08-26-2018 – Jesus Tells His Disciples He is Going Away.

This is the insert that was in Sunday's bulletin. The full sermon notes are on a link below.

08-26-2018

Jesus Tells His Disciples He is Going Away.

John 13:31-38

Read John 13:31-35... The Son’s greatest desire is to bring glory to His Father; the Father’s greatest desire is His Son’s glory.
Jesus’ glory as was hidden, except when Transfigured on the mountain (cf. Matthew 17:1-8), Jesus set aside His glory to go to the cross (see Philippians 2:5-11).
At the cross Jesus experienced humiliation, receiving God’s wrath for our sin, being separated from the Father.
His death brought salvation, destroyed sin’s curse, defeated Satan, as Jesus declared, "It is finished.”
The penalty for sin is death; Jesus paid it (Isaiah 53:6), “[God]... caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” No wonder Jesus cried out (Matthew 27:46), "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?".
1John 4:10, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Jesus calls the 11 (verse 33) “little children,” saying He must leave, they can’t follow. Jesus had told the Jews (John 7:34), "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."
Again, Jesus says to the Jews (John 8:21), “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come,’" adding (John 8:24), "I said to you that you will die in your sins; unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
Jesus’ disciples could not follow Him, but they weren’t in danger of dying in sin, for they belonged to Him, and their purpose was to glorify Him (verses 34-35), ”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
1John 3:11, "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
God’s children have a God-given capacity to love others as Christ loved us.
Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender- hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Jesus' loved these men deeply, but staying with them was not an option; He had come to die for their sins, for everyone’s sins, and then return to the Father.
Read John 13:36-38... Peter doesn’t seem to be giving much attention to this “new commandment,” for he is struggling with the statement that Jesus won’t be with them much longer, and they can’t go where He is going.
Jesus repeatedly told these guys (cf. Matthew 20:18; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:32) He would be betrayed, taken away, put to death, buried, but would rise from the grave.
Peter is fixated on Jesus’ leaving and not being able to go with Him, Jesus says to Him (verse 36), “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”
Peter doesn’t want later, he wants now, as he expresses (verse 37), “I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus responds (verse 38), “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.”
Not only is Jesus leaving and Peter can’t go with Him, but now he is told that he will deny the Lord three times (more on that later, in chapter 18).
What a nightmare for the disciples: they’ve been with Jesus, God’s Son, almost daily, for over three years, now He is going away and they can’t go with Him?
They cannot grasp what the Scriptures declare, i.e., Jesus must go away, if He is to come back to take them to be with Him forever.
Jesus has now been with these guys for over three years, this is a Thursday, and He will be taken away from them tomorrow, Friday; but come Sunday, He will return to them, and He will never leave them alone again.
To be continued...