power, such glory, such blessed,
blessed character in our Savior. And there are some things that
we'll see, they're just revelations, just a few revelations of our
Lord's character. And the first thing I want to
look at for us is here in verse 2, in our Lord's habit of prayer.
Look what it said in verse 2 here, and Judas, which him, knew the
place where Jesus oft times resorted there with his disciples. He
went over to Brook Sedron. Judas knew the place because
he often times went there with his disciples. He went to the
Mount of Olives and went there into that Garden of Gethsemane.
And our Lord prayed Oh, how did I, Lord, pray? Not only did he
possess the spirit of prayer, he prayed at Lazarus' tomb, said,
Father, I know you hear me, always hear me, but not for my sakes,
but for the sake of these standing here. Lazarus come forth. That's why he prayed. And listen,
when he lifted his eyes to heaven to pray, he could actually see
into heaven. He could actually see his father,
and his father would hear him. He said, you always hear me.
he had a, not only did he have a spirit of prayer, but he oftentimes
had a place to pray, place to pray. And this is one of the
places he went oftentimes with his disciples. And when you know,
when he said, when he spake these words, our Lord is talking about,
he started in John chapter 14, 15, 16, and all of John 17 is a prayer
of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 17, they say the Lord's
prayers, you know, our Lord, our Father which is in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. That's a model prayer. This is
our Lord's prayer, John 17. I pray, Lord, I pray for them
that you gave me. I pray for them that you loved.
I pray for them that you keep them. I pray, and our Lord prayed. When he had spoken these words,
that's when he went to the garden. And all listened, and he came
to the garden for his personal prayer, and he often come there
to pour out his heart before his father. And look what he
said again there at verse two. And Judas also which betrayed
him, Judas also, which betrayed him,
knew the place, knew where our Lord would be. Now you're talking
about a solemn warning. He had been a companion of the
Lord Jesus Christ for three years. He had seen our Lord's miracles,
heard His messages, heard His preaching, heard His teaching,
heard the Sermon on the Mount, enjoyed his private instructions,
professed himself to be a believer, was the first treasurer in the
church. And he had worked and preached
in our Lord Jesus' name. And yet it says Judas, which
betrayed him. There's three men in the scriptures
in the New Testament. that every time their name is
mentioned, it's always Judas, which betrayed him, John, the
beloved disciple whom Jesus loved, and Nicodemus, who always came
to Jesus by night. They're always identical by what
they did. And I'd like to be that one,
that disciple whom Jesus loved. I don't want to be a Judas. I
don't want to be a Judas. I don't. But oh my, and you know
there's something that tells us here that one little bitty
leak can sink a whole ship. And I tell you what, I don't
know how many people that I've seen over the years come and
stay for a long, long, long time, and then you see them every three
weeks, then you see them once a month, and then the next thing
you so you don't see them at all. You don't see Him at all. Don't be a Judas. Don't be a
Judas. Don't take our Lord Jesus Christ
and betray Him to the world. Don't betray His character or
His personality or who He is to your friends, your neighbor,
your husband, your wife. Don't betray our Savior. Don't
betray Him. And oh, He knew exactly where
Christ was. knew who he was. And then look
what else it says about our Savior here in verse 4. Just a few glimpses
here. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto
them, Whom seek ye? But here's the thing, our Lord
had, his knowledge was all-knowing. He knowed all things. says that
should come upon him. He had been telling his disciples
this for three years of what was going to happen to him. And
I tell you what, our Lord went, and this is what I'm going to
tell you. Our Lord Jesus went forth to see and cause everything
to come upon him that would come upon him. He didn't go resisting
it. He didn't say, well, I'm going
to pull back from this. He went forth to see. and to
make sure that everything that was written of Him should be
accomplished. And everything about Him was
going to be accomplished. Look over in John 19, 28 for
just a moment. You know, our Lord Jesus Christ,
He knew all things that should come upon Him, and He went forth.
He went forth. Look what it says here. John
19, 28. After this, Jesus, knowing that
all things were now accomplished, that the Scriptures might be
fulfilled, might be fulfilled. Our Lord went forth to see that
all things would be fulfilled concerning Himself. This is not
the act of a weakling. This is not the act of a fearful
man. This is not the act of a man
that is scared of what's going to happen to him. The hour has
come. Our Lord's not hiding from His
enemies. He knew Judas was coming. He
knew Judas was betrayed. He knew that Judas was going
to come and give him a kiss just so they'd know they'd taken the
right person. how our Lord Jesus Christ knew
all things that was in His hands. Look in John, now you keep John
18, look in John 13 with me in verse 3. There are several things about
being in the hands of Christ. John 13, 3, Jesus knowing that that the Father had given all
things into His hands, and He also knew this, that He was come
from God, and He gonna go back, He gonna go back. You know, our
Lord Jesus Christ, everything, everything was in His hands,
but here He is, He's into Himself, and what it says there in verse
four, Jesus, knowing that all things should come upon Him,
went forth. went forth. He went forth to
be cut off out of the land of the living. He went forth to
be betrayed by a familiar friend. He went forth to the cursing
and despising and rejected of his person. He went forth to
commit himself into the hands of God and man. He went forth
to the shame and humiliation of being treated as a common
criminal. He went forth to the humiliation
to being left to the wicked, wicked devices of men and allowed
men to do what they would with him and never uttered a word.
never uttered a word. And Jesus, knowing that all things
should come upon him, our Lord's foreknowledge was perfect. Our Lord's foreknowledge was
perfect. Everything that happened to him, he knew it was going
to happen when he was born into this world. He knew it was going
to happen before he left eternity and embosomed himself in the
womb of a virgin. Oh, there were no surprises to
our Savior. He knew his sufferings. He knew
what was going to happen. He knew why they was going to
spit in his face. They knew how they was going
to put a crown of thorns on his head. They knew how that he was
going to nail him to a tree. They knew how that he was going
to be treated, how he was going to suffer. There was no surprises
coming to our Savior. And he went forth to face them,
face them. and to endure them. Our Lord
knew all things that was decreed by God. Men talk about the decrees
of God. There's only one decree. The
scriptures tells us plainly that God declared the end from the
beginning. Everything that started from
the beginning and you know when the beginning was when God said
the beginning was and he declared from the beginning all things
That's going to happen to the end. You know, I did it for the
good pleasure of his will one decree everything in my life
is Decreed for me to happen everything and I don't have any problem
with that Every tear I've ever shed, every grief I've ever had,
every burden I've ever buried, every trial I've ever been through,
God decreed it. But here our Lord went forth
to see that all things decreed by His Father. He stood as the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. I got to go forth
and be slain. I got to go forth and be slain.
and all things, he knew all things that was agreed upon by the Son
in the eternal covenant of grace. Oh, the Father and the Son, you
and I never entered into that covenant. I've never entered
into a covenant with God. I'd be afraid to make a promise
to God. I know me, but I'm trusting His
promises to me, not my promise to Him. And you know our Lord
Jesus Christ, Him and His Father entered into a covenant. They
entered into a covenant. Father, all that you've given
me, all of them that you've given me, they're all gonna come to
me, and I'll go into the world, and I'll take everything that
you've got against them, and I'll bear it myself so that you
can let them go free. And our Lord Jesus Christ came
into this world knowing exactly who He was dying for, knowing
exactly who He was serving for, knowing exactly the will of God
that He was going to accomplish. And oh, thank God for the covenant
of grace. And God didn't say, you enter
into a covenant with Me. No, no. He entered into a covenant
with us and with His Son. And the Father said, now I'll
send the Spirit to guarantee every single one of them come
to you. Oh, our Lord went forth knowing all things. And this
is one thing I love. You know, He went forth knowing
all things that was prophesied of Him in the Old Testament Scriptures.
You know, to Him, all the prophets give witness. And I told our
congregation recently, I'm going to go start in Genesis, and I'm
going to go through the Scriptures and deal with all the things,
all the prophets and the things they spoke of Him. You know where
to have to start at? Genesis 3, verse 15. You know what that
says? It said, I'm going to put enmity
between you and the seed of the woman. I'm going to put enmity
between you. And He said, He's going to bruise
your heel. But you're going to crush his
head. And that's the first time. That's the first thing you have
to deal with. Oh, my. Everything. Oh, my. He sung that
song. He was wounded for our transgressions. Bruised for our iniquity. Chastisement
of our peace was upon him. He just done. He was just fulfilling
what Isaiah said about him. He went forth knowing all these
things. And you know, It's time for him
to be led as a lamb to the slaughter. You know, what we and I know
wouldn't even fill a thimble. But I know him who does know
all things. And the heavens of heavens can't
contain it. I may do things that surprises
myself and even surprises you. But I'll never do anything that'll
surprise God. Never do anything to surprise
my Lord. Not one time. And I've done things
that surprised me. I said, did I really do that?
Did I say that? Did I really act that way? But
I've never surprised my master. Never surprised him. He done took that sin, that harsh
word, that unkind act, That impatience, that anger,
He took it. Bless His name. Bless His name. Oh, my. Well, and then look what
He says about Himself. He asked them there in verse
4. He said, Whom seek you? And this, I want you to understand.
Look back up there in verse 3. I want you to see this for a
moment. They come with, the Pharisees, they come with lanterns, torches,
and listen to this, weapons. Weapons. What weapon could they
use against Christ? God Himself says no weapon about
us. He says no weapon can harm you. They come out with weapons against
Him. What did He do? He went forth, he went forth
right up into the presence and said, who you looking for? Who
you looking for? They said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Oh my. What did he say? I am. Two one syllable words. Two one
syllable words. They came to take him. And it
says there, And Judas, which betrayed him, stood with them.
And they come to get Jesus the Nazarene. They didn't come to
acknowledge him as Lord. They didn't come to acknowledge
him as the Christ. They didn't come to acknowledge
him as the King of Kings. They didn't come to acknowledge
him as the Savior or the Redeemer. They came to get the one that
despised and they rejected and they hate him, Jesus, in the
name and his humiliation. And, oh, he said, I am. I am. And, oh, look what happens. And
it says there in verse 5, excuse me, verse 6, as soon as he had
said unto them, I am, they went backward. They started backing
up. One place said there's about
500 of them. They went backing up. And the first ones backed
up and made everybody fall back. And they just kept backing up
till all of them fell back. Now here they come to get him,
and all he did was say, I am, and it put him in the dust, put
him on the ground. They think they can do something
with this man that he didn't know was gonna happen? They brought
weapons, and he's the one with the weapon. Just two words, I
am. I am." Oh, they came to arrest
him, but they end up retreating. Oh, and all he just says, I am. Instead of falling down and worshiping
him, who is only the one worthy to be worshiped, they went backwards. They backed up. They backed up. Oh, my. You know, the first time
that I am is mentioned in the Bible. Moses, God called him
up on the mountain. There was a bush on fire, but
it wasn't consumed. And this is what happened when
Moses stood before God. He said, take off your shoes.
You're standing on holy ground. And he said, now you're going
to go down and turn my people loose. You're going to bring
them up out of Egypt. And Moses said, well, who in the world
am I going to say, sit me when I get down there? God just tell him, I am. I am.
I just am. I just am. And I am that I am. That means that I am Then I am now, and I always am. There never is a time that God,
and Christ is identifying himself as the great I am. And oh my,
I tell you that same voice that spoke to Moses out of the, and
here our Lord just gives a quiet, quiet display of his power, his
majesty, his sovereignty, And oh, just this demonstration that
he was the word, two words, I am, I am. Oh my, he didn't raise
a hand against him. Didn't raise a hand against him. Why did our Lord act like this?
Why did our master act like this? Every one of them could clearly
see that he was more than Jesus and Nazareth. This can't be just
Jesus of Nazareth. This can't be Him. Clearly see
that He was the great I Am. And they all can clearly see
that when He gave Himself to them, He voluntarily delivered
Himself into their hands. They didn't apprehend Him. They
didn't apprehend Him. No, no. He submitted Himself
to them. He was not captured by them,
but He gave Himself up to them. Our Lord said, I lay down my
life. No man takes it from me. I've
got the power to lay it down. I've got the power to take it
up again. This commandment have I received of my Father. Keep
John 18. Look with me in John chapter
7. We'll talk about our Savior. Look in John chapter 7, verse
32. And oh, I think it's, I believe it's in
Luke where it said, he was led. They led him. That means he is
led. They allowed him to lead as a
lamb to the slaughter. Oh, my. But look what he said
here in John 7, 32. The Pharisees heard that the
people murmured much such things concerning him, and the Pharisees
and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Now look down with
me in verse 44. And some of them would have taken
him, but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to
the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said unto him, why have
you not brought him? Why didn't you bring him? The
officer says, never men spake like this man. And nobody spake like he did
when they come to get him. Said, I am. They do. Oh, I'll tell you, our Lord has
power over his enemies. Oh, ain't that what he said here
in verse 6, just soon as he said, I am, back over in our text.
Oh, he can, he can fell a man with a word. He can fell a man
with a look. Simon Peter denied him three
times. And our Lord, when he, they was
leading him away, he turned and he looked at Simon Peter, saw
him standing there. And you know what that look did
to him? He began to weep bitterly. That's all it takes, our Savior,
give us a look. And oh my, and he can fill a
man with just a word. And that gives me hope for my
children, my grandchildren. That all it takes is just one
word. That's all it takes from God. Just one word. One word. One look. And He could have sent
everyone, He could have opened up the earth just like they did
in the days of Korah and sent them all to hell just that quick.
Could have just opened up the earth and sent them to hell just
as easily as they fell to the ground. And here they were, they
come to put Him at their mercy, but they were at His mercy, helpless
on the ground. He wasn't at their mercy. He
could have just walked away. but our Savior didn't come to
walk away. And then look what else our Savior
did here. I talked about some glimpses in the garden. Oh my,
look what it said here down in verse seven. Then he asked them, whom seek
ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
And our Lord said, I've told you that I am. Now listen to
this. If therefore you seek me, Let
these go. You can't have me and them at
the same time. Take me, but you can't have them. Oh, how he loved his own. Oh,
how he loved his own. And it says there in verse nine
that the scripture might be fulfilled which he spake of them which
thou gavest me. I have lost none. Oh, having
loved his own, having loved his own. Oh, he loved his own. I pray not for the world, but
for them that's given me out of the world. His own by covenant. Oh, all that the Father gives
me. His own by gift God gave us to him. His own, He paid the
price of redemption, paid the price of His blood, paid the
price of His death, paid the price of His suffering, paid
the price of our sin, paid the justice of God, paid
the wrath of God, paid everything that was against us. And He done
away with it. We're His own by power. Blessed,
blessed, blessed is the man, our Lord said, whom thou choosest. It's one thing to be chosen of
God. But he also said, it causes, causes them to approach unto
me. Causes them to. It's one thing
to be chosen. But boy, I tell you, if you're
chosen, you know what it says? He gonna cause them to come. Oh, and I'll tell you something
else we are. We're his own willingly. Ain't you his own willingly?
Huh? Oh, we're so willingly his own.
And here our Lord's thoughts are not of himself, not of himself,
but his own, his sheep. Not about his sufferings, but
that they don't suffer. It's the shepherd respecting
the sheep, And the thing they would remember is that their
master, before he was a prisoner, his concern was for them, not
himself. Does our Lord act like a captive
here? I believe he acts like a king.
He said, if you seek me, he didn't say, would you please let these
go? I'd appreciate if you let these go. He said, let these
go. That's a command. Let them go. Let him go. You
have me. You can't have me and them at
the same time. They can't suffer because he have to purge our
sins by himself. And then let me hurry up and
say this. Hope I'm not preaching too long,
but let me hurry up and say this. He got down there and, you know,
Peter cut off The servants here, our Lord healed
it and then told Peter to put up his sheath, sword in his sheath. Look what he said in the last
part of verse 11. The cup which my father hath
given me, shall I not drink it? Oh, what submission to our father's
will. He submits himself to God and
to man. And you're talking about perfect,
perfect supremacy, perfect power in his weakness, perfect power
in his submission, perfect power in his subjection. Here's the
sovereign yet the servant. Here's the lion and also the
lamb. And he says the cup And listen
to this, which my father hath given me. Shall I not drink it? You think that I would not drink
it? Did you think for a minute, for a moment, that I wouldn't
drink the cup that my father gave me? You go to Isaiah, I
think it's in 63, where it talks about that cup that was given
to him. He don't say a necessity is laid
upon me to drink this cup. He didn't say, my father commanded
me to drink it. He said, shall I not drink it? It shows us that his heart, his
soul, his spirit, and all that he is, that he didn't know anything
other to do than to do his father's will, even drinking the cup that
our father gave him. He couldn't help but do it. And
this is the highest willingness that there can be. And what a
lesson for me and you. God sometimes puts some bitter,
bitter cups in our hands. Bitter cups. Bitter cups. Every one of us had one gift
to us. Some of you have got some in your hand right now. God put
them there. And you're talking about, well,
you know what would sweeten them? He said, my father gave me this.
Would my father treat me wrong? Would my father do me bad? Would
he give me something that I couldn't handle? Would he give me something
I couldn't drink? And this is why it's so precious,
that he gives us that cup. Sometimes it's bitter, bitter,
bitter. Sometimes the bitterness lasts for a long time, long time. And we just have to take a sip
at a time. Couldn't take the whole cup.
But the Father gives us that cup. And if we really, really, really
loved our Savior, knew really that all things was in His hand
given to us, we not only would drink the cup, may have to take
a little at a time because it's so bitter, but we'd take the
other hand and say, Lord, I kiss the hand of your providence with
this hand, and with that hand I'll take your cup. Could we do that as God's blessed
people? You know, we're His. We belong
to Him. He is never going to give us
anything that we don't need. Never. Never. Our Father, our blessed, blessed
Savior, our master. How precious, how blessed you
are. How glorious you are in your
power. How glorious you are in your
majesty. How glorious are in your mercy
and your grace and your love. And Lord, how blessed we are
to to see you, believe you, trust
you, and willingly, by your grace,
submit to you in this world. And Lord, I thank you for the
service today. The scripture's been read, the
prayers has been prayed, the song has been sung. And I pray
for this congregation, congregation so loved, congregations so cared
for, loved by so many, cared for by so many. I pray, Lord,
that you'd put your hand over this blessed congregation, protect
them, put a shield around them. And Lord, if it would please
you, send them a pastor after your own heart, send them someone
that Lord would love them Care for them. Pray for them. Preach to them in love and grace.
Preach to them in kindness and tenderness. Preach to them with
a heart that cares for the Lord's people. Send them somebody like
that, Lord, one after your own heart. One chosen by you. And do it for your glory and
their good. We pray these things in our blessed
Savior's name. Amen. Amen. Well, thank you for
having me again. Last time I was here, it snowed. But that's okay. We had, you
know, the gospel. There's nothing like it. Nothing
like it in this world. Nothing like the word of God.
Just nothing like it. Just nothing. Nothing. Thank you very much
for allowing me to come again. Appreciate you very, very much.