Sermon Nuggets Fri Nov 7
Theme- The Arrest
Verses- John 18: 11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
Observe Jesus Provision.
Jesus is willing to be obedient to the plan. He has already fought that inward battle in prayer and won by yielding to the Father’s will. He is ready to drink the cup the Father has given to him and thereby be our provision for salvation, to have eternal life. The cup is the symbol of suffering. The cup of wrath is the response of God against sin. Ish 51:7 “Awake, awake, rise up O Jerusalem you who have drunk from the hand of the cup of his wrath. You who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger. Rev 14:10 tells us “He too will drink of the wine of Gods’ fury which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath..” Ps 75:8 “In the hand of the Lord is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” The cup of wrath for sin is the cup that is presented to Christ and his provision for us is that we might not experience God’s wrath because Jesus took it for us on the cross.
In going to the cross Jesus greatest concern is still for the disciples and not Himself. The steps to the cross out of obedience is God’s provision for our eternal life. He does not put His own concerns first. There was no other way to save the world. But it wasn’t because we deserve His sacrifice. It is because of His love.
The gods of the world are the focus of great fear. Their anger is to be appeased. God’s anger against sin was placed upon Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. It is for the world lost in sin that Jesus was willing to be arrested to suffer and to die that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus suffering was completely voluntary, but this free gift we have a savior who was far more willing to save us than we are wiling to be saved. He knew of these torments and the scourging and the cross and that was probably some of the temptation in the garden when h e prayed “If there be any way, let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”
The greatest suffering does not come from Satan and the evil forces, rather it comes from God against sin. Friends the greatest suffering is spiritual suffering to be forever separated from God for all eternity. He experienced the cup of wrath for all who will believe so we never have to face separation. That protection comes by the power and the plan and thepain of Jesus. This arrest reminds us of that.
We should not be surprised, then, that when we come to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of our Lord, John makes it very clear that Jesus is the One who is in control—not the Roman soldiers, not the Jewish religious leaders, not the mob, not Judas, and certainly not the disciples. Jesus is in control. And so it is that He confronts those who seek to arrest Him. When we see incidents like this week’s bombing in Spain by the extreme Moslems there is a fear that even by force we must stop the spread of freedom.
Jesus wants to gives a freedom that militants cannot touch. It is an inward freedom from sin, from purposelessness. He frees our souls from the control of this world and lusts thereof to our Maker
It is an amazing thing to read the first verses of John 18 and to realize that Jesus made no effort to save Himself. Only Jesus can save anyone from their sins, and from divine condemnation. Have you trusted in Him for the forgiveness of your sins? He is the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep. May God grant that you are one of His sheep, and that you will rejoice in His salvation, and in His sovereignty. What peace there is in knowing that the Good Shepherd is the Sovereign Son of God, whose promises and purposes always come to pass.
In a day when there is much chaos and danger around us, how good it is to know Him Who is in control.
Pastor Dale
