Behold the Man

Many a crown has been secured by blood, and so is this, but it is his own blood; many a throne has been established by suffering, and so is this, but he himself bears the pain. --Charles Spurgeon

On first reading, it appears in the biblical account that Pontius Pilate was weak. He appears unable to make a decision, finally washing his hands of the entire process of the prosecution and execution of Jesus. He seems to bow to the will of the people, even though he clearly believed Jesus to be innocent of all charges. As we shall see in our study today, Pilate appears to promote a policy of appeasement rather than take a stand and exercise his authority as a Roman ruler and representative of Caesar. 

History tells a different story. His contemporaries called him "inflexible, harsh, and obdurate." During his ten years as governor of Judea, there were three defining conflicts with the Jewish people that he governed.

The first was on his initial visit to Jerusalem. In Roman thought, the Emperor was considered a god, and the Jews despised all gods but Yahweh. All of Pilate's predecessors had made the soldiers that accompanied them remove the image of the Emporer from their standards. Pilate refused to do so. Commentator William Barclay says, "Pilate was adamant; he would not pander to the superstitions of the Jews. He went back to Caesarea. The Jews followed him. They dogged his footsteps for five days. They were humble, but determined in their requests." Pilate asked the Jews to meet him in the amphitheater. When they arrived, Pilate had them surrounded by armed soldiers, telling them that if they did not stop their requests, that he would have them killed right then and there. In response, the Jews bared their necks and invited the soldiers to strike. "Not even Pilate would massacre defensless men like that," says Barclay. He finally agreed to remove the images from the standards.

The second incident involved the water supply in Jerusalem. Pilate wanted to build a new aqueduct, but he raided the Temple treasury to do it. Though the Jews enjoyed the new water source, they resented Pilate for having stolen the funds from them. The Jews staged a riot. Pilate responded by having Roman soldiers wear plain clothes and disperse themselves among the crowds. When the command was given, the soldiers attacked the people. Many Jews were stabbed or clubbed to death that day. This caused him to be reported to his superiors in Rome.

The third incident was much like the first. Pilate had a number of decorative shields made. On these shields he had inscribed the name TIBERIUS. The decorative shields were devoted to the honor and memory of the Emperor. Again, the Roman ruler was considered to be a god in the culture of Rome; the Jews hated that the name of a false god was inscribed and reverentially displayed in the holy city of Jerusalem. "The people were enraged; the greatest men, even his closest supporters, besought Pilate to remove them. He refused. The Jews reported the matter to Tiberius the Emporer, and he ordered Pilate to remove them" (Barclay).

Given this background, let's take a look at the text in John's gospel. You remember that Pilate had interviewed Jesus, and came out to the people, saying to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

"But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him." Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!" Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." (John 18:39-19:7)

In this passage, Pilate tried three different times to appease the Jews. Why did he go to such lengths? Why didn't he make a decision and stick with it? The answer may be found in John 19:12. "From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend." Remember the background we learned earlier about Pilate, that he had been reported to Emperor Tiberius Caesar twice before for making bad governing decisions. Any new accusation that made its way to Rome would be Pilate's third strike; he could be removed from office, and another would be appointed to take his place.

How did Pilate try to appease the crowd? First, he offered to free Jesus in accordance with Passover tradition. Once a year the governor would grant clemency to a man condemned to die. Pilate offered to grant clemency to Jesus, in honor of this custom.

The Jews would have nothing of it. They demanded the release of a man they called Barabbas. Commentators say that during this time period people did not have surnames like they do now. My last name is Stewart, as was my father's. In the first century, people were known by their fathers' name, as well. In Matthew 16:17, Jesus addresses Simon Peter as "Simon bar Jonah," or Simon, son of Jonah. In this passage, the thief whom the crowd wanted released was either known as "bar-Abbas" or "bar-Rabbas". That is, either he was known as "son of his father," meaning that his dad was also an insurrectionist, or he was called "son of the Rabbi." This second possibility may imply that Barabbas was a Zealot, a member of a militant sect who wanted to see the overthrow of Roman oppression. His acts of insurrection could have been on behalf of the Jewish people, meaning that he could have been a local hero to the Jews. In either instance, it would make sense that the cross upon which Jesus died was originally meant for him.

That, in essence, is the gospel message. Jesus did not deserve such torture, as He was without sin. We, on the other hand, deserve the beatings and scourging and death that He endured for us, because we are sinful creatures.

The second act of appeasement that Pilate tried was to have Jesus scourged. In this process, a man would be tied to a stake, forced into a stooping position with his back to the torturer. The scourge was a leather whip with sharp stones, shaped bones, and jagged bits of metal embedded into the ends. Each time the victim was whipped, he would endure deep lacerations. Barclay wrote, "It literally tore a man's back into strips. Few remained conscious throughout the ordeal; some died, and many went raving mad." It was said that forty lashes with a scourge would surely kill a man, so the punishment would stop at 39 lashes.

Old Testament prophet Isaiah wrote, "He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). This does not mean, as some might suggest, that God's will is that His people would be healed of all diseases and infirmities. Instead, it describes the atonement; Jesus took on our punishment, so that we could be saved.

Now, when Pilate brought out Jesus, bleeding from the head and face from the crown of thorns they had pressed down upon His head, and with His back in tatters, he may have thought that the crowd would have compassion on Jesus. Maybe this level of punishment would be enough for them, that they might let Jesus live. Thus, when Pilate said, "Behold the Man," he wanted the Jews to take a good look at Jesus. Hadn't He suffered enough?

The Jews were not satisfied. They wanted Pilate to finish Him off. "Crucify Him," they cried. Their blood lust was not satisfied. Their appetite for revenge had barely been whetted.

Pilate made a third attempt. "I find no fault in Him," he said. "If you want Him crucified, you do it." Maybe putting the responsibility of this Man's death on the Jewish religious leaders would make them re-think their position. After all, was Judaism considered a peaceful religion? Weren't they all preparing for Passover, a religious feast commemorating an animal sacrifice that satisfied the Angel of Death from killing their firstborn sons? Perhaps placing that responsibility squarely on their heads would remind them that Jesus was the firstborn of His mother, that lambs were at that very minute being prepared for slaughter to commemorate the "passing over" of the angel of death, would make them choose life.

Last week we saw that the Jews were hiding their true motives for wanting to see Jesus dead. They brought civil charges against Him, charges that Pilate had already ruled were insufficient for the death penalty. Now, having seen Pilate's willingness to spill Jesus' blood, reveal their true motivation. "He deserves to die," they said, "because He claims to be the Son of God."

God had created man in His image, to remind us that we are His. Man corrupted that image, and God threw him out of the Garden. Did you know that there were no thorns in Eden? Thorns were only introduced as a result of man's sin. And now, God sent a perfect Man into the world, One without sin. Commentator NT Wright says this:

Now at last, with Roman emperors and creation stories in our heads, we find ourselves on a Friday morning, on the sixth day of the week, looking at the Roman governor and his peculiar new prisoner. He lets the soldier dress Him up as a king--of sorts: the crown of thorns, and the slapping about the face, tell you what they thought of such a claim. And Pilate says the words that still haunt us: "Look! Here's the Man!" Here is the true image of the true God. Here is the One who has brought God's wisdom into the world. Here is the living embodiment of God, the One who has made the invisible God visible. Here is the King. Here is the breathing statue of the Emperor-of-All, placed within the emperor's world so that people could see who was their true master. And all his rebel subjects can do is mock, and slap, and scream for His blood. He's made Himself God's Son, they say. Well, John's reader knows by now that Jesus has indeed behaved as the One who, as of right, reflects God into the world. His own intimate knowledge of the Father, and the sharing of that with His friends, is either a pack of lies, or it's true. But--and here's the new thing, the thing not mentioned in Genesis 1--this, too, this misrepresentation, these accusations, this crown of thorns (the sharp bits of creation, we note, drawing blood from creation's Lord), and the rest: all this is part of what it means to be God's image, planted in territory which belongs to God but which is in rebellion against Him. "He was in the world." Now we have learned what John means by "the world", that little sentence says it all.

John 1:10-12 says, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." 

Are you a child of God? Do you believe in His name, in His work, in His saving power, in His forgiveness, and in His mission?

Hidden Motives

 

The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.  (1 Samuel 16:7b)

Emphasis changes the meaning of a phrase. Changing which word you stress in the same sentence can completely alter its meaning, because the stressed word becomes the focal point of the message. An example is the phrase, "I didn't say she stole my money." Stressing different words changes the meaning completely. 

"I didn't say she stole my money" implies that the speaker made no accusation; perhaps someone else did, but not me. "I didn't say she stole my money" emphatically denies any such statement was made. "I didn't say she stole my money" means that I may have implied it, but did not state the accusation outright. "I didn't say she stole my money" means that the money is missing, but someone else may have taken it. "I didn't say she stole my money" means that she may have borrowed it or found it and had taken it innocently. "I didn't say she stole my money" means that it was someone else's money. "I didn't say she stole my money" implies that she may have taken something else of value.

When we explain scripture, we must be very careful what we emphasize, because we may miss the main meaning by putting emphasis where it doesn't belong. Let's apply this principle to our passage today.

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation to you bring against this Man?" They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you." Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law." Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all." (John 18:28-38).

Many scholars try to use this passage to argue that Jesus and the disciples did not eat a traditional Passover meal in the upper room; since the chief priests did not want to defile themselves before the Passover, that would mean that the Passover had not happened yet. Many even use this passage to say that Jesus was not crucified on Friday. I think they may be emphasizing the wrong thing. I personally think that the Passover celebration was for multiple days, and that the priests' not wanting to defile themselves by going into the Praetorium was only so that they could participate in the entire week of celebration.

The real emphasis should be given to the answer that they gave to Pilate. Their accusation hid their true motives. We see in Luke 23:2 that there were three accusations they brought against Jesus. First, they said that He led the nation astray. Second, that He had opposed paying tribute to Caesar (which was a lie). Third, they said that He had claimed to be the Jewish Messiah and King. This is why Pilate's first question to Jesus centered on His kingship.

However, we know from our comprehensive study of John's gospel that their animosity toward Jesus began when He healed a man on the Sabbath. Not only that, He instructed the man to pick up his bed and walk on the Sabbath, not only breaking the fourth commandment, but instructing someone else to break the commandment as well. This was their motive for seeing that Jesus was killed. 

Knowing that Pilate would not be interested in punishing someone for breaking the Jewish law, they brought the accusation that He had claimed to be a king. Pilate starts his interrogation of Jesus by asking, "So, are you a king, then?"

Jesus turned the question back to Pilate. "Are you asking for yourself, or did someone tell you this?" This question forced Pilate to answer whether he was open to realizing that Jesus is, in fact, king over all. This question ultimately will be asked of us all: what will you do with the claim that Jesus is king? If you agree, and crown Him king over your life, then you can share in His glory. If not, then you are lost forever.

Pilate makes his decision: if Jesus is a king, then He is limited to the Jewish nation. Pilate rejects Jesus as being his king, stating bluntly "Am I a Jew?" In other words, he stated emphatically, "You are not my king."

Pilate was an official in the Roman Empire. Rome ruled with an iron fist. What historians call Pax Romana, or "The Peace of Rome" describes a period of time without wars while Rome was in charge. This alleged "peace" was enforced with brutality; violence was brought against any who disagreed with the ruling class. Contrast this with the peace that Jesus preached. It was not some hippy-dippy "let's all get along" kind of peace that is in vogue today. The peace that Jesus preached was the peace of God--peace that encourages us even in the face of persecution.

Pilate re-directs the question back to Jesus. "What have You done?" In other words, what offense have You committed? Jesus answered logically: if He had set Himself up as an earthly king, then He would have supporters who would defend Him. By contrast, Jesus' disciples all scattered when He was arrested. Instead, Jesus described Himself as having a kingdom not of this world. This heavenly kingdom is committed to proclaiming the truth.

On hearing this, Pilate posed a philosophical question. "What is truth?"

Today we answer that question by saying that truth is relative. Your truth might be different than my truth. It's part of a larger worldview of diversity and inclusion. Nobody is wrong, because right and wrong are relative. This is a lie from Satan himself.

Jesus came to proclaim the truth of the gospel. He proclaimed this truth to the Pharisees and chief priests. "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" is part of the truth of the gospel. This message was rejected by the Sanhedrin. They believed that Jesus was going against the law of Moses, preaching a heretical message. The punishment for this offense, according to Moses, was stoning. But Jesus had already prophesied that He would "be lifted up," signifying the type of death He would die.

Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "The religious leaders may have, in part, pressed for crucifixion to bring the curse of Deuteronomy 21:22-23 upon Jesus. He did bear that curse, to redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13)." The curse Moses described was this: "Cursed be a man who is hanged on a tree."

Pilate had already given the Jews tacit permission to "deal with Him according to your own law." In other words, Rome would look the other way if the Jews decided to put Jesus to death by stoning Him. They demurred, saying that it was "unlawful" for them to put anyone to death. They apparently forgot this a year or two later when they stoned Stephen to death.

The point I would like to emphasize from this passage is that Jesus gave Himself over to be killed. The Jews didn't put Him to death. Rome didn't put Him to death. All power and authority in heaven and on earth was given to the Son of God, who willingly laid down His life so that we could avoid the penalty of sin. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

It didn't matter what motives the Jews had for killing Jesus. It didn't matter what ideals the Roman government placed emphasis on. What matters is the gospel: that Jesus lived a sinless life; that He laid down His life, taking our sin and our shame upon Himself; and that He lives again to bring a heavenly peace to all who believe, who will trust fully in Him.

Faith alone, in Christ alone, by His grace alone, for His glory alone, as outlined by the Scriptures alone. This is our hope. This is our message. This is the gospel for all time.

What is the gospel?

 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15)

This week I was scrolling through social media (as one does), and I came across a reel by the late Christian Apologist RC Sproul. He was explaining what the gospel is not. If you belong to an evangelical denomination like I do, you have probably heard sermons on sharing the gospel. You may have attended classes designed to teach you how to share the gospel with others.

You may have been told, "Just share your personal testimony of what Christ has done for you." This is not the gospel; it is the result of the gospel in your life. You may have been given gospel tracts, small booklets that are meant to help you share the gospel with others. A popular one begins this way: "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." That's not the gospel, either.

When I was in seminary, there was a required course called Personal Evangelism, and we were taught to recite a program written and produced by an organization called Evangelism Explosion. It begins with the question, "If you were to die today and had to stand before God, and God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into My heaven,' what would you say?" Friends, this is not the gospel.

Here's what Dr. Sproul had to say:

The gospel is a clearly defined message. If you want to see what it is, go to the servants and in the preaching of the book of Acts, and notice and underscore the content of those sermons. There you will discover what the gospel is. It's about Jesus. He was born according to the Scriptures, and He lived a sinless life, and He died an atoning death on the cross, and for our righteousness God raised Him from the dead and carried Him in glory to Heaven for His coronation as our king, and for His installation as our great High Priest who ministers for us every day, and who will come again at the end of the age to bring the fullness of His kingdom, which has begun already but will not be completely manifested and consummated until His return. That's the object of the gospel, but it's only part of the gospel. The rest is the question of the subjective appropriation of the benefits of Christ that accrue to us. So the objective data is the data concerning the person and work of Jesus that is to be received, savingly, by faith, and by faith alone.

In other words, the object of the gospel is the words and work of Jesus, who, though He was sinless, took our sins upon Himself so that we, the subject of the gospel, could be saved from God's wrath and eternal punishment for sin. When presented with that message, we can either accept it by faith, or we can deny it. It is only by God's grace that we may be able to hear that same gospel message and be given that same choice to make another day.

We get a glimpse of this in our passage today from John chapter 18. Last week we read the first part of the chapter, where Jesus was confronted by Judas and arrested by the Roman guard under the control of the high priests and Pharisees. Today's narrative begins after they have led Jesus away to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said." And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. (John 18:15-27)

Now there are many interpretations of this passage, such as "If we deny Jesus, it is like a slap in the face to Him." Friends, that is not the gospel.

I believe the gospel is found in this narrative. John is telling us about what happened to Peter. Some think that he is the "other disciple" who was known to the high priest and who granted access to Peter into the courtyard. Other commentaries say that the "other disciple" had to be either Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea, because how would a young fisherman be well known to the high priest? Regardless of the identity of the "other disciple", we see that Peter had disobeyed Jesus. When Jesus was arrested, He told the Roman guard to take Him only, and leave the others alone. 

Peter should have run to safety. Commentator NT Wright, in his book John for Everybody writes these words:

He (Peter) has come because he's loyal; but he had never understood more than half of what Jesus was saying, and it's the half he hasn't understood that is going to let him down now. He is cold and tired, drained of the sudden rush of energy in the garden. He must know that if the guards realize he'd not only been there, but had maimed one of the high priest's servants with that senseless swish of his sword, then Jesus might well have the company of His senior associate as he went to meet His fate--something Jesus was at pains to avoid. But all these thoughts come together and produce fear, panic, lies and disloyalty.

 Warren Wiersbe writes in The Bible Exposition Commentary, 

As you watch Peter, you see him gradually moving into the place and temptation and sin, and his actions parallel the description in Psalm 1:1. First, peter walked "in the counsel of the ungodly" when he followed Jesus and went into the high priest's courtyard. Peter should have followed the counsel of Jesus and gotten out of there in a hurry! Then, Peter stood with the enemy by the fire (v 16, 18), and before long, he sat with the enemy (Luke 22:55). It was now too late, and within a short time, he would deny his Lord three times.

In the middle of this story of Peter's unfaithfulness, John inserts a story emphasizing Jesus' faithfulness. Jesus is interrogated about His teaching and His known associates. He is treated much like a terrorist. if a suspected terrorist is arrested and interrogated today, the scene would be much the same. The arresting officers must have probable cause, so they already know about his teaching and his known associates, but the questions are asked nonetheless. In this case, Jesus gives the logical defense: I have not spoken anything in secret, but was very public in My speaking. You know what I said, because you were there. Jesus is not going to give up the whereabouts of His disciples, but He will challenge the interrogators about this line of questioning.

The point is, Jesus did not deserve to be struck.  Peter, who had already lied once and was about to lie again, not once but twice more, deserved the slap in the face, not Jesus. This, my friends and readers, is the gospel. Jesus took the punishment of our sin upon Himself, so that we could be spared. Just as this vignette is a foreshadowing of the crucifixion, where Jesus would take on the punishment for ths sin of the whole world upon Himself, it is also a vivid example of an atoning sacrifice.

You see, Peter was guilty. He had disobeyed Jesus. He had been disloyal to Jesus. He lied. All of these sins weighed heavy on Peter's heart, and in Luke 22:62 we see that Peter went out and wept bitterly. The guilt and shame overwhelmed him.

Yet Jesus forgave Peter. This is the gospel. Peter's story of redemption fulfilled comes later in John's narrative, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I love what NT Wright had to say about this.

There is a part of the human brain which seems to be closed off for much of the time, but which can be reached at once through the sense of smell. You can be walkig down the street, thinking of something completely different, when a single sniff of someone's pipe tobacco, or a single breath from a particular tree in a garden, can take you back twenty years or more to a memory you didn't even know you had. You can recall the place, the people, what was said, and particularly what it felt like.

There is one feature of this sad story, the story of Peter telling people he didn't belong to Jesus when his heart was crying out that he really did, which comes into this category. Charcoal fires have a particular smell to them; I can't possibly describe it, but you'd know it if you smelt it again. And you'd remember what you were doing, and what was said, last time you came upon one. Well, not very long after this, there is another charcoal fire that comes into the story (John 21:9). It calls up Peter, and for Jesus, the memory of this sad night. And it does so (this is the way the gospel of Jesus works, after all), in order to heal the open wound that this sorry tale has left in Peter, and perhaps in Jesus as well.

If you don't recall the story of John 21, let me remind you here. After the death of Jesus, the disciples were trying to go back to normal (though, after the realization of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, you can never go back to the old normal). Peter and Andrew and James and John went back to their fishing boat. They fished all night, and caught nothing. 

Suddenly, a barely visible outline of a human figure appears on the shore. "Did you catch anything?" A typical question posed to fishermen. "Nope, not a thing." A typical fisherman response. 

Then the man on the shore says, "Try the other side of the boat."

The fisherman shrug. They may have argued with the man, had he been closer. "Look," they might have said. "We've done this all our lives. Our families have done this for a living for generations. We know what we're doing."

Nevertheless, they throw the nets on the right side of the boat, and lo and behold, a catch so big that the nets start to break. Peter shades his eyes and squints toward the shoreline. "It is the Lord," he exclaims.

While the others are struggling to haul in the catch, Peter dives into the water and swims to Jesus. Jesus has a fire built, with a fish already cooking over it. The smell of the charcoal fire may have affected Peter, because he is quite humble in his response to the next few questions.

"Peter, do you love Me?" Jesus uses the word Jesus used is agape, meaning a deep and sacrificial love.

"Lord," Peter responds, "You know I love you." The word Peter uses is phileo, which means a brotherly love. 

"Here's what I want you to do: Feed My sheep." Jesus restores relationship with Peter, forgives him his past sins, and gives Peter a purpose. Peter takes this new mission, this calling, to heart. He becomes an evangelist, a faithful servant, even unto death.

This, my friends, is the gospel.

Bowled Over!

 

 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. --Psalm 23:4

If you or someone you know works in law enforcement, you may have heard many stories of dramatic arrests. A law enforcement officer must be prepared for any number of different scenarios when making an arrest.

Sometimes a suspect is caught in the act. The officer is there, witnesses the event, and makes the arrest. This scenario happens most often in traffic stops. Other times the police are called when a citizen detains a suspect. For example, a department store security officer witnesses a theft, and approaches the suspect, and the suspect cooperates.

Other times a detective may have spent some time building a case against a suspect. Once the threshold of probable cause is met, officers are dispatched to arrest the suspect wherever he or she may be staying. If lawyers are involved, a suspect may be given the opportunity to turn himself in. In more dramatic and dangerous situations, the law enforcement personnel may be met with armed resistance. In those cases, law enforcement must either have a greater show of force (as in a shoot-out), or they may bring in a negotiator, who will attempt to talk the suspect into surrendering.

In each case, you can't know beforehand how it will go down. Law enforcement must be prepared for anything and everything.

When Jesus was arrested, the traitor disciple called Judas brought with him some or all of the Temple Guard. "A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, and this would be six hundred men," says Warren Wiersbe in The Bible Exposition Commentary. "It is not likely that Judas brought that many to the Garden, but apparently a full cohort was made available to him had he needed it. Did he not realize that the Lamb of God would meekly submit and that there would be no need to battle?"

Let's read about it in John 18:1-14.

When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way," that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I have lost none." Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

It might be easy to skim over this passage. A simple arrest. The Jews had overwhelming force. The only resistance was Peter, who did some non-lethal damage to a servant, but afterward there was no evidence of bodily harm, so Peter was not detained. In essence, Jesus turned Himself in.

However, this passage goes much deeper than that.

Jesus led His disciples over a brook called Kidron. The portion of the brook that Jesus and the disciples crossed was downstream from the Temple. The water was dark, as the brook served as a drainage for the Temple sacrifices. Commentator David Guzik wrote, "This small stream was the drainage from the temple, and would be reddish from the blood of thousands of Passover lambs. This would have been a vivid reminder to Jesus of His soon sacrifice." Whenever we go through "dark waters" we can be reminded what Jesus Himself went through for us.

The garden itself was named in the other Gospel accounts. They called it Gethsemane, which literally means "an oil press." This area was known for its olive groves and it is where they produced olive oil. Olives are placed in a press and crushed, so that the oil runs down and is collected in containers. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (ESV).

Jesus had apparently spent a lot of time in this very garden, for Judas knew that was where He would go after the Passover meal. When Judas arrived, he was followed by soldiers, but also by chief priests, Pharisees, captains and other officers--all "Type-A" personalities, to be sure.

Who was in charge?

The answer to this question is, simply, Jesus was in charge. 

He was the One who stepped up.  He was the One who spoke up first. He was the One who was giving orders, not only to His own disciples, but also to the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the soldiers. Jerome Neyrey, in The New Cambridge Bible Commentary, wrote:

With few exceptions, those who ask questions of others do so to challenge them. This happens regularly in the synoptic Gospels when Jesus' enemies put Him and His disciples on the spot with questions. Here, Jesus asks the questions; and by taking the lead in this confrontation, He exercises control over the situation: "Whom do you seek?" The soldiers might answer a question with a question, "Who are You?" but they follow the script, which emphasizes Jesus' authority: "Jesus of Nazareth!" His answer, "I AM," both identifies Himself and communicates power, another aspect of control. "Drawing back and falling to the ground" is not the typical gesture of armed soldiers before an unarmed man. But if shoved back, then they have met a superior force; if overwhelmed, they are not in control. The pattern repeats, as Jesus again asks and they answer. Still in control, Jesus commands the soldiers to let His disciples go. He not only asks questions but commands the soldiers who have come to seize Him. Thus He manifests complete control over the situation: He speaks the first and last words. He lays down His life; no one takes it from Him.

This reaction by the soldiers is not fully explained. It is notable that Jesus' confession of His identity mirrored the words that God spoke to Moses at the burning bush. "I AM." To make it more grammatically correct and therefore easier for us English speakers to read, most translators add the word "He."  

"I am He" is a human response, as in, "I am the Man you are looking for." However, "I AM" is a divine response, as in "I AM the very nature and essence of God Himself; when you see Me, you see the Father; I and the Father are One."

This admission would certainly leave the Pharisees and Priests dumbfounded, perhaps taking a step back to ponder. But the reaction of the soldiers is a miracle of divine power over human strength. Bible commentator Adam Clarke wrote, "Our Lord chose to give them this proof of His infinite power, that they might know that their power could not prevail against Him if He chose to exert His might, seeing that the very breath of His mouth confounded, drove back, and struck them down to the earth." 

The cohort of Roman soldiers, who were individually and collectively trained to kill, were bowled over by the word that Jesus spoke. This is the power of I AM.

Jesus commanded the soldiers, "Take Me, but leave these others alone." Maybe Malchus, the servant of the high priest, came and took hold of Jesus to arrest him. Maybe he was just the one closest to Peter when Peter decided to be a hero. He had already told Jesus, "I will die for You" (John 13:37). He grabs his sword, and in a clumsy attempt to cut the man's head open, instead lands a glancing blow, resulting in Malchus losing an ear.

This was not the way to diffuse the situation.

In fact, it could have ended up much worse for the disciples.

In 1775 at Lexington, Massachusetts, the British army was under orders not to fire unless they were fired upon. They confronted the colonial militia, and there was a stand-off. Out of nowhere, a single shot went off. No one knows who fired, or whether it was someone's rifle that misfired accidentally. Nevertheless, that single shot triggered the British volley that began the battles of Lexington and Concorde, the start of the Revolutionary War in America.

A single act of aggression against a superior force usually results in a forceful response. When Peter wielded his sword, he likely expected the Roman cohort to draw swords and spears in response. Whether he believed that an angelic army would come to their rescue is unclear. Peter only seemed intent on defending his Master, even at the cost of his own life.

As we saw before, however, Jesus was in charge of the situation. He commanded Peter to stand down and holster his weapon. He healed the severed ear of the servant, so that charges were not brought against any of the disciples, especially Peter. By His power, Jesus kept the Roman soldiers at bay. By His word, Jesus rebuked Peter, the unruly disciple.

Jesus drank from the cup His Father had given Him. He submitted to the Father's will and allowed Himself to be taken. Even though He had the power to knock them backwards, He submitted Himself to them and allowed Himself to be arrested and taken before the High Priest. Wiersbe writes:

Jesus deliberately gave Himself to His enemies. They bound Him and led Him to the house of Annas, which was not too far away. Annas had served as high priest until he was deposed by the Romans; now his son-in-law Caiaphas was the high priest. Got had ordained that one man should serve as high priest for a lifetime, so it is easy to see that the Jewish religious establishment was in sad condition. It is generally believed that the high priest's family was in charge of the temple "business," and the fact that Jesus twice cleansed the temple must have aroused their anger against Him.

The Jews were doing everything they could to silence Jesus, up to and including hiring false witnesses to ensure a death sentence. But make no mistake: Jesus was the one in charge. Not Annas. Not Caiaphas. Not the captains of the Roman cohort. Certainly not Peter.

Whenever we find ourselves in a situation that appears to be spiraling out of control, we must realize that God is in control. Not the circumstances. Not the people who accuse us or persecute us. Certainly not ourselves. It is God who is in control, and it will be God who will ultimately receive the glory. 1 Peter 4:14 says, "If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified." Later in verse 19, Peter goes on to say, "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."

Many times, we are "bowled over" by the goodness of God; other times, God may be glorified in our suffering. Either way, it is God who gets the glory. 

We beheld His glory--the glory as of the Father's only Son

 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. --2 Corinthians 3:18

There is one thing that both angels and followers of Christ have in common. Luke 2:14 says that when Jesus was born, angels appeared and said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." Fast forward to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, near the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. Luke 19:27-40 tells us this:

The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said unto them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

Do you see the connection? The overriding theme of Jesus' ministry can be summed up in these two ideas: Glory to God, and peace on earth. These two things are specifically what Jesus prayed for in the last section of John 17. He said:

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23)

Remember the context, that Jesus started praying in verses 1-5 specifically for Himself; He then broadened His prayer, asking God's protection and joy for the eleven disciples who were present there with Him. In our passage today, Jesus is praying for us, for you and me. We are the ones who believe because of the testimony of disciples who have gone before us.

NT Wright, in his commentary John For Everyone, writes, "Jesus is [here] talking about you. And me. 'Those who believe in Me through their word,' that is, through the word of His followers. His followers announced the message around the world. Those who heard them passed it on. And on, and on, and on. The church is never more than one generation away from extinction; all it would take is for a singel generation not to hand the word on. But it's never happened. People have always told other people. It's awesome, when you come to think about it."

What does Jesus pray for specifically for us? First, He prays for peace and unity, "that they may be one." Historically, there have been divisions among believers. In the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, John was told to write to seven different churches, each in their own city, and each with their own errors in interpreting Scripture. Today, there are an estimated 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide. Each may have differing interpretations of minor Scriptural passages, but most adhere to the same central doctrine of the Gospel: that Christ lived a sinless life; that he died a substitutionary death for us, taking our sin upon Himself and becoming our perfect sacrifice; and that He rose from the dead on the third day, to the glory of God.

Puritan preacher Thomas brooks wrote, "Discord and divisions become no Christian. For wolves to worry the lambs is no wonder, but for one lamb to worry another, this is unnatural and monstrous." Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Beloved, those in whom Christ lives are not uniform, but one. Uniformity may be found in death, but this unity is life. Those who are quite uniform may yet have no love to each other, while those who differ widely may still be truly and intensely one. Our children are not uniform, but they make one family.”

There are two sub-headings in this petition for unity. The first is that it might be for God's glory. "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one (verse 22)." Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "Where there is a sense of God’s glory, unity is so much easier. Lesser things that often divide us are set far in the background when there is a sense of God’s glory at work."

The second sub-heading in Christ's High Priestly prayer for unity among Christians is love. "I in them and You in Me; that they may made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me" (verse 23). Warren Wiersbe writes in his The Bible Exposition Commentary, "It has well been said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth is hypocrisy." David Guzik takes this even further:

• Take love from joy and you have only hedonism.
• Take love from holiness and you have self-righteousness.
• Take love from truth and you have bitter orthodoxy.
• Take love from mission and you have conquest.
• Take love from unity and you have tyranny.

 This leads us to the second part of Jesus' prayer for us.

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:24-26)

Dr. Wiersbe said that he has often used verse 24 as a text for funeral sermons. "How do we know that Christians go to heaven? Because of the price that Jesus paid (1 Thes. 5:9-10), and the promise that Jesus made (John 14:1-6), and the prayer that Jesus prayed (John 17:24). The Father always answers His Son's prayers, so we know that believers who die do go to heaven to behold the glory of God.

This glory--God's own glory--is what Jesus said would occupy the attention of His people in Heaven. "There must be something so deep, so enthralling, so vast to the glory of Jesus that it can occupy the attention of God’s people in eternity" (Guzik). The latter part of verse 24 gives us a glimpse of the relationship between the Father and the Son. "For You have loved Me before the foundation of the world." Jesus said this in connection with the glory that God the Father gave to God the Son. This glory was given in the context of a love relationship, and a love relationship extending into eternity past.

Jesus sums up His High Priestly prayer in verses 25 and 26. Assuming that He knew already the pain and agony which He would suffer on the cross, and assuming also that he already knew that the disciples would temporarily fall away, this makes the triumphant tone all the more striking. "I have declared Your name,'' He says, "and I will declare it." As for the disciples, which includes you and me, "The love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

God's love is greater than our mistakes. It is greater than our puny, feeble, faltering faith; His great love is greater even than our sin. This is a glimpse of God's glory in us, and our basis for joy in unity with fellow believers.

Branded by Christ

 

But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." --1 Peter 1:15-16

The phrase “he’s a real company man” is a colloquial way of saying that someone is loyal, dependable, and committed to the organization or group they work for. It often implies that the person is not driven by personal ambition or outside interests, but by a genuine sense of duty and professionalism toward their workplace or team.

According to Wikipedia, Company man is a term for the loyal employee of a large corporation that was in use from the early 19th century to the late 20th century. It was often used to describe an individual who had worked for the same company for their entire careers, and whose identity was thus closely tied to their employer. In the context of corporate United States, the term was used to describe an implicit social contract that emerged in the 1950s, between a middle-class worker who was willing to sacrifice some measure of autonomy in return for a steady salary from their employer, along with benefits, bonuses, promotions, and a secure retirement.

Being called a Company Man can be a compliment. It could mean that you were recruited and trained by a business to represent the Company's image, and to promote the idea that if you placed your trust in a particular business or product, then you could trust an employee or salesman associated with that business or product. However, it can also have a negative connotation. If the business or organization is corrupt, then their members would be smeared with that same broad brush. More recently the term came to describe someone who might be overly focused on pleasing management at the expense of integrity or personal values.

Being called a Christian means being called by God, sort of like being recruited by a big firm. It means being trained or discipled in godly living so that you can represent Christ to others. It also means being set apart or sanctified--made holy--to the glory of God.  Being called a Christian can either be a compliment or a condemnation, depending upon one's level of dedication to Christ or the worldly perspective of the one making the observation.

When Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17:6-29, He asked that they would continue His work.

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. (John 17:6-8).

Here Jesus is giving what amounts to a graduation speech. He has shown the disciples the Father. He has given them His words, the words that the Father had sent Him to give to them. Their training is complete.

To be sure, the final exam will come in the next hours and days when Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified. For now, though, their training is complete. Jesus prayed that they would remember all that He told them, and that God would be glorified in them, just as the Father had been glorified in the Son.

Next, Jesus focuses His prayer for the disciples and their mission.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. (John 17:9-10).

For sure, Jesus came into the world, so that the world through Him might be saved (see John 1:10-23, 3:16-18). However, this specific prayer was made for these specific people, the eleven who had followed Him faithfully for a little over three years. David Guzik writes, "When Jesus said, I do not pray for the world it was not because He did not care for a lost and fallen world; it was to focus on His own disciples. 'He was praying for the instrument He was creating, through which He would reach the world.' (Morgan)."

Irish theologian Adam Clarke put it this way: “I am now wholly employed for my disciples, that they may be properly qualified to preach my salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus here imitates the high priest, the second part of whose prayer, on the day of expiation, was for the priests, the sons of Aaron.”

What does it mean to be a Christian? It means to be Company Man for Christ. His glory should be evident in us, and we should not be tainted by the world.  The Apostle Paul later understood this, using phrases such as "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) and noting that God’s work in us moves "from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Jesus prayed that the disciples would be kept.

Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You have given Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the sone of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:11-12).

Jesus was speaking as though He had already left them. He knew that His time was short, and that the disciples would not need to go and find another Rabbi once He was taken from them. Jesus prayed that God would keep them. What does this mean?

David Guzik writes:

We need Jesus our intercessor (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25) to pray for us, asking God the Father to keep us. Our continuing on in Jesus is not left to our own efforts alone. The world, the flesh, and the devil are so mighty, so pervasive, and so seductive that we could never keep ourselves in our own efforts. If we stay with Jesus, it is because Jesus has prayed for us “Father, keep them.”

• We need keeping from division: Keep them that they may be one.
• We need keeping from error.
• We need keeping from sin.
• We need keeping from hypocrisy.

We should be careful not to read into this passage false doctrine. Jesus did not mean that they could fall away, that His disciples were in danger of losing their salvation. Many Scriptures speak of the security of the believer. Our names are written in the Book of Life (see Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, and Revelation 3:5). Scripture indicates that this Book was written before the foundation of the world (see Revelation 13:8).

Many tend to look at Judas, the "son of perdition", as a disciple who walked away from God. They infer that those who come to Christ can somehow walk away from God or lose their salvation due to unconfessed sin. The truth is that Jesus can forgive sin. The truth is that it is God who keeps us, not ourselves by our own confessions or our own good works. The truth is that Judas was not a true disciple, and that his name was never written in the Book of Life; rather, it was written that Judas would betray Christ before Judas was ever born.

Let's move on. Jesus prayed that His disciples would continue in His joy.

But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. (John 17:13-15)

We preach that Jesus was a "Man of Sorrow, acquainted with grief." And so He was. But we can also rest assured that the joy of the Lord was upon Him. Again, from David Guzik's commentary:

Jesus had a life filled with joy; He could speak of My joy. If He did not, this part of the prayer would make no sense. Truly Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). Nevertheless there was a joy and a satisfaction in the life experience of Jesus that surpassed the joy of any other who ever lived.

• His joy was rooted in unbroken fellowship with God His Father.
• His joy was the fruit of true faith and confidence in His Father.
• His joy came from seeing the great things God had done.
• His joy was never diminished by His own sin.
• His joy was never diminished by deception.
• His joy was never diminished by allowing even the smallest foothold to the devil.

Jesus knew that in a short time He would be taken out of this world, but the disciples should remain in it. His prayer was that they would remain untainted by the world while they remained in it.

Finally, Jesus prayed for their sanctification.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:16-19).

Sanctification is the process of being made holy. Jesus said we are made holy and set apart from the world by holding to the truth found in God's word. Conveniently for us, the word of God is now written down for us. It is the Bible. 

We should read our Bible and take its words to heart daily. This is the only way we can keep ourselves unstained by the world. It is the only way to stay humble, to not try to glorify ourselves but to glorify Jesus every day in every way.

We are ambassadors for Christ. When people look at us, they should see Him. That is our purpose, to His glory. 

 

Jesus was a Man of prayer

 

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came One like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14, ESV)

 A well-known Christian story recounts that in the 1940s, a theology professor took his students on a tour of England. Included in the tour was a stop at the home of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church and one of the leaders of the 18th century revivalist movement. The professor took the students into Wesley's bedroom and showed them that there were two worn impression in the carpet beside the bed. "That," said the professor, "was where Wesley spent so much time on his knees in prayer, praying for revival."

At the end of the tour, the professor noticed one student was missing. He returned to the house, and found the student kneeling at Wesley's bedside, his knees in the very same impressions that Wesley had made as he had knelt in daily prayer for revival. The student was praying fervently, repeating the phrase, "Do it again, Lord. Do it again."

That student was Billy Graham, who went on to lead an American revival in the 1960s and 70s. If you don't know who Billy Graham was, I would encourage you to look him up, and to listen to some of his sermons. Billy Graham was a powerful preacher; but before that, he was a man of prayer.

John's Gospel shows us that Jesus was a Man of prayer. Many times in the Gospels we see where Jesus would go away by Himself to pray, particularly before He preached to the multitudes or performed His miracles. We do not know what Jesus prayed during these hours of communion with His Father, but the Gospel of John gives us the text of His prayer just before He and the disciples reached the Garden of Gethsemane.

Perhaps you remember what Jesus prayed after He had reached the Garden, just before His arrest. The Synoptic Gospels record that Jesus asked His closest disciples to come and pray with Him, but the disciples fell asleep. At that time, Jesus prayed, "Father, if it is Your will, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done." He prayed these words in such agony that Luke records He sweat drops of blood.

John doesn't record that prayer like the other Gospels do. John records the prayer that Jesus prayed before they got to the garden. It has been called a High Priestly prayer. Most Bible commentators divide it up into three sections: Jesus' prayer for Himself (John 17:1-5); His prayer for the disciples (John 17:6-19); and His prayer for all believers (John 17:20-26).

Today we will look at the first section.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may also glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 17:1-5).

The first thing that strikes me in this passage is that Jesus speaks of Himself in the third person. In the English language, we most often refer to ourselves in the first person: I, me, myself. Although it does not necessarily mean that we are putting ourselves first, that is placing more emphasis on ourselves, it does kind of seem that way in most of our prayers.

A quick English lesson: most simple English sentences are structured in this way--Subject, Verb, Object. The element with the most importance is the Subject, with the Verb coming in a close second, and the Object being the least important. In fact, in many sentences, the Object is not even mentioned. Here is an example: The woman (Subject) reads (Verb) novels (Object) can be restated, "She reads a lot." The phrase "a lot" is descriptive of the verb "reads", making the object "the woman" sound educated.

The point I am trying to make is that most times in our prayers and petitions, as well as our worship songs, the most important person is the first person (I, Me, Myself). We are the object of our worship and our prayers. Let me give you an example. We might begin our prayer, "I ask, Father, that You would bless us." It elevates us, and not the Father. Many of us sing, "I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice..."

Notice Jesus didn't pray this way.  Instead, He said, "Father, glorify Your Son." Who is the object? The Father. What does Jesus ask the Father to do? To glorify Himself in His child. We can co-opt this prayer that Jesus prayed. We can petition God to glorify Himself in us, making God the most important One and ourselves below Him.  Remember Billy Graham's prayer? "God," he prayed, "do it again." Only God could bring revival, either through the preaching of Graham or someone else.

The second thing that I see in this passage is what Jesus asks God to do. He asks God to bring glory, because God is the only one who can give glory. Glory is God's to give. We can bring God glory in our thoughts, words, and deeds, but our glory is but a shadow of the heavenly glory of Almighty God. In verse 4 Jesus said, "I have glorified You on the earth." The glory that Jesus gave is like that of the glory of God, because Jesus is God.

John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." In John 17:5, Jesus, who spent His life reflecting God's glory to us, says, "Now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

The hour had come when Jesus, through His death and resurrection, would both receive glory and also give glory to the Father. His main purpose was to bring glory to God. This should be our main purpose, as well.

The third thing that leaps out at me in this passage is that we were given to Jesus by the Father, and by that gift we have received eternal life. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, sent by God." In other words, the gift that we have been given is to get to know God the Father and God the Son throughout eternity, by the power and presence of God the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord."

So, from this passage we see Jesus praying to the Father to glorify Him, and to give us eternal life. He will go on to pray for us, His disciples, further along in the passage. We will study more about those petitions, God willing, next time.