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The Darkest Night!
John 18:12-27
Skip Heitzig

John 18 (NKJV™)
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.
13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.
14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."
18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
21 "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!"
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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43 John - Believe:879 - 2009

On a dark spring night in Jerusalem, it seemed everyone was against Jesus Christ. The religious system had long been opposed to and jealous of His burgeoning ministry. The mock trial designed to get rid of Jesus was only going through the technical motions to achieve their end. And Peter, Jesus' closest friend, was in a downward process of disassociating himself from Him. But in the midst of the darkest night, the sunrise of God's grace was beginning to shine!

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" John 20:31.

Believe:879 is an epic journey through the book of John led by Pastor Skip Heitzig of Calvary of Albuquerque. As we explore each of the 879 verses of this gospel, we'll grow in grace and in our knowledge of Jesus Christ. From His pre-incarnate existence, to His public ministry, through His death and His resurrection we'll traverse familiar territory and embark on new adventures of faith.

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Outline

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  1. Religion Despised Him (vv. 12-14)

    1. The Capture

    2. The Courtroom

  2. His Enemies Defied Him (vv. 19-24)

    1. Simplicity of an Open Life

    2. Struck by an Open Hand

  3. A Friend Denied Him (vv. 15-18; 25-27)

    1. Downward Steps

    2. Upward Thoughts

Stuff to Talk About:

  1. When have you ever felt like the whole world was against you? Where was Jesus while this was going on? What comfort can you draw from this passage?

  2. When do you find it the most difficult to admit you are Christ's follower? How do you think Peter felt as he stood by the campfire?

  3. In the last year, how have you grown bolder in identifying yourself with Jesus?


Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. Worst Night
      1. For Jesus
        1. Betrayed by a friend
        2. Arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane
        3. Sentenced
        4. Suffered the worst death known
        5. His worst night resulted in our victory: our best night
      2. For the apostles
        1. Their friend arrested
        2. Peter
          1. "Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!'" (Matthew 26:35)
          2. Peter denied Jesus three times
          3. "So he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75)
    2. John uses contrasts as metaphors; uses physical to parallel spiritual
      1. Day and Night
        1. "And it was night." (John 13:30)
        2. "Lanterns, torches, and weapons" (John 18:3)
      2. Life versus death
      3. Light versus darkness
        1. "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)
        2. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:4-5)
        3. "Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:4-5 NLT)
        4. We never have to be afraid of the dark, the Lord is with us.
    3. Setting: Two simultaneous scenes
  2.  Religion Despised Him (vv. 12-14)
    1.  The Capture
      1. Detachment of 200-600 armed soldiers orchestrated by temple police
      2. They were out to kill Jesus
        1. "You seek to kill me." (See John 7:19; John 8:37; John 8:40)
        2. "Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?" (John 7:25)
        3. When Lazarus was raised, the plot to kill Jesus grew intense
      3. Religion
        1. Religion is associated with a system; Christianity is about relationship, not religion
        2. Religion is against Jesus; Jesus against religion
          1. Religion is about the outward; Jesus is about the inward
            1. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." (Matthew 5:21)
            2. "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men." (Matthew 6:5)
          2. Religion is about negatives; Jesus is about freedom
          3. Religion sets up barriers; the gospel tears down barriers
            1. Court of the gentiles, court of the women, court of the men, court of the priests
            2. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
          4. "Religion is the opiate of the masses."—Karl Marx
          5. Jesus is the Savior of the world.
    2. The Courtroom
  3. His Enemies Defied Him (vv. 19-24)
    1. Simplicity of an Open Life
      1. Jesus had no hope for a fair trial
        1. Annas: Formerly High priest, (normally High Priest of Life); served 6-15 AD; Corenius placed Caiaphas as High Priest; Annas still wields the power.
        2. Jesus went through six trials
          1. Three religious
            1. Annas
            2. Caiaphas
            3. Sanhedrin
          2. Three Roman
            1. Pontius Pilate
            2. Herod Agrippa
            3. Pontius Pilate
        3. Not operating according to Law
        4. Mishna; Rules in the courtroom
          1. One: No trials during night hours; it was night
          2. Two: Trials not to occur on the eve of a Sabbath or during festivals; it was Passover
          3. Three: All trials public; secret trials strictly forbidden; tried before Annas and Caiaphas
          4. Six: An accused person was not to testify against himself; no witnesses, questioned Jesus
          5. Twelve: High Priest was never to participate in the questioning of the accused; both Annas and Caiaphas questioned Jesus
          6. Eighteen: 24-hours between judgment and sentencing; Jesus sentenced immediately
      2. Application: when falsely accused
        1. Realize you are not alone: "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)
        2. Actively trust God in the situation: "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 'Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth';  who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;" (1 Peter 2:18-23)
    2. Struck by an Open Hand
  4. A Friend Denied Him (vv. 15-18; 25-27)
    1. Downward Steps
      1. Peter should not have been there
        1. "If you seek Me, let these go their way," (John 18:8)
        2. Peter should have gone away
      2. Peter shouldn't have said anything
        1. Should have acted wisely and walked away
        2. Recognized his Galilean accent.
        3. "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." (Matthew 26:73)
      3. Peter spoke when he should have been thinking, he slept when he should have been praying, he acted when he should have been still
      4. Balance: Peter is courageous
      5. All four gospels mention that Peter denied Jesus
        1. Learn what not to do
        2. Each choice was a downward step
          1. Self confidence
            1.  "Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!'" (Matthew 26:35)
            2. "'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.'" (Matthew 16:15-18)
            3. Sword in the garden
            4. Followed Jesus in the courtyard
          2. Slacked in his devotional life:
            1. When supposed to be praying, slept in the garden
            2. Self-confidence leads to slacking in devotional life
          3. Tried to cover guilt with feverish service: the sword
          4. Ashamed to identify with Jesus
          5. "Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;" (Psalm 1:1)
            1. Peter walked into the courtyard
            2. Peter stood by the fire
            3. Peter sat down and cursed and swore he didn't know Jesus
    2. Upward Thoughts
      1. Series of 3s
        1. Three times in the Upper room, Peter swore he would not deny Jesus
        2. Three times Peter fell asleep in the Garden (see Mark 14)
        3. Three times Peter denied Jesus
        4. Three times "Do you love me?"(see John 21) (Three chances to affirm his love)
      2. Jesus appeared to Peter
      3. Jesus commissioned Peter
      4. Peter gave the first sermon on Pentecost
      5. Jesus predicted the denial; Jesus was not shocked by it
      6. "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:31-32)
      7. Stages of Peter's ministerial life
        1. At the fire
        2. Under fire
        3. On fire

Publications referenced: Worst Night of My Life, by Eddy Arnold
Figures referenced: Les Flynn
Cross references: Psalm 1:1; Matthew 5:21; Matthew 6:5; Matthew 16:15-18; Matthew 26:35; Matthew 26:73; Matthew 26:75; Mark 14; Luke 22:31-32; John 1:4-5; John 7:19; John 7:25; John 8:12; John 8:37; John 8:40; vJohn 13:30; John 18:3; John 18:8; John 21; Galatians 3:28; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:18-23

Transcript

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"It was the worst night of my life."  That's what a soccer player said when he lost the game.  I saw it on a news article online this week.  He lost the game.  He thought they were going to win.  He lost the game and he said, "It was the worst night of my life."  "It was the worst night of my life," said a teenage girl when she felt her friends were turning against her and she posted that on her Facebook page, worst night of my life.  "It was the worst night of my life," said a man speaking about the previous evening, the New Year's Eve party that he was not invited to and felt that his friends on purpose didn't invite him, worst night of my life.  "It was the worst night of my life," said a surfer from Australia who stayed at the hotel that didn't quite meet his expectations.  Okay, there was no hot water, there were cockroaches, that's pretty bad.  But, the worst night of my life?

Years ago, there was a song written called, "The Worst Night of my Life," by Eddy Arnold, speaking about him breaking up with his girlfriend.  He said, "Last night was the worst night I've been through because last night was the first night without you.  I felt so left alone.  I tried to call but you weren't home.  Last night was the worst night of my life."  Now, I bet you've had some pretty bad nights.  I bet you can think back to some days and times and nights that were pretty nearly.

One old gentleman writes after a daunting surgery that he had.  "I've sure gotten old.  I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, both of them.  I fought prostate cancer and diabetes.  I'm half blind.  I can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine.  I take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts.  I have bouts of dementia.  I have poor circulation.  I hardly feel my hands and feet anymore.  I can't remember if I'm 89 or 98.  I've lost all my friends, but thank God, I still have my driver's license."

[Laughter]

That's why you don't want to text when you drive.  There are people like that out there.  Now, don't you think if anyone had the right to say, "This is the worst night of my life," it would be Jesus, who is betrayed by a friend, who is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane while he is praying, who is taken before several different trials pronounced guilty when he was totally innocent and sentenced to die of criminal's death.  That's a bad night.  And then we think about these disciples who were his friends and they've been with him for three and a half years talk about being at a very low moment and especially Peter.  Peter could say, "Excuse me.  This is the worst night of my life."  He said that he would not deny Jesus.  In fact, he will deny him three times in this night and the Bible says, "Peter went out and he wept bitterly."  It was a bad night.  But what has been considered Jesus worst night would actually become our best night.  And what was Peter's worst night would be eclipsed by his best days yet ahead.

Now, the entire scene in John Chapter 18 does take place at nighttime and John will draw our attention to that over and over again, it's nighttime.  In Chapter 13, when they're in the upper room and Judas leaves, John writes and it was night.  In Chapter 18:3, those who come to arrest Jesus, come to the garden and they carry torches with them because it's dark outside, it's night.  And there were something we notice as we go through John's gospel.  John liked to explore contrast and to use them in metaphorical terms, something from the physical world to speak to something in the spiritual world, so he talks about life and death.  He speaks about light and darkness.  He records that it was Jesus who said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  It was John who records about Jesus in Chapter 1, the very beginning verses, the prologue.  He says, "In him was life and his life was the light of man, and the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not extinguish it."

So, one of the themes of John is to show us that we as believers never have to be afraid of the dark, that the darkness of life morally, spiritually, ultimately can never outshine or overshadow the light of Christ.  I read about a little boy who was afraid of the dark.  I mean literally, he didn't want to go outside when it was dark and his mom asked him to go to the back porch and get the broom.  He goes, "Mommy, it's dark outside."  She says, "Honey, don't worry it's just right outside the door."  "But it's dark outside."  "Honey, just go and get the broom.  We've talked about this before.  I told you, you never have to be afraid of the dark.  Jesus is always with you."  So, the little kid wasn't damn.  He just opened the door crack and he said, "Hey Jesus, if you're out there, would you hand me the broom?"  You and I never have to be afraid of the darkest times of life because they might segue into the greatest moment of our life.  And I think we see that here even in the story.

Now, what you're going to look at and we're beginning in verse 12 of chapter 18 today in the Gospel of John is two scenes, two different scenes but they're happening simultaneously.  They're happening one on top of the other.  A picture, two different cameras and two different locations and you're watching the movie and so the camera shows this scene and then it pans quickly to another scene, but it's happening overlapping the other.  They're happening in exactly the same time.  One is a courtroom scene; the second is a courtyard scene.  There are three realities.  That's what I want you to look at with me today.  Three realities that show us, why this night was the darkest night for Jesus.  Reason number one is because religion despised him.

Verse 12, "Then the detachment of troops."  If you were with us a few weeks ago, you know that the word "detachment" means a cohort.  A Roman cohort is between 200 and 600 armed men.  So, we have the whole SWAT team or all of the SWAT teams gathered together to arrest Jesus, that's the detachment.  "The detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews," these are the Jewish temple police, "arrested Jesus and bound him and they lead him away to Annas first for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year."  Now, it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

It's pretty well established that the religious establishment and authorities had long hated Jesus.  He upset their status quo.  They had always been suspicious of him but that suspicion grew into outright hatred, so that twice in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells them, "You're trying to kill me."  On one occasion he says, "You guys speak about Moses law, Moses law, Moses law.  You don't keep Moses law because if you did, you wouldn't try to kill me but you are trying to kill me."  So, he uncovered their motives.  And it was obviously well-known because the crowds in Jerusalem even said, "Hey, isn't that the guy they're trying to kill?"  So they have always hated Jesus, but Chapter 11 is the tipping point.  Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and when that happens, and so many people start believing in Christ wholeheartedly.  That becomes the tipping point where they say, "We've got to get rid of this guy.  We've got to crucify him.  We have to kill him."  So, religion have long hated Jesus.

Okay.  Now, Jesus gets arrested.  And notice who is brought before first, a guy by the name of whom?  Annas, not Caiaphas, he's the high priest, but Annas.  Now, let me explain what's going on.  Annas was considered the religious authority in the land and here's why.  He had one time been the high priest but he's no longer the high priest.  This is sort of weird because a high priest was a high priest for life according to the Old Testament.  You're at the lineage of Aaron.  Once you're the high priest, you're the high priest until you die.  But the Jews aren't in charged.  Who's in charge?  The Romans were in charged.  So, The Romans kick him out, depose Annas, and put his son-in-law, Caiaphas.

So, Annas is the high priest form 6 A.D. to 15 A.D. and he is placed there by a Roman authority, a guy by the name of Quirinius, the governor of Syria.  You remember that name from the Christmas story.  He gets deposed by Valerius Gratus.  Caiaphas, his son-in-law gets put on the throne, but for all intense and purposes, the real authority, not the puppet, the real authority to the Jews is a guy by the name of Annas, who questions Jesus.  He's very influential.  Something else you need to know.  Annas was the guy who's making all the money form the temple sacrifices.  Remember the money changers in the temple?  They would say, "I'm sorry.  You can't give us your money.  We have to exchange it for the temple."  Well, there was a profit that was added to that, a little margin that was given to Annas.  Then there were animals sold and bought in the temple, right?  You bring your lamb and the priest will go, "I'm sorry.  That lamb really is ugly.  We can't sacrifice it, but you can buy our lamb for only like two million bucks".  You get the point, an exorbitant price.

All of the profits were pocketed by Annas.  So, Jesus who twice cleans the temple by overthrowing the money changers and driving out the sellers, that hit Annas right where it hurt his pocketbook.  So, you can bet your life that Annas once have a private talk with Jesus, that's what this is all about.  Religion hated Jesus.  Now, I'm not a religious person, and that this actually astonishes people when they see me in public, "Oh, you're that preacher over that church, aren't you?  You're religious person."  I said, "I am not religious, you just insulted me, I am not religious."  "Oh, I thought you were religious."  "No," because religion is all about a system.  Christianity is all about a relationship.  It's not about the rituals, it's not about the system, it's about the relationship one has with Christ.  I never found Jesus in religion.  I grew up religious.  And they talked about Jesus and they even sang some songs about Jesus and sort of religiously tip that to Jesus, but there's the difference between the ritual and the reality that I experienced.  When I'm 18 years of age, I was converted and authentically gave my life in sincerity and reality to Jesus Christ.  It made all the difference.

And I also remember when I was 18 years of age and I was converted that people in my church that I had grown up with took note of this and they asked me to appear before the leadership council.  The leadership council wanted an explanation from me why so many young people were leaving their church and what their church needed.  Can you imagine them asking an 18 year old, "What do you think our church needs?"  Well, keep in mind, I'm 18 years old.  I don't have a lot of tact at that age.  So I said, "This church needs Jesus Christ, crucified, and risen from the dead and personally living in your hearts."  It didn't go over as well as I thought it would.  My dad was in the crowd that day.  It really didn't go over at home as well as I thought it would.  But I've discovered Jesus Christ is not religious and doesn't really care a whole lot for religion.

There's this huge divide between the religion that despised Jesus that we're reading about throughout this gospel and God who sent his son Jesus.  Now, why is there such a divide and what is the difference?   Well number one, I've discovered that religion is all about outward things.  Jesus is all about inward things.  He said in the sermon on the mount, "You've heard that it was said by those of old, you shall not murder."  That's outward.  But I say to you, if you hate your brother, you're guilty.  That's inward.  Religion is all about the show, the parade, the façade.  Look at me, I'm religious, don't you think I'm really cool, I'm really spiritual, I'm really religious?  Jesus said, "Don't be like the Hippocrates who love to pray standing up in the synagogue and on the street corner."  Here's the catch phrase, that they can be seen by man.  It's all about being seen.  It's all about the outward.

Number two, religion is typically about the negatives.  Jesus is all about freedom in the positives.  I remember growing up, I heard this a lot.  "You can't do that.  You can't do that either.  You definitely don't.  Don't ever try that.  Thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not."  A lot of that is religious.  Then I came to Christ and here's Jesus saying, "Do this and I'll help you.  Do that and I'll help you."  And he changed me.  It wasn't about a righteousness of negatives.  See a lot of people, it's all about negatives.  Let me tell you how religious I am.  I don't do this, I don't do that, I don't smoke, I don't chew, I don't go with girls that do.

[Laughter]

Okay, cool.  But, what do you do?  What do you do?  What's on the positive side of that?  Here's a third reason that division between Jesus and religion.  Religion sets up barriers that you have to jump over to get to God.  Jesus is all about knocking barriers down and making it possible for anyone to get to God.  It's a huge difference.

So, if you were to visit the temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago, there would be courts, there was a Court of the Gentiles.  You and I could go there.  I'm not Jewish so I couldn't go any further than the borderline of the Court of the Gentiles.  There was another court for Jewish women.  They could go up to a certain point but they couldn't go any further.  Then another court for Jewish man, then another court for priest, there was division.  If this were synagogue in ancient times, there'd be men on one side of the room and women in the other side of the room and non Jewish seekers in the back foyer are not allowed to get in the room.  Then comes Jesus and Paul says, "There's neither male nor female, cevian, bond, or free.  We're all one in Christ."  So, there's this big divide between religion that hated Jesus and Jesus himself.  See, Christ is the great bulldozer.  He levels the plain field.  He says, "Basically, everyone is a sinner so that everyone can be forgiven," level ground at the foot of the cross.

I read a statement by Karl Marx years ago and it really struck me.  And as I pondered it, I thought, I agree with this and I have to say I still agree with it.  Do you agree with Karl Marx?  Listen to what he said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses."  It's the great drug that controls people and mass.  It's the opiate of the masses.  I have to say, I totally agree with that.  But Jesus is the savior of the world and that's different than the religion that is the opiate of the masses.  So, it was a dark night for Jesus.  Religion hated him and they have been planning this attack and here's the fruition of it.  Second thing, I want you to know is that his enemies on this night, his enemies defied him.

Now, look at the second scene in verse 19.  The high priest then asked Jesus about his disciples and his doctrine.  That sounds pretty fair, right?  "Hey, tell me Jesus, how many people you've got following you and what are they like and where are they and what's your statement of faith, what do you guys believe in, what are you into?"  Notice Jesus' answer, he answered them, "I spoke openly to the world.  I've always taught in synagogues and in the temple where the Jews always meet.  And in secret, I have said nothing.  Why do you ask me?  Ask those who have heard me and what I said to them.  Indeed, they know what I said."  And when he had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with a palm of his hand, to hit somebody, to slap him with an open hand which is what this is, a slap across the cheek was the highest public insult.  He slapped him across the face with a palm of the hand saying, "Do you answer the high priest like that?"  Jesus answered, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil but if well, why do you strike me?"  Then Annas sent him down to Caiaphas, the high priest.

Let me just say, Jesus never had any hope that he was ever going to have a fair trial.  He knew what was happening.  This is a kangaroo court.  I'll explain but first of all, let me just help frame this for you a little bit.  When Jesus was brought before the authorities for a trial, he didn't go through one trial.  He didn't go through two trials.  He went through a total of six separate trials before he was condemned and sentenced.  If you were to take Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and parallel them all out, you have six totally different trials.  Let me explain.

Trial number one, the one you and I are reading about.  He comes before Annas, the ex-high priest who wills all the religious authority in the land.  Trial number two is verse 24, Annas shifts him off to Caiaphas, his son-in-law because he is the real high priest.  Trial number three is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 22 when early the next morning, it's still nighttime, the dawn hasn't broken yet, all of the son of Hadrian(ph), the 70 ruling elders gathered together and condemned Jesus to die.  That's the third trial.

But we have a problem.  The first three trials are religious trials.  The Jews have no authority in their land over crimes for capital punishment which is what they want.  They want to kill Jesus.  They can't do that.  The Romans are in charged.  So, they have to bring it into a secular court, brings us to trial number four.  Early in the morning, Jesus is taken to Pontius Pilate.  Pontius Pilate is a whistle.  He doesn't want to have anything to do with making a choice and so he decides that since Jesus is Galilean and Herod Agrippa is the Galilean magistrate that he will ship him off to Herod Agrippa, which he does.  Now, we're at trial number five already.  Herod Agrippa is happy to see Jesus.  He has a lot of questions he wants to ask him.  But Jesus does this to him.  He says, "Nothing, the entire trial."  That frustrates Herod who sends Jesus back to Pontius Pilate.  Pontius Pilate knows Jesus he is innocent, but gives into the wishes of the Jewish Sanhedrin and he's shipped off to be crucified.  Those are the six trials.

Now, back to Verse 20.  This is still at trial number one.  Annas peppers him with questions about what He believes and who his disciples are.  Jesus gives him a pretty sharp answer, and we wonder about that.  Why did Jesus answer the high priest like He did in Verse 20?  "Go asked those who heard me.  I didn't do anything in secret."  Here's why.  Jesus knew that the trial He was facing was totally illegal.  According to Jewish law, you never address the accused in court at first.  First thing you do is ask witnesses.  So, here's Jesus saying, "So, bring witnesses.  There are plenty of witnesses, they've seen me, they've heard me.  Go call for witnesses."  But they don't do that.  They speak to the accused first of all.

Now, I brought with me a little bit of a list.  I just want to share with you.  I'm not going go share all 18, but this is a little section from what's called the Mishnah.  You've heard of the Mishnah.  These are Jewish writings about how to live life and there's a little section in the Mishnah that talks about rules you follow in a court case.  Now, I'm just going to read a few of the rules because you're going to soon see that every single rule they wrote, they broke.

Rule number one according to the Mishnah.  This is for the Jewish leaders whenever they have a court case.  Rule number one, no trials were to occur during the night hours.  When did this take place? At night.  Rule number two, trials were not to occur on the eve of the Sabbath or during festivals.  Is there a festival going on right now?  Yes, it's called Passover, the biggest festival.  They broke that rule.  Rule number three, all trials were to be public.  That is in the temple courts and what's called the Hall of Judgment in the temple precincts.  Secret trials are strictly forbidden.  What's going on here?  Secret trials before Annas, the ex-high priest, the religious authority, and before Caiaphas, Roman government hadn't even been brought in yet.  Then before the entire Sanhedrin the next day, they sort of rubber stamped their verdict.  Rule number six says, "The accused person can't testify against himself."  This is to prohibit self-incrimination.  This is the precursor to our Fifth Amendment.  But it requires witnesses to be brought in first.  What happened this night?  The Sanhedrin interrogates Jesus personally and when He does speak, they slapped Him across the face.  They broke their own rule.  Rule number 12 says, "The high priest is not to participate in questioning the accused."  Did they break that rule?  All night long with two high priests.  And finally rule 18, "Sentencing in a capital case is not to occur until the following day".  There is to be a 24-hour period from the first meeting to the final verdict.  Here's why, so that feelings of mercy could arise.  They've met secretly.  They did it at night.  They did it during the festival.  And then to rubber stamp their decision as I mentioned, they've got together with the whole Sanhedrin the next day.  So every single rule is being broken that night.  The enemies defy them.

Let me just apply this to our lives because I don't know if you're in a similar situation, but the most or one of the most frustrating situation that you could ever be in life is to be accused of something you didn't do.  And so, people will talk behind your back and they'll make up little stories and they'll spin it.

And the stories actually get larger than the original story that was told and pretty soon there is a reputation going on all around town about you.  It's not true.  It's very frustrating.  And so what do you do during those times? Well, if you try to chase down every story and every person that knows those things they have heard and they're spreading things that aren't true about you, that's a lot of work on your part.  You have to find out who knows and how do I make it right.  So, what do you do?  Number one, you should realize, you are not alone.  If there was ever a time you can relate to Jesus Christ, it's now in this situation.  There's ever a time that Jesus could say to you, "I know exactly how you feel."  It's in that situation.  Remember what it says in Hebrew?  "We don't have a high priest who can't be touched with a feeling of our infirmities.  He was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.  So, when you pray at those desperate times and you feel so isolated and so alone and in such agony, because you are so misunderstood and those things they're saying aren't true, know that God knows exactly what that is like and He is with you.  You are never alone.

Second thing you should do, this is going to sound trite to some, it's because we don't practice it in reality, "To entrust it to God".  Let me phrase it another way, "To actively trust God".  See, it's one thing to passively trust God.  "Oh yeah, I trust God, I love God, I trust God for everything." Do you?  So, what are you doing in this situation?  You freaked out about it or have you actively entrusted this to God?  I want you to see this.  So, turn with me to 1st Peter, Chapter 2.  Keep a marker because we'll be coming back.  1st Peter 2:18, "Servants be submissive to your masters with all fear not only to the good and the gentle, but also to the harsh." So, you have an employer who's breathing down your neck, giving you a hassle, troubling you, saying things about you, what do you do?  Well that's perfect verse for that.  For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God, one endures grief, suffering wrongfully, for what credit is it, if you are being beaten for your faults, and you take it patiently.  When you do good and suffer, but when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow His steps.

So, you get the picture?  If you misbehave and they say, "This guy is a rotten guy."  So, what?  "They're saying bad things about me," because they're true.  "I'm suffering patiently," now, so what? But if you didn't do anything wrong and they're making up stories about you and you suffer for it and you just take it patiently, he says, "That's commendable before God."  Now, here's why.  We'll close with this, not close the sermon with this, close 1st Peter, "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth."  Here it is verse 23, "Who, when He was reviled did not revile in return.  When He suffered, He did not threaten but committed himself to Him who judges righteously."  That's active trust.  That's actively entrusting my situation to God.  Listen, God will make sure that justice gets done.  It may not be in your timing.  It may not be in your method, but God will make sure that justice gets done.  You just make sure that you don't waste this time of suffering and agony that you learned from it.  So, what do you?  Restrain from having to be heard.  Have you ever felt that way?  "I've got the same ideas.  I have a few things to say.  I want to be heard."  Refrain from needing to be heard to be vindicated, to speak the truth in love, in humility, not in pride, and submit it to God.  And that is so hard to do, right?  That's what Jesus did and he says, "That's the example we have."  Unjustly accused, he entrusted it to God.  He knew the truth.  He can live with the truth.  He can go to sleep at night because He knew the truth.

 

Now, go back to John, Chapter 18.  "That night was a dark night.  Religion despised Him as enemies defied Him and thirdly because His friend denied Him."  Verse 15 brings us to Simon Peter.  Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple.

Now, that disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood at the door outside.  Then the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to her who kept the door and brought Peter in.  Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You're not also one of this man's disciples, are you?"  He said, "I am not."  Now, the servants and the officers who had made a fire of coal stood there for it was cold and they warmed themselves and Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  Look at Verse 25.  Now, Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  Therefore, they said to him, you are not also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it and said, "I'm not."  So, second denial.  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off.  Okay, so she kind of knows, right?  Said, "Didn't I see you in the garden with Him?  Like you're the guy with a bad aim, right? You're the fisherman with a sword?" Peter then denied again and immediately a rooster crawled.

Okay.  First of all, Peter shouldn't have been there.  You know why I've said that?  Because Jesus, when they were arresting him, a few verse before that, they were arresting Jesus.  He said, "Who do you want?"  They said, "Jesus of Nazareth."  He said, "I am Him."  And they all fell backward and He said, "Who do you want?"  They said, "Jesus of Nazareth."  And he said, "I told you that I am He.  Take me if you want me but let these go their way."  That's what Jesus wanted Peter to do.  "Go away Peter, go your way."  Peter should've listened to Jesus.  He shouldn't have been there.  Second, Peter shouldn't have said anything.  In Matthew's Gospel, it tells us that the servant girl figured that Peter was one of Jesus' disciples because of his Galilean accent.  She said, "Your speech betrays you."  Now, you've got to know that people in Jerusalem thought that the Galileans were hicks and no I'm not going to define what I consider a hick.  But they were unsophisticated.  They had that accent from Galileans like, "Oh, you're one of His disciples.  I can tell by your accent."  And Peter denied it and three times he was denied.  Peter shouldn't have been there.  Peter shouldn't have said anything.  Great commentator, Liz Flynn said, "Peter talked when he should have been quiet.  Peter slept when he should have been awake.  Peter acted when he should've had sat still."

Now, I do have to say this however.  I admire Peter's courage.  I think that in heaven, there's going to be a long line of preachers having to apologize for Peter for some of the things we said.  I'll probably be in that line.  I've said some pretty some bad things about Peter in sermons that I preach because after all Peter was very courageous.  At least, he's the only one named who stood up and stood around Jesus.  At the same time, all four gospels, this is unique to the story.  All four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us that Peter denied Jesus.  So, the Holy Spirit has lessons for us to learn.  So, we want to learn those lessons.  And the one lesson that we learn is that Peter took downward steps and you need to be aware of what they are.  Downward step number one, they've got him to deny Jesus.  Downward step number one, self-confidence.  Peter was the guy who said, "I'll never leave you Lord.  I'll never deny you.  I'll even die for you."  That's pretty confident in your self.  Instead of saying, "Lord, I'm just trusting that you're going to keep me because Lord you can count on me.  These other guys are flakes, but you can count on me," that's self-confidence.  That's his first step down.

Now, years before this, Jesus had paid Peter a compliment and I think that there are certain people when you pay compliments to, it can be dangerous.  It was Peter.  When Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?  And they said, "Well, there are a lot of things people say."  "So, who do you say that I am?"  Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Remember that story?  Remember what Jesus said to him?  He said, "Blessed are you Simon, Son of Jonah.  Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.  My father who is heaven has revealed this to you.  You are Peter, a little stone and upon this massive rock, I'll build my church."  I think Peter never forgot that.  I would never forget that.  And I think he sort of carried that.  "I'm the blessed one.  I'm the rock"  And I think that's what the sword in the garden was all about.  He stands with a sword, "I am rock man.  I am the blessed one."  He's like so confident that he's going to pull some off and that's probably why he is pushing his way following Jesus from afar, but they're at the courtyard.  Self-confidence.

Downward step number two.  He slacked off in devotion.  He slept in the garden instead of praying in the garden.  "Couldn't you pray with me in one hour?"  "Yeah Lord, I will be right there."  He did that.  He slept.  He slacked off.  Step number one leaves step number two.  If you are self-confident, you will slack off in your devotional life, guaranteed.  Step one always leads to step two.  Step number three for Peter.  He tried to cover up his guilt with feverish service.  He pulled out the sword, started swinging around.  And when you feel guilty because well you haven't been what you should be, you haven't been praying and reading and living, what happens is you just start swinging swords around doing dumb stuff.  "I need to do something."  "No, you don't need to do anything until the Lord directs you."  And step number four, the final step, he denies Christ.  He doesn't admit.  He won't even be identified with Jesus at all.  "I don't know Him, I don't know Him, I don't know Him."  Three times.

Now, there's a Psalm that comes to my mind and it fits perfectly with this, Psalm 1, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful."  There's a picture of a man who is slowing down.  He's first walking, then he's standing, then he's sitting.  That was Peter.  He was walking with the ungodly, when he walked in the courtyard.  He was standing still with the sinners when he lingered over the fire and he thought, "Oh, this people are kind of like my people.  I kind of like these people."  And then he sat on the seat of the scornful.  Two other gospels record that Peter sat down in the garden.  And when they asked them the third time, "Aren't you His disciple?"  He began to curse and to swear, that's the seat of the scornful.  Those were Peter's downward steps and they're displayed in the Bible so that we can learn from them.  There's something else and to me, this is the best part you were to learn from.  "It's not over Peter.  This is the worst night of your life Peter, but it's about to be eclipsed by the brightest day of your life."

       You see this night highlights series of threes over and over again.  Did you know that three times on this night -- again take all the gospel records three times in this night, Peter boasted.  "You can count on me Lord.  I'll die for you.  I'll never leave you."  Three times he did that.  The Bible also records three times that night, he fell asleep in the garden.  Check Mark 14 on your own sometime.  Three times he fell asleep in the garden.  Three times he boasted, three times he fell asleep.  Also, three times that night, he denied Jesus.  Now, if this were baseball, three strikes and you're what?  You're out.  "Peter, you're out."  I'm so glad Christianity is not baseball because Jesus says, "Peter, you're not out.  You have a whole new bat."  Here's what I mean in John 21 and we'll read it if we ever get there, like two years from now.  I'm just kidding.  John 21, "Jesus appears personally after the resurrection to Peter and three times he says, "Peter, do you love me?  Peter, do you love?  Peter, do you love me?"  Giving Peter an opportunity three times to confirm his own love.

Peter was the guy Jesus personally appeared to after the resurrection.  Peter is the guy Jesus will commission to give the very first sermon to the first crowd when the first church is established on Pentecost.  He's going to give that sermon.  Peter is down, he's not out.  Peter struck out, Jesus hands him a new bat and says, "It's a dark night, it's going to get really good however Peter."  See, Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him, right?  So, was Jesus shocked when Peter denied Him?  Did Jesus go, "I cannot believe you denied me."  He just like, "Yup, well I said, I knew it.  I'm not shocked by it.  I don't love you any less."  Jesus also predicted that Peter would be restored.  He said, "Peter when you are recovered from this, I want you to strengthen your brethren."  Jesus knew he would fail and knew he would recover.  Jesus knows when you fail and He knows how to bring you back.  Some of you may feel so far from God this morning.  I just want you to know, God is not far from you.  He's right there.

One person said, "You could sum up Peter's life in three stages, at the fire, under fire, and on fire."  He was at the fire that night.  He was under fire.  They peppered him with questions.  But the Holy Spirit will come upon him after Jesus gets risen from the dead, he'll be recommissioned, and that boy will be on fire, and he'll be unstoppable.  He wants to do that with your life.  It's not over.  "Oh buddy, you don't know what I've done."  It's not over.  "But I made such a mess."  Not over.  Here's a new bat.  Here's a new chance.

          Father in heaven, we thank you for your word and the examples of truth to come to us from your word.  Some of us Lord have gone through dark nights, dark times.  Sometimes it's not our fault.  Sometimes things have been done, mistakes have been made, but rumors get spread about us that just aren't true and I'd pray that you'd help us to just entrust those things over to you.  You judge righteously.  You see all things.  You'll make things right in your time.  But then Lord for like Peter and probably most of us can relate not to the religious authorities and not to those in that courtroom case, but we can relate to Peter.  Lord, thank you for this man.  Thank you for his courage.  Thank you for his honesty.  Even thank you for the example of his failure and how gracious you were to bring him back to restore him and to make him a pillar in the church of Jerusalem.  I pray for anyone today who is suffering in that kind of regard.  You bring them back, not only to you, but to your service, in Jesus name, Amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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10/25/2009
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Believe:879
John 20:30-31
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Is your faith in need of bolstering? Do you find yourself saying "Help my unbelief?" The book of John presents a unique, up close and personal look at the life of Christ, focusing on Jesus as God Incarnate. As we dive into a thorough study of each of John's 879 verses, we'll walk with disciples who were eyewitnesses of His ministry, His death, and His resurrection, and we'll experience abundant life in His name.
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11/1/2009
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The World's Most Important Word
John 1:1-5
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It may be difficult to say what the most important word is in any language, but not for the Apostle John. He begins his gospel with the identification of Jesus as, "The Word." Starting with the very beginning of beginnings, John shows us the fundamental truths about the Jesus that he writes about in the rest of this book. The language is simple and unmistakable and yet the truths presented are deep and extremely profound. Let's see how John presents Jesus and Who Jesus is according to one who was closest to Him.
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11/15/2009
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Step Into Son-Light
John 1:6-13
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I love early mornings when sunlight first comes up over the eastern sky. But if you’ve ever had the experience of the sun suddenly shining into your eyes (like when you turn westward while the sun is going down), it's not so pleasant. Most people wince when light is shined in their eyes. Jesus is presented here as being "the light of men" and "shining in darkness". But the world cries out, "Turn off that light!" How can Jesus enlighten your life and how will you respond to Him?
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11/22/2009
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One of a Kind!
John 1:14-18
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It is a mistake to think of Jesus as "one among many" options in the pantheon of deities. He is unique, matchless, unrivaled, singular, and incomparable. From His birth to His Resurrection, there is no one who even comes close to the majestic Christ. Jesus was One-Of-A-Kind! Let’s consider four distinct ways that Jesus was unique and what these mean to us today.
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12/6/2009
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The Greatest Man Meets the Greatest Lamb
John 1:19-34
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Everyone is good at something, maybe even great at something. Maybe you're a great artist or a great mom or even a great leader. Jesus said that John the Baptizer was the greatest man who had ever lived (Matt. 11:11). But John knew Jesus to be the greatest One ever—past, present and future - the Sacrificial Lamb sent to remove sin. Today we discover from John the Baptist how to witness for Christ and we look at the identity and the activity of this most unusual man.
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12/13/2009
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Are You a Follower-Really?
John 1:35-42
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You can't make it through much of the Bible without coming to the word Disciple. Just the four Gospels alone use this term 228 times. Basically a disciple is the follower of a teacher: one who observes, learns, and practices what the teacher shares. We now come to the first time John uses this term in his book. So today we assess ourselves by asking, "Are YOU a follower?" Lets look at five characteristics of the first disciples of Jesus and see if they’re reflected in our lives.
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1/3/2010
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Finding the God Who Found You
John 1:43-51
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When the first disciples encountered Jesus, they chose to follow Him--only to discover that they had already been chosen by Him! Without getting drowned in that theological tide pool, let's consider and marvel at how both of these realities work together. The Bible teaches that God sovereignly elects people for salvation while at the same time teaches our responsibility to believe in Christ. Let’s see how both Philip and Nathanael encountered Jesus for the first time.
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1/10/2010
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The Wedding Guest
John 2:1-12
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How cool (and also potentially scary) would it be to have Jesus as a guest at your own wedding! The unnamed couple at the village wedding of Cana had that privilege. Jesus was the wedding guest who brought the best gift. His first miraculous sign was performed while celebrating that marriage. But far more than just attending a nuptial party, Jesus demonstrated who He was in relation to four entities: His mother, the moment, a miracle, and His men.
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1/17/2010
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Trouble in the Temple
John 2:13-22
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A hymn by Charles Wesley begins, "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, look upon a little child..." It’s a beautiful song with a beautiful thought. However, Jesus is anything but gentle and mild in John chapter two. Here in the temple at Jerusalem, He displays His righteous anger as He overturns tables and beats the religious businesspeople with whips! But Jesus was using this trouble in the temple to predict a greater sign—the triumph of His own physical temple—His bodily resurrection!
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1/24/2010
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Uncommitted!
John 2:23-25
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These three verses are some of the most unusual in the New Testament. They describe a scene in the life of Jesus that explains His popularity and fame. The response of people to the miracles of Jesus is understandable. What is not readily understandable is Jesus' response to the interested and excited crowd. Though they believed in Him, He was not too energized over their kind of faith. Understanding this will help us to understand Jesus and His mission.
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1/31/2010
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Nick at Nite!
John 3:1-8
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The meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus at night is one of the most famous and compelling stories in Scripture. This man's inner curiosity and spiritual thirst drove him to want to know more. What he heard puzzled and astonished him, but he heard from Jesus' own lips the only way to be saved. Jesus' words here divide all of humanity into two groups: those who are born again and those who are not.
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2/7/2010
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Extreme Makeover: Soul Edition!
John 3:9-21
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For years ABC has aired two different versions of a show called Extreme Makeover. One is a total body makeover designed to enhance the physical beauty of a selected individual. The other is a Home Edition that rebuilds or adds to a struggling family's residence. But only Jesus can give the soul a makeover; only Jesus can ready a person for eternity. Here Jesus answers Nicodemus' question of how a person can have the New Life that comes from the New Birth.
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2/14/2010
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God's Valentine
John 3:16
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Today we take a look at the Bible's most famous verse and probe its depth while preparing to take the Lord's Supper together. Though most everyone knows this verse, John 3:16 is much more than just a slogan; it is a summary statement of God's love through Jesus Christ. This single verse of scripture gives us the salient truths of God's plan of salvation in abridged form. Let's consider God's great plan for us as we unpack it phrase by phrase.
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2/21/2010
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To Grow Up, You Must Grow Down!
John 3:22-30
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"They that know God will be humble, and they that know themselves cannot be proud!" That's what British Puritan John Flavel once said. And that’s how John the Baptist once lived! John the Baptist and his followers provide some great applicational fodder for how Christians should get along and humble themselves before one another and God. For any Christian believer who wants to spiritually grow up and grow strong, he must first grow down.
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2/28/2010
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The Nail Everything Hangs On
John 3:31-36
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Imagine if everything you valued was in a sack, hanging on the wall from one nail. It surely must be a strong nail, or you're lost! If life could all be boiled down to one thing or one word or one most important principle, what would it be? What is the irreducible minimum for everything and everyone? John answers that here, saying that Jesus Christ is the nail that everything hangs on. He determined what has been and what will be. Thus our knowledge of Him and relationship to Him is paramount above everything else.
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3/7/2010
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Refreshment!
John 4:1-14
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You know the feeling of swallowing ice-cold water on a hot day or after a savory meal—it's refreshing! That cool, invigorating sip revitalizes you from the inside out and makes you say, "Ahh!" Well, that experience is not limited to the physical realm, but is even more satisfying in the spiritual realm when dealing with Living Water. Jesus came to give thirst-quenching spiritual life to every parched soul on the planet. When was the last time you drank deeply?
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3/14/2010
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How to Lead People to Water
John 4:10-30
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The world is thirsty and doesn't even know it, or won't admit it, or will look to be satisfied by everything else but Jesus Christ. So your job and mine is to lead them to water (living water, that is). Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman illustrates perhaps the best approach for personal evangelism to be found anywhere. Leading someone to the place of spiritual satisfaction is a process that rests upon two pillars—the pillar of attitude and the pillar of approach:
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3/21/2010
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What God Really Wants
John 4:20-24
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Worship conferences, worship seminars and worship experiences abound within the landscape of the American church, but in all these there's something that seems to be always lacking—worship is confined to the activity of singing songs. When the subject is brought up in this chapter, Jesus talks plainly and openly about true worship: what it is and what it isn't. Let's explore these few verses to discover what God is seeking after and how to be part of fulfilling that.
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3/28/2010
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Spiritual Farming 101
John 4:28-42
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Farmers live for the harvest season--a time when their crops are taken in and profits are made. But crops don’t grow on their own. Seeds must be sown and plants must be garnered by a whole group of active farm workers. God is the head Farmer and we are His farmhands, all working together to produce a bumper-crop of people who believe that Jesus is the Savior--Are you in?
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4/18/2010
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Everyone Needs a Faith-Lift!
John 4:43-54
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Like any muscle in our physical body, our faith too must be exercised in order for it to develop. Faith is developed in virtually every circumstance in life, but especially in hard times. Peter put it best, "These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold" (1 Peter 1:7). Let's look at a real-life story of one who came to Jesus in his trial and had his faith lifted to a higher dimension.
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4/25/2010
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Healing Misery with Mercy
John 5:1-16
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One of Jesus' most distinguishing characteristics in His earthly ministry was His mercy toward people who were hurting. This is not astonishing, for the prophet Micah announced that "God delights in mercy" (Micah 7:18). Jesus standing among the squalid misery of sickness and hopelessness while at a feast in Jerusalem is a perfect setting to show how Christians can show mercy to a world in misery. But be warned: not everyone will be sympathetic to your cause!
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5/23/2010
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Like Father, Like Son
John 5:16-24
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The most important question you could ever ask is not, "Who am I?" but rather, "Who is Christ?" That was the supreme question Jesus presented to His disciples when He said, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). Jesus made the most astonishing claim ever when He confronted the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem here in John 5. What do these claims have to do with us today? Absolutely everything!
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5/30/2010
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Everyone Lives Forever
John 5:25-29
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My mom used to wake me up early every morning with her sweet voice saying, "Rise and Shine!" It took a few times but I eventually got up out of bed. As Jesus declares that He will be in charge of the future judgment, He too will usher the call to everyone who has died to "Rise up!" But not everyone will rise up to shine; some will rise up to suffer. Let’s consider three inevitable and unalterable truths about the future for all of us: We will all die, we will all be judged, and we will all rise again to live forever... but where?
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6/6/2010
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Why Should You Believe?
John 5:30-47
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The theme of John's gospel is "believe." The whole reason he wrote this book is so that people who read it will believe in Jesus (see John 20:31). But why should they believe? And even more applicable, why should we believe? After all, the events of the New Testament are over 2,000 years removed from us today. Jesus' confrontation with the religious leaders in John 5 tells us why we should believe. Like a skilled lawyer, Jesus calls upon four witnesses to testify to His claims and these four give the reasons for our believing in Jesus Christ.
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6/13/2010
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Lessons From a Picnic
John 6:1-14
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This story ranks in the "top ten" of the most famous miracles of Jesus Christ. In fact this is the most famous of all His miracles as it alone is recorded by all four gospel accounts. But this is far more than a Sunday school tale. This extraordinary picnic was not just a free meal for five thousand folks; it provided lessons for both ancient and modern disciples. Here are four profound truths that emerge from this lakeside lunch.
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6/20/2010
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What Storm Goers Need to Know
John 6:15-21
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Have you ever been on the ocean in a raging storm? If so, you know that a well-trained crew follows an immediate protocol until the storm is over. Their knowledge and experience about violent weather are invaluable for those who want to survive. Using the story of Jesus walking on the waves to His disciples, let’s discover a few things about the stormy trials of life.
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7/4/2010
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The Right Thing, The Wrong Way
John 6:22-29
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Our text reads that crowds of people came "seeking Jesus." That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? And yet Jesus challenges them as to their motive because they were seeking Him (the right thing) in order to satisfy themselves only (the wrong motive). Let’s consider three monumental truths about how people interact with spiritual things in general and Jesus Christ in particular. Let’s also reconsider the starting point for anyone who wants anything to do with Christ.
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7/11/2010
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Wonder Bread!
John 6:30-50
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The Hostess Company has for years advertised that its Wonder bread "helps build strong bodies 12 ways" and that just two slices has the calcium of eight ounces of milk and the fiber of 100% whole wheat. Wow! The crowd that Jesus was speaking to would have loved that! But our Lord presents something to them far greater than what they were wanting. He knew what they needed.
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7/18/2010
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Plain Truths About the Bread of Life
John 6:51-71
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Mark Twain once remarked that "A lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is still lacing up its boots!" This section of John's Gospel has generated much confusion and misunderstanding. Even Jesus' original audience had trouble understanding His meaning, and when they did, they found the truth was difficult to bear. These "hard truths," however, are "the words of eternal life" (v. 68). Let's look at these four realities today.
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8/1/2010
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Seeing Jesus Through the Fog
John 7:1-13
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There was always a fog surrounding Jesus! It was a fog of uncertainty, of unbelief, and of conflicting opinion. He was misunderstood about both His mission and His message. His friends, His family, and His foes were often bewildered about who He was and what He was doing. That remains true even today. But in this passage our view becomes clearer. Jesus had clearly defined objectives that He reveals here and they are extremely practical for us today.
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8/8/2010
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Follow Jesus But Don't Be Religious
John 7:14-24
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Jesus clashed with religious leaders more than any other group of people. He went against their spiritual grain and challenged their legalistic ideas. Christ made it clear that He hadn’t come to establish a new religion but rather to show the way to God His Father. He didn’t give people another “system of beliefs and practices”; instead He said that He Himself was the way, truth, and life. In this public confrontation, we learn how to follow Christ in truth and not be religious.
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8/15/2010
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Standing by a Waterfall (Dying of Thirst)
John 7:25-53
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All the diverse and assorted experiences offered by this world can never satisfy the deepest longing of the human soul. What we really want isn't what we really need. The rest of John chapter 7 illustrates this truth. In the midst of a crowd of people clamoring for deep spiritual satisfaction stands the only One who can provide it. He offers them the drink that really satisfies and all but a few refuse it, preferring rather to die of thirst. How painfully ironic!
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8/22/2010
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Scribbling on the Ground
John 8:1-11
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Can you imagine what a surviving copy of Jesus' autograph would be worth today? Or what about a letter to His disciples? The fact is, there is no existing document or copy of anything Jesus ever wrote. We only have this story of Him scribbling something in transient dust on the Temple stones. Though John doesn't tell what Jesus wrote that day, his account does reveal a lot about Jesus Himself and how He interacted with three different kinds of folks.
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8/29/2010
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Blinded by the Light
John 8:12-20
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When the sun shines right in your eyes, your immediate inclination is to squint, turn away, or put sunglasses on. Light can be blinding! Though light penetrates our world, providing illumination and energy for our very existence, big doses of it can be difficult to handle. That's true spiritually as well. Jesus, by His teaching and work, illuminated this world darkened by sin. Some rejoiced in that light, able to see where they were going. But others, who'd been so accustomed to spiritual darkness, could only wince when Jesus was around.
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9/5/2010
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The Worst Way & Best Way to Die
John 8:21-30
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One person put it this way, "Death is the big flaw. Sometimes we can postpone it, lessen its physical pains, deny its existence—but we can't escape it!" Since that is universally true, why don't people take death seriously enough to plan for it? While we are alive in this world, everyone should be thinking more about the next. But what's the best (and worst) way to die?
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9/19/2010
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The Best Way & Worst Way to Live
John 8:31-36
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Everyone has an opinion on what "The Good Life" is. For some, it's financial independence. For others, it’s autonomy from government control. For still others, it’s the ability to do whatever you want whenever you feel like it. Jesus offers a different kind of freedom and a better brand of life. Here Jesus tells us what the best way to live really is: It’s the freedom to be a genuine disciple. And He tells us what the worst way to live really is: It’s the slavery of a sinful lifestyle. Today consider how free you really are and what areas of life you may still be in bondage to.
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9/26/2010
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The Devil's DNA
John 8:37-47
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Your body has 100 trillion cells. Inside each one is a nucleus and in each nucleus are DNA molecules. DNA is like an instruction manual for life with densely coded information telling each cell what to do. A simple paternity test would prove that my father was really my father. Here Jesus gives His audience a spiritual paternity test that reveals their spiritual father to be the devil himself. No matter what your physical ancestry, you can always tell one's spiritual heritage.
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10/3/2010
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Who IS This Guy?
John 8:48-59
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Jesus had friends and He had enemies. But besides those, He also had some "frenemies" (enemies who pretended to be friends). To this crowd who at first pretended to believe (v. 31) Jesus is both confrontational and controversial. This paragraph highlights three possible identities of Jesus: two of them were his enemies' accusations and one was Jesus' own claim.
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10/10/2010
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Life Hurts! Where's God?
John 9:1-12
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"Why is there so much pain in the world?" is the most frequently asked question ever! We hate it when we, or those we love, are in pain. Today we see Jesus confront a hurting world. As we do, consider these words by Elizabeth Elliot (whose husband was murdered): "If God is in charge and loves us, then whatever is given is subject to His control and is meant ultimately for our joy."
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10/17/2010
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The Truth About Your Neighbors
John 9:13-34
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Those of us who are Christians live in a sea of unbelievers who work with us, live next to us, shop where we shop, and send their kids to the same schools. Some have a mild case of unbelief disguised by religious practices. Others are more demonstrable in their agnosticism or atheism. Let's watch a local Jerusalem neighborhood struggle against faith in spite of clear evidence.
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10/24/2010
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Got Any Blind Spots?
John 9:35-41
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When you drive, you encounter "blind spots"—it could be part of your own car or it could be a tree that hides traffic on the other side. Those blind spots hinder both progress and ultimately, safety. When Jesus healed a blind man in Jerusalem, the same man was also healed of his spiritual blindness. But others who thought their spiritual perception was keen were as blind as a bat! As we consider this story, can you think of any blind spots in your spiritual journey?
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10/31/2010
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The Good Shepherd (and a bunch of happy sheep!)
John 10:1-10
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This is one of the most beloved passages to be found anywhere in Scripture. But it's not a stand-alone passage: The healing of the blind man in chapter 9 was more than a miracle. It was part of the process of Jesus forming His flock. The leadership had cast the healed man out of the synagogue. Jesus found him, accepted him, saved him, and placed him in His own fold.
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11/21/2010
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What's So Great About the Good Shepherd?
John 10:11-21
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"What's so great about being a Christian?" some people ask. The answer lies in the kind of care, provision, and protection we get from Jesus Christ, our Shepherd. Have you ever stopped to make a list of the benefits that are yours as a follower of Christ? Consider this short list of advantages that you, as a child of God, have. When was the last time you thanked Him for being your Shepherd? This would be a great week to do that!
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12/5/2010
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To BElieve or Not to BElieve...
John 10:22-42
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"In all unbelief there are two things: a good opinion of one's self and a bad opinion about God."— Horatius Bonar. It's true, isn't it? Humanism is man-centered and rejects God's existence or His relevance. But Jesus appealed to two things: the plain evidence of His supernatural works and the testimony of those who witnessed them. Jesus here asserts His deity, and the reaction is predictable—some believed while others did not believe. Which camp do you fall into?
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1/9/2011
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The Great Physician's Patient Dies
John 11:1-16
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When a doctor loses a patient on the operating table, there is a deep sense of remorse and sadness in the surgical theater. Doctors are trained to save lives but sometimes even the best trained physicians are unable to control complications that lead to death. But here we discover that Christ, the Great Physician, not only knows that His patient is sick--He allows him to die! Here are three principles about Divine Medicine that we can all learn.
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1/16/2011
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A Tale of Two Sisters
John 11:17-32
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In 1859 Charles Dickens wrote his famous work, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The story before us is set in Bethany near Jerusalem and highlights the personal relationship that two sisters had with Jesus Christ. Their broken hearts provide an excellent platform to consider how Christ deals with people in grief and loss. Let's actively probe not only their responses but ours to the incredible promise Jesus makes.
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1/23/2011
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The Strangest Funeral Ever
John 11:33-44
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According to one source, there are approximately 2 million funerals in America per year, which means that about 5,479 funerals take place every single day! Most of those funerals are pretty typical: a formal service followed by an interment. But the funeral service we're looking at was really different--and not just because of a resurrection. Here Jesus does three things that are pretty normal for most people at a funeral, but strikingly odd for Jesus.
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1/30/2011
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What to Do with Jesus?
John 11:45-57
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Any lawyer can tell you that whenever the star witness is a resurrected corpse, you have a pretty good case! But Lazarus being alive from the dead doesn’t seem to persuade everyone. And so the big issue becomes what shall we do with Jesus? The decisions made here set the clock in motion for an impending hate crime—the crucifixion of Christ. But from heaven’s vantage point, this is all part of God’s plan for redemption. Let’s see the responses and how we can make a difference.
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2/6/2011
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A Meal to Reveal the Heart
John 12:1-11
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If you were to step into the home of Simon at Bethany (Mark 14:3) on that night, you would've seen Jesus and His disciples along with Lazarus and His two sisters reclining at a low table for a meal in honor of Christ. But if you were to step into the hearts of those people, you would discover they were all very different from each other. Those inside the house and outside represent the gamut of feelings about Jesus—from adoring love to intense hatred. What a complicated meal!
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2/13/2011
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A Day, a Donkey, a Deliverer, and a Decision
John 12:12-19
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2000 years ago, on the final Sunday of Jesus’ earthly life before His crucifixion, He did the most unusual thing—He sat on a donkey and was carried into the city of Jerusalem in parade fashion. This formal presentation of Him as Deliverer was both profound and predicted. What’s the significance of such an act as this? What overarching principles emerge for us today? We’ll dig in and discover them, but today you’ve got to write them down yourself:
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2/20/2011
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Living the Right Life
John 12:20-26
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If this sermon was a book and I wanted to sell lots of copies, the title would cause it to fail. Now if it were entitled "Living the High Life" or "Living the Successful Life," then I may have a winner. But many have lived with both success and riches who didn't live right! So what is the right life? Or to frame it with a better question: What kind of life is most pleasing to God? Through a series of paradoxes, John gives us the answer—it wasn't the answer most people are looking for!
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2/27/2011
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Cross-Culture
John 12:27-36
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The term cross-culture emerges from the social sciences and typically refers to interaction of one culture or language with another. But that's not how I'm using it today. I'm thinking of it in the biblical sense, the salvation sense. Jesus' whole life was immersed in the culture of the cross and He referred to His impending death on the cross as "His hour." Let's consider today the culture of the cross of Christ: what it meant to Jesus personally and the world ultimately.
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3/6/2011
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Believe It or Not!
John 12:37-50
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Most of you reading this are believers. Some are not. Both are dangerous positions to take but for different reasons—vastly different reasons! This paragraph in John's Gospel is the summary of all that has been written, from chapters 1 through 13. It reviews the two different responses people have to Jesus and then gives us Jesus' own synopsis on faith and unbelief. Today you will be able to understand the real differences and consequences of faith and unbelief.
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3/13/2011
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A Night Unforgettable
John 13:1-5
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Some days are frozen in time because of the magnitude of an event. You will always remember September 11, 2001 and where you were when the towers fell. The night America bombed Baghdad or the night John Lennon was murdered may be permanent memories captured in your mind. This was the final night Jesus spent with His own disciples and it would be unforgettable. Let’s discover how what seem like ordinary moments can be extraordinary appointments.
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3/20/2011
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Basin Theology 101
John 13:6-17
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At the final Passover meal that Jesus shared with His closest friends, He gave new meaning to the bread and wine, using them to point to His upcoming sacrificial death on the cross. Today we share Communion as a church family and reflect on that meal, as well as the lessons Jesus was teaching His first followers. After dinner Jesus took a basin of water and began to wash the feet of his students and taught them life principles about stooping, cleansing and serving.
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3/27/2011
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Betrayed!
John 13:18-30
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Relationships can withstand an enormous amount of pressure, but betrayal is sure to end most. The old English word means to hand over or to deliver. Think of it: while Jesus was about to deliver the world from sin and its destruction, Judas was about to deliver the Savior over to His enemies. If you've ever felt betrayed by someone, this study will have special application to you.
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4/10/2011
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A Brand New Way of Life!
John 13:31-35
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To follow Jesus is to have a brand new way of life. When these twelve men sitting around the dinner table started hanging around Jesus, they had no idea just how new and different their lives would become. At this final meal on that last night, they were still learning just how new their lives should be. (Jesus can still teach old dogs new tricks!) As present-day followers of Christ, let’s consider three aspects of life that become new once we become His disciples.
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4/17/2011
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F.A.Q.
John 13:36-38
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An old Persian Proverb reads, "It's harder to ask a sensible question than to supply a sensible answer." Many times our questions to God are reactive—based on a sort of knee-jerk reaction to painful circumstances. Peter asked Jesus two questions of this sort. But whenever we ask God questions we must hang around to get the supplied answers. The questions Peter asked are similar to ones we frequently ask. Let's consider and apply Jesus' outstanding answer
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5/1/2011
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A Theology for Messy Lives
John 14:1-6
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Life can be pretty messy sometimes: plans fail, people leave, money diminishes, and taxes rise. There are plenty of reasons to be troubled these days but there are better reasons not to be! Life was about to get real messy for those disciples around that Jerusalem dinner table. At times like that, there are some basic instructions we need to fall back on so our hearts inside us won't be swallowed up by the mess around us.
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5/8/2011
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How Can I Know God?
John 14:7-11
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What a thought—that a mere human can know God! The agnostic asserts this is impossible. The atheist insists that the very idea is an arrogant and purely metaphysical pursuit. But one of the reasons Jesus came was to reveal God's character and nature clearly and perfectly! Let's consider two roadblocks to knowing God and four resources that help us know Him better.
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5/29/2011
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Privileges of God's Employees
John 14:12-14
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Most companies have benefits for employees: things like overtime pay, health insurance, and sick pay. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul calls us "workers together with Him" (NLT renders it "God's partners"). We have been called to a high and lofty task—to be His representatives here on earth. You might say we're part of the "family business." So what has God called us to do? And how has He provided for us in terms of resources? In short, what are the benefits of being God's employees?
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6/5/2011
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Four Part Harmony
John 14:15-18
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Some of the best moments on American Idol aren't the solo performances, but when all the singers join together and blend their voices in harmony. There's nothing sweeter than well-trained voices blended together in first, thirds, and fifths. Spiritual harmony is much the same—when believers blend with the triune Godhead there is an alignment that results in a deep sense of fulfillment. And what is the note we are to sing in this spiritual song? It is the note of loving obedience!
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6/12/2011
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Promises, Promises!
John 14:19-26
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Someone once mused, "Promises may get friends, but it's performance that keeps them." No wonder God has so many friends! He makes promises and keeps them. On this final night that Jesus spent with His friends, as both sorrow and confusion assailed them, Jesus made several promises that would sustain them in the days, months, and years ahead. What about you? Will you dare to trust the promises of God? It's the only way to see if they really work.
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6/26/2011
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Peace Where You Least Expect It
John 14:27-31
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On countless American gravestones this epitaph could be written: Hurried, Worried, Buried. What a sad way to live! Fear, anxiety, and distress have literally become part of our national culture. Odd, isn't it? Though we have such abundance in this country, most don't experience abundant life—especially as Jesus described it. Sure, everyone has his or her share of trouble and anxieties, but let's consider one of the greatest gifts Jesus gives to followers—the gift of peace!
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7/3/2011
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Life-Lessons from Grape-Growers - Part 1
John 15:1-7
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My parents grew grapes on their little plot of land in Southern California. There weren't many, but enough for me to know that getting fruit at harvest depended on three things: the solid connection of branch to vine, the vigilant care of the workers, and the consistency of those things over time. Jesus, walking with the disciples toward the Garden of Gethsemane, gives life lessons to His men using the familiar example of growing grapes. With that analogy in mind, let's consider the three ways our relationship to God is described by Jesus.
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7/10/2011
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Life-Lessons From Grape-Growers - Part 2
John 15:8-11
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As we grow older, we mature. In our spiritual lives we should become spiritually mature. The Bible calls it being fruitful. Spiritual fruit is the indication that we're truly connected to Christ. But there are others, as we'll see today. Last week we examined how the relationship with Christ is described (Connected to Christ, Cared for by the Father, and Consistent Over Time). Today let's consider how this relationship is demonstrated. When we're rightly connected to God we'll be:
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7/17/2011
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What a Friend We Have in Jesus
John 15:12-17
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We can get through almost anything in life with friends to share our sorrow and divide our grief. A Chinese word for friend is peng-yu and it has a much fuller meaning than in English. It means "one who brings completion and sums up beauty." The ancient Hebrews saw true friendship as an ideal to pursue and a blessing to enjoy. In these final moments with His followers, Jesus uses a most tender term for their relationship—they were friends! What does that friendship look like?
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7/24/2011
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Why Does Everyone Hate Me?
John 15:18-25
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There is a flipside to being a friend of Jesus. That's true of any friendship. Whenever you ally yourself and make friends with someone, you will incur some enemies because of it. Likewise, some who don't like Jesus won't like us either—and we discover there are quite a few who don't! Let's find out why, and how we can raise our heads high and prevail.
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7/31/2011
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Two Thirds Is Not Enough
John 15:26-16:15
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We love God the Father who created us and God the Son who redeemed us, but what about the Holy Spirit? We hear His name a lot, but who is He? What exactly does He do? What does He want from us? The Holy Spirit is the "quiet One," active in the life of believers but sometimes not acknowledged as being vital. Oswald Chambers noted, "The Holy Spirit cannot be located as a guest in a house. He invades everything!" Today, we consider Him and His role in our lives.
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8/7/2011
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The Holy Hound of Heaven
John 16:5-11
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Having understood Who the Holy Spirit is (Person not just power; Deity not just dignitary) we now find out what He does in the world of unbelieving people. Since the greatest gift God ever gave to the world was His only Son (John 3:16) it stands to reason that the greatest sin one can commit is to reject the Son (John 16:9). How does the Holy Spirit both sentence the world as prosecutor and lead people away from judgment? And what role do we play in all of this?
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8/14/2011
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When Sorrow Turns to Joy
John 16:16-22
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The flamboyant baseball-legend-turned-preacher Billy Sunday stated, "If you have no joy in your religion, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere!" That's not to say that life is all laughs. Hardly! Jesus anticipated His followers' deep sorrow. He predicted it. But He also assured them that their experience of sadness would be eclipsed by a greater experience of lasting joy.
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8/21/2011
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How to Send Knee-Mail
John 16:23-28
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Today you can be anywhere in the world and send or receive messages digitally via email. Sending email has eclipsed traditional mail for years now. Sending knee-mail is similar (you can be anywhere)—but with better results! You don't need wifi or a modem; you don't need an electronic device or a computer. Before Jesus left His disciples, He wanted them to get "online" with the Father and stay connected through the simple yet powerful means of prayer.
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9/4/2011
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I've Fallen, but I CAN Get Up!
John 16:29-33
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I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than to succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail! So said President Woodrow Wilson. Our Lord knows us better than we know ourselves and is not surprised by our weaknesses. We all fall and fail, even though we may commit to standing strong. What can we learn about ourselves and our God in such valleys? Even more, what kind of restoration can we hope for after our bout with failure?
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9/18/2011
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Holy Eavesdropping
John 17:1
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Imagine if you could sit and listen to Jesus talking to His Father—what would Jesus say to Him? In this prayer (which comprises all of John 17) we step onto holy ground. His instruction to His followers is now over. His preparation of them is done. He now turns His attention heavenward to talk directly to His Father about Himself, about His disciples, and about His future church. This prayer is unique for four reasons:
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9/25/2011
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The Gifts That Keep On Giving
John 17:1-5
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It's possible to give without loving but it's impossible to love without giving— Richard Braunstein. Part of God's nature is that He shows His love by His generous gifts. "For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3: 16). Here, in the opening lines of Jesus' prayer to His Father, He requests a gift from His Father and acknowledges three other gifts—two given to the Son by the Father, and one given by the Son to us. These are the gifts that keep on giving!
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10/2/2011
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How Followers Are Formed
John 17:6-10
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Okay, so which is it? Did I choose God or did God choose me? Perspective is everything! If you look at it from the divine viewpoint, you'll say God chose. If you're looking at it from a human viewpoint, you'll say we do the choosing. But why can't both be true? I suppose you can sit around, scratch your head, and try to ponder such imponderables, or you can sigh happily and say with a grateful heart, "I'm elated that He chose me!" But you should also ask yourself another question while you're at it—What am I going to do about it now?
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10/9/2011
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Missionaries or Monasteries?
John 17:11-19
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How can you leave your mark on the world? Most everyone wants to be remembered for some contribution made to society. Well, Jesus wants us to do that, too. In fact, He prays for that. God wants you to make an imprint on life's road so people will say, "Hey look! God's kids were here!" We can't do that by isolating ourselves. We have marching orders!
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10/23/2011
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Listen Up! Jesus is Praying—for YOU!
John 17:20-26
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What's God's general will for you? Look no further than this text! Now as we listen to Jesus pray for us, we also find what our priorities in life are to be. These words are the "Last Will and Testament" of Jesus Christ. So pay close attention and you'll get it right from the heart of Jesus Himself.
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10/30/2011
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I've Got It Under Control
John 18:1-11
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Sometimes life appears to be spinning out of control. Events happen we didn't plan for, people do things we didn't expect, we find ourselves in places we never thought we'd be in. But though you can't always control what happens to you, you are responsible for what happens in you (attitudes and responses). What do we really believe about God's authority and power in our lives? Is there ever a time when God can't say, "I've got it under control"?
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1/8/2012
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A King, a Kingdom, and a Courtroom
John 18:28-40
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What kind of a King is Jesus, and what is the nature of His Kingdom? And what does it mean to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done"? These are the questions faced in the text before us. As Jesus nears the cross, a nation denies His reign over them, while a Roman ruler questions Him and then cynically admits his own confusion and despair.
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1/22/2012
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How Do You Handle Jesus?
John 19:1-16
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Pontius Pilate was like every other person who has ever lived. The fundamental question of his life was, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:22). Everyone has to deal with Jesus, to decide about Him and His claims. In one setting, we can see how one man (Pilate) was influenced to deal with Jesus in three different ways. These three ways are how many people today still choose to deal with Jesus Christ.
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1/29/2012
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Execution of a King
John 19:17-22
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Regicide is the official word used for the execution of a king. Most countries reserve the stiffest of punishments for subjects or assassins who would kill their royalty. John records the execution of the King of kings on a Roman cross outside the city of Jerusalem. But the rest of Scripture reveals that it was more than an execution; it was sacrifice that brought salvation. The next few weeks, we will consider the cross in depth and what it means for the world and for us.
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2/5/2012
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The Cross on the Billboard of Eternity
John 19:23-24
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Did you know that the cross of Christ was always God's plan from the very beginning? It wasn't a reaction to mankind's rejection of His Son, nor was it an accommodation to a Roman and Jewish miscarriage of justice. It was according to "the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). Today we will take a journey back and connect the dots of God's unfolding plan of the cross throughout the ages.
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2/12/2012
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How to Love Your Mother
John 19:25-27
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A mother's love for her children is distinctive and irreplaceable. To watch a child suffer is crushing and almost intolerable for any mom. In this touching scene revealed in three verses, we not only see Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of her Son's cross, we also learn how Jesus cared for His mother. Even from His place of extreme suffering, Jesus was thinking of others and His love for Mary is noteworthy for us.
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2/19/2012
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iThirst
John 19:28-29
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The world is filled with Apple's i-technology, which delivers on its promise to make connectivity and information readily accessible. But there is a deeper need within everyone, a thirst to be right with God, that no app or gadget can fulfill. How ironic that Jesus, the great Thirst-Quencher, would Himself be thirsty. It was part of the great exchange—His temporary thirst enabled yours to be quenched eternally!
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2/26/2012
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It's Done!
John 19:30
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While Jesus was doing His greatest work, He uttered His greatest words! Through the excruciating pain of a tormenting death, Jesus gave the most meaningful statements worthy of careful consideration. John records three of Jesus' seven statements uttered while on the cross. The sixth—and perhaps the most hopeful—is the one we consider today.
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3/4/2012
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Death Under Control
John 19:31-37
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Watching someone you love die is always a heart-wrenching experience, especially when the victim experiences great suffering. For the apostle John, the death of Jesus was likewise difficult-but he saw a glimmer of hope, a silver lining in the dark clouds of death. This death was long ago anticipated and was being carefully monitored from the control center of heaven. Today we see why that's important.
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3/11/2012
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Disciples on the Graveyard Shift
John 19:38-42
Skip Heitzig
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You can find an unending supply of books, pamphlets, and articles on discipleship in Christian churches and bookstores. Many of them will be predictably regimented and conventional, giving solid biblical references and calling Christians to ardently follow Christ—all great stuff. But not everyone's spiritual journey is identical. Some disciples are unexpected, and so is their story. Here are two disciples of Jesus who've been in the background and now step forward to care for the body of Christ after His death. Let's allow their story to inspire us.
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3/18/2012
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A Not-Quite-Empty Tomb
John 20:1-10
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There was a lot of confusion happening on the first Easter morning. The resurrection had happened but it was neither expected nor accepted by all at first. Mary Magdalene ran to tell the disciples what she saw, and they ran to check out her report. What they saw was compelling evidence of a resurrection, but only one of them really connected all the dots. Let's see why.
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3/25/2012
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Hope Rekindled
John 20:11-18
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When people grieve, they usually run the gamut of the emotional spectrum, from denial to bargaining to despair to anger to eventually hope. Mary Magdalene was in hopeless despair as she stood weeping by the grave of Jesus. The resurrected Christ deals tenderly with this woman as he reveals Himself to her and conveys hope for her future. Let's glean some principles for dealing with brokenhearted people.
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4/1/2012
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From Closed Doors to the Open Road
John 20:19-23
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Our relationship with Jesus isn't a secret to be hoarded; it is a story to be heralded! The disciples were seated behind closed doors (sounds like a lot of churches). Jesus wanted them out, giving away what they had been given. Let's see how these early followers went from panic to peace, from perplexity to purpose, and from protection to power. It's a great journey. Are you up for it?
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4/8/2012
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Rise Up!
John 20:24-31
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The apostle Thomas has been noted for his skeptical attitude. In fact, we refer to a skeptic as a "doubting Thomas." In this message from John 20, we consider four ways Thomas was able to rise up from doubt and become a joyful follower of Jesus.
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4/15/2012
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Gone Fishing! (Relating to a Risen & Returning Lord)
John 21:1-14
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I am not a great fisherman. I don't do it often and when I catch something, it's pure luck! My dad was the opposite—he loved it and was great at it. At least seven of Jesus' disciples were fishermen and here we see them plying their trade after the resurrection. Some beautiful lessons can be discovered about how to live while we wait for Jesus to come back for us.
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4/22/2012
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I Failed! Now What?
John 21:15-19
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One of life's harshest realities is failure. The very sound of the word seems harsh to our sensibilities. We even harbor the age-old axiom, "Failure is not an option!" But failure is an option; in fact, it's a certainty. But discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping-stones to victory. In a post-resurrection interview, Jesus restores Peter with a fresh commission. If you have failed in your spiritual experience (and who hasn't), these principles will inspire.
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4/29/2012
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Final Instructions
John 21:20-25
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As John closes off his singular testimony of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he features some closing words of Jesus and Peter about himself (John). These final sentences provide some instructions for us as we await Christ's return. How should we live in light of who Jesus is, what Jesus did, and when Jesus will return?
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There are 95 additional messages in this series.
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