Gentle Restoration

John 21:1-25

Good morning! Today we finish our more-than-year-long journey through the book of John. We began back in January 2012. We haven’t gone through John non-stop; we have had a series on love and relationships, a short series called Broken and Made Whole (on the cross and on the resurrection), a series on Law and Grace (looking at the Mosaic Law and on the book of Galatians), a series on Titus, and a short Christmas series. Together these other series might have taken roughly 6 months, but the remaining 9 months or so have been in John.

You could rightly call the first chapter of John a prolog to the book. It lays out the major themes. Recall: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-4

Everything Changes

John 20:1-31

I said it earlier, I will say it again.  He is risen.  (He is risen, indeed.)  Yes, indeed.  What a glorious thought to consider.  It was not that our lives were bought in exchange for Jesus’ existence.  Yes, He suffered and He died.  He experienced the excruciating physical pain.  Even more painful, He experienced separation from the Father.  But because He was the pure and spotless, holy sacrifice, He overcame death.  He is not in the tomb.  He is not there.  He is no longer dead.  He has risen just as He said.

And now, everything changes. 

When God revealed Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel, he praised God saying,

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes times and seasons …”  Daniel 2:20-21

The Worst Day

John 19:17-42 

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him… John 19:17-18 

I admit that when Carl asked me to preach on this passage, I was dismayed. This is one of the most familiar stories in the whole Bible – what is there to say about it that all of you would not have already heard? The gospel writers are very terse, really. John spends just 26 verses here describing the pivotal event in the history of the world. We sing about the blood of Jesus. We might wear a cross about our necks. It is all very familiar and well-worn. It is easy to gloss over the reality of what was happening that day. The soldiers took charge of Jesus, and they crucified him. Yes, I know it is what saved me, but let’s just move on to the resurrection and happier parts of the story.

Jesus’ death has become too familiar. In history recently we were reading accounts of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror when thousands of people were publicly executed by the guillotine. It became a spectacle, an entertainment, for the crowd which came to watch. We read about the tricoteuses, the women who would bring their knitting and socialize during the executions. It became so commonplace that the spectators’ emotions were dulled, and they probably thought little of what was actually happening.

Trials

John 18:28-19:16

We are continuing our series on the Book of John and today I am speaking on the trials that Jesus was subjected to as described in the passages from John 18:28 thru John 19:16. 

Last week Carl shared some very insightful information on the high priest Annas and how he and his family were connected with the lucrative business of exchanging money and selling the sacrifice animals at the temple.  This made even more sense of why they were looking for ways to kill Jesus as described in the verses in Mark 11:17 and 11:18 just after Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers and drove them out of the temple.

And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.--Mark 11:17 -18

Affirmations and Denials

John 18:1-27

Good morning! Today we continue our series on the Book of John, taking up the first part of Chapter 18. Over the past several weeks we have gone through Jesus’ lengthy discourse to the disciples, preparing them for what was to come – He would be leaving them, He would be returning, the Holy Spirit would come – and He also spent time encouraging them, challenging them, and praying for them. At the beginning of Jesus’ discourse, Jesus had sent Judas away, who during this time was betraying Jesus, informing the Jewish authorities where Jesus would be. With today’s passage, we move beyond this discourse to the rapid unfolding of events that would lead in a short amount of time to Jesus’ death on a cross.

When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it. – John 18:1

I’ve got so much I want to share with you – I could literally spend the entire message on this verse. I’m going to cover as much as I can, but I am going to move quickly, so hold onto your hats.

Sanctification

John 17:1-26

Our message today is a continuation of a study through the book of John.  We've been working through the book of John for several months interspersed with other topics.  However, we have reached the final chapters of John and even the final hours before Jesus' crucifixion.  Today, we will pick up in chapter 17.

In this chapter, we are drawing toward the close of a meal Jesus and His disciples are sharing together, the meal that has come to be called the last supper. As a bit of background, in the days leading up to this meal Jesus had been speaking increasingly about His death, the necessity of it, and He had indicated that it would happen soon. During the meal, Jesus had already dismissed Judas, yet the remaining disciples did not recognize that Judas would betray Jesus. 

Testifying in Persecution

John 15:18-John 16:16

Good morning, it is a real joy to be able to share from God’s word with you today. I say that for 3 reasons: 1) I can do it in English, which even after all these years is so much easier for me than Nepali; 2) y’all are so much like family to us now – and I want to thank you again for the warm welcome that you have given us into this fellowship; and 3) God’s word is living and relevant and powerful, and I am always blessed and humbled whenever I dig into it.

The subject of today’s passage from John is “Testifying in Persecution,” as we finish up chapter 15 and look at the first half of chapter 16. As Carl mentioned last week, this is all part of the long discourse that Jesus gave His disciples between the time of the Last Supper and His arrest, much of which, though faithfully recorded by John, probably didn’t make much sense to the disciples until after Jesus had left them and returned to heaven – and they faced the task of living out the Christian life without His physical presence, but with the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was preparing them for that new way of relating to Him and the Father. Last week we considered Jesus as the True Vine and the need for the believer to abide in Him in order to bear fruit. I appreciated Carl’s reminder that that fruit can take many different forms, including the love that God can give us for other people.

The True Vine

John 15:1-17

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. – Isaiah 5:1-2

Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. – Isaiah 5:3-5

I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. – Isaiah 5:6-7

The Way

John 14:1-31

Welcome! Today we continue our series into the Book of John, focusing on Chapter 14. As a brief recap of what is going on, we are in Jesus’ final days, even final hours, before His crucifixion. Jesus and His disciples are in Jerusalem. They have come from a nearby village where Lazarus had earlier been raised from the dead, and where, a short time ago, Mary had poured a huge amount of very pungent, very expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Most likely the odor is still with Him. At the time, when Judas criticized the act as a waste of money, Jesus defended Mary, saying, it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of His funeral. The passage does not record what the disciples thought of that statement, but I bet they were pretty bewildered.

Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and was given a victor’s welcome, even a king’s welcome, with shouts of “Hosanna” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” and “Blessed is the king of Israel.” Then Jesus spoke to the crowds, and instead of a victory or acceptance speech, said that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. He also said that when He would be lifted up (speaking of how He would die), He would draw all men to Himself. The crowds were disappointed at this and even became hostile. What about the disciples? Again, I suspect they were lost and confused.

The Full Extent of His Love

John 12:37-13:17 

Good morning, we will pick up today at the end of chapter 12 in the book of John.  Two weeks ago, we heard about Jesus’ return to Bethany.  He had been in hiding because the Jews were plotting to kill him after He had raised Lazarus from the dead.  Six days before Passover, there was a dinner given in Jesus’ honor.  At this dinner, Mary comes and anoints Jesus’ feet with a pint of purest perfume.  Everyone is shocked and even a bit embarrassed at this intimate display of love and some are indignant at this perceived “waste” of money.   Jesus rejects their complaint saying, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”  Carl pointed out that the strength of this perfume absorbed into Jesus’ skin would have lingered for days even until the crucifixion.

And things continue to accelerate toward that pinnacle event.  Last week, we heard about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Jesus arrives riding on a donkey as the people wave palm branches and lay them down before Him.  The crowds call out, “Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel!”  In the midst of this celebration, Jesus replies to the crowd, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

Do you ever watch political speeches, perhaps, the State of the Union address?  Sometimes there’s so much clapping, you wonder if they will ever get through the speech.  The crowds are likely shouting out “Hurrahs!” and “Hosannas!” at the top of their lungs.  They are ready to crown a king.  But perhaps the crowds are silenced or at least begin muttering among themselves as Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.”  And they are surely silenced as he goes on to talk about how a man who loves his own life will lose it, but the one who loses his life will keep it.

Father, Glorify Your Name

John 12:12-36

Welcome! Today we continue our exploration into the book of John, focusing on the middle of Chapter 12. Last week we read about how Jesus and His disciples had spent an extended time away from Jerusalem in a remote village on the edge of the desert called Ephraim because the Jewish leaders were actively plotting to kill Him. But at long last, just about a week before the Passover, Jesus and His disciples left Ephraim and went towards Jerusalem, stopping at a nearby town called Bethany. Bethany was the location where, earlier, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus came into Bethany, everyone recognized Him, and a meal was prepared in His honor.

Sometime during the meal, Mary came up to Jesus with about a pint of an extremely expensive perfume and poured it all on Jesus’ feet, wiping His feet with her hair. This perfume, made of pure nard, had an extremely strong smell; even a few drops were potent. A jar of it had to be overwhelming. A speaker at the recent Faithwalkers conference suggested that Jesus probably smelled of this perfume even at the crucifixion, and I think he was probably correct. Judas complained about the extravagance, saying that it could have been used for the poor, but Jesus defended Mary, saying “Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial.”

Extravagant Perfume

John 11:45-12:11

Welcome! This is a welcome forward, to 2013. But it is also in a sense a welcome back, back to the incredible book of John. We began going into the book of John back in January of 2012, in which we spent a month looking at John Chapter 1. We took some time with other series after looking at John 1, but in April and May we went up through John 5, and from August until October, we continued in John up through most of John 11.

Today I want to begin by pointing out some recurring themes we have seen in the book of John so far. Starting from the very beginning of John: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood [overcome] it. – John 1:1-5

"Take away the stone."

John 11

Welcome! Today we come to our last message from the book of John until next year. By way of a quick preview, we will be going through the book of Titus after this, and then we will have a Christmas series. And then, beginning in January, we will pick back up the book of John and go through the rest of book right through Easter.

Our series for this middle section of John has been entitled “What did He Say?!” because a major theme of these chapters is not only the things Jesus did and said, but the people’s response to these things. John shows us more than any gospel how people responded to the words and actions of Jesus, and by and large, as we have seen, the way they responded was with shock, with disdain, with laughter, and even with anger and hatred. In fact, in the previous chapter they tried to stone Jesus in verse 31 and then tried to grab Him in verse 39, but as it says, He escaped their grasp. Their anger towards Jesus was for a variety of reasons, but in chapter 10 it was specifically because they understood that Jesus was claiming to be God, a claim He did not in any way deny. The chapter ends by saying that Jesus went back across the Jordan to where John the Baptist had baptized people around the time Jesus was just beginning His ministry, and it says that there, in contrast to Jerusalem, many people believed in Him. This brings us to the beginning of John 11:

"I am the gate."

John 10

Good morning!  Today, we are going into John chapter 10 as the next part of the series “What did He say?”  I think this chapter is familiar to many.  This chapter contains some beautiful imagery and some great assurances of our salvation.  It is also a chapter which flows right out of the previous chapter.  Literally, Jesus started a dialog at the end of chapter 9 and his speaking continues into chapter 10.  There is no interruption or time lapse between the last verse of chapter 9 and the first verse of chapter 10.  Before we jump into John chapter 10, let’s pray.

Lord, open our hearts and minds to your Word.  Help me communicate the truths that You want us to understand.  We thank you that you do not leave us alone, but that you are our shepherd.  Give us humility to recognize our need for you and your eternal provision and protection.  You are faithful and kind.  All this we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

I have to confess that I was envious of Carl because he got to share on John 9 last week.  I love the story of the man born blind whose transformation you can see in just a single chapter.  His pluck and boldness before the Pharisees is so invigorating.  Then, as Jesus seeks him out the second time after the confrontation with the Pharisees, the man worships Jesus.  It is exciting.

"I am the light"

John 9

Welcome! Today we continue our series on the book of John entitled “What did He say?!” in which we explore the works and especially the words of Jesus. The book of John contains more conversations among the people, more reactions of the people to what Jesus was doing and saying, than any other gospel. And so, in this series, we are not really taking the book of John in a particular slant; we are simply following the cues of the book itself.

Now, today, we look at chapter 9 of John. In John chapter 8, Jesus was in Jerusalem, teaching whoever would listen among the crowds, including the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. It was a contentious series of conversations – the people questioned Jesus’ claims about Himself, they questioned what He meant by how they needed to be set free, they called Him demon-possessed, and so on. Jesus tried to tell them that they were in fact blind, they were in fact slaves, slaves to sin, and that they were the ones who were actually under the influence of the devil. He also told them in only slightly veiled language that He would go somewhere they could not follow to save them from their sins. He also told them He had been in God the Father’s direct presence, and He told them that He was ancient; “before Abraham was born,” He said, “I am.” In response they picked up stones to stone Him, but He slipped away.

John chapter 9 picks up right from these events, from this moment of slipping away. 

"You belong to your father, the devil."

John 8

This morning we will continue on with the series titled “What Did He Say?!”  The series covers the book of John chapters 5 through 11.  As we’ve already heard over the last few weeks, Jesus repeatedly stuns his hearers in these chapters.  To quote Carl directly, Jesus says, “the most serious things ever said, the most profound, and, especially, the most important. They have immense implications for every person on earth, eternal implications.”  It is as if in each chapter Jesus is successively more stunning and revealing about his own character and identity.

Occasionally, I have heard things said about Jesus regarding his self-awareness during his time on earth.  Questions like, did Jesus really know he was God’s Son?  Did he know that his sacrifice was sufficient to cover the sins of the world?  Did Jesus really know that He would rise from the dead? 

Well, the book of John gives us those answers very clearly.  Yes, Jesus repeatedly talks about his relationship to the Father.  He knew exactly his purpose and when his time had come.  He speaks of his own death, resurrection, and ascension before they happen.

"Come to Me and drink."

John 7:1-52

Welcome! Today we are continuing our series entitled “What did He say?!” on John chapters 5 through 11. If I had to name two over-arching themes in these chapters, I would say that one is that Jesus is God – this in fact is a huge theme throughout the book of John – and the other is that people refused to accept what Jesus really had to say. We have seen these themes already, and we will continue to see them. But beyond this, there is much more to see in these chapters, and I am excited about what we will see in John chapter 7 today.

The very first words of John 7 are “after this,” to which our natural response should be “After what?” Well, in John 5 and 6 we see Jesus in Galilee after leaving Jerusalem because the leaders there were becoming more and more upset with Him, even to the point of beginning to plot His death. There in Galilee, Jesus drew larger and larger crowds, and in front of a giant crowd of “5000 men” and who knows how many others, He miraculously fed the whole group starting from only 5 small loaves and two fish. He then left the crowd because they wanted to forcibly take Him and make Him king. His disciples crossed the lake that evening, a fierce storm came up, and Jesus miraculously walked across the water to meet them. After this the storm suddenly ceased, and they crossed to the other side. There, in Capernaum, the crowd followed after Jesus the next day, and in a dramatic teaching, Jesus explained that they needed to “eat His flesh and drink His blood” if they wanted to come to Him or to the Father. At this much of the crowd and even the greater group of disciples left Him. And this brings us to Chapter 7.

"The one who feeds on Me will live."

John 6:25-71

Welcome! Today we are continuing our series entitled “What did He say?!” on John chapters 5 through 11, so-named because of all the astounding, shocking things Jesus did say to His disciples, to Jewish leaders, and to the crowds in these chapters. It is easy for us to become numb to these words if we have grown up with them. One of my desires and prayers for us during this series is that these profound passages would shake us up and cause us to stare freshly at the amazing and undeserved provision of God in Jesus Christ. My desire and prayer is that it would move us to worship Him, and that it would move us to serve Him sacrificially with our lives.

Today we pick up the story in the middle of Chapter 6, and it is helpful to briefly review what has happened earlier in this chapter. Jesus has become famous for the things He has said and especially for His miracles of healing, and now, in Galilee, when people figure out that He is the man that people have been talking about, large crowds gather and follow Him. This was one of those times, and as it was time for a meal and there was no McDonald’s around, Jesus asked His disciples, as a kind of test of their faith, where they should buy bread for these people.

"It is I; don't be afraid."

John 6:1-27

Welcome! Today we have a second message from our series called “What did He say?!” on the book of John, chapters 5 to 11. As I mentioned last week, the reason for the title of the series is that throughout these chapters of Scripture, the things Jesus said were shocking, astounding, even outrageous except for the fact that they were true.  The titles for each message in the series are direct quotes of Jesus from the verses being studied that week. This week we are exploring John chapter 6, verses 1 to 27, and the title of the message is “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Our passage is one that should be familiar to you if you have grown up going to church, but my desire is that we would look at it with fresh eyes, and not just fresh eyes but fresh hearts. To do this we need the Lord’s help, so let’s ask Him for His help. I am going to stop talking for a minute or so, and I encourage you to use this time to ask the Lord to speak through His word to you, that He would open your eyes and your heart to whatever He would have you learn and apply to your life today.

Well, John 6:1 begins with the phrase “some time after this,” so it is helpful to briefly talk about the previous chapters of John so that we appreciate the connections between what has already happened and what is about to happen in this chapter.

"You do not have the love of God."

John 5:16-47

Welcome! Today we begin a series of messages from the book of John, chapters 5 to 11. The title of the series is “What did He say?!” with a question mark and an exclamation point. The idea behind the title of the series is that what Jesus said was shocking, beyond shocking. In fact, I would say that the things Jesus said were the most outrageous, most extreme, most blasphemous things anyone could ever say – except for the fact that, being said by Jesus, they are actually true. (If anyone else said them they would be blasphemous.) The fact that they are true does not lessen the shock of what Jesus said; instead, I might say that they are perhaps the most serious things ever said, the most profound, and, especially, the most important. They have immense implications for every person on earth, eternal implications, and I am excited that we will be exploring these things during this series.

Today’s message  begins with John 5:16 and goes to the end of chapter 5, and we will see that the things Jesus says here every bit as shocking and important as anything else we will see in the series. Now, the very first word of verse 5:16 is “so.” That means that it comes from something that has happened before, and so (there’s that word again) I think it will help to give a very quick summary of a few key events in the book of John given prior to this point.