Everybody, what is going on? You know what time it is. You're listening to join the Journey podcast with your host, Emma, daughter.

Thanks for joining. Do you know the most common mistake Christians make when sharing the gospel?

In today's Devo, Ron, a longtime member of Watermark, reminded us that no matter how bleak the day, God always wins.

Amid all the schemes of mankind, he's in total control of not only that day's events,

but of Earth's final destiny. We can be confident when we put our trust in the lame of God

will be victorious. And Ron's right. As 1 1 Corinthians 1557 says, but thanks be to God,

he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Today's chapter, Matthew 27, paints a picture

of one of the darkest moments in history. Watermark music has a song called King of Victory, and the opening

lyrics start out by asking, sin, where is your sting? Death, where is your victory? Grave, where is

your power? And if we just looked at Matthew 27 in isolation, the answer would be simple.

All the bad appears to be right here in this one chapter as all hope seems lost.

Judas hangs himself. The crowd chooses Barabbas. Jesus is crucified, mocked, he's killed and he's

buried, the tomb is secured, and then the chapter ends. If I had to guess, most of us know how the story actually ends.

We know the good news is coming and we're all too quick to turn the page.

Let's move on to chapter 28, the good news, the good part.

But today, I want us to sit in this for a moment.

What if it was your first time hearing the story? Pause the episode and think about it.

What if it was your first time hearing the story? The guy who's healed the sick and welcomed in the

outcasts and championed the week, the guy you've been reading about for 26 days, the hero,

he was slain. And it isn't like he just

died. No, he died a gruesome death. But his death, it was a good thing. Because the hero died

for us. He died a death that we deserve. Sin, anything we think, say, or do that doesn't please God

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