Sermon Tone Analysis

The Lion bound as a Lamb, so You Can Go Free!

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

If almost half of the gospel’s given to the last week of Jesus life, even more attention is paid to the last 24 hours before the Cross.

These 24 hours from sundown Thursday night till Christ gives his last breath, and his body is laid in the tomb just before sundown Friday, I don’t hesitate to call the most important day of the world had yet seen!

Yes resurrection thre days later - equal imoprtance, His return in glory!

But for us to see that if Christ whole life was the Son coming in the fulness of time - this is the fullness of the fulness of time.

This time before he departs to the Father with the mission sacomplished.

these 24 hours is the heart of the mission!Really the rest of the NT revealation is an explanation of what it all means.

It is no wonder thne that both the literal historical events are described with equally powerful imagery that explains the heart of slavation for us.

Key Truth: Go with Jesus in Gethsemane and on the way to Gabbatha, and claim him as your Lion & Lamb!

And three of those images I’d like to focus on this morning - are Jesus surprising protection in arrest; His compassion in drinking our cup of judgment; His sacrificial love in willingly being bound so we might go free.

In the first two you will see the majesty of your king, in the second the humility of the Lamb!

Scene I: Behold His Majesty of Protection on Display for You in Gethsemane

Last Sunday night we saw that it was not just Jesus and Judas in that upper room, as Judas rejected Jesus final offer - hardenes his heart to carry out what Satan had influenced, put in his heart todo… to the end Jesus extending love, that drives judas crazy.

In final rejection, becomes not only the traitor, but Satan indeed enters him.

It was not just Jesus and Judas in that upper room, but Christ the Son of God, and Staan the AntiChrist.

And jesus says , What you are about to do, do quickly!

Satan jumps at the opproutnity - can’t understand his love nor his …

And now it is night.

The hour of the power of darkness, as Jesus called it.

And now Judas knowing that Jesus and the apostles were gathering in the evenings in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Judas, in ocoridnation with the temple guards and priests, they have gone to Romans, the Antonia Fortress, were every Passover a band, a cohort, the Green Barrets, the Marines, the most highly ttrained division s of the Roman army would be brought in to make sure no trouble was stirred in the great mob of people came every year.

Judas having procured some of that cohort to come with the temple servants/guards.

Is at he head of the pack.

They are armed to the teeth, and carry lanterns and torches for judas know just where Jesus willb e hiding!

And now it is night.

The hour of the power of darkness, as Jesus called it.

And now Judas knowing that Jesus and the apostles were gathering in the evenings in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Judas, in ocoridnation with the temple guards and priests, they have gone to Romans, the Antonia Fortress, were every Passover a band, a cohort, the Green Barrets, the Marines, the most highly ttrained division s of the Roman army would be brought in to make sure no trouble was stirred in the great mob of people came every year.

Judas having procured some of that cohort to come with the temple servants/guards.

Is at he head of the pack.

They are armed to the teeth, and carry lanterns and torches for judas know just where Jesus willb e hiding!

But what is this, as they’ve crossed the Kidron, enter the garden, the group isn’t hiding at all.

And watch now, the leader with an air of authority -steps into the moon lit night infront.

With a voice steady and unafraid: Whom do you seek?

It is a question you must answer for yourself this morning - It is one of critical importance that Jesus asked at the turning point of the gospel - You are teh Christ, the King,l the Messiah, the Annointed One Saviour, You are Son of the Living God! Do you believe that who was in the garden, who will be on the Cross?

They mock him, Jesus of Nazareth - backwoods rebel - whom we doubt anything good or even powerful can come out of!

But what is this

But listen to Jesus answer, not in a whimper but in a voice as loud as thunder!

Ego Eimi - ten timesJesus had used that title in John Gospel - I am the bread of life, I am the way truth and the life, I am the gate, I am the good shepherd, - each time not just explaining who is and what he does - but .

Thisi s the question Moses asked in the OT - who shall i say sent me to your peope, what is your anme, Whom shall I tell Pharaoh and the world that You are seetting slaves free -

But listen to Jesus answer, not in a whimper but in a voice as loud as thunder!

Ego Eimi - ten timesJesus had used that title in John Gospel - I am the bread of life, I am the way truth and the life, I am the gate, I am the good shepherd, - each time not just explaining who is and what he does - but .

Thisi s the question Moses asked in the OT - who shall i say sent me to your peope, what is your anme, Whom shall I tell Pharaoh and the world that You are seetting slaves free -

I AM … Jehovah, Yahweh - I Am WHO I I AM -s ent you.

Whether anyone realized it our not at the time.

jesus is answering that He is the Living God But unlike the time the jews udnerstood and cahrged him with blasphemy - mere man claiming to be god!

Look at the response this time!

Most highly trained forces on the planet, and with the authority of the Living God, messiah shining through - they are on their knees beforethe king of the universe, the Saviour of the world, before whom in the end every knee will bow and tongue confess - that he is Lord.

The same influence of Christ’ majesty and kingship that He exhibite on his first day of public ministry in syangogue in Capernaum - words of - they want a Messiah who will bring vengeance on their peersonal enemies, not forgive their sins - they are going to stone - him - majestic influence walk right through them unharmed.

Same influence upon those children on Palm Sunday - majestic entrance on the back of an ass’ foal -donkey - they want to seize him - but power of the king of the univrese - few had spiritual vision to see it - but in his weakness he was showiong the strength of the LORD.

Can you see it>?

It is what knowcks down the temple guard.

Will you trust hIM NOW AND FOLLOW THIS KING TO hIS cORSS?

Do you remember when they found strong man of Iraq Sadam Hussein?

Cowering in a pit of mud, hiding.

Some think that is Jesus caught in the jaws of human evil can’t escape … cowering, think the cross a tragedy of evil.

Make no mistake it is humanity at our worst - injustice, travesty, weakness of his followers, greed, …

But it is more than that!

This is not only the hour of the power of darkness and Satan’s hour.

Look at the words John uses to describe the beginning of the most important day on earth:

But it is more than that!

This is not only the hour of the power of darkness and Satan’s hour.

Look at the words John uses to describe the beginning of the omost important day on earth:

Like Peter describes the day in Acts, you with help of wicked men put Jesus to death - but according to God’s foreordained plan!

He is willingly going as a king on a mission to his arrest, and execution for a God purpose you must embrace!

And now we get to watch him in action again, for they’ve found the swords and spears and lanterns they’ve dropped before his glroious authority.

And he asks them again: Whom do you seek.

And listen to how Jesus addressee them a second time - because he’s telling ussomethin about God’s polan for his suffering and death!

Oh, you who felel unworthy, who read of Peter’s betrayal and the Lord looking him in the eye, You who feel that your repeated sins are a hundred Judas’ kisses to your Lord.

Listen to jesus heart for you.

He doesn’t look upon us - and say you do that to me, you aren ot worth, I’m suffering all this for you - and you do that to me - forget it I’m not going to the Cross.!

No, look into the heart of jesus and why he goes to the Cross for you.

In Luke we read he was in Gethsemane sweating as it were drops of blood.

Do you get that - contmeplate his suffering, cup he had to drink , not just the betrayl, arrest, the physical pain, but the becoming sin, the forsakenness, enduring the wrath of God - blood of Gethsemane contemplating all of that - he was praying for you and me and all for whom he had to die!

And at the critical moment of his arrest he is thinking not of himself, but of your protection. he knew their weakness, knew what this wrold would do to them, they coudlnt’ stand that fiery furnace of affliction - and he is speaking for them - let them go free!

By way of application - any one here, under the yoke of affliction?

Feeling life is too hard, unfair?

Here your Saviour’s explanation of His care to you in trial:

This love and concern even for the ones who would betray and kill him, heart of that loved just hardened their hearts, but for those who know HIm ass Saviour it melts there hearts, and steels their nerves: Listen: to how compelte this Saviour and King’s concern but Soverreign care is for those the Father has committed to him: He says we will undergo trial, but not a hair of your head will perish.

By your endurance you will gain your life. .

H

So this is the first thing you must come to grips with in Gethsemane - maujesty of Christ.

Augustine said if like thisin His usffering, going to the Cross - what in His Second coming?

See that majesty then not as cowering soldier and priest, but thankful disicples -watching their king go to bat for them - long for his comiong in glory!

But it is even more amazing than a king’s majesty now.

King is also healing preist even as he goes to the Cross!

Scene II.

The Compassion of Gethsemane to Slaves (like Malchus & You & Me)

But it is even more amazing than that.

For now you must watch the compassion of jesus in the closing scene of Gethsemane.

And this time not for one of his disciples but for one who was a slave, a servant ot he high priest.

This is Jesus last miracles, his last miracaulous sign that propethically taught who he is and what he’s about!

Watch Peter not udnertandign jesus mission, draw his sword and in a desperate act of living not by loe and serivce, butin self=-defence and you areest me I’ll go down swining killing you.

He goes for the head but seemingly misses, perhaps cutting lamchus’ ear clean off, or perhaps bloodily hanging on by the skin.

Last sign, is a sign to a slave.

Temple priest ought not to have slave… read but Jesus sets the captives free.

Cain’s sins seeking vengeance, ABel’s blood cries out.

Jesus teakes that ear, restores the slave as his last miracle - As Schildre puts it holds out the cup of water to Cain, even as he wilingly goes on to be forsaken!

He is healing wounds as he goes to the Cross - that is his kingly work, and what a wonder that the no-name slaves name is recorded in the gospel.