Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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Between a Rock and a Hard Place

We have a lot of word pictures in the English language to describe being in a predicament. We might say we’ve “painted ourselves into a corner,” or we are “in a pickle” or our backs are “up against the wall.” A least one person has defined a predicament as being , “A lawyer who specializes in suing doctors for medical malpractice finding himself in need of major surgery.” We might also say that we are caught “between a rock and a hard place.” Between a rock and hard place means you’re stuck in between two options, and neither one is desirable. These are the times when you’re confronted with your absolute weakness and inability to hurdle the obstacles in life.

More than a hundred years ago, a financial crisis occurred in the US that became known as the Bankers’ Panic of 1907. The financial crisis impacted many industries, as you can imagine, and the ripple effect of the financial upheaval was felt all the way out in Bisbee, Arizona. The lack of funding led to a dispute between the copper mining companies and the mineworkers there. They were underpaid, and their working conditions were terrible. So they organized into labor unions and approached the company management with a list of demands for better pay and conditions.

The company refused and retaliated – any mining worker who complained would be fired. So the mineworkers were faced with a dilemma, they had to either choose to continue to work at the rock face in quarry in terrible conditions or lose their job and make matters even worse. One of the workers coined the phrase, “we are stuck between a rock (the quarry wall) and a hard place (unemployment).” It wasn’t long before the phrase took root and by 1930, newspapers were using the phrase to describe any number of impossible situations.

Maybe you are between a “rock and a hard place” this morning. Maybe your current job is unbearable, but there are no other jobs available and you need the paycheck. Maybe the people you’re living with are crazy, but you don’t have the money to get your own place. I am not necessarily talking about your family. Maybe you need surgery, but you don’t have health insurance. Maybe you are a student and don’t like school but you have to go. You may or may not find yourself in these kind of predicaments right now, but at some point in your life, you will find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place.

When we’re caught between a rock and a hard place, we feel trapped, stuck, and tired of where we are. We don’t know what to do or where to turn. Honestly, it’s a lose-lose situation. If it were a clear win-lose situation, we would know how to choose and where to turn. We’re like the Israelites with Pharaoh on one side and the Red Sea on the other. Death seemed certain either way. But what do you do when there are no clear choices? Maybe you try to deny it, maybe you try to mask it, maybe you try to fake it or you might even try to ignore it. Sometimes you just take the option that will cause you the least trouble or stress. You are still going to lose but you will lose less.

This morning, we continue to look at Jesus’ time before Pilate, leading up to being sentenced to crucifixion. Last week we saw the Jews approach Pilate in the early morning but would not come into his palace because it would make them unclean and they would not be able to eat the Passover. They try to manipulate Pilate into bringing unfounded charges against Jesus. Pilate finds no reason to bring charges against Jesus and tries to find ways to set him free. He also has a conversation with Jesus. Jesus assures Pilate that he is not trying to usurp his authority or take over as emperor. He says his kingdom is not of this world and he tries to introduce truth to Pilate which he scoffs at. Through all this, Pilate is convinced that Jesus is innocent, but instead of doing the right thing, Pilate tries to compromise and both times it backfires on him.

In our scripture this morning, Pilate continues to compromise and with each compromise he continues down a road to a point of no return. Pilate may not have felt that he was between a rock and a hard place yet but he soon will. Pilate also has another conversation with Jesus. Imagine having a conversation with the Son of God and not being changed. Those conversations could have made all difference in the world for Pilate and the rest of his life but when he was caught between a rock and hard place, he tried to deny it, he tried to mask it, he tried to fake it and he tried to ignore it.

The truth is we are weak creatures. We are sinful, we fail. Being prone to sickness, we hurt; being mortal, we wear out; pressure weighs us down; anxiety gives us ulcers; people intimidate us; criticism offends us; difficulties hound us. What choice do we really have during those times when we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place? That brings us to our big idea this morning which is to: You can turn to Jesus when you have nowhere else to turn and feel you are caught between a rock and a hard place. In fact, why would you turn to anyone or anything else? Where else will you find the truth? Where else will you find hope? Who else can do the impossible? Only Jesus.

Let’s pray: Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to what you want us to learn this morning. Imprint your words on our hearts and help us to use it to bring you praise and honor and glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There are two points this morning. The first is “the rock” and the second is “the hard place.” We will start with “the rock” which for Pilate was knowing what the right thing to do was but not having the courage to do it no matter what. We see this in verses 1-11 of John chapter 19. This is what God’s word says, “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” ​​ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Pilate has tried to wiggle out of dealing with the Jews and Jesus. He has compromised over and over again instead of just doing the right thing and setting Jesus free. In verse 1, he continues his compromises by having Jesus scourged. In Luke 23:14b – 16, we get more insight into what Pilate was thinking here. That says, “I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” Pilate thought once they saw Jesus, bloody and beaten, he would be able to let Jesus go and this situation would be over.

Scourging or flogging was one of the cruelest punishments known to man. The criminal was bound to a post and beaten by several people in turn. They used a short-handled whip to which several leather thongs were tied. Each thong had jagged pieces of bone and metal attached to the ends. Jewish law set the maximum number of lashes at 40, but the Romans were not bound to that law so they would continue to beat the victim until they were exhausted, the commanding officer stopped them, or the victim died which often happened. This type of punishment tore a person’s body apart and was so horrible that Roman citizens could not legally be sentenced to it.

The Romans also had three different levels of scourging, one more severe than the last. The “fustigatio” was the least severe and was reserved for troublemakers who simply needed to be punished and warned. The third level was “verberatio” which was the most severe and served as part of the punishment for a capital offense, and in preparation for crucifixion. It seems Pilate chose to use the least severe form of scourging here to probably accomplish two things. One, to teach Jesus a lesson to be more careful in not upsetting the religious leaders in the future, and two, to satisfy the Jews who were demanding his death.

But the punishment and humiliation of Jesus wasn’t over yet. The Romans had made a sport of torture and the Roman soldiers continued to humiliate Jesus making fun of the accusation of Jesus being the “king of the Jews.” They twisted together a crown of thorns, probably made from the thorny date palm, whose thorns could exceed twelve inches and pressed it down on his head. It would have cut deeply into Jesus’ head increasing the pain and bleeding. They were mocking Jesus and the Jews, as it would have looked like Jesus had radiant beams coming from his head. They also put a purple robe on him, probably one of the soldiers’ robes, to finish the picture of Jesus as a king. The soldiers also mocked Jesus by going up to him again and again paying false homage to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews” as they would do before Caesar and hit him in the face. Matthew and Mark recount that they hit him with a reed which they had given him as a kind of scepter. It is interesting how much irony John uses in his gospel and we see it here. The Roman soldiers mock Jesus as a “king” not understanding that he is the King of kings and one day he would stand in judgment of those very soldiers who tortured and humiliated him.

The law now required a formal presentation of the criminal. Pilate comes out before the people and declares Jesus innocent of any charges that could be tried in a Roman court of law. He fully expected the Jews to be satisfied with the punishment already inflicted upon Jesus, so he brings him out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. He is beaten and bloody, face bruised and swollen, looking nothing like a king. He wanted to show the Jews how ludicrous it was to take their charges seriously. In his view, Jesus posed no threat to them or the Romans. Sarcastically he says, “Here is the man.” By introducing Jesus in this way, Pilate was mocking the Jews but also trying to elicit sympathy for Jesus so he can set him free. “Behold the man” probably meant “see this “poor” creature.” It would have been ridiculous to Pilate that they would want to crucify such a weak and humiliated person. Again, we see the irony John uses here in reminding us that Jesus called himself the “Son of Man” and that he is the Word made flesh and was displaying his glory as the Son of God in his disgrace, pain, and weakness.

But it backfires again. ​​ Instead of wanting him to free Jesus, the Jews shout and demand that Jesus be crucified. Now, I think Pilate may have been feeling the pressure of being caught between a rock and a hard place. He knows that Jesus is innocent of any wrongdoing. He probably has a sense that Jesus is not just any ordinary person. He knows what the right thing to do is but he lacks the courage to free Jesus, as was his right as the Roman governor. At this point, Pilate probably had enough of these Jews. They had brought Jesus to him in the first place but now would not accept his judgment. Seeing that his strategy to free Jesus has not worked, he mockingly and sarcastically tells them to take Jesus and crucify him themselves. This was another tactic to keep Jesus from being crucified because he knew they couldn’t carry that sentence out.

The Jews didn’t miss a beat though. It is interesting that they seem to have an answer for Pilate every time he tried to free Jesus. They had done their homework and knew what buttons to push. At no time did they seem to have to stop and think of what to do next. But Pilate almost seems unsettled at each turn and has to do a song and dance to keep ahead of the Jews agenda. In verse 7, the Jews change tactics. Their first tactic was to get Jesus charged as a political opponent to Rome which we saw last week. Now the Jews try to get Jesus charged as a religious opponent to Rome, saying that he claimed to be the “Son of God.” Taking this at face value, it should not have worked. What did Rome care for the religious views of the Jews? This is what Pilate was referring to back in verse 31 when he told them to take Jesus and judge him by their own law. He meant their own religious law. They tell Pilate that Jesus has already been judged according to that law, found guilty and deserving of death. The law they were talking about is found in Leviticus 24:16, which says, “Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” The Jews demand that Pilate acknowledge their legal rights and order Jesus to be crucified, implying, that would keep the peace in the area. The Roman governor was responsible for keeping the peace and maintaining the local law. If he didn’t he would surely be replaced as governor if not taken out and killed.

This new tactic exposed their true motives as to why they wanted Jesus killed. They told Pilate that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy and had to die according to their law. Interestingly, Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God wasn’t sufficient to prove blasphemy. The anointed king of Israel, such as David or Solomon, was called the Son of God and the Messiah was to be the Son of God. What the Jews were upset about and why they hated Jesus so much was he claimed to be equal to God, himself. They knew they needed Pilate’s help to put Jesus to death but of course they weren’t going to be completely honest with him.

If the Jews were holding their breath to see how Pilate would react to them taking this religious angle, what Pilate did next probably gave them a great sense of relief. Instead of questioning the Jews about their motives, he becomes even more afraid and takes Jesus back inside the palace to have another conversation with him. Pilate like most Romans were superstitious. Every Roman of that day would have heard stories of the gods or their offspring appearing in human form. The thought that Jesus might be a man with divine powers or a god in human form filled him with fear. Also, his superstition was probably fueled by a dream that his wife had about Jesus and warning him to have nothing to do with Jesus. We see this in Matthew 27:19 where it says, “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”

Pilate takes Jesus back into the palace and asks him where he comes from. He already knew Jesus was from Galilee, but what he wanted to know was whether he was from earth or from the realm of the gods. Jesus is silent when questions by Pilate. Why? It may have been to fulfill prophecy from Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” Maybe Jesus is silent because he had already told Pilate he was not from this world or maybe he knew that Pilate couldn’t or wouldn’t understand any answer Jesus would give because Pilate had already shown he wasn’t concerned with truth.

Pilate is upset with Jesus that, of all people, he would not talk to him. He reminds Jesus he is the one who has the power to set him free or to have him crucified. This is ironic, in that he had spent all this time going back and forth with the Jews avoiding making a decision about Jesus but ultimately knew deep down that he could not avoid this responsibility. He may have had the power but he didn’t have the courage to do what was right. Jesus tells Pilate the only power he has over him is the power given to him from above. He did not have ultimate control over what happened to Jesus. Even the death of Jesus was under the sovereignty of God. Again, we see the irony in John’s gospel in that for all the power that Pilate felt he had he must have felt powerless before God’s plan in this hour.

Jesus tells Pilate there is someone guiltier than him. The one who handed Jesus over to Pilate was guilty of the greater sin. Jesus is probably not talking about Judas because he has disappeared from the story. It is probably not the Jews because Jesus seems to imply “one’ person. The best solution is the high priest Caiaphas. He was the catalyst for Jesus’ arrest and who had seemed to formulate the plan for Jesus to die. We see this in John 11:49-50, 53 which says, “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.” Jesus wasn’t absolving Pilate of guilt for his actions, but Caiaphas was more guilty because he had seen the overwhelming evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. He knew the scriptures, not Pilate. He should have accepted Jesus as his Messiah, not Pilate, who wasn’t even a Jew.

This was “the rock” that Pilate found himself between. He continues to find Jesus innocent of any crime. He knows the right thing to do is to release Jesus. Deep down he probably knows that what is going on is of the utmost importance but he still does not have the courage of his convictions. He doesn’t have the courage to do what is right and he continues to dig himself a deeper and deeper hole that he can never get out of. He is caught between a rock and a hard place. Which brings us to our first next step which is to make up my mind to always do the right thing no matter what. If you will choose the right thing every time your “rocks” will become smaller and not seem so impossible to overcome. Your stress and anxiety levels will be lower. The ability to choose to do the right thing comes easier when we turn to Jesus when things seem impossible and we have nowhere else to turn. (Big Idea)

Our second point this morning is “the hard place.” The “hard place” for Pilate was that he let the Jews pressure and bully him into crucifying Jesus. He let them back himself into a corner, ultimately sinning in making the wrong choice. We see this in verses 12-16. This is what God’s word says, “From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

Here’s where Pilate really starts to feel the pressure and we see how desperate he seems to get. After talking to Jesus about who really had the authority and power over Jesus, Pilate is even more convinced of his innocence and tries to set Jesus free. In fact, the verb is verse 12 means an ongoing action in that he kept trying to set Jesus free. We don’t know how many different things he tried. We don’t know how many other compromises he made. The ironic thing was it was in his legal authority to set Jesus free. He didn’t need the Jews to okay it or rubber stamp it. But he didn’t have the courage to do the right thing and next we see the Jews put the final nail in the coffin for Pilate. If Pilate didn’t feel he was between a rock and a hard place before, now he knew it was over and he had no choice but to give in to the Jewish leaders’ demands to crucify Jesus.

Even though they failed to convince Pilate of Jesus’ guilt the Jews don’t seem to be fazed. They reverse their tactics again playing the political ace up their sleeve putting Jesus in opposition to Caesar himself. ​​ They tell Pilate that if he releases Jesus he was no friend of Caesar because anyone who says they are king opposes Caesar. They were planting the thought in his mind that he would suffer if he doesn’t do what they want with Jesus. The idea of not being a friend of Caesar’s would have set off warning bells in Pilate’s head. The emperor at the time, Tiberius, was noted for his suspicious nature and his willingness to ruthlessly punish his subordinates. Pilate most definitely would have feared for his position, his possessions and his life. Pilate had already brought a lot of heartache on himself while being the Governor of Palestine. The Jews had already made complaints against him to Rome because he had treated their religion with contempt a number of times. He could not risk the Jews making another complaint to Rome about him. Plummer comments on the tactics of the Jewish leaders: “They knew their man: it is not a love of justice, but personal feeling which moves him to seek to release Jesus; and they will overcome one personal feeling by another still stronger.”

We see how far the Jewish leaders were willing to go to get Jesus crucified. We see their corruption and their hypocricy. The Jews hated the Romans rule over them and were most certainly themselves no friend of Caesar’s. Again John shows us the irony here that in order to have Jesus executed the Jewish authorities had to make themselves out to be more loyal subjects of Caesar than Pilate was. Now Pilate had to choose between either setting Jesus free or inciting the wrath of the Emperor against him. Their mention of Caesar sealed Jesus’ fate. There was no question about the choice Pilate was going to make. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, in between two impossible choices, and in the end he made the choice that brought the least amount of trouble for himself. It was the choice where he would lose less. Greene says, “He would no longer oppose the Jews because that would take self-sacrifice.” Pilate was not willing to make any sacrifice on his part to save Jesus.

Pilate doesn’t answer the Jews but immediately brings Jesus out before the people. He will now give the official sentence which will conclude the matter. Pilate sits down on the judge’s seat. John tells us this place was known as the Stone Pavement, called “Gabbatha” in Aramaic, meaning “platform” or “high place.” Pilate is now poised to speak with the voice of his office. Again, John show us the irony in that Pilate was going to pass judgment on the one whom God had granted the power of all judgment and who would one day pass judgment on Pilate and the rest of humanity. Next we see John carefully setting the scene for us. He says it was the sixth hour on the day of preparation for the Passover Week. The sixth hour was late morning approaching noontime. It was swiftly approaching the time when the sheep would have been slaughtered in the temple in preparation for Passover. John wants us to remember Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people.

Pilate, still agonizing over his decision, tries one more thing. Instead of sentencing Jesus right away, he pronounces Jesus as their king. For Pilate, Jesus was not a king, at least not in any sense he would understand. But for John the kingship of Jesus was real and he wants us to understand that Jesus was king even as he went to the cross for our salvation. By now the Jews only want blood, Jesus’ blood, and they respond again with “crucify him!” Pilate again tries one more time, and we can hear the sarcasm in his voice as he says, “Shall I crucify your king?” with emphasis on the word “king.” MacArthur says, “This was probably his way of mocking them that this beaten, bloody, helpless man was all the king they deserved.”

Pilate is not answered by the mob this time but by the chief priests who make it clear that they have no king but Caesar. Here is another example of irony in that they of all people, who claimed to be the religious leaders of the nation of Israel, who claimed to be God’s chosen people and claimed God as their king, would make that statement. They now express the real truth of what was in their hearts. It is interesting that by saying they have no king but Caesar they actually gave Caesar more power than the Romans did. Up to this point in history Caesar was never called a king. Also, it was a total rejection of God alone as Israel’s king. Even the kings of Israel such as David reigned by God’s divine appointment. By rejecting Jesus as king they have rejected God. Again, we see the irony in that the Jewish leaders were guilty of blasphemy themselves. Robinson says, “Writing as a Jew for other Jews, (John) is concerned from beginning to end to present the condemnation of Jesus, the true king of Israel, as the great betrayal of the nation by its own leadership.”  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

There was nothing more Pilate could do. If he released Jesus now he would be accused before Caesar of not doing his duty. He had enough trouble keeping the peace in Palestine without allowing that to happen. So, after all that it says Pilate finally handed him over to them to be crucified. Now it doesn’t mean he handed Jesus over to the Jews. He handed Jesus over to the Roman guards who would carry out the sentence of crucifixion. But John is telling us is that Pilate handed Jesus over to the will of the people. No matter who carried out the actual crucifixion, Jesus was being handed over to those who wanted him dead. They had manipulated and played Pilate like the proverbial fiddle and they got exactly what they wanted, a crucified Jesus, which ironically was God’s plan all along.

Pilate was caught between a rock and a hard place. He knew what was right but didn’t have the courage to do it and then he let the Jews pressure and bully him into making the wrong decision. He let them use him for their own evil purposes and they persuaded him into sinning against the Son of God sending him to his death on a cross. That brings us to our second next step which is to not let others pressure me into sinning but to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes and not man’s. The question Pilate failed to answer properly is found in Matthew 27:22, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” That is the same question we must all face. There are only two alternatives. One, reject him and face eternal damnation, or two, acknowledge him as Lord and Savior and be saved. Pilate’s futile attempts to evade the issue clearly reveals there is no middle ground. Matthew 12:30 says, He who is not with Me is against Me. That brings us to our third next step this morning which is to acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Savior and be saved. That is the most important decision you can ever make. Pilate no longer has the opportunity to make that decision but you and I do. I encourage everyone to have the courage to choose to do what is right and not let others pressure you into making the wrong choice when it comes to Jesus.

In closing, I want to read this illustration from Burge’s commentary. From Malchus, which means “my king”, who we saw in the garden to Jesus’ discussions with Pilate the word “king” occurs over a dozen times. Later even on the cross Pilate insists that Jesus be labeled “King of the Jews” instead of the compromising “This man said, I am the King of the Jews.” John’s story reads like a medieval drama about a king whose rightful rule has been overthrown temporarily. He moves about the masses unknown with no crown but only the clothes of a commoner. But we know the usurpers are doomed and the true king will win the day. Jesus is the true king, the hidden king, whose victory is about to be cheered.

John wants us to see the people stumbling in the darkness unable to see the true king in their midst, because he is challenging us with their predicament. If the kingship can be submerged in the politics of Jerusalem can the same happen today? Despite this darkness John assures us that God’s glory is still at work. This is “the hour” God planned from the beginning and Jesus is still in control. He asks the questions and makes the judgments. He alone has the power that comes from above. Despite how the world treats God and his son, God will prevail. God’s glory and power can’t be suppressed or be contained by the plots of human beings. No one can stop God’s glory if God intends his glory to be shown. God is in control of history even this hostile seemingly darkened chapter of history that offers little hope. If he is sovereign in places like this Passover during this particular year in Jerusalem, if he can manifest his glory and accomplish his purposes when to the observer everything seems like defeat and disaster, our history can be no different. If God can transform this “hour” with glory, than he can transform any hour. He can transform your hour. He can transform your “rocks” and your “hard places” if you will turn to him and rely on him when you feel caught between a rock and a hard place.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in our final hymn this morning, let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, when the storms of this life seem to surround us and it seems impossible to get out of them, let us turn to you. You are the one who gives us hope, you are the one who gives us truth and you are the one who can do the impossible. Let us make our minds up to do what is right no matter what and not allow others to pressure us into sinning against you. In Jesus; name, Amen.

 

/by

Choosing Sides

,

Believe

Choosing Sides

(John 18:28-40)

 

INTRODUCTION

“While serving as a missionary in Laos, I discovered an illustration of the kingdom of God. Before the colonialists imposed national boundaries, the kings of Laos and Vietnam reached an agreement on taxation in the border areas. Those who ate short-grain rice, built their houses on stilts, and decorated them with Indian-style serpents were considered Laotians. On the other hand, those who ate long-grain rice, built their houses on the ground, and decorated them with Chinese-style dragons were considered Vietnamese. The exact location of a person's home was not what determined his or her nationality. Instead, each person belonged to the kingdom whose cultural values he or she exhibited. So it is with us: we live in the world, but as part of God's kingdom, we are to live according to his kingdom's standards and values.”

 

John Hess-Yoder, Portland, Oregon. Leadership, Vol. 7, no. 3.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/june/1498.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Calvinist or Arminian

        • When I first started working in ministry over 24 years ago, I was asked about my doctrinal beliefs

        • There are basically two main branches, Calvinism and Arminianism

        • I didn’t know how to answer, because I had never been taught what they were or their differences

        • So, I called my Dad, who had been my pastor for all of my life up to that point and asked him

        • He had never specifically taught us about those two doctrinal beliefs, but instead taught us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ

        • After spending time studying the two doctrinal beliefs, I can say with confidence that I am neither

        • I am simply what my Dad taught me growing up, a Christian!

        • I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, which is better than claiming either of the other two doctrinal belief systems

          • Here is why – Calvin and Arminius were both human beings, and as such, struggled as fallible sinners, just like me

          • Jesus is holy and perfect, without sin

          • That is why I am His disciple and adhere to His doctrine taught in His Word

        • When pressured to choose sides, I did, but it wasn’t in the way that the individuals thought I would

        • I chose truth, by choosing to obey and follow Jesus instead of man’s understanding

        • This statement is not original to me or the person who told it to me, but it’s powerful nonetheless – “I pray like a Calvinist, like it’s all up to God, and I work like an Arminianist like it’s all up to me.”

        • I think that covers it

 

  • WE

    • When was a time when you were forced to choose sides?

    • Perhaps it was a choice between truth and falsehood

    • What was the outcome?

 

The Jews and Pilate both have a choice to make when it came to Jesus. ​​ Pilate would have to choose whether or not to side with truth or be swayed by the crowd. ​​ The Jews would have to choose between innocence and guilt. ​​ John wants us to wrestle with the same thing. ​​ Will we choose truth or not?  ​​​​ Will we choose innocence or guilt? ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Obeying Jesus’ words shows we have chosen truth.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 18:28-40)

    • Charges (vv. 28-32)

        • Movements of Jesus

          • Trial with Caiaphas (v. 28a)

            • We saw last week that Annas sent Jesus, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest (John 18:24)

            • John’s Gospel does not record the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, but Matthew (26:57-68) and Mark (14:53-65) do

            • Many scholars believe that Peter’s first denial came while Jesus was being questioned by Annas and the final two denials came while Jesus was being questioned by Caiaphas

              • It’s probable that the same courtyard serviced both Annas and Caiaphas’ residences

              • So, Peter would have been warming himself around the same fire, while Jesus would have been shifted from one residence to the next

          • Trial with Pilate

            • After Jesus agrees that He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One (Mark 14:61b), the Jews condemn Him as worthy of death as a blasphemer (Mark 14:64)

            • They transition Jesus from Caiaphas’ residence to the Roman governor’s palace

              • The Roman governor normally resided in the praetorium at Caesarea Maritima with the Roman soldiers on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea

              • He would come to Jerusalem during the high feast times to ensure peace

              • There are two potential locations for the governor’s palace or praetorium [show map]

                • Herod’s Royal Palace with its three great towers that helped with defense on the Western Gate [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 12-21, 237]

                • This location would have been closer to the traditional site of Caiaphas’s house

                • The other, less likely, location would have been the Fortress of Antonia on the northwest corner of the Temple

          • John gives us a timestamp and an interesting ironic situation with the Jews

        • Religion over relationship (v. 28b)

          • It was early morning

            • While the Greek word for early morning is ambiguous, it is probable that Jesus was taken to Pilate before 6:00 am

            • The last watch of the night was called “early morning” or “dawning” and included the hours of 3:00 am to 6:00 am [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 588; Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 523-24]

            • This would not have been considered inappropriate or egregious to call on the Roman governor at this early hour, because many of the Roman officials would rise early and complete their work by 11:00 am or 12:00 pm

            • Pilate would probably have already been awake and perhaps working by this time

          • Choosing religion over relationship

            • The Jews were so concerned about the religious practice of remaining ceremonially clean, so they could eat the Passover, that they failed to see how condemning an innocent man to death would make them unclean before God

            • They were willing to use a Gentile governor to accomplish their goal, but would not set foot in his palace for fear of becoming unclean [Köstenberger, 524]

            • The irony should be striking to us – they were choosing religious practice over a relationship with Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ

              • I want to caution us not to be too harsh with the Jews, because God was using their rejection of Jesus, and focus on religion, to bring about salvation for all of humanity

              • This salvation would include Jews and Gentiles

            • PRINCIPLE #1 – God is pleased when His people choose relationship over religion.

              • We too can get caught up in choosing religion over relationship

              • It happens with our relationship with God and Jesus

                • We can focus so much on the disciplines associated with being a Christian that we neglect the relationship with God and Jesus

                • We can become legalistic about reading the Bible, praying, attending church, serving others, giving to the Lord, and so much more

                • “Receiving baptism (by whatever mode), taking communion (in whatever church), attending worship (with whatever regularity), offering prayers (of whatever length), giving money (of whatever amount), in themselves do not, have not, will not, and cannot save us from our sins and their inevitable judgment. ​​ ‘Religion’ cannot achieve redemption; ceremonies cannot save.” ​​ [Milne, The Bible Speaks Today: The Message of John, 264]

                • We can do these things with the wrong attitude and with the wrong intentions

                • We focus on the act instead of the reason for the act

                • Spiritual disciplines should be done not to be accepted by God, but because we love God and value our relationship with Him

                • Anytime we want to get to know someone, we spend time with them, we ask questions, we participate in things that they value and enjoy

                • The same should be true of our relationship with Jesus and God

                • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Practice spiritual disciplines out of love for God, instead of a desire to be accepted by God.

              • It can also happen with our relationships with other believers

                • We can become judgmental and critical of other believers who are not living out their faith like we are

                • In an attempt to “help” them we actually hurt the relationship, because we don’t confront in love

                • Confrontation is needed, but let me tell you, it’s hard to do, in love, with pure intentions

                • We are sinners, first and foremost, and those sinful desires, thoughts, feelings, and actions tend to surface before the godly, humble, and loving desires, thoughts, feelings, and actions

                • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Ask the Holy Spirit to help me, when I need to confront other believers, to do it with a godly, humble, and loving attitude, so they will know that I value the relationship over religion.

                • When we approach confrontation this way, we are obeying Jesus’ words and showing that we have chosen truth

          • While Pilate was not a Jew, he understood Jewish culture and their religious practices, so he came out to talk with the Jews

        • What charges? (vv. 29-32)

          • Pilate asked the Jews what charges they were bringing against Jesus

            • They could have listed at least seven [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 335]

              • He threatens to destroy the temple (Matt. 26:61)

              • He is an evildoer (Luke 23:2)

              • He perverts the nation (Luke 23:2)

              • He has forbidden the Jews to pay taxes (Luke 23:2)

              • He is a revolutionary agitator (Luke 23:2)

              • He makes himself king (Luke 23:2)

              • He claims to be the Son of God (John 19:7)

            • Instead they don’t list any of those charges

          • Their response says volumes

            • Notice that they don’t answer Pilate with any charges

            • They say they wouldn’t have handed Him over to him if weren’t a criminal

            • They’re hoping that Pilate will simply rubber-stamp the decision of the Sanhedrin, but he doesn’t

            • If you remember, the Sanhedrin had many false witnesses that came forward to testify against Jesus, but none of their testimonies matched

            • Even the two witnesses that testified that Jesus said He would destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it again in three days, did not agree

            • The high priest eventually asks Jesus, directly, if He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One

            • When Jesus answers affirmatively, they charge Him with blasphemy, which wasn’t a crime in a Roman court of law

          • Pilate sees through their smokescreen

            • He knows that Jesus has not broken any Roman law, so he challenges the Jews to judge Jesus by their own law

            • This wouldn’t work for two reasons

              • First, the Jews did not have the power to execute anyone

                • The right to execute someone was highly prized and protected by the Roman Empire in the 1st Century

                • It provided a level of power that no one else had

                • Certainly we see in the book of Acts that the Jews stoned Stephen

                  • Jews certainly killed people in the 1st Century for breaking Jewish law, but most of the time it came as a result of a mob mentality and not something organized and planned

                  • The Jews were given authority by Rome to kill anyone who violated the Temple area whether Jew or Gentile, whether a Roman citizen or not (there was no need for a trial, because justice was enacted immediately, probably by the Temple guards)

                  • The form of execution that was available to the Jews was stoning and not crucifixion on a cross

                  • The Old Testament outlined that stoning was the appropriate form of death for anyone who blasphemed

                • So, the Jews didn’t have the authority to execute Jesus, but there is a much greater reason why this wouldn’t work to judge Jesus by Jewish law

              • Second, the form of execution would not have fulfilled what Jesus had already said about how He would die

                • Jesus mentions multiple times throughout the Gospels about the fact that He would be lifted up

                  • This was a reference to the fact that He would be crucified

                  • Matthew 20:18-19, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. ​​ They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. ​​ On the third day he will be raised to life!”

                  • John 12:32-33, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” ​​ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

                • Both Jews and Gentiles were under Roman law, so when Jesus died the Roman death, crucifixion, He was dying for all of humanity and not just the Jews

            • Pilate knew the Jews intentions for bringing Jesus to him and he knew why they were being evasive when he asked them about the charges they were bringing against Jesus

              • In a far greater and more perfect way, God knows the intentions of our hearts

              • PRINCIPLE #2 – God knows the intentions of our hearts.

              • He knows when we are genuinely seeking a personal relationship with Him instead of doing spiritual disciplines for His approval

              • He knows our intentions when we confront other believers about their walk with the Lord – whether those intentions are selfish or selfless

              • He even knows our intentions for befriending someone, giving to an individual or organization, serving the poor, seeking riches, etc.

              • God is all-knowing, so nothing we think, say, or do is lost on Him

              • Perhaps we all can remember a situation where our intentions were not pure and genuine, but rather self-seeking

              • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Ask the Lord to reveal if I am thinking, saying, or doing anything with selfish intentions and then confess that to Him.

        • John transitions the scene by telling us that Pilate went back inside the palace to question Jesus

    • Truth (vv. 33-38a)

        • Pilate was doing his due diligence instead of just taking the Jews word for it – he wanted to know for himself if Jesus was guilty of any crime against the empire

        • Pilate’s questions

          • Question 1 – “Are you the king of the Jews?”

            • Pilate and the Jews must have had an additional conversation about Jesus, for him to ask this question of Jesus

              • Where would Pilate get the idea of Jesus being king of the Jews”

              • Luke 23:2, And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. ​​ He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”

              • Pilate is trying to determine if Jesus is going to be a political threat to the Roman Empire [Köstenberger, 527]

              • “Are you a claimant-king challenging Rome?” ​​ [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 500]

              • That would change everything – it would be Pilate’s problem and not a Jewish law issue at that point

            • Jesus’ response to the question

              • Did you come up with that question on your own?

              • Have you talked with others about me?

            • Pilate’s response

              • Pilate seems to be saying, “It’s obvious that I’ve spoken with others about you. ​​ I’m not Jewish, so how would I know if You are king of the Jews?”

              • Pilate reminds Jesus that it was His people and His chief priests who handed Him over to Pilate

                • This is an interesting statement

                • Pilate is simply saying that it was the Jews and their leaders who are accusing Jesus

                • Pilate realized that Jesus was also Jewish

            • Pilate then asks his second question

          • Question 2 – “What is it you have done?”

            • Jesus doesn’t answer Pilate’s question directly

              • Instead He continues to answer Pilate’s first question about being a king and kingdom

                • Jesus reassures Pilate that He is not starting a rebellion against the Roman Empire

                • He is not a political revolutionary agitator

                • Jesus lets Pilate know that if His intentions were political in nature that His servants would fight to prevent His arrest by the Jews

                  • Peter did attempt to fight for Jesus, but we learned that his power was misplaced

                  • Jesus quickly took care of Peter’s misplaced power by telling him to put his sword away

                  • That was not how Jesus was going to initiate and begin His kingdom

                  • His spiritual kingdom was going to be established in a way that was completely opposite of how the world established their kingdoms

                • Jesus’ kingdom is from another place, it is not of this world (both positive and negative)

                • Pilate could rest easy that Jesus was not gunning for His position or the emperor’s position

              • Pilate then makes the statement about Jesus being a king

                • Jesus affirms Pilate’s statement – “You’re right!”

                • The reason that Jesus was born and came into the world was to establish His spiritual kingdom in the hearts of humanity

                • He does this by testifying to the truth

                • Jesus then tells Pilate that everyone on the side of truth listens to Him

                • Obeying Jesus’ words shows we have chosen truth.

                  • This is key (the Jews have a choice, Pilate has a choice, we have a choice)

                  • Are we going to choose truth as Jesus has testified about it?

                  • We have His Words in Holy Scripture – we know what He said – we can and should listen to Him

                  • Have you chosen truth today?

                  • Have you chosen Jesus today?

                  • Jesus came into the world, so that we could choose truth and restore a right relationship with God

                • The Jews were not choosing Jesus’ truth, but rather their own version of truth

                • What would Pilate choose?

            • We don’t have to guess what his choice was

          • Question 3 – “What is truth?”

            • Pilate probably asks this question as he is turning to go back outside to address the Jews

            • He doesn’t wait for Jesus’ answer to his question

            • Perhaps he thought that truth was relative and there was no solid answer for that question

            • It seems as though Pilate is cynical about truth

        • Pilate still has a choice to make at his point – will he do what he knows is right or will he compromise?

    • Choice (vv. 38b-40)

        • Innocent

          • Pilate’s verdict, after questioning Jesus, is that He is innocent

          • Pilate can’t find any basis, in the Roman law, for a charge against Jesus

          • He isn’t going to try to judge Jesus based on Jewish law – that’s not his area of responsibility

          • He is trying to protect his position by avoiding any kind of riot or uprising from the Jews, so he offers what he believes is a compromise that will ensure Jesus’ release

        • Compromise

          • Pilate is willing to honor the custom of releasing one prisoner at the time of Passover

          • He recommends releasing “the king of the Jews,” Jesus

          • The crowd shouted back that they didn’t want Jesus released, but rather Barabbas

            • Barabbas was actually guilty of insurrection/rebellion against Rome

            • They wanted a guilty man to be released instead of an innocent one

          • Pilate’s hope of releasing Jesus through the custom had backfired on him

            • PRINCIPLE #3 – Doing what’s right is better than compromising.

            • Pilate realized that too late – he couldn’t back out now

            • He valued his position more than doing what was right

            • Application

              • We are just as guilty of doing the same thing

              • We may know what the right thing to do is, but out of fear of losing our position or status, we compromise and give in to the loudest voices

              • There are times when compromising actually backfires on us and we still can lose our position and status

              • We should always do what is right, even if it means sacrificing our position or status

              • #4 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Choose to do what is right in every situation.

 

  • YOU

    • What’s the reason why you are practicing in spiritual disciplines?

    • Are you valuing relationships over religion?

    • Are there any selfish intentions that you need to confess to the Lord?

    • Will you choose to do what is right in every situation?

 

  • WE

    • We need to choose truth

 

CONCLUSION

“When Secretary of State during the Reagan administration, George Shultz kept a large globe in his office. When newly appointed ambassadors had an interview with him and when ambassadors returning from their posts for their first visit with him were leaving his office, Shultz would test them. He would say, ‘You have to go over the globe and prove to me that you can identify your country.’ They would go over, spin the globe, and put their finger on the country to which sent--unerringly.

 

When Shultz's old friend and former Senate majority leader Mike Mansfield was appointed ambassador to Japan, even he was put to the test. This time, however, Ambassador Mansfield spun the globe and put his hand on the United States. He said: ‘That's my country.’

 

On June 27, 1993, Shultz related this to Brian Lamb on C-Span's ‘Booknotes.’ Said the secretary: ‘I've told that story, subsequently, to all the ambassadors going out. ‘Never forget you're over there in that country, but your country is the United States. You're there to represent us. Take care of our interests and never forget it, and you're representing the best country in the world.’’”

Dr. Wallace Alcorn. From the files of Leadership.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/april/4514.html].

12

 

/by

Under Fire

, ,

Believe

Under Fire

(John 18:12-27)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Sports fans around the world can rely on one fact about their sport: the home team wins more often than the visiting team. A 2011 Sports Illustrated article concludes: ‘Home field advantage is no myth. Indisputably, it exists …. Across all sports and at all levels, from Japanese baseball to Brazilian soccer to the NFL, the team hosting a game wins more often than not.’ What explains this fact?

 

A wealth of evidence disputes the most common theories behind home team advantage. For instance, thousands of cheering or jeering fans didn't change a team's performance. On a number of statistics—such as pitch velocity in baseball or free throw percentage in basketball (which over two decades was 75.9 percent for home and visiting teams)—home field advantage didn't make a difference. Their research also eliminated other likely theories based on the rigors of travel for the visiting team or the home team's familiarity with their field, rink, or court.

 

So what drives home field advantage? According to the authors of the article, ‘Officials’ bias is the most significant contribution to home field advantage.’ In short, the refs don't like to get booed. So when the game gets close, they call fewer fouls or penalties against the home team; or they call more strikes against visiting batters. Larger and louder fans really do influence the calls from the officials. The refs naturally (and often unconsciously) respond to the pressure from the crowd. Then they try to please the angry fans and make the calls that will lessen the pain of crowd disapproval. In the end, the refs’ people-pleasing response can have an impact on the final result of the game.”

 

Matt Woodley, managing editor of PreachingToday.com; source: Tobias Moskowitz & L. John Wertheim, "What's Really Behind Home Field Advantage," Sports Illustrated (1-17-11).

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/april/1040411.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Toilet papering a friend’s house

        •  

    • Being offered some vodka in high school

 

  • WE

    • We can all probably think of a time when we have folded under the pressure of family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc.?

    • Perhaps we can all remember a situation when we held our ground when no one else did

 

After Jesus was found in the garden, He was arrested and taken to Annas for questioning. ​​ He denies nothing during the questioning and stands strong under pressure. ​​ Peter, on the other hand, denies everything when questioned in the courtyard. ​​ Because of Jesus’ great love for Peter and for us, we can trust that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Jesus will defend us even when we deny Him.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 18:12-27)

    • Jesus holds (vv. 12-14, 19-24)

        • Jesus is arrested

          • Commander of the soldiers

            • The commander was not mentioned until now, probably because it was assumed that there was a commander with the 600 soldiers

            • Judas had led the detachment of soldiers to the garden where Jesus was, but now we see that the commander of the soldiers is in control of leading them back to the Fortress of Antonia

          • The commander and his soldiers, along with the Jewish officials, arrest Jesus

          • They bound Jesus even though they wouldn’t have had to, because Jesus willingly offered Himself in exchange for His disciples

        • Jesus is brought to Annas

          • Who is Annas?

            • He was the Jewish high priest from A.D. 6-15

            • He was appointed to the position by Quirinius

            • The high priest position was a life appointment, just like the United States Supreme Court Justices

            • The Roman Governer, Valerius Gratus deposed him in A.D. 15 (he was the governor right before Pilate)

            • Annas’ five sons had all held the position of high priest and now his son-in-law, Caiaphas, held the position

            • While the Roman Governors kept shifting the position, most Jews would have still considered Annas as the true high priest

            • “Thus Annas enjoyed great power and was the patriarch of an influential priestly family, well known for its wealth, power, and greed.” ​​ [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 493]

          • Side note about Caiaphas

            • John gives us a few important notes about Caiaphas

              • As I already mentioned, he was Annas’ son-in-law

              • He was the “acting” high priest that year

                • This simply means that he was high priest when Jesus was arrested and tried

                • It did not mean that his appointment as high priest only lasted for a year

              • He was the one who spoke more profoundly than he realized

                • John reminds us of Caiaphas’ prophecy about Jesus

                • John 11:49-52, Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ​​ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” ​​ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

                • Caiaphas did not realize that he was prophesying about God’s redemptive plan

                  • He was only concerned about not losing their political and religious freedoms with the Roman Empire

                  • He was plotting with the other religious leaders to have Jesus killed, so they could protect their status and rights with Rome

                  • God’s redemption plan was to have one man die for the Jews and Gentiles, so they could be reconciled to Him

                  • Romans 5:12-13, Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned – for before the law was given, sin was in the world. ​​ But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

                  • We have all sinned, no one is exempt

                  • 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ​​ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ​​ For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

                  • Those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life

                  • 1 John 5:11-12, And this is the testimony: ​​ God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ​​ He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

                  • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Admit to God that I’m a sinner, believe in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, and receive Jesus into my life.

            • John transitions to Peter and John following Jesus, but we will look at those verses during our second point

            • There are two story lines happening at the same time and two people who are being questioned

            • We see in verses 19-24 the questioning that Jesus is experiencing from Annas

          • Annas asks about Jesus’ disciples and His teaching

            • Jewish trial

              • “In a formal Jewish trial, the judge never asked direct questions of the accused but rather called forth witnesses whose words determined the outcome. ​​ If two or more agreed with the charges, the verdict was sealed.” ​​ [Burge, 495]

              • Annas would have been aware of this, which could mean that he did not see his questioning as a formal trial

              • Nevertheless, he may have been trying to gather information that could be used against Jesus in a formal trial

              • That seems to be the intent, since Jesus deflects his questions, as we’ll see in a moment

            • Disciples

              • Annas’s questions about Jesus’ disciples probably centered around whether or not they were unified as a group and ready and willing to continue His teachings if He wasn’t in the picture (He would be dead) [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of John, 904]

              • Annas was probably also trying to determine how large Jesus’ following was, so he would know if they were a threat to the Jewish faith [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 583]

              • Annas wasn’t just concerned about Jesus’ disciples, he was also concerned about His doctrine

            • Teaching

              • We know from all the Gospel writers that the Jewish religious leaders did not believe that Jesus came from God or that Jesus was God

              • Annas, and the other religious leaders, were probably concerned that Jesus was leading the Jews and others away from the God of Israel

              • They were concerned that He was just another false prophet

              • The Jews knew the consequences of being a false prophet who tried to lead God’s people away from Him

              • Read Deuteronomy 13:1-11

            • Jesus knows exactly what Annas is trying to accomplish with His questioning, so He answers appropriately

          • Jesus responds to Annas

            • No secrets

              • Jesus wasn’t trying to create a secret cult where He only shared the “greatest truths” with those who had moved through the various levels

                • There were those types of cults in the 1st Century

                • They were called mystery religions and “stressed one’s ability to be joined in a mystic relationship with a deity, secret mystery rites, and frequently a religious enthusiasm or ecstasy.” ​​ [Carson & Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 373]

                • Mystery cults still exist today, but we call them “secret societies”

                  • They have varying levels that each person works through

                  • At each level the initiate is given more history and background about the organization

                  • They seem pretty innocent because they do a lot for the community (community service projects) – ​​ but don’t be fooled, they’re still considered a cult

              • Jesus reminded Annas that He had spoken openly to everyone

                • He had taught in synagogues or at the temple

                • These two places were where the Jews came together to worship and learn

                • He had not said anything in secret

                  • There will be some people who will push back on this idea that Jesus didn’t say anything in secret

                  • They’ll tell us that Jesus did teach His disciples in private, but we have to remember that what He was teaching them in private was nothing more than what He had taught in public

                  • Many times, the disciples were asking for clarification concerning Jesus’ public teachings

                  • He wasn’t sharing secret truths with the disciples, but only what He had already shared with the public

              • Jesus knew Jewish law, which is why He directs Annas back to the fact that he should be questioning witnesses to His ministry and not questioning Him

            • No witnesses

              • Jesus knew that Annas was trying to sneak around the back door of Jewish law by questioning Him privately

                • Burge likens Annas’s questioning to the modern day police interrogation of someone recently arrested

                • We’ve all seen video footage of those interrogations

                • They can last for hours and are designed to get the accused to fold and incriminate themselves

                • The police officers are trying to get a confession

              • Jesus wasn’t going to let Annas get away with it, which is why He asks him why he is questioning Him

              • If Annas wanted to know what Jesus had been teaching and what His theological and doctrinal beliefs were, all he had to do was question those who had witnessed Jesus teachings

              • I like how confident Jesus is in His teachings and in those who had heard Him teach

              • “Jesus is not being uncooperative and evasive, but rather he urges a proper trial in which evidence is established by interrogation of witnesses; the present informal hearing did not meet such qualifications (Morris 1995: 669).” ​​ [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 517]

              • Jesus was going to make sure that Jewish law was followed and in no way was He going to incriminate Himself (He couldn’t have anyway, because He is holy/perfect without sin)

            • No mention of the disciples

              • Before we look at Jesus being struck by one of the high priest’s officials, I want us to recognize that Jesus never mentioned anything about His disciples in His response to Annas

              • This may seem insignificant at first, but it’s not

              • Jesus had already protected the eleven disciples in the garden by instructing the soldiers and temple guards to arrest only Him and let the other men go

              • Jesus continues to defend and protect His disciples

              • He is defending Peter even when He knows what Peter is doing in the courtyard at the same time

              • We can rest in the fact that Jesus defends us even when we deny Him (we’ll continue to develop this big idea when we learn about our second point

            • When confronted with truth, it’s hard to not be defensive and strike back

          • Jesus struck by an official

            • We don’t know if Annas instructed the official to strike Jesus, or if he did this on his own

            • Most likely the official acted on his own, because he accuses Jesus of answering the high priest in a way that doesn’t show respect

              • The official took it on himself to defend Annas against what he felt was Jesus being disrespectful

              • Jesus wasn’t being disrespectful, but rather He was being truthful

              • Henry Rollins is quoted as saying, “Sometimes the truth hurts. ​​ And sometimes it feels real good.” ​​ [https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/henry_rollins_381416]

              • For Annas, the truth hurt, because Jesus had exposed his true intentions

              • It’s likely that the official who struck Jesus was not aware of Annas’s true intentions

            • Jesus was being treated unfairly

              • In order for God’s plan of redemption to be accomplished, Jesus was going to be mistreated and falsely accused

              • PRINCIPLE #1 – Christians should never expect a completely fair trial in the courts of this world.

                • I don’t know if you have experienced this or not, but recently Judy and I shared a video from Facebook to our timelines

                • Within a couple of days, we received a notification that the video had been “fact checked” by an independent organization that considered the information in the video and post to be false

                • A conservative non-profit news organization is currently asking people on Facebook to sign a petition telling Facebook to stop censoring their entire Facebook page. ​​ They have been labeled as a “fake news media outlet” and Facebook is restricting their reach to their own audience.

                • These two examples are not specifically religious, but it shows, how those who don’t agree with the current cultural rhetoric, aren’t treated fairly by the culture

                • As Christians, we see in our culture the push and expectation that we be tolerant of everyone else and their opinions, viewpoints, and passions, but that the truths and values of God’s Word, that we hold to, are not tolerated

                • There are multiple examples of how Christians have been treated unfairly in the court system and the court of public opinion (Baker in Colorado, Florist in Washington, Chick-fil-A in San Antonio, TX)

              • We need to stand firm and hold on to truths and values that are taught in God’s Word, even if it means being treated unfairly by the world

              • We’re in good company when the world persecutes Christians, because that is what they did to Jesus

            • Jesus challenges the official

              • Many times we are prone to strike out at someone who speaks truth, simply because it goes against what we have been holding to or believing about someone or something

                • We want to be right, but when we realize that we aren’t, it takes a great deal of humility to calmly apologize and seek forgiveness

                • Our normal reaction is to strike back

              • Jesus challenges the official to testify about what He said that was wrong

                • The official wasn’t going to be able to testify at all, because Jesus had only spoken truth

                • The official was going to have to explain why He struck Jesus out of ignorance and anger

              • Application

                • It takes incredible humility to admit when we are wrong

                • It takes herculean discipline to not strike back when confronted about something we have said or done that is wrong

                • As followers of Jesus Christ, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us to help

                • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Humbly apologize when confronted about something I have said or done that was wrong.

            • Annas knew that what he was attempting to do – ​​ questioning Jesus – was wrong

          • Jesus sent to Caiaphas

            • We see in verse 24 that Annas doesn’t try to continue to question Jesus

            • He doesn’t fight, argue, or strike back at Jesus, but rather, he sends Him to Caiaphas

            • Caiaphas would be able to begin the actual trial of Jesus with members of the Sanhedrin in attendance

              • We know that eventually they had to bring in false witnesses in order to condemn Jesus

              • Had they brought in any other witnesses, it was likely they would have confirmed Jesus’ teachings

        • Jesus held on and didn’t deny anything while being questioned and struck in the face

        • Peter on the other hand was coming under fire

        • “Someone has said that Peter’s ministry career could be summarized in three stages – at the fire, under fire, and on fire.” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 333]

    • Peter folds (vv. 15-18, 25-27)

        • Peter and John follow Jesus

          • John tells us that Peter and another disciple were following Jesus as He was being led away by the temple guards and Roman soldiers

            • I don’t know about you, but if Jesus sacrificed Himself for me and cleaned up an impulsive mess that I made by reacting hastily to a situation, I’m not sure that I would be following Him, even at a distance

            • I wouldn’t be pressing my luck by hanging around the Jewish officials and the high priest’s courtyard

          • Unnamed disciple

            • Most scholars agree that the unnamed disciple is probably John the Beloved

            • Peter and John and seen together throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts

            • John was a fisherman, by trade, and some people question how a simple fisherman would have been known by the high priest – their assumption is that John and the high priest were not in the same economic stratus

            • We know that John’s father, Zebedee, had servants, which leads us to believe that he had some wealth and was not on the bottom of the economic scale

            • Perhaps Zebedee’s fish business had a loyal customer in the high priest and his family, so John would have had a working relationship with Annas and Caiaphas

            • It’s also conceivable that it was another disciple of Jesus and not one of the eleven (if that’s the case, then we have no way of knowing who this disciple was and why they were tight with the high priest)

          • Peter did not have the same relationship with the high priest that John or the unnamed disciple had with him, so he had to wait outside the courtyard until the other disciple came to get him

        • Peter’s first denial

          • For the sake of this message, we are going to assume that John is the unnamed disciple

          • He comes back to the gate keeper, who was a girl, spoke to her, and then brought Peter inside the high priest’s courtyard

          • Before he gets inside, the girl at the gate asks him a question

            • “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” (NIV)

            • “We might paraphrase: ‘What’s this? ​​ Not another of this man’s disciples, is it?’ ​​ Or: ‘You couldn’t be another one of this man’s disciples, could you?’” ​​ [Burge, 495]

            • The form of the Greek question implies the answer would be “No!”

            • Peter just follows the implied answer and says, “I am not.”

          • John then gives us a side note about a fire

        • Side note about a fire

          • “Jerusalem is built on a mountain and is on the edge of the desert. ​​ That means when the sun goes down, it gets chilly.” ​​ [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 12-21, 231]

          • Peter joins the other servants and officials around a fire they’ve made to stay warm

          • Perhaps this was a mistake, since he was sharing a fire with those who opposed Jesus and His ministry

        • Peter’s second denial

          • John picks up right where he left off by saying in verse 25, As Simon Peter stood warming himself . . .

          • John was using a good story telling technique to keep his readers engaged – he was combining two story lines at the same time and going back and forth between the two

          • Peter is again asked the same question while standing around the fire

            • “You are not one of his disciples are you?”

            • The form of the Greek sentence again implies a negative response

            • Peter obliges again, “I am not.”

          • While it was easy to deny being Jesus’ disciple the first two times, the third time would not be as easy

        • Peter’s third denial

          • One of the high priest’s servants who had been at the garden challenged Peter

          • He said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?”

          • This servant was a relative of Malchus, the guy who lost his ear to Peter’s sword

          • While it probably wasn’t as easy to do with this inquiry, Peter denies knowing Jesus

          • Peter had given in to the fear of man three times in a row

        • Application

          • We shouldn’t be too hard on Peter, because we are just as easily swayed by peer pressure to do the same thing

          • PRINCIPLE #2 – Fear of man can cause us to deny knowing Jesus.

            • The social pressures of going to school are already enormous without being a follower of Jesus Christ

              • We want to fit in, be liked, and accepted by the “in” crowd

              • It’s easy to deny knowing Jesus when the people we so desperately want to be accept by, reject Him

              • It’s also difficult when the administration and some teachers pressure us into giving up our freedom to carry our Bible, pray for our meal, etc.

            • Work environments are also filled with social and political pressures and from time-to-time we may give in to the fear of man of deny knowing Jesus

            • Social media is also a hot bed that can cause us to fear man and deny knowing Jesus

            • There is hope!

              • Peter denied Jesus three times in one night and yet Jesus used him as the rock of the early church, because he was repentant

              • In the other Gospels we learn that Peter immediately left the courtyard and wept bitterly

              • Jesus restored Peter after he failed to stand up for Him

              • Jesus will do the same for you when you repent and turn to Him for forgiveness

              • He will empower you to stand strong for Him through the Holy Spirit that lives in you

            • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Confess that I have denied knowing Jesus, because of my fear of man.

            • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Ask the Holy Spirit to help me stand up for Jesus where I work, play, and live.

          • Jesus will defend us even when we deny Him.

        • Jesus’ prediction comes true

          • After Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, a rooster began to crow

          • The Synoptic Gospels tell us that after rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ words

          • John 13:38, Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? ​​ I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

 

  • YOU

    • Will you humbly apologize when confronted with something you have said or done that is wrong, instead of striking back?

    • Do you need to take time today to confess the times that you have denied knowing Jesus, when pressured by the world?

    • Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength to stand up for Jesus instead of giving in to the fear of man?

 

  • WE

    •  

 

CONCLUSION

“I once read a book called The Book of Failures. It was filled with all kinds of failures that people have made. For instance, the book introduces Arthur Pedrick, who patented 162 inventions, but not one of them was ever taken up commercially. These inventions include a car that could be driven from the back seat, a golf ball that could be steered in flight, and a plan to irrigate the deserts of the world by sending a constant supply of snowballs from the polar region through a massive network of giant peashooters. I kid you not.

 

My favorite story in the book was about an elderly lady in South London who called a group of firefighters to rescue her cat from a tree. They arrived with impressive speed and carefully rescued her cat. The lady was so thankful that she invited them in for tea. So they had tea, received another round of thanks from the woman, and drove off, waving goodbye. And as they backed out of her driveway, they drove right over her cat!”

 

James Emery White is founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a consulting editor to Leadership Journal. He is author of Serious Times and A Search for the Spiritual, and blogs at churchandculture.org.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2013/march/who-is-god-after-i-sin.html].

12

 

/by

True Power

, ,

Believe

True Power

(John 18:1-11)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Imagine a basketball game. It's almost the end of overtime; it's time for one last shot. Who do you want to have the ball? You want the calmest and best player out there. Or imagine the security of the nation is threatened. Threat levels have gone through the roof, and an attack is imminent. Who do you want to have the nuclear codes? Who do you want making the final call on what to do or not to do? You want someone who is calm under pressure. Or here's one more example. Imagine you need a crucial surgery to save your life or the life of a loved one. Who do you want behind that scalpel? Who do you want performing the surgery? Of course you want the best doctor available.

 

That's how the Gospels present Jesus as he faces the cross. He's under extreme pressure—pressure that we will never even fathom. He's actually sweating drops of blood. And yet at every stage Jesus is calm. He is in control of himself.

 

But Jesus also leaves every sports star, every politician, every surgeon far behind. It's not just that Jesus is in control of himself; Jesus is in control of the events themselves. It's not just that he's able to handle his own adrenaline; he's able to dictate the result. It's not just he's able to act wisely under pressure; he's able to determine the outcome. Jesus isn't just able to respond skillfully to what he finds; he already knows what he will find, and has already mapped out the solution to the deepest human problem of all. Jesus stands out in this because he is in control of the entire sweep of human history, even as he goes through his death.”

 

Gary Millar, "Jesus, Betrayed and Crucified," sermon on PreachingToday.com.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2018/march/in-life-and-death-jesus-was-master-of-situation.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Power in a name

        • We have been working to get a co-op set up, with a mechanic, for Levi for his senior year

        • He will take a couple of classes and then be released to work with a mechanic on cars

        • I needed help finding a mechanic that would potentially be willing to help with a co-op

          • I emailed two different pastor groups that I’m a part of to see if any of them knew of a mechanic that would help

          • I received three responses with two recommendations

          • When I contacted the first mechanic, I used the name of the pastor who had recommended him, since they have an 18-year relationship – the pastor’s name carried power and influence that I didn’t have with the mechanic, since I had never met him before

          • When I contacted the second mechanic, I used the names of the other two pastors, because they have had a long time relationship with him – again those two pastor’s names carried weight with the mechanic, that I didn’t have

        • In both of those situations, I was given an opportunity that I might not have otherwise had, if I had contacted them by myself

 

  • WE

    • Power in a name

        • When have you used someone else’s name in order to gain a hearing with an individual that you didn’t have a relationship with?

        • What was the result of using their name instead of trying to make the contact on your own?

 

John begins the section where Jesus completes His earthly mission. ​​ Today we’ll learn about Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. ​​ The arresting party presumes they have power by the sheer number of men they’ve brought to arrest Jesus. ​​ Peter also presumes to have some kind of power, but it was misplaced. ​​ Through both of these we’ll see that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Jesus’ power far exceeds the power of this world.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 18:1-11)

    • Presumptive Power (vv. 1-3)

        • Introductory content (transitional information)

          • Finished praying

            • The NIV provides the word “praying,” but it’s not actually in the original Greek

            • The Greek word is hoytos and means, “this” or “these”

            • Most other translations say, “these words” or “these things”

              • When Jesus had spoken these words . . . (NASB)

              • After saying these things . . . (NLT)

            • It seems to be the general consensus that what is being referred to here is all of Jesus’ upper room discourse (chapters 13-16) including His final prayer (chapter 17)

            • When Jesus had finished His final teaching and prayer, then He and His disciples left for the Mount of Olives

          • Crossed the Kidron Valley

            • Many of the modern translations say they crossed the brook or ravine of the Kidron [show map of Jerusalem with Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives]

              • That just helps us to understand what was there

              • Most the year the brook or ravine was dry (no water running through it)

              • It was only during the rainy season that the brook with run with water (mostly in the winter)

              • This same brook would have run red as the fluids from the Temple sacrifices would flow into the valley, especially during the various feasts and festivals throughout the year [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 12-21, 216]

              • Perhaps as Jesus and His disciples crossed the brook, it was running red

            • They were headed to a place that Jesus had taken His disciples many times

          • Entered the olive grove

            • On the other side of the Kidron Valley was the Mount of Olives

            • “On the side of the Mount of Olives were many private enclosed gardens, where the well-to-do people of Jerusalem would go to escape the heat of the city.” ​​ [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 582]

            • These enclosed gardens would have been filled with vegetables, flowers, palms, fruit trees, and obviously olive trees. ​​ The reason for the private gardens on the Mount of Olives was because they were forbidden in city limits of Jerusalem [Rogers & Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek News Testament, 221]

            • Gospel writers, Matthew (26:36) and Mark (14:32) refer to it as the garden of Gethsemane, which is appropriate, because Gethsemane literally means “oil press” [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 576; Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 504]

            • The fact that Jesus and His disciples “went into” and Jesus “came out of”, is evidence that they probably had access to a wealthy benefactor’s personal garden on the Mount of Olives – they weren’t just entering the Mount of Olives as a whole (the eastern slope rising above the Kidron Valley)

          • Judas had been to this private garden on many occasions, so He knew exactly where to find Jesus

        • Show of power

          • Judas Iscariot

            • John is letting us know which Judas he was talking about by mentioning that it was the one who betrayed Jesus

            • Obviously John is writing after the fact, so he can describe Judas this way

            • Judas had already been to see the religious leaders and had gotten his 30 pieces of silver

            • Now all that remained was to lead the group to where Jesus was, so they could arrest Him

          • Detachment of soldiers

            • The Greek for detachment is a “band, cohort, company, or squad” of soldiers

              • The normal use of the Greek word refers to 600 soldiers

              • It could also refer to a maniple which was 200 soldiers

              • “The Romans could use surprisingly large numbers of soldiers even in dealing with a single person (like the 470 soldiers protecting Paul in Acts 23:23), especially when they feared a riot.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 505]

              • The Jewish religious leaders were aware of Jesus’ popularity with the masses, so it’s no wonder that they sent a cohort of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus

              • The Roman cohort would not normally have been stationed in Jerusalem

                • They were stationed at Caesarea Maratima on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea [show image of Caesarea Maratima]

                • They would be deployed to Jerusalem during the busy feasts and festivals to help maintain order and to deter any rioting from taking place

                • They were there as a show of force so that the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) would be maintained

            • I believe that this presumptive show of power was necessary to highlight the true power of Jesus, as we’ll see in verse 6

          • Officials from the chief priests and Pharisees

            • Not only is there between 200 to 600 Roman soldiers, but there are also officials from the chief priests and Pharisees

            • Most likely these were the Temple guards, who would actually be the arresting officers

            • It was their responsibility to take Jesus into custody and bring Him to the chief priests for questioning

          • Equipment

            • Torches

              • These were strips of wood that were bound together

              • They put resin on them to provide a longer burn time

            • Lanterns

              • Köstenberger describes them as a terracotta cylinder with an opening on one side so that a household lamp could be placed inside with the wick facing out [Köstenberger, 506]

              • An image search reveals that they could also be made of bronze [show image of bronze lantern]

            • Weapons

              • It’s likely that the Roman soldiers were carrying shields, short swords, long swords, and spears

              • The Temple guards may have been carrying some of the same weapons

        • While the group, led by Judas Iscariot, is coming out in a show of power, this power was really presumptive, especially when compared to Jesus’ power

    • True Power (vv. 4-9)

        • Jesus’ knowledge (v. 4a)

          • PRINCIPLE #1 – Jesus is all-knowing (omniscient)!

            • Jesus hadn’t gone to the private garden on the Mount of Olives to hide from the religious leaders or to try and avoid the inevitable events that were unfolding

            • Rather, He knew everything that was happening and was actually orchestrating everything according to God’s will and plan

            • He went to the garden where He had taken Judas many times

            • He was creating the perfect environment where God’s plan could be fulfilled without the concern of having large crowds trying to interfere and stop His arrest

            • This was all happening, because Jesus is all-knowing

              • This principle is important for us, because we can trust that Jesus knows everything that is happening in our lives

              • He knows the struggles we’re experiencing and the joy that is coming

              • He is also sovereign, so He knows how to guide and direct our lives

              • We can trust completely in Jesus and turn to Him when we feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, hurt, angry, confused, frustrated, and so much more

              • When we can’t see how things are going to work out, we can turn to the One who knows everything and rest in His plan for us

              • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust in Jesus’ ability to know everything that’s going on in my life and rest in His perfect, sovereign plan for me.

            • He even knew when they would be arriving, so He goes outside the walled-in garden to greet those who were coming to arrest Him

          • He asks them a question

        • Jesus’ question (vv. 4b-5a)

          • “Who is it you want?”

          • Jesus already knew the answer to His question, but it wasn’t the question that was most important, it was His response to their answer

          • They were looking for Jesus of Nazareth

          • His response was going to prove who was in control and had the real power

        • Jesus’ power (vv. 5b-6)

          • In response to their answer, Jesus says, “I am he”

            • In the Greek it’s actually “I Am!” (egō eimi)

            • God used the same self-identification with Moses in Exodus 3:14

            • Jesus is making it clear that He is God

          • Those two words carried incredible power

            • Judas is counted with the Roman soldiers and the officials from the chief priests and Pharisees – he is not part of the disciples anymore

            • As the arresting group hears Jesus’ response to their answer to His question, they all stumble backwards and fall to the ground

              • Imagine for a moment what that would have looked like

              • Anywhere from 200 to 600 Roman soldiers, the officials from the Temple, and Judas Iscariot all fall down

              • That must have been a sight to see

              • That video would have won America’s Funniest Home Videos and would have gone viral immediately on social media

              • Whatever power the Roman soldiers and Temple officials thought they had, probably left by this point

              • Jesus’ power far exceeds the power of this world.

            • PRINCIPLE #2 – Jesus is all-powerful (omnipotent)!

              • “Falling to the ground is regularly a reaction to divine revelation. ​​ This striking response also conveys the powerlessness of Jesus’ enemies when confronted with the power of God.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 508]

              • Jesus was completely in control of when and how He would be arrested and tried

              • “The effect within John’s Gospel is to put a very large exclamation point after Jesus’ words spoken eight chapters earlier, ‘I lay down my life, that I might receive it back again. ​​ No one took it away from me, but I lay it down on my own’ (10:17-18a). ​​ ‘No one!!’ – not even six hundred Roman soldiers, plus ‘officers both from the chief priests and from the Pharisees’ – can take Jesus’ life from him. ​​ The ‘authority to lay it down,’ like the ‘authority to receive it back’ (10:18b), is his and his alone. ​​ This he will do freely and voluntarily, ‘for the sheep’ (10:15), as he will quickly demonstrate (v. 8).” ​​ [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of John, 891]

              • This is great news for us as His disciples

                • While the soldiers and officials were experiencing the negative effects of Jesus’ power – stumbling backwards and falling down – we can experience the positive effects of His power

                • There is nothing too hard for Jesus or God

                • They can handle anything you’re experiencing or going through

                  • Are you dealing with difficult relationships at home, in your neighborhood, at work or school? – Jesus can handle that!

                  • Are you struggling financially? – Jesus can handle that!

                  • Are your emotions all over the place and you feel frazzled and hopeless? – Jesus can handle that!

                  • Is your health failing? – Jesus can handle that!

                  • Are you questioning your relationship with God and Jesus? – Jesus can handle that?

                  • He is waiting for us to humbly come to Him for help

                  • He knows all about our struggles and hardships, because He is all-knowing, and He stands ready to help us, because He is all-powerful

                  • Turn to Him right now!

                  • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Turn to Jesus and humbly ask Him to help me with whatever struggle(s) I’m currently experiencing.

          • Because Jesus is all-powerful, He can protect us

        • Jesus’ protection (vv. 7-9)

          • Jesus asks the arresting party the same question again and they answer Him the same way

          • My guess is that they braced themselves for His response this time – they leaned in as He responded with “I told you that I Am!”

          • Jesus goes a step further this time

            • He tells the arresting party to let His disciples go

              • We know, from Scripture, that they obeyed His request

              • They were probably ready to comply with whatever Jesus said, after they had experienced the power of His name

              • It was also in fulfillment of what Jesus had said in John 6:39, And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

            • PRINCIPLE #3 – Jesus is our protector!

              • Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the One who protects us

              • “Whatever the wolf may represent in our lives today – guilt and shame from past failures, the accusing voices of criticism, sudden paralyzing feelings of inadequacy as they come snapping and snarling at our heels, the good shepherd is there to meet them and to issue his word of command, ‘Let my disciple go!’” ​​ [Milne, The Bible Speaks Today: ​​ The Message of John, 255]

              • This should give us hope as disciples of Jesus Christ

              • “Just as Jesus protects the disciples on that dark day, he will protect and preserve all who follow him.” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in John, 354]

              • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Claim the promise that Jesus will protect me from the “wolves” in my life.

          • We can hold on to that truth and know that He will accomplish it in our lives, because He did it for the first disciples – He is faithful and unchanging!

        • Jesus’ true power proved that the arresting party’s power was simply presumptive and not true

        • Jesus’ power far exceeds the power of this world.

        • John completes this section of Scripture with information about Peter’s misplaced power

    • Misplaced Power (vv. 10-11)

        • Throughout Scripture we know Peter to be a man of action and not just words

          • He had already told Jesus that he would lay down his life for Him (John 13:37), but Jesus checked him on that, “Will you really lay down your life for me? ​​ I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three time!” (John 13:38)

          • Perhaps Peter was still trying to prove to Jesus that he would lay down His life for Him

          • Peter shows either great courage or perhaps extreme stupidity

            • He steps up with his sword and swings it wildly at the high priest’s servant, Malchus

            • I don’t know if he intended to kill Malchus, but the result was that he cut his right ear off

            • That must have been a pretty sharp blade

          • Jesus commanded Peter to put his sword away

            • Matthew records these words of Jesus, “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ​​ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ​​ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:52-54)

            • Peter had misplaced power, because He thought that Jesus needed Him to help with the situation

            • Peter was not following God’s plan at this point, but was trying to take matters into his own hands

          • PRINCIPLE #4 – God’s desire is that we follow His plan.

            • How often do we try to run ahead of God and His sovereign plan for us?

            • Remember, He is all-knowing, so He knows what’s coming and is all-powerful, so He has the power to handle it

            • Judy and I just experienced this in the last week

              • Let me tell you the rest of the story about trying to set up the mechanic co-op for Levi

              • The first mechanic we contacted was very excited about the opportunity to help Levi out

              • I called him back to try to schedule a time for him to meet Levi and sign some paperwork for the school

              • He told me that he had contacted his insurance agent about worker’s compensation and that he was trying to work out the details of that

              • The next time I called him, he said that, because of the cost of worker’s compensation, he wouldn’t be able to have Levi do his co-op with him. ​​ He was frustrated, because he really wanted to help

              • Judy and I discussed, very briefly, about covering the cost of the worker’s compensation insurance, but Judy also added, “Would that be forcing something, that God doesn’t want?”

              • Long story short, when I contacted the second mechanic, he said that they really needed the help and that they had done at least four mentorships with the Carlisle schools in the past, and totally understood the minimum hours required and everything else

              • We met with them on Friday and toured their facility

              • We are working through the paperwork to get the co-op set up for Levi

            • Have you ever tried to “help” God with His plan for your life?

              • How did that end? ​​ (positive or negative?)

              • Can you trust the Lord is to have the prefect plan for your life?

              • Have you talked with Him about revealing that plan to you?

              • Are you following that plan now?

              • #4 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust God and follow His plan for my life.

          • Jesus knew God’s plan of redemption for humanity

        • God’s plan of redemption must be fulfilled

          • Imagine if Peter would have successfully defeated 600 Roman soldiers

          • Jesus wouldn’t have been arrested and tried

          • Jesus wouldn’t have died on the cross to take our punishment for sin

          • We would have to take our own punishment for sin and be separated from God for all eternity

          • Praise the Lord that Jesus did drink the cup the Father had given Him

 

  • YOU

    • Will you trust Jesus’ ability to know everything that’s going on in your life and rest in His perfect sovereign plan?

    • Will you humbly turn to Jesus and ask Him to help you with whatever challenge you are experiencing today?

    • Will you claim the promise that Jesus will protect you from the “wolves” in your life?

 

  • WE

    • When we trust Jesus and His sovereign plan, humbly turn to Him with our challenges, and claim His promise to protect us, it’s a powerful testimony to the world that we truly believe what we say we believe about God

    • It will be what draws them to a relationship with Jesus Christ

 

CONCLUSION

“Set in A.D. 180, Gladiator tells the story of General Maximus Decimus Meridius (played by Russell Crowe), who was about to be given reigning authority in Rome by the aging emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Before this could take place, however, the emperor's son, Commodus, killed his father in order to establish himself on the throne. He then ordered the murder of Maximus and his family. Maximus escaped, and the movie follows him as he is sold into slavery, becomes a nameless gladiator, and finally seeks justice against wicked Emperor Commodus.

 

The turning point comes late in the movie. After Maximus wins a great battle in the Coliseum, Emperor Commodus decides to meet this unknown gladiator face to face. The crowd watches as the emperor in full pomp strides with his soldiers onto the sands of the Coliseum.

 

The emperor asks the simple question: ‘What is your name?’

 

Maximus, streaked with blood and dirt from the battle, takes off his helmet and says: ‘My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.’

 

The crowd erupts with a deafening roar, while the emperor visibly shakes under the weight of the true identity of a man he thought was a mere slave. The emperor flees the Coliseum, only to face defeat and death later at the hands of Maximus.”

 

Elapsed time: 01:29:09 to 01:33:08 (DVD scene 16).

 

Content: Gladiator is rated R for violence.

 

Gladiator (DreamWorks, 2000), rated R, written by David Franzoni, directed by Ridley Scott; submitted by Bill White, Paramount,.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2002/september/13888.html].

12

 

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Spiritual Unity

,

Believe

Spiritual Unity

(John 17:20-26)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Archeologist Dr. Jim Strange from the University of South Florida (Tampa) visited a Buddhist temple in Tibet. ​​ As he watched the flow of people come and go, he noticed a group of teenagers gathered at the temple. ​​ They were dressed like American teenagers from the 1980s, and he thought it peculiar that they would light incense and bow in the traditional manner. ​​ So he asked his guide, ‘What are they praying for?’ ​​ The guide responded, ‘They’re not praying. ​​ They’re wishing for money, good relationships, and success.’

 

When a person bows before a temple with lighted incense and intently ‘wishes,’ that is praying, even though it may be mistakenly aimed. ​​ Many modern people in a plethora of languages and cultures pray for money and success. ​​ But the ‘good relationships’ angle is interesting. ​​ In a very real sense, that was part of the essence of Jesus’ prayer. ​​ And he was not ‘wishing’ either but devoutly committing himself to the Father for a return to heaven and the ongoing empowerment of his disciples.

 

We learn a great deal about prayer from this chapter but perhaps even more about relationships. ​​ A relationship to the Father and the Son is primary, but our relationships with other believers in the world gets significant attention in this high-priestly prayer. ​​ We can activate this chapter in our lives by praying in the pattern of Jesus. ​​ But perhaps even more important is for the modern church to allow the Spirit of God to activate his love through us to other believers.

 

The result of Christian unity on earth is a radiance of the love of the Father and Son in us. ​​ I remember an old chorus from the days of my youth:

May Christ be seen in me, O Lord.

Hear thou my earnest plea.

O take me, fill me, use me, Lord,

‘Til Christ be seen in me.”

 

[Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 322].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Differences in our marriage

        • Judy and I don’t always agree on everything (I know, that may come as a shock to some of you)

          • I like sushi and she doesn’t

          • Her favorite ices cream is mint chocolate chip and mine is either grapenut or teaberry

          • I like Hawaiian pizza and most everyone else doesn’t

          • I like video games and she doesn’t

        • Unity in our marriage

          • We don’t have to agree on everything in our marriage to be unified in our marriage

          • We realize that most of our differences are personal preferences

          • What unites us as husband and wife is a mutual love and relationship with Jesus Christ

          • Unity comes, not from within us or in our own strength, but through Jesus

 

  • WE

    • I realize that no one else has differences in their marriage or other relationships – it’s just Judy and I

        • We all experience differences in our relationships, no matter what relationship that may be (family, friends, coworkers, fellow believers, church attenders, etc.)

        • Those differences don’t mean we can’t be unified, especially within the body of Christ

        • We have to determine that the relationship is more important than the personal preference we hold to

 

In this last part of Jesus’ high-priestly prayer, He is praying for future believers (He was praying for us!). ​​ There are repeated themes of love and being one (unity) throughout these seven verses. ​​ The key to being one, as followers of Jesus Christ, is modeled for us by God and Jesus. ​​ We will learn today that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Body unity comes from activating divine unity.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 17:20-26)

    • United in Him (vv. 20-23)

        • Future believers (v. 20)

          • Pastor Marc shared last week about Jesus’ prayer for His disciples – those eleven men who had been with Him from the beginning of His ministry

          • We see that Jesus’ prayer for them will be fulfilled as He continues praying for future believers

          • This should have given the eleven disciples incredible confidence and hope for the future

            • Jesus had already told them that they would experience the same things He had experienced on earth (hatred, persecution, separation, and death)

            • The mission He was giving them would not be easy, and yet His prayer here shows that they will be successful

            • Jesus is praying for people who will believe in Him through the message that the disciples would share with them

            • Jesus’ prayer stands the test of time

              • The generation of believers that heard the message from the eleven disciples could also claim the promise of this prayer as they shared the Gospel

              • The generation that followed them could claim the same promise and have the same hope that the Gospel would be successful in transforming the lives of individuals

              • We can claim the same promise and have the same confidence as the first disciples that when we share the Gospel, people will believe in Jesus through our message

            • PRINCIPLE #1 – God is pleased when His people share the Gospel

              • When we share the Gospel, it means that God’s promise and Jesus’ prayer are fulfilled from generation to generation

              • We can have confidence that even though we will be hated and persecuted by the faithless world, that God’s redemption plan will continue to transform the lives of those who hear it and accept it

              • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Confidently claim the promise that when I share the Gospel, people will believe in Jesus.

                • We may not witness the transformation taking place immediately, but we can have hope and confidence as we plant and water the seeds of faith

                • 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, What, after all, is Apollos? ​​ And what is Paul? ​​ Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ​​ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ​​ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ​​ The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ​​ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

          • So, Jesus is praying for every person who will believe in Him through those who share the message of the Gospel – generation upon generation!

          • He prays for their unity

        • Complete unity (vv. 21-23)

          • Divinity, Divinity relationship

            • What we see in these verses is an incredible love between the Father and the Son (God and Jesus)

            • This love has been expressed throughout John’s Gospel

            • Jesus has been modeling this love for His disciples, so they will understand its importance

            • PRINCIPLE #2 – God and Jesus are One!

              • The Father is in Jesus (vv. 21, 23)

              • Jesus is in the Father (v. 21)

              • Jesus has been telling His disciples, the religious leaders, and everyone else, that He and God are One

              • As we’ll see in just a couple of weeks, this claim will be one of the reasons why He is crucified

            • The next relationship we see in these three verses is between the disciples and Jesus and God

          • Disciple, Divinity relationship

            • We have to be in Jesus and God (v. 21)

              • “Like a set of matched mixing bowls, we are the smaller one that fits into Christ who fits into the Father.” ​​ [Gangel, 319]

              • The relationship that Jesus is praying about here is perfectly summed up in His teaching about the vine and the branches (John 15:1-11)

              • John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. ​​ If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me to can do nothing.”

              • We’ll talk about the fruit of unity in just a moment

            • Jesus has to be in us (v. 23)

              • This is the relationship that is most important, because it guarantees spending eternity with God

              • John 14:23, Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. ​​ My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

              • Revelation 3:20, Here I am! ​​ I stand at the door and knock. ​​ If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (this is a picture of a close relationship)

              • John 1:12-13, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

            • This leads us the final relationship between disciples

          • Disciple, Disciple relationship

            • PRINCIPLE #3 – Jesus’ desire is that His disciples are one (unified).

              • Defining unity [Carter & Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in John, 343-45]

                • Unity is not compromising the truth

                  • “[Unity] is not achieved by hunting enthusiastically for the lowest common theological denominator, but by common adherence to the apostolic gospel, by love that is joyfully self-sacrificing, by undaunted commitment to the shared goals of the mission with which Jesus’ followers have been charged, by self-conscious dependence on God himself for life and fruitfulness.” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 568]

                  • We have to keep the main thing the main thing

                  • Most evangelical churches agree on the Gospel of Jesus Christ even when they don’t agree on other secondary issues – we can still be unified with them around the Gospel

                  • The same in true within every local body of believers

                • Unity is not outlawing any diversity

                  • Just as Judy and I don’t agree on everything and have our own personal preferences, every one of us will have our personal preferences and not agree when it comes to church

                  • The key is found in this classic quotation: “In essentials, unity. ​​ In nonessentials, liberty. ​​ In all things, charity.” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, 344]

                  • We may think that certain things should be done a certain way at church, but in most cases those things are related to personal preferences

                  • In some extreme cases, individuals make their personal preferences higher and more important than Biblical truth and unity and will fight to the death in order to get their own way

                  • This only cripples the local body of believers in accomplishing God’s purpose and will

                • Unity is participation in a shared relationship with Jesus

                  • Jesus prays about giving His glory to His disciples

                  • We don’t have any glory on our own, it only comes from God and Jesus

                  • “Child of God, don’t you know only you share the glow. ​​ It’s the light from within, when the blood covers sin. ​​ It’s the wonderful glory of God.” ​​ [Gangel, 319]

                  • We can only experience true unity in the body, as disciples of Jesus Christ, when we keep our focus on loving Jesus and God

                  • Body unity comes from activating divine unity.

              • Four evidences of a unified church [Carter & Wredberg, 346-49]

                • A shared commitment to Biblical instruction

                  • Acts 2:42-44, They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ​​ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ​​ All the believers were together and had everything in common.

                  • “If every member of the church is willing to ask, ‘What does the Bible say?’ and commit to obey it no matter what, that church will experience unity.” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, 347]

                  • Are you willing to ask that question when confronted with conflict and disunity in the church? ​​ 

                  • Are you willing to commit to obeying God’s Word no matter what?

                  • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Study God’s Word and commit to obey it when confronted by conflict and disunity in the church.

                • A shared understanding of our new identity

                  • At the moment of our salvation, we are immediately in Christ

                  • We are children of God, family members

                  • This membership in God’s family creates unity across ethnic, racial, economic, and social lines

                  • Unfortunately, even within the Christian community we still see division, hurt, anger, and disunity in all of those areas

                  • We need to make sure that we are agents of Christian unity with everyone

                • A shared pursuit of sacrificial love

                  • Jesus’ prayer highlights the fact that God loves us the same way He loves Jesus (that’s a perfect love)

                  • Jeremiah 31:3, The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

                  • Philippians 2:1-2, If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

                  • What does the pursuit of sacrificial love look like? [bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:1), instructing one another (Rom. 15:14), forgiving one another (Eph. 4:2), praying for one another (James 5:16), submitting to one another (Eph. 5:21), encouraging one another (1 Thess. 4:18), provoking one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:24)

                  • It means putting aside our personal preferences and seeking what is best for others

                • A shared discontentment with selfish division

                  • We should never get to the point where we say “We’re unified enough.” [Carter & Wredberg, 349]

                  • Imagine for a moment that someone put arsenic in your cup. ​​ Would you feel confident to drink from that cup if you didn’t know that every last drop of arsenic was removed?

                  • “Disunity and broken relationships are like poison in the church. ​​ We can’t be content until every last drop of division is removed – not by getting rid of someone or leaving ourselves but by dealing biblically with division.” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, 349]

                  • I’m really passionate about reconciliation within the church, but unfortunately it rarely happens, because there is a church on every street corner in America. ​​ When someone doesn’t get their own way (whether a congregant or a pastor) they just move on to the next church and never resolve the conflict. ​​ Church discipline is really weak in most churches. ​​ The thing that’s frustrating is that the issue that drove the individual away from the church follows them to the next church. ​​ It eventually surfaces again and the process continues, indefinitely.

                  • I’ve had people ask me if I want them to leave the church and my answer has always been, “No.” ​​ I want them to be transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. ​​ I want there to be submission to the Lord and His Word and changed attitudes and hearts. ​​ I want there to be reconciliation and unity.

                  • “Puritan preacher Thomas Brooks wrote, ‘Discord and division become no Christian. ​​ For wolves to worry the lambs is no wonder, but for one lamb to worry another, this is unnatural and monstrous’ (“Legacies”).” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, 349]

                  • How do you deal with differences and disagreements within the church?

                  • Paul (Read Philippians 2:5-8)

                  • Jesus (Read Matthew 18:15-20)

                  • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Commit to resolve any differences and disagreements I have in the church and strive to reconcile with the individuals involved.

              • Hurting the purpose of unity

                • “Divisions in the church breed atheism in the world.” ​​ [Thomas Manton cited by Carter & Wredberg, 349]

                • “The effectiveness of the church’s evangelism is devastated by dissension and disputes among its members.” ​​ [John MacArthur cited by Carter & Wredberg, 349]

                • “The gospel proclaimed from the pulpit is either confirmed, and hence immeasurably enhanced, or it is contradicted, and hence immeasurably weakened, by the quality of the relationships in the pews. ​​ In this sense every Christian is a witness. ​​ Every time we gather together we either strengthen or weaken the evangelistic appeal of our church by the quality of our relationships with our fellow church members. ​​ The biggest barriers to effective evangelism according to the prayer of Jesus are not so much outdated methods, or inadequate presentations of the gospel, as realities like gossip, insensitivity, negative criticism, jealousy, backbiting, an unforgiving spirit, a ‘root of bitterness’, failure to appreciate others, self-preoccupation, greed, selfishness and every other form of lovelessness.” ​​ [Milne, The Bible Speak Today: The Message of John, 250-51]

            • Jesus explains the purpose of this incredible unity that He has been praying about

          • Purpose of unity

            • The world will believe (vv. 21b, 23b)

              • It’s all about God’s divine plan of redemption for the world

              • Our unity, through love for one another, is a powerful testimony that God sent Jesus from heaven to earth to take our punishment for sin

              • It’s also a powerful testimony of the everlasting, loving kindness of God, with which He draws sinners to Himself (Jer. 31:3)

            • I don’t know about you, but I want to have that kind of testimony with our neighbors and community

              • We’ve been praying for salvations and I want to see God answer those prayers

              • Our effectiveness in leading others into a discipling relationship with Jesus is based on our unity as a body of believers

              • Body unity comes from activating divine unity.

        • Jesus was so concerned about our unity, that He prayed about it over two thousand years ago and has continued to intercede for us before the Father

        • He not only prayed that we would be united in Him, but also that we would be reunited with Him

    • Reunited with Him (vv. 24-26)

        • Being with Jesus (v. 24a)

          • Home improvement shows

            • Judy and I love to watch home improvement shows and tiny house shows

            • When the house is complete, the homeowners usually invite their family and friends over for an open house, so they can show everyone what it looks like

            • Perhaps you’ve done that when you’ve moved into a new home, or have made improvements to your current home

            • You want everyone to see how attractive it is

          • Jesus is looking forward to the time when those, that God had given to Him, would be able to be with Him in heaven

            • The attractiveness of heaven will far exceed any home improvements that we can do here on earth

            • Our heavenly home will be perfect!

          • The magnificence of heaven will be highlighted by the glory of Jesus and God

        • Jesus’ glory (v. 24b)

          • As Jesus continues with His request, about being reunited with His followers, He expresses His desire for His followers to see His glory

          • This is the pre-incarnate glory that He had with God before the world was created

            • 2 Corinthians 3:18, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

            • 1 John 3:2, Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. ​​ But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

          • Jesus concludes His prayer by reaffirming that He has made the Father known to the world

        • Making God known (vv. 25-26)

          • Jesus addresses the Father as righteous

            • This is one of His many attributes

            • It means that He does everything right – He does everything perfectly

          • Jesus had made the Father known to the world

            • John 15:15, I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. ​​ Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

            • John 17:6, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. ​​ They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

            • The fact that the world does not know the Father, doesn’t mean that they hadn’t heard

            • “The problem is not the world’s access to the knowledge of God . . . but that the world refused to acknowledge that God had sent Jesus.” ​​ [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 469]

          • Jesus continues to make the Father known through us

            • Jesus, and His love, living in us, is the key to making the Father known to the world

            • We are Jesus’ ambassadors to those in our world who don’t know Him

 

  • YOU

    • Are you sharing the Gospel of Jesus with your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors? ​​ (You can do it with confidence knowing that God will give the increase)

    • Are there any relationships in the church where you need to work towards reconciliation and unity?

  • WE

    • The body unity that comes from activating divine unity will accomplish God’s purpose of transforming individuals in our world

 

CONCLUSION

“The church can be a taste of heaven. ​​ When people with different preferences, hobbies, jobs, genders, backgrounds, skin colors, accents, and tastes love one another with a love surpassing all human love, they open a window to heaven, and people begin to feel a breeze from a far-off country and in their souls awaken a long-dormant hope. ​​ They want to go to that place and be with those people who know, see, and feel something different, something beyond, something more.

 

The love of God assures us we have a home and a country on the other side of the sea. ​​ This knowledge binds us together and spills out in a love that feels strangely foreign but still familiar. ​​ When people see this love displayed in a million little ways, they will hope it’s real, and when the hope is confirmed, they will understand the story is true. ​​ They will know Jesus lives and Jesus loves.”

 

[Carter & Wredberg, 351].

10

 

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Not Of This World

,

NOT OF THIS WORLD

SHOW PETRA-NOT OF THIS WORLD VIDEO

In January 28, 2016, Billy Graham preached a message entitled “In the World, But Not of It.” I am quoting from portions of his message here. ​​ 

At a meeting of church leaders in Seattle, Washington, one member of the group reportedly said that if the church is to make its greatest impact on our generation, it must become more worldly minded. While in one sense that may bear some truth, in the Biblical sense it is false. As we read the New Testament, it is clear that we are not to become entangled with the world.

But the question I want to ask today is, “What is the world?” The world is the cosmos, the world system, which is headed by Satan and based upon self, greed and pride. This is the world that God warns about, and it is this world system and philosophy that Christians are to shun and remain free from. The world was such a great danger to our souls that this danger caused Christ, the Son of God, to go to the cross to deliver us from it.

Billy Graham goes on to say we need to be careful not to be deceived by the world. In this complex generation in which we live, it is not easy for the Christian to distinguish between that which is spiritual and that which is worldly. This cosmos has its own entertainment and diversions that so permeate the atmosphere that it makes the way of the cross seem antiquated and irrelevant. In much of the entertainment media fostered by the cosmos, the name of God is profaned, sex is glamorized, and high, ethical living and Christian moral standards are laughed at.

The Bible teaches that worldliness is a force, a spirit, an atmosphere of the cosmos that is in opposition to all that is godly and Christian. There is an undertow, a subtle current that runs against and in contradiction to the will and the way of God. Its eddies are deep and treacherous. They are stirred and troubled by Satan and intended to trap and ensnare those who would walk godly in Christ Jesus. Satan employs every device at his command to harass, tempt, thwart and hurt the people of God. His attack is relentless.

So we as Christians are in the world. We come in contact with the world, and yet we retain our distinctive kingdom character and refuse to let the world press us into its mold. The primary responsibility of the Christian is to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel—that God loves the world, has redeemed it through the cross of our Savior, and seeks to save it. But we are to achieve that most difficult of all tasks, not to be conformed to the world. This is the Christian’s stand; this is the Christian’s job. We are to be in the world but not of the world.

Last week, Pastor Stuart introduced John chapter 17 to us. This chapter has been called the High Priestly Prayer and it is the longest recorded prayer by Jesus in the Bible. ​​ Today, we are going to be focusing on the second section of Jesus’ prayer in which he prays for those closest to him while he was on the earth. Of the twenty six verses of Jesus’ prayer, 80% of them are focused on others. This includes those closest to him who believed in him while he was on the earth, those throughout history who have believed in him, those today who believe in him and those who will believe in him in the future. But 100% of this prayer, all 26 verses, are for those that are “not of this world.” Jesus was not of this world, the disciples were not of this world and all who have believed in him for all time are not of this world including believers today. If you are a Christ follower here this morning, you are a stranger and an alien on this earth and you are called to continue the work that Jesus has given you until you are called to your real home in heaven.

This morning we get to continue to listen in to Jesus’ High Priestly prayer just as the disciples of Jesus’ day did. We are going to hear who Jesus prayed for and we are going to hear what Jesus prayed about for them. Imagine hearing the Messiah, the Creator of the Universe, praying for you as you are listening. Maybe you have heard a parent or a pastor or a friend pray specifically for you. What did they pray for? Whatever it was it was probably important to them and to you. This morning we are going to see who was so important to Jesus and what was so important to pray for them about, that he took this opportunity so close to the cross to intercede for them with his heavenly Father. That brings us to our big idea that Jesus through John wants us to understand this morning which is “Knowing who to pray for and what to pray for them about is important.”

Before we start to unpack that big idea this morning let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you seeking knowledge and wisdom from your Word. We ask that you open our hearts and minds to what you want us to take away from your message this morning. Teach us, guide us, illumine us and use us to your honor and your glory, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

This morning, we are going to be studying John chapter 17, verses 6 to 19. Our first point is Who. Who did Jesus pray for and why was it important for him to pray for them. We see this in verses 6-11b. Follow along as I read those verses. This is what God’s Word says, 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You.

Who is Jesus praying for? He is definitely praying for the eleven remaining disciples. If you remember Judas has already left the upper room to go betray Jesus so the eleven other disciples are the subjects and the hearers of Jesus’ prayer to his Father. But he may have also been praying for other devoted followers that had heard his words and believed in him as their Messiah. But he probably had the eleven disciples in the forefront of his mind as he prayed because they were going to be the ones continuing his mission in the world after he left. He goes on to describe these eleven men whom he was getting ready to send out into the world.

The first way he describes them is that they were the men that Jesus manifested his Father’s name to while he was on the earth because they were given to Jesus out of the world by God. They were God’s and God gave them to Jesus. He also describes them as ones who kept God’s Word. Part of Jesus’ mission on the earth was to take ordinary men and make God known to them. John 1:14 says “And the Word (Jesus) became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” God, in the person of Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among the disciples so he could make himself known to them and show them his glory.

“Manifested” means “to reveal” or “to make known.” The tense here shows that Jesus perfectly accomplished the Father’s plan by revealing the Father to the disciples. The concept of God’s name means all that God is: his character, his nature and his attributes. Jesus was the perfect Word of God and the perfect manifestation of God and he perfectly revealed all God was to the disciples. Only Jesus could say “he who has seen me has seen the Father” as we saw in John 14:9. Hebrews 1:3a says, “And He (Jesus) is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

We see God’s divine sovereignty and election at work here. The eleven disciples who belonged to God first were chosen by God before time began out of the world to be Jesus’ followers on the earth. Their choosing was based on nothing that they did but only on the grace granted them by God in Christ. John 6:44 says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” But there is also human responsibility. The disciples had to make a choice about Jesus. They would be held accountable to how they responded to the words and the name of God revealed to them through Jesus. At the end of verse 6, we see how they responded. It says they “kept” God’s Word. This means they obeyed the Word revealed to them by Jesus. Obedience is essential to salvation and is the result of a genuine salvation experience.

The offer of salvation goes out to all people and is the same for everyone. God’s desire is that everyone will be saved but we know that not everyone will accept that offer. God in his sovereignty knows who will accept him and who will reject him. He knew that these eleven men would accept his Words and his Name that Jesus would make known to them. Salvation is never a result of human morality, wisdom or willpower but a gift of grace and mercy from God. Those who reject the gospel do so willingly and without excuse having been given many, many opportunities by God to respond. ​​ 

Just like the disciples we will be held accountable to how we respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart right now urging you to take that step of faith toward salvation in Jesus Christ. If so this next step is for you: Admit that I am sinner. Believe that Jesus died for my sins. Confess that Jesus is my Lord. If you made that next step today, you are now “not of this world” and I would encourage you to let myself or Pastor Stuart know so we can share how you can now start to be discipled in Jesus.  ​​ ​​​​ 

In verses 7-8, Jesus continues to describe the disciples as those who have come to know that everything the Father gave the Son was from the Father, including the words given to Jesus from God. They truly understood that Jesus was the Son of God who came from God and was sent by God. In effect they believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Of course they did not fully understand Jesus’ mission on the earth but they would once he arose, ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. But at this point they clearly realized that Jesus was who he said he was. They had proven to be his true disciples because they had received the words the Father gave Jesus, they understood that Jesus came from Father and they believed that the Father had sent Jesus. These things were further proof of the disciples’ genuine faith. They believed, unlike the Jewish religious leaders, that Jesus’ power, authority and words came from God and that he did God’s will while on the earth.

This was who Jesus prayed for. God had been revealed to them and they “kept” his Word. These eleven men had come to be in a close personal relationship with Jesus and he knew what lay ahead for them. So it was important for Jesus to pray for them and it was important for them to listen in to his intimate communication with the Father. BIG IDEA

In verses 9-10, Jesus continues to describe the disciples as a gift and as those whom he has been glorified in. Because the disciples had responded with belief and demonstrated genuine faith through their obedience, they showed that they had been chosen by the Father out of this world as a gift for the Son. Jesus was confident that his Father would hear and grant his prayer for the disciples because they were a gift from him.

Then Jesus prays something that may surprise us. He says that he is praying for his disciples that God has gifted him, but not for the world. Remember the world is the evil, godless, satanically ruled system comprised of all that oppose God and his kingdom. Now this does not mean that God doesn’t care for those who reject him. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. That word “world” in John 3:16 is the same word used here in verse 9. But Christ’s high priestly work of interceding is done on behalf of those given to him by the Father: those who have received God’s words from Jesus, understood that Jesus came from God and believed that God sent him. The unredeemed world was not the subject of this prayer. He had been praying for them all throughout his ministry and even with his dying breath he was praying to his Father to “forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Jesus’ statement that “they are yours; and all things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine” shows his confidence that the eleven belonged to God. It was also a claim by Jesus to deity and full equality with God the Father. Jesus and God are one so the disciples were not only God’s and chosen by him but they were also fully and equally the Son’s and chosen by him. Those who belong to the Father belong to the Son as well.

The disciples were also men that Jesus has been glorified in. Jesus had been glorified in the disciples’ because they accepted and obeyed God’s Word from Jesus and believed that God sent him as the Messiah. This glory would continue to be displayed on the earth as the disciples lived out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission to love God and others and to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them all that Jesus had commanded them. Imagine that - sinning, denying, doubting, failing human beings represent the glory of the holy Son of God! Do you feel that way this morning? Jesus feels that way about you.

Pastor Stuart mentioned last week that one of Jesus’ purposes on the earth was to glorify God and we have the same purpose as well. We see this in Matthew 5:16, which says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” And 1 Corinthians 10:31, says, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” God and Jesus will be glorified as Christians reflect Christ’s glory in the darkness of this world.

In verse 11a we see why Jesus is praying for the eleven disciples. He is praying for them because he is leaving the world to return to the Father but the eleven will be staying in the world without him. This was an important reason for Jesus to pray for them. Yes, Jesus will rise again from the grave and they will rejoice. Yes, the Holy Spirit will come upon them at Pentecost and they will be bold. But Jesus in bodily form whom they loved and whom loved them would not be with them day in and day out any longer. They were already devastated, saddened to the point of despair and anxious and depressed. So Jesus, with the cross looming before him, audibly prays to his Heavenly Father in their presence for them on their behalf. He wanted to uplift their spirits and remind them of how much he loved them. These eleven men were of super importance to Jesus and because of their importance to him he prays for them, interceding for them with his Father. BIG IDEA.

That brings us to our next point this morning which is What. What did Jesus pray about for his disciples? What were some of the most important things Jesus felt he needed to bring before the Father on the disciples’ behalf? We see these things in verses 11b-19. Follow along as I read those verses. “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus starts his intercessory prayer for his disciples by addressing God as “Holy Father.” The use of “Holy Father” is unique here in the NT. It suggests both remoteness and nearness. God is both awe-inspiring and loving. The Son was not only celebrating the holiness of God but was remembering God’s holiness to the disciples. It would be their holiness that would help them to overcome the hostile world as they lived in the world but be “not of the world.” Their relationship with God while on this earth was to be characterized as “holy” even as God was “holy.”

The first thing Jesus prayed for his disciples was unity. Jesus wanted God to “keep” his disciples by the power of his name so that they would be one as the Father and the Son were one. Remember God’s name represents all that he is and in this instance Jesus asks the Father to “keep” them according to his holy character and attributes. What did Jesus pray to keep or protect them from?

Gaebelein says, “That keeping means everything. Keeping from falling away, from evil doctrines, from being overcome by sorrow or in tribulation and suffering, keeping them in life and in death. From this first petition of our Lord’s prayer we learn the absolute security of a true believer. If a true believer, one who belongs to Christ, who has been given by the Father to the Son, for whom the Son intercedes, can be lost, it would mean the loss of Christ’s glory, the loss of a part of the travail of his soul.”

This “keeping” or protection was important so that the disciples would be one as the Father and the Son were one. This unity of the Father and the Son is seen in the power of the name of the Father which is also the Son’s name. God’s holy character was reflected perfectly in Jesus. Jesus had provided the disciples with a perfect picture of who God is and what he expects. God is faithful and true, so is Jesus. God is loving, gracious and merciful, so is Jesus. God is holy and just, so is Jesus. Jesus is praying to the Father for the disciples to have the same unity that they have because he knows their unity will be important as they live in the world but not be of the world so that they can continue the work that Jesus started on the earth.

The nature of this unity is important. It is a unity already given. Jesus doesn’t pray that they become one but that they continually be one. This is an invisible spiritual unity which rests in abiding in Jesus and having him abide in them. It is an invisible unity, produced by the Holy Spirit, that is the foundation for the visible unity that the world should see in the Church. The world should see this unity in us practically as a common love for God, commitment to his word, a love for his people and a life lived in holiness. Christ followers should be noticeably different from the world they live in. We are to be the salt of the earth and light in a darkened world. If we aren’t, Matthew 5:13 says we are “no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

During Jesus’ ministry on the earth he “kept” and “guarded” them in the Father’s name given to Jesus. He guarded them so well that not one of them perished except the son of perdition. For three years Jesus taught them God’s words, he empowered them so they could continue his work on the earth after he left and he shielded them from persecution by the hostile Jewish religious leaders. The word Jesus uses for “kept” means preserve and watch over. “Guarded” gives the idea of protection from outside dangers like the strong man who guards his house in Luke 11:21. That verse says, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.” Jesus “kept” and “guarded” his disciples and they were not “disturbed.” Taken together the words give a picture of compete deliverance from all perils and lasting security. The Son asks the Father to secure his disciples knowing that it was the Father’s will and Jesus always prayed in perfect agreement with his Father.

Jesus says none perished but the “son of perdition.” He was talking about Judas. Only Judas who never had a true relationship in the first place was not “kept . . . by that name you gave me.” There is a play on words in the original text: “Not one perished but for the son of perishing.” His loss was not due to Jesus failing to keep him by the Father’s name or by not guarding him properly. Judas was characterized by “lostness” not predestined to be “lost.” Greene says, “Scripture was fulfilled by the loss of Judas not that he was lost to fulfill scripture.” Judas was still personally responsible for his actions and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah but God used his evil actions to bring about his own divine purposes. God’s will was done in the handing over of Jesus to be crucified.

The second thing Jesus prayed for his disciples was for them to have the complete joy of Jesus in them. Imagine their thoughts as they hear Jesus pray these things about and for them. Jesus has described them as men who were chosen by God to have the very words of God revealed to them. They were a gift from the Father to the Son and Jesus said he was glorified in them. Then Jesus asks God to keep and guard them as they continue his work in the world. I would have to believe that hearing this prayer on their behalf would produce joy in their hearts and help them to overcome their fears as Jesus was getting ready to return to the Father. But this wasn’t just any joy; this was Jesus’ joy. Jesus loved his disciples so much and was so concerned for their well-being that he wanted them to have the same joy that he experienced. This was joy based on the eternal purposes of God which the disciples would now take part in. The disciples would also share in Christ’s joy as they would experience eternal life made possible through his death and resurrection.

Just as the world hated Jesus, God’s incarnate Word in the world, the world hates the disciples because they accepted the word given to them by Jesus. By rejecting both Jesus and the disciples they were ultimately rejecting God. The hatred of the world for the disciples was proof that they were not of this world just as Jesus wasn’t. They were reborn, born again, from above. Their citizenship was no longer on the earth but in heaven. Effectively they were strangers and aliens here just as everyone today is if they have been born again.

The third thing Jesus prayed for his disciples was for their protection. Even though they were not of this world Jesus was not asking the Father to remove them from it. But he was praying God would give them a supernatural awareness of the world’s evils so they could be avoided. It would be important that they were kept from evil because evil would be fatal to their mission. He also asked his Father to protect them from the evil one while they continued his work on the earth. Carson says, “Followers of Jesus are permitted neither the luxury of compromise with the world, nor the safety of being taken out of the world. But we are assured of the safety that only God can provide as certainly as the prayers of God’s son will be answered.” Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 59:1 says, “Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. And 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”

In verse 16, Jesus again states that the disciples are not of the world just as he is not. This was more than just a restatement of verse 14. Jesus was emphasizing the unity that the disciples shared with him. Imagine the joy they would have felt at hearing Jesus pray for their protection from the world and the evil one. They would have the same joy that Jesus had. They would enjoy the same unity that Jesus and the Father had. They would have the same protection from the Father as Jesus had.

The last thing Jesus prayed for was that his disciples would be sanctified. “To be sanctified” means to be “holy” or “set apart.” The world is hostile to God and the things of God, including his Son and disciples. The only way to overcome the world and the evil one is to be sanctified. Jesus was sanctified and set apart by the Father and sent into the world to redeem it. Now Jesus asks his Father to sanctify the disciples for the same purpose. They are to be sanctified and set apart from the world in order to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The instrument of this sanctification is “truth” which is the Word of God. Their protection would be found in God’s Word. As they were preaching and teaching the “truth” in the world they would not only be protected from outside evils but also from inside ones. The evil one would try to stop the disciples from finishing Jesus’ work by attacking their unity, their joy and their hearts and minds.

They needed to be continually internally transformed by reading and studying God’s Word, by obeying the Word, by prayer and striving to live as Christ lived on the earth. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. And 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” Bruce says, “The very message which they are to proclaim in his name will exercise its sanctifying effect on them . . .” Think about that. You are sanctified as you read the word, as you talk about the word with others (Bible study) and as you obey the word. And others are sanctified as well.

But this continued work would not be possible except for the sacrificial death of the Son on the cross. MacArthur says, “What he was about to endure on the cross would make salvation possible for the eleven and for those who would be saved through their extended ministries. For the disciples’ sake Jesus would sanctify himself by himself being set apart to righteously obey the Father’s will by dying on the cross. It was only because of Jesus’ atonement for their sins that they themselves would be sanctified in truth. Having been justified by their faith in Jesus they would be daily conformed more and more into his perfect image.”

So, “knowing who to pray for and what to pray for them about is important.” I have two questions for each of us this morning. First, who do you pray for on a daily or regular basis? Who are the people closest and most important to you? Is it a brother or sister? A mother or father? A husband or wife? Maybe it’s a close friend. And what do you pray about for them on a daily or regular basis? Do you pray for their unity in Christ, for their joy in Christ, for their protection from the evil one and for their sanctification? If not the second next step this morning is for you: Pray daily for those most important to me for their unity, joy, protection and sanctification. Second, do you pray for your church family? Do you pray for those who worship here at Idaville Church with you? What do you pray about for them? Do you ever pray for their unity in Christ, for their joy in Christ, for their protection from the evil one as they live out the Great Commandment and for their sanctification? If not the last next step is for you: Pray daily for my Idaville Church family for their unity, joy, protection and sanctification.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in our final hymn this morning let’s pray. Holy Father, we thank you for your Incarnate Word, Jesus, and your words to us this morning. Help us to model our prayers after the prayers of your Son especially this prayer in John chapter 17. Help us to remember our family, our friends and our Idaville Church family in our prayers to you for their unity and joy in your Son, for their protection from the evil one and for a continued striving to holiness as we live in this world but not of the world. In Jesus name, Amen.

/by

Glorify!

,

Believe

Glorify!

(John 17:1-5)

 

INTRODUCTION

“As a child I recall lying in bed at night, listening to my mother praying aloud in the next room. ​​ Along with the prayers I could also hear at times the curses and anger of my atheistic father, who tried to interrupt her communication with God. ​​ I always felt on those occasions that I should not be able to listen, since prayer is a private and sacred domain one ought to maintain in secret. ​​ It does not seem right to be able to listen to your mother praying, especially when she is praying for you.

 

Yet that is precisely the type of experience every Christian can have when reading the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel. ​​ Here, of course, it is not a mother but the Son of God praying aloud, praying for the record. ​​ And not only for the benefit of disciples who may have been within earshot but for every reader of the New Testament right up to the present time.

 

The Lord was just hours from the cross. ​​ A final evening of instruction began in the upper room at mealtime, and Jesus had explained to his disciples all the matters recorded in chapters 13-16 of this Gospel. ​​ Foremost among the themes of the evening had been an emphasis on the coming of the Holy Spirit and the continuing relationship the disciples would have with their Lord, even though he would be in heaven while they would extend his work on earth.

 

These five chapters of John are a golden repository of truth to which Christians have come for guidance and blessing for almost two thousand years. ​​ The capstone of the unit lies before us now as we listen to what one member of the Trinity says to another about what it is like to live ‘in the world.’ ​​ In this moment of grief as well as triumph, our Lord turned his eyes from earth to heaven and asked the God of the universe to heed his petitions on the authority of his relationship to his Father.”

 

[Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 311].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Listening in

        • As a young teenager, I remember one night sitting outside my parent’s bedroom door and listening to them talk before they went to sleep

        • I know, it wasn’t right for me to do that

        • What I heard was their concern about immoral things their children would probably do, that they never did

        • Their concern came from cultural shifts they had identified as becoming normalized instead immoral

        • I didn’t take their concerns as permission to go ahead and do those things, but rather I took it as a challenge to prove them wrong – I wasn’t going to allow the culture to dictate what I did

        • By the way, I did prove them wrong

 

  • WE

    • Two paths

        • We can choose how we will react to the doubts, expectations, and criticism of others

        • ​​ “Howard Hendricks tells how he came from a broken family and was a problem kid. During his first day in fifth grade the teacher said, ‘Oh, Howard Hendricks. I’ve heard a lot about you. I understand you are the worst kid in school.’ That year Howard did whatever he could to prove her right. When the next year rolled around his sixth grade teacher said to him, ‘Oh, so you are Howard Hendricks. I’ve heard you are the worst boy in this school.’ Hendricks thought, ‘Here we go again.’ But then the teacher continued, ‘And you know what? I don’t believe a word of it.’ And Howard said that year that woman did everything she could to help him and encourage him and praise his work; she believed in him. Hendricks credits her with changing his life forever.” ​​ (Source: Spiritual Stamina, Stuart Briscoe, p 231-232). ​​ [https://www.family-times.net/illustration/Believe/202278/domdocument.load]

        • We can live up to their doubts, lowered expectations, and criticisms, or we can strive to prove them wrong

    • Trending today

        • We want people to know what we are thinking, but we don’t want to talk with them about it

        • We use social media to talk about people instead of to them

        • We will also talk to another person, while the person we are talking about is right there (Judy saw this happen at the grocery store the other day as it pertains to the wearing of masks)

        • It’s a passive-aggressive way of communicating our point without directly confronting someone

        • We are hoping that they will listen in on the conversation

 

Recorded in John 17 is Jesus’ prayer to the Father. ​​ It happens at the end of his discourse with His disciples in the upper room. ​​ While He is talking to the Father, the disciples are right there listening to the whole prayer conversation. ​​ “After talking about the Father to His disciples in the Upper Room, Jesus talks to the Father about His disciples.” ​​ [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 572]. ​​ As we’ll see over the next several weeks, Jesus is going to pray for Himself, His disciples, and for future believers. ​​ The great thing is, we get to listen in on this conversation between Jesus and the Father. ​​ As we look at Jesus’ prayer for Himself, today, John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Eternal life comes by knowing God and Jesus.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 17:1-5)

    • Glorify (vv. 1, 4-5)

        • Jesus mentions the word glorify or glory five times in these five verses

          • We see a simple chiastic structure in the fact that Jesus talks about glory in verse 1 and then returns to it again in verses 4-5

          • Verses 2-3 really flesh out how the Son will be glorified, which in turn brings glory to the Father

        • After Jesus said this

          • The NIV’s translation could make it sound like Jesus is only referring to what He just said in John 6:33, but the Greek word for “this” is actually plural and not singular

          • The NLT translates it this way, After saying all these things

          • We don’t have to worry, though, with the NIV’s translation, because if we look at John 6:33 it makes it clear that Jesus is talking about His entire discourse from chapters 14-16

          • John 6:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. ​​ In this world you will have trouble. ​​ But take heart! ​​ I have overcome the world.”

        • Jesus looked toward heaven and prayed

          • This would have been a common Jewish posture for prayer and it may have included raising His hands to heaven [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 462]

          • We see in John 11:41 that Jesus did the same thing when praying for Lazarus to be raised from the dead – He looked up!

          • The Psalmist talks about this same posture of prayer when he says, I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven (Psalm 123:1)

          • We normally encourage everyone to close their eyes and bow their heads, when we pray, but perhaps we should be lifting our eyes to heaven and raising our hands

        • The time has come

          • Hour had not come [Carter & Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 335]

            • Throughout the book of John, we see Jesus telling different groups that His hour had not yet come

            • In John 2:4 he reminded His mother that His time had not yet come (He still turned water into wine at the wedding)

            • In John 7:30 we read that although the crowd tried to seize him, because of His teachings, no one was able to lay a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come

            • Jesus teaches that He is the light of the world in John 8:12-20, which made the Pharisees angry, but they weren’t able to seize Him, because His time had not yet come

            • Jesus expresses in John 12:27 that His hour is getting closer, but hasn’t arrived yet

          • It’s time!

            • Jesus knows that within a few short hours His glorification will begin, in a way that would be antithetical to how the world would glorify someone

            • PRINCIPLE #1 – God is sovereign!

              • In all of this we see that God is sovereign – He has the right to rule and He rules rightly

              • God’s plan of redemption was not going to be hijacked by the emotions and desires of the Pharisees or religious leaders

              • His timing and plan were going to be executed perfectly, because He is sovereign

              • We can rejoice in God’s sovereignty in our lives

                • He has the right to rule and He rules rightly in every circumstance in our lives

                • His plans for us will not be hijacked by our emotions and desires

                • We may run ahead of Him sometimes, which causes Him to adjust the timeframe in which we will learn what He is trying to teach us, but His plans will always be fulfilled

                • He knows what’s best for us and earnestly desires for us to learn and grow through His guidance and direction

                • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust in God’s sovereignty over the plans for my life.

            • Jesus’ time had come

          • His glorification was about to begin

        • Glorification of the Son (vv. 1a, 5)

          • On earth – through crucifixion (v. 1a)

            • In verse 1, Jesus is asking the Father to glorify Him – the Son

            • We have to understand God’s glory in order to understand what Jesus is asking for here

              • “The ‘glory’ of God is a noun and means his majesty or his splendor, his ‘display of divine goodness’ (Carson, John, 129). ​​ When we talk about God’s being glorified (the verb), we mean the appropriate response to his goodness displayed. ​​ So the glory of God (noun) is his goodness displayed, and glorifying God (verb) is his goodness celebrated . . . Here when Jesus prays to be glorified, it means his goodness must be seen and celebrated. ​​ For God to answer this request means the greatness of Jesus will need to be understood and acknowledged.” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, 336]

              • Jesus is about to go to the cross, which in the 1st Century was considered disgraceful – a death worthy of criminals (Roman citizens were never put to death on a cross, that’s how disgraceful this kind of death was)

              • Anyone hung on a tree was considered to be under God’s curse

                • Deuteronomy 21:22-23, If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. ​​ Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. ​​ You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

                • Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

              • How was God’s goodness going to be displayed and celebrated through Jesus’ disgraceful death?

                • God was going to transform the disgrace of the cross, so that Jesus’ perfect sacrifice could be understood and acknowledged, and so that His glory could be seen and celebrated

                • The analogy of the woman in labor that we studied in John 16 is exactly what will take place so that God’s glory will be seen and celebrated

                  • The disciples would experience a time of grief at Jesus’ death

                  • But their grief would turn to joy when God raised Jesus from the dead, and no one would be able to take away their joy

                  • When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples they understood everything that Jesus had taught them and they celebrated the fulfillment of God’s redemption plan

            • When Jesus is asking the Father to glorify Him, He is saying, “I’m ready to fulfill Your plan of redemption by dying on a cross.”

              • He is asking the Father to sustain Him through the passion events that will be unfolding in the coming hours and days

              • “‘The deepest passion of the heart of Jesus was not the saving of men, but the glory of God; and then the saving of men, because that is for the glory of God.’ (Morgan, p. 270).” ​​ [G. Campbell Morgan cited by Gangel, 312]

            • The transformation of the cross is what enables us to be transformed – it is God’s goodness displayed and celebrated!

          • In heaven – through ascension (v. 5)

            • As Jesus continues His prayer to the Father on His own behalf, we see that in verse 5 He asks again for the Father to glorify Him, but the setting is different

            • He is praying, in advance of His resurrection, about being glorified in God’s presence

            • In reality, He is requesting that the glory, He had before coming to earth, would be restored to Him after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension

            • This glory was something that He had before the world was created

            • John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ​​ He was with God in the beginning.

            • We know that the Father answered this prayer

              • Acts 7:56, “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Stephen’s stoning)

              • Philippians 2:9-11, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

          • Jesus’ glorification brought glory to the Father

        • The Father glorified (vv. 1b, 4)

          • In verse 1b we see that Jesus’ request to be glorified will in turn cause the Father to be glorified

          • In verse 4 we see that Jesus has brought the Father glory by completing the work He had given Him to do

            • The work Jesus did was His death, burial, and resurrection

            • It also included teaching and preparing His disciples to continue the work of the Gospel after His ascension into heaven

            • Jesus modeled an important principle for us

            • PRINCIPLE #2 – God is pleased when His people finish the work He has given them to do.

              • “Think of pastors leaving churches before their work is finished. ​​ Think of missionaries returning from the field before God’s actual release. ​​ Think of the many times you and I have started some task for the Lord with great enthusiasm only to abandon it – unfinished – in the busyness of our lives.” ​​ [Gangel, 313]

              • Evaluating our lives

                • Individually

                  • What has God given you to do for His glory?

                  • Have you completed that?

                  • Have you put it on hold, because of the busyness of life?

                  • Have you forgotten about what He has given you to do?

                  • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize the work that God has given me to do and recommit to complete that work for His glory.

                • Corporately

                  • What has God given us (Idaville Church) to do for His glory? (The Great Command and Commission)

                  • Have we completed that? (the work is never done)

                  • Have we gotten distracted by the Coronavirus? (perhaps)

                  • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Continue the work of the church by loving God and others and making disciples for Jesus Christ.

              • Whether individually or corporately, we should all be striving to hear the words of the Master from the parable Jesus told about the loaned money, “Well done, good and faithful servant! ​​ You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. ​​ Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)

        • Jesus has surrounded the most important of this section of His prayer by talking about God being glorified through Him and His work

        • The middle two verses really speak to His work

    • Eternal life (vv. 2-3)

        • Jesus’ sovereign work (v. 2)

          • PRINCIPLE #3 – Jesus is sovereign!

            • We see that the Father granted the Son authority over all people

            • Jesus also has the right to rule and rules rightly in our lives

          • We can trust Jesus’ sovereignty to provide eternal life for us

            • That is exactly the work God had given Him to do

            • The Father gave Jesus the authority to give eternal life to those the Father had given to Him

              • In the current context, those whom the Father gave to Jesus were the disciples

              • But we also know that in a general sense it applies to us, because we are Jesus’ disciples too

              • Jesus’ work was for all humanity

          • Jesus then gives a simple explanation of what eternal life means

        • Eternal life explained (v. 3)

          • Eternal life comes by knowing God and Jesus.

          • The Greek word for “knowing” is ginōskō and means more than intellectual assent or necessary information

            • Just knowing or believing that God exists is not what Jesus is talking about here

            • It’s not just believing that Jesus existed and walked on the earth for 33+ years before ascending to heaven

            • It’s much deeper than that

              • It’s experience and intimacy in relationship with the Father and the Son

              • The Greek word is in the present tense indicating that it’s an ongoing personal experience and relationship with the Father and Son [Gangel, 313]

              • 1 John 5:11-12, And this is the testimony: ​​ God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ​​ He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

              • 1 John 5:20-21, We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. ​​ And we are in him who is true – even in his Son Jesus Christ. ​​ He is the true God and eternal life. ​​ Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

              • Read John 14:6-11

          • How do we have eternal life through the Son?

            • Admit that we are sinners (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23)

            • Believe that Jesus completed the work the Father gave Him to do (Rom. 5:8)

            • Choose to have a personal relationship with God and Jesus (John 3:16)

            • #4 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Begin a personal relationship with God by believing in Jesus and receiving eternal life.

          • Eternal life comes by knowing God and Jesus.

 

  • YOU

    • Are you trusting God and Jesus’ sovereignty over the plans for your life?

    • Have you completed the work that God has given you to do?

    • Have you started your relationship with God by believing in Jesus?

 

  • WE

    • Have we completed the work that God has given us to do as a church?

    • Prayer is the key and Jesus modeled it for us

 

CONCLUSION

“How much prayer meant to Jesus! It was not only his regular habit, but his resort in every emergency, however slight or serious. When perplexed he prayed. When hard pressed by work he prayed. When hungry for fellowship he found it in prayer. He chose his associates and received his messages upon his knees. If tempted, he prayed. If criticized, he prayed. If fatigued in body or wearied in spirit, he had recourse to his one unfailing habit of prayer. Prayer brought him unmeasured power at the beginning, and kept the flow unbroken and undiminished. There was no emergency, no difficulty, no necessity, no temptation that would not yield to prayer.”

 

S. D. Gordon, Quiet Talks on Prayer. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 5.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/november/374.html].

9

 

/by

The Overcomer

, , , ,

Believe

The Overcomer

(John 16:25-33)

 

INTRODUCTION

“When he was seven years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them. At age nine, his mother died. At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn't good enough. At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no. At 37, on his third try he was elected to Congress, but two years later, he failed to be reelected. At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At 47, he failed as the vice-presidential candidate. At 49, he ran for the Senate again, and lost. At 51, he was elected president of the United States. His name was Abraham Lincoln, a man many consider the greatest leader the country ever had. Some people get all the breaks.”

 

Unknown, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/december/33.html].

 

He overcame a lot in this world, to eventually be seen as one of our countries greatest leaders

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Peace in job transitions

        • Laid off from Child Evangelism Fellowship

        • Resigning from Every Generation Ministries

    • Peace in serving

        • Several weeks ago I was having trouble sleeping

        • I woke up every half hour from midnight to 3:00 am

        • I finally cried out to the Lord and said, “Please tell me what you what to say, so I can go to sleep!”

        • I immediately fell asleep and had a dream about our first Sunday back after the pandemic

          • Every pew was filled to capacity

          • After the service, I was trying to make my way to the back of the church to get outside, so I could greet everyone

          • I got stopped two times in the foyer

          • The second person who stopped me, gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “great message, today.”

          • When I finally saw who the person was, I realized it was Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement and the person who highly influenced me to preach verse-by-verse through books of the Bible

          • I told him that I preach the way I do, because of him

          • He asked me to tell him more, which I did

          • That dream gave me peace about preaching God’s Word

          • I’m also excited about the fulfillment of the first part of the dream, where every pew will be filled

 

  • WE

    • Think of a time when you experienced peace through a difficult situation (child, spouse, family member, coworker, neighbor, school, work, etc.)

    • Where did you find your peace? (God, worship, the Bible, prayer)

 

The disciples had struggled with understanding Jesus and His words. ​​ After teaching the people, Jesus would explain the meaning to His disciples. ​​ He tells them that a time is coming when He will speak plainly to them and they will understand. ​​ They would experience peace of mind instead of confusion. ​​ Jesus also explained that they would experience trouble in the world, but He would bring them peace through fear and hardship. ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – We can have peace through Christ.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 16:25-33

    • Doubt Turns To Faith (vv. 25-30)

        • Speaking plainly (v. 25)

          • Jesus used parables a lot while ministering on earth

            • If we look through the Synoptic Gospels (Mathew, Mark, and Luke), we can find multiple parables that Jesus used to teach the people

            • Matthew 13:34-36, Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. ​​ So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” ​​ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. ​​ His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

            • So, we know that Jesus used parables every time he spoke with a crowd of people

            • But that’s not what is being referred to here

          • “Jesus had taught ‘figuratively’ (16:25), but the Greek word used here (paroimia) does not simply mean illustrative speech or the use of metaphor and parable; rather, it is speech that is obscure and enigmatic (difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious) . . . For the Middle Easterner, this is the ‘dark saying,’ which typically possesses prophecy or wisdom” [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 442]

          • Jesus wasn’t using a metaphor or parable here

            • He was speaking about the future, but the disciples were not going to be able to understand what He was saying until after His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 478]

            • John 16:12-13, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ​​ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. ​​ He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

            • An hour (time) was coming when Jesus would speak plainly

          • An hour is coming

            • We know that after Jesus’ resurrection, He spent 40 days on earth, before ascending to the Father

              • He obviously used that time to speak plainly to His disciples

              • He did that not only with the eleven disciples, but with other disciples, as well

              • Last week, I mentioned the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus taught them from Moses and Prophets concerning everything that would happen to the Christ

              • Luke 24:30-32, When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ​​ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ​​ They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

              • Their hearts were burning within them, because they were starting to understand Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection – the Scriptures (prophecies) began to make sense to them

            • The coming of the Holy Spirit

              • While Jesus began to speak plainly to them before He ascended into heaven, I believe He is referencing the coming of the Holy Spirit here

              • We see that in John 16:12-13 – the Spirit of truth will guide them into all truth

              • We know that when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, the disciples spoke boldly and with confidence about Jesus

          • Jesus continues to reference the future as He talks with His disciples

        • Direct access to the Father (vv. 26-27)

          • “In that day,” refers to a time in the future, after Jesus has returned to the Father

          • Asking in Jesus’ name, but speaking directly to the Father

            • The disciples will ask the Father in Jesus’ name

            • Last week I mentioned that praying in Jesus’ name means coming to the Father with Jesus’ authority and in conformity to His nature

            • Jesus is not saying that praying to the Father in His name means that He will ask the Father on their behalf

            • PRINCIPLE #1 – As disciples of Jesus, we have direct access to the Father.

              • Biblical history

                • After the Israelites came out of Egypt, camped at Mt. Sinai, saw the top of the mountain enveloped in smoke and fire, and heard God speak, they were afraid and asked God to speak directly to Moses – Moses would then speak to the people for God

                • When the tabernacle was built, the most Holy Place was where the ark of the covenant was kept and God’s presence dwelt, between the two cherubim

                • Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the most Holy Place

                • The High Priest was the intermediary between God and the people

                • The Israelites would take a perfect lamb to the temple to be sacrificed by the priests in order to cover over their sins

                • The people did not have direct access God, but had to approach Him through the priests

              • Because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, the Israelites and all of humanity, now, have direct access to the Father

                • We don’t have to bring a perfect lamb to church and have the pastor sacrifice it to cover over our sins

                • We don’t have to go to a confessional and ask the priest for forgiveness of our sins

                • We can go directly to God

                • Matthew 27:50-51, And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ​​ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ​​ The earth shook and the rocks split.

                • Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection opened the way for us to have direct access to the Father

                  • Read Ephesians 2:11-18

                  • Ephesians 3:10-12, His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ​​ In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

                  • Read Hebrews 10:19-25

                • This direct access is only available to those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

                  • Admit that you are a sinner (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23)

                  • Believe in Jesus (Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3b-4)

                  • Choose peace with God (Romans 5:1-2, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.)

                  • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe in Jesus, by faith, and have peace with God.

                  • We can have peace through Christ.

              • As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the Father

                • When we struggle with sin, even as disciples of Jesus Christ, we can confess that directly to God (1 John 1:9)

                • If we are struggling with a relationship at home, work, school, etc., we can go directly to God

                • Those of us who are struggling financially, go directly to God

                • When we have health concerns, either long-term or recently diagnosed, we can go directly to God

                • Whenever we experience anxiety and depression, because of life circumstances and everything that is happening in our world, we can go directly to God

                • Whatever we’re dealing with right now, we have a Father who is poised and listening to our cries for help – we just have to go directly to Him

                • Psalm 34:17-18, The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. ​​ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

                • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Go directly to God in prayer about whatever is troubling me.

            • We can go directly to the Father because He loves us

          • Love of the Father

            • Jesus explains that the Father loves us because we love Jesus and believe that Jesus came from God

            • “God’s loving openness to our prayers is in fact the outworking of God’s prior love to us in ‘giving’ Jesus (cf. 3:16). ​​ Our prayers, based on our having entered a state of loving (pephilēkate, perfect) and believing (pepisteukate, perfect), are therefore premised on God’s prior loving and Jesus’ self-giving implied in the important words ‘I came from God.’” ​​ [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 12-21, 178s]

          • Jesus explains again God’s plan for Him

        • Returning to the Father (v. 28)

          • It’s pretty straight forward

          • Jesus came from the Father and entered the world to accomplish God’s redemptive plan, through His death, burial, and resurrection

          • When He perfectly completes that plan, He will leave the world and return to the Father

          • The disciples hadn’t experienced that yet, because they were living through it

          • We understand it, because we have God’s Word, the Bible, that tells us the whole story from beginning to end

        • The disciples’ understanding (vv. 29-30)

          • The disciples now believe/understand, or do they?

          • Jesus was telling them that a time/hour was coming in which He would speak plainly to them

            • They thought that hour had come, yet it wouldn’t come until after Jesus’ resurrection

            • Perhaps, for the first time, it finally sank in that Jesus had come from God and would be returning to God, but they still didn’t fully understand His death, burial, and resurrection

          • Powerful theological truths

            • While the disciples make some powerful theological statements, it’s doubtful that they fully comprehended what they were saying

              • Jesus knows all things

                • While on earth, Jesus relied on God to tell Him things that He needed to know

                • This was part of setting aside some of His divine attributes

                • But Jesus, as fully divine, is omniscient (all-knowing)

                • PRINCIPLE #2 – Jesus is omniscient! (all-knowing)

                • That’s a truth and principle that we can hold on to as disciples of Jesus Christ

                  • The COVID-19 pandemic did not catch Jesus by surprise

                  • The racial tensions we’re currently facing in our nation is something He already knew about before we did

                  • The health issues or death of a family member are already known by Him

                  • The financial struggles and relational issues we will face in the future are current knowledge to Jesus

                  • He knows what’s best for us and will never leave us alone

                  • Hebrews 13:5-6, Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ​​ So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. ​​ What can man do to me?”

                • We can have peace through Christ, because He knows all things

                • The disciples may not have fully understood this when they made the statement, but it would become evident and a truth they would live by in the future

              • Jesus can anticipate our questions without us having to ask

                • “In Jewish thought, the ability to anticipate questions and not needing to be asked is a mark of divinity (see e.g., Josephus, Ant. 6.11.8 §230) . . . In the present instance, the disciples acknowledge that there is no further need to ask Jesus questions to test his religious knowledge; he has often been shown to know others’ thoughts and intentions (e.g., 2:23-25; se Carson 1991: 548).” ​​ [Köstenberger, 479]

                • Because Jesus is all-knowing, He is aware of what we need before we ask

                • When Jesus taught His disciples about prayer, He said this right before giving them the model prayer, Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8)

            • Jesus’ omniscience and ability to anticipate their questions without them having to ask, leads the disciples to say that they believe Jesus came from God

          • The disciples’ belief

            • “The disciples had arrived at the point of a ‘belief’ that they could express. ​​ But typical human words and adequate believing may be far apart in real life. ​​ People may say they believe in Jesus, but that does not mean they have arrived at the point where their life patterns follow their beliefs.” ​​ [Borchert, 180]

            • This is true of people today

              • When we talk with individuals about a relationship with Jesus, many times they’ll admit they believe in God

              • A belief in God does not guarantee spending eternity with Him in heaven, because even the demons believe in God and they shudder (James 2:19)

              • A relationship with Jesus can and should transform us completely – people should be able to recognize a life style/pattern change through the power of the Gospel

            • The disciples may be able to say the words “We believe,” but Jesus tells them that their actions will prove differently

        • This transitions us into the second point

    • Fear Turns To Peace (vv. 31-32)

        • Question instead of statement (v. 31)

          • In the 1984 translation of the NIV, they have the beginning of verse 31 as a statement, “You believe at last!”

            • When we read that, it sounds like a statement of triumph or relief

            • It seems like Jesus is rejoicing with the disciples, but that’s not what is intended here

          • Most translations and scholars agree that it should be a question instead of a statement

            • “Do you now believe?”

            • I came imagine that Jesus’ face showed shock or disbelief when He asks the question

            • Perhaps the question could be stated like this, “Do you now believe, really?” ​​ (it adds the dimension of doubt)

          • The reason that Jesus would be asking the question with doubt in His mind is because He knows what is going to happen in just a few short hours

        • Foretelling the future (v. 32a)

          • We know the events in the garden, because they have been recorded for us

          • After Jesus was arrested, all of the disciples deserted him and fled (Matt. 26:56b; Mark 14:50)

          • While the disciples left Jesus alone, He was not truly alone – the Father was with Him

        • Never alone (v. 32b)

          • The Father was with Jesus throughout His arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection

          • PRINCIPLE #3 – God is always present with His people (omnipresent).

            • The writer of Hebrews quotes Moses

              • Moses spoke to the Israelites as leadership was transitioning to Joshua

              • In Deuteronomy 31:6 he says this, Be strong and courageous. ​​ Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

              • We can hold on to this principle, promise, and truth as disciples of Jesus Christ

                • God is always present with us

                • He is there through every trial and triumph in your life

                • Even when you feel like He is distant, the truth is, He is right there with you – truth triumphs over feelings every time

              • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Claim the promise that God is always with me.

            • We can have peace through Christ, because we know that God is always present with us

          • Jesus’ final thought for His disciples

        • Peace in Christ (v. 33)

          • Peace

            • Jesus has told the disciples about His leaving, about the fact that they would experience the same things He did, about their scattering and leaving Him alone, so that in Him they would have peace

            • Aside from being in Christ, they would not experience true peace

            • “Inner peace is conditional; it can come only through Jesus.” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 305]

          • Trouble

            • We live in two realms or realities

            • In the world we will experience trouble – that is inevitable

            • We can experience peace even while going through trouble, when we are in Christ

            • We have to remind ourselves about being connected to the vine – Jesus – and what they means

          • PRINCIPLE #4 – Jesus is all-powerful! (omnipotent)

            • Jesus tells His disciples and us to take heart! – be courageous! – have hope!

            • Even though we will go through trouble in this world, Jesus has overcome the world

            • While we will experience the same things that Jesus did on earth (persecution, hatred, kicked out of the church, etc.) we can have hope, because He has overcome the world

            • His perfect sacrifice on the cross satisfied God’s standard for redemption

            • His resurrection meant that He won over sin and death

            • He has overcome and because of that we can have peace through Him no matter what this world throws at us (COVID-19, racial tensions, relational struggles, health issues, financial strain, fear, anxiety, depression, etc.)

 

  • YOU

    • We can have peace with God, because of Jesus perfect sacrifice

    • We can have peace through Christ, because He knows everything

    • We can have peace through Christ, because He is always present with us

    • We can have peace through Christ, because He is all-powerful and has overcome

 

  • WE

    • These are the truths that we should be sharing with the world as disciples of Jesus Christ

 

CONCLUSION

“In his book Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret of More, author and pastor Mark Buchanan illustrates God's love through the story of Tracy. He writes:

 

Tracy is one of the worship leaders at our church. One Sunday, as she sat at the piano, she talked about the difficult week she'd just been through. It was chaotic, she said—a mess of petty crises on top of a rash of minor accidents, all mixed up in a soup can of crazy busyness. It had left her weary and cranky. She got up that Sunday to lead worship and felt spent, with nothing more to give.

However, Tracy's 8-year-old daughter, Brenna, helped her gain new perspective earlier that morning. When Tracy had walked into the living room, the window was covered with scrawl. Using a crayon, Brenna had scribbled something across the picture window, top to bottom and side to side.

 

At first, it seemed like one more mess for Tracy to clean up. Then she saw what Brenna had written: love, joy, peace, patience, kindnece, goodnece, faithfulnece, gentlnece and selfcantrol (in Brenna's delightful spelling).

 

Mark writes: ‘Tracy stopped, drank it in. Her heart flooded with light. It was exactly what she needed to be reminded about: the gift of the fruit of the Spirit that arises, not by our circumstances, but by Christ within us.

 

And then Tracy noticed one more thing Brenna had written at the edge of the window: Love one another. Only Brenna, in her creative spelling, had written: Love won another.’

 

As Mark concludes: ‘It's what Jesus has been trying to tell us all along. You were won that way. Now go and do likewise.’”

 

Mark Buchanan, Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret of More (Thomas Nelson, 2007); submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/june/9062507.html].

11

 

/by

Labor Pains

,

Believe

Labor Pains

(John 16:16-24)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Do you know what the word gospel means? Euangelion. It means literally the joy news. J.R.R. Tolkien, says there’s a kind of story … that brings us unbelievable joy … He says these stories always have a certain kernel to them. There’s always some incredibly hopeless situation, and victory is snatched out of the jaws of defeat. But how? Always through someone who comes in, and whose weakness turns out to be strength, someone whose defeat turns out to be a victory. He says it’s those kinds of stories that just seem to bring us joy. He called them eucatastrophes.

 

Do you know what the word eucatastrophe means? The joyful catastrophe. The tragedy that turns out to be a triumph. The sacrifice that turns out to bring joy. He said, however, there’s a Eucatastrophe of the eucatastrophes. There is a Story in all of the stories. He believes there’s a bass string to the human heart, and those stories can kind of make it reverberate a little bit but can’t pluck it.

 

Tolkien says the gospel story is the only story that will pluck that string so the whole heart never stops reverberating and vibrating with joy. The reason it will reverberate is … this is the reality to which all of the other stories point. It happened. It really happened. There really is a hero who defeats the villain. There really is Jesus. The word gospel means the joy news. Joy. It’s real. You have to have it.”

 

You can read the sermon here.

 

Tim Keller sermon on “The Joy of Jesus” from the Series: The Fruit of the Spirit—The Character of Christ, (May 3, 1998).

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2019/april/easter-is-joyful-catastrophe.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Seth’s labor and delivery

        • We were expecting Seth, but he was trying to come early

        • For weeks leading up to his birth, the doctor was telling Judy not to have the baby

        • She had been on medication to stop contractions

        • So, when they finally said she could deliver the baby, she was not as mentally prepared as she had been with Wade’s delivery

        • Everything happened pretty quickly from there

        • I remember that Judy was laboring through her contractions, but I also remember that I needed to use the restroom, because my bladder was full

        • When I told Judy I was going to step into the bathroom, she told me I wasn’t going anywhere

        • She grabbed my hand and I stayed right there with her until Seth was born

        • I’m certainly not comparing the discomfort of a full bladder with labor, but I also remember not having to go to the bathroom after Seth was born

        • What discomfort I had was transformed by the birth of our second son

    • Tears of joy

        • Aside from my salvation experience and my marriage to Judy, the birth of my three boys has brought me the greatest joy

        • I tell people that I cried at the births of all three boys, but they were tears of joy

        • If you’ve never experienced the birth of a child, it’s hard to explain the sheer joy that fills your heart

        • The fullness of joy has to spill out of your body somehow and for me it spilled out through my eyes

 

  • WE

    • Women

        • If you have given birth, you understand what Jesus is telling His disciples in this passage today

        • The birth of your child is what caused you great pain, but the same child is also what brought you great joy

        • I suspect that most women don’t forget the pain associated with child birth, but I also think that the joy that fills their heart and life following the delivery, is what gives women the strength and courage to go through it again and again

    • Men

        • With technology today, we can also experience a little bit of what labor pains are like (we’ll never understand it fully)

        • They have machines that try to simulate contractions

        • They also have weighted belly suits that let us know what it’s like to carry the extra weight of a baby

          • I tried one of those on when we were expecting Wade

          • The instructor dropped a pencil on the floor and asked me to pick it up

          • When I bent my knees and squatted down to pick it up, both of my knees popped

        • While we can’t truly understand and experience the pain of childbirth, it doesn’t diminish the joy associated with the birth of our children

 

Jesus is trying to help His disciples understand that He is going to be leaving them soon. ​​ They will experience grief and heartache as He goes to the cross, but their grief will only last for a short time. ​​ He uses the illustration of a woman in labor and the joy she experiences at the birth of her child. ​​ God does not substitute something else to relieve the mother’s pain, in childbirth. ​​ Instead, He uses what is there already but transforms it [Wiersbe, 363]. ​​ The same was going to be true for the disciples. ​​ God was going to transform their grief into joy. ​​ He wasn’t going to remove it or substitute it with something else. ​​ God is doing the same thing in our lives even today. ​​ Jesus wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God brings joy through transformation.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 16:16-24)

    • Resistant Joy (vv. 16-22)

        • Jesus’ statement (v. 16)

          • “In a little while you will see me no more . . .”

            • This part of the statement should not have taken the disciples by surprise or caused them confusion, because Jesus had been alluding to this for quite some time

            • John records at least three times when Jesus mentioned that He would be with them for only a short time

              • John 7:33, Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me.” [NIV]

              • John 12:35, Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. ​​ Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. ​​ The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.” [NIV]

              • John 13:33, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. ​​ You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: ​​ Where I am going, you cannot come.” [NIV]

            • Just like the disciples

              • When we’re faced with a situation that we don’t want to accept, it’s easy to block out the truth

              • We hear only what we want to hear

              • We struggle with denial, because we don’t want it to be true

              • So, it’s not difficult to understand why the disciples, even after being told multiple times by Jesus about His eminent departure, are still confused by His statement here

              • They’ve blocked out the truth, because they don’t want to accept His departure

              • My guess is that when they agreed to follow Him, they believed He would be with them longer than three plus years

            • In a few short hours, the disciples would not see Jesus, because He would be buried in a tomb

            • While the disciples should have understood Jesus’ impending departure, the next part of the statement would have confused anyone

          • “. . . and then after a little while you will see me.”

            • Most scholars agree, and John’s first readers would have understood, that Jesus is referring to His resurrection here – this is the benefit of hindsight

            • The disciples didn’t have that benefit when Jesus was making this statement to them

            • Resurrection was not a common activity in the 1st Century – resurrection was not common prior to Jesus’ resurrection or since His resurrection

            • On the last day (the end of times), resurrection will be common

              • John 5:28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” [NASB]

              • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ​​ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. ​​ And so we will be with the Lord forever. [NIV]

            • Since resurrection was not commonplace, it’s not hard to see why the disciples struggled with the second part of Jesus’ statement

          • What we see next is their confusion

        • Confused disciples (vv. 17-18)

          • Because the disciples have blocked out Jesus’ multiple references to His departure (His death), they don’t understand the first part of His statement

          • And, because resurrection was not commonplace, they definitely didn’t understand the second part of His statement

          • Talking about Jesus instead of to Jesus

            • It’s fascinating that the disciples are talking amongst themselves about Jesus, instead of talking directly to Him

            • They’re all together at this point, with Jesus

            • But isn’t this just like us

              • Whether it’s something spiritual or non-spiritual, we find it easier to talk to someone else instead of the person who has the solution or can actually affect change

                • We spend time talking about our boss to another colleague at work instead of talking to our boss

                • We spend time talking to other neighbors about the neighbor, who is causing problems in the neighborhood, instead talking to them

                • We spend time talking to another family members about the family member we have a problem with instead of talking to the family member directly

                • We spend time talking about other believers in the Church (the universal Church) instead of talking to them about their beliefs

                • We spend time talking about church leadership with other church members, instead of talking to church leadership about our concerns

              • And most of the time we neglect to talk to God, first, about all of these situations, when He is the One who can and will transform our perspective and keep us from saying something that we may later regret

            • #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Commit to talk to God, first, about individuals and situations that I am struggling with, and then go and talk with the individual(s) who can affect change.

          • While the disciples started out talking to each other about Jesus, they ended up acknowledging that they needed Jesus’ help to understand His statement

          • Jesus didn’t need to have any supernatural knowledge to know that the disciples wanted to ask Him about His statement, because it was obviously written all over their faces – Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, . . .

        • Jesus’ explanation (vv. 19-22)

          • Jesus asks them what they are discussing (v. 19)

            • Jesus doesn’t keep them waiting in agony

            • Instead He asks them if they are questioning each other about His statement

            • Jesus then repeats the statement

          • Jesus tells them they will weep and mourn while the world rejoices (v. 20)

            • Jesus starts with the 23rd “Amen, amen” saying found in the book of John [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of John, 842]

            • He begins to explain what His statement meant

            • Weep and mourn while the world rejoices

              • This is again a reference to His death and burial that would happen within a day

              • The disciples were going to be shocked, confused, hurt, and scattered, because their Rabbi, their Teacher, their friend, their Messiah would be dead

              • This would cause rejoicing by the world

                • The world would be the Romans and the Jews

                • Jesus had been exposing their sin and making them culpable (responsible) for their own sin

                • John 15:22, If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. ​​ Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. [NIV]

                • They knew right from wrong and would have to make a conscience choice to either follow what was right or choose to continue in their sin

                • With Jesus dead, the world would rejoice, because they would no longer have to constantly experience the feelings of guilt every time they saw Jesus in the Temple courts or throughout the Roman Empire

                • What they didn’t understand was that Jesus’ death was part of a divine plan to bring redemption to the world

                • They also didn’t understand that part of God’s plan was to bring Jesus back to life, and in doing so, conquer sin and death

                • This was all part of God’s plan to enable us to be in a right relationship with Him, again

                • Humanity’s relationship with God had been severed since the time of Adam and Eve

                • God was restoring that relationship through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus

              • Jesus was only going to be separated from His disciples for a short time – three days

            • Grief will turn to joy

              • When Jesus came alive again, He showed Himself to certain disciples (Mary Magdalene, Peter) and then to the eleven disciples, and eventually to around 500 disciples

              • What the disciples thought was the end, was just the beginning

              • The grief they would experience would only be short-lived

              • They didn’t understand that when Jesus told them, but Jesus told them nonetheless – He was preparing them ahead of time

              • “OT Israel knew that it is God who is able to ‘turn their mourning into gladness’ and to give them ‘comfort and joy instead of sorrow.’” ​​ [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 475-76]

                • Jeremiah 31:13, Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. ​​ I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. [NIV]

                • Isaiah 61:2-3, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. ​​ They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

              • The disciples would only grieve for a little while, because Jesus would be coming back to life and seeing them again

            • “Confusion turns to truth and grief turns to joy when we understand what Jesus has said.” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 302]

            • Jesus then uses a woman’s labor and the birth of a child to help the disciples understand that God would bring joy through transformation

          • Birth illustration (v. 21)

            • PRINCIPLE #1 – God brings joy, not by substitution, but by transformation.

              • “The same baby that caused the pain also caused the joy.” ​​ [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 1, 363]

              • Relief of pain in childbirth

                • Perhaps in the 1st Century there was some kind of root that a woman in labor could chew on to relieve pain, but they didn’t have an epidural or intravenous pain medication like we have today

                • They had to go through the intense labor pains associated with childbirth

                • In the 1st Century there was not a substitute that a mother could use to relieve the pain

                • All the pain and hardship of labor was overshadowed by the joy that the mother experienced once the baby was born

                • The pain that the mother was experiencing was transformed into joy after the baby arrived

              • Jesus uses this birth analogy to help the disciples understand what they will be going through shortly

            • Jesus uses something the disciples understood to help remove their confusion about His original statement

          • Application of the illustration for the disciples (v. 22)

            • Just as a woman’s pain is transformed into joy once her baby is born, so it will be with the disciples and their grief

              • They’ve already been experiencing apprehension and anxiety about Jesus leaving

              • When He is crucified, their apprehension and anxiety will turn to grief and mourning

              • When He appears to them, after His resurrection, their grief will be transformed into joy

              • The same Jesus who had died, would be alive again!

              • God did not substitute another person in Jesus’ place, rather He transformed Jesus by allowing Him to come alive again

              • In Luke 24:17-27 we read about two disciples heading home after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (read the passage)

              • They had lost hope, but Jesus transformed their disappointment into joy, when He revealed Himself to them

              • Thomas’s doubt was transformed into belief when He saw the risen Lord

            • No one will take away your joy

              • The joy that the disciples would experience after seeing Jesus resurrected, would never be able to be taken away from them

              • The memory and joy that I experienced at the birth of my three sons cannot be taken away from me

              • As parents, the joy you experienced at the birth of your children cannot be taken away from you

              • As believers, the joy of our salvation experience cannot be taken away from us

              • We have joy that is resistant to any situation or circumstance that this world can throw at us, because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection

            • Biblical examples of transformation through pain [Wiersbe, 364]

              • Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of taking advantage of Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned as a result, but God transformed that situation for His glory and to save His people (Genesis 37-50). ​​ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Gen. 50:20) [NIV]

              • The Israelites experienced persecution by the Egyptians after Joseph’s death, but that persecution only caused them to multiply and prosper

              • King Saul relentlessly pursued David in an attempt to kill him, but God used those circumstances to transform David into a man after His own heart and to give us many of the psalms that encourage us today as we face difficulties

              • In the 1st Century a cross was a symbol of death, but today we wear a cross around our neck or printed on a piece of clothing as a symbol of life, eternal life through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice – God transformed the cross so it would be symbol of hope and joy

            • God brings joy through transformation

          • Application for us

            • Every one of us goes through difficulty and pain, but we can experience joy if we allow God to transform the situation

            • He won’t substitute the pain and suffering, but He’ll use it to transform us

            • We have to be open to His transforming power in our lives

            • The Apostle Paul went through some pretty serious difficulties, things that we have probably never experienced, but listen to his words to the Roman and Corinthian believers

              • Romans 8:18, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. [NIV]

              • 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ​​ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. ​​ For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. [NIV]

            • Substitution instead of transformation

              • I believe that many times God uses pain and suffering in our lives to get our attention, because He was to transform something in us

              • How many times, when faced with difficulties, suffering, and pain do we choose substitution instead of transformation?

                • When there’s conflict at work we look for a new job instead of allowing God to transform us

                • When there is pain and suffering in our family, we substitute with social media, friends, hobbies, etc., instead of allowing God to transform us

                • When there’s conflict in our neighborhood or at church, we may move to another neighborhood or church, instead of allowing God to transform us

                • God will transform the pain into joy for His glory, if we allow Him to

              • “The way of substitution for solving problems is the way of immaturity. ​​ The way of transformation is the way of faith and maturity.” ​​ [Wiersbe, 364]

            • #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Experience joy by allowing God to transform the pain and suffering that I’m currently experiencing.

        • We not only can have resistant joy, but our joy can also be complete

    • Complete Joy (vv. 16:23-24)

        • Prediction of His ascension (v. 23a)

          • In the New Testament, in that day, usually refers to the end of the age or the last days – when Jesus returns a second time

          • That’s not how it’s being used here, because the disciples are going to be asking the Father in Jesus’ name – they’re not in heaven yet

          • “In that day,” is referring to the time after Jesus rises from the dead, ascends into heaven, and sends the Holy Spirit as another Counselor

          • The disciples will no longer ask Jesus for any questions

        • Praying in Jesus’ name (vv. 23b-24)

          • Two different Greek words for ask

            • In that day you will no longer ask me anything

              • Erōtaō – means to question or inquire of

              • NASB – In that day you will not question Me about anything.

            • I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name

              • Aiteō – means to ask, to ask or request for oneself

              • NASB – Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you

              • As I mentioned in John 15:16, this does not mean that Jesus or the Father are like a genie in a bottle, granting every wish and whim that we ask for

                • As Jon Courson points out, praying in Jesus’ name means that we are coming in His authority and in conformity to His character and nature [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 571]

                • Too often we pray selfish prayers that fall into the category of “Comfort” instead of “Mission” [Carter & Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 331-32]

                • When we pray using the example that Jesus gave His disciples, we can be confident that the Father will give us whatever we ask in Jesus’ name

                • Matthew 6:9-10, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” [NIV]

              • “The name of Christ is both the passport by which the disciples may claim access into the audience chamber of God and the medium through which the Divine answer comes.” ​​ [Swete cited by Hoskyns cited by Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 442]

            • The disciples didn’t need to ask the Father in Jesus’ name before this time, because Jesus was with them

          • Jesus was with them

            • That doesn’t mean they never asked God for things while Jesus was on earth or even before He was on earth

            • The dynamic of praying to the Father would change after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension

            • PRINCIPLE #2 – Believing prayer, in Jesus’ name, is the power that brings complete joy.

              • The disciples would experience complete joy as they prayed in Jesus’ name according to the will of God

              • We can experience complete joy also when we pray in Jesus’ name according to the will of God

              • #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Pray in Jesus’ name according to the will of God, so I can experience complete joy.

 

  • YOU

    •  

 

  • WE

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CONCLUSION

“According to author and pastor Tullian (Tuh-lee-en) Tchividjian (Cha-vid-jen), ‘Suffering exposes the foundation of your life.’ In other words, suffering will reveal the true source of our joy and identity. Tullian offers the following personal story to illustrate this truth:

 

Seven years ago, after 41 years of marriage, my parents got divorced. It wasn't because of infidelity or abuse, physically or emotionally. My family and I still scratch our heads and wonder exactly what happened. Was it really a case of irreconcilable differences? I don't think that's possible for Christians because of the power of the gospel. It was an incredibly painful time for my siblings and me. We experienced a happy, healthy, loving home growing up. We had remarkable parents, and they provided the stability we needed as children. I don't know what it's like for a mom and dad to go through a divorce while their children are young. All I know is that it's weird to watch your parents' divorce in the stage of life where you have to explain it to your own kids.

 

The Bible states clearly that God hates divorce. It grieves his heart. There was nothing about my parents' divorce that seemed redemptive. I couldn't understand why God allowed it to happen. I was struggling with the whole situation, not simply because I was sad that my mom and dad apparently could not keep the promises they made to one another 41 years earlier, but because part of my identity was wrapped up in being the son of my parents. I felt important because of their standing in society. My mom and dad were remarkable citizens and church people. Their reputation made me feel significant. I realized years later that much of the devastation I had experienced was due to the fact that I had idolized my parents and their reputation.

 

Tullian concludes: ‘If the foundation of your happiness is your vocation, your relationships, or your money, then suffering takes your source of joy away from you. But if your ultimate value in life is God, then suffering drives you closer to your source of joy—God.’”

 

Tullian Tchividjian, "Job: Center Stage," PreachingToday.com.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2012/may/7052112.html].

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God’s Family Tree

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As some of you know I really love genealogy. In fact, I would probably call myself a genealogy junkie. It is not only a hobby of mine but a passion as well. I really can’t get enough. I would do genealogy all day every day if I could get away with it. I have been tracing my family tree since I was in junior high and have been tracing Judy’s tree since we were married. I love to trace family trees whether there are any relation to me or not. In fact, I have done work on the family trees of some of you who are here this morning. I usually can’t help myself and after talking to someone about their family I will go right home and start searching on Ancestry.com and I won’t stop until I have exhausted the available resources. It is really exciting to be able to go back generation after generation on my family tree or honestly anyone’s family tree.

Here is a depiction of the first six generations of my Webb family tree including me. There I am with my father Philip, my grandfather William, my great grandfather Pearl, my great great grandfather James and my third great grandfather Aquilla.

Now I have a confession to make. Last Tuesday was my mom’s birthday. And she called me on her birthday not the other way around. It probably didn’t surprise her because I am usually three days late calling her for most special days. But before we hung up she asked me if I was preaching today and I said yes and later on as I laid awake in bed I realized that in the PPT this morning I had only put my Webb family in and not hers. I felt bad about that especially if she was going to watch this morning so here is my mother’s side of my family tree. Her maiden name was Haney. My mom Jean, my grandfather Joseph, my great grandfather Ellis, great great grandfather Thomas, my third great grandmother Louisa and I actually have one more known generation on my Haney side my fourth great grandfather William Haney. There you go mom, Happy Birthday.

Back to the Webb side of my family tree. My third great grandfather Aquila Webb was born in 1803 in Maryland. That is as far back as I have been able to document. Now, I have found another Aquilla Webb who was married in Maryland in 1802, and I could surmise that he is the father of my known Aquilla but I can’t prove it. In genealogical terms that is what we call a brick wall. Now there are many ways to break down our genealogical brick walls and one of those is with DNA. We receive about 50% of our DNA from our parents, about 25% from our grandparents and so on and so on. So it could be possible to find someone who shares DNA with me that also shares a common ancestor back to my fourth great grandfather whether that is this unknown Aquilla Webb or someone else.

There are a number of DNA tests and testing companies out there. The different tests can help you learn different things about your ancestors. An Autosomal DNA Test can be taken by males or females and will typically give you DNA matches within 5 to 6 generations on both your mother’s and father’s sides of the family. The YDNA Test is taken by a male, and is used to track the Y chromosome passed from father to son over the generations. It can provide paternal matches and a paternal haplogroup. A haplogroup is the area of the world that ancestry originated from many, many generations back. If a father’s family line is in question, this DNA test may help break down that brick wall. Third, there is the mtDNA Test that can be taken by males or females, but it looks only at the genetic markers of your mother’s maternal line. It too extends back many generations and can provide maternal matches and a maternal haplogroup showing where your maternal ancestry originated. ​​ If your brick wall involves your mother’s maternal family line, this DNA test may be helpful.

So if I took a DNA test and uploaded it onto say, Ancestry.com, it would be compared to other people’s DNA that has been submitted and would tell me if I shared DNA with any of them and how much. That could help me to break down that brick wall and find more generations of my family tree. The DNA that is in you right now is the same DNA that is in everyone who is a part of your biological family and can be traced many generations back even to the original area in the world that your ancestors came from. And as Christians, we have DNA is us as well, it’s a supernatural DNA.

That brings us to our scripture this morning, which is found in John 16:4b-15. Jesus again tells the disciples he is leaving and mildly rebukes them for thinking only about themselves as he prepares to go to the cross and back to the Father. He says leaving them will greatly benefit them but they will not reap the benefits until after he is crucified and resurrected. Only then can he send the Holy Spirit to them and into the world to fulfil his purpose. When we surrender to Jesus as our Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit comes upon us and infuses us with the DNA of our Father, who is God. As Christians with the Holy Spirit in us we start to grow more like Christ, start to look more like Christ, thinking and loving more like Christ. This is because of God’s DNA that the Holy Spirit puts in us at our conversion.

Judy and I have been watching a new TV show called The Genetic Detective. In this show, the Genetic Detective, Ceecee Moore takes DNA from cold case crime scenes and matches it to people who upload their DNA to the database called GEDMatch. From these DNA matches she can compile a family tree that works from the past to the present that includes the perpetrator of the crime. She can then give this new evidence to the police. One of her catch phrases is DNA doesn’t lie. If DNA from a crime scene matches DNA in the database then that means they are part of the same family. That brings us to our big idea this morning that John wants us to understand which is that the Holy Spirit in us is the proof that we are part of the family of God. Just as physical DNA doesn’t lie, spiritual DNA doesn’t lie either. If you have the Holy Spirit in you, you are part of God’s family tree.

Before we start to unpack what it is the Holy Spirit does in the world and in our lives, let’s pray, Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this time that we can take out of our busy weeks to stop and rest in your word. I pray that our hearts and minds will be open to what you want us to hear, to learn and to apply to our lives this week and in the future. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Our first point this morning is the Work of the Holy Spirit and that is found in John 16, verses 4b-11. Follow along as I read those verses. This is what God’s Word says, “These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”

The first thing we see is that Jesus says he didn’t tell them certain things in the beginning because he was with them. What didn’t he tell them? Pastor Stuart told us about these things in last week’s sermon. The things that he didn’t tell them was about the persecution they would come up against once he had left them to go to his Father. He said they would be put out of the synagogue and even killed. The reason he didn’t tell them about the persecution earlier was that he was with them. Throughout his ministry, Jesus shielded the disciples from the opposition and took the brunt of the persecution. The disciples had not personally seen persecution but that was going to change after Jesus was crucified. They would face the hatred of the world because of their allegiance and faith in Jesus. Jesus never promised a life of ease and comfort in following him. In fact he said following him was like picking up their own cross and being willing to lose their life for his sake (Luke 9:23-24).

Next Jesus again brings up the fact that he is leaving and returning to the Father. He mildly rebukes the disciples for not asking him about where he is going. Now you might wonder why Jesus said that because back in John 14:5, Thomas said we don’t know where you are going and in John 13:36, Peter asks Jesus where he was going. But Thomas was asking about the way of Jesus’ departure and Peter was questioning the reasonableness of the cross and Jesus says those things were secondary. The point was the goal of the cross, which was the glorification of Jesus, and returning to the Father to sit on his right hand.

We know from the gospels that the disciples never imagined that the Messiah would be a conquering, suffering, dying and resurrected Lord. They couldn’t fathom that and so never truly focused on where Jesus was going and how he was going to get there. They were so filled with their own sorrow and grief that one, they never stopped to think about the excruciatingly painful and humiliating way of the cross that Jesus was going to take to go back to the Father. They should have been comforting him, not the other way around. Two, they never considered that for Jesus to return to the Father was to be the most glorifying and wonderful thing imaginable for Jesus. They didn’t seem to be concerned for Jesus at all and seemed to protest Jesus abandoning them rather than expressing a genuine interest in what he was about to experience. Their selfishness, anxiety and grief blinded them to what Jesus wanted to teach them. ​​ 

In verse 7 Jesus says, “But I tell you the truth” which means “listen up.” He says that it was for their advantage that he was going away even if it seemed disastrous to them right now. He wanted to send the helper to them but that couldn’t happen until he went away. Jesus in his earthly body could not be everywhere. He was limited in time and space but the helper would have no such limitations. The helper could be with believers anywhere and everywhere they would go. There would be uninterrupted fellowship with forever with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus doesn’t tell the disciples why the helper couldn’t come until he went away. We know why this was necessary today but the disciples did not which was why they were still feeling fear, anxiety and confusion that night. The helper’s ministry was and is to reveal the person and works of Jesus Christ and that could not be fully realized until Jesus’ finished work of redemption and salvation on the cross, ascension into heaven and exaltation at the right hand of the Father.

This coming of the Holy Spirit was a fulfillment of the promise found in Matthew 28:20 which ends, “and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That promise found at the end of the Great Commission means that as we live on this earth making disciples, baptizing and teaching people about the good news of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is right there with us.

In verses 8-11, we see the Holy Spirit’s work in the unbelieving world. His work is to convict the world of its guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment. The Greek word John uses for “convict” translates to “reprove” or “convince”. It is a word that would have been used in a court of law to cross examine a person on trial or an opponent in an argument. ​​ The idea was for the person on trial or the opposing party to see and admit the error of their ways. In this context the word refers to being convinced that the position they have taken in regard to Jesus is wrong. The outcome of the Holy Spirit’s work could go one of two ways. They could be convinced of their sin and their need for a savior or they could continue to reject Jesus, be convicted and spend eternity separated from God. The Spirit’s ministry in the world is a positive ministry. His goal is to bring sinners to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ not condemnation. No one can be saved apart from the Spirit’s convicting and regenerating work.

The Holy Spirit is going to convict or convince the world of three things. The first thing that the world will be convicted of is their sin. What is this sin? It is the sin of their rejection and unbelief in Jesus. They did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God or as Messiah. This was not a problem of understanding on their part but a willful rejection of Jesus as Lord and Savior. If they had believed they would have repented and accepted him. Holman says, “The root of this sin is the belief that we can atone for ourselves. God is not looking for perfect people but people who are willing to accept the atonement that he has already provided.”

The second thing that the world will be convicted of is their righteousness and that is seen in the fact that Jesus was returning to the Father in heaven. The Jews thought they knew God and that they were the righteous ones. Everything pointed to Jesus being God’s Son and the Messiah sent by him but they thought there was no way that Jesus of Nazareth could be the Son of God, so they rejected him and crucified him. They thought they were doing the “righteous” thing. The Holy Spirit came into the world to convict them in regard to their righteousness because guess what? The proof that Jesus was the true Son of God and the Messiah was the fact that he would return to heaven and would be accepted by God back to his rightful place. That’s why in verse 10, Jesus says, “and you no longer see me.” He is in heaven.

God is holy and he cannot be where sin is and the proof that Jesus was the sinless, righteous one sent from God was that he was accepted back into heaven after his life, ministry and death here on the earth. This proves that Jesus was righteous and that the world was not. Barrett says, “Jesus’ death proved his complete obedience to the will of God, and his exaltation proved that his righteousness was approved by more than human acclamation.” The world believes in the relative righteousness of people but not the absolute righteousness of Christ. Man is not worthy to declare the righteousness of Jesus, but God is and we should be glad, because God declares our righteousness based on the righteousness of Jesus.

The third thing that the world will be convicted of is their judgment. The world’s judgment is wrong and the Holy Spirit convicts the world of its false judgment. The world thought it was judging Jesus but in fact it was the world that was judged. That is seen in the fact that the prince of this world now stands condemned. The prince of this world is Satan and by Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross he has already been beaten and condemned to the lake of Fire for all eternity. This is not an arbitrary feat of power but justice being done in the overthrow of the evil one. By the time the Holy Spirit comes, Satan is already condemned and he will convict those in the world that follow Satan of that fact. And if Satan is already condemned then that means that his followers are too. The world is already condemned and in desperate need to learn of its plight. This is a warning to those who follow Satan that he will not get away from judgment and neither will they.

There are only two possible responses to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit: repentance or rejection. Those who reject the Spirit’s conviction will spend eternity in Hell while those who repent will spend eternity in Heaven.

Our big idea this morning that the Holy Spirit in us is the proof that we are a part of the family of God. But the opposite is also true. If you don’t have the Holy Spirit in you, you are not part of the family of God. You are not in God’s family tree. It is the Holy Spirit’s function to convict and convince lost sinners of their guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment. The question for all of us this morning is have we been convicted and convinced by the Holy Spirit. Have we repented of our sins and accepted Jesus as our Savior and become part of God’s family tree? Remember DNA doesn’t lie. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. It is a spiritual death and an eternal separation from God. But the rest of the verse says, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This morning, you can become part of God’s family tree. That brings us to our first next step which is to confess my sin, accept Jesus as my Savior, be infused with God’s DNA by the Holy Spirit and become part of the family of God.

In verses 12-15, we see our second point this morning which is the revelation of the Holy Spirit that believers receive. Follow along as I read those verses. This is what God’s Word says, 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

Jesus goes from talking about the role of the Holy Spirit in the world, those who aren’t part of the family of God, to the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples, those who are already part of God’s family tree. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth, because he is going to reveal “all truth” to the disciples. There are three aspects to this revelation of the Holy Spirit. There is the need for revelation, the extent of the revelation and the goal of the revelation. Jesus says there is a lot more that he needs to impart to them but at this moment they can’t bear the things he has to tell them. There were three reasons they couldn’t bear it at that particular moment and would need the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

First, it was partly because they were overcome with sorrow because he said he was leaving them. They couldn’t get past their feelings of anxiety, loss, etc. and focus on the additional teachings Jesus wanted to give them. Second, they would not be able to totally understand the significance of the cross and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus until after it happened. Like most Jews, the disciples believed that the Messiah would be a political and military deliverer, not that he would die. They couldn’t understand how the death of Jesus translated into his glory and the coming of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit was the one who would bring all the things that Jesus had told them during his ministry back to the disciples’ minds. Then they would understand and believe. John 2:22 says, “After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” We also see this in Luke 18:34 and John 12:16.

Third, all revelation is limited by the ability of the receiver to understand it. Until the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost they lacked the power both to grasp and to live out the implications of further revelation. This further revelation was specific truth about the Person of Jesus and the significance of what he said and did while on the earth. God doesn’t dump truth on us all at once and expect us to remember it but teaches us truth as we need to know it. The Bible is the greatest example of this truth in the progressive unfolding of the plan of salvation from Genesis to Revelation. Submission to Christ and knowledge of Christ go hand in hand. When we have the Father’s DNA in us we can better know Jesus and become more like him. BIG IDEA ​​ 

The next aspect of the revelation of the Spirit was the extent of that revelation. The revelation of the Holy Spirit was not going to be new revelation but it was going to be clarity of the revelation given to the disciples by Jesus himself. The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak on his own, in fact, he only speaks what he hears from Jesus and the Father. Just as Jesus while he was on the earth never acted on his own initiative but always did the will of the Father, the Spirit never acts on his own initiative but does the will of the Son.

Tenney says, “The Spirit would not present an independent message, differing from what the disciples had already learned from Christ. They would be led further into the realization of his person and in the development of the principles he had already laid down. They would also be enlightened about coming events. He would unfold the truth as the disciples grew in spiritual capacity and understanding.”

The Holy Spirit would also tell the disciples what was yet to come. This means in the immediate future not necessarily in the far future. “All truth” would comprise the New Testament writings. The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the books of the Bible to write exactly what God wanted them to say. We see this today in God’s Word, the Bible. The Word of God is all the Christian needs in order to daily walk rightly with the Lord. 2 Tim 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” This means we need to study the Bible and studying the Bible apart from being filled with and walking in the Holy Spirit is fruitless. Also, the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life will always be consistent with God’s revealed will in the Bible. How do you know that you are being lead to do God’s will or not? Is it consistent with the Word of God?

That brings us our second next step which is to let the Holy Spirit continue to transform me by revealing the truth of Jesus and his Word to me.

Third, we see the goal of the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The goal of the Holy Spirit’s revelation to the disciples was to bring glory to the Son which in turn brings glory to the Father. The “what is mine” in verse 14, is nothing less than the revelation of the Father himself. The Holy Spirit would bring glory to Jesus by disclosing the truth about Christ, just as Jesus glorified the Father by revealing the truth about him.

It is the Spirit’s purpose to glorify Christ in revelation and our purpose to glorify Christ in proclamation. It is the witness of the Holy Spirit that ultimately testifies to the truthfulness of God’s Word. Only the Spirit can convince lost sinners of its divine inspiration. The Spirit must work in people’s lives for them to change their views of both the Bible, God’s written word, and Jesus, the incarnate Word. That sovereign work in the hearts and minds convinces people that the Bible is from God, that its words are reliable and that its message about Jesus is indeed the good news of salvation. Our final verse this morning focuses on the harmony and the oneness of Jesus, the Father and the Spirit. The Father gives to the Son and the Son gives to the Spirit and then the Spirit gives to us.

In closing, I want to read an article written by J. Warner Wallace, who is the author of Cold Case Christianity and a Christian apologist which means he defends Christianity against objections to it. The article is called “What Ancestry DNA kits reveal about God, our past and the way forward. Fortune reported recently that “DNA test kits are blowing up in popularity.” More people than ever are interested in discovering their ethnic heritage. 23andMe (the DNA testing company named after the 23 chromosome pairs that make up the human genome) has already performed over 5 million genetic tests for people who want to know more about their ancestry.

DNA test advertising reveals something important about our desire to know our past. In one well-known AncestryDNA commercial, a man named Kyle dances in lederhosen and tells the audience his family always thought they were German. His DNA test, however, revealed he was predominantly Scottish and Irish. This revelation seems to change the way he sees himself, and the commercial ends with Kyle wearing traditional Scottish garb, saying, “So, I traded in my lederhosen for a kilt.” The message here? Once you discover who you really are, you’ll begin to engage the world differently. Learning about your past will change the way you go forward.

Wallace goes on to say: My son, Jimmy, and his wife were recently given an opportunity to experience this for themselves when they received an ancestry DNA test as a gift. Jimmy was curious to learn about his own Scottish, German and Italian heritage, but when the results returned, none of his DNA was traced back to Italy, despite his strong Italian heritage through my mother’s side of the family. Why wasn’t Italy highlighted on his genetic map? Because our Italian ancestors (like many other Italians) trace their lineage through other parts of Europe like France and the Balkan regions. In essence, my son’s genetic test provided him with a snapshot of our family migration pattern, capturing our location prior to our arrival in Italy.

All ancestral DNA tests are similarly rooted in time. The people groups that came to Italy from France and the Balkans didn’t originate in those regions. If the test could take a snapshot one thousand years earlier, it would find them living somewhere else. The further back in time we go genetically, the smaller the number of people groups and the less diverse their locations. When my son learned his genetic history preceded Italy, he naturally wanted to know how far back in time he could trace it. Sadly, France (or the Balkans) was as far as he could go. Unless Christianity is true. The Christian worldview explains human origins in a way that not only satisfies our desire to know our past, but also helps us understand our identity so we can effectively move forward.

Christianity teaches that all humans were created by God and descended from a single pair: Adam and Eve. This means we are all genetically linked as siblings, cousins and distant relatives. According to Christianity, if our DNA technology was capable of even greater precision and historical “distance,” it would ultimately identify the Garden of Eden as our place of origin. This Biblical truth about our past, can help us navigate the future in a way that Darwinian explanations cannot. Later he concludes with: Once we discover who we really are, we’ll begin to engage the world differently. Learning about our past can truly change the way we go forward.

When we realize we have been created by God in the image of God to be in relationship with God that changes everything. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Until you accept Jesus as your Savior and the Holy Spirit infuses the Father’s DNA in you, you are not part of God’s family tree. That is the old. But once you accept Jesus as your Savior you have the Holy Spirit in you. You are a new creation. You now discover who you were truly meant to be and begin to engage the world differently and it changes the way you live your life in the future. You will start to grow more like Christ, thinking more like Christ and loving more like Christ. DNA doesn’t lie. The Holy Spirit in you is proof that you are part of the family of God.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in our final song, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the Holy Spirit in us that helps us to be more like your Son, Jesus. Help us to accept the revelation of the Holy Spirit in our lives and allow him to teach us, to guide us, to correct us and train us in righteousness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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