The Heart of the Savior

Intro

- Just finished the book of Galatians

o Looking forward to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus in just a couple weeks

o So as we lead up to that celebration, I want us to take an look at the life of Christ in the final days leading up to the resurrection

o Today we will be focusing on his time with the disciples in the upper room where they celebrated Passover

o Next Sunday we will focus on Jesus’s time in the garden along with his arrest and trial

o Then on Good Friday, I hope you can join us as we solemnly look as his death on the cross and why we can call such a terrible day “good”

o And finally ending with the celebration of his resurrection on Sunday!

- What an incredible story that has drastic implications for our lives

o Illustration- getting the details of a story from your kids- going to a fun event- Eliana about who she met and what they talked about- Landon just remembers what games he played and what he ate

o Most of the details we know about the life of Christ come from the gospels, Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John

§ Much like piecing together a full story from the parts of it my kids tell me, we can get an incredible and multifaceted account of Jesus’s life through a study of these 4 books

§ Each write from a different perspective and a unique focus

o When it comes to the story of the night Jesus was betrayed…

o 25% of John was focused on 5 hours

- The 3 other gospels give us an accurate picture of this time in the upper room, but it's almost as if they tell it from the outside looking in at Jesus. through John's account we get to see Jesus's heart.

- Hour of crisis for Jesus and his disciples

- One thing I’m struck by as in this story is the difficulty that Jesus had gone through to get to this point and the suffering he knew he was about to face betrayal, abandonment, torture, and ultimately death

- Crisis, difficulty, suffering, it all seems par for the course in our lives, but as we look to the celebration of the resurrection and our theme, Hope in the Darkness, we see that there can be peace and joy and hope even when the trials come. As we look at the life of Jesus, especially at this point in his life, we see a perfect example hope in the midst of darkness

Suffering Will Come- we live in a sinful and broken world

A. Suffering because of our relationship with Christ

1. We are not of this world

a. 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

2. This is a way that we share in the sufferings of Christ

a. 15:21But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

B. Suffering because of own choices

1. Not only do we live in a sinful and broken world, but we are sinful and broken people

C. Suffering because of the choices of others

1. Betrayal

a. Judas

2. Denial

a. Peter

3. Abandonment

a. All the disciples

Be Courageous in the Midst of Suffering

- Illustration- courage is hard to come by sometimes- jumping off the train bridge

o But for serious things in life, “just going for it” isn’t a wise option. In order to have courage that will last, it needs to be well founded and acted upon

o So how in the world can we have courage and peace when it seems like things are falling apart around us?

A. Love and serve others

1. Jesus’s example in serving others

a. Washing the disciple’s feet

(1) 13:3-5 Jesus… rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

b. If Jesus, who is God in the flesh, serves others in this way, we must follow his example

(1) 13:14-17 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

2. Jesus gives a new commandment

a. 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

b. This was our focus in Galatians- this is what we are called to

c. This is how people recognize us as followers of God- fruit of the Spirit- evidence

B. Know God and how he has called us to live

1. One of the greatest ways we can know God is by knowing the person of Jesus Christ

a. In fact, Jesus told his disciples that it is impossible to truly know the Father apart from him

b. 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

c. But its not just knowing the facts about Jesus and God…

2. Abide in Him

a. Our efforts apart from him are fruitless

(1) 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

b. Abiding in him means keeping his commandments

(1) By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

C. Trust the Holy Spirit

1. Our Helper

a. 14:15-17 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

2. Our Teacher

a. 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

3. Our Guide

a. 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

b. Shows us the way- gives us wisdom and understanding in difficult circumstances

Jesus Offers Restoration

A. Despite our weaknesses and failures, Jesus has restoration in view

1. Illustration- an old house

a. So many times we think God is looking at us with all of our imperfections, our disrepair, but we must understand that he is looking past those things to our potential if we surrender to him. Through his power he conforms us into the image of Christ and restores us

2. He knew the disciples would fail him

B. He is faithful

1. Joshua 1:9- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

2. Heb. 13:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

a. Two promises from the Old Testament one from Det. 31:6 in Moses’s encouragement to Joshua before he took his place as the leader of the Israelites, the other from Psalm 118:6-7

b. The same God, the same promise- to Joshua and the Israelites, to king David, to the Hebrew church, and to us today

C. He is not done with you

1. Where does our courage come from? Not ourselves. Look who God used, who the church was built on. It wasn't their accomplishments, their virtue, their courage, or even their faith that resulted in people coming to Christ, it was how God chose to use them

Conclusion

- The heart of our Savior was a heart resolved in the midst of persecution and abandonment. It was a heart of humility and service. Jesus willing suffered these things so that we might have hope, peace, and courage. These things are only possible because he has cleansed us and given us the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us. So we end up where we began in John account of Jesus’s time with his disciples in the upper room, with him washing their feet. You see, having courage when things get difficult, when we face persecution, when we fail is only possible because of what Jesus has done for us.

- He didn’t wash the disciples just to demonstrate a servant’s heart, he did it to demonstrate the cleansing power of his coming sacrifice- the disciples did not fully understand this, but we have a complete picture. Through Jesus’s death on the cross, he conquered the powers of sin and death and hell to free us and offered ultimate cleansing to all those who trust in him.

So What?

- When you face suffering in this life, where do you turn? Do you run like the disciples, or do turn to God for courage and peace?

- Where do you find your courage? Knowing God and His Word, trusting the Holy Spirit, and showing God’s love to others around you

- Remember this, when we fail, God is always looking ahead to our restoration. He does not cast you aside. He has a plan for your life if you are willing to be used by him.

- Be courageous! He has overcome the world!