Emory Baptist Church

Why is Your Net Empty?

In one regard, we come to John 21, and it is anticlimactic because it serves as an epilogue or an addition to the ending of this gospel account. Jesus has already been resurrected in chapter 20, and that is certainly the climax of the Christian story. 

 

However, there is still much that we can learn from this last chapter, and is testifies to the authenticity of John’s eye-witness account.  We spend today and next Sunday finishing this fourth gospel of our New Testament. 

 

Let me remind you of what happened in chapter 20.  It was Sunday morning after Jesus was crucified on Friday.  First, Mary and Peter and John found an empty tomb.

 

Second, Mary spoke to the resurrected Jesus.  She thought He was the gardener or caretaker of the garden tomb.

 

Third, Jesus appeared to the scared disciples in an upper room on Sunday night.  Fourth, a week later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again.  This time, Thomas was present and verified that the Jesus who had been crucified was now alive.

 

Fifth, John 20:30-31 reminded us of the purpose of John’s writing. 

 

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

Do remember these 7 signs in John’s Gospel?  1. Jesus turned water into wine (2); 2. Jesus healed the nobleman’s son from a distance (4); 3. Jesus healed the paralyzed man after 37 years (5); 4. Jesus fed 5,000 with two fish and five loaves (6); 5. Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm (6); 6. Jesus healed the man who was born blind (9); and 7. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (11).

 

In the first half of John 21, I want to show three pictures to you.  I want you to see a picture of futility, a picture of prosperity, and a picture of unity.  Then, at the end, I want to ask you, “Why is your net empty?”

 

 

1. A Picture of Futility, John 21:1-3

1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”  They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

 

Verse 1 tells us that after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples on other occasions.  This particular occasion occurred in Galilee. 

 

Remember that Jesus had told His disciples to go there, and that He would see them there in Matthew 28:10.  Galilee was north of Jerusalem, and the Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee.

 

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

 

Verse 2 tells us that those present were Peter, always mentioned first as the unofficial leader of the twelve.  There was also Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other unnamed disciples. 

 

In verse 3, Peter decided to go fishing.  Remember that was his profession before he left everything to follow Jesus.  If he was waiting on Jesus, and wasn’t sure what else to do, it would make total sense that he would fall back on what he knew best. 

 

The others agreed to go as well.  We also know that James and John were professional fishermen too.

 

They went out on the Sea of Galilee at night because that was when fish were known to be active in feeding.  However, pay close attention to the end of verse 3. 

 

They caught nothing…not one single, solitary fish.  These were professional fishermen who had been doing this for a long time.  It was the family business, and yet, this is a stark picture of futility.

 

 

1. A Picture of Prosperity, John 21:4-8

4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”  They answered Him, “No.”  6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.  7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.

 

The disciples had been on the water the entire night, and it was now getting close to dawn or sun up, and they had caught nothing.  Verse 4 tells us that Jesus was on the shore, but they didn’t know it was Him. 

 

Maybe He was too far away.  Maybe the water was splashing in their faces.  Maybe it was because of the darkness giving way to sunlight, but He yelled at them and told them to cast on the right side of the boat.

 

In one regard, you wonder why they would do what He said if they simply thought it was some stranger yelling at them.  However, on the other hand, what could it hurt if they hadn’t caught anything all night long? 

 

So they did it, and look what happened in verse 6.  They were not able to haul in the net because of all of the fish they had caught. 

 

Now why did Jesus tell them to cast on the right side?  Was it because He could see a school of fish there?  No, He caused the fish to be there.

 

By the way, one of the great truths of this story is that God blesses obedience.  When Peter and the others did what God the Son told them to do, God the Son blessed them with an enormous mess of fish.

 

Brothers and sisters, don’t ever doubt this truth.  God blesses our obedience.  Do you want God’s blessings in your life and on your life?  Do whatever He tells you to do through His Word!

 

When this happened, John knew immediately it was Jesus, and he told Peter.  Peter acted instinctively and jumped into the water and started swimming to Jesus. 

 

The other disciples stayed in the boat and hauled in the net full of fish that they had caught after casting on the right side doing what Jesus told them to do.  This is a picture of prosperity.

 

 

• A Picture of Unity, John 21:9-14

9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”  11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.  14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

 

In verse 9, Jesus evidently had supplied His own fish and bread, and we know He can do that, but He asked the disciples to bring some of their fish as well.  Why?  Because God has chosen to partner with us in accomplishing His will.  Yes, He can do it all, but we get to be join Him in this picture of unity. 

 

God can cause the whole world to be saved in a nanosecond.  However, His plan is for us share the gospel, and He will open hearts.  We join Him in that work.

 

God can accomplish anything, anytime, anyhow.  However, His plan is for us to pray, and He will bring His will to pass.  We join Him in that work. 

 

We know that John’s account is an eye-witness account because of the details.  He chronicled 153 fish that were caught that day. 

 

Is that a special number or have some special meaning?  I think it only means that John was there and saw it with his own eyes and wrote about it with own hand. 

 

By the way, don’t miss the end of verse 11.  Although there were so many fish, the net was not broken. 

 

It seems that John is saying that normally, a catch of that size would break the net.  This time, it didn’t. 

 

When we are obedient, God will work beyond what we think is normal or reasonable.  Paul said something similar in Ephesians 3:20.

 

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

 

So think about this related to our FLC and John 21:11. Normally, a church our size wouldn’t be able to raise the money, and normally, the net would have broken on a catch that size.

 

However, when they didn’t what Jesus said, God worked beyond what they thought was normal.  When we do what God says with our finances, I believe that God will work beyond what we think is normal.  Paul said He can do more than we ask or even think according to the power that works in us. 

 

What power is that?  The Holy Spirit is in in us, and our job is to obey His leading. 

 

In verses 12-13, these men had breakfast as Jesus had provided for them.  This was now then the third time that He had appeared to this group after the resurrection. 

 

The first was when Thomas was not there.  The second was with Thomas, and now this. 

 

 

Conclusion

So here is what I want to ask you this morning.  Why is your net empty? 

 

Is your salvation net empty because you’re casting on the self-righteous side of the boat instead of the trust Jesus side of the boat?  Call on Him to save you today.

 

Is your ministry net empty because you’re casting on the self-seeking side of the boat instead of the honor God side of the boat?  Ministry isn’t about you.  It’s about honoring Him and giving Him glory.

 

Is your marriage net or your parenting net empty because you’re casting on the self-serving side of the boat instead of the serve other side of the boat? 

 

Marriage is about serving your spouse.  You can teach your kids about leadership by modeling for them servant leadership. 

 

That’s what Jesus did when He died on the cross.  He served me and you by giving up self. 

 

If your net is empty this morning, would you throw it on the Jesus side?  If you will, you’ll be blessed beyond measure.

Our Substitute

Let me begin this morning with a question.  “What are you willing to do to preserve the life of the person sitting next to you?” 

 

If it is your spouse or your child, you would probably be willing to give your life, but would you be willing give your life for the person close by who is not your spouse or your child?  Most of us would not, and this is normal, but today, we look closely at the abnormal.

 

Last Sunday, we saw Jesus undergoing His Roman Trial at the hands of Pontius Pilate.  Today, we continue with that trial in John 19:1-16. 

 

It is Friday morning, and Jesus is at Pilate’s residence, and the Jewish religious leaders are outside demanding Jesus’ death by crucifixion.  Pilate doesn’t really want to act on this issue, but he is in between a rock and a hard spot.

 

 

1. The Humiliation by the Soldiers, John 19:1-3

1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.  2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.

 

Because Pilate didn’t want to sentence Jesus to death, he thought that beating Him and humiliating Him would pacify the Jews.  Therefore, he had Him scourged or beaten. 

 

Jesus’ hands were locked down on a stump with His back exposed, and two Roman soldiers took turns beating Him with a “cat of nine tails.”  This instrument had a wooden handle with strips of leather extending from it.  At the end of each leather strip were bits of metal or bone or glass and would tear the flesh into bloody strips.  Many criminals didn’t survive this flogging as these Roman soldiers beat Him up to 39 times. 

 

They then took a vine of thorns and twisted into a crown.  These thorns may have been 3 inches in length and pressed this crown down on Jesus’ head penetrating His scalp. 

 

At this time, they were also beating Him and slapping Him and spitting on Him.  Finally, they took a purple robe from nearby and draped it over His back and mocked Him as “King of the Jews.”

 

 

1. The Presentation of a King, John 19:4-7

4 Pilate came out again and *said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.”  5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!”  6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”  7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

 

Again, we see in verse 4 that Pilate didn’t want to execute Jesus.  He was hoping that a severe beating would get the Jews off his back. 

 

Therefore, he presented the bloody Jesus to them, but they wouldn’t have it as they responded to the presentation of Jesus with chants of “Crucify Him.”

 

Now for the third time, Pilate told them that Jesus was innocent.  He did it in 18:38. He did it again in 19:4.  This is now the third time here in 19:6. 

 

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

 

4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

 

6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

 

Pilate knew the truth, but he refused to act on the truth.  His lack of action was an action in and of itself. 

 

By the way, if you think your defense before God someday will be that you didn’t reject His Son, it won’t work.  If you don’t receive Jesus, then you are rejecting Jesus.

 

The Jews then told Pilate that Jesus had broken their law of blasphemy.  He claimed to be the Son of God and equal to God. 

 

For that, they believed Jesus was guilty of breaking the OT Law.  See Leviticus 26:14.

 

16 And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death.

 

 

• The Condemnation from the Jews, John 19:8-16

8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 9 and he entered into the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.  10 So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”  11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”  12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”  13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.  14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”  15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”  16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

 

Verse 8 tells us that Pilate became more afraid.  He was afraid that He was making a big mistake.  He began to wonder exactly who Jesus was. 

 

Jesus claimed to be a King and the Son of God, and remember that Pilate’s wife had a disturbing dream about Jesus.  See Matthew 27:19. 

 

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

 

Therefore, Pilate began to question Him again or interrogate Him, and initially Jesus remained silent fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53.

 

In verse 11, Jesus finally responded after Pilate had grown frustrated with His silence.  Jesus reminded Pilate that all authority comes from God, and he would have no authority if it weren’t for God. 

 

We see here in this 11^th verse there is nothing beyond the control of God.  We may not understand it, but God is over all things. 

 

We also learn from verse 11 that there may well be degrees of sin.  All sin is unholy and an abomination to a holy God, but Jesus talked about a greater sin. 

 

I would suggest that He is talking about Caiaphas.  Caiaphas was the Jewish high priest and had the Old Testament Law to point him to the Messiah.  Yet, he missed it by handing Jesus over to Pilate to be executed. 

 

The Jews then made Pilate choose.  They gave him only two options.  He could choose to execute Jesus and follow their desires or he could release Him and be at odds with Caesar. 

 

For Pilate, his choice was clear.  He wanted nothing to do with the animosity of Caesar.  Therefore, he sentenced Jesus to be crucified.

 

In verse 13, after seeing and hearing that the Jews were not backing down, he brought Jesus one final time and put Him before the people.  It was mid morning on Friday, and he gave them their king.      

 

They responded with “Crucify Him.”  That word “crucify” or some form of it is in this text on 7 different occasions. 

 

This text is about Jesus being crucified, and so Pilate handed Jesus over for just that.  It is so strange that in verse 15, the Jews pledged their support to a Gentile, oppressive king and rejected their promised Messiah.

 

 

Conclusion

Let me be as simple as I can.  Today’s message is that Jesus went through all of this for you.  He died for you.  We owe God because of our sin, but yet, we have no means to pay God, but Jesus does. 

 

He lived a perfect, sinless life, and died in your place and for you sins.  He was our substitute. 

 

To receive Him as Lord and Savior is to have forgiveness of sins, heaven, and eternal life.  See Romans 5:8.

What Are You Doing with the Truth?

and denied in the wee hours of Friday morning.  He was taken to the house of Annas, the high priest emeritus where an informal trial was conducted sometime before daylight. 

 

This morning, we pick up in John 18:28, but John has left out something the other gospel writers included.  Remember, Jesus had two official trials. 

 

We are going to see the beginning of His Roman Trial today, but before that, He had a religious trail that was conducted by Caiaphas, the high priest, and son-in-law of Annas. 

 

The result of that trial was that Jesus was condemned to die because He claimed to be God.  However, the Jews couldn’t authorize capital punishment.  Therefore, John doesn’t include those details, and he jumps straight to Jesus’ Roman Trial.

 

 

1. The Examination of the King, John 18:28-32

28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”  30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”  31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”  Therefore, the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 

 

Verse 28 begins with “they.”  These were the religious Jews who had Jesus arrested and brought to trial before Caiaphas.  Now, it is probably close to 6 AM, and they led Jesus from Caiaphas’ residence into the Praetorium or the hall of judgment. 

 

In verse 29, Pilate, the Roman governor at the time, greeted them and asked what their accusations of Jesus were.  Again, under Roman law, the Jews had no authority to execute anyone except by stoning, but that is not what they wanted for Jesus. 

 

They wanted Him crucified, and so they needed the judgment of Pilate.  Interestingly enough, by wanting Him crucified, they were fulfilling prophecy.  If they stoned Jesus, surely He would have suffered broken bones, but according to Psalm 34:20, that could not happen to the Messiah.  The Messiah was to be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent according to John 3:14. 

 

Psalm 34:20, 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

 

John 3:14, 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

 

Why did these religious Jews want Jesus put to death?  Go back to Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas in Mark 14:60-64.  Jesus equated Himself with God, and to these Jews, that constituted blasphemy. 

 

Mark 14:60-64, 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”  62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”  63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

 

 

1. The Explanation of His Kingdom, John 18:33-38

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”  35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”  36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”  Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

 

Beginning in verse 33, we see a somewhat private conversation between Pilate and Jesus as Pilate, the Roman governor, asked Jesus some questions.  The first question is if He was King of the Jews.  Jesus answered that question with a question, and then explained about His Kingdom.

 

Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world.  Otherwise, His followers would be fighting right now for His release.  However, they weren’t, and then Jesus recounted in verse 37 why He came into this world.  It was to testify to the truth.

 

So if we were to answer Pilate’s question this morning, what would you say.  The world around us today would say that truth is relative, and in some contexts, that is correct. 

 

For example, I am a tall person.  This is truth relative to any of my daughters.  However, it is not true compared to anyone who is taller than six feet.

 

Truth is also absolute.  Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.  Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  There is no wavering on these scientific realities. 

 

Here is a truth: Jesus is different.  When Pilate was questioning Jesus in private, we know that he was concerned about Jesus being a king because that threatened Pilate’s kingdom.  However, Jesus’ kingdom is not political but peaceful. 

 

Jesus wasn’t a threat to the Roman government.  However, He could have summoned His followers to fight or battle on His behalf, but He didn’t.  His kingdom was about peace and heaven and eternal life. 

 

Jesus is different, and as a result, His followers are called to be different.  When it comes to money, as followers of Christ, we are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth.  When it comes to marriage, our spouse is our ally rather than our adversary.  When it comes to meaning in this life, we find our purpose in our Savior rather than sex or substances or success. 

 

Jesus is different, and His followers are to be different as well.

 

 

• The Emancipation of a Criminal, John 18:38-40

39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

 

In verse 38, Pilate went back out to the Jews, and even though he didn’t find any fault with Jesus, he let the Jews choose what to do with Him, and they chose to emancipate or release a criminal.

 

The text says his name was Barabbas.  That was actually like calling him John Doe.  Barabbas means son of a father, and this man was more than a robber. 

Barabbas was a terrorist, who had murdered and stolen.  However, he was released, and Jesus’ Roman Trial will continue next week in John 19. 

 

 

Invitation

Before we close, I need for us to go back to Pilate’s profound question, “What is truth?”  Pilate’s experience with Jesus is fascinating and unfortunate. 

 

Pilate asked about the truth.  Some of you have asked about the truth and what is truth.  You want to know what the world says and what the Bible says.

 

Pilate also associated with the truth.  He associated with Jesus in this trial, and every Bible ever printed records Pilate’s association with the truth. 

 

Again, some of you associate with truth.  You come to church.  You are in a family full of Christians. 

 

However, Pilate never accepted the Truth.  He never accepted the truth that God is holy, man is sinful, and Jesus is the only way to God.  He never accepted Jesus and His Lord and Savior.  What about you?

 

Second Chances

This morning, we are in John 18:12, and we have now ventured into the wee hours of Friday morning, and 600 plus Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, and that is where we pick up today’s story. 

 

As we continue in John 18 this morning, we are going to be seeing two different scenes that took place at the same time.  The first scene is with Jesus and Annas and Caiaphas and John.  The second scene is with Peter.

 

 

14. Jesus was detained, John 18:12-14.

12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

 

In verses 12-14, we see that Jesus was detained or arrested or incarcerated.  The Roman cohort did not arrest Jesus disciples as they fled, but they did arrest Jesus, and they bound Him probably meaning that His hands were tied behind His back.

 

In verse 13, we see that the first place Jesus was led was the residence of Annas.  Who was Annas?  Evidently, he was the high priest emeritus.  Even though he wasn’t the acting high priest, he still exercised a lot of influence as his daughter’s husband was the acting high priest.

 

It seems that Annas saw Jesus first in an informal setting.  You might even think of this like we see on television when detectives interrogate suspects in the police station. 

 

Jesus would experience two trials on this Friday.  The first was at the hands of the religious leaders, and the second was at the hands of the Roman leaders.  The religious trial was conducted by Caiaphas.  The Roman trail was conducted by Pilate. 

 

Notice one last item in verse 14.  John reminded us that it was Caiaphas who prophesied that Jesus would die on behalf of all the people.  See John 11:49-52.

 

49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

 

I made this point last week, but it certainly bears repeating.  Jesus died for the sins of the world.  He died physically so that you and I would not have to die spiritually if we confess Him as Lord and Savior.

 

Always remember that.  Jesus died for your sins and my sins.

 

 

24. Jesus was demeaned, John 18:19-24.

19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed, they know what I said.”  22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”  23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”  24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 

 

Skip down to verse 19. Jesus was before Annas, the high priest emeritus.  Annas questioned Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine or teaching. 

 

Jesus spoken plainly and told him that He taught openly and in the Jewish synagogues and in the temple.  He taught nothing in secret. 

 

After His answer, one of those soldiers present evidently thought Jesus was being disrespectful to Annas and hit Jesus in the face.  Jesus was demeaned. 

 

However, Jesus responded by asking what He had done wrong for which there was no answer.  In verse 24, Annas sent him on for His official religious trial with the Jewish religious leaders which would be conducted by Caiaphas, the sitting high priest.

 

 

• Jesus was denied, John 18:15-18, 25-27.

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”  He said, “I am not.”  18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

 

25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore, they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”  He denied it and said, “I am not!”  26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

 

Not only was Jesus detained and demeaned, but we also see that Jesus was denied.  It is almost like we have split screens as we see these two different scenes taking place at the same time. 

 

In verse 15, Peter and most likely John followed behind the soldiers as Jesus was taken to Annas’ residence. 

 

In verse 16, John had enough of a connection with the high priest that he was able to bring Peter inside.  However, Peter remained outside or at least in the doorway. 

 

In verse 17, the doorkeeper asked or accused Peter of being one of Jesus disciples, and at the end of verse 17, we have the first of three times in which Peter denied any association with Jesus.  Again, Peter decided not to come inside and remained outside and gathered around a fire with some of the Roman soldiers.

 

Now, move to verses 25-27.  Again, Peter was standing outside around the fire.  Jerusalem is approximately 2500 feet about sea level.  Therefore, it is appropriate to see the coolness of the weather in the wee hours of this spring morning. 

 

For the second time, Peter was asked or accused of being one of Jesus’ disciples.  For the second time, he denied Christ. 

 

Finally, a relative of Malchus, the man that had his ear cut off by Peter, asked or accused Peter of being a disciple of Jesus, and for the third time, Peter denied Christ. 

 

At that very moment, a prophecy was fulfilled when the rooster crowed.  By the way, that rooster crowing probably signaled 3 AM. 

 

Turn over to Luke 22:61-62.  The eyes of Peter and the eyes of Jesus met, and Peter was devastated.

 

61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 

 

Applications

Frist, we should get used to earthly injustice as followers of Christ.  All that took place with Jesus and Annas was not legal according to Jewish law on several levels.

 

First, it was illegal for a trial to take place in secret or at night.  Second, it was illegal for a trial to take place somewhere other than the hall of judgment, which was in the temple.  Third, the accused could not be compelled to testify against himself or asked self-incriminating questions.  Fourth, Annas provided no witnesses of Jesus’ accused crimes. Fifth, to strike the accused who had not been proven guilty was also illegal. 

 

All of this goes to show that Jesus was not treated fairly.  As a result, it is foolish on our part to think we will encounter anything but injustice in this life if we are followers of Jesus.  We should get used to the world treating us unjustly if we are going to name the name of Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

Second, we can learn from Jesus to be the same person in public as in we are in private.  Jesus told Annas that He hadn’t done anything in secret.  He was not ashamed of any of His actions or teachings.  He was the same man. 

 

As a follower of Christ, after we attend church on Sunday, are we the same Christian on Monday through Friday at work or on Saturday at the ball game or golf course or deer camp?  The church has lost much of our influence because of hypocrisy in the pulpit and in the pew. 

 

Let’s be real.  Let’s be genuine.  Let’s be authentic, and may our walk match our talk.

 

Finally, here is what I think is the main idea of this text.  We should thank God for second chances.  We are all need of second chances, and Peter was no different. 

 

We sometimes are hard on Peter for denying Christ on these three occasions, yet many of us deny Christ every day when we refuse to be obedient or refuse to speak up or out about Jesus.  Peter got a second chance and was restored in John 21, and we know that he was a primary leader and preacher in the book of Acts as Christianity spread around the world. 

 

I need second chances as a husband and father and pastor.  You need second chances in the same way.  We all should thank God for second chances.

 

Initiation

Our invitation today is for you to become a follower of Christ.  It will not be an easy life.  As a matter of fact, it will probably cause you much pain and injustice, but it will also mean forgiveness of all sins, heaven and eternal life, and peace with God.  Will you call on the name of the Lord today and be saved?

 

Our invitation is also for you, as a follower of Christ, to leave your hypocrisy.  Would you confess your sins today and repent and commit to be the same person in private that you are in public?  There needs to be no more living one way on Sunday morning and living another way the rest of the week.

 

Finally, our invitation is for you to hear the words, “I forgive you.”  Jesus forgave Peter.  Jesus can forgive you.

God the Son: Friend or Foe?

If you are a guest with us this morning, again, thank you for joining us.  On Sunday mornings for well over a year now, we have been studying the gospel of John verse by verse and chapter by chapter.  As a matter of fact, we started John in November 2021, and will finish in August 2023.  I think that is 22 months.

 

We study the Bible that way because here at Emory Baptist Church, we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, and we want to know every bit of it, and we recognize it as the authority in our life on all matters.  Today, you can turn to John 18:1.

 

In this account of Jesus’ life on earth, we have to the week of His life when He died on the cross.  In today’s text, it is very, very late on Thursday night or very, very early on Friday morning, and we have seen Jesus in the upper room with His disciples. 

 

I had told you previously that Jesus’ high-priestly prayer in John 17 probably took place as they were walking.  However, the beginning of chapter 18 could make the case for He and His disciples not leaving the upper room until now.  I’ll let you come to your own conclusions.

 

 

Exposition 18:1-3

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

 

John 18:1-11 has three primary characters: Jesus, Judas, and Peter.  In verse 1, Jesus and His disciples headed east outside of Jerusalem’s city walls.  They went through the Kidron valley up to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. 

 

In verse 2, we see Judas.  Judas was the one that betrayed Jesus.  Never is Judas mentioned in the Bible without connecting him with his betrayal.  Even at the beginning of the gospels, when the disciples are listed, Judas is listed last and as the betrayer.  Remember that Jesus predicted this, and Judas fulfilled it for thirty pieces of silver.

 

Verse 2 also tells us that Jesus often took His disciples to Gethsemane.  In verse 3, Judas was leading the way to Jesus along with a Roman cohort. 

 

We know this to be approximately 600 men, and they were carrying lanterns and torches because it was the middle of the night.  They were also carrying weapons because they heard that Jesus had disciples, and they were expecting a fight. 

 

Judas was clearly a foe of Jesus.  Foe means an opponent or an adversary. 

 

 

Exposition 18:4-9

4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”  5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.  7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”  And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.” 

 

In verse 4, we see the deity of Jesus and His omniscience as He was fully aware of all that was happening and about to happen.  In other words, Jesus was all-knowing. 

 

Jesus wasn’t just any man, but He was God the Son.  Notice that Jesus didn’t hide or try to run.  He boldly presented Himself and asked who they were looking for.  They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 

 

What was Jesus’ response? Jesus answered, “I AM.” The word He is not in the original language, and that is significant.  Jesus declared Himself to be God.  He called Himself the God of the OT as named in Exodus 3:14. 

 

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

 

At the end of verse 6, John noted their response.  Why did they fall back and gasp?  Again, because Jesus declared Himself not to be just any man, but the God Man. 

 

In verse 7, Jesus asked again who they were seeking.  Again, they answered Jesus. 

 

In verse 8, now for the second time, Jesus said, “I AM.”  Don’t let anyone ever lead you astray in thinking that Jesus never thought He was God.  He knew He was God, and He declared Himself to be God.

 

In verse 8, you see Jesus calling for the release of His disciples.  In verse 9, Jesus fulfilled a promise that He had made in the upper room by protecting all of His disciples and delivering them from death.  See John 17:12. 

 

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 

Judas was the son of perdition, and he was lost because He was never saved.

 

Jesus knew and cleared declared with His actions and His words that He was God the Son.

 

Exposition 18:10-11

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.  11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

 

In verse 10, we see Peter doing what Peter did.  He acted abruptly, and in an attempt to defend Jesus, He drew a large knife and cut off the ear of Malchus.  He was certainly aiming for his head, but missed. 

 

To some degree, Peter still didn’t get it.  He would eventually as he would later receive the Holy Spirit permanently and preach and see thousands saved.

 

Regardless, Peter was a friend of Jesus.  He was ready to go to battle with Jesus. 

 

 

Conclusions

So what lessons can we take away from this narrative?  There are a few that are secondary and one that is primary. 

 

First, following God’s will is not always nice and neat and comfortable.  Jesus knew full well what God’s will was.  It was for Him to be betrayed, arrested, beaten, and murdered. 

 

Did He refuse?  Did He throw a pity party?  Did He complain?  No, He submitted. 

 

Second, Jesus died for you and me so that we wouldn’t have to die.  Look back at verse 8.  We see that truth foreshadowed here.  Every person in this room will die physically unless Jesus returns first, and every person in this room will die spiritually if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 

 

Third, for everyone that calls on the Lord to save them, you are secure for eternity.  Verse 9 says that Jesus will not lose you.  If you are saved or when you are saved, you saved for eternity and safe and secure from all alarm.

 

However, here is the main point of today’s text.  Jesus is the God the Son.  Will you treat Him as a foe like Judas or a friend like Peter?

 

A foe says I don’t like Jesus or believe in Jesus or want to have anything to do with Jesus. 

 

However, a friend says, I am sinner.  Therefore, I need Jesus as my only Savior.  I will call on Him to save me from my sins.

 

Foes of Jesus will spend an eternity in hell with Judas.  Friends of Jesus who have called on Him to save them will spend an eternity in heaven with Peter but more importantly with Jesus, God the Son.

 

How will you respond to Jesus this morning?

The Lord’s Prayer, Part 3: For Us

Two Legs to Stand On

The Lord’s Prayer, Part 2: For His Disciples

This morning, we return to John 17 and pick up we were left off last week.  Remember, we are looking at the Lord’s prayer, but it’s not the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 where Jesus taught us to pray.  It is the Lord’s prayer in John 17 where Jesus prayed. 

 

In John 17, Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and for us.  It was very late on Thursday night or maybe even early Friday morning.  Jesus and His disciples were on their way if not already in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

 

 

Exposition

Before we get to Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, Jesus was talking to His Father in verses 6-8.  By the way, that is all that prayer is…talking to your heavenly Father.

 

In verse 6, Jesus portrayed His Father to His disciples.  In turn, His disciples obeyed God’s word. 

 

Finally, because Jesus portrayed His Father to His disciples, they knew that God the Son had come from God the Father.  In other words, Jesus was God!

 

 

14. Jesus prayed for His disciples’ security for eternity, 17:9-14.

9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

 

This word “security” or secure is wrapped up in the word “keep” and “kept” in verses 11-12.  Jesus prayed for the Father to keep or secure His disciples. 

 

Notice why they were kept.  They were kept because they belonged to God the Father and God the Son.  God the Father gave them to God the Son in verses 9-10.

 

They were also kept because of the Father’s name.  That means according to His character.  In this instance, His character was that of faithfulness. 

 

Because they were secure for eternity, that should mean the joy of Jesus in them according to verse 13.  The world hated them.  However, God the Father and God the Son loved them and would secure them for eternity. 

 

 

 

 

16. Jesus prayed for His disciples’ safety from the evil one, 17:15-16.

15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

 

God’s word never says that He will take you out of a trial or tribulation.  However, Jesus does pray that God will protect His disciples from the evil one or in other words, the devil. 

 

By the way, why did God not take Jesus’ disciples out of the world?  He left them to do a job.  We’ll come back to that in a minute. 

 

 

• Jesus prayed for His disciples’ sanctification on earth, 17:17-19.

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

 

In verses 17-19, Jesus prayed for His disciples to be sanctified by God’s truth.  To be sanctified means to be set apart for a specific purpose.  It means to be dedicated or devoted. 

 

Multiple times in verses 6-19, Jesus said that even though His disciples were in the world, they were not of the world. In other words, they were supposed to be distinctly different and set apart from the world. 

 

 

Conclusion

Even though this is Jesus’ prayer for the 11 disciples, there is much application for us as well.  By the way, I didn’t address Jesus’ comments about the son of perdition at the end of verse 12, but I will on Wednesday Night at Digging Deeper.  We’ll meet at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall and look at a proverbial fly in the ointment.

 

First, as Jesus prayed for His disciples’ security, we too are secure for eternity if we have decided to follow Jesus.  However, our security is not because of anything about us.  

 

I am secure for eternity because of God’s faithfulness.  Again, you aren’t secure because you walked an aisle in a Sunday morning alter call.  You aren’t secure because your church believes in “once saved, always saved.”  You are secure because you have been baptized.  You certainly aren’t secure because of your own personal morality or righteousness. 

 

If you are saved, you have been saved by God’s grace.  You are secured by God’s faithfulness.

 

Second, as Jesus prayed for His disciples’ safety from the devil, we too are safe from the devil.  However, I am not talking about physical safety from the devil but spiritual safety. 

 

Remember, all of the disciples except John died a martyr’s death.  If Jesus meant physical safety, God didn’t answer Jesus’ prayer, and that would be somewhat troubling.

 

The devil will do whatever he can on this earth to harm you.  He will inflict you with sickness.  He will destroy your family.  He will take away your money.  He will do anything and everything to destroy your witness. 

 

By the way, your witness is why God left you here right now.  He left Jesus’ disciples to do a job.  That was to lead the first church. 

 

When He saved you, He could have taken you to heaven immediately, and He can do that at any point.  However, He left you to minister. 

 

He left you to witness.  He left you to point others to Jesus and for no other reason, but the devil will be working against you even though your soul is safe from him. 

 

Third, as Jesus prayed for His disciples’ sanctification, we too are called to live in the world but not of the world.  Our speech and ethics and spending and recreating and morality should be distinctly different than lost people. 

 

I would submit to you this morning that one reason why churches have lost influence in the community today is because we have become too much like the world.  There isn’t a lot of discernable difference. 

 

Today, we have pastors with no integrity who have a love for money and a love for sex, and they are caught regularly with their hand in the offering plate and caught with their pants down. 

 

Today, we have adults with no bravery.  In elections, they vote for the economy and jobs rather than morality and justice. 

 

Today, we have teenagers with no morality.  They are cheating their way through school, sleeping around, and blending in with their lost friends just to stay popular.

 

Brothers and sisters of all ages, let us be set apart from the world living our lives according to God’s word. 

 

 

Invitation

If you are here this morning, and you have never called on Jesus to save you, He will today if you are answer His call to salvation. 

 

If Jesus is leading you to unite formally with EBC, will you obey Him today?

 

If Jesus is leading you to repent of sin and disobedience in your life, will you obey Him today?

 

 

The Lord’s Prayer, Part 1: For Himself

This morning, I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Lord’s Prayer.”  However, we aren’t in Matthew 6 but John 17. 

 

In Matthew 6, Jesus taught us how to pray.  In John 17, we see and hear Jesus praying.  If not called the Lord’s Prayer, this chapter is often called “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.”  It is unique material that is only found in the gospel of John.

 

Including today, our next three times in John will be here in John 17.  Today, we will hear Jesus praying for Himself.  Next week, we will hear Jesus praying for His disciples, those remaining Eleven.  Then, we will hear Jesus praying for us.

 

Please remember, it is still Thursday night or maybe Friday morning.  Chuck Swindoll puts John 17 at midnight.  Jesus and His disciples seem to be on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. 

 

Keep in mind that they are distressed as Jesus was leaving them, Judas was going to betray Jesus, and Peter was doing to deny Jesus.  They were surely exhausted at this point, and maybe they were hungry. 

 

 

Exposition

These first verses are a chiastic structure.  What that means is that main point is found not at the beginning or the end but in the middle. 

 

Jesus prayed for God the Father to glorify God the Son.  That means to praise Him and honor Him and celebrate Him. 

 

Therefore, this prayer focuses on eternal life.  You will find that phrase in verses 2 and 3.  Let’s look at the text to see what Jesus prays and what we can learn about eternal life.

 

 

1. Eternal Life is knowing God the Father.

 

We see this truth in verse 3.  Remember our chiastic structure. 

 

Jesus can hardly be more explicit.  Eternal life is knowing God, and Jesus called Him Father in verse 1. 

 

This word “know” is used when talking about close friends and even spouses.  Therefore, it means to know intimately. 

 

Jesus then called God the Father the true God.  Therefore, He is true and other are false. 

 

Consequently, God the Father is the only true God.  There are no others. 

 

By the way, the absolute and best possible way to know God is to know His Word.  Read your Bibles, and if you want to hear God speak audibly to you, then read your Bibles out loud.

 

 

2. Eternal life comes through Jesus Christ, God the Son.

 

Check out the beginning of Jesus’ prayer in verse 1.  Glorify Your Son. 

 

Verse 2 says God the Father gave God the Son authority over all flesh.  It also says that Jesus Christ, God the Son, will give eternal life to as many as God the Father has given to Him. 

 

In verse 3, not only is eternal life knowing God the Father, but it is also knowing God the Son.  I would be so bold as to say what God’s Word says, and that is that you can’t know God the Father without knowing God the Son. 

 

John 14:6, 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

Romans 5:1, 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

2 Corinthians 4:6, 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 

Hebrews 1:1-3, 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

 

 

3. Giving Eternal Life is why Jesus came to earth.

 

In verse 1, Jesus said the hour has come.  What was He talking about?  He was talking about the time for Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world.

 

However, this was a very specific time, and we have seen earlier in our study when the time had not come yet. 

 

John 2:4, 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

 

John 7:6, 6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

 

John 7:8, 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”

 

John 7:30, 30 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

 

John 8:20, 20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

However, by John 12, Jesus knew that His time had come, and this hour and time for Him to die was His express reason in coming to earth with flesh and blood.

 

John 12:23, 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

 

John 13:1, 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

 

 

4. Eternal Life in heaven for any individual is an act of God.

 

In verse 4, Jesus said that He had glorified God the Father on earth by finishing the work that God the Father sent Him to do. He speaks of the cross as an already accomplished act in the past. 

 

However, notice that the work is not something that you or I did or can do.  The opportunity for eternal life is an act of God. 

 

Back in verse 2, the individuals who will have eternal life are the ones that God gave to Jesus.  In other words, salvation is not about us.  It is not about you.

 

It is not our goodness or morality or merit or righteousness. I would even say it is not our faith, but the faith that God gives us.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9, 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

In the language of the NT, nouns have gender.  Grace and faith are both feminine. Therefore, you would expect “that” and “it” to be feminine too. 

 

However, “that” and “it” are neuter.  What that means is that not only is the grace not of yourselves but the faith is also not of yourselves.  In other words, God gives you the faith to believe making it His faith so both grace and faith and salvation are all acts of God. 

 

 

5. Eternal life in any individual was decided before the foundation of the world.

 

In verse 5, Jesus points back to the glory that He and God the Father shared before the world was. I would suggest glory was about eternal life just like this glory here is about eternal life.  Listen to Paul in Ephesians 1:3-4.

 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

 

And here is John in Revelation 13:8 talking about who isn’t saved.

 

8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

 

Invitation

Our invitation this morning is for you to receive eternal life.  Verse 2 says that Jesus is glorified when He gives eternal life, but will you receive it?

 

John 1:12-13, 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Power of the Word