According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

Part 2

John 18: 28- 19: 16

 PILATE MET JESUS
John 18:28-32 (ESV)
28  Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
29  So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”                                                                                                                                                     30  They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
31  Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
32  This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

PILATE QUESTIONED JESUS
John 18:33-40 (ESV)
33  So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34  Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
35  Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over 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 have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
37  Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”                                  38  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
39  But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40  They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Mark 15:6-11 (ESV)
6  Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7  And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8  And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9  And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10  For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.

 PILATE TORTURED JESUS
John 19:1-6 (ESV)
1  Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
2  And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.
3  They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4  Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
5  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6  When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”

Isaiah 50:6 (ESV)
6  I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

Genesis 3:17-18 (ESV)
17  And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.

PILATE FEARED JESUS
John 19:7-11 (ESV)
7  The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
8  When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.
9  He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.                                                                                                                            10  So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
11  Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

John 1:10-11 (ESV)
10  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
11  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

PILATE CONDEMNED JESUS
John 19:12-16 (ESV)
12  From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
13  So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.                                   14  Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
15  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  So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

Part 1

John 18: 1-27

GRACE IN THE GARDEN
John 18:1-9 (ESV)
1  When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2  Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3  So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4  Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5  They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6  When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7  So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8  Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9  This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

VIOLENCE ON THE HILLSIDE
John 18:10-14 (ESV)
10  Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11  So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” 12  So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13  First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14  It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Matthew 26:51-54 (ESV)
51  And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52  Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53  Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54  But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

Luke 22:51-53 (ESV)
51  But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.
52  Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
53  When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

John 11:49-52 (ESV)
49  But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all.    50  Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51  He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,   52  and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

 STUPIDITY BY THE FIRE
John 18:15-18 (ESV)
15  Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16  but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17  The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18  Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

 TRUTH IN THE RESIDENCE
John 18:19-24 (ESV)
19  The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20  Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21  Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22  When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23  Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?”
24  Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

 COWARDICE IN THE COURTYARD
John 18:25-27 (ESV)
25  Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
26  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”
27  Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

Luke 22:56-62 (ESV)
56  Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.”
57  But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.”
58  And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.”                                                                                                                         59  And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.”
60  But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”
62  And he went out and wept bitterly.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE TRUE LORD’S PRAYER

John chapter 17

WE SHARE HIS LIFE
John 17:1-5 (ESV)
1  When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2  since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.                                                                                                                                      3  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
4  I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
5  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV)
9  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)
9  But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

WE KNOW HIS NAME
John 17:6-12 (ESV)
6  “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
7  Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.
8  For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9  I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10  All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12  While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Psalm 9:10 (ESV)
10  And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

 WE HAVE HIS WORD
John 17:13-19 (ESV)
13  But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14  I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

James 4:7 (ESV)
7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Psalm 119:105-106 (ESV)
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
106  I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.

WE SHOW HIS LOVE
John 17:20-26 (ESV)
20  “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21  that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23  I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24  Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.   26  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

IT AIN’T OVER

John 16: 5-33

THE HELPER IS COMING
John 16:5-11 (ESV)
5  But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
6  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.                               8  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Acts 2:36-38 (ESV)
36  Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

UNDERSTANDING IS COMING
John 16:12-15 (ESV)
12  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Isaiah 42:8-9 (ESV)
8  I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
9  Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

John 14:26 (ESV)
26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

 JOY IS COMING
John 16:16-24 (ESV)
16  “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17  So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18  So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?  20  Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.  21  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22  So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23  In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Acts 4:16-20 (ESV)
16  saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17  But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18  So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19  But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20  for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV)
14  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

VICTORY IS COMING
John 16:25-33 (ESV)
25  “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26  In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27  for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28  I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” 29  His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30  Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31  Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32  Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.   33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

FEATURING LOVE AND FACING OPPOSITION

John 15: 9 – 16: 4

THE JOY OF JESUS
John 15:9-11 (ESV)
9  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

THE COMMANDMENT OF JESUS
John 15:12-17 (ESV)
12  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14  You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17  These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

1 John 3:23 (ESV)
23  And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

THE REJECTION OF JESUS
John 15:18-25 (ESV)
18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21  But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23  Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24  If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25  But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

THE MESSAGE OF JESUS
John 15:26-27 (ESV)
26  “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

THE CHALLENGE OF JESUS
John 16:1-4 (ESV)
1  “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Matthew 5:11-12 (ESV)
11  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

RELATIONSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITIES

John 14: 21 – 15: 8

DWELLING IN THE FATHER’S LOVE
John 14:21-24 (ESV)
21  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
22  Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”                                                                                                                        23  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

LEARNING FROM THE SPIRIT’S VOICE
John 14:25-27 (ESV)
25  “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Philippians 4:7 (ESV)
7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

TRUSTING IN THE KINGDOM PLAN
John 14:28-31 (ESV)
28  You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29  And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30  I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31  but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)
5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

RESTING IN THE LIVING VINE
John 15:1-8 (ESV)
1  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Isaiah 5:7 (ESV)
7  For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV)
9  And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Romans 1:13 (ESV)
13  I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)
15  Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

1 Corinthians 11:28-30 (ESV)
28  Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29  For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30  That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE WAY AND THE PROMISES

John 14: 1-20

THE SOLITARY WAY
John 14:1-6 (ESV)
1  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
4  And you know the way to where I am going.” 5  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
6  Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Revelation 21:1-3 (ESV)
1  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (ESV)
32  You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33  You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

Psalm 86:11 (ESV)
11  Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
11  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

THE VISIBLE GOD
John 14:7-11 (ESV)
7  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8  Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)
3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

John 1:1-4 (ESV)
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.

THE WORTHY NAME
John 14:12-14 (ESV)
12  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Acts 5:12-16 (ESV)
12  Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.
13  None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14  And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,  15  so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16  The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)
14  And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
15  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

THE HOLY FRIEND
John 14:15-20 (ESV)
15  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18  “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19  Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE SOVEREIGN SERVANT

John 13: 1-35

THE HUMILITY OF LOVE
John 13:1-5 (ESV)
1  Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of  Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
4  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Philippians 2:3-8 (ESV)
3  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.     4  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF LOVE
John 13:6-11 (ESV)
6  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
7  Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
8  Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”                                                                                                       9  Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
10  Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”
11  For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

1 John 1:7-9 (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.

THE MODEL OF LOVE
John 13:12-17 (ESV)
12  When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you?
13  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.                                                14  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
16  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

THE APPEAL OF LOVE
John 13:18-30 (ESV)
18  I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’
19  I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”                                                        21  After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
22  The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.
23  One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,
24  so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
25  So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?”                        26  Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27  Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28  Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29  Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30  So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

Psalm 41:9 (ESV)
9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

THE COMMAND OF LOVE
John 13:31-35 (ESV)
31  When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
32  If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33  Little children, yet a little while I am with you.  You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
35  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

LAST CHANCE

John 12: 27-50

VOICE OF AFFIRMATION
John 12:27-30 (ESV)
27  “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28  Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29  The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30  Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
²¹  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

CHOICE OF OPPORTUNITY
John 12:31-36 (ESV)
31  Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33  He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34  So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35  So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

Daniel 7:14 (ESV)
14  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Ezekiel 37:24-25 (ESV)
24  “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.
25  They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)
6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

PROPHECY OF BLINDNESS
John 12:37-43 (ESV)
37  Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
38  so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41  Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42  Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43  for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

John 1:5 (ESV)
5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)
10  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

WORDS OF HEAVEN
John 12:44-50 (ESV)
44  And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45  And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.
46  I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47  If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48  The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49  For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

According to John

(Sermon series)

 by Rev. Richard Jones

RADICAL RESULTS

John Chapter 11: 55 – 12: 26

RADICAL SEARCH
John 11:55-57 (ESV)
55  Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56  They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57  Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

RADICAL LOVE
John 12:1-11 (ESV)
1  Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2  So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3  Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5  “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6  He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7  Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8  For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” 9  When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10  So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,
11  because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

RADICAL ENTRANCE
John 12:12-19 (ESV)
12  The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
13  So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14  And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15  “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16  His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17  The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18  The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19  So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)
9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Psalm 118:25-26 (ESV)
25  Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
26  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.

RADICAL PARADOX
John 12:20-26 (ESV)
20  Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.
21  So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
22  Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.                           23  And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25  Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26  If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.