This week, since we’re honoring Holy Week and remembering the greatest act of love in human history, Jesus’ death on the cross, we are reading God’s Word together. So, if you have a moment to open up your Bible, your physical copy of God’s love letter to you, I invite you to do that now and join me in John’s gospel chapter 17. We’re picking up in the middle of a beautiful prayer that Jesus prays before the worst night of his life, the worst night in history.
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Transcription:
There’s something about the rustling of real pages in the Bible. Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and there’s something about hearing the pages turn that just brings a little peace to a weary heart. And this week, since we’re honoring Holy Week and remembering the greatest act of love in human history, Jesus’ death on the cross, we are reading God’s Word together. We’re looking at the Word with our eyes and we’re listening with our ears, and our hearts are even more tuned in. So, if you have a moment to open up your real Bible, your physical copy of God’s love letter to you, I invite you to do that now. Join me in John’s gospel chapter 17. We’re picking up in the middle of a beautiful prayer that Jesus prays before the worst night of his life, the worst night in history. So, join me now in John 17 beginning in verse 20. This is Jesus praying.
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
Let’s just take a moment and reflect on how loved we are, how Jesus prayed for you and for me that night. Okay, John’s gospel, chapter 18 now, verse one.
After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. 2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. 4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. 5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.“ I am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 “I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”
I want to reflect here with you for a moment on the fact that Jesus realized all that was going to happen to him and he still went to the cross for you, for me. And I also want you to reflect here for a moment on how when he spoke, the people arresting him fell to the ground. His words are powerful. The words we are reading together are powerful because they come from him. Verse 12 now.
So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”
We’re going to skip down now to verse 28.
Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor.[a] His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” 30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. 31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.“ Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.) 33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him. 34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” 35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” 37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” 38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. 39 But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?” 40 But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)
Oh Lord, we take a moment as we read this story and remember that this happened to you for me, and for my friend who’s listening. You went through so much to pay our debt, a debt you didn’t owe, a debt we could never pay. And we take a moment today to say how much we love you and to thank you in Jesus’ name, amen.
Until next time, you are so loved.
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