Kaleo San Diego Church

The context for the Scripture today is this; Jesus having completed His farewell discourse to His disciples and knowing His impending arrest and crucifixion is coming within hours, prays to the Father.

After doing so, Jesus is going to be taken by false accusers, sentenced to die, and we will read next week the account of His crucifixion.

This setting is a garden, which is fitting. Sin enters the human race in a garden with the first Adam, and as sin is about to be dealt a crushing blow by the second Adam, Jesus last minutes are to be spent in a garden.

Today’s study is highly theological in nature.

Chapter 18 and 19 give us perhaps the clearest picture of Jesus understanding of the Father’s will and sovereignty which gives Him great confidence and peace during this horrific time.

So today we are going to be looking at the themes of foreknowledge and sovereignty.

This seems to be what the text dictates and I certainly think you are all capable of handling this intellectually.

This study is incredibly important because your understanding of who God is and how He works, has tremendous effect on how you live your life, whether you have comfort and security in the midst of dark hours of your life, and whether or not you believe God is able to forgive your grossest sin to bring you under His loving, sovereign care.

If there is anything that I have a disdain for, it is an incorrect view of who God is, and an incorrect view of who He has revealed Himself to be by His own self-description and declaration.

I am praying this study will correctly teach you who God is and with that give you what you may have been lacking in your life, trust and peace.

I think we could all agree that a misunderstanding of who God is results in an incorrect response to Him, and so we are going learn more about Him as we read how Christ reveals the Father to us.

Understanding God’s foreknowledge and His sovereignty has radically changed my and many others lives.

Foreknowledge means that God lives outside of time. Unlike ourselves that are created, limited, and bound by the dimensions of time and space because we are material creatures. Only those things that are immaterial are not held to the restrictions of time and space.

God is other, He is holy, He dwells outside of the dimensions we experience. Whereas we see things chronologically, God sees all things as already completed. Past, present, and future are all one to Him and He lacks nothing regarding knowledge about any event, at anytime, anywhere.

God’s foreknowledge is not passive. It’s active. What I mean by that is that God doesn’t simply look down the corridors of time with a crystal ball and passively agree to what is going to happen and then call it foreknowledge. God doesn’t look at evolution of events taking place because they would have happened on their own.

However, God actively interacts in time and space. He works in time and Christ, who is God in the flesh, came into His creation and dwelt amongst His creation. God is infinite, and yet He is personal. He is transcendent, and yet He is immanent. He is immaterial, and yet He can move within a material world.

God actively sees all things in His foreknowledge because He has ordained all things to come to pass. For many this creates tremendous problems because they do not like mystery and can’t box God into a nice neat little theological box.

Frankly, I am not terribly interested in placing God in a box, or getting frustrated because I don’t quite understand how or why He has done certain things. The fact that I don’t understand everything is living proof that I am not God, and He is! If God is no smarter than me, we are going to have tremendous difficulties trusting His judgments and decisions.

Though in our finiteness, our limited knowledge, we are surprised by things that happen out of our control. God is never surprised when things happen. He never wrings His hands as He looks puzzled at Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and says “now what are we going to do?”

When I use the word sovereignty, what I mean is this; that God is more powerful, and rules everything, and works everything in accordance to His own will.

Simply put, God has total control over all things and nothing can ever thwart His power. Not even the coveted will of man. God’s will always overrides man’s, and His rule is always complete, and His rule has always been and will always be.

There has never been a time when God did not exist. There has never been a time when God did not sovereignly rule.

We read story after story of man intending to do things that were wrong and were thwarting God’s will, only to find out that it was God’s plan all along.

Take for example towards the end of Genesis, when Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, and those same brothers several years later come to him, not knowing it was their brother, to receive food from him to live. Joseph responds by saying “you meant it for evil against me, God meant it for good.”

God, in His sovereignty, always takes that which in our perspective could be considered evil, and he works it for His own good and for His own glory. He is bigger than anything, anyone, and any circumstance, because He rules and reigns perfectly. That is sovereignty.

God takes human sin, human guilt, and evil, to take that and bend it for His own glory. This is why Paul proclaims “He works out all things for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” For those that have not been called according to His purpose, it doesn’t work out as well, but that is another study.

I want you to see that as we look at the text today. Look for God’s sovereignty and Jesus foreknowledge.

We are going to read a good portion of Scripture today. From 18:1 to 19:16. I don’t want to break up the narrative so I am going to jump in and we’ll talk about what we read after.

Let’s jump in.

John 18

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron (Kidron means darkness, metaphorically Jesus is entering His darkest hour), where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops (approx. 420-500 men), and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" 5 They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none." 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" 12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. 15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple (probably John). Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." 18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. 19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 "Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said." (This is an illegal trial. They were supposed to speak with the accusers and then bring the man they were accusing, and they were not suppose to ask anything that would incriminate the accused. Jesus tells them to ask the accusers and reminds them that the law demands they follow protocol.) 22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand (Again, this is illegal), saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" 24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. 28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning (between 3-6 am). But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled (they didn’t want to be unclean, all the while not realizing they were already defiled), but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" 30 They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you." 31 Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law." Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" (Pilates certainly sounds like a post-modern, relativist). And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all. 39 "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" 40 Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

Chapter 19

1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. (This was usually leather or rope that had chards of bone, metal or stone imbedded in each end and they would flog someone which would rip open the back with each strand as it is pulled across the skin, usually exposing the bones on the back.) 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns (about 3 inch thorns) and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands. 4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him." 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!" 6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." 7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." 8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" 11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." 12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar." 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered (in a great denial of God which brings tremendous judgment upon themselves they cry out), "We have no king but Caesar!" 16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

We see Jesus betrayal, His arrest, His illegal trial, and the first blows that are inflicted on Him as He is minutes away from crucifixion.

What we see in all of this is a constant theme of others trying to be like God. Each one trying to have foreknowledge and sovereignty. Each trying to gaze into the future, then trying to bend everything according to their will.

The Romans try to have foreknowledge and assume they can look into the future and know what’s going to happen. What do they think is going to happen? The Romans are afraid that He will become a King, that He will amass a following, and that He will rival their government. So they attempt to be sovereign and control and bend things to their will, so they want Christ to be killed.

The Jews gaze into the future, and they think that He is going to be a threat to them. Why? He’ll overthrow their religion and put them out of business. Earlier in this Gospel, they said “look the whole world is beginning to follow this man.” So they try to tell the future by assuming they have foreknowledge, then they try to impose their sovereignty to bend everything to their will, and this means Christ needs to die.

This is the only time in history when the Romans, the Jews, and the Greeks agreed in on thing. They hated Jesus!

In some way, whether philosophically, religiously, or politically, Jesus was an offense to wicked men. Jesus was a threat to the way they did things, and the way they wanted things to be done.

Peter tries to peer into the future and what does he see? First, when Christ is taken He thinks that Jesus is going to be put to death, so he tries to control the future by stopping and by drawing a sword and playing Texas Chainsaw Massacre by lopping a guys ear off. Either Peter was a bad aim, or he was cruel. Cutting a guys ear off isn’t a nice thing to do on purpose.

Peter thinks he and 11 other guys can take on 500 hardened Roman Soldiers. Not very wise.

Peter then thinks that if he is found out that he is a follower of Christ he’ll be crucified too, so He tries to change the future and denies Christ three times. He thinks he can see what’s going to happen and he wants to bend it for his own will.

Everyone is trying to look into the future and figure out what’s going to happen, so they can take what they think will happen and bend it for themselves, for their own agenda, for their own desires.

I want you to turn with me through John’s Gospel and look at how Jesus understands His Father’s will, and how that understanding gives Him the right perspective.

Jesus knew who was going to betray Him

Let’s go to chapter 6 verses 70-71. 70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

First thing we see is that Jesus knows He’s going to be betrayed by a friend. That friend was Judas Iscariot. He knows that Judas is under the influence of Satan, and that eventually he would be possessed by Him and would hand Him over to be murdered. Jesus was not shocked by this. He knew it all along. He didn’t need therapy, He wasn’t depressed and need medication.

Jesus knew when He was going to die

           

Chapter 7 verse 6: 6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

Jesus knew the timing of His death. He knew exactly when He would die, and how He would die. He knew it would be during the time of Passover as He was the one set aside before time began to be the lamb slain as our Passover sacrifice.

Chapter 17 verse 1: 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

Throughout this Gospel, Jesus says it’s not time, now that it is time, He tells us “the time hour has come.”

Jesus knew how and why He was going to die

John 8:28- 28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

Jesus not only knew that He would be betrayed by Judas, and when it would happen. He also knew the Romans would kill Him. The reason we know this, is that the Jews always stoned someone for blasphemy, only the Romans were allowed to crucify you.

Throughout John’s Gospel the Jew’s are picking up rocks to stone Christ, but Jesus knew it would be through the cross.

He knew who would betray Him, when He would die, and how He was going to die.

Jesus knew that He would willingly lay down His life, He wouldn’t be defeated, and that He would raise up His life again

John 10:14-18 14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

Jesus knows He’s going to die of His own volition, and He knows He is going to raise Himself up and bring Himself back.

Jesus knows that He is THE resurrection

John 11:25-26 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus knew that He will give us life and resurrection in we have life in Him.

Jesus knew that Peter would betray Him

John 13:38 38 Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.

We just read in John 18 that Peter did betray Him. We know that he did exactly what Jesus said He would do, and after His betrayal, the rooster crows.

Jesus promises that He will come back and take us to be with the Father in His mansion

John 14:1-4

1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And where I go you know, and the way you know."

Since all of what Jesus knew came true, I think we can trust that this will come true as well. He’s good for His word, and He knows the future, so my vote is for His foreknowledge, His sovereignty, and not my own.

Jesus knew that He would be betrayed by a friend, He knew that he would be turned over to be murdered, He knew that Peter would deny Him, He knew that the Romans would crucify Him, He knew that He would only die by laying down His own life, He knew that He would raise Himself from the dead, and He knows that He is coming back to claim His own and to take them to Dad’s house to move in.

Nothing catches Jesus by surprise in this whole narrative.

Turn with me back to chapter 18.

I want you to see the sovereignty of Jesus along with his foreknowledge.

This is important. If you don’t understand this passage and how God works, when you hit times in your life that are like John 18 and 19, you would be discouraged, you will be disappointed and confused.

Jesus understands the Father’s plan.

The irony in the beginning of chapter 18 is that this band of men that are coming to arrest Jesus, the Roman government using it’s power to take Him, only has this power because God granted it to them.

Jesus is not a victim, He is not a coward, and He is not a failure. He is a King. I want you to see your King.

Verse 1-Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out.

Verse 6- Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.

500 soldiers fall on their back when Jesus says “I AM.”

These are burly, hardened soldiers, and they are given a small glimpse of His glory and they drop!

Did Jesus fail, did He loose the battle, was He some effeminate pacifist that was too weak to fight? NO! With a declaration of Himself as the “I AM” 500 men are like matchsticks.

Jesus maintained full and complete authority. If He didn’t want to lay down His life, and He wanted to do fight club, He certainly would have won.

Verse 8- Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,"

He looks at all of these men, and the leaders, and He tells them what to do.

He is being arrested and yet demands the terms. That’s pretty strong authority if you are the one that is the criminal isn’t it?

Verse 11-11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"

Jesus tells Peter what to do. In the Old Testament, the cup of God means you are receiving the will of God.

Sometimes that cup is full of sweetness and joy, and sometimes that cup is bitter and sad. It can be a blessing, or sadness and suffering.

He tells Peter, we are not going to change the future. I am going to drink the cup the Father has given me.

Verse 32-32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

Everything Jesus said would happened in His foreknowledge happened.

Verse 36-37 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Jesus is bound and arrested, about to be put to death, and He says “I am a King.”

19:11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

Nothing that is happening is possible, without the authority of God.

God’s sovereignty overrides everything. Even evil, sinful acts, God’s sovereign hand is in control of those things and will eventually bring all things to His ultimate plan and purpose.

The Romans, the Jews, and Peter, want to have all things under their control. Jesus makes it clear that He is a King, and nothing will thwart the Fathers will.

He knew this was not a failure, He knew this was not an accident, He knew this was not chance, He knew this was not karma, He knew this was not mans plan, He knew that God has always been, and will always be in perfect control of everything.

Jesus rested in the fact, that even though the cup was bitter, He was to drink of it in God’s will.

Do you think that God knows your future? Do you think God has any control over it? Do you think that God knew you would be here, now in your present circumstance? Do you think that God can take the sin and hurt and failure in your life and work it for His will?

Your understanding and correct perception has what effect on you?

Jesus could not be in a darker place: betrayed, sentenced to death, a crown of thorns piercing His forehead, waiting for His torture to get worse as His back is exposed from the flogging, then He willingly goes to the cross, and is fully prepared to give up His life to save a people that currently hate Him. To forgive them for their sin in participating in His execution, and to forgive us 2000 years later for our involvement in His crucifixion as our sin joins the Jews and the Romans to nail Him to the cross.

Jesus doesn’t freak out and run to a psychic, or therapist, because He knows the Father is not finished!

He knows His Father’s perfect will is going to be done, that His suffering will not end in meaningless bumper sticker quotes to a cold dirt blanket to be worm food.

He is going to raise, He is going to go to the Father and then one day come back and take His bride to the party to end all parties, to the Father’s house to dwell for eternity with Him in the most intense, loving relationship we could never experience here on earth.

He has hope, He has trust in His Father’s plan. He set’s this same example for each of us as He lays down the pattern of life we are to live in Him.

Grace and I experienced a miscarriage about 3 or 4 years ago….

Even though our cups are bitter, we are to drink it and yield ourselves in trust and faith in the Father’s will. Stopping all the fighting and the resisting of the cup we have been asked to drink.

Often life seems very big, and God feels very far, the problems feel very big and God feels very small.

We live in a world that has an addiction to prediction. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. God knows the future, we don’t.

We have not clue what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. I don’t need to work it all out perfectly. I need God’s sovereignty.

There are some that hold to a teaching that says God doesn’t know all things, and can’t do all things. This sickens me. This is not God, this is man.

What comfort could be given to the grieving and those destitute and without hope if God were not sovereign?

How could we really believe God’s promise of salvation?

How could we believe God, that He will truly conquer sin and Satan?

What is it in us that causes us to despise an exhaustively sovereign God?

I pray that as we think about such things, as we consider our King Jesus, as we recognize our failure to accurately predict the future, and our impotence to bend it to our will, we will fall on our faces before our great God and Savior and worship Him in Spirit and truth!

To God be the glory!

Let’s Pray.

Communion and tithe.

0 Comments | Login to Post Comments

• Calendar
• Agenda