Author: Art Davison

JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS OWN

JOHN 17:1-5

This is the real “Lord’s Prayer” and is often called the High Priestly Prayer of Christ. Here He prays first for Himself and then for His own – the disciples, v. 6, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.” And He also prays for all who will believe in Him in the future, v. 20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”

I. JESUS APPROACHES THE FATHER

A. Through their Father-Son relationship, Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

1. We approach the Father in the name of Jesus because of our relationship with Him, John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

2. He is our Mediator between God and man, 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

B. Jesus used the word “Father” three other times in this prayer…

1. Jesus prayed for the glory that He and the Father had in eternity past, John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

2. He prayed that the disciples would be unified as He and the Father, John 17:21, That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

3. He prayed that they might be with Him, John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

II. THE HOUR HAD COME

A. To glorify the Son by redeeming man from his sins, v. 1; John 12:27, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.”

1. Jesus knew what lay ahead, John 13:21, “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”

2. He knew that He was to die for our sins, Psalm 88:3, “For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.”

B. “I have glorified you on the earth,” v. 4; John 12:28, “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying , I have both glorified it , and will glorify it again.”

C. I have finished the work, v. 4.

1. He had kept God’s commandments, John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

2. He had done the will of God, John 4:34, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

a. His “meat” was to do God’s will, John 4:32, “But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”

b. His goal was to please the Father, John 8:29, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

c. His determined purpose was to finish God’s work, John 17:4, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

D. That the Son might GLORITY the Father, v. 1; John 13:31-32, “Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.”

1. God had glorified the Lord Jesus, Acts 3:13, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.”

2. God has exalted Him above every name, Philippians 2:9-11, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

3. God has raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, 1 Peter 1:21, “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

CONCLUSION:

Jesus is glorified in the saints also. That is the primary purpose of our being on this earth, v. 10, “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.”

JESUS MAKES MORE DISCIPLES

JOHN 3:22–4:4

Introduction:

This is the early Judean ministry of the Lord Jesus. At the outset John the Baptist was still preaching in Judea also.

The ministry of the Lord was beginning to take hold and he was taking advantage of what John had done and many began to turn to Jesus. John’s disciples were directed to follow Jesus and He began to have much success in Judea.

I. ALL MEN COME TO JESUS

A. John bears witness of the Light, John 1:7, 9, “The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

1. John was preparing the way, John 1:15, “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me,”

2. John was sent before the Lord, Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

B. The concern to the Religious leaders, John 11:48, “If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”

1. The world is gone after him, John 12:19, “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.”

2. During Paul’s ministry, Acts 19:26-27, “Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.”

II. THE FRIEND OF JESUS

A. John reminds his disciples:

1. I am not the Christ, John 1:20, “And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.”

2. I am the friend of the Bridegroom, John 3:29, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

3. I must decrease, John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

B. John Baptist advances Christ before his disciples:

1. He is greater than Jonah, Matthew 12:41, “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”

2. He is greater than Solomon, Matthew 12:42, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

3. He instructs his disciples concerning the dignity of Christ’s person, John 3:31, “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.”

III. JESUS DOES NOT BAPTIZE

A. His ministry was successful, but not without opposition, Psalm 110:2-3, “The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.”

1. The sudden prominence of Jesus, evidenced by the growth of His followers, caused the Pharisees to take special notice of Him.”

2. This is when the Jews began to persecute the Lord, John 7:6, “Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”

B. “Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,” John 3:26, “And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.” John 3:22, “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.”

1. “Jesus himself baptized not,” John 4:2, “(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)”

2. Peter’s ministry, Acts 10:48, “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”

3. Paul’s ministry, 1 Corinthians 1:13-17, “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

CONCLUSION:

The Lord moves to His next project, which was to reach the Gentiles, John 4:3-4, “He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4And he must needs go through Samaria.” He is going to Galilee by way of Samaria. This left His disciples amazed.

JESUS IS PUNISHED AND REJECTED

JOHN 19:1-15

The Lord stands before Pontius Pilate in His last judgment scene. Pilate had tried to release him and again seek to release Jesus saying that he had found no fault in Him. However, the unruly crowd incited by the priest demand that Jesus be crucified. The Lord suffers in quiet submission.

I. JESUS SUBMIT TO THE PAIN AND SHAME

A. That the scripture might be fulfilled, Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

B. God spared not His Son, Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

1. Jesus truly suffered for our sins, Isaiah 50:6, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”

2. The Roman scourgings were ordinarily very severe, not limited, as among the Jews, to forty stripes, Psalm 129:3, “The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.”

C. Jesus himself likewise had foretold it, Matthew 20:19, “And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him : and the third day he shall rise again.”

II. PILATE PRESENT JESUS SAYING,  “BEHOLD THE MAN”

A. Now Jesus was a bloody figure wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Isaiah 52:14 “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:”

B. The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus and shouted for His death, vs. 6-7.

1. They raged against the Lord, Psalm 2:1-3, “Why do the heathen rage (tumultuously assemble), and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

2. Crucify Him! They cried out DESPISING the Lord, v. 6; Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

3. Pilate again states that he had found no fault in Him, but SUBMITS to their demands, v. 6.

a. In verse 4 Pilate had sought to release Jesus having found no fault in Him.

b. At this interval in v. 6, it was that Pilate’s wife warns him, Matthew 27:19, “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”

4. Now the REAL REASON for His death comes out, v. 7, “The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

a. The council had questioned if Jesus was the Son of God, Matthew 26:63, “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.”

b. The Lord’s reply was, “You said it”, Matthew 26:64, “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

C. Pilate reacts and asked Jesus, ‘Whence art thou?” Art thou from men or from heaven? vs. 8-9.

1. He had before asked directly, Art thou a King? John 18:37, “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then ? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

2. The Lord did not reply. It was a PATIENT SILENCE that the SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED, Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

a. His silence SPOKE LOUDLY HIS SUBMISSION TO THE FATHER’S WILL, Hebrews 10:9, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

b. “If Christ had avowed himself a God as plainly as he avowed himself a king, it is probable that Pilate would not have condemned him (for he was afraid at the mention of it by the prosecutors); and the Romans, though they triumphed over the kings of the nations they conquered, yet stood in awe of their gods.” M. Henry.1 Corinthians 2:8, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

JESUS IS ARRESTED AND LED AWAY

JOHN 18:12-27

The Lord had prayed and prepared Himself for this moment. His determination to fulfill the Father’s will was undaunted. Now He was in the hands of His enemies. His disciples had been scattered and he was taken to be judged by the ruling body of the Jews, the Sanhedrin, made up of the Saducees and Pharisees and elders of the community. Traditionally it had 70 members.

I. JESUS IS TAKEN TO THE SAHEDRIN

Matthew 26:57, “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.”

A. Annas received Him first, v. 13. Annas had been the High Priest for 15 years and still maintained much influence over the Sanhedrin.

B. Jesus is sent to Caiaphas bound, v. 13, John 18:24, “Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.”

1. Caiaphas had prophesied that one should die for the nation, John 11:51, “And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;”

2. The gift of prophecy does not mean one is a true believer, Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

a. These were ferocious wolves who appear harmless as sheep, Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”

b. One need only look at the fruit they produce. Grapes and figs do not grow on thornbushes or thistles, Matthew 7:16, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”

C. Now Jesus was alone since His disciples had been scattered, John 16:32, “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”

II. JESUS IS FOLLOWED BY SOME OF HIS DISCIPLES

A. All of the disciples were offended because of Jesus that night, Matthew 26:31, “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

1. Peter follow “afar off,” Matthew 26:58, “But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.”

2. The Lord had said that Peter would deny Him three times before the cock crew, Matthew 26:34, “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.”

a. The first denial, v. 17; John 13:37, “Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now I will lay down my life for thy sake.”

b. The second denial, v. 25.

c. The third denial, vs. 26-27.

B. Another disciple, probably John, was more involved, v. 15; this disciple knew the high priest and therefore had access into the high priest’s courtyard.

III. JESUS IS EXAMINED BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST

A. He was asked about His doctrine that they might charge him with heresy, v. 19; Deuteronomy 17:12, “And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.”

B. They hoped to make him an offender for some word or statement, Isaiah 29:21, “That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.”

C. Having failed in that attempt they charged him with blasphemy, Mark 14:61-64, “But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven . 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.”

1. Jesus is found guilty of being the Son of God.

2. To these unbelieving Jews this was blasphemy and the penalty was death, Leviticus 24:15-16,“And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. 16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD , shall be put to death.”

3. Jesus had predicted this outcome, Mark 10:33, “Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles.”

CONCLUSION:

Now Jesus is taken to Pilot to be condemned because the Sanhedrin had no authority to sentence a man to death under Roman rule. John 19:7, “The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

JESUS IN THE EYES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
JOHN 1:14-34

John the Baptist had a very special mission given to him by the God of Heaven. John prepared the way for the Messiah. He recognized Jesus as that Messiah. He shows through his statements in this chapter that his relationship with Jesus Christ was more important than anything else in his life. Jesus was everything to John. He said in John 3:29-30, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

I. JOHN SAW JESUS AS THE ONLY HOPE OF MAN.

A. He saw the HUMILITY of Christ, Philippians 2:5-11, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

1. He took the form of a SERVANT, v. 7.

a. “Was made in the likeness of men:”

b. “Dwelt among us,” John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

2. “And became obedient unto death,” v. 8.

B. “Let this mind be in you,” v. 5.

1. Our attitude should be like the attitude of Christ.

2. Obedience to Christ as He was to the Father, should have priority in our life.

3. God’s blessings are connected to our obedience.

II. JOHN SAW JESUS AS THE SOURSE OF GRACE AND TRUTH.

A. Jesus, “full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.

1. You are FREE in the truth, John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2. Jesus, THE ONLY SOURSE of the truth, John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

B. Jesus, being the Saviour, manifest the grace of God, Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

III. JOHN RECOGNIZED JESUS AS “THE LAMB OF GOD.”

A. THE CHOSEN of God, v. 29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

1. God is WELL PLEASED with His Son, Matthew 3:17, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

2. Here we have the Son of God OBEDIENT to the Father.

B. “THE LAMB OF GOD.”

1. John introduced Jesus to the religious crowd of Israel.

a. To the gentiles this expression had no significance.

b. But to the JEWS the LAMB was the SACRIFICE FOR SIN, the lamb of the PASSOVER.

C. “Which taketh away the sin of the world.”

1. Every year, once a year, the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies of the Temple with the blood of the lamb.

2. BUT THIS LAMB WAS DIFFERENT! God chose this lamb and He was sacrificed only once, Hebrews 10:10-14, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

a. Jesus FINISHED THE WORK of Redemption, vs. 12, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

b. NOTHING was left to do, v. 14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Hebrews 9:26, “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

CONCLUSION:

John understood that Jesus was his Saviour, the Lamb of God that was sacrificed to save him from his sins. And he declared that Jesus is the Saviour of the world.

John dedicated his life 100% to the Lord. For this reason it is not difficult to understand why John was ready to die for Jesus Christ.