John 1:29-34
/Messiah Selection 22 (chorus): Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1: 29)
sermons | study
These are sermons preached during our Sunday worship services. (Recordings were not always successful, so there are gaps in the postings.)
Messiah Selection 22 (chorus): Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1: 29)
Using John chapter eight, and particularly verse fifty-six as an introduction, we consider the ascending, or ascension sacrifice that is at the center of the dramatic and memorable narrative of Genesis chapter twenty-two.
Following the consideration of the theme of abiding in Christ in the first section of chapter fifteen, this sermon focuses on discipleship in the life of the Church.
The theme of abiding in Christ is central to Christian faith and relevant to all of life. Jesus made it a key element of his teaching of his disciples at the Last Supper.
I apologize for the fast pace of my delivery for this message! There were many Scripture references that I wanted to include, probably too many for one sermon. I hope that God's Word will be a blessing despite my mistakes!
This sermon continues last Sunday's consideration of the dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter that completes the last narrative section of the Gospel of John. We can learn much along with Peter from our Lord's words here, which set before us once more the heart of the gospel itself: the call to follow Jesus Christ as Lord.
In the second narrative section of the epilogue to the Gospel of John, we read a poignant and thought provoking dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter. By identifying with this disciple who denied his Lord, we can learn many things about how God views and deals with our own sin and restores us to fellowship with Him and other believers.
The Gospel of John ends with a masterful epilogue, or "added words," that enhance the overall message of the book. This section, chapter 21 in our Bibles, adds a wonderfully personal and intimate experience that draws us into the gospel call to follow Jesus as Lord and God.
In this text, John states clearly the purpose of his Gospel, and this purpose statement provides an effective conclusion to the book as a whole. (There is another chapter to follow in the form of an epilogue.) This conclusion serves as well to remind us of the centrality of faith and the blessing of eternal life that is ours by faith in Jesus.
The narrative of Thomas in this text is used by John to bring to our attention important teaching relative to belief in Jesus, which has been a key theme of the Gospel from its opening.
Continuing the Gospel of John's narrative of the Sunday when Christ arose, the text focuses on what is known as Jesus' Great Commission. The significance of Jesus' commissioning of his disciples to preach the gospel is seen in the fact that all four Gospels and Acts include elements of his teaching concerning this subject.
For poignancy and reversal of emotion, this passage is perhaps unmatched in literature, expressing with an amazing brevity of words an incredible range of feeling. What is even more remarkable is that this narrative is meaningful because of its historicity! There is so much to learn here, and this sermon barely touches upon its truth.
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power." - Augustus Toplady
This narrative of Jesus’ suffering and death is structured around Jesus’ completion of the work he received from his Father. He had already spoken of that work as accomplished in his prayer prior to his arrest. What was so certain that he could speak of it in the past tense he now fully executes in harmony with the Father’s sovereign will and the empowering of the Spirit. God in three persons acts in Jesus’ suffering and death to save sinners while yet showing himself to be righteous.
The gospel of John gives us a unique view of the events directly associated with the death of Jesus. The apostle John was inspired by the Holy Spirit to focus on different elements than those seen in the other three gospels, and this serves to draw our attention to key truths that reveal to us the true meaning of his death. John 18 opens with a narrative scene that makes it clear that Jesus' death was unique from that of any other human.