Sermon Tone Analysis

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

We are not as strong as we think we are.

I wonder if that is the reason why Jesus took children put them in the centre of his circle of disciples and said unless you receive the kingdom f God like a child, can’t enter in.

That dependence that trust, recognition of weakness on our part but trust in God’s strength.

While this sermon is not about baptism per se, so clearly see the dynamics of what it means to be baptized into Christ - to make his death and resurrection , his cross and the empty tomb - risen life - our idenity by faith!

Last Sunday we were orinetated to take this trip - by paying attention to great facts : The TIME, and the ENEMY.

The time is the PASSOVER - something humbling about that for every OT believer on night of the Pasvoer around those tables, why is this night more special than others - WE WERE SLAVES - this is an acknowledgment a confession of from where we spring - of what’s in our heritage, even in our genes.

And it is so interesting that Jesus only here calls Peter by his pre-Christian name … only in hs call before He follows Jesus is Peter called Simon, who was called Peter.

Luke calls him Peter through out the book, but here just after they have argued about who’s the greatest - Here just when Petper is about to say - I don’t need your prayer Jesus, I don’t need your strengthening.

Jesus, I will go to prison and even to death standing with you.

Thanks but no thanks I am fine on my own.

But Jesus has dire sad hard news for Peter before he heads to the Cross.

It is a devestating annoucement that Jesus is making not just to Peter, but in fact to all in that room, and all in this room: Look at it in the original language You PL. .

As we follow Jesus to the Cross this morning, you need to hear Him alerting you to the central crisis not for Jesus in his tiral or going to the Cross, but of your own soul with th devil And you need to be alerted to the only solution to that crisis that each one of us must face with the devil!

Key Truth: Satan will sift us all, but Jesus’ prayer and interecession will save us and send us to strengthen others!

A. Satan has an Ultimatum Against You

A. Satan has a Legit Ultimatum Delivered to God that Would Sink Us and Our World into Separation from God

Imagine Peter’s shock - got a new name - ahead of the others in faith, jumped out of the boat, and in recognizing Jesus as the very Son of God and the Messiah of the world.

Ahead of the others in recgonizing suffering and ready to go there with him.

He feels pretty good about himself.

And actually as the represetnative of faith, of all the apostles, as the one who on the day of Pentecost would be the key witness explain - what noone could get from Scirpture - Crucified, DIed, RISEN!

So much rides on Peter and these apostles.

But when you see the kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of grace like Jesus does, and then you look at someone like Peter or you or me.

When you see like Jesus does, got to say, Peter, Harry , Payton, you me - you are not as strong as you think you are!

And Jesus calls Peter by his pre-Christian name - Simon, Simon.

So much affection and intimacy in that double name - Like Martha, Martha, or Saul, Saul - but Jesus is also saying, I know your nature - what’s behind the facade you put up to the others… , and exposing that nature, Jesus then goes on to inform him in most dramatic fashioin that Satan has written up a ticket - a charge, that demnds God Almighty Judge of All - to sift and bringi nto judgment.

Ever get a parking ticket butnot find it - wonder are they going to tow my car, Happened to me - outstanding fine and didn’t even know it!

And imagine those consequences wer more severe, Imagine had a twin separated at birth, caught on tape murdering someone, and he disappears but they want you!

Well, Jesus is annoucneing to Peter that he doesn’t have a twin , but Satan who, both in Job, but also in later Judaism - is the accuser, He is a heavenly being that actually serves a legal function for God, and Peter he has demanded, that I surrender you to God’s justice.

Well do you think that it is any different for us, it is ‘

‘You-all’ plural

Revelation calls Satan the accuser of God’s people.

Do you knot think that you too must under go this trial.

Listen to

And Satan he has the outcome in mind that you can’t resist without Christ:

Sifting:

Do you know how sifting worked back then.

Winnowing really - ANE - even today: have big circlular net: in goes the grain with the husk and some stones and dirt and dust from the ground.

And up it goes and the dust and some of the dirt fly away in the wind.

And up it goes again but this time right to left motion, and there goes the heavier stones to the outside, thier goes the heaveirr chaff so that tht egood grain stays in the middle.

And Satan applies to do this to us, already got Judas, he wants all of us now too, this is Staan’s biggest delight to separate God from the people he loves.

IE C S Lewis Great Divorce Hell pictured as a place people want to get as far from eahc other as they can - and especially God.

And even strong Peter is stuck in that kindo f spearation from God in Satan’s trial - Jesus doesn’t pray to stop that trial - Peter must udner go it - and boy does He ever hurt Jesus, grieves the Holy Spirit - so do you and I - live life without God whtiut Christ.

And boy is he ever alone and teatering in despair at his failure.

And so in this kngdom battle, in this context of the plea of Satan the SAccuser, against us must - accept what Jesus is doing and saying: Satan has this rightful plea against us.

- First work of the Holy Spirit - bring conviction of sin - and can say to Satan, yes even more than you know.

This one thing that baptism teaches us, like OT sign of the covenant of grace, of salvation that is by faith and not works.

Both have a sgin of this judgment and death in them The flesh, the old nature, the sinful nature - Smion Simon part of your life and my life, is seen as needing to be cut away and off and thrown away as unclean.

Blood and pain.

And in baptism - we have a sign of Christ dath here too - like going down into the water - die to sin, drown it, water is a picture of the once for blood spilled - sacrfice - now no more blood - but union with the death of Christ.

And in our baptism, just like with Payton this morning, we are acknowledging that’s Satan ultimatum his charge against is real and we are helpless against it - not just those who have done really really bad things, but all of us in this trial would go under - sinful nature, corrupt, root and radux of ou life - and we would be subject to the wrath yea the condemnation of God -DO you acknowledge this?

Jesus is about to go to the Cross, and this is what is foremost on his mind after the Supper.

He is showing that unless smoething else happens, by grace and by faith, we are lost forever to Satan and separated from GOd, and our faith and standing with Jesus cannot stand!

What is this something else, why don’t people immersed in baptism stay down in the water - why do they rise , what is the point that says, no not just sinner and sin justly and fully punished, but paid in full , new life?

What is the symbolism of this water falling like the HOly SPirit that Peter on the day of Pentecost said in baptism, this promises is for you and your children, and for all who are far fof whom the Lord our God will Call.

See that there is more at the Cross than condmenation for us!

What is it

B. Jesus Interposes on Satan’s Plea to Save Us

Imagine it now, you have that legal charge against you in God’s court, there’s the evidencemy sinful nature, liek that parking ticket and there is Satan like lacherous lawywer thining got you tied up in knots you are mine.

Away from Jesus, away form Life.

But suddenly the doors at the bac of the court house wing open and in walk s Jesus with another piece of official looking paper.

And here we must see that the story of Job, whom God allowed Satan to test, needs a better ending, a gospe ending.. As a OT shadow its there in part - Elihu steps in and sasy something so different than those false counsel of Job’s friends, Look at that how Elihu mildly rebukes JOb not for sining and that’s the reason for his suffering, but for questioning God’s mercy.

Elihu paintss a picture of us suffering adn then our soul being dragged down tot he pit, but then he says:

Elihu says in

Why JOb propehtiecally I think cries out:

Job says in

Many think this is speaking of Jesus at the final resurrection, but listen.

Now with the same trial facing each of us, Jesus at the centre of history not the end, now in the flesh the Redeemer has come - and this Jesus is ready to take on the spiritual litigation that Satan is holding like flimsy parking ticket, Do undertand what Jesus is announceing to Peter.

Staan may have a claim against you as Simon, but Peter, the thing that makes you different han Judas - the reason why Satan can not have his vicotry with you, is what: Says in Gk with empatic I - the big deal isn’t Satan’s claims but what the Messiah does in repsonse!

CAn you come to the Cross longing to see this?

Nothing in Peter’s character, record or strength.

But everything in Jesus - and Jesus has prayed for him that what - Peter’s faith may not fail.. That’s the difference Judas had no faith.

And even Peter’s faith would fail if Jesus would not interpose HIs plea and pray for Him.

This was the reason the Son of God had to come into the world for our salvation:

Jesus was coming paying the ransom on the Cross - he comes paying the aquital.

Understand that this prayer that Jesus has for His people, for all who’s faith is in him, This is the real sifting.

Satan wanted to take the good kernels out and destory them away from God.

But God is the one who really does the sifting and it is through times of trial - and those times of trial would eat us up, if not for our Redeemer.

But look at what the OT prophesied about this sifting.

Satan deosn’t do the sifting but God.

The context is that in the trial God would not allow one of HIs dear follwers to fall away.

Jesus has prayed that our faith would not abate, that we would keep trusting God in the trial, even and especially when we fall.

Oh Jesus would be thrown out of the seive for us, he would under go the spearation beteween God and ma, hell - on the Cross… but

Just like Satan’s plea definite particular time, so too is Jesus prayer, - not a continuous action, but on basis of His work on the Cross, definite prayer , intercession that changes everything!

C. Jesus’ Sustaining our Faith & Granting Repentance, Sends us on Mission

And that is why The end of is not a question, it is not a maybe - it is when , when you turn - repentance… given - turned back to me, may fail but not ultimately afll, may loose a battle but never the war…

C> And that is why The end of is not a question, it is not a maybe - it is when , when you turn - repentance… given - turned back to me, may fail but not ultimately afll, may loose a battle but never the war…

This is the other thing that baptism pictures not just the condemnation of our sins on the Cross of Christ, but this return from the Cross where Christ won our acquittal, this turning again - in new life to serve him.

And the interesting thing here is that though, Christ prays for all who truly believe in general, for all HIs people, he dies according to

Who did Jesus see & whose names are written on his heart?

with your name on his heart.

Inscribed there - hem akes his payment for you - sees you flourishing in new life.

There is animportant question - didJesus just die with no in particularl on his mind, or did he have the names of every redeemeed sinner on his heart: he prayed for you, he saw you truipmhing as he took on your sin:

In HIs prayer Jesus is saying, ven as He would on the Cross, don’t do it them, do it to me.

THough the you’s in v.31 are all plural - for all believers who will go through the trial.