His Love Ministries

EPHESIANS 3:7-13 THAT NOW THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN

Eph 3:7 of which I became a minister according to the gift
of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me,
who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to
make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of
the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10
to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the
church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the
eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we
have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I
ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
 In this section we see Paul had a task
which was given to him by God’s great power.  'Paulus' is Latin for 'little' or
'small', and tradition says he was a little man. 'I am little,' he may be saying, 'little by name,
little in stature, and morally and spiritually littler than the littlest of all
Christians.  He
also was to explain this mystery that Jews and Gentiles would be one in the
church, with a purpose that God’s manifold (of many kinds; numerous and varied)
wisdom would be known by the church and the angels in the heavenly places would
too.  That this was something planned
according to his eternal purposes and was accomplished by Jesus’ death on the
cross.  He also tells them that we have
boldness and access to God and we should come to Him with confidence because we
have faith in Him.  Lastly that they
would not lose heart at Paul’s trouble and the trials that he was going
through.

EPHESIANS 3:1-7 THE MYSTERY REVEALED

Eph
3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles-- 2
if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was
given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery
(as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was
not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to
His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of
the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of
which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me
by the effective working of His power.
A.  
A MYSTERY ONCE HIDDEN, NOW REVEALED
(1-7)
1. Interrupting himself, Paul makes
mention of His Status
How Did it Effect Paul v1,2,7V1 Paul was a Prisoner of Christ
2Ti 1:11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle,
and a teacher of the Gentiles.12 For this reason I also suffer these things;
nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded
that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Ac
9:10-16
A.    V2
Paul was a Steward of the Mystery- He was entrusted with a great task
B.    V3-5
The Mystery is that Jews and Gentiles would be joined in the Church
How Did it Effect the GentilesA.    V6
A new relationship
1)    Fellow
Heirs of the Inheritance…sums up Eph 3:11-22
2)    of
the same body
3)    and
partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
Gen
12:3 I will bless those who
bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed."
Galatians
3:28-29 There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise.
A.    V7
New Power
Paul's role as a minister to the Gentiles of this
"mystery" was a gift from God (7)
         a. A gift of
God's grace
         b. A gift
given to him by the effective working of God's power
 To Live the Christian Life –
Overcome Sin, suffering and temptation to be able to walk in righteousness

Ephesians 2:16-22 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Ephesians
2:15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two,
thus making peace,  16 and that He might
reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to
death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off
and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one
Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of
God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building,
being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you
also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
 
1. Gentiles now share
access to the Father with the Jews (17-18)
Not only is Jesus Christ our
peace (v. 14), but He also preached peace. He preached the message of peace,
the gospel, through His apostles following His ascension (cf. Acts 1:1-2, 8) to
both Gentiles and Jews (vv. 12-13).
       As
a result of the Cross, both Jewish and Gentile believers have access to God.
Formerly access to God was through Judaism, but now it is through Christ by the
Holy Spirit. As a result of Christ's death, all believers now have direct
access to the Father (cf. 3:12; Rom. 5:2). The Holy Spirit gives Jewish and
Gentile Christians equal access to God. Note that all three members of the
Godhead appear again here.
In four ways in 2:14–18 Paul emphasized that the two (Jew and
Gentile) have been united: (1) “the two” are made “one” (v. 14), (2) “one new
man” is created “out of the two” (v. 15), (3) “in this one body … both”) are
reconciled (v. 16), and (4) “both” “have access … by one Spirit” (v. 18).
Nothing could be clearer than the fact that this new union replaces enmity.
   C. THE GENTILES' CONDITION "IN"
CHRIST (19-22)
      1. They are now "fellow citizens
with the saints" (19a)
      2. They are now "members of the
household of God" (19b)
      3. They are now part of "a holy
temple in the Lord" (20-22)
Eph 2:20 having been built
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone,
It rests on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets. Evidently New Testament prophets are in view
since the word "prophets" follows "apostles" (cf. 3:5;
4:11). These men were the foundation of the church since it was through them
that God revealed and established the church. "In practical terms this
means that the church is built on the New Testament Scriptures.
When Paul wrote, the
cornerstone was the crucial part of the foundation of a building. It was the
stone with which the builder squared up every other stone, including the other
foundation stones.
"In the East it was
considered to be even more important than the foundation."
  Eph 2:21 in whom the whole building,
being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
Paul pictured the church as
under construction with God adding new believers constantly (cf. 4:15-16; Matt.
16:18; 1 Pet. 2:5). The individual stones represent believers, both Jewish and Gentile.
Today God does not inhabit a physical temple somewhere on earth, as He did in
Old Testament times. He indwells His church, which is a spiritual temple spread
over all the earth. It began on the day of Pentecost, and it will continue
until the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18). As physical temples glorified the gods
they represented in ancient times, so the church glorifies the true God today.
Paul may very well have used the illustration of a temple because the temple of
Artemis in Ephesus was the city's most outstanding claim to fame. It was four
times as big as the Parthenon that still stands in Athens. One hundred
twenty-seven white columns rose 60 feet high and surrounded an image of the
goddess Artemis (Diana).104 Authorities still regard this temple as one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world (cf.Acts 19:23-41).
a.  Before, they were "without
God in the world"
b.  But now, God dwells in them
through His Spirit!
Here he revealed that all Christians are part of one great
temple, the church
universal. "Now His presence is dispersed, not localized.
Now His presence is incarnated, instead of confined behind a veil."
"I wonder if anything
is more urgent today, for the honor of Christ and for the spread of the gospel,
than that the church should be, and should be seen to be, what by God's purpose
and Christ's achievement it already is a single new humanity, a model of human
community, a family of reconciled brothers and sisters who love their Father
and love each other, the evident dwelling place of God by his Spirit. Only then
will the world believe in Christ as Peacemaker. Only then will God receive the
glory due to his name." John Stott
II. MAKING APPLICATION OF
THIS PASSAGE TO OUR LIVES
   A. UNDERSTAND WHAT ONE'S CONDITION
"OUTSIDE" CHRIST TRULY IS...
      1. A person is still an "alien"
and "stranger", with no participation in covenants and promises that
God has with His people today!
      2. A person has no basis for hope, and
must go through life without the blessing of God guiding them in this world!
   B. UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
"THROUGH" CHRIST...
      1. He has brought to an end the Old Law; we should not seek to be justified by the
Law - cf. Ga 5:4
      2. He has sought to unite all into one
body; we should not try to undo the work of Christ on the cross through
religious division cf. Ep 4:1-6
   C. UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE BECOME
"IN" CHRIST...
      1. We have become "fellow citizens
with the saints" in the wonderful kingdom of God; let's live accordingly!
- cf. Ro 14:16-19
      2. We have become "members of God's
household (family)"; let's behave and treat each other as the family of
God! - cf. 1 Ti 3:15; 5:1-2
      3. We have become "the temple of
God" in which God dwells through His Spirit; let's be careful not to
profane God's holy habitation! - cf. 1 Co 3:16-17; 1 Co 6:19-20
CONCLUSION
1. Though Paul may have been
speaking in "general" or "corporate" terms,
   I trust that we have seen the implications
of what he has said affects each of us "personally"
   a. With salvation coming to the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ, we each benefit greatly on an individual level
   b. With salvation coming to the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ, we each bear an individual responsibility to live up to
our "holy calling" as God's kingdom, God's family, and as God's
temple!
2. What is YOUR condition in
regard to Jesus Christ?
   a. Are you still "outside" of
Christ?
   b. Have you benefited from the work that was
done "through" Christ on the cross?
   c. Are you living as a person should who is
now "in" Christ?
Jesus Christ is the key to
reconciliation.
 

EPHESIANS 2:11-16 FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, WHO HAS MADE BOTH ONE

Eph 2:11 Therefore
remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by
what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12 that at that
time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought
near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both
one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in
His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and
that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby
putting to death the enmity.
I. CHRIST
IS OUR PEACE (11-16)
    A. (Separation) THE GENTILES' CONDITION
"BEFORE" CHRIST’S COMING 
(11-12)
1.     Without
Christ
2.     Without
the Nation or Aliens from the nation of Israel
3.     Without
the promises or Strangers from the covenants of promise
4.     Without
hope
5.     Without
God in the world
    B. (Reconciliation) THE GENTILES'
CONDITION "THROUGH" CHRIST’S DYING (13-16)
      1. Made near by the blood of Christ (13)
      2. Now "one body" with the Jews
(14)
because...
         a. Jesus has made Jew and Gentile both
one, breaking down the wall of division between them (14)
         b. Jesus abolished in His flesh the
law of commandments contained in ordinances that had separated them (15)
         c. Jesus now reconciles them both to
God in one body through the cross (16)

EPHESIANS 2:4-10 BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE WITH WHICH HE LOVED US

Ephesians 2:4 But
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by
grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He
might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in
Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
 God’s
Work for Us (4-10)
The focus
of attention now is on God, not on sinful man. “Salvation is of the Lord”
(Jonah 2:9).
We are
reminded of five activities that God performed on behalf of sinners to save
them from the consequences of their sins.
He Loved Us
                
By nature, “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
He Made Us Alive
This means He made
us alive, even when we were dead in sins. He accomplished this spiritual
resurrection by the power of the Spirit, using the Word
·      
Even when dead in trespasses
·      
By His grace we have been saved
·      
v6 God raised us with Christ - He exalted us
 This describes our spiritual, not
physical experience.
Made to sit with Him in heavenly places (to
enjoy his fellowship)
The
Purpose of Salvation  
·      
v7 He keeps us –
·      
Note
that verses 1-3 describe what we were in the past, verses 4-6 what we are in
the present, and verse 7 what we shall be in the future.
 3. v8 He gives us Salvation - Saved by grace through faith - God’s riches at Christ’s
expense
a.   
Not of ourselves, it is the gift of
God
Grace
means that God does it all for Jesus’ sake!
Salvation
is a gift of God. It does not find its source in man. Furthermore, this
salvation is not “out of a source of works.” This explains salvation by grace.
It is not produced by man nor earned by him. It is a gift from God with no strings tied to it. Paul presents the
same truth in Ro 4:4 -6
V9 Not of works, lest any man should boast
No
one will be able to boast that he or she has done something that earned him or
her salvation. All the glory will go to God for accomplishing salvation.
"Since we have not been saved by our good works, we
cannot be lost by our bad works."
Sin
worked against us and God worked for us, but the great work of conversion is just
the beginning.
v10 We are God's workmanship – God Works In Us
Here
Paul gave the reason salvation is not from man or by works. Rather than
salvation being a masterpiece that we have produced, regenerated believers are
a masterpiece that God has produced.
"Workmanship" (Gr. poieme, from which we get the word
"poem"; cf. Rom. 1:20) means a work of art, a masterpiece. The
Jerusalem Bible translated it "work of art" here.
·      
Created in Christ Jesus to walk in
good works,
As a master worker, God has created us in Christ Jesus.
The word translated "created" here (Gr. ktizo) describes only God's
activity and denotes something He alone can produce.
Good works are not
the roots from which salvation grows but the fruit God intends it to bear. God
has not saved us because of our works (vv. 8- 9), but He has saved us to do
good works (v. 10). which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
". . . God has
prepared a path of good works for believers which He will perform in and
through them as they walk by faith. This does not mean doing a work for God;
instead, it is God's performing His work in and through believers.
To walk is to regulate one’s life, to conduct one’s self,
to order one’s behavior.”
·      
Which God prepared beforehand
In other words, our conversion is not the end;
it is the beginning. We are a part of God’s “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17), and
God continues to work in us to make us what He wants us to be. His purpose is
to make us more like Christ (Rom. 8:29).
But how does God work in us? Through His Holy
Spirit, “both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Christ
finished His work of redemption on the cross, but He arose from the dead and
returned to heaven. There He carries on His unfinished work of perfecting His
church (Eph. 4:7–16; Heb. 13:20–21).
Christ is equipping us for our walk and our work here on
earth. To do this, He uses three special tools: the Word of God (1 Thes. 2:13),
prayer (Eph. 3:20–21), and suffering (1 Peter 4:11–14). As we read God’s Word,
understand it, meditate on it, and feed on it, the Word goes to work in our
lives to cleanse us and nourish us. As we pray, God’s Spirit works in us to
release power. And as we suffer, the Spirit of God ministers to us. Suffering
drives us back to the Word and prayer, and the cycle is repeated.
Too many Christians think that
conversion is the only important experience, and that nothing follows.

We are perfected by
the Word, Prayer, and Suffering
Moses 40 years to prepare him for 40 years of
desert wanderings
At the beginning of his ministry, Moses was
impetuous and depended on his own strength. He killed an Egyptian and had to
flee Egypt, hardly a successful way to start a ministry. But during those 40
years as a humble shepherd in the desert, Moses experienced God’s working in
his life, a working that prepared him for forty more years of magnificent
service.
Joseph 13 years to
prepare him for the throne of Egypt second to Pharaoh
David many years in exile to prepare him for
the throne of Israel
Paul 3 years in the desert of Arabia to
prepare him for Ministry
 God has to work in us before He can work
through us;
Mt 5:16 Let your
light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father which is in heaven.
Our good works
show that Christ lives in us.
Lessons
1.   
We were
Sinners, but God is our Savior
2.   
We were
made into a new creation
3.   
We were
saved not by works, but because God wanted to show His glory through His Mercy
and grace
4.   
We are
His Masterpiece
5.   
He made
us to do good works after our salvation, works are the fruit of salvation, not
the cause or root of it.

EPHESIANS 2:1-3 AND YOU HE MADE ALIVE, WHO WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS

Ephesians 2:1 And you
He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom
also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath,
just as the others.
 Verses 1-3 focus on fallen man, and
his hopeless condition (dead) as a result of his sin.
If Ephesians 1:19-23 takes us to the heights in exploring the power and
authority of the risen and ascended Christ, Ephesians 2:1-3 takes us to the
very depths, as Paul gives a detailed explanation of the powerless, hopeless,
lifeless condition of fallen men, enslaved by their own fleshly desires, and controlled
by the world around them and by Satan. The irony of fallen man’s dilemma is
that he doesn’t even realize his condition until after he is saved. Lost
men, blinded and deceived by Satan, think they are really “living it up,” when
in reality they are dead. They think that by living in sin they are
enjoying life to its fullest, but they are not. They suppose that they are
free, subject to no one, but they are really enslaved.

EPHESIANS 1:18B – 23 WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US WHO BELIEVE

Eph 1:18 the
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the
hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that
which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be
head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him
who fills all in all.
 After
demonstrating that believers have all spiritual blessings (1:3–14), Paul prayed
that believers would come to know God intimately (v. 17) in order that they
might know three facts: (1) the past call of salvation that produced the hope of
heaven (v. 18), (2) the future inheritance that God has in His saints (v. 18),
and (3) the present power of God that is available to believers, which (a) was
manifested in the past in Christ’s resurrection and Ascension, (b) will be
manifested in the future in Christ’s headship over Creation, and (c) is
presently manifested in Christ’s headship over the church.

EPHESIANS 1:15-18A THE FATHER OF GLORY, MAY GIVE TO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM

Eph
1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your
love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
 The
Christian Life has 2 dimensions:
Faith
towards God -Trust
Love
towards Men - Obey
Mark
12:30 Love the Lord your God and your neighbor
Paul
knew these two things were the just the tip of the iceberg
Notice
Paul’s prayer, same as in all the prison epistles.
It
is not for health, wealth, or material things
He
prays for spiritual perception and real Christian character.
He Prays
first of all for spiritual wisdom and revelation
The
Holy Spirit is the one who reveals all spiritual wisdom
But
you cannot hear from the Holy Spirit if you have not opened your heart to hear
Mt
13:13 Jesus said Seeing they see not and hearing they hear not2.     Second,
He prays they may know God, not only as Savior, but as Father friend and guide
Psalms
63:1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My
flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
Isaiah
26:9 With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me
I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The
inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

EPHESIANS 1:11-14 TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY

Ephesians 1:11 In Him
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the
purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12
that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In
Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit
of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
 The whole section from verse 1-14 tells us everything He does is to the
praise of His glory.  We see in this section
today how to be saved.  You hear, you
trust in the Gospel and having believed you are sealed with the Holy Spirit
until the day He comes back to get us. 
There are 5 great things that come with being Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.  The sealing work of the Spirit is mentioned 2
other places in the Scripture, 2Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 4:30
1.    A seal on a legal document means it is a
finished contract or transaction
You know what the seal means? We are
not in the process of getting saved. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ
God gave you the Holy Spirit and said - That is a finished transaction.
2.   
It
means security and protection.. We are secure in Christ - Hebrews
6:19
3.  Authenticity… It’ real, we are a genuine child of God - Ro
8:9
When God gives us His Holy Spirit He is saying
this is an authentic child of the King. The only authentic Christian is the one
who possesses the Holy Spirit, who’s sealed with a mark of authenticity. 
4. Ownership…He owns us - 1Co 6:19-20
5.  Authority and power - Read the the eighth
chapter of Esther. Esther wanted the king to settle a certain issue. So she
said, Okay, you make the edict, king, and you sign it with your seal and we'll
carry it out. And so they're walking around with this letter from the king. And
it's a sign of authority. Esther 3:8-15,
We have His authority and
power in our lives over sin, suffering, and temptation.  The Authority to preach the Gospel and go in
His name since He has sent us Mt. 28:20
In
essence, the “deposit” of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in
believers’ lives with a guarantee of much more yet to come.
Who
is The guarantee of our inheritance – The Holy Spirit – This means He will
never leave us or forsake us Hebrews 13:5

EPHESIANS 1:8-11a IN HIM ALSO WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE

Eph 1:8 which He
made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us
the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in
Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which
are on earth--in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to
the counsel of His will,
 God has made his
forgiveness abound to us because of His wisdom & foresight. He gives us
knowledge of His mysteries, the things which were hidden in the Old Testament, such as the
Jew & Gentile becoming one in the church. He did this so he could reconcile
everything back to himself as it was in the beginning of time. The Bible is the
story of man being created, falling & God working throughout time to
restore us to Him in the end. This
does not suggest that everyone will be saved; instead, sin’s disorder will be
removed & universal peace will be established (Isa. 2:2–4; 11:1–10). We also see that everything that God has will
ultimately belong to us too because we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
 

EPHESIANS 1:7 REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
 The first great
act of redemption in the Old Testament is the exodus, the deliverance of the
nation Israel from her bondage in Egypt. From the time of the exodus on this
event epitomized redemption in Exodus 6:6. Thus, the nation Israel not only
looked back in time, to see God’s redemption, but also to the future. They
called upon God to redeem them: Psalm 25:22 In order for God to bring
His elect people into the inheritance that He has in the future for them He,
must redeem them. Redemption is an act
of God by which He Himself pays as a ransom the price for sin which has
outraged His holiness. It means to pay a price to free somebody from bondage.
Everybody that comes into the world is
a captive, the Bible says. We are slaves. No man is free. Every person in the
world is a slave in their sinful state. And to whom are they slaves? Who is the
captor? Who is the captor of every man? Listen to this, John 8:34 says,
"Men are slaves to sin." Romans 6:17 says, "Men are servants to
sin." Romans 7:14; "Sold under sin." Romans 8:21; "In
bondage to corruption." What is the captor of men? Sin.
So, sin is the
captor that holds men. Now sin demands a price to be paid to release its
victim. What is that price? The price or the wage of sin is death. So in order
to purchase sinners from the grasp of sin there must be death. Without, says
Hebrews 9:22, the shedding of blood, which is simply a term for death, without
death there is no remission of sin. The soul that sinneth, the Old Testament
says, it shall die. All right, the wages or the price of sin is death. But
Jesus redeemed us. What does it mean? He paid the price of sin to free the
slave to set him free. That's the whole point of redemption. That is exactly
what He did. He paid the price to set us free.
We have been set
free from the law - In Galatians
chapter 5:1 it says; "For freedom Christ has set us free. Therefore stand fast and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Set free from slavery to sin
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man
was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we
should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from
sin.
Set free from the power of Satan and the world Gal 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

EPHESIANS 1:3 BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which
He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
        In this section we see that the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ.  What are these
blessings? The first 3 chapters describe all of them. We will talk about three
of those blessings today.  First we have
been chosen by God so that He could make us holy and without blame, next we
have been adopted as sons and have become part of the family of God, and lastly
we have been accepted in Jesus Christ the Beloved because of what He did on the
cross.  To be accepted means we now are
approved of by God.  Before we were
sinners not able to come into His presence and now we can because we are now
saints in the eyes of God because Jesus blood shed on the cross took away all
of our sins.

EPHESIANS INTRODUCTION

 WHO WE ARE BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS AND
WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR USEphesians  3:1  For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of
Christ Jesus for you Gentiles-- 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation
of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
KEY VERSE: Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"
The two main divisions in this epistle
are:
 
Chapters 1-3 Doctrine: Our Riches In Christ or Who we are in Christ
 
Chapters 4-6 Duty: Our Responsibilities In Christ or How we are to
behave because of who we are in Christ

EXODUS 14-16 – GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

Exodus 14: Red Sea Crossing
GOD LEADSGOD PROTECTSGOD SAVESGod shows His Mighty Hand in the midst
of an impossible situation (Red Sea)Do you face a “Red Sea”?
John
16:33- “These things I have spoken to
you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Psalm
20:7- Some trust in chariots, and some in
horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Exodus 15:22-27
God turns the bitter water sweetSpiritual healing Matthew 9:2-6
Exodus 16
GOD PROVIDESMannaQuailWaterGOD WILL PROVIDE YOUR NEEDSMatthew 6:19-34

JOHN 1-21 SUMMARY OF THE BOOK OF JOHN

there are the
seven “signs” of John
 



Turns
water into wine (John 2:1–12)


 


Jesus
is the source of life.
 




Heals a
nobleman’s son (John 4:46–54)


 


Jesus is
master over distance.
 




Heals a
lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–17)
 


Jesus is
master over time.
 




Feeds 5,000
(John 6:1–14)
 


Jesus is
the bread of life.
 




Walks on
water, stills a storm (John 6:15–21)


 


Jesus is
master over nature.
 




Heals a man
blind from birth (John 9:1–41)


 


Jesus is
the light of the world.
 




Raises
Lazarus from the dead (John 11:17–45)


 


Jesus has
power over death.[i]
 



·       In addition, there are the “seven
witnesses” of John
1.       John the Baptist     “This is the Chosen One [literally, “Son”] of God” (1:34)
2.       Nathaniel     “You
are the Son of God” (1:49)
3.       Peter  “You
are the Holy One of God!” (6:69)
4.       Martha         “You
are the Christ, the Son of God” (11:27)
5.       Thomas        “My
Lord and my God!” (20:28)
6.       John   “Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31)
7.       Jesus  “I
am the Son of God” (10:36; see also 4:26; 8:58)
·      Finally, there are the seven “I am’s” of John
1.   
“I am the bread of
life” (6:35)
2.   
“I am the light of
the world” (8:12)
3.   
“I am the door for
the sheep” (10:7; cf. v. 9)
4.   
“I am the good
shepherd” (10:11, 14)
5.   
“I am the
resurrection and the life” (11:25)
6.   
“I am the way, and
the truth, and the life” (14:6)
7.   
“I am the true vine”
(15:1; cf. v. 5)
·     
Jesus was actually
sacrificed at the same time the Passover Lambs were being sacrificed.
Chapters
1-12 - Show Us Jesus is Lord - The signs of the Son of God – 3 Years time
Chapters
13-17 - How to Grow In Christ – The Secrets of the Savior – A few hours
Chapters
18-21 - The Supremacy of Christ – Victorious over Sin and Death  - A Few Weeks

JOHN 21:19-25 AND WHEN HE HAD SPOKEN THIS, HE SAID TO HIM, "FOLLOW ME."

John 21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." 23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?" 24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.


1. Following Jesus means being where He is. In all the relationships of your life, you should be able to say when asked, "Why are you here?" I'm here because I'm following Jesus and this is where He's led me today.
2. Following Jesus means to pattern our lives after His attitudes. His holiness and His purity and His obedience to God becomes the pattern for us.
3. Thirdly, following Jesus means a willingness to suffer sacrifice for His sake.
4. Following Jesus means Peter’s job was to follow, not to meddle into the lives of other believers. Beware when you get your eyes off the Lord and start to look at other Christians! “Looking unto Jesus” should be the aim and practice of every believer (Heb. 12:1–2). To be distracted by ourselves, our circumstances, or by other Christians, is to disobey the Lord and possibly get detoured out of the will of God. Keep your eyes of faith on Him and on Him alone.
5. Following Jesus means people play their parts and God puts it all together.
6. Following Jesus means we are not here to compete with each other. The twelfth chapter of First Corinthians indicates there are two things we must never say: Because we have gifts given us by the Lord, we must never say to anybody, "I have no need of you," (1 Corinthians 12:21). The second thing we must never say is, "You have no need of me. I as so ungifted, so poor, I have nothing to offer." You cannot say that. You have gifts which the Spirit of God has given to you and you alone. Thus we must not look at one another and ask, "Lord, what do you want to do with him?" Jesus' word is, "That is none of your business. Follow me. I will put it all together."
7. Following Jesus means Our eyes should not be on ourselves, but on Christ. Our focus should not be on what others are doing for Christ, or what God is doing for them. Our focus should be on Him, and on our love for Him, as shown by our loving service to His flock.
8. Following Jesus means our words are concerned with Jesus.
Obedience to Jesus’ command, Follow Me, is the key issue in every Christian’s life. As Jesus followed the Father’s will, so His disciples should follow their Lord whether the path leads to a cross or to some other difficult experience.
· The false rumor about Jesus’ words to Peter show the possibility of misunderstanding God’s promises. Christians must seek to understand God’s Word accurately.

· Peter and John have been off the scene (except for their books) for centuries, but you and I are still here. We are taking His place and taking their place. What a responsibility! What a privilege!

· We can succeed only as we permit Him to transform us.

· The verdict is clear. You should believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah—the Christ—and that by His sinless life and sacrificial death, your sins may be forgiven. And having believed the verdict, you should not only be overcome with His love for you, but you should be compelled by your love for Him, to serve Him as you shepherd His lambs. The evidence abounds; the verdict is clear. The question that remains is this: Given this evidence, how will you respond to Jesus Christ?

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
He was saying you can't write about God's love, the whole universe couldn't handle it.

JOHN 21:1-11 JESUS SAID TO THEM, CAST THE NET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOAT, AND YOU WILL FIND SOME

John 21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.
This Chapter is here for 5 reasons:
1. Helps us understand Peters prominent position in the church
2. How are we to relate to the risen Christ
3. Give us a Balance between Nurturing the saved and winning the lost
4. Refutes the false rumor that Jesus coming back before John died
5. Clear expression of how to love Christ. If you love me keep my commandments
We are blessed by Laboring with the Lord. The disciples have learned how to cooperate with one another and how to obey Jesus. What examples for us to follow as we seek to “catch fish” for Jesus Christ! There are “fish” all around us. If we obey His directions, we will catch the fish.

JOHN 20:24-31 JESUS SAID TO HIM, "THOMAS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN ME, YOU HAVE BELIEVED

John 20:24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
The disciples keep on telling Thomas that they have seen the Lord, but Thomas refuses to believe unless he sees for himself. Remember he is only asking for what the others have already experienced. So, we will see Jesus make a personal appearance eight days later so that Thomas can see Him and believe. Jesus offers for Thomas to put his finger in His side and in hands where they have been pierced by the nails that held him to the cross. Then Thomas makes that greatest of all confessions of faith when He says My Lord and my God. Jesus tells Thomas he is blessed because He saw and believed, but there is a greater blessing for those who just take it by faith that He rose from the grave. He finishes up the chapter by giving us the purpose statement of the whole book of John. He wrote about the seven signs that we might trust in Christ and have eternal life forever because of Jesus.

JOHN 20:22-23 JESUS SAID IF YOU FORGIVE THE SINS OF ANY, THEY ARE FORGIVEN THEM;

John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Jesus is saying that when His disciples went to others with the message of salvation, as He had done, some people would believe and others would not. Reaction to their ministry would be the same as reaction to His had been. He viewed their forgiving and retaining the sins of their hearers as the actions of God's agents. If anyone believed the gospel, the disciples could tell the believers that God had forgiven their sins. If they disbelieved, they could tell them that God had not forgiven but retained their sins. Jesus had done this (cf. 9:39-41), and now His disciples would continue to do it. Thus their ministry would be a continuation of His ministry relative to the forgiveness of sins, as it would be in relation to the Spirit's enablement. This, too, applies to all succeeding generations of Jesus' disciples since Jesus was still talking about the disciples' mission.
Lessons
1. Trust God in every situation
2Ti 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Ro 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
2. god has given us peace and joy
vs 20 Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you!
Romans 5:1-11 We have peace with God and the Peace of God and His Joy
3. god has left us here to fulfill a mission
Vs 21 As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

JOHN 20:19-21 SO JESUS SAID TO THEM AGAIN, "PEACE TO YOU! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I ALSO SEND YOU

John 20:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
The seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, commemorates God's finished work of Creation (Gen. 2:1-3). The Lord's Day commemorates Christ's finished work of redemption, the 'new creation.' God the Father worked for six days and then rested. God the Son suffered on the cross for six hours and then rested. The Jewish Sabbath is associated with the Law: six days of work, and then you rest. But the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, is associated with grace: first there is faith in the living Christ, and then there will be works. We also see how our Lord transformed His disciples fear into courage. First, not only did Jesus come to them, but He reassured them. He showed them His wounded hands and side so they would know it was Him, and they would know He had risen from the grave. Lastly, Jesus gives them a new purpose. The purpose of Jesus' incarnation was the spiritual salvation of the world (1:29). That also is our purpose.

JOHN 20:10 JESUS SAID TO HER, "WOMAN, WHY ARE YOU WEEPING

John 20:10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Note that our Lord’s first appearance is not to one of the 11 disciples, but to Mary Magdalene. She will never be one of the apostles. She will never write a Gospel. She will never become a great preacher or leader. Nevertheless, our Lord chose to manifest Himself to her first. Why do you think this was? First, she had a great love for her Master, as He did for her. Second, she seemed to be the one with the greatest measure of grief. “Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). There is a third reason: Mary was there first. Jesus revealed Himself first to the one who was there first. Mary came to the tomb early, because of her great love, and her great grief, and Jesus revealed Himself to her, first. Fourthly, I think that it was because she was a woman and He always appears to those who are the most downtrodden. An important lesson this text teaches us is when we come to see things as they really are, we will find that many of our tears were unnecessary.

JOHN 20:8-9 THEN THE OTHER DISCIPLE, WHO CAME TO THE TOMB FIRST, WENT IN ALSO; HE SAW AND BELIEVED

John 20:8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
John believed Jesus had risen from the dead, by the sheer force of the evidence, not because he thought he was supposed to. What an incredible event this must have been. There, in the darkness of that tomb, John “saw the light.”
Lessons from John 19 and 20:1-8
1. First of all, faith in Christ is never meant to be a private matter. The regular team—the eleven disciples—have been called off the field, and a number of substitutions have been made (to speak in sports terms). Among these are Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Mary Magdalene. Who would have expected such folks to play a key role in the burial and resurrection of our Lord?
Again, I think their faith is growing. Nicodemus came at night; now he comes at the dawn. When Arimathea went to Pilate, he came out in a big way.
2. it takes courage to come out for Christ I have just a few observations about these secret disciples; they do something very dangerous, very costly and for no personal gain. They risk a great deal. The text says, "For fear of the Jews they kept their faith in secret." They risk a great deal. How often we are like the eleven disciples of our Lord, so frightened and lacking in faith that we do nothing, or like the women in our text who are preoccupied with fears about how we can move a stone. How foolish these fears seem to us, and yet is it not our own fears that keep us from attempting what our Lord has commanded us to do?
3. God provides. God provided. Neither the stone, the seal, nor the soldiers kept Jesus in the tomb—or the disciples out. God always provides for the fulfillment of His promises. He does so by the instruments of His choosing. He does so in His time. The human instruments were those we would not have chosen, people we would never even have considered.
4. God is at Work all the Time
God was at work in the hearts of these two men—Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus—and at just the right time, He used them for His glory, and their good.
5. The resurrection is a foundational truth for the Christian. Saving faith is resurrection faith.
6. God always uses just the right instrument to accomplish His purposes in the right way at the right time.
7. It was the turning point for men and women like Joseph, and Nicodemus, and Mary Magdalene, not to mention Peter and John and the other disciples.
8. Devotion and love for Christ is increased when we know our origins. Go back to the ditch from which God pulled you out of." I hope you wonder about this as much as I do, but I wonder, "Why in the world did He save me?"
9. We don't get we are to be living for Him. Your life and mine should be a thank you back to Christ for what He did for us on Calvary and the message of the resurrection is the core of our faith.
10. When it comes to the most important issue of your eternal soul, what will you pin your hopes on?  And for man to pin his hopes on humanism or agnosticism or some “ism” of “ology” is a fascinating thing.  That something as profound as a resurrection of life from death would keep us from knowing Christ.

JOHN 20:1-7 MARY SAID TO THEM, "THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY THE LORD OUT OF THE TOMB

John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." 3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
On this first day of the week Mary goes to the tomb and seeing the stone has been moved decides that they have stolen the body of Jesus. She goes and gets Peter and John and they come running. When they get there John glances in, Peter looks a little harder and is puzzled because he sees the grave wrappings lying there in their proper place. This is a day that seems to be the worst ever in that not only has Jesus died, but they have stolen His body too. It is actually the best day to ever have happened, because this is the day that Jesus rose from the grave, proved He was God, and showed that He had done everything necessary to pay for the sins of the whole world. This is the Good News, the Gospel, that Jesus died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose the third day according to the Scriptures (1Corinthians 15:3-4).

JOHN 19:38-42 SO THERE THEY LAID JESUS, BECAUSE OF THE JEWS' PREPARATION DAY FOR THE TOMB WAS NEARBY

John 19:38 ¶ After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Here we see the secret disciples come forward when all the others have forsaken Jesus and are hiding. These guys come at the perfect time so the last of the prophecies can be fulfilled Isaiah 53:9 And they made His grave with the wicked-But with the rich at His death. These two men give Jesus a burial fit for a King using 100 pounds of very expensive spices, because He is King Jesus and one day will come back to rule and reign. They are running out of time to get Jesus in the grave before the Sabbath starts and also so the 3 days and 3 nights can be fulfilled, so they use the closest available tomb which happens to be Joseph of Arimathea’s. It is done, it is finished, all that is left is for Jesus to come out of the grave and show that He is truly God as if all the miracles He has done is not enough. Romans 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."

JOHN 19:28-37 SO WHEN JESUS HAD RECEIVED THE SOUR WINE, HE SAID, "IT IS FINISHED!"

John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 31 ¶ Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
Here we see the final prophecy being fulfilled as Jesus knows all else has been fulfilled, He says I thirst. He has completed everything else He was supposed to do and then He fulfills one last Scripture by saying He thirsts and they give Him the sour wine. He says it is finished and gives up His spirit. It is finished is an accounting term that means your debt has been paid in full. Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross. He suffered 3 hours spiritually when it was dark and He was taking our hell for us as our substitute during that time period. That is why the old song can say Jesus paid it all. There is nothing left for you and I to do but to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16:31. Have you done that? If not, you need to because no one will make it to Heaven unless they trust in what Jesus did on that cross and add nothing to it to be saved. It was the day before the Sabbath and the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross so that they might not defile themselves. These people cared more about their rituals than about killing Jesus. Lastly we see that the soldiers came and fulfilled two more prophecies by piercing Jesus side and not breaking his legs. We see the water and the blood comes out and it proves without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is dead. To find out about the symbolism behind the water and the blood you will have to listen to the message.

JOHN 19:24-27 JESUS, KNOWING ALL THINGS WERE ACCOMPLISHED, THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED

John 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." Therefore the soldiers did these things. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
More Scripture are being fulfilled through Jesus & all that He does & has done to Him while on the cross. These cold callous soldiers are gambling for His garments as He is suffering the most cruel death ever devised up to that time. All they can see is we are getting some material goods out of this deal. Meanwhile Jesus is paying for the sins of the whole world. There are 4 soldiers who are cruel & they are contrasted by 4 loving women who have been there for Jesus & still are as He dies. The last thing Jesus does as He is dying is to give us the example to take care of the widows. He tells His mother to treat John as her son & for John to take care of His mother as if she was his own.

JOHN 19:17-23 NOW PILATE WROTE A TITLE 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."

JOHN 19.7-16 JESUS ANSWERED, "YOU COULD HAVE NO POWER AT ALL AGAINST ME UNLESS IT HAD BEEN GIVEN YOU

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.

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 Barrabas 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.

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.