COMPLETE SERMON NOTES

“I Am He” – Lunatic, Liar, or Lord?

JOHN 18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He.

Why were they looking for Him?

• John 19:7 sheds light: “The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God’.”

I AM HE –

1. The ONLY way to God – John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”

2. Gives everlasting life – John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”

These bold statements cost Him His life – lunatic, liar, or Lord?

A Liar would run for fear; a Lunatic would have been mentally ill –

Jesus Questioned by the High Priest: fast-forward to. . .19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.” 22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” 24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

I AM HE who will not be shaken – like a lamb led to the slaughter.

Many men don’t follow Christ because of perception. As a result, they are living in deception:

1. A Lamb and a Lion

2. A  Subject and a King

3. A Servant and a Conqueror

4. A Savior and a Judge                      …   Lunatic, Liar, or Lord?

Peter Denies Twice More: 25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

I AM HE who will never leave nor forsake you even though you forsake Me.

• “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“I Don’t Believe That!”- It doesn’t matter what you believe – it matters what is true.

In Pilate’s Court: 28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

I AM “the light of the world” – the world will hate you because it hates Me –

31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

• A lunatic and a liar can’t predict their exact death and fulfill it

Fast-forward to 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

a] I AM HE who bears witness of the TRUTH – I AM “the way, the truth, …

The only true gauge that humanity has ever had.

b] I AM HE who will reign and rule forever – “every knee will bow and …

• I AM NOT “A KING”… I AM THE KING!

c] “MY Sheep hear my voice…a stranger they will not follow”

• Do you follow His voice, or the voice of the crowd?

Taking the Place of Barabbas: 39 [Pilate said] “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

• I AM HE who took the place of a robber … a thief, an adulterer, a homosexual, a fonicator, a drunkard, an addict, … I took the place for you.

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8); 1 Peter 2:24—by whose stripes you were healed.”

THERE IS NO OTHER NAME THAT WILL SAVE – Amazing Grace – “how sweet the sound…”  This is why many sing it flippantly and others passionately.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus [Nothing has changed]: 19 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. 4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

• You too will find no fault in Him

Pilate’s Decision: 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” 6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” [HOLD IT RIGHT THERE – HE SAID HE WAS THE SON OF GOD] 8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

I AM HE who has ultimate power and authority – I lay it down willingly

• Who would say this to their executioner – A lunatic, a liar?

A Liar would weep; a Lunatic would not scare pilate

12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

“Hosanna” one day; crucify Him the next

• Don’t let the voice of the crowd crowd out the voice of God

The King on a Cross – 17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS…

Behold Your Mother – FAST FORWARD…25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. At 3 months – At 3 yrs. At 13 yrs. At 23 yrs. At 33 yrs.

26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

• I AM HE who has compassion on the weak and the fatherless.

It Is Finished – Turning now to Matthew: 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

• I AM the perfect sacrifice who took your place

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. 49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

The Empty Tomb

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes…

• In case you think this is all a fairytale, 11 of the 12 disciples died for this “fairytale”. No One Dies for something they know is a lie.

Because of the resurrection: “Oh death, where is your sting? Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated.”

Lunatic, Liar, or Lord – those are your only options: 2.5 Billion Follow

• Romans 10:9 [ESV], “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Closing: The real travesty is that many never answer it

“Assessing the Spiritual Maturity of Your Kids” [‘Faking the Faith’] on Family Life Today: She went on the mission field and wanted to do good things, and was a youth leader and went to Bible college. Link is here: http://familylifetoday.com/program/assessing-the-spiritual-maturity-of-your-kids/​