Piney Grove Baptist Church

"I Will Be Joyous"

John 21 Feed My Sheep

Joh 20:31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. This episode in the narrative, shows the importance of making disciples. With the important command, “feed my sheep,” we find there is work to be done until the Lord returns or calls us home. It is John’s intentions to show how the Risen Lord made an impact on all of them, and turned their disbelief into true faith and submission. HE confronted the disciples and they believed, they saw the Risen Lord, heard Him speak, felt His wounds. The apostles needed these encounters with the Risen Jesus to empower them for the mission ahead. They needed the empowering from the Spirit of God to set the bedrock for the early church and beyond. Thomas needed to feel the wounds before He cried out, “my Lord and My God,” as an act of worship. We saw in our message last week, how Thomas was transformed by the Risen Lord, changed from full blown skeptic to worshipper of the Risen Jesus. Thomas had he feet firmly planted in His skepticism, but then He saw and heard Jesus. Joh 20:28  Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Then, as if Jesus is preparing them to have faith then seek understanding, says this, Joh 20:29  Jesus told him, "Is it because you have seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!"
Today, I will ask you to bear with me and let the Word of God speak. Whether it is a literary device used by John under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, or just how the narrative flows, there is right in the middle of this narrative a very intimate time between Peter and Jesus. This is the meat of the narrative and we will stream line and focus most of our time on this area in the scriptures. It’s like a nicely packaged theological and missiological sandwich, it speaks to a Theology of vocation and much as it does missions.
*prayer*
Let us set this background:
Joh 21:1  After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Joh 21:2  Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
There at Tiberias, the capital city of Galilee, Jesus gave further revelation of Himself to seven of the disciples. Jesus life on earth was to constantly give God’s special revelation to humanity. He is God in flesh. This portion of the narrative is John’s way of showing the apostles have been collected together, and called for the mission ahead. It shows that the core group of disciples have genuinely seen and believed in the Lord, but there is much work still to be done. We find that Peter is a major player in the role of the church. Now that Peter is restored he is at least ready and willing to begin. That speaks volumes to many of us today. We come from all kinds of backgrounds, all of us entrenched in sin before the Lord changed us and begin to change us into His image, but He has even used many of us to proclaim His gospel. This is an encounter that moves the apostles into, believing without seeing, because Jesus is not always going to physically be with them. To the seven disciples, Jesus revealed Himself once again. To one that was a doubter, one was from Cana there at the miracle of Cana, one James who would be killed under Herod, the beloved apostle John, and two of the disciples that were there from the beginning, Andrew and Phillip.
Joh 21:3  Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Joh 21:4  Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Peter, the fisherman, said “I’m Going Fishing.” They have been waiting on the Lord, or they have pondered returning to their former occupation until the Lord returned with further revelation. It is evident that Peter was a leader for the others followed into the waters to fish yet again. There have been a few liberal theologians over the years that have stated the apostles turned their backs on Jesus and went back to their roles outside of ministry. There is something more going on, in fact, there is what I call a theology of vocation seen right here in the words before us. What we see is working until the Lord returns. God has called us to work for Him until He returns or calls us home. Christ has not called us to lock ourselves in our homes with our eyes on the eastern sky. He has called us to be like Peter, work until we see the Lord. What Peter teaches us is to not set idle, use your occupation, your vocation for the Lord. He also teaches us to have faith in the Lord that He will provide, but food isn’t going to fall out of the sky into your lap as if it is manna. They had to eat!! Work in this world for the glory of God. These apostles fished all night long and caught nothing. As a fisherman, I know that they best time to catch fish is either early morning, or late in the evening. Some of the best fishing can be in the late night hours as well. So they were out at a prime time to catch fish. I firmly believe, the Lord over the elements, set this up as a way to further reveal himself to them. The disciples did not know it was Him, and as we keep that in mind, it makes the miracle of the congregating of fish, that much more meaningful as a revelation of the character of God. The distance from the shore to the boat kept them from realizing it was the Risen Jesus.
These few verses teach us something about work and the value of working to the glory of God, and teaches of its necessity. We can thank the early and significant reformer Martin Luther for a resurgence in a work ethic within the body of Christ. The early reformer resurrected or initiated a Biblical doctrine of work. He wrote much on Domestic duties, civil duties, and vocations. Luther wrote, “…the works of monks and priests, however holy and arduous they may be, do not differ on whit in the sight of God from the works of the rustic laborer in the field or the woman going about her household tasks…all works are measured before God by faith alone.” Jesus, as He summed up the commandments of God said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luther in exposition of this command states, “we respond to the call to love our neighbor by fulfilling the duties associated with our everyday work.” We get off our butts and work for the Lord and do so for His glory, and as we go, we lift up the gospel of Jesus.
Joh 21:5  Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No."
Of course Jesus knew they had no fish. Remember, they still had no idea it was the Lord.
Joh 21:6  He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.
This had happened once before if you recall. (Luke 5: 4-7), Peter has seen this before. To add to the miracle, these men knew how to fish, they hardly need advice from a stranger on the shore. As you can imagine, what happens next has been reframed through the eyes of liberal theologians who say Jesus saw a school of fish on the right side. Now, if Jesus had control over life and death, could He also have control over a school of fish? Could He command that school of fish to come right under the nets that were about to be thrown? The cast it out and caught so many that the net could hardly hold them, the net was dragging down the boat. They caught so many, under the direction of the Lord, that not even the seven in the boat could haul them without a struggle. Joh 21:7  That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
Peter and John recognized the miracle from before, they recognized God’s handiwork. Peter tied up his garment for he was naked or with very little covering him. Peter could have jumped in with hardly anything on, but for him to greet the Lord in such a way would be disrespectful. Out of reverence, Peter dressed himself appropriately, even if is awkward to swim in. There is much that can be said about reverence, and how we approach the Lord. When we approach God in prayer, we don’t come flippantly, we don’t come as if God is some elderly father figure in the great blue yonder, we approach Him with reverence and Hollow His name. Peter jumps out the boat once he realizes it is Jesus.
Joh 21:8  The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
Joh 21:9  When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.
Joh 21:10  Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."
The Lord had prepared a place to cook the meal. Jesus made these appearances to His apostles to show He is genuinely alive, these are not hallucinations you are having, I am not a phantom or ghost, something the Gnostics would propose in a few short years from the events surrounding Jesus’ life. Ghost don’t eat meals, phantoms don’t build fires, Jesus is alive. Jesus instructs them to add some fish to the ones He already had laid out. Simon Peter goes back and positions the nets so he can count them…
Joh 21:11  So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
This was a miracle, 153 fish Peter hauled in. Where it took seven to haul to the boat would only take one person whose feet were on land, he pulls them onto the shore and before them is another work from the Lord.
Joh 21:12  Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.
Joh 21:13  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.
Joh 21:14  This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
They was no doubting, they knew this was Jesus. The disciples can certainly teach us to look for the work of the Lord in everyday life. In everything we do and go through in life, look for those divine Godly appointments. Even in the simplest of things, such as breakfast, the Lord is there. Many times, our lives are so complicated that we can’t even commune with the Lord over a meal, we can hardly even chew our food good enough before we are up at our next task for the day. Maybe there is a dichotomy of sorts concerning fast food, it is convenient when we are on the run but is a hindrance when we need to slow down and have a meal, and think about how the Lord has blessed. Jesus said, come and dine.
We enter into that more personal time with Simon Peter, the time when Jesus will press Peters motives. This is actually what one might consider Peter’s re-installment as apostle.
Jesus and Peter
Joh 21:15  When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
There are some slight nuances that occur in the language that need to be brought out. It appears that Peter would now follow Jesus even till death, right? If Peter is to be instrumental in the early church, Jesus must expose his motives to him. Jesus askes Peter if He loves Him (agape) and Peter says, I love (phileo) you like a brother. Peter does not even use Christ’s word agapaō for high and devoted love, but the humbler word phileō for love as a friend.
Joh 21:16  He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
He askes Him a second time. Same scenario, now using the words for sheep. Feed my people in short, those in Israel and Gentiles alike, feed all my people, disciple them. It will take more than a superficial response to please the Lord. You say you love me, act like it, prove it.
Joh 21:17  He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
Now Jesus flips the words and uses the term love in reference to brotherly or friendly love. As if to say, “do you love me more than a brother, do you love me as Lord?” Upon hearing this, Peter was grieved or disheartened. It is no mistake or coincidence that Jesus addressed Peter three times, as a reminder or his past denial, in order to reveal Peter’s deepest motives. We say we are a Christ follower and yet disobey the simplest commands, maybe our devotion isn’t as true as we think. We say we trust Christ and yet worshipping Him takes second place to everything else in life, maybe we are not as committed to Jesus as we think. This doesn’t speak to salvation but to our servitude and motives.
Joh 21:18  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go."
Joh 21:19  (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."
This is a foreshadowing or pointing to Peter’s denial. Jesus, speaking an emphatic truth, informs Peter there will come a time when he will be stretched out and tied to a cross. Traditionally, Peter’s died about 40 plus years after Jesus spoke to him. Traditionally, When Peter was put to death, we are told that he requested that he might be crucified with his head downward, saying that he who had denied his Lord as he had done was not worthy to die as he did. Jesus informs Peter to feed His people and follow Him.
Jesus and the Beloved Apostle
Joh 21:20  Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"
Joh 21:21  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"
Joh 21:22  Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"
Joh 21:23  So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"
Peter was curious about the beloved apostle following behind them and what might happen to him. Peter does what many of us do, we worry about someone else. Jesus in short says, “you let me worry about him, you follow me.” We, often times, get jealous over people in ministry, where we think we can do better. It is good to have a vibrant and healthy church or community of believers, but you must answer for yourself.
Joh 21:24  This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
Joh 21:25  Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
 
Much has been discovered as we worked through this gospel together, but two words can be the applicable take away, “follow me.” Now that you know “I Am He who has come to dwell among you and to redeem you,” follow me.
 
 
 
 

John 20: 24-31 "Doubting and Delivery"

I want to share today, from God’s Word, the reality of what occurs when we truly encounter the Risen Lord. In the day in which we live, when the world has turned to pointing the finger at everyone else, we need the transformative work of the Holy Spirit badly. We live in a world that makes Adam and Eve’s blame game in the garden look like a picnic. In a world where people doubt and fear everything and everyone, we need Jesus all the more.  We are easily offended and want to march against everything and everyone, we get offended so easily. What happened to the days when we could handle tough stuff, the days when it took a lot to offend. We live in a world that is not kind, sin and the curse is evident all around us. People it is time we put on our big people pants and act like we have some sense, it is time to turn the world on its head with the transformative work of the gospel. It’s pretty easy, speak much of Jesus, live out your faith. You want to protest something, you feel it necessary to protest, protest sin, protest what sin has done to the world, speak out against the damaging effects of sin, and how Jesus is the remedy sinfulness. You want to march for something or someone, march for Jesus, lift His name up, for He is the only one that can save this lost and dying world. Maybe it is time for the church to be the church. It’s time for the church to be the church and not a social club. So, just so you get a concise statement from the pulpit, I condemn every form of racism from every side. Jesus preached to all people group and spent much time ministering among the gentiles. What happened in Charlottesville was a tragedy on all sides, it was a full display of sin on the loudest degree. So, there is an urgency for the church to dispense the gospel and do so without resolve, it is important that we open our doors to all people groups. This is a church not a country club, this is where grace should be displayed and not segregation or division. If you have a problem with all people groups coming together and worshipping together then you have a problem with Jesus, and its best you repent of your sins now. People, we don’t have time for such division.
That being said, I want to spend a few moments in the Gospel of John, we will finish out these last few verses. Last time, we saw Jesus making the first post resurrection appearance to His disciples. The disciples were in fear of losing their lives, and Jesus appeared to them out of nowhere: Joh 20:19  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."Joh 20:20  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  At the arrest of Jesus, the disciples were shattered, scared, doubtful, uncertain of the future, and Jesus appears to them and offers them peace. He spent time with them, offering them peace and enabling them to go forward with the mission set before them. Jesus gave them some marching orders, Joh 20:21  Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. Jesus was preparing them to go out into the world, but they still were not ready. They still harbored fear, and in order to begin to prepare them for the mission, Jesus breathes on them the Spirit of God. The Spirit that destroys fear, dissolves uncertainty, and gives them boldness, as apostles, to carry out the establishing of the early church of the Lord Jesus. If these men were to set the foundation and make disciples of the nations, then they were going to need a supernatural makeover and help. If the disciples were to be fruitful in making other disciples, if they were to be faith to preach, teach, lead, and plant the early church, they need empowerment from the Holy Spirit, and the need to start off with the right motives, “peace.†Joh 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Behind closed doors, Jesus invaded their fear and confusion with His peace and empowerment for the Holy Spirit. With you Bibles before you, turn to chapter 20: 24-31, I have entitled this message, “doubting and delivery.â€
Be Faithful In Your Witness: Do you have that one stubborn friend or family member that will just not budge on the things of God. They have their ideas about the Christian faith and they are not about to budge. Let me challenge you to be faithful in your witness, even when it looks futile. If God is the giver of salvation, all we can do Is point to Him and let Him do the rest. This is exactly what the disciples demonstrate for Thomas. Joh 20:24  Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. Joh 20:25  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
I am convinced, sometimes we need to be a little like Thomas in our thinking about God. Why? Because Christianity can hold up to the most strenuous scrutiny. Jesus Christ over the years has held up to scrutiny and has proven that He changes lives. So, be like Thomas a little, ask the hard questions and see that the Lord is faithful. Thomas in the Hebrew and Didymus in the Greek, has been marred for centuries as “doubting Thomas.†He has been forever memorialized as a person that lacks appropriate belief in Christ. Thomas was not with the disciples when they encountered Jesus in the locked room. In a way, the disciples are like many of us, and Thomas is like those in the world that had not yet been changed by the risen Lord. We take the good news to them and they say, “I need to see in order to believe.†A faithful witness will take the Lord at His Word, but in order to further their witness and knowledge of God, will desire to dig deeper in His Word. One might learn from Thomas, not to doubt, but to seek the answers of the hard questions. Thomas meant business, for he uses a double negative as to say, “I will in no wise believe.† Have you ever said something similar and the Lord changed your MIND? Very similar to Peter who said, “I will never deny you Lord,†to denying him three times. So Thomas will be shown the truth, beauty, and power of a living God who is active and alive in our lives. Remember, the Lord is preparing them to set the foundation for the early church, so these interactions with them are crucial in setting the tone throughout church history. We were all doubters at one time, inquisitors even, until the Lord showed is His salvation.
We all have that one stubborn friend who refuses to listen to anyone or take advice. The type of person who doesn’t like to be corrected and thinks themselves tough enough to handle anything without community or help. I can honestly say, some of my own family members were like this. We might be that stubborn person. Thomas was the doubter, the analytical disciple of sorts. Thomas turned out to be a vital part of the early church. Thomas was not there with the others, so he didn’t get to see Jesus first post resurrection appearance. The disciples,  who were so pumped for they saw Jesus alive, ran into the heavy wall of skeptism.  Tradition and history placing Thomas as an integral part of the early church in India, and it is also in India, December 21st around 72 ad, when Thomas was martyred and stabbed for the Lord Jesus. Thomas is much like many of us, we want to believe in all the Lord has to offer, in terms of faith, but we want a reasonable and viable faith, and serving the Lord Jesus delivers when challenged. If it were not for the other disciples, being faithful to testify of the risen Lord, Thomas may not have even stayed long enough to see Jesus. Let us be like the disciples in two ways, like Thomas, seeking truth, and like the other disciples being faithful to exclaim the Lord.
“Stop Doubting and Believe:† Joh 20:26  A week later his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." Joh 20:27  Then he told Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, but believe." Joh 20:28  Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus once again appeared behind closed and locked doors. Much like Jesus immediately appeared in response to the disciples fear, so now Jesus appears in response to Thomas’ doubts. Jesus once again used the word “peace.†As if Jesus heard the conversation, he instructs Thomas to place his hands in the wounds. It shows us that we serve a risen Lord who wants to answer our concerns. What one must make note of, is the response from Thomas. This is a confession and profession towards the deity and Lordship of Jesus. Notice Jesus response, He didn’t say get up, or only worship God, He allowed Thomas to worship Him, which means, Jesus was either God or a devil because only a devil would allow worship if he wasn’t God. We can talk about the grammar in and language that Thomas uses, but it all makes sense in the response of Jesus. Joh 20:29  Jesus told him, "Is it because you have seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!" BLESSED are those who have faith and are not discouraged when they can’t always see the end result, or who cannot see immediate evidence. In preparing all the apostles for ministry, this needed to happen in the life of Thomas,  in the same way that Saul needed a Damascus road encounter.
I read an article from the Huffington post of all places… “I grew up deeply entrenched in Evangelicalism. So much so, that I made it my career. I went to Bible College to become a pastor. And I worked in the church full-time for about ten years. I was good at drawing a crowd — I’m a performer, so “preaching†was my strong suit. (I eventually left full-time vocational ministry to become an actor and movie producer.)
My big problem with faith was that I was and continue to be a profound skeptic. I was much better at saying things in ways to help others along than I was sorting through the questions in my own head. I found myself on the verge of giving up altogether on Christianity. Then I met Jesus. It may seem a strange thing to say that a kid who grew up in the church, graduated with a degree in Biblical Studies and worked as a pastor for a decade didn’t know Jesus, but that’s the way my story unfolded.
I should clarify. I knew a version of Jesus. The Jesus who lived a perfect life, died on a cross for my sins and gave me a ticket to Heaven. I knew that one well, but the more I told that story to others, the less true it seemed to me. It rang hollow.
Then I decided to take the risk of taking seriously the early Christian accounts of Jesus and his message. What I discovered embedded in the ancient texts commonly called The Gospels shocked me. The Jesus portrayed in Matthew seemed convinced that Heaven had already come to earth. The Jesus in Luke demanded counter-cultural active alignment with the poor. The Jesus of John promised eternal (ultimate) life — but demanded that it begin now, not in the afterlife.
In all the early accounts, Jesus was a threat to the establishment. A rebel. A revolutionary. He was extreme and dangerous. He told the clergy that they were con artists headed to hell. He claimed that he himself was the unique way to God.
No matter what I want to tell myself, I would have rejected him had I been given the chance. If we could step away from what we think we know about Jesus and see what the records show... I think we’d agree that he probably came off, at best, as a well-intentioned delusional cult leader. At worst he’s a crazed maniacal egomaniac. Or, I suppose, he could have been sent to us from God with good news. That’s the third option.
I decided to gamble the rest of my life on the latter. I could be wrong, but so far submitting to this radical, unpredictable, iconoclastic Jesus has been worth it. I might have even felt a few passing moments of Heaven and eternal life through the process... and at least on those days, it all rings true to me. Serving Jesus, is worth it all. Proclaiming Jesus, is worth it all, serving Him is worth it all, being saved by Him is worth it all.
 
Joh 20:30  Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. There were many other signs that Jesus performed in front of them to prepare them for disciple making.
Joh 20:31  But these have been recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that through believing you may have life in his name.
 
Be Faithful In Your Witness
“Stop Doubting and Believeâ€Â 

John 20: 19-23 "Sending Them Out"

There is a still a bit of uncertainty surrounding the resurrection of Jesus among the early disciples. It wasn’t too far back on the narrative when we read of Mary at the empty tomb, with tears in her eyes, crushed under the heavy burden of the sting of death. She was so moved by the loss of Jesus, see didn’t notice the angels were angels, nor did she recognize it was Jesus that she spoke to either. She supposed Him to be the gardener. Joh 20:15  Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." It was only after He called out to her, “Mary,†that she recognized Him as the Lord and ran off to tell the others that she had seen the Lord. The Lord was constantly teaching His disciples and training them. It becomes very evident in chapter 20. There are at least four places in this chapter, when the disciples go a tell something of Jesus to the rest of the believers. This should be an encourage, to always have something edifying to say about Jesus, no matter the turmoil. In Good times and in bad, have a witness of Jesus locked and loaded.  1. Joh 20:2  So she ran off and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus kept loving. She told them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" 2. Joh 20:18  So Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" She also told them what he had told her. 3. Joh 20:21  Jesus told them again, "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." To Thomas, the disciples said to Him, 4.  Joh 20:25  So the other disciples kept telling him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he told them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger into them, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe!"  Repeatedly, the influence of the resurrected Lord has caused people to tell of Him to the rest of the world. Moreover, your life and testimony should impact others in such a way, that a generous and Christ like rendering of your disposition just becomes natural and automatic to those that know you.
I remember reading of such a man, whose life was so hide in Christ, that it even helped him fall out of being a suspect to a crime. Being a young man that loved to tinker with things, Charles worked with his uncle during the summer months in his shop.  Each morning they stopped to pick up the newspaper at a small grocery store and read it together. Shifting through the headlines was a highlight of both of their mornings together.
One morning, when they got to the shop, Donald had found, that by mistake, he had accidently grabbed two papers. At first, he wanted to just wait until the next morning when they went to the store, then pay for the extra paper, but his conscience got the best of him and he said, “Hop in Charles, I need to go to the store and pay for this paper before the man thinks that I stole it.†He got in his Ford truck, drove back to the store, and returned the paper.
A week or so went by, and someone stole money from that little country store. When the Sherriff pinpointed the time, it happened, the owner remembered only two people had been in the store that day—and one was my uncle. The owner of that store dismissed my uncle as a suspect, saying, “Donald is really honest. He came all the way back here just to return a newspaper he took by mistake.†It didn’t take much deduction to find the other man, who after confronted made a full-on confession.  Donald’s honesty made a big impression on the owner of the storeowner, and on Charles.
Does your Christian walk square with your Christian witness? When you speak of Jesus, if you speak of Him, does your witness line up with your character? Would people dismiss you automatically, like they did with Donald, because they know you would never do such a thing?
Most importantly, Jesus wants us to “go,†even if we are frightened, like these early disciples, He even wants us to be willing to go. Can you pray that today, “Lord make me willing to be a better witness for you?†We live in such a time, that puts on display the depravity of man, it calls of demands we become the boots on the ground of the Lord Jesus. For many of us, that means we have some cleaning up of our own yard. Here is the thing, don’t dwell in your yard and continue to say, “I can’t be a witness unless I get my life right first. Lean on Christ, He will help you clean up your garbage in life, and be on mission for Him. As the author of Hebrews instructs, Heb 3:1  Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, Heb 3:2  who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.  He has called us all, who identify with the risen Lord, are to be faith to consider and share of His saving grace.
Jesus Unlocks Doors and Tears Down Fear: Joh 20:19  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."Joh 20:20  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
It is amazing, even in the event of His death and resurrection, Jesus is still the master teacher. Just moments before, the disciples were scattered, crushed from despair, and without hope, but Jesus will make them see that what He said of Himself is true and coming to pass before their eyes
 
 
 
 
 
 

John 20: 11-18 "Seeing The Lord"

John 20:1-10 "Risen Hope and Faith"

What a great opportunity to reflect on the reality of the Risen Lord. There are many benefits of preaching through books of the Bible, and this is one of those benefits, we get to approach the empty tomb of Jesus, in the text, and it is just prescribed for an Easter service. In fact, one should reflect on the risen Lord often in their walk with the Lord. What a wonderful promise we are given, because He lives, we live, because He walked out of the tomb, we can have new life in Him. Without the reality of the resurrection, the life of Jesus, including His death and crucifixion would not make any sense. All the miracles and teachings of Jesus would just be some railings of a madman had not Jesus rose again. The resurrections authenticated all the prophetic scriptures of a Messiah, and it authenticated the teaches of Jesus. After a period of uncertainty, shredded hopes, and fleeting faith, now will come the greatest event in the history of the world. This is the event we know as the resurrection. First, a resurrection of our Lord from the grave, then a resurrection of hope, faith, and assurance that God has not forgotten humanity, He hasn’t left this world to die and be swept away by its own sin. 
Last week, the images penned by John, were ones of vivid recollection. Jesus went through such and ordeal on the cross that it sent His whole body into shock, so much so, that when He died, He was hungry, dehydrated, loss much blood, and around His heart was a canopy of fluid that came out with the blood when the soldier thrust the spear into His side. Jesus went through so much pain, they had to invent a word to describe it. The word we use is the word excruciating, this word means, “out of the cross.” John wrote what he saw and witnessed and made sure to ground his witness in scripture. Below the cross was a variety show of emotions, for we saw people that were broken and disheartened, and those that seemed to enjoy seeing death and hopelessness. People that were not happy unless others around them were unhappy and disheartened. People that were so unhappy about their plight in life, they wanted to drag others into their pit of despair with them. This was seen in the Romans and the religious hierarchy. We saw Roman soldiers that were moved more by the cast of a dice then they were by thousands of people dying daily. We saw people that were we so savage when it comes to their way of life, that if anyone moved them out of their comfort zone, there’s was going to be a fight, and this was seen in the religious Jews that John mentions. But, below that cross, was also noted two individuals that stayed close to the Lord, Mary and John, maybe just maybe something might happen, maybe God would bring Him down from there. He had done miracles before, He rose a man Lazarus from the dead, why can’t He come down? But we should be praising God right now that it pleased the Lord to bruise the Son. Isa 53:10  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 
Today, we will see anew, risen hope and faith. That which seemed crushed on the cross will be resurrected in the empty tomb. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a foolish fantasy. However, if the resurrection of Christ did occur, it confirms His life, message, and atoning work. 
I. A Light Shines In Through the Darkness:  Joh 20:1  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
No doubt that this was a trying time for the disciples and for the mother of Jesus. Matthew 28 and verse 1 adds the women Salome to the party. John focuses on Mary, On the first day of the week, Mary came to the tomb early, more than likely, there was still darkness over the land. She and the ladies mentioned in gospel accounts, Luk 24:10  Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,  We might call this a “deep dawn,” right before there is any light, or just enough to see the path. 
Because Christ had been buried in a hurry, for the Sabbath coming soon, these ladies wanted to prepare Jesus’ body for proper burial.  Mary makes her way to the tomb and she was taken aback when she saw the stone had been rolled away. There are places in scripture where we learn pieces about the characters and are inspired by their actions. Yes, Mary was a product of the fall and still sinful. Yes, Mary did not realize that Jesus had risen, and just like the darkness that was still on the land, so was her she spiritually. But in this moment, we also see a characteristic of devotion and dedication. Devotion is not an outdated ideal, it is a much-needed attribute. Mary, got up at the crack of dawn, to attend to the body of Jesus. She finds the 2 ton stone rolled away, a task that only the Lord could do, and she is recorded in this way… Joh 20:2  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." That last statement informs us that they had no idea that they would find an empty tomb, they figured that the religious Jews would have taken the body. Simon Peter was broken because of his denial of the Lord, and now comes words of uncertainty. Even though John does not include the other women in this narrative, we know they are there because of the other gospel accounts and because he uses the word “we” as Mary explains the events that transpired at the tomb site. The darkest day in all of creation gives way to the brightest. Joh 20:3  So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
I try and imagine what the followers of Jesus went through, I try and place myself into the narrative. I am a firm believer that God wants us to interject into the scripture, not interject onto but into. If  God’s word is to speak to us, we have to be thrust into its grand narrative. Try to see what Mary sees on the path, try to understand her as she tries to make sense of that empty tomb,  try and set a frame work of devotion and servitude in your own life as Mary exhibits it to us as the modern reader. On that day and every day that follows, the only thing that will ever make sense is that Jesus is Risen. The resurrection of Jesus is the best explanation of the empty tomb. Listen church, you have been given the greatest gift you will ever receive. The gift of eternal life through the Messiah Jesus. There is no reason, in this great day of information and resources, to be ignorant of the things of God. The lord has given us so many tools to help us grow in our faith. Mary was in darkness, both physically and spiritually, but the risen Lord will open her eyes, and He will reveal to you as well, is will and way found in the Word of God. I am the type of person that believes God will grow His church to know Him more and His word more. If the Holy Spirit is living within you, don’t let me hear you ever say again, “we are just too dumb to understand,” if God can’t teach you then you don’t want to be taught. In Christ, there is the light of special revelation. We can have a hope and trust in God that people on the other side of the cross can’t claim, before when there was cloudy understanding of God, now, through the resurrection there is certainty. Who wants to grow in their faith? Who in here will never say again, I am not smart enough to learn more about God? Again, if the Holy Spirit can’t illumine your understanding, you are either lost or lazy. Which is it?
The Bible speaks of the urgency in the narrative and states: Joh 20:4  Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
Joh 20:5  And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Joh 20:6  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, Joh 20:7  and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
John outran Peter to the tomb, here is the author of the account we read, the same one that rest his head on the chest of Jesus at the table. Can you imagine, looking into that tomb and seeing those burial clothes laying there. The words of Jesus no doubt rang true. As if to shatter the myth that someone come and stole the body of Jesus, John sees, separated from the linen, was the face cloth, nicely folded. Why is this important, what kind of thief would take the time to tidy up before they left? It would be like someone breaking into your house, tracking mud on your nice carpet, then before they put the goods into their car shampooed the carpet. The body was not stolen, Jesus was alive. If the sight of this didn’t shake them to the core, then nothing would. With all of the elements in place, the words of Jesus about His death and resurrection coming back to their remembrance, with the clothes placed in such a way, and with the heavy stone being rolled away, we find that sometimes,
II. Seeing is Believing: Eyewitness plays a very important place in the will of God for His church. There is the need to establish the church and the written canon of scripture, but before these come into existence, there needed to be a jarring of faith within those that clung to Christ as Lord. Jesus said to Thomas after the resurrection, just a few verses down, Joh 20:29  Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Because God has to speak to us as babes, and because our faith, beliefs, and mind has been distorted by the Fall, there are times in the scriptures when God has to show the miraculous so that we might believe. Such is the case with verses 8-10 that read: Joh 20:8  Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; Joh 20:9  for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Joh 20:10  Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Even though John did not understand the full extent of the resurrection, when he saw the linens, He believed on the Words the Jesus spoke earlier and through His ministry. Up until this moment, it did not click, they did not understand the scripture, Psa 16:10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, you will not allow your holy one to experience corruption.
Because the witness and power of the Holy Spirit had not dwelt with the church yet, the Lord establishes a witness with eye witnesses accounts. You and I cannot sit down with the physical Lord today and carry on a verbal or audible conversation with Him, we can speak to the Lord and with the Holy Spirit in conjunction with His word we can communicate with Him and have certainty in our faith and beliefs, but for the early church God wasn’t finished laying out His divine and special revelation. Thus, we have the phrase “seeing is believing.” Today, we take what we know of scriptures and by reasoning through them and inferences, we can piece together a reasonable response to any sceptic that might discount the physical resurrection of Jesus. SO, why do we believe Jesus Rose again?
"Jesus predicted His resurrection, if you believe the Words of Jesus, then you believe what He said about His death and resurrection. (Matt. 16:21; Mark 9:9-10; John 2:18-22).
The Old Testament prophesied it, and because they have been fulfilled through Jesus, the resurrection stands as historically valid. (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31; 13:33-37).
The tomb was empty and the grave clothes vacant and folded, if those who opposed Christ wished to silence His disciples, all they had to do was produce a body, but they could not (John 20:3-9).
There were many witnesses to the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat. (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-39; John 20:11-29; John 21:1-9; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-8).
The lives of the disciples were transformed. Though they fled and even denied Christ at the time of His arrest, they later feared no one in their proclamation of the risen Christ (Matt. 26:56, 69-75).
The resurrection was the central message of the early church and still is. The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church (Acts 4:33; 5:30-32; Rom. 5:21).
Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives. We know that Jesus is alive not only because of the historical and biblical evidence but also because He has miraculously touched our lives."
Are you waiting to see something tangible before you believe and trust Jesus? You will wait until eternity and it may never happen. See, we line up with God on His terms on not ours. It is the Lord’s salvation to dispense as He wills and we can’t demand anything from Him. We first trust in Jesus by faith as He draws us unto Him, then…He gives us the assurance and the evidences we desire. You might be here this morning, and the Lord has revealed to you, right now, that His gospel is true and you need saving, wont you trust Him? For the church, there should never be a moment in our lives when we desire to stay in the darkness and be ignorant of the things of God. I want to be like Mary, or John, that rushed to see, that even though they didn’t understand it all, they rushed in to see a work of God. How about you, will you rush in, out of darkness, to see more of God?
 
 
 
 

"Deceased Hope and Buried Faith"

I can visualize the many faces there at the foot of the cross of Jesus on that day when he was crucified. Many congregated on that hill, expected their Messiah to exhibit more power and authority than what they perceived. Rather, on the surface, Jesus seem to be defeated. Think about it, there was an expectation for Messiah, to rule forever, and not to be beaten and ridiculed, and crucified until death. Now, as they looked upon Jesus they saw all of their hopes for deliverance swept away like the wind. A Roman Crucifixion was a place where people just don’t come back from, there is no rubbing a little ointment on the wounds and everything would be fine. When one is crucified by the Romans, they were done, finished, your life was over, and there is chance of recovery. It was stated by the Jewish historian Josephus, that one did escape the clutch of a Roman crucifixion. The story goes, “During the siege of Jerusalem, in AD. 70, three of his friends were taken prisoner by the Romans when he was absent, and were crucified. When he returned in the evening to the Roman camp, he immediately went to Titus and obtained their pardon; they were taken down from their crosses. The doctors were unable to restore two of them to life, but the third survived. Now, the first two had been nailed but the third had only been tied to the cross with ropes. One can thus see that a variation in the method of crucifixion could effect the length of the time which it took to cause death. Those who were bound with ropes, says Josephus, died less rapidly than those who were nailed, and could be more easily revived.” The cruelty of the cross is part and parcel with our sins that placed our Lord on it. The cruelty of our sins demanded a cruel sacrifice, and only God Himself would be able to rectify the rebellion and sin that has been thrust upon the world.
The last word’s Jesus spoke to His mother and one of His disciples was a command, He said Joh 19:26  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"Joh 19:27  Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. The mother of Jesus and disciple John nearby, waited patiently at the feet of Jesus as He hang close to death. Imagine the hopelessness they felt, imagine the overwhelming hurt of a mother as she had to watch her Son die a slow death. You know, this can make a good reminder to all children out there that still have their mother’s nearby. Even in anguish, even in having the weight of the world pressing down upon our savior’s shoulders, He remembered. No suffering, however great, can extinguish love. Christ’s sufferings surpassed all conception, yet they did not dismiss His mother. He seemed to forget His agonies in that brief moment.  Children learn a lesson from this. “Personal inconveniences is no reason for neglecting your parents.”
Here they are, hopeless, saying all is lost, but there is a coming hope. I am reminded by the gospels, that when I look around at see all is lost, I quickly find God is still on the throne. When I am depressed with the state of the world, God reminds me that He is sovereignty and no man will ever chart the path and destiny of this world. Rev 21:6  And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Rev 21:7  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. Rev 21:8  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
He reminds me often and in many ways, the world is His and He loved you enough to send the very best, His Son. No reason for you to hang your head down in defeat, there is no reason to see hopelessness, for my Jesus is risen from the grave. In the next couple of weeks, we will examine the blessed resurrection in furtherer detail. I am so glad my savior died for me, how about you. With His death, there is extinguished hopelessness…That goes without saying, there are times when we have genuine feelings of defeated, and there are times when we see nothing but hopelessness. G. K. Chesterton said, “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” My friend, our hope and hope is in the risen Lord.
The last word’s Jesus uttered before His death were, “It is finished.” Meaning, His purpose has been fulfilled. He came to die for sin and that is what He did.
A Sign of Cleansing: Joh 19:31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.
You might have realized by now, the whole process of crucifixion was not a neat and tidy ordeal. Many times the bodies were left upon the cross until they died of suffocation. When the crucified could not hold their body up any longer, they would slump forward and die a cruel death of asphyxiation. They would simply suffocate to death.
The Passover was closing in, and to hurry the process, the religious Jews wanted the bones broken. The Roman soldiers would take this big hammer and smash the bones in the legs until they broke. It is amazing how spiritually dead these people were. To say they need the dead off the cross so they could be part of something that reminded them of God’s protection and cleansing is like saying I want to rob a bank so that I can give a good tithe to my church. It just didn’t make much sense.
 Joh 19:32  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. Joh 19:33  But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
They broke the legs of the two thieves. As we read this, we are reminded of the promise that the lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb would have no blemish, no broken bones, there was no imperfections found in Jesus. There is no mistaken, Jesus was deceased, and with His death was also the dashed hopes of a Messiah. It seemed as if the enemy had the upper hand.
Joh 19:34  But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
As one can imagine, there have been many theories surrounded the symbolism and also what medically happened in the moment when clear watery fluid and blood poured out of the pierced side of Jesus. If we were to use the words of a physician at the cross, he would say something like, “The blow of the lance which was given to the right side reached the right auricle of the heart, perforating the pericardium.” Due to the high levels of stress that Jesus went through, the beatings, the hunger, the dehydration, the loss of blood, there accumulated around the heart, canopy of fluid and the spear broke through it first, then the heart. Some say that Jesus literally died of a broken heart. I have read explanations of the blood and water and have come to the conclusion. Medically, we have a good idea what happened, but what may be the spiritual implication. I asked myself, “in scripture, what is the significance of water and blood? I found that in both case, blood and water are seen through the lenses of a cleansing. One can say, because of the death of Jesus, ones sins may be washed away. That my friend is the hope we see on the cross. To John this was such a miraculous event that …
Joh 19:35  He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. Joh 19:36  For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." Joh 19:37  And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."
Here are two references that John uses, He grounds what he witnesses with the prophetic scripture. In short, he just doesn’t use his experiences, He uses scripture. The first place John references is found in Psa 34:20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. The second is Zec 12:10  "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. John is imply, believe my words and witness for theses events have been foretold.
Yes, under that cross was feelings of hopelessness, dread for the future, but in one moment, a foreshadowing of hope. What I see in the blood of Christ is the washing away of sin, in the sacrifice is cleansing. It was the cry of David that said,  “Wash me!”
John the Baptist exclaimed, “Wash!”
Peter was admonished in that upper room by Jesus, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Without our being washed clean, we all die from the corruption of sin. As the classic song asks, “are you washed in the blood of the lamb?” Are your sins forgiven? Here is the beauty, Christ wants you to be clean, He wants you to walk upright, sober minded and stable in Him. Are you tired of having the decaying stench of sinfulness infest your spirit, be washed by the sacrificial blood of Christ…there is hope.
Did They Believe? Joh 19:38 Later on, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, and he came and removed his body.
I am amazed by two men in this portion of the narrative, these two men attended the body of Jesus, even when it seemed all hope was lost. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, makes the pages of all four gospel accounts. It must be noted, there was something important about Joseph for him to be noted in the gospels. Even though John states that Joseph feared the Jews, he is also noting in courage in the fact that he went to Pilate in order to remove the body of Jesus. Jesus must have made an impact on this man for him to step out, even after Jesus died. For many, the death of Jesus would only prove He wasn’t who He claimed to be, so why bother. Did He believe in Jesus, his actions say “yes.” So he hurried to get down the body of Jesus before the Passover. John writes of a second man that is important to the story. Also a secret disciple of Jesus for he went to Him at night…
Joh 19:39  Nicodemus, the man who had first come to Jesus at night, also arrived, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a hundred pounds. Joh 19:40  They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths along with spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.
For both Joseph and Nicodemus, this was a huge risk for both of them. The Jews could have easily said the gentlemen we co-conspirators with Jesus. If we look at their actions, we conclude it cost them something to serve Jesus. The amount of spices brought were costly and used to prepare the body for burial. It is estimated that the amount of myrrh and aloe is 65 pounds in the modern western way of measuring, a hefty amount at any rate. Jesus was lifted up on the cross and proclaimed to be King by Pilate, and now the burial is one that would have been used for a King. Jesus received a King’s burial.
Joh 19:41  A garden was located in the place where he was crucified, and in that garden was a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. Joh 19:42  Because it was the Jewish Preparation Day, and because the tomb was nearby, they put Jesus there.
Once again, in accordance with the scriptures, Jesus was laid in the tomb of a rich man. Isa 53:9 Then they made his grave with the wicked, and with rich people in his death, although he had committed no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth." It is evident, that the actions of these two men proved that they believed there was something special or even other worldly about Jesus Christ. For these two men to step outside of what they have been fed for all of these years is a huge step of faith. Or maybe, they rightly saw the Old Testament as a proper forecasting of the Messiah, maybe they actually saw the correct interpretation and Messianic significance of redemption. Regardless, they stepped out in light of danger.
There is something about the death of Jesus that spiritually stimulates them further. When those that were Jesus’ disciples were scattered and scared, these two stayed and stood by in courage.
 
Just as Jesus was laid in another man’s tomb, He died for another’s sin and not His own.
 

John 19: 17-30

I cannot think of another time to meditate upon the death of our Lord Jesus than before or during communion. For, we are reminded of the beautiful sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. Last week we spoke of the love seen in the beatings, in the pulling out of His beard, we were brought to close examination of our lives in light of the saviors sacrifice, but it would not be a sacrifice unless the Lord died. Today, we recall once again, we remember anew, the death of our Lord Jesus. With both the communion table and the scriptures, we remember the death of Jesus and the significance it has on us as individuals, and on the cosmos itself. John Calvin defined this sacrament as “a visible sign of a sacred thing” or as a “visible word” of God. The Lord’s Table, according to Calvin, are inseparably attached to the Word. The sacraments seal the promises found in the Word. “The Lord has given us a table at which to feast, not an altar on which a victim is to be offered; He has not consecrated priests to make sacrifice, but servants to distribute the sacred feast.” So, we gather around both today, in high expectations, that the Lord will grow us in His grace and knowledge, and save those that need saving from sin. We have many scriptures to examine this morning so let us begin:
The King on The Cross: Last week, the high priest presented Jesus before Pilate in hope he would crucify Him. They wanted Jesus executed and out of the way. The supposed spiritually minded to the things of the law were blind to the Kingdom of God. After Pilate had our Lord beaten, he presented Jesus to the crowd as, “behold the man, and the lamb,” and in John’s narrative, the irony is thick throughout. Joh 19:17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
Jesus went out bearing His own cross. There are other gospel accounts that speak of the Cyrene who helps Jesus carry His cross, but the point in the narrative is the cruelty and weight of the cross, and yet Jesus clung to it freely. The place of the skull, or Golgotha seems appropriate. Seeing that this death is the result of sin, and a skull is a sign of death. If one was to glance upon this hill from afar, you might see something like this
 Joh 19:18  There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
Jesus was crucified between two robbers, both reviled Jesus the same way. There is indication from scripture that they both mocked Him at some point, or looked unfavorable upon Jesus. The gospel of Luke tells us that one of the robbers rebuked Jesus saying, if you are the Son of God save yourselves and us, and the other said, Luk 23:42 And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. This is the guy I want to be. The one that is willing to say, God be gracious to me, I deserved to die a slow and agonizing death, but please remember me.
 Joh 19:19  Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Joh 19:20  Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. Joh 19:21  So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" Joh 19:22  Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
This inscription over the head of Jesus made the High Priest and the religious angry. The Romans perfected the Persian are of Crucifixion, they were masters of this form of execution, and it is estimated somewhere in the thousands. There were many people that gathered around the cross that day. Jerusalem at this time was a cultural hotbed for many people. You had the Romans, the Greeks, and of course the Hebrew. The inscription, even though it was just a title to for the cross, was more of a beacon for the nations, in some regard, it was a sign for the world saying, “Here is the King of kings.”
Here again are the religious leaders being angry. These were the people that would try to lynch the pastor is he picked a wrong color of paint for the walls. These are the kind of people that would split a church, those that were too selfish and inward focused to see the Kingdom of God. They disputed with Pilate and Pilate pulled his authority and said, what I have written, I have written.” As if to say, “what I have written stays written.” What Pilate wrote was equivalent to the Kingly edict, and could not and would not be over turn, and no truer words were inscribed on that cross than, “King of The Jews.”
Today is a special day for us, this is a day when we can survey the ministries at the church. This day gives us an opportunity to sign up and serve where you know the Lord is calling you to serve. While we look upon that cross and the inscription over the head of our Lord, we see Him as savior, Lord and King, and what do servants to for the King? They serve Him until death. No one will ever supersede the servitude exhibited by our Lord. No one will ever out serve Jesus. You have people in here today that are serving so that we could enjoy this time in God’s house. You have deacons who serve their families, they visit when they are sick or are in need, you have musicians that lead worship with theologically rich songs that point us to Jesus. You have the Word of God, being presented as studied weeks and even months in advance, but Jesus out serves all. Jesus, King of Kings, died so that you can live in Him and serve Him unto death. This is the portion of the narrative in John, which should move us into deep contemplation and reflection. I have come up with a remedy for the burdened and broken hearted. Are you in Christ and yet are living in depression…serve Jesus and His church. Are you struggling with crafting your family to be a gospel centered and spiritually mature family….serve Jesus and His church? Are you tired of being sick and tired…serve Jesus and His church. Are you tired of feeling insignificant in the body of Christ…serve Jesus and His church? In short…serve the King as a faithful servant, don’t worry about being adequate, God make the adequate.
The Gamblers: Below the foot of the cross, while Jesus hang His head in death, there was a gambling session going on. One that was foretold in scriptures long ago. Joh 19:23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, Joh 19:24  so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." So the soldiers did these things,
There are two different groups of people in this crowd. Those that were numb or unresponsive to the claims of Jesus, and those that were broken because of Jesus’ death. Those that were so insensitive to the crucifixion and those that were truly broken. Let us first handle those that are numb or insensitive. I have worked with funeral homes enough to know, there are some that have dealt with death so much, which they come off as insensitive to the family and those around them. On one occasion, I heard one funeral home employees say, during a service, “I wish she would hurry, we have to get out of here.” I cannot think of another gesture that would be more insensitive than to roll the lots for the garments of our Lord. Roman soldiers that have performed crucifixion so many times, that they were more move by the dice than by death. Why did John include this action by the guards? To show the scriptural and prophetic importance. As seen in “the Psalm of the cross,” Psa 22:18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. clothing they cast lots. To the guards, this was just a game, nothing more than another days work. On the other side of the cross were those that were broken…
Joh 19:25  but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Joh 19:26  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"Joh 19:27  Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!"
Important to Jesus was the keeping of His mother. He tells John to look after His mother.
And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. Joh 19:28  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst."Joh 19:29  A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. Joh 19:30  When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.