Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20060716.htm

JOHN: TRUSTING JESUS AS MESSIAH AND GOD
Part XL: Noting Jesus' Power As Almighty God EVEN In His ARREST
(John 18:1-11)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

It is common for many people in the secular realm to view the New Testament record of Jesus' passion, including His death by crucifixion and resurrection, as being a false account of what occurred since it is presumed that Jesus as a mere, WEAK mortal like we are:

(1) Dan Brown's bestseller, The Da Vinci Code promotes the view that Jesus' deity was invented by Emperor Constantine to enhance his political power ("It's Time to Seek the Truth," Cedarville University Torch, p. 8). Accordingly, this book denies that Jesus actually died by crucifixion, but that He fled to France to die of old age. (2) The September 30, 2003 issue of the tabloid, the Sun reported (p. 24) that a book by Martin Piswell held Jesus was stabbed to death by a Roman soldier as he was carrying his cross in contrast to His own secret plan to fake death by crucifixion! Thus, the man who actually was crucified and pierced to death on the cross was Simon of Cyrene! Accordingly, the story of Jesus' death and resurrection is presumed to be a fabrication since Jesus was supposedly an ordinary, mortal like any other man!

(3) Following the publishing success of Brown's The Da Vinci Code, James Tabor has produced a book, The Jesus Dynasty that claims that neither Jesus nor His disciples ever believed He was God!



Well, the John 18:1-11 passage we view today reports on the arrest of Jesus by those who later crucified Him! It would then be well for us to discern from this account if Jesus was just a MERE and hence POWERLESS human being IN RELATION to HIS SUFFERING and DEATH in ACCORD with such popular theories, or IF His PASSION ITSELF reveals He was ALMIGHTY GOD as our Christian faith holds!



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Popular claims denying Jesus' deity hold the New Testament record of His death and resurrection never really occurred since He was a MERE MORTAL. Well, is there evidence in the Bible's record of His PASSION ITSELF that demonstrates He really IS GOD?!"
  1. The events of Jesus' arrest show Him to be ALMIGHTY GOD:
    1. John 18:1-11 reveals Jesus fearlessly let Himself be arrested:
      1. The Garden of Gethsemanee where Jesus was arrested (Mk. 14:32) is near the foot of the Mount of Olives that is located directly east of the temple mount, John 18:1; Matthew 26:30, 36.
      2. This layout gave Jesus a clear view of the party that came down from the temple to arrest Him several minutes before they arrived:
        1. The soldiers had to walk 250 yards to descend the temple mount, cross the Brook Kidron and come up slightly at the foot of the Mt. of Olives to Jesus, Macmillan Bib. Atlas , p. 149.
        2. They held torches (John 18:3b), so Jesus had several minutes of visual awareness of their activity so that He could have fled!
      3. Yet, instead of fleeing, Jesus went out to meet them, John 18:1-4!
      4. Then, when Peter attacked a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear, Jesus told Peter He had to partake of His father's figurative cup of suffering, a reference to His crucifixion, John 18:10-11.
      5. Thus, Jesus fearlessly subjected Himself to be arrested, Jn. 18:12!
    2. John 18:1-11 reveals this fearlessness arose from Jesus' DEITY!
      1. The soldier "band" consisted of at least 300 men, Ibid., ftn. to 18:3!
      2. When this band asked for, "Jesus of Nazareth," His reply, "I am he" (KJV) is actually, "I AM," or ego eimi, what God says of Himself in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible used in Jesus' day, Leon Wood, John (NICNT), p. 743, 473, ftn. 116.
      3. When Jesus first used this "I AM" expression, the 300 armed and disciplined Roman soldiers went backward and fell down, Jn. 18:6!
      4. This shows Jesus as God let the soldiers arrest Him, Ibid., p. 744!
  2. The events of Jesus' arrest as INTEGRATED with PAST Old Testament history show Him to be ALMIGHTY GOD:
    1. God first revealed Himself in the Old Testament as the "I AM" in Exodus 3:14 when He called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt!
    2. So, Jesus, the "I AM" of Gethsemanee Who dominated 300 Roman soldiers was the powerful Lord Who brought Israel up out of Egypt!
  3. The events of Jesus' arrest as INTEGRATED with FUTURE Scripture PROPHECY show Him to be ALMIGHTY GOD:
    1. When He comes, like He did in delivering His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemanee at the Mount of Olives, Jesus will rescue a believing remnant there in the coming Great Tribulation Period:
      1. In Zechariah 14:3-5 and Daniel 11:45, the "feet" of the "LORD" will stand on the "mount of Olives", cleaving it east-to-west to form a valley of escape for Israel's believing remnant as they cross the Brook Kidron away from antichrist, ruler of the revived Roman Empire, Ryrie, Ibid., ftns. to Dan. 2:40; 2:41; 2:42; Rev. 19:20.
      2. Well, the feet of this "Lord" are those of Jesus Who will return to the Mount of Olives just as He left it in His ascension, Acts 1:9-12!
      3. Thus, Jesus will deliver His believing remnant in the Tribulation at the same spot He shielded His disciples, John 18:8-9; Zec. 14:4-5!
    2. When He comes, like He did in applying His "I AM" power over the soldiers in Gethsemanee by His spoken word (Jn. 18:6), Jesus will there slay the world's armies by His spoken word, Rev. 19:15, 21.
    3. When He comes, Jesus will reverse the evils done there in the past:
      1. Where He was wrongly arrested by Roman forces that came from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives (John 18:11-12), Jesus will at that spot arrest Rome's leader, the antichrist, when he comes from Jerusalem in pursuit of His remnant, Rev. 19:20; Zech 14:3-5.
      2. Where He once let Himself be arrested there to taste of God's wrath for man's sin on the cross (Jn. 18:11), Jesus will there arrest His foes that they might taste of God's wrath in hell, Rev. 19:15, 20-21.
  4. The events of Jesus' arrest as INTEGRATED with events FUTURE AND PAST COMBINED show Him to be ALMIGHTY GOD:
    1. When He comes, Jesus' parting of the Mount of Olives to rescue Israel from the antichrist will recall His parting of the Red Sea as the Great "I AM" to deliver Israel from Egypt, Zec h. 14:4-5; Ex. 14:15-31!
    2. When He comes, Jesus will cast a usurping antichrist and false prophet alive into hell as the "LORD" cast usurping Korah and his men alive into the pit, Revelation 19:20; Numbers 16:28-33!
Application: In view of His DIVINE CONTROL of His arrest and the vast integration of that event with God's plan of the ages, may we (1) trust in Jesus as Savior to receive eternal life, John 3:16. (2) May we then REST in His REAL IDENTITY, that of ALMIGHTY GOD!

Lesson: BESIDES the events of Jesus' ARREST, the INTEGRATION of PAST and FUTURE Biblical events WITH the events of that arrest mark Him as being VASTLY more than a mere man -- they show He is GOD!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

Dr. Bill Brown, a graduate of the Dallas Theological Seminary and President of Cedarville University in Ohio, wrote the following conclusion on the movement of God in allowing the publication of The Da Vinci Code. He wrote it in his school's current Summer 2006 issue of the Cedarville University Torch as follows:

"I think God is lobbing us a softball with the publication of The Da Vinci Code. If a well-known Christian wanted to explain who Jesus really is, I doubt any media outlets would provide airtime unless it were purchased. Even then it is questionable if anyone would be interested enough to tune in. But over the past few months, a number of Christian leaders have been able to explain the truth about Jesus Christ and the early church on national television programs because the traditional view is challenged by The Da Vinci Code. As God's Spirit works in the hearts and minds of millions of people, we must pray they will be open to the truth. This means all Christians need to be aware of the answers to the questions that are being raised. How well does the average Christian know the truth about these challenges? It's time to learn!"



I couldn't agree more with this statement!

May we go forth to a needy world armed with our faith in Christ through a KNOWLEDGE of His WORD and what it reveals about the death and resurrection of Christ, ESPECIALLY as it FITS with the GRAND scheme of GOD'S plan of the AGES!



Then, armed with the POWER and LEADING of His indwelling HOLY SPIRIT, may we LIVE and SPEAK effectively for the Lord to others about our LORD Jesus Christ!