Gospel—M. Hapanowicz
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If we might.
First, turn to a verse in Matthew verse 22 of Matthew chapter 27.
Pilot saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus?
Which is called Christ.
You know Pontius Pilate asked this question about 2000 years ago.
But really, it's a question that every person has to answer. No one can escape. You can't escape. In fact, I dare say an answer has been given already.
But is it, has it been the right answer and what has your answer been? Pilate said. What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? You know, his wife tried to give him a little help concerning Jesus. She gave him some counsel a couple of verses earlier here.
In verse 19 it says she sent her husband a message saying have nothing to do with that, just man.
Have nothing to do with that, just man, you know, there's a couple of difficulties I have with.
That council and as we consider a little bit I want you to consider what if you were standing there with the Lord Jesus in your presence and you had to answer that question. You know that's really the situation tonight. It really is but the problems with the council of pilots wife were too. The first one was was absolutely the wrong council because have nothing to do with that just man is absolutely the wrong thing to do.
It would have been much better.
If she had said to him have everything to do with that just man, or if she decided to him bow down at his feet, cast yourself upon his mercy, put entrust yourself to him, that would have been much better counsel. And that's what we would counsel you to do tonight.
Fall down at his feet, cast yourself on His mercy, put your trust in Him and trust your life to him. And you know the other problem with what she said, the other difficulty with what she said is it's impossible.
It's not possible to have nothing to do with that. Just man.
Hebrews tells us all things are naked and open in the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
You have to do what the Lord Jesus Christ you have to. The question is what will you do with Him? Will you receive Him as your Savior or will you say no?
Dear people, what will your answer be tonight? You have another chance. God has given you another chance. If you're sitting in this room and you don't know the Lord Jesus tonight, thank God you have another chance.
Put your trust in Him. I bless the God and loving Father, we do thank thee again for thy mercies.
And for thy love that has left us here one more week. Every time, Lord, we come to a meeting like this, we marvel.
That there is one more we know. It's only thy grace that has left us here.
And the part that seeks lost sinners. And so we do pray thy blessing upon thy word tonight. We pray that if there are any here who don't know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, that tonight would be the night Lord, that I would convict them and, and compel them to come to the cross of Christ, to look up there and see the Lord Jesus who loved them and died on the cross for sinners. So we pray thy help hear our God and Father, apart from Thee, we can do nothing.
We pray that Thou will work. We thank Thee again for so great a Savior.
And for the privileges to be able to speak his name. And so we give thee our thanks and commit our time to thee in Jesus name, Amen.
We could turn to the First Epistle of John.
Briefly.
I've enjoyed.
Looking at what John has to say about these things.
And if we were to start reading in first John chapter one, verse one.
John would tell us that that which was from the beginning we have heard, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled.
Of the word of life.
For the life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness.
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And show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.
That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things right we unto you, that your joy may be full.
You know, John, the man who wrote this was a fisherman.
He was a man just like any of the rest of us sitting here.
And yet he saw some things.
And he saw some marvelous things.
And he says here I've seen it with my own eyes. I've seen him, and I want you to know about it. I want you to know about him. That one that was life itself. He says, verse 2 here life was manifested and we have seen it.
And we bear witness of it. That which we have seen and heard. Declare we unto you. And why?
That your joy may be full and this is the message that God has for you tonight.
He sent his own Son into this world to save sinners.
To save you if you're not trusting in Him yet as your savior.
And John says I saw him, I saw the one who was God himself.
Come down as a man. I saw him and I want you to know about it, he says. I saw him with my eyes.
Verse one that which we have seen with our eyes, he says I touched him.
The Lord Jesus, the one who can save you, the one who can save men.
The one who can save all.
And I want you to know him. And you know, we're going to probably spend most of our time in the gospel that John wrote, which is a little earlier in the book. And I'll tell you why. It's very simple because of what he says in chapter 20 and verse.
31.
He says I wrote these things.
These are written.
That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
And that believing he might have life through his name and so this whole.
Book This Gospel of John was written for that very purpose that you would believe, and that you would have life through his name.
You know, we started with Matthew 27 and we had the picture there of Pilate and standing before Pilate.
Was to all outward appearances of man.
But it wasn't just any man, and Pilate knew that there was something not quite right about this situation. He knew that this wasn't an ordinary man and he had to make a decision. What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ? And as we said already, you have to make that decision again tonight. It's really been made already.
Some of you, I know, believe in the Lord Jesus. Some of you, I fear, perhaps have not yet.
With the heart believed in him and received him.
Put yourself there.
Not pretend, but put yourself in Pilate's place with him standing before you. What are you going to do with him? Who is he? Who is this man that was here?
His pilot's wife called him a just man, and indeed he was just. He was the only sinless man that ever walked in this earth. Not only was he a sinless man, but he was God come down as a man. And that's what captured John's heart so much, he says. I saw him.
I touched them. I heard them with my own ears, with my own eyes.
And I want you to believe.
Let's turn to.
John's Gospel chapter one.
This is what John writes. This is how John starts this book. This is how John starts the things that were written that ye might believe. He says in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. So when John writes his book that ye might believe about this one, what does he say about this one?
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He says he's the ward, the logos.
The life.
Force the essence.
He says he was with God. He says he was God.
He says he was the life.
Says he was the light.
And you know, if we look down to the 14th verse.
We see it. We see the connection, the one who is talking about in verses 1:00 to 4:00.
Comes down and becomes a man in verse 14. John chapter one, verse 14. The word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us. So the Lord Jesus that stood there that day before Pilate.
Was not just a just man. He was God manifest in the flesh. He was God come into this world to save sinners.
What have you done with them? Have you received them as your savior?
Verse 12 of John chapter one tells us as many as received him.
To them gave thee power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Have you done that? Have you received the Lord Jesus as your Savior? You know?
It's not possible to have nothing to do with that. Just man you will.
Make a decision.
You have made one already. Really.
And God has given you the chance to make another one, you can say I believe.
I want him for my Savior. Or you can say no. Have you? What have you? What decision have you made? It's impossible to be neutral. You know God will not accept a neutral position. There is no neutral position.
You either believe in him or you don't.
Christ is the issue.
Not you, not me, not what I think, not what you think, not what you want.
Christ is the issue, and if we turn over to the third chapter of John.
I'd like to look at verse 18 for a minute.
I'm skipping over a whole bunch of nice stuff in John Three, if you'll pardon me.
That English nice stuff, but some very precious things. In John 318 he says he that believeth on the son.
Excuse me, He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not?
Is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. You see, there isn't any neutral ground.
You believe in Jesus, you're not condemned. You don't believe you're condemned already. Condemned already sitting here in your seat. Think about it. If you don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you're condemned already. What does that mean?
Condemned. What does it What does it take for a person to be condemned? There are some assumptions made in this verse about being condemned. For someone to be condemned, first of all they have to commit the crime.
OK, they have to be apprehended for the crime.
They have to the evidence is presented and they have to be found guilty.
Of the crime.
The judge then after the guilty verdict, comes in.
Goes and determines the sentence. In this case the sentence is eternal death because that's what God says. The wages of sin is death, and not just physical death, but what the Bible calls the second death, eternal death in hell.
So the sentence is given.
The verdict is passed and the sentence is given. Condemned already. That's where you sit. Where are you? You're sitting on death row waiting for the execution of the sentence.
If you don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, that's where you are tonight.
You're sitting on death row waiting for the sentence to be carried out.
Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Do you know what I even mean when I say that?
Do you know him? If I asked you, if I stood face to face with you across from me and said, do you know him? What would you say to me? Could you say, Oh yes, I know him? Or could you say, well, what? I don't really know what you're what you're talking about.
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Would you say that?
If you're saying that, you probably don't know.
But you need him. You need to believe. See the difference in this verse?
Isn't what you do or what I do. It's he that believeth.
Christ is the issue. Have you made him your Savior? Have you made him your Savior?
You know, if we would go back to the beginning of this chapter, chapter 3, we would read there about a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus. He also saw some things like John. Perhaps he saw the Lord Jesus preached. Perhaps he even saw miracles. He comes to Jesus, says he comes by night. Verse 2, The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher, come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.
He saw some things and he wondered and he wanted to know more and he had some questions.
But he came to the right place. He didn't do what Pilate's wife told Pilate to do. He didn't have nothing to do with him. But he comes.
He had questions. Have you ever had questions about these things?
Maybe things you don't understand.
About God, about sin, about the Lord Jesus. But he comes to the Lord Jesus.
And he doesn't really get a chance to answer or ask his questions because the Lord tells him he needs something.
It tells me it needs to be born again. He needs a new life. In other words, the life that he was born with in this world isn't good enough to please God.
Why? Because it's a sinful life.
So what? It's a simple life. That's a lot of people's attitude. You know, if you and I could stand in the presence of a holy God for one second.
We would know what that meant.
We would know that we're absolutely wretched and vile. We would know it.
This life that we're born in isn't good enough if you're sitting here.
And you don't have that new life.
You'll never come into God's presence.
And you know, there's only two places in eternity, the presence of God and away from the presence of God alias.
The eternal fires of hell.
Those are the only two places for eternity. Which will it be for you? John 318 told us what what it hinges on. Do you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?
Here's the issue.
Have you bowed the knee to him? Have you received Him as your savior?
He needed to be born again. That your natural life isn't good enough.
But with faith in Christ.
We can have that life. God is willing to give it. In fact, he tells us in verse 16, God so loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life whosoever believeth in Him.
Don't leave off those 3 words. Three believeth in him. He's the issue.
Not you, not me, not what you think, not what I think. Christ is the issue. Do you believe in Him?
Is he your savior?
There's some assumptions made in verse 16 also.
Says whosoever believeth in him should not perish. What's the assumption?
They're perishing. The world is perishing.
If you've never come to Christ, you're perishing. If you're sitting here in the state you were born in, you're perishing.
God is giving you an opportunity tonight to believe in His Son again. Have you made Him your own?
He doesn't want you to perish. That's what this verse is saying. He loved this world.
He wants you to be saved. Whosoever believeth the name should not perish, but have everlasting life. That he's the issue. He's the issue.
John said that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you.
I'd like to look at a couple of incidents that we have in scripture.
Some people who had some experiences with the Lord and see what they saw if we can.
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And hopefully.
Prayerfully, if there's some in the room tonight who haven't received them yet, that they'll follow the example of these people and believe in him.
So let's go back to the first chapter again.
And start at verse 43.
The day following, Jesus would go forth in the Galilee and find his Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Beseta, the city of Andrew and Peter. And Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
And Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And Philip saith unto him.
Come and see.
And Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. A Nathaniel said unto him, Whence knowest thou me? And Jesus answered, and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, and thou hast under the fig tree I saw thee.
Nathaniel answered and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God.
The King of Israel And Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under a fig tree, believeth thou thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter you shall see the heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Well, certain of these have found the Lord Jesus. They were Jews. They knew what their Bible said. They knew that there was a Savior coming, a Messiah.
I don't suppose that their thoughts rose to the level of God's thoughts in these things. Man's thoughts never do, do they?
But they some were excited that they had found Jesus. They had recognized that here was one that should come. And Philip was one of these. And he went to his friend.
Whose name was Nathaniel.
Says we have found him.
Of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did right, Jesus.
Of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. We have found him, you know. Maybe your friend brought you here tonight because he wants you to know this one too. Just like.
Philip did for Nathaniel, he said. He says Nathaniel, we found him.
Somebody brought you here tonight. We know God has brought you here because he's ultimately the one who wants to see you saved.
Perhaps it was your mother or your father who brought you here so that you might know him, just like Phillip brought, his friend said. We have found him. But you know, Nathaniel knew his Bible a little bit, maybe a lot.
And so when Philip says Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel says, wait a minute, Nazareth, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Why did he say that he saw that? Because I believe that he, he read this book and he was familiar with his contents and he knew that the Messiah, the one who was to come, because, you know, God had promised one who was to come long ago.
I think he knew that that one wasn't supposed to come out of Nazareth.
And he raises a question.
Is there any good thing come out of Nazar? He didn't understand, but what does Philip say to him? He says come and see.
That's what we're saying to you tonight. Come and see. Lift up your eyes to Jesus.
And see him the Son of God and God the Son. See him as your own.
And so Nathaniel does it. He didn't let his questions stop him from coming to the Lord Jesus. He comes.
Verse 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to them, and he saith, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.
Simple statement. It wasn't anything terribly revealing about that, at least as far as I can see. And yet it touches Nathaniel's heart. He says, How do you know me? Verse 48 Once knoweth thou me, Jesus answered and said, before Philip called thee, when thou hast under the fig tree, I saw thee. And what is Nathaniel's response?
Verse 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God.
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Thou art the King of Israel.
What does he say? Jesus says to him, I know you, I knew you, I saw you under the fig tree. And that touches Nathaniel's heart. And you know, I wondered about this, this passage, why that had such an effect on, on Nathaniel. I, I've, I've learned recently that that apparently the fig trees over there, the kind that's being talked about here is, is a tree that kind of drapes its branches down onto the ground and that.
Some of the Jews would actually go inside there and by the trunk, and so they were covered from the branches outside and they couldn't actually be seen from the outside.
And they would go in there and they would pray for Israel under the fig tree.
And so when Jesus says I saw you under the fig tree, Nathaniel recognizes that this was number ordinary man.
That he could see what couldn't normally be seen.
He says you know me from that, says you're the Son of God.
You know the God in heaven who loves you, the Lord Jesus Christ who is here.
He knows you inside and out. He knows all about you, just like he knew Nathaniel was there under the fig tree and knew Nathaniel. He knows all about you. He knows everything that you're thinking right now. He knows everything that you thought was hidden from the eyes of your parents or or whoever. The eyes of the law, perhaps.
He knows all about you and he loves you and he wants you to be saved and he came to pay the price himself on that cross.
And you know, that's the same thing that touches the woman's heart in the 4th chapter of John. Now, first of all, that he would talk to her. We don't, I don't know that we'll spend the time to go through the whole thing.
But not only was he talking to her, he gets to the point where she wants the living water that he offers. And he says go call your husband. And what he's really saying is, wait a minute, we've got a sin question to deal with in your life. He says go call your husband because he knew that woman too.
Just like he knew Nathaniel and she. When I read that, I can almost see her turning around and saying I don't have any husband. She says I have no husband. He says, you're right, you don't have a husband because you've had five husbands and the one you have now isn't your husband. In that you said truly, but he knew all about her.
And when she saw that he knew all about her and he was still talking to her, her heart was touched.
And he knows all about you too. He knows the wickedness of your heart. He knows the hatred of your heart toward God. If you're sitting here without Christ, that's what's there in your heart. You may not know it, but he knows it, and he loves you anyway.
Just the way you are.
Nathaniel said Thou art the Son of God. Would that you would say the same thing tonight.
The King of Israel, the Son of God, he is the Son of God. He's the one who came to save you. Would you be willing to put yourself in his hands? Did that woman at the well, did she have anything to fear from him? The one who knew all about her? You know, if you knew all about me, I'd be scared to death of what you might say to somebody else. But she was safe in Jesus hands and so are you.
Will you put your trust in him? That's what he saw with his eyes. And John no doubt saw this too. He saw what happened to Nathaniel. And he says I'm.
That down.
That you might believe he wrote this down.
Will you believe in him? Have you believed in him?
It's a matter of faith from the heart, dear people.
Lay hold on him with the hands of faith. Make him your very own.
He's the issue. He's the one you need. The whole eternal question revolves around that one thing. Where do I stand with the Lord Jesus Christ? What have I done with the Lord Jesus Christ? Have I made him my own Savior?
How I believed in him, received him, his mind.
Let's turn over to.
Well, actually I want to go to the 7th chapter right now.
You know Nathaniel?
He says Thou art the Son of God.
You know, there's a lot of people that would try to make out that Jesus was just a man.
And that he isn't really God, he was just a man.
But you know, that's not the case, John says. He was the word and he was made flesh. And you know, people who say that, you know, it's really they really.
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They can't. It's a it's really, if you'll pardon me, it's really a stupid thing to say.
Why? How could it be a Goodman? You know what kind of claims Jesus makes.
You know, maybe before we look at the 7th chapter, maybe we should look at.
Go back to the 6th chapter. You know, in the 6th chapter, in the beginning of the 6th chapter.
They're tired, they're hungry, they don't have any food. They've got 5 loaves and two fishes and Jesus breaks that bread and he distributes it and they all eat and were filled. And you know the men, some men who were there, they saw that and they said, hey, this is pretty good. If this guy can do this, you know, he's, he'd be a pretty good guy to have around.
And they talk like they might come and make him king. And.
When he knew that he left them and they tried to find him, they came following him.
Because they wanted to be around somebody like that.
But he wouldn't have that, and he makes some statements here that are remarkable.
Verse 35, John chapter 6 and verse 35. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Now think about that. Put yourself there. You're one of the people in that crowd now.
You're standing around, there's a group of men there and they want to make Jesus King.
Because hey, if he can do this, think what he could do for us.
And he's there and he makes this statement. He says I am.
The bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.
What do you think? What goes through your head when you hear those words, when you look at this one standing there?
And you know, he was a man.
I don't think there was anything striking about his appearance. Isaiah tells us when we shall see him. There is no beauty that we should desire him.
Probably less than six feet tall, standing there and you see him and he says these words. I am the bread of life.
He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. What goes through your head when you hear those words?
What goes through your head now?
If I could take the godliest person in this room and stand them here, and if they were to say those words to you tonight.
I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.
If you could sit there and watch a man standing here say those words, what would you think? You'd be horrified.
That anyone would make such a claim and you'd be justified in doing it. And yet Jesus was there and He said those words and he said similar words over and over again if we were to go to the 8th chapter in verse 12.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world.
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
What kind of a man can make a statement like that?
What would you think of a man who made a statement like that?
And yet some people will say he's a man. With making claims like that, there's only three things that could happen that could be true about him.
He's a madman.
He's a terrible liar, or he's who he says he is.
Those are your only three choices.
Another has said that I believe it was CS Lewis pointed that out and you know, all three of those choices are anticipated in the scriptures here in the 7th chapter.
Let me see, I'll find the verse here.
Well in verse 20 the people answered and said Thou hast the devil who goes about to kill thee, because Jesus said that.
They had gone about to kill thee and says you've got a devil in you, you're mad.
Then further on down in the chapter.
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Oh, I'm missing it, I'm sorry.
No, that's one I'm sorry I lost dear some he's a good man and some said no, but he deceives the people. That's the one I'm looking for. Thank you.
Yes, verse 12. There was much murmuring among the people concerning him, for some said he is a Goodman and others say nay, but he deceiveth the people. So there are the three. Those are your three choices.
What kind of a man could stand there and say those things?
To say that Jesus is a Goodman and nothing more than a Goodman.
As CS Lewis says, it's patronizing nonsense. You can't take that position.
If he's a liar, if he's standing there and he's saying those things and he knows he's not telling the truth, he's a liar and he's not worthy for you to follow. You shouldn't follow him. If he's out of his mind, if you know, perhaps he thinks he's God. You know what happens if somebody you meet somebody on the street and he says I'm God.
What do you think of that person?
I said why? Don't want nothing to do with him, He's out of his mind and you'd be right to say that in every case except one.
Who was him? Who was this man Jesus? Who was he?
He was God. He makes these claims over and over again. What kind of a man could say, I am the bread of life? He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. What kind of man could say that? Only one.
The God Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who you need to bow the knee to, the one you need to accept as your Savior, the one you need to believe in.
He's the one that can make those statements. He's the one that went to the cross and can save your soul because he offered there a sacrifice to wash your sins away.
Believe in Him. That's why you're here tonight. If you haven't received Him as your Savior, don't wait another second. Look around this room. There are people here who can tell you the painful truth of that verse. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. You may never have another opportunity to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
There are people sitting here in this room that could tell you with tears that's true, who have lost.
Husbands or wives or children, small and large.
Don't walk out of this room not believing in Christ as your Savior. You may never get another chance.
God gives you now. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.
Receive Him as your savior if you haven't done it.
Turn with me.
Over to the 11Th chapter.
This interesting exchange between Martha and the Lord Jesus, her brother was dead.
Her brother Lazarus had died. He had gotten sick. They had sent a message to the Lord Jesus.
They sent the message that says he whom thou lovest is sick. They wanted him to come and heal their brother, and he didn't come.
And Lazarus died and he's in the grave four days.
Verse 17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had been laid in the grave four days already.
Now Bethany was an eye unto Jerusalem about 15 furlongs off, and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary sat still in the house, and then said, Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith unto where thy brother shall rise again.
Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life he that believeth in me.
Though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?
Believe us thou this what kind of a man could say I am the resurrection and the life?
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He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. What kind of man could say that? What if you were Martha standing there face to face?
With the Lord Jesus saying that.
You know, this is an interesting portion to me.
And recently I've been wondering, you know, Martha says to Jesus.
He says even now what's over? Thou wilt ask God, God will give it thee.
What was it that she wanted him to ask?
You know, we're familiar with the story of Martha and.
You know, Martha's used as an example of how not to be sometimes, but you know, this woman had faith.
I don't know what she was thinking here and she said even now I know that whatever you ask, God will give it thee. Could it be that she was thinking of resurrection? And then the Lord confronts her face to face and if I could put you in the in front of him tonight.
Oh, I wish I could do that, but you could look into his face.
And speak to him like Martha did.
If you could see him.
And believe, he says to her, I am the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? Do you want eternal life?
The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God is trying to give it to you.
The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
You know Martha says verse 27. Yeah, Lord, I believe.
That thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way.
No, I don't know that you could blame her.
I am the resurrection in life.
You know.
Verse 39 Jesus says take away the stone.
Verse 43 Jesus says Lazarus.
Come forth, and he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot, with grave clothes, and his face was bound with a napkin. And Jesus saith unto him, Loose him, and let him go.
What kind of man has the power to raise the dead?
Only one Jesus Christ, the God man.
Have you received him as your savior? Have you believed in him? Have you made Him your own? Are you still sitting here and you don't really know him, you know?
Probably 95% of the people in this room could get up here and give this message.
But as a friend of mine often says, they miss salvation. They miss eternal life by 18 inches.
The distance from here to here.
Because they know these things here. Even some 10 year old children. I've heard some 10 year olds give some pretty good gospels.
But you know, unless you don't have Jesus here, you don't have anything. You know Him as your Savior. Have you believed in Him? Have you received Him? Tonight with the hands of faith? Lay hold on Him and make Him your own.
Our time is running out, John Chapter 19.
This is one of the other things John sees.
You know, when I read these words of John, it's like, it's almost like he can't hardly believe it, but he's seeing him and he's overjoyed that they're happening and he said.
I'm here, I'm seeing these things and it's like I almost can't believe it.
After this verse 28, after this, Jesus, knowing that all things were accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith I thirst.
And now there was so a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on his sip, and put it to his mouth. And when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished, And he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
The Jews, therefore, because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon the cross in the Sabbath day, for that Sabbath day was in high day, besought Pilate, that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. And then came the soldiers, and break the legs of the 1St and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they break not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water, and he that saw it bear record.
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And his record is true, and he know that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken, and then again another Scripture. They shall look on him whom they pierced. No, I don't doubt that this was perhaps.
One of the lowest moments in John's life when he was there and he saw the Lord Jesus die.
And again, like perhaps some others, there were things that he didn't understand about the Lord Jesus.
And yet he loved them, and he was there.
And, you know, he knew what crucifixion was. You know, crucifixion was not a Jewish form of punishment, a Jewish form of death. It was a Roman form of death. It was meant to be as awful as it could be. And people didn't die from loss of blood or any of that. They died because they suffocated, because they were too weak to hold themselves up.
And you know, the Romans here, they wanted to speed things up because it was a Jewish holiday coming. And John could see this coming. He could see this band of soldiers approaching the cross, and he knew what they were going to do.
So we're going to break the legs is because, you know, they would hang there on that cross and they would use their feet to push up because the way they died from the suffocation was their bodies would hang so that they didn't even have the strength to pull in their breath. And that's how people died of crucifixion. So these Roman soldiers were going to come and they were going to break the legs of these people so that they couldn't push up anymore and they would have to hang on themselves and suffocate and die. And John knew his Bible too, a little bit, I'm sure.
And he knew that the scripture said a bone of him shall not be broken. And what was he thinking as he saw these soldiers approach the cross?
Ready to break the legs of those who are hanging there.
And to his astonishment.
They break the legs of the 1St and then these Roman soldiers, perhaps the most disciplined on earth, they walk around that middle cross.
And they go to the next one.
They skip the middle one and they break his legs, the legs of the other one on the other side.
Why did they do that? We didn't read it. We didn't have time. In John 18, when they came to take him, the Lord Jesus in the garden, they says we're looking for Jesus, the Son of Nazareth, Jesus of Nazareth. And he said I am, he, I am. And you know what they did? They fell backwards on the ground.
Because he said those words, I am. They didn't have the power to take him, and the same power that made those people fall backwards on the ground, made those soldiers walk around that middle cross and not break his legs.
And they didn't know what to do because the power of that one that was on that middle cross and so one.
Takes a spear and he shoves it in his side. And you know what John saw when he saw those things?
He saw the scriptures of God being fulfilled.
And he says I saw it.
Verse 35 He that sought bare record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
He saw the scriptures being unfolded before his very eyes.
And he said these things were done, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken.
And again another scripture. They shall look on him whom they have pierced.
And this John?
Says we saw. I saw him with my own eyes. I touched them. I handled them the word of life. I wrote these things that you would believe.
Have you believed on the Son of God? Have you made him your own Savior tonight? Make tonight the night that you'll receive Him as your Savior. He is able to save your soul. Three days after this incident, He rose from the dead because death could not hold him.
Sin had no power over him. It was all gone. That's how you know.
You can be saved and I know I can be saved because every sin that he bore on that cross is gone or he wouldn't have gotten out of that grave. God took him out of that grave because they were all gone. Not one remains. Your salvation and mine was accomplished there, yours if you'll have it. What will you do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ making your Savior tonight?
I just pray that I will work in the Heart Beach here. Tonight is our work here.
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Their Savior that will open the eyes of their hearts. They might see their need, and that they might see Him who is able to meet their needs, who has made every provision for them. We pray that Thou wilt grant salvation to any here who are lost tonight. We thank Thee that we have a gospel of good news to tell.
Our God, thy heart is so wonderful that yet over this scene that we are still waiting, and we know, Lord.
Perhaps this will be the last time the gospel goes out in this room. We know that for some, perhaps there might never be another opportunity. We pray that there are any in that case tonight, that tonight would be the night that they would be saved and not put it off. We thank Thee for the One who loved us and gave himself for us. He thanked Thee for the One who died on that cross. We thank Thee for His privilege to be able to speak His name and to speak of that glorious work. So we give thee our thanks in his name, Amen.