WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.400 We take some time now to dive into God's Word. 00:00:06.019 --> 00:00:09.220 We're going to do so this evening from John 18. 00:00:10.500 --> 00:00:14.679 John 18, 1 through 11. We're actually going to 00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:17.480 be in a few different texts this evening, for 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:20.359 as I was considering this sermon and this text, 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:23.359 I was thinking about what an incredible miracle 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:29.469 it is that we celebrate. What Jesus has done 00:00:29.469 --> 00:00:33.390 for us and on Sunday we're going to see the resurrection 00:00:33.390 --> 00:00:36.109 which might just be the greatest miracle of them 00:00:36.109 --> 00:00:40.170 all and Yet as we went through a series this 00:00:40.170 --> 00:00:44.429 winter on the miracles of Jesus There's one more 00:00:44.429 --> 00:00:48.030 that I wanted to cover That I think is applicable 00:00:48.030 --> 00:00:51.820 for this evening And though we're gonna look 00:00:51.820 --> 00:00:55.140 at John 18, it's actually not in John 18. We're 00:00:55.140 --> 00:00:57.939 gonna have to spend time in Luke, too. Matter 00:00:57.939 --> 00:01:00.380 of fact, we're gonna be in probably all four 00:01:00.380 --> 00:01:03.759 Gospels this evening, but we're gonna start in 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:08.579 John 18, one through 11. And so would you give 00:01:08.579 --> 00:01:15.640 attention, for this is God's word. When Jesus 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:19.400 had spoken these words, He went out with his 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:23.099 disciples across the brook Kadron where there 00:01:23.099 --> 00:01:26.560 was a garden which he and his disciples entered. 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:31.099 Now Judas who betrayed him also knew the place 00:01:31.099 --> 00:01:34.060 for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.379 So Judas having procured a band of soldiers and 00:01:38.379 --> 00:01:40.560 some officers from the chief priests and the 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.700 Pharisees went there with lanterns and torches 00:01:43.700 --> 00:01:48.909 and weapons. Then Jesus Knowing all that would 00:01:48.909 --> 00:01:52.090 happen to him came forward and said to them Whom 00:01:52.090 --> 00:01:55.810 do you seek? they answered him Jesus of Nazareth 00:01:55.810 --> 00:02:01.329 and Jesus said to them I am he Judas who betrayed 00:02:01.329 --> 00:02:04.090 him was standing with them when Jesus said to 00:02:04.090 --> 00:02:07.329 them I am he they drew back they drew back and 00:02:07.329 --> 00:02:12.430 fell to the ground So he asked them again. Whom 00:02:12.430 --> 00:02:16.490 do you seek and they said Jesus? of Nazareth. 00:02:16.909 --> 00:02:20.409 Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if 00:02:20.409 --> 00:02:24.610 you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill 00:02:24.610 --> 00:02:28.210 the word that he had spoken. Of those whom you 00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:33.629 gave me, I have lost not one. Then Simon Peter, 00:02:33.669 --> 00:02:37.310 having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest 00:02:37.310 --> 00:02:41.229 servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's 00:02:41.229 --> 00:02:45.020 name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter put 00:02:45.020 --> 00:02:48.560 your sword into its sheath Shall I not drink 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:53.840 the cup that the father has given me? This is 00:02:53.840 --> 00:03:00.759 God's word let us pray Heavenly father we give 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:05.539 you praise and thanks for this word And this 00:03:05.539 --> 00:03:09.400 evening we know how important it is but father 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.810 we seek understanding And so would you grant 00:03:12.810 --> 00:03:15.469 us this and would you guide us through your word? 00:03:16.250 --> 00:03:18.949 We pray in the name of the one who is the word. 00:03:19.069 --> 00:03:25.449 Amen. I feel like it needs to be said, but it 00:03:25.449 --> 00:03:30.289 probably gets said most Maundy Thursdays is that 00:03:30.289 --> 00:03:36.569 Maundy Thursday is not Monday Thursday. It's 00:03:36.569 --> 00:03:38.689 Maundy Thursday. And the reason that that might 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:40.650 be perplexing is because well, we don't speak 00:03:40.650 --> 00:03:43.270 Latin, right? And it does sound like Monday. 00:03:45.590 --> 00:03:51.530 What does Maundy mean? It means mandate or commandment. 00:03:51.770 --> 00:03:55.169 And so tonight what many people across the world 00:03:55.169 --> 00:03:58.669 are looking at as they celebrate Maundy Thursday 00:03:58.669 --> 00:04:02.729 is the commandment that Jesus gave to his disciples. 00:04:03.370 --> 00:04:07.430 How Jesus told them to love as he had loved them. 00:04:07.590 --> 00:04:10.169 But he says it in an interesting way. He says, 00:04:11.110 --> 00:04:15.289 a new commandment I give to you, that you love 00:04:15.289 --> 00:04:17.930 one another, just as I have loved you, you also 00:04:17.930 --> 00:04:20.329 are to love one another. And we look at that 00:04:20.329 --> 00:04:23.569 and we think, what's new about loving one another? 00:04:23.670 --> 00:04:27.649 This is all through the scriptures. Here's the 00:04:27.649 --> 00:04:32.670 new part that Jesus says, as I have loved you. 00:04:36.169 --> 00:04:41.370 Jesus exemplified love in everything that he 00:04:41.370 --> 00:04:45.069 did, everything that he did. And we especially 00:04:45.069 --> 00:04:49.250 see it tonight within this text. Jesus shows 00:04:49.250 --> 00:04:53.589 compassionate love to three different groups 00:04:53.589 --> 00:04:58.329 really within this text. The first, he shows 00:04:58.329 --> 00:05:02.709 his compassionate love to his disciples. Then 00:05:02.709 --> 00:05:06.470 Jesus shows compassionate love to His enemies. 00:05:07.629 --> 00:05:10.389 And then finally, Jesus shows His compassionate 00:05:10.389 --> 00:05:15.829 love to all who believe in Him. It's just like 00:05:15.829 --> 00:05:19.569 John 13, one says, He loved them to the end. 00:05:20.389 --> 00:05:23.370 And Jesus' miracle in this and the very fact 00:05:23.370 --> 00:05:25.769 that He drinks that cup of wrath that we have 00:05:25.769 --> 00:05:29.490 talked about illustrates His incredible love 00:05:29.490 --> 00:05:33.170 for us. And so let's see this firstly with his 00:05:33.170 --> 00:05:36.550 disciples. We can see this primarily in verse 00:05:36.550 --> 00:05:40.470 eight of John 18. But before we even get there, 00:05:41.509 --> 00:05:45.550 I wanna take you back to chapter 17. Because 00:05:45.550 --> 00:05:53.149 in a way, 18 fulfills 17. For you remember this 00:05:53.149 --> 00:05:56.610 incredibly important chapter. John 17 is called. 00:05:56.860 --> 00:06:00.980 Jesus' high priestly prayer. And there's a portion 00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:05.480 of this prayer in which Jesus especially prays 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:11.160 for his disciples. It's there in verses 9 through 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:15.040 19. Let me read this for you. Jesus praying for 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:18.220 his disciples. He says, I am praying for them. 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:21.220 I'm not praying for the world, but for those 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:24.500 whom you have given me, for they are yours. all 00:06:24.500 --> 00:06:28.740 mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified 00:06:28.740 --> 00:06:32.139 in them and I am no longer in the world but they 00:06:32.139 --> 00:06:35.160 are in the world and I am coming to you holy 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:38.339 father keep them in your name which you have 00:06:38.339 --> 00:06:42.000 given me that they may be one even as we are 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.079 one while I was with them I kept them in your 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:47.899 name which you have given me I have guarded them 00:06:47.899 --> 00:06:52.089 and not one of them has been lost and that is 00:06:52.089 --> 00:06:54.949 a very key statement. Not one of them has been 00:06:54.949 --> 00:06:58.310 lost except the son of destruction. That the 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:01.490 scripture might be fulfilled but now I am coming 00:07:01.490 --> 00:07:04.389 to you and these things I speak in the world 00:07:04.389 --> 00:07:07.250 that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 00:07:07.750 --> 00:07:10.470 I have given them your word and the world has 00:07:10.470 --> 00:07:13.310 hated them because they are not of the world 00:07:13.310 --> 00:07:17.529 just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:20.720 you take them out of the world. But that you 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:23.519 keep them from the evil one They are not of the 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:26.040 world just as I am not of the world sanctify 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:30.199 them in the truth Your word is truth as you sent 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:33.259 me into the world So I have sent them into the 00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:36.980 world and for their sake I consecrate myself 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:42.860 That they also may be sanctified in truth Did 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:49.199 you hear it there in verse 12 I have not lost 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:51.439 one of them except for the son of destruction. 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:55.800 And yet what have we also read in John 18? Jesus 00:07:55.800 --> 00:08:02.740 says it there. I haven't lost one of them. Chapter 00:08:02.740 --> 00:08:06.639 18 verse nine is fulfilling chapter 17 verse. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:13.279 12, God here, as this band of soldiers and authorities 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:17.259 come at Jesus with clubs and with swords and 00:08:17.259 --> 00:08:21.360 with torches and lanterns, they come at Jesus 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:23.459 and what does Jesus say? He says, hold it right 00:08:23.459 --> 00:08:28.139 there. Whom do you seek? And they say, Jesus 00:08:28.139 --> 00:08:30.980 of Nazareth. And then he says, then let them 00:08:30.980 --> 00:08:34.559 go. You see what happens here. Jesus is showing 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:43.120 his compassionate love for his disciples. And 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:48.159 maybe, maybe this doesn't come through as clearly 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:51.519 for us somehow in the English, but I wonder if 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:54.059 we have a full picture of what's happening here. 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:59.980 When you picture this as the ESV says this band 00:08:59.980 --> 00:09:03.740 of soldiers and some officers a band of soldiers 00:09:03.740 --> 00:09:07.059 and officers Coming towards Jesus and his disciples. 00:09:07.179 --> 00:09:11.840 Do you picture a large group or a small group 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:18.759 a Large group of enemies or a small group Friends 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:21.519 the picture here is actually of a very large 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:25.870 group coming towards Jesus Again, the ESV uses 00:09:25.870 --> 00:09:29.850 this word band of soldiers a more technical term 00:09:29.850 --> 00:09:31.889 that you may have if you're using a different 00:09:31.889 --> 00:09:36.169 translation is a cohort and specifically a cohort 00:09:36.169 --> 00:09:40.850 means something like a tenth of a legion what 00:09:40.850 --> 00:09:44.450 that means is that coming towards Jesus and the 00:09:44.450 --> 00:09:48.710 disciples is not a dozen men and It's not two 00:09:48.710 --> 00:09:52.129 dozen or three dozen. We're talking about hundreds 00:09:52.539 --> 00:09:56.500 soldiers and authorities coming to arrest Jesus 00:09:56.500 --> 00:10:00.159 and his disciples probably something in the neighborhood 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:04.980 of 600 or more coming towards Jesus in this way 00:10:04.980 --> 00:10:08.039 this is a small army they have come to arrest 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:14.100 Jesus and Jesus says stop you have come for me 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:21.370 not for my disciples let them go And in a way, 00:10:21.370 --> 00:10:24.590 isn't this what Jesus does for all of his disciples? 00:10:26.070 --> 00:10:29.289 Isn't it true that Jesus stands in the gap? That 00:10:29.289 --> 00:10:32.309 Jesus goes to bat for us? Throughout the Scriptures 00:10:32.309 --> 00:10:36.409 we see this. We see Jesus battling Satan in the 00:10:36.409 --> 00:10:39.470 wilderness. We see Jesus every step of the way 00:10:39.470 --> 00:10:42.830 saying no to sin and ultimately we see Jesus 00:10:42.830 --> 00:10:46.169 defeating sin and death and the devil on the 00:10:46.169 --> 00:10:53.570 cross. For us. And he does it with compassion 00:10:53.570 --> 00:11:01.470 and with mercy and with love. But Jesus doesn't 00:11:01.470 --> 00:11:04.669 do this just for the disciples in this passage. 00:11:05.309 --> 00:11:09.809 He also does it for his enemies. This is primarily 00:11:09.809 --> 00:11:12.350 in verses four and four through six and 10 through 00:11:12.350 --> 00:11:15.309 11, but I actually want to take you back to Matthew. 00:11:15.820 --> 00:11:19.419 I want you to see how Jesus, in showing compassion 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:23.200 for his enemies, he walks the walk and talks 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:31.059 the talk. Matthew chapter 5, 43 through 44. You'll 00:11:31.059 --> 00:11:33.779 likely remember this within the Sermon on the 00:11:33.779 --> 00:11:36.559 Mount. Jesus says, you have heard that it was 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:41.039 said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.980 enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:50.000 pray for those who persecute you Now where in 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:53.220 the Bible does it say to hate your enemies? I'm 00:11:53.220 --> 00:11:56.820 still looking No, Jesus is saying that's not 00:11:56.820 --> 00:12:00.820 what I'm teaching. I'm telling you to love your 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:04.080 enemies For indeed you remember that as Jesus 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:07.080 is on the cross there as he's giving up his life 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:10.019 He says father forgive them for they don't know 00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:14.679 what they are doing And here Jesus illustrates 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:18.480 that as well. They arrive with lanterns and torches 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:21.100 and weapons and overwhelming force. As I said, 00:12:21.379 --> 00:12:29.039 hundreds of soldiers here with weapons. What 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:34.480 is Jesus' weapon here? It's not a club or a sword. 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:40.539 Jesus' weapon is his word. Look in verses five 00:12:40.539 --> 00:12:46.789 and six. They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. 00:12:47.169 --> 00:12:51.669 And Jesus said to them, I am. You'll notice I 00:12:51.669 --> 00:12:55.909 left off the he there. That pronoun is supplied 00:12:55.909 --> 00:13:00.730 by English translators, but the actual word there 00:13:00.730 --> 00:13:06.309 or words is ego a me. It means I am. Why does 00:13:06.309 --> 00:13:08.950 Jesus respond in this way? When they say we're 00:13:08.950 --> 00:13:11.950 seeking Jesus of Nazareth, he says ego a me, 00:13:11.950 --> 00:13:15.860 I am. What does that mean? That's exactly what 00:13:15.860 --> 00:13:17.759 Jesus has been doing throughout his ministry 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:22.279 according to the gospel of John the I am statements 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:29.659 I am the door I Am the Good Shepherd I Am the 00:13:29.659 --> 00:13:33.120 resurrection and the life I am the way and the 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:36.419 truth and the life Jesus what he's doing here 00:13:36.419 --> 00:13:39.639 when he says I am he's connecting himself with 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:44.679 Yahweh the Heavenly Father God's covenant name. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.840 And what does this do? What effect does it have 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:56.879 upon the people? They fall back and to the ground. 00:13:57.379 --> 00:14:01.080 Jesus' word has that effect on people. It's much 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.480 more powerful than any weapons in the world. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:07.980 Just by saying, a go, a me, they fall to the 00:14:07.980 --> 00:14:17.820 ground. But why? Why is that so powerful? Because 00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:22.659 they are in the presence of holiness. Like Moses 00:14:22.659 --> 00:14:25.360 being told to take off his sandals because he's 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.399 standing on holy ground. Like Ezekiel seeing 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:31.639 the glory of the Lord filling the temple. Like 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:35.080 John in Revelation seeing one like the Son of 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.320 Man and falling at his feet. The very holiness 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:43.720 of God can drop a man. Drop a legion of men. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:49.019 The holiness of God can drop legions of legions. 00:14:51.539 --> 00:14:59.580 Ego e me. I wonder if you remember Martin Luther's 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:03.779 famous hymn, a mighty fortress is our God. Within 00:15:03.779 --> 00:15:08.059 that hymn, there's this line that says, one little 00:15:08.059 --> 00:15:12.559 word shall fail him. And throughout the centuries, 00:15:12.659 --> 00:15:16.419 people have wondered, what's the one little word? 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:20.440 Certainly Luther was reflecting on Psalm 46, 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.299 but what's the one little word? There's all kinds 00:15:23.299 --> 00:15:27.720 of theories out there. Here's mine. It's Yahweh. 00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:33.639 It's the very name of God. There's power in that 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:39.230 name. And it drops them to the ground. And if 00:15:39.230 --> 00:15:43.049 they had the eyes to see these disciples of Jesus, 00:15:43.149 --> 00:15:44.730 if they could have looked around, they would 00:15:44.730 --> 00:15:48.549 have seen something far greater than this army 00:15:48.549 --> 00:15:51.210 before them. It's very much like an Old Testament 00:15:51.210 --> 00:15:55.549 text. Second Kings chapter 6, just listen to 00:15:55.549 --> 00:15:58.610 this. I'll just read three verses. Second Kings 00:15:58.610 --> 00:16:03.710 6, 15 through 17. This is an episode with Elisha. 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:07.000 When the servant of the man of God rose early 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:10.360 in the morning and went out behold an army with 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:14.519 horses and chariots was all around the city and 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:17.360 The servant said alas my master. What shall we 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:21.679 do? And he said do not be afraid For those who 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:24.220 are with us are more than those who are with 00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:28.059 them then Elisha prayed and said oh Lord Please 00:16:28.059 --> 00:16:31.759 open his eyes that he may see so the Lord opened 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:34.679 the eyes of the young man and get this he saw 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:38.960 Behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:43.700 of fire all around Elisha Again, if the disciples 00:16:43.700 --> 00:16:47.799 could have seen this they were supremely protected 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:54.710 by God But this has me thinking, you know, these 00:16:54.710 --> 00:16:57.190 Roman soldiers likely don't know all of this 00:16:57.190 --> 00:17:00.950 Jewish history, but I think that Judas does. 00:17:01.730 --> 00:17:05.089 And so in this moment, with Jesus saying, eh, 00:17:05.109 --> 00:17:07.609 go, eh, me, and everybody falling to the ground, 00:17:07.670 --> 00:17:10.970 you have to wonder, what is Judas thinking? What's 00:17:10.970 --> 00:17:13.930 Jesus gonna do to us? Is Jesus gonna call upon 00:17:13.930 --> 00:17:17.109 a legion of angels? Is Jesus going to send the 00:17:17.109 --> 00:17:19.609 plagues? Is he gonna strike us all dead? What 00:17:19.609 --> 00:17:28.140 does Jesus do? He just asks the question again, 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:36.079 whom do you seek? And I imagine that these soldiers 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:41.799 brush themselves off, maybe clear their throats 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:49.140 and say Jesus of Nazareth. You can see here how 00:17:49.140 --> 00:17:52.019 Jesus shows compassion to these enemies, right? 00:17:53.129 --> 00:17:55.569 He drops them with a word, but he does not drop 00:17:55.569 --> 00:17:57.589 them with swords and clubs and all the like, 00:17:57.589 --> 00:17:59.950 but there is someone who attempts this, right? 00:18:00.410 --> 00:18:02.329 For this is where, this is where it really gets 00:18:02.329 --> 00:18:05.490 interesting here because if you look at Matthew 00:18:05.490 --> 00:18:08.170 and you look at Mark, at this point they apprehend 00:18:08.170 --> 00:18:12.069 Jesus. They seize him and the disciples are looking 00:18:12.069 --> 00:18:14.289 around and one of them or two of them or more 00:18:14.289 --> 00:18:19.769 say, shall we strike back? And we know what Peter 00:18:19.769 --> 00:18:24.920 does. Peter takes his sword and he strikes the 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:27.000 servant of the high priest, Malchus, and he gets 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:32.920 him in the ear. He cuts his ear off. Now why 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:38.720 does Peter do this? Why would anybody strike 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:42.000 someone in the head with a sword? It seems that 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:44.619 he was trying to kill him. This is very much 00:18:44.619 --> 00:18:48.599 a Peter thing to do, right? To act upon impulse. 00:18:50.250 --> 00:18:53.029 But then we need to see what Jesus does to show 00:18:53.029 --> 00:18:56.890 more of that compassion and it's in Luke chapter 00:18:56.890 --> 00:19:06.309 22. Luke 22 and I'm gonna read just 49 through 00:19:06.309 --> 00:19:16.250 51. Notice that the miracle of healing is contained 00:19:16.250 --> 00:19:26.390 here. Luke 22, 49 through 51. And when those 00:19:26.390 --> 00:19:28.930 who around him saw what would follow, they said, 00:19:29.009 --> 00:19:31.630 Lord, shall we strike with the sword? And one 00:19:31.630 --> 00:19:33.410 of them struck the servant of the high priest 00:19:33.410 --> 00:19:36.609 and cut off his right ear, but Jesus said, no 00:19:36.609 --> 00:19:40.890 more of this. And he touched his ear and he healed 00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:47.329 him. Friends, Jesus is getting arrested here. 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.559 Jesus knows he's going to the cross and in these 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:57.160 moments he still takes time to heal. Isn't that 00:19:57.160 --> 00:20:00.700 just a beautiful picture, right? This is the 00:20:00.700 --> 00:20:04.140 picture of your Savior, friends, that his enemies 00:20:04.140 --> 00:20:06.900 are before him, they have come upon him like 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:10.099 he's some sort of violent criminal. Peter strikes 00:20:10.099 --> 00:20:18.079 Malchus' ear and Jesus stops to heal him. While 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:20.819 Jesus is being arrested and ultimately crucified 00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:26.420 his mind is upon others and I believe That his 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:30.319 mind is upon all who would believe in him for 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:36.319 if you're still in John 18 Look at verse 11 Jesus 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:39.960 said to Peter put your sword into its sheath 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:42.940 Shall I not drink the cup that the father has 00:20:42.940 --> 00:20:47.059 given to me? Friends I just talked about how 00:20:47.470 --> 00:20:51.950 Jesus shows compassion to his enemies. We need 00:20:51.950 --> 00:20:55.250 to remember this, that before coming to Christ, 00:20:55.289 --> 00:20:57.650 which is all by the grace of God, we too were 00:20:57.650 --> 00:21:01.470 enemies of God. We're acting in rebellion to 00:21:01.470 --> 00:21:05.750 him, deeply sinful, not caring for him. But again, 00:21:05.789 --> 00:21:09.150 because of the grace and the mercy of God, we 00:21:09.150 --> 00:21:11.970 have been saved. So we are no longer enemies 00:21:11.970 --> 00:21:17.650 of God. We are Jesus' disciples. And for the 00:21:17.650 --> 00:21:22.109 disciples, Jesus says, I need to drink this cup 00:21:22.109 --> 00:21:26.509 from the Father. When we see a cup spoken of 00:21:26.509 --> 00:21:29.329 this way in scripture, it means a cup usually 00:21:29.329 --> 00:21:32.769 of wrath. Jesus knows what's about to happen. 00:21:33.450 --> 00:21:36.269 And this is where theologians get a little bit 00:21:36.269 --> 00:21:38.950 technical and they speak of the active and the 00:21:38.950 --> 00:21:42.109 passive obedience of Jesus. The active obedience 00:21:42.109 --> 00:21:45.650 meaning throughout Jesus' life he never sinned, 00:21:45.769 --> 00:21:50.769 not once, not in thought, not in word, not in 00:21:50.769 --> 00:21:56.549 deed. He actively kept the law for us. But the 00:21:56.549 --> 00:21:58.450 passive obedience is this, and I don't believe 00:21:58.450 --> 00:22:00.869 Jesus does anything passively, this is just a 00:22:00.869 --> 00:22:08.710 term. passively, Jesus allows himself to be apprehended, 00:22:09.710 --> 00:22:13.210 to be beaten, to be tortured, and ultimately 00:22:13.210 --> 00:22:17.690 to be put up on that cross. And there is no objection 00:22:17.690 --> 00:22:21.910 from Jesus. Isaiah 53 .7 certainly is true. He 00:22:21.910 --> 00:22:24.710 opened not his mouth. Matter of fact, according 00:22:24.710 --> 00:22:29.170 to John 18 verse 11, Jesus is the one that says, 00:22:29.750 --> 00:22:38.940 I must drink this. I must drink this. And who 00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:45.259 for? For all of you, for every one of you who 00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:48.619 would believe in Him, Jesus took on your punishment. 00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:56.359 I don't mean to recall sins of yours in the past 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.019 that are forgiven, but if you can, if you can 00:22:59.019 --> 00:23:03.349 do so without despair, think about the sins of 00:23:03.349 --> 00:23:09.670 this month or this week or maybe even this day 00:23:09.670 --> 00:23:14.809 and think about how badly your sin grieves God 00:23:14.809 --> 00:23:22.450 and how God is a just God and sin must be punished 00:23:22.450 --> 00:23:27.470 all of the hatred all of the lies all of the 00:23:27.470 --> 00:23:32.029 violence all of the slander all of the discontentment, 00:23:32.289 --> 00:23:37.549 all of the lust, all of the idolatry. And now 00:23:37.549 --> 00:23:41.750 think about this. It's all been placed on Jesus. 00:23:42.930 --> 00:23:48.009 All of it. That's the cup that he drank. You 00:23:48.009 --> 00:23:51.490 have received compassion. And you have received 00:23:51.490 --> 00:23:57.150 mercy. And Christian, you are deeply loved. And 00:23:57.150 --> 00:24:02.119 yet, Maundy Thursday, It's about a commandment, 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:05.640 a mandate, isn't it? A command to love others 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:08.440 as you have been loved. I don't know who you 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:11.599 need to love this week, and I don't know how 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:13.980 you need to love them, but I do know this, that 00:24:13.980 --> 00:24:17.319 God's word says that they will know you are my 00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:22.980 disciples by your love. Friends, as I begin to 00:24:22.980 --> 00:24:24.940 wrap up, we've been all over the Scriptures this 00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:28.420 evening and the Gospels, and hopefully we've 00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:32.200 had good theology. But the purpose of theology 00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:37.619 is not theology. The purpose of theology is doxology. 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:41.160 And so knowing what Jesus has done, knowing how 00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:44.319 Jesus has laid down his life for you, how he 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:47.240 is atoned for your sins, and all of the punishments 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:51.599 placed upon him, and knowing we are to be obedient 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:57.819 to him, remember what he taught. Remember what 00:24:57.819 --> 00:25:01.920 he taught. Love one another as you have been 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:03.700 loved. Let's pray.