Jesus' Willing Sacrifice
Johns Gospel • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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ANNOUNCEMENT: NEXT WEEK IS OUR IN-HOUSE FELLOWSHIP IN THE AUDITORIUM AT 9:30 am sharp, we look forward to seeing each of you there next week Thursday, March 14
Good morning, ladies and welcome to the best day of your week. Today, we delve into a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 18, verses 1 to 27. This passage captures the intense emotions, the profound teachings, and the ultimate sacrifice that define Jesus' journey to the cross.
Let’s pray: Gracious Father, thank you for showing us a full glimpse of who YOU are through the Lord Jesus Christ our REDEEMER. Thank you that He willingly came to die in our place to be the sacrifice for our sins. Our sins were a dark ugly boltch in each of our stories but now we have been REDEEMED and SET FREE FOREVER, never having our sins count against us. We could never thank you enough for the work that you have done in going all the way to the cross, despising the shame. It is in Your HOLY Name Jesus we give all the thanks and praise you are worthy of.
In these verses, we witness the unfolding drama of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, and Peter's denial. But beyond the narrative, we uncover timeless truths about faith, courage, and the unwavering love of our Savior.
As we explore this passage together, let us open our hearts to the lessons it offers us today. Let us reflect on the courage of Christ, the frailty of humanity, and the profound depth of God's love for each of us.
As we look at John Chapter 18, verses 1 to 27, God calls us to reflect on His love, His unyielding commitment to restore us to Himself, and His fierce anger against sin that will not turn back until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart.
In John 18 we see Jesus in a unique way in a different light, before this time Jesus’ life with His disciples was private, now we see Him leading his disciples into the garden of Gethsemane, the garden ofobedience and submission. The Life of Jesus takes a turn to a public ministry before the whole world. Jesus had no doubts about what was coming next, He knew His purpose, He knew the will of His Father and He was fully onboard to accomplish the will of the Father because Jesus’ will was ONE and the same with the Father.
There was no need for coercion or force of any kind. Jesus said earlier in John 4:34 that His food was to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. There was nothing that could avert that purpose, nothing was necessary to propel Him forward; it was His will to please and glorify the Father. Jesus was a willing sacrifice.
In verses 1-3 we see the betrayal of Jesus unfold-Jesus fully knew what lay before Him, yet He went to the garden in obedience to the Father’s will. He let eight of the men near the entrance, and took Peter, James, and John and went to another part of the garden to pray. His human soul longed for the kind of encouragement and companionship they could give Him at this critical hour, but unfortunetly went to sleep! It was easy for the men to boast about their devotion to Christ, but when the test came, they failed miserably. Before we judge them too severely, however, we had better examine our own hearts.
In verses 4-10 we see Jesus’ controlled power in the soldiers falling to the ground and in contrast Peter who had no power really, uses his sword to try to control the situation. Peter had RECKLESS CONTROL without power in contrast to Jesus’ CONTROLLED FOCUSED POWER. Jesus knew and had told the disciples that His kingdom was not of this world otherwise they would fight but Jesus kingdom was not of this world. Jesus had provided for them and protected them while He was with them on earth, but now He was returning to the Father. They would have to depend on the Holy Spirit and exercise wisdom. Jesus went out in front of the disciples to confront the cohort that Judas signalled to arrest Jesus. Jesus directly says to them “Whom do you seek?” They answer: “Jesus the Nazarene” to which Jesus answers “I AM HE” and they fall to the ground. The same words and actions was repeated in the next two verses with the same results. Then Simon Peter takes actiion.
In verses 11-14 we see Jesus in complete obedience to the Father- Peter had a sword in his hand but our Lord had a cup in His hand. Peter was resisting God’s will, but the Savior was accepting God’s will. The cup that Jesus earlier had prayed would pass from Him represented the suffering He would endure and the separation from the Father that He would experience on the cross. He prayed this prayer 3 times, evidence that His whole being was sensitive to the price He would pay for our salvation. His soul must have been stirred to the depths when He comtemplated being made sin!
So in the middle of these verses we find our DOCTRINE: Substitution// John 18:11 “So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the CUP which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?””
THE DRINKING OF A CUP IS OFTEN USED IN SCRIPTURE TO ILLUSTRATE EXPERIENCING SUFFERING AND SORROW.
SO WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY HIS TWO STATEMENTS IN VERSE 11, WHERE OUR DOCTRINE COMES FROM. FIRST JESUS SAID, “PUT YOUR SWORD AWAY” HE DIRECTED THIS TO PETER TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT HE WAS NOT RESISTING BUT RATHER SUBMITTING TO GOD’S PLAN AND HIS ARREST. JESUS’ BATTLE WOULD NOT BE FOUGHT WITH HUMAN FORCE BUT WON THROUGH DIVINE LOVE AND SACRIFICE. THE WORDS OF 2CORINTHIANS 10:2-4a help us understand that God’s people do not fight HIS BATTLES WITH THE WEAPONS OF THE WORLD, SUCH AS PHYSICAL FORCE OR CAUSTIC WORDS. A SPIRITUAL BATTLE MUST BE FOUGHT WITH GOD’S WEAPONS. JESUS THEN SAID, “SHALL I NOT DRINK THE CUP THE FATHER HAS GIVEN ME? JESUS WILLINGLY DRANK THE CUP OF GOD’S WRATH FOR EVERYONE WHO TRUST HIM FOR SALAVATION. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, DRINKING THE CUP SYMBOLIZED RECEIVING GOD’S JUDGMENT (ISAIAH 51: 17, 22) Faced WITH THIS CUP OF SUFFERING, JESUS DISPLAYED HIS RESOLUTE COMMITMENT TO THE MISSION IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS FATHER (MATTHEW 26:39).
DID IT SURPRISE YOU AS IT DID ME THAT THE DETACHMENT OF SOLDIERS WHO CAME TO ARREST JESUS CAME WITH WEAPONS TO CAPTURE JESUS AND THEY BOUND HIM AS WELL? JESUS WAS BOUND BY MERE HUMAN MEN. JESUS WAS ARRESTED SO THAT SINNER MIGHT BE SET FREE. YOU AND I ARE THE ONES WHO DESERVED TO BE ARRESTED AND BE BOUND LIKE COMMON CRIMINALS BUT NOT THE LORD OF GLORY. ONCE AGAIN WE SEE THAT JESUS WILLING GAVE HIMSELF AS AN OFFERING FOR OUR SINS.
JESUS WAS ABLE TO ACCEPT THE CUP BECAUSE IT WAS MIXED BY THE FATHER AND GIVEN TO HIM FROM THE FATHER’S HAND. HE DID NOT RESIST THE FATHER’S WILL BECAUSE HE CAME TO DO THE FATHER’S WILL AND FINISH THE WORK THE FATHER GAVE HIM TO DO. “I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL, O MY GOD; YEA THEY LAW IS WITHIN MY HEART” Psalm 40:8. Since the FATHER had mxed and measured the contents of the cup, JESUS KNEW HE HAD NOTHING TO FEAR.
YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO PETER’S ENTRANCE INTO THE HIGH PRIEST’S COURTYARD, HOW WOULD A FISHERMAN KNOW THE HIGH PRIEST? AND WHO WAS THAT OTHER DISCIPLE WITH PETER. THE OTHER DISCIPLE WAS MOST LIKELY JOHN WHO FOLLOWED JESUS TO THE RESIDENCE OF THE HIGH PRIEST. JOHN WAS RECOGNIZED AND ALLOWED WITHIN THE COURTYARD, WHILE PETER REMAINED OUTSIDE AT THE DOOR. THE SERVANT GIRL ASKED PETER, “YOU AREN’T ONE OF THIS MAN’S DISCIPLES TOO, ARE YOU?
JESUS’ WILLING SACRIFICE John 18:15-27
Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny Him 3 times, but that he would be restored to fellowship and service. Peter followed the crowd when he should have been fleeing. Had he gone his way, perhaps he would never have denied the Lord. While we certainly admire his love and courage, we cannot agree with his actions, he walked right into temptation. This is what Jesus warned him about in the garden. It was a servant girl who asked Peter first, John 18:17 “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Her question indicates that she expected a negative response and that’s what she got . Peter denied Christ by denying that he belonged to the band of disciples.
Peter remained by the fire so no wonder he was approached again. Another servant girl asked the same questionm again expecting a negative reply. The pronoun they in John 18 :25 suggests that others in the circle around the fire took up the question and one by one hurled at Peter.
The third question came from one of Malchus’s relatives! The Greek construction indicates that he expected an affirmative answer. “I saw you in the garden with Jesus, didn’t I? Yes, I did!” This man had gotten a good look at Peter because he was probably standing with Malchus when Jesus was arrested. Peter was most likely surrounded by challengers. At this point Peter’s resistance broke down completely. He began to “curse and swear” Matthew 26:74 “Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowd.”
DIVISIONS
I. Jesus humble submission 18: 1-14
II. Jesus’ willing sacrifice
PRINCIPLE: JESUS CHRIST’S WILLING SACRIFICE SECURES A NEW BEGINNING FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM
PRINICIPLE: JESUS CHRIST’S HUMBLE SUBMISSION OFFERS THE SUPREME EXPRESSION OF GOD’S LOVE
An outline for John 18: 1-27
The Garden—Obedience 18:1
The Kiss—Treachery 18: 2-9
The Sword—Rebellion 18: 10
The Cup—Submission 18: 11-14
The Fire—Denial 18:15-27
Keep in mind that the crowing of the rooster was the announcement of the dawning of a new day! Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning Psalm 30:5 “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. JESUS knew the future because He is fully God. Peter’s denial of Jesus confirmed what Jesus already knew. We can TRUST GOD’S WORD because He knows and is SOVEREIGN over the past, present and future.
We tend to think we are stonger than we really are, that we are ready to face opposition or to stand up for Christ no matter what but the truth is we need to rely on the Holy Spirit every single minute of every single day. He will help us to know what to say and when to say it as we trust Him DAY BY DAY AND IN EACH PASSING MOMENT. STRENGTH WE FIND TO MEET OUR TRIALS HERE; ALWAYS TRUSTING IN OUR FATHER’S WISE BESTOWMENT, SO THAT WE HAVE NO CAUSE FOR WORRY OR FOR FEAR. HE WHOSE HEART IS KIND BEYOND ALL MEASURE, WE CAN TRUST HE GIVES UNTO EACH DAY WHAT HE DEEMS BEST—LOVINGLY ITS PART OF PAIN AND PLEASURE, MINGLING TOIL WITH PEACE AND REST.
HAVE YOU TRUSTED THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW YOURSELF? WHAT INCONSISTENCES ARE THERE BETWEEN YOUR PRIVATE LIFE AND YOUR PUBLIC LIFE? WHERE DO YOU NEED GOD’S HELP AND STRENGTH TO STAND UP FOR HIM WITH COMPASSION IN TODAY’S CULTURE?
SO in the garden of GESTHSEMANE that night, you will find both GUILT AND GRACE. Peter was guilty of resisting God’s will. Judas was GUILTY OF THE BASEST KIND OF TREACHERY. THE MOB WAS GUILTY OF REJECTING THE SON OF GOD AND TREATING HIM AS THOUGH HE WERE THE LOWEST CRIMINAL.
BUT JESUS WAS GRACIOUS! LIKE KING DAVID, HE CROSSED THE KIDRON, FULLY CONSCIOUS THAT JUDAS WAS BETRAYING HIM. HE WENT INTO THE GARDEN OF GESTHSEMANE SURRENDERED TO THE FATHER’S WILL. HE HEALED MALCHUS’S EAR. HE PROTECTED HIS DISCIPLES. HE YIELDED HIMSELF INTO THE HANDS OF SINNERS THAT HE MIGHT SUFFER AND DIE FOR US.
YOUR “LOVE SO AMAZING, SO DIVINE/ DEMANDS MY SOUL, MY LIFE, MY ALL”
WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND TODAY, THE SWORD OR THE CUP? HOW WILL YOU DEMONSTRATE THE KINDNESS AND GRACIOUSNESS OF GOD WHEN YOU ARE BETRAYED OR REJECTED BY THOSE YOU TRUSTED AND LOVED?
HOW IS GOD CALLING YOU TO OBEDIENCE AND SUBMISSION—OR AWAY FROM REBELLION AND DENIAL THIS WEEK?
LET’S PRAY: Father thank you that your word says in Isaiah 50: 4-11 that Jesus set His face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. Jesus was and is our willing sacrifice who went all the way to the cross to redeem you and me. And what has been given can never be taken away. So we are grateful women to day and together we say THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOR YOU WORK ON THE CROSS. WE COMMIT THIS MORNING TO YOU AND TRUST THAT YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO BE PRESENT IN EACH AND EVERY DISCUSSION GROUP AND THAT WHAT IS SAID WILL BE TO YOUR GLORY. IN JESUS’S MIGHTY NAME, AMEN.