Letters From John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

TOUCHING THE TRUTH

1 John chapter One

THE TRUTH AND THE TESTIMONY
1 John 1:1-4 (ESV)
1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—3  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

 John 1: 1-5  (Gospel)
1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

THE LIGHT AND THE LIE
1 John 1:5-6 (ESV)
5  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (ESV)
5  For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

Ephesians 5:6-7 (ESV)
6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7  Therefore do not become partners with them;

THE DELUSION AND THE DECLARATION
1 John 1:7-10 (ESV)
7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Acts 20:28-32 (ESV)
28  Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29  I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30  and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31  Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32  And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)
9  He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
10  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11  The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.                            12  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
13  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Proverbs 28:13 (ESV)
13  Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Psalm 51:17 (ESV)
17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

AFTER THE RESURRECTION

John chapter 21

BE FISHERMEN – OBEY HIM
John 21:1-8 (ESV)
1  After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 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 will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4  Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5  Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6  He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7  That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8  The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

Matthew 28:5-7 (ESV)
5  But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6  He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
7  Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

BE PARTNERS – SERVE HIM
John 21:9-14 (ESV)
9  When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10  Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11  So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14  This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

BE SHEPHERDS – LOVE HIM
John 21:15-19 (ESV)
15  When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16  He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
18  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19  (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Matthew 26:30-33 (ESV)
30  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31  Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32  But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33  Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV)
12  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
13  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14  If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

BE DISCIPLES – FOLLOW HIM
John 21:20-25 (ESV)
20  Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22  Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23  So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24  This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
25  Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John 20:30-31 (ESV)
30  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE SHOCK OF AN EMPTY TOMB

John chapter 20

THE GREAT DISCOVERY
John 20:1-10 (ESV)
1  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
3  So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4  Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5  And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7  and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8  Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9  for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10  Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Matthew 28:2-4 (ESV)
2  And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
4  And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

THE GREAT RECOGNITION
John 20:11-18 (ESV)
11  But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12  And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13  They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14  Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she 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 in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17  Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18  Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Mark 16:9-11 (ESV)
9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10  She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11  But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

 THE GREAT INTERRUPTION
John 20:19-23 (ESV)
19  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them 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  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

THE GREAT CONFESSION
John 20:24-29 (ESV)
24  Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV)
8  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
9  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

THE GREAT PURPOSE
John 20:30-31 (ESV)
30  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

Part 3

John 19: 16-42

THE SIGN
THAT SPOKE THE TRUTH
John 19:16-22 (ESV)
16  So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, 17  and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18  There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19  Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20  Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21  So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22  Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

THE SOLDIERS
THAT GAMBLED FOR CLOTHING
John 19:23-24 (ESV)
23  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24  so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,

Psalm 22:14-18 (ESV)
14  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15  my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16  For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17  I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18  they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

Luke 23:39-43 (ESV)
39  One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

THE SON
THAT CARED FOR HIS MOTHER
John 19:25-27 (ESV)
25  but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Luke 2:34-35 (ESV)
34  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

THE STATEMENT
THAT CHANGED HISTORY
John 19:28-30 (ESV)
28  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
29  A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30  When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

THE SCENE
THAT JOHN REMEMBERED
John 19:31-37 (ESV)
31  Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would 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  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been 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 at once there came out blood and water. 35  He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36  For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37  And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Psalm 34:20 (ESV)
20  He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Zechariah 12:10 (ESV)
10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

THE SECRET
THAT WOULD NOT BE KEPT
John 19:38-42 (ESV)
38  After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was 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 away his body. 39  Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 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 because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Luke 23:50-53 (ESV)
50  Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51  who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53  Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.

Isaiah 53:3-6 (ESV)
3  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.