He is Lord
John 18:1
There is a difference between actions and reactions
our actions tell a lot about us, but our actions can also be deceptive. The actions of the pharisees was deceptive, they played the part of being righteous like the best Broadway actors.
Our reactions tell the truth about us because they are not as easy to control. Like the way we react when someone cuts in front of us in line, when we are told that we don't have a reservation, or we are cut off in traffic. Its just like when the doctor takes that little rubber mallet and hits your knee, the reaction is your leg kicking up in the air. The doctor could just tell you to lift your leg but he wants to check your reaction.
In this passage today we see several different people and their reaction to the overwhelming evidence that Jesus Christ is Deity, that he is God in Flesh.
Jesus and his disciples have completed observing the passover feast, Judas has went to get the mob together to arrest Jesus and our Lord takes his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane
Whenever you study scripture, its very important to read it in context, not just the context of the one passage but the entire book. It was Johns goal in writing to convince us that Jesus Christ was deity, that he was Lord.
Jhn 20:30 ¶ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
Jhn 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Because of that John focuses in this passage on the evidence that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus went to this garden knowing that this would be the night of his arrest. In the book of Genesis Sin began in the Garden and how fitting that the end of sin would also begin in a garden.
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None of what happened in this passage took Jesus by surprise. Regardless of what you have heard, the soul reason for Jesus being born was so that he might die and be the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. The Baby born in the manager was born with the cross in mind.
Jhn 12:27 ¶ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Jhn 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.
Jhn 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Act 2:22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know--
Act 2:23 "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. blog
-Judas comes with a whole band of soldiers and officials sent from the chief priest and the pharisees. This was somewhere between 600-1200 soldiers Even though it would have been a full moon this night, the passover is always observed during a full moon, they brought torches and lanterns and weapons
You see they didn't believe what we believe this morning, that Jesus Christ is Lord. They actually thought that they were coming to arrest him and take him by force they didn't know that Jesus' whole plan was to give his life for the sins of humanity
Jesus willing went forward to military thatblog came to arrest him and he asked them “Whom do you seek?” “Jesus of Nazareth” notice they didn't say that they came to seek Jesus the rabbi, or the Christ but Jesus of Nazareth.
Jhn 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Jesus answered “I AM” the word he wasn't in the original Greek. Jesus again claiming to be the “I AM” of the Old Testament. When Moses asked God who shall I say has sent me.
John is again showing us that Jesus was in control of his life right up to the end. He even had control over the whole military knocking them to the ground. Its amazing to me that they got back and up and continued right on as though nothing had happened.
Its very important doctrinally for us to know that Jesus gave his life, they did not take it from him. Making Christ a willing sacrifice for our sin. He was not a victim to their scheme he was the victor over sin and Satan. John wanted us to know that even Judas was in the crowd that fell over backward because all power in heaven and earth belong unto him. He spoke and the worlds were created.
There is no doubt that this passage is the climax of the book of John because for this moment Jesus was born
but what I want to look at today is the reaction of the different people who were there in the garden this night and as we do we all can examine our own reaction to the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord, that he is God in Flesh just like the angel announced at His birth.
The possessed Judas
Judas played the part, he was right there walking behind Jesus....
He did it so well that the disciples just assumed that he was one of them.
Jhn 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Jhn 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jhn 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Jhn 6:71 He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Even though Judas walked with Jesus and was called a disciple he never let go of the world and acknowledged the Lordship of Jesus Christ
He was able to fool the world but he never fooled Christ. We are told in scripture that he even stole from the money bag.
Jhn 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Judas represents the person who loves this world more than they love Christ. They are unwilling to repent and turn to Jesus as Lord and Saviour. In Judas' greed and willingness to accept Jesus as Lord Satan was able to use him to try to destroy Christ
Judas wasn't just a person that made a wrong choice, but he became a vessel that was possessed by Satan.
Luk 22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
There is no end to what a person may do when they first start living for themselves, then possession matter more than Christ and its a slippery slope that can lead a person down a path of evil and destruction.
I am sure today that there is not one drug addict who as a little child dreamed of being addicted, theres not one murderer who has a child dreamed of spending life in prison.
Rejecting the existence of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a dangerous decision to make because it removes the standard of righteousness, goodness and morality in your life
Turn to Romans chapter 1
and it all begins with a rejection of the existence of God. That;s why it is so important that we acknowledge that it the beginning God created man in his image. There is a standard of righteousness that we will all one day be held accountable to.
The questions today for all of us is are we like Judas? Just a disciple in name but more in love with this present world than we are Christ? Are we living for self instead of living for God? Are we already sliding down that slope of destruction?
Its not too late to repent and turn to Christ.
Then I want you to see the
The unconvinced majority
There was a whole band of soldiers, that came to arrest Jesus, along with officials from the chief priest and the pharisees. And When Jesus asked the question whom seek ye, they all fell over on their backs
and they got back up, unconvinced that Jesus was God in Flesh
In oder to be saved you have to be convinced in your heart and mind that Jesus Christ is Lord.
There are some people who say, “If I could just see a miracle” “If I could just hear the voice of God.” “If they could just find Noahs ark.” then I would believe.
The trouble is that not being convinced has nothing at all to do with a lack of evidence it is a condition of the heart
The Apostle Paul was fully persuaded, fully convinced about Jesus
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Yet this crowd of 600-1200 people who came to arrest Jesus were not persuaded they were not convinced even after seeing overwhelming evidence. And they way we know is based on their reaction. Remember that our reactions tell more about us than our actions
there reaction was to get right back up and deny that it had even happened
The person who is not convinced today has the same reaction. No miracle is going to convince someone that Jesus is Lord if they react to a tomb that is sitting empty in Jerusalem that the body of Jesus laid in for three days by simply denying all the evidence that points to the bodily resurrection of Christ
If Jesus coming back from the dead will not convince you to believe than no other miracle could possibly convince you
Watch people, and how they react to all the evidence that points to the accuracy of Gods word and if the reaction is to deny and ignore it like this crowd did when they came to arrest Jesus its not an evidence problem its a heart problem.
Gods not looking for the majority vote, he is looking for the chosen few who will stand with Peter, Paul , James and John and say
I am persuaded that Jesus is Lord, that he suffered under Pontius Pilate that he was laid in the tomb and on the first day of the week was risen from the dead for my salvation, justification, sanctification, and one day for my glorification when I stand in all his glory declared righteous through his grace and mercy because I stand in the blood of Christ
Don't be like the unconvinced majority because you approach the evidence with preconceived opinions that are not based in truth but selfish motives
The Misguided Christian?
Simon Peter, having a sword reacted to the mob that came after Jesus by pulling out his sword and cutting off the ear of the servant to the high priest who's name was Malchus
Peter was a fisherman, not a soldier. He most likely was aiming to take off the head of Malchus but only got his ear
At this moment Jesus gave yet another sign to the mob that came to arrest him its found in the gospel of Luke
Luke who was a physician tells us “but Jesus said, No more of this! And he touched his ear and healed him.” Luke 22:51
Peter just wanted to do what he could to protect the Lord. But he was misguided.
The weapons of the kingdom of God are not physical but they are spirutal
The Apostle Paul wrote
2Cr 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Cr 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Cr 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
There are still some misguided Christians today. They spend on their energy and resources fighting for or against the wrong things
Its the person who spends all their energy trying to follow strict rules and regulations to appear to be religious
Its the person who spends all their resources boycotting, debating, or judging others They are Christians that are misguided. They need to hear the words of our Lord saying like he did to peter “no more of this” because “This” has nothing to do with the kingdom of God
It's easy to get off track and get involved in the wrong things.
There was a pastor I knew who ran for the school board and he got so involved in that work and making people mad in the community that it took all his time and energy that the church was suffering.
He was so convinced that he was in the right until another pastor pulled him off to the side and told him that it would be better for him if he would put all that energy into the Lords church and leave the school board to someone else
We are in the midst of a spiritual battle and we need to stay focused not on the physical but the spiritual. We don't strike back in revenge. We fight back on our knees in our prayer closets because that is where the imaginations are cast down and every thought is brought captive to the obedience of Christ
We don't have the job of changing the world. That's Gods job, our job is to pray and tell them about Christ and look forward to the kingdom that is to come
The Convinced Disciple
The interesting thing about John as you read through this book is that he never mentions himself by name
He only refers to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved
Jhn 21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
But one thing we do see by reading the Gospel of John is that he was convinced that Jesus Christ was not a mere man.
He shows us in this passage that he was convinced by emphasizing the way that Jesus answered the crowd by saying “I AM”
and in verse 4, “Then Jesus knowing all that would happen to him...” showing the omniscience that only God could have was in the person of Jesus Christ
later John wrote in the book of 1 John concerning Jesus, “we have seen him with our eyes, we have touched him with our hands He is the word of life
and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
John wasn't obsessed with self, or possessed like Judas, he wasn't unconvinced like the majority or misguided like Peter.
He was convinced that Jesus is both man and God and he is the only way that a person can go to heaven
what about you today?
