John 18:28-40 "Pontius Pilate, Part of God's Plan?"

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.” These words, familiar to many of you, make up what is in my opinion the most beautiful summation of what we as Christians believe. These words make up what is commonly known as the Creed of the Apostle’s, or Apostle’s Creed. This creed is something that nearly every Christian group, both Catholic and Protestant, have as part of their tradition in at least some form. However, it’s unknown exactly when this beautiful creed was written. The first mention of the title Apostle’s Creed came from a letter written by Ambrose from a Council in Milan to Pope Siricius in about 390 AD. It should be noted that several of the phrases that exist in our modern Apostle’s Creed were absent in the one cited at that time by Ambrose. However, the phrase “suffered under Pontius Pilate” has always existed within the Apostle’s Creed.

You know, I feel sorry sometimes for Pilate and the fact that his name has been and will be forever attached to the death of Christ. All of us make mistakes, but Pilate’s biggest mistake happens to involve the single most important event in human history. The sad truth of the matter is that not many people know much about Pilate outside of his brief interaction with Jesus prior to his crucifixion. Many people think him to be this ruthless tyrant who cared nothing for the lives of those who were under his authority. Well, in actuality, Pilate was kind of a bumbling figure and just wanted to keep the peace. He had been appointed the governor of Judea in AD 26 by the Emperor Tiberius, and served in this capacity for a little over ten years. Now, Judea wasn’t exactly a destination job. It was somewhat of an undesirable location for that particular job and location can play a major factor in the outcome of a person’s job and their happiness with it; being an ice cream vendor in Hawaii looks very different from being an ice cream vendor in Alaska. What made Judea a particularly difficult place to be governor was the number of Jewish people living there. Any time Pilate or any other governor would do something or bring anything into Jerusalem, the Jews would become outraged that their Holy City was being defiled. It was typical for all Roman cities to have some likenesses of emperor within their boundaries. However, the Jews would riot whenever this was attempted in Jerusalem. They would have city-wide strikes and camp outside of Pilate’s house until their demands were met. When Pilate and his men would threaten them with execution, then the Jews would call his bluff and stick out their necks as if to dare Pilate to execute them. Mass executions would result in less people which would in turn result in less tax money, which was something Pilate couldn’t have happen.

Seemingly every time that Pilate tried to bring any part of Rome into Jerusalem the Jews would revolt. There were even some occasions where the Jews skipped the protesting of Pilate and went straight to the emperor. The emperor didn’t really care what took place within Jerusalem, as long as he was getting his tax money from them and they weren’t being a problem to him and the running of his empire. This being the case, the emperor virtually took all power away from Pilate and gave it to the people of Jerusalem, who in turn allowed the religious officials to dictate daily life. It seemed like every decision that Pilate made was the wrong one in the eyes of the Jewish people. Pilate was simply a man who was completely frustrated at his job and was looking for just one time where he could make a decision that was well-received by those under his rule.

We’re told that after the “trial” that took place between Jesus and the Sanhedrin, that Jesus was led away to Pilate’s headquarters, the place where he stayed when he was in Jerusalem. Pilate was there because, if you recall, this is the time of the Passover festival and he has to be around to help keep the peace. Pilate comes out to this group of men and asks them why they were bringing Jesus to him. He wanted to know what charges had been made against Jesus. You couldn’t just bring someone to the governor, they had to be guilty of something and they had to be tried by lower courts. In our country today, cases don’t just begin at the Supreme Court, they go through the lower courts first. After being asked about the charges, the Jews tell Pilate that the charges are based of his theology. Pilate tells the Jews to try Jesus through their own courts. You have to think that at this point in the story that Pilate was on Jesus’ side since he probably didn’t think too highly of the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem due to the fact that they tormented him constantly. Add to that the fact that the Jews were bringing their problems to his doorstep and answering him very arrogantly with a response that basically says, “Don’t you think we’ve done that already. We’ve already found him guilty and we’re bringing him to you.” I want you to notice that at no point are we actually told of any real charges being brought against Jesus, but we’re only told that he’s been found guilty. Finally, the truth comes out; the only reason why they are even coming to Pilate is because they are not allowed to put Jesus to death under their laws. Pilate sees this and instead of dismissing it, he agrees to hear their case in order to keep the peace and not make things more difficult for himself.

Pilate then brings Jesus into his headquarters and questions him. Now, in the interest of time, we’re going to temporarily press pause and come back to the particulars of their conversation in a few weeks. I don’t feel as if we can adequately examine the words of Jesus to Pilate in the time remaining, but I do want us to look at how this ultimately ends in order to set the stage for our next time together in a few weeks. After Pilates questioning and examining of Jesus, he comes back outside and tells the crowd of Jews that he has found no fault with Jesus even though the Sanhedrin has found him guilty. He even gives them a chance to do the right thing in letting him go. He says to the crowd, “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?” Pilate gives them a choice between releasing Jesus and releasing a man named Barrabas. Now, Barrabas was a true criminal. We know from the other gospel accounts that Barrabas was a thief and a murder who committed numerous crimes as an act of rebellion against Rome. Basically, Barrabas was a terrorist. By any measure, the crimes of Barrabas were so heinous that you could have placed him next to anyone and he would have been seen as the more evil of the two parties. Pilate has placed Barrabas, who he views as the most violent criminal of the day, alongside Jesus, whom he has already said that he finds no fault with, in hopes that the crowd will allow Jesus to be set free.

Think about this for a second, the Jewish people are being given a chance to spare the life of their Messiah. They are given a chance to spare the life of the one that they have waited for, yet they call for the true criminal to be freed. It should be noted, that according to tradition, that Barrabas’ full name was Jesus Barrabas. Also, the name Barrabas can be translated to mean “son of the father.” How striking is it that these Jews were crying for the freedom of Jesus “son of the father” instead of the Jesus who is the Son of the Father, the promised Messiah.

Many times in our world we become so fixed upon what we want and what we think is best that we miss what is right in front of us. We do things that we know aren’t completely right or even legitimate and we rationalize it in our minds so that it’s ok and acceptable. I have to think that there were those in attendance that day, and even some member of the Sanhedrin themselves, who knew that what was taking place was not right. They were so clouded by sin and the thing that they wanted that they missed what was right and good. But God’s plan shines through. This persecution, arrest, trial, sentencing, and crucifixion was all part of God’s plan of salvation. It was all part of God’s saving a fallen humanity. Every little detail and every thought, word, and deed was according to a plan that had existed since before the foundation of the earth. Take that in. Marinate on that for just a second. Something so heinous and so brutal and so unethical was used to save us; you and me. These events that are so atrocious were part of God’s plan of salvation. As Paul said in his letter to the Christians in Rome, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 18:15-27 "The Trial of Jesus"

We commonly forget that the amount of time recorded of Jesus’ earthly ministry really isn’t that much. In all, it’s only about 50 days of ministry that are recorded in John’s gospel. To think that so many events are compacted in 50 or so days and recorded in only 21 chapters means that the action is taking place at a pretty fast pace. Add to that the fact that John’s gospel doesn’t just record the events of Jesus’ life during this time, but it records the actions of his disciples as well. Sometimes, like our text today, it’s necessary for the text to jump back and forth in order to follow all of the action as its taking place. Much like a movie or television show that’s following multiple characters at one time, jumping around to different people helps to give a more precise idea as to the chronology of events and to where things are taking place within the scope of the greater narrative. In our text today, we have an account of Jesus being tried sandwiched in between a couple of accounts of Peter’s denial of Christ. As Peter is denying that he even knows Jesus, or Savior is standing trial before the Sanhedrin, the religious officials of Jerusalem.

Now, we know that Peter’s denial of Jesus is a fulfillment of the words that Christ spoke to him back in John 13. In that account, Peter stated vehemently that even if everyone else fell away, that he would never fall away from Christ. He was so confident in his devotion to Jesus that he felt that there was nothing that could separate him from his zeal for the Lord. Christ told him that indeed he would deny knowing him, and he would do so three times before the rooster crowed. In our current text, Peter and another disciple (most commonly thought to be John) follow Jesus as he is taken away to his trial after being arrested. The other disciple is allowed to enter into the trial (indicating that this particular disciple had some privileges within Jerusalem) while Peter remains outside. After this other disciple gets permission from within, Peter is allowed to join him in the courtyard while Jesus tried. Once inside the courtyard, a servant girl identifies Peter as one of those commonly with Jesus. When asked about it, Peter denies being one of Jesus’ disciples, his first denial.

Our story takes a quick look away from Peter and the other disciple on the outside of this trial and looks in on the actual events of the trial. Now, it’s important to note that verse 18 speaks about a “fire of coals” being present to light up the area. This tells us that this trial took place at night. Why is this important you may be asking? Well, typically a trial would have been held during the daylight. Holding the trial at night shows the deceitfulness in which the Sanhedrin persecuted Jesus. It was virtually unthinkable to hold such a trial at any time other than the daylight hours. Obviously there wasn’t any laws completely forbidding it or else it wouldn’t have even been a possibility, but it just wasn’t the norm. It’s kind of like how most golf courses don’t technically have any rules against playing at night, but practically speaking it just is never done. You would never think of holding a regular golf tournament while the sky is pitch black.

We’re told that Jesus was tried on his “disciples and doctrine.” We’re not told many details about the trial and the specific proceedings of it, but we know from some Jewish resources outside of Scripture how these sorts of trials typically went. Usually the defendant (in this case Jesus) was never required to testify or answer questions. Typically witnesses were called to speak at the trial both on behalf of and against the accused. The order was typically a witness on behalf of and then a witness against. In many regards, it resembles many aspects of our modern judicial proceedings. However, much of the usual format for a trial seems to be dispensed with as Jesus is interrogated before the Sanhedrin.

Even though we aren’t given much detail about the trial, we are given Jesus’ response to the questions of Annas. Verses 20-21 read, “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. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.’” I love what Jesus did with those words. He gives a very subtle insult to those who only operate in secret and not out in the open (which is exactly what Annas and the Sanhedrin were doing with this trial). He’s challenging them to follow the proper protocol for a trial. He makes no attempt to hide anything that he has taught. He makes no apologies for any part of his teaching. He firmly and fully stands behind the message that he has been teaching and knows that at no point has he ever taught anything that was not the truth. He was hoping that witnesses would be called as they ought to because there was no one who could really speak anything truthful that was against Jesus.

His “defiance” upsets the members of the Sanhedrin. One of them even strikes Jesus with his palm, slapping him. He rebukes Jesus and tells him that that is not the way in which the high priest, Annas, should be answered. Once again, Jesus challenges the Sanhedrin to hold a proper Jewish trial and says, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” In other words, “if I have done anything wrong, then bring someone forth who can speak of my wrongdoings.” Both Jesus and the members of the Sanhedrin knew he had done nothing wrong. They all knew that this was a farce of a trial and was done only to give lip service to what they wanted to have done. With the formalities and protocol dispensed, they were past the point of proper conduct and proper procedure. Annas has no evidence and no witnesses, yet he sends Christ to Caiaphas so that he could then be turned over to the Romans. Annas cared not for following tradition and proper procedures, but only wanted Jesus destroyed.

After looking in briefly on the somewhat secret trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin, John once again turns to Peter and what is taking place with him outside in the courtyard on the periphery of the trial. What we find is continued accusations by those around him that he is one of the disciples of Jesus. As Peter is questioned, we see that both times he denies having a personal relationship with Jesus. In all, he denies knowing Christ three different times. We’re told that immediately after the third denial that a rooster crows, no doubt sending shockwaves through Peter’s core as to his falling away from Christ. Now, Peter is commonly thought of as being somewhat the leader of the disciples. He’s seen as Jesus’ right-hand man with regards to his leading the disciples. This fulfillment of Peter’s foretold denial illustrates the point that there is no one who is above not giving Jesus his proper praise. The Bible miniseries that came out a few months ago did a fabulous job of capturing the shame and disgust that Peter felt within himself for having denied his Savior, a shame that very much tortured him until Christ appeared before the disciples after his resurrection.

But I don’t want us to focus solely on the denial made by Peter, but I want us to focus on what Jesus is in the process of accomplishing even with Peter’s faltering faith. Jesus is in the process of dying to save all of mankind. Not only is he dying to save mankind, but he’s dying to save sinful mankind. There’s not one of us that are not covered in sin. Peter, as the leader of the disciples, is no different than anyone else when it comes to sin. Christ died still for Peter and all mankind. He died for those who run from him, for those who betray him, for those who deny him. He knows the hideous things that we are capable of and that we are prone to do, yet he still died for us. Yes, we may stray and we may fall and fail at times, but Christ will never betray us. He will never betray those on whom he has set his love. He will love us and do so faithfully for all time. Rest easy in the love and promises of our Creator. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 18:1-14 "The Arrest of Jesus"

There is a popular phrase out there that says, “History is written by the victors.” This statement, which is found in the opening of the popular movie Braveheart, is commonly attributed to Sir Winston Churchill, although there are those who consider it an adaptation of a phrase first uttered by Napoleon. Regardless of the origins of this statement, the logic behind it is pretty sound. Those who come out on the winning side of a battle or a war are often the ones who live to write about the events that took place. That’s what makes a work like The Diary of Anne Frank is so compelling, because it very much contains the thoughts and perspective of someone who was on the losing side of a particular battle. What makes our text today a particular interesting one is that there is a sense in which both sides win with the events that take place. You see, in the moment in which these events are taking place, the Roman authorities and Pharisees must feel like they are the victors. However, we know that ultimately Christ is the victor. We know that God is the one who comes out of these events waving the flag of victory. We know that because of this we are the ones who celebrate this victory even today despite the momentary triumph that the authorities in Jerusalem may have felt at the time.

We’re told in our text that Judas comes out leading two sets of soldiers. The first is a band or detachment of soldiers depending on your English translation. These soldiers would have been Roman soldiers, many of whom were there simply to keep the peace during the Passover festival that was taking place. A detachment is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 soldiers, but not all of them would have been active at the same time. The second set of men with Judas were officers sent from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were temple police sent to arrest Jesus for his crimes of blasphemy against God (at least from the Pharisees perspective). In total, the number of soldiers who were with Judas is thought to be somewhere between 600 to 700 men; a far cry from the depictions that we have seen where only a few men are with Judas as they go to the Garden of Gethsemane to bring in Jesus.

Jesus knows full well what is about to happen. He knows that he is to be arrested and once arrested he knows what will happen to him. Had he wanted to, he could have run. There’s no doubt that the lamps and torches carried by these 600+ men made their presence known long before they actually arrived. However, Jesus remains there so that the events that are to come about actually do occur. Jesus is being obedient to the Father. This is what is known as Jesus’ passive obedience. We’ve seen his active obedience numerous times in this gospel. When he teaches and heals and feeds and proclaims God’s word, he is actively attacking sin and fulfilling the commands of the Father. His passive obedience is when he remains obedient and does the will of the Father by not doing something. Other than this account here, a great example of such obedience is found in his temptation in the desert. By Christ’s refusing to turn a stone into bread or throwing himself off of a cliff and landing on the ground or giving into any of Satan’s temptations, he was remaining obedient to God by not doing something.

The guards show up and before they even have the chance to ask for Jesus he asked them who they were looking for. When they said that they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus responds with the statement, I AM. In the Greek text, it reads ἐγώ εἰμί. Each of these words can literally be translated as I Am, which makes the literal meaning of this phrase, I AM WHO I AM, the same name that God gives of Himself in Exodus 3:14 in the account of Moses and the burning bush. We’re then told that Jesus repeats this phrase and many soldiers actually fell back, retreated, and fell to the ground. Not only were the disciples fearful of what was taking place, but the soldiers who outnumbered them by a minimum of 600 to 12 were frightened as well; another in the long list of accounts where the forces of sin and evil are far more than those for God, yet the power firmly rests on the side of God.

Jesus cares nothing for himself for he knows that what is to become of him is a must for the will of God be done. He does, however, care for the disciples and commands for the soldiers to let the disciples leave. Peter almost seems stunned by the fact that Jesus would so willingly give himself up and takes matters into his own hands. He grabs a sword (which was more like a dagger) and cuts the ear of one of the men who is there to arrest Jesus, a man named Malchus. We’re told in Luke’s account of this event that Jesus then heals the man and restores his ear to its previous form and function. What is to be focused on in this exchange here is not the actions of Peter or really even the healing of the man’s ear, but the response/rebuke that Jesus gives to Peter. Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away and then asks in a seemingly rhetorical manner, “shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” In other words, he’s asking Peter how he is supposed to complete the task that the Father has given to him if he is not arrested and put into prison. This is another example of Jesus’ passive obedience. The way in which he brings glory to God and fulfills His will is to do nothing and allow the events to take place without interruption or interference. The way in which he glorifies the Father is to completely and fully submit to His will, even when it hurts, even when it will cost him his life.

Christ is led away to stand before the authorities. We’re told that he goes before Annas and Caiaphas specifically, the chief high priest and his father-in-law. Christ is led away like a lamb to the slaughter. He never opened his mouth and rebuked the men who took him away, but went submissively with them. He was fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah with his actions in the Garden. He was fulfilling the promise of the suffering servant that we find in Isaiah 53. He was fulfilling the will of the Father in going to his death upon the cross. And it’s that death that gives us hope. It’s that death that achieves our salvation. It’s that death that we remember and celebrate this day with the elements that are on the table before us. It’s that death that means everything to us. Without this arrest, without Jesus’ complete and total submission to the will of the Father, his death would mean nothing. It is because of the life to perfection and the total obedience, both active and passive, that he has for God’s will that his death becomes the once-for-all perfect sacrifice that we must have in order to enter into heaven. Christ’s willingness to set his own safety aside and lay down his own life in order to fulfill the will of the Father is the hope that we celebrate this day and is the reason why our rejoicing in him will never end and can overcome all obstacles that may arise in our lives. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 17:20-26 "The Glory of Christ"

Over the course of the past couple of weeks, we have spent time looking at what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, the prayer that Jesus cried out to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane in the moments before he was arrested by Roman authorities. We’ve seen Jesus’ prayer become increasingly more encompassing as he prepares for the impending arrest and crucifixion. Jesus began this prayer with a prayer for himself. He prayed for strength during this time of great struggle. He prayed for the work of God, the plan of salvation from the beginning, to be achieved through his actions. From there, Jesus expanded his prayer to include his disciples, those men closest to him during his time on earth. He prayed for their strength and resolve in the aftermath of his death. He also prayed that they would continue the ministry that he began after he had left them. He prayed for them to go out into the world and take the good news of the gospel to places that it need to be and hadn’t been before. Continuing on from that point, Jesus expands to a third group in his prayer to the Father. Jesus now prays for the Church, for all those who will come to have faith in him. Jesus prayed for all those who currently did, and would come to, believe in him as the Messiah. In essence, this is a prayer that Jesus makes during his time of greatest distress for you, me, and all others who look to Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is a prayer made by Jesus specifically for you.

Christ begins by praying for the closeness that exists between the persons of the Trinity to be extended to all believers. This is almost identical to an aspect of Jesus’ prayer for the disciples that we examined last Sunday. You know, I don’t think that we fully grasp the magnitude of such a statement. Think about it for just a second, we fully know that the love that exists between God the Father and God the Son is a type of love that is so enormous and so encompassing and compassionate that we can’t really fathom it. Perhaps the greatest mystery of all time is the union that is known as the Trinity. Consequently, there is also no greater love than that which exists within this union. Now, we find here that Christ prayed for that type of relationship, that type of love, to exist between God and all believers. Because of Christ, God loves believers just as much as He loves His Son. Now, think about the fact that God knows every little detail about us, every little thing about you and me. God knows every little thought, word, and action. And despite all the ugliness that He might see when he looks upon you and me and the stain of sin that exists deep within us, God pours out His love upon us just as He does His own Son. And it is this love that He has for the Son, with our being united with the Son and found in the Son, which is the only reason why God has chosen to save us.

Jesus then said, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.” So, not only does Christ long to see us united and in Him, but he longs for us to be with Him as well. It’s one thing to want someone to be kept safe and for you to be able to keep a careful and watchful eye on them. It’s an entirely different thing for them to want you to be with them for all eternity. So not only is our desire to be with Christ in heaven for all eternity, but that is his desire as well. We’re not the unwanted and uninvited guests at the party, but we’re the ones who Christ is delighted to see, all of us.

Jesus then goes on to expound upon his want to have us with him for all eternity when he says, “to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, there are glimpses of his glory that peer through every now and then. There are the miracles, the profound teachings, and especially events like his baptism and transfiguration. However, there are also the times like his suffering in the wilderness for 40 days and nights and his crucifixion that although equally important and very much needed during his ministry, they leave us with little notion about Jesus’ true glory. Jesus prayed here that those who believe in him will be with him in heaven so that they may for the first time see the true glory of the Lord. For you see, the glory that was experienced by those around him here on earth, the glory that we read about in the gospel accounts, is but a foretaste of the glory that awaits us all in heaven.

Being a preacher, I often get asked questions about heaven and what it will be like. Now, ultimately my knowledge and understanding isn’t any greater than anybody else’s, seeing as I have never been there either. All I can do is go by what we find in Scripture, and what I find amazes me. I get asked about being reunited with loved ones, being free of pain and suffering, and if we will be restored to our healthiest form once we have reached the other side of glory. Well, it’s my understanding that we will have all those things, but will we even care? Don’t get me wrong, as I stand here today the thought of being reunited with friends and family that I miss dearly excites me and causes me great joy, but I almost think that something else will overcome those feelings. I think that being in the presence of the glory of God will overcome all feelings that I have about carrying on with earthly things. When I stand in the presence of the one who in the book of Revelation’s glory shone so brightly that the six-winged creatures of heaven had to hide their eyes from even gazing upon him, will my utmost priority really be about the reunions that are happening. Or will my eyes and my mind be so fixed upon Christ that all other things go by the wayside.

I think about different celebrity and cultural phenomena that have swept across countries and the world and the impact that they have had. We know the stories of everything from Elvis to Beatlemania to Royal Weddings and even up to today’s celebrities who are many times famous without any talents or skill. We find people waiting and standing in lines for hours upon hours just to catch a glimpse of some of these folks, and once they do their knees turn to Jell-O and their hearts race and they feel like they have had a moment of glory. Or we sit at a sporting event, and if it happens to be of particular significance then as long as things turn out for the better on our end then we feel as if we have just witnessed something great, another moment of glory. Now, imagine that moment when we finally get to see the unveiled and unfiltered glory of Christ. I mean, we are going to see the full glory of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We’re going to see it because Christ has petitioned on our behalf to the Father than we dwell with him for all eternity. Can you even begin to imagine the joy and jubilation that we might experience in that moment? And not only will we have that for that moment, but it is ours for all eternity. This is no fleeting joy or moment, but this is the glory of heaven, the glory of our eternal home.

“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 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.” I want to read you a quote by a popular modern biblical scholar: “We are called to participate in the death of Christ, in the afflictions of Christ, in the humiliation of Christ, for if we do not, we never will share in His glory. But in order to be faithful disciples in this world, to fulfill the mission that He has given to His church, we need to be encouraged by the knowledge of His love that He has shed abroad in our hearts. The knowledge of His everlasting love for us gives us the strength we need to fulfill the mission that He has given to us. (Sproul 334)”

I like to put it this way, sometimes you just know something without knowing how you know it. Confused? Well, you ought to be. If someone were to ask you how you know that Christ is who we as Christians claim him to be, what would your response be? If they were to ask you what proof you have of this fact, then what could you show them? The truth is that you couldn’t show them anything, or at least nothing that was completely irrefutable by the outside world. We know that Christ is who we believe him to be because he has made it known to us and continues to make it known to us. We know who God is because God has revealed Himself to us. He has not revealed Himself to the entire world, but to those whom He has chosen to reveal Himself to. Why, you might ask. Well, the answer is both really simple and really complex. God has chosen to reveal Himself to us because He loves us. Why not everyone? Well, that’s something that we just have to trust in God about. But because of His love for us, the death and resurrection of Christ, the benefits that go with his work are given to us. Not only does he see us through our times of trouble in our lives, but He has already provided the means by which we many enter into His presence in the life hereafter. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.