The Captain of Our Salvation

Well, we're officially on record Today this morning

We will survey Quickly what I would like to do first is bring us up to speed and what the

Lord pressed upon me is that we were going through the book of James and the

James said he who is a friend of the world is that enemy with God make no friendship with the world

So I thought wow Who is? One person that comes to mind

That loved the world greater than the Savior that we have in holy holy writ that has that was given the most privileges the most privileges ever given to man

So This morning We come beloved to our text

John 18 verses 1 through 11 and here the word of the living God 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 and Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples disciples

Then Judas having received a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees came 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 Now when he said to them

I am he they drew back and fell to the ground Then he asked them again

Who are you seeking? And they said Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus answered.

I've told you that I am he therefore if you seek me let these go their way That the saying might be fulfilled what she spoke of those whom you gave me.

I have lost none Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it and struck the high priest's

Servant and cut off his right ear the servant's name was Malchus So Jesus said to Peter put your sword into the sheath

Shall I not drink the cup which my father has given me? This is the

Word of God. Let us pray father

This is your holy word We can do nothing apart from you father.

I need You to expound your word Lord, I need to be fed

Lord your word informs, but it also inflames our hearts Lord let us see

Jesus Holy Spirit as we just sung teacher be showing the things of Christ to me

Lord, this is all that matters the name above all names Lord God we come to this text and we humble ourselves before thee we are on holy grounds

Lord God, we humble ourselves. We are nothing but from the dust and we are only have significance because of you

Lord God teach us what we need to know and encourage us to love you more in Jesus name.

I pray Amen Well beloved I'm gonna attempt to cover a lot of ground the next hour.

So please fashion your seatbelts and stay with me Quickly what I would like to do is

Do a 30 ,000 foot commercial jet flyover Starting in chapter 12 to bring us up to speed and starting in chapter 12.

This is where Jesus separates himself Back only to the inner circle

He separates himself preparing This small band of raw materials to take the gospel to the world

So we're gonna start and what I'd like to do Is give you just a quickly a brief overview of the book of John as John as a coin has two sides

So both is valid of its worth So Jesus Christ has two natures both valid the

Son of Man and the Son of God So John in the book of John John emphasis is on his deity on being the

Son of God so John gospel

John's the gospel of John just according to God John is a topical gospel That's not in chronological order and it's revolved around seven miracles and seven

I am statements So quickly if you look at chapter 12, what

I'm gonna do is just you can go with me there Or just follow along There really is no clear -cut divisions, there's a lot of overlapping through these some form clear units than others and just so chapter 12 as I mentioned

Christ turns away from the multitude and withdraws himself to this his inner circle Chapter 13 starts the upper room discourse.

This is within the temple walls This is a in Jerusalem So 14

Chapter 14 is a is considered the words of comfort It centers around 10 comforting statements to encourage his

Weary perplexed prone to stray disciples and Here's what here

I'm just gonna point out some key points in chapter 14 brave verse 1 let not your hearts be troubled In verses 25 through 26.

It says I'm gonna leave a helper out the Holy Spirit in The last in verse 27 one of the most comforting words.

I will leave the greatest gift of all my peace so chapter 15 is words of admonition

That all believers are how we were to abide in Christ how we relate to Christ and then to relate to one another

So that's admonitions teachings of how we are to relate with Christ and how we are to relate with one another and I remember this acronym the see a

PPP so If you remember this words of comfort in 14 a is admonition

P is prediction and then the priestly prayer CAPP so In chapter 16 we see the prediction that persecution is going to come and he's preparing his band of disciples

He's preparing us The pretty as you follow me There will be persecution

But that sorrow will be turned into joy because I'm gonna be raised from the dead. I'm gonna conquer what conquered you

Chapter 17 this is probably the holiest holy grounds in Scripture Christ in verses 1 through 5 praise to the

Father In verses 6 through 9 he prays for his immediate disciples and in verses 20 through 26 towards the end the chapter

He prays for us the church at large So now we come We've gone from 12 as he turns away and what

I would like to do is I want you to journey with me Our destination is a Gethsemane this morning. We want to journey to Gethsemane We all are gonna cross these same paths in life and we're gonna we're gonna journey

With our Lord this morning to the Garden of Gethsemane so in chapter 18, which is where I'd like to focus on this morning and land the plane and really

Walk this path Walk this path from the temple walls from a Thursday night.

The setting is a Thursday night during passion week Jesus has just had supper

So supper discourse So in Matthew, I'm sorry in John 18 and 19

This forms a unit and this describes Christ dying as a substitute for his people and then towards the end of the chapter chapters 20 and 21

Describing his resurrection and we see his appearances So as we worship on the

Lord's Day, we're gonna see where this this all begins so What I'd like to do is give you

A quick overview of my outline. I'm gonna try to work through this fast as fast as I can but verses 1 through 3

I'd like to discuss privileges misused verse 4 perfect knowledge verse 5 great prophet verse 6 king of kings verses 7 through 9 compassionate high priest

Verse 10 zeal without knowledge in verse 11 perfect submission.

So here we go Let's let's plunge into this journey together John 18 verse 1

When Jesus had spoken these words he went out with his disciples No more talking.

No more talking It was time for our captain of our salvation to passion must commence

As brother Ben reminded me yesterday a good captain a good officer Never ask his soldiers to do something that he hasn't done, but that's not willing to do

Jesus had just shared quite a bit with his disciples and their hearts were heavy and complex Not only were their hearts heavy their bellies were full

They just had been fed There was a great feasting many people had come to the festivals within this

Jewish tradition To the temple and they brought a lot of people the garrisons had

Was a large number of officers there because it's any event that comes to Atlanta.

There's special security that comes So nevertheless, here we go

Jesus the greatest prophet has said all he can say So what are the prophet does

God speaks to the prophet the prophet tells of God's people Of what

God has to say so a prophet turns his back to God God speaks to the prophet the prophet tells

The people then he now he takes upon the priestly office The priest represents

God's people. That's right. So he turns his back and what he does it in that He prays for his people.

He teaches his people and ultimately he makes these sacrifice for his people. That's right

This is what a priest does And we're gonna see later on the king of Kings So now he takes upon he said

All he could say to his own people as a prophet now, he turns to the office of his priest Okay, so let us journey

Jesus had just shared a lot of this time to demonstrate to his band of disciples better yet known as I see this as a bunch of raw goods

I Mean raw goods, they all started out with the same lump of raw goods

Jesus is what Jesus he chose this raw goods That would be responsible and have the privilege for making the gospel known to the rest of the world

Judas has already redrew himself and he his plan of betraying Christ is already into effect

He has isolated himself and is starting to have fellowship with the world a great military leader

Doesn't stand back He goes before his people This setting as I said is

Thursday night and it is a full moon in the last days of Jesus's ministry So as we continue in verse 18

He said he went out over with his disciples to the brook Kidron where there was a garden which his disciples entered

Every word of God is inspired And I could just stop right here. I told my wife

I could just stop right here and worship When I came to the brook Kidron David first,

I'm going to tell you a little bit about the geography The brook Kidron, so you had the temple that was up in Jerusalem In the brook

Kidron, you would come down and enter into a valley and cross over it and to get to the garden of Gethsemane From Eastern Jerusalem was about a mile a mile and a quarter

Walk to the Mount of Olives and the garden of Gethsemane was at the base Of the

Mount of Olives, so you can imagine runoff that will come down from the temple all the sacrifices

Yeah, that was being made the filth the stench. Yeah the rottenness

That was all through that that valley and just around that corner There was another valley where they used to burn bodies and these valleys merged together and would come around the corner

This valley right here this brook Kidron Why is there significance? Why is it in here that it says he crossed over?

What what is the significance of this? Yeah, we must ask that's the key question

This brook Kidron lies down in the shadow of the temple walls Our Savior didn't have a velvet slipper.

Come on The brick the in 2nd

Samuel 15 King David himself passed over when his son Absalom and his close -knit confidant a

Hippothil Yeah, you can read this in 2nd Samuel 15 23, which is the the

Old Testament Judas turns turns on David to turn

David's people against him He crossed over this same brook, but now we come to the greater of the

Kings This brook was so vile and so filthy it received runoff from the temple.

It was dark valley It was dark and it's knowing that the temple of the lights there were no lights It was dark from a visible standpoint and it was dark and vile from this vileness standpoint

And what this symbol represents of the brook Kidron is a time of distress a time of discomfort

And it was a time of suffering Ultimately crossing this brook would be a foretaste of suffering dear brothers and sisters.

We must all pass over our own brook Kidron So if you're suffering this morning if you're struggling through slander shame

Any kind of pain in your life? Be of good cheer let your not let your heart not be troubled because the royal road lies across this brook

Kidron In this place of sorrow has our captain's footprints

It's all along it when they said hey a walk a mud puddle. He walked it dry He walked through it.

He walked through it So he crossed over he crossed over it to the to the garden.

What's so significant? This garden is called the garden of Gethsemane. It's also called the olive press

And you say why did he choose this place this night? Why did this place? Yeah, there was such an intimate man and a solitude that he got refreshments to go back and fight the battle

We all have a place That we can call our garden of Gethsemane. Yeah that we where we get refreshments to go back and fight the battle

He chose this place of many nights and his disciples knew where he could be found at any time.

Yeah If you look at olive tree, I looked it up It's really kind of it's pretty it's really neat because They kind of start off at a wide base and they twist and turn and it almost looks like agony

It almost looks like it just uh the trees speak

I Was like wow So the garden was a place of solitude that we find our beloved

Savior spending many nights meditating crying out and getting refreshments With the

Father being union and communion with the Father We all have a place that we must go to for solitude

I think of that Psalm 4610 be still and know that I'm God I Encourage you to seek that place often to be still quiet our busyness within our souls and have refreshments

Also, I strongly believe that he chose this place because it was the place Judas knew where he would be

See our Savior wasn't running from the enemy. He was saying I'm gonna be where I'm always gonna be

There it is Happy this is a quote from Spurgeon happier

They who shall be with their Lord in the day of his sorrow for they shall be with him in the day of his joy

So as we continue let us continue to verse 2 and we come to a sorrowful sorrowful person

We come now and Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples

So now continue as we continue on to the garden We've arrived there at there at the garden now

And Judas I got some questions. Who is Judas? Where is he from and who's his parents?

Who is this man that Christ said to be better for this man had never been born? Who is he? Where does he come from?

I'll tell you Scripture tells us that his father was Simon Simon Iscariot in Greek is

Judah is his Greek form which means Jehovah leads So his parents had all the greatest intentions that he would follow

Jehovah Scripture tells us that his father again

Like I said is Simon in John 6 71 and his mother's name from I'm understanding was never mentioned

But his last name is scary hot Tells us where he's from it's scary odd in Greek up a care rota

Greek meaning Kareth K -e -r -i -o -t -h Kareth. It's a city in Judea There it is 11 of the disciples were all from Galilee Samaria Judea Do you realize he started out as a night outsider he was an outsider and ended up an outsider.

Yeah So let us continue His name is always mentioned last name in the list of the disciples so These are the things that he was called.

He was called a devil John 6 71 he's also called the son of perdition which means the lost child of Destruction and there's only one other person that was ever called the son of perdition and that's that was the

Antichrist Judah so happened Can you imagine it kind of worked to his benefit?

He was an outsider. So no one knew his motives. No one really knew who he was So he entered into this band of brothers

So isn't it beautiful as we see man is plotting and scheming while God is orchestrating

Wow Judas was a treasure for the ministry

Jesus was the treasurer for our Lord Jesus Christ. He carried the money back

Carried the money back. He was granted so many privileges and what

I'd like to do is Define what is a privilege a privilege is an honor given to one that's more than the other

It's also called a right granted in a peculiar benefit and that's from Merriam -Webster

So but before we go any further I want to simplify this and as Pastor likes to say put the cookies low.

Yeah, I want I want to see if this rings a bell with you Judas was a follower of Christ a preacher of the gospel actively engaged in ministry

Walked three years with Jesus Left everything to follow the Lord He was a double -minded

He heard the sermon on the mountain and even knew that there was a narrow and broad way Doesn't that make you examine your own heart?

When I come to this man outside of Jesus Christ, this is the most interesting man in the Bible to me

Just for this reason because our hearts are deceitfully wicked and who can know it Deceitfully Come on, come on brother

So as we continue it said he betrayed him. Yeah. Did you hear what

I said? He said who betrayed him Who did what Who loved him?

No, no, no think again who betrayed him This was a choice This was a choice that he made

Joshua 24 15 says choose this day whom you'll serve Betraying Greek means para de de para de daimo

Para de demo, I'm probably murdering these words But this means to give over or to yield up Listen to this quote by Charles Spurgeon regarding this area

Familiarity qualifies a man to be a traitor and familiarity religion qualifies man to become an apostate

Familiarity Qualifies man to become a traitor and familiarity religion qualifies man to become apostate

Because he betrayed one you don't know But then as Timothy tells us having the form of religion but denied his power

But precious is that form? But there's something greater than the form that's to be desired and that's the power

That's the Spirit of God. That's to be desired The body is dead without the spirit if you can if you would please turn with me to Matthew 25 14 and 16

The book of John is very colorful. It really gives us a lot of details, but the book of John does not go into Christ's prayer to the

Father and it also doesn't mention The betrayal of the kiss and in the book of John it does in the other synoptics

Matthew Mark and Luke So if you take a look and I said Matthew 25

Versus 14 26 14

I was my finger. I had a fat finger on my computer.

Sorry It's 26. I'm sorry. I was looking I was like, let's keep going Here it is

Thank you, Ben So verse 14 in chapter 26 of Matthew then one of the twelve called

Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you and they counted out to him 30 pieces of silver

Some from that time he sought opportunity so from that time he sought opportunity to betray him

So you see There is a greater significance of what these 30 pieces of silver mean and that'd be a good study for you to dig into a

Little bit later, but I'm gonna continue on but from my understanding that was a price of a slave

And I'm gonna tell you what that got this man 30 pieces of silver only got this man his own burial plot

As a proverb says what a man would do for a piece of bread Just for a piece of bread

Wow So, here we go These this prophecies were nothing but prophecies fulfilled in Zechariah 11 psalm 41 9 and psalm 55

Brothers and sisters Satan makes a relentless assault on one who chooses to follow the

Lord Jesus Christ He will knock as you mentioned brother Michael He will knock on that door and he will knock on that door and he'll continue and continue its relentless

He doesn't take vacations. He doesn't sleep. He doesn't slumber Amen Here we go.

So what I would like to look at Judas had been stealing all along from the money bag

And he kept this a secret Keeping sin a secret. This is when Satan entered it

Let's remember Proverbs 28 13. It says a man who covers his sins will not prosper But he who confesses them and forsakes them will have mercy

Numbers 20 I Believe it's numbers 23. I'm sorry numbers 32 23 basically says in paraphrase

Those that have sinned against the Lord be sure that your sin will find you out So he was hiding this

He was hiding this What a awful thought then when it says

Satan entered him Satan does not gain a foothold in the lives of those whom they are walking in the light

But only when we open the door Judas had not been thinking or meditating on think about this.

He had not been meditating on what was pure What is noble what is trustworthy as someone 119 says

I meditate upon your majesty I meditate upon your wonderful words your statutes your precepts your law

What do you Proverbs also? Proverbs 23 7 says as a man thinks in his heart so is he so as we continue in verse 2

Judas who betrayed him also knew the place he knew the place What a privilege to know this place and for the

Lord to share such intimacy with a friend Proverbs 18 24 tells us a man who has a friend must himself be a friend

I Will tell you this this word friend is when I saw this it knocked me off my feet

When Judas betrayed him with a kiss This was the most sacred symbol of worship you think about this

Mary Magdalene kissed the feet of Jesus and was exalted And he kissed the face and went to hell

Judas kissed the door of heaven and went to hell So close but so far.

Yes, sir. So this is what I want to share with you the Lord Jesus when he says

Love your enemies He exemplified it For three years he covered this man no didn't knowing it

What matter of love is this yeah, I want to love my enemies like this

I can't Without his help apart from him

I can't Knowing that somebody's gonna betray me lovingly.

I'll just cover you as long I'll keep covering you I'll keep covering you.

I want to share this with you Jesus Knows what our greatest need is and when

G when Judas kissed him You know what his Christ's first word out of his mouth was

Friend his greatest need was a friend

What a friend we have in Jesus. Oh What comfort we forfeit all because But all because we do not carry them to Jesus He Didn't have to carry this

Verse 3 if you look at verse 3 then Judas having received a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees Came there with lantern torches and weapons

Can you understand this they come by that with lanterns and torches? to find the light of the world

It's like here's your son But I want you to understand who these people are these troops these officers chief priest and the

Pharisees These sects hardly never got along Been been shared this with me a while back.

There was always conflict among them pride. Yeah pride They always got along, but they always didn't get along, but now they're getting along Because there's a greater common denominator of evil within their own hearts.

There you go And that's the hatred of the Lord Jesus Christ So I'm gonna share this here with you where there's light there always be bugs

So if you follow through the book of Acts, which we had the blessing at Berean to go through three years of Acts Yeah, so I mean what a beautiful to see the history of the church

But where we see the Holy Spirit at work unholy spirit was never far behind so You'll see in your own lives, and I've seen this and I'm sure you can testify

The more seriousness that you set your face like the flint towards the cross Rest assured it's coming

It's coming suffering It's coming so Here's what here's what we have the chief priests.

These are mostly Sadducees I love don't you see they were always sad you see

All these schemers come together as one yeah to arrest a holy living

God that has humbled himself God incarnate in Humanity Wow Pharisees were the most hatred enemies of Christ and received the most pointed rebukes

They were hypocrites play actors, please note that we are to are born

Pharisees in the means of God The number is not specifically quoted of how many people came but oftentimes they said cohort of Roman soldiers were anywhere between six to 800 so I'm saying there's a couple hundred people coming

I can't Tell you specifically, but these sects as I said didn't get along the hated

Christ And they come with weapons

And if you notice the next very next verse how calm he is to face

This barrage of troops Let us continue in verse 4 Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon him went forward and said to them

Whom are you seeking? Such calm and resolution Jesus bit declares himself as a prophet here.

He again tells them. I'm sorry. It's in the next verse in verse 5

He tells them I'm he I'm he that's what a prophet is. He tells who he is

I am he But perfect knowledge getting back into verse 4 knows all things and knows the motives of our hearts

Jesus knowing what lies ahead took the fight to the enemy and was never defensive

Never defensive What resounding resolution that we too have to face our fears and in our battles?

Matthew Henry said when people forced him to receive a crown and offered to make him a king

He withdrew and hid himself but now When they come to force him to the cross

He offered himself and came forward So The great question is to all creatures.

I have a living breath in them this very moment. Yeah, whom are you seeking? Whom are you seeking today?

Verse 5. Let us look at verse 5. They answered him and said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus said to them

I am he in Greek. I am I am

And Judas who betrayed him also stood with them

Jesus of Nazareth was a name of reproach to darken the evidence of him being the Messiah Jesus this was

Jesus of Bethlehem a town of nothing a town of nobodies This was the great

I am in Exodus tells us Exodus 3 14. Amen. This was the lamb chosen before the foundation of the world

Everything was made for him through him and unto him This was the greatest prophet

Judas now stands at opposite with the opposition. Can I tell you what this defines? This is right now is the definition of an apostate.

Yeah, he has changed sides Can you imagine the look of Christ?

Looking across with him Can You imagine with his eyes locked upon him looking across Can't tell you what

Satan gave him We just read about it in James 4. He says you adulterous and adulterer says

Satan gave him a horse forehead Yeah in exchange This was the biggest hypocrite to ever walk the face of the earth

Comes face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ God manifested in the flesh in verse 6 as we continue

Now when he said to them I am he they drew back and fell to the ground Wow, this is the

King of Kings And just for a moment just for a moment when all of others are believing that he's in his weakest humanity and weakest state

There's a divine deity that flashes a lightning bolt from heaven comes down even in the hour of basement of his humanity he

When we are weak he is strong He gives them another sign

They're always seeking a sign They got one Got knocked off their feet and he just said

I am Wow, what's in a name?

Right. What's in a name? That's the question. Is it? Yeah No, brethren.

This is the name above all names This is not a tough battle of tug -of -war This is not a battle equals.

This is the creator of heaven and earth versus a finite creature from the dust

An angel that has also felon from that that is taking control of this man

Also, let us notice that these men fell backwards. They didn't fall forward God's people fall forward in humility

Worship of the true living God we humble ourselves and we fall at his feet

Last let us notice the mercy and the long patience and the loving kindness

That God is to evil and rebellious hearts that were knocked down and they gather themselves and they again ask the same question

Come on, bro And having you in your

With with sharing gospel the truth with your friends saying why don't they get it?

Why don't you turn? He's the fountain of living water Your sin will beat you it will keep you longer than you want to stay cost you more than you want to pay

And take you further than you want to go. Amen, brother It will beat you and leave you with many strikes he's a good taskmaster.

Yeah Last let us notice also as I mentioned

He did they drop backwards. They didn't drop dead But what mercy there was because he could have struck him dead just like Ananias and Sapphire Here's another sign, but they cannot see

Here is Jesus the King before them as we continue the journey

Let us look at verse 7 then he asked them again. Whom are you seeking? They said Jesus of Nazareth.

Oh What compassion to give so many man's to repent and believe? So evident that these men get back to their feats

And their hearts are so hard hard. They cannot stop their evil intentions, but we will see what the purpose

Of asking them again as he interrogates these stricken warriors. He interrogates them

We see let's look in verse 8

Jesus answered have I told you that I am he therefore if you seek me Let these go their way

Don't you see cease that's compassion Jesus continuing to reach out Continue to cover as a good shepherd

His goodness has shown to both of the ungodly and godly here

He interrogates these stricken warriors in verse Again and now Jesus brings home his inquiry and that's to protect his own

That these sayings may be fulfilled which he had spoke if we look in verse 9 Of those whom you gave me

I have lost nine as a loving great shepherd.

He stands guard over his sheep Calvin and Luther give a great insight upon a question

How can this saying be suddenly robbed of his precious important seemingly degraded into a reference

To the manner in which Jesus only provides a physical escape for his disciples

Their response in summary together is that had these disciples at this time been captured these soldiers and guards

It would have been too severe a test for the faith They were not ready for this torture and Jesus knew this

Wow Man, that's good. Amen miss Lil because the

Holy Spirit is not Amen what a what a loving and compassionate high priest still making sacrifices for his people

In verse 10, let us look at verse 10 then Simon Peter. Do you notice his name not Peter, but Simon Peter?

Having a sword drew it and stuck the struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear

He was aiming for the head Jesus the servants name was

Malchus As I mentioned Simon Peter was his Nature was his old nature from where he found him.

He was a salty salty fisherman with a lot of get up and go But the

Lord used this for his kingdom But here we see man still falling upon the arm of the flesh

But but hadn't you though Can't you feel like you can? Sympathize with this man because when he's close to the

Savior, he says I'll slay them all He takes on the all six and eight hundred of them.

He's willing to take them all But moments before that He's alone with a little servant girl as Michael mentioned last week warming his hands by the fire

And he's scared to death He's operating in fear And he says

I never knew him now. He's saying I'll slay him off So you see the extremes?

I'm there with him. Yeah But Jesus as you see

Peter doesn't choose to avail himself with immediately Opportunity that the

Lord Jesus has provided this safety for his physical safety. Yeah, he doesn't take it Do you know the

Lord says resist the devil and he will flee? Mm -hmm Basically, he gives us the exit door.

Our problem is we don't take it We don't take it Here an exit door is given

But Christ is sympathetic and compassionate The disciples ask him in Luke 22 49.

Shall we smite with the sword? And Paul said Peter Simon Peter could not wait for that answer

Notice how bold Peter is as I've mentioned when he's so close to Jesus also another time when he stepped out on water

Took his eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ and he sunk and what I love about this

He didn't go into a deep prayer He says this one of the shortest prayers in the

Bible, and I love it. It's simple Lord help me. Yeah I mean

And all of a sudden he was grabbed up snatched And that's so comforting because sometimes

I'm so weary and weak. That's all you can say. That's right. Lord. Help me So we see

Jesus conducting another miracle before he goes to the cross

One of the last miracles he takes and heals Malchus did you see it interesting that Malchus his name is mentioned

One must conclude that the author had a relationship with the high priest. Yeah That's good.

So he takes his ear and heals his ear again Faith cometh by what?

Hearing. Hearing. Hearing got a ear. Amen. So an opportunity was given for this man

To hear truth again That's good so leaning upon the heart so we see zeal without knowledge zeal without knowledge and Leaning upon the arm of the flesh is never an option

Let's look at verse 11 as we conclude So Jesus said to Peter put your sword into your sheath shall

I not drink the cup which my father has given me Jesus sharply rebukes this zealous disciple disciple

Jesus no longer prays. Let this cup pass from me. The Good Shepherd is ready

And his time has come to lay down his life This surrender and yielding was no surrender at all.

It was victory So the question

I have for you this morning as I in conclusion to make some application and instruction to give to you

First of all, and I shared a little bit last week This morning.

Are you holding the sword? Are you holding the cup? Start for our battle is not against flesh and blood

But principalities and powers within in darkness of within heavenly realm

He chose to fight a spiritual battle with a carnal me a sword

Jesus showed him what you needed to have in your hand was a cup And that's my sufferings to be drink my cup

To be identified with him his sufferings First first application.

I'd like to share with you this morning Beware of the form of religion Knowing in your head and not in your heart.

Yeah Nominal Christianity is devoid of power and it's a shameful thing

People called Peter called hypocrites wells without water Beware of second -hand religion and cast your soul solely upon Jesus Second Timothy as I mentioned earlier

Second Timothy 3 5 says having a form of godliness, but denying his power and from such people turn away

And there's something in godliness worth having and that's the blessed power of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is that power and he can work and willing to do

God's good pleasure So come to Jesus Second I'd like to say

Take heed if you've been given much if you've heard the word much I See in this also a great

Lesson for parents and friends and loved ones That has had a loved one abandon the faith

All the worrying about what all the what -ifs What if I'd have done this? What if they'd had a different environment?

What if they could have been under this environment? Judas had them all He shows us

This is a divine work of God and God alone. They can only change the heart of men

This is I want to share with you privileges that Judas misused I'm gonna just start with some simple things think about this for a second his eyes witnessed the greatest life that ever lived

And he saw the miracles with his own eyes What greater model and evidence can faith of faith can a man have?

His ears heard the greatest teacher preach. Can you imagine him sitting there? Giving those scathing rebukes to the

Pharisees and talking about hypocrites

Who do you think he's speaking to? Think about the unprofitable servants think about the ones that were given talents

Think about him here in the broad and narrow way. He heard of all this. It didn't register

It did not register Think about his feet his feet followed the greatest example that ever have tread upon this world

His hands touched the Messiah He kissed him His hands ate the bread from his own hands

He was totally devoid. He's totally void of the spiritual dimension The disciples all became better and he became worse

So was Judas saved? No John 17 2 says

As you have given me as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life

That's too many as you have given me so we see except the son of perdition

Amen So flee to Christ and don't let your eyes rest until you have found peace with him third point

Jesus is a Jesus received sinners and never cast away any soul that truly comes to him

John 6 37 So the only remedy for a guilty conscience is the blood of Jesus And as I mentioned earlier

Examine your own hearts. Let us examine our own hearts. Are we holding this very moment the sword or the cup?

God is faithful as the hymn writer says Let us not lean

Upon the arm of the flesh, but holy lean on Jesus Let's pray father son and Holy Spirit To try on trying

God We thank you that we have been given much.

We thank you father of The privileges that you've given us Father have mercy on us for the misuse of these privileges

We have not loved you with all our heart soul mind and strength As we have read from one of your faithful ministers familiarity

Lord Can only lead one to be a traitor the familiarity of religion can lead one to an apostate

So father help us to watch and pray Lord but you are the Good Shepherd You never sleep or slumber

And father we thank you that this very moment. We see the prophet priest and high king

Always Lord Reaching out in compassion and affection you're so kind and you're so loving you're loving kindnesses beyond So father help us just to take your word and apply it to our hearts in Jesus name.