The Price of Sin Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Video — “What is Sin”
Sin — Any thought, word or deed which is contrary to the will of God. In the Greek the word sin is Harmatia which means to miss the mark.
, Every single last person is born a sinner and sins. Every single person has missed the mark…missed God’s standard...perfection.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The glory of God — This reference in Romans has to do with the character of God. Every one of us has missed the mark. We are born sinners, in the image of Adam not God. We are born with an imperfect character which can never relate to God.
To summarize — We can never have a relationship with God because of our sin.
The ugliness of sin is too often covered up by our permissiveness. The horror of it is too often overlooked or dismissed. The consequence of sin is physical and spiritual death. There can be nothing so devastating than physical and spiritual death.
The next time you stand next to a dead body consider this…the unnatural state of the person you see…the lifelessness…if left to its own natural process, the smell, decay and horror of what happens when a human being physically dies…none of that would have ever taken place apart from sin.
The next time you allow yourself to consider hell…a place of eternal torment, regret and suffering…a place of eternal separation from God…it was not created with mankind in mind. It was a place created only for the devil and fallen angels.
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Think about how sin affects God — Sin devastates the heart of the one who loves us most. The One who created us and sent His Son to die for us. It hurts God deeply when we rebel against Him. When we sin, we are in affect telling God, there is something more important to us than you. God knows sin will hurt us…His heart breaks to see us separated from Him and hurting.
Think about a time when you disappointed and hurt someone you loved. The look of hurt in their eyes, the pain in their voice, the brokenness. Multiply that beyond comprehension and you see, hear and understand the hurt your sin causes God.
Sin is rebellion against God. It is literally siding with the enemy against Him. Man decided he wanted to be his own God in the Garden of Eden and every time we sin we are shouting in His face the same thing Adam declared then…I will be my own god, do things my own way and decide what is right and wrong for myself!
Ugliest Part of Sin
Ugliest Part of Sin
But if we want to see the full measure of the ugliness of sin…the most comprehensive and vivid picture we are capable of comprehending this side of heaven…we need look no further than what it did to Jesus.
But if we want to see the full measure of the ugliness of sin…the most comprehensive and vivid picture we are capable of comprehending this side of heaven…we need look no further than what it did to Jesus.
Our sin not only affects us but it affected everyone and everything around us. Ultimately it even affected God’s Son through the cross.
Now we begin to see the journey of Jesus to that cross in this next section of the gospel.
The Arrest
The Arrest
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.
Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
Image of the Garden of Gethsemane
They Left — After Jesus finished praying He and His disciples left the upper room in which we had seen everything unfold between chapters 14-17. The other Gospel writers tell us they went to the Garden of Gethsemane…John simply called it an olive grove.
This was probably a walled in olive grove of some wealthy person who permitted Jesus and His disciples to use it as a place of retreat. We know Jesus often used it for such. And for this reason Judas knew the place well.
Having ‘sanctified himself’ for the sacrificial death immediately ahead, Jesus does to seek to escape his opponents by changing his habits: he goes to the place where Judas Iscariot could count on finding him. Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 577). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
Jesus had consecrated (set Himself apart for holy purpose) Himself to the Father’s plan for His life. He was determined to drink the cup given Him by the Father. We see this determination in the story of the Garden of Gethsemane recorded by the other gospel writers.
Having ‘sanctified himself’ for the sacrificial death immediately ahead, Jesus does to seek to escape his opponents by changing his habits: he goes to the place where Judas Iscariot could count on finding him.
Sin cost Jesus His life. It required that He drink the cup of the wrath of God which was due each and every sinner.
Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 577). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
John doesn’t give us the prayer in Gethsemane…He instead records other facts of the night…giving us a more complete picture of what went on there. In John we see a picture of Jesus as a strong, resolute, determined, courageous, loving man of God, Son of God, who boldly walks in the will of the Father for His life.
Sin cost Jesus His life. It required that He drink the cup of the wrath of God which was due each and every sinner.
Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Image of Judas, Jesus and the soldiers
Judas led two groups to Jesus: a cohort of between 200-600 roman soldiers and some Jewish officials. This combination of Romans and Jewish authorities illustrates the fact…It was the whole world who arrested Jesus. It was the sins of the world which led to His arrest and death.
The Roman and Jewish authorities were fearful of a mob uprising in the arrest of Jesus so they came out in overwhelming force to do so. They brought out lanterns and torches anticipating Jesus might try to hide on the recesses of the garden. They brought weapons, fearful that He might try to fight.
Jesus could have called on legions of angels to rescue Him but He didn’t. He need only call out to the Father and off to heaven He would have gone. But, He knew the will of the Father and offers His life up in obedience.
This combination of Romans and Jewish authorities illustrates the fact…It was the whole world who arrested Jesus. It was the sins of the world which led to His arrest and death.
This impressive and normally intimidating show of force did not have the intended affect on Jesus.
Jesus could have called on legions of angels to rescue Him but He didn’t. He need only call out to the Father and off to heaven He would have gone. But, He knew the will of the Father and offers His life up in obedience.
The Scene Unfolds
The Scene Unfolds
So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,”
to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
Whom do you seek? — Jesus is not seen cowering down behind His disciples nor is He off hiding in the back of the garden. He steps forward and says,’ “Whom do you seek?” How He already knew who they were seeking. He had a purpose in the question…but we will get back to that shortly.
They said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” The answer Jesus gives is translated in our English Bibles as “I am He.” But in reality what He said in the greek was, “I AM.” Jesus was identifying Himself as the man they were seeking as well as the God/Messiah they were looking for.
Jesus manifests His glory — Upon speaking these words Jesus manifests His glory in the veil of His flesh. That is to say, He manifested His glory while still in His flesh.
Image of soldiers falling to the ground
It may have been a glimpse of something similar to what the disciples saw upon the mount of transfiguration or it may have just been an overwhelming presence…but whatever it was that these men experienced…they drew back and fell to the ground.
So Jesus asks the question again, “Whom do you seek?” — they again say, “Jesus the Nazarene” and He says, “I told you I am He; so if you seek me, let these go their way.”
Now we get to the reason Jesus asked them who it was they were seeking. Jesus was protecting His disciples. He said, “If you seek me, let these men go their way.” This was a fulfillment of His words in He is keeping them safe physically and in the process protecting their young faith in Him.
“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Peter
Peter
Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Jesus was sanctified; He was set apart unto the will of the Father. Peter was not. Peter had his own plans…plans which he had already on occasion voiced in the presence of Jesus and the other disciples. He had made it clear that Jesus was not going to be captured, tormented, tortured and killed on his watch.
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Now is the time when the rubber met the road. They were coming for Jesus and Peter could not deny himself, his plans and what he wanted. He could not take up his cross and die to self…self came alive in all its ugliness when Peter took his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus the servant of the High Priest.
The French speak of a disease which they call La Maladie du moi, or "Me-sickness." The disciples were troubled with that disease; they were too much concerned with themselves. Despite all the strides science has made, it has offered no vaccine to combat this deadly ailment. The only remedy that has ever been effective was that offered by the Great Physician. His love engenders selflessness for selfishness in the heart of man, and "Me-sickness" vanishes
The French speak of a disease which they call La Maladie du moi, or "Me-sickness." The disciples were troubled with that disease; they were too much concerned with themselves. Despite all the strides science has made, it has offered no vaccine to combat this deadly ailment. The only remedy that has ever been effective was that offered by the Great Physician. His love engenders selflessness for selfishness in the heart of man, and "Me-sickness" vanishes
This is a picture of the true nature of sin in all its ugliness. Even when God’s Son, the most holy, perfect, loving man who ever lived is trying to die for his sins Peter was determined that if Jesus was going to save the world that He do it Peter’s way.
So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Our sin was going to cost Jesus His life. It required that He drink the cup of the wrath of God which was due each and every sinner. He had sanctified Himself for this purpose…Set Himself apart to obey the plan of the Father for the salvation of the world. He was determined to drink every drop of the cup the Father placed in His hand.
He tells Peter to put the sword away and let Him drink the cup. And in this statement we see the love necessary to remedy our problem with sin. Jesus paid it all to save us…He loved us that much…It took perfect love sacrificing all to save us from the ugly, indescribable wickedness that is our sin.
And herein ends part one of the cost of our sin…The Son of God is arrested
Conclusion
Conclusion
A pagan artisan once manufactured a goblet in the bottom of which there was fixed the model of a serpent. Coiled for the cruel spring, a pair of burning eyes in its head, its fangs ready to strike, it lay beneath the ruby wine. The cup was of gold, and chastely wrought without. Never did the thirsty man who lifted the cup to quench his thirst and quaff the delicious draught suspect what lay below, till, as he reached the dregs, that dreadful head rose and gleamed with terror and menace before his eyes. It is not when you look on the brimming cup of temptation and sin that you see its power to hurt you. It is when the cup is empty that the serpent of remorse, guilt, despair, and punishment rises with its ghastly menace upon the astounded soul.
Too often we lose sight of the cost of our sin…what it cost us and more importantly, what it cost God…what it cost His Son.
We could never deserve the love of God, sacrifice of His Son nor the promise of eternal life in Him.
We are born pathetic. We had made our choice! We sinned against God…Like Judas we were standing with His enemies against Him. From birth we participate in the most scandalous rebellion that will ever be…the war against God.
Do you recognize the ugliness and cost of your sin? Does it bother you as it should when you sin?
Our sin was grotesque and God could never be in the presence of sin so we were without any semblance of hope for rescue…until love in the heart of God moved Him to choose us…to send His Son to die for our sins and save us.
Do you think much on the love that moved God to sacrifice His Son for our sins?
The price of sin was the arrest of the Son of God and this is just the beginning of the horror of what He endured to rescue us.
Jesus was and is a strong, courageous, powerful and sanctified man...set apart for the Farther’s will, even if that meant a cruel death on the cross.
He took all of our sins upon Himself…took all of the wrath due us for those sins upon Himself…He became a curse so we could participate in the glory of God. Sin is ugly but God is good,
Don’t be a Peter this morning. Stop trying to meet God on your own terms…just allow the brokenness to overwhelm you…be broken over your sin…believer or unbelievers alike…allow God to break and heal your heart this morning as He brings to mind the ugliness of your sin and the beauty of His Cross.
You see the love of God…you are a witness to His sacrifice…admit your sin, turn from it…turn to Jesus…commit your life to Him…turn to Jesus and leave your sin.