It certainly is good to be here with you this morning and we
appreciate the presence of all that have come to be with us.
We have a number of visitors here in our assembly and we
welcome you today. I hope that what's considered
for a little while. This morning will be helpful and
encouraging to you in some way as I have on the board, I have
John the 18th chapter verses 1 through 11 and will notice those
verses this morning, but just for a text will read verses
three through five. John chapter 18.
Then Judas having received a Detachment of troops and
officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.
Came there with lanterns, torches and weapons Jesus.
Therefore, knowing all things that would come upon him went
forward and said to them. Whom are you seeking?
They answered him. Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus said to them. I am.
He and Judas who betrayed him. Also stood with them.
Les Lord's day, we talked about when Jesus revealed who it was,
that would betray him. But now they've left the upper
room and Jesus. Now, with his disciples going,
to enter The Garden of Gethsemane, and will entitle our
remarks Jesus betrayed and arrested.
Before we do though, at this time, we want to pray Apart from
the cross. No greater Agony has ever been
experienced by any being who has ever lived in this world in
human form. No man has ever suffered in this
way. In fact, this is the second
greatest Agony that our Lord would ever experience.
The first certainly being that which would to come on the cross
itself. This is the second, great Agony.
This is the Apex of his life of sorrow and grief.
This is the high point of torturous suffering.
This is the night when Jesus anticipates drinking of the cup
of divine wrath. That would be his in full on the
next day on the cross. And again, his sorrow was so
severe. And his struggle was so massive
that Jesus, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, would say, my
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death in Matthew,
Mark, and Luke secounds. We find included there.
The agony in the garden where we see Jesus Christ breaking down
from the anticipation of becoming the bearer of sin For
All Mankind. Those accounts include all of
the things that humiliated This and all the things that made him
suffer, but John's account does not include those things.
And let me just say that if we wanted to get the total picture,
we would have to study all four of the Gospel accounts, but as
we look at John's account only this morning, we find that its
purpose is to present Jesus Christ as deity.
You won't find the anguish in the garden.
You won't find the crying in the garden.
You don't find the sweating as it were.
Were great drops of blood falling to the ground.
You don't find anything degrading or debasing or
humiliating in John's gospel. In fact, we find opposite, we
find as Jesus Was going about to be arrested that John points
out. It glorifies Jesus Christ in
every way and the 11 verses that are before our consideration
this morning, we're going to see the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
There are four preeminent features in these verses that
show us the supremacy of Jesus Christ and what could certainly
be a humiliating thing as he's arrested as a common criminal
actually exalts him to the very highest.
And so the first of these preeminent features is this,
when we look at these 11 verses, we see first and foremost, the
Lord here and we see his Supreme Courage.
We see his Supreme courage. Now, the obvious statement is
this that his courage is, is certainly seen in his
willingness and determination to go to the Cross.
Now obviously, it's very courageous when a man would be
willing to die for a cause or die for someone else.
It's a very courageous thing to be martyred for a truth that a
man refuses to reject. In fact, we would consider that
in our society, something that is Is Noble, but the purpose in
your mind to go to the Cross knowing that it means that all
of your Purity, all of your sinlessness, all of that
everything that you've ever been would be violated when you bore
the sin, every sin of every man that has ever lived lived and to
add to that to be on that cross of Calvary with those
nail-pierced hands and feet and be abandoned by God so much.
So that when Jesus Was going through the greatest pain and
shame of all. He said, my God, my God.
Why hast Thou forsaken? Me.
But friends, that's the kind of Courage that is infinite Supreme
courage. And when Jesus sets his face to
go to the Cross, he does so undaunted.
And without hesitation, let me just make a point here that I
think we need to understand all of us.
Now, before we go any further, when Jesus was in the garden,
And when Jesus was arrested, he was not tricked, he was not
trapped, and he was not surprised.
Nothing happened to Jesus that he didn't know was going to
happen. He wasn't trapped, he wasn't
tricked. And he wasn't surprised.
And so, we find Our Lord demonstrating infinite courage,
determined to go to the Cross to die, for the sins of the whole
world. Now, look with me.
Now in verse number 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.
Now from this text we find that after he had spoken these words
and these words were the words that were spoken in prayer in
the 17th chapter. And as soon as he did that he
the Bible says he went forth. Evidently our Lord had left the
upper room. And also the city of Jerusalem
with his faithful followers. His faithful disciples.
He went over the brook Kidron and there was a garden there.
And the Bible says that he enters that garden with those
disciples, he moved immediately to the Garden of Gethsemane
which had been his custom. He had spent many evenings there
on the Mount of Olives in that Garden.
In fact, it was his custom accustomed to retire there in
the evenings. In John chapter 7, at the end of
the chapter, it says this, every man went to his own house that
were in. Jesus go verse 8, begins with
the words and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
This was the closest thing that our Lord had a home in this
world. You remember that?
Jesus on one occasion? Would say that the foxes have
holes and the birds have nests. But what did he say about the
son of man? Man, Jesus says, but the son of
man, hath, not where to lay his head.
He had no home in this world and the closest thing that he had
for a home was a place that he would go to be close to his
father and speak to his father and prayer in the evenings a
place. He would retire and that was on
the Mount of Olives In The Garden of Gethsemane.
You know, there was another place that Jesus would go from
time to time. There would be times he would go
up the Mount of Olives, he'd make a little turn and a
scholar. I read this week said, it would
have been a right turn. He would make a right turn and
go. Around the mountain.
Let me go to a place called Bethany.
Remember who was in Bethany some, dear friends, Mary Martha
and Lazarus. In fact, in the account when
Jesus goes to raise Lazarus from the dead, we hear those
wonderful words and we see Jesus there in the Bible, says he
wept, you know what they said in response to that?
Oh, how he loved him? That word.
Love Is Not the Same Love. The Lord has For All Mankind and
It's not the kind of love in the Bible.
That is commanded love, that word love.
Right there means close affection.
That's The Human Side of Jesus. He had close friends in this
world, too. But he wouldn't go there on this
night. He wouldn't go to Bethany and
see his friends on this night. It was time for guest cemani and
so he entered that fatal garden and Jesus knew exactly what was
going to happen. In fact, not only did he know
what was going to happen but he planned every detail.
Jesus had gone there. Several times, a number of times
with his disciples and get this Judas knew exactly the place.
And Jesus knew that Judas knew that was the place stay with me
and Jesus knew that Judas would bring those soldiers to that
place on that night to arrest Jesus.
He wasn't going to Bethany the hide.
He was going to just cemani and lay it all out.
Lay it all out. Supreme infinite, courage.
And so, Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of
Olives. You know, that brings up an
interesting point from the Old Testament, and I'll not spend a
lot of time on this, but I'll just mention this briefly.
There are two kinds of Prophecy that are found in the Old
Testament. One is called verbal predictive
prophecy, and the other is called typical prophecy verbal
predictive prophecy is prophecy that says, words like this a
very familiar. Verse for unto us.
A child is born unto us a son is given that verse gives us
detailed verbalization of the coming of Jesus Christ.
But typical prophecy is prophecy in pictures or types.
For example, in the Old Testament, every Old Testament
sacrifice was a picture of Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice that
he would make, therefore, it became a prophecy that A final
sacrifice would come also, we find in the New Testament.
There were man that actually by their lives were types of Christ
men. Like Moses, whom, Moses
typified, Jesus and that Moses was the deliverer of God's
people, and Jesus is the Fulfillment of all of that.
The ultimate deliver For All Mankind.
We can look to Joseph. In fact, one scholar said that
he counted over 100 points of likeness between Joseph and
Jesus, even when he was sold into slavery, he was sold by his
brothers for the price of a slave sound familiar.
What about David? We talked about David last
Lord's day, I'm not going to that story again, but remember
Jesus would be a king like David and I told you a little story
that's found in second, Samuel chapter 15 about David and a
hit, the fill a hit. The fell was David's own
familiar friend and that friend betrayed his friend David.
What did David do after that second Samuel 15 says they
escaped. They went out the gate of
Jerusalem. They went down the slope sound
familiar, they crossed the Kidron and they went up to the
Mount of Olives and who went worthy his faithful followers.
And that sound familiar. Jesus left the city of
Jerusalem, he crossed the Kidron and he went up to the Mount of
Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane with his faithful
followers to and they were called the eleven Apostles, a
hit the fell and David is in that little incident, then
becomes a perfect picture in the Old Testament of what is to
come. When the true king would come
the king of kings and Judas becomes, even more treacherous
than a hit the fell. You know, you might ask yourself
the question. Well, Jesus knew all that was
going to happen. Why did he choose the Garden of
Gethsemane? Why did Jesus go there?
Well, there are a variety of reasons and we'll notice just a
few Number one, it was a place of prayer and he wanted to talk
to his father. You know, this account doesn't
describe the agonizing prayer that Jesus prayed, but he did
pray an agonizing prayer. He would pray to his father.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me but not as I will,
but thy will be done. Oh, he prepared an act prayed of
agonizing prayer, no doubt. This was a place, he wanted to
be close to his father. Number two, To he, perhaps went
there because it was a place of rest.
It was a place where he can get away from all the conflicts in
the world. Thirdly, maybe he went there
because it was a place of fellowship with his disciples.
A place that they could be alone together.
And while every one of these reasons is true, every single,
one of these reasons is secondary to the primary reason
why Jesus took his disciples and went to the Garden of
Gethsemane. Gethsemane, I believe the
primary reason he went there is because he knew that Judas would
go there and bring those soldiers to arrest him and he
was making it easy for them to do.
So. Now.
Jesus wasn't surprised at all. He knew in the Old Testament, it
details Judas, and what he was going to do, not only in typical
Prophecy with a hit the fell, but in a very very accurate
verbalization, it even tells him the selling price of 30 pieces
of silver. And it says that they took that
money to buy The Potter's field in the Old Testament.
I believe Jesus was forcing the confrontation that would result
in his death in The Garden of Gethsemane.
And Jesus knew that Judas would be there.
And that Judas knew the place. Look at verse 2.
And Judas, who betrayed him. Also knew the place for Jesus
often met there with his disciples Jesus.
Wanted his final betrayal to be in the garden.
Now, picture this, what if Jesus allowed the Betrayal to happen
in the downtown streets of Jerusalem in the city?
You ever thought about that? Why did he go to a secluded
Place, privately a place of solitude and all that?
Why not right up there in the open?
Let everybody see the shame and let everybody see how Jesus was
a victim. You know why?
Because Jesus was not a victim, Jesus was a Victor, he was the
ultimate Victor. I think they didn't do it
downtown Jerusalem because think about this.
Jesus was popular, you know? Even those that follow Jesus,
they didn't recognize him as the Messiah, they followed him.
He was popular. Why he healed their diseases?
He fed them, he did many things like that.
Can you imagine if they would have done it and downtown
Jerusalem? Can you imagine the riot?
Maybe there would have been a riot that destroyed and tore up.
The city may be his disciples. Those faithful 11 with their
minut faith, not understanding. All of that would have gone with
swords the fight against that, and maybe there would have been
a tremendous Insurrection and revolution.
So, he gathers them in a private place, a place where he knew
they would come and take him without resistance.
This is voluntary. Willful surrender.
In John chapter 10 and verse 17. It says, therefore my father
loves me because I lay down my life that I might take it again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself.
I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it
up again. Let's not forget that part this
command I received from who from my father.
Listen folks, a coward would have gone anywhere but the
garden. A coward would have gone any
other place, but the Garden of Gethsemane.
You know, there were other times when Jesus, hid from danger,
there were other times when he fled, but the reason for his
hiding and fleeing wasn't that he was a coward or afraid, this
is the most courageous man that ever walked on the face of this
Earth and all the men in all the annals of History, all the Great
Men of Courage, no one, it all pay.
In comparison to the courage of our load.
Why did he flee in days past and days gone by?
He would hide and flee because it wasn't his our yet.
It wasn't his time yet. But now everything's changed.
Now it's the appointed hour. It's the appointed hour that God
designed that Jesus should die and incidentally, you think it's
a coincidence. That's now the Passover season.
All of those Old Testament. Passover sacrifice has all of
those Lambs that were slain for all of those years typify, the
Supreme sacrifice of God's lamb the ultimate sacrifice.
You think it's a coincidence and on this Passover season God's
lamb, the ultimate lamb is going to be slain.
It was time. And Jesus by his actions as it
is as if he is saying since my hour has come, I'll make it easy
for them to arrest me. Proving again, no victim, but a
Victor in Matthew 26 and Matthews account.
It says that a great multitude came with what with swords and
staves and clubs and they were ready for action.
Can you imagine these were skilled men of violence and all
of that. And they all come with swords
and staves. And, you know, the best that I
can tell is the Temple Police, probably were the ones that use
the clubs, and the soldiers of Rome, use the swords and the
staves, and they all come here to get Jesus.
Look at verse 3, Then Judas having received a Detachment of
troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.
Came there with lanterns torches and weapons.
Now a point of Interest here, how many men were in this group
of men that were coming to find Jesus in the garden, we don't
know for absolute. Certain in the new King James,
it says a Detachment of troops in the King James, it says, a
band of men. That phrase a band of men means
a Roman cohort. Now, how many were involved in a
Roman cohort? One historian says, it was at
least 200 men and could have been as much as 1,200 men.
Now let's just do this, let's just split the difference.
Let's just say 600 men. That means in this Roman band of
men, this Roman cohort, hundreds of men showed up But not only
that guess who else came the chief priests and the Pharisees,
who else? A great mob, also followed
along. Hundreds of men, and they come
with staves and swords and clubs and all of that.
You know what, a compliment to Jesus that they would send so
many men to go pick up a Galilean Carpenter and his
friends. Now, why would I say it like
that because they didn't recognize Jesus as Son of God?
They didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, in fact, they just
called him Jesus, his name of Nazareth where he was from,
that's it, and they got hundreds of men, going to find Jesus.
Now, Also, we find that he they come with lanterns and torches.
An interesting point, I read this week that historians tell
us that at that time of the Passover, then there would have
been or should have been a full moon.
I thought this was interesting. I'll just pass it along if there
probably was a full moon. At that time, another words, a
full moon at that time. What a lit up Jerusalem, there
would have been plenty of light. They wouldn't have needed
torches and lanterns to find their way on that short
distance. Didn't from Jerusalem to the
Mount of Olives. Interesting.
So why in the world do they have torches and lanterns on this
journey from Jerusalem to guest cemani?
You know I'll tell you something.
I think it's this I think they thought Jesus would be hiding
somewhere. I think these soldiers thought
that they were going to have to take these torches and lanterns
and go search out all the nooks and crannies.
To look in in caves and all manner of places, looking for
Jesus. Here's the irony, though.
The irony is, they are with torches searching for the light
of the world. And they are with swords.
Searching for the Prince of Peace.
What a tremendous insult would accrue misinterpretation of what
Jesus was and all he stood for in right out in front of them,
all guess what is Judas? His familiar friend, who has
lifted up his heel against him, literally crushing the neck of
Jesus. And what does he do?
When he arrives the other gospel accounts?
Say, when they arrived Judas kissed Jesus.
Now, interestingly in Mark, chapter 15 and verse 44, we find
in marks account, they make the deal and Judas tells them.
Whoever I kissed that's him. Lay hold of him.
That's the one. But in verse 45 when they got
there, it says he kissed him interesting, word.
That word there is the form of the verb form for kiss in verse
44. And it means this, a continuous
expression of affection, it means he kissed him repeatedly.
You know, it's bad enough that he would betray him and kissing
one time a form of greeting and love and respect and all of
that. But he didn't do that at all by
the definition of that verb form of that word, he kissed him
repeatedly. All he had to do was Point him
out, that's him. All he had to do was walk up and
give them a quick kiss on the cheek and they would have known.
But this vile traitor. Kissed him repeatedly.
What? A devilish refinement of a kiss
and you don't know where else did.
We find a disciples kiss coupled with a Traders sign. neighbors,
for Jesus. Therefore, knowing all things
that would come upon him went forward and said to them, whom
are you seeking? I'm so glad that John includes
this here because it says Jesus, therefore, knowing what knowing
all things that were specific that we're going to happen.
And what did he do? He initiated the whole thing.
Now, we might put the gospel accounts together.
We might think that Judas made the kiss first and maybe he did,
but Judas didn't initiate anything.
Jesus did Jesus says, the Bible says, he know what was going to
happen. Everything.
And so he went forth and not only that.
He said, what he says, whom are you seeking the first action
after the kiss was Jesus and he initiated the whole thing.
Ng. This is humble willing
self-sacrifice. Now.
He asked the question whom are you seeking Jesus?
Initiating, everything saw them coming.
He saw before when he was in the upper room, Jesus knew that.
Excuse me, that Judas, that Judas was going to betray him,
he knew the Tunas, put it all together, surprise victim,
absolutely not. He knew everything and he
initiated the confrontation, right here.
This friends is majestic boldness and it's the courage
that our And had to go to the cross for us.
Now verse 5, they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.
And Jesus said to them. I am he and Judas who betrayed
him. Also, stood with them.
Notice Jesus responds. He says, who are you seeking?
They said, Jesus of Nazareth, his name, and where he was from,
and Jesus says, I am he now, interestingly the word he there?
Is in italics. And what we find there is it was
not in the original. It was added by the translators,
let's just do that. Jesus says, I am.
You know, the Bible says, Jesus speaking of himself before
Abraham was I what I am. I am is a name for God Jesus.
God the son. What does he say?
I am in response to what they said, we're looking for Jesus of
Nazareth. he says, I am he or I M, that is significant to when
we look at the next Point. That's our second Point.
Not only did the Lord show Supreme courage but the Lord
also showed Supreme power. He showed supreme power when
Jesus look at verse 6 now, when he said to them, I am.
He that what happened? They drew back and they fell to
the ground. Now I think Judas is there and
the Bible describes that Judas was there to looking on, I think
Judas was there to prove the Judas and show everybody else to
show all the disciples whom Jesus says, one's going to
betray me that Judas was there and he has no power whatsoever.
When Jesus responded, I am what happened.
It says they drew back and they all fell to the ground.
That is an amazing passage of scripture.
Now, I think that Jesus was showing that he's in control
here that he was laying down his life that nobody was taking his
life from him. And Jesus, simply says, I am and
hundreds of men fall down. Let me know to something with
you. Some commentators are all over
the map on this one. Commentator said this, that,
when this Roman cohort showed up that somebody in the front row,
step back and stumbled. And when he did, He tipped
himself into somebody else and they like dominoes can you
imagine this 600. They like dominoes just fell
down. They just fell down.
If you pardon today's common vernacular really, is that
really what you're going with? Can you imagine a Roman cohort
being so ignorant? They knew how to line up.
They knew how to March. And they wouldn't be pressed up
against each other. So closely that if one fell down
there, be absolutely. So uncoordinated.
They're all going to fall too. Another commentator said this oh
they thought they were going to have to go and take those liners
and search out Jesus and find him and they were so shocked.
When they found that it was he they just fell down in amazement
astonishment. I like this better.
The Bible says when Jesus said these words, they drew back and
fell. I like that better.
I like what the book says? They fell.
Let me ask you something. Now, who's got the power?
May I ask who's in control? Their float from Jesus, such a
power and such a commanding Authority, that he made him so
infinitely strong that they couldn't even stand in his
presence and they had no idea what was going on.
Again, another sign that Jesus is no victim and you know, that
interestingly brings up a point about the words that Jesus
spoke. The Bible says that God created
the world by what by his word, you remember in the creation,
the Bible. God said, let there be light and
there was what, like God said, let there be this.
And that was what this God said, let there be that.
And there was what that. Now, when Jesus Christ comes in
Judgment, at the End of Time, the Bible says, he has a sharp
sword and where is it? Coming out of his mouth.
You see the word of God is that powerful?
The word of God will judge men. It's the word of God that will
condemn, man. It's the word of God.
That's incisive. And the Bible says, he will
judge the World by the word of his mouth.
And just maybe this mob tasted a little bit of the Judgment power
of Jesus Christ, as they fell helpless at his feet.
Victim. No sir, not Jesus.
He is the Majestic Son of God. Displaying his supreme power.
Thirdly. Jesus also demonstrates.
Something is it's beautiful here.
He demonstrates his Supreme. Love.
He demonstrates his Supreme love.
Now it's one thing to say Jesus had love let's not think to
demonstrate it by your actions. Your actions are always greater
than words, they are. We want to see people's actions.
Look what Jesus Does by way of his actions that proved his
Supreme love. We see something as Jesus
anticipates the cross, he's never concerned about himself.
He ever stop to see that he is never concerned about himself.
He is always concerned about his disciples They constantly are on
his mind here, we see the selflessness of Jesus.
We see his Endless Love for his own.
In fact, in marks account, and Mark 15, it talks about that
prayer. Three times.
He prayed, you know, what was broken up in there in the middle
of those three prayers? Going to see about his
disciples. Checking on his own, checking on
his disciples. May I ask you something, don't
you think the Lord had a lot on his mind right now.
I think the Lord was pretty busy just now, don't you?
I think he had a lot of things on his mind and what a picture
of beauty this is he still had time for his own If that doesn't
encourage us, that it doesn't make any difference.
All the hustle and bustle of this world and all the business
all around us. The Lord still has time for his
own and if you are living a faithful life, there is a
condition. If you are living a faithful
life, he always has time for you.
This world is not run all by itself.
He always has time. For his own.
How did he demonstrated? Look at verse 7.
Then he asked them again. Whom are you seeking?
And they said Jesus of Nazareth now, This is interesting because
all these men based on what Jesus said fell down.
It just picked himself up. And they still, they're not
affected by what he says. In fact, they still just kind of
let it go in one ear and out the other.
He said, I am, he said, oh well, we're after Jesus of Nazareth, a
couple things about that. That's not something that's new
to us. How many people hear the word of
God? Clearly concisely and powerfully
preached and they know exactly what they must do to be saved.
They know exactly the changes they need to make in their life.
They hear the invitation call and then they go straight out
those doors and forget all about it.
Happens today. But why did Jesus ask the
question twice? Why did he do that?
Look at verse 8, then Jesus answered.
I have told you that I am. He therefore, if you seek me,
let these go their way. He's saying this, he is getting
them to the speak it out. He is getting them to say who
they're looking for twice. Brilliant.
What talk about Jesus taking it all.
He's taking it all. Brilliant.
He gets them to say, their orders were looking for Jesus of
Nazareth. Only, he gets him to confirm it
twice and that Jesus says, okay, not once.
But twice the second time he said, fine, I'm he let them go.
Protecting his own. That's beautiful.
This is a king. This is not a victim.
This is a king commanding them in charge all the way.
Another reason to this is for good reason.
Jesus needed them to carry out the message.
They were going to be the ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
They were going to be the very first members of the church.
They were going to be the first leaders of the church.
The Holy Spirit, they'd be divinely inspired by, and they
would, they would speak the words of the Lord.
They speak the word of God. They preach the word of God
before it was written. And you know something this is
really amazing. Because here's the enemy.
Here's the enemy. And here was his disciples.
And Jesus, stamped right in the middle, all of them.
What a beautiful concept. The Lord stands in the gap.
The Lord stands in the middle. And if you are living a faithful
life. And I don't know if you are not,
but if you are, I'm telling you right now, the Lord is in the
gap. He will not leave our side.
Jesus is not the kind of Shepherd who rescues the lamb
after its half eaten by the wolf, in John 10 and verse 12.
The Bible says, but a hireling. That's different than a
Shepherd, but a hireling, he who is not the shepherd one, who
does not own. The Sheep sees the wolf coming
and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the Wolf catches, the sheep
and scatters them. Next verse verse 13, the
hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care.
Care about the Sheep. Verse 14, I am the Good Shepherd
and I know my sheep and am known by my own finally verse 15 as
the father knows me even. So I know the father and I lay
down my life for who For the Sheep.
That's the Shepherd that we follow right there.
This is the protecting protecting power of the
shepherd, you know, there might be another reason to he
protected them. Maybe he knew they couldn't
handle that kind of torture, you ever stopped to consider that.
What kind of Faith do they have think about their faith?
What Jesus say about their faith?
Oh, ye of little faith. How many times?
Maybe the Lord just absolutely knew.
They couldn't take that kind of test.
That coincides with other passages.
He protects them how many today fall because their faith is too
weak because the test is too strong.
You know, in 1st Corinthians, chapter 10, there's a very
powerful passage there. That's very encouraging to
everyone of us. Notice chapter 10 and verse 13,
Paul said no temptation has overtaken you except such as is
common to man, but God is faithful who will not allow you
to be tempted beyond that you are able, but with the
Temptation will also make a way of escape and you will be able
to bear it. if you're his Faithfully serving him.
The Lord will never let you slip through his grasp.
The lord always has time for his own but you can't do it on your
own. You can't do it your own way.
Sometimes we think we can
venture out and do it on the way.
You know, who learn that lesson. Peter did look at the next
verse. Then Simon.
Peter having a sword, drew it and struck the high priests
servant and cut off his right. Ear the servants name was
malchus. Now, he wasn't so skill with the
sword that he is aimed for the ear, and, and knock the ear off.
Peter were swinging for the cheap seats.
He was trying to cut his head off. and in missing that he
sliced off Mal kisses here, What did Jesus do you know that could
have, that could have brought on a massive riot, right?
Then they could kill Peter, right there.
What's Jesus do? Jesus stands up for Peter.
Jesus stands in for Peter. Jesus comes to the rescue and he
picks up the ear of malchus and he puts it back on and then he
turns to Peter and says, Peter put that thing away.
Put it away. Other passages would say that.
Jesus says, if you are going to live by the sword, you will die
by the sword. What did the Lord do he rescued?
Peter? And the Lord rescues us, too.
When problems come in our life. Now listen closely I'm almost
finished, he may not stop something bad from happening.
But I guarantee you, he is there to rescue us if you are there
for him. He's there to rescue us.
And I'm going to tell you something, to you think about
the darkest times in your life. The Lord may not stop the action
from happening. But I can guarantee you he was
there to rescue again. And it is like that poem that we
all know the words to everybody knows his poem. when Jesus would
say, as Jesus would be speaking, when you only saw one set of
footprints, it was then that I carried you.
Carry you through cancer. He'll carry you through loss of
loved ones. He'll carry you through and even
if, at the end, result is a bad thing.
Even if you lose your life, he's carrying you and he's taken care
of you and rescuing you, that you may be able to bear it.
He's always got time for you. Let me ask you something.
How much time you got for him? Where is he in your life?
Because in all the hustle and bustle of this world, he's
there. For you.
And your busy life, are you there for him in conclusion?
This, our final point, I'm almost finished, we not only see
his Supreme courage power love. We see his Supreme Obedience, we
see his Supreme obedience. Look at verse 11.
So Jesus says to Peter, put your sword into the sheath.
Shall I? Not drink the cup, which, my
father has given me. He's saying, Peter, what are you
doing? Get out of the way.
It's my time, it's my destiny. It's what I was born to do.
It's what my job is. Are you really going to stand in
the way Peter? Put that up and get out of the
way. I've got a cup to drink and
Friends. He drank it to the very bottom
Jesus paid a price, he didn't know.
Because we had a debt, we couldn't pay.
And so in chapter this, check this chapter 18 and verse has a
verse 1 through 11. We see in the Garden of
Gethsemane, the Lord Supreme courage supreme power Supreme
love. And finally his Supreme
obedience, I'm through this morning.
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