Jesus was already there
Notes
Transcript
Good morning.
Introduce myself.
To be up at a pulpit is still a trip. Is God really doing this??? Is He putting up here to preach His Holy Word??? Sometimes this life that I have been given seems a bit surreal.
Not in any way doubting what God can do, but certainly doubting what I can do. I’ve been a leader in an earthly setting, I’ve owned a small company, ran other companies, I have ran huge sales meetings etc.
But this is different. I remember SEVERAL years ago. Probably sometime around 2020 when I moved here. We came to church and Pastor Chris was preaching.
At that time, I wanted to make changes in my life and I remember sitting in that back row thinking….shoooot, I can do that. Now, while that may have been true, it was very different after I got saved.
It wasn’t just getting up here and giving a speech. It is sharing a divine word. It is sharing Christ, the gospel, the Way, the Truth and the Life. That’s a huge deal.
This carries a lot of responsibility. I knew that God was going to use me in some way. Did not know it was going to be here preaching. One of the first things I wanted to do was start a podcast.
I use the internet right, I know there’s a lot of people out there that need the gospel. So that was my initial thought. Get on the internet, and share Jesus.
I didn’t end up doing it at the time. I was at a point where I knew Jesus, but I needed to study His word. And I needed to study it deeply.
I backed off that idea for the moment, and decided to read up, come to bible studies, come to church, ask questions, learn everything I could.
I watched tons of sermons, Voddie Baucham is still my favorite. I would watch sermons all the time. Still do. Trying to soak up everything thing I could.
Looking at history, how the bible came together and how the full cannon of scripture was formed.
I have never, ever been so committed to anything in my life. Other than sin before Jesus got a hold of me.
I wasn’t and I am still not sure what God has in store for me. But as I was reading the passages we are going to cover today, there is this area that points to accountability.
When I got saved, it was insane. Radical. I was changed drastically. I went from one side of the spectrum to the other.
Overwhelming actually. My story and testimony is hard to tell sometimes because it was and is so radical. I often find myself at loss for words trying to convey what actually happened.
So here is the conclusion. God saved me in a way that shook me to my very core. He showed me His Son and revealed what He has done for me on the cross.
So with great revelation, comes great responsibility. I almost have to be up here. I share Christ whenever I can.
If you take a look at my facebook page or social media platforms, that’s all I talk about. I recently discovered how to make music with AI….Guess what kind of music I am making?
All about Jesus. So now, I share that everywhere too.
The reason I told you guys that, is because if you have been born again, if you have been saved from God’s wrath and judgement, if you have been given new life and an inheritance with Christ, that has been sealed by the Holy Spirit, on ANY level, you too have a responsibility to share Jesus with others.
We are commanded to. And let me tell you, it’s nerve racking at first. It’s hard. It can be uncomfortable, but with time, it gets easier.
Share what you have been given church. It was not meant for you to receive and put it in a safe. It was meant for you to wear like a badge of honor.
Live as though Christ saved you, share His word boldly as if He gave you new life. Proclaim His gospel courageously because we know it has the power to overcome sin.
Share Jesus church. Share Him with everyone. This is not an option for the Christian.
It is our duty as servants of the most high God. It is our privilege, you guys. Share Jesus so much, that people just expect if from you.
That was literally my goal. When people know if I’m around, they know, Jesus is getting brought up.
Share Jesus folks. Share His gospel. Share it for His glory and the sake of the lost.
Ok, now that we got that out of the way, Let’s pray and jump into today’s text.
Today, we fall into some powerful scripture. John 15: 22 through 16: 4 is where we will be at this morning.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[b] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
This is God’s Word.
So jumping right in, verse 22 is where I saw this area of accountability. This great responsibility that comes with great revelation.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[b] but now they have no excuse for their sin.
They would not have been guilty of sin…What is Jesus saying here. That if He had not come, that if He has not done the miracle that He did, that they would have been innocent?
Not at all.
But these people saw Jesus face to face, they heard His teachings, they saw the miracles He performed. They literally saw God in the flesh. They had seen extraordinary light, yet their hearts remained stone.
So here’s the long and short of it…greater revelation brings greater accountability. Ignorance does not make people innocent before God, but deliberate rejection after receiving clear truth compounds guilt.
The problem here wasn’t lack of evidence. Jesus provided plenty of that. But these religious folks didn’t want the Jesus that the evidence pointed to.
They wanted the political conqueror. They wanted Jesus to come and liberate Israel. They wanted Jesus to crush Rome and set them free.
Problem though, Jesus had a much BIGGER plan in mind. Freedom from the metaphorical Rome…Sin. The sin that broke the world, sin that corrupted the garden and every man born into it.
This connects well with John 3: 19-20
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
John 3: 19-20
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
Here’s a very short, but profound passage that packs a Mike Tyson sized punch.
Jesus destroys the idea that someone can genuinely love God while rejecting His Son.
These religious leaders claimed to be devoted to God.
This is a massive Christological statement. Jesus does not allow Himself to be treated as merely one religious teacher among many. Your response to Jesus reveals your response to the Father.
Let’s look at a few PRIME examples of what Jesus claims here.
that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
You cannot reject Christ and know or love the Father. They are one in the same. They cannot be separated theologically. Scripture is clear on that.
Next verse here…John 15: 24
If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
So Jesus doubles down here. He spoke about if they had not heard His words…now He says that if they had not witnessed His works.
So we have Words + Works.
What He said….and what He did.
His miracles validated His identity. The blind saw. The lame walked. The dead were raised. Demons were cast out. Yet the response was not universal repentance—it was often increasing hostility.
As the gospels progress it gets more and more intense.
This shows us something EXTREMELY important. Evidence does not regenerate a rebellious heart. Only the Holy Spirit can do that, through Christ for the glory of God.
But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
Look how Jesus points to scripture. He’s probably pointing to Psalm 35 19
Let not those rejoice over me
who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye
who hate me without cause.
That says…
Let not those rejoice over me
who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye
who hate me without cause.
and Psalm 69: 4
More in number than the hairs of my head
are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
must I now restore?
This is Scripture they KNOW. These religious leaders are literally seeing scripture unfold, the God of all creation standing right in front of them, and they can’t even see Him. Matter of fact, what does the text say? They even HATED Him. And without cause!!!
But what does this show us? Jesus was not caught off guard. This was known before time.
And what about this….without a cause?
What did Jesus do?
He healed their sick and crippled.
He fed the hungry.
He preached truth.
He exposed hypocrisy.
He called sinners to repentance.
He perfectly obeyed the Father.
He raised the dead.
So why did they hate Him?
He wasn’t the Christ they made up in their own minds. They really believed they knew better.
Such as so many religions today. They all believe they know the truth, right?
Most religious people are very sincere in their beliefs. But there is a truth. His name is Jesus. And not a Jesus you get to change according to your beliefs. The truth is the Jesus of the bible.
The Jesus that claims to be one with the Father. The one who claims to have all authority over all creation. The one who rose from the dead and lives today. The Eternal Jesus. All others are counterfeit.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Switching gears a little bit right. The tone here changes. We go from this hostile warning and move to Jesus explaining that the apostles won’t be alone here.
He is sending the Spirit from the Father.
Notice the trinitairan language here. I love this…
The Son sends
The Spirit comes from the Father
The Spirit testifies about the Son.
This beautiful harmony of God working in only a way God can.
So Jesus calls it the Spirit of Truth. And what does that Spirit of Truth do? Does it come to bear witness about the Spirit?
Nope. The ministry of the Spirit is profoundly Christ centered.
The Spirit comes to bare witness about Jesus.
Now 27 has this apostolic feel. He says that they will bear witness about Him since they have been with Him from the beginning.
They have seen the miracles, they have heard the teachings. They are witnesses to the life, coming death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is their whole purpose in this story.
But we see how evangelism works here.
We have a witness that reveals Christ to us. The Spirit, the beautiful Holy Spirit of God. He reveals Christ to us internally.
Then we take that and share it externally with others.
Exactly how God intended it.
Which is great news by the way. We don’t have to worry about saving people. That’s not our job. Our job is to faithfully point people to the One that does save.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
Jesus wasn’t trying to frighten them, He was preparing them.
Jesus knows what’s coming.
Arrests.
Hatred.
Expulsion.
Violence.
Martyrdom.
If the disciples expected following Jesus to make life easy, persecution could destroy their faith.
This is what we call repercussions from the prosperity gospel. Follow Jesus and you’ll be blessed with earthly wealth and health.
That’s not the gospel. Jesus makes it very clear throughout the gospels that following Him has a cost. We’ll see more of that here.
Jesus is telling them here, that if something bad happens, don’t think something has gone wrong.
In 16: 2 we see more of this…check this out.
They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
Let’s break this down real quick. First, gonna be cast out. The synagogues were not just a church back then. The synagogues were deeply connected to
community,
identity,
relationships,
religious life,
social standing.
Following Jesus could cost them their entire social world.
Now the next part is pretty deep.
Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
The first person that came to my mind when I read this was Paul. Or Saul of Tarsus at the time.
Before he became the writer (not author) of the majority of the new testament Paul had followers of Christ thrown into prison, he approved Stephen's stoning. He persecuted them believing that he was zealously defending God’s honor.
This is heavy.
Then Christ confronted him.
This shows us an incredible point. Something very important.
Religious passion is not the same thing as knowing God.
Someone can be:
sincere,
passionate,
religious,
disciplined,
zealous—
and still be completely wrong about God.
There are millions out there.
And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
There we go again. Putting God the Father and Jesus in the same arena.
And Jesus here exposes the root of the problem.
They don’t know God.
They know scripture, study it
Attend synagogues
Pray publicly
Follow traditions
Observes the festivals
But Jesus says, they do not know the Father, nor Me.
This shows a strong distinction between religion and relationship.
Knowing about God does not necessarily mean knowing God.
There’s a difference.
But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
Jesus again emphasizes preparation.
When persecution arrives, they can look back and say….
Jesus told us this would happen.
Therefore, persecution is NOT evidence that Jesus has lost control by any means, but actually confirming His words and scripture itself.
Now imagine how significant this will all become for them. Let’s fast forward a little bit and see what these men will face….
We’re told these men are arrested, stoned, crucified upside down, executed by sword, lashings, exile to patmos, I mean these guys went through it….
So what do we take from all of this?
Jesus never hid the cost of following Him.
He told His disciples that the world would reject them. He told them they would be hated. He told them they would be put out, persecuted, imprisoned, and even killed.
And He told them these things beforehand so that when the suffering came, they would not think God had abandoned them.
Jesus was saying, in effect, “When you get there, remember—I already told you about this.”
And that matters for us.
Because when hardship comes, when people turn against us, when obedience costs us something, when life hurts, we can begin to wonder, “Where is God in this?”
But the Gospel reminds us that Jesus is not standing at a distance from suffering.
He has already been there.
Before Peter ever faced a cross, Jesus carried one.
Before the apostles were beaten, Jesus was scourged.
Before they were mocked, He was mocked.
Before they were rejected, He was rejected.
Before they faced death, Jesus entered the grave Himself.
And He did not stay there.
Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, went willingly to the cross and bore the judgment our sins deserved. He died in the place of sinners, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead.
So our hope is not that following Jesus means we will never suffer.
Our hope is that suffering does not get the final word.
Death does not get the final word.
The world does not get the final word.
Jesus does.
And the same Savior who went before His disciples has gone before us.
Whatever road obedience takes us down, Jesus has already proven that there is no darkness He cannot enter, no suffering He cannot redeem, and no grave He cannot overcome.
That is why we keep bearing witness.
Not because the world will always applaud us.
Not because following Christ will always be easy.
BUT….because Jesus is alive, the Gospel is true, the Spirit is with us, and the One who called us has already gone ahead of us.
So when the pressure comes, remember His words.
When rejection comes, remember His words.
When suffering comes, remember His words.
And above all, remember the cross and the empty tomb.
Jesus was already there.
And He is still with His people now.
