The Deep Deep Love of Jesus

John 13.21.38

Truth Taught – Christ’s love for His people is a deep, unfailing and eternal love with this same love we are to love others.

We need to understand the depth of love Christ has for His people. He was determined to go into deep darkness to save us. Sometimes we need to be reminded that Jesus loves us and that His example is for us to follow.

John 13:21–38 (ESV)

²¹ After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²² The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³ One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, ²⁴ so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

³¹ When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. ³³ Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” ³⁷ Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” ³⁸ Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

1. The Eyewitness Account

²¹ After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²² The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³ One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, ²⁴ so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

There are many things we could say about this portion of Scripture. Many were said last week in connection with the prophecy concerning Judas’ betrayal. We learned how Judas’ actions were in accordance with fulfilling prophetic Scripture. We also learned that when he did finally betray Jesus that the others’ faith would be stronger as they saw come to pass what Jesus said would happen.

Now I want us to focus not so much on Judas’ actions but on the fact that this Gospel, the Gospel of John is an eyewitness account.
John fills the pages with details. He can do that because he was there. He was with Jesus and the others at the last supper when Judas left to go make the final arrangements to turn Jesus over to the Jews.

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For the Glory of God’s Name

John 12:27-36

Primary Truth Taught- Jesus brings glory to His Father’s name by His perfect obedience.

Introduction

Last week we spent a great deal of the message focusing in verse 23…

John 12:23 (ESV)

²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

This verse focused on the glory that Jesus will receive through His death of the cross. The glory He receives comes about by doing the Father’s will. It is God’s will that Jesus be crucified. It is only through the death of His Son that God’s people are saved. Our Lord knows this and is willing to follow through with the crucifixion.
While last week’s passage focused our attention on the glory Christ receives as He dies and then bears much fruit, today’s is focused on Christ glorifying His Father also, through His death. God is greatly honored by the death of His Son.

The Trinity was completely involved in all the details surrounding the cross.   I just want to be very clear about this. It was God who had Jesus crucified. It was God’s plan, God working in and out of every event to bring about the cross. It was also God who raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him honor and a kingdom.
I’m making this point because if we are to fully grasp the verses before us we must see the truth that the cross was God’s eternal decree. God ordained that it would happen, God worked out a million or more things to bring it about, and God was the first cause of the cross.

Isaiah 53 (ESV)

53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

²    For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

       he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

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Dying and Bearing Fruit

John 12:19–26 (ESV)

Primary Truth Taught- Jesus must die in order to bear much fruit and so must we.

John 12:19–26 (ESV)

¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

²⁰ Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

1. Jesus, the Savior of the World
   ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

²⁰ Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

Here in verse 19 the Pharisees in their frustration make a blanket statement. They say that in their estimation, the world is going after Jesus. Even though, they don’t realize what they have just said and even though they mean it in a way not in line with what will soon come to pass, they are speaking truth. They are uttering prophecy.
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Extravagant Worship and Infinite Value

John 12:1-11

Primary Truth Taught- Jesus is worthy of extravagant worship because of His infinite value.

Introduction

Timeline- We are at Saturday Night (Sabbath ends at 6:00pm) 9 Nisan

What is Jesus worth to you? What value do you place on the only Son of God? When Jesus declares that He in the Resurrection and the Life and we realize that He is our resurrection and our life, now what is Jesus worth?

In our text for today we see a contrast between one who places infinite value upon Jesus and another who values money more than Jesus. Mary who is sitting across from Lazarus realizes the value of Jesus. Her affection and love of Christ cannot be measured. Then, on a very sad note we see across the room another. This man is only interested in money. He’s been with Jesus almost from the beginning. This man has seen miracles and heard amazing preaching and teaching but through it all, his heart remains unchanged. His affection is not for Jesus but for the coins in the moneybag that he has been placed in charge of.

While Mary wants one more minute with Jesus, Judas wants just one more coin. This banquet reveals the hearts of two people. One cherishes her Lord over all other things and the other cherishes money above all things.
Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Human Need Met

We must loose our love for money. We must kill it before it kills us. The only way we can loose our love for money and maximize our love for Christ is to see Him as infinitely valuable. Our need today that this passage meets is our need to see Christ as all valuable and money as a mockery of true value.

Matthew 16:26 (ESV)

²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Money is like fire, care must be taken when we handle it. We can become so blinded by it that we will chase after riches while forfeiting our souls. Money at best is only a tool but it can very quickly overtake us to our utter ruin.

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The Results of the Miracle
John 11:45-57

            We’ve been in John Chapter 11 for about 5 weeks now and we’ve needed every bit of it. It Has been so good for us to camp out on it for a while. I have plans to finish it today but we’ll see what the Spirit allows us to do.

We’re covering the greatest and most illustrious sign that Jesus performed and it essentially brings His public ministry to a close. The Jews—and all men–were often divided whenever Jesus did something, and this was no exception. Today the sermon is entitled, “The Results of the Miracle” and the Truth Taught is: Man is horrendously wicked and there comes a point when God will say, “enough” and refuse to call on men any longer.

1. The Unbelievable Mercy of God-V. 44-45

We begin our text by reading that many believed. We’ve read this before.

Jn. 2:23; 7:31

God was fulfilling the purpose for which He had John write this book.

Jn. 20:31-32

Many repented, trusted Him with their life, and received Life. All 4 Gospel writers record Jesus’s words about this….

Jn. 12:25

We see Jesus in V. 44 telling the people to “unbind him and let him go.” It’s much more significant that He had just finished saying that same thing to death! He looks death head on and says, “unbind him and let him go” and one of the greatest enemies we have shudders and loosens its claws and surrenders Lazarus to Life!

But Jesus didn’t create this miracle just for Lazarus; or just for his sisters. He did it for all those people there as a preview of what would happen to Him in another week and a half. He did it for everyone since then. He did it for us to let us know that one day He would say to death ON OUR BEHALF, “unbind him; unbind her; and let them go!”

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