WEBVTT 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:04.879 You and I are gonna live one of two lives. 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:13.119 You're gonna live a life that says, save me, get me out of this, protect me, prevent that from happening to me, or you're gonna live a glorify your name. 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:14.880 Glorify your name. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:22.719 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:27.600 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandParkway.org. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:31.839 Amen. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:32.399 Amen. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:33.759 Let's pray together, church. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:36.240 Father, we uh we stand in that reality today. 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:38.399 We confess that the night will not last. 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:42.640 And whatever the day holds, we can face it because uh you're a living God. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:48.479 You're not a memory, you're not something that people made up a long time ago to modify or control our behavior. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:53.200 Uh you're the throbbing reality at the center of all anything that exists. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:55.439 And you live, you will always live. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.479 There never was a time when you were not, you were pre-existent. 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:01.039 So when we come on the scene, you're already here. 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:04.560 And when we fade into oblivion, you will still live. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.879 And so we want to rest confident in that. 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:13.680 Is there any wonder that you said whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a man who's dug down deep. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:19.680 It's like a woman who got through all the clutter to something foundational, and she built her life upon that. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:24.239 And so when the storms came and beat against the house, it did not fall. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:34.879 There are a lot of houses collapsing in our world today because people built and banked their lives on the wrong things, on insufficient, lesser than God things. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.000 And so, Lord, we don't we're not we don't gloat over that. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:39.359 We're saddened by that. 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:44.319 As the text will tell us today, that people that walk in darkness don't know where they're going. 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:54.319 That doesn't make us feel superior, it makes us sad, but it also makes us hopeful because we have the light, we have the gospel, we have the truth, we have a living God. 00:01:54.879 --> 00:02:00.400 And so, Lord, we're not trying to keep your memory alive, we're not trying to keep alive the memory of a dead God. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:09.439 We're trying to demonstrate the reality of a God who never died, who died once for all, was raised to walk in newness of life. 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:16.319 Lord, infuse us with a with the juicy goodness of this newness from your word and by your spirit today, we pray. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:17.759 And we pray in Jesus' name. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:19.439 Would everyone say, Amen. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:19.919 Amen. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.039 If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open it up to John chapter 12. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:24.240 John chapter 12. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:26.719 And I had a hard time as I just read over this text. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:28.400 I had a hard time uh titling. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:32.479 I'm not a big person on titles, and so here's my title today is just Jesus. 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:34.000 Uh Jesus, period. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.080 Uh, there's so much in here about Jesus. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:37.759 I just want it to be all about Jesus. 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:38.719 So I'm gonna start reading. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:41.039 I think Clyde told you earlier it's Palm Sunday. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:44.960 It is the day that people select their Passover lambs. 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:50.560 Uh that there's no incidents or accidents in the life of Jesus because he's God. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:59.439 And and so there's not an accident that he enters Jerusalem on this day because what's happening in the background is that on this day, people are selecting their Passover lambs. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.080 They're going to observe the feast of Passover. 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:12.639 And and the Passover, what happened, people get a lamb and they had to keep it in their home for five days to make sure that it was spotless and without defect, that it was without blemish, so it could be sacrificed. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.080 And so they kept it for five days and they kind of examined it. 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:22.240 Uh and if you kind of track with the Bible, there's two parallel realities happening here in this text. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:29.599 There's what people are doing, and then there's what God's doing, sovereignly superseding anything and everything anybody's ever done. 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:45.360 So on the Sunday where people are selecting their lambs, as they have since the Exodus 14, uh, thousands of years earlier, to engage in this ritual, God is sending his only begotten Son as our perfect Passover lamb to be sacrificed. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:47.759 What people do, they would keep the lamb for five days. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:48.800 That's Holy Week. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.400 That's Jesus being passed around from this person to this person, this person. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:58.479 And then on Friday, when we celebrate Good Friday, and Pilate says he washes his hands and says, I find no fault in him. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:00.719 Again, two parallel realities. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:14.719 What people are doing and what God is doing, what God is doing is saying I've got a perfect, spotless lamb without defect or fault that can be sacrificed for the sins of the world, which is why we don't engage in those behaviors anymore. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:16.800 And so I just want you to get the historicity. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:20.560 I say a lot that before Christianity is personal, it's historical. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:39.120 And so there's a little bit of historical background and backdrop against which everything in John chapter 12, starting in verse 12, uh uh it's against that backdrop that all this stuff happening, thousands of years of ritual become reality with these words starting in verse 12. 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:44.000 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:53.360 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. 00:04:53.600 --> 00:05:01.759 And Jesus found a young donkey and he sat on it, just as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt. 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:11.360 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. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:14.959 The crowd that had been with him, now already there's two different crowds. 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:18.639 There's the crowd that goes out to meet him, and then there's a crowd that had been with him. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:24.959 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. 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:32.720 So they got they they were bearing witness, they were telling people, hey, that Jesus raised a man from the dead, and so there's a fervor about Jesus. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:38.319 They hear he's coming, and they go out with palm branches, which is a sign of royalty, or they're welcoming somebody. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:48.399 And so the reason, verse 18 says that the reason why the crowd went to meet him, the first crowd, was that they had heard from the second crowd that Jesus had done this sign. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.839 So the Pharisees said to one another, You see that we're gaining nothing. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.720 Look, the world has gone after him. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:58.959 Now, among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:03.920 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:05.439 And Philip went and told Andrew. 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.160 And Andrew went and told Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.759 And Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:17.519 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:19.600 But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:25.519 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:30.720 If any one serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:34.160 If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.680 Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:42.800 Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I have come to this hour. 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:44.560 Father, glorify your name. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:49.920 Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:52.639 The crowd that stood there heard it, said that it thundered. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:54.800 Others said, An angel has spoken to him. 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:59.120 And Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:02.560 Now is excuse me, now is the judgment of this world. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:09.439 Now will the ruler of this world be cast out, and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.800 He said this to show what kind of death he was going to die. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:18.079 So the crowd answered him, We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.360 How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:22.959 Who is the Son of Man? 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:27.439 So Jesus said to them, The light is among you for a little while longer. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:31.600 Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you. 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.879 The one who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:40.720 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.040 This is the summary of why Jesus rides in on this day. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.639 I just want to point to a lot of things about Jesus from the text today. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:53.600 And the first one is simply this is that Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise God ever made. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:56.399 It's the first five verses, verses 12 to 16. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:57.680 It's the word feast. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:00.160 He says the large crowd had come to the feast. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.120 I already told you that was Passover and what that was all about. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:11.439 And so Jesus rides in on the day that they are selecting their lamb and preparing to observe the Passover feast as they have forever. 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:17.360 And so the people cry out, the Bible says they cry out, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:22.399 Now we hear the word Hosanna a lot in the Bible or around church, especially around Easter time. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:25.839 And we don't, rarely do we stop and say, hey, what does that mean? 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.720 What Hosanna means is save us. 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:30.079 Save us now. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:33.919 Our world is full of people that are crying out right now. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:39.279 They may not use the word Hosanna, but they're saying, save us, come up with a vaccine. 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:42.080 Somebody do something to bring some relief. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:57.519 We want a different form of relief, just like these people want a different form of relief because when they say Hosanna, save us, they want a political or or military messiah to come and do something about the geopolitical situation that they're living in. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:58.720 Here's the problem. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:01.360 Jesus doesn't come for politics. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:03.440 He doesn't come for military might. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:05.840 He comes to deal with a sin problem. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:12.799 He comes on this day to deal with the biggest problem anybody and everybody has ever had. 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:17.519 And they miss it when I say Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise ever made. 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:29.440 These people on Palm Sunday are blinded by their greed, by their lust of what they believe and what they want, what they expect God to do, and they miss what God is actually doing. 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:34.799 Because the quote there in verse 15 is from Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:36.399 I'll give you the whole context. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:43.840 They left off some of it, but but the whole passage, which by the way, the book of Zechariah was written 550 years earlier. 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:51.919 Only God is so integrated and honest and true that he says something 550 years earlier, and it comes to pass. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.799 It was it doesn't change one iota, the integrity or the character of his being. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.960 But back in Zechariah, he said this, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:03.600 Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:05.759 Behold, your king is coming to you. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:15.840 Righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal, the baby of a donkey, the offspring of a donkey. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.279 And I just want to draw your attention to three words in Zechariah 9:9. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.360 Rejoice, rejoice greatly, shout aloud. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:24.399 They're doing all of that. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:25.759 But here's the one thing they don't do. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:28.799 They don't behold that your king is coming to you. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:31.440 Righteous and having salvation is he. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:36.559 They don't see, they don't behold, they don't see who Jesus is and what he's bringing. 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:38.960 They see Jesus and they see opportunity. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.039 Okay, I'm gonna finally get my way. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:44.240 I've been oppressed, but now it's time for me to get mine. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:46.639 And they they miss the king. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:50.960 They miss everything, that the fulfillment of every promise God has ever made. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:58.559 Now, when someone rides in on a donkey, it's an indication that they they've come to bring peace or they've come uh uh under the banner of peace. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.039 Were he to ride in on a white horse? 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:03.679 That's it that that's what a conquering general does. 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:08.159 Uh let me just say to this to you here, Jesus rides in on a donkey. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:14.080 When he comes again, Revelation 19, about verse 11, tells us that he's gonna come riding that white horse. 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:25.120 So let's don't fall in love with Jesus on a donkey and forget that when Jesus comes again, the Revelation says there's one seated on a white horse and his name is faithful and true. 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:31.279 This Jesus, who's been the fulfillment of every promise God has ever made, he is going to come again. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:36.159 And so I just want to begin with this statement that he's the fulfillment of every promise. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:41.759 Well, the Bible says all of God's promises are yes and amen in Jesus. 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:49.679 If God said it, if there's any prophecy or anything predicted about Jesus in the Bible, it has come true or it will come true. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:55.679 Here's the second thing I want to say about Jesus today on this Palm Sunday is that Jesus is the Savior of the world. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:57.840 Jesus is the savior of the world. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.399 It starts in verse 17, goes down to about 23. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.840 It's kind of a weird, like, why is that in the Bible? 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:05.440 Here's why it's in the Bible. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:13.440 What's happening is that the crowd that had been with him, when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, he raised him from the dead, they continue to bear witness to tell people. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:17.120 And the reason why this crowd went up to meet him, they'd heard all this stuff. 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:26.000 And then in verse 20, it starts talking about these Greek people that came to the feast, and they came up to Philip and said, Hey, or Andrew, and they said, Hey, we want to see Jesus. 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:32.720 And he goes to the other guy, and they both go to Jesus and they say, Hey, there's some couple of Greek guys here that want to see you. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:39.120 It sounds like the punchline to a joke or the setup for a joke, actually, but you notice Jesus never answers the question. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.679 He never even refers to these Greek people. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:45.679 It's just kind of like all of a sudden he starts talking about the cross. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:46.559 Why? 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:47.519 Here's why. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:53.039 When I say Jesus is the savior of the world, because the gospel has begun to spread to the Gentiles. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:13:06.559 If you'll remember, if you read much of the New Testament, every once in a while Jesus says things that sound kind of harsh and kind of exclusive, like people would come up to him and ask him, Gentile people, people that were non-Jewish would come up and ask him something. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.720 And Jesus said, Hey, I've come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:12.720 In other words, the Jewish people, okay? 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:14.639 And so he said, I've come for them. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:18.559 And one woman asked him for something, and Jesus said, I don't give my bread to the dogs. 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:21.519 And she's like, Well, even the dogs deserve something, do they not? 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:27.519 And so here you see Jesus, when I say that he's the savior of the world, he God loves the world. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:36.080 Uh he comes to save the world, and now the gospel is beginning to spread because he comes to the Jews, and the Jewish people reject him, okay? 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:38.799 Uh they say, There's no way you're not the Messiah. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:44.159 Even to this day, an Orthodox Jew doesn't believe that Jesus is the Son of God, much less the Messiah. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:50.799 And so, just as the Bible predicted, he comes to his own, his own received him not, and so the gospel begins to go to the Gentiles. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:14:00.879 And so the reason Jesus never responds to the question is that, hey, there's some Greeks here that want to see you, is he realizes that the gospel, God loves the world. 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:07.759 I came to save the world, the gospel is spreading to the world, and now I can go to the cross as the savior of the world. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:12.240 Not just this limited description that they nail on the cross above me, King of the Jews. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.799 Jesus is saying, I didn't come just for the Jewish people. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:20.320 Which, by the way, there's going to be a spiritual awakening and a revival among the Jewish people. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:25.200 If you read the book of Romans, okay, and so let's don't get all high and mighty at well, the Jews had their chance and did. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:27.440 No, there's going to be a great returning. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:32.960 Uh, remember I said that those promises that God makes, that's very clearly spelled out in the Bible. 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.879 So let's don't lose sight of that. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:39.360 He doesn't just come for the Jews, he comes for everybody. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.600 And so he dies as the Savior of the world. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:46.639 It's why in the book of Acts, when you hear them preaching, you'll hear this phrase a lot, you'll read this phrase a lot. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:53.600 He that somebody's preaching like Peter's preaching, and he says, the promise is for you and for those who are far off. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.399 He's talking to very religious Jewish people. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:01.840 The promise is for you, you people that are all about religion but don't have a relationship. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.120 And the promises for those who are far off. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:12.879 The single parent who's got two kids, who's lost her job this past week, and right now is thinking, how in the world am I gonna make ends meet? 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:14.879 The promises of God are for you. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:22.240 Not just everybody else that's got it sorted out and has a Dave Ramsey emergency fund that they can burn through for the next 60 days and they're gonna be fine. 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:29.919 The promises of God are not just for people that know all the answers, it's also for the people who don't know what the questions are. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:34.960 This is what I mean when I say Jesus is this He dies as the Savior of the world. 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.799 The third thing the text tells us is that Jesus dies so we can have life. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:40.879 Jesus dies so we can have life. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:44.799 Now, if you've been around church for 10 minutes, you've heard that probably five times. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:48.639 Let me just read verse 24 to 26 again. 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:58.639 Here's what it says Jesus is talking here, and he says, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:01.279 But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:06.320 By the way, that is a summary of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:08.399 Notice the language of verse 24 again. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:12.879 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:18.480 Jesus is saying, Hey, I'm the grain of wheat that's going to fall into the earth. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:22.480 I'm going to die, and I'm which is going to require me to be actually buried. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:25.600 He says, Unless it does this, it remains alone. 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:29.200 But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:31.519 Just stop right there in verse 24. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:42.240 When I say Jesus dies so that we can have life, it sounds like no big deal until you and I realize that our life is the much fruit that is born out of Jesus' death. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:49.759 And so we've got to ask yourself, hey, if this is true, and it is, it might be helpful to ask yourself when you just look at your life, just think about your life. 00:16:49.840 --> 00:17:01.279 Just you and your wife have a conversation, or you and your kids have a conversation if they're old enough to have this kind of conversation, and just ask them, hey, when you look at the life you're currently living, is this what Jesus died for? 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:05.680 Is this what Jesus died to make possible and available and real? 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:13.599 Is it did Jesus die for you to sit on your couch, hypnotized by all seven sessions, all seven episodes of the Tiger King? 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.519 I don't know that there's seven personally. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:17.119 Clyde watched them and told me all about it. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:31.839 But are you just, did Jesus really die for us to just sit on our couch and just be hypnotized by that big blue flickering box and just kind of this is awesome, and just another episode, another episode. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:38.319 And pretty soon you start watching on Tuesday and you wake up and it's Friday and you need to shave and you're like, what in the world is happening? 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:44.240 What's happening is that the much fruit that's impossible and available is not being experienced. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:47.119 And you want to blame everybody, but it's really us. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:48.160 It's really us. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:56.960 So when I say Jesus dies so we can have life, think of it like this: the Bible always calls you and I to proportionality. 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:58.960 It always calls us to proportionality. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:03.039 It says things like this: conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:09.839 Conduct yourself, live your life in a way that reflects the value and the worth and the capacity of the gospel. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:15.599 Or as Jesus says, hey, if the seed dies, it produces much fruit. 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:18.799 Jesus dies so we can have life. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:32.000 So it's it's important, I say it's paramount, that we kind of take our life and kind of look at it and turn it over and hold it up to the light of the gospel and say, is this the life that Jesus died for me to live? 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:41.039 Is the way I live, does it demonstrate to everybody that there is a God, that he's sufficient, that he's sovereign, that he's good, that he's enjoyable? 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:45.039 Are you just another person who's just kind of muddling through life? 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:46.720 They have their things they rely on. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:48.640 You kind of rely on Jesus. 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:52.319 This is the muchness of the life that's available to us. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:56.319 Here's the fourth thing the text tells us Jesus is highly motivated. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:58.480 Jesus is highly motivated. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:18:59.440 Verse 27. 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:02.640 Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:07.200 Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I've come to this hour. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.839 Father, glorify your name. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.039 Hear this next part. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:12.720 And then a voice came from heaven. 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:14.079 That'd be the voice of God. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:17.200 I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:20.799 By the way, there's three times in the New Testament where God speaks. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:21.920 And one of them is right here. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:23.920 The first one is when Jesus is baptized. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:28.160 God speaks from heaven and says, This is my son, whom I love, with whom I'm well pleased. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:34.559 The second time is on the Mount of Transfiguration, uh, where basically, you know, there's two guys on the Mount of Transfiguration. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.400 They see Jesus transfigured. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:39.039 In other words, his physical being changes. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:42.720 He floats up in the sky and basically glows, it comes back down. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:46.000 And all Peter can come up with is, it's good that we're here. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:53.440 And God speaks and says, This is my son, whom I love, with whom I'm well pleased, and he adds this addendum to the end of it. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:55.519 Uh, you would do well to listen to him. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:03.119 And if I watch Jesus transfigure and float up in the sky and become this glowing reality, I'm gonna listen to him. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:10.880 But when God says you would do well to listen to him, he's just kind of like, in case anyone's wondering who's in charge here, listen to the glowing man, okay? 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.160 Uh and then here, and here's what happens here. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:16.240 God summarizes the life of Jesus. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:17.920 He says, I have glorified it. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:21.039 That's the life of Jesus, I will glorify it again. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.880 That's the death of Jesus. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:31.440 One of the questions, since you're having conversations with your spouse, you should ask yourself, uh, how is God going to summarize my life? 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:35.599 He summarizes the life of his son by saying, I have glorified it. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.839 Because Jesus says, What come to this hour? 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:38.799 My heart is troubled. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:39.680 What shall I say then? 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:40.400 Save me? 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:42.400 No, it's for this very reason that I came. 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:44.240 Father, glorify your name. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.319 You and I are gonna live one of two lives. 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:54.480 You're gonna live a life that says, Save me, get me out of this, protect me, prevent that from happening to me, or you're gonna live a glorify your name. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.759 Glorify your name. 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:57.279 And and that's the motivation. 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:01.680 When I say Jesus is highly motivated, that's the that that's all through the gospels. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:04.799 This is what motivates him, this is what pushes him forward. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:11.279 And to get to this proper motivation, what we've got to do is we've got to burn through some of what I call these lesser motivations. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:12.640 Let me list three of them for you. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:13.920 First of all, there's fear. 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:15.119 Fear. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:19.039 Fear leads us to do nothing or the easiest thing. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:23.839 It just leads us to fear leads us to do, it paralyzes us in place. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:30.799 And it grinds to a halt the sanctification process, which is the process where where we become more and more like Jesus. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:31.279 Okay? 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:34.079 Here's another lesser motivation: pity. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:34.960 Pity. 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.599 Fear leads us to do nothing or the easiest thing. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:40.559 Pity leads us to depend on others to do everything. 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:42.720 You just you just kind of live palm up. 00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:53.119 You're the guy, girl, it's always like, hey, hey, and you're here's how you know you're motivated by pity because you're afraid of people knowing the actual circumstances of your life. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:59.599 Then they may change the way they feel about you, and you couldn't get pity anymore, or you couldn't look to them to meet your needs anymore. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:06.319 So you're constantly underrepresenting how good God is to you because you're addicted to pity. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:16.720 And you just, if you want to just do something interesting, start listening for how many people poor-mouth their circumstance or situation in life versus how many people are positive. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:18.720 I don't mean cheesy or religious. 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.240 I mean they're just like, you know what? 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:22.319 It's crazy right now, but I'm going to get through this. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:23.119 God is faithful. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:24.319 How are you guys doing? 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:27.279 Versus, yeah, I don't know where my next meal's coming from. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.799 I don't know what I'm going to do. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:31.039 I don't know where I'm going to get the money to pay that. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:32.799 In your savings account. 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:37.359 We've had people come here to the church and ask for benevolence, financial assistance. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:38.319 And we have a form. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:40.559 We're going to just dole money out the door. 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:41.920 And it's amazing. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:44.400 Some people are like, hey, well, do you have any family you could call on? 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.240 Have you called on family or close friends? 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:47.680 Have you gone through your savings? 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:52.880 One person said, I'm saving my savings account because I got to go on vacation in a few months. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:55.759 That's a person that lives on pity. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:23:01.759 That says, I look to everybody else to do for me what I could very well do for myself, but why do that? 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:04.640 Because I can't, I might I might have to miss a vacation. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:11.759 Pity will cause you to become a person that nobody respects, and ultimately in the end, you won't respect yourself either. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:13.039 It's a lesser motivation. 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:17.279 Here's another one that sounds good, but it's a lesser motivation. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:18.079 Love. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:18.640 Love. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:20.160 I'm not saying love's a bad thing. 00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:22.319 Love leads us to do anything. 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:24.480 Love leads us to do anything. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:26.079 Now, you say, what do you mean? 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:30.400 Remember a couple months ago, I don't know, four or five months ago, all this big eyes like, I don't want a dog. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:31.680 My wife and kids want a dog. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.319 I don't want a dog. 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:34.720 We're fixing to be 18 months from an empty nest. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:36.720 I don't want a dog in my house. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:38.720 His name's Charlie. 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:40.880 We had coffee this morning. 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:45.440 Every morning that dog gets up in bed with me, and he's awesome, by the way. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:47.279 Have your parents come to my house, kids. 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.799 You can have a play date with my puppy. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:50.319 He's not a dog, he's a puppy. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:51.359 It is incredible. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.519 Of course, my wife's doing all the heavy lifting. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:54.640 She's training the thing. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:57.839 I'm just the guy that plays and gets him kind of riled up, all right? 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:59.119 He's so enjoyable. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:00.240 I wish I would have done this sooner. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:03.440 Now, for some of my friends, like, hey, heard you got a dog. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:05.359 Thought you were gonna get a dog. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:11.599 And I say different things, but what I really should just say is love. 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:16.319 Love leads you, excuse me, love leads you to do anything. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:18.960 And so, uh, did I want a dog six months ago? 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:19.759 Not at all. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:20.319 Okay? 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:24.400 That dog left a little present by the garage door last night in the house. 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:27.359 And I was like, oh, I got it, I got it, no big deal. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:28.799 It's okay, it's okay, puppy. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.359 You're okay. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:31.920 I don't want to shame him or anything. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:35.440 Six months ago, I was like, I'm gonna throw this dog over the fence. 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:40.559 Anybody puts a hand on my dog, I'm like, I'm gonna love. 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:45.759 But you gotta burn through these lesser motivations to get to the right motivation, which is glory. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:47.279 This is what motivates Jesus. 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:49.519 Glory leads us to do the right thing. 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:51.599 Again, what shall I say? 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:53.359 Save me from this hour? 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:56.400 No, this is the very reason I came to this hour. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:59.440 What's the very reason to glorify God? 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:01.759 The Bible does the same thing, okay? 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:05.759 It invites you and I to do everything that we do for the glory of God. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:09.200 Whatever you do, 1 Corinthians 10, 31, whatever you do. 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:22.079 Whether you play basketball, whether you play football, whether you're in the band, whether you own a business, whether you just work for the business, whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:32.240 The question you have to learn to ask yourself, to catechize your own self, is to ask yourself this question: how do I do what I do to the glory of God? 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:36.720 How do I teach school in such a way that people don't just love and appreciate me? 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:40.720 Nothing wrong with being loved or appreciated, but they go, you know what? 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:46.000 The way you do that makes me think more highly of God than I thought before. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:47.839 So thank you for doing that. 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:53.599 This is why God summarizes the life of his son Jesus and says, I have glorified it. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:57.039 And it's his life, and I will glorify it again. 00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:58.240 This is his death. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:01.599 Again, ask yourself, how will God summarize your life? 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:05.920 Is God gonna look at you when you get to heaven and go, you were a nervous little man? 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:10.799 You had everything you needed, and you freaked out anytime something happened. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:13.279 You like pull the van over and yell at your kids. 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:14.799 What are you freaking out about? 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:23.440 Or is God gonna look at you ladies and be kind of like, yeah, you you had the capacity to be so big and yet you chose to live so small? 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:31.440 Why, why, why, why did you you you you continually look to your little three or four girlfriends to meet your deepest need? 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:32.640 Never to me. 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:40.480 You could have had so much, so much deeper and richer and fuller experiences, but you ran to them instead of coming to me. 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:42.000 Wow. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:44.319 What a small way to live. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:46.480 How's he gonna summarize your life? 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:51.200 Here's the next thing the text tells us is that Jesus' death is consequential. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:53.279 Jesus' death is consequential. 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:54.480 Look at verse 30. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:57.759 Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:00.160 Now is the judgment of this world. 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:02.960 Now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:06.720 And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to myself. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:10.000 There's three consequences of the death of Jesus mentioned right there. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:11.680 Let me just touch on each one of them briefly. 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:14.400 Number one, he says, the world is judged. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:19.680 Now, now, excuse me, is the judgment of this world. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:26.240