Jesus Prepared For His Own Death

Jesus Prepared for His Death

Book of John 13:31-14:6

Maybe the most important theme of this lesson is that the Lord Jesus Christ will show us His relationship to God the Father.

We will see that after Judas had left to betray the Lord Jesus and He then gets deeper in His message with those 11 who remained, who still had not realized that Judas would betray the Lord Jesus.

We see the Lord as He begins to enter into His "passion" which means the sufferings of the Lord as He begins His last few days on this earth before His resurrection and next His return.

In reality as the Son of Man, Jesus is preparing Himself to be the only sacrifice that can save all humanity!

It is through His death that He is glorified, and God the Father is glorified in Him!

By His own death the Lord has replaced our own death with His life.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

*****Joh 13:31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

Joh 13:32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

The other disciples may not have known who the Lord had been talking about, but Judas knew, and He left but we must understand that the Lord had sent Judas away, all he needed was to repent and these sitting with Jesus would have been the 12 Apostles and we would have never met the Apostle Paul.

As Judas set in motion the things he did, Christ set in motion His Passion, the sufferings and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This day would be Thursday late in the evening.

Doctor Luke wrote of this: Luk 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Again we will see that there is a true unity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

Jesus would now begin His final steps as the Son of Man!

Even in His dying, Jesus was perfect in His obedience to His Father.

In His death Jesus would transfer His own righteousness to every believer because we had no righteousness at all to use to gain peace with God the Father.

Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

With the righteousness of the Lord we are at peace with God:

Rom_5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Some would say that Jesus was having second thoughts, but He would not be God if He was happy to see the death of anyone.

The thing that was most important was that by His death, He would triumph over Satan and break Satan's power over death he held over the souls of mankind!

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

This is why the Lord had come down from Heaven and had to die on the cross!

*****Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

After this meal with His disciples and Judas already gone to do His evil deed, Jesus said He only had a short time to finish the work God had given Him to do.

It would require His death. At this time these men could not grasp the resurrection of the Lord after His death.

They would not understand these things until they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost which now was only about 53 days away.

The thing that they had to understand was that Jesus demanded a new commandment and that was for them to love one another but not as they had been doing but they were to show the love Jesus had for them to each other.

All of us can say we love one another but do we have that unconditional love that our Savior had.

These disciples had just been arguing over who should receive the highest positions of authority when Jesus returned to set up His Kingdom.

To love like Jesus, is to not to be a judge but to be a witness of the love of Jesus.

Once we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit moves in to live within us but as human beings we also need each other which is the purpose of the Church for like-minded humans to gather together in the name of Christ and comfort and edify each other.

Mat_18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

These two or three would be the beginnings of a church!

Jesus had already given us one new commandment that extended from the Old Testament.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The new commandment that Jesus was talking about this day extends these two commandments.

We are not only to love one another, we are to love like Jesus loved and like God loves.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

If we cannot do this one thing, then we are not disciples of God.

This means we have stopped the learning process if we cannot love as Jesus loved and still loves each of us today.

A true disciple follows his Master!

We do not just go where He goes, we do as He does! "God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knows God".

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Simon Peter always ask the questions the others were afraid to ask and most every time he would stick his foot in his own mouth.

*****Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

Joh 13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

Joh 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

We all want to be where Jesus is, but not many want to carry their own cross!

The Cross is a sign of death!

It is sure that Simon Peter was not ready for Jesus to leave them, because he had not yet accepted everything that Jesus had said.

This is where we all get in trouble. We all get over confident in our Christian strength.

It would have been great for the disciples if they went with Jesus back to Heaven just as it would be for us if Jesus took us back to Heaven when He first saves us.

If this had happened, then there would be no church today.

The Lord assures us we are going to Heaven and that we are a Temple of God, but we have work to do after we are saved.

Note after we are saved and not before we are saved!

The Lord Jesus would cause Peter to humble himself before he was ready for Pentecost!

Peter had not yet taken a good look at himself in the mirror of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is to be our mirror to see if we are getting more like Him!

Peter would not show the proper strength of a Christian, until that cock crew and he realized he was denying the Lord whom He dearly loved!

The one sin that we as believers must not commit is to deny Jesus Christ!

Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

We should know that there are some questions we might have, we have no business asking.

For instance are there just a few who will be saved? This question does not help our ability to share the Gospel with those in need of knowing the Lord as their Savior.

Go back and check the covenants to Abraham and King David.

Jesus would pray that all who loved Him would one day be with Him in Heaven and God the Father always answers the prayers of His Son.

This would be a much better thought when we share the Gospel with anyone.

Then the Lord tells His disciples, all of us what we love to hear.

*****Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

This is one of the most overlooked Scriptures in the Gospel.

Jesus says why do we worry over such trivial matters!

Even when we are in the midst of a very bad day, Jesus says don't let it worry you.

Even when we are traveling in the valley of death, don't worry about trivial things.

Even when politicians have gone slap crazy, don't worry about trivial things.

Even when the world is falling apart, don't worry about trivial things.

Why? This place we call the planet earth is not our home!

One day soon we are going to God's House!

*****Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

The Lord Jesus Christ had to die upon this earth and then resurrect from that grave before He went back home, and He would do all these things by Himself so all we would have to do is believe on these things and our Carpenter would go back to Heaven and start building mansions in His Father's House for us to live in!

In reality this body that we call flesh, will also die and be resurrected to fulfill God's plans for us!

There is nothing on this earth that can stop these things from taking place!

Now to those who say God does not exist, I say, I will pray for you that maybe you will change your mind and accept the truth, before it is too late.

The Lord said, if these things were not true, He would tell us because it is impossible for the Lord to Lie!

You see Jesus is never far from us because when God leaves Heaven, God is still in Heaven and Jesus is God!

No matter how many are saved before the Lord returns, there will be enough mansions that we all can have one for ourselves.

That word "many" is a very large quantity!

**The Lord's first step was to be lifted up upon the cross and it is all downhill from that point.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

**The Lords next step was to arise from the death of the cross. This showed the world that He had the power of God.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

**The Lords next step was to ascend into Heaven and be exalted by His Father.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

"Jesus said if you believe in God then believe in Me"

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Jesus had to return to Heaven to put these things in place and now He is waiting until that last soul is saved and he will return to take us home.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

In other words Jesus will return when His patience runs out and this could be any day now!

The one most important thing that the Lord did before He left, He told us how to make it to Heaven.

At the end when the Lord has brought all His children home there will not be a single empty mansion. The Lord knows exactly how many mansions to prepare.

What did the Lord tell these disciples?

1) You know where I am going.

2) You know how to get there.

These are the same things we all should know!

The Lord Jesus Christ went back to where His Father resides.

Joh 16:5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

The way to get to Heaven is well known there are just many who reject what the Lord has said.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Now we can believe all these things said by the Lord and get to Heaven or we can reject these things and go to Hell.

For those who choose this when they get to Hell, they will find that everyone in Hell are now believers, but it was too late for them to decide.

Another thing we should never do is call the Lord a liar!

*****Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

All these disciples had been thinking that Jesus was about to lead them to the Kingdom of God on this earth.

They had been discussing who would have the greatest honor in that place.

It was now sinking in that Jesus was talking about His death.

Jesus was also talking about His resurrection but neither of these things were understood.

Jesus was also talking about going some-place that they could not go.

These things were hard for them to grasp at this time.

It is hard to forget physical things and react to Spiritual things until "faith" and the Holy Spirit can do their work.

And the Holy Spirit could not do His work until Jesus went back to Heaven.

Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Those who think in worldly terms and live for the things of this earth will never understand where Jesus Christ has gone, and they will never be interested in the fact that He will return.

The world of religion refuses to accept that the only way to Heaven is by Jesus Christ but that does not make them right.

I would always want to believe the truth and my "faith" lies in the truth of God!

**The Lord Jesus Christ not only points out how to walk in this life and how to reach our Heavenly Father, but He will take us by the hand and lead us there.

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;

**Our Heavenly Father has shown us what He is like in the "Person" of Jesus Christ

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

**Jesus Christ reveals the truth of our beginning. Jesus Christ also reveals the truth of our ending and because He loves us, He gives us the choice to choose the truth or to choose a lie.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

**True freedom comes only by Jesus Christ.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of life:

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

The only way to this life is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus did not only go to His Father's house, He went to the Father again giving us an example of what we are to do.

Yes, we have a mansion in Heaven but the greatest thing in Heaven is our Heavenly Father who we will finally see face to face!

Then our love ones who are already there.

And then last of all, our Mansion which will not seem more important than the family of God!

Amen

Let's Pray!