You Got the Wrong One

0:00 Brace yourself and buckle up. You are about to hear a life-changing, history-making, world-defining message from the New Birth Podcast. Tell everybody you know, things will never be the same. Luke 23 Media Ministry, we're in verse 47. If you'll take me to 47, please. Luke 23.

0:30 Amen. I'm going to jump down. Thank you. Amen. Now you can go back to where you were. Go back to 44. There you are. Thank you. Everybody all over the room with uplifted voices, let's read the word of God together. Luke 23, verse 44 through 47. Everybody, it was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. Verse 45. For the sun stopped shining and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Verse 46. Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, in your hands, I commit my spirit. When he said this, he breathed his last. Verse 47.

1:24 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, Surely this was a righteous man. Let's read verse 47 again with a little bit more vim, vigor, and vitality. Everybody, the centurion seeing what had happened, praised God and said, Surely, it is your life. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. the centurion seeing what had happened praised God and said surely this was a righteous man I want to preach for a little while today using as a subject you got the wrong one look at the person beside you and tell them you better tell them You got the wrong one.

2:24 My dear comrades, in America, the fundamental principle of the legal system is innocent until proven guilty. But the bitter reality for minorities is that many times we are guilty until we prove innocent.

2:59 If you don't believe me, ask Kilmer Abrego Garcia, the 29-year-old husband, father, taxpayer, Salvadorian immigrant who has a work permit granted because he sought asylum from the dangerous gang violence in his own country.

3:24 In March, he was detained by ICE agents in my home state of Maryland and deported three days later under suspicious gang affiliation. which was later proven to be untrue.

3:45 He was shipped to the Center for Terrorism Confinement in one of the most controversial facilities in South America. And soon thereafter, it was discovered that in fact, he was not illegally here. And as a consequence, the Supreme Court directed the administration to return him back home because of the 179 they rounded up, he, in fact, was the wrong man.

4:22 Ladies and gentlemen, people will try to put you in boxes because you don't fit in their circle. You don't match the profile. just because you don't have a degree don't think for a moment that I'm somebody's dummy.

4:43 Because I'm quiet it doesn't mean I don't have something to say. I'm an introvert but I'll still meet you outside. My job title doesn't speak to the breadth of my talent. My car doesn't tell you where I'm going. And just because I was brought up in abject poverty, it doesn't mean I'll settle for minimum wage. You got the wrong one. Look at your neighbor, tell him you got the wrong one. look at the person on the other side say i'm only gonna tell you this once you got the wrong one don't raise your voice at me don't walk up to me trying to giggle when you was gossiping about me don't try to be slick in the mouth don't play in my face and then try to borrow something out of my hand i don't remind you of anybody you can't compare me to anybody and you'll never replace me with anybody whatever you did in handling them that way don't handle me reckless you got the wrong yeah ladies and gentlemen that's the conclusion that the centurion soldier came to standing at the bottom of the cross.

6:18 He yells out in verse 46 of Luke, the 23rd chapter, because it was high noon and all of a sudden the entire earth went dark. It's high noon and without warning, the entire earth went dark. There was no natural reason for the occurrence. good friday is during the feast of passover which is always during a full moon furthermore an eclipse does not last for three hours it lasts for three minutes people don't know you can go dark at the drop of a dime i can go weeks without texting not taking calls does not mean that i am in crisis don't think you know my life cause you watch my social media page There are only two other times in recorded history where the entire earth went dark.

7:27 The first time is in Genesis chapter 1, when the earth was formless and empty and darkness covered the earth. And then God said, let there be. I wanted to remind you that whenever it goes dark, God is about to create something. you didn't hear what i just said whenever it goes dark god is about to create something uh gen z um alpha generation you don't even understand this example ask your mama when you get home because all of you know how to take pictures on your phone but i ain't talking to that generation i'm talking to the generation before you that used to have to buy kodak film Thank you. and when you bought kodak film in 12 18 or 24 exposure there was a little booth outside of the mall called photomat y'all don't remember photomat and here's what's crazy is you had to put your film in a bag put your name on it and then drop it off millennials y'all ain't gonna believe this and this is what they told us at Photomat is drop off all your negatives.

8:49 We gonna take your negative and produce a picture out of it. And y'all wanna know why I'm shouting on Easter? Is God took all my negatives and he produced a bigger picture out of it. What is amazing is that when they took your negatives, hear this, and produced a picture, they could only produce the picture, here's your shout, in the dark room. And in the dark room, here it is, they would put it in a tray, and when they put it in a tray with your negatives, do you know what they would add on it? Solution. and they did not take hold until they turned the red light on. See, sometimes God needs you to give him all of your negatives, allow him to put a solution on it, and God said, because you waited, I'm going to give you double exposure.

9:51 For everything that you've been through, you ought to be giving God glory. I'm about to get double for my trouble because he took all of my negative. There's some people in the room that'll be honest enough to acknowledge I got developed in the dark. it wasn't when things were going well it was in dark places of my life that i really developed to see who god was in my life that was the first time the earth went dark the second time it got dark is when god punished pharaoh for oppressing his people ladies and gentlemen it's getting dark in america because kilmar garcia is still in jail when he's committed no crimes but they are trying to set a precedent to incarcerate civilians y'all better be careful because they're building jails right now in el salvador and they're trying to raise a standard that you don't even have to go through due process and please know that while it may be our Latino brothers and sisters today. Very well next on the chopping block will be brothers and sisters in this room. It's dark in America when Harvard University is under imminent threat for trying to raise a generation to think freely. It's dark in America when the senators don't seem to have a spine and the judges are being held like jesters. It's dark in America when the Secretary of Defense has now labeled that if you have razor bumps, you will be discharged from the military.

11:42 When 99% of those with razor bumps are black men, it is dark in America. But I need you to understand that you are the light of the earth. It don't matter how dark it is. Let your light so shine before men and before women that they may see your good works so that you may glorify the Father which is in heaven. It's dark in America. And the reason why they hate you is because you're driving with high beams on. You refuse to let anybody dim your light. You're going to be as intelligent as you are, as brilliant as you are, as creative as you are. You better keep your light on. When y'all turned on them lights in this sanctuary, it confirmed for me that this word was right, that God was waiting for you to hold up your light even while the nation is getting dark.

12:45 Those of y'all who are from the suburbs, those of y'all that come from a gated community, those of you who live out yonder, you ain't gonna understand this example. But when I used to live with my grandmother in the projects of New York, y'all ain't saying nothing. I discovered something that roaches only start running when you turn the lights on. As long as the lights are out, they're going to be comfortable eating your cereal. Y'all ain't saying nothing, climbing in your cupboard. But when you turn the light on, all of the roaches got to start moving. I came to give a warning Elon Musk the light is getting ready to come on Donald Trump the light is getting ready to come on J.D. Vance the light is getting ready to come on MAGA the light is getting ready to come on the welcome because the roaches will check in but they won't check out the lights are coming on What made them realize?

13:51 What made them realize he killed the wrong one? The truth of the matter is it only gets dark before the dawn. The truth of the matter is that he realized that something had happened because the veil in the temple got torn. There was a curtain in the temple. that was created to leave a barrier between the holy place and the people. But when Jesus was on that cross, it tore. It tore because it needed to send a message. Nothing could stop us from entering into his presence, even those who are considered unworthy. The walls of Jericho fell down. The Berlin Wall fell down. the Roman Empire fell down apartheid fell down Jim Crow fell down MAGA is going to fall down Satan we going to tear your kingdom down ladies and gentlemen I'm telling you whatever was separating you from worshiping God just got removed out of the way you ain't got to wait for no preach or no priest in order to get you to God.

15:13 All over the news, they were worried trying to figure out whether the Pope was going to make it to Easter blessing this morning. But I said, I'm getting dressed because I ain't waiting on nobody to give me my blessing. I'm going to hold on until he blesses me. Do you know why the enemy is upset? He fell once and was unable to worship God for the rest of his life. But here we are giving God glory. even though we made some mistakes and fallen short of his glory i need you to worship god even if you didn't dot all the i's across all the t with everything that has breath would you just praise the lord right there Hanging on the cross, Jesus with his last ounce of strength, with all that he had left, he shouted out loud, Father, I give you my spirit.

16:16 Ladies and gentlemen, he's bleeding. He's got nails in his hands, nails in his feet, crown of thorn in his head, being pierced in the side. and yet the Bible says he's shouting. If you ever see me praising God while I'm in pain, there's about to be a problem. If you see me bless him while I'm broken, you better start backing up. If you see me dance while I'm depressed, you should start ducking for cover. if you see me jump and I ain't got a job something is about to shift I'm a dangerous person when I know how to give God glory while I got tears coming down my face come on mystical mystical put it this way if you ever see me fighting in the forest with a grizzly bear help the bear because when I give God glory something is about to happen I need somebody to give God glory even while you're in pain even while you're in need And here's what's amazing.

17:36 As Jesus shouted with a loud voice, and then the soldiers started shouting, giving God glory. Can you imagine what God can do in the life? Hear this. What God is about to do in the life. I need you to hear this. Do you know what God can do in the life? I need you to pay attention, lean forward. Can you realize what God is about to do in the life of the person that hurts you? Jesus is shouting to God. And the same one that pierces him in the side starts worshiping him. I'm telling you, don't look now, but God can turn your ex into an intercessor. He'll turn your supervisor into a cosigner.

18:32 Your siblings will become your biggest supporter. he'll make your enemies your footstools I'm telling you stuff is about to shift and you gotta brace yourself because they meant it for evil but God is gonna work it out for your good even the ones that hurt you are gonna have to lift him And I got to give the soldier credit because he shouted before Jesus got up when he was still down bad. Don't encourage me after you see me on the come up. I need you to push me when my back is up against the wall. When I ain't got strength to get out of the bed.

19:27 When I don't feel like myself. I don't need you coming around after I cross the finish line. I need you to be there when I feel like throwing in the towel and giving up on myself. And there's somebody in this room that's about to get a second win. would you shout not for yourself shout for the person next to you that's going through something oh come on come on i said shut they get ready to get their strength back they get ready get their fight back they get ready to get their life back Historians suggest that the empire crucified somewhere in the orbit of 150,000 people. We don't talk about that much, but 150,000 people got nailed to a cross.

20:30 the mistake they made is they thought Jesus was like the rest of them and were just adding him in to the count of 149,000 what separated Jesus from the other 150,000 that got crucified the first thing that separated them is that their custom was to break the bones of who was on the cross to make them die quicker. But when it is that they went to break Jesus's bones, they couldn't do it. Hallelujah. Psalm 34 and 20 says, not a bone will be broken. I feel like I ought to say this to somebody in this room, but I'm trying not to run through this arena.

21:22 I got to tell somebody this. Would you just take that neighbor's hand real quick? Would you take that neighbor's hand real quick? It may not even apply to the person on the left. It may be for the person on your right. But I need you to just look at either side and tell them they tried to break me. It was the intention of Satan to break you. But you know God's hand is on your life with everything that you have endured. it still didn't break you. You still shining. You still smiling. You still looking good. You still handling business. You still taking care of your family. You still raising your children. I don't want you to sit there like the enemy got the victory. But I need you to give God glory that it didn't break me. hallelujah you may be seated hallelujah i feel glory coming now hey i just need 20 people to shout out loud it didn't break me the divorce didn't break me the layoff didn't break me The bankruptcy didn't break me. My mama dying didn't break me. What they thought about me didn't break me. I'm still here. After everything I've been through, I still got my joy.

22:59 You see that just The universe needs to hear it I just need a thousand of you to shout out loud It didn't break me He knew Jesus must have been the wrong one because unlike the other 150,000, they couldn't break his bones.

23:26 Number two, they knew that they had killed the wrong one because everybody else who had the death penalty, hear this, was convicted of something where the punishment fit the crime. So all the other people who got crucified were robbers, were rapists, were murderers, were insurrectionists. But he who knew no sin took on the sin of the world. The reason why I'm here this morning is because he was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. The chastisement of my peace is upon his shoulders and by his stripes I am healed. He paid a debt that he didn't owe and now I owe a debt that I can't pay. I need somebody to understand.

24:19 If you want to understand my life, I need you to know my favor is unfair because my fights were unfair. What I went through, three other people should have dealt with it before me. but God put some stuff on me that for the life of me I can't understand why he put it on me somebody talk back to me I don't want to be a strong soldier I don't want to be the reliable one I don't want to be the one that can take a licking and keep on ticking sometimes God I just want to be at peace and I'm able to say though he slay me yet will I trust you are getting ready to walk into favor you don't deserve because you came out of a fight you didn't deserve you got a good heart you got a good spirit you try to be nice to people you're kind you're thoughtful and you're considerate and people will treat you like a dishrag and somehow or another you never plotted revengeance.

25:35 You never tried to get your lip back. You never conspired for their downfall. You just said to yourself, that's all right, God gonna take care of it. But God needed you to hear today that God gonna do something. God, why you gonna do something? Because you held your peace and you let the Lord fight your battle for you. There are five people that ought to be glad you never told your side of the story. They ought to be glad that you let it slide and let them think that they got away with it. God said vengeance is mine. Be seated, please. Lastly, they thought Jesus was like everybody else. Because the 150,000 other people that got crucified, all 150,000 of them stayed dead.

26:40 got placed in a tomb, lowered in a graveyard. And sooner or later, their bodies decayed. Canker worms came. Sinews got chewed up. Hair follicles folded. All of them, 150,000 people, 2,025 years later stayed dead. And so I understand through rational, rational, considerate thought, they thought Jesus was like the rest of them. But they didn't take him at his word because Jesus said, no man takes my life. I lay it down. And if I lay it down, I'll pick it back up again.

27:33 God help me to preach this thing right I need somebody to understand that God is getting ready to turn something around because the worst thing that people could have ever done to you is underestimated you you thought where you laid me was where I was going to stay but God had another plan for my life hallelujah I don't even know how I made it this far. But my grandmother used to sing a song that said, Nobody told me that the road was going to be easy. But I don't believe he's brought me this far to leave me now. I remember in the book of Psalms where it says, weeping may endure for a night but joy is coming in the morning hallelujah I feel bad for the folk that underestimated you because the last time they saw you they saw you in a bad place and so they thought that you were gonna stay broke that you were gonna stay lonely that you were gonna stay stuck that you were gonna stay addicted that you were gonna stay cold dependent that you were gonna stay bitter that you were gonna stay needy that you were gonna stay imbalanced but when i was in my dark place i had to tell myself it won't always be like this sooner or later it's gonna work in my favor it's gonna turn around for me how did you know that God was gonna do something for you because when I was in my dark place I started giving God glory I don't want you confused About these Easter clothes

29:40 But I had some difficult days I had some dark nights But I learned how to encourage myself Look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor People walked away from me People talked about me People laughed at me But they forgot I got one thing going for me If I be lifted up I'll draw all men unto me I wonder if there's somebody that will help me Lift Jesus up Is there anybody here that will help me Give him glory if there's anybody here that will magnify his holy name.

30:44 I don't know why Jesus loves me. I don't know why Jesus cares. I don't know why he's sacrificing life. But I am so glad that he's here. I'm so glad I'm so glad that love is lifting me Grab your neighbor and look at your neighbor And say neighbor, take a good look at me This is the brokest I'm ever gonna be This is the loneliest I'm ever gonna be This is the most frustrated I'm ever gonna be But in three days All, all, all power is in your hand.

31:48 Give three people a high five and tell them it's over now. We've been made in door for a night. But joy, joy, joy. some black morning when this life is over I will cry You ought to give two people a high five and tell them I'm about to make a comeback. I'm about to be better than I ever been in.

32:45 In my life, I never would have made it. But I'm better. So much better. So much better. I hope you are energized that you don't need an energy drink. What you just heard should have you off and running, chasing your dreams, pursuing your purpose, and answering your call. If this was a blessing, share it with somebody else. Don't be selfish. this is what God gave you so that you can be a blessing to somebody who needs it worse.