As we near the conclusion of the passion narrative, Pastor Marty shows us in John 19:17-42 that Jesus is the Crucified King. We see Jesus' excruciating sacrifice on our behalf, and marvel as the gospel writer unveils numerous prophecies fulfilled in the events of his crucifixion. We witness the response of the faithful and are prompted to ask ourselves how we will respond in light of these events.
Gospel of John: Jesus Took My Place
We have all either seen movies about trials, read a John Grisham novel or watched one of the many television series depicting the riveting drama of a trial. In this passage of scripture we find Jesus on trial. He takes our place in the trial of the ages but it is not exciting in an enjoyable sense. In fact it is an elaborate display of the worst injustice from man’s point of view and from God’s a necessary means to an end. Jesus Christ was tried and convicted to die on the cross, not because of the manufactured reasons of the Jewish religious leaders or ploys of Roman officials, but so that there would be an innocent sacrifice for our sins to pay the ultimate penalty. Pastor Michael will unpack John 18:28-19:16 for us to show how Jesus took our place on trial for the sin of the world so that we can have the hope his sacrifice brings.
Gospel of John: Jesus is our Example
When you think of Peter, you may remember him stepping out of the boat to walk on water, or preaching at Pentecost and seeing 3000 people saved, or that he was the first disciple to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God. But there is one thing that no one will ever forget about Peter - he denied Jesus. In John 18:10-27, we see Jesus on trial before the Jews and the testing of Peter’s faith. In this message, entitled “Jesus is our Example,” Scott Brown shows us three ways that Jesus and Peter differed in their reaction to the trial and temptation. We can look to Jesus’ example and also learn from Peter’s mistakes so that we can avoid the same tragic outcome in our lives.
Gospel of John: The Intentional Jesus
As Easter approaches, we are taking some time to walk through the account of Jesus’ passion to the cross as laid out in the gospel of John. From this point forward, it will be a narrative account of this story beginning today with Jesus’ arrest in the Garden. Today, Chris Luhrman will examine what actually happened, who was in control and why it matters. Chris is a member of Crosslink and serves as a Community Group Host. He is the Campus Director of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) at James Madison University and Bridgewater College.