March 30th, 2016
The Gospel of John: The Resurrection
John 20:1-18
The Empty Tomb (v. 1-10)
•
All
4 Gospels point out that Jesus’ resurrection was on the 1st day of
the week
–
An
allusion to the new beginning
•
Mary
Magdalene comes to mourn at Jesus’ tomb
–
And
finish burial preparation
–
And
finds the stone has been moved away
•
She
leaves to tell Peter & John (the other disciple)
–
Thinking
that Jesus’ body had been stolen
•
Peter
& John come to the tomb
–
John,
the younger, outrunning Peter
•
When
Peter enters the tomb, he finds only the linens that Jesus’ body had
been wrapped in
–
The
implication is that Jesus has passed through them
•
John
begins to understand what has happened
–
And
the two men return home
The First Appearance (v. 11-18)
•
Mary
is left alone to weep over the missing Jesus
•
But
when she looks into the tomb she sees two angels
–
Who
ask why she is crying
•
Jesus appears
to Mary
–
Who
thinks He is a gardener
•
When
He calls her by name, she realizes who He is
–
Calling
Him teacher
–
And
embracing Him
•
He
sends her to the other disciples to share what has happened
So What?
•
John
portrays Jesus’ death as a willful act of love
•
His
resurrection is a willful act of life
–
A
new life for all who trust Him
•
Do
you believe that HE LIVES?!
–
If
we do, we can have this new life too!
–
And,
like Mary, share it with the world!
Meditation
Verse: John 20:18
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March 21st, 2016
The Gospel of John: The Crucifixion
John 19:16b-42
The
Crucifixion (v. 16b-27)
• The
soldiers prepare Jesus for execution
– This
included a severe beating (verberatio)
– And make
Him, on the edge of death, carry His own cross beam over 1/3
of a mile
• Jesus is crucified
with two others
– Lēstai: Insurrectionists (Matt.
27:38; Mark 15:27)
• Like
Barabbas (John 18:40)
• Pilate
orders a sign to be placed over His head, telling of His crime
– Common
practice to act as a warning against such behavior
– Against
which the Jewish leadership takes umbrage
• The
soldiers divide Jesus’ clothes amongst them
– There were 4
soldiers (Acts 12:4) and 5 garments (robe, tunic, belt, sandals, head
covering)
– Because the
tunic was of high quality, rather than tear it, they gamble for it
• Fulfilling
Ps. 22:18
• The only
associates of Jesus’ reported as present are His mother, aunt, Mary Magdalene,
and the beloved disciple
– Probably John
himself
• Who is
charged with taking care of Jesus’ mother
Jesus’
Death (v. 28-30)
• Jesus’
death was necessary to accomplish His Father’s will
– Redeeming God’s
people from their sins
• Once that
was accomplished Jesus fulfills one last Scripture by asking for a drink
– Which is
met with vinegar rather than water (Ps. 69:21)
• Jesus then
declares His work finished
– And dies
of His own choosing
The Final
Blow (v. 31-37)
• The 2
brigands have their legs broken
– To ensure
that corpses would not be on public display for the Passover
• But when
Jesus is found dead
– The soldier
pierces His side into His heart & lungs to ensure He is really dead
• Blood &
water: May be a ‘sign’ of the life and cleansing that flow from
Jesus’ death
•
John
states that he is a trustworthy witness to these events
–
As
is Scriptures itself
•
Ex.
12:46: Referring to Jesus as the Passover lamb
•
Zech.
12:10: Where God is pierced because of His people’s rebellion
Jesus’
Burial (v. 38-42)
•
Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus get
permission to take Jesus’ body
–
Normally
a seditionist would not be allowed to be buried, but left to be eaten by birds
•
And
they buried Him in a nearby new tomb
So What?
• Jesus died
a horrific, painful death, as the King who was still in control to the very end
• And He did
it for us!
• Do you
trust in His death on your behalf?
Meditation Verse: John
19:30
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March 14th, 2016
The Gospel of John: The Sentence
John 19:1-16a
The
Coronation (v. 1-8)
• Pilate has
Jesus flogged
– He is
trying to appease the crowds so that he can release Jesus
• The
soldiers provide a mock coronation of Jesus to make fun of Him
– With a
crown make of date thorns
– And a royal
robe of purple
– As they bow
down to Him
• They strike
Him
• And hail
Him “King of the Jews”
• Acting
better than they know
• After He
has been beaten, Pilate tries to release Jesus
– Again
declaring Him innocent
• But the
crowd wants Him dead
– And demands
that He be crucified
– Because
Jesus has claimed to be the Son of God
• Which makes
Pilate afraid
True
Authority (v. 9-11)
• Pilate
brings Jesus back inside and questions Him again
– He is
afraid that the claim about Jesus being "a son of the gods"
might be true
• He asks
Jesus where He came from
– Which is
met with silence
• He then
asserts that he alone has the authority to save Jesus
– But Jesus
doesn’t need to be saved
• He has come
to do the saving
• Jesus
corrects Pilate, claiming that He is only there because God has
orchestrated it
– Therefore
Jesus is still in control of the situation
The Road is
Set (v. 12-16a)
• Pilate is
set on releasing Jesus
• But he is
met with threats from the crowd
– Questioning
his loyalty to the Emperor
• Because as Messiah,
Jesus is making a kingly claim
•
He
capitulates to the crowd
–
And
passing judgment from the bema, the judgment seat (see John 5:22)
•
John
reminds us that all this takes place in the setting of the Passover
–
An
allusion to Jesus being the true Passover Lamb
–
The
6th hour by Jewish reckoning = noon
•
Roman
legal time = 6 am
•
Pilate
presents Jesus back to the crowd as He is being sentenced: The King of
the Jews
•
But
they speak a greater truth than they know: “We have no king but Caesar”
–
They
deny Jesus’ kingship
•
And
therefore are denying God as their king
So What?
• Jesus was
sentenced to die as the King!
– A true
claim
• The King
died His subjects could live
– Is He your
King?
Meditation Verse: Philippians
2:8
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March 7th, 2016
The Gospel of John: The Trial
John 18:28-40
Questioning
the Prosecution (v. 28–32)
• Annas &
Caiaphas send Jesus to the Roman ruler, Pilate
– Roman
prefect under Emperor Tiberius from AD 26 to 37
– Known for
his moral weakness, vacillation, stubbornness, and brutality (cf. Luke 13:1)
• They refuse
to enter his home so that they can stay ceremonial clean
– And partake
in the impending Passover
• Pilate
comes out to the crowd and questions them
– They need
Pilate’s permission to execute Jesus
– Because
they are not allowed to put anyone to death under Roman law
• Which also
fulfilled Jesus’ words about being crucified, the Roman form of
execution (12:32-33)
• Rather than
being stoned, the Jewish one
The Defense
Questioned (v. 33–38a)
• Pilate
brings Jesus inside for a private questioning
• He asks if
Jesus is claiming to be the Jewish King: the Messiah
– This claim
would make Jesus a threat to Caesar, the Roman Emperor
• Jesus asks
Pilate a clarifying question (v. 34)
– Which is
met with indignation
• Jesus
clarifies that He is no threat to Rome
– By defining
His kingdom as ‘not of this world’
• Jesus’
Kingdom
– Spiritual in nature
• And
therefore greater than any human kingdom
• And yet,
not a threat to them either
– Is not
built or established by human means
• When Pilate
asks Jesus to verify His kingly claim
– He does so;
but clarifies that He is the king of those who live in the truth
• Pilates’
rhetorical question is telling:
– He does not
known truth, though the Truth is standing before him
The First
Trial (v. 19-24)
• When the
high priest questions Jesus, it is at night
– Thus
considered illegal
• Unlike
Jesus who does His work in the open (v. 20)
• Perhaps one
reason why Jesus does not testify about Himself is to shed light on the
injustice
– He calls on
the high priest to produce witnesses
• Which was
required by the Law (Num 35:30;
Deut. 17:6; 19:15)
• Jesus also
points out the soldier’s response is illegal
– Not based
on wrongs committed or witnesses
• Thus, those
who claim to obey the Law:
– Fail to keep
it
– Fail to
understand that the Law points to Jesus the Messiah
The Verdict
(v. 38b-40)
•
Pilate
announces to the crowds that he finds ‘no guilt in [Jesus]’
–
Speaking
greater than he knows
•
He
invokes a Roman custom to release a prisoner at the Passover
–
Asking
if they want their King back
•
The
crowd calls for the insurrectionist, Barabbas (cf. Mark 15:7)
–
Irony:
Barabbas may have actually posed a threat to Roman rule and is released
•
While
Jesus poses no real threat is executed
So What?
• Jesus is
building a kingdom that is greater than any this world has ever known
• Are you a
part of that kingdom?
• Have you
listened to the Truth and believed Him?
Meditation Verse: John
18:37
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