of what's being preached. They'll argue with the truth of God or they'll be indifferent to the truth of God. What they won't do is they won't hear the truth of God. Weak in and weak out, they're just empty dead shells. They're on their way to hell, no hunger, no thirst for righteousness, no love for His law, no real desire for heart holiness, just death to the Lord of truth, dead to the Lord of glory. Weak in and weak out with a cold, dead heart.  God cries out to you, turn from the wickedness of your way. Turn to Him and live. Why will you persist in your deadness? Turn from your sin. Can't you see? Can't you see, right? That those are temporary and fleeting pleasures. They're in one moment and they're gone the next and you will suffer. You'll pay the price for those. Later, Lord extends a hand of mercy to you now, extends grace to you now. Turn from your sin. Listen, hear His voice. Don't harden your heart. People like that, right? People in that kind of, that empty, fake, ritualistic, godless, heartless kind of religion. They believe themselves to be truly clean. They think they're right with God because they do all the right things and they say all the right things and they go to all the right places when the only one, the only one who can truly make them clean has absolutely no place in their hearts. They have no place for Him. Acknowledge the truth. Is this you? Is this you? Is your religion empty? Is it vapid? Is it dead? Is it just a shell? Is there nothing of any substance there? Is there any work of grace in your heart? Do you love Christ? Do you love His truth?  Will you acknowledge that this morning? Confess the sin of your heart, right? Trust Christ to change you. Repent and turn. Don't harden your heart like these wicked Pharisees. So because they would not enter the Praetorium in verse 28, Pilate concedes, not because he wants to, but he makes a concession and goes out to them in verse 29. And Pilate asks them, right, what accusation do you bring against this man? With that question, the civil trial of the Lord Jesus Christ formally begins. And in the exchange that follows, we see a second cause of spiritual deafness. The first external religion, empty religious ritual. The second cause of spiritual deafness is pride. There's pride. Two parties here clamoring for power at the expense of the other. Two parties unwilling to humble themselves, right? Unwilling to hear and consider the truth. But understand this point. It's important that we understand a little bit more about Pilate and this complex relationship that he has here with the Jews. Pilate despises the Jews. He loathes them. And the Jews loath Pilate in return. They hate him. There's no good relationship going on. There's no collaboration going on here. All right. We know about Pilate historically. The Pilate was arrogant. He was foolish, often morally weak. When foolish decisions landed him in hot water, Pilate often responded with brute force, with severe brutality. A Philo historian wrote in the first century that Pilate was corrupt, that he was cruel. He had the habit of insulting people. And he was just a brutal, severe leader. He's described as continually murdering his own people, trying them and condemning them without justice. Reminds you of the Jews here, doesn't it? So Pilate, so we're not confused here. Pilate's not the champion of justice that some look at the gospel accounts and see him to be. You know, there are those who would proclaim Pilate's goodness here, so to speak, and trying to let Jesus off the hook. Pilate could care less about the Lord Jesus Christ. His every intention here is to antagonize the Jews, whom he hated. So on his entry, to give you an example, on his entry into Jerusalem, he offended the Jews with flags bearing the image of Tiberius Caesar at the time. Because of Jewish custom and this, the law's prohibition against images, this started an uprising among the Jews as Pilate was entering the city. And Pilate quelled the uprising on his entrance. His first entrance into Jerusalem quelled the uprising by killing the protestors, coming in with troops and wiping them out. In another incident, Pilate actually ordered a raid on the temple treasury in order to rob the temple of gifts so that he could build an aqueduct. Now Pilate knew this would result in a riot among the Jews. So anticipating the riot, Pilate sent soldiers dressed as common people into the crowd.  And that's exactly what happened. In Luke 13.1, if you remember that text, there were some who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Pilate was a brutal man, a thug. A word of all this got back to Caesar. And it was said that Caesar sternly rebuked Pilate for his inept leadership and told him essentially that one more uprising and you're done. One more uprising and you're done. So Pilate's walking on thin ice, so to speak, as we're dealing with the Jews here in John 18. So if you put this in context then Pilate's line of questioning doesn't reflect a desire for justice as much as it reflects his own pride in making the Jewish leaders subject to himself and to acknowledge his authority. So as we consider the question then in verse 29, in verse 29, remember that Pilate would have approved the use of the Roman cohort in the arrest of Jesus in the garden, right? That 600 soldiers, 200 to 600 soldiers. He would have been aware because of that, of the intentions of the Jewish leadership. And so he wanted to make it clear that he was the one in charge here, not them, and he wasn't simply going to rubber stamp their little process to deal with Jesus of Nazareth. So in verse 29, likely mocking their prior trial, the trial that's just taken place before the Sanhedrin, and mocking their verdict as a mere accusation, Pilate went out to them and said, verse 29, what accusation do you bring against this man? Pilate has now placed himself as judge over the Jews, just as he would have it. They're in his court now and Pilate is vying for authority. Now the Jews, they respond in pride also, hard pressed by their own agenda to murder Jesus. The Jews knew that Roman law wouldn't pass a death sentence over a theological issue like blasphemy. But they also didn't want to jump through Pilate's hoops. They wanted to save face and assert their own authority. And they have plans behind the scenes as we'll see to bend Pilate to their will. So essentially in a prideful manipulation, they answer him in verse 30. Well, if he were not an evil doer, we would not have delivered him up to you. In other words, take our word for it, Pilate. We're the religious authorities around here. We've got the authority. If he weren't an evil doer, we would not have delivered him up to you. Interesting, that word delivered him up is the same word used of Judas' betrayal of Jesus, that he was delivered, handed over, given over, betrayed to them. They say take our word for it, Pilate, right? Our trial, our verdict stands. We have the authority. What is that to you? If he were not an evil doer, we would not have delivered him up to you. Now what's revealed here in our text and the synoptic gospels and in the circumstances is two worldly authorities pridefully jockeying for power that ultimately belongs to neither one of them. Now Pilate knows here the position that they're in. And so he says in verse 31, matter of factly, pridefully again, okay then, if you've already judged him, then you deal with him. You're not going to get anywhere with me. So Pilate said to them, verse 31, you take him and judge him according to your law. Therefore the Jews then said to him, it's not lawful for us to put anyone to death. Now while all of this was going on, if you can understand the back and forth here, while these petty worldly authorities plot a vain thing, right? While the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying let us break their bonds and pieces, let us cast away their cords from us, the Lord is on his throne. The Lord Jesus Christ stands by silently during this time. And although now he is silent, he shall hold them in derision. He will soon speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure, right? This is Psalm two, right? I've set my king on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron.   Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.  So the manipulation of the Jewish leaders, their intentions with Pilate becomes more clear from Luke's account. Go with me to Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23. We have Luke's helpful account here of these very circumstances beginning in verse one. We'll see what's really going on in the hearts and minds of these Jewish leaders from Luke's account, beginning in verse one. The whole multitude of them arose and led Jesus Christ to Pilate. Now notice how, as we begin here, notice how the charges change before Pilate, right? At this point they begin to throw out charges to Pilate that would lead to a Roman verdict of death. It's not the charge that they leveled against them, which was blasphemy. They knew that wasn't going to stick. So what do they do? They manipulate the circumstances to get a charge that would stick. Look at verse two. So before Pilate now, they begin to accuse him saying, we found this fellow perverting the nation literally means causing civil unrest, turning us off course. We found this fellow turning us off course and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, which is sedition, saying that he himself is Christ a king. In other words, he's a threat to Rome. He's an insurrectionist. Nothing here, right? In verse two, nothing related to blasphemy. Two of these charges are an outright lie. The third charge, he himself is Christ a king. That charge is true, but not in the way that they were presenting that to Pilate. Now think about that wicked charge of forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar. This very same group of scribes and Pharisees were just shamed by him in the temple just a few days earlier in Luke chapter 20. Turn there with me. Keep your finger in Luke 23. Go back a couple of pages to Luke chapter 20 and look at verse 20. Now the truth here absolutely doesn't matter to them. They are a brood of liars. These are wicked people with a wicked agenda. Look at verse 20. So they watched him. They sent spies who pretended to be righteous that they might seize on his word. Now these are obsessively religious people, remember, right? They proclaimed to be followers of the one true and living God of Israel. They sent spies who pretended to be righteous that they might seize on his words in order to deliver him to the power and the authority of the governor as Pilate. Then they asked him saying, teacher, this plan, they're hatching in order to get him to Pilate so they could get a death sentence from Roman law against him. So they asked him saying, teacher, we know that you say and teach rightly and you do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth. What a wicked, duplicitous statement that is, right? In no way shape or form do they believe that statement. That's that empty human flattery that only intends to serve their own purpose, right? So they asked him the question, verse 22, is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? But Lord Jesus Christ, being omniscient, he perceived their craftiness and said to them, why do you test me? Show me a Daenerys. Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said to them, great wisdom, verse 25, render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. But they could not catch him in his words in the presence of the people and they marveled at his answer and kept silent. Now back in Luke 23, then that doesn't matter to them. That just happened. Did he forbid them from paying taxes? No, he encouraged them to pay to render to Caesar what is Caesar's. But that doesn't matter. Wicked people here have a wicked agenda. They make a pretense of these charges to manipulate Pilate. They make a pretense of standing for Roman law all the while their wicked hearts are full of murder and they're plotting to overthrow true justice. Now these false charges intended to provoke Pilate. Look at Luke 23 and look at beginning at verse three. So then Pilate asked him saying, are you the king of the Jews? And he answered him and said, it is as you say. In other words, you said it, right? Verse four. So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, I find no fault in this man. But they were the more fierce saying he stirs up the people teaching throughout all Judea beginning from Galilee to this place. In other words, that's not a theological argument. He is stirring up the people against the Romans.  So then Jesus goes before Herod. Look at verse six. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the man were a Galilean. Soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad for he had desired for a long time to see him because he had heard many things about him and he hoped to see some miracle done by him. This word got around, right? This wasn't something done in a dark corner. This is not secret. Everybody knew who the Lord Jesus Christ was. They knew what he'd claim. They knew what he'd taught. They knew what he had done. So the chief priests, verse 10 in the scribe, stood and vehemently accused him. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated him with contempt and mocked him and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him back to Pilate. That very day, these two wicked guys, Pilate and Herod, became friends with each other for previously they had been at enmity with each other. Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, he said to them, you've brought this man to me as one who misleads the people. And indeed having examined him in your presence, I have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. No, neither did Herod. For I sent you back to him and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by him. I will therefore chastise him and release him. Now again, it's important that we remember who Pilate is and the state of Pilate's mind, the state of Pilate's heart. Pilate is no champion of justice here. Pilate is antagonizing the Jews. But despite the intent of Pilate here to frustrate the Jews to exert his own authority, the die has already been cast, right? The leverage that the Jews needed to topple Pilate's intent was already in place with these false charges. And although Pilate here intends to deny the Jews their request for a death sentence in pride and in self interest, to keep his job, to maintain favor with Rome, Pilate would soon capitulate and give them exactly what they want. He'll deliver a man over to death for his own prideful self interest. Do you see? It's sanctimoniously, right? Sacrilegiously, sanctimoniously washing his hands of the whole ordeal at the end. So back in John chapter 18 then, in verse 32, we hear the truth behind the whole ordeal, the truth behind all that has been said, all that has been done. Verse 32. So that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what death he would die. With your finger in John 18, flip back a couple of pages to John chapter 12. And let's look at this saying, the saying of Jesus. This was all done. The saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying by what death he would die. You notice that the words of Jesus here put on par obviously with scripture, with prophecy from God himself. Verse 32, all the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke. Well, he spoke this statement in a couple of places, John chapter three, John chapter eight. He alluded to those, but here clearly in John chapter 12, look down beginning at verse 27. Jesus says, in John chapter 12, verse 27, now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said an angel has spoken to him. So Jesus answered and said in verse 30, this voice did not come because of me, but for your sake, now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself.  The people answered him. We've heard from the law that this Christ remains forever. And how can you say the son of man must be lifted up? Who is this son of man? And Jesus said to them a little while longer, the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, let darkness overtake you. He walks in darkness does not know where he's going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of light. So here in John chapter 12, John acknowledges in John chapter 18, the omnipotent hand of Almighty God in all the proceedings that are recorded here, right? It had been determined, it had been determined that Jesus Christ would be crucified rather than stoned to death. And being determined, this prophecy would be fulfilled. He would be crucified rather than stoned to death. One through the Romans. The Romans had to sanction any capital punishment verdict. And they did that by way of a cross. If they approved of a death penalty, they would do that through Roman crucifixion. But two, the Jews here preferred that also because they wanted Jesus to be seen as a cursed Deuteronomy 21-23. If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, this was centuries before crucifixion, even became a figment of anybody's imagination. You hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. For he who is hanged is a cursed of God. And the Jews preferred that Jesus Christ be seen as a cursed. He was cursed for our sakes, amen. But three, behind it all, the sovereign decree of God. All the vain wicked plots of wicked men are like water between the hands of the Lord, and he turns them with or so ever he wills, right? Behind all the lies, behind all the deceit, behind all the posturing for power, behind all the pride, right behind all of the vile, deplorable, manipulative, depraved, prideful, and murderous intents of these wicked leaders, all of them acting in full accord with their depraved natures, their depraved deceitful wicked hearts lies the sovereign will of the potter over the clay. And while they labor and toil and strive to accomplish all their own heart's desire, unbeknownst to them, they march to the everlasting, inviolable drum of divine decree. God is sovereign over our circumstances, amen. And if you're in Christ, if you're in Christ, listen, if you are in Christ, then all of those circumstances are worked together by omnipotent, omniscient, omniscient God, omniscient decree. All of them are worked together for your good.   You cannot run from omnipotent justice, and you will glorify him in your judgment. He will be glorified. How would you rather have it? If you're in Christ, if you're in Christ, then through repentant faith, which is itself a gift of God, then all of your desires, your heart's longing, right? Your desire to please him in all things, to worship him, right? Unfettered by sin, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, all that hungering and thirsting for righteousness, all the good and righteous desires of your heart giving you by grace is a gift from God. All of those desires come to fulfillment, come to fulfillment. You'll close your eyes in this life and you will open them in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. So in this life, brother, sister, right? Though your circumstances be dire, though your enemies often seem to prevail, though you often think, or it often appears as though the wicked prosper, blessed are those who put their trust in him. Turn from your sin.  This is your best life now, if you're outside of Christ. But for those of you who would look with joy at the reward that is to come, keep your hope fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ, serve him faithfully, follow his example, right? Do all that he has commanded. He has commanded it for our good. Blessed are those who put their trust in him. All glory, all praise, all honor to the one who leads us in truth. Amen. Let's pray. Father in heaven, Lord, blessed be your name forever and ever. Out all glory, praise and honor be to you and to the Lamb who sits on the throne. We praise you and worship you and thank you, Lord, for this glorious salvation. Thank you, Lord, that you've not left us in our dead, deaf, blind state, but by your grace and mercy you have caused us to hear your truth. You've caused us in great grace and mercy to be born again. We praise you and worship you and thank you for this unfathomable gift. I pray, God, that we would not selfishly or wickedly hoard that treasure to ourselves, but that we would proclaim it. That we would preach it, Lord. Even though this world stops its ears to the truth, you have those who are yours, whom you have ordained to be given to the Son from before the foundation of the world. And as surely as you've been gracious to us and we came, or they will, they will hear your voice. I pray, Lord, that we would be used of you to that end to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, that he would receive the full reward of his suffering, that sinners would be saved, and he would be worshiped, both for his glory and for their good. God, I pray that you would do that work that only you can do.  And one day, Lord, we pray, glorify them for your worship and praise, for your glory, God. We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.


Salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Any advice on learning to control your nefs? So, learning to control your nefs is something we broadly call tazkiyatun nefs, purifying the nefs. It's part of it anyway, and it's alluded to in the statement of Allah Azawajal, قد أفلح من ذكاها و قد خاب من ذسها. That successful is the one who purifies their nefs. And it's also alluded to in the statement of Allah Azawajal, و أما من خاف مقام ربه و نهن نفسة عن الهوة فإن الجنة هي المأوى. Whoever fears standing before their Lord and prohibits their soul from what it craves and jinnah will be there abode. So, we have to understand that there are there are two things that pollute the nefs. One of the things that pollutes the nefs is as we said a shubahat and that is the issue of misconceptions, misguidance, confusion, and so on. The second thing which corrupts the nefs and this is the one that we're talking about here is شهوات.  So, they fall into it because their nefs crave it. And in this I would highly recommend that you read some of the books of Ibn al-Qayyim, رحمه الله تعالى. And there are quite a few that have been brought into English and Ibn al-Jawzi, رحمه الله تعالى as well. And there are quite a few that have been brought into English which deal with the issue of the nefs and purifying the nefs. And I'm just sort of talking from memory but there are, if you were to look through like an English bookstore and you look for some of the books of Ibn al-Qayyim and Ibn al-Jawzi and even some of the books of Ibn al-Rajab as well, رحمه الله تعالى, which have been translated into English, which deal with the nefs and purifying the nefs and controlling the nefs is a great deal of benefit. But something I benefited from Ibn al-Qayyim, رحمه الله تعالى, which I personally found it to be very, very profound. And that is the issue of filling the heart with the love of Allah.  So it's not the case that your nefs is going to be free of issues, but it could be the case that your nefs begins to become closer towards what Allah loves because you find there's no space in your heart for something that Allah doesn't love.  So that comes through knowing Islam and it comes through knowing Allah and his names and attributes and his actions and it also comes through building on the fara'id with the Nawafil because of the hadith that my servant will not cease to come close to me with the voluntary deeds after the obligatory deeds until I love him. So that also comes from that aspect as well and those are just a few points but I think if you were to read some of the books that have been written on this topic there are some amazing books on the issue of the nefs which have been translated into English and controlling the nefs which have been translated into English and Allah knows best.