Christ the King Who Died So All Could Be In His Kingdom: (John18-19)

When we started in John we talked in detail about the deity of Christ, that Christ was not a man but God in the Flesh.  Christ is the Son of God who came from Heaven to earth, and we see that again here at the end of John as well.  Here in Chapter 18 as they prepare to take Him prisoner when asked who they are looking for and they say Christ, Christ responds with these words “I am He.”  We discussed the meaning of the phase I am coming from Christ before.  The same words spoken to Moses in Exodus when Moses asked who are you, “I am who I am”(EX 3:14).  But something happens when Christ speaks these words this time, “when he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground.”(Jn 18:6)  Notice once more before He is sent to the cross He shows those who do not want to believe He is the Son of God a chance to see that He is.  Through these words being spoken His glory and deity shines through and the only thing that the soldiers and those around Him can do is fall on the ground.  If that is not enough, we are told in Luke after Peter cut off the soldier’s ear that Christ healed it.  Yet with all this in front of them they still went through with arresting Him and sending Him to the Cross.

We sit and say how can they do that? How can they with this evidence in front of them go through with the crucifixion?  Yet we should stop and think about our own lives not the lives that we lived before coming to know Christ but the ones we live after coming to know Christ.  We love to come to church on Sundays and sing praises to God, yet how are we living our lives after Church how do we act on Monday are we acting as if God is the king of our lives?  Do we continue worshiping God on the days that are not going as plan, when things do not fall into place as we had hoped?  I wonder do we tell people I know that I am going through some tough times but I am going to praise God because He has allowed me to go through all this.  James tells us to, during the trials of our lives, “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”(James 1:2-3)

Are we going out of here and living our lives for God?  Do we stay away sin, or are we accepting sin as being ok?  Are we saying that you know what, God hates sin and so should I, Or are we saying well it’s hard and I enjoy some sin, God can forgive me for it? But is that what Christ is really calling us to be, just ok with sin?  As we read the remainder of chapter 18 and through chapter 19, we read a horrifying account of the trial, torture and then the cross.  When Christ went to the Cross He took on all the sin of the world. He was the finale and perfect sacrifice for our sin.  Does that sound like a God who is ok with sin?  I think not, He hung on cross was mocked abused and yet He was the Son of God at any second He could have decided it wasn’t worth it and stop the process.  But He didn’t because He loves you and me, and hates sin.  He wants us to be a part of His Kingdom.  He went to cross so that we could live a life in Him.  2^nd Peter 1:3-11 tells us, “As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!  And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.

 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.  Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.

 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”