I did choose thee Lord, O Lord
thy God. Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I'm preaching from John chapter
13 this morning and before I read our text, This is the first words
of the last message the Lord brought his disciples. This took
place during what is known as the Last Supper. And this is
when he washed his disciples' feet. And he gives his last message
to them. And directly after this, he would
be betrayed. He would be arrested. He would
be crucified. And he knew all of that. And
he is speaking to his disciples. Now this is not recorded in Matthew,
Mark, or Luke, this last message to his disciples. But here we
have this very special message. Now in the Old Testament tabernacle,
there was a holy place and there was the holy of holies. And I
believe if we could say something about the Word of God, all the
Word of God is holy. But this is the holy of holies. This is where the Lord lets us
hear his prayer to his Father, in John chapter 17, right before
he dies. Now, with that in mind, let me
read this introductory verse to this special, special time,
and I've entitled this message, Having Loved His Own. John chapter 13, verse one. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should
depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his
own. which were in the world, he loved
them unto the end. Now John provides the setting
for us. This is inspired by the Holy
Spirit, now before the feast of the Passover. I think it's
interesting that John previously, referring to the Passovers that
our Lord experienced during his lifetime called it a feast of
the Jews or the Passover of the Jews, not God's Passover. You
see, the Jews had prostituted it and they had manipulated it
to do what they wanted it to do and mean what they wanted
it to mean. But now John uses the word the Passover. Now, the
true Passover is getting ready to take place. You see, the Lord
Jesus Christ is the Passover. When Christ, our Passover, was
sacrificed for us, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5, verse 7,
John doesn't talk about the Passover with the Jews now. This is the
true Passover. And before this, the Lord said
to his disciples, you can read this in Luke 22, verse 15, with
desire. Have I desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer? Now, the Passover, what was it? 1,500 years before this, it was
instituted when Egypt The children of Israel were trapped in Egypt
as Egyptian slaves, and the Lord brought them out into the promised
land. Before they left, or right after
they left, they were to have the Passover meal. Now, God had promised all the
firstborn in Egypt will die. The important people, the slaves,
the animals, Whoever it might be, this is the last plague.
All the firstborn shall die. Now he said to the children of
Israel, you take a lamb. without blemish and without spot. That represents the sinlessness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the lamb was to be observed
for 14 days, two sevens, the number of perfection that speaks
of the perfection of deity that's in the Lord Jesus Christ, fully
God, just as if he were not man. and the perfection of humanity,
fully man, as if he were not God, the God-man, the paschal
lamb. He said, you're to take that
lamb and you're to slit its throat, this spotless lamb, this lamb
without blemish, and let the blood pour into a basin. And you're to eat that lamb. You're to eat all of it. Nothing's
to be left out. Every doctrine of the Gospel
is to be believed, because it's only one. If you leave out any,
you haven't really eaten any. You're to eat all of it, the
whole Gospel. And God said, you take a hyssop
branch, and put it over the door of the house that you're in,
and take that hyssop branch, dip it in the blood, put it on
the doorpost and the lintel above the doorway. Now, before I go
on speaking about this, Paul said in I Corinthians 15, 3 that
the gospel was how that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures. And he's talking about the Old
Testament scriptures. And if you want to understand
something about the death of Christ, you're going to understand
it. It's how that he died for our sins, according to the scriptures. Now, here's how he died for our
sins, according to the scriptures. God said, you take that blood
and put it over the doorposts and lintel of the home. And God
said, I'm going to pass through the land. And he makes this promise. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. What was God looking for? He
didn't say, when I see your faith. He didn't say, when I see your
sincerity. He didn't say, when I see your
victory over sin and your success and your battle against sin.
He said, when I see the blood. That's the one thing God was
looking for. Not your works. When I see the blood. Who had to see the blood? He
didn't say, when you see the blood. He said, when I see the
blood. And here's the promise he makes.
Now this is how the Christ died for our sins according to the
scripture. If you would understand the death of Christ, you'll understand
this. He died for our sins according
to the scripture. Here it is. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. Now, let me make a hypothetical
situation. Let's say some five minutes before
an Israelite got in the house, what if he committed a scandalous
sin? I'm not going to try to make
any conjecture as to what that sin might have been, but let's
say one of the children of Israel committed a scandalous sin. And all sins are scandalous,
I realize that, but something that would just scare you. And
he went in to the house with the blood over the door. Would
God still pass over him in mercy if he was in the house? The answer
is absolutely yes. God said, when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. Now, this is what our Lord was
commemorating. the Passover. He didn't say when
I see your faith. He didn't say when I see the
confidence you have. There might have been people
in the house that had committed scandalous sin. There might have
been people in the house who were fearful, trembling. What if he doesn't pass me by?
It didn't matter. If you were in the house, you
were secure. I don't care what your condition might have been.
If you were in the house, you were secure. This is God's promise. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. Now the Lord's next statement
adds to this. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come. There's something so solemn about
that statement. When Jesus knew that his hour
was come. Do you know previously, three
times in the book of John, it says his hour was not yet come.
There were attempts to murder him, but they failed because
his hour was not yet come. In John chapter 17, verse one,
when he begins that great high priestly prayer for his people,
he begins with this statement, John chapter 17, verse one, these
words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
father, the hour is come. glorify thy son, that thy son
also might glorify thee." He had said previously, when he
was thinking about this hour, shortly before this took place,
now is my soul troubled, John 12, 27, and what shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I into
this hour." And he is referring to the hour of his death. He was referring to when he would
be nailed to a cross and forsaken by God. Oh, how his soul was troubled
with regard to that hour. He said in Gethsemane's garden,
Father, if it be possible, let this hour pass from me. Let this cup pass from me. If it be possible, you see the
Lord Jesus Christ knew what was involved in this hour. You and
I can't possibly enter into this. But the universe was created
for this hour. He's called the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. And this hour, he came to make
the way for God to be just and justify the ungodly. He came
to glorify all of God's attributes. He came to save his people. And
this is what was accomplished in this hour when he was made
sin. This is why he sweat great drops
of blood at the thought of this hour. This is why he said, if
it be possible, let this cup pass for me. He was going to
drink the contents of that cup, which is the sins of his people. And he who knew no sin was made
sin, forsaken by his father. He knew his hour had come. Now, before the Feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come, but listen
to this, that He should depart out of this world unto the Father. Now, he had a consciousness of
what he was getting ready to experience. The wrath of God,
he was going to experience the full equivalent of eternal hell. And he was going to satisfy God's
justice against sin. He knew not only the wrath that
he was going to endure, he knew what he was going to accomplish
by that wrath. that he endured, the complete
salvation of his people, the full glorification of his father,
the glorification of every one of his attributes. And he knew
he was going to return to the father. He left heaven's glory. He'd been gone for 33 years.
And now he is returning. Now, let's read the verse again.
Now, before the feast of the Passover, he knew he was the
Passover. when Jesus knew that His hour
was come, the hour of His suffering, the hour of Him being made sin
as the sinner's substitute. This is the hour that the creation
of the universe was made for, this hour when the Son of God
would die, that He should depart out of
this world unto the Father. You know, the death of a believer
is a departure to the Father. And the Lord knew exactly what
was taking place. It then says, having loved his
own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end. Question. Who are these people
that are designated as his own? Now he has ownership of everybody. Everybody belongs to him. He said in that great high priestly
prayer in John chapter 17, thou has given him power over all
flesh. You're in his hands, I'm in his
hands. He owns the goats as well as
the sheep. Everybody belongs to him. He has ownership overall, but
not everybody is designated by having loved his own. He loved them to the end. Now, most people would preach
that Jesus Christ loves all men the same. That's what I hear
from most pulpits. Jesus Christ loves all men the
same. He loves those who go to hell
and reject him equally with those who are saved. Now, if that's
the case, his love didn't do anybody any good who went to
hell. He loved them, but what did it do for them? They're still
in hell. Now, the Bible does not teach that Jesus Christ loves
all men the same. As a matter of fact, the scripture
says, thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated. His own are those who are his
own people. His own sheep, his bride, his
own refers to the elect. The elect. Now, the Bible teaches that God
elected a people before time began. If somebody says, I don't
believe that, well, the Bible teaches anyway whether you believe
it or not. This is the teaching of scripture. God chose who would
be saved before time began. And these are the people that
he's referring to when he says, having loved his own, which were
in the world, he loved them to the end. Now, these people are
those the Father gave Him. In John chapter 17, seven times,
he refers to those the Father gave him. He actually said in
verse nine of John chapter 17, I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me. They're his own because the Father
gave them to him. They're his own by his own choice.
He said, you have not chosen me, but I've chosen you. They're
his own by purchase. You're not your own. You're bought
with a price. His own refers to his elect. Now, in Ephesians 1, verse 4,
if you do not understand what the Bible teaches with regard
to election. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse
4 we read, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us accepted in the Beloved." Who chose who? Well, Paul tells us he chose
us. I've heard people say, well,
if you choose him, he chose you. Well, the Lord said, you didn't
choose me. I chose you. Election says God chose his people. That's who the Lord is praying
for. Now, when was this choice made?
Well, Paul says this choice was made before the foundation of
the world, before there was any creation. He chose us. Well, how did He do this? Did
He just say, well, I'm going to choose this one and reject
it? No. According as He hath chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world. You see, I'm in
Christ. That's why God chose me. He didn't
choose me because He saw something in me that He could use. He chose
me in His Son, accepted in the Beloved. Why did he do this?
To the praise of the glory of his grace. Having loved his own,
which were in the world. Now this says he always loved
them. Behold, I've loved you with an
everlasting love. A love that never had a beginning.
A love that will never have an end. Before I formed thee in
the belly, I knew thee. You know, there was a group that
the Lord will say to depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I
never knew you. Now, he knew their names, he
knew everything they'd done, but he didn't know them in the
sense that whom he did foreknow, forelove, then he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his son. Now, this is the
love spoken of in Ephesians 2, verses 4 and 5. But God, who
is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. For God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now this is the love he's speaking
of. Having loved his own which were
in the world, having always loved them, he continues to love them
all the way to the end. Now let me say something about
this love. You will hear people talk about
God's unconditional love. There's no such thing. Now, let that sink in. There's
no such thing. There's no such thing as unconditional
love. It's a non-existent entity. Somebody
says, well, I love my children unconditionally. You love them
because they're your children. You don't love them unconditionally.
You love them because they belong to you. They're your children.
Now, this thing of unconditional love, if God can love me unconditionally,
he can stop loving me unconditionally. Now, let me say, God doesn't
love me because of some condition I've met. I don't mean that at
all. I'm not saying God loves me because
of some kind of work I've done that makes him love me. No. Here's
the fact of God's love. God's love is utterly conditional. If I'm in Christ, he loves me
as he loves his son. Now that is God's conditional
love. I am in Christ. And in Christ,
I'm beautiful. In Christ, I'm holy. In Christ,
I'm without spot or blemish or any such thing. In Christ, I
am lovely. That's true of every believer. God does not love you unconditionally. He loves you as you are in Christ,
and that is what makes you beautiful. We read in the Song of Solomon
where Christ says to His church, Thou art all fair, my love, there's
no spot in Thee. When He saved His people, He
made them holy. and unblameable, and unreprovable. This is what justification is.
I stand before God as having never sinned, perfect through
His comeliness, holy, unblameable, beautiful to God. Now 1 John
4, 17 says, as He is, so are we in this world. And this is
talking about everybody who has been designated as His own. As
He is, so are we in this world. Well, how is He? He's perfectly
beautiful to His Father. He's altogether lovely to His
Father. He's perfectly righteous to His
Father. He's perfectly holy to His Father. Oh, how pleased the Father is
with Him. Now listen to this. How pleased
He is with Him. If you're in Christ, if you're
one of His own, that's how pleased He is with you. You see why I
say this is not an unconditional love. This is a love conditioned
upon you being in Jesus Christ and being holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight. Now, when I was a boy, I'd go
into my grandparents' house, and my mother had two brothers,
and they would have their senior cuts on the dresser. And I remember
as a little boy, I'd go in there and look at them. I thought,
they look like angels. They look perfect. And I'd think, they
don't look like that to me. But they look perfect. Everything
about them looks perfect. They look, did they ever really
look like that? They sure look like they did
in those pictures. Well, I didn't realize that they were Photoshopped.
I thought, man, they looked better back then. I didn't realize that
they'd been Photoshopped. But a believer's beauty is not
Photoshopped. That's who he really is in Christ
Jesus, standing before God without fault, blemish, or any such thing. Having loved his own, which were
in the world, he loved them to the end. You know, Paul spoke
of the breadth and the length and the depth and the height
of the love of Christ. Now, He's so wide, he's so narrow
that you can't have anything other than him to get through.
But he's so wide, even the chief of sinners can get through. Oh,
the depth of his love, how far he reaches down. The length of
his love, it never had a beginning, it'll never have an end. The
height of his love, seated together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Having loved his own, he loved them to the end. Now that doesn't
mean there was a stopping point at His love. That word is also
translated continual. He loved them continually, non-stop. The word is also translated to
the uttermost. He loved them to the uttermost. He could love no more. He could
love no less. You see, God can't love less.
He could love you no more than He does. He could love you no
less than He does if you are one of His own. He loved them to the end, to
the end of their lives. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. He loved
them to completion. Love them to perfection, having
loved, oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus Christ. Having loved
his own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end. You see, his love is saving love. It's a love that will never stop. Now when men talk about his love
being universal, they think they're making God more merciful than
he is, but they're not. His love is saving love. Having loved His own, He loved
them to the end. To receive a copy of the sermon
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