WEBVTT 00:00:00.719 --> 00:00:02.640 Good morning, C3 family. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:03.359 Welcome. 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:06.160 Shirley and I greet you in the name of our Savior. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:10.240 If you're a student, you are dismissed to go with Miss Morgan and Mr. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:12.800 Weldon and Miss Hannah. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:17.120 If if you haven't already gone, welcome. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:23.359 As August said, my bride's home, and I'm very happy. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:27.359 I guess that's the you've never been away from me that long, have you? 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.199 Other than when I was in when you you used to do the traveling. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:38.799 I used to take these do these projects all over the world, and I'd be gone for two and two and a half weeks at times. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:42.320 But different, it's different me being gone than you being. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:42.880 It is. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:43.920 It's a lot different. 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:44.560 Okay. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:45.039 It is. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:45.600 All right. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:47.679 You'll have to tell me about that. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:49.280 But I'm happy you're here. 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.320 Nice to be home. 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:53.119 Um I was praying for y'all this morning. 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:54.880 Early this morning. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:59.920 And um, you know, this is the what, the fifth Sunday of Lent. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:00.960 Oh, Lord help us. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:04.480 Tommy's gonna say an ugly word about me if I don't do these announcements first. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:05.840 So hold on a minute. 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:13.439 Um tonight we have a small group at five o'clock at Kim and Jerry Bowden's house. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:20.879 And uh I don't know, the last time we gathered for this, it was, it was, we had a cool discussion. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:28.560 It was, I don't know, it was just sort of simple and cozy and straightforward, and we had a great time. 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:35.760 So if you're not doing anything, we have child care and Tommy's gonna have pizza, and we just sit around and we'll uh John, what are we talking about tonight? 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:36.640 Heaven? 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:39.439 What is that we're gonna talk about heaven tonight? 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:49.599 Uh yeah, so for some of y'all, uh that's something you're looking forward to, and for some of you, then uh maybe you ought to start make think about making some reservations. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:56.319 But um uh yeah, we ought to have a good discussion, and so I hope that uh that you can join us tonight. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:02.719 The Saturday morning before Easter, which I guess is three weeks from yesterday, maybe. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.000 Is that close? 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:16.560 Um the Saturday morning before Easter, our church family is gonna gather at Shelby Farms around one of those pavilions over there by the uh the playground and the where the horses are, the stables. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:21.840 And uh we're gonna just enjoy one another, enjoy the day. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:23.599 Uh we'll have lots of good food. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:26.560 Derek's making bar, I don't know where Derek is, but we're making barbecue. 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:28.240 Or he's making, I'm not making anything. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:32.319 He's making barbecue, and we'll have all kinds of games for the kids and the Easter egg hunt. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:34.560 It'd just be a nice, fun time. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:36.159 It'll last a couple of hours. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:41.360 We did it last year, the Saturday before Easter, and it was just great. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:42.479 It's in two weeks? 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:43.199 It's in two weeks. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:44.000 It's in two weeks, yeah. 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:44.879 There's the dates and all of that. 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:45.680 Oh, well, there you go. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:46.879 Well, there you go, all that. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:55.360 So please go online, uh, go to our church website, and there's a link that you can go to to sign up. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:59.439 We we need to know if you're coming or not so that we can prepare for the food. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:00.800 So please do that. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:06.000 Okay. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.560 Um talk to Tommy. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:10.719 Uh, he'll be able to tell you how to do all that, okay? 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:12.080 It was great last year's year. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:12.319 Yeah. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:13.840 You please come if you can. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:15.120 Uh, let's see. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:17.039 Don't forget about Thursday nights. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:26.560 Every Thursday night, we get except last Thursday night, but we normally gather on Thursday nights at our house from six to seven. 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:27.919 Yeah, six to seven. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:34.719 And we study the Bible together and then we uh pray for some things that are important uh to us. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:39.919 And uh, if you can come and we try to start uh, as they would say in Belgium, stipped optide. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:40.560 Stipped. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:43.919 And uh uh we end at seven. 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:47.360 So if you can come and be a part of that, we sure would love for you to do it. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:49.919 And as I said, is that it's gonna cover everything? 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:50.800 I hope so. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:04:12.800 Um this is the fifth Sunday of Lent, and um I was just praying this morning early about that, and I was just thinking about um the Lord Jesus and his final week before he died on the cross for us. 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:21.600 And I've I'm not on, never have been, and Lord willing, never will be, but I've never on Facebook or what's the other one? 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:22.560 Social media. 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:24.480 So on social media, I'm not on social media. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:25.360 Yep. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:40.800 But I know because I live with somebody who is, that it's a really big deal how many likes you have and how many people you have in your following your followers. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:46.879 And I know that that's probably true for some of y'all, or definitely true for those that you know. 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.519 But I was just wondering about that last week in the life of Jesus. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:57.199 Uh wonder how many likes he would have gotten. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:32.240 Wonder how many uh just wonder how what his social media profile would have looked like the last week of his life, and how the popularity of his culture did not drive what he did, nor how he saw or felt about himself. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:39.360 And uh for some reason I think he's smarter than us. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:46.720 And uh there were things that determined how he saw himself and how he felt about himself. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:57.199 There were influences, but it wasn't the popularity or the favor of the masses. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:01.680 And so I just would appeal to us, in fact, it was the opposite. 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:09.120 It seemed like it was getting his numbers were shrinking the closer he got to the cross, they weren't growing. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:12.240 And um, I don't know, does that make sense what I'm saying? 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.600 Just we need to be careful about that. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:16.399 Okay. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:23.680 All right, I'm gonna give you a little uh not a quiz, but I'm gonna ask you a question and see how many you can get. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:26.240 Uh well, since I have notes, I'm gonna do that. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.879 If I gave you a little cheat sheet, yeah, yeah. 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:39.600 In the English language, we have lots of phrases that came almost directly from the Bible. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:40.160 Yep. 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:47.600 These phrases wouldn't exist in the English language save they were first in the Bible. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:47.839 Yep. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:49.040 Can you give me some? 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:49.759 Can you think of some? 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:51.680 You could too, if you think about it for just one second. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:07:01.519 Right, popular phrases or things that are in the the language that um came directly from literature and and today the Bible in particular. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:11.040 Um scapegoat, mind leading the blind, uh the skin of our teeth, um um eat, drink, and be made. 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.160 I've got a lot a long list, more than a hundred. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.199 Yeah, we know brimstone. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.519 I'm not am I my brother's keeper? 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:26.160 Um There's nothing new under the sun, pearls before swine, the prodigal returns. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:27.680 It just goes on and on and on. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:31.360 Phrases that we have from the Bible. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:35.360 Um wits end, forbidden fruit, the eleventh hour. 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:36.399 Yeah, yeah. 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:37.920 So there's there's bunches of them. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.480 Yeah, the prodigal returns, pearls before you said that. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:41.279 Yeah, yeah. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:42.399 So okay. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:46.959 Um we're gonna look at one that we didn't mention yet here in just a second. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:47.439 That's right. 00:07:47.600 --> 00:08:02.959 Um, what I want to do is I want to read the passage that we're gonna look at today out of Mark chapter 14, and I'm gonna start in verse, let's see here, I'm gonna start in verse 43 of Mark 14. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.360 And let me give you the background real quickly. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.040 Uh this is the night, this is Thursday night. 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:26.319 The night before Jesus ultimately stands before the officials of Israel and Rome and is uh tried, condemned, and killed on that Friday. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.800 This is the Thursday night before, okay? 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:43.120 And uh what has just taken place before the passage I'm going to read to you is that Jesus and the twelve have gathered in an upper room to celebrate the Passover. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:59.039 Uh at this meal, Jesus predicts to the twelve that he will be abandoned, that he will be betrayed, and that he will be condemned and put to death. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:16.799 Um at some point in the meal, Judas slips away and uh goes to meet with the Jewish officials, reps, henchmen, and the Roman soldiers. 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:27.360 So he's having a meeting with this crowd of people that are gonna come in just a minute to arrest him. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:42.080 While Judas is doing that, Jesus takes the other eleven to the Garden of Gethsemane, and I was gonna say, where they pray, but actually Jesus prays, and the other eleven are sleeping. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:59.440 Uh and then at one point the mob led by Judas comes and finds Judas knew exactly where Jesus would be, and he finds Jesus, and um they arrest him and take him away. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:01.440 Okay, so you know that you know what's going on here. 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:03.360 So let me read this to you real quickly. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:06.559 Mark 14, I'm gonna start in verse 43. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:13.679 Just as Jesus was speaking to the disciples, Judas, one of the twelve, appeared. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:26.080 With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priest and the teachers of the law and the elders. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:35.200 Now the betrayer, Judas, had arranged a signal with them, the one I kiss is the man. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:39.519 Arrest him and lead him away under guard. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:44.720 Going at once to Jesus, Judah said, Rabbi, and kissed him. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:48.480 And the men seized Jesus and arrested him. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:53.279 And then one of those, we know from the Gospel of John that this was Peter. 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:58.399 Um Mark didn't rat Peter out, but John did. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:00.639 Um let's see here. 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:07.200 Uh then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:13.440 That's not what he was aiming at, but that's the servant of the high priest was quicker than Peter estimated. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:14.399 Am I lead? 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:16.480 Here's the question that we're going to look at. 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.759 Am I leading a rebellion? 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:26.879 Or the exact same Greek word could be translated revolution. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:31.519 Am I leading a rebellion or a revolution? 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:38.399 said Jesus, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:44.639 Every day I was with you teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:47.919 But the scriptures must be fulfilled. 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.840 Then everyone deserted him and fled. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:12:08.799 And a young man, the author of this book, Mark, then a young man wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus, and when they seized him, him, Jesus, he, Mark, fled naked, leaving his garment behind. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:27.600 Um I would just clearly I've been spending a lot of time in the in the Gospels uh looking at the passages of Scripture dealing with Passion Week, the last week of Jesus' life before he died. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:53.840 And I was just thinking this week a lot about this this uh incident where Jesus is arrested by a mob of Roman soldiers and Jewish people uh in the garden and Judas leading them to do this. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:13:04.320 There's three people in this story that I want us, Lord willing, if we have time, to look at for a few minutes, and one of those is Judas, one of those is Peter, and one of those is Jesus. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:07.759 And uh I was just struck by that. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:31.600 Number one, the statement that says that Judas led a mob that were armed with swords and clubs, and then Jesus responds with the question Am I, or do you think that I'm leading a revolution or a rebellion? 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:36.399 And what he's saying there, let me sort of jump ahead. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:59.200 What he's really saying there is, do you think that the revolution number one, that the revolution that I am, that you say I'm starting, it's gonna be a revolution, a revolution uh a revolution or a rebellion that can be accomplished by swords and clubs. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:10.080 But also, do you think it's a revolution or a rebellion that can be stopped by swords and clubs? 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:12.080 That's what he's really asking. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:19.679 And I just wanted us to think for a little while this morning about this idea of the sword. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:28.960 The sword that so many of the soldiers were holding when Jesus was arrested. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:38.960 And those clubs, you could add those, that the Jewish, the Jewish leaders' reps, they would have been holding clubs. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:42.799 The soldiers would have been holding swords. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:49.840 And just what that sword represented. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:56.960 Those swords represented a lot more than just a literal sword. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:10.799 It represented power, it represented authority, it represented a system of might. 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:16.480 When you had a sword, you got your way. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:18.879 You won. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.120 People with swords win. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:24.080 People without swords don't win. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:30.399 People with swords can compel other people to do what they want. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:33.360 People without swords can't. 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:41.679 So that sword is really a, it's it's a it represents something much bigger than just a literal metal sword. 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:45.759 It represents the authority of the religious establishment of Israel. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:50.960 It represents the authority and the power of the Roman Empire. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:16:00.960 It represents force, it represents that which can be used to compel. 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:06.399 And I think that's why Judas told them to bring swords. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:11.679 He wanted them to compel Jesus. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:26.240 There's a lot of, if you read much about that week in the life of Jesus, scholars are, I mean, there's lots of opinions, lots of perspectives, lots of thoughts on what was going on. 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:56.799 And at least the scholars that I read would be split right down the middle as to whether Judas made this bargain with the Jewish and Roman authorities to end Jesus' absurd mission. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.039 A lot of scholars would say that. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:15.039 Judas finally realized that what Jesus was about, he'd hitched his wagon to a star that was plummeting to earth, and he wanted it to end. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:26.160 And so he created a scenario with the Jewish and Roman authorities armed with swords to come and stop the insanity. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:36.480 Whole bunch of other, and I'm not about sharp guys, smart guys, not I don't mean fringe knucklers, I mean sharp people. 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.640 They would all say, no, no, no, that's not what he was doing. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:43.839 He knew who Jesus was. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:49.599 But he was frustrated with Jesus' timeline. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:53.920 He wasn't moving fast enough. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:18:11.440 We're messing around with the sick and with prostitutes and with lepers and poor people and all this teaching and discipleship and feeding the hungry and we when's this kingdom coming? 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.079 When do I get a seat at the table? 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:17.759 This is not moving fast enough. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:31.119 And he believed that if he could put Jesus in a situation like this, happened exactly the way Judas wanted, that Jesus would reveal his true colors. 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:40.480 The Father, Yahweh, would not let Jesus' mission end in disaster. 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:50.960 And so the Father and Jesus would reveal to everyone this kingdom that Jesus had been teaching about and promising. 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:52.960 I don't know which of those is right. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:54.720 Doesn't make any difference. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:18.160 What is significant to me is that Judas understood a principle of life that almost all of us understand and embrace as well. 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:32.559 And that principle is that power and the tools of power help us get our way. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:45.119 Judas brought swords and soldiers and deception and the authority of Rome and Israel to accomplish what he wanted. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:55.359 To make life and people work the way he wanted them to. 00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:59.519 Swords, the world's way. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:13.200 Swords, guns, whatever you want to use, weapons, have historically been used to compel, to achieve, to gain, to win, to get your way. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:16.880 David said it in 1 Samuel 17. 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:31.039 He's a young boy, standing there with a slingshot in front of this huge giant, and he tells Goliath, You come to me today with sword and spear and javelin. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:31.920 Why? 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:43.039 Why did Goliath bring weapons to win, to get his way, to make life work the way he knew was best? 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.759 Paul talks about it in Romans 13. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.519 It's a big chapter, Romans 13, with a lot going on. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:21:04.559 But one thing that Paul declares is governments hold the sword because they have authority to make people do what they should. 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:09.599 Force might makes right. 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:13.519 It helps us conquer and win. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:19.039 It helps us make people obey and behave. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:40.799 And if you think about the second illustration that Larry gave of what that could mean in what theologians think that might mean with Judas, I think we could, it's not too far of a step to say that we think that with the sword or a metaphorical sword, something of great influence, um, that we can then force God's hand. 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:53.119 You know, that we actually have the the power or the might or the uh the the raw hubris ego to that we could force you know God's hand. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:54.960 I didn't even thought about that, Cheryl. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.240 We talked about that Thursday night at Kim and Jerry's house. 00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:58.720 Yeah. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.440 Um 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.519 I mean, Judas thought he could manipulate the Son of God. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:05.759 We can bind and we can loose. 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:11.119 Literally control the actions of God. 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:13.200 Wow. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:16.079 Anyway, I'd not, yeah, that's. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.799 So what are some swords? 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:23.359 I don't think most of us are walking around with swords. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:24.240 Right? 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:28.960 But we do have we have an we have a quiver full. 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:30.880 What are some of our swords? 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:40.160 You know, a short list would be things that, again, that we think that we that we can move people, influence people, force people. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:41.519 Money. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:44.240 You know, I just have more money than you. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:23:00.480 Um, influence, which I think is important uh with Larry's opening about social media, which you may or may not know this language, but um, you know, somebody gets on YouTube and does one thing, and all of a sudden they've got a million followers. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:04.400 That's a real thing, and so they become an influencer, is the language. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:07.680 And so, you know, they really and do they actually influence people? 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:10.000 They do, who who watch that. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:15.359 Um connect uh connection, popularity, beauty, education, and intellect. 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:26.000 We think, well, I can manipulate you, I can control you, or I can I am at least at least I'm better than you, stronger than you, because of my intellect, because of my education. 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:27.359 Threat. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:31.359 I just was thinking about threats, threatening, yeah. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:32.960 Bullying. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:37.759 Uh I can shame you, I can be angrier than you. 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:44.720 There are a lot of things, lots, as many as you can think of, that can be used in human hands. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:51.599 We're not talking about physical swords, we don't have to, uh, to manipulate, to control, or to try to achieve your goal? 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:52.000 Uh-huh. 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:52.799 To get what I want. 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:53.119 Yeah. 00:23:53.279 --> 00:24:05.039 Well, I mean, in my relationship with you, um, I do, I think you would say that I do infinitely better now, but for a huge part of our marriage, the tool of choice in my quiver. 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:06.000 I had plenty. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:08.240 I did not lack four swords. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:09.759 No one does, by the way. 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:11.759 But uh, mine was anger. 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:15.920 I knew that if I got angry, she would give in. 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:17.599 And I would get my way. 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:18.640 Why not? 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:21.680 If it works, that was my sword. 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.480 Because she doesn't, she hates anger. 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:28.559 She hates ruffled, you know, feathers and water. 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:29.440 She likes everything. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:30.559 So she knew. 00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:35.359 I I knew that if if I got angry, I would win. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:38.480 I could control her behavior. 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:45.680 I don't know what your sword is, but I'll bet you have one. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:25:04.559 One or two or more, things that you use, things that I use to get my way, to win, to make people behave and act as I want them to. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:12.240 Jeremiah chapter, in Jeremiah chapter 9, the Bible talks about this in a different way, but it's exactly the same thing. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:21.920 The Bible declares, let not the wise boast in their wisdom, let not the strong boast in their strength, let not the rich boast in their riches. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:24.079 What's Jeremiah talking about? 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:25.440 Swords. 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:42.880 Things, riches, wisdom, strength, things that people use, that people boast about because they are effective in making life work the way we want it to. 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:48.240 Judas believed what most of us believe. 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:52.160 The problem with Jesus' kingdom was this. 00:25:53.200 --> 00:26:00.720 It was up against another kingdom, but really what Judas wanted wasn't a new kingdom. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:05.759 He just wanted the same kingdom with new people in it. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:15.680 Same kingdom of power and same tools of power being used in that kingdom. 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:22.640 And if we can just get a new group of people in the seats of the kingdom, everything will work right. 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:25.200 Don't we believe that every four years? 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:29.200 Isn't that the slogan, the motto of the politicians? 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:42.640 Let's just clean everybody out that's crummy and put some new people in the same seats using the same tools, and everything will be better. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:49.119 Have we not learned what a stupid plan. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:54.559 And yet that's what we that's what we've been sold. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:13.200 The problem that Judas discovered is this Jesus wasn't bringing new people to sit in the same seats of the same kingdom because Jesus knew what we tend to forget. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:23.039 If you use the same seats in the same kingdom, using the same tools, you're going to get the same results. 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:33.359 I did want to mention one more little slogan or phrase that we've gotten in English from the Bible, and that's the kiss of death. 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:33.839 Yeah. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.640 Yeah. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:37.440 You've heard of the kiss of death. 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:39.680 Um that comes from this story. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:41.119 That's where that came from. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:46.960 And so, Shirley, what when you think of the kiss of death, what does that mean? 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:59.359 You know, you know, um, it means my doing something that will ensure, or an action or an event uh that will ensure failure or destruction. 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:06.240 So it's kind of like a mother talking to a teenage daughter about you know a certain thing. 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:11.920 You've got to be real careful with that because there's certain things certain line you cross, and then it's the kiss of death. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:17.839 You know, she's gonna she's those words are gonna drive her that girl to failure, to destruction. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:23.759 Yeah, because if if you if you push too if a mother pushes too hard at a certain place, you know she's gonna Yeah. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:28.160 So that that that ensuring someone's failure. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:34.480 Um something that people would do to ensure the failure or the destruction of another. 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:34.960 Yeah. 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:35.599 Is that right? 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:41.119 Or to or to alter the situation in such a way that it's gonna turn completely bad. 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:41.519 Bad. 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:42.480 Go south on you. 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:42.720 Okay. 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:46.319 So this begs my question, begs the question. 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:51.440 Did Judas actually give Jesus the kiss of death? 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:56.319 It hit me like a ton of bricks. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:57.920 Who got the kiss of death? 00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:58.960 Yeah, that's the very thing. 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:03.920 Is Judas gave Jesus, according to our definition, or Mr. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:08.480 Webster's definition, he gave Jesus the kiss of death. 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:20.960 Judas impacted Jesus with an event, with an action, with a behavior that doomed Jesus to destruction. 00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:24.079 That didn't seem right. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:28.559 That didn't seem like how the story goes, and it hit me. 00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:46.559 There was nothing, including Judas' kiss, that could stop the Father's favor, the Father's blessings, the Father's love, or the Father's plans from the life of Jesus. 00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:53.200 The only person that Judas could do was himself. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:00.559 I know most of you very well. 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:06.559 Some of you I'm looking forward to knowing you better, but I know most of y'all very well. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:24.960 How many of us in this room are Jesus didn't give Judas the power to thwart his life, to stop his life, to rob his life, to diminish his life. 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:30.400 Jesus did not give Judas that authority or power. 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:43.759 And yet, how many of us in this room have allowed the failure or the wrong of another? 00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:47.119 We have given them the authority. 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:50.880 We have given them the power to ruin our lives. 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:59.519 Twenty years later, we're still talking about that man that ran out on me and has ruined my life. 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:18.160 That mom that talked uh the way you were talking about the way a mom talked to a daughter, my mom nag and was 20 years later, we're talking about these people that ruined our lives as if it happened last week. 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:22.000 I find it very significant. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:29.519 Jesus did not, he knew what we don't. 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:39.279 There's not a person in this room that can rob me of God's favor, God's blessings, God's plans. 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:42.960 You don't have that authority, you don't have that power. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:50.240 You can make me sad and you can make me mad, but you can't rob me of the life God has for me. 00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:55.119 I think that's one of the things that Mark wants us to know. 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:58.160 Now, quickly, I want to move on. 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:01.200 I want to talk about Peter for just a second. 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:08.240 Why did John and Mark mention Peter? 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:12.079 I think one reason is simply this. 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:27.119 Judas shows us how the world responds to obstacles, to problems, to enemies, to threats. 00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:42.480 We pick up swords and we fight to achieve, to gain, to win, to get our way, to make other people behave and obey. 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:45.440 Not Peter. 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:47.839 Peter was different. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:52.400 Peter, he believed in the Lord. 00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:55.839 He really did love the Lord. 00:32:56.720 --> 00:33:01.359 He really was committed to following the Lord and serving the Lord. 00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:08.240 He there was no deceit, there was no hypocrisy, there was no hidden agenda. 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:14.160 If anyone on the planet was abandoned to Jesus, it was Peter. 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:35.119 But when pushed came to shove, and Peter felt threatened, Peter got afraid, Peter felt like what was right wasn't being accomplished, he reverted right back to Judas's tactics. 00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:40.000 He acted exactly like Judas. 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:44.640 And he grabbed him a sword and tried to cut somebody's head off. 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:50.640 My point is simple, and my point is to the guy that I shaved this morning. 00:33:51.759 --> 00:34:15.280 It is so friggin' hard to not revert back to the use of the sword, to the belief that the sword, as long as everything's going my way and y'all are all acting nice, and Sherry's being sweet to me, and there's money in the bank, and I'm getting good reports from the doctor, and everything's praise the Lord. 00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:20.639 Let's go to church and read our Bible and help the poor and be nice and sing kumbaya. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:38.239 Woo! You let the thermostat get turned up, and y'all start getting grumpy and cantankerous, and she starts acting irritable, and my kids aren't obeying, and my grandson's not being nice, and my bank account's getting small, and I'm getting bad reports from the doctor. 00:34:41.760 --> 00:34:44.000 It is so hard. 00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:49.199 I know the sword won't accomplish what God wants. 00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:59.039 But if I don't fight it every day, it's the reason I get up in the morning and I read my Bible and I pray. 00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:10.719 I'm trying to fight that darkness inside my life that screams out, grab a sword. 00:35:11.679 --> 00:35:13.119 Grab a sword. 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:17.039 You're being blocked, you're being denied. 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:19.440 Life's not going your way. 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:25.679 Grab that sword that you know will work and use it. 00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:37.760 Yes, if if things are going well, stick with that Bible and prayer and God's people and hepping, you know, and singing and all that. 00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:43.440 But when that all when that doesn't work, you've got you know where to go. 00:35:43.760 --> 00:35:53.679 The interesting thing is every single one of us in this room and every single person that you know, we we all know that we've got where that line is for us, right? 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:55.119 We all know where that is. 00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:57.360 So I'm great with you. 00:35:57.920 --> 00:35:59.280 I mean, I'm talking about you. 00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:00.800 I'm great with you. 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:05.599 But there's that, there's that, don't don't do that. 00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:08.079 Don't cross that, don't touch that. 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:14.159 If you do that again, we've we've all got that place, and you can think of yours right now. 00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:23.280 And so if if I'm good, I'm good until you cross that place, and then I feel justified. 00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:26.960 The reason Peter pulled out his sword is because he felt justified. 00:36:27.039 --> 00:36:32.079 They were they were taking the Son of God, they were taking Jesus away, he felt justified to do it. 00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:34.400 Uh, but it was still the wrong decision. 00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:45.199 And so I I think that's important that we all, you know, when you talk to people about um taking a higher path, forgiving, turning the other cheek, all that kind of stuff. 00:36:45.280 --> 00:36:48.239 Um, they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, except for I will. 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:50.719 Oh, that's great, that's a great idea. 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:53.840 But here's my line. 00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:54.880 That's the line. 00:36:55.119 --> 00:36:56.000 This is it. 00:36:56.239 --> 00:36:58.960 And I think we all know what that is in our lives. 00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:00.800 And that's a that's what you're talking about. 00:37:01.039 --> 00:37:02.079 Yes, it is. 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:05.440 Last person quickly, Lord Jesus. 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:09.519 I'm not sure that's a good sentence to use, but I'm I'll stick with it for now. 00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:12.800 I want you to think about the Lord Jesus in this story for just a second. 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:25.199 I believe that this event on Thursday night happened exactly the way all the uh gospel writers described it. 00:37:27.840 --> 00:37:36.159 But if I didn't believe it was so true and so tragic, I think I would find it to be comic. 00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:54.239 And I do find it tragically humorous that everybody in the story, but Jesus is acting the way they are. 00:37:54.639 --> 00:38:13.679 The person that should act frantic, terrified, angry, bowed up, running, deceiving, lying, doing anything to get their neck out of the noose. 00:38:14.800 --> 00:38:16.960 He's the only one that's not. 00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:20.000 He's the only one in this story. 00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:21.920 He's not afraid. 00:38:22.239 --> 00:38:23.599 He's not angry. 00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:26.320 He's not running away naked. 00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:29.039 He's not slashing with an ear. 00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:39.280 To force the issue. 00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:55.920 If you read the rest of the story, he's not one of the, he's not Pilate or Herod or the high priest doing these fake trials, these mock trials with false witnesses uh hurling false accusations. 00:38:56.239 --> 00:39:10.400 Everybody is acting crazy and absurd and pitiful, but the one that should be. 00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:51.760 When things go south, and um everything starts going to Hades in a handbasket, and I feel afraid and threatened and angry and hurt, and I want to run away or fight, fight or flight. 00:39:55.760 --> 00:40:01.760 How do y'all when you look at me and that's all happening, what do you see? 00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:20.400 Do you see me afraid, mad, on the the agre you know, on the offensive, aggressive, running away, hurling accusations, defending myself? 00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:35.280 Or do you see me with a calmness and a peace and a courage and the ability to love and to forgive? 00:40:37.119 --> 00:41:05.280 Not because the people that I'm around deserve it, or I even want to do it, but because I have a confidence that my father, there is nothing that's gonna happen in my life today, by my by my hand or by yours, that is gonna be able to thwart my father's favor, my father's blessings, my father's plans for my life. 00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:18.400 That question that they asked, or that Jesus asked, do you think that I have you come today because you think that I'm starting a revolution? 00:41:20.559 --> 00:41:22.320