Sermon Tone Analysis

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Peter

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.

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."