Jesus: King and Redeemer

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

John 18:1–9 CSB

After Jesus had said these things, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas took a company of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees and came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Who is it that you’re seeking?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “I am he,” Jesus told them. Judas, who betrayed him, was also standing with them. When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. Then he asked them again, “Who is it that you’re seeking?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. “I told you I am he,” Jesus replied. “So if you’re looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the words he had said: “I have not lost one of those you have given me.”

Introduction

Throughout December, we’ve been talking about the kingdom.

The passage that undergirds it all is Matthew 6:33.

Matthew 6:33 CSB

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Seek first the kingdom.

What is it? And why is it so important?

The kingdom is characterized by God’s sovereign rule over all creation and His reign in the hearts of people.

It is governed by God’s principles of righteousness, peace, and joy.

As the I AM, Jesus is the eternal God who redeems and brings His people into the kingdom by His sacrifice.

And we, as its citizens are called to live differently from the world reflecting humility, service, and love.

You have been saved for a purpose.

And that is a life, centered on Christ, for spiritual transformation.

Last week, we focused on our King, Jesus, who is God in the flesh.

John 1:14 CSB

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is a monumental verse. Unprecedented. Unparalleled.

This is a profound act of divine love — bringing eternal hope and restoration to a broken world.

Jesus became incarnate to redeem us, fulfilling God’s promises of salvation.

His coming represents the climactic point in God’s plan of redemption — inaugurating the kingdom of God in the hearts of his people.

Let us, revisit a passage we started last week’s lesson off with — John 8:58.

John 8:58 CSB

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Here, Jesus claims to be the eternally existing one — the eternal God — from everlasting to everlasting.

This is the most authentic, audacious, and most profound claim Jesus ever made regarding who He was.

He, the child born in Bethlehem, the carpenter’s son, is the eternal one — who came into the world to redeem.

That is who the I AM is.

The I AM is a redeemer, who is near His people, and pours out His blessings on those people.

In the rest of our time together today we want to look at how our King demonstrated Himself as the One who Saves.

How could it be — that a poor man, with no education, no elite connections, no personal wealth, or earthly credentials have the power over salvation?

Jesus’ Power Over Sin

Let’s turn to Mark 2 where 4 men have brought a paralytic to Jesus.

The house was so crowded that they couldn’t get the man in the door — so they went through the roof and lowered him to Jesus where he was standing.

Jesus sees their faith and speaks to the paralytic:

Mark 2:5 (CSB)

Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now this is astounding. Absolutely shocking.

Scribes are thinking to themselves:

Mark 2:7 CSB

“Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus, knowing what they were thinking, asks:

Mark 2:9 CSB

Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?

Oh it’s easy to say “your sins are forgiven” — priests did it all the time — but hard to prove…

Mark 2:10 CSB

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—

why is this the harder thing to say?

because if He told him to get up and the paralytic didn’t move — then everyone would know He didn’t have the power.

It’s easy to say someone’s sins are forgiven because it can’t be verified.

So, Jesus says I just forgave the man of his sins because of his faith and just to show you that I really did that, I’ll do the hard part, get up and walk.

Mark 2:11 (CSB)

“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”

the man got up and walked.

Mark 2:12 CSB

Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

If Jesus is a redeemer, it makes sense that He can forgive sins because forgiveness is a part of redeeming people.

To show that He really had the power to forgive sins, Jesus did something visible and amazing—He healed a man.

People could see the healing, but they couldn’t see the forgiveness.

By proving His power to heal, Jesus also proved He had the authority to forgive sins, because both require divine power.

Jesus’ Power Over Spirits

If our King is the sovereign I AM, the Redeemer God, he not only must have power over sin, but He must also have power over spirits, who held people captive in sin.

In Luke 4, Jesus came down to Capernaum, where he was teaching on the Sabbath.

Luke 4:32 CSB

They were astonished at his teaching because his message had authority.

And in the synagogue was a man with an “unclean” demonic spirit.

Luke 4:33 CSB

In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit who cried out with a loud voice,

“unclean,” meant this demon produced deviant, perverted behavior in the man.

And note v. 34 … the demon cries out:

Luke 4:34 (CSB)

“Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

The demon knows exactly who Jesus of Nazareth is.

He is the Holy One of God.

He’s afraid — that the time has come for him to be cast into the pit forever.

Jesus rebukes the demon.

Luke 4:35 (CSB)

But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be silent and come out of him!” And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all.

And just like that, the demon is gone.

Can you imagine being in that room?

Luke 4:36–37 CSB

Amazement came over them all, and they were saying to one another, “What is this message? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” And news about him began to go out to every place in the vicinity.

This is the saving I AM.

He not only has power over sin, but he has power over demons and spirits who hold men captive to Satanic schemes.

No one else could do this. This is our King!

Jesus’ Power Over Satan

Let’s look at John 14:30 — this is the time of the Last Supper.

This is the evening when Jesus would be arrested and the next day crucified.

In v. 30, he starts to feel the arrival of Satan.

John 14:30 (CSB)

I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me.

Jesus had seen him before.

Satan was there after Jesus was born, trying to kill all the rest of the babies hoping he could kill Jesus.

Satan was there trying to temp Christ to abandon his obedience to God and follow him.

He had been around alot — but here he is coming again — to this great final conflict.

Jesus can feel him coming … to which he says: He has no power over me.

Not one single valid accusation against me of any wrong thought, word, or deed.

He. Has. Nothing. On. Me.

The fatal blow was coming … the cross was in view.

Now let’s turn to Luke 22. Here are v. 52-53:

Luke 22:52–53 (CSB)

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?

Every day while I was with you in the temple, you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour—and the dominion of darkness.”

Why are you here now?

Because it’s time for Satan, the power of darkness to act.

Let him come.

No vulnerability.

No weakness.

No sin.

No place for Satan to strike a fatal blow.

And that’s why he says what he does back in John 14:31:

John 14:31 CSB

On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me. “Get up; let’s leave this place.

Let’s go. Where? to the cross.

I’m not afraid. Satan can kill me there — but he can’t keep me dead because I have no sin.

Look at what the Hebrew writer says when Jesus went to the cross:

Hebrews 2:14 (NASB95)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Through death he rendered powerless the devil.

Jesus’ Power Over Death

The power of death had to be conquered.

Let’s go back to John 2.

John 2:19–21 (CSB)

Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.”

Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?”

But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

You can kill my body, Jesus says, but it will come out of the grave because Satan can’t hold me.

There can be no punishment because there has been no crime.

Note what Jesus said in John 10:

John 10:17–18 (CSB)

This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

I will die and I will live again.

He volunteered to do this and this is why the Father loves him.

And it is why we love him.

As We Close…

So the I AM of John 8:58 is the Redeemer God.

He came to redeem His people from their sins and to do that he had to:

conquer sin, spirits, Satan, and death.

Those standing there that day should have remembered that he had shown them his power over sin to prove he was the god of redemption.

He had shown them his power over spirits over and over.

Even if they hadn’t yet seen his power over Satan, they would see it on the cross and in the open tomb.

They would see it in his power over death.

They chose to reject him.

They should have made the right choice.

What will be your response?

John 18.

Jesus is in the garden. The mob has come to arrest him.

Notice how Jesus takes the initiative.

The Roman cohort, the officers of the chief priests, and the Pharisees have come.

They’re brandishing weapons, torches, and lanterns.

And he steps up …

John 18:4 CSB

Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Who is it that you’re seeking?”

They answer:

John 18:5 CSB

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “I am he,” Jesus told them. Judas, who betrayed him, was also standing with them.

The “He” in your bible may be italics. It has been added by a scribe.

When they asked for Jesus of Nazareth He said I AM.

John 18:6 CSB

When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground.

The whole group collapsed.

Just the mention of his name.

Sheer terror.

And you know, they should have stayed down.

That’s the proper response to I AM — to fall down — in reverence, fear, but ultimately worship.

What is really sad here, is that they got up, arrested him, and killed him — failing to honor his awesome name.

How will you respond to Jesus, you King?