Prepare To Die

PREPARE TO DIE!

John 11:45 – 12:11

S: Jesus, Death, Sovereignty, Worship

Th: The Road to the Cross

Pr: JESUS WAS PREPARING TO DIE.

?: How?

KW: Events

TS: We will find in our study of John three events that show how Jesus was preparing to die.

The _____ event was the…

I. SCHEMING (45-53)

II. ENDURING (54-57)

III. WORSHIPPING (1-11)

Version: ESV

RMBC 28 March 04 AM

INTRODUCTION:

One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Princess Bride.”

Some of you already know this because I have made reference to it before.

All throughout the film, one particular character has revenge on his mind.

We know this because the following line is repeated over and over again:

“My name is Indigo Montoya;

you killed my father;

prepare to die!”

Well…

If you knew you were going to die, what would you do?

ILL Notebook: Death (bingo)

A man is struck by a bus on a busy street in New York City. He lies dying on the sidewalk as a crowd of spectators gathers around. "A priest. Somebody get me a priest!" the man gasps.

A policeman checks the crowd but no priest, no minister, no man of God of any kind. "A priest, please" the dying man says again.

Then out of the crowd steps a little old Jewish man of at least eighty years of age. "Mr. Policeman," says the man, "I’m not a priest. I’m not even a Catholic. But for fifty years now I’m living behind St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church on First Avenue, and every night I’m listening to the Catholic litany. Maybe I can be of some comfort to this man."

The policeman agreed and brought the octogenarian over to where the dying man lay. He kneels down, leans over the injured and says in a solemn voice: "B-2. I-16. O-66. N-34. I-19. . ."

Hopefully, there is more to both life and death than Bingo!

TRANSITION:

If you were not here last week, you should know that we suspended our study of I Corinthians last week, and restarted our study in the gospel of John.

We began in John 11 and the story of Lazarus.

It is during this story that…

1. Jesus communicated Deity.

He says to Martha…

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

What is significant to this point is the use of “I am.”

Jesus is unabashedly making a claim of equality with God.

By saying “I am”, He declares Himself to be the God of Moses that appeared at the burning bush.

But Jesus also says more…

2. Jesus communicated His authority over death.

Jesus claims that death has no power when He is around.

He is the source of life.

So when Jesus approached the tomb of Lazarus, He was moved with divine indignation.

This is not how God designed man.

Man was designed by God to live forever.

So to prove all this…

3. Jesus established the certainty of the resurrection by raising Lazarus.

This was not about showing off, for that’s not what Jesus’ miracles were about.

Jesus is not about satisfying human curiosity.

There was spiritual value to what He was doing.

He was demonstrating the power of God.

He was determined to glorify God.

He was revealing the plan of God.

And so, we see that…

4. JESUS WAS PREPARING TO DIE.

But how?

What was happening that was preparing for His death?

Well…

5. We will find in our study of John three events that show how Jesus was preparing to die.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first event was the SCHEMING (45-53).

(45) Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, (46) but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. (47) So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. (48) If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." (49) But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. (50) Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish." (51) He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, (52) and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. (53) So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.