WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.899 As has been mentioned a couple times now, Jim Franks and not Jim Franks, 00:00:03.899 --> 00:00:07.500 ! Britt Hopper and Scott Sage and I were in Louisville this past week for our 00:00:07.980 --> 00:00:14.880 ! denominations General Assembly and so I'm grateful that this Sunday Jeff Kreisel is bringing God's word to us. Jeff is one of our missionaries. 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:22.440 He's the campus minister for reformed university fellowship at the Air Force Academy where he ministers to our cadets. So welcome Jeff. 00:00:22.440 --> 00:00:28.440 Jeff Kreisel, Chief Executive Director of the Air Force Academy 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:30.440 Alright, well good morning Cheyenne Mountain. 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:40.439 Like Matt said, my name is Jeff Kreisel. I serve as the RUF campus minister at the Air Force Academy and I also am an Army Reserve Chaplain. 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:47.439 No longer here at Fort Carson, I now drill in Salt Lake City. It's a beautiful, beautiful state and city. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:56.439 Before I begin, Matt reminded me that I needed to thank the church in his words, I believe streams of cheddar. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:08.439 No, you know, we're so thankful for your generosity to our ministry. We would not be able to do what we do without this church and without others. 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:15.439 Myself, my wife, our intern Abby all here this morning and then Jay our associate. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:19.439 We all are very very grateful and so just wanted to begin by saying that. 00:01:20.439 --> 00:01:27.439 I am going into my tenth year at the Air Force Academy and so I am now at that point in my college ministry career. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:34.439 In which people seem to be obsessed with the question, what's next for you, Jeff? 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:38.439 How much longer are you going to do RUF? 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:41.439 When are you going to pastor a church? 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:47.439 It reminds me of like when you're a senior in high school and everybody and their mother wants to know like, 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:49.439 what's next for you after high school? 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:54.439 Or for college students, what's your major? 00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:57.439 You hear that question over and over again. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:04.439 I get these types of questions all the time and, you know, being in college ministry for 10 years, it's fairly unusual. 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:09.439 And so I understand why I get asked these questions and I know that people mean well. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:12.439 But if you think about it, it is an unusual question. 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:18.439 Imagine asking people from other professions that question. 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:22.439 Hey, Mr. Dentist, you've been doing dentistry for a while now. 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:24.439 What's next for you? 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:31.439 Or hey, Miss Lawyer, when are you going to start looking for judge jobs? 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:34.439 You are at that point in your career after all. 00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:37.439 People mean well. 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:41.439 And in their defense, like college ministry is a weird job. 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:47.439 And to some extent, it does seem to have an expiration date based on age. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.439 And that brings me to another question that I get a lot recently. 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:51.439 It's this. 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:56.439 Jeff, how do you continue to connect with college students that are half your age? 00:02:56.439 --> 00:03:00.439 And I usually say, well, they haven't been half my age for a while. 00:03:00.439 --> 00:03:02.439 So, but thank you. 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:07.439 But in all seriousness, it's not that complicated. 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.439 How do you connect with college students? 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:13.439 You connect with college students the same way that you connect with anyone. 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:15.439 You meet them where they are. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:20.439 And then you bring that gospel good news into that space. 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:26.439 The best way to learn a new language is through cultural immersion, through proximity. 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:28.439 And it's the same with college ministry. 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:32.439 We learn their language through proximity, through cultural immersion. 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:46.439 So if my students participate in some new social media trend, or want to participate in some new social media trend, we're probably going to participate in it as a ministry as long as it's clean. 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:51.439 If my students are really excited about some new video game or board game, I'm probably going to play it. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:57.439 If they're into Dungeons and Dragons, guess what? Sign me up for the campaign. 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:02.439 If they're really passionate about chemistry, I'm relearning chemistry for them. 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:08.439 And if they're really excited about a new book, I'm going to buy it. 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:09.439 I'm going to read it. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:13.439 And maybe if it's good, I'll also get excited about it. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:22.439 For instance, last year, several of our students became what I would call evangelists for the book, Project Hail Mary. 00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:26.439 You guys probably know better from the movie. 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:31.439 So Jen and I, we read the book, and then we connected with our students over it. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:35.439 We met them where they are, and then we brought the gospel into that space. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:37.439 The story is awesome. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:39.439 It's an amazing book. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:40.439 It's really well written. 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:41.439 It'll keep you engaged. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:47.439 But the thing I love the most about Project Hail Mary is how the book ends. 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:48.439 And don't worry. 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:49.439 No spoilers. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:51.439 You can still go watch the movie. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:57.439 The author, Andy Weir, he is an expert at landing the plane. 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:00.439 Every book, he perfectly lands the plane. 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:05.439 He knows how to thread themes together from start to finish. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:08.439 He knows how to tie the loose ends. 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:16.439 And he knows how to complete character arcs, to bring those arcs to a satisfying conclusion. 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:20.439 And so we met our students in this space. 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:24.439 And I told them, you know, there's another book that lands the plane perfectly. 00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:34.439 And while discussing this book with some of our students, it was so much fun to see them make the connections with the biblical story. 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:42.439 The Bible made up of 66 books that tells one story about one hero in one central conflict. 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:52.439 The themes that are threaded throughout the Old Testament that began in Genesis 1, they are beautifully tied together in the person, the work and the worth of Jesus Christ. 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:58.439 And our passage this morning is a powerful example of this truth. 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:01.439 That the entire Bible is one story. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:09.439 We're going to be looking at John chapter 18, when Jesus is arrested and betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.439 The apostle John is bringing us back to a garden. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.439 He's bringing us back to the beginning. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:20.439 He's threading the themes beautifully in order to land the plane. 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:30.439 You see, the story of Adam's betrayal of God in the garden of Eden is the backdrop of Judas's betrayal of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:40.439 Now, the apostle John has been very explicit from the very beginning of his gospel account that he was seeking to write a new kind of Genesis. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:43.439 Chapter 1, verse 1. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:49.439 In the beginning, he's making that direct connection with the first book in the Bible. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:54.439 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 00:06:54.439 --> 00:07:00.439 Throughout the remainder of his gospel, he is seeking to answer one question. 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:04.439 And he wants us to answer this question, and that is this. 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:06.439 Who is Jesus? 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:08.439 Who are you seeking? 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:12.439 What version of Jesus do you long for? 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:18.439 And so by John 18, our passage this morning, John needs to land the plane. 00:07:18.439 --> 00:07:22.439 And so once again, he returns to that initial setting. 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.439 He returns to a garden. 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:28.439 He returns to the central conflict that was introduced in Genesis 3. 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:30.439 1 John 3, verse 8 says, 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:37.439 The reason the Son of God appeared was to defeat or destroy the works of the devil. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:45.439 He gets us back to that central conflict, and then he introduces us to the true hero of the story. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:49.439 The seed of the woman that was prophesied in Genesis 3. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:57.439 The Proto-Evangelion, the first mention of the gospel that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:58.439 The second Adam. 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:10.439 You see, in the Garden of Eden, the first Adam hid from God to avoid being found in his sin so that he could preserve his life. 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:22.439 Whereas in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus, the second Adam, intentionally goes to the very place where he knew he would be found. 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:26.439 So that he could give his life for the sins of the world. 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:35.440 So I invite you, if you are willing and able, to please stand for the reading of God's holy, inerrant, and inspired word for us this morning. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:40.440 We will be looking at John 18, verses 1 through 11. 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:43.440 John 18, verses 1 through 11. 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:44.440 John 18, verses 1 through 11. 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:53.440 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook of Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:09:00.440 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:11.440 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:18.440 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, whom do you seek? 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:21.440 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.440 Jesus said to them, I am he. 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.440 Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:34.440 When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:37.440 So he asked them again, whom do you seek? 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:40.440 And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:42.440 Jesus answered, I told you again. 00:09:42.440 --> 00:09:44.440 I told you that I am he. 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:47.440 So if you seek me, let these men go. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:52.440 This was to fill the word that he had spoken of those whom you gave me. 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:54.440 I have lost not one. 00:09:54.440 --> 00:10:01.440 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest servant and cut off his right ear. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:03.440 The servant's name was Malchus. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:07.440 So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath. 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:11.440 Shall I not drink the cup that the father has given to me? 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:14.440 This is the reading of God's word. 00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:16.440 You may be seated. 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:26.440 So in verse four, let me read it again. 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:34.440 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, whom do you seek? 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:36.440 Whom do you seek? 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:42.440 This has been the question that John has been getting at since chapter one of his gospel. 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:48.440 But before we answer that question, we need to first clarify who is Jesus speaking to? 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:51.440 Who is Jesus talking to in the garden? 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:53.440 Who is the them? 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:56.440 Well, thankfully, we don't have to guess. 00:10:56.440 --> 00:11:00.440 The text tells us directly if you look at verses two and three. 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:07.440 Now, Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:15.440 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:17.440 So who is the them? 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:21.440 Who is in the garden of Gethsemane with Jesus? 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:23.440 Who is Jesus asking the question? 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.440 Whom do you seek? 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:28.440 Well, first, Judas is obviously there. 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:34.440 He was one of Jesus' disciples a few chapters earlier in John chapter 13. 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:37.440 Jesus takes a towel and he wraps it around his waist. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:42.440 He picks up a water basin and he starts scrubbing Judas' dirty feet. 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:50.440 It was after this instance, this encounter, that Judas excuses himself from the table. 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:53.440 And the text says that he goes into the night. 00:11:53.440 --> 00:12:00.440 He goes into the darkness to do an evil deed to betray his savior. 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:01.440 So Judas is there. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:04.440 Second, there is a band of Roman soldiers. 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:06.440 They are also there. 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:13.440 Now, a band of soldiers could be anywhere from eight to a few hundred soldiers. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:25.440 Some scholars are convinced that in this little Garden of Gethsemane, if you Google Garden of Gethsemane and look at pictures in this pretty small garden, that there were hundreds of Roman soldiers. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:27.440 I personally am not convinced. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:38.440 I think it was probably more like a Roman contubernium, which was essentially a squad of like eight to ten soldiers. 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:40.440 They would have been fully armored. 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:42.440 They would have been well-trained. 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:44.440 They're there. 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:45.440 They're there. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:51.440 Third, we have officers who are representing the chief priests and Pharisees. 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:59.440 So these officers, they're essentially the religious police who have been sent here on behalf of the chief priests and the Pharisees. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:13.440 And a deal has clearly been worked out in advance between the religious and the Roman authorities to hand over Jesus to the religious leaders instead of the Roman authorities. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:16.440 And so they're there as well. 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:19.440 And then fourth and finally, the disciples are there. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:25.440 We know this first from Peter's impulsive reaction with his sword in John 18. 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:34.440 But we also know this from the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that all of the disciples were present in Gethsemane on this evening. 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:46.440 In John's Gospel, Peter essentially serves as a representative for the disciples in the story for this fourth group of people. 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:47.440 Okay. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:51.440 So there are four very different factions in the garden. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:54.440 And they have four very different agendas. 00:13:54.440 --> 00:14:03.440 And these agendas are built around the fact that they have very different ideas about the identity and mission of Jesus. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:08.440 And so Jesus asks all four factions, whom do you seek? 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:12.440 And he is also asking that same question to us this morning. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:15.440 So who is Judas seeking? 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:16.440 Verse 3. 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:17.440 Verse 3. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:18.440 Verse 3. 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:29.440 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:44.440 Now, given the fact that Judas leaves right after the foot washing ceremony in the upper room to go procure this small army of well-trained and like well-armed men, 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:45.440 the other day, the other day, the other day, the other day, the other day, the other day, the other day. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:52.440 So that's why Judas had a very different idea of what Jesus' identity and his mission should have been. 00:14:52.440 --> 00:15:00.440 And consequently, what Judas' mission in life should be as his follower. 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:06.440 Judas was seeking a worldly revolutionary Jesus. 00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:13.440 A Jesus who wasn't afraid to use violence to bring about a revolution. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:17.440 Judas wanted an insurrectionist Jesus. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:25.440 But instead, he heard these words from Jesus in the upper room in chapter 13. 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:26.440 Jesus says, 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:32.440 If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:39.440 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:46.440 In other words, I don't want you to fight for me, Judas. 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:49.440 I want you to wash feet for me. 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:58.440 I don't want you to stay at the head of the table and like exude your authority. 00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:05.440 I want you to step down from the head of the table to empty yourself and to take the form of a servant for me, Judas. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:09.440 I want you to take your rank off. 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.440 I don't want you to show it off. 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:19.440 You can understand why Judas was upset with Jesus in the upper room. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:25.440 A few months ago, Secretary Hegseth issued a directive to all military chaplains. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.440 And that is this, take off your rank. 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:32.440 I'm sure many of you in this room are well aware of this directive. 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:37.440 And as you can imagine, there have been a lot of strong opinions. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:42.440 It has caused quite the stir in the chaplain corps of all branches. 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:45.440 There are a lot of loud opinions on this decision. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:53.440 And I have talked to a lot of chaplains of varying ranks over the past few months about this directive. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:57.440 I'm going to try to be kind here. 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:06.440 But what I've noticed is that on average, the higher the chaplains rank, the more opposed they are with the decision. 00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:17.440 Now, to be fair, these senior chaplains, they have a variety of good reasons for why they think chaplains should continue to wear the rank. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:21.440 And some of these reasons certainly do have merit. 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:29.440 But by and large, in my opinion, they're reasons, if you really kind of boil them down, they are rooted in worldly motives. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:34.440 Like personally, obviously, I'm in favor of the decision. 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:38.440 Not because I think it will necessarily help with chaplain approachability. 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:40.440 It could do that. 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:42.440 It probably will to some extent. 00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:49.440 Or that I think it will necessarily help with emboldening chaplains to advise their commanders. 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:54.440 The rank can be something that deters them from that. 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:55.440 Maybe. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:04.440 I am in favor of the decision because I believe that it is a small act that reflects a big truth. 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:09.440 It reflects Jesus' command to empty ourselves for the sake of others. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:19.440 It is a humbling thing to tell an officer in the military to take off your rank. 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:20.440 It is humbling. 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:22.440 And we don't like to be humbled. 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:29.440 But I would argue that it is a humbling act that will actually strengthen the character of the chaplain corps. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:35.440 And I care a lot more about the character of the chaplain corps than the rank that they wear. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:39.440 Because Judas didn't want to be humbled. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:42.440 He didn't want to take off his rank. 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.440 He didn't want to leverage worldly authority. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:48.440 Or sorry. 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:51.440 He wanted to leverage worldly authority. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:54.440 Because he wanted to bring about a worldly kingdom. 00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:58.440 He wanted a Jesus who would display his rank. 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:06.620 In a way, Judas represents all of the Israelites who were expecting the Messiah to be this military leader, 00:19:06.620 --> 00:19:13.759 this person who is politically powerful, who would lead a bloody revolution and overthrow the Romans. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.039 They wanted another Maccabean revolt. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:19.680 They wanted people like Barabbas. 00:19:20.600 --> 00:19:24.759 Barabbas, we meet him at the end of this same chapter, John 18. 00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:27.480 Barabbas was a murdering insurrectionist. 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:30.839 He was not a humble, rank-removing foot washer. 00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:40.700 And given the fact that the Israelites demanded Barabbas' release, the insurrectionist, instead of Jesus, 00:19:41.140 --> 00:19:46.900 it shows us that this military messianic expectation was not uncommon. 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:53.360 But it is surprising that Judas shared this expectation. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:20:01.579 Despite walking with Jesus and learning from Jesus from three full years, he saw countless miracles. 00:20:02.659 --> 00:20:06.740 He heard world-shifting, world-altering sermons. 00:20:07.579 --> 00:20:13.000 He watched Jesus put others ahead of himself time and time and time again. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:17.339 And yet, he still sought a different kind of king. 00:20:18.299 --> 00:20:21.140 And he sought a different kind of kingdom. 00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:24.440 And so Jesus asks Judas, 00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:26.859 Whom do you seek? 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:29.000 Who are you seeking? 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:30.859 Who are you looking for? 00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:33.680 What kind of Jesus do you want? 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:43.000 And I think the answer that was going through Judas' head in Gethsemane in answer to this question was something like this. 00:20:43.580 --> 00:20:48.660 I'm looking for a worldly revolutionary Jesus. 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:50.600 And I thought you were him. 00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:57.759 But no, you're preoccupied with washing feet when we have a war to win. 00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:05.839 You must be a fraud because you don't fit my expectations for who you should be. 00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:10.399 Now, perhaps Judas felt betrayed by Jesus. 00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:13.319 And in a sense, this is true. 00:21:14.179 --> 00:21:18.919 Jesus betrayed Judas' faulty, ingrained worldview. 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:28.080 A worldview that believed that God's kingdom was the result of military strength, political power, and economic prosperity. 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:33.320 For Judas, to get on earth as it is in heaven, 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:38.660 you needed to get to heaven through as it is on earth. 00:21:40.820 --> 00:21:43.039 And Judas is challenged here. 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:46.900 Jesus challenges his faulty worldview. 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:55.940 Judas expected an insurrectionist because he believed that the main enemy and the main conflict was against flesh and blood. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:05.220 But Jesus came to defeat a far greater and far more dangerous enemy in order to secure a far better future, 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:09.340 not only for the Israelites, but for the entire world. 00:22:09.339 --> 00:22:11.939 So that's Judas. 00:22:13.139 --> 00:22:15.000 Who were the Roman soldiers seeking? 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:21.139 I think the Roman soldiers just thought they were in Gethsemane to do their job, 00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:23.199 to keep the peace. 00:22:24.500 --> 00:22:26.839 So what kind of Jesus were they seeking? 00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:32.439 They were probably seeking a socially undisruptive Jesus. 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:39.340 They thought that Jesus was, in fact, just another kind of crazy Israelite 00:22:39.340 --> 00:22:44.480 who was starting some form of insurrection, like Barabbas, 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:47.400 and they're coming to keep the peace. 00:22:47.500 --> 00:22:51.779 Maybe they knew their history books, their history, and they knew of Judah Maccabee, 00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:55.100 and they didn't want that situation to repeat itself. 00:22:55.099 --> 00:22:58.359 You see, by coming to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, 00:22:58.500 --> 00:23:04.459 the Roman soldiers sought a Jesus who would no longer bring disruption to their society. 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:05.740 Ooh. 00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:12.059 Listen, if you are looking for a Jesus who won't disrupt your way of life, 00:23:12.719 --> 00:23:13.839 don't read the Bible. 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:21.219 Jesus was purposefully and perpetually disruptive throughout his earthly ministry. 00:23:21.220 --> 00:23:24.240 His commands were disruptive. 00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:26.740 His sermons were disruptive. 00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:28.960 His miracles were disruptive. 00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:31.839 His parables were disruptive. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:37.539 His parables, they sought to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. 00:23:37.660 --> 00:23:38.720 They were disruptive. 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:40.160 They were intended to be. 00:23:40.600 --> 00:23:45.559 And when he purposefully violates the Pharisees' legalistic laws, 00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:48.440 he was intending to be disruptive. 00:23:49.339 --> 00:23:50.480 I'll give you an example. 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:57.140 In John chapter 5, Jesus goes to the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath of all days, 00:23:57.940 --> 00:24:04.460 knowing that the Pharisees would not be happy with the actions he was about to perform on said day. 00:24:04.980 --> 00:24:14.039 Jesus finds a paralyzed man who had been sitting by this supposed miracle healing hot spring for up to 40 years. 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:17.640 You know, we have a lot of hot springs in Colorado. 00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:25.100 This one, it probably had some sort of pain relief or stress reduction properties within it, 00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:28.060 but it obviously could not heal paralysis. 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:32.280 And so he sat there, hopeless and helpless for 40 years. 00:24:32.420 --> 00:24:36.600 But then Jesus, the great physician, sees him, has compassion on him, 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:38.640 and then heals him instantaneously. 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:43.780 But his healing was disruptive. 00:24:45.600 --> 00:24:51.280 This paralyzed man was used to living a paralyzed lifestyle. 00:24:52.100 --> 00:24:54.600 In fact, it was pretty much all he'd ever known. 00:24:55.820 --> 00:25:01.480 Other people had to bring him food, had to care for his daily needs. 00:25:01.480 --> 00:25:03.960 They took care of him because he couldn't. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:05.339 He couldn't work. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:07.140 He could not provide for himself. 00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:12.900 But now that he was healed, he had to embrace a different lifestyle. 00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:18.039 He had to change because he was changed. 00:25:19.620 --> 00:25:21.220 Gospel healing is disruptive. 00:25:21.220 --> 00:25:23.519 Or take the apostle Paul. 00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:25.700 Back when he was Saul. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:29.000 He was the Pharisee of Pharisees, right? 00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:33.680 He was this, like, prominent, promising up-and-comer. 00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:36.120 He was zealous for the law. 00:25:36.819 --> 00:25:44.059 And he was eager to hunt down Christians and eradicate this new church that was called The Way. 00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:51.799 As Saul, the Jesus that he sought was a forgotten Jesus. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:58.740 A Jesus who was forgotten, who was lost in time. 00:26:00.379 --> 00:26:04.659 And so he commits his life to eliminating the early church, The Way. 00:26:05.179 --> 00:26:05.779 Why? 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:13.240 Because if what The Way was saying about Jesus was actually true, 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:17.640 then Saul would have to completely change the way that he lived. 00:26:18.500 --> 00:26:20.140 He'd have to change everything. 00:26:21.559 --> 00:26:24.339 And on the road to Damascus, that's exactly what happens. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:27.200 Jesus disrupts Saul's way of life. 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:29.079 Blindness. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:30.240 Instantaneously. 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:34.759 And in an instant, Saul, he loses his worldly power. 00:26:35.140 --> 00:26:36.400 He loses his prestige. 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:37.799 He loses his position. 00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:39.059 He loses his identity. 00:26:39.240 --> 00:26:40.359 He loses his community. 00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:41.339 He loses everything. 00:26:41.339 --> 00:26:44.799 Quite the disruption. 00:26:46.299 --> 00:26:50.639 And then after healing Saul, Jesus disrupts his identity. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:53.659 He changes his name. 00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:57.119 Jesus disrupts his mission. 00:26:58.399 --> 00:27:01.279 He makes him the apostle to the Gentiles. 00:27:02.419 --> 00:27:04.539 And Jesus disrupts his community. 00:27:05.679 --> 00:27:10.359 He surrounds him with the people that he was previously hunting. 00:27:11.339 --> 00:27:16.179 Listen, the Jesus of the Bible will disrupt your social life. 00:27:16.180 --> 00:27:21.860 Instead of fearing the opinions of others, you'll start to fear for their souls. 00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:30.560 Instead of longing for every human experience, you'll start to long for worship. 00:27:32.320 --> 00:27:37.920 Instead of being a coward in the face of cruelty, you'll start to speak up. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:42.420 You'll start to speak disruptive truths to people you love. 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:48.820 You will start to help them become undeceived by their own sin. 00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:55.980 Instead of hoarding your money and all of your possessions, you will start to store up treasures in heaven. 00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:59.799 You'll start to be a cheerful giver. 00:27:59.799 --> 00:28:00.880 A joyful giver. 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:02.420 A generous giver. 00:28:03.360 --> 00:28:09.819 And instead of holding on to grudges and resentment and bitterness, you'll start to pursue reconciliation. 00:28:10.380 --> 00:28:11.440 And it is disruptive. 00:28:12.140 --> 00:28:13.339 It is humbling. 00:28:13.500 --> 00:28:14.519 And it is hard. 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:20.700 When Jesus changes you, he calls you to a changed life. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.079 And it is disruptive. 00:28:25.339 --> 00:28:27.980 Who were the chief priests and the Pharisees seeking? 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:32.160 Well, they were seeking a Jesus they could control. 00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:36.119 They wanted a compliant Jesus. 00:28:36.980 --> 00:28:39.259 One who would yield to their will. 00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:42.420 One who would stop undermining their authority. 00:28:42.420 --> 00:28:45.660 One who knew his place and stayed in his lane. 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:51.960 The chief priests and the Pharisees wanted a Jesus that they could mold into their own image. 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:53.660 And Jesus refused. 00:28:55.380 --> 00:29:02.680 In the Old Testament, this same spirit is at work in the Israelites as they crafted idols to worship. 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:05.660 They also wanted gods that they could control. 00:29:06.700 --> 00:29:09.960 They wanted gods fashioned in their own image and likeness. 00:29:10.580 --> 00:29:11.740 Gods that were compliant. 00:29:12.420 --> 00:29:14.300 Gods who knew their place. 00:29:15.580 --> 00:29:21.880 In Exodus 32, Moses comes down from the summit of Mount Sinai. 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:26.440 Where he had been commuting with God and where he received the Ten Commandments. 00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:28.580 And what does he find at the base of the mountain? 00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:31.759 He finds a golden calf. 00:29:32.620 --> 00:29:34.340 He finds spiritual adultery. 00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:35.620 Spiritual treason. 00:29:35.800 --> 00:29:36.860 Spiritual rebellion. 00:29:36.859 --> 00:29:42.000 Despite being rescued from Egypt in the most miraculous way. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:51.679 As soon as Moses goes up the mountain, the Israelites take it as an opportunity to bring out the idols that are already in their heart. 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:58.620 After 400 years in Egypt, their false gods have become ingrained in their hearts. 00:29:59.140 --> 00:30:03.539 You've probably heard it said, it is easy to get the Israelites out of Egypt. 00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:06.820 It's a whole other thing to get Egypt out of the Israelites. 00:30:06.819 --> 00:30:12.519 They wanted gods they could control. 00:30:14.099 --> 00:30:15.960 R.C. Sproul put it like this. 00:30:15.960 --> 00:30:18.019 The calf gave no law. 00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:18.039 The calf gave no law. 00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:19.759 Demanded no obedience. 00:30:20.259 --> 00:30:23.440 It had no wrath or justice or holiness to be feared. 00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:26.880 It was deaf, dumb, and impotent. 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:31.360 But at least it could not intrude on their fun and call them to judgment. 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:50.339 Listen, if you are seeking a Jesus who is fashioned in your image, a version of Jesus who is compliant, that you can control, 00:30:50.759 --> 00:30:56.039 you might as well pull out your chisel and your mallet and start carving. 00:30:56.039 --> 00:31:07.619 But forewarning, the version of Jesus that you create will be deaf, dumb, impotent, and ultimately useless. 00:31:09.059 --> 00:31:17.480 You will receive no hope, no joy, no peace from a version of Jesus that is crafted in your own image. 00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:19.940 But at least he won't intrude on your fun. 00:31:19.940 --> 00:31:28.340 It might make you feel better to impose your ideas of morality onto Jesus. 00:31:29.100 --> 00:31:32.900 But like he did with the Pharisees, Jesus will refuse. 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:36.420 We don't control him. 00:31:36.820 --> 00:31:38.600 He is the Lord of all. 00:31:39.559 --> 00:31:42.559 In the words of Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper, 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:55.319 Listen, you can't mold him. 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:56.980 He molds you. 00:31:58.179 --> 00:31:59.980 He doesn't yield to your will. 00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:01.559 You yield to his. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.940 As sovereign Lord, he knows his place. 00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:07.359 He's noted for eternity. 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:14.500 The question is, do we know our place before such a holy, awesome God? 00:32:16.279 --> 00:32:20.019 Last but not least, we have Peter, who is representing the disciples. 00:32:21.439 --> 00:32:22.979 Now, you've got to hand it to Peter. 00:32:24.019 --> 00:32:29.719 Peter was even willing to die for Jesus before Jesus was resurrected. 00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:33.159 I mean, consider the odds, right? 00:32:33.160 --> 00:32:37.700 Even if you go on the low number of the Roman soldiers, we're looking at 8 to 10, 00:32:37.800 --> 00:32:41.480 plus we have these officers probably another 8 to 10 or so. 00:32:41.580 --> 00:32:44.000 So they're already outnumbered 2 to 1. 00:32:45.180 --> 00:32:52.259 Peter didn't stand a chance against this well-trained, fully armed squadron. 00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:58.660 But he was ready to die in his attempt to deliver Jesus from their hands. 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:03.279 And so when Jesus asks the question, whom do you seek? 00:33:04.560 --> 00:33:07.920 Given Peter's reaction when he pulls out his sword, 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:11.500 I think Peter's answer would have been something like this. 00:33:12.320 --> 00:33:15.900 I'm looking for a Jesus who doesn't go to a cross. 00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:24.200 You see, this wasn't the first time that Peter said something along these same lines. 00:33:24.200 --> 00:33:32.259 In Matthew 16, Jesus explains to Peter that he had to go to Jerusalem to suffer many things and be killed, 00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:34.360 and then on the third day rise again. 00:33:34.539 --> 00:33:36.920 And Peter says, not on my watch. 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:41.900 And Jesus replies to Peter, get behind me, Satan. 00:33:43.059 --> 00:33:44.740 You are a hindrance to me, 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:49.440 for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:53.700 You see, Peter didn't understand Jesus' true mission. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:58.720 He wanted a version of Christianity without a cross. 00:34:01.580 --> 00:34:03.680 Martin Luther King Jr. put it this way, 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:05.480 there is no crown without a cross. 00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:10.360 I wish we could get to Easter without going to Good Friday, 00:34:10.500 --> 00:34:15.320 but history tells us that we got to go by Good Friday before we can get to Easter. 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:20.000 Peter wanted a Christianity without the cross. 00:34:20.080 --> 00:34:23.720 He wanted a version of Christianity that made his life easier, 00:34:24.420 --> 00:34:28.000 not a version that brought hardship and suffering. 00:34:31.600 --> 00:34:35.039 After Gethsemane, and over the next few days, 00:34:35.680 --> 00:34:38.820 Peter would come to terms with the fact that if you remove the cross, 00:34:39.180 --> 00:34:42.840 you get a false gospel, you get a fragile hope, 00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:44.440 and you get a phony Savior. 00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:48.420 And then we see this at Pentecost. 00:34:49.120 --> 00:34:52.720 In Acts, Peter preaches boldly the true gospel. 00:34:53.080 --> 00:34:56.980 He preaches the version of Christ who was wearing a crown of thorns 00:34:56.980 --> 00:34:58.860 and who was bearing a cross. 00:35:00.200 --> 00:35:04.720 And then a few decades later, Peter was still willing to die for Jesus, 00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:08.440 but now he was willing to die for him for a different purpose. 00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:12.740 He was willing to embrace a cross of his own. 00:35:12.739 --> 00:35:17.219 And this, my friends, is at the very heart of Christianity. 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:19.699 Jesus says, this is what it means to follow me. 00:35:19.839 --> 00:35:23.119 Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. 00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:26.939 There is no crown without a cross. 00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:30.840 So what about you this morning? 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:35.760 What version of Jesus are you looking for? 00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:39.679 A worldly revolutionary Jesus? 00:35:39.940 --> 00:35:42.480 A socially undisruptive Jesus? 00:35:42.659 --> 00:35:43.840 A compliant Jesus? 00:35:44.980 --> 00:35:46.599 A Jesus without a cross? 00:35:46.659 --> 00:35:48.440 Or maybe it's a different version altogether. 00:35:48.700 --> 00:35:50.320 Maybe it's the Santa Claus Jesus. 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:53.460 The one who's making a list and checking it twice. 00:35:53.559 --> 00:35:55.240 He's going to find out if you're naughty or nice. 00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:58.039 He gives you gifts, and he lacks all grace. 00:35:59.580 --> 00:36:02.140 Or maybe it's the self-help guru Jesus, 00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:05.460 whose mission is just to come alongside you 00:36:05.460 --> 00:36:07.059 and make your life more prosperous. 00:36:08.420 --> 00:36:10.559 Maybe it's the Aesop's fable Jesus. 00:36:10.700 --> 00:36:13.220 He's really just a legend with some good moral stories. 00:36:13.580 --> 00:36:15.760 Maybe it's the patriotic American Jesus. 00:36:15.760 --> 00:36:19.540 Maybe it's the grace without truth Jesus. 00:36:19.860 --> 00:36:22.980 Or even worse, the truth without grace Jesus. 00:36:24.200 --> 00:36:25.580 Whom do you seek? 00:36:27.460 --> 00:36:29.540 Well, here's the best starting point. 00:36:30.640 --> 00:36:32.860 How about you seek after the Jesus 00:36:32.860 --> 00:36:36.400 who self-discloses his own identity? 00:36:38.740 --> 00:36:40.680 They said they came to Gethsemane 00:36:40.680 --> 00:36:42.560 looking for Jesus of Nazareth. 00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:46.500 And in verse 5, Jesus said to them, 00:36:47.320 --> 00:36:48.679 I am he. 00:36:49.699 --> 00:36:51.500 In Greek, it's two words. 00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:53.440 Ego, eimi. 00:36:54.400 --> 00:36:56.340 And how did they respond? 00:36:57.059 --> 00:36:58.920 The text doesn't tell us 00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:01.159 that they is just one group. 00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:05.440 We can assume that it was possibly all four factions. 00:37:06.799 --> 00:37:07.539 Verse 6 says, 00:37:07.679 --> 00:37:08.679 When Jesus said to them, 00:37:08.940 --> 00:37:09.699 Ego, eimi, 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:12.059 they drew back and they fell to the ground. 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:16.279 They understood what Jesus was saying. 00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:22.480 They were confronted with the real glory of Jesus. 00:37:22.779 --> 00:37:24.739 And so they fall to the ground. 00:37:26.059 --> 00:37:28.599 This is like an echo of divine encounters 00:37:28.599 --> 00:37:30.440 that we see throughout the Old Testament. 00:37:30.599 --> 00:37:32.440 We read in Exodus earlier, 00:37:32.940 --> 00:37:35.279 Moses hiding his face before God. 00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:38.980 That's the natural reaction of someone 00:37:38.980 --> 00:37:41.880 who comes face to face with a holy God. 00:37:43.380 --> 00:37:46.060 But it is also a preview of the day 00:37:46.060 --> 00:37:47.540 when every knee shall bow 00:37:47.540 --> 00:37:50.040 and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. 00:37:51.080 --> 00:37:52.560 This is a preview of that. 00:37:53.700 --> 00:37:54.880 Ego, eimi. 00:37:55.220 --> 00:37:58.480 This is the Greek version of the Hebrew word Yahweh. 00:37:58.480 --> 00:38:01.240 I am who I am. 00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:03.519 I will be who I will be. 00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:05.460 Jesus is saying, 00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:06.840 I am self-existent. 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:07.840 I am sovereign. 00:38:08.159 --> 00:38:10.420 I am infinite, eternal, and unchanging. 00:38:11.219 --> 00:38:11.740 He's saying, 00:38:11.820 --> 00:38:14.039 I'm the one who before all time began 00:38:14.039 --> 00:38:15.699 was equal with God the Father. 00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:18.019 I am the great I am. 00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:21.500 Colossians 1 verse 16 says this, 00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:44.500 John has been leading to this moment 00:38:44.500 --> 00:38:45.679 for 18 chapters. 00:38:46.579 --> 00:38:49.860 And now he needs to beautifully land that plane. 00:38:49.860 --> 00:38:53.740 He has been leading us to this question. 00:38:54.980 --> 00:38:58.539 Jesus, who do you say that you are? 00:39:01.300 --> 00:39:04.160 John 6, I am the bread of life. 00:39:06.140 --> 00:39:08.039 I'm the one who sustains your life 00:39:08.039 --> 00:39:09.320 and satisfies your soul. 00:39:10.680 --> 00:39:13.019 John 8, I am, ego, eimi, 00:39:13.200 --> 00:39:14.300 the light of the world. 00:39:15.300 --> 00:39:16.920 The light shines in the darkness, 00:39:17.420 --> 00:39:19.300 but the darkness cannot overcome it. 00:39:20.720 --> 00:39:22.120 John 10, I am the door. 00:39:23.240 --> 00:39:24.740 I am the entry point. 00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:26.660 I am the access point 00:39:26.660 --> 00:39:28.500 into God's holy presence. 00:39:29.660 --> 00:39:30.480 John 10, again, 00:39:30.579 --> 00:39:31.599 I am the good shepherd. 00:39:32.019 --> 00:39:34.019 I am the one who lays down his life 00:39:34.019 --> 00:39:35.680 for his sheep. 00:39:36.019 --> 00:39:37.400 He says in this passage, 00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:39.519 take me and let them go. 00:39:40.539 --> 00:39:41.900 He is the good shepherd. 00:39:42.579 --> 00:39:43.240 John 11, 00:39:43.880 --> 00:39:46.480 I am the resurrection and the life. 00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:47.480 In other words, 00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:48.920 I am hope incarnate 00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:51.360 in the face of death and dying. 00:39:52.740 --> 00:39:53.679 John 14, 00:39:53.860 --> 00:39:54.500 I am the way, 00:39:54.579 --> 00:39:55.019 the truth, 00:39:55.079 --> 00:39:55.860 and the life. 00:39:56.219 --> 00:39:57.159 I am the path 00:39:57.159 --> 00:39:58.639 to human flourishing 00:39:58.639 --> 00:39:59.719 and fulfillment. 00:40:00.940 --> 00:40:02.219 In John 15, 00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:04.679 I am the true vine. 00:40:05.719 --> 00:40:07.219 I am united to you. 00:40:08.019 --> 00:40:10.059 My love is coursing through you. 00:40:10.059 --> 00:40:13.139 And I am the one who empowers you 00:40:13.139 --> 00:40:14.679 to bear good fruit. 00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:18.500 With just two words, 00:40:18.739 --> 00:40:20.679 Jesus knocks down his opponents 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:22.519 like a prize fighting boxer. 00:40:22.519 --> 00:40:26.619 But then he gives himself up to them. 00:40:27.780 --> 00:40:29.739 He gains the upper hand 00:40:29.739 --> 00:40:31.940 and yet he remains undistracted 00:40:31.940 --> 00:40:32.900 from his mission 00:40:32.900 --> 00:40:34.519 because he knows who he is 00:40:34.519 --> 00:40:36.000 and what he came to do. 00:40:37.280 --> 00:40:38.880 And over the next 24 hours, 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:39.960 he would show them 00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:41.019 and us 00:40:41.019 --> 00:40:42.079 the kind of Jesus 00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:43.300 that he truly is. 00:40:44.460 --> 00:40:45.699 He's the kind of Jesus 00:40:45.699 --> 00:40:47.199 who gladly bears your burdens. 00:40:48.659 --> 00:40:49.860 He's the kind of Jesus 00:40:49.860 --> 00:40:51.179 who willingly atones 00:40:51.179 --> 00:40:52.139 for your sins. 00:40:53.300 --> 00:40:54.539 He's the kind of Jesus 00:40:54.539 --> 00:40:55.860 who obediently drinks 00:40:55.860 --> 00:40:57.340 the cup of God's wrath 00:40:57.340 --> 00:40:59.619 so that you don't have to. 00:41:00.980 --> 00:41:02.300 He's the kind of Jesus 00:41:02.300 --> 00:41:03.119 who though he was 00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:04.099 in the form of God, 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:06.099 did not count equality with God 00:41:06.099 --> 00:41:07.119 a thing to be grasped, 00:41:07.159 --> 00:41:08.400 but emptied himself. 00:41:09.159 --> 00:41:10.820 Taking the form of a servant, 00:41:11.280 --> 00:41:13.239 being born in the likeness of men 00:41:13.239 --> 00:41:15.179 and being found in human form, 00:41:15.320 --> 00:41:16.199 he humbled himself 00:41:16.199 --> 00:41:17.320 by becoming obedient 00:41:17.320 --> 00:41:18.719 to the point of death, 00:41:18.980 --> 00:41:20.759 even death on a cross. 00:41:20.760 --> 00:41:23.040 So let me ask you 00:41:23.040 --> 00:41:24.680 the question again, 00:41:25.200 --> 00:41:26.400 whom do you seek? 00:41:28.300 --> 00:41:30.560 Jesus has already revealed himself 00:41:30.560 --> 00:41:33.580 to be the exact kind of Jesus 00:41:33.580 --> 00:41:34.680 that you most need. 00:41:35.620 --> 00:41:35.860 Amen? 00:41:36.860 --> 00:41:37.520 All right. 00:41:37.660 --> 00:41:38.480 Let me pray for us. 00:41:39.580 --> 00:41:40.160 Heavenly Father, 00:41:40.500 --> 00:41:41.900 we thank you for your word. 00:41:41.900 --> 00:41:42.119 Lord, 00:41:42.119 --> 00:41:44.280 we thank you for this story 00:41:44.280 --> 00:41:45.900 in John 18 00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:47.660 where Jesus is betrayed 00:41:47.660 --> 00:41:48.599 and arrested 00:41:48.599 --> 00:41:51.019 knowingly. 00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:52.300 He went to that garden 00:41:52.300 --> 00:41:53.340 knowing what would happen 00:41:53.340 --> 00:41:54.440 and yet he went anyway 00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:55.639 so that he could bear 00:41:55.639 --> 00:41:56.420 the sins of the world. 00:41:56.420 --> 00:41:57.820 I pray that we would see him rightly, 00:41:58.420 --> 00:41:59.619 that we would worship Jesus 00:41:59.619 --> 00:42:00.940 for who he really is 00:42:00.940 --> 00:42:03.240 as he has self-disclosed himself, 00:42:03.380 --> 00:42:04.519 that he is the bread of life, 00:42:04.619 --> 00:42:05.700 he is the light of the world, 00:42:05.800 --> 00:42:06.780 he is the true vine, 00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:08.039 he is the door of the sheep, 00:42:08.300 --> 00:42:09.340 he is the good shepherd, 00:42:09.500 --> 00:42:10.900 he is the resurrection and the life, 00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:12.400 and he is the way, 00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:12.940 the truth, 00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:13.980 and the life as well. 00:42:14.200 --> 00:42:16.420 We pray that these self-disclosures 00:42:16.420 --> 00:42:17.980 would penetrate our hearts 00:42:17.980 --> 00:42:19.180 and change our lives. 00:42:19.480 --> 00:42:20.400 We pray all this in Christ's name. 00:42:20.500 --> 00:42:20.700 Amen. 00:42:20.700 --> 00:42:20.820 Amen. 00:42:20.820 --> 00:42:20.820 00:42:20.820 --> 00:42:20.820 00:42:20.820 --> 00:42:20.820 00:42:26.420 --> 00:42:28.460 Let's go ahead and stand up.