His Love Ministries

GETTING ALL THAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU

             Joshua sent 12 men out to spy out the land the Lord told them to conquer.  The majority report came back it can’t be done because…. Isn’t that what happens, the Lord speaks to the hearts of His people and tells them to step out and do something that is very difficult and actually impossible through our means and power? We can’t but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).  It is amazing how many times God asks us to do things and we decide not to because WE CAN’T. Have you ever found yourself in this situation where you decide to do what God has called you to do in spite of the odds and you find yourself surrounded by a group of naysayers?  Don’t let them hold you back from getting all that God has in store for you in the way of ministry and blessings.  Step out today and watch what God does. If He is in it, it will happen.
     'We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible problems.'" John Gardner
         Numbers 13:30-33 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 "There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."
     Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
               Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
 

JOHN 19:17-23 NOW PILATE WROTE A TITLE AND PUT IT ON THE CROSS. AND THE WRITING WAS: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'" 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.
 
In a 24‑hour period leading up to and including His death on the cross there were 28 specific Old Testament prophecies fulfilled to the letter, and in addition to that, there were many types fulfilled. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled over 300 prophecies and the probability that one Person could do this is impossible, unless you are God as Jesus is. Jesus is placed in the center as He is the focus of attention. It is amazing how many three’s there are in the Bible. There are three being crucified and three titles for Jesus over His head which are actually the crime He was being killed for. The three titles are written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin to show that all of us are guilty of sin and thus all of us put Jesus on that cross, meaning we all need a Savior. The Jews get upset about the title 'The King of the Jews', but Pilate is really telling us who Jesus really is.  Have you trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?  If not, why not today?  Rom 10:9-13 - Ro 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
 
Romans 8:32 says this, "God who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all." Who delivered Jesus up? Not only the governor of Judea, but the governor of the universe. You say, "Does that mean Pilate and God are working together?" That's exactly what it means. And in no way does the vileness, unbelief, cowardice or sin of Pilate alter the plan of God. God's plans are on schedule, be they operating through sinful men or holy men. God is the author of history.
it says they led Him away. That means He willingly without resistance followed. That's what it means. There was no panic, there was no struggle. They led, He followed. Our friends, that fulfills a very specific and very minute prophecy. In Isaiah chapter 53:7 the prophet said hundreds of years before Jesus was ever born, when he didn't even know in his brain what crucifixion was, or if it existed, the prophet said, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter." You see, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah said when He goes to His death He will not be driven, He will not be dragged, He will be led. Jesus fulfilled that exactly. And like a sheep, you can't drive sheep, you can drive cattle, you cannot drive sheep, you lead sheep and thus was He led.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. Do you see the order right there? It says that when He dies, He'll go from prison to judgment to death. That was not normal. Normally He went from prison to judgment to prison for two days, to death. Isaiah prophesied He would go directly from His judgment to His execution, something the Romans never did but they did it this time because God said that's how it is to be done. And so, Jesus fulfilled that prophecy.
John was also the only Gospel writer to record Jesus' care for His mother (vv. 25-27) and His sixth cry before His death (v. 30).
John omitted the detail that Simon carried Jesus' cross (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke
23:26),  which  might  have  detracted  from John's  presentation  of  Jesus  as  the  divine Savior. He also made no reference to Jesus' sufferings on the way to Calvary that Luke, who had a special interest in Jesus' humanity, stressed
17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
Nu 15:36; Mt 23:31, 33; Mr. 15:21-22; Lu 23:26, 33; Heb 13:12
All the Gospel writers identified the place of Jesus' crucifixion as "the place of the skull." All but Luke gave its Aramaic title, namely, skull the transliteration of which is Golgotha. Why the place bore this name remains a mystery.
John’s statement that Jesus “went out, carrying His own cross” (verse 17) does not contradict the account of the Synoptics, which inform us that Simon of Cyrene carried our Lord’s cross to Calvary. Jesus must have taken up His cross in Jerusalem and carried it as far as outside the city. Then, at some stage of the journey to Golgotha, it must have become evident that Jesus could no longer bear the weight of His cross. He appears to have been beaten more than the two others who were crucified. It may also have been a matter of time. Time was now short, and there was pressure to get on quickly with the crucifixion. If someone were to carry our Lord’s cross for Him, they would get to Golgotha more quickly. Simon of Cyrene was on his way to Jerusalem from out in the country and was drafted to carry our Lord’s cross for Him.
In one verse (17), John takes us from the judgment seat of Pilate to the “Place of the Skull.” John does not belabor the process of crucifixion, though we know it was the most cruel form of execution devised by man.  The two robbers (whom Luke calls “criminals”) are crucified with our Lord, one on His left, and the other to His right. It seems significant that Jesus was placed in the center. Surely He was the focus of this event, as everyone seemed to know, and as those who passed by could figure out for themselves.
In Genesis chapter 22 there is a man who is a type of Christ, an Old testament type. His name was Isaac. Isaac was a type of Christ, he was a picture of Christ for Isaac was to be given as a sacrifice, just as Christ was. The beautiful thing in the story of Isaac is that you have two types of Christs, both Isaac and the ram are both types of Christ. Now notice this, Genesis 22:6, remember Isaac is a picture of Christ. "And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son." Did you know that Isaac bore his own wood to his own execution? And Jesus did too or the type would have been destroyed, Jesus fulfilled it to the very letter. This is divine inspiration, my friends. This is how verbal and typical prophecy predicted to the very tiniest point the death of Jesus Christ.
Exodus 29 verse 14, "But the flesh of the bullock and his skin and his dung shall thou burn with fire outside the camp, it is a sin offering." In other words, a sin offering had to be taken outside the camp of Israel.
In the very next book, the book of Leviticus in chapter 4 and verse 12, the same thing is indicated. "Even the whole bullock shall be carried forth outside the camp unto a clean place where the ashes are poured out and burned on the wood with fire, where the ashes are poured out shall it be burned, or he be burned." Then in chapter 16 of Leviticus verse 27, it says, "And the bullock for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place shall one carry forth outside of the camp and there be burned."
In other words, the sin offerings in the Old Testament were taken outside the camp. Who then was the ultimate sin offering? Jesus Christ. Where then in order to fulfill that typical prophecy did Jesus have to die? Outside the camp. There was no way that He could ever be stoned or executed within the city walls for God had designed Him to be the perfect fulfillment of every Old Testament sin offering and they were all taken outside the camp. And thus does the writer of the book of Hebrews say in chapter 13:11, "For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp," then he said this, "wherefore Jesus also that He might sanctify the people with His own blood suffered outside the gate."
Do you know why they executed Him outside the city? Jesus had to fulfill prophecy.
In John 3:14 Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." You see? "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Jesus said, "I have to be lifted up.
Crucifixion has even been predicted in an exacting sense for in Psalm chapter 22, the psalmist portraying the coming death of Messiah, describes what it is like to be crucified. And he didn't have any idea of crucifixion at this point. "I am poured out like water," verse 14, "My bones are out of joint." Certainly what happens in crucifixion. "My heart is like wax, it's melted within Me." He says, "My tongue cleaves to My jaws," He's dry." And then at the end of verse 16 it says this, direct prophecy, "They pierced My hands and My feet."
The horror of His visage in His face would be nothing to look at. And that also fulfills Scripture, for Isaiah said, "There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He has no form or comeliness." And Isaiah in 53:2 when he said that was talking about His death. Isaiah predicted that He would be in an ugly presentation in death and indeed He was. Again fulfilling Scripture.
18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Isa 42:1; 49:3; 53:4-5; Joh 17:3; Ro 5:15-19; 2Pe 1:3; 1Jo 2:1
This mode of capital punishment was reserved for the lowest kind of criminals, particularly those who promoted revolution. Today, we think of the cross as a symbol of glory and victory; but in Pilate’s day, the cross stood for the basest kind of rejection, shame, and suffering.[i] It was Jesus who made the difference.
All the Gospel writers mentioned the men crucified with Jesus (Matt. 27:38, 44; Mark 15:27, 32; Luke 23:32-33, 39-43). They were evidently robbers (Gr. lestai) and terrorists, such as Barabbas (cf. 18:40). John may have mentioned them to remind his readers of the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12.
Is 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Their mention also prepares the reader to understand John's description of the breaking of their legs but not Jesus' legs (vv. 32-33).
Pilot had failed in releasing Jesus Christ and so he hands Christ over to be crucified. The phrase "hand over" continues John's play on the word "delivered, betrayed and hand over." We're continuing the same word he uses to show that it's a betrayal. If you know enough of the story, you know that Jesus carries His own cross. John underscores that with the word "His own" but the Gospel writers tell us also that Simon of Cyrene helps Him. So put together and harmonize it that Christ carries it for part of the time and Simon of Cyrene comes along and carries it another of the duration. Due to the scourging He's faced on His back, undoubtedly the wounds are gaping and it would be difficult for Him to manage that so Simon is enlisted to help
The word "Place of the Skull" is a word in Greek, cranion. It sounds like our English word cranium and that's exactly where it comes from. The Hebrew is Golgotha and ancient legend says that Adam was buried in that place. It preaches great, but it's just a legend. The Latin word for the Greek word is calvaria.  So when the Latin vulgate translated the Greek word cranion, they came up with calvaria and that's where we get the English word Calvary.
Crucifixions took different forms. We typically think of a lowercase "t" shaped cross, but a tree in a form of a "Y" or an "X" could also be used to crucify a victim. The horizontal bar that Christ carried, the Latins called it a patibullum and that would be the one beam He would carry. He probably did not carry the traditional cross like we even reenact here; the dragging of this whole apparatus. He just carried this horizontal beam. The beam then would be laid on the ground, the victim made to lay down on the ground and then either tied or secured with nails.
 There was also a block or a small saddle-like device on the vertical post that would already be in place at the Place of the Skull and so the victim was secured to this and then hoisted up on the vertical beam. The nails would not go through the Palm, but the wrist. Many of us would be familiar with carpal tunnel syndrome. Well that's about the area where you put the nail through. If you put in through the palm it would just tear through the hand and so this area would be far more substantial for the victim and it would hold him up there.
Archaeologists have also discovered what they call the crucified man from Giv'at ha-Mivtar, a twenty something-year-old male and they found pieces of a crucified individual. The notable thing is the heel, probably both heels put together and the nails driven through both heels. There's lots of ways you can crucify a victim but at least with this one there is archaeological evidence that proves that this is the way this particular person was crucified. Crucifixion was brutal. Cicero called it "the cruelest and foulest of punishments. We should perhaps notice also the words of the Jewish writer Josephus who spoke of it as ‘the most wretched of deaths." The victim is stripped naked, beaten, scourged and could hang suspended in agony between life and death for days.
 Going back to the garden, that the result of the curse was that thorns were going to be produced. Now we have the image of those thorns and Christ paying for that curse when they are jammed up on His head. We also have a naked issue here. Remember, when Adam sinned, he and the woman hid themselves. "Well why did you hide?" "Well we heard You coming. We were naked. We were ashamed so we hid." "Who told you you were naked?"
 So once they have the knowledge of good and evil from sin, they are ashamed of themselves so they hide. Well, Christ now in full shame will take that shame and die on the cross for your sin and for mine. So the crown part of the curse, the naked shame part of the curse and Christ is fulfilling those and taking them on Himself.
 The mechanism of the crucifixion, if you were tied or nailed, the problem of crucifixion was breathing; not just the torture of the way you're on the cross. The body would often be at an angle and hunched over and bent.  So to breathe, they would have to pull themselves up with either wrist and push with the feet to take a breath and then the weight of the body would of course exhale the air. This is how the person asphyxiated. If they were just tied, this could go on for days. They could die of the exposure, the dehydration, the exhaustion, and eventually would asphyxiate or would suffocate in a way, not being able to breathe.
If you are nailed, then you have the wound issue and the aggravation of pulling yourself up and down on those wounds would be unexplainable, apart from experiencing such a pain. You also had the added exposure that’s going to go along with that, so when Christ dies rather quickly that's sort of a surprise to the attending. The pain that He would endure would be excruciating and the most brutal of ways to kill a person.
In verse eighteen John mentions that two others are crucified with Him, one on either side. John does not record the dialogue that these men have with one another and with Christ, but the Synoptics do. And so we read it and we say "Why didn't John record it? That's such a great interchange."
 John has different purposes. He leaves out certain things and he includes things that the Synoptics don't. John's stress is so that you may believe. John's stress is so that the Scripture will be fulfilled. John is marshaling forth in his Gospel proof that Jesus Christ is who He says He is. John is using everything he can to prove his point that He really lived, He really died, He was really buried and He really came back from the grave so that people will believe. And when we look at verses thirty-two to thirty-six we’ll see how the criminals and the breaking of the legs play into that fulfillment of Scripture as well.
19 ¶ Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Mt 27:37; Mr. 15:26; Lu 23:38
20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
This sign would serve as a placard either mounted on the top of the cross or sometimes around the neck of the victim. This particular one is written in three languages. This crime identified to onlookers why He was being killed and it also would serve, would it not, as a warning. So it would serve as a warning and it would also serve to identify the crime of the individual.
Hebrew is the language of religion, Greek of philosophy, and Latin of law; and all three combined to crucify the Son of God. But what He did on the cross, He did for the whole world! In this Gospel, John emphasizes the worldwide dimensions of the work of Christ. Without realizing it, Pilate wrote a “Gospel tract” when he prepared this title; for one of the thieves discovered that Jesus was King, and he asked entrance into His kingdom.[ii]
Remember, it's Passover week. Thousands have converged upon Jerusalem. It would not be exaggerating to say that thousands of people walked by and saw the Christ and those two criminals. He was probably not, as artists often render Him, way up high in the sky. He was probably just a foot or two above ground because all you're trying to do is get the victim's feet elevated so he can't be on the ground on that vertical post and you want to show people the exasperation; the cruel treatment that a criminal gets. The most effective way to do that is up close and personal, not way high where people can't see it. That's how the Romans would have done it, it's a warning to each segment of the population.
21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"
This is a deliberate insult. Pilate has been humiliated by them now he is going to humiliate them. It's clearly abuse on Pilate's part. Remember, they brought the Christ for Pilate to rubberstamp and say "Sure, crucify Him."
 But Pilate was trying to follow the Roman process for civil government. They didn't like it so in that exchange they go back and forth and finally he says,  "Fine, it's your problem." Of course they can’t carry out the crucifixion so as a last insult he sticks them in the eye with his finger and says, "King of the Jews. I'm firm. I'm not going to change that. "
 Now in this warning it continues to serve a number of things. Think about it, Pilate has condemned Jesus Christ from the governmental aspect; Caiaphas has condemned Jesus Christ from the religious aspect.
Is it not interesting that both Caiaphas and Pilate find themselves unwittingly bearing witness to the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the King of Israel?
Caiaphas gave the unconscious prophecy, remember? "It's expedient for one to die for the nation."
 Well now we have Pilate giving an unconscious prediction that He is the King of the Jews. So on the one hand while it serves as a warning to would-be criminals to the Roman empire, it also proclaims the truth. He is Jesus from Nazareth. He is the King of the Jews. And this Gentile, would-be king, Pilate, who has condemned this Jewish king Jesus, will have that role reversed one day in one of the five to seven judgments of our New Testament when the ungodly nations who do not follow Christ will be judged. I think Pilate will be among them, Pilate and Caiaphas both having their unintentional prophecies; unintentional declarations. The chief priests and the Jews are angered at what Pilate has written
22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
It is interesting to note the variety among the Gospels as to the exact wording of the charge placed over Jesus’ head on the cross.
Matt. 27:37 - “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”
Mark 15:26 - “The King of the Jews”
Luke 23:38 - “This is the King of the Jews”
John 19:19 - “Jesus, the Nazarene, the King of the Jews”
Each one is different, but basically the same. This is true of most of the variety of historical detail among the Gospels. Each writer recorded his memories in slightly different ways, but they are still the same eye witness account.
The Gospels all give a slightly different inscription. Perhaps what Pilate really wrote was the sum of all these variations, and the Gospel writers each just quoted a part of the whole. Another possibility is that the Gospel writers may not have been translating the same language since Pilate ordered the charge written in three different languages. However, his trilingual notice was God's sovereign way of declaring to the whole world who His Son really was, the Jewish king whose rule is universal.
By identifying Jesus as the Jews' king and then crucifying Him, Pilate was boasting Rome's superiority over the Jews and flaunting its authority.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. Mt 27:35; Mr. 15:24; Lu 23:34
It was customary, it was typical for the attending soldiers to divide the spoils of the victim and so we have a headpiece, we have a belt, we have an outer garment and we have sandals being the four pieces that would be easily be distributed. But then we have this one piece tunic and there's no modern equivalent to the underwear type apparatus.
In other countries the men will wear sort of a long shirt underneath their outer garments. It might have a button up nice collar, but that's really the undergarment; what they put over their more decorative clothing and their suits. So it's something like that.
At least the most valuable piece of Him is that it is one piece; it's seamless. It's a very nice fabric; it's a nice piece of cloth. You wouldn't want to ruin its value by cutting it into four pieces so they agreed, "Let's roll some die and get a lot here and figure out who gets it."
 There are lots of symbolic and religious metaphors of what the importance of this seamless garment might be. The one that I have a little reference to is in John thirteen. You remember Jesus Christ strips Himself to the waist to wash His disciples’ feet, remember? Now He's stripped completely beyond His undergarment, not just to wash their feet, but to die for their sins and if anything, I think John in his wonderful narrative shows in chapter thirteen He did a "small" thing and then He washed their feet. And He says, "You don't know what I do to you. Now I'm completely stripped to die for your sins.  The shame of humanity now seen on Me and My nakedness as I die in your place with this one-piece garment." He lays aside His glory to go through the suffering; to go to the cross.
"The cloak was without seam woven from the top throughout." What's the point of putting that in there? Who cares? What's the difference?" Do you realize that in the Old Testament the garment of the high priest made of linen had to be without seam? Did you know that? That was a symbol of his total purity, there could be no seam in the garment of the high priest. Guess who is the final and faithful high priest? Jesus Christ fulfills to the very letter the symbol of the high priest, even by the note of John that He wore the garments of His priesthood.
Re 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
Hanging upon that cross naked as He bore our punishment for sin. After man first sinned, nakedness became shameful (see Genesis 9:20-27; 2 Samuel 10:1-5; Isaiah 20:4). Can you imagine the humiliation our Lord endured as He hung upon that cross, with hundreds of people looking on? It is no wonder that David wrote of our Lord: “For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me” (Psalm 22:16-17, NKJV,). Our Lord bore the curse of nakedness for us, so that we might be clothed in His righteousness. Isa 61:10 ¶ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
It is John’s Gospel which most emphatically underscores the fulfillment of prophecy in the events surrounding our Lord’s death. Three times in our text John specifically informs his readers that prophecy has been fulfilled (verses 24, 36 and 37).
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
 
[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 19:17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[ii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 19:17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

JESUS IS THE MESSIAH

Mark 8:29 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ." Here at the center of Mark’s Gospel is this very important recognition that Jesus is the Messiah.  He has identified Christ that way in the very first verse of this Gospel. But up to here no other recognition of this fact has come to light in spite of all the amazing miracles and events that have happened that should have demanded that this be declared. Unfortunately, most people of that time believed that the Messiah would be a political deliverer and not one who delivered from sin.  Peter and the disciples have now understood who He truly is, but have a lot to learn about the meaning of it.  The question is, have we come to the conclusion that Jesus is Messiah the Savior and have we begun to learn all that it will mean to us now and in eternity? Let us seek Him and learn.
          Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 19:7-16 JESUS ANSWERED, "YOU COULD HAVE NO POWER AT ALL AGAINST ME UNLESS IT HAD BEEN GIVEN YOU FROM ABOVE.”

John 19:7 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." 8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" 11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." 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. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar." 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" 16 ¶ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.
 
The Jews have backed Pilate into a corner at this point. It is a matter of Jesus claiming to be King and there can be only one King in Rome. He can either save his soul or his life. If He turns Jesus loose, he loses his life, if He crucifies Him, it will be his soul. So, Pilate asks where Jesus is from, but Jesus knows it is too late for Pilate, he has already said he doesn’t care about truth and so He does not answer him. It is a bad place to be when you have rejected God for so long, that He refuses to speak to you anymore. Pilate lets Jesus know that he is powerful and can let him go or he can have him crucified and Jesus speaks one more time. He lets Pilate know that He only has power because God has granted it to him. Then He lets Pilate know that his sin is less than that of the one who delivered Jesus up and I believe He is speaking about Judas. The Bible speaks of degrees of sin and degrees of reward. Hell won’t be the same for everyone, just as Heaven won’t. Read 1 Corinthians 3:8-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10. 2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.  Revelation 22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
 
7 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." Le 24:16; Mt 26:55,65; Joh 5:18; 10:33
Now what the Jews are going to do is they’re going to put these things together in an accusation that’s going to cut both ways and it will notch it up so far that Pilate has to do something about it.  In Leviticus 24:16 it was blasphemous for a person to call himself a king in Judaism.  Under a theocracy for you to say you were a king when you weren’t a king was guilty of death.  That’s a religious law under a religious system under Caiaphas.  A political law, if you call yourself a king, you’re fighting against Caesar as the true emperor king.  So both of these charges now of treason raise it way high and Pilate’s going to have to do something about it.
 If Pilate won’t condemn Jesus for treason, perhaps he’ll condemn Jesus if he understands that both sides of religion and the civil law would work to his benefit to see Jesus executed. 
Now, Pilate well knew that law. What was that law? Pilate knew that the Jews didn't tolerate any false gods, right? Two times Pilate had brought in the image of false gods to Israel, hadn't he? On his standards when he arrived there, on the shields that he hung up in Herod's palace, both times it had caused a revolt among the Jews, hadn't it? It had caused such a reaction among the Jews that he got word from Caesar himself to remove those things or he'd be removed. And Caesar was watching Pilate because Pilate had a problem with this same issue every time. That is, dragging, or letting false gods exist in Israel. Now the Romans weren't stupid. They knew in order to subject the people; you give them enough freedom to make them content. You don't violate their religion. And so the Romans let them worship as they wanted and they did not offend them with outside gods. And so, the Jews are saying ‑ Hey, Pilate, you remember that law about false gods? Remember that one? See. The one that almost cost you last time? Yeah, well here it comes again, Pilate, He's claiming to be the Son of God, we don't believe in false gods.
That just cuts because this is right exactly where Pilate's blown it twice before. Now they are sharp. They've got this plot, down to a science, they know what they're doing. And so, what they're doing is putting the pressure on Pilate to get rid of another false god. And the last two times he didn't do it, the first time it cost him his whole rule there, really, because he had to give in to them. The second time it almost cost him his life. Now they're saying to him, in effect, ‑ You going to let this one get by again? You're not going to execute what we believe to be a false god? You're going to let a false god run around among us again? You going to do this again? Guess who we'll report you to? Hmm? You know, so we'll tell Caesar.
And so, the threat is too much. And they know where to hit him
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
That leads us to Pilate's fatal panic in verse 8.
Verses eight through eleven ask and answer the question who’s in control of all of this mess:
This is the first time the word fear comes into the storyline.  Pilate’s been acting a shrewd politician, now he’s scared.  Why is he scared?  Well, two very good possibilities.
As if it's not bad enough to put Pilate in the spot that he can't get out of, when they said to Pilate ‑ He is making Himself to be the Son of God ‑that would automatically turn on something that Pilate well knew. The Romans were very superstitious. And the Romans believed that the gods, and demigods, often came into the world and moved among men, see. And the Jews when they said to him ‑ He makes Himself the Son of God ‑ he wouldn't have thought of that in the Jewish context, he would have thought of that in a Roman context. And he would have thought of it in a pagan context. And he would have understood it that this is ... this is a man who is claiming to be a son of a god. And then he would have thought to himself ‑ If He is, I'm in real trouble, right? I've just flogged the son of a god.
The Romans were superstitious. For example, in Acts chapter 14 when Paul and Barnabas came into town and they said: Hey, these guys are terrific, we think they're gods come to earth. And they started calling them Jupiter and Mercury, remember that? That was a common superstition. Acts 28 has it again. They believed that the gods came into the world.
Remember, his wife has a dream, too, in Matthew twenty-seven that sort of sets him back a little bit.  Now Pilate's got this thing in the back of his head to add to all the rest of the stuff that's scrambling his brain. Maybe I've been beating up the son of a god, little did he know. That it was God Himself, the only true God.
9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.
Isa 53:7; Mt 27:12,14
You say, "What's he saying? Does he want to know His address in Nazareth?" No. He knows where He's from. He is asking Him if He's the son of a god, that's what he's asking Him. Where did You come from? Are You earthly or are You from up there where the gods are?
Before the flood God said: "My Spirit will not always strive with man." The Bible tells us Pharaoh hardened his heart, Pharaoh hardened his heart and then it stops and it says: "And God hardened Pharaoh's heart."
There comes a time in the life of an individual who willfully rejects Jesus Christ that all of a sudden it becomes impossible. And God in Christ knew Pilate. He knew it was over. He knew Pilate had gone past the point of return. You see, back in chapter 18:36, Jesus had even said to him Every one that is of the truth hears My voice." He had given him an invitation. He declared who He was. He told him He was a King from another realm, not the world and Pilate wouldn't buy it and Pilate kept going further and further and further and further and Jesus just knew it was over.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
It's a shocking thing when you study in the Bible the silence of God. You say, "Why was Jesus silent?" Well, He was silent, I think, in response to prophecy. Isaiah 53:7 says: "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth." In a sense He knew He was fulfilling prophecy in silence. But, let me give you something even greater than that. Jesus knew Pilate's heart. And Jesus knew it was over with Pilate...it was over. Nothing that Jesus said anymore would have mattered to Pilate. So, He didn't say anything. You know, it's a shocking thing to realize that a man can come to the place in his own experience with God that God stops talking to him. But it can happen.
 11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." Lu 22:53; Joh 7:30
You say, could anybody ever be that guilty?" Yes, anybody who knows the truth and rejects it, according to Hebrews 6 is guilty of crucifying the Son of God afresh, putting Him to an open shame. And men today are just as guilty as the people who screamed for His blood then when they reject Him, willfully knowing the truth.
And so, it's hard for me to conceive of anymore guilt than Pilate but there's more guilt than what he did in ignorance. Much more on those who should have known the truth. Theirs was the greater sin. And that shows you there's degrees of sin. It only takes one sin of the smallest degree to condemn a man to hell, but the hottest hell and the severest punishment is reserved for those whose sin is a travesty on what they know to be true. Like Hebrews says of how much greater punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the blood of the covenant, the Son of God. The greater sin is that.
Now, the one who’s delivered Him raises several questions.  Who?  It’s a singular verb, a singular pronoun.  The one who delivered.  So He’s talking about one person.  Is it Judas?  Is it Caiaphas?  Is it Satan?  And I don’t have a clear answer.  Caiaphas is representing Judaism at its worst and Pilate is representing Roman civil law and these are the things colliding in the charges right now.  Some would lean towards Caiaphas as the one.  He says, “He has the greater sin,” because under the religious theocracy, he should know.  “He came into His own and His own know Him not.”  He should know who Jesus is and he’s going to deliver Him over to get rid of the problem because it’s expedient that Christ die for the nation.
John’s expression, “handed over,” is used 11 times previously in this Gospel (6:64, 71; 12:4; 13:2, 11, 21; 18:2, 5, 30, 35, 36). In its first 8 occurrences (6:64–18:5), this verb is consistently rendered “betray” by the NASB, and in each case, it clearly is used in reference to Judas. The next 3 instances of this verb (18:30, 35, 36) are found in the context of Jesus’ trials, after His betrayal and arrest, and thus they are rendered “handed over” by the NASB. I would have to conclude that when this verb is used here, it may be referring to Judas.
why would Jesus mention Judas to Pilate? And why would Jesus’ reference to Judas strike such fear into the heart of Pilate? From Matthew’s Gospel, it would seem that Judas may already have died by his own hand (Matthew 27:3-10). Is it possible that Pilate knew about Judas’ role in all this, and also that Judas had already killed himself? That might give Pilate pause for thought!
Jesus has pointed out that Judas was guilty of a great sin. Judas is now dead, by suicide. While Judas may be guilty of greater sin, Jesus implies that Pilate will also be guilty, of a somewhat lesser sin. Now we begin to see why Pilate is getting more and more uneasy about condemning Jesus, and why he wants so much to release Him. Pilate seeks to instill fear in Jesus, by trying to impress Him with his authority. Instead, Jesus instills fear in Pilate, by reminding this governor where his power comes from, and by indicating that any harm done to Him is God’s will. Even though the death of Christ is God’s will, it will also be the result of Pilate’s sin, for which he must someday give account. No wonder Pilate is getting nervous!
Now, technically we all know that sin is sin.  We don’t like that, but if you steal a pen from the office, or some Post-its or whatever you rip off from your office, that is somehow as bad as murder and rape and plunder and mayhem.  Now, in our view of things, well of course it’s not the same.  But from a purely technical theological stance, sin is sin, right?
 Even the Scripture attempts to deal with sins differently in the Old Testament.  Certain sins were punishable by more severe punishments.  So we can say there are sort of degrees of guilt, degrees of the scope of a crime; but is that really what’s going on here?  If Pilate is going to be a pawn in God’s program and convict Jesus Christ to die a Roman crucifixion, then how is that lesser than the one who’s delivered Him? 
Lu 12:48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
So, we see then that Pilate says ‑ I can do what I want. And Jesus says ‑ You couldn't do anything except God gave you the power.
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
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. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar." Lu 23:2; Ac 17:7
Now, if you think it was bad before, it's bad now. Cause now they're saying ‑ We're going to report you for letting this political threat to Rome go unpunished. Now you know they were clever enough to twist it around and Pilate knew it would be the end of his life. Pilate knew to tolerate a traitor was the end. Tiberius would never permit to tolerate a traitor. And this did it. He chose in favor of his neck not his soul. They’re saying, “You’re no friend of Caesar if you don’t kill this man.” It’s blasphemous under the religious law for Jesus to make Himself out to be a king and it’s treason for Him to call Himself king when Caesar is alive.  “If you don’t do something about this, you’re not a friend to Caesar.”
And Pilate’s relationship with Caesar and Tiberius are ticklish enough that he understands now that he can’t do anything about this.  He has been painted into a corner and there’s no way for him to win, even though he continues to maintain Christ is innocent.
 Now, look at it from his picture for just a moment.  Who’s he going to fall on the sword for?  This shredded human, Jesus?  Or Rome?  And if he takes it on the brow for Christ and says, “No, I’m releasing Him,” then his career as a political appointment is over.  He might be murdered.  So from a political standpoint, he commits suicide if he doesn’t turn Christ over to be crucified. 
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Gabbatha - This word is not elsewhere used. It comes from a word signifying to be elevated. – the one who is lifted up should not be, but Jesus should be and will be on the cross.
Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
The judgment seat in the text is the stem word “bema.”  If you know your New Testament, you know about the Bema Seat.  They bring out Pilate’s bema and they put it on the pavement.  It’s the Lithostrotos stone.  You can go and walk on these stones.  Those stones are beautiful, enormous, huge pieces of rock that for centuries have been walked over and within a stone’s throw, envision a chair of some judgment, throne-looking apparatus being brought out of Pilate’s house, sat down on these stones.  He sits to render judgment.  And, again, the layers of irony in Johannine literature.  I mean, who is going to have the Bema seat?  Who will sit on the throne judging man?  All these layers.  Here’s the God of the Universe being condemned by this little pawn, Pilate, on a stupid little chair on a stupid little rock.
 And the God of the Universe will be the King of the Universe on the throne of God, judging righteously.  Can’t miss the layers and layers of Johannine irony.  “Behold, your king.”
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" Mt 27:62
But he won’t miss the opportunity to mock them, “Behold, your king.”
I don't know what he meant by that. I don't know whether it was cynical, whether it was desperate. I don't know what it was. By this time the man has lost his senses. By this time he is in a corner, he is cringing, he is panicky, his heart is beating, he is sweating, he just wants out. He's remembering that Jesus may be the son of a god. He's remembering the warning his wife had in a dream which connects up that whole divine possibility. He's remembering that Jesus is innocent. He knows the hatred of the Jews. He worries about the pressure of Rome. He's trapped. He's pounded down. He's ripped. He's got nowhere to go. And he says Behold your king. In other words, the emphasis may be on the "your," you decide. "And they cried out, Away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate said unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar."
15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" Ge 49:10
Our king does not live in a house on the corner, our king does not sit on a throne on this earth; our king is other-worldly.  Lest we love our country too much to displace our Christ as our King, be very careful.  And we see the Jews doing just this.  “We have no king but Caesar.”  And if they could do it, it would be easy.
Samuel goes to God and they have this great discussion.  He says, “Give them a king, but let them know what’s going to happen.  He’s going to take their children and their land and their animals and a percentage of their crops and he’s going to extort the people to support his kingdom so they can be like everyone else.  And warn them and warn them and warn them.”
So, you know, the king’s inaugurated, the whole story.  We now come full circle.  We want to be like all the other people and have a king; and the bitter, better kingdoms, and divided kingdoms and the time of the judges and all the cycle down and now they’re exiles and the remnants are scattered.  And now they’re coming back to Jerusalem, a handful of Jews.  It’s Passover.  There’s a lot of them, they’ve kind of got their confidence up a little bit.  “We have no king but Caesar.” And this is the high priest for goodness sakes.  “No king but Caesar.” How far he’s come from his mission as high priest.
 16 ¶ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away. Mt 27:26, 31; Mr. 15:15; Lu 23:24
Applications:
We must be careful not to displace Jesus Christ and put the government first.
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
God’s sovereignty never lessens an individual’s responsibility. Man’s not a puppet.  At the same time, God is sovereign.  The evil that occurs with Judas and Pilate and Caiaphas and Satan is not somehow on the fringe of God’s sovereignty.
God would say, I planned that Jesus will die for you.”
 Jesus’ death on Calvary was not an afterthought because evil got, sort of run out of hand of God’s Sovereignty.  The minute we say that God is Sovereign, and these things occurred, we say, “Well, how could God allow these things to happen?”
I mean, after all, why couldn’t He have dealt with Judas and Pilate and Satan and all those things?  Well, he could have.  And if God wanted to be a puppeteering Creator and just sort of relegate men the way He wanted to, He could sure do that.  Somehow in this context man is a moral agent who works and lives within the Sovereignty of God.  You and I have choices all the time.  Well, does man have a free-will?  Does man have a choice?  Can man make decisions?  Yes and no.  That’s the answer.  Under the sovereignty of God a lot of evil goes on. 
If your view of man is basically good and a free moral agent, then you have a huge problem.  If your view of man is basically, essentially evil and wicked and depraved, it makes great sense.  That God is sovereign even as man is depraved.  So both exist.  If God’s sovereignty somehow dismantled human responsibility, then Christ did not need to die.  Christ only died because it was part of God’s eternal plan to save man from his wicked estate.
Who is responsible or guilty for the death of Jesus? Think about the disciples all running away.  Didn’t Matthew know one good attorney?  He was a tax-collector for crying out loud.  He ought to know a couple of good, shrewd attorneys.  How do we help Jesus out here?  They all run away.
And people around the world who are Jewish are incensed with the whole notion that any way shape or form that Jews are responsible.  Men and women, the text says that Jewish leaders were behind this but they were not solely responsible.  All humanity was responsible.  You see, it wasn’t just the Jews.  The Jews were His chosen people.  They are the ones that sort of incensed the thing.  You read, go home today, and read two verses in Acts.  Acts chapter two verses twenty-two to twenty-three, actually two passages, and Acts 4:27-28.  Acts 2:22-23, Acts 4:27-28.  Peter preaching saying, “All of us are guilty.” It wasn’t just the Jews who nailed Christ to Calvary.  It wasn’t just the Jews who conspired, because all men are guilty, all men are evil and there’s not one righteous, no not one.  Every one of us put Christ on Calvary.  So we say, well, “Couldn’t God have used someone besides Judas and besides Pilate?”
 Sure, He could have done anything He wanted.  He chose before the foundation of time as far as you and I know it that part of His predestined plan, He was going to use these men as pawns.  If that gives you trouble, I can’t help you.  What should give you trouble is that He would love the likes of you and me.
The God of the Universe threw everything at His Son because He loved you and He loved me.
Are you going to please God or man?
Eph 6:5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
How do you look at the death of Christ
Is it a martyrdom or
Is it a substitutionary death for our sins
You say I’m not like Barrabbas
I’m not a murderer – you and I helped kill him because it was our sin that put Him there. Our hard hearts that pounded in the nails, Is He was pierced through for our transgressions. James says if you speak badly of people you are a murderer
Not a robber or thief – you steal every day because you do not give God the glory He deserves, stealing His rain and sunshine and not using the gifts He gave you to serve Him
Not a rebel – Every day you don’t submit to God as your Lord you rebel against Him
You finally have to decide what you will do with Christ, no decision is a decision to reject Christ.
Who do you believe Jesus to be, and what will you do with Him?
The answer of the Bible is this: Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”.
What about it? What is this saying to us? Listen to this. It's saying this. I don't care who you are, I don't care where you live, you've got to make a decision about Jesus. And the whole point that I want to emphasize to you is first of all this: Pilate attempted repeatedly to get rid of Jesus. You know what? He couldn't do it. You know why? No man can do it. If you think you can wiggle out of a commitment to Christ and a final decision, you are wrong. No decision is a decision with Pilate.
What are you going to do? You going to go for your soul or your neck? Your soul or your body? You want eternal salvation or do you want to go for the things of the world now and live it up? At least you think you live it up. You don't really live it up till you meet Christ and find out what livings all about. That's your choice. And God wants nothing more than to put you in a corner and force you to make that decision. But I say to you with all the love in my heart, make it before it's too late and you find that Jesus is silent and there aren't any answers anymore. And don't do what Pilate did. Don't pass the buck. Don't compromise. Don't run away. Pilate said that and you have to say it too. What shall I do with Jesus? And the only wise thing to do is accept Him as Savior and Lord.
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

DO WE HAVE EARS TO HEAR?

Mark 4:23 says If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. God wants us to know His will and to do that He is always speaking to us through His word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. His will is not something He hides from us, we just have to be listening. So do we really want to know the God and be obedient if so, what is it that God is saying to you and me today that we need to hear and obey?  Has He asked us to do something or quit something?  We need to always be attentive to hear that still small voice of God that speaks to us through His word and the Spirit and obey immediately when we hear it. 
 
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 18:39-19:6 PILATE SAID TO THEM, "YOU TAKE HIM AND CRUCIFY HIM, FOR I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM."

John 18:39 "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?" 40 Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands. 4 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." 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!" 6 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."
 
Here we see how the Romans would pacify the Jews by releasing someone convicted of crimes to them on the Passover.  Pilate hopes he can finally get Jesus set free and His blood off his hands.  But the Jews have outmaneuvered Pilate again and they have told the crowd to ask for Barabbas the robber.  Pilate scourges Jesus, mocks Him, puts a crown of thorns on His head, and a Kingly purple robe on Him and yet the crowd still will not feel sorry for Jesus, they want him killed.  He finally tells them to behold the Man, in other words look at this pitiful fellow, don’t you want Him to be released and they cry out Crucify Him, Crucify Him.  Then for the second time Pilate tells them I find no fault in Him.  Jesus has done nothing wrong for Him to be convicted of and especially crucified, so Pilate says if you want Him crucified, you do it.
 
And then we come to verse 39 and John picks it up from there. And this is the story of Pilate's inability to get rid of Jesus. May I make a spiritual point at this time, and I'm going to remind you of it at the end? You have here exactly what every man has to face, listen to it, an ultimate decision about what to do with Jesus Christ. Pilate tried every single thing he could to get rid of Jesus and he couldn't get rid of Him, God forced him to make the decision himself. And so he will every man.
In Leviticus 24:16 it was blasphemous for a person to call himself a king in Judaism.  Under a theocracy for you to say you were a king if you weren’t a king was guilty of death.  That’s a religious law and a religious system under Caiaphas.  A political law, if you call yourself a king, you’re fighting against Caesar as the true emperor king.  So both of these charges now of sedition raise it way high and Pilate’s going to have to do something about it. 
So, Pilate's really got two options on his hands. Now he's a man of some justice. He's not any kind of average commoner, this guy's a pretty sharp guy or he wouldn't be placed in such a position by Rome. And to his benefit we should say that he's got some sense of justice. They bring to him an innocent man and he's faced with two options. All right, the man is innocent, I could let Him go. That would be right cause He's innocent. But I let Him go, I've got a Jewish revolution, word goes to Caesar and I get either removed or my head removed because Tiberius didn't tolerate messing around. Tiberius Caesar was quick. And when he saw something he didn't like, it was over and he happened to be the emperor at that time. And so, Pilate had the option of doing what was right and losing his job and maybe his head because the Jews would undoubtedly revolt, or he had the option of doing what was wrong, executing an innocent man, and therefore cross‑graining all the Roman justice and judgment that he had ever learned and crucifying his own soul because in some sense he had a morality. So he had two choices ... either save your soul or save your neck.
Now, there's something kind of vague about your soul. There's nothing vague about your neck. Right? So when it gets down to the nitty‑gritty, chances are you'll go for your neck. You know, that's what's going on in our world today? And Jesus said: "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?" Fools, people live for money, pleasure, sex ... whatever. And they crucify their souls.
Well, that was Pilate's option. And his neck was so tangible, you know. And so they had him where they wanted him. And with that in his mind, he has just tried to get this thing over with by saying to the Jews ‑ I find no fault in Him. But then he's faced with another problem. He doesn't know what to do with Jesus. He can't give Him back or he's going to have this whole problem on his hands, so he now begins a process of figuring out schemes to get rid of Jesus, see, out‑the‑back‑door deals. First thing he thinks of ‑ Oh, let's see, this is Luke 23 and this is the second phase of the trial which John skips, but Luke picks it up. He says ‑ Jesus is originally from Galilee, right? Nazareth of Galilee. Herod is the chief cheese in Galilee. Herod also happened to be in Jerusalem at this time. Pilate says ‑ I'll pass the buck to Herod. So Luke 23 verses 4 to 12 says he sends Jesus over to Herod. Herod looks at Jesus a while, soldiers mock Him, beat Him a little bit, then Herod says ‑ Take Him back to Pilate. And Pilate is stuck again.
All right, as we move into the trial in verse 39, I'm going to show you three things: Pilate's failing proposals, Pilate's fatal panic, Pilate's final pronouncement. And here we see the absolute dissipation and destruction of a human being. And by that I don't mean Jesus ... I mean Pilate. By the time this deal is over you're going to see a raving maniac, a man who has momentary insanity ... Pilate. He completely loses it.
 39 "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?" Mt 27:15; Mr. 15:6; Lu 23:17
Hoping to strengthen this suggestion, Pilate offered to bargain with the Jewish leaders. It was a custom at Passover for the governor to release a prisoner and please the Jews; so, why not release Jesus? Or, he could release Barabbas; but why would the Jews want Barabbas set free? After all, he was a robber (John 18:40), a notorious prisoner (Matt. 27:16), a revolutionary and a murderer (Luke 23:19). Who would want that kind of a prisoner turned loose?
Incredible as it seems, the crowd asked for Barabbas! The people were persuaded by the chief priests and elders (Matt. 27:20) whose religious convictions did not motivate them toward justice and equity. National feelings always increased during Passover, and a vote for Barabbas was a vote against Rome. Even though Jesus had been a popular figure among the people, many of them no doubt were disappointed that He had not led a popular uprising to overthrow Rome. Perhaps they had even hoped that His “triumphal entry” a few days before would be the start of Jewish liberation.[i]
At this point, Pilate seems to have an inspiration. Perhaps they would settle for a victory in principle. Pilate could appease them by declaring Jesus guilty, and then graciously releasing Him to them, as was his custom at Passover. In this way, Jesus would not be put to death, but He would have been declared guilty. It was a sort of compromise, which gave both sides (the Jews and Pilate) a token victory. The Jews could boast that Pilate had declared Jesus guilty; Pilate could be at ease that he had not crucified an innocent man. And so he put the matter before the Jews. Should he release Jesus to them on this Passover? If Pilate expected this ploy to work, he had greatly underestimated how determined the Jews were to kill Jesus. In John’s Gospel, the name “Barabbas” seems to appear out of nowhere, mentioned first by the Jews. One senses that some orchestration has already occurred behind the scenes.
Now, there was a custom evidently that Pilate had with the people. It may have begun before Pilate was the governor; that every year at Passover they would release from the jails of the Romans one Roman prisoner, a Jewish criminal who had been taken by Rome in prison. Now it is very obvious that this was a concession on the part of Rome to the people because the other gospel writers tells us that the people had the right to choose who it was that they desired to be released. And so Pilate in his little brain begins to think ‑ Aha, it's Passover time and they get to choose whomever they will to be released. And he thinks here's my out. I'll offer them Jesus.
When the Jews approached Pilate, to request the release of a prisoner, he leaped at the chance to release Jesus in this way, but they immediately rejected this proposal, insisting rather that Barabbas be released to them. I do not think that all of this happened spontaneously, but rather that it was planned by the Jewish leaders, and then the crowds were persuaded by their leaders to carry out this plan. It may have appeared spontaneous to Pilate. It was probably designed to look this way. But from the beginning, the Jews sought to gain the release of Barabbas, knowing that Pilate’s desire was to release Jesus. In my opinion, they were skillfully removing this option.
They don't want Barabbas. Barabbas was the scum of the earth. I mean, nobody wanted Barabbas. I mean, this wasn't any little petty guy, this guy was a real notorious criminal. And besides that, the other Gospels tells us that he was a revolutionary, he had been involved in an revolution. The other writers also indicate to us that he had murdered and here it says in verse 40, at the end: "...Barabbas was a robber." And the Greek word is bandit. This guy was a highwayman.
Likely, the highwaymen always frequented the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. And you go down that road, it's just a steep road going down into the desert where Jericho is, and the highwaymen always hid along ‑the way. This guy was a bandit, murderer, rebel, the whole routine. And so Pilate puts him up there with Jesus.
Even Mark’s account leaves room for the view that the idea of releasing Barabbas originated with the Jews, rather than Pilate.
Mark 15:6-15 During the feast it was customary to release a prisoner to them, whom they requested. 7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder in a riot. 8 Then the crowd came up and asked Pilate to carry out the custom for them. 9 So Pilate asked them, “Do you want the king of the Jews released to you?” 10 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why, what has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” 15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then he had Jesus flogged and handed over to be crucified
 40 Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. Lu 23:19; Ac 3:14
It is interesting that some manuscripts refer to Barabbas as “Jesus Barabbas,” and thus the question of Pilate, as rendered by the NET Bible: “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?” (Matthew 27:17).
If you could do a black and white image of Jesus, you would see the negative and positive image in the person of Barabbas.  Even the name is a word play.  Barabbas means son of the father, not really the son of the Father, but of the Devil, delivered up the Son of THE Father
Suffice it to say this, Barabbas is guilty of the very charge they falsely weigh against Jesus Christ.  So even in their release of the prisoner Barabbas we see redemption occurring, because Barabbas deserved to die.  Jesus is innocently dying.  Jesus is falsely accused.  Barabbas is accurately accused.  The irony in the Gospel of John continues to unfold at many levels.
Barabbas is a very, very important individual because, you see, he exemplifies to us the depravity of man. Here is the best in the universe, God incarnate, and the worse in humanity and whom to men choose? The worst. So typical.
 Well, Pilate’s going to try another tact.  That one didn’t work, so he’ll try another one and he’s going to punish Christ and see if that sort of takes the sting out of the Jew’s attitude toward who this Jesus is. 
You see, this is the fickle mood of the mob and this is exactly what you have right here in Mark chapter 15, it tells us what happened. I'll read it to you. Mark 15:11 says: "But the chief priests stirred up the people that he should rather release Barabbas unto them." Guess who stirred the people up? Religious leaders ... Barabbas, Barabbas, Barabbas ... you know. That's people for you ... sheep, witless, following their leaders. What does the Old Testament say? "Like people, like priest," Hosea, that's what he said. So the chief priests, supposed to be the leaders, we want Barabbas. And all the people chime in and they want Barabbas and Pilate can't believe it. So typical of men.
Well, why did they choose Barabbas?" Well, Barabbas was insurrectionist, the Bible tells us that. And it is very possible that they wanted Barabbas released to start an insurrection. Maybe they figured this was their leader, possible. Kind of interesting that they brought Jesus to be condemned because of His insurrectionist and then wanted an insurrectionist back so they could have an insurrection. Well, needless to say, Pilate is dumbfounded at this point and in Matthew 27, fitting in the slot right here, Matthew says "Pilate looked at the people and said, What then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" And you want to know something? That's a profound question. And you know something? That wasn't just a question on Pilate's lips, that was a question that came out of his aching torn heart. What do I do with Jesus? He had to release Barabbas and he's still stuck with Jesus...failing proposal. And when he said ‑ What do I do with Jesus? ‑ The Bible says they screamed in frenzy ‑ Crucify...crucify... crucify.
Joh 19:1 ¶ So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. Mt 20:19; 27:26; Mr. 15:15; Lu 18:33
Pilate is sinking at this point. His dilemma is unresolved.
So he comes up with another proposal, verse 1: "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him." Now this is an effort at compromise. Luke 23:16 tells us that Pilate had said before this ‑ I will chastise Him and release Him. That's good intentions. So now he says ‑ I'll scourge Him. This is a great example of a coward, isn't it? What are you going to scourge Him for, what did He do? Why you going to beat Him, what did He do? What's His crime?
No crime, I'm just going to do this to pacify the people so I can get rid of Him. You see, he figured if he beat Jesus up and mutilated Him that the people would say ‑ That's enough, that's enough. And if he beat Him up and mutilated Him and made Him look like anything but a king, maybe they wouldn't hold on to that accusation that He was a king. And so, the Bible says he scourged Him.
It's hard for us to imagine scourging. A Roman scourge was a stick, thick and it was wrapped in leather. At the end of it were leather thongs of some length and in the end of those leather thongs were held bits of brass and lead and bone filed to sharp points. The victim was then either stretched flat on the ground with his back up, or tied to a post, hanging, or strapped suspended from the ground. And then the man who was accustomed to doing it and knew how well to do it would lash the back 40 times with the scourge. And from what we understand, the back was torn and lacerated to such an extent that even the deep seeded veins and arteries and sometimes even the entrails and the inner organs were exposed. It was a total shredding of the back.
This was such a horrible torture that no Roman citizen, no matter how great his crime, could ever undergo scourging. It was forbidden. And it gives us some indication of why Jesus died so soon upon the cross, because He was beaten so raw before He ever got there and the loss of the blood before He ever made it to the top of that hill with His cross would have made His death much more rapid than it would have otherwise. And so, Pilate thinks if he does this it will pacify the people, but he doesn't understand beast of prey, does he? He doesn't understand that when you wave a little blood in front of them, that doesn't pacify them that only makes them more hungry.
The flogging was done with a whip-like device and on the many tongs of the whip were embedded pieces of metal and/or bone.  There are three levels of scourging and flagellating a person and we would see a bare backed person tied to a post and he’d be whipped.  A flagellation is not like a whipping in the west.  A flagellation would shred the flesh and muscle tissue clear down to the bone.  All the way around the abdomen it would often disembowel a person and many people died just from this scourging.  This is not a little whipping.
 You know the verse in Isaiah 53 “By His stripes you were healed” and when you cut across a scourge on the back of a person the first time, you lay red ribbon shreds of blood and tissue right away.  By those stripes you and I are healed.  He’s a bleeding hemorrhaging mess when He comes out of this scourging.
Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
The crown of thorns, then, is put on His head.  Typically, depending on how you grew up, you saw a picture of Jesus Christ carrying a cross with maybe one or two inch thorns in His brow and blood sort of down His face in different degrees.  That’s partly true, but there’s at least two more things we don’t often think about.
 The first is Genesis 3:18, the thorn is the result of the curse.  And so now Jesus Christ who will be cursed on a cross is beginning to pay for the curse with the very crown of thorns on His head.  So He breaks the curse that happened back at the fall. Ge 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
And secondly, and more importantly, and frankly probably obscure to most of us, is then the oriental kings, if you look at old pictures, art works, you’ll see oriental kings with these spires off their head with radiant coming off the top of their head.  And typically they’ll be larger in the middle and sort of taper off.  That’s their deity, their god deity type things, their human gods on earth as a king. And so we have a palm thorn, which would be very different than the crown of thorns we think of that would be up to 12 inches long, and again, it’s a mock crown.
 So we have this shredded, hemorrhaging Christ, then a purple robe’s going to be put on him.  And so we have the crown, is jammed on His head, this mocking Him as this would-be king.
 3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
Now you see, if you can even imagine this kind of thing. In Fort Antonius where Jesus would have been, the very pavement that they believe is the base of the fort, is well preserved, on that floor are etched little Roman figures in the stone. And they're there, because the Romans use to play a game. When they had all these prisoners waiting down there to be crucified, they teased them. You see, the Romans had always played games about kings. They had a game, Flaccus tells us, that they played with idiots and imbeciles. They would catch them and they would dress them up like kings and they would sit them up on places and they would mock‑worship them and they got great entertainment out of making fools out of idiots. And the Roman soldiers liked to play this game, too, where they'd take one of their prisoners and they'd make a king out of him and his great crowning event would be when they nailed him to the cross and dropped it in its hole. And so they're playing the game with Jesus and it fits because He claims to be a king and Pilate's going to use it and so he lets them play it. And they get Jesus down there and they cram the thorns into His head, it's a mock crown and they throw and old faded robe on Him and they tell Him He's a king and they stick a phony scepter in His hand and they sit Him up. And then Matthew tells us they walked by and first of all they spit all over Him. And then when they've done that they beat Him in the face with their fists. And they made a caricature of Jesus as a king. The irony of it is that they just didn't know, did they? That indeed He was a King. King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
You say, "this is so horrible. Why did Jesus have to suffer all of that?" Number one, I think the fact that He claimed to be God was one great reason why they couldn't let up on and they went to such extremes and punishment because, you see, Romans 8:7 says: "The carnal mind is hostility against God." You see, an unsaved man despises the fact of God. And men are opposed to God. And so, you have here this violent reaction against Jesus' claim to be God.
Another reason He suffered so greatly is because men are such vile sinners. you read Romans chapter 3 if you want a good identification of humanity. They're throat is an open sepulcher with their tongues they have used deceit, their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways. How do you like that for a definition? Jesus suffered because men are cruel and vile.
Thirdly, Jesus suffered so greatly because this is Satan's hour, the hour of darkness. Don't you remember that why back in Genesis, the Bible tells us the serpent was going to bruise His heel? And don't you remember that Jesus said in Luke 22 verse 53, He said: "This is your hour and the power of darkness?" Who's the power of darkness? Satan. This is Satan's hour and he was giving all his shots.
Fourthly, I think Jesus suffered so greatly because He was bearing punishment for our sin and He ... and our sin deserves every possible punishment conceivable, and He bore it all.
Read Isaiah 53
 4 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." Joh 18:38; 19:6
Again Pilot tries to appease the crowd.  He’s going to bring out this beaten, pathetic figure with a purple robe mocking royalty on Him and this ridiculous crown of thorns on His head and he’s going to tell them, “This is what you’re worried about?  This is the threat?”  And that’s why he has Him scourged.
 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
Dripping with sarcasm.  Who is Jesus Christ?  The man-God incarnate.  “Behold the man of God!”  No, “Behold the man that I’ve shredded to nothing and, let me jab you one more time, your king of the Jews.  He’s no threat to anyone.  I find Him innocent.” Well, Pilate’s efforts don’t work.  Verses six and seven, it enrages them.  They are unhappy and they scream out, “Crucify, crucify!”
6 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." Ac 3:13
Then verse 6, in desperation Pilate says unto them: " You take Him and crucify Him," "for I find no fault in Him."  It really says Yourselves, you, take Him, I, I, even I find no fault in Him per the Greek
Pilate says ‑ You kill Him. Pilate gives them the right of execution in a Roman fashion now. Desperately wants to get rid of Jesus. But you see, they don't want him to get rid of Jesus cause that lets him off the hook and they've got Pilate right where they want him and they're not about to let him get away. And so, Pilate's effort doesn't make it. " You take Him and crucify Him," and for the fifth time he says, "I find no fault in Him."
They don’t want justice, they don’t want a fair court, they don’t want a fair hearing, they want Him dead. 
Now, Pilate’s response is interesting, because he knows they can’t crucify Him, so it’s clearly a taunt.  “Well, if you don’t like what I’ve done, you bring Him to me with the deck stacked, you want me to just sign off on your condemnation and execute Him, then you go crucify Him.”
 He continues to taunt them and mock them all the way down.
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 18:39). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS

     Numbers 9:23 says At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they kept the LORD’S charge, according to the command of the LORD through Moses. The Israelites did many wrong things in the wilderness, but at least they were obedient to the command to go and to stay. Many times in our lives we have a choice, we can either wait on the Lord, Psalm 27:14 says Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!) or risk the consequences of our being rash and wanting what we want now. What will we do today. Wait on the Lord I say.
 
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 18:31-38 JESUS ANSWERED, "YOU SAY RIGHTLY THAT I AM A KING

John 18:31 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," 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" 36 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." 37 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." 38 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.
 
We see Pilate still trying to get out of crucifying Jesus, but the Jews will not be persuaded. Jesus is then questioned by Pilate as to who He really is.  We know that Pilate’s wife has had a dream about Jesus; he knows they delivered Him up for envy and so he is still desperately trying to find some way out.  Jesus then puts Pilate on the hot seat and even while He is under threat of the cross, He is still concerned with Pilate’s soul.  Jesus wants to know why Pilate is asking the questions He asks.  Jesus admits He is a King, but of a heavenly realm, not earthly.  He then tells Pilate the reason He came is to bear witness of the truth and poor Pilate responds what is truth. Jesus realizes Pilate is not going to trust Him as Savior, so He ends the conversation and ultimately refuses to speak to him anymore.  Pilate’s fate is sealed.
 
The purpose of this lesson is to consider the condemnation of Jesus as John portrays it, so that we see the guilt of Jews and Gentiles alike. No one but our Lord comes out of this looking good.
Verse 31, again, their minds are made up, “We just want you to execute him.” Now the Jews are in a predicament. The Sanhedrin wants Jesus dead, but if they’re given Jesus back, they can’t execute Him. So, they had to play ball with Pilate, and they don’t like this.
I find it very difficult to believe that Pilate is as ignorant and uninformed about Jesus as he lets on to these Jews. I believe there must have been the equivalent of what I would call “the Jesus file” in Pilate’s possession. Think about it for a minute. Today, the CIA, the FBI, and who knows how many other federal agencies make it their business to keep track of any person or group that seeks the overthrow of our government. The identity and activities of every known enemy, as well as all those even suspected, are closely monitored, and all of this information is kept on file. So each possible enemy of the state would have his or her own file, containing all kinds of information concerning their statements and their activities.
Do you think it reasonable that Rome and Pilate kept track of anyone who was popular and had a following among the Jews. Such people had the potential of leading the Jews in rebellion against Rome. Every time Jesus made an appearance in Jerusalem, there was some kind of commotion or disturbance. Surely Pilate was aware of this and kept track of Jesus’ activities. When the Jews brought Jesus before Pilate, it is difficult to believe that He was unknown to the governor, at least by reputation. Pilate no doubt knew what Jesus had claimed, and how the Jewish leaders reacted to Him and His teaching.[i] But Pilate is initially playing out this trial “by the book,” and so he insists that they declare formal charges against Jesus.
31 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,"
Crucifixion itself, a Roman form of execution, was forbidden by Jewish law because it was torture.
Since the Jews did not charge Jesus formally there was nothing that Pilate could do except hand Him back to them for discipline in their courts. The Jews' response explained why that was an unacceptable alternative. They wanted Jesus executed, but they did not have the authority to execute Him themselves.
Be that as it may, they could have killed Him if they wanted. But they wanted the blood to be on Rome’s hands. Which is another layer of irony, as you know how the story progresses, and the blood is on their hands. Okay? Full of layers of irony in this section. We know from Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13 that cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree. Prophecy in Deuteronomy is shadowing ahead the kind of death Jesus is going to face.
"The Pilate disclosed in the [ancient] historical documents almost certainly acted like this not so much out of any passion for justice as out of the ego-building satisfaction he gained from making the Jewish authorities jump through legal hoops and recognize his authority."
John noted that the Jews' admission that they could not put anyone to death was in harmony with the sovereign plan of God. Jesus had predicted that He would die by crucifixion, not by stoning (cf. 12:32-33). The Romans were the only ones who could condemn a person to death by crucifixion. The Jews did stone people to death for blasphemy (e.g., Acts
6:11; 7:58), but these seem to have been instances of mob violence rather than independent legal action. They probably wanted Jesus crucified too because the Mosaic Law regarded such a death as proof of God's curse (Deut. 21:22-23).
"Ironically, the death that the Jewish hierarchy regarded as a final negation of Jesus' claims became the means of justification apart from the law
Ga 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. Mt 20:19; John 12:32-33
John the Gospel writer, while center-stage is crowded with this experience in the Praetorium with all these religious leaders and Pilate, John puts this parenthetical “By the way, time out” verse in the record.
"It was necessary for three reasons for Jesus to be crucified by the Romans at the instigation of the Jews: (a) to fulfill prophecies  (e.g.,  that  none  of  His  bones  be  broken;  cf.19:36-37); (b) to include both Jews and Gentiles in the collective guilt for the deed (cf. Acts 2:23; 4:27); (c) by crucifixion,  Jesus  was  'lifted  up'  like  'the  snake  in  the desert' [3:14] . . ."
Luke 23:1-2, 1 Then the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king”
 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Mt 27:11
the Greek says, "You, are You the king of the Jews
The Jews' accusations motivated Pilate's question. He asked Jesus if He was claiming to be the King of the Jews.  Messianic  expectation  was running high in Jesus' day, and many people were saying that Jesus was the Messiah. The Jewish leaders had charged Jesus with claiming to be this king (Luke 23:2). Now Pilate wanted to hear if Jesus Himself claimed to be this king.
Are you king, not of a slice of geography; are you king of this people called the Jews? Are you king of this rag-tag group?”
 And I think there might be a little distain, astonishment and disgust in Pilate’s voice when he looks at this bound Jesus Christ before him.
 “Are you the king of the Jews?” with some astonishment. “You’ve got to be kidding! You? Are you the king? You don’t look like a king.”
 Fast-forward, how he mocks them, “Here’s your king. This is what your king looks like to me.”
 34 Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"
The Synoptics reported that Jesus replied, "It is as you say" (Matt. 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3). John also recorded that Jesus gave that answer (v. 37), but he included additional conversation first. This added material included Jesus' explanation of the nature of His kingship
Jesus asked Pilate His question to determine how He would answer him. If his question had arisen from his own understanding and curiosity, Jesus presumably would have dealt with Him as a sincere inquirer. If he was merely trying to clarify the essence of the Sanhedrin's charge, Jesus would need to answer differently.
It would surely appear that Jesus was gently probing Pilate, testing for any spiritual interest on his part. Our Lord knew who His sheep were (John 10:14, 26-27; 13:18), but even so He sought to encourage Pilate to seek Him.
If Pilate meant, "Are you a political king conspiring against Caesar?" the answer would have been, "No." If he meant, "Are you the messianic king of Israel?" the answer would have been, "Yes." The object of interrogation, Jesus, became the interrogator temporarily.
 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?"
Pilate’s answer effectively shuts off this line of conversation: It ticks Pilate off and in verse thirty-five, he responds to Him, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people delivered you to me.”
Pilate's reply clarified that he had no personal interest in Jesus' kingship, and he was indignant that Jesus would suggest such a thing. He simply wanted to understand what Jesus was claiming in view of the Sanhedrin's accusation. Beyond that, he wanted to discover why the Jewish leaders were so intent on doing away with Jesus. His question, "Am I a Jew?" sarcastically denied that Jewish matters such as Jesus' kingship were of any interest to him personally.  Ironically Jesus was Pilate's King.
Pilate's comment about Jesus' own people handing Him over to him confirmed John's statement that Jesus came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him (1:11).
The word delivered is very important to John. It’s the same word for betrayed when Judas delivers Him. In fact, every time in the Gospel of John, the word delivered, lifted up, handed over, and betrayed are the same word. It’s just the context that tells us the meaning. Just like Judas betrayed Him, just like His own people, the Jews, betrayed Him to Rome, just like He’s going to be delivered up, or lifted up.
And I think the human, incarnate side of Jesus Christ bristled when He heard that remark, because He knew that He came into His own and His own didn’t welcome Him.
Jesus stands there and Pilate says ‑- What have You done? Now we come against the same problem we saw two weeks ago. In the Jewish court and the Roman court the judge had no right to ask that question. Remember that? Under no circumstances was a man to be condemned at the word of his own testimony. It's like the Fifth Amendment. He could not be incriminated by His own testimony. So, Pilate is asking an illegal question and you will notice that Jesus does not answer it. What hast Thou done? Jesus doesn't answer that. Jesus just takes off in verse 36 and starts talking about His Kingdom. He never answers that. Why? It's an illegal question. He did the same thing to Annas, the same thing to Caiaphas; He'll never capitulate to illegalities. And thus He indicts them because of those illegalities. And so rather than answer the question He just explains what kind of a King He is. Now Pilate understands that He is no political King so He says ‑- Now I'll explain to you what kind of King I am.
 36 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." Da 2:44; 7:14; Lu 12:14; John 6:15; 8:15; 1Ti 6:13
Jesus is telling Pilate, “Look, I’m not the kind of king you think. I am not a king who brings armies together and rebels against existing governments and takes over land and controls by subversion. I’m a king of another world. My kingdom is not of this earth.”
He’s also telling Pilate implicitly, “Don’t worry about me as a threat to Rome. I’m not here to threaten your assumed kingship role with Rome’s imperial government.”
Jesus was not denying that His kingdom was an earthly kingdom. He was not saying it was only the spiritual rule of God over the hearts of His people. He was not saying that His kingdom had nothing to do with this world either. This should be clear from Jesus' other references to His kingdom as being an earthly kingdom. His point was that He and His kingdom were not a threat to Rome (cf. 18:10-11). The reason was that God had postponed the messianic kingdom due to Israel's unbelief, though Jesus did not explain this to Pilate.
Now, Pilate was right when he saw nothing in Jesus to resemble an earthly king, but he was wrong when he then concluded that Jesus wasn't a King. He was a King, indeed He was a King. And in Revelation 11:15 it says that He shall reign and rule over every nation and that He shall be King of kings and Lord of lords.
 37 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." John 8:47; 1Jo 3:19; 4:6
Pilate did not understand the distinctions between Jesus' kingdom and his own that Jesus was making. He did understand that Jesus was claiming to have a kingdom. Consequently he next tried to get Jesus to claim unequivocally that He was a king
The Kingdom of Christ is a spiritual Kingdom. And so, Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:13: "I commend thee in the sight of God who maketh all things alive, and before Christ Jesus," who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession." What confession did Jesus make before Pontius Pilate? "Which in His times He shall show who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords." That's the confession Jesus made before Pilate. That He was indeed a King.
This is talking about God coming into human form. Jesus is claiming to be incarnate God. It's a powerful claim. I love the fact that John makes sure we know that He said: "I came into the world." Before the world began, He was there. Jesus claims to have come into the world. Paul says in Philippians 2, "Christ thought it not something to hold onto to be equal with God, but let go of it, came into the world, humbled Himself, found in fashion as a man," right? God coming into the world. So, in a brief statement, Jesus claims eternal preexistence.
He’s saying, “Yeah, I’m a king. [Change subjects.]  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world.”
To be king? No, to testify to the truth. You see where I’m trying to make the distinction? It’s not the antecedent. It’s what follows. He’s not saying, “I’m a king, for this I was born,” which would be true. That’s not His point. His point is, “I have come and have been born into the world to testify to the truth.”
Our Lord’s response informs Pilate that he is right to understand Him to mean that He is the King of the Jews. But Jesus wants it to be clear that His purpose in coming is revelation, not revolution. He has come to testify to the truth. Those who belong to the truth pay attention to His words.
The main reason Jesus had come into the world was to bear witness to the truth. By this He meant that He came to reveal God (cf. 14:6). Jesus made subjects for His kingdom by revealing God, by calling on people to believe on Him, and by giving them eternal life. This prepared them to participate in His kingdom. Everyone who truly wanted the truth followed Jesus because His teachings had the ring of truth. Jesus' words were an invitation for Pilate to listen to Him and to learn the truth. Jesus showed more interest in appealing to Pilate than in defending Himself. This desire for the welfare of others marks all of Jesus' interviews in the fourth Gospel.
I came into the world to bear witness to the truth." What truth? The truth about God, the truth about men, the truth about sin, the truth about judgment, the truth about love, the truth about holiness, the truth about life, death, the truth about everything. And when you know Jesus you know the truth ... because Jesus came to proclaim the truth.
verse 37: "... Everyone that is of the truth hears My voice." A lot of people claim to know the truth, you know that? A lot of people claim to have answers. Everyone who really knows truth hears the voice of Jesus Christ. What does it mean "to hear?" The Greek word is to listen intently and obey. There's no such thing as knowing the truth unless you obey Jesus, for He is the truth. He is God revealed to men and there's no truth outside of Him.
 38 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. Mt 27:24; Lu 23:4; John 19:4, 6
Obviously Pilate was not one who truly sought the truth. He turned away from Jesus' offer to reveal it with a cynical comment that implied that the truth was unknowable. Undoubtedly Pilate's experience as a Roman official to whom others constantly lied and his personal desire to use the truth to accomplish his own ends accounted for his cynicism. The very idea that someone would aim his whole life at revealing truth was both foolish and improbable from his perspective.
Other views of Pilate's statement interpret it as despairing, impatient, or sincere. However the context seems to imply that it was facetious and mocking. Pilate turned away from the One who claimed to reveal the truth without waiting for an answer.
Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” What does Pilate mean by this question? It echoes down humanity’s hallways. What is truth? What is truth? What is truth?
 Well, is it this sort of wistful desire, “You know I really wish I knew the truth.”?
 Is it this philosophical distrust with knowledge, “Well, what is truth? Hmm. Let’s think about that.” That would be the Starbuck’s conversation, “What is truth?”
 Is it an indifference to something so impractical? Is it some jaded politician, “What’s truth.  Who cares about truth?”
 Or is it irritation, “What’s truth?” And then he turns and he’s going to declare Him the first of three times, innocent, to the audience.
Now, the interpretation of Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” I don’t know the answer to, but I make two observations. One, the question remains. It’s a great question. What is truth?
Secondly, I think what John the Gospel writer wants you and me to understand with this question is, Pilate lays it out there, but then he walks away. He turns away from the question. He turns away from the One who was born and came into the world to testify to truth. Remember in John 1:29, John the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who comes to take away the sin of the world.” The innocent one comes. And here Jesus says, “I came, I was born, I came into the world to testify to the truth.”
Let’s try to make some application from this. First of all there are three applications.
The first is that Peter denies Christ. We looked at his denial last week, the three-fold denial.
 Secondly, the Jews want to destroy Christ. Their clearly stated objective is to kill Him
And Pilate is going to dismiss Christ. At any layer of this story, I think this is a pretty good snapshot at how men and women, look at Jesus Christ. You can deny Him; you can want to destroy Him. And if you don’t think there are people who’d like to destroy the Christian faith, you’ve been in a Christian bubble a little too long. The largest populations of the world don’t merely tolerate, or dislike, or hate Christianity. They loathe it. They would love to destroy what Christ stands for.
 And then of course, there’s the apt politician’s statement in a worn-out sarcastic politician’s viewpoint. That he just dismisses it, “What’s truth?”
Those are pretty good responses that people could have toward Christ, aren’t they? They could deny it, they could try to destroy it, or they could sort of dismiss it, out of hand.
Now, I don’t know how much you as a believer in Christ sort of get your mind out of this Christian experience. Some Churches, have a pretty clear understanding of authority and of truth. Now, you may have to take that by faith, but take it by faith. If you travel around at all and visit other churches, and talk to other believers in Christ, you will discover very quickly that if you hold to the things the truth, and when we talk about this Book the way we talk about it on Sunday mornings, you’re a pretty narrow-minded, bigoted person. If you think this Book is truthful and authoritative, you think it’s the Word of God and He did not stutter when He gave it to us. You think it is an authority and you should submit to it and follow it, you are a rare breed.
This text is about the King of the Universe being accused of treason. About the God of the Universe in man’s court, being alleged to be an evildoer, a person who makes Himself out to be God and treasonous in threatening the world government.
 You now, in a way, the last two are true. If you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ, men and women, Jesus Christ is your King, and you salute Him and say, “Yes, Sir.” If you call yourself a believer in Jesus Christ this is the authoritative, truthful Word of God and you do not play with it, but you submit to it. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, this world is not to be Heaven. This world is not your home. This world isn’t to be better and better, and God has a wonderful plan for your life. Yes, He may well bless you and it seems to me He loves to bless us, but that’s not the posture of the believer. It is reporting for duty, that, “You are my King. You are my God. You are the Master of the universe. You are the Master of my soul and I am here because you are Truth, and I submit to your truth. Amen.”
You know, this penetrating question of Pilate’s, “What is truth?” is the question that has echoed through the ages, both among Christians and in the popular culture. I mean, that question of “What is truth?” is a central question for all of us today, isn’t it?
In the post-modernity of America has just muddied this.  You know, it’s whatever you want it to be. I hear young college students out of Christian homes saying, “Well, if that’s truth for you…”
And it just takes us back to the fact that there is one Truth, and it is Christ and His Father, and we must submit to the Word, not to our own opinion.
And when you stop and peel it back and say the question, “What is truth?” what you’re really asking is, “What’s your source of authority? Where does truth come from for you?”; because everybody has some source of authority in their lives. It’s either your own opinions and your own ideas or it’s something outside of you. And when Pilate says, “What is truth?” Jesus is already answered it. He has said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”
The sin nature of man is always trying to make it into his truth. Clear back to Adam and the woman. From Cain all the way down till today. We’re trying to make God in our image. We resist authority. We resist truth.
So, we come full circle and Jesus is as pure at the end as He was at the beginning. There's nothing to hold against Him. He is the perfect man, the prophetic God, the supernatural King, the preincarnate One, the proclaimer of truth, the personal Savior and the proven faultless. I hope you see Him that way and I hope you respond to Him differently than Pilate did.
  Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
[i] For example, we read in Matthew 27:18 and Mark 15:10 that Pilate knew the religious leaders had delivered Jesus to him “out of envy.” This would seem to be information he had discerned or obtained before this trial.

THE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF WHO JESUS IS MARK CHAPTER 7

                In Mark chapter 7 Jesus shows that He not only loves the Jews, but all people. He casts out a demon out of a Gentile girl and here He gives ears the ability to hear and a mouth to speak.  All of these things are what was predicted in the Old Testament about what the Messiah (Jesus) would do when He came. This healing of the deaf man with a speech impediment is a picture of Jesus opening up the spiritual ears of the disciples and ultimately us.  He had done so many miracles yet they still had not understood, so He had to repeat the lessons He had been trying to teach them.  Aren’t we like the disciples, we constantly have to be reminded who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and how much He loves us, yet we still don’t get it like we ought to?  Let us remind ourselves daily by reading, praying, and studying the word how much He cares for us who are His children by faith.
                              Mark 7:32-37 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 18:28-30 PILATE THEN WENT OUT TO THEM AND SAID, "WHAT ACCUSATION DO YOU BRING AGAINST THIS MAN?

John 18:28 ¶ 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. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" 30 They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."
 
In this section we see the Jews just assume that Pilate will kill this ”Man” Jesus that they want killed because of envy.  Pilate lets them know real quick that it isn’t going to be that simple, but asks what is He accused of? They come up with this general if He weren’t an evil doer we would not have delivered Him up to you. In other words, we want Him killed, don’t worry about the charges, just kill Him. The Jews have Pilate right where they want him and they are ultimately going to force Him to kill Jesus. We will see that Pilate has messed up three times in insulting the Jews and their God by some of the things he did. This is ultimately how they force him to do their will, because if he messes up one more time it is means the loss of his political position at the least and most like it will cost him his life. Are we willing to give up all our human ambitions to follow Jesus?  If not, why not? He is worth it.
 
The Jews are going to make three allegations against Jesus Christ to Pilate. First they’re going to claim that He is an evildoer. He’s a wicked person. The second accusation is that He Himself has made Himself out to be the Son of God. And the third claim is treason. Anyone who makes himself out to be king is a threat to Rome. So, He is guilty of treason.
John reported much more about Jesus' trial before Pilate than did any of the other Gospel writers. He omitted referring to Jesus' appearance before Herod Antipas, which only Luke recorded (Luke 23:6-12). He stressed Jesus' authority, particularly His authority as Israel's King (cf. v. 36; 19:11, 14). John seems to have assumed that his readers knew of the other Gospel accounts of Jesus' passion. This assumption supports the view that this was the last Gospel written. The other Gospels stress the legal aspects of this trial.
John presented it more as an interview between Jesus and Pilate similar to His interviews with Nicodemus (Ch.  3), the Samaritan woman (Ch.  4), and the blind man (Ch.  9). It proceeded as Pilate asked four questions: "What accusation do you bring against this man?" (18:29), "Are you the King of the Jews?" (18:33), "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews?" (18:39), and "Where are you from?" (19:9).
My goal in this lesson is to focus on the “big picture” of our Lord’s trial before Pilate. Once this picture is clear in our minds, the details will be more easily grasped.
I shall attempt to set the scene by concentrating on four statements found in our text. The first is a statement by the Jews in verse 31: “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” The second is the question raised by Pilate in verse 38: “What is truth?” The third is the declaration of our Lord in verse 37: “You [rightly or correctly] say that I am a King.” The final statement is made by John in verse 32: “This happened to fulfill the word Jesus spoke, indicating what kind of death he was going to die.”
Before we turn to these four statements, I want to call your attention to a summary[i] of the sequence of events which occurred from the time the Jews decided that Jesus must be put to death, to the time when Jesus rose from the dead. This summary not only reminds us of the final events of our Lord’s life, it also points out the unique contributions of each of the Gospels. Allow me to call your attention to some of the unique contributions of each of the four Gospels.
MATTHEW. Matthew’s Gospel has several unique contributions. It is Matthew’s account that includes an account of the suicide of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus and handed Him over to the Jewish religious leaders. This story is inserted into Matthew’s report of our Lord’s arrest. Matthew 27 begins with Jesus being brought to Pilate by the chief priests and elders of Israel (verses 1-2). Verses 3-10 then contain an account of Judas’ suicide. Then, at verse 11, the account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate continues.
It seems to me that Matthew wants his readers to know that in the midst of our Lord’s trials, the one who turned Jesus over to the authorities has already come to regret his treachery. The testimony of Judas is added to that of others, including Pilate: “Jesus is innocent!”
Matthew also records the intervention of Pilate’s wife, who had a sleepless night and therefore warned her husband not to be a part of the execution of Jesus, since He was an innocent man. Actually, she did not refer to Jesus merely as innocent, but as righteous (27:19, NAB).
Matthew is the one who includes an account of Pilate washing his hands (27:24), a symbolic gesture intended to indicate that he did not approve of the crucifixion of Jesus. This does not release him from his guilt for taking part in the death of Jesus. He gave Jesus over to the Jews to put to death, and he facilitated their plans by having Roman soldiers conduct the crucifixion. And this Pilate did, knowing that Jesus was innocent.
Finally, Matthew 27:25 records that incredible statement of the Jews: Let his blood be on us and on our children!
MARK. Mark has the distinction of being the shortest account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, a mere 20 verses long. Mark makes no unique contribution here, although he does join Matthew in telling us that Pilate had figured out that the Jews had turned Jesus over to him out of envy (Mark 15:10; see also Matthew 27:18).
LUKE. Luke’s account is only 25 verses long. Luke alone informs us that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who declared Jesus innocent as well, and then returned Him to Pilate (23:6-12). We also learn that these two men were at odds with each other, and that they were somehow reconciled in the midst of their mutual dealings with Jesus.
JOHN. John has the longest and most detailed account of our Lord’s hearing before Pilate. In John, we see an increasing sense of awe and dread on the part of Pilate. We are also told of his cynical remark, “What is truth?” (verse 38). But perhaps the most interesting contribution John makes is his record of the conversation which occurred between Pilate and Jesus. In the other Gospels, Jesus says almost nothing, either to the Jews, to Pilate, or to Herod. In John’s account, Jesus and Pilate do have a conversation of sorts. There is no contradiction here, however. When Jesus refuses to speak, it is (1) because the law does not require Him to testify against Himself, and (2) because He refuses to defend Himself. Jesus would not interact with Herod because he was merely hoping to see some miracle. If Jesus had defended Himself by speaking or performing miracles, it could have prevented His death. When Jesus refused to speak, it was when He was in the presence of the Jews. When Jesus did speak with Pilate, it was inside his residence, where the Jews would not enter. The conversation was not of His guilt or innocence, but about His identity and His mission. We might say that it was evangelistic.
28 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. Mt 27:2, 27; Mr. 15:1; Lu 23:1; Ac 3:13; 10:28; 11:3
"They" refers to all the Jewish authorities
They led Jesus from Caiaphas in that he was the head of the Sanhedrin that had passed sentence on Jesus
The text tells us that it’s early in the morning. In fact, there are two night watches. This is probably about six a.m. Now that may seem like an early time to go to work. It was not uncommon for them to start early in the day.
If you put verse 18:28 and John 19:14 together, Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" you have the sixth hour of the day. What we have here is about six hours from the time that Christ appears before Pilate before He goes through the whole trial. Get a picture.  It’s six hours in length. It’s a very quick process through which Christ goes.
They don’t want to be defiled, but inside they’re wicked and defiled. They’re hearts plotting murder, but they want to look clean; not going into the Gentile’s house lest they be defiled for their ritual. He doesn’t comment, he just tells the facts.They are anxious to avoid external defilement in order to observe a festival whose real significance was that, as well as reminding God's people of the ancient deliverance from Egypt, it pointed forward to the true Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice would bring to an end all distinctions between what was ceremonially clean and unclean, and effect an inward cleansing; and it was the death of that true Passover Lamb that the Jews at this moment are anxious to bring about."
Why then were these Jews concerned that entering Pilate's Praetorium might preclude them from eating the Passover? Had they too not already eaten it the night before? The "Passover" was the name that the Jews used to describe both the Passover proper and the entire festival that followed it including the feast of Unleavened Bread (cf. Luke 22:1). Evidently it was their continuing participation in this eight-day festival that these Jewish leaders did not want to sacrifice by entering a Gentile residence.
There are six different trials taking place, and in each case nobody wants to take responsibility for this verdict.
Herod says, ”Well, it’s not my jurisdiction.”
2 The Jews say, “Well, we really can’t handle this. This has got to be the Romans who do it.”
Pilate washes his hands of the whole deal and even tries to work things out so that there can be the exchange with Barabbas. Nobody wants to be the one who the crowds look to and say, “You’re responsible for putting our prophet to death.”
27:1-2; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71). The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus for blasphemy (Matt. 26:63-66; Mark 14:61-64), which was a capital offense in Israel (Lev. 24:16). However the Sanhedrin could not execute the death sentence for this offense without Roman agreement, and there was little hope of Pilate giving it. Therefore the Jewish leaders decided to charge Jesus with treason.
The word "Praetorium" identified the headquarters of the commanding officer of a Roman military camp or a Roman   military  governor's  headquarters.  Pilate was such a governor.  His normal headquarters stood at Caesarea, the capital of the Roman province of Judea. However during the Jewish feasts Pilate came to Jerusalem with Roman troops to discourage uprisings. His headquarters in Jerusalem was either in Herod's palace on the western wall of the city or in the Fortress of Antonia immediately north of the temple enclosure. The traditional  site  is  the  Fortress  of  Antonia,  the  beginning  of  the  Via Dolorosa or "way of sorrow" that Jesus traveled from the Praetorium to Golgotha.
The Jewish religious leaders appear to have incorrectly assessed the situation. They may have assumed that since Pilate had provided Roman soldiers to assist in the arrest of Jesus, he was giving them a “blank check” to deal with Jesus as they saw fit. Their appearance before Pilate early on this morning does not look like a humble petition being made by the religious leaders of a subject nation. The Jewish leaders boldly arrive at Pilate’s home in the early hours of the morning, with Jesus in their custody (verse 28). It may have been at the very first signs of light. Their arrival at this early hour could almost be characterized as “cruel and unusual.” They further insult Pilate by refusing to enter his residence. In their minds, to do so would be to defile themselves by entering the house of a Gentile. Consequently, they virtually force Pilate to come outside to speak with them. Such actions would not be unusual, if it were Pilate demanding such things of the Jews, but for the Jews to act this way toward Pilate is nothing less than insulting.
Pilate’s response to their demands caught the religious leaders off guard. They seem to have expected Pilate to “rubber stamp” their indictment of Jesus and to quickly authorize His execution. Instead, Pilate required them to declare formal charges against Jesus, charges that they had not been able to establish, even though they worked at this all night long (see Matthew 26:59-60; Mark 14:57-59). Before the Jews, Jesus had confessed that He was “guilty” of being the Son of God. They reasoned that this “confession” made Him guilty of blasphemy, and that because of this, Jesus must be put to death (Matthew 26:62-65, Mark 14:64). However, they were not able to substantiate any charges that would make Jesus worthy of death under Roman law. As they stand before Pilate, they find themselves in a real bind. They believe Jesus is guilty of blasphemy, and deserving of death, but they do not have any solid evidence that Jesus is guilty of any capital offense under Roman law; thus, they are hard pressed to convince Pilate that Jesus really should be put to death.
It wasn’t that the Jews never put anyone to death without Rome’s consent. We know from the account of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 that the Jews were more than willing to put someone to death, without permission from Rome. Stephen’s death was different, however. It did not occur during the feast, and it would seem that Rome was not even aware of what took place. It was very different with Jesus and with Pilate.
The words of the Jews in our text mean something like this: “We really want to kill Jesus ourselves, by stoning, but we can’t get away with that at the moment—not now anyway, during the feast, while all of your Roman soldiers are ‘on alert’ and watching us like a hawk.” If they could kill Jesus without Rome’s help, and even without Rome’s permission, they would gladly do so. But they are powerless to do so now, and they know it. Their words convey a feigned submission to Roman authority, but this is all hypocrisy, as Acts 7 underscores, and as Pilate surely knows.
It must have been their fumbled attempt to arrest Jesus in John 7 that convinced the Jewish religious leaders they needed all the help they could get if they were to arrest and execute Jesus.
Did they seek to employ Roman soldiers in this final attempt to arrest Jesus because they felt confident these soldiers would not be favorably impressed with the words of a Jew (as the temple police had been)? Many failed attempts to stone Jesus may have led them to conclude that they must go about this legally, so that the power of Rome could be enlisted in their efforts to be rid of Jesus. It never seems to occur to these Jews that their words to Pilate were a confession of failure on their part  to prove Him guilty and also an admission that our Lord was really in control.
Rome chose to give its subject provinces a fair degree of freedom, so long as they were submissive and cooperative. This meant that the Jews were allowed to govern themselves by making and enforcing laws, and by trying and punishing law-breakers. Rome could intervene at any time, at its discretion, but under normal conditions, they would not do so. The one exception came in the area of capital punishment. There was too much risk of abuse here, and so (in theory, at least) any execution required Roman permission and was normally carried out by crucifixion, at the hands of Roman soldiers.
Normally, Pilate would reside at his palace in Caesarea. During the Passover season, the population of Jerusalem would swell considerably. Pilgrims came from afar to celebrate this feast, and there was a very high level of messianic expectation and enthusiasm. Consequently, the chance of some kind of uprising was considered much greater at this time. Therefore, a sizeable force of Roman soldiers would be stationed in Jerusalem or nearby, and Pilate himself would temporarily reside in Jerusalem. Because of the season, Pilate must bear the burden of responsibility for dealing with the Jews and for determining the fate (humanly speaking, of course) of Jesus.
 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"
The Jews are just saying, “Confirm our judgment.”
Pilate is going to insult them by starting a new trial. Pilate is going to say to them, “If you don’t like what I’m doing (verse 31) take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your laws.  If you don’t like my approach to rubber-stamping your thing, I’m going to start over here. If you don’t like it, you judge him yourself.”
 30 They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."
You don’t go into a court saying, “We want to kill the guy. We don’t want a fair trial. We don’t want a fair hearing. We don’t want you to hear it. Just execute him, that’s all we want from you.”
 Pilate won’t be easily manipulated. He won’t be swayed; he dispatched soldiers to arrest Him just a few hours before. He’s not ready to execute Him for some crime that he’s yet to see or hear.Readers of the New Testament are familiar with Pilate, who is not portrayed in a very favorable light. Luke’s Gospel informs us that Pilate was governor when John the Baptist commenced his ministry (Luke 3:1-2). Later in Luke, we read of his abusive and blasphemous treatment of the Galileans: “Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1).[ii]
What we know of Pilate from history is not very flattering either. He made several major mistakes,[iii] which set the scene for what takes place in our text. Normally, when Roman governors arrived in Jerusalem, they removed their standards (a pole with a Roman eagle or an image of the emperor mounted on the top) because of the Jews’ disdain for such images.[iv] In spite of his awareness of these Jewish scruples and past Roman practice, Pilate’s troops marched into Jerusalem carrying medallions with the emperor’s image or bust among their standards. This precipitated a protest demonstration by the Jews lasting five days, and eventually, Pilate was forced to give in to public pressure by removing the standards.
A second incident occurred when Pilate later constructed an aqueduct to convey water from cisterns near Bethlehem to Jerusalem. This provoked a riot, not because of the aqueduct itself, but because Pilate funded the project with funds he took from the temple. Roman troops had to be used to put down the riot, and Pilate warned them not to use their swords. His instructions were not carried out properly, and there was bloodshed. Paul Maier enumerates some good reasons why Pilate’s actions may not have been as evil or as foolish as they seemed,[v] but this did not prevent the riot or the resulting bloodshed. It was yet another black eye for Pilate’s administration.
The straw which broke the proverbial “camel’s back” seems to have occurred when Pilate set up several golden shields at his headquarters in Jerusalem. These shields had no images, but only an inscription of dedication to Tiberius. Nevertheless, the people protested strongly, backed up by Herod Antipas and his brothers. This time, Pilate refused to back down. In other places like Alexandria, shields were tolerated by the Jews. This was Jerusalem, however, and this was a “golden” opportunity for Herod to make Pilate look bad to Tiberias. Herod wrote a letter of official protest to the emperor, who ordered Pilate to have the shields sent to Caesarea, warning him about offending the Jews by violating their customs.
All of this is to say that Pilate was none too popular with the Jews at this point in time. I doubt very much that he cared either, because his actions toward the Jews seem to indicate that he held a great disdain for them. You can imagine, then, how Pilate must have responded to the knock on his palace door early that fateful morning. “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him” (Proverbs 27:14).
The Jews are in a hurry, and they need to dispense with the legal formalities as quickly as possible if they are to have this whole horrible thing finished by sunset (so that they can “worship God” at this Passover). They have been up all night with Jesus, preparing for this moment. Now, they demand to see Pilate, but they also refuse to “defile themselves” by entering into the dwelling of this Gentile pagan (18:28). And then, when Pilate asks them to indicate what formal charges they wish to press against Jesus, they are unable to articulate any charges which would make Him worthy of the death penalty. Instead, they come up with a pious sounding version of “trust me”: “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you” (verse 30).
They hesitated to bring the charge of blasphemy against Jesus because Pilate might dismiss it as unworthy of his consideration (cf. Acts 18:12-16). They evidently did not accuse Him of treason because this too would have incited His many followers, and they would have had difficulty proving it. Consequently they did not name the charge but assumed that it was serious and implied that Pilate should trust them and "rubber stamp" their decision. Perhaps the fact that Pilate had provided troops to arrest Jesus encouraged them to think that he had already judged Jesus guilty. They did not appreciate Pilate's question since it suggested that they would have to go through a formal trial from beginning to end.
John’s record paints a very shrewd politician who is very smart about the issues at hand, about his own position. So don’t always write Pilate off as sort of this mealy-mouth embattled governor. He’s a very shrewd, bright man."It is possible that they were taken by surprise at Pilate's indication that he would try the case himself. They had had his cooperation in making the arrest; now they apparently expected that he would take their word for it that the man the Romans had helped to arrest was dangerous and should be executed."
Pilate realized that the Jewish leaders had determined to do away with Jesus (cf. Matt. 27:18), but he had no evidence that Jesus had done anything worthy of death
 
 
[i] See “Sequence of Events” summary at the end of this lesson.
[ii] A study note in the NET Bible reads, “This is an event that otherwise is unattested, though several events similar to it are noted in Josephus (Jewish War 2.169-74; 2.175-77; Antiquities 13.372; 18.55-59; 18.60-62; 18.85-87). It would have caused a major furor.” The NET Bible (Dallas, TX: Biblical Studies Press), 1998.
[iii] These are outlined by Maier on pages 148-153.
[iv] This disdain was based upon their understanding of Exodus 20:4-5, which prohibited the use of engraved images.
[v] Maier, pp. 148-149.
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

HOW TO GET INTO HEAVEN

                 Many churches teach today as did the Pharisees that you have to do certain things to get into heaven and not do others. They have turned to the truth of the Gospel into a system of works salvation. The Jews of Paul’s day boasted in their circumcision, claiming it was evidence they belonged to God. Many people think something they have done, or not done is what makes them right with God. What do you think it takes to go to Heaven?  Good works, church membership, baptism, communion, Keeping the 10 commandments, I have done more good than bad? Jesus said in Matthew 7 that it has always been a matter of the heart, not the outward things that show what is really inside us.  Paul said if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead you will be saved. Have you done that?
        Mark 7:5-9 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" 6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." 9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 18:12-27 JESUS ANSWERED HIM, "IF I HAVE SPOKEN EVIL, BEAR WITNESS OF THE EVIL; - JESUS NEVER SINNED

12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.
The commander (Gr. chiliarchos, cf. Acts 22:24, 26, 27, 28; 23:17, 19, 22) in view was the officer in charge of the Roman soldiers. He was evidently the person with the most official authority on the scene. However the Jewish officers (i.e., temple police) also played a part in Jesus' arrest. Perhaps John noted that they bound Jesus in view of Isaiah's prophecy that Messiah's enemies would lead Him as a lamb to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7). Jesus' disciples abandoned Him when His enemies took him into custody (cf. Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50).
So begins 6 illegal trials – See Chuck Swindoll’s graph 3 Jewish Trials and then 3 Roman Trials
 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.
Mt 26:57; Lu 3:2
The words, They … brought Him first to Annas, provide information not given in the other Gospels.[i]
In the OT the high priesthood was for life and stayed in the lineage of Aaron. However, the Romans had turned this office into a political plumb, purchased by a Levitical family. The high priest controlled and operated the merchandising in the Court of the Women. Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple angered this family.[ii]
Both high priests evidently occupied the same building. One was Annas, the former high priest whom the Jews still regarded as the legitimate high priest since the high priesthood under the Mosaic Law was for life. He served as the official high priest from A.D. 6 to 15 when the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus deposed him. Five of Annas' sons plus his son- in-law, Caiaphas, succeeded him in this office. Consequently it was natural that the Jews regarded Annas as the patriarch and the true high priest and that he continued to exert considerable influence throughout his lifetime. The other high priest was Caiaphas, Annas' son-in-law whom the Romans had placed in the office in A.D. 18 where he remained until A.D.36. Annas was the first of the two men to interview Jesus.
 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. John 11:50
John doubtless identified Caiaphas as he did here to remind his readers of the prediction of Jesus' substitute sacrifice (11:50), not just to identify Caiaphas. This identification also makes unnecessary a full recording of the  deliberations  that  led  to  the  Sanhedrin's  verdict.  That  record  was already available in the Synoptics and was therefore unnecessary in John's Gospel.
 15 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. Mt 26:58; Mr. 14:54; Lu 22:54
This is a very strong term for “acquaintance” and seems to mean a “close friend” (cf. Luke 2:44 and 23:49). [iii]
There has been much discussion as to the identity of this other disciple: (1) the traditional theory has been that it is the Apostle John because of a similar phrase used of him in 20:2, 3, 4, and 8. Also, another possible connection is with John 19:25, which names John’s mother, who could possibly be a sister of Mary, which means he may have been a Levite and therefore a priest (cf. Polycarp’s testimony). (2) this may have been a local unnamed follower like Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea because of their association with the high priest and his family (cf. vv. 15–16).
As the other evangelists, John alternated his account of the events surrounding Jesus' religious trial. He described what was happening in the courtyard (vv. 15-18), then what was happening inside (vv. 19-24), then what happened outside again (vv. 25-27). This literary technique contrasts Jesus with Peter.
 16 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. Mt 26:69; Mr. 14:66; Lu 22:54
 17 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." She asked Peter if he was one too, expecting a negative reply, as the Greek text makes clear. Her question reflected some disdain for Jesus. Peter succumbed to the pressure of the moment and denied his association with Jesus (13:37). Perhaps what he had done to Malchus made him more eager to blend into his surroundings.
 18 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.
Peter’s denial before the servant girl was a striking contradiction to his earlier boast to lay down his life for Jesus (13:37), and his show of offense in cutting off Malchus’ ear (18:10). Evidently the other disciple was also in danger (perhaps greater) but he did not deny Jesus. Peter stood by the fire … warming himself in the cold spring evening, Jerusalem being about 2,500 feet above sea level. This little detail about the cold evening is another indication that the author of this book was an eyewitness.
Peter not only denied Jesus, but He also stood with Jesus' enemies as they warmed themselves in the courtyard of the high priest's large residence.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 
 19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. John's version of Peter's denial is quite similar to those of the other Gospel writers, but His revelation of Jesus' interrogation by Annas is unique. None of the other evangelists mentioned it. He probably asked Jesus about His disciples to ascertain the size of His following since one of the religious leaders' chief concerns was the power of Jesus' popularity. Annas' interest in His teachings undoubtedly revolved around who Jesus claimed to be (cf. 7:12,47; 19:4). Both subjects were significant since many of the Jews suspected Jesus of being a political insurrectionist.
From our Lord’s answer it would seem that “His disciples” were understood to be some secret party. [iv]
20 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. Mt 26:55; Lu 4:15; John 7:14,26,28; 8:2
He ignores the first question so as to protect his disciples, takes the attention off the disciples and puts it on Himself
He was assuring Annas that His teachings were not subversive. He did not have two types of teaching, a harmless one for the multitudes and a revolutionary one for his disciples. He invited Annas to question His hearers, not just His disciples,  to  determine  if  He  had  indeed  taught  anything  for  which someone might accuse Him of being disloyal. The testimony of witnesses was an indispensable part of any serious trial in Judaism.
De 17:6 "Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.
 21 "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."
This seems to imply that He saw the attempt to draw Him into self-incrimination, and resented it by falling back upon the right of every accused party to have some charge laid against Him by competent witnesses. [v]
He indicts them by showing they don’t care about justice by asking for witnesses which they don’t produce.
 22 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?" The Greek word rhapisma translated "blow" (NASB) means a sharp blow with the palm of the hand. Jesus' response to this attack was logical rather than emotional or physical. He simply appealed for a fair trial (cf. Acts 23:2-5). The man who stuck Him was not treating Him fairly. This was a case of police brutality. Jesus had shown no disrespect for Annas.  Jer 20:2; Ac 23:2
Isaiah 50:6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And lMy cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. 
 23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
This shows that Mt 5:39 is not to be taken to the letter, but He did by going all the way to the cross.
It was easier to evade the truth or to silence the One who spoke the truth than to attempt to answer the truth. Truth has a self-evident power of persuasion and those who oppose it find it difficult to deny. Jesus pressed this point and exposed their hypocrisy. They knew the truth but loved error. They saw the light but loved darkness
 24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Mt 26:57
Annas  could  not  produce  anything  for  which  the  Sanhedrin  could condemn or even charge Jesus. Therefore he sent Jesus to Caiaphas. The descriptions of Jesus' hearings in the Gospels alternate between Jesus' interrogations and Peter's denials. It seems clear therefore that Annas and Caiaphas lived and interviewed Jesus in different parts of the same large residence or palace. Caiaphas had to interview Jesus to bring charges against Him before the Sanhedrin since Caiaphas was the current official high priest. John noted that Jesus remained bound as a criminal even though He had done nothing to warrant physical restraint.
John did not record what happened when Jesus appeared before Caiaphas and, later, before the Sanhedrin (cf. Matt. 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-71). Perhaps he omitted these aspects of Jesus' religious trial because the earlier Synoptic Gospels contained adequate accounts of them. Maybe John considered the meeting of the Sanhedrin that he described in 11:47-53 as Jesus' official condemnation.
 25 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!" Mt 26:69, 71; Mr. 14:69; Lu 22:58; 24:53
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
26 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 should not have followed at all since Jesus had gotten them out of trouble at the garden.
There is some discrepancy among the four Gospels as to who asked the questions of Peter: (1) in Mark, it is a maid who asked the first question (cf. Mark 14:69); (2) in Matthew it is another servant girl (cf. Matt. 26:71); and (3) in Luke 22:58 it is a man. It is obvious from the historical setting that one person asked the question around the fire and the others joined in (cf. v. 18).[vi]
Unlike the first two questions in vv. 17 and 25, this grammatical form expects a “yes” answer.
 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. Mt 26:74; Mr. 14:72; Lu 22:60; John 13:38
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 
If you live too close to the world, you will get burned by the  
He should have followed Jesus counsel and left.  He goes and denies Jesus 3 times, open to temptation
Luke records Peter sits down at the fire with the wicked
Lu 22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
No one is immune to failure, Even the mighty fall
1Co 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
This section Shows the Glory of God and the sinfulness of man
Robert Robinson was just a small boy when his dad died. In 18th century England, there was little in the way of a social welfare system and this meant that he had to go to work while still very young. Without a father to guide and steady him, he fell in with bad companions.
One day his gang of rowdies harassed a drunken gypsy. Pouring liquor into her, they demanded she tell their fortunes for free. Pointing her finger at Robert she told him he would live to see his children and grandchildren. This struck a tender spot in his heart. "If I'm going to live to see my children and grandchildren," he thought, "I'll have to change my way of living. I can't keep on like I'm going now."
He decided to go hear the Methodist preacher George Whitefield. To cover his "weak" urge, he suggested that the boys go with him and heckle the gathering. Whitefield preached on the text: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matthew 3:7). Robert left in dread, under a deep sense of sin that lasted for three years.
Finally, at the age of twenty, he made peace with God and immediately set out to become a Methodist preacher himself. Two years later, in 1757, he wrote a hymn which expressed his joy in his new faith:
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,Tune my heart to sing Thy graceStreams of mercy, never ceasing,Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love.
This was printed the next year. At first people thought that Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, a strong Methodist had written this. Eventually it was learned that Robert was the writer.
In the last stanza, Robert had written:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love Take my heart, O take and seal it Seal it for thy courts above.
Prone to wander Robert was. He left the Methodists and became a Baptist. Later on, having become a close friend of Joseph Priestly, he was accused of becoming a Unitarian. Priestly and other Unitarians denied the full divinity of Christ. However, in a sermon he preached after he supposedly became a Unitarian, Robinson clearly declared that Jesus was God, and added, "Christ in Himself is a person infinitely lovely as both God and man."
Robert died on this day, June 9, 1790. Had he left the God he loved? A widely-told, but unverifiable, story says that one day as he was riding in a stagecoach a lady asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then."
 
  Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
[i] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Jn 18:12–14). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[ii] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (162). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[iii] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (163). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[iv] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Jn 18:19). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[v] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Jn 18:21). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[vi] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (164). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING

In Mark 6:45-52, we see Jesus walking on the water and find out what that means to us today.  We will see that Jesus does not always get us out of the storms of life, but He is there with us through them.  Jesus gave a demonstration of His power, and then He tested His disciples to see if they learned the lesson.  God is always testing us to see if we will trust Him no matter what goes on in our life.  I hope you have that peace that passes all understanding because you have asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior and you know that when you go through the storms of life, He is there with you.
              Mark 6:45-52 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
 
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
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            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 18:1-11 JESUS SAID TO THEM, "I AM HE."

Now, you see, Matthew, Mark and Luke had different purposes. Theirs was not so directly to present Christ as God and thus they include the agony in the garden where we see Him breaking down from the sin and the anticipation. They include the anguish and the sorrow and the crying and the sweating, as it were, great drops of blood. And they include all those things that make Jesus so humiliated. They include the things that humiliate Jesus and make Him suffer. And they make much of that because that's important. But John's purpose is to present deity so you don't find the anguish in the garden, you don't find the crying in the garden, you don't find the sweating and the great drops of blood, you don't find anything degrading or debasing or humiliating at all in John's gospel. In fact, it's just the opposite. Everything that goes on at the arrest of Jesus as John points it out glorifies Christ.
Jesus Christ is in control of the context and the setting of all the events that are going to transpire
and it ought to be a source of great comfort for us to be reminded that God is in control, but we seem to want to step in in the middle of all kinds of things and say "Now wait shouldn't we do it this way? Shouldn't it happen this way?" We don't like surrendering control to anyone, even the God of the universe, right?
 And when things seem so clear, Peter's a good illustration of it, he’s going to protect and prevent his Lord from being arrested. How often we go off halfcocked. We just run into a situation. Ready, fire, aim. There's a great tendency for all of us to try and control things and sometimes we just need to take a pause and step back and say, "What does the Sovereign have going on here and how do I respond?"
 The arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is one of those events that if any of us had been there we would have thought, "Oh my, things got terribly out of control."
It is interesting to note that the arrest took place in a garden. Christ, the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), met the enemy in a garden and triumphed, while the first Adam met the enemy in a garden and failed. Adam hid himself, but Christ openly revealed Himself. [i]
1 ¶ 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. 2Sa 15:23; Mt 26:36; Mr 14:32; Lu 22:39
The Kidron Valley formed the eastern boundary of Jerusalem. The Kidron was also a wadi or dry streambed that contained water only when it rained hard. The Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane lay across the Kidron to the east.
The parallels between Jesus' experiences and David's at this point are striking. Both men crossed the Kidron having been rejected by their nation and betrayed by someone very close to them, and hangings followed both incidents
Another thing you don't find the text, but it's fairly good evidence that during Passover they’re going to slaughter 200,000 plus lambs. That's a lot of butchering and in antiquity, to deal with the blood there was one way in the Temple complex, but as they got more and more in production, they believe they actually dealt a ditch or a slew that went from the base of the Temple area into the Kidron. So we can't be sure of this, but there's a pretty good indication that when they're crossing that's a muddy, bloody river bottom. And they go up then to, John says, the garden. There was a garden.
 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Lu 21:37; 22:39
Judas the betrayer is reintroduced to us in this text. Eight times you'll find him mentioned in the Gospel of John. Eight times you'll find the word betrayer. Six times it's attached to the word Judas. The other two times it’s implied. He is known as the one, the son of perdition, who betrays his friend and he's brought back into the storyline.
 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Mt 26:47; Mr 14:43; Lu 22:47; Ac 1:16
Only John mentioned the presence of Roman soldiers. They carried lanterns and torches to find Jesus. Apparently they thought He might try to hide. They also had weapons to restrain anyone who might oppose their plan to arrest Jesus. Judas served as their guide. He had no authority over them.
John alone mentions the torches, the lanterns and the swords, so if you get this valley in mind, this picture in mind, and Passover always took place when the moon was full, and let's just say there are two hundred carrying torches. It would be a pretty eerie parade from the fortress of Antonio, around the city, across the Kidron Valley, into the garden. And you could probably see those torches coming a long way from the garden side of that ravine. I think the irony is touching that they're bringing torches and lanterns at night to apprehend the Light of the World.
Why so many? Well, you got the crowds and you got the press of, "Messiah could be coming." Probably more importantly though, back in John if you remember, they didn't quite get Him. He slipped away and the Jews were going to do all they can with Rome's help to apprehend Him this time, lest they look foolish going out and trying to find Him. It sounds like a problem we're having right now, doesn't it? We want to find him. Let's send out a big detachment to make sure we can get him.
They were armed with torches, swords, and even clubs. (I doubt that the Romans allowed the Jews to bear arms, so it is likely that the club-bearers were Jews.) It would seem they had prepared for the worst. They expected Jesus to attempt to escape, or at least to resist arrest. They came with torches, ready to pursue Him into the darkness if He attempted to evade them.
 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?"
Jesus in John 6:15 is unwilling to let the popular crowd make Him King. He fights that. Now in John eighteen He's willing to be the sacrifice for them. Jesus seems to do things upside down an awful lot. They wanted to make Him King and now they want to crucify Him and He willingly submits to being apprehended. What you're going to look at in this garden, in my estimation, is the most incredible, powerful, dramatic story in the Bible. What's happening here on the edge of the cross is rich, full of irony and drama, of what's going to happen in the lives of His friends and in His own life.
 Jesus came. They were prepared to take Him by force, but they were totally unprepared for what Jesus is going to do because Jesus is going to control even His arrest.
So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth.
 See the words "went forth?" That word "went forth" is a singular verb that is going to have a word play in a minute. It's a third person singular. He went forth. Now drop down to verse six:
 So when He said to them, "I am [He]," they drew back.
 See the word "drew back?" The word "drew back" has the same exact tense and parsing but it's a third person plural. In other words, get the picture here, the grammar tells us a story. They're coming out -plural- to arrest Him. He should do what? He should retreat because He is about to be apprehended. But what John tells us is that Jesus came out -singular- and they drew back. It's a very important part of John's pen. He's in control of the situation. He is not going to let them apprehend Him on their terms. He is in command of this context.
 5 They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.
Both times He answers with the two little words in Greek, "I am." Judas is present. I want you to notice John, the way he crafts this story and Judas is standing with them. If you go back to Psalm 1:1 in your mind:
 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path
 And now we see Judas with the path of those who are going to arrest Christ; the betrayer.
 6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.
 7 Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
 8 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,"
 John is fond of double meanings so when we find the word "I am" in the Gospel of John, our mind goes to what? The seven "I am’s." I am the Bread of Life. I am the Light of the World; the Way, Truth, and Life; the Door; the Good Shepherd. All those we've looked at in detail, right? If you were with us in the Gospel of John earlier, we went back to Moses' discussion with God and the burning bush, remember?
 "Who shall I say sent me to Pharaoh?"
 And God says what? "I am." YHWEH.
 So when Jesus uses the words "I am" they call Him a blasphemer because He's made Himself out to be God. Well, He is God. That's the point of the "I am’s" all through the Gospel of John. So on the one hand, Jesus could just be saying, "I'm the guy you're looking for. I'm Him." Or He could be saying, "I'm God. I am." I vote for the latter. You can do what you want, but I like the picture here that He's saying, "Who are you looking for?"
 "Jesus."
 "I'm God. I am."
He said, "I am." whoosh. "Lest you misunderstand you Jewish, Roman, political, religious officials; lest you misunderstand, I can lay you down. I'm God," Jesus said. "Who are you looking for? I am."
I wonder if the second time they braced themselves, you know? It's the darkest hour in our lens, but He's deity. It looks like the thing is unraveling, but it's according to plan. He knew everything that was about to come upon Him. He is not taken by surprise. 
This is important. John 10:11 says the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. We have the doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement. Sometimes we think doctrine is sort of dry and dusty and for people who live in seminary towers. Doctrine is very important. It's very important. Why we believe what we believe is essential especially when you look at this Book. The Bible teaches Substitutionary Atonement.
Listen, Jesus didn't just die for them; He dies instead of them. He doesn't just go and take the sting away for a while, sort of at bay when they're going to face their issues. He dies instead of them and He says, "They're going to be protected. I'm going to care for them."
 Here is the God man facing crucifixion and He is concerned about His friends.
 "I'm the one you want. Let them go."
 Who's in control? Jesus Christ.
Jesus could have just thought them away, if He can lay them over with a word.
9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none." John 17:12
This was all for a purpose. By throwing the authorities off balance (pardon the pun), Jesus was now able to make a request that they might not have otherwise granted—the release of His disciples. Think about this for a moment. If one of the charges against Jesus was that He was a revolutionary, then His disciples would have been, in present day terms, terrorists. Do you think that under normal circumstances the authorities would have intended to let Jesus’ disciples just walk away? I don’t think so. But Jesus had them so rattled they didn’t attempt to arrest anyone else. Jesus had twice asked them who they were seeking, and twice they answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” It was as if Jesus had asked them if they had an arrest warrant, and if so, whose name was on the warrant. Only His name was on the arrest warrant, as it were. So Jesus reasons that if the warrant is only for His arrest, surely His disciples must be free to leave.[ii] And so they did.
John also tells us it's a fulfillment of Scripture. The word fulfill here rings our ears, just like a prophet spoke and the Word was fulfilled; Jesus speaks and the Word's fulfilled but John the gospel writer is going back to John 6:39 when he says this. So here's an unusual fulfilling. Usually a prophet says something and it comes true at some point in time or maybe in the New Testament it comes true. Jesus says it and a few days later it comes true.
 He is the God man who can speak the Word of God because He is God. No word is ever going to fail that Jesus spoke. I hope as we study more and more about the Christ and the Gospel of John that you and I learn the lesson that Jesus Christ is in control. He is not going to fail.
Nothing He has ever said will fail, men and women. He will never leave you nor for sake you. He will never revoke His promise to hold you eternally secure if you've trusted Him. If you've trusted Christ, you will see him face-to-face; not because of what you do but because of what He's done.
 He will never abandon you. If anything Jesus said could fail, it doesn't matter what He said. Nothing He ever said will fail because He's who He is.
Rome may have required the equivalent of an arrest warrant from the Jewish authorities. Only our Lord seems to have been named. While the Jews would have been tempted to arrest everyone there (especially after Peter’s use of his sword), they felt powerless to do so in the light of their interchange with Jesus, which underscored the fact that they had been authorized to arrest only Jesus.
Jesus controls the context, He controls the setting, He controls His arrest, He's in command of that situation, and lastly He's in control of His suffering. Look again at your text. Let's read verses ten and eleven of John eighteen.
 10 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. Mt 26:51; Mr 14:47; Lu 22:49-50
The small sword (Gr. machaira) that Peter used was probably little more than a dagger. His action was foolish, but it illustrates his courage and commitment to Jesus
In using the sword, Peter was definitely disobeying Christ. Christ does not need our protection; the weapons we are to use to fight Satan are spiritual ones (2 Cor. 10:4–6; Eph. 6). Peter used the wrong weapon, had the wrong motive, acted under the wrong orders, and accomplished the wrong result! How gracious of Jesus to heal Malchus (Luke 22:51) and thus protect Peter from harm. Otherwise there might have been another cross on Calvary, and Peter would have been crucified before God’s time had come[iii]
this is an apostle of Jesus Christ.
 When he denies Christ, don't say, "What a fool. You know, I'd have never done that." He was an apostle. God picked him as one of the eleven and then later the twelve cornerstones of the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ. Don't make him something he's not but don't minimize who he is. He's an apostle of Christ. You need to give Peter the benefit of the doubt.
 John thirteen and Matthew twenty-six he swore he'd die for Jesus. I think he meant it. I think he really thought in his heart of hearts, "If it came to it Lord, I'll die for You," and although inept, here's a demonstration of it. I don't think he was showing off. I think his instinctive reaction was, "I'm not going to let this happen. I'll stop it."
Luke twenty-two tells us that Jesus touched Malchus and healed him. Now, if I read the text right, the ear has come off. That's sort of gruesome. He does not kneel down and pick up the ear and put it back on Malchus' head. Maybe I'm reading too much into the story. It just says, "He touched him." And He just touches him. I think He created a new ear. The other question I can't wait to see the answer to is, "Do you think Malchus will be in heaven?"
 It would be a neat story to hear if he is, won't it?
 "Yeah I was there that night."  Talk about an eyewitness account.
 11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"
Mt 20:22; 26:39,42
 The Gospels, all four, include this story, but only John tells us the name "Peter" and the name "Malchus." It gives us sort of the air of the detail of an eyewitness. Well, Jesus' response is compassion towards His enemy. He knows these poor eleven guys are totally outgunned. There's no way in the world they're going to win. He says, "Put the sword away."
Peter's brave though misdirected act showed that He still failed to realize that Jesus' death was necessary. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous.
Romans 10:2 Paul says: they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
 Peter had zeal for God, but he didn't understand and so Jesus is going to explain it to him. Now, John the gospel writer does not include the Gethsemane agony. We're talking about the agony in the Garden; the agony in Gethsemane. He doesn't include that and many people say, "Why didn't John include that? He left it out."
Can you imagine what the normal reaction would have been, once Peter had his sword out and was lopping off the ear of the man nearest to him? This was like striking a match in a room filled with gasoline fumes. How quickly and easily both Jewish and Roman arms could have been employed, so that the situation would have gotten completely out of control.
But before anything like this happened, Jesus intervened. It looks like Peter got in only one stroke of his sword before Jesus rebuked him. Our Lord’s words stopped Peter in his tracks: “But Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’” (John 18:11).
Jesus is in the middle of securing the release of His disciples when Peter draws his sword. One wonders if any of the Jewish authorities sought to protest the disciples’ release. Someone might have said, “Wait a minute. We can’t let these men go; just a moment ago, one of these Galileans assaulted one of us with his sword. He even cut off this man’s ear.” I can almost hear the Roman commander respond, “Which ear? So far as I can see this man has two ears.” The commander then goes over to Malchus and inspects both of his ears more closely. “I don’t see any missing ear, nor any blood; not even a scar. Let’s turn these men loose and take Jesus into custody. He’s the one we were told to arrest.” I know it was an intense moment, but there must have been some humor in what took place. Few, if any, were laughing at the time, however.
Peter had a sword in his hand, but our Lord had a cup in His hand. Peter was resisting God's will but the Savior was accepting God's will."
 Well I think he does when he says "the cup" that He has to drink. The word "cup" does not mean a literal cup; that He has this chalice that He's going to use and give to Peter and so forth and so on. He doesn't mean that there's some wooden or Gold cup that's going to go through. The figure of speech is called a metonymy. It's the same in the Lord's Supper; this cup. He's not saying we have a cup in the Lord's Supper; it's what in the cup. It's the content of the cup. That's called a figure of speech.
 So when He says "this cup that He has to drink" he's talking about what is in there that He must consume and go through and this is the wrath of God. Jesus Christ says God the Father is going to pour out His wrath against sin, against man's pride, against man's arrogance, against Adam's fall in all humanity. He's going to pour out the wrath of His holy nature that He must justify that wrath and He must unleash it and His Son is the candidate.
The drinking of a cup is often used in Scripture to illustrate experiencing suffering and sorrow. When Babylon captured Jerusalem, the city had “drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling” (Isa. 51:17). Jeremiah pictured God’s wrath against the nations as the pouring out of a cup (Jer. 25:15–28). There is also a cup of consolation (Jer. 16:7) and the overflowing cup of joy (Ps. 23:5).[iv]
The image was a familiar one to His disciples, and it is not an unfamiliar image today. To “drink the cup” means to go through with a difficult experience; and “not my cup of tea” means saying no to a certain course of action. The fact that some trophies are designed like cups suggests that winners have been through demanding experiences and had to “swallow a lot.”
Jesus was able to accept the cup because it was mixed by the Father and given to Him from the Father’s hand. He did not resist the Father’s will, because He came to do the Father’s will and finish the work the Father gave Him to do.“I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:8). Since the Father had mixed and measured the contents of the cup, Jesus knew He had nothing to fear.
This is a good lesson to us: we need never fear the cups that the Father hands to us. To begin with, our Savior has already drunk the cup before us, and we are only following in His steps. We need never fear what is in the cup because the Father has prepared it for us in love.[v]
He says, "Don't get in the way of what God the Father's doing. I've got to drink this cup. Don't try to stop it."
 What is John the Gospel writer's picture of glory? Suffering is the way to glory and I think it's ingenious the way the Holy Spirit and the Gospel writer John put it: "I have to drink this cup. I've got to go through this Peter, you don't understand it." We have a zeal, but not for God.
It seems as though Peter can do nothing right. Here he is, trying so hard to prove to Jesus that he will follow Him to the very end, even unto death. And he is right in one sense. He is willing to die. It is he alone who draws the sword and seeks to prevent the arrest of his Master. But in so doing, he is wrong; in fact, he is resisting the plans and purposes of God. His use of his sword would appear to endanger the lives of the Lord and all the disciples. It implied the opposite of what our Lord would later claim before Pilate, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would fight to prevent me being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But now my kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). Peter endeavors to save the Lord’s life when He is committed to voluntarily giving up His life in order to provide “the way” to the Father. Jesus is about to “drink the cup” which His Father has given Him, and Peter would (so to speak) thrust it out of His hands.
This theme of the deity of Jesus Christ, and of His control over all things, is constantly reiterated and reinforced in John’s Gospel.
Well, three people at least in the text try to control Jesus. Number one we have Judas trying to control the situation. His motivation is to control for money; for monetary benefit. We also have the Jews and the Romans and they're going to control God. They're going to control Jesus as a show of power.
 "We're in control. We're going to bring two -1200 hundred+ out to apprehend this guy. We're in control."
 That's pretty impressive control in my book. Then we have Peter and to a lesser extent the disciples.
 "We're going to control it" and they pull out a sword and whack off a poor guy’s ear.  “We’re going to control it.”
 All three attempts at control failed. Jesus is in control of His own arrest. Jesus knows everything and He's in control. Let me give you four or five lessons here about how you and I can sort of deal with this. I can't help the people in your life and mine who try to control you and me but I can ask us who are control freaks, I can help us a little bit with learning how to deal with that tendency.
Number one, we need to prayerfully develop a firm resolve to accept what God gives. We need to prayerfully develop an attitude that says, "You know, when this thing comes along and my personality wants to make it happen.  To take charge, to make it work, to right the wrong, to right the injustice.  When that happens, maybe I just need to prayerfully resolve to accept what God's giving.”
 Lack of promotion, unfair treatment with money, some disappointment in life, some injustice. Instead of the love to say, "I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to use the force of my personality to fix this thing."  Maybe the first pause is to prayerfully resolve. "God what am I supposed to accept from Your hand here?"
 I think one of the marks at least in my struggle with the Christian life, and maybe yours, one of the marks of kind of growing up in a Christian life is to realize there are some "why" questions I'm never going to have the answer to.
Why I can't have children; why I can't find a husband or a wife; why my husband or wife won't be the way I want them to be; why my kids won't follow Christ. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why didn't I get promoted? Why didn't my stocks go right? Why did this injustice happen to me?
 You know men and women, when you hang onto that "why" it'll rot your soul. I'm not saying you don't wrestle with it. I'm not saying you don't pray through it. I'm not saying you don't learn from it. I am saying that there may be a time when you have to set that why question over here and go on with life. I think that's part of growing up in the Christian life. Some whys are never going to find an answer.
Secondly, how do we deal with being control freaks, I think we need to channel our desire to control other people and channel that control fondness back to our own soul and say, "Father through Your Holy Spirit, can You control me?" So when your Type A boils up and your temperament and your Myers-Briggs justifies your existence on this world and you can be that way because you are an E or whatever, you know? And you've got the power and you've got the money and you've got the experience and you've got the whatever and you say, "I can do this thing." Well, maybe. You need to say, "God, You need to control me because my ego is way out of line here."
Thirdly, don't try to prove your faith by the sword. I'm not saying we're not going to mess up and fail in the Christian life. I'm saying the tendency is, "I'll pull the sword. I'll play the Trump card. I'll use the force of my position, my rank, and my experience. Because I'm the parent and you're the child I can just bark at you." Don't pull the sword to prove your faith. when you and I pull the sword to prove our faith the Malchus's of life never get their ear back.
Lastly, true power and true control is when you and I are in submission to the will of God. You want to be in control? Then you submit and obey God. You want to be controlling the power? Then you submit to God's authority for your life. Jesus Christ is the most powerful man who ever lived and He is submitting to a higher authority; He is submitting to His Father and He's going to take the wrath of hell for you and me.
Here it is in summary form. I've got to relinquish my control, I need to ask His Spirit to help me be controlled and I need to rest in the outcome no matter what happens because Jesus Christ knows everything and He is in control.
You know, if there is an opposite of this control issue, it's got to be contentment. I think of Philippians chapter four where Paul says, "I've learned the secret of being content no matter what my circumstances are. I've learned I don't have to be in control of even my environment. I’ve slept in nice beds and I’m right now in a hole in the ground a grate over the top of me and I'm content in whatever circumstances I find myself."
And you know that word contentment means enough; that you come to a place when you say, "This is enough. I have enough."
 It's a wonderful application of the passage that you and I in the course of our life are going to have all kinds of trauma and trial and things go awry with our kids, with our grandkids and we're going to try and rescue and rush in. Yes, we help. Yes, we come along side, but to take a deep breath and say, "He is in control. I am not. I'm responsible for my response to Him but there's not a lot I can do about many of the trials of life."
And it doesn't mean we won't weep in the midst of times of weeping.
 It just means that we understand that God is in control.
 If your tendency is to draw the knife, just take a breath and wait and see what He will do.
I was looking at a passage in Luke's Gospel recently where Luke talks about Jesus instructing Peter to throw out the net even after Peter's been fishing all night. It doesn't make any sense to Peter to do this and yet he says, "Master, at Your word I'll do it." He does object a little bit. He says, "You know Lord, we finished all my and we didn't catch anything, but at Your word we will do what You say." I think that’s a good word for us.
There are times when we look at what God calls us to and we say, “You know this doesn't make any sense to me," but do we respond with that kind of committed obedience? Do we trust and obey? That's a key theme in John's Gospel.
It is an amazing thing to read the first verses of John 18 and to realize that Jesus made no effort to save Himself, while at the same time He was saving His disciples. He saved their physical lives by His deeds and words in the Garden where He was arrested; He saved their spiritual lives (and ours) by His death at Calvary. Peter momentarily put his trust in his sword, rather than in his Shepherd. Only Jesus can save anyone from their sins, and from divine condemnation. Have you trusted in Him for the forgiveness of your sins? He is the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep.
May God grant that you are one of His sheep, and that you will rejoice in His salvation, and in His sovereignty. What peace there is in knowing that the Good Shepherd is the Sovereign Son of God, whose promises and purposes always come to pass. In a day wh
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (260). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[ii] Rome may have required the equivalent of an arrest warrant from the Jewish authorities. Only our Lord seems to have been named. While the Jews would have been tempted to arrest everyone there (especially after Peter’s use of his sword), they felt powerless to do so in the light of their interchange with Jesus, which underscored the fact that they had been authorized to arrest only Jesus.
[iii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (261). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[iv] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 18:11). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[v] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 18:11). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

REAL OR FALSE

          Mark 7:6 says He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  Many people say they are going to heaven and say all the right things at the right time, but if you are around them long enough you find out what comes out of the mouth is not what is in their heart. They say, but don’t do because the reality is Christ is not the Lord of their lives. They believe and teach that something we do or don’t do will get us into heaven but the reality is only faith in what Christ has done for us will do that.  What does your life and words say about who you are?
            Mark 7:6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 17:21-26 JESUS SAID 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;

John 17:21 "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. 22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 "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. 24 "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. 25 "O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 "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."
(NKJV)
 
In this section we see Jesus saying He has given us His glory that we will be one. The earthly sufferings of our Lord are part of His glory (John 12:23; 13:31-32; 17:1). And it is this glory—the glory of servant hood and of sacrificial service, which our Lord has given to us, His disciples. As Jesus was glorified by His coming to this earth, being rejected by men and put to death, so His disciples are also given the same glory, the glory of suffering for the sake of Christ: Secondly, He prays for us to have the same love that the Father loves the Son with.  This is a love which will prompt one to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
 
At the end of verse 21, it's a purpose clause in Greek, .. in order that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." to whom did Jesus come when He came to this earth? To the world, right? Why did He come? Did He come that men might believe in Him? Yes He did, didn't He? Do you think Jesus wants men to believe on Him? Do you think He does? Do you think He meant what He said when He...when He wept and said -- You will not come? Do you think He meant it when He said -- You will not come unto Me that you might have life? Do you think He meant it when He said -- Believe? And receive Me? Do you think He meant that? Do you think He really loved the world, do you? I do. Do you think He really wants the world to believe? I do. Do you care that He wants the world to believe? Do you care that He does? If you do, you'll be one. Because it is oneness that makes the world believe. You see, it's right there. In order that the world may believe. Believe what? That Thou hast sent Me. They must believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And right there in a nutshell you have the salvation gospel.
The purpose of unity is evangelism.
 22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
Joh 14:20; 1Jo 1:3; 3:24
Christ indwells the believer, the Father indwells Christ, we’re to be one with them. 
The goal of this unity in these verses is two-fold.  That the world believes God sent Jesus Christ and that the world will see the love God has for Christ and for others. And again we see this message of Christ being sent, that’s a very important part of the Upper Room Discourse and the prayer.  That they will see His divine mission.
The power and the potential for oneness is there, it's all there, you see, for a wholly, loving oneness, it's all present. There is no basic reason in terms of our nature as Christians for division within the body, there is none. Consequently, all division that comes is contrary to the Christian's new nature. All division that comes is then classified in I Corinthians 3 as the mark not of spirituality but of carnality because if we all have commonness at the point of existence in the new nature, in the indwelling Spirit, common glory then the only excuse for division would be sinfulness violating the principle of the new nature. And that's why Paul hammers on it so hard and calls it carnality. Division is always carnality. Whenever there is division, strife, envy, it is not of the Spirit; it cannot be because that is not what God designed us to be. He designed us to be one
"And the glory which Thou gave Me, I have given them that they may be one even as we are one." Now look at that verse again. You know what He said there? In effect, He said this -- Father, I gave them the ingredients so that they may be one ... now I pray that they will be, right?
What were the ingredients? What is it that we have that makes us one positionally? The beginning of verse 22, the third word, what is it? Glory. What is the glory of God? It's all of His attributes, all of His essence and all of His life put into us. You say -- You mean I have the life of God, the essence of God, the attributes of God in me? Yes you do. In whom? The Holy Spirit ... the indwelling Christ. You say -- You mean that I have the glory of God? That's right and the glory which Thou gave Me, I gave them that they may be one. You know what is the basis of our positional oneness as Christians? That we'll have the same glory. Right? We all possess the same Spirit, the same indwelling Christ, the same divine life, the same divine nature, the same divine essence has been planted in us and that's the basis of our unity. Do you see it? Positionally we are one because we have common glory ... the common Spirit. And you'll notice this fantastic thing in verse 22, the glory which You gave Me, I have given them. God manifest Himself in Christ. Christ manifests Himself In us. In John 1:14, it says: "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory." And whose glory was it? The glory as of the only begotten of the ... of the Father's glory ... in Christ.
Colossians 1:27 says: "Christ in you the hope of glory.
You say -- Well, surely, we didn't receive the glory of God. Listen to this. John 1:12: "But as many as received Him, to them gave The power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name." All right, we believe, we receive the right to be children of God.
John 1:16 "And of His fullness have all we received." Did you hear that?
You say -- You mean to tell me that God in His own life, in His own essence, in His own glory abides in me?
Peter said in II Peter 1:4 that we have been made partakers of the divine nature. We are to be glory bearers to the world, Christ in us.
John 17:10 it says: "All Mine are Thine and Thine are Mine and I am glorified in them.
23 "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. Col 3:14
Let me address a very practical application about this.  I think sometimes we get theologically out there, but the fellowship that’s going to occur in this prayer, remember John writes first John also?  And one of the key topics is fellowship.  This prayer is praying that we will be one in God, one in Christ, we will be as Him so that the world will know that He was sent.
Now, a very practical way to look at that is:  Your friendships and mine within the body of Christ, the intimacies that we enjoy with other believers, is a huge invitation to the world.
But when you talk to your friends in the world about your friendships with other Christians, there’s a hole in their heart that beats.  They’d love to have authentic friendships.  They’d love to have real people they could trust.
 And they look at you and me with sort of a sense of awe and dismay.  How in the world can you have a friend like that?
Now the world isn't even going to know where Jesus came from and the world isn't even going to understand the love of God unless they see oneness.
And so, the gift of divine glory unites us into one body, all tied together by the common divine life, all tied together by a common salvation, a common indwelling Spirit. And you know something? If there's not oneness in the body, it goes against God's very design as well as the prayer of Jesus.
If we are not one, if we do not exist as one, then the world has been given the right by God to determine two things. And here they are: if you and I don't live together as one, number one, the world can look at you and say -- You are not a Christian. Right? Sure. They're not about to evaluate us on our doctrine, they don't understand doctrine. But if they hear that Jesus preaches love and they watch you and you don't live it then they're going to say -- You are not a follower of Jesus. And God gave them the right to say that because it says right here in our text that we are to be one that the world may believe that we really belong to Him.
In John 13:35 Jesus said: "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples if you have love one for another."
Number two, the world may say you are a Christian, but they'll follow it up by this -- Christianity is meaningless. You see, the world can judge two things if you're not one and I'm not one, if we're not one in the body, the world can judge two things -- number one, we're not followers of Jesus at all; number two, being a follower of Jesus is meaningless. Right? Meaningless.
God has given the world the right to determine whether Christianity is valid or invalid on the basis of your oneness with other believers
 24 ¶ "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. Joh 12:26; 14:3; 17:5; 1Th 4:17
Every Christian who dies goes to heaven because Christ prayed that this might be so (v. 24), and the Father always answers His prayers (11:41–42).
Christ prays that the disciples will see His glory.
He prays; for our eternal fellowship. He prays for our oneness and then for our eternal fellowship.... You say -- you mean that Jesus Christ wants to spend eternity with me? And it is hard to understand, isn't it? You mean He wants me around forever? I mean, that's love.
verse 24, one of the most thrilling statements that a Christian will ever read: "Father, I will or desire," and that word is a deep rich word, it means "I have total pleasure in, I delight in my high desire is that they also whom Thou hast given me," that is all believers, "be with Me where I am." Is that a fantastic prayer?
 I want to be with Him, but He also wants to be with me.
Jesus' desire is that we be with Him where He is to see His glory. Now wherever it is that He is, it's going to be where He displays His glory, right? So it's not just a prayer for this group of disciples to walk with Him down to the garden, you know. That's not it. Wherever it is it's going to be where His glory is on full display. So, it's going to have to be after His earthly life is over because when He came to earth; His glory was veiled, wasn't it? It was veiled. And Philippians 2 tells us that He humbled Himself, that He emptied Himself. That is, He set aside the free use of all of His attributes and restricted Himself to obedience to the Father's design and He came into earth with His ... with His glory veiled. Only one time did He unveil a little bit of His glory on the mount of transfiguration, He pulled His flesh aside and they saw
That means, the believer must be in the presence of Christ when He is in full glory. That's Jesus prayer.
First of all, just the fact that He says that they may be with Me where I am is fulfilled in a spiritual sense even in this life. Is Christ with you all the time? Why sure. Didn't He say: "I will never leave you or forsake you?" Didn't He say: "Lo, I am with you always?" Always. Is there any time in the life of a Christian on earth when Christ is away from him? No
All right, so Christ is here but what He's talking about here is being with Christ in glory. That is when Christ is in full glory after He's been exalted at the right hand of the Father. Now, there are four aspects to this
First of all -- death. You don't ever really get to be with Jesus and see His full glory until you have the wonderful privilege of dying.
In Luke 23:43, I think it is, Jesus said to the thief on the cross: "This day shalt thou be with Me in paradise." The key to that's not paradise, the key to that is with Me," see. That thief, from the moment that he received Jesus Christ, was to be with Jesus Christ.
Second Corinthians 5:7-8 lays it right down simply and clearly, it says this, verse 8: "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."
Philippians 1:23, he loved the Philippians and he said it would be nice to come and see them, but I've got another desire. Verse 23: "I am in a straight between two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better." Having a desire to depart and be with Christ. That's what happens when a believer dies ... instantly into the presence of the glorified Christ and beholds His full glory.
2nd, the rapture - John 14:3, remember that verse? "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself that where I am there ye may be also." That's the rapture. I'm going to come and get you, you're going to be with Me.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
there's a third area, even in the kingdom. You say -- There's some who had the view that we go to heaven and then when Christ comes back to the kingdom we stay up there for a while. Not so. If Christ is coming back here, we're coming with Him because we're going to be with Him where He is, wherever it is.
He didn't say in the prayer I want them to be with Me in heaven -- cause that wouldn't do. He's going to be back on the earth and He's also going to create a new heaven and a new earth. He just says - Father, I want them where I am -- and so we just go where He goes, see. And if it's the kingdom, we'll be there.
Jesus always promised presence whether in heaven, whether in the kingdom, whatever it was.
the eternal state is the fourth one. What about eternity, the new heavens and the new earth, are we still going to be with Him?
Revelation 21:3: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men." And certainly if you compare that with John 1 you find out who it was the tabernacle with men, it was Jesus Christ. "And He will dwell with them and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them and be their God." It goes on to talk about what God will do. The presence of God, God with us, Emmanuel. Who is Emmanuel? Jesus Christ. In the eternal state pictured in the new heaven and the new earth, we will be with Christ.
In My Father's house are many dwelling places." And they all are in the Father's house. You have a room in the Father's house. The focus is on Christ and you're with Him. Not 8 blocks down and 4 blocks to the right ... you're with Him.
it's exciting to realize that you will be the constant companion of the glorified Jesus for all the eternal ages
Psalm 16:11, the Psalmist said: "In Thy presence is fullness of joy at Thy right hand are pleasures forevermore."
The security of the believer is also in view here as He prays for all that the Father has given Me, that they be with Me where I am. If you were a love gift given to the Son by the Father, you will be where He is forever.
1John 3:2: "We shall see Him as He is, we shall be like Him." We shall be like Him. Oh. What a fantastic thing. When Christ who is our life shall appear, Colossians 3:4, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
the confidence in His prayer.
Verses 25 and 26 are just a long "Amen" that's what they are. They're just a long "so let it be, Lord." The requests are ended and the last two verses just breathe the confidence that Christ knows the Father will hear and answer
The Triune God was active in redemption even before creation.[i]
 25 "O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
Joh 7:29; 8:55; 10:15; 15:21; 16:3,27; 17:8 Vocative O  means have mercy, O Lord
This is referring to Jesus’ revelation of the Father’s character and plan of redemption for mankind (cf. vv. 6, 11, 12). The term “known” is used five times in vv. 25–26.
He is pleading His right to pray and our right to God's blessing.
 26 "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." Joh 15:9,15; 17:6 (NKJV)
This is the perpetual mission of Christ to make the father known
This either refers to (1) the continuing revelation of Jesus through the Spirit who clarifies His teachings; or (2) the salvation (Passion Week) events about to occur. The context of the passage implies #1. Salvation involves a person and a message, a decision and a lifestyle, an initial faith and a continuing faith. It involves both the Greek connotation of “know” and the Hebrew connotation of “know.”[1]
He has asked the Father things for 25 verses and now He says -- Father, let it happen, we're Yours, and then, Father, I close with this -- I know You're going to hear and answer and I'm going to continue to do My part as well. Do you see it there? I have declared Thy name unto them and will declare it, will continue to declare it. Father, I'm going to keep on doing my part. This is Christ's promise to continue the work of salvation. It's a pledge to God that Christ will redeem those that the Father gives Him. He asks the Father to respond to His requests and then He says I'll be faithful to My part.
This is a beautiful look at what prayer should really be. It's praying and asking the Father to do what He's promised to do and then saying and I'll continue to do what I know You want me to do. It's not really very fair to pray to God and ask God for this, that and the other thing when you're not willing to do what you know God wants you to do. It's not really fair to spend all your time praying for your unsaved friends when you're not willing to walk over to them and share Jesus Christ with them. Jesus says -- I'm not just asking for You to do it, I'm going to do My part to redeem them.
In v. 26 Christ promises further revelations of the Father, which He gave to the apostles through the Spirit. He asks that we might enjoy the love of the Father in our daily experience (see 14:21–24).[ii]
We may summarize the major parts of this prayer as follows:
In vv. 1–5, Jesus emphasized salvation and the gift of eternal life (v. 2). In vv. 6–19, He dwelt on sanctification: “I have given them Your Word” (v. 14, NKJV). Verses 20–26 focus on glorification—“I have given them the glory” (v. 22, NIV). These gifts take care of the believer’s past, present, and future.
Note also the wonderful assurances of the eternal security of the believer in this prayer: (1) Believers are the Father’s gift to the Son (v. 2), and God will not take back His love gifts. (2) Christ finished His work. Because Christ did His work completely, believers cannot lose their salvation. (3) Christ was able to keep His own while on earth, and He is able to keep them today, for He is the same Savior. (4) Christ knows we will finally be in heaven because He has already given us His glory. (5) Christ prayed that we might be in heaven, and the Father always answers His Son’s prayers (11:41–42).[2]
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
[1] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (158). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (259–260). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
 
[i] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (158). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[ii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (259). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

BEING WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO BE AND DO

              The people of Jesus’ time thought they knew who He was and so they did not believe in Him. Sometimes when God gets ahold of our life the people in and around us refuse to see the change in us and what God has called us to do.  Many who begin to live for God in a way that is totally different from before begin to see persecution and people asking them who do they think they are or calling them holier than thou.  Don’t let this stop you from doing what God has called you to do.  We are to be different and we do have an assignment from God of sharing what Christ has done for us.  Let us be about His Business today and not care what others think if we know we are doing God’s will.  Amen!
          Mark 6:1-6 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
 
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 17:20-21 JESUS PRAYED THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US, THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME

John 17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 "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.
 
Here Jesus is still praying for us believers and is praying again that we would be one as the He is with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  They never fight over who gets to be the Father, who gets to be the Son or the Holy Spirit.  They are always one and in unison on everything because they have one purpose as we do also.  He is praying that we would be one in Them, THAT (here is the purpose) the world may believe that Jesus was sent by the Father and when they do that they will be saved.  That is it people, when we believe Jesus is who He said He was (God in Human Flesh), that He died for our sins, and we trust in that, we are saved. John 5:24 says if we don’t honor the Son, we don’t honor the Father.  When we live as we ought to in harmony with our faith others believe in Jesus.
 
Now He begins to pray specifically for all believers of the future and He kind of sweeps into the future and gathers up all the believers who will ever be saved in all the ages to come and He prays for them.
So, the subjects then for whom He prays are true believers ... who shall believe through the testimony of the gospel recorded in the New Testament by the Apostles and early disciples.
Notice verse 20, and we see the subjects of His prayer
 20 ¶ "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
Neither pray I for these alone." And that's interesting because that's a negative statement. Neither pray I for these alone. That's the third negative in the 17th chapter. There are three things in this chapter that Jesus doesn't pray for. Number one in verse 9: "I pray not for the world." Number two in verse 15, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world," the removal of the believer from the world is not the prayer of Christ. He wants us here. The third negative, verse 20: "Neither pray I for these alone." I don't just confine My prayer to these disciples and Apostles alive now. He reaches out. Verse 20 says: "... but for them also who shall believe on Me through their word."
Do you realize that you appear in the 17th chapter of John if you're a Christian? You say Me in the Bible? You're in there. You're one of the biblical heroes ... right there. You say -- Where's my name? See the word - them -- that's you.
"For them who shall believe on Me." Now that is an indication of a true believer, a true Christian is one who believes on Christ. Now what is meant by that statement is a total involvement and a total commitment to all that Jesus is and all that He said. In Acts 16:31, the Word of God says: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." God wants faith. God does not want your works, He does not want your religion, He does not want your being super religious. He does not want your activity; He does not want your membership in the church. He wants your faith commitment to the person of Jesus Christ. And that's the only kind of person who ever knows God, whoever knows Christ and that's the only person for whom Jesus intercedes. There are a lot of religious people but they are not those for whom Jesus prays. To be a part of Jesus' intercessory work, you must believe.
Watch how it is that they're going to believe. Now, get the picture. Jesus is praying and the disciples are gathered around, they're hearing what He's saying, see. It's going into their little computers, see. And they're hearing all of this stuff. And they've heard all of His prayer up to here and it must be exciting by this time. And now He says -- I pray for them also who shall believe on Me through their word. Whose word? The eleven Apostles that are standing around Him. And, of course, those that were associated with Him. And you can imagine their reaction ... Us? See. I mean, they were weak, frail, just ... their faith was infantile.
By the gospel preached by the Apostles and disciples, will all the generations believe ... those who will believe. Now, that's a very confident statement, you know that? That is not a wish, that is the confidence of omniscience.
I wasn't led to the Lord by an Apostle. Yes you were ... let me show you how. Before the Apostles died, not only did they preach and teach and found the church but under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they wrote the New Testament. And I don't care whether it's directly from reading the New Testament or indirectly from somebody sharing you the principles of the New Testament, your salvation goes right back to an apostolic origin or to at least a disciple of Jesus Christ in the early years. All of us find our basic concepts in terms of Jesus Christ and God and the gospel, right here in the pages of this book ... whether you know it or not, you're directly or indirectly related to apostolic messages and proclamations.
Romans 10:17 and it's commonly translated "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Now that's a true principle ... faith does come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God ... but the Greek there says this: Faith comes by hearing and hearing by a speech about Jesus Christ. Did you get that? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by a speech,' rhēma not logos, about Christ not God. The accurate reading is Christ. It is the apostolic preaching of Christ that brings faith ... whether from a pulpit indirectly or whether directly from someone reading the Word of God, whether on an individual share basis, it all goes back to a speech about Jesus Christ delivered at one time or another by an early Apostle or disciple.
And so, you and I merely have the privilege of taking apostolic gospel committed unto them by the Holy Spirit, the gospel of the first disciples, and handing it to men today and thus the salvation of the entire church of Jesus Christ goes directly or indirectly right back to those men.
I can get excited about reading this because I can get excited about Jesus praying for me two thousand years ago.
Jesus just gets ready for the sheep not yet born ... prepares everything so that when they're born things are right.
 He says “through their word.”  He’s now talking about through the apostle’s word, through the disciple’s word, through what they teach and preach about Jesus Christ.  Now, you may have been raised in a tradition or heard the word “apostolic teaching.”  Maybe you’ve heard the word “apostolic teaching of the cross.”  Maybe you were in a denomination that had apostolic in the title.  What we mean, a lot of things by this, but what we mean, this is a good text to talk about it, is that when we talk of apostolic, it’s the word that God gave the apostles and then, subsequently, they write what we call the New Testament.
Jesus only prays for one thing while we're here on earth. He prays for a second thing but it has to do with us in heaven ... only one thing while we're here on earth.
Secondly, we see the requests. He only makes two requests: one of them has to do with the world here and one of them has to do with the world up there.
In terms of our life here He only prays for one thing - that they all may be one
21 "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. Joh 10:16,38; 14:11; 17:11,22-23; Ro 12:5; Ga 3:28
Now, if the natural man cannot evaluate our accuracy in Christianity and evaluate the power of Christianity and cannot really discern the person of Jesus Christ and all that He can do in a life through our doctrine, there's only one other way they can do it and that's through the testimony of our oneness
But Jesus is not praying for a church apart from doctrinal purity.  He’s not asking for unity apart from belief.  In fact, to be one is to be as He is one and His Father and His Father is in Him.  So there is some non-negotiable information that this unity has to be based on.  He’s praying for unity that we may be one with Him just like He is one with His Father and His Father is one with Him.
The Gospel has to be the centerpiece.  Paul says, “If they preach another Gospel, let them be anathema.”Let them be cursed!  If you modify the Gospel, if you alter it, if you add to it, if you take away from it, Paul says, Anathema!”
 You can’t be unified, you can’t have unity with “churches” that don’t hold to the same Gospel that the New Testament, that the Scriptures, teach.  By grace, through faith, apart from any contribution or work of man so that no one can boast.  It’s a free gift of God.  The Gospel that He lived, He died on a cross, He was buried, the third day He was resurrected from the dead and any and all who believe and put faith in Him are granted eternal life.  You cannot negotiate that.
Religious people who call for unity are not necessarily doing a good thing.  So, don’t always feel, sort of, put off or uncomfortable when they want to play ball and you don’t.  
 And this is the oneness that He’s talking about.  Not a unity across party lines.  Not a bi-partisan religious community.  This is a very narrow unity agreeing with the Father and the Son.
READ OUR DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
http://hisloveministries.net/index.php/what-we-believe/
Because we want the unity that’s in Christ and in His Father; not in the world religion or the world community.
Now, He's talking about a spiritual oneness and we'll take it apart a little bit so we can see what it means. In Ephesians it talks about unity and the unity of the body and what it means. But what He's basically ... has in mind is the oneness of a holy life set against the defilement of an unholy world. And Jesus says -- If you were only one, in a separated, unified holiness where the world could look at you and say they're different and they're all different, it must be real. But the world looks and says -- one of those and one of those and one of these and everything and they don't know if we go together or if we don't go together. And we all claim the same thing and it all comes out different.
Apart from Jesus Christ, the world is a shattered, broken, ruined disunity. In Christ, we become one. The only problem is we don't always manifest that oneness in our practice, do we? Positional unity is already ours; you are one in Christ because of salvation. I'm one with you; we're one in the body, aren't we? But that's positional oneness. What Christ wants is that experiential oneness where our position becomes our practice, right?
Ephesians 2:14, now here is positional oneness. Now you have to understand the difference between position and practice or you'll never understand Scripture. Your position is what you are in Christ; your practice is how you act. And sometimes you don't act like what you are. Right? Verse 14: "For He is our peace who has made both one." Now that's our position. Jew and Gentile have been made one. He has broken down the middle wall of partition having abolished in His flesh," "the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; to make in Himself of two," that is Jew and Gentile, "into one new man.” Christ has made believers one in Christ -- positional. Verse 16: "That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross." We are one positionally.
Then down in verse 21, we have been built into one building. In verse 22 we are built to an habitation, built together. There's oneness.
Over in chapter 4 it says -- one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one, one, one. Positionally we're one. We all belong to Jesus. We all belong to the body. We've all been born again. We're all one.
Verse 12: "The pastor, teacher and evangelist are for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Did you know that the pastor is not supposed to do the work of the ministry? He's supposed to perfect the saints and they're supposed to do the work of the ministry. That's what it says.
For what reason? Verse 13: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith." You say -- Wait a minute; I thought we were already one. We are positionally. What's he talking about here? Your practice. You are one, but he says I'm going to give you all the basics and all the things you need to become one visibly before the watching world.
Now, we're one in Christ but we don't act like it. So, Jesus prays that we be one. In First Corinthians 12:12: "For as the body is one," that's us; we're all one in Christ, every believer around the world, "has many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ." We're one. Watch verse 25 to 27: "That there should be no schism in the body." In other words, we can be one and not act like it, can't we?
But as long as you've got an open heart to care for everybody within in sight and anybody in the body of Christ-the same as you care for everybody else, where's the division going to come, there can't be any division. No schism in the body.
And then he says -- If one member suffers, we all suffer. If one member's honored, we all rejoice with him This is the practical oneness that he watts that Jesus prays for.
That they all may be one," how? "... As Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee.
Jesus is talking about here is a unity that has nothing to do with form and pattern at all; it's a spiritual oneness that exceeds that.
And sadly, the cause of Christian oneness has all through history been injured, violated and hindered. You know why? Watch this one, because men have consistently loved their organization more than they've loved each other. They have become selfish either in loving themselves or their little organization more than they love others. And that has caused division.
Jesus wants a oneness of love possible only in holiness. Now let me go back and give you the principle I gave you last week. The only way we can be one, watch it now, the only way we can be one is when we're all holy.
Does the Father love the Son? Does the Son love the Father? In an infinite capacity? Yes. Are both of them separate from sin? Yes. And thus, the kind of oneness analogous to the Father/Son oneness is a oneness of holiness and love ... separate from sin and in love with each other. That's what Jesus prayed for.
I Peter 3:8, "Finally, be ye all of one mind.
You'll never be blessed in your Christian life until you learn how to really unite yourself with others in holiness and love. Anytime there's division, it's a manifestation of two things ... unholiness, sin, carnality, call it what you want; secondly, a lack of love. That's it.
all you've got to do is just worry about being like Christ and you don't have to worry about adjusting to everybody else.
There's so many keys to our oneness, we've talked about them in our series on the body, ministering your spiritual gift to each other. Have you done that? Have you been ministering to others? Do you have the gift of mercy? Have you got some of the other gifts, teaching, gift of faith, praying? Have you been ministering to others? How about fellowshipping with each other? fellowship means loving each other, means rebuking each other if you see a brother in sin. It means helping the weaker brother, the legalist. It means forgiving. It means bearing each other's burdens. It means restoring a brother taken in a fault. Have you been doing that? How about praying for each other, have you done that? Is your prayer life geared for others? Our oneness is to be like that of the Father and Son ... a oneness in them. And the highest type of spiritual oneness exists between them.
They're one, aren't they? But are they still two distinct personalities? Sure they are. Is the Father still the Father and the Son still the Son, they're one and yet two? We don't understand that, do we? We don't worry about it, we just don't understand it. Now watch this. We're one in the body, right? One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one hope, one Spirit, one body, we're all one, one, one, one. And yet, do we lose our distinct personalities? No. Do each of us have separate gifts of the Spirit? Sure. Do each of us have separate ministries And abilities? Sure. We are still different and yet we are ... what? ... one. So, in that way we're also analogous to the difference between ... to the oneness of the Father and the Son. They're one and yet distinct persons ... we are and yet distinct persons. So, in that sense, we're one.
Some of the things we learn from the prayer are:The Father sent the Son. 
The Father is in the Son to do the work.
The Son is in the Father.
The Son only does that which the Father told Him to do.
The Son obeyed everything perfectly and has perfect fellowship with His Father and cannot wait to be back in glory with His Father.
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

TRUST IN THE LORD

The long painful history of the Church is God’s people ever and again being tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led. Instead we should heed Psalm 37:3-6 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Are you trusting in Him fully today?  
          Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
 
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 17:13 -19 JESUS SAID SANCTIFY THEM BY YOUR TRUTH. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH

John 17:13 "But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 ¶ "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
 
Jesus has spoken many things so we can have His joy complete in our life.  We are also told how we have the Father’s word and because of that we will be hated because we are not like the world.  He prays for us not to be taken out of the world, but that we will be protected while we are here.  Our job is not to get saved and leave, but we are to share God’s word with others.  He also is praying that we will be Holy and separate from the world because we have been transformed by the Word we have read and absorbed into our life.  He also sends us as He was sent and has set Himself apart as completely holy so that we can be that way too.
Now on the terrible threshold that they're about to face with the betrayal, the denial and the scattering; with this cryptic notion about the son of perdition betraying Him to fulfill Scripture, Jesus brings up the subject of joy.
13 "But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
Second thing He prays for is their joy in the world.
Purpose clause “that they may keep on having Christ’s joy in their faithfulness realized in themselves.”
Christ's joy was in the care of the Father for Him. Did you get that? Christ's joy was in knowing that the Father cared for Him. And Christ wanted us to share His joy and so He prays this prayer to show us that the Father also cares for us. Do you see? Christ's great joy was that He knew the Father cared for Him. He knew it. And He says Father; I'm praying out loud so they'll know not only how much I love them but that You're going to care for them. For them to understand the love and care of the Father, for them to understand the intercessory work of Jesus was a constant source of joy.
"Your life's going to fall apart, My friends. It's going to fall apart and I want you to have joy. In a few minutes are going to run away, you're going to deny me, you’re going to scatter like bugs and you know what? It's alright because I want you to have My joy. What a God we have.
Joy came to them because they knew from His words that He had conquered the evil one and brought eternal life to them.
 14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
We welcome the Person of the gospel and believe the message of the gospel!
Thirdly, He prays for their protection in the world. Verse 14, "I have given them Thy Word," and, of course, when He did that that set them apart. I  when they received the Word, the Word of God, the Word made them alive, they were automatically set apart from the rest of the world. And who runs the world? Satan.
Jesus’ intercession for the disciples continued with a reminder of (a) their value and (b) their coming danger. They were valuable because they had received the Word of God: I have given them Your Word (cf. “I gave them the words You gave Me,” v. 8). They were in danger because the satanic world system hated them. It hated them because they are not a part of it.
John 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ulest his works should be exposed. Joh 8:23; 15:18-19; 17:8,16; 1Jo 3:13
The Word of God not only brings us God’s joy and love, but it also imparts God’s power for holy living (John 17:15–17)
 15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
There is no escape for us from the perpetual task of changing sons of evil to sons of God. This clear statement is always a warning to Christians. Mt 6:13; 2Th 3:3;
Ga 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father
Though it would secure their own safety, would leave the world unblessed by their testimony.
They have the word but the world's going to hate them. The evil one is a real danger to these people. Jesus does not want them taken out of the world away from the danger of the evil one. Jesus wants them in the world protected in the context from the evil one. Now if you recall, Moses, Elijah and Jonah were all, "Poor, poor, pitiful me" at some point in their life and they wanted God to take them out of the world.
Each one of them asked God to take them out of the world. He didn't answer any one of them. He left them because they had a mission they had to accomplish. They had been sent by God to do something. The same is true for you and me. The world is godless and blind and we're living in the world and the world may very well hate us. And we’re not to be praying and crying and saying, "Take me of the world." We're to stay here.
Like Daniel in Babylon (Dan. 1-2; 4-6) and the saints in Caesar’s household (Phil. 4:22), God intends for His followers to be witnesses to truth in the midst of satanic falsehood
The Bible says in I John 5:18 that the whole world lies in the arms of the wicked one, doesn't it? The whole world. And we need to be protected from the wicked one. Don't take them out just protect them.
 16 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Joh 17:14
the first thing He prayed for was Oneness through holiness and here He gets down to how we can be made holy.
 17 ¶ "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 2Sa 7:28; Ps 119:142,151; Joh 8:40; 15:3; Ac 15:9; Eph 5:26; 1Pe 1:22 it's truth ... absolute, inerrant, accurate, total revelation of God.
A sanctified Christian is someone who is daily growing in the Word and as a result is separated more and more from the world unto the Father.
Believers are called to Christlikeness (cf. v. 19; Rom. 8:24; Gal. 4:19; I Thess. 5:23). This can only happen through knowledge of the truth, which is both the living word (Jesus cf. 10:36) and written word (Bible cf. 15:3).[i]
thy word is truth—(Compare Jn 15:3; Col 1:5; Eph 1:13).
Constantly used in the Septuagint to express the entire dedication and consecration of both persons and things to God. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious
The truth is communicated in the Word, which is both personal and put forward for consideration.  As the message about Jesus was heard, believed, and understood, the disciples’ hearts and minds were captured. This change in their thinking resulted in changes in their living. The same is true of believers today. As they appropriate God’s Word to their lives, they are sanctified—set apart for God and changed in their living in order to honor God (cf. 15:3). God’s message set the apostles apart from the world so that they would do His will, not Satan’s.[ii]
Romans 12-1-2
The world competes for the Father’s love (1John 2:15–17), but the Word of God enables us to enjoy the Father’s love. One of the first steps toward a worldly life is the neglect of the Word of God.
D.L. Moody wrote in the front of his Bible, “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.” [iii]
True sanctification (being set apart for God) comes through the ministry of the Word of God. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). When you were saved, you were set apart for God. As you grow in your faith, you are more and more experiencing sanctification. You love sin less and you love God more. You want to serve Him and be a blessing to others. All of this comes through the Word.
With the mind, we learn God’s truth through the Word. With the heart, we love God’s truth, His Son. With the will, we yield to the Spirit and live God’s truth day by day. It takes all three for a balanced experience of sanctification. We are people “under orders” and we had better obey! Jesus is now “set apart” in heaven, praying for us, that our witness will bear fruit as many repent of their sins and turn to the Lord.
 18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Joh 20:21
The Word gives us joy, love, and power to live a holy life. It also gives us what we need to serve Him as witnesses in this world (John 17:18–19). Sanctification is not for the purpose of selfish enjoyment or boasting; it is so that we might represent Christ in this world and win others to Him. Jesus set Himself apart for us, and now He has set us apart for Him. The Father sent Him into the world, and now He sends us into the world
How does He send us? To be holy and set apart. Father, You sent Me here, set apart from men, undefiled, not touched by sin, to confront the world, Father, that's the way I want to send them, holy, undefiled, without blemish. As Peter said, "Without blemish and without spot." Unholy, worldly Christians accomplish nothing. They are negative.
Matthew 28:18–20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority iin heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 jGo therefore and kmake disciples of lall nations, jbaptizing them min2 nthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them oto observe all that pI have commanded you. And behold, qI am with you always, to rthe end of the age.” 
This passage is similar to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Each Christian should view himself as a missionary whose task is to communicate God’s truth to others.
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
 19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 1Co 1:2,30; 1Th 4:7;
Heb 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The purpose of the death of Christ is to dedicate or separate believers to God and His program.[iv]
He addressed Him in verse eleven as Holy Father. It's the only time in the New Testament that anyone called God the Father "Holy Father." The only time.
 Why does Jesus call Him Holy Father in the middle of John seventeen? It's not wrong to do it. Why does He say "Holy Father" all of a sudden? Because the word holy means to set something apart and He's trying to give them a forecast of "Holy Father, the one who is the most set apart, I want You to holy them; I want You to set them apart," because sanctification comes from the concept of holiness; to be set apart for God.
Jesus is going to sanctify them; to set them apart, to live in a context where it is hostile and dangerous and they'll be hated, and He says, "I'm going to set you apart for this."
Now here's where we get the idea of the High Priestly Prayer. Jesus says, "I sanctify Myself."
 The high priest picked one time in his life in that year, went in the Holy of Holies and made that offering. He sanctified himself before he did that through ritual cleansing of blood and the ear lobes, all the stuff on the ephod; all that stuff he did offering sacrifices and then he went in, one time in his life; by lot he went in and he offered the sacrifice for the atonement. Remember? Do you know the Old Testament?
 This is where the high priest language comes.
 Jesus says, "I sanctify Myself. I set Myself apart to be the High Priest and I am the sacrifice."
 Because no matter how clean a priest could get, he was still filthy; and no matter what animal he slaughtered, it was still an animal. And so the High Priest is the concept, but the prayer is, "I sanctify Myself."
 Jesus says, "I'm going to come as the priest; perfect and without blemish. I never sinned; I'm the only one and I set Myself apart to be the sacrifice for their sins."
Therefore  the High Priestly prayer. "And when I do that I want to sanctify them so I can leave them intact when I go away." That's what Jesus is praying
For their sake I sanctify Myself? Sanctify, holy, means to set apart. Did Jesus set Himself apart? Sure He did. He set Himself apart to do ... what? ... whose will? ... the Father's. He set Himself apart to do the Father's will. And He's saying this -- Father, for their sakes I set Myself apart to do Your will that they may be set apart to do Your will.
Do you know that we could never do the will of the Father if Jesus hadn't accomplished the Father's will on the cross? Could we? Could we be holy? Set apart unto God without the cross? No. Could we be set apart at all without Christ being set apart? No. That's why Hebrews says, in Hebrews 10:10, "For by one offering has He sanctified," or set apart, "all believers." Once for all He died and set us apart. And if He hadn't been willing to set Himself apart, obediently to the Father's will, we would be unable to do it. And so, Jesus is saying -- Father, I've got to get to the cross and I'm willing to do it, I've got to set Myself apart that they may be set apart.
Listen to this. Hebrews 13:12: "listen ... here's His purpose in dying, listen: Heb 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate." You know why He died?  To set us apart, holy unto God. Same thing in Titus 2:14 It says this: "Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a people of His own." You see, He had to die to set us apart. He had to be set apart to do God's will that we might be holy. There it is.
I want to conclude with one lesson that from this passage we are to be in the world but not of the world. Jesus prays for their protection and their sanctification so that they will carry out the mission that He leaves them to ultimately glorify God. He prays for their protection and their sanctification so that they will be kept in their mission and He sanctifies them to be left here to carry out the mission of the Gospel that He's given them to preach.
1John 2:15:Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
 So how do we live in the world and not of the world?
America has analyzed this culture more than any other culture perhaps of all time. How many polls do you think the media takes every day? How many politicians take multiple polls in the course of a week? And we've always got our finger to the wind to see what people think. We are led by popular opinion. What a stupid way to think!
"If everybody thinks it's right, it should be right."
 I mean, this is so stupid.
 "Morality by majority."
 What a great way to think, you know? There are absolutes in the Bible. We are to be in the world and not of the world. You can't be a bombastic, fundamentalist, Bible beating, screaming, yelling, loud; well you can. That does a lot of good. Nor are we to capitulate and do nothing. The distinction is the mission. The mission is the Gospel, not an agenda. Jesus did not leave them here to bring in a political revolution; a social revolution. He left them to give life to the dead. That's the mission.
 So we analyze our culture and the danger then is, "Okay, now we've figured it out. Now here's how we shrink wrap the Bible and give it back to the culture that needs it."
The believer is to be distinct from the world's sin, the world's values and the world's goals; we are to look different.
we really have to be distinct from the values of the culture, from the sins of the culture and from the goals of the culture. It's not just what movies are you watching or not watching; it's what values does the culture have and do you share those or do you have eternal values?
2Co 6:17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."(NKJV)
I bet most everyone secretly believes this. If I do right as a Christian, God is somehow beholding to me to bless me and if I'm not blessed, then am I doing something wrong or what God? What if the greatest lesson in life is learned through tragedy? What if the closest walk with Christ is learned in horrible crises? What if intimacy with the Father and glorification for Jesus Christ means death on a cross?
 Wow! That's not American Christianity. We don't like that.
Christ’s example indicates that true sanctification is absolute subjection to God’s will-even to death.
They also may be sanctified = ‘sanctified’ is in the perfect tense; so in Christ’s sanctification (death), all believers are permanently sanctified.[v]
How can we be overcome by the world when we have the Word of God to enlighten us, enable us, and encourage us?
 
[i] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (157). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[ii] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Jn 17:16–17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[iii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 17:13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[iv] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Jn 17:19). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[v] Mills, M. S. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Jn 17:9–26). Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.
 
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
 

JESUS CAME TO GIVE US LIFE AND SET US FREE

Mark 5:1-6 describes the condition of the demoniac of Gadarene. Many in this world are like this man, they are in torment and crying out for relief.  They may not be demon possessed as this man was, but they are still possessed by torment, misery, and pain.  Don’t think because you don’t see this type of misery in a person that it is not inside of them.  Many believers need someone to come alongside of them to help them remember how much Jesus loves them and they can overcome these feelings through Him. Those that aren’t saved are going to be looking for something to set them free, it may be a bottle or any multitudes of addictions, but they are still killing the pain somehow. Unfortunately, they are looking for love in all the wrong places. Jesus came to give us life and set us free and these folks are not free, but we can set them free through Christ Jesus. Ask God to show you someone today that you can tell about Jesus.
          Mark 5:1-6 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
 
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 17:11-12 JESUS SAID HOLY FATHER, KEEP THROUGH YOUR NAME THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE

John 17:11 "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. 12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
 This is a critical section of Scripture. Our calling to be one as the Bible defines oneness. In so many churches today we are fighting over the issues that we can agree to disagree on. What I mean is that we will not all agree on all the things the Bible says, we get caught up with election, predestination, tongues, and we fight over what color carpet to have or matters that just are not essential to our salvation. These items listed below are the things we need to stand up for and make sure the truth is defended. Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Now, what does He pray for? Four specifics, and may I add that this is for all of these disciples but particularly for the eleven that has special import. He prays for their oneness in the world, their joy in the world, their protection in the world and their sanctification by the Word... four tremendous things.
The words "keep" and "remain" are themes from verse eleven through the end of verse twenty-three in this section.  He's praying that they'll be kept. He's praying that they'll be protected. He's praying that they'll be in unity. In the midst of this prayer for keeping them
11 "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. Joh 10:30; 13:1; 16:28; 17:21; 1Pe 1:5; Jude 1:1
the first thing He prays for is our oneness, the way we have oneness is living in holiness which causes unity
17:11 "I am no longer in the world" This refers to (1) the immediate future (ascension) when Jesus will return to the Father (cf. Acts 1:9-10) or (2) the public ministry of Jesus.
Luke 1:49 for fhe who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 
▣ "Holy Father" This term "Holy" is used of the Father only here in the NT (Also used in the title, "Holy One," I Pet. 1:15) as it is in the OT. This adjective (hagios) is also often attributed to the Spirit (cf. 1:33; 14:26; 20:22). The same Greek root is used of the disciples in v. 17 (hagiasmos) and Jesus in v. 19 (hagiazō).
The basic etymology of the root is "to separate for God's service" (cf. vv. 17,19). It is used of persons, places, and things given exclusively for God's use. It describes God's superior character (the Holy One of Israel) and a differentness from physical, earthly, fallen things. Jesus was holy; as His followers become more like Him they, too, reflect "holiness." The root of the term "saint" is from the Greek term "holy." Believers are holy because they are in Christ, but they are to become holy as they live for Him, like Him, and unto Him.
 ▣ "keep them in Your name" Jesus is praying (aorist active imperative) for the empowering protection and personal presence that YHWH has given Him (perfect active indicative) to be provided His disciples (cf. v. 12). This will enable them to minister in a fallen world as He ministered in a fallen world (cf. v. 18). This is one of the benefits of the unity (cf. v. 21) between
the Father
the Son
the disciples
The power of the Holy Father is being set as sufficient to off-set the influence of the world's system. He says -- Holy Father -- emphasizing His holiness. Now the word holiness, hagiŏs, holy, simply means to be set apart, or to be separated. And He is saying -- separate Father. What does He mean? Separate from what? What is it that God is separate from? From sin, Holy Father, separate from sin, guard them. Guard them from what? Guard them from sin. Separate Father, keep them separate. That's all He's saying. And the holy is the whole emphasis of this passage. God is holy and separated from all evil. He is of purer eyes than behold iniquity and canst not look upon sin. And here His holiness is emphasized because Christ wants Him to keep His disciples holy and separated from all evil. Separated Father, keep them from the same thing that You're separated from. Guard them against the unholiness of the world. The word to keep is tērēson, it means to watch over, it's kind of a divine surveillance, you know. For three years Jesus had kept them and now He commits them to the care of the Father with the prayer that the Father will fulfill His will and guard them from the unholiness of a polluted, godless, Christ-hating, persecuting world.
 God’s people are the Father’s gift to His Son. Would the Father present His Son with a gift that would not last? The disciples had belonged to the Father by creation and by covenant (they were Jews), but now they belonged to the Son. How precious we are in His sight! How He watches over us and even now prays for us!
Whenever you feel as though the Lord has forgotten you
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is ja strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and kis safe. 
Do you know why we're so valuable to Jesus? You know why? Because we are love gifts to Him from the Father. That's why. In ourselves we're not that valuable, but because we have been given to Christ as an expression of the Father's love, we are priceless.
Do you know why Jesus now loves you so much? Not because of your own intrinsic value but because you were given to Him by the Father and He loves the Father infinitely. You want to know something exciting? Consequently, He loves you to the same degree that He loves the Father. That's why you're so valuable. You see, that's why when Jesus goes to the cross, He stops to pray for you because He loves you so much, not for you own sake, but for the sake of the Father who gave you to Him. I mean, that's exciting, isn't it? That will show you the depth of the love of Christ for you... it's not limited. His love for you is as unlimited as His love for the Father. For you represent to Him, the love of the Father, for indeed you were the Father's love gift to Him. Now that's why Jesus is so concerned about praying for US. That's why the ministry of intercession is what it is. That's why He really cares .
And the kinship must be with the Father, not of human agreement.
▣ "that they may be one even as We are" This is a present subjunctive. It refers to the relational unity of the Triune God (cf. vv. 21,22,23; 10:30; 14:10). This is also an awesome request and responsibility for Christians! This call for unity is lacking in our day (cf. Eph. 4:1-6). Unity, not uniformity, is the way to reunite God's splintered church.
Unity is the cry of the New Testament, the body, the unity of the body, every member caring for the other member ... all of the unities that are prescribed in Ephesians 4, 1Corinthians chapter 12, constantly throughout the New Testament, love for each other and oneness. And Jesus says Oh, Father, You've got to keep them from unholiness in order that they may be one. Now watch this, friends, that means that there's only one thing that ever violates oneness. What is it? Unholiness, sin ... sin. When anyone believer gets sucked off into the world, oneness is destroyed because we automatically, at that point, lose the unity of our testimony.
A unity of love in holiness that separates us from the world is Jesus prayer. Jesus prayed for separated disciples.
Oneness of will and spirit (ἑν [hen], neuter singular), not one person
Jesus offers the unity in the Trinity (three persons, but one God) as the model for believers. The witness of the disciples will fail without harmony (17:21).
12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Ps 109:8; Joh 6:39,70; 10:28; 13:18; 18:9; Ac 1:20; Heb 2:13; 1Jo 2:19
He says: "Those that Thou gave Me," and that's seven times in this chapter, He refers to Christians as gifts from the Father ... seven times. Because, you see, that's the basis of His care for us.
The thrust of the passage is Jesus’ continuous protection (cf. I Pet. 1:3–9).
I continued to keep.
I guarded them as a means to their preservation. 1 Peter 1:4  to an inheritance that is imperishable•, undefiled, and lunfading, mkept in heaven for you,
He says the first (tēreō) meant to preserve and the second (phulassō) meant to guard.
 John6:39, "All that the Father gives to Me, who come to Me, I'll lose none of them but raise them at the last day." He never loses one love gift that the Father gives Him, never.
Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
He's saying -- The Father's will was accomplished in the case of the eleven, and it was also accomplished in the case of the one. Judas never was saved.
This is a Hebraic idiom meaning “the one who is destined to be lost.” It is a word play on the term “lost” used earlier in the verse: “no one is lost except the one destined to be lost.”
A play on words: “None of them perished, but the son of perishing”
Mark 14:21 For •the Son of Man goes aas it is written of him, but bwoe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! cIt would have been better for •that man if he had not been born.” 
Judas is chosen by God, but he betrays Christ. So what's going on here? In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 you have the exact same phrase, "son of destruction" or "son of perdition." You compare it later on your own with Acts 1:25. 
It points to Judas' character, not his destiny. It's not pointing to the fact that Judas was, before the foundation of the world, destined to go to hell. It says that his character was of this disposition. His character was of destruction; of perdition.
 The phrase "son of destruction" has to do with Judas, we've seen it before, in his relationship with Satan; his being in league with the devil. In 6:70 he says, "One of you is a devil," referring to Judas.  In chapter 13:2, Satan puts the idea in Judas' heart to betray his master. In chapter 13:27 Satan enters Judas so he carries out his betrayal and then in chapter thirteen verse thirty, Judas is found in the realm of darkness.
Php 1:28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
 2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
 1Ti 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
 Heb 10:39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
 2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
 Re 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
 Re 17:11 "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
 There are at least two passages we could turn to, to see that potential fulfilling; Psalm 41:9, Psalm 109:4-13
Acts 2:23 this Jesus, delivered up according to ithe definite plan and jforeknowledge of God, kyou crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Now on the terrible threshold that they're about to face with the betrayal, the denial and the scattering; with this cryptic notion about the son of perdition betraying Him to fulfill Scripture, Jesus brings up the subject of joy.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
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“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions.

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

The parable of the sower would have encouraged the disciples and it should also encourage us.  From the preaching of Jesus and His disciples and even down to our day the teaching and preaching of the word will bear fruit in time. God is the one that sees to that through the Holy Spirit.  Many times we get frustrated when we don’t see others grow or come to Christ immediately but just as it takes time for the seed to germinate and grow, so it takes time for the word of God to germinate and grow in people’s heart. Our job is just to scatter the seed (share the word of God) with others. Don’t be discouraged, God’s word will not return void Isaiah 55:10-11 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
               Mark 4:26-29 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 "and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 "But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
   Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 17:6-10 JESUS SAID I HAVE MANIFESTED YOUR NAME TO THE MEN WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME

The first major purpose of Scripture is laid bare in v. 6: it is to reveal the person and character of God to man, for that is what ‘manifested Your name’ means in the Hebrew idiom. The second major purpose of the Bible is revealed in v. 8: it is to present Jesus the Christ as the Savior of the world. Presenting this message to mankind is the work which Jesus had finished doing (v. 4). God has thus given two revelations of Himself to man—Scripture and nature.[i]
Notice that virtually everything Jesus claims to have accomplished is described in the past tense. We realize that some of these “accomplished” items are not yet “realized.” We also know that these words will prove to be true. Is it not wonderfully encouraging to realize that even before His disciples have become what they will be, our Lord can speak confidently about them, as though they have already attained their destiny? This is because our destiny is ultimately in His hands:
28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 Because those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those God predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
23 Now may the God of peace make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect until that day what has been entrusted to me (2 Timothy 1:12).
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence, 25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen (Jude 1:24-25).
What an encouragement it is to know that He is not only the one who sought us and saved us, but He is also the One who keeps us, and who perfects us! We will most certainly become what He has purposed and promised, and so it is that He can speak of our future as though it were already realized.
The emphasis of verses 6-10 is that Jesus has accomplished all that the Father sent Him to do, in terms of equipping the disciples for their “mission
What is the work God has for us on earth? To be “great”? To be noted evangelists? To be famous teachers? To be known and respected by all? Hardly. God wants a very simple thing, which every believer, no matter how humble, can share in fully. God wants us to manifest (make known) His name. We have received Jesus’ words (v. 8) and believed in Him. Now we are to live out those words on earth. The quality of our lives is what will make plain to those around us the character of God. Each of us can brighten the world around us by reaching out to others with a grace and love that are like God’s own.[ii]
6 ¶ "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.
Ps 22:22; Joh 6:37,39; 10:29; 15:19; 17:2,9,11,26
He has revealed the Father to them—verse 6.
We Know His Name (John 17:6–12)
Psalm 9:10 And those who tknow your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. 
Christ has given His own eternal life (John 17:2), but He has also given them the revelation of the Father’s name (John 17:6). The Old Testament Jew knew his God as “Jehovah,” the great I AM (Ex. 3:11–14). Jesus took this sacred name “I AM” and made it meaningful to His disciples: “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35); “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12); “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11); etc. In other words, Jesus revealed the Father’s gracious name by showing His disciples that He was everything they needed.
But the Father’s name includes much more than this, for Jesus also taught His disciples that God—the great I AM—was their Heavenly Father. The word Father is used 53 times in John 13–17, and 122 times in John’s Gospel! In His messages to the Jews, Jesus made it clear that the Father sent Him, that He was equal to the Father, and that His words and works came from the Father. It was a clear claim to Deity, but they refused to believe.[iii]
When it uses the word "name" it means the whole character and the nature of the person as far as it is known. And when Jesus says, "I have declared Your name," He means I have revealed Your character. That's what He means.
Illustration: Psalm 9:10 says: "They that know Thy name will put trust in Thee." And the point of the verse is anybody who really knows the character of God will trust Him. Right? A lot of people know His name. Why ... there are some people halfway down the street, they know God's name. They don't know God. They know His name, title and letters, they don't know His character. If they knew His character they'd trust Him.
Psalm 20 verse 7 it says, "Some trust in chariots," imagine trusting in a chariot? "Some trust in horses," listen to this, "but we'll remember the name of the Lord our God.
The "name" plays an important theological role in the upper room dialogues (cf. 14:13,14,26; 15:16,21; 16:23,24,26; 17:6, 11,12,26). In chapter 17 two unique titles are used of God.
Holy Father, v. 11
Righteous Father, v. 25
Let me give you a second thought here. The name of God was so sacred that no Jew would ever say it. In fact, it was so sacred that they tried to make up a word to substitute for it and they did. They took ... for example, the word for God's name is the verb to be, "I am that I am," remember that's God's name in the Old Testament? I am that I am, see. But the Jew didn't want to say that...no mortal lips could ever say God's name which in the Hebrew is Yahweh. They wouldn't say it. Only the high priest on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement could say it, and no other time by no other person ... too sacred. But they had to refer to God and they didn't want to say: "Dear you know, so they decided -- We'll make up a name. So they took the consonants, the consonants out of Yahweh, YHWH, or JHWH, Hebrew, either way, and they took the vowels out of Adoni which is a word that means Lord and they stuck the vowels out of adoni into the consonants of Yahweh and they came up with Yahhovaw or Jehovah. So in your Bible when you read Jehovah, that's a non-word that has been placed there so that Jews will not have to say the name of God, too sacred to be spoken. But you want to know something wonderful? You know what I can say? I can say God. I can say Yahweh. I can say Jehovah. I can say Abba Father. I can say anything I want. You know why? Because Jesus came to declare and manifest ... what? ... His name. And I don't go to God in any kind of fear and I don't have to go as the high priest, once a year, I can say God's name, it's on my lips continually because Jesus came to place the name of God on human lips, did He not? And when I go to prayer, I talk to God as my intimate Father, I don't go into His presence facetiously: any fear, I don't go in His presence with any reservations, I go into His presence and I say -- Abba Father -- which in English is "Daddy,"  a term of intimacy.
Yes, Jesus said, I came to declare the name of God. And He did. He showed us God's character and He brought men so near to God that they could speak to God in intimacy ... as a loving Father.
They have a right to Your care because they ... they're Yours’s, You chose them to be the objects of Your grace. And so, He's only asking the Father to what He's already designed to do.
They belonged to the Father in eternity past. verse 6
They were given to Jesus by the Father.    verse 6
"the men whom You gave Me" Theologically this speaks of election (cf. vv. 2,9,24; 6:37,39). No one can come unless
God gives (17:2, 6,9,11)
the Spirit draws (6:44,65)
they receive (1:12); believe (3:16)
They have obeyed the Father’s word.         verse 6
It does not imply perfect obedience or sinlessness, but a desire to hear and do all that is revealed; so far it refers to the disciples’ faith in Jesus, abiding in Jesus and loving one another as Jesus loved them.[iv]
Jesus viewed these disciples as those whom God had given to Him out of the world (cf. 6:37; 15:19), not as those who had chosen to follow Him. This viewpoint accounts for Jesus' confidence as He anticipated their future. They belonged to God, and God would therefore protect them. Jesus had revealed God to them. The name of God summarizes everything about Him (cf. Exod. 3:13-15; Isa. 52:6). Manifesting the name of God to people means revealing His essential nature to them.
They had kept God's word by believing on and following Jesus even though they were not consistently obedient.
Anybody who is not a Christian is in the world, in the system. And by the word "world" John uses it in the sense of a system, Satan's evil, godless, anti-Christ system. And the unsaved man is a part of the system.
True believers, then, are chosen out of the world to belong to the Father. And oh, we do belong. In John 10 Jesus is talking about His sheep and He says, verse 27: "My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me," listen to this, "and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Why? "My Father who gave them to Me is greater than all, and no man's able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." Once you become a believer, the Father gives you as a love gift to Jesus, nobody but nobody will ever take you out of His hand. It can't happen. And so, the Father, then, gives love gifts to the Son.
That's the human side? On one hand He says -- They're elect by God, chosen, the ones You decided to bless. On the other hand, they have kept Thy word. Salvation involves the choice of God and the obedience of man, doesn't it? Sure it does. This is the human side. It says in verse 6, "They have kept Thy word." What is that? That's just a way of expressing saving faith, that's all. They have kept means obeyed;
And so, Jesus says -- This is the real stuff, Father, because they have kept the things that I said which are Thy words, see. That's the proof of the pudding, friends, not what you think of Jesus, what you think of what Jesus said.
▣ "they have kept Your word" Obedience is crucial (cf. 8:51,55; 14:23; 15:10,20). This is used in a similar sense to OT "blameless" (cf. Noah, Gen. 6:9; Abraham, Gen. 17:1; Israel, Deut. 18:13; Job, Job 1:1). It does not imply perfect obedience or sinlessness, but a desire to hear and do all that is revealed; so far it refers to the disciples' faith in Jesus, abiding in Jesus, and loving one another as Jesus loved them.
 7 "Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.
He has given them His Word—verses 7-8.
They understand all that Jesus was given came from the Father.
He amplifies this so graphically in verse 7 by saying what they believed.
The first thing they knew was everything He did; He did by the power and the will of God. That everything He had, all the things, that is truths, principles, spiritual principles, doctrines, whatever He gave them was from God. You see, they believed indeed that God was in Christ. You see that? That's the only way to be saved. First John 4:2-3 says: "If a spirit comes along and doesn't confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, he is not of God."
If you come along with anything less than that Jesus Christ is God in a human body, God in human flesh, it's a lie right out of the pit ... plain and simple ... not of God. But these were true disciples.
How do we know their faith was real? How do we know? Verse 7, "Because they agreed that everything Jesus said came from God," they saw Him as God in human flesh.
 8 "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.
The one inescapable point of all biblical teaching is summed up in this verse; does the hearer believe that Jesus was sent by God? [v]
"For I have given unto them the words which Thou gave Me." And what did they do with them? "They have received them." Oh listen, my friends, it's not enough to be enamored with the person of Jesus, it's not enough to think religious thoughts, the only way a man ever comes to God, the only way a man ever knows God, the only way a man is ever put on divine welfare, the only way a man will ever be blessed by God, the only way a man will ever inherit eternal life, the only way he'll ever spend eternity in a glorious heaven in a place prepared by the Father in the Father's own house, is when he agrees that Jesus is God in human flesh and everything He said, He said right out of the mind of God.
Joh 8:28; 12:49; 14:10; 16:27,30; 17:25
They have accepted the teaching Jesus has given them from the Father.      verse 8
His disciples now understand and believe Jesus was sent into the world by the Father.            verse 8
And the two things that give them credential to be blessed by God: God's own choice and their own faith.
they received them"
They received Jesus' message about God. This highlights the twin aspects of the gospel as (1) a person and (2) a message.
"they received. . .they believed" These are aorist active indicatives. These truths refer to Jesus' divine origin and message (cf. 5:19; 6:68-69; 12:48-49; 16:30; 17:18,21,23,25).
Now, Father, You chose him before the foundation of the world. And You chose him to be blessed. Besides that, Father, his faith is genuine and he really loves You.
And you see, it's on those two bases that Jesus Christ pleads on my behalf. Boy, is that humbling? Well, every time I think about that, I don't deserve it ... and my sins get bigger and bigger, you know. And I just say -- Hallelujah for grace, you know ... 'because 1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
1Jo 5:19
This prayer is for two things: (a) the disciples’ preservation (“protect them,” v. 11) and (b) their sanctification (“sanctify them,” v. 17). [vi]
He is praying for His disciples because they are believers.          verse 9
He is praying for those who belonged to the Father, and now belong to Him.  verse 9
And so, Jesus says -- These are the ones I'm praying for. They're the ones who are for real. You want to know something? Let me just add this footnote. And I've said it before but I'm going to say it again.
 The real proof of discipleship, now watch this one, is continued obedience. There seems to be a problem with so many people. People say -- Well, I know so-and-so, and they came to church and they talked about the Lord and they were supposedly Christians and this, and all of a sudden they were gone.
And the two things that give them credential to be blessed by God: God's own choice and their own faith.
In John's writings this term World uniquely means "human society organized and functioning apart from God."
Does Jesus pray for the unsaved? The Bible doesn't say. Well, is there ever an illustration anywhere of Jesus praying for someone who didn't love Him? Yes. One, and that's all. And it's recorded for us; Luke 23:34 and it says this, are you ready for this? He's hanging on the cross, He looks out and He says -- Father ... what? ... forgive them, for they know not what they do. That's the only time really that you ever see Jesus pray for an unbeliever. Oh, other times He redeemed them out of unbelief. But praying for them as unbelievers -- that's the only time. And as much as anything, that becomes an illustration to us of what Jesus said in Matthew 5 when He said pray for your enemies for those that hate you and despitefully use you
But He cannot pray in any kind of an intercessory way for the Father to bless an unbeliever, you see, here is intercession. He ever lives to make intercession for us, not unbelievers. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, God is not concerned with blessing you. You're not the object of His blessing. Christ does not intercede on your behalf. He intercedes for those that are His. You see, that's why He says -- I don't intercede for the world ... I don't do it. They are not objects of the Father's blessing. Jesus carries on no intercessory work.
Heb 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.(NKJV)
"the world" Kosmos is used eighteen times in this chapter. Jesus cares for (1) the planet (cf. 17:5,24) and (2) believers' relationship to its fallenness (cf. 1:10; 17:6,9,11,13,14, 15,16,17,18,21,23). In John's writings this term uniquely means "human society organized and functioning apart from God." Sometimes it implies (1) the planet; (2) all life on the planet; or (3) or life apart from God.
10 "And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
This reveals the unity of the Trinity
And then He gives the two reasons why He intercedes for us, two reasons. Number one, we are His personal possession ... verse 9: "I pray for them, I pray not for the world but for them that Thou hast given Me," why? ... For they are Thine," watch verse 10, "And all Mine are Thine and Thine are Mine."
He is praying for those whom He and the Father possess together.        verse 10
Our security rests in another fact: we are here to glorify Him (John 17:10). With all of their failures and faults, the disciples still receive this word of commendation: “I am glorified in them.” Would it bring glory to God if one of His own, who trusted in the Savior, did not make it to heaven? Certainly not! This was Moses’ argument when the nation of Israel sinned: “Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘For mischief did He bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?’ ” (Ex. 32:12) Certainly God knows all things, so why save them at all if He knows they will fail along the way? Whatever God starts, He finishes (Phil. 1:6).
God has provided the divine resources for us to glorify Him and be faithful. We have His Word (John 17:7–8), and His Word reveals to us all that we have in Jesus Christ. The Word gives us faith and assurance. We have the Son of God interceding for us (John 17:9; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 4:14–16). Since the Father always answers the prayers of His Son (John 11:41–42), this intercessory ministry helps to keep us safe and secure.
We also have the fellowship of the church: “that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:11). The New Testament knows nothing of isolated believers; wherever you find saints, you find them in fellowship. Why? Because God’s people need each other. Jesus opened His Upper Room message by washing the disciples’ feet and teaching them to minister to one another. In the hours that would follow, these men (including confident Peter!) would discover how weak they were and how much they needed each other’s encouragement.
The believer, then, is secure in Christ for many reasons: the very nature of God, the nature of salvation, the glory of God, and the intercessory ministry of Christ[vii]
He is praying for them because He is glorified by them.  verse 10
And so, Jesus prays -- Father, bless them because they're our charge, our responsibility. Second thing and last thing, second reason He prays for them, this is great ... verse 10... and I am glorified in them." And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world and I come to Thee..." Father, bless them because I'm leaving and coming to You and if I am to be glorified anymore, I will be glorified ... what? ... in them. And so did Paul say -- Christ in you ... what? ... the hope of glory.
"I have been glorified in them" A disciple's life is to give honor to Jesus as He gave honor to the Father. What an awesome responsibility!
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
In the old economy, God dwelt among people and showed His glory. In Jesus, God’s glory was displayed (cf. 1:14). Then Christ’s disciples glorified Him: Glory has come to Me through them. And now in the Church Age the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son (16:14) and believers are also to glorify the Son (Eph. 1:12).
God wants to care for you because He wants the Son glorified in and through you. Jesus says, in effect, -- I'm leaving, the glory display that I have given in this human body is over, but these remain, Father, to display My glory. If the world is to see the glory of God, they're going to see it in us, aren't they?
The Bible says in 1 Co 10:31 "Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, of the Apostle Paul, most simple, mundane ritualistic thing, do it all ... what? ... to the glory of God, that Christ may be glorified in your body whether by life or by death." The glory of God was revealed in a body -- Jesus Christ -- and is now revealed in what we call "body-two" the believers.
John 16:15
The apostle Paul desired to “finish well” in his life and ministry. We can see for ourselves the kind of disqualification which Paul dreaded and sought to avoid:
24 Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. 25 Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we can imperishable one. 26 So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. 27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
As Paul approaches the time of his departure, he can rejoice, knowing he has finished well and that the work God had given him to do has been accomplished:
6 For I am already being poured out as an offering and the time for me to depart is at hand. 7 I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day; and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
In the paper there was a most tragic thing, the fire in the house and the father, four children? And he saw the fire and it was moving fast and he thought the only thing he could do would be get out of the house and get a hose, hook it up and get water and put it on the fire. And so, he ran out and by the time he'd connected the hose, turned it on, got back to the front door, the heat and the flames were there and he couldn't get in. And his children were all trapped in their rooms. And so, he began to work his way around the house in only the terror and the fear and the horror that a father would feel, and I can feel this, so can you if you're fathers and mothers, too. And in every case, he would smash the windows with his bare arms to try to reach the children, but the heat would throw him back and the fire. And he went from room to room and he was unable to get in and when it was all over with, he was completely shredded to the bone on both of his arms. And he stood on his front lawn and, in effect, watched his children burn to death. And I read two days later, in Portland Oregon that a father had the same thing happen, this time with seven children.
Now you know, this ... we see in that, even in that, I'm sure, those little children entering into the presence of God, you know, whereas maybe when they grew up they wouldn't know Him and God's saving grace for a child. But beyond that, I see in that a picture of love but I see a picture of love without power. Do you see? Frustrated love that can love but can't help. And then I see God and I see God who will time and time again has unbared His arm and, first of all, reached into the very flames of hell and snatched us as brands from the burning and who is a God not only of love but a God of power who can reach into any flame, into any fire and extricate His beloved. Now that's the God who cares for us. And that's the God to whom Jesus prays for you and for me in a continuous intercessory ministry ... even as He did for these beloved then.
The emphasis in this section is on the safety of the believer; God keeps His own (John 17:11–12). Our safety depends on the nature of God, not our own character or conduct. When He was on earth, Jesus kept His disciples and they could depend on Him. “I kept them in Thy name” (John 17:12). If the limited Savior, in a human body, could keep His own while He was on earth, should He not be able to keep them now that He is glorified in heaven? He and the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, are surely able to guard and secure God’s people!
 Jesus had prayed for Himself, and in so doing gave a thumbnail sketch of His spiritual priorities, achievements, and future. He emphasized three particular burdens: first, to glorify the Father; second, the evangelistic message of eternal life; and third, revealing God through faithfully delivering His word. He is our supreme example, and we should emulate Him in these three burdens.[viii]
Summary.
God has glorified Jesus Christ.
Glorification is a reward for work done for God.
Man’s chief end is to glorify God.
Man glorifies God by doing the work God has given him to do.
Jesus Christ has authority over all mankind.
Jesus gives eternal life to all those who believe.
All the elect will be saved.
Jesus’ authority is superior to Satan’s.
Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus is the source of eternal life.
Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ.
Man must answer the question, ‘Did God send Jesus?’
The Word comes from God.
Jesus presented a full revelation of God.[ix]
The apostles were entrusted with God’s word.
  John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
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 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions.
 

WHAT IS THE BLASPHEMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 2

        What is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit?” It is this, it is that Christ did everything that He did through the Spirit. The Spirit was working in Christ. He says if you’ve seen me and you’ve seen all the works that the Holy Spirit has done through Me, and you have concluded that they’re of Satan, you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. In other words, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is attributing the works and words of Jesus to Satan. And He says for that you cannot be forgiven. This is the only unforgiveable sin.  When Jesus said in John 14:6 That He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father but by me and you reject His words. It is the sin of rejecting Christ as Savior. God can forgive all sin, all but that.
          Mark 3:28-30 "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- 30 because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."
          
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
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            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 17:1-5 JESUS SAID I HAVE GLORIFIED YOU ON THE EARTH. I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TO DO

John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
 In this section of Scripture we see Jesus asking the Father to give Him back the Glory which He had before the foundation of the World.  Jesus is God and was never less than God, but He did give up the usage of some of His divine attributes while He was here on earth such as knowing everything that would happen (Omniscience), He gave up the worship He had in Heaven, the infinite riches He had, the Omnipotence – being all powerful, and His ability to be everywhere at the same time as Jesus (Omnipresence). Jesus wanted to and did Glorify the Father by dying on the cross and paying for the sins of all people. He also did this by living a perfect sinless life while here on earth. He also defined eternal life as knowing the true God and Jesus Christ who are one.  Eternal life is not in a place called Heaven, but in a person called Jesus Christ who is God that came in human flesh.
 Though labeling this prayer "Jesus' high priestly prayer" is a bit misleading, I know of no better way to describe it. Obviously Jesus had not yet entered into His high priestly ministry, which He began when He ascended into heaven, when He prayed this prayer (cf. Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). This prayer, nevertheless, represents a foretaste of that intercessory ministry.
Verses
Persons
Key Word
1-5
Christ and His Father
“Glory”
6-19
Christ and His Disciples
“Kept”
20-26
Christ and His Church
“One”
The prayer is similar in spirit to the Model Prayer for us in Matt. 6:9–13.
This means that our salvation is secure, for the Father will not take us from the Son!
It was a prayer after a sermon; when he had spoken from God to them, he turned to speak to God for them. Note, Those we preach to we must pray for. He that was to prophesy upon the dry bones was also to pray, Come, O breath, and breathe upon them. And the word preached should be prayed over, for God gives the increase.[i]
1 ¶ Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
Joh 12:23; 13:32
It is significant of the lifting up of the soul to God in prayer, Ps. 25:1. Psalm 25:1  To you, O Lord, I olift up my soul.
Jesus had already used this word [doxazō] for his death (13:31f.). Here it carries us into the very depths of Christ’s own consciousness. It is not merely for strength to meet the Cross, but for the power to glorify the Father by his death and resurrection and ascension, “that the Son may glorify thee”
The hour in view was the hour of the Son's glorification through death, resurrection, and ascension
As so often in Scripture, emphasis on God's sovereignty functions as an incentive to prayer, not a deterrent
Christ always looked upon the cross as a means of glorifying God (12:23). Paul also saw glory in the cross Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to boast nexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which2 the world ohas been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Jesus came to fulfil God’s design.
Jesus asked His Father to glorify Him so He could glorify the Father. To glorify in this context means to clothe in splendor (cf. v. 5). The only way this could happen was for Jesus to endure the Cross. Thus this petition is a testimony to Jesus' commitment to do the Father's will even to the point of dying on the cross. His request for glory, therefore, was unselfish. It amounted to a request for the reversal of the conditions that resulted in the Incarnation (cf. Phil. 2:6-11). Jesus requested God's help (i.e., grace) in His sufferings, His sacrificial death, His resurrection, and His ascension. All of this was ultimately for the glory of the Father. It would magnify His wisdom, power, and love.
The Father glorified the Son upon earth, First, Even in his sufferings, by the signs and wonders which attended them. When they that came to take him were thunder-struck with a word,—when Judas confessed him innocent, and sealed that confession with his own guilty blood,—when the judge’s wife asleep, and the judge himself awake, pronounced him righteous,—when the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple rent, then the Father not only justified, but glorified the Son.
his thorns were a crown, and Pilate in the inscription over his head wrote more than he thought. But, Thirdly, Much more after his sufferings. The Father glorified the Son when he raised him from the dead, showed him openly to chosen witnesses, and poured out the Spirit to support and plead his cause, and to set up his kingdom among men, then he glorified him.
It is recorded for example to all, that we may follow his example. 1. We must make it our business to do the work God has appointed us to do, according to our capacity and the sphere of our activity; we must each of us do all the good we can in this world. 2. We must aim at the glory of God in all. We must glorify him on the earth, which he has given unto the children of men, where we are in a state of probation and preparation for eternity. 3. We must persevere herein to the end of our days; we must not sit down till we have finished our work,
 2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
Da 7:14; Mt 11:27; 28:18; Joh 3:35; 5:27; 6:37; 17:6,9,24; 1Co 15:25,27; Php 2:10; Heb 2:8
The origin of his power: Thou hast given him power; he has it from God, to whom all power belongs.
The extent of his power: He has power over all flesh.
1 Peter 3:22 22 who has gone into heaven and xis at the right hand of God, ywith angels•, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 
The grand intention and design of this power: That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Here is the mystery of our salvation laid open.
2 Corinthians 4:15 15 For cit is all for your sake, so that as dgrace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, eto the glory of God. 
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him fwho called us to3 his own glory and excellence,4
1 John 5:20 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and rhas given us understanding, so that we may know shim who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and teternal life.
 The word give is used in one form or another in this prayer at least seventeen times. Seven times Jesus states that believers are the Father’s gift to His Son (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11–12, 24). We are accustomed to thinking of Jesus as the Father’s love gift to us (John 3:16), but the Lord affirms that believers are the Father’s “love gift” to His beloved Son
John 6:37 This is a mystery we cannot explain, but we thank God for it! Romans 11:29 For the gifts and pthe calling of God are irrevocable.
“Eternal [everlasting] life” is an important theme in John’s Gospel; it is mentioned at least seventeen times.
What is “eternal life”? It is knowing God personally. Not just knowing about Him, but having a personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot know the Father apart from the Son (John 14:6–11). It is not enough simply to “believe in God”; this will never save a lost soul from eternal hell. [ii]
The Father had glorified the Son by giving Him the authority to give eternal life to all individuals whom the Father had given to the Son (cf. Matt. 28:18
Jesus had lived on a “divine timetable” while on earth and He knew He was in the will of the Father.
Psalm 31:15 My rtimes are in your hand;  srescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!  authority over all flesh indicate that Jesus’ prayer request was in accordance with the Father’s plan. The Father has ordained the rule of the Son over the earth (cf. Ps. 2). So the Son has the authority to judge (John 5:27), to take up His life (10:18), and to give eternal life to all those whom the Father gave Him.
phrase “all flesh” is a Hebrew idiom referring to mankind,
The verb give is PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE which speaks of an enduring gift!
3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Isa 53:11; Jer 9:24; Joh 3:34; 5:36-37; 6:29,57; 7:29; 10:36; 11:42; 1Co 8:4; 1Th 1:9
Jer 9:24 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.
1Th 1:9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
This verse shows the two major truths of Christianity: (1) monotheism (cf. Deut. 6:4–5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.) and (2) Jesus as Divine Davidic Messiah (cf. II Sam. 7).
Jesus  proceeded  to  define  the  nature  of  eternal  life.  Eternal life is essentially knowing (Gr. ginoskosin, cf. Gen. 4:1 LXX; Matt. 1:25) God experientially through faith in His Son (cf. 3:5; Jer. 31:34; Hab. 2:14; Heb.8:11). Jesus described it in terms of relationship rather than duration. Everyone will live forever somewhere. However the term "eternal life" as Jesus used it means much more than long life.
For the complete fulfillment of our being, we must know God. This, said Jesus, constitutes eternal life. Not only is it endless, since the knowledge of God would require an eternity to develop fully
It is not primarily quantity, but quality (cf. 10:10).
Jesus described the Father here as the only true God. He is knowable only through Jesus Christ whom He sent (cf. 1:18; Matt. 11:27). We sometimes say that it is a blessing and an inspiration to know certain people. This is all the more true when we know God. Knowing Him changes us and introduces us into a different quality of living.
Matthew 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
The word know (ginōskōsin) here in the present tense, is often used to describe a person who knows God has an intimate personal relationship with Him. And that relationship is eternal, not temporal. Eternal life is not simply endless existence.
Everyone will exist somewhere forever (cf. Matt. 25:46), but the question is, In what condition or in what relationship will they spend eternity?
Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 
In fairness it must be said that the OT presentation of God’s uniqueness and oneness is set against the backdrop of the ancient near eastern’s worldview of many spiritual beings. There is only one God, but other spiritual beings [iii] (cf. Exod. 15:11; Deut. 3:24; Ps. 86:8; 89:6).
Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? 
Moses recognized the presence of other spiritual beings. This is not meant to assert that the idols of the nations had reality, but that the demonic was behind the physical idols (cf. I Cor. 10:19–20). What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. [iv]
The OT symbolic background would be that which is trustworthy, faithful, loyal. The Greek background would be that which is uncovered, clearly manifested. In some sense truth versus a lie (cf. Titus 1:2 Titus 1:2 2 din hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
The inos ending on a Greek term (alēthinos) denotes that out of which something is made. Possibly the following usages will give a general feel for the terms
 SPECIAL TOPIC: “TRUE” IN JOHN 
God the Father
God is true/trustworthy (cf. John 3:33; 7:18, 28; 8:26; 17:3; Rom. 3:4; I Thess. 1:9; I John 5:20; Rev. 6:10)
God’s ways are true (cf. Rev. 15:3)
God’s judgments are true (cf. Rev. 16:7; 19:2)
God’s sayings are true (cf. Rev. 19:11)
2. God the Son
the Son is true/truth
1)         true light (cf. John 1:9; I John 2:8)
2)         true vine (cf. John 15:1)
3)         full of grace and truth (cf. John 1:14, 17)
4)         He is truth (cf. John 14:6; 8:32)
5)         He is true (cf. Rev. 3:7, 14; 19:11)
b. the Son’s testimony/witness is true (cf. John 18:37)
3. It can have a comparative sense
the law of Moses versus Jesus’ grace and truth (cf. John 1:17)
the tabernacle in the wilderness versus the heavenly tabernacle (cf. Heb. 8:2; 9:1)A
4. As so often in John this word had several connotations (Hebraic and Greek). John uses them all to describe the Father and the Son, as persons, as speakers, and as their message which is to be passed on to their followers (cf. John 4:13; 19:35; Heb. 10:22; Rev. 22:6).
5. For John these two adjectives describe the Father as the one and only trustworthy deity (cf. 5:44; I John 5:20) and Jesus as His true and complete revelation for the purpose of redemptive, not just intellectual, facts!
 4 "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.The rabbis used the term apostello was to refer to one sent as an official representative.
Joh 4:34; 5:36; 9:3; 13:31; 14:13,31; 15:10; 19:30
which assumed His obedience to death He repeated His request for a return to His perfect glory with the Father (cf. John 17:1) based on the certainty of the finished work on the cross.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
He glorified the Father in His miracles (John 2:11; 11:40), to be sure; but He brought the greatest glory to the Father through His sufferings and death (see John 12:23–25; 13:31–32). From the human point of view, Calvary was a revolting display of man’s sin; but from the divine point of view, the cross revealed and magnified the grace and glory of God.[vi]
Satan has tried to obscure the precious truth of the finished work of Jesus Christ, because he knows it is a basis for spiritual victory. “And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11). Don’t let Satan rob you of your overcoming power through Christ’s finished work.
The Greek root, telos, implies “to complete fully” (cf. 4:34; 5:36; 19:30). The work was threefold: (1) revelation of the Father (cf. 1:14, 18); (2) redemption of fallen mankind (cf. Mark 10:45; II Cor. 5:21); and (3) an example of true humanity (cf. 13:31; I Pet. 2:21). Also, Jesus’ work of intercession continues (cf. I John 2:1).
This “work” the Father gave Him to do is one of five things in Jesus’ prayer which the Father “gave” the Son: (a) work (v. 4), (b) believers (vv. 2, 6, 9, 24), (c) glory (vv. 5, 24), (d) words (v. 8), and (e) a name (vv. 11-12). The Son, in turn, gave believers God’s words (vv. 8, 14) and God’s glory (vv. 22, 24).[vii]
 5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 1:1-2; 10:30; 14:9; Php 2:6; Col 1:15,17; Heb 1:3,10
Now He asked the Father to glorify the Son by all that the Father would do in exalting the Son. Thus Jesus essentially restated the request of verse 1. He wanted to return to the condition in which He existed with His Father before His incarnation. This request assumes Jesus'  preexistence  with  the  Father  and  His  equality  with  the  Father (10:30). Really Jesus requested His own glorification.
Because we share His life, we are overcomers; for we also share His victory! “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). When you were born the first time, you were born “in Adam” and were a loser. When you are born again through faith in Christ, you are born a winner!
 John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
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“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions.
[i] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Jn 17:1–5). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[ii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 17:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[iii] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (153). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[iv] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (1 Co 10:19–20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
[v] Utley, R. J. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (153). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[vi] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Jn 17:1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[vii] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Jn 17:4–5). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

WHAT IS THE BLASPHEMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

    In Mark 3:29 Jesus said "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"   This saying of Jesus has caused many people great anxiety throughout the history of the church. Many have wondered if they have committed the unpardonable sin. Concern that one may have committed it is a good indication that one probably has not. The way to avoid committing the unpardonable sin is to believe the testimony that the Holy Spirit has given about Jesus in Scripture, namely, that He is the Christ (i.e., the divine Messiah, cf. 1 John 5:1). In other words, the only unforgiveable sin is the sin of rejecting Christ as Savior. If you die and have not trusted Christ as your Savior, then you will end up in hell.  That is the unforgiveable sin. If you haven’t trust Him today.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

JOHN 16:23-33 MY PEACE I GIVE YOU

As we review this section, we can see how these three explanations our Lord gave all fit together. He revealed a wonderful principle—God transforms sorrow into joy. But this principle will not work in our lives unless we believe His promise and pray. God has ordained that His work is accomplished through believing prayer. But we will not be able to pray effectively if we do not claim our position as conquerors in Jesus Christ.
There is joy when we permit God to transform sorrow into joy. There is joy when God answers prayer. There is joy when we overcome the world.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
 
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
 
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions.

THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD

                        Psalm 34:8 says O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! David was calling on the people to experience as he had the goodness of the Lord for themselves by relying on Him during their times of difficulties.  In Psalms 34 verses 4 through 8 David witnesses to us what God does for His children.  He saves us, He keeps us, and He satisfies us.  We cannot do these things for ourselves but God can.  This is a promise not of comfortable circumstances, but it is a promise of God’s care for us who belong to Him. Have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good?  Trust Him today if you haven’t for all that goes on in life and trust Him for salvation if you are not His child. He is a good God.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
 
          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. 
            hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
 

JOHN 16:14-22 JESUS SAID A LITTLE WHILE, AND YOU WILL NOT SEE ME; AND AGAIN A LITTLE WHILE, AND YOU WILL SEE ME, BECAUSE I GO TO THE FATHER."

John 16:14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. 16 ¶ "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." 17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" 18 They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." 19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? 20 "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 "Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
 Jesus tells them another purpose of the Holy Spirit is to Glorify Him by declaring His Word to them. He then begins to tell them in a little while they will not see Him and then again in a little while they will see Him. This totally confuses the disciples who do not understand this at all. So, Jesus begins to explain it to them by using some terms that show that He is first going to the cross and they will weep and lament, but the world will have joy because they have killed Him. Then when he is resurrected they will have joy because He has died for their sins and overcome death. They will see him for a little while here on earth after He is resurrected, but then they will see Him and be with Him forever in Heaven. So remember, James 4:14, Rom 8:18, and Ps 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. This life and it’s sorrow will soon be over if we are a Christian and it’s only a little while and then we will be with Him in heaven forever with no more tears, sorrow, pain, or anything else to cause us trouble.  AMEN!
 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you—Thus the whole design of the Spirit’s office is to glorify Christ—not in His own Person, for this was done by the Father when He exalted Him to His own right hand—but in the view and estimation of men. For this purpose He was to “receive of Christ”—all the truth relating to Christ—“and show it unto them,” or make them to discern it in its own light.[1]
 15 "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Because Jesus is the Logos, the revelation of the Father (or as Paul expressed it, “the image of the invisible God” [Col. 1:15]), all that belongs to the Father is also the Son’s. The Spirit of Truth brought glory to Jesus as He revealed to the apostles things pertaining to the person and work of the Logos (taking from what is Mine and making it known to you). The Spirit worked in the apostles’ minds so that they could perceive, understand, and teach about the Savior.[2]
He will glorify Christ. That's the third aspect of the pattern. "He shall glorify Me for He shall receive of Mine and shall show it unto you all things that the Father hath are Mine...and here's the tangle of the trinity, the mystery of the trinity...all things that the Father hath are Mine...He's reminding them that He comes from God...therefore said I, He shall take of Mine and show it unto you." Jesus always wanted the disciples to remember that He was linked to God...that He was linked to God. And so He says the Holy Spirit will show you My things, and remember, I'm close to God, it's just the trinity.
But notice the key thing in the ministry of the Spirit...He shall glorify Christ. This is the great feature of all the Holy Spirit's revelation. He said He's going to reveal the past. He will bring to your remembrance all things whatsoever I have said unto you. When He reveals the past it will be the things of Jesus. In the present He testifies to whom? To Jesus. In the future He shows you things to come that involve whom? Jesus. He constantly reveals Christ. His ministry is ever and always the same, it is to reveal Jesus Christ, always, always, always, and always. And if you do not know the revelation of the Spirit concerning Christ, you can't know Christ.
First Corinthians 12:3, "Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaketh...or speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed..." couldn't. If you spoke by the Spirit of God, could you call Jesus accursed? Of course not. What does the Spirit do? Glorifies Christ. Listen to this. "And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit." You can't know "A" about Jesus Christ apart from the Spirit. His ministry is to glorify Christ. And if you ever speak concerning Christ and you speak from the Spirit, it will be glorifying, not accursing Christ.
All false teaching is either the Bible plus, or the Bible minus.” False teaching either seeks to add to or to take away from Scripture. I think one can also say, “All false teaching is either Christ plus, or Christ minus.” Paul would say, “True teaching is Christ only.”[3]
Is the Spirit of God working in your life and teaching you?
Is the Spirit of God working in your life to glorify Christ?
Is the Spirit of God at work in your life at all?
John 16:16-22
 16 ¶ "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father."
Ye shall see (ὄψεσθε). A different verb for seeing is used here. For the distinction, see on 1:18. Θεωρέω emphasizes the act of vision, ὁράω, the result. Θεωρέω denotes deliberate contemplation conjoined with mental or spiritual interest. “The vision of wondering contemplation, in which they observed little by little the outward manifestation of the Lord, was changed and transfigured into sight, in which they seized at once, intuitively, all that Christ was. As long as His earthly presence was the object on which their eyes were fixed, their view was necessarily imperfect. His glorified presence showed Him in His true nature” (Westcott).
 17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?"
A little while (τὸ μικρόν). In vv. 16, 17, without the article. Here the article the or this little while defines the special point of their difficulty; this “little while” of which He speaks.[i]
 18 They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying."
 19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
John 7:33 Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.
 Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.
 John 13:33 "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you.
 John 14:19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
20 "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
“Truly, truly” is that solemn phrase we've looked at before. It's the prediction of a future event that they can be assured of. Jesus gives them a solemn promise, "It's going to be difficult."
The words weep and lament are deep, dark, uncomfortable words. When you use them together, it's talking about a funeral service. The word weep is always associated with death and loss and grief, the way the word is used in the Bible.
 So when He puts these words together, He says, "Look, you're going to have a heavy-duty grief at the loss of tasting death and you're going to lament and cry and be bitter about this experience. You're going to weep and lament, but the world's going to rejoice. The religious leaders of the day are going to be celebrating because they finally quieted this 'pesky prophet named Jesus'. They've gotten rid of Him. They've put Him in the ground. He's dead and gone. The religious leaders will be happy; they'll rejoice. You're going to be in incredible grief, but, mark My word, here's the promise: your grief will be turned into joy."
The resurrection and the Holy Spirit's coming is going to enable them to understand something they could not otherwise have understood. Now a question that might be on their mind at this point, is, "How can this deep pain ever be turned into joy? If it's as bad as You're telling us is going to be, there's no way You could remedy the situation.” And that's where Jesus goes with an illustration in verses twenty-one and twenty-two:
 21 "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Jesus says the real intense suffering of childbirth is brutal. The real intense suffering you're going to face is brutal, for now. But you'll have joy. The intense suffering and difficulty of bearing a child gives way to the joy when the child is in your arms and you hold this creation in front of you.
 Now this combination of suffering and joy and resurrection was not uncommon to the Old Testament mind. In fact, turn back Isaiah chapter twenty-six for a moment.
Isaiah 26:16
The Old Testament ear knew the pain of childbirth. They knew the pain of the exile of the people. They knew the travail as a nation under discipline of God and they knew the hope of God and they knew the hope of the resurrection. Isaiah twenty-six, let's pick up in verse sixteen. Isaiah twenty-six verse sixteen:
 Oh Lord, they sought You in distress;
They could only whisper a prayer,
 It's so difficult; they can't even talk out loud. They can just sort of eke out a little prayer.
 Your chastening was upon them.
 As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her labor pains,
Thus were we before You, O Lord
 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor.
We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were inhabitants of the world born.
Your dead will live;
Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy
That’s a very clear reference to the Rapture, a very clear reference in the Old Testament to the new birth, the rapture of the believer in Christ.
 For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
 Come, my people, enter into your rooms
And close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little while.
 Do you think Jesus had in mind the "little while" of Isaiah twenty-six?
 Hide for a little while
Until indignation runs its course.
 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
And the earth will reveal her bloodshed
And will no longer cover her slain.
The Old Testament year was not unfamiliar with pain giving way to joy with the hope of the resurrection. Well, the disciples are going to enter an incredible, intense time of pain, but joy is before them.
 22 "Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
First of all, the disciples' joy erupts when they see Jesus Christ after the resurrection. They are explosive with joy when they see Him. They cannot contain themselves.
 "Stop clinging to me,” Jesus says to one of His disciples.
They're overwhelmed. All their grief is now transformed into joy. Now some of your Bibles you hold in your laps make, an unfortunate rendering of the verse twenty-two.  They say:
 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice.
 They say "you will be happy" or they say "you will rejoice." Other Bibles contain the word "your heart" will rejoice. The word cardia is in the Greek text and for whatever reason, I don't understand translators, they took the word cardia out and they just rendered it "you'll be happy, you'll rejoice." I think it's unfortunate because heart is a rich word. It's the kind of depth of happiness that you have a joy in your heart about something.
Secondly, the joy continues. He died once to sin, but He lives on forever.
Someone or something dies a pet maybe.  You can't replace that, can you? You can't replace it. This text says the grief through which you went becomes joy. Do not miss it. It's not saying He's going to replace the child, replace the mate, replace the parent, and replace the loss and grief you've tasted. He's not going to give you something better that will overwhelm that thing you lost. He says, He's going to turn that grief into joy, thus the analogy of childbirth.
 The pain of the birth canal becomes the joy of a child. Do you see it? He's turning your grief into joy. Only God can turn your grief into joy. Nobody else can do this thing. Only the Sovereign can turn your grief, your disappointment, your bitterness, your anger, your hatred, your injustices, only a sovereign can turn that into joy. That's what He does with His own death. The very thing that caused the pain becomes the source of joy.
Thirdly, the sorrow is transformed into joy. Sometimes we think about if something bad happens then you replace it. So, you bury a child and well-meaning but very stupid people say, "You can always have another."
Three times sorrow or grief are mentioned. I think He's saying, "Expect it." Your lot and mine in life is to swallow a certain amount of bitterness. That's what it means to be in a fallen, sinful world. Your sorrow and mine are in between. They are "a little while." If you don't get anything else out of this text, just circle the words "little while" in verses sixteen through nineteen and count them up. A little while. A little while. A little while. A little while. A little while. A little while. A little while. We're so focused.
Sometimes we think when the sorrow is turned into joy that this good thing is going to overwhelm the bad thing and I'm going to feel a little better about it. Wouldn't the normal language of verse twenty-two go something like this: “Therefore you have grief now, but you'll see Me again?”
If I have buried a friend, a mate, a child or a parent; if I've gone through the worst of the worst grief and I faced that grief, my hope is that I'm going to see them again, right? Notice something very interesting. He doesn't say, "You will see Me again." He says, "I'll see you again." I don't think that's a nit-picking detail. I think that's a theological, profound truth. You didn't choose Him; He chose you. You don't do anything to get His attention. He chose you.
 He says, when I die and go away and come back, I'm going to see you. My promise is so good I'm going to come see you. Not, "You're going to see me again," that will take away the sting. I'll see you again.
His promise is incumbent on His work, not ours. The joy, true joy, is not us seeing Him. It's that He would see us.
 And I've seen so many friends, as you have, who in torturous experiences, whether it's abandonment of a spouse or news of cancer, they shoulder it in unique ways and it is a testimony. You can talk to people in a waiting room in that hospital who have no hope and they look at you like, "How are you doing this? How are you managing?"
 And it is a transforming work of Christ that He can carry you. Sometimes it's just a minute at a time. Sometimes it's hour by hour, but He does sustain even in the worst.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
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“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions.