You Can’t Kill Jesus
Notes
Transcript
In the light of Lazarus’ resurrection
John 11:47-57
John 11:47-57
The miraculous work of Jesus is now getting very real
There is no denying what He has done, and the influence He is having on people
How far did His power extend?
Lazarus, dead four days, would have been in the spirit world
Body would have begun to decay
Jesus brought him all the way back!
Focus on verse 48 - If this greatness continues, all will believe in Him
This is NOT what Satan wanted
This is NOT what the Jews/Pharisees wanted
So, what to do…
V. 53 - KILL JESUS - That’s the plan for the Passover week
POINT TO USE: - Summary of John to this point
John 1–11 5. The Climactic Story of Lazarus and the Passover Plot (11:1–57)
The answer is that the religious authorities had a major problem with a person who did not fit their guidelines for acceptability.
I may rant a little today - the Gospel of John to this point puts us in a position where we have to decide if we fit into the world’s guidelines, or if we fit into the Kingdom of Yahweh!
The Power of Jesus is Clear
The Power of Jesus is Clear
The Awe…and Fear
The Awe…and Fear
Many started believing
Throughout this time, Jesus’ work and power was evident
The very name of Jesus
The voice of Jesus
The presence of Jesus
Unmistakable - demands response - NOW (He was rather urgent about it)
This world? Or Jesus’ kingdom?
Feed the human flesh? Or satisfy your soul?
Few will surrender and follow
The narrow gate - Matt 7:14
“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Most will flood that wide gate - leading to destruction - Matthew 7:13
Matthew 7:13 (NASB95)
“…for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
This will all be sorted out - Judgment Day, when Jesus returns
Until then…
The Attacks
The Attacks
Started with Satan - Genesis 3 and forward through history (sorry for the review, but you don’t have the Gospel without the Fall, without Genesis)
Later - Prophets killed - for message of repentance
Then…
Killed Jesus - His message of repentance
That really didn’t work, now did it?
If killing Jesus did not work, then the fight must continue with attacks on His followers
After the Gospels, the NT is about living for Him, in this world until He returns
Many apostles were martyred (witness)
All God asks of you? Live for Him; stand out in a world following Satan’s call to attack
The enemy’s attack, designed to:
Keep people lost
Keep believers from growing
(Pharisees: can’t stop Jesus, but let’s contain this growth…)
Is it getting harder to live like a Christian?
Bible-believing Christianity under attack
The spiritual warfare comes out in the physical world…
Heightened in 2020-21 - COVID gave an excuse for many - churches lost 30% of people - why?
EXAMPLES
Social/secular issues
Since May 2020
>300 attacks on Catholic churches - pro-life stance
>100 attacks on crisis pregnancy centers, pro-life organizations and churches
Others in the past decade
NJ Teacher suspended for giving a student a Bible - who asked for one
Football coach prays on the field after a game, placed on leave
Atlanta fire chief fired for self-publishing a book on Christian moral teaching
Marine was court-martialed for having a Bible verse above her desk
BIBLICAL TRUTHS THAT PROMPT HATE
Marriage - one man, one woman
You are a bigot and a hater
Gender/Sex - only two
You are so intolerant - but what about “follow the science?”
Education - (I expect the government schools to get this wrong)
(Are your kids prepared with God’s Word there? Daniel and his friends were)
Christian schools are threatened
Kings College, Gordon College, Grand Canyon University
And some Christian schools have already caved to culture
Private schools; homeschoolers are targeted by activists and the world
Homeschoolers are child abusers, don’t you know?
Mental Health - hot-button talk today; very RARELY addressed Biblically
The steps for treatment almost never involve God’s Word, the church, or Christian fellowship
The world wants to treat, keep you “sick”
GOD WANTS TO HEAL!
How willing are you to share/live your views?
Do your views line up with God’s Word?
Are you afraid of expressing your Christian worldview? Because that’s a sign that it’s gotten to us.
Look at our nation, even our local area:
Weaker churches - feeling good feels better, much easier to just go along with the world
Weaker families - divorce is easy answer, marriage isn’t even important anymore
Weaker believers - Biblically illiterate
Weaker culture - Built on man’s precepts
“As a nation, the Biblical worldview is running on fumes…People see themselves as Christians, but…they are actually living out a watered-down, counterfeit worldview that looks more like culture around them than the Biblical Christianity they profess.”
Arizona Christian University president Len Munsil
HISTORICAL PATTERN
Attack the Word
Genesis 3 in the Garden
Attack the godly, the prophets
Kill Jesus
That didn’t work
So…Attack the Word, and believers who don’t really know it
Attack on what is right, true, and godly
Satan’s tactics - alive and well today
He couldn’t kill Jesus and keep Him dead, so now you are His target
Doubt, Fear, Pride, Independence
“Freedom”
The Choices
The Choices
Distractions/Priorities - Don’t think the attacks are here? Look around…
Every single day - you choose how important following Jesus is in your life
We talk, complain, praise, whatever….
What do we DO? Big ones here, locally
Sunday priorities, for example
Busy-ness of life, local youth activities, Family reunions and activities
A believer’s response? Do you know Hebrews 10:25
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Your child - the best underwater basket weaver, and the tournament is on Sunday…
Won’t get a trophy, but how about showing kids what it means to get a crown?
Family activities - tell your family you’ll be back in a couple hours, or that you’ll be late for the activity
It’s really OK!
Traveling? Find a local church on Sunday
Jesus DIED, so we could be here!
CHALLENGE:
Don’t complain about culture and the news unless you are actually doing something about it
Want revival? It starts at home
It’s not someone else’s job!
If distractions and priorities we just discussed are ones affecting you…
And you are unwilling to change…
Then expect more of the culture you already see and complain about
CLOSING
Jesus’ popularity led the opposition to feel the need to silence Him
Power and prestige - their priority
So with that threat, Jesus had to die
Follow Jesus, or kill Jesus
One man, dying for the nation
One man dying for the world
Caiaphas literally prophesied the Word of God, not aware of the magnitude of those words
Jesus changes lives - and our culture feels the need to silence Him, even today
Jesus never intended for His work to stop
He just handed the job to the church, with followers called disciples, until He returns
Oh, and He gave us help - the Holy Spirit
Is that enough for us?
To the core here, who seem to have priorities straight - I praise God for you!
Good question to ask - what can I do?
Pray
Be the example you’d like to see
The “wins” - the good news
Thousands of believers baptized in France on Easter
Hundreds saved recently at a rally by Franklin Graham
Young people here, trusting Jesus
Wednesdays - Bible study
Prepared, equipped - that’s what a disciple is
Living in a world wanting nothing to do with Jesus
so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Being part of discipling others, you up for that?
That’s my goal for you, for us
That’s God’s plan for your life
Yes, His plan, I know His plan for you
To grow
So you can defend the truth
So you can stand out in this world where evil and wickedness rule
A world where they’d really like Jesus to just go away
Jesus demanded followers to be disciples
So there, you have that opportunity
If YOU won’t do it, who do you expect to?
It’s not really that hard to make a statement in support of Jesus
So, what are you willing to do, besides talk about doing something
The culture around us desperately needs surrendered followers of Jesus to show them a different way
If they walked in here, is that you?