Turn with me, if you would, this
evening to John chapter 18. John chapter 18. We're going
to read through the first 11 verses. And look, while we're reading,
we're going to focus on four points. One, Christ is our willing
savior. And I think you see that through
the text. our willing Savior. Two, Christ alone was sought. When the guards came and they
were, whom seek ye? Christ alone is sought. Three
is none, none. As in of all that the Father
gave us me, I should lose none, none. And four is Christ alone,
Christ alone. So when we look through here,
Listen for those four points and we'll talk about them. Starting
in verse one, chapter 18 of John. When Jesus had spoken these words,
he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where
was a garden into the which he entered and his disciples, and
Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place. For Jesus oftentimes
resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a
band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees
cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus,
therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went
forth and said unto them, whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus
of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. You notice that he is in italics.
Jesus said unto them, I am. Judas also, which betrayed him,
stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am, they went backward and fell to the ground. Then
asked he them again, whom seek ye? They said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I've told you
that I am. If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way. The saying might be fulfilled,
which he spake. of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none.
Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, smote the high priest's
servant, cut off his right ear. The sermon's name was Malchus.
Then said Jesus unto Peter, put up thy sword into the sheath.
The cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? We'll end our reading there. Christ is willing. He's our willing
Savior. That's His character. It's an
attribute of God, of course. Christ is willing, but it's His
very character. All through this passage, Christ
could have walked away, if He would have wanted to. He could
have walked away. We sing that song, He could have called 10,000
angels, right? He could have walked away, but
He willingly, He willingly went to be crucified. How many times
did we see documented through the scriptures, those times that
Christ He walked away from the angry crowds. It wasn't his time. He passed through the midst of
the Jews when the Jews took up stones to stone him earlier in
John. He just passed through their
midst, untouched, unharmed. Not a hair of his head was harmed.
It wasn't his time. It wasn't his time. His time
had not yet come. Numerous opportunities to escape
are documented even here in this text, showing us that Christ
is our willing sacrifice. That's his character. That's
who he is. He's, he's our willing sacrifice. Look again there in,
in verse six, as soon as he had said unto them, I am, they went
backward and fell into the ground. And in verse 11, Peter or Jesus
said unto Peter, put thy sword into thy sheath, thy sheath.
The cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
He's our, our willing sacrifice. Christ is fully and completely
willing, completely willing in love. Turn with me to Ephesians
chapter five. We'll return to a lot of scriptures
this evening, so bear with me, but I'm prayerful that I've been
blessed by this. I'm prayerful that you are too. I want to see the scriptures.
Christ is fully willing in love. Look at Ephesians chapter five
in the first two verses. Be therefore followers of God
as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved
us in the same manner. Walk in love in the same manner
as Christ also hath loved us, hath given himself for us an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. He's
willing in love, and in this manner, he's willing in love.
Christ is willing in justice. Turn over a few more pages to
Romans chapter one. Excuse me, Romans chapter eight,
verse one. Christ is willing in justice. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. There's therefore now no, no
condemnation, which then we're in Christ Jesus because he was
willingly made subject. Christ was, was willingly made,
made subject to full justice for sin on the cross. Full justice. He's fully willing in love. He's
fully willing in justice. He's fully willing in righteousness.
Christ willingly made his righteousness our righteousness. Rather, rather
Christ is our righteousness. He's fully willing in righteousness.
Turn, turn over to first Corinthians chapter one, fully willing in
love, fully willing in justice, fully willing in righteousness. First Corinthians chapter one
in verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God has made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. He's fully willing in righteousness. Christ is our righteousness.
Christ is our righteousness. He's fully willing in obedience
and submission to the Father's will. Matthew chapter 26 went
When Christ prayed in Gethsemane, he said, oh, my father, if this
cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be
done. He's fully willing in submission
to the father. Thy will be done. And look back in John chapter
six. John chapter six and in verse
38, for I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of them that sent me.
Christ's will has always been, always been perfectly matched
with God, the father's will. And what is the father's will?
Look in the next two verses there in John chapter six. And this
is the father's will, which has sent me that of all which he
has given me, I should lose nothing. but should raise it up again
at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me
that everyone which seeth the son and believeth on him may
have everlasting life. Everyone may have everlasting
life. I will raise him up at the last
day. Christ is willing in love, willing and justice, willing
and righteousness, willing and in perfect obedience and submission
to the father's will. His will is in tune. It's meshed.
It's one. God and the Father are one. He's
fully willing. That's his character. That's
an attribute. That's his character. That's
who he is. He's our willing sacrifice for sin and for sinners. And
Christ's will is the only will. We hear that term free will all
the time. Christ's will is the only will
that's free. His is the only will that's not
subject to sin. His is the only will. that is
independent and His will is free. Turn over to Hebrews chapter
12. His will is free. When my will
is free, when I have a few free minutes in my day, whenever that
is, when my will is free, humanly speaking, I please myself. I
sit on the couch, I watch football, I eat chips, I sleep in. When
my will is free, when my time is free, I use that time and
my will to please myself, do things for me, right? Listen to Hebrews chapter 12,
verse two. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, this is his will, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. I
use my time my will, humanly speaking, when it's free, for
myself. But Christ's willingness is His
character for the joy, the joy that was set before Him, His
willingness. He joyfully endured the cross. He's willing. He joyfully endured the cross
that He not lose one that the Father had given Him. Do you
know what Christ is not willing to do? Look over in 2 Peter. Turn to second Peter chapter
three, our willing savior. Second Peter
chapter three, verse nine. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise. As some men count slackness,
there's long suffering to us word, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance. Not willing that
any should perish. Christ, our Savior, is our willing
Savior. Willing in love, willing in justice,
willing in righteousness, willing in obedience. Not willing that
any should perish. Christ, our willing sacrifice.
Back in our text, in John chapter 18, Christ is our willing Savior. Christ alone was sought. Christ alone was sought. Look
in verse four. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto
him, unto them, whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Look in verses seven and eight.
Then asked he them again, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus
of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you
that I am. If therefore you seek me, let
these go their way. He alone was sought. These soldiers
represent justice. and justice is looking only,
only for Christ. Ezekiel 33 states that the Lord
God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked. No pleasure in
the death of the wicked. How is that? Why is that? No
pleasure in the death of the wicked. It's because the eternal
death of the wicked never satisfy God's justice. Through all eternity,
the eternal death never satisfies His justice. I think frequently
when I hear people serving life sentences or in the electric
chair. And I know, humanly speaking, that's our version of justice
is served, right? And punishment fits the crime,
justice is served. But is the victim ever satisfied
by that? I would think not. I hate to
even say this. I lost a family member. The criminal
that did that, then being put to death in the electric chair,
justice is served, but I'm not satisfied. I want my family member
back, right? Justice is never satisfied. And
such it is with the death of a sinner. Justice is done. The eternal death of my soul
outside of Christ deserves hell. And justice is done, but God's
never satisfied. An eternity of my eternal death
can never satisfy God's justice. God hath no pleasure in the death
of the wicked. Christ alone was sought. Justice seeks Christ
only. That sinner's death can never
finish paying that debt that we have to God. There's never
any full satisfaction. The debt's never fully paid,
but not so with Christ. John saw Christ, and he declared,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
It's gone. Satisfied. When Christ was crucified,
the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom, right? Open
access. Open access to the mercy seat,
because justice is satisfied. Romans 4.25 declares that Christ
was raised again for our justification. Fully satisfied. Fully satisfied. In the way that the eternal death
of a sinner never can. Christ alone. Christ alone was
sought. Why did these soldiers seek Christ
alone? Whom seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth. Because God's justice can be
satisfied only and by nothing but Christ alone. God's justice
is satisfied, God's law is satisfied, completely satisfied by God alone,
by Christ alone, and only by Christ alone. Christ alone was
sought. Three, none. And I thought that
was just an interesting kind of unusual point in a message,
none. But I tend to write these because
I'm so easily distracted. This helps me remember throughout
the week. A point like that that kind of jumps out, none. Maybe
my mind can grab a hold of that and hold on to that throughout
the week so that tomorrow when I'm eating lunch and my mind's
on a million different things, maybe I'll remember none. None. None. Look at verses eight and nine.
Jesus answered, I've told you that I am. If therefore you seek
me, let these go their way. That the saying might be fulfilled,
which he spake of them, which thou gavest me. Have I lost none? None. Because of because of who
Christ is. He's the son of God, he's worthy
because of what Christ has done. Isaiah 53 states. poured out his soul unto death.
He was numbered with the transgressors. He bared the sin of many, made
intercession for the transgressors because of who Christ is, because
of what Christ has done, and the fact that even now Christ
is seated on the right hand of God Almighty. His sacrifice making
intercession for us because of who Christ is and what Christ
has done, where Christ is now, because He alone is Christ, our
Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth, both man and
God, the land slain before the foundation of the world. That
Jesus Christ, because of who he is, because of who he is,
he can say what he says there at the end of verse nine. Of
them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Perfection. None. Because of who Christ is,
he can say that. I'll lose none. Look back a page
into John chapter 17. starting in verse nine. I pray
for them. This is Christ and his prayer.
I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them, which thou has given me for they are thine all mine
or thine and thine or mine. And I am glorified in them. Now
I am no more in the world, but these, these are in the world.
And I come to the holy father. Keep those thine own. Keep through
thine own name. Those which thou has given me.
that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I
have kept. None of them, none of them is lost, but the son
of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. Christ will
lose none. Look back a few more pages in
John chapter six. And this is our comfort, because
if one step of this was left in my hand, if one ounce of it
was left in my hand, if it wasn't all, he just sang the promises
of God, the promise of God, Christ says, I will lose none. If that
wasn't a promise of God, if there was anything left of that to
me, I'd have no confidence tomorrow. If I remembered the word none,
I'd have no hope in that. But this isn't Jonathan's promise,
and this isn't anything on me, and this isn't anything on you.
As Christ said, of all that thou has given me, I will lose none.
And I can settle down in that a little bit. So tomorrow when
lunch, when I think of the word, none, I can get some confidence
in that. Christ says of all the, all those
that thou has given me, I will lose none. John chapter six,
starting in verse 32. Then Jesus said unto them, verily,
verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from
heaven, But my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth
life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord
evermore, give us this bread. Jesus said unto them, I am the
bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I
said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not. All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me, all, that the father
giveth me shall come to me. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. None. Christ will lose none because
his sacrifice is enough. What does Romans 5 say? Where
sin abounded and sin abounded, great. Sin abounds. Great. Where sin abounds, grace
did much more. Much more. His sacrifice is enough.
He'll lose none. That is, as sin reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Christ Jesus, our Lord. None. Our willing sacrifice,
our willing Christ. Christ that justice seeks, Christ
that satisfies justice. That Christ will lose none. And I can take comfort in that. Christ alone. Look back in our
text there in John 18. Christ alone. Look there in verse
12. Then the band and the captain
and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him and led him
away. Christ was alone. He made a way
out for his disciples and his disciples for so Christ was alone. He hung on the cross and said,
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Christ was alone.
Imagine being alone in a place, no friends, no protection, no
advocate, no lawyer, no defense, no mercy among these heathens,
these unjust heathens that are really are out to get him. They're
unjust and they want blood, and he's alone in the hall of justice.
He's alone. Christ is alone. He's led alone
to Caiaphas. He's alone in the hall of justice. He's alone with Pilate. He's
alone being scourged. Alone. He's alone while our fathers,
this is us, our human race, while our fathers pushed thorns down
into his scalp. He was alone when they plucked
out his beard, when they, when they slapped him, when they spit
upon him, he was, he was alone. No adequate, no lawyer, no friend,
nobody to help. No mercy, no mercy. Christ was
alone, alone. When the, when the children of
a physical Israel, when faced with Christ or Barabbas, what
did we say? Give us practice. The children
of the race that God protected, brought out of Egypt, passed
them through the Red Sea with water on both sides, provided
for, protected them, handed them the promised land, the land flowing
with milk and honey. These are his people that said,
give us Barabbas. And Christ was alone. The whole world knew
that these were a special and peculiar protected people of
Jehovah. The whole world knew the Jehovah
name. because of the mighty works that he had done for these people,
that while Christ was alone, he said, give us for others.
These people. We read Rahab's testimony, which
I'll read again, but before services, we read, she said to the men,
I know that the Lord has given you the land, that your tare
has fallen upon us, that all the inhabitants of the land faint
because of you. For we have heard, everyone knew
who Jehovah was because of how he protected these people. We've
heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you
when you came out of Egypt, what you did to the two kings of the
Amorites that were on the other side of Jordan, Sion and Og,
whom he utterly destroyed. These are his people. We've heard
of Jehovah. As soon as we heard these things,
our hearts did melt. Neither did there remain any
more courage in any man because of you. We know the Lord, your
God, the Lord, your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth
beneath. Those people, the Lord your God, those people, their
children, when faced with Christ or Barabbas, faced with their
Jehovah or a robber and a murderer said, give us Barabbas. When
Christ was betrayed by his particular people, physically speaking,
fleshly speaking, fleshly Israel, when he was alone. When Pilate said to the same
children, to the same people, is this your king? They answered,
we have no king, but Caesar. They chose Caesar. They chose
Barabbas. Christ was alone, rejected by men. Absolutely no different
than what we do today. Left to ourselves, left to myself,
any choice but Christ, right? We'll not have this man reign
over us. Any choice but Christ, left to Left to ourselves, any
choice but Christ. Christ was alone. He was rejected
by man. He was alone, bearing the sin of his people in his
body on the tree. And he was alone. He was alone
when he said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? How
thou hast forsaken me? Our willing Savior was alone.
He went into this willingly, eyes wide open. He knew exactly.
He went in willingly. He was left alone with man's
evil will to do with what they would. Even as terribly as Job
was tried, even as terrible as those trials
were, the Lord restrained, as said in Psalm 76, the remainder
of wrath God does restrain. God restrained the remainder
of his wrath for Job, not for Christ, not for our Savior. Christ
was alone. God did not restrain his wrath.
Christ bore it alone. Christ accomplished salvation
alone so that none of his children will ever be alone. None of his
children will ever be left alone. We're not alone in this life.
Didn't Christ, even here in our text, he provided for his disciples,
right? If therefore ye seek me, let
these go their way. He provided for his disciples.
We're not left alone here in this life. Even from the cross,
didn't Christ provide for his mother? Disciple, behold your
mother, is what he said to John, right? He provided for his mother,
even from the cross. We're not left alone, even in
this world. We're not left alone. Christ
was alone, so that we never are, not in this world. We're certainly
not ever left alone, not for a minute in salvation. Not in
God's purpose before the world was formed. Where were you? right? When the hills were made,
the water is of all the oceans in the earth or as a drop in
my hand. Where were you? Where were you?
Where were you when God's purpose before the world was even formed?
Where were you? He doesn't leave us alone when,
when he sends his spirit to call us and regeneration point us
to Christ. He doesn't leave us alone to
keep ourselves either. We're not left alone. We're not
left alone in this world. We're never, never left alone
in salvation either. We're not left to keep ourselves.
Christ will deliver us by himself all the way to glory. We're not
left alone all the way to glory. Look, look over in Romans chapter
eight. Christ will deliver us by himself.
You know, it's really, it's more than just error. It's heresy
and it's disrespectful, just disrespectful to Christ to say that God who formed the world
and did it perfectly and saw that it was good and accomplished
everything in forming the world, In God who planned and accomplished
salvation, Christ who willingly by himself in love went to the
cross, will leave anything undone? That one thing, and this is what
our hearts think, where our sinful flesh is still drawn to this,
that he would leave one thing undone for us? That doesn't even
make logical sense. That doesn't even make, that
is pure rebellion and heresy, it's more than just error, it's
an affront on God's character, that he would leave one thing
left undone. Christ did it all alone, alone, it is finished,
so that we are never alone, so that none of this is left to
us. And that brings me comfort. None
of this, none of this is left to us. Romans chapter eight,
starting in verse 28. These are familiar scriptures.
We know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
The next verses go over how Christ alone did it all. For whom he
did foreknow, then he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
then he also called. Whom he called, then he also
justified. whom he justified and he also
glorified. Here's our part. What shall we
say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him
up for us all. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us even now, who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress or
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, as it is written,
for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted
as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. I'm persuaded
that neither death nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth. That hasn't covered it, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ will deliver
us by himself all the way to glory. We're not called to do anything
with that. This is a declaration. Our hearts rejoice and worship
to that. There's nothing in these scriptures
or texts to try to convince us then that we should do anything.
This is a declaration. We believe and we rejoice and
we worship this worthy Christ. That's what we do. As Christ
has done it all, he shall lose none. How can we be alone? Christ who loses none joins us
to him. Look back again. in John chapter
17. We'll look at just a couple more verses,
then we'll be done. How could we be alone? John chapter
17, starting in verse 21. That they all may be one as thou,
Father, art in me. As thou, meaning in like manner.
That they all may be one in the same manner In the same manner
as thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may
be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me. In the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they
may be one, even as, in the same manner as, even as we are one. I in them, thou in me, that they
may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou
hast sent me, hast loved me, as thou hast loved me. in the
same manner, in the same manner. We can't describe the Trinity.
How are God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, three,
yet in one? Even as in the same manner, in
the same manner that we are one with Christ, in that same manner,
how can we be alone? Look over in Ephesians chapter
five. This is talking about husbands
and wives. For this, I'm sorry, chapter five, starting in verse
31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and
shall be joined unto his wife. They too shall be one flesh. That's a great mystery. But I
speak concerning Christ in the church. Christ in the church. One. That's a great mystery. Christ in the church are one.
Christ accomplished salvation alone. And therefore, we are
never alone. We are never alone. Our Lord,
Christ Jesus, He's the willing sacrifice. He's the willing Savior.
He alone was sought. He alone was sought. He alone
was sacrificed so that He would lose none. He would lose none. And He did it all alone. I pray
that's a blessing throughout the remainder of your week. You're
dismissed.