Father, The Hour Is Come

Q: What does the Bible say about the significance of Jesus' death?

Jesus' death is central to redemption and the demonstration of God's justice and love, revealing that it was predestined for the salvation of His people. The death of Jesus is not merely a tragic event; it is the greatest achievement of His life, as it was predestined by God from the foundation of the world. In John 17:1, Jesus acknowledges that 'the hour has come,' emphasizing the importance of His impending death as part of God's sovereign plan. His death accomplished our salvation, displaying God's justice in punishing sin while providing a way for sinners to be justified through faith in Him. It is a profound demonstration of God's love, as Romans 5:8 states, 'But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' This underscores the centrality of the cross in Christian theology and its significance in glorifying both the Father and the Son.

Q: How do we know that Jesus' death was intended for our sins?

Scripture reveals that Jesus died for the elect, securing their redemption and demonstrating God's sovereign will and grace. The doctrine of particular redemption teaches that Jesus' death was intentional and sufficient for His chosen people, as seen in passages like Romans 3:24-25, where Paul explains that Jesus is set forth as a propitiation for our sins through faith in His blood. This indicates a specific purpose behind His death, highlighting God's predetermined plan to save those He loves. Furthermore, Acts 2:23 emphasizes that Jesus was delivered up 'by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God,' affirming that His sacrifice was not random but rather a deliberate act in fulfillment of God's eternal purposes. Believers can confidently trust in the efficacy of Christ's death because it was specifically for those who believe, ensuring their complete redemption and reconciliation with God.

Q: Why is the concept of the hour of Jesus' death important for Christians?

The hour of Jesus' death is crucial as it represents the culmination of His mission to save humanity and fulfill God's sovereign plan. In the biblical narrative, the concept of 'the hour' refers to the specific time appointed by God for Jesus to accomplish His redemptive work on the cross. From His early ministry, as seen in John 2:4 when He tells His mother that His hour has not yet come, to His prayer in John 17:1 where He states, 'Father, the hour has come,' each mention underscores a divine timeline that is meticulously orchestrated. This hour signifies not just the physical act of crucifixion but encompasses the theological implications of atonement, justice, mercy, and fulfillment of prophecy. For Christians, it is a reminder of the sacrificial love of Christ and the depth of God's grace in providing salvation, serving as the cornerstone of their faith.

Q: How does Jesus' death demonstrate God's justice?

Jesus' death exemplifies God's justice by fully punishing sin while enabling sinners to be justified through faith in Him. The death of Christ serves as the ultimate demonstration of God's justice. As Romans 3:26 clarifies, God is just and the justifier, meaning while He punishes sin, He also provides a means for sinners to be declared righteous through faith in Christ. This dual aspect of divine justice is evident on the cross where Jesus absorbs the wrath of God, facing the punishment for sins He did not commit. As the innocent Lamb of God, His death satisfies the demands of justice while offering mercy to those who believe. The cross illustrates how God's righteousness is upheld; sin is punished, and yet, through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice, believers can be justified, affirming that God's nature is both merciful and just.

John 17, one. These words spake Jesus. They begin in chapter 13, verse one. This is the Lord's last time with his disciples before his death. Now, before the feast of the Passover, the Lord would be crucified on that Passover day. 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 until the end. And this is when he washed his disciples' feet and they were awestruck that he did this. And then he gave this final address before his death that ends with these words in verse 33 of chapter 16, These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

These words spake Jesus. and lifted up his eyes to heaven. I can't lift up my eyes. I bow my head and pray to the Father. But no man could do this as he did it. He lifted up his eyes to heaven. and say it, Father, the hour is come. Now, we're getting ready to enter in to what is truly the Lord's prayer. We love the disciple's prayer when he taught us to pray, but there's nothing else in the scripture like this, where we're allowed to listen in as the son prays to his father. I think of what the Lord said to Moses, draw not nigh hither, but off thy shoes from off thy feet, the place thou standest is holy ground. This is holy ground.

When the son speaks to his father, father, the hour is come. At the beginning of his public ministry, in his first miracle, the water being made wine. When they had run out of wine, his mother said unto him, they have no wine. The implication being do something about this. Woman, he's speaking to his mother with no disrespect. Woman, What have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.

In John chapter seven, some men were sent to arrest him. And the scripture said, then they sought to take him. But no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come. And the same thing is said in John chapter 18, verse 20, after his preaching, these words spake Jesus in the treasury as he taught in the temple, but no man laid hands on him. They wanted to. They wanted to arrest him. They wanted to shut him up. But no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come.

And I'm sure you noticed when we read John chapter 13, This final address to his disciples now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world back to his father. Father, the hour is come, hour, a measurement of time. Time was created for this hour. Why? The universe was created for this hour. His hour has come. The hour of his death. That's why the universe was created. for him to come and die.

He said in John chapter 12, when anticipating his death, when he's gonna be forsaken by his father, he says, Father, what shall I say? Save me from this hour? But for this cause came I into this hour. Could anything be more significant than this? Father, The hour is come. Now listen to this statement. His death is his greatest achievement. Let me repeat it. This is what he's referring to when he's talking about mine hour has come. The hour of his death is his greatest achievement.

Hold your finger there and turn to Luke chapter nine. This speaks of the hour at that time on the man of transfiguration and time. And he's glorified before his three disciples, James and John and Peter and Moses and Elijah appear. and talk to him at this time. And look at verse 30. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah, the representative of the law, the representative of the prophets, who appeared in glory and spake of his death. his decease which he should, what?

Accomplish. Now death, with me and you, is never spoken of as an accomplishment. What an accomplishment, he died. No, all it's gonna say of me when I'm laid in that coffin is that I'm a sinner. That's all death says. You know the reason you're gonna die? You're a sinner. That's why.

But his death was not like my death and your death. For the first place, he never went through the process of decay when he died because his death accomplished something. The death of Christ on the cross is the most God-like thing God ever did. Do you believe that? The death of Jesus Christ. Him being nailed to a cross is the most God-like thing God ever did.

This is greater than the creation of the universe. Ex nihilo, something from nothing. Because God created the universe for this. the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree. The universe was created for this hour, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world being slain in time.

Father, the hour, the hour of my death is come. Now, when he was in Gethsemane's garden, when he contemplated this, And he wasn't merely contemplating the physical sufferings, although I wouldn't be dismissive of that. Can you imagine being nailed to a cross, the physical pain? But he was contemplating him being separated from his father, him bearing the full equivalent of the Wrath of God, of hell on Calvary's tree, being in darkness, being made sin. Oh, he sweat great drops of blood at the...

What's the word? Contemplating this. Well, the hour has come. What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. For this cause came I in to this hour. I love the way Peter preached that first gospel message on the day of Pentecost. He begins with this.

Him, and he's referring to the Lord being nailed to a cross. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. That's why he was nailed to a tree. the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and with wicked hands have crucified and slain. That doesn't get you off the hook, but the reason this happened is because of the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God.

Why, the early church, when they're gathered together in prayer, I love to hear their prayer. This is the people who've only been converted a couple of weeks. They say, of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou has anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel are gathered together for to do what whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

That word determined before is predestinated. If you want to understand predestination, here's where we must begin. God predestinated the death of Christ on Calvary's tree. The hour is come. How many times during the events of his death did something happen that the scriptures might be fulfilled? It's almost like the guys crucifying were looking up, what do we do next? Because it was all according to the scriptures. I think of the first prophecy of his death.

Genesis 3, 16, the serpent is told, you're gonna bruise his heel. That's speaking of his death, but the seed of woman, and I love the way Christ was called the seed of woman. He wasn't the seed of Adam. He was the seed of woman, the virgin-born birth of Christ. The seed of woman shall crush your head. And that's precisely what took place on the cross.

Now, one of the great mysteries of Scripture is that the God-man could die in the first place. I've often wondered, how? God can't die. The God-man did die. How? I don't know. But he did. Well might the son in darkness hide to shut his glories in, when Christ, the mighty maker, died for man, the creature's sin.

I love the words of the hymn. "'Tis mystery all, the immortal dies, who can't explore his strange design, in vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depth of love's divine. Tis mercy all, let earth adore, let angels' minds inquire, no more amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Father, the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son might glorify Thee. The death of Jesus Christ being nailed to that cross completely glorifies the Father and completely glorifies the Son. His death. Now think about that. His death glorifies God and it glorifies Him. Did you know that every attribute that God has been pleased to make known about His own character is displayed in the death of Christ?

His will, His sovereign will, His sovereign purpose. Let's begin there. By the witch will, by God's will, We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, the bloody death of Christ on the cross, once for all. Why was he there? God willed him to be there, his sovereign will.

Oh, how God's justice is magnified in the death of Jesus Christ. God's no respecter of persons. When sin is found in his son, he kills him. He spared not his own son. God is just. Sin must be punished. How God's wisdom is glorified. He made a way. What wisdom! He made a way to be just and justified this ungodly sinner in a way that I'm gonna stand before His presence having never sinned. What omnipotence is seen in actually making my sin not to be? I don't have any sin. In Him, there is no sin. What about your sins? They're not.

They've been put away by the blood of Christ. How His love is magnified in giving His Son. God so loved the world. How His independence is seen. He didn't need any help from me in doing this. Like we just read, He by Himself purged our sins. His immutability, His eternality, His mercy, His grace is seen in their fullness in the cross of Christ. He glorified Himself. He glorified His Father. I love to think of the miracles surrounding his death. The earth quaked. I wonder how that felt. The sun refused to shine. Darkness covered the earth for three days. And that's a reminder to us that we'll never really understand, even in heaven, all that was taking place on Calvary Street. Graves were opened. Well, that's mysterious, isn't it? Graves were opened and dead saints got out and walked around Jerusalem. Somebody says, explain that to me.

Well, I can't do that, you know that. But it lets us know that his death is the opening of our grave. I think my favorite miracle is the moment he gave up the ghost, that veil in the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. from the top to the bottom telling us God did this. And it tells us that human religion is phony. Why's that? When that veil was rent, you know what was behind that veil? Nothing. There was no ark there.

It demonstrated that man's religion was all a sham but it also made the way into the holiest open for us. You're now called upon to come into the very presence of God because of the death of Jesus Christ. Now, in the death of Jesus Christ, remember I said this is his greatest accomplishment. In the death of Jesus Christ, him allowing himself to be nailed to a tree, he wasn't a victim. The only reason it happened is because he willed it to happen. In the death of Jesus Christ, we have the greatest act of obedience ever performed. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The father said to the son, be nailed to that cross. And he said, father, I will. In the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree, we have the greatest act of faith. He said, though he slay me, Yet will I trust Him. And I want us to understand this.

On the cross, He was in absolute darkness, separated from His Father, filling the full equivalent of an eternal hell during those hours on the cross, no light, no smile from His Father, nothing but His awful frown. And He never quit trusting His Father. Somebody had to trust God perfectly. He did.

And that is why we are saved by his faith. On Calvary 3, when Christ died, we have the greatest act of justice. And what do I mean by that? When Christ was on the cross, as I've already stated, he was not an innocent victim. He was guilty. He was guilty. The sins of God's people became his sin. While he never sinned, he bore our sins in his own body on the tree, and he took ownership of all of those sins.

But don't forget this, he still God's only begotten and well-beloved son, when God is pouring his wrath out on him, he is still God's only begotten and well-beloved son. Oh, how truly we see God's no respecter of persons. Me and you are. He's not. Even when sin is found on his son, the justice of God smote him, his father forsook him and put him to death because he is just. The death of Christ is the greatest act of the justice of God. But not only do we see his justice in condemning sin and punishing sin, we see his justice in forgiving sin. We see how God can remain just and still justify the ungodly.

Now listen to this scripture from Romans chapter eight, or Romans chapter three, verse 23. There's no difference. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You know, there's really no difference between me and you. There's no difference between the most moral man to ever live and the most immoral man to ever live in God's sight. I wonder if anybody here believes that. There's part of us that's thinking, could that really be? Yes. Yes, there is no difference.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God.

To declare, I say at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Believer, when you're brought into heaven, it's going to be a just thing for you to be brought into heaven. You're going to be getting exactly what you deserve. because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in being just and justifying him that believes in Jesus. Being justified by his blood. When he had made peace through the blood of his cross. The greatest act of justice. And how the cross of Christ is the greatest act of love.

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. My soul be amazed by his love that God would give his son for the likes of me, for the likes of you. I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean. And what an act of love of the Son. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Every one of his people he counts his friend. Friends of Christ. and he laid down his life for his friends.

In his death, we see sanctification accomplished. Let me read the scripture first. By the witch will, Hebrews 10, 10, by the witch will, by God's will, we are sanctified once for all through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ." Now hear what's being said. Sanctified. Declared by God to be holy. This is God's estimation. If it's God's estimation, it's real. Every believer declared by God to be And that's in the perfect tense, perfectly completed, never to be repeated.

You can't become more holy. You can't become less holy. You are holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, his bloody death on the cross once for all. Now that's what he accomplished by his death. What an accomplishment, your holiness. Listen, in this scripture, he accomplished your perfection. Hebrews 10, 14 says, he hath by one offering perfected. Somebody says, I'm not perfect. Well, I know you're not. Neither am I, but I am. I am. I'm perfect in Christ Jesus. Lacking nothing, perfectly saved. He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."

His death accomplished my reconciliation. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Now, reconciliation, that means God doesn't have any reason to be mad at me. I can think of all kinds of reasons, but He doesn't, because I was reconciled to God by the death of His Son. You know what reconciles me to God? You know, Paul did say, be ye reconciled to God. You know when I'm reconciled to God?

When I see He's reconciled to me. And I see I can draw nigh through the blood of Christ. He's completely reconciled. What an accomplishment by His death. He accomplished complete reconciliation. God is completely reconciled to me. He has nothing to be angry with, and I am reconciled to Him because of that. Hebrews 9, 12.

Says, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. What did he accomplish? By his death, by his blood, he obtained. And I love the word eternal. Eternal redemption. A redemption that never had a beginning and that'll never have an ending. That's why it's so secure. He obtained eternal redemption for us. His death guarantees continual cleansing.

Listen to this scripture. God is light. In him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and you know, just about everybody makes that claim. I have fellowship with God. I pray. He hears. I speak to him. He speaks to me. If we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, The darkness of salvation by works, that's such darkness. We lie, we don't do the truth, but if we walk in the light, the light of the gospel, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us. Continual cleansing. It cleanseth us from all sin. Do you need continually cleansed? I do. Well, here's the promise of his death. His blood continually cleanseth us from all sin.

Hebrews chapter 10, verse 20 says, we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Now you, don't miss that word boldness. boldness to enter into the holiest. You think that high priest was very bold, that human high priest, when he went into the holy of holies? I dare say he was scared to death. He knew if he did anything wrong, it was over for him.

Every believer has boldness to enter into the very presence of God, the holy of holies, with boldness, confidence, joy, through the blood, the bloody death of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what his death accomplished, boldness for you to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

You know, every time the gospel is preached, we preach Christ crucified. We preach His death. Now, we don't only preach His death all of a sudden. We preach His resurrection, too, because His death is meaningless without His resurrection. But we preach His death. That's behind everything we say. We preach Christ crucified. When we observe the ordinances, when we practice baptism, what does going down under the water signify?

His death. When we take the Lord's table, We show forth the Lord's death till he comes. Oh, we celebrate his death. Now, obviously we wouldn't be celebrating his death if he wasn't raised from the dead. Thank God he was raised from the dead. That means everything said about his death is true. Father, the hour has come, the hour of his death.

Now, I quoted a scripture in Romans chapter three that I want you to turn there and then we're going to look at, this is what we're going to close with. Romans 3, verse 24, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption, that's the redeeming death, through the death, the redeeming death that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth, has foreordained to be a propitiation, a sin-removing sacrifice through faith in His blood, faith in His death, and the accomplishments of His death. Now, yes, faith is in a person. Faith is in that person's death.

And if I don't understand that, I've not understood the gospel. My only hope of being saved is that he died for me. Now that's meaningless if he died for everybody. If he can die for somebody and they wind up in hell. But that's not the case. He died for the elect. How can I know if I'm one of them? I believe the gospel. He died for me, that's my only hope. Through faith in his blood. Now turn to Romans chapter eight. Verse 34. Who is he that condemneth? That's a good question. The devil can condemn me.

He's got plenty of information about me, and it's all accurate. He's called the accuser of the brethren, who day and night accuses them before God, and he's brought your name up, he's brought my name up. How that happens, I don't know, but he's the accuser of the brethren. I'm sure he could accuse me. I'm sure you know many people who could accuse you of many things, I do too. I know my own conscience accuses me and condemns me. But look at the apostle's words in verse 34. Who is he that condemneth? What is the answer? It's Christ that died. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me. The hour has come. I was saved in that hour.

Amen. Lord, how we thank you for this hour for which you created the universe for your son to die on a cross, his greatest accomplishment. Lord, we give thanks for that. And Lord, I ask in Christ's name that you would give each man, woman, boy, and girl in this room saving faith to look to thy dear son. Lord, please do that for Christ's sake, for his glory and for his honor. In his name we pray, amen.

Father, The Hour Is Come

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the significance of Jesus' death?

How do we know that Jesus' death was intended for our sins?

Why is the concept of the hour of Jesus' death important for Christians?

How does Jesus' death demonstrate God's justice?

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Father, The Hour Is Come

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the significance of Jesus' death?

How do we know that Jesus' death was intended for our sins?

Why is the concept of the hour of Jesus' death important for Christians?

How does Jesus' death demonstrate God's justice?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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