Unlimited Grace

Bryan Chapell: It had been his nature. For do you remember when he recognized that his hour had come, he set his face like a flint toward Jerusalem, saying he would endure what had to be endured. It was his reason he would fulfill the determined purpose of God, that purpose that had begun all ages ago and now would be fulfilled in this moment, and he did not dodge it at all.

Guest (Male): So glad you joined us for today's Unlimited Grace, the audio broadcast ministry of pastor and author Brian Chapel. In today's episode, pastor Brian shares a lesson from John 18. As Dr. Chapel leads us in a study of the final hours of Jesus' life, we see a clearer picture of Christ's remarkable and unfailing love for his people. You can find this lesson and many others when you visit unlimitedgrace.com. And while you're there, look for pastor Brian's book, The Multi-generational Church Crisis. This compelling book asks the question of the church, what could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other?

Let's hear now from Dr. Brian Chapel as he shares the lesson, I am he.

Bryan Chapell: I am ridiculous. I am ridiculous. The one who says those words is named Malchus, the same Malchus in our scripture today in the play written by Thorton Wilder depicting this event. The time that Thorton Wilder describes is much later. Malchus is in heaven. And Malchus is pounding on the door room of the king of heaven. He is making a pest of himself because he has a request to make of the king. Finally, after all the pestering and the cajoling, he gets into the king's throne room and he speaks to the king and he says, will you please take my name out of the Bible because the only thing people know me for is getting my ear cut off.

And everybody thinks I'm ridiculous. Lord, will you please just take my name out of the Bible? Well, the Lord Jesus agrees to do so, but pauses before doing so with a question for Malchus. He says, Malchus, don't you know that in the Bible I'm ridiculous too? Won't you stay there and be ridiculous with me? I know it doesn't sound all that holy to be talking about the king of heaven identifying himself as ridiculous. But maybe there is a reason to think of what the Lord has done in our behalf as being ridiculous because we recognize our calling in this life is sometimes to be ridiculous, at least in the eyes of the world.

We recognize that in order to stand for the Lord, there are times when other people think of us as simply being ridiculous. Some of you, I recognize that among your peers, as you would stand for truth in the classroom, as you would not engage in perhaps what friends are encouraging to participate in, they think of you as goody two shoes and simply ridiculous. Or perhaps there are those of you who at work who are not getting the positions or the promotions or even the money that you could if you were to compromise just a bit.

And and co-workers, maybe even bosses, just think of you as ridiculous. Some of you have been faithful in troubled marriages for years. And friends and family are encouraging you, just forget it, just get out of there. But for the sake of a soul and eternity's witness, you have stayed there and people think of you as ridiculous. And some of you have maintained loneliness in singleness in order to be obedient to the Lord, to not compromise your spirituality. You've endured with patience the path the Lord has put before you, and even at times maybe you think you're ridiculous.

And maybe that's why it's important to identify in the Lord's word how he is willing to be ridiculous for us so that we not only might identify with him, but perhaps may have a deeper understanding of how great is his love for us. After all, how does the Lord represent himself as being ridiculous in this passage? You recognize, of course, he does not dodge the truck that he knows is going to hit him, and that's ridiculous. If you will look at verse four, you remember John has made this point before, but now he says it again.

Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, whom do you seek? Jesus knows what's going to happen. He's actually predicted it. The very words that he has said to these disciples before have been, the son of man will go to Jerusalem and he will be flogged and spat upon and crucified. Jesus knows what's coming. And what does he do when they say, we are looking for Jesus of Nazareth? He does not say he went that away. He does not run for the hills. He does not take a boat to China.

He says, whom do you seek? Knowing also that he will give the answer that he's the one they're seeking. I wonder if you recognize what it must have taken for Jesus knowing all that would happen to stand there and identify himself, to point the finger at himself as the ones who would come. The words go by quickly in a passage that we read not in the original language was written. Verse three tells us that Judas procured a band of soldiers who came with the lanterns and the weapons. The words go by quickly, but the the Greek language of that band is a spira, which is a detachment of a larger Roman brigade that would have been 600 men.

This no less than 200. They come at night. They come with torches and weapons and every Jew knew what that meant. Jesus is was not the first crucifixion. They knew the cruelty. They knew the torture that could await any who would be grabbed by these Roman soldiers. And Jesus knows it's not just the Romans who are after him. It is officials sent by the chief priest who are also part of the crowd. Jesus recognizes that he will be arrested by those who have no intention of giving him a fair trial, no intention of giving him a a second chance.

This has been plotted for weeks and months and he knows it and submits himself to whatever is coming. Why does he do that? We gain some insight just in verse eight. Jesus answering those who have asked for him said, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. He's willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others. When I when I see those words, my my tendency is to point to the heroes of the faith that we know who have done similar things. A pastor Paul Schneider, the the first Protestant pastor killed by the Nazis as he defended others.

If you were here on Wednesday night for the mission conference, you may remember there was a particular slide in which I was showing missionaries who are at a table that I was with. One of them is part of a mission organization that sent Tom Little to Afghanistan. That name may ring a bell for some of you, a medical missionary who three years ago was taken captive and killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan as he was taking the gospel for the sake of others. Or I could simply mention an Amish school girl in a one room schoolhouse who would give her body and her life for the sake of her classmates to a deranged man who had taken over the Amish school.

Amazing marks of heart and heroism. But the difference was they did not know what would happen. And Jesus knew what would happen. He had known a long long time. He says, I am he. And he came forward. Do you recognize what we recognize these words to mean? It was John, the same apostle who put in the mouth of John the Baptist those recorded words, behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry. But that declaration that Jesus would be the one who would take away the sin of the world did not just begin with his earthly ministry in public.

Do you remember? In Isaiah 53, Isaiah the prophet had told us it would be God's will to crush him because, according to this same John, he was the lamb slain before the foundations of the world were laid. He was the the lamb of prediction, of prophecy, of destiny. And when Jesus then recognized it was time now, his hour had arrived. He, knowing what would happen, put himself forward. It had been his nature. For do you remember when he recognized that his hour had come, he set his face like a flint toward Jerusalem, saying he would endure what had to be endured.

It was his reason he would fulfill the determined purpose of God, that purpose that had begun all ages ago and now would be fulfilled in this moment, and he did not dodge it at all. But what he knew, you and I deserve the wrath of God to be poured out upon him for sin, he would take my penalty and your penalty so that the prophecies and the purpose of God would be fulfilled. And yet he knew it. He knew it from the beginning and did nothing different. That is ridiculous. That's ridiculous.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Unlimited Grace, the audio broadcast ministry of pastor and author Brian Chapel. It may seem hard for younger Christians to believe, but people over 50 were raised during an era when 90% of Americans identified as Christian. These older believers were once part of a majority group that understood the mission of the church was to take control of our culture, to halt its evils. At the same time, Christians under 50 have lived their entire lives perceiving themselves as a minority that needs to make credible their faith to a secular pluralistic culture. These distinct experiences and perceptions have a profound impact on the priorities different generations have for church ministry.

It's no wonder that younger and older believers don't always see eye to eye. In his new book, The Multi-generational Church Crisis, Dr. Brian Chapel asks the question, what could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other? This practical and hopeful book is backed by thorough research revealing how to open the lines of communication, appreciate the experiences that shaped each generation in your church and unite in one mission to impact your community and the world. You can request your copy of the Multi-generational Church Crisis when you donate online at unlimitedgrace.com or by calling 844-41-GRACE.

That's 844-414-7223. And now more from Brian Chapel on today's Unlimited Grace.

Bryan Chapell: Do you recognize what John is telling us in verse five? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth is the one that we are seeking. And Jesus said to them, I am he. Now in in many of your Bibles, the translations will italicize the he. That is not for emphasis. That's to tell you that that is a word inserted for language flow. In Greek, the language is simply I am. Do you recognize what John has said? We're looking for Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus replies, I am. You've heard those words before, haven't you? Even here in John's Gospel in the eighth chapter after Jesus performed miracles, the Jewish leaders said to Jesus, you perform miracles by your father, the devil.

Our father is Abraham. And Jesus says, before Abraham was, what? I am. And those words themselves are echoing all the way back to Exodus chapter three. When God called the deliverer for the people of Israel out of slavery, they were in Egypt and Moses, now in the desert, sees the burning bush. God says, take off your sandals. You are on holy ground. And as God begins to speak to Moses out of the burning bush, he reveals the the mission of being the deliverer of God's people from slavery. Moses recognizing what will be required of him is scared of it and he says, well well how will people know that I'm to be the deliverer?

Whom shall I say has sent me? And what does God say? You tell them that I am has sent you. I am that I am, meaning I am the God without origin or in the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The God who is the eternal I am. And now Jesus just in answering the question, where is this Jesus of Nazareth? He simply says, I am he. I am. Do you remember what the soldiers do in response to that? It's actually rather remarkable. It's verse six. When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground.

Now why did they do that? I I mean, you must recognize we we can say with confidence that the name Jesus of Nazareth suddenly made them know that this was Jehovah God and they are falling down in honor and worship. After all, in just a few more moments, they are going to arrest him. Perhaps, and the commentators struggle to explain it, perhaps you have to take it from the the attitude of an age of suspicion and superstition when the Roman soldiers have come forward and they have been told that they are arresting a man who is a rabbi and a rebel and a magician performing miracles.

Now they come upon him, apparently not recognizing him. Apparently Judas has not given the kiss yet. And they say, we're looking for Jesus of Nazareth. And he says, I'm he. You know, he kind of you know, what are you going to do to us? For whatever reason, they back away. And and one of my favorite commentators said, for whatever reason they back away, what they do is more appropriate than they know. They fall down. Maybe they're just tripping over themselves. But for John's readers and for us, we recognize what's supposed to happen. When Moses heard that this was the great I am, he fell down.

When the people of Israel recognized the great I am was speaking to them out of thunder and fire and smoke on Sinai, they fell down. When Isaiah the prophet recognized the great I am in heaven above him, he fell down. And you may remember from last week in the book of Revelation when even the heavenly hosts stand before the throne and see the great I am, what do they do? They fall down. Whether the Roman soldiers know what they are doing or not, we know what they are doing is most appropriate. They are facing the great I am and they fall down.

But what is even more surprising is what Jesus does. He lets them arrest him. If he is the great I am, do you recognize what ought to be happening? There ought to be this charred pile of dust on the ground of those who are trying to arrest him. He he is the God of the sun and the moon and the stars and the supernova. And they come to him with lanterns and swords. I mean, you know, this is trying to haul in a shark with a thread. This is trying to stop a tank with a tissue.

He is the God of all creation and they are trying to arrest him. This is ridiculous. But maybe more ridiculous than that is the great battle that Jesus must have right now with his own will. He can reduce them to dust with the blink of an eye. But because he will fulfill his father's determined purpose, he does battle with his own will and says that he will drink the cup of suffering that his father has given him. That's the big battle. That there ought to be a some marker here, right? I mean, wherever there are great battles fought, there there obelisks raised or some arch to triumph or or or or some memorial field of some sort.

It it shouldn't there be, you know, a a Lincoln memorial or something there? But all we have to mark this this great victory of Jesus for God's sake against his own will that must fight against the notion that that that I could resist at all. The the great memorial to his victory is a severed ear on the ground. That is ridiculous. That is absolutely ridiculous. But the mark of how wondrous is his love for us that he would let it happen and let himself be arrested and go to the cross for the likes of the people in this passage because they are ridiculous too.

The last most ridiculous thing is that he is willing to love the people that he ought to loathe. Who are those people? Well, there are the impossible friends who are gathering around him. Do you remember in verse eight we are told, Jesus said to these soldiers, if you seek me, let these men go. Now he's fulfilling his own prophecy that he would not lose one of those whom the father had given him. He's providing a way of their escape, not his. At the same time, he is fulfilling the marks of the good shepherd. Do you remember who will lay down his life for the sheep?

Jesus is willing to lay down his life for these sheep. But what do you know about them? Yeah, he finds a way of escape for them. And let me tell you, they sure do run. And he has said that they would. In that same meal before, he's already told them that they are going to abandon him to remind us that though we are faithless, he abides faithful. His friends run away. His friends hide. Why die for them? The frustration that he ought to have with them is evident. Verse 10. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest servant and cut off his right ear.

The servant's name was Malchus. Now one little ridiculous note. Do you know what Malchus means? King. He's fallen to the ground and he loses his ear. This king of the earth by this kind of misspent action of one of the true king's disciples. Now when I say misspent action, I want you to recognize how strange this is. Now there's 200 soldiers. But as far as we know from the track of the account, they're on the ground. They've fallen down. And now Peter, seemingly always willing to take the doing of the Lord's work into his own hands, goes up to someone who's on the ground and said, Jesus, I'll help you.

I'll help you. He's already on the ground. And while he's down, cuts his ear off. The the French artist Jacques Tissot depicts a couple of scenes of this particular account in the late 19th century. In the first scene, as he paints it, it's dominated by Simon Peter who is bent over Malchus, muscles bulging, his great strength. This Simon Peter, he's going to accomplish the will of God. And though the picture is totally dominated by Peter, you recognize the inappropriateness of it because you can barely see Jesus behind. And his features are all distorted as though Peter sang, I will take the responsibility upon myself to do God's will.

Rather than Christ has already told him repeatedly, he must go to Jerusalem and suffer and die for his sheep. That that's what Jesus but but Peter's going to do the work of God himself. He knows better than Jesus. He knows better than God. And in doing so, obscures Jesus. And Jesus' features become distorted by the whole. We serve the savior who would not break a bruised reed. He was willing for the holy spirit to change people's hearts, willing to do what was right and let God take care of the rest, to be dependent more on God's working than his own working.

Guest (Male): That's pastor Brian Chapel and you've been listening to Unlimited Grace. If this message has been an encouragement to you, you can find a collection of more valuable resources at unlimitedgrace.com. Please be sure to join us next time as once again we endeavor to put Christ at the center of our efforts so that lives might be transformed by his Unlimited Grace. This ministry is brought to you by Unlimited Grace Media and continues to be made possible with your generous financial support.