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- Br. Thomson B Thomas
(Borivali Assembly, 23rd March, 2025)
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Listen to complete sermon series: Divine Pleasure
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Sermon TranscriptFor our study in this last session we will read from verse 24 on till verse 29 of Colossians. 24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. May the Lord add his blessings upon the reading of this verses. At first we saw the divine pleasure and all things. In the second session we saw the divine pleasure and the believers. And in verses 19 and 20, Paul mentioned about all things in heaven and on earth. And as we noticed in verse 21, he starts with that verse, and you. So, in till 23, he has been telling about those believers. So we tie to that three verses as divine pleasure and the believers.

Now when you come to the last part of verse 23, Paul says, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. In verse 25 also he says that, whereof I am made a minister. If you read this portion, we see Paul is telling about himself. So we can give the title, the divine pleasure and Paul. Now when we say Paul, Well, we have to, when we meditate upon it, we have to think about each and every believer or about me, about us. It brings our personal responsibility before us. All things, believers, I, I Paul.

If you look at these verses 24 to 29, There are three things here. In 25-27 he tells about his own appointment. In verse 24 he tells about his afflictions. In verses 28 and 29, he tells about his accomplishments. Notice that 25 to 27 he says I am made a minister. His appointment. Verse 24 now rejoice in my sufferings his afflictions. His afflictions. 28-29 begins with this words whom we preach and he goes on like that. And there we see his accomplishment, what he fulfilled. So we are going to explain these things from this passage. Paul's Appointment as MinisterNow look at the appointment. Paul says, I became a minister. That word used for minister is diakonos. There are two words which can be translated, which are translated in the New Testament as servant or minister etc. Probably it's familiar to us. is this word Diaconos. And the other word is the word Doulos. Often used for the word bond slave.

Now if you look at these two words, we may say like this, word Doulos shows one's relationship to the master. You can use that same word. The word Dulos shows one's relationship to the master. When we come to Exodus chapter 21, there we see a Hebrew servant serving a master. After he serves for six years, he should be set free. But suppose he doesn't want to go? He comes and says, will I love my master? He comes and says that I love my master, I want to continue serving you. And in that passage we see what all that master should do to him. Then that Dullos serves him forever. There that word Dullos shows his relationship to the master, bound to the master forever.

But the word Diaconess is different. This word shows one's relationship to the work. He works for a week or a month, not forever. A person who comes to our home for temporary work this word is used. Anybody who works in a public office, this word is used. So this word shows one’s relationship to the work. Now Paul is saying, I Paul am made a minister. Twice he says that in verse 23 and in verse 25. In verse 23 it's in the context of the gospel and in verse 25 it is in relation to the ministry to the saints. So he was also given a ministry in connection to the Gospel, and he was also given a ministry to edify the church. Evangelization and edification.

So thinking about that ministry that was given to him, he tells us, I am made a minister. He was linked to that work. He was connected to that work. Committed to that work that God had given him. Because he knew that God has given him a stewardship in connection with the evangelization and edification.

One thing we should remember, When Apostle Paul tells about the work of God or God's work on the earth or wherever there is an opportunity, he always describes the ministry that God has given him by grace. There are many places that we see that. Now he has been telling about the reconciliation. Now we he is telling that, he is telling about the part that God has given to him in connection with that work. Not only here, elsewhere also we see the same order.

Come to 2nd Corinthians, that is also a passage which tells about the reconciliation. In verse 19, verse 19 of chapter 5 of 2nd Corinthians, There it says that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. He's mentioning about the reconciliation. Immediately after that he says, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Then in verse 20 he says, now then we are ambassadors of Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God. So when he says about the reconciliation, he tells about that ministry of reconciliation that God had given him.

Similarly in Colossians also, when he tells about this reconciliation, that divine pleasure, he tells about the part that is given to him also. Why am I stressing on this this much? Just to remind ourselves that we are also given a ministry in connection with this. God has not reconciled us to himself and said, okay, now you go. He has reconciled unto himself. He has given us the word of reconciliation. He has given us duty to proclaim it to others so that others may come unto that reconciliation. Just as Paul was proud about it, you and I ought to be proud about this ministry that God has given unto us.

There are many portions we can refer to like that. But let me just bring just one more portion to your attention. You know the way he describes the ministry that's given to him. First Timothy. Chapter 1. Vs 12-14. There in verse 13 he tells about his unworthiness for this ministry. See how he describes himself. I mean his past. Blasphemer. Persecutor. Injurious. Ignorant. Unbelief. And later he would say that he was first among the sinners. But verse 14 says, the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That’s in connection with the service the Lord gave him. By grace he was put in and the ministry. Tells that in verse 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry. Enabled me. Counted me faithful. Put me in the ministry.

When Paul is writing this three phrases probably he is thinking about all that is described there in chapter 9 to chapter 13 of Acts of Apostles. Enable me. That happened in chapter 9, at his conversion. He was saved. And when he was saved, at that same moment itself, spiritual gifts which was intended for fulfilling the purposes, the God's purpose for him was given to him. All that is on the way to Damascus. So that's chapter 9. Then he says he counted me faithful. From the way to Damascus, he went to Damascus. preached there in the synagogues. He went to Jerusalem. He preached there about Christ. He was sent to Cilicia. He to Cilicia. There also he preaches the gospel. It is understood that that time he planted the churches also there. And then he goes to Antioch. That takes us to chapter 11. About a year he was there. Along with Barnabas. And he preached there the word of God and taught them there also. Faithfulness. God found me faithful.

And then we see in chapter 11, Paul and Barnabas carrying the money of the church at Antioch for the saints in Jerusalem. That means the people also understood him as faithful. Otherwise they would not have sent the money with him. So he was found faithful in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men. And then at the end of chapter 12, we see them coming back from Jerusalem to Antioch. And then at the beginning of chapter 13, what do we have? Barnabas and Saul being sent for the ministry. He put me into the ministry. So these three phrases here, it summarizes chapters 9 to 13 for us. And about that putting into ministry, says this happened because of the grace of our Lord, which was exceeding abundant toward me. Personal Application and ResponsibilityDear brothers and sisters, we are also given ministry to fulfill. It is essential for us to know what is given to us and we have to commit ourselves for the fulfillment of it. And Paul was very clear about the ministry that was given to him. There in the last portion of verse 25 he says, To fulfill the word of God. Yeah, Hindi is better there. NIV says to present to you the word of God in all its fullness. Another translation says to make the word of God fully known. That was the ministry that was given to him. Bring the... the word of God to the people. There are many words that are there to explain but I am not going to touch on all that. Only remember that a stewardship was given unto him, a responsibility was given unto him and he knew that he should be found faithful in that responsibility that was given to him.

Dear brothers and sisters, there is no believer without any responsibility. Paul had a duty to the Gospel. Paul had a duty of preaching the word of God to the saints and edifying them. Probably for us, well it may be something different. But it is very essential for us to know what is the responsibility given to us, and we have to commit ourselves for the fulfilmentof that. How we know what is the responsibility given to us?

The simple way to know that is this. You have to just see what is the ability that God has given you. There are various abilities isn't it? See what is that ability that is given to you? you As I mentioned, when we are born again, the spiritual gifts are given. At the same time, when we were born, natural talents also were given. And it is our responsibility whether spiritual gifts or natural gifts we have to commit ourselves in order to use all that God has given us for the glory of him for the fulfillment of what he expects us to do.

When we come to chapter 4 of Colossians in verse 17, we see an instruction that Paul gives to a young man. There Paul is writing to Archipas there. And say to Archipas, take heed to the ministry. which thou has received in the Lord that thou fulfill it. Yeah, God has given you a ministry. Make sure that you fulfill that ministry that God has given you.

Who was this Archipus? Nothing is told here. But when you come to Philemon, there also we see a similar name. Probably it's one and the same. There in verses 1 and 2 we read like this, Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ and Timothy our brother. unto Philemon our dearly beloved and fellow laborer, and to our beloved Appiah, and Archipas fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house. Here we have three names. Philemon is there. Appiah is there. then we have our Archipas. Philemon, well, we know it's a man's name. And Appiah is the name of a female. So what would be the relationship between Philemon and Appiah? Most of the Bible students think that they are what? The husband and wife. Then we have this name Archipas occurring there. So who is this Archipas? Yeah, most probably their son.

And we understand that there was a church in their house. So he is very much familiar with all the things, the spiritual work and everything. Probably he was very much involved, you know with his father and mother in all those things. For many years he has been hearing this. For many years he has been doing you know something or the other, helping their parents. So one problem is there when we become over familiar with certain things. What problem? I have been preaching, I am giving some time to you now. What is the problem then? Familiarity brings what? Content. In his house there was an assembly. Paul comes there, Apollos comes there, they preach. So he was very familiar with everything. It seems that this young man, because of over familiarity with these things became a little cold in connection with the spiritual matters. So it was necessary for Paul to instruct him and say, take heed to thy ministry. Make sure that you finish the work that God has given you.

Dear brothers and sisters, this evening as we are together, it's very much essential to look into our own lives and see how we are responsible, how much responsible we are in connection with the ministry that God has given to us. As I mentioned this ministry just as it was for Paul, It is by grace that we have received it. We didn't deserve it. He gave it to us because of his grace. If it is by grace, it is very much essential for us to depend on his grace and fulfill the work.

As I mentioned, if you look at your own abilities, you will come to know what you have to do. For some, well, it may be the ability to teach others. Then do the teaching. For some it may be to exhort others personally. Do that. It's very much essential these days. You know that's similarly helping others. All cannot do that. If you have that desire, you have that ability, do that. Showing mercy to others. All these we have in chapter 12 of Romans. I am not going into the details of that. So understanding your ability, the special ability the Lord has given you, you will come to know what you have to do with your lives. May God help us to our mind into this and see that we finish the work that he has given us. Yes, became a minister. We connected, linked to that, rightly connected with that work that God has given to us. Paul's AfflictionsThere are many things Paul tells there, I am not going into the details of all that. Then when he tells about the appointment, He tells also about the afflictions that he underwent to fulfill it. Verse 24. Oh now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake which is the church. Yeah there he is telling that he is undergoing sufferings for the body that is the church.

When he tells about the sufferings, he explains the sufferings like this, he is filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. When we read that explanation, it will... you know, sound like the afflictions of Christ, sufferings of Christ was incomplete. Now to understand it clearly, we should remember that there are various types of sufferings for the Lord Jesus Christ.

There was his personal sufferings. Right from his childhood we see that. Because of Herod with his parents he had to run away from Bethlehem. As the righteous one living among the unrighteous ones, he suffered much. Those are all his personal sufferings. Then when you come to the Gospels, we see his sufferings from his compassion towards others. He wept when he saw the suffering of Martha and Mary. He was moved with compassion many times when he saw the people suffering. So those were his sufferings which he suffered with others. There is the suffering of anticipation or looking forward He suffered.

For example, in the garden of Gethsemane, we see him in agony there. That was, you know, looking toward that suffering that he was going to undergo on the cross of Calvary. Suffering in anticipation. Then there is the suffering of atonement. The suffering for the redemption of humanity. That is the suffering we see on the cross of Calvary. You see in that suffering for atonement or for redemption there is nothing lacking if finished that. And when Paul says that he is suffering, that suffering which Jesus Christ left behind. He is not telling about the sufferings of atonement. That he completed on the cross of Calvary. The Lord said it was finished. There is nothing left behind for anybody to suffer. And that sufferings on the cross, no human being can suffer only he could suffer being the sinless one.

So when Paul says about the suffering that's left behind, he is not telling about the suffering on the cross. But then he is telling about that personal sufferings of Christ. He is now not on the earth. Now Jesus Christ is in heaven. Or we may say that the head is in heaven and the body is on earth. That body is the church. What the world could have done to the head now the world is doing to the body. When we say to the body it means to the believers that are living. That’s the suffering that Paul is telling here. For the sake of the church for the body. For the name of Lord Jesus Christ, He suffered on this earth.

Now we should remember that every believer is given a part to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we are faithful in the ministry, definitely there shall be sufferings also. At first we saw the appointment of Apostle Paul and we saw that the care that he had for the ministry that was given to him and to fulfill that there were sufferings and he says that in that affliction so sufferings I now rejoice or he takes it as a privilege the part that God has given to him for suffering. Dear brothers and sisters are we ready to do the same thing?

God has given us a ministry to fulfill that there are afflictions and sufferings. We have to sacrifice various things. It may be the sacrifice of our time. It may be the sacrifice of our wealth. It may be the sacrifice of our health. Various things we have to sacrifice. And remember, if we sacrifice for the sake of the Lord, for His work, there is a day going to come when we shall be honored by Him.

Now one thing we have to remember, The things that we keep for ourselves while we live in this world, we are not going to take up to the presence of the Lord. Nothing we can take up there. Nothing we can take to eternity. The only thing that we can take up there is the things that we give up. for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord help us that we may know these truths and we may give ourselves to the fulfillment of what the Lord has given to us. Paul's appointment. Paul’s affliction.Paul's AccomplishmentsNow come to the last two verses. Paul's accomplishment. Verses 28 and 29. Whom we preach warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily. Here we see him explaining or describing his accomplishment, Paul's accomplishment of that ministry. Him we preach. Teaching every man and warning every man. Teaching probably is the positive instruction that he gives in the word of God. Warning maybe the negative instructions that he gives to the people. Ministry includes all this.

And about it he says, wherefore, whereunto I, labor, striving. In chapter 4, verses 12 and 13, which we considered this morning, saw the prayer of Epiphras. There he said, always laboring fervently for you in prayers. Yeah, there we see that word, fervently, laboring fervently. Here also we see the same language, Where onto I also labor. Well, there in chapter 4 it was about the prayer. Here it is about the ministry of God's word. Labor is ther in both these things. I’m not going to explain that. And he says where unto I also labor. And what is his desire? That he may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. What he means is this,

God has given me a duty of perfecting the people, His people. I am laboring to do that. I want to fulfill that work. I want to bring others to perfection. I want others to become like the Lord Jesus. And one day I want to give the account of the work that God has given to me. in the presence of the Lord. See the commitment of apostle Paul for the ministry. We can go on explaining, but I don't have to and I don't want to.

As I said, there is no believer without the ministry. Ministry may differ from one person to another. And we have to know what is given to us and we have to fulfill it. Because a day is going to come when we shall stand before the Lord and give account of our lives. We are all waiting for the coming of the Lord. Are we all waiting for the coming of the Lord? But let me tell you one thing. When you read the scriptures, it's very clearly told that there will be many people, many believers who will be ashamed at his presence. What does it mean?

There will be many who will think like this when they reach up there. Oh, we should not have come like this here. We should have prepared a little more. We should have laboured a little more. What a shame it is to come like this. I didn't do anything for the Lord. I wasted my time. I was reminded about my responsibility. But I didn't care about it. What a shame it is.

Bible tells that, I am not making stories like that. If we want to be you know happy and joyful there Now we ought to be faithful in what God has given to us. By all means fulfill the work that God has given. Bible tell us that we should prepare for the coming of the Lord. It tells us that we should love his appearing. Those are all things that we can explain but I am not going to attempt that. You know all these things mean to keep ourselves holy and fulfill the work that he has given us.

Suppose you are studying in a school. Teacher had given you assignments. And you didn't do that. Next time, next day when you go to the school, Oh, you will not have that confidence. When you are seated there in the class, somebody tells you that the teacher hasn't come today. How much happy you will be, isn't it? Good. I didn't do the assignment. Teacher didn't come. But our teacher will come. He is going to come. Anytime he may come. Even now he may come. There is nothing hindering his coming. Prepare to meet your Lord. May the Lord help us that we may put our mind to these things and do all the essential things to fulfill what God has given into our hands.ConclusionIn the last session, well, we were looking at the divine pleasure and Paul. In this last session, we have been looking at the divine pleasure and Paul after explaining that divine pleasure in reconciliation, when he is closing that section he is telling about you know that ministry in connection with that which Paul himself received in grace. What I remind to this, we are all given stewardship, we are all given responsibilities.

Let me tell you one thing. If you look at various local assemblies, it continues just because of the ministry of, you know, maybe a few people, four or five people. Praise God, it is slightly different here. But I said most of the assemblies. Just because of four or five people doing all the things, well it continues. That is not what the Lord decides. All members, brothers and sisters, everyone are given ministry. All are not supposed to preach and teach. There are varieties of spiritual gifts and are varieties of ministries. It is our duty to know what is given to us and fulfill it.

In fulfilling that there are afflictions. We have the appointment. Fulfilling that there are afflictions, but if we go through the afflictions, the third point becomes fulfilled in our lives. What was it? Come on tell me, accomplishment, finishing the work, ready for the coming of the Lord, the Lord desires that from our lives. May the Lord help us that we may put our mind into these things. Let's not be just the hearers of the word only. But let us not be the hearers of the word only. Let us be the doers of word. This is what the Lord desires from our life.

May the Lord help us that we think over these truths that we considered, you know, these two days. Not only these two days, how much we listen, isn't it? Yeah, we are blessed, you know to receive the word of God in various ways these days. There is no scarcity for the word of God. We have become masters in listening. That's good, no doubt. But be what? Doers also. So may the Lord help us that we think over these things and whatever changes we have to do in our life, let's do it, let the word transform us.

The divine pleasure for all things. The divine pleasure and the divine pleasure and Paul. Or we can say, divine pleasure and me. May the Lord bless these words into our lives.Sermon PPTThe post Divine Pleasure and Paul appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Thomson B Thomas
(Borivali Assembly, 23rd March, 2025)
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Listen to complete sermon series: Divine Pleasure
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Sermon TranscriptPraise God for this another time, the Lord has given to all of us to come together for the study of God's word. As we remembered the prayer, the word of God is so vast, it's so deep. And as we spend our time together at the feet of the Lord Jesus, may the Lord help us that we may experience the freshness and also benefit from what we are considering.

Yesterday we started the study on the divine pleasure in all things. and the pleasure we saw that it was in connection with the reconciliation of all things unto himself. Last evening we were looking at verses 19 and 20 of Colossians 1. where we saw that essential for that divine pleasure to be fulfilled. that is about the Lord Jesus Christ himself will please the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.

In a mediator, the fullness of the Godhead and the fullness of manhood all dwelt in him. was the God-man, perfect God, perfect man. And he could be the mediator between God and man. It was the essential. and we also saw truths from verse 20. and we saw that he made peace through the blood of his cross and we saw the extent of it also whether they be things in earth or things in heaven or all things are going to be reconciled unto himself and that is in the time of the fullness of the dispensation and all that we had seen from Ephesians 1 and that time we the Lord refers to as the regeneration, regeneration of the whole universe itself.

In chapter 19 and verse 28 of Matthew's gospel we had seen that. And we saw that we are also a part of this great work that the Lord is doing. It's all because of his grace. Now to continue with our study we will turn to Colossians 1 and read verses 21 to 23.

Colossians 1 verses 21 to 23: "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through the death, through death to present you holy and blameless and a bow reproach in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

May the Lord add His blessings upon thee.

In the verses that we considered yesterday, it was about all things. all things in heaven and earth. But see how verse 21 begins, "And you" and you. Now Paul is coming to you know the believers. He is going to tell about their reconciliation, what God has done in their life and that he explains in this passage we read just now 21 to 23.

The title that I given for these three verses is the divine pleasure and believers. Yesterday it was the divine pleasure in all things or for all things. Here it is the divine pleasure and believers. He is here specifically telling about that reconciliation that God through his son has brought in the life of the believers.

Now when you look at this passage, verses 21 and 22, there we see the account of reconciliation, or he tells what all has happened. And after that in verse 23, he tells about the proof or the evidence of reconciliation. the account and the evidence.

As I mentioned when it says and you, Paul is mentioning about the believers there in Colossae. God worked through the gospel, through his son in your life. As I mentioned in the morning, Paul had never visited this place. We don't find Colossae in the missionary journeys of Apostle Paul, but God miraculously worked in the life of these Colossians. God brought elements in place so that this gospel that went to all the earth, everywhere in the world, would reach this Lycus valley also. Colossi, Herapolis and Laodicea. God worked for them. And so Paul is telling, and you. And you.

Now this evening as we are together, what a blessed thing it is to remember that God worked in our lives also. God worked in our lives also. Just imagine, in the first century itself, in the middle of that first century itself, that gospel that got started, preached in Jerusalem, reached our nation also. And just imagine when there lot of people around, well it raised our homes, it raised our lives. And you! when you were telling about the everything, all things, it was about all the creation. But the blessed thing to remember is this, in that work of God for all creation, we are also there and you.

Now when you come to chapter 1 verses 5 and 6 there also Paul tells about these things the spread of the gospel in all the world he says "for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel which is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth." It's the same thing. and you.Four Aspects of Reconciliation in the New TestamentNow when you come to the New Testament, we see that there are various aspects, rather four aspects in reconciliation. Number one, there is a reconciliation between man to man. In Matthew's Gospel 5.24, for 23 and 24 we see that, in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He says about a man coming to the altar to offer sacrifice, and there he remembers some problem that another brother had with him, and the Lord says what he should do, what he should do.

What you should do? Did the Lord say, okay, you come all the way here, you have paid the auto rickshaw and all that you have come here with these things. Now do one thing, you offer it this week, next week when you come, well see that it's reconciled. Is that what the Lord said? No, the Lord said, leave it there. I will take care of it till you come back. Those things are not in the Bible. Okay, we are just adding something or the other to explain. All right, so leave it there, go, reconcile and come. and offer. That's the order. Not going to explain. That's man to man.

And when you come to Ephesians 2.14, there the Lord, Paul says that he had made both one. And that both there is the Jews and the Gentiles. We call it as a racial reconciliation. Two races, Jews and the Gentiles. They are brought one. in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the second level or rather the second aspect.

And when you come to Colossians 1.21, the portion that we are considering, that's between man and God. And then when you come to Colossians 1.20, that's about all things, the thing that we considered yesterday. So today it is about the third thing which I mentioned, man and God. It's about you and I.

As we considered yesterday also, because of sin, we were separated from God. But now God worked through the Lord Jesus Christ and we are brought night to Him, reconciled to Him. Now let's look at this portion and see what is the account He gives about this reconciliation.The Account of Reconciliation (Verses 21-22) Verses 21 and 22. There are three things there about this reconciliation. Paul tells about their past, We can see our own past there. He tells about the present and then he tells about the purpose also in that reconciliation.The PastLook at the past, after saying, and you, he tells two things about them. Number one, you were sometimes alienated. Number two, enemies in your mind.

Alienated. Translation says, having become permanently estranged. separated. Another one has explained it like this, that word elated, transferred to another owner. We belong to God, but then we got transferred to a never owner Satan, but in reconciliation that again we are brought back to God. So in the past we were, we belong to Satan. transferred to another honor. That was our past, alienated.

When you come to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 12, we see the same word occurring. There also Paul is explaining about our past, that at that time, we were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise. having no hope and without God in the world. Notice that we were aliens. Doesn't mean that we were aliens from another planet, it's not that, but it just means we are separated. Separated from God.

In chapter 4 and verse 18, there are two, we see the same word used, 4 and 18, there we read like this, having the understanding, darkened being, alienated from the life of God through ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. All this speaks about, you know, the separation that we were in, you know, in the past. We were separated, permanently estranged.

The second one, the enemies in your mind, the enemies in your mind. We were not only separated, but we were enemies. Now Paul is not telling that we were enemies only, but enemies in your mind. It means with our heart, with our inwards, we hated God. All enemies are not enemies in mind, in their minds.

I've read about these politicians. know the politicians, when they preach from the pulpit or rather from the stage, well they tell lot of things against the people in the other party. But it's told that in their personal life, what? They are all very friends, very good friends, very thick friends. Enemies outwardly but inwardly they are friends.

You remember when you come to Exodus, We see Moses when he was 40 years of age, he went outside to see how his people were faring and he saw one Egyptian and the Hebrew fighting and we know what happened. He delivered that Hebrew from the hands of that Egyptian. He killed the Egyptian and buried him. And next day when he went out, he saw two Hebrews fighting and he thought that he will reconcile both of them and he went near. And what did the man say? What did they say? Yesterday you did that and today you going to come and do the same thing with us also. He thought that they were enemies but what? When he went there, they became one. Not enemies in the heart.

But you see we were at enmity with God not just at enmity with God but with our heart we hated him because we belong to another honor. We belong to another honor. And that inimity Paul explains like this The last portion, yeah, the next part of that verse, enemies in your mind by wicked works, by wicked works. That enemies in your mind is explained in another rendering like this, enemies in the way of thinking, mind. Well, that's the faculty with which you think. So in your thought itself, you are at enmity with God and that wrong thinking. You know, it leads to wrong works. And what is the wrong works? Paul explains it as wicked works. That explains our past. We were wicked within, so what came out from us were wickedness.

When we come to Ephesians chapter five, Ephesians chapter five. There we see apostle Paul telling about our works in the past. Look at verse 11. There he tells us that, mean, he mentions about the works of darkness, works of darkness. Now the phrase that we are considering is that works of wickedness, of wicked works. Here it is the works of darkness. It's one and the same. We were in darkness.Three Levels of DarknessIf you look at the New Testament in connection with the darkness or wickedness, we see three levels to it. In Colossians 1.13 we are told that we were in darkness. And when you come to 2nd Corinthians 4,4, are told that within us it was darkened. The God of this world darkened our eyes, inner eyes. So inside it was dark. And when you come to Ephesians 5 and verse 8, there we are told that he were sometimes what? Darkness.

The first one was we were in darkness. The second thing I said was, inside us it was darkness and now Paul is telling we were in dark, rather we were darkness. It tells about the three levels of darkness that was there in our past life, in our unconverted states. Darkness was inside us. We were in darkness. But when it says we were darkness, it's a superlative degree. It goes beyond all the other two.

Suppose there is no light here, suddenly, you the power goes off. There are a lot of things here. It will be in darkness. And within and inside it also, it will be darkness. But this pulpit and all the things will be whatever it is. We cannot say that is darkness. It is in darkness Within it is it is darkness, but this remains the same pulpit remains the same It's wood and other things isn't it? But suppose some process happens and this becomes the part of darkness around then we can say that this became darkness.

So Paul is telling we wear darkness. What it means is, well in our unconverted stage, before we came to the Lord Jesus Christ, or to choose the same terminology that we are using, before that reconciliation happened in our life, we were actually part of that darkness that was around us. We were providing for the thickness of the darkness around us. In sinful life, wicked works or works of darkness.

But what a blessed thing it is to remember that. That position, that disposition, that condition, it's past. by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, or rather by the work of God through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.The PresentNow come to the present. What is Paul telling about the present? Now when you look at verse 21, there we see at the last portion of it, yet now hath he reconciled. Yet now hath he reconciled. The beginning of verse 22, in the body of his flesh through death.

Now if you look at this portion, well, we see the truth that we considered yesterday also. That is about the reconciliation. I don't have to repeat that. He has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death. About the means of reconciliation we had seen yesterday. Now yesterday when Paul said that, he was applying that to all things. But here it is about and you, that is the believers. About you and I.

Paul very carefully uses that word the body of his flesh. There was no need to use that phrase at all. But he carefully uses that word, the body of his flesh, that may be an attack on the false teachers that was troubling those believers, Colossian believers. Those false teachers were called as Gnostics. The teaching was called as Gnosticism. It was a mix of various things. Jewish ideas were there, Oriental philosophies were there in it. Grecian philosophies were there in it. Lot of things were there. It was a mix of all these things.

One of their important teachings was that the matter is evil. The matter is evil. That means all that you see around is evil. So they said it's not created by a holy god. And not only that, they rejected the truth of incarnation. They said a holy god cannot come. in the flesh. Flesh is matter after all. So he cannot come in a flesh, human flesh, because it is sinful. That is what they taught. All matter is sinful. So incarnation is impossible. That was their teaching. Many people went after it.

Maybe to attack them, to rebuke them, he is using this body of his flesh. Reconciliation happened through the body of his flesh. It's real. Not only here, we see in other portions also, the writers trying to, laboring to, you know, impress this truth upon the readers.

In 1st John 1,1 we read like this, that which was from the beginning, which we have, what? Heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life and it goes on like that. Why so much descriptions? Just for this purpose. What is it? There were people who rejected the humanity of Jesus Christ. They said what the disciples saw was just an illusion. It was not real. By giving this description, they are proving that it was real. We have handled it. Oh, we touched that body. We heard from him. We saw it. is for the same purpose that Paul is using this expression over here also. In the body of his flesh through death. Now he has reconciled.

When we come to Hebrew chapter two, verse 14, familiar verse. There we read like this, the writer says like this, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. That is the devil. as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. The children here is the believers, you and I. We were partakers of flesh and blood. flesh and blood and we are told that Jesus Christ took part of the same.

I want you to notice one thing there. When it says partakers of flesh and blood about the believers, about the children there, mentioned there, there the word used for partakers is different from the word used for the Lord Jesus Christ. There it says himself likewise took part. For that word took part, the word used is different.

The word used for our partaking in the flesh and blood is the word koinonia. We know the meaning of that word koinonia. What does it mean? Yeah, fellowship, fellowship. In fact, an unlimited fellowship. A fellowship without any limits. But when it comes to the matter of the Lord Jesus Christ, where it says, He also Himself likewise took part of the same. Took part of the same means took part of the flesh and blood. Flesh and blood speaks about the life in the body.

When it says that He took part of the same, the word used for took part is different. Here the word used is metacos, different from koinonia. Of course, koinayaniya is familiar to us. This word which I said now may not be familiar with us. The word metacos means fellowship only, but fellowship with limitation. Fellowship with limitation. Koinayaniya is fellowship without any limitation. Unlimited fellowship.

We were living in unlimited fellowship with a life in the body. Enjoying the life in the body. enjoying the desires of the body, going after the lust of the flesh. We referred to it earlier when we referred to that wicked works. We were in darkness, part of the darkness around us.But when the Lord Jesus Christ came, He also took part of the same, but it was not going on here, but Metacos, limited fellowship. What was the limit there? What was the limit there? When He took upon Him the flesh, it was without what? Sin, it was without sin.

And the important thing we see over there is he came in the flesh to die for us on the cross. In the earlier part of that same chapter, Hebrew chapter 2, we see that he became now lesser than the angels. In what way? Angels, their spirit beings. But Jesus took upon him the body. In what way? I for what purpose? To die without the body. Death would not have been, you know, possible. He took the human body, real body, and because of that he could die on the cross of Calvary. And through that death on the cross of Calvary, our problem, sin problem, we have seen that yesterday, is purged. sorted out soon forever.The PurposeNow look at the purpose. Now look at the purpose. To present you what? Holy, blameless and above reproach in His sight. Three things, holy, blameless and irreproachable. to present to you holy. What does that indicate?

When you come to the New Testament, there are four kinds of presentations, familiar to us. Number one, Romans 12.1, present your what? Bodies, present your bodies. That calls for a life of surrender. Present your bodies. And then when you come to Colossians 1.28, there we see the mention of another presentation. Paul says, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. We may present every man in Christ Jesus with all perfection. He will explain it later.

Now when you come to Ephesians 5.27 there we see the third kind of presentation, presenting the Church unto Himself, unto Himself. And then lastly, presenting the Church before the Father that you have in 1 Thessalonians 3.13. Presenting the Church before the Father. Now when Paul says that the purpose of this reconciliation is to present us holy, most probably the last two are implied. What are the last two? Now what are the last two? Presenting the church unto himself and not only that, presenting us before the father.

To present you holy. Now we'll read that Ephesians chapter 5 verse 26 and 27. There we read like this that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious search not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. Same language we see over here also. And here it says that he is going to present us unto himself.

When shall this happen? Most probably it refers to the time after the rapture. We shall be taken up and after that we shall be brought before the what? What's going to happen after the rapture? Yeah, the bimah, the judgment seat of Christ. We shall all stand before him, the Lord Jesus Christ. He shall, you know, examine our works. And that is for rewarding. I don't have to go into the details of it. We know it. So we are going to stand before him. Probably this refers to that. We are going to stand before him. And after that, shall happen?

Coming to 1 Thessalonians, chapter three. verses 12 and there we read like this and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you to the end that he may establish you your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Here Paul is taking to the time when the Lord Jesus Christ is going to come with all his saints.

When shall that happen? Yeah, the glorious appearance. Yesterday also we had referred to that. So we shall be taken up, we shall stand before the Bima, the judgment seat of Christ and we shall be holy and without blame, I mean without blame and irreproachable and we shall stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. This shall happen in the mid-air and after rewarding, then the Lord shall take us where? Come on, you should know it. Yeah, to the father's house. Oh, we shall be taken to heaven.

And there the Lord shall present us before the father. And this refers to that. To the end, he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, our father, even our father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. So we shall be taken up to heaven and we shall be presented by the son to the father. And then he shall receive us back from the father and come towards this earth. That's what we call as the glorious appearance. So this to present you holy includes all this. to present you wholly before Him and not only that, before the Father. See the scope of the reconciliation. See the great purpose he has in doing all these things.

To present you holy and not only that the second one is blameless, blameless. is told that it can be translated as unblemished. a word often used in connection with the sacrificial animals in the Old Testament. We know it. They should be what? Without blemish. They should be without blemish. That which is with blemish is not acceptable. So when it says that we should be blameless or we should be without blemish, well it means he is making us acceptable in a sight. not only acceptable, you know, our person, but what we do for the Lord also. Our Life and Service!

And now coming to the third one, what is the third one we have there? Above reproach. Above reproach. Irreproachable. That means the purpose of that reconciliation is, you know, that we would be in a condition where none would be able to bring any reproach against us. Irreproachable.

Now when we say that the Lord is making us irreproachable, we should remember that there is somebody who is trying to what? Bring charges against us. Let's turn to Romans, Romans chapter eight. Familiar verses, but it is good to read it. Romans chapter eight, look at verses 33 and 34. There we read like this, who shall lay anything to the charge of God select? It is God that justifies Who is he that contemneth It is Christ that died Here rather that is risen again Who is even at the right hand of God Who also maketh intercession for us.

Notice the first part rather verse 33 says Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect Paul is challenging anyone who brings any charge against the elect Against the believers Who is he that brings any charge against the elect Means they're irreproachable!

When you come to Revelation chapter 12, verse 10, there we see about a person in heaven who is always in the business of bringing charges against whom? about the believers. He is called as what? Accuser, accuser. And he brings accusers against you and I. What accusation is bringing there? What charges is bringing there against us? When we do any wrong here, any sin here, He makes it public there. He goes to God and says this is what He done. Why is He telling that? Why is he telling that why this accusation? most probably to claim you and I as, you know, his own. See what he has done. He belongs to me, not to you.

When you read the epistle of Jude, there we see that Satan even fought for what? For the body of Moses. Seymour brought some charges against Moses. He did that, he did this. How can you, God, go and bury this body? This body belongs to me. This body belongs to me, I should bury. It belongs to me. Why are you burying it? He might have brought those charges against God or rather Moses. And like that always, the charges are being brought against the elect there in the presence of God.

God is there, the sun is there, the spirit is there. They all know that sometimes we call some of the failures in our life as secret sins, but there is no sins called what? Secret sins. It's all public there, all angels know that. All the saints there knows that. All the three persons in the Trinity knows that. It's made public. Even the fallen angels also may be knowing that. He may be telling that among them also. So there is an accuser there. bringing charges against the people who belongs to God.

Now Paul is telling, who shall lay anything to the charge of God select? It is God that What is it? Next word. Justify it. Justify it. If there is a ready accuser there in the presence of God, we should remember that we have a ready advocate also there. As we see in 1st John chapter 2 verses 1 and 2, it is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He lives for us there. Justifying us.

Now notice here Paul is using this word in the present tense. It is God that Justified, not justified, but justified. Just look at verse 30, there also we see the same word, but in a different tense, verse 30, moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also, what? Justified, in past tense, justified. This happens when we are born again. We are justified.

What is justification by the way? Yeah, it's declaration that we are righteous. It's more than forgiveness. When God forgives our sins, well, that means we had sinned and we are forgiven. cleansing and putting the sin behind and all that we see. Now every other thing we had sinned. But when we look at this blessing of justification, well, heaven declares that we have never sinned at all. It's something that we cannot believe. Just think about it. It's about you and I. Heaven declares that we have never sinned at all. It's because of the Lord Jesus Christ. He comes in and says, no, I did it. He took it all upon Him and He put His righteousness upon us. And because of that, we are declared righteous. That is justified.

But when it comes to verse 33, it is not justified in past tense, but is using the present tense. The work, the same work is being, you know, is continuing in the presence of God even now. We are being justified! That means when we do some wrong here, well the accuser is there, but the Lord Jesus Christ comes in as a ready advocate and pleads for us. On what basis that is what we see there in verse 34, who is that condemneth, it is Christ that died, here rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Notice that there is a reference to his death there, his resurrection there. and this incessant reward there. He lives there for us. So we are irreprosible.

When we come to Secularity Chapter 3, familiar things to us. There's a good example there. The High Priest Joshua we see there. And he had filthy garments. High Priest Joshua there stands for, you know, the representation of God's people. And that filthy garments tells about their unholy lives. Wickedness or rather wicked words as we saw here. Don't have to go into the details of that. But then Satan there also accuses him. But then what it gonna do? removed that filthy garments, made him holy. It is the same thing we find over here also. God is making us irreproachable. When the enemy comes with the charges, he finds solution for that in the work that Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross of Calvary.

Presenting us holy, that's number one. And secondly, unblemished, without blemish. And thirdly, about reproach that's about you and I what a blessed thing it is for us. all included in that work of reconciliation, in the work of reconciliation. That's the account of reconciliation we have over here. Our past, our present and the purpose. The past, alienated. enemies with our minds. The present, he has reconciled. That word used there for reconciled is not the ordinary word used, but a strengthened word. More powerful word, same, but with some additions. Not going to explain that. He has reconciled us by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we saw the purpose, three things, to make us holy, blameless, and devour reproach.

When we consider this, we should remember that it's about us. It's about us. We are in this blessings. They should not remain like some abstract things in our mind. It's about us.

Now when I say about the justification, the present aspect of the justification, I should say one more thing and that is this. When we speak about, you know, the eternal security of our salvation and this justifying work of God in the presence of the Father and all that we may think that then if that's going on there, then why should I very much worry about the what? holy life and sin that happens in my life and all. I can live anyhow. Such thoughts should not come in our mind at all. It's not a license to live loose life.

I often give this explanation. Just think about a little boy. He goes out to play and comes back with all dirt in his body, you know, playing in the mud and slush and all. And when he comes back, he gets a scolding from his mother. But then she lovingly take him to the washroom, gives him a good bath. And every day this happens. What the child should learn from that? Should he think like that? Okay. My mummy likes to wash me, to bath me. That's why she is doing this every day. When I come unclean, well, she removes. She takes me to washroom and gives me a good bath and all that. She is very loving. She likes to clean me. So I should every day go and what? What? Play in the mud. Come dirty. Is that what the child should understand?

No, the child should understand like this. my mummy doesn't like even a what? Even a spot of dirt on my body. She wants me to live what? Clean. That's the same idea we should have here also. He lives for us there. He is justifying us. And the blood that... That shed of the cross of Calvary, is sufficient for the cleansing of all our present cleansing holiness. It's true. Provision is there. That doesn't mean that we can live anyhow. That work of the Lord should encourage us to live holily. If such desire for holiness is not happening within your heart, in your mind, just sit and think whether you are really what. Tell me.The Proof of Reconciliation (Verse 23) Let's move forward to verse 23, the proof, the proof of reconciliation. We saw the account now coming to the proof. What is the proof? if we continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister.

Notice that we should continue in the faith. We should continue in the faith. That's how we prove that we are reconciled. That's how we prove that we are saved.What is "The Faith"?What is the faith? the new testament we come across this word faith quite often but at least four ideas four meanings are there for that word faith.Number one, speaks of trusting God. When we speak about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, means trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. Their faith means trusting God.

In some places the word faith is used for faithfulness also. especially in first Timothy chapter 6 verse 12 I think when it says that we should follow faith that means we should follow faithfulness or have faithfulness in our life. So there are places where that word is used in that sense also, faithfulness.

But in some places we see it being in our use for the Word of God, the Word of God. Specially in English when it comes with that article, the faith, it refers to the Word of God, the Word of God. For example, coming to Jude, verse 3, there are many portions, we'll just read that verse which is very easy to understand. Jude, verse 3, beloved, When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was need for me to write unto you and to exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for what? The faith, the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. There the word speaks about the word of God, the doctrines.

So here also it is the word the faith, faith with the article, the faith. It refers to the word of God. It refers to the gospel. It refers to the teachings that were given to the believers. And as I said earlier, Colossians were drifting away from it. They were not standing firm.

Now notice that Paul is telling, if we continue in the faith grounded and settled. grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Notice that grounded and settled and be not moved away that itself implies that there are many forces around us to unsettle us. Among the Colossians, it was false teachings. As I mentioned in the morning also, there are a lot of false teachings among us. Even among the assemblies in India, there are people who deny the truth of Trinity also. Maybe surprising to us.

And there are people among us who deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know an elder who doesn't believe in the inspiration of the scriptures. He says that Paul was a human being, he wrote it. How can you say that? It is perfect. Because Paul was imperfect. He is an elder of an assembly. Let me tell you that. And these things were not there in the past. It is in this generation that we see all this. Young people are confused. We're not making stories. is very much essential to continue in the faith.

We often say like this, continuance is the what? Proof of reality. We prove that we are real by continuing. Continuing in what? Continuing in the faith. As I said, there are lot of things that tries to unsettle us. That's why he is telling grounded and settled and be not moved away. Just think about yourself sitting on a chair and somebody coming and trying to push you and make you fall down. Spiritually these are happening. And here Paul is telling, well there are things around you, forces around you, but stay put. Don't have anything to push you down! So that is the proof of reconciliation.

The proof of reconciliation that is to continuing in the faith. May the Lord help us that we may continue in the word of God and to continue in the word of God. You should know what is the word of God, what is in it. You should know the doctrines. You should study it. You should be sure about it. Nobody is asking us to have these things blindly in our life. No, we have to study it and make sure about the truths that we are holding. Why we hold certain things? These things we should understand. In the local assemblies such teachings ought to be there. In many assemblies it is not there.

May the Lord help us that we may understand these truths. Yes, we were looking at the divine pleasure and the believers. As I mentioned, they are in verse 20, 21 he says and you and you what was there in the verses about that all things all things now 21 to 23 it's about the believers and you we saw the account of the reconciliation and we saw the proof of the reconciliation what is the account of the reconciliation Paul tells about their past and secondly Paul tells about their what present and Paul tells about the purpose of the reconciliation also and Then we saw the proof of it.

What is the proof of it? What is the proof of it? Comment down Just trying to understand that you understood. How? How do we prove? If you don't give the answer, next hour also I will take the same thing. Yeah, continuance is the proof of reality. We have to continue in the faith. We have to continue in the faith. If we don't continue in the faith, what? We will lose our salvation? Is that the meaning of it? If you don't continue in faith, does it mean that your salvation will be lost?

Now, if you discontinue, you're proving that you are not what? Born again at all. Once saved, you're saved forever. But that is only if you are truly saved. Salvation that God has given us is permanent. None can take it away. Satan or the world or self or nothing can take it away. The Lord has secured it, no doubt about that. But what we are saying is, we prove that we are real by continuing. If discontinuance is there, well, that proves that we were never part of these blessings. We were never reconciled.

May the Lord help us that we may understand these truths and also let us prove by our life that we are reconciled. Continue in the faith. As I said, there are a lot of, you know, waves and winds around us to unsettle us, but let us stay put. Let's continue steadily, consistently as we saw in the morning also. That is what is expected from us. May the Lord help that these truths that we consider would be an encouragement to Continue and prove that we are the saved ones. May the Lord bless these words into our lives.The post Divine Pleasure in Believers appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Thomson B Thomas
(Borivali Assembly, 22nd March, 2025)
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Sermon TranscriptAnd I praise God once again for the time the Lord has given all of us together like this. The topic that is announced is the divine pleasure for all things. The divine pleasure for all things. You may be wondering what it is.

When you come to Colossians chapter 1, we see about the divine pleasure. We see about the divine pleasure there mentioned in verse 19. I hope you know it by heart. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, by Him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. There in verse 19, we see the mention of the pleasure of the father. It pleased the father. And that statement should not end in verse 19. It should continue in verse 20.

In NKJ we read like this, For it pleased the father that in him all fullness should dwell and by him, what? To reconcile all things to himself. There we have the pleasure of God. What is the pleasure of God? To reconcile all things to himself. There we have the divine pleasure for all things.

In fact, beginning from verse 19 till the end of that chapter till verse 29, Paul is bringing before us various aspects of it in its cosmic aspect and in relationship to the church and also in relationship to individuals. God willing, today and tomorrow evenings, we will be dwelling upon that. It's my desire that these truths that we would be sharing would be helpful to all of us.

In fact, when Brother Rajan contacted me and asked me for a topic, Well, these were the portions that were going through my mind. So I gave it, you know, gave this as the topic, thinking that it would be a blessing to all of us.

Now, Paul is writing this. Paul had never met Colossian believers until, you know, he was writing this. We have the mention of it in chapter two. He says, for I would that you know, you knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Leviticia. So, He had never met them. And the remaining portion of verse one says, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.

Then how these people came to the Lord is not clearly told, but when you read this episode, we see Epiphras was their minister. And it's understood that it is through Epiphras that they came to the Lord. And how Epiphras came to the Lord? that also we are not clear, clearly it's not told anywhere, but the assumption is this, in chapter 19 of Acts, we see Paul ministering for about three years in Ephesus. Colossi was a place near to Ephesus, some hundred miles apart, that's it.

And people from neighboring places used to come to Ephesus. It was a very important place commercially. So for anything business-wise, well, they used to come there. So probably this young man Epiphras also came there. And Paul was preaching the gospel there and he might have heard the gospel from Paul and he was converted there and he had a burden for his own place.

And he came back to Colossi, preached there the gospel by God's grace. God separated a company of people in Colossi. And from there he moved to Herapolis. There also a church was planted. And from there to LaVadicia, there also one church was planted. You have the mention of all these names in chapter four. It's understood that these places, of course, these places are all in the valley of Lycus river in Asia minor in Turkey. So God used this young man mightily.

But then problems came up later on. The problems were in the form of false teachings. And those false teachings are often called as Gnosticism. Gnosticism is a teaching which belittles the Lord Jesus Christ. And Epaphras could not sort out all the problems. She traveled all the way from Colossae to Rome. In Rome, Paul was imprisoned about 1,300 miles, might have traveled through road, might have traveled through sea, at last see when they shared the problems and Paul with a burden for these people whom he had never met, he prayed for them and not only that prayer we have in the beginning of that chapter one and not only that, he wrote to them or he shared with them these truths so that they may be brought back to the right track.

And if those false teachings were belittling the Lord Jesus Christ, it was essential for Paul to present the Lord Jesus Christ in his all, in his glories. And when you read Colossians, that's exactly we see here. Christ being presented in his all glory, in all his beauties. And if you want to know truths about the Lord Jesus, well, you cannot avoid the study on the book of Colossians.

And when he is telling all these things, he comes to this work of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. This topic of reconciliation, which was the pleasure of God to bring all things unto himself, reconciled unto himself. That's the desire of God. That is the pleasure of God. That is the divine pleasure for all things. And after telling about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, just in the verses just about that, He is telling about this work of God through the Lord Jesus Christ in fulfilling His pleasure. And that is the portion that we have chosen for our consideration for this special classes.

Now come to this two verses. As I mentioned, the pleasure we have there in verse 20, to reconcile all things to himself. When we come to chapter three of Genesis, We see the separation because of the original fall. I don't have to explain that. Man separated from God? Remember Adam hiding, Eve hiding. Man separated from man. Remember what he mentioned about Eve. person whom you gave to be with me she gave and eat instead of telling Eve that's what he said So there is a separation between man and man. And then there is a separation between man and the beast, the kingdom of beasts. And not only that, there is a separation between man and his environment also. The earth not yielding the things and all that, I don't have to go into the explanation and all that.

So there are many, you know, separations we see over there. Enemity is entering in. Now reconciliation is to remove that enmity and to bring everything to enmity. Reconciliation is to bring two things which are in two different levels and to make it into the same level that which has turned away from God. Now God is after that working out his will so that all things may be reconciled to him. The process is still going on and be a part in it.

I want you to notice one thing when we say this. Notice what Paul says there in the beginning of verse 19, it pleased the father. Notice that, father. King James version has given it as father and to let us know that that is just added by the translators, it is given in italics. Other translations are given it as God. In fact, in the original, it is neither father nor God. The subject is not there at all. It's the work of the divine or the deity. So the translators have added it as it is necessary. Let us stick with this word that KJV uses, father. that shows His affection to us, His love for us. And that is what makes him move forward to reconcile all things unto himself. He is our father.

Fatherhood of God is seen in various ways in the scripture. He is the father of the son by nature. He is the father of God's children, the believers by grace. He is the father of the people of Israel, nationally. And He is the father of all, by creation and providence. He is the father. So here Paul presents that word father as I said that implies his affection loud toward us. It is that which moves him to do this or I mean fulfill this desire that he has to reconcile all things unto himself.

Now there are some theologians who are called as deists. The teaching is called as deism. What they teach is God is separated from man. God is no more interested in his creation. They explain God created all things, but then when all fell in sin, He is no more interested in the creation. He has turned His back toward it. But when you come to the scripture, we see that God is not like that. He is not separated from the creation. Of course, sin has brought a separation, no doubt, but still His mind is on us. His affection is toward the creation. He is after us. Right from chapter three of Genesis, we see that. I don't have to go into the explanation of it.

So here we have that word, Father. In all His affection toward us, in all His love toward us, He is bringing us back to Him, all creation back to Him, reconciled to Him.

Now, when you come to chapter five of Romans, we won't read that. And when you read second Corinthians chapter five, I think verse 17 onwards, We see about the truths of reconciliation. Paul presents this truth there also. And when you read it, well, it is very clear that it is all from God. When he says that he says, all things are of God. That's our father. God was in Christ, what? Reconciling us. So it is from him. He is the authentic one. Still, in love and affection, father comes after the creation. That's His pleasure. That's His pleasure. Pressure for all things. And He is fulfilling that now.

Having seen this introductory things, let's come to that verses that we read. Verses 19 and 20. In connection with this truth that we are considering, there are about three things. Number one, it's essential or the essential for the fulfillment of the pleasure. And secondly, it's extend or what all are in view in this reconciliation. It's extend and after that it's means. It's means. the essentials, the extent, and its means.

Now look at the essential, we have it in verse 19, For it pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell, And by him to reconcile. Buy him! immediate to what's essential. and God found Christ as the mediator. It pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell. What is this all fullness? fullness have to do with God's nature. All the nature of God dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Come to chapter 2 verse 9. There we see Paul telling about that. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. When you say bodily that refers to Christ in his body, Christ as one who lived on the earth. the Incarnate Christ means even when He came to this earth in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt. What is the fullness of the Godhead? All the nature, all the attributes of God, all the attributes of God dwelt in Christ Jesus. He was fully God! But come back to verse 19, there it doesn't say about the fullness of God, but it says, all fullness. If he is only God means if he has only the fullness of Godhead, well he cannot stand between God and man. The fullness of manhood also should be there in him.

Probably when Paul says all fullness in general, he has this also in his mind. Jesus Christ full of manhood or full of the nature of man and full of nature of Godhead. Manhood and Godhead coming together in him. He is the Godman. That makes him the mediator of mediator between God and man. As we see in 1st Timothy chapter 2 and verse 5, there we see him being called as the mediator and that who is that mediator? The man Christ Jesus, the man Christ, Jesus to stand before the creation and stand between the creation and God. It was necessary for him to become man or God man was necessary. This all fullness has all that in that. The fullness of manhood and the fullness of Godhood also.

You remember the ladder? in the vision, the dream of Jacob. set on the earth and his end reached the heaven connecting heaven and earth. 1st John 1,51, the Lord told to the disciples, you shall see greater things than this. And He said, you shall see the angels ascending and descending on whom? On the son of man. The Lord was connecting Himself to the chapter 28 of Genesis. He is the ladder, the son of man is the ladder connecting heaven and earth, connecting the father and the humanity. And in chapter 14 of John's gospel, the Lord said, am the way, again, the way connects two places. In all this portions, there are many other things also which we can say we are not going into all that. In all this, we see the same truth. He is the mediator. He is the mediator. He had to be God man. And we see that in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, for it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell and by Him to reconcile. Immediate was essential and we see Him being qualified for that, Lord Jesus Christ.

Now when we come to Ephesians chapter 1, we see Paul putting these truths in a different way. I hope you know that Ephesians and Colossians were written at the same time. Many of the ideas you have in Colossians, you have in Ephesians also. And in fact, many of the terminologies are also similar. Come to Ephesians chapter 1 and look at verses 9 and 10. verses nine and 10, they will read like this, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, you see the good pleasure is there again, according to the good pleasure which he purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might what? Gather together in one, all things in Christ. both which are in heaven and which are on the earth in Him. It's the same thing. Put it a different way.

Notice that he might gather together, gather together. That word gathered together is an interesting phrase. Suppose you put some numbers and you know add it together and under that you will put a line and you will put the total there. The word use for that is used over here. Gathered together in that one number the total you know all the numbers are what? Included. That's Christ. in Him all things are going to be gathered together. And the process is going on.

Now let's come to the second point. In the second point say we have to see the extent, the extent or who all are you know in this view. Whether things on earth or things in heaven. Whether things on earth or things in heaven means all creation. The saints have been praying always, their desire have been always this, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It's going to happen one day. And that is what is referred in that time is referred to in Ephesians chapter 1, the fullness of the dispensation of the time.

When you come to chapter 19 of 28, it's Matthew's gospel. Chapter 19 of Matthew's gospel and verse 28, there we see the Lord, you know, telling about the same time when all these things have happened. In verse 28, we read like this, and Jesus said unto them, verily I say unto you that ye which follow me in the regeneration, When the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, he also shall sit upon the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." There are a lot of things we can see there, but I just want you to notice that one word, in the regeneration. in the regeneration.

What is regeneration? We have the explanation of regeneration in various places in the scripture, especially John's gospel, John's writings. But the word regeneration itself occurs only twice in the scripture. One is here and the other one is in Titus, Titus chapter three, Titus chapter three. There in verse five, we see the mention of it. There we read like this, not by works of righteousness, which we have done. But according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration. These are the only places, two places where we have that word regeneration occurring. But these two things here are different.

In chapter three of Titus, this is about the, you know, being born again, our salvation. Regeneration, it simply means, you know, beginning, I mean, a new beginning. A new beginning. So that is, you know, our Christian life, you know, starting the salvation. It refers to that salvation when we receive that new life from God. That is regeneration. So in chapter three verse five of Titus, it refers to the believers, individual believers. It's about our regeneration.

But when you come to Matthew's gospel, chapter 19 and 20, it's not about that. It's about regeneration of all things. the things that we are considering now. You often call it as the cosmic regeneration. All things are going to become new. He is going to make everything new. There are many portions we can refer to. I don't have to go into all that. So the Lord is working toward that end. Then the will of God will be applied over this earth also.

Now things are going out of control. We don't see everything according to the will of God. It's not in the way of God. It is out of His control. Rather I should say that it is in the hand of are the enemy there is nothing out of control for God no doubt about it but it is in the control of enemy now God has allowed it but it is not going to continue forever He shall interpose and bring everything in the right order. It is about that time that the Lord Himself is telling over here in the regeneration. when he shall sit on the throne and he shall rule. That is the reconciliation of all things, the cosmic reconciliation or the cosmic regeneration. It will be the reversal of what happened in chapter 3 of Genesis. Book of Revelation and all that explains that. Don't have to go into the details of all that.

and what all things are included in that things on earth and things in heaven earth and heaven Let's come to Philippians chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2. Look at verse 9 onwards, of God the Father, tells about the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here Paul says that there is a day going to come when, I every knee shall bow before Him. And when he says that, he divides that all things into three parts, which are they? In verse 10 we have it, things in heaven, things in earth and things under the earth.

Let's come to Colossians 1 again. Look at the beginning of verse 20. What is the extent we see over there? Whether things on earth or things in heaven, one is missing. What is it? Things under the earth. things under the earth. That is a phrase often used for, you know, the abode of the wicked, the place where the fallen angels and all like it. They shall also one day say what? They shall also say what? Verse 11, Jesus Christ is Lord, everyone shall say that once. The Jesus Christ is Lord, even the things under the heaven, rather under the earth shall say that one day, everything in heaven, earth and under the earth. Jesus Christ is Lord.

Now if we say Jesus Christ is Lord and if we accept Him as our saviour and Lord we become the children of God. But the things under the earth are the wicked ones after they end up there then when they say that Jesus Christ is Lord it will be not for their good. It will not do any good to them. It will be just for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have no reconciliation. They are not in this. Only the things in heaven and things on earth. Everyone, but everyone shall say that Jesus Christ is Lord.

I remember a few years back when I was preaching in another place, it was a college students meeting. About 30, 35 students were there and I was sharing about the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I touched on chapter two of Philippians, the portion that we just now read that Jesus Christ is Lord. And I told that a day is going to come when all this universe is going to ring with that echo, with that words, that statement that Jesus Christ is Lord. All are going to say it together. And what a great voice will be that resounding everywhere, echoing everywhere, Jesus Christ is Lord.

And her brother was very much happy, especially that brother who was leading that meeting. He was very much happy hearing that. And after that, after the message, he came forward and he made everyone stand up and he said, we will now tell together that same word, same statement, said, Jesus Christ is Lord. And that 30, 35 people said that together. was a small hall. That voice was so great, you know, in that hall. echoing in that hall. He was so thrilled and he said, one day like this, the whole universe is going to say this statement that Jesus Christ is Lord. what a day is going to be.

For us when we hear all these things it doesn't touch our heart because because we have heard it already and it's very you know casual for us. Just sit and think about it. These people who are against the Lord now. These people who give the title Lord to many other things. A day is going to come when they too shall say this and our Lord, you know that Lordship shall be accepted by everyone. Things in heaven, things on earth and things under the earth. But always remember that the reconciliation is not for all these three but what? Only these two places, things on earth and things in heaven. That's the extent we see over here.

When we come to Romans chapter 8, Romans chapter 8, verses 19 to 21, we see Apostle Paul telling about this in that verses also 19 to 21, for the earnest expectation of the creation, waited for the manifestation of the sons of God, for the creation, for the creature. was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who had subjected the same in hope because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glory of glorious liberty of the children of God. The whole creation is waiting now. It's in travel.

all the problems that we hear these days, you know, in the creation, maybe the sound, the expression of that voice, or rather expression of the travel. We hear the groanings around us. Think about the earthquakes, think about other natural calamities, think about the wars and things like that. All that tells us about this. The groaning, the travel and what are they waiting for? The manifestation of the sons of God. The manifestation of the sons of God. What is that? The manifestation of the sons of God, when shall that happen?

Colossians 3, 4, Paul says like this, when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye what? Also appear with him in glory, we shall appear with him in glory. What is this? When shall it appear? I mean happen. It refers to a rapture or the glorious appearance. I hope you all are experts on these things. Which is it, Rapture or the Glorious Appearance? When the sons of God or the children of God shall appear in glory, that appearance is in the glorious appearance. In the rapture, well, nobody shall know anything. I know that you know it.

So the whole creation is looking for that time, the manifestation of the sons of God. It is that time when He appears in glory with His people, with you and I, when this creation also shall emerge into its liberty, that glorious liberty. So for that time they are waiting. That shall be a regeneration, a new beginning for the creation, the new beginning for the universe. That shall be the last steps toward this cosmic reconciliation, reconciling all things unto Himself. That shall be the time when one by one the curse we see in chapter 3 of Genesis shall be removed. I hope you all are following me.

So in verse 19, we saw it's essential. And verse 20, the first part, saw, verse 20, we saw the extent. Now coming to the last one, the means for the fulfillment of His pleasure, the means, how it's done or what ground it is being done. We sang the second song that we sung in that chorus. The first line was redemption ground, the ground of what? Peace. That's again reconciliation, peace. So there itself we see the ground, means it is what? Redemption ground, the redemption ground.

Come back to verse 20, there we read like this, having made peace through what? the blood of his cross, through the blood of his cross. Blood speaks of life because the life of the flesh is in the blood. So the blood of his cross speaks about laying down of his life on the cross of Calvary for you and I. That is the ground. That is the ground. By that he made peace. He made reconciliation and peace possible by that. Remove the death of Lord Jesus Christ, no hope for you and I. Remove the death of Lord Jesus Christ, there is no hope for creation.

As we see in Ephesians 2.14, he is our peace. By the blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary, that sin problem got solved. And that was a problem that none of us could solve. He came and solved it. In Isaiah 59 verse 2, the Lord Himself says that it is your iniquities that separates you and me. The Lord Jesus came and sorted out the problem for us.

when we come to Hebrews chapter one and verse three. The last portion of it we read like this, when he had by himself purged our sins. Purged our sins. I remember hearing, you know, another Lord servant explaining this word purged. The explanation he gave was a student, a little child, a boy, a little boy. And... He sat down and started crying. A notebook was opened before him and his mother heard him crying and came to him and said, why are you crying? And he said, mummy, I cannot solve this problem. It has many steps to do and I cannot do it all. That's why I'm crying. And the mother sat with him, took the book, slowly wrote down all the steps. and solve that problem. I hope you all when we are small, we had that problem in solving such maths and all that, isn't it?

So this boy could not solve it by himself, but the mother came and solved it for him and taught him how to do it. What he could not do, another person did. And the word used for such help, such sorting out, such solving problems, solution of maths. Well is used over here. Sin was a problem that we could not solve. We could only sit and cry. But He came in and He solved it for us. He purged our sins. by the blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary, our redemption became possible, peace became possible, reconciliation became possible. If that was not there, we would have been hopeless still. But He purged our sins. He purged our sins.

When you come to Isaiah chapter 53, we know the content of it. It tells about, it describes, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, in the eyes of, in the prophetic spirit. And when you come to verse 10 there, the prophet is telling, and the pleasure of the Lord shall watch. Prosper in his hand the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. What is the pleasure of the Lord? reconciling all things unto himself. Now the prophet is telling the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. How? Just read the first nine verses we see that shedding of the blood, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, all that are described over there. That is the ground. That is the basis. We stand on that. No other ground of hope.

As I mentioned by God's grace, we are also part of this great work of God in this pleasure of God. We are also part. Now when we say that we should remember one thing. Well as I said the whole world is in turmoil now. Troubles we see everywhere. None can control things That's what we see I don't have to explain Think about the vase Trump came and he thought that he will be able to sort out, but it seems that Trump is dumped, isn't And we don't know how things are going to develop now. And see every area, families or individual lives, troubles is everywhere.

And when we see that, well, we may also think that there is nobody to control, God is not caring. But remember, here we see that God is reconciling all things unto himself. If we see everything divided. It's not going to continue like that forever. He is bringing all things unto Himself, all things in heaven and all things on earth and we are part of it. He is controlling our life also. It's good to remember, you know, when you think about that all things, we are also in that. We are reconciled and He is caring for us.

Coming back to Colossians chapter 1, coming back to Colossians chapter 1, when you look at verse 16, verse 16, Sorry verse 17 there we read like this in verse 16 we see about His creatorial work creating everything and verse 17 says and He is before all things and by Him all things what? Consists By Him all things consist. What is the meaning of that word consist? It means He holds together everything. He holds together everything. can think of the foundation of a building, how the foundation holds together the whole edifice, keeps it together, remove the foundation, the superstructure cannot stand, it will fall down. So He is the foundation, He holds all things together, He holds your life and my life too.

Come back to Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 3. There is another statement over there about the Lord Jesus in the middle of it we see like this, and upholding all things by the word of His power, upholding all things. In Colossians we saw that by Him all things consist as I said or He holds everything together. Here it takes us one more step ahead. It says He upholds all things. He upholds all things. What is the meaning of that word uphold?

Now uphold means what? Paul said in Colossians that he holds all things together. We understand that. If he takes his hand, everything will go to the four directions. Nothing can hold together. He holds everything together. And here in Hebrews he says that he upholds. Normally when you say uphold means to hold something up, isn't To hold something up. But the word used here has more meaning in that phrase. It means to hold something up and move toward a destination, a desired destination. Not just holding up and standing in a place, but holding up and moving forward to a desired end.

Or we may say like this, He is moving toward that end, that divine pleasure. What is it? Reconciling what? All things unto Himself, the cosmic reconciliation. The process is going on. What he has begun, he shall fulfill. And at the same time, well, we can take comfort in our practical Christian life also. The one who is fulfilling this cosmic reconciliation, Kherat for you and I also. He holds together our life and he is not only holding together our life but he upholds also. As I explained not just holding our but... Tell me. Tell me, you don't speak? Tell me, are you for me to stop?

He holds up and he is moving forward, moving forward, moving forward to that desired end. He is fulfilling his purposes. In His will, well He has purposed the end. Where we ought to be, how we ought to be and He is moving toward that end. May the Lord help us that this evening as we are considering that, that truth would encourage us. Yes, He is in control of our life. Sometimes when problems come, sickness or any trouble in family or individual life or job or any other problems, well we may say that everything is out of control. No. For a child of God, there is no moment like that. He is in control. He holds us together and he is upholding us, moving forward to that desired end.

May the Lord help us that these truths that we considered this evening will be an encouragement to all of us. As I said, we were looking at the first aspect of this reconciliation or that divine pleasure. The divine pleasure is bringing all things under reconciliation, unto Himself. And we saw about its essential. What was essential? A mediator was essential. And who is the mediator? The God-man. In Him, all fullness. About all fullness, what is the explanation I gave? Fullness of Godhead and fullness of manhood also. All nature of manhood accepts sin and all fullness of God. It was there in him. So he can be the mediator, the man Christ Jesus.

Then we saw the extend all things on earth and things in heaven. And then we saw its means also. It is that redemption ground, nothing else. The blood that he shed on the cross of Calvary. Yes, he is fulfilling. His pleasure on the earth. And as I said, in His hand, the pleasure of the Lord shall be fulfilled. He will do all that He pleases. So He's going to fulfill it. And at the same time, remember that He holds our life together and He upholds our life together. And with us, He is moving toward that destination which He has purposed for you and I.

What a great thing to remember that we have a father. We started with that word, isn't it? Father. Father who cares, who is affectionate toward you and I. God of the Bible loves us, cares for us. We are His children by grace. May the Lord help us that these truths that we share together may encourage us and help us to love Him more and live for Him. In the coming days, may the Lord bless these words into our lives.The post Divine Pleasure in Reconciliation appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptMatthew 27 and verse 45 onwards. Matthew 27 verse 45, 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

We will also read from the Gospel of John, chapter 19. Gospel of John chapter 19 John 19 verse 27. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. 28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Since we began the study about eight classes ago, we are witnessing a very submissive Lord Jesus, submissive to His own creation. and to the will of His creation. We considered last week how the Gospel of Luke explained that Pilate gave Jesus over to the will of them and He delivered Jesus to their will, speaking of the will of man concerning the Lord Jesus as to what did men desire of the Lord Jesus. And yet we also saw that it isn't the full picture of what has happened so far on the cross. In fact, right from the very start, from the Garden of Gethsemane, where you see the Lord so bitterly crying out Abba, the very first and the only occasion of how the Lord would address the father as Abba, where He is saying, take this cup away from me, to this point where we read, He has bowed His head and He says it is finished. From the start up to this point, we can never be dismissive of the role that God the Father played in the crucifixion of Christ.

It was silent, it was invisible, it was not so apparent, but yet we can never discard what role God the Father played in the very death of Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't in fact start at Gethsemane. If you were to ask, what role did the Father play in the death of His Son, it takes us right back beyond time, where Peter says that it is according to the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God that the Lord Jesus was delivered. That the decision for Christ to be delivered takes us way beyond time, beyond the start of time. In fact, Psalm 45 talks of a scroll that the Lord says in the volume of the book, it is written of me, as if it was written that Christ is going to come. And we read in Revelation of a book, a book of the Lamb, a Lamb that is slain before the foundation of the world, where even before time began, even before the foundations were laid, there has always been in the mind of God, a Lamb that is slain.

And so, when the Lord Jesus in Psalm 40 is saying that I come, behold it is written of me in the volume of the books, it is probably referring to that covenant that the Lord Jesus had with God the Father concerning His own sacrifice, concerning His own death. And so, the council of men is so premature in time versus the council and predetermined council of God, which was initiated before there was even time. It is not men that could put Christ to death. It was the involvement of God Himself where God gave Him over. And so that's the beautiful verse we see in John 3.16, God so loved the world that He gave. It is His giving, it is His sending, it is He delivering Christ up to be crucified. In Hebrews 1, it refers to a God who brings His only begotten into the world. God who brings His only begotten into the world. God sending His Son, God giving, God bringing His Son into this world. In fact, it is written of the life of Christ that Christ did not work, did not live isolated. He did not live independent. He did not live separate of God.

How Peter puts it is, God by Him did those mighty works and signs. Peter didn't say Christ did it. God by Him did it. Where Christ Himself would say, My Father works and I work hitherto. So God was with Christ. God was doing those wonderful signs and miracles by Christ. So though it was by the hands of Christ, by the words of Christ, Christ always gave the glory back to God. In fact, is God who did it by Christ. That's how the Lord Himself would say, that I have a meat to drink that you do not know, and that meat is the very will of God. So throughout the very birth of Christ, the life of Christ, you see the Father being alongside Christ, Father being with Christ, even to the point where there is an occasion where He is taken to this Mount, and Peter recounting this incident in his epistle would say that the Father gave Him honor and glory on that Mount of Transfiguration, the Father gave the Son honor and glory, where the Word was spoken out of His excellent glory.

Well, that is how far as the predestination, the birth and the life of Jesus Christ is concerned. But the role that God played in the death of Christ is extremely special. It is so silent. It is invisible. In fact, there is nothing explicitly written about what God did, except that we have to infer from the words of Christ Himself. For when He prayed that prayer in Garden of Gethsemane, He was submitting Himself to the one who had the authority to give Christ over to death or not. And so the whole plan, the whole work of salvation that Christ initiated began with the prayer, Let Thy will be done. That Christ is submitting Himself to the will of the Father, before anyone could touch Christ, before anyone could get their plans going, before anyone's plans and wishes were executed. Christ is submitting Himself to an overarching will of God, saying, it is that will which will be brought to pass, not the will of men. And so you see a Christ who is constantly in fellowship with the Father in the midst of all the sufferings. In the midst of what men try to do to Christ, you see a Christ who is constantly in fellowship, in closeness, in nearness with God the Father.

You see how The Lord Jesus was swift to rebuke Peter, he rebuked Peter saying, My father has legions, shall I not ask my father? And won't he readily give those legions of angels? And then he tells Peter, Should I not drink the cup that my father has given me? He is so much in nearness with the father in the midst of all what men are trying to do to him, so much so that the Lord Jesus would also say that you will all leave me. but my Father is with me." So in the midst of all kinds of afflictions and injustice and brutalities that was inflicted upon Christ, one overarching truth is that the Father was always the Son, Lord Jesus. The Father would not leave Him. So much so that it is written that when the people, the kings and the rulers, they set themselves to destroy the Lord and His anointed, the Psalmist says, the one who sits on the throne above laughed. What we see in the Gospels is the one on this earth who is like a sheep, who is dumb before his shears, who is not reviling when he is reviling. But what we do not see is what the Psalmist says. The one who is on the throne, the one who sits in heaven is laughing out when he sees the rulers and the kings coming to plot the death of Christ Jesus.

So the father was very much in control. He is the one who has given the cup to drink as much as he is also ready to dispose legions of angels to prevent any inflections to Christ. Ultimately, we see a Father who is ready to listen to the prayer and the cries of the Lord Jesus. You see that men have put Christ to the cross, they have nailed Him, they have stripped Him, they have given Him a crown of thorns, they have marred His visage more than recognition. Our face would not desire to look upon, that's the form, that's the worst that they have ever done to Christ. After having done all what they could do to Christ, the Christ on the cross says, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And here you have a Father who is forgiving, a Father who is willing to listen to the plea of His Son on the cross. We stand today as a testimony to that answered prayer, a God who is forgiving those that put Christ to the cross.

But here is the most definite role that the Lord played, the role that we see now in Matthew chapter 27, a role which is so inconspicuous, where now it is no more of what men did to Christ, it is now about what God will do to Christ. Done is the part as much as men could do to Christ. They could do their worst, they could do their most. They could do their heart's desire out and nothing what they do could ever put Christ to death. Christ is still not dead and Christ would still not die just because of what men did to him. The words of the prophet had to be fulfilled that it pleased the Lord to crush him. It pleased the Lord to put him to grief. It pleased the Lord to make his soul an offering for sin. God making the soul of Christ an offering for sin. Where now it is about the role of God coming in to make the soul of Christ an offering for all of us. And so, how does the Lord go about doing that? He does that in very definite signs, not so evident, not like how He does it in Mount Sinai, not like how He does it before the Red Sea, not like how He did it through Sodom and Gomorrah, not like how He did it in Noah's time, not so evidently, but yet with enough signs and evidence to know that it is God at hand.

We read here in Matthew 27, starting in verse 45, Now from the sixth hour there was darkness. And that's the first evidence to know that God is at work. That at the sixth hour, Matthew 27 verse 45, that at the sixth hour there was darkness. The sixth hour is 12 noon. And it says that there was darkness over all the land. It was not just a very localized incident restricted to Jerusalem. The language over here suggests it was global. There was darkness over all the land or as much as you could see, there was darkness at 12 noon. And that's the very first sign to show that God is at hand. Because this was the day of Passover. The day of Passover always falls on full noon. So there is no chance of an eclipse. There can be no natural explanation for a day close to the full moon having sun becoming dark at 12 when it's supposed to be shining all the more bright. And we see this fulfillment back in the prophecies of Amos. Let's turn to the prophecy of Amos chapter 8. Amos 8 and verse 9. It shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in broad daylight.

So specific concerning not just what is going to happen but at the very time, at noon, it's so specific, at noon I will make the sun to go down and I will darken the earth in broad daylight when it's supposed to be getting brighter and brighter from 12 noon to 3. At that 3 hour period, the Lord is saying, I'm going to brighten, I'm going to darken the day at broad daylight. This is not in reference to the cross, but this is in reference to the Day of the Lord. When the Lord will one day come on this earth, this verse is going to be fulfilled. But standing at the cross, when the Jews who know the sun and the stars and the moon, as the Lord Himself said about the Pharisees, they look at the stars, they know to read things, they knowing that it is full moon, they knowing it is Passover Day, They, knowing that they have done something so atrocious against the one who has always been doing good, to see the sun go dark at 12 noon should only mean one thing, something that should startle them, something that should terrify them, because the scripture says, the sun will go dark at noon, at the day of the Lord. It's a great day of judgment.

If you just read the next verse, you will come to know, it's a great day of mourning, where the people will mourn as if they have lost their son. That is what is going to happen when the Lord will bring darkness upon the earth at 12 noon. And when they see that happening before their eyes, they should not be too slow to understand that this is indeed God at work. This is indeed the day of judgment. This is at least judgment where God is making the earth go dark at right 12 noon. Some try to explain this off naturally, saying it's an eclipse. Some try to say it's... It's probably because an earthquake was going to happen. Some say that sometimes before an earthquake there is darkness, but you see how the language is, it is not just to that place where it happened, it happened all the land. And it is so evident that what is happening here is so supernatural. It is so mind-blowing. It is so out of control of man's ability. Man can do nothing to understand what is happening here. That right at 12 noon, the Lord makes the whole earth go dark.

And so when we come back to Matthew 27 and verse 45, it says, from the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. So three hours of complete darkness. And you immediately notice something. It's written, everything that happened in those three hours is encapsulated in that one verse. We don't know what happened. There's no description given. There's no explanation given. Anything that is written about the three hours is given only in Matthew and Mark. Luke and John don't even talk about it. Luke does talk about the darkness. Luke doesn't even talk about Eli, Eli, Lama, Sabatini. It is only in Matthew and Mark we have some fragmented details of what is happening. John doesn't talk about anything. It is only in these two gospels, we have one to two verses to understand what happened in those three hours. And that's in stark contrast because if this happened at 12 noon, we can assume that the Lord was crucified at 9 a.m.

So for three hours, He was hanging on the cross. And we have so much details about those three hours. We have sufficient details to understand what happened during 9 to 12. But suddenly 12 to 3, We just have one verse to understand. It is in fact a warning probably that we need to be cautious in our explanation of what has happened here because the scriptures are deliberately silent. It is giving just as much as information, so much that we need to know that there was darkness within three hours. And within that two verses, we need to connect it to all of the scriptures to understand what is happening there. We have already seen about the time that the time was not random, it was already prophetic, that at 3, at 12 noon, it is going to be dark, it was already prophesied. But now let's consider darkness. What does darkness in itself signify?

We'll bring ourselves now to the prophecy of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 8. Isaiah chapter 8, and we reading verses 21 and 22, and as we read, I would probably want us to compare what is written here in Isaiah 21 to what is happening before the cross. And now the next verse I shall start talking of a time when the people are going to be outrightly, without any shamefulness, with bold nakedness, rebelling against God. They will be hungry, they will be enraged, they will curse by their King, by their God, and then they will look upward, and as they are looking upward, the whole earth is filled with darkness, and they are driven into that darkness. As a response to their rebellion, as a response to their heart-heartedness, the whole earth becomes dark. And Isaiah the Prophet says, they are driven into the darkness. Well, at the cross we see great resemblance. The cross is the greatest epitome of human rebellion. The words over here written were literally fulfilled. They did curse by their King and by their God.

They ask Christ to come down if He is the King of Israel. They ask Christ to come down if He is the Son of God. By their King and by their God, they curse the one on the cross. On the contrary, they also put Him to the cross which made Him a curse for us. So it is about cursing God. The whole cross is the greatest, is an example of the greatest rebellion man can ever come up with. When man has been so enraged, so angry against God, so much that man wants to put Christ to the cross, and destroy the Lord and His Anointed. The Prophet says when that happens, the earth will be filled with darkness. And that's again exactly what happened. And if you were to ask what is this darkness, Chapter 9, that's Isaiah Chapter 9, the next chapter, in verse 19, we read, Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land darkened. Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land burned up and the people shall be fuel for fire and no man shall spare his brotherly. So we don't need to try to break our heads in understanding what darkness is.

It's written here that the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is darkness. By the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is darkness. And so that gives us understanding of what's happening in those three hours. It has to do with the wrath of God. In fact, we associate darkness always with sin. We associate darkness as something not so good, but we rarely associate darkness with God Himself. In fact, when the Lord first showed forth His glory to the visible eye that was in Mount Sinai, and when He did that in Mount Sinai, He came in thick clouds of darkness. So darkness is very much strongly associated with the presence of God. just as much as God is bright and He is light and He can shine as much as ten thousand suns brightness, way more than that, but still, He is also associated with darkness. When the Psalmist says, He bowed the heavens, He came down and darkness was under His feet, thick clouds of darkness and He made thick waters and dark clouds His pavilion, where clouds surround Him, clouds and darkness surround Him. That's how Psalm 97 says.

Darkness is so much associated with the presence of God, as much as light is. And in fact, whenever darkness is associated with the presence of God, it is associated with judgment. It is associated, as you see here, with the wrath of God. You see a God who is angry, and when He is angry, when He is giving His wrath, when He is establishing His holiness on this earth, It is all darkness around Him. It is all clouds in darkness. is darkness under His feet. He has made dark waters and thick waters His pavilion. That's the description of the Lord of the Old Testament. And so here we could probably look at the cross. When men have exhibited their utmost rebellion, utmost wrath, utmost anger against God, that God comes to now respond to that wrath. God comes now to deal with the rebellion of man. God comes to deal with that anger of man and like all the prophecies, He does it right at 12 noon. He makes the earth go dark right at 12 noon, just like He prophesied. And like has He prophesied, He has driven the whole earth into darkness.

By the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land burned up where the whole earth has become dark. Though all of these prophecies are concerning the day of the Lord much, much in future yet to be fulfilled, you see so strong resemblance of it. Being fulfilled in the very day when Christ was crucified. Shows us how it was the day of judgment, it was the day of wrath. When we come back to Matthew 27, Matthew 27 and verse 46, and about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, That is to say, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And that's all we know that happened in those three hours of darkness. At the end of it all, the Lord cries out saying, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You see, so much of this is so unknown. So much of this is hidden. It is hidden from our eyes. We do not know how God dealt with His Son. We do not know in those three hours the kind of wrath that befell the Son of God. We know it only from the prophecies where the Lord says the sword of Jehovah is going to fall upon Him.

We know it from the prophecies where the Lord is going to be pleased to crush Him. He is going to be pleased to put Him to grief. He's going to be pleased to make his soul an offering for sin. But we do not know the how of it, the what of it, how it all happened. We are blinded from that wrath of God. And that's the irony you see, because all the prophecies we read speaks nothing of God being angry or pouring His wrath upon His Messiah. Whether it was Amos or whether it is Isaiah, God is pouring His wrath upon people that have put Christ to the cross. And that's the vision that the prophets had, where the people will rebel against God and God will come down, He will drive them to darkness and pour His wrath on the people. But what we have on the cross is God did come down. He did bring His darkness with Him. He did make the whole earth dark. But instead of the wrath falling upon people that put Him to cross, the Lord poured His wrath upon the one on the cross, where the Lamb of God took away the sins of our world.

You see, this one incident of how the Lord dealt with His Son makes all the difference to the work of Christ. Where Christ could have suffered so much at Gethsemane, so much before the priest, so much before Pilate, so much before the soldiers, so much before the people, even to the point where Christ was crucified. But if this was missing, If this was missing, if what God did to Christ was missing, the whole salvation falls apart. It is not what men did to Christ that brought our salvation. God is the executioner. He is the judge. He is the one crushing the servant to death. It is what the Lord did to Christ that brought us salvation. For it is written that He laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. It is written that He was wounded for our transgression, bruised for our inequities. He was stricken, smitten, afflicted of God. For God was in Christ, reconciling the whole world unto Himself. For the one who did not know sin, God made him sin. And that was happening here. For He became curse for us. And that was happening here.

Here is the Lord Himself dealing on behalf of us on His very well-beloved Son. where Christ bore the sin for many, He gave His blood for the remission of sins of many. Father is completely in control, being the judge over His own Son, over His own servant, where the Lord put Him to death. You see, there are several prophecies that come to our mind over here. One being how Zechariah says, when the Lord rises up from His throne, even Habakkuk said the same thing, when the Lord rises up from His throne, the whole earth will be silent. And that's again referring to the judgment of this earth. But when you see the judgment of the sun, the judgment that fell on the sun, it's very much same. But the Lord rose up from the throne, He brought His presence down on this earth with darkness filled the whole earth. And the whole earth is silent. That explains why for three hours we have no word spoken, no record given, no description given. The hours are pure silence because it was indeed the time of judgment.

The book of Romans Paul says that when the law is opened, man will be silent. He cannot speak a word. And again, you see at the end of the three hours, during those three hours, there is not a word spoken, no involvement of man, no mockings, not even a sly remark. Nothing is recorded because those three hours was reserved for how God would deal with his own son. And so, during those three hours, God poured upon His Son all our sins, sins of all men, sins of all time, infinite sins of infinite proportion, falling upon a son of infinite personhood, that he should bear the wrath of infinite wrath, so that there should be salvation given to all.

Now it is in this we can rest, not the wounds that men did to him, not the scourgings, not the crown of thorns, not the nails. not even the crucifixion, but what God did to His Son, to the Servant in which we can rest, that here is someone who has tasted death for us all. That God made Him to be indeed sin, that He was in Christ reconciling the whole world unto Himself. You see, the Psalmist says that there is a cry that the sinner will cry out on the day of his judgment in the future when God judges all the sinners. The sinner will cry out, God, why have you forsaken me? And that's the cry that the son cried out. Only that when the sinner cries out later on in the day of the Lord in the future when the sinner is judged and he cries out such a cry, there will be no answer given to him. There will be no need of an answer given to him. That would be such an ambiguous question and a question that needs no answer, that warrants no answer because a sinner is crying it out.

And here you have a Lord who has sinned not who does not know sin, who is crying out, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? The very implication is that there is only one reason for God to forsake. There is only one reason for God to forsake and look aside from His Christ, His Messiah, and that reason is sin. And in this we understand that God indeed made His Son sin an object worthy of being forsaken. For in those moments, Christ experienced what it means to be eternally separated from God. He experienced the damnation, the wrath, the judgment that will only be experienced by a sinner on the Day of the Lord. Christ experienced it all. So much so Psalm 22, when David accounts this incident for us, he begins with this incident. He says, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from the words of my roaring? where He experienced the pain of distance, the pain of separation, the pain of being forsaken, and that's probably what it means for the Lord, it pleased the Lord to put Him to grief.

Where this is what pained the Lord the most, not just all our afflictions, not just what we did to Christ, but what the Lord did to Christ, it put Him to grief that He's crying out, Lord, why are You so far? from my afflictions. Why are you silent? Why you do not hear me?" You see, this was what the Lord also prayed during the days of His flesh, that He should be heard, that He should not be forsaken, that the Father should indeed hear Him out. And that's what happens at the end of the three hours, where this separation, this damnation, this condemnation that fell on Christ was not eternal. It was just for those three hours where He began on the cross saying, Father forgive and He ended His life on the cross saying, Father into Your hands I commit my soul. It shows how that relationship was soon after restored where it was only at the three hours of judgment where He experienced Himself to be like a sinner condemned. But so much so, the Lord also heard Him that it was not just three days He had to wait for God to hear him.

On the very cross, he was ascertained of the fact that he is going to come and he gave that assurance to the thief. The thief was wanting to be remembered but the Lord gave him the assurance that you will be with me and not just going to merely remember you. The thief wanted the assurance that when you come into my kingdom but the Lord gave him the assurance that it is not going to be then. It is going to be today. The thief wanted the assurance of when it will be in my kingdom. When it will be in your kingdom as a king. But the Lord gave him the assurance, it's going to be today in Paradise itself. Where the salvation was offered then and there, right at the cross. Right at the cross is a sinner coming to the Kingdom of God. Right at the cross is the thief being made a son of glory.

That in itself shows how the efficacy of Christ bearing all the judgment of our sin was sufficient. For the Lord will see His seed, the Lord will prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. Just as much as it pleased the Lord to crush Him, it pleased the Lord to put Him to grief, it pleased the Lord to make His soul an offering for sin, so much so the Lord will also look at the seed. The Lord will prosper and prolong His days. and the will of the Lord will indeed prosper in His hand. And that brings us to the end of the life of Christ on the cross, where He majestically, gloriously cries out with a loud cry and gives up His ghost. It was a loud cry. He was not weak. He was not in form. He was not just breathing out His life. His life was not just oozing out. He was not just becoming breathless and breathless and breathless and breathless and dying out. No, He cried with a loud voice. And that's how He died.

John adds the last saying of the Lord where He cried with a loud voice and says, it is finished. Probably that loud cry which Mathew never says what it is, is what John says. It is finished. And with a loud cry, He cried out, it is done. Everything. Right from eternity past, whatever was in the predetermined counsel of God and the foreknowledge of God, whatever was in the pleasure and the will of God, the counsel of God, it is done. Whatever was in the cup of the wrath of God has been done. It is finished. And with a loud cry, He gave up His ghost. John beautifully says, He bowed His head, like in His own terms, in the way He wanted to die. He bowed His head and died. People die and then they bow their head. But Christ bowed his head and then he died. He gave up his goals. Here is the one fully in control of his life, showing forth to the people that it is not what the people did that brought him death. It is not that death met Christ, like the hymn says, Christ met death. It is Christ willingly submitting his life. It is not He who was conquered who died, but like a conqueror, He died. And this is what the Lord on the cross as indeed doth for us. May his name be glorified.The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 8 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptMathew 27, and the reading was 35 onwards. 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there; 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

When we started the study on the sufferings of Christ, we can notice that there is an increasing trend in the degree of torture and oppression that the Lord Jesus underwent. If you were to just look at the pain and the oppression that was inflicted upon Christ, You will see it increases and gradually, gradually comes to the passage where we read where it is the cusp of the pain and the torture that He had to endure. At the Gethsemane, it was just merely for the first time, sinners laying hands on Christ and binding Him with ropes probably, and that was about it. And then when we see Him at Caiaphas, before the High Priest, we see Him being Smitten being slapped, being spat upon, being blindfolded and that is way more than what he experienced at Gethsemane. Then when we come to Pilate, we see him being stripped, being crowned with thorns, being scourged with the scourge, making his back look like a plough land. That is extremely more than what he experienced at Caiaphas. But if could it, Could it get more? Could it increase in intensity? Could the degree of torture increase?

And that's the passage that we are led to, where Christ has been led by His creatures to the cross to bear unimaginable pain and sorrow. A man of griefs acquainted with sorrow becomes truly fulfilled in this passage. There are so many ways in which we could probably look at this passage. We could, for example, just look at the seven sayings of the cross, just look at what Christ said at the cross and that would itself be a study in itself. That in itself will give us so much understanding as to why Christ is crucified if we were to just trace all the seven sayings. We could probably look at the cross from the angle of people, just look at the people involved. We could look at the people involved in different dimensions. For example, we can look at the people that cried at the cross, the people that were teary-eyed, that had tears. And that would bring us first to Peter who wept bitterly. It could bring us to a group of women that wailed and lamented. And last and finally, it would bring us to the people at the cross itself who suddenly from mockings and blaspheming and slanderings, they would beat their breast and go back home.

We could probably look at those people that were fearful at the cross, the people that had fear and were afraid. And that would begin with Pilate, who when he heard that Christ was the Son of God, was all the more afraid. We could probably look at the criminal who was crucified with Christ, who reprimanded the other criminal saying, don't you fear God for we have received what is just according to our deeds. And then we could also look at the centurion of whom it is written, after having seen all these things, he was greatly afraid and said, truly this was a righteous man. We could just look at the cross in another way by looking at the believers, the people that were converted at the cross, the people that came to faith through the cross. And that would begin with Simon the Cyrenian, whose children became more reputed and more renowned than him in the Church. We could look at the criminal who at this last breath found entrance at the Paradise and not leaving behind even the centurion who confessed the true confession that this is indeed the Son of God.

We could look at the cross in so many different ways and each of this meditation and study would be beneficial. We would probably look at it also just by considering the prophecies that were fulfilled at the cross against the odds of the people that didn't want it to be fulfilled. We could compare it with what God wanted, what God determined before the world began versus what people wanted of Christ. And we'll see a huge contrast between the will of God and that people wanted. For example, it was of the will of God that Christ, when He is crucified, there should be a title placed on Him that this is the King of the Jews. But the people wanted another title. They just wanted to reduce it to an assertion that Christ Himself made that He said He is the King of the Jews. They didn't want it to make it a matter of fact. But they could not have their way because God had His way that this is a fact indisputable. That Christ is the King of the Jews.

And they probably wanted to part his garments, but again they could not have his way because there was a prophecy that said they will cast lots over that garment. They probably wanted to give him that vinegar, that sour wine, and they probably wanted to give him so as to deaden his consciousness. But here is the Lamb of God in human flesh who will bear the wrath of God. in all of his human strength. He is not going to do it with the dead consciousness. He is not going to do it unconsciously. He is not going to take in anything that will deaden his senses. So they thought they would do that, but they couldn't do it because here is the Lamb of God who has to bear all the sins of the world. And then at the end of the cross, at the end of it all, Christ said, I thirst. And the most natural thing when somebody is thirsty is to give water. But John says that at that point, somehow there was a full cup filled with sour wine and they gave vinegar that sour wine.

They couldn't give water because again it was a prophecy that vinegar is a portion of the sinners and Jeremiah had said that it will be the sinners who drink vinegar and sour wine. And so they couldn't override the prophecies. They thought they could break the legs like they did it for the criminals but they couldn't because He is a Passover lamb. A Passover lamb required that the Lamb be offered in whole without breaking any one of its bones. And so they couldn't break the leg, though they wanted to. And at the end of the cross, when Christ is dead, like any other criminal, they would just dispose the body, they would make His place among the criminals, they would dispose it as if nobody is going to claim it. But the prophecy was that He had to make His grave among the rich, and that a rich man would come to take care of the body of Christ, that Christ could not be simply disposed of. This body had to be raised again three days.

You have these extreme contrasting contradictions of what men wanted to do with Christ and they couldn't cross the line, the line that was determined before the world began according to God's will. And so, in so many different ways, we could probably look at the cross. At the end of the day, we need to ask this question, what does the cross really signify? What does it truly signify for Christ to have suffered? It brings us to a very peculiar narrative that the Old Testament prophecies always try to portray about the Messiah. It's also there in the language of the Gospel of Luke, where Luke says, Pilate delivered Jesus to their will. You see a very strong emphasis to the will of man, where Pilate delivered Jesus to their will, according to their will. And then Luke continues the narrative that they led Him to be crucified. And so you see a very strong narrative there where man is in control, where man has been given the privilege, the unfortunate privilege to do unto Christ what is according to their will.

If man's heart was so filled with wickedness and if man had a way in bringing about that wickedness to fulfilment, then that is what the Cross talks of. What men could do to Christ. We read of how Christ came to His own and how His own rejected. This is the description. This is the explanation, the narration of how His own rejected. And this is again the language of the prophets. When Zechariah would be prophesying about Christ, there's a question that is asked, what are these wounds that are on your chest? From where did you get these wounds on your chest and the answer was that these are the wounds that I received at the house of my friends. My friends inflicted these wounds on my chest. It's a personal thing. My friends. He came to His own, His own rejected Him. And again, there will be a day when Christ will come on the Mount of Olives, where God will pour upon the people a spirit of grace and supplication to look upon Him whom they have crucified, whom they have pierced, where the emphasis is Who did it? It is the people of Jews, it is the people of Israel.

They have crucified, they have wounded Him, they have rejected Him, they led Him, Christ was given to their will, where the emphasis is so much on what did they do to Christ. It is what men did to Christ and that is probably where we will direct our meditation as well, as to consider what did men do to Christ. What did men do to Christ? It's a fulfillment of the parable of the wicked men. If they were given the authority to lay hands on the body and the life of Christ, how would they go about doing it? If every thought of your heart was wickedness as in the days of Noah, as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, and if all of those thoughts were united like in the days of Babel where they were unitedly rebelling against God, And if all of that rebellion was directed not towards a tower that is being built but against the very Son of God, what would come out of such rebellion? What would come out of such hard-heartedness? What would come out of such anger and wrath of men? And that's the answer that we have when we look at the Lord Jesus on the cross.

He is being completely surrendered, being given, being submitted to be led by His own creatures. And so we see a very sad truth where we read this, that they led Him away, that He is in complete control of wicked hands. And as they were leading Him away, note of a person, that is Simon the Cyrenian, in verse 32, as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, Maybe a word about this person, Simon the Cyrenian. Mark says he had two children, Alexander and Rufus. They were renowned and most probably he was also one of the elders of the first church. So he eventually went to become a Christian by most probability. And that in a way speaks so much about his simple act over here. He did it out of... not out of His own choice. It's written they compelled Him. It's not understood whether He resisted the compilation, but definitely He had no choice. The people put the cross on this person, Simon. Why did they do it?

Is it true that the Lord Jesus fell down three times as the narrative that we see in the Apocrypha where Christ fell down three times and finally somebody had to come along the way and lift the cross for Christ? No, that's not... It is not at all true, it's definitely not Biblical. And the narrative in the Gospels is never of a Christ who is weak, who is infirm, who cannot go ahead, who needs help somehow, never. That's not the narrative. Here is a very profound lesson that the Lord is allowing Simon to understand, that Simon who has been called to bear the cross of Christ will eventually be called... to bear the cross as a disciple and that's the call that we all have to be Simon the Cyrenian. We are all called to be Simon the Cyrenian, to take up the cross and follow Him. And so that's exactly the pattern here, where Simon has been given the cross and he follows after Christ. And that's a beautiful picture. Christ leads Himself to the cross and here is Simon being given a privilege to bear a very small part of the sufferings of Christ.

It's an extremely small part. But yet a very significant thing. All He has to do is to carry the cross. It is extremely heavy. But if you look at the whole spectrum of the sufferings that was inflicted on Christ, this is an extremely small part that Simon was asked to do. And it speaks in volumes about the picture of the Church and Christ because Simon is part of the Church. And we as a Church, we as the universal body of Christ have been asked to carry the cross. We have been asked to fulfill what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ. You see, it was not necessary of Simon to carry the cross. Christ could have carried it Himself, but He gave that as an opportunity, a privilege for Simon to come alongside, a grand privilege to bear some portion, to alleviate some amount of pain that was due to Christ. It was not that the whole suffering befell Simon, no, Simon had to come alongside and bear some portion of it, a little portion of it, little sufferings that was truly of Christ. And that's exactly how Paul would also say that, bear in my body the marks of death and he has come to fulfil what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

If you ask, what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ? Hasn't Christ fulfilled everything? Hasn't Christ finished everything? Yes, absolutely. In fact, even this part of carrying the cross, Christ Himself could have done it. But yet Christ leaves a part of it. Christ leaves a part of it for Simon. Christ leaves a part of it for the Church today to bear the cross like Christ bore the cross. And Simon is a beautiful picture of the Church today that is bearing the sufferings and the scourge and the cross of the Lord Jesus. that as much as people would want to do to Christ what they wanted to do, the Church is not isolated. We have been called to be Simon the Cyrenian, to take up the Cross and following Him. And so Simon, in his literal experience of taking up the Cross, learned the biggest lesson that every Christian should learn, that we have been called to be disciples.

We have been called to take up the Cross, the shame, the embarrassment, the humiliation of being followers of Christ and to take it up. and follow Christ. And so here you have the Lord Jesus letting Simon come alongside. You have the same Lord Jesus letting the Church today come alongside. Just as much as He is the green tree that will bear all the sufferings, we the dry tree are called to bear some portions of it. It pales in comparison to what Christ bore, but yet, in our own eyes, our sufferings and persecutions will be so larger than life. But yet we have to remember, it's nothing more than how Simon had to just carry the cross. It pales in comparison to the whole sufferings that Christ had to bear, but yet it's a big privilege for us to bear as well. And so we see Christ being led to this hill called Golgotha. And along that way, we come across a group of women that are weeping.

And here you have another picture of Christ. A Christ who is rejecting all kinds of sympathy. This is recorded only in the Gospel of Luke, where the women are weeping and the Lord tells the women, don't weep for me. And here is Christ who doesn't want sympathy. In fact, that teaches about how should we look at the sufferings of Christ? Are we supposed to look at the sufferings of Christ with an eye of sympathy, with an eye of apathy? Has someone who suffered such great things, despite being good, Are we going to look at the sufferings of Christ like how the women looked at it? They were lamenting, they were wailing, why were they doing so? What was reducing the women to tears? What made them cry? They were crying probably to see how here is someone weak who is being led like a lamp to the slaughterhouse. They couldn't bear that sight.

Obviously, nobody would be able to bear. But what should be the conclusion of the matter? Should we weep like the woman? Should we weep as if you are a loser? Should we weep as if you are someone who cannot carry himself? Should we weep as someone who needs sympathy, who needs apathy? Absolutely not. The Lord clearly said, don't weep for me. The cross of Christ should not bring about us wrong set of emotions and feelings. In fact, if you look at all of the Gospels, there is so little written about the crucifixion. But the most you will get to read about the crucifixion is that they crucified Him. That's about it. Everything else is just imagination. The Gospels give us so little information of how Christ was crucified. Why? Because the writers took care that nobody should sensationalise the crucifixion of Christ. It is not to be understood as an emotional event that simply reduces people to tears out of sympathy and apathy.

Christ did not want those kind of tears. He said in fact, I am the green tree. Imagine if men do this to a green tree. Imagine if men do this to a green tree. Then what about God doing to a dry tree? What is happening at the cross is men doing to a green tree. But there will come a day when God will pour all of His wrath on the dry tree, all the sinners. And imagine what would be the state of the dry tree. And so the Lord corrected a wrong understanding. that here is not someone who is a loser, here is not someone who is dying his death, here is not someone who is being defeated. Then which brings us to the most important aspect of the cross. How are we going to look at Christ on the cross? In what way are we going to consider Him? If we have to consider Him who has been crucified, what is the way in which we will consider Him?

Are we going to look at Him as a loser or are we going to look at Him as the Son of God. You see, this whole exercise of putting Christ to the cross was done by the Jews so as to make an indelible impression on the people that this is someone who is hanging on the tree, cursed is someone who is hanging on the tree, here is a criminal that has been crucified on the tree and that our understanding about this person on the cross should be no more than just a criminal, no more than just a sinner, no more than just a transgressor. That's what the Jews wanted. That's what the Pharisees, the scribes and the high priests wanted. That they wanted the nation to look at this person hanging on the tree and maybe feel sympathy, maybe feel apathy, but never feel that he is the son of God. That they would want nothing to do. They would take care of the optics that no impression should be left that this person is the son of God.

That's probably why they were rattled with the title. When the title was put that this is Jesus, the King of the Jews, it was said as a matter of fact. Indisputable and that rattled him because Christ was crucified on the day of Passover. A lot of people were passing by and that could very much influence the people. Like how come we Jews crucified our own King? And so they wanted to water down that accusation. They wanted to put it down. But the Lord would not allow it that way. And one hand you see people trying to portray Jesus as just another man. But the question is, how are we going to look at the Lord Jesus? Are we going to look at Him like how the centurion saw Him as the Son of God? As how Pilate's wife saw Him as the just person? As how the criminal saw Him as the one who has a King with a kingdom coming?

It is this vision, this understanding of Christ being the Son of God in the midst of the greatest of His sufferings, when everything screams against divinity, When everything screams about His weak and infirm humanity, it is in the midst of that we have the privilege to say that this indeed is Jesus my Lord. We have such a privilege and when we look at the cross, we are going to keep that in mind that here is Christ who is indeed the Son of God. We look at verse 37. Matthew 27 and verse 37. And we want to consider As I mentioned earlier, we considering what did men do to Christ and in part of that, we are going to consider what did they accuse Him of? What were the things that they blasphemed and slandered Him with? So, starting with verse 37, we read there that, The Gospel of John is very specific in saying, it is not dumb, but it is pilot. that this accusation came from Pilate.

That Pilate, when signing off the law Jesus to be crucified, wrote that He is going to be crucified because He is, not that He said, not that He claimed, not that He asserted, but He is the King of the Jews. And we see how in every step of the accusation of the people, the glory of Christ is eliminated. It is so beautifully displayed that when they try to When they try to put Him down, the more they try to put dirt on Him, the more the glory of Christ comes out. Where you can't have a fact written in three languages that is so crisp, so simple and yet so powerful. And to put it on top of a cross, to put it on top of a man who is mangled, who is literally marred beyond recognition, who is hanging naked, who is hanging on the strength of nails, to put it on top of such a person that this is Jesus, Who is the King of the Jews? The oxymoron is so huge, the picture, the optics is so stark, it is so bright that someone cannot miss it. How come the King of the Jews has been crucified by the Jews themselves to such an extent where he has become a worm on the cross?

And so, though this is written as an accusation, as the official accusation that the Romans put against Christ, maybe even in their official records that this is the King of the Jews, Yet this accusation is so glorious talking about the true essence of who Christ is. You see, is what David, one of the greatest kings in Israel, who all Jews look up to, wrote in his Psalm that there is a King that is coming. He said in Psalm 24, there is a King that is coming. So you open up your gates and a King that is coming to sit on a throne, which is on a high hill, and people were confused. So people were asking David, who is this King? Because they knew only David to be the King. And they asked David, David, who is this King? Who is this King of Glory? And David answers, this is the Lord King of Glory. But the greatest answer to that question that the Jews asked, who is this King? is over here at the cross.

You can't have a better answer. You can't have a better answer where Christ has been crucified and yet the indisputable fact is put for everyone to see that He is still the King. He being born as a baby, it was written that He is born King of the Jews. No King is ever born. A prince is born. But when Christ was born, the people from the East came and asked, where is He that is born King of the Jews? That Christ has been born King of the Jews. And when Christ was born, or even before His conception, Gabriel came and said that unto Him will be given the throne of His father David. So Christ was born for this purpose. Christ told it to Pilate as well that I have been I have a kingdom, I have come for this purpose. In fact, Christ acted like a King without power. In fact, Christ acted like a King who didn't want power and yet had all power. There were so many occasions when people wanted to make Him King, especially after He fed the five thousand.

They were looking to make Him the King. And like any King that would want power, any King that would want subjects, any King that would want followers and crowd and people that will obey Him, Christ went away. Christ... put away that request. In fact, Christ did not subjugate Himself to such subjects. He went away from them. So, never acted like a king. In fact, though He was the King, He never acted like a king. And there is therefore a necessity that when everything, every evidence has been presented to show that He is not a king, when everything reeks of someone who is just a slave, who is just a servant, who is just a criminal, who is just a transgressor, who is just a person out of Nazareth, out of which no good can come, when every evidence has been presented by the people to show that this is no more than just a human, it was necessary for Christ to have this title over His head, then this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Being born as a baby doesn't change it. Being raised in Nazareth doesn't change it. Being raised of a carpenter's son doesn't change the fact that He is the King. Being... being led by his creatures from Gethsemane to Gabatha to Golgotha never changes the fact that here is someone still the King. And this never changes the fact that he is coming back as the King of kings to rule over the throne of his father David. And so though this is just a mere accusation, it is still the declaration of his glory. In fact, written by a Gentile saying that this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

The second thing that they maligned Him or they blasphemed Him about was in verse 40. In verse 40, we see, saying that you that destroy the temple, build it in three days, save yourself. In the accusations of Christ, you see the Jews touching upon four very core central aspects of their culture and religion. They have already touched upon the kingship. and now they are coming to the temple and they saying that if you being the one who will destroy the temple, come down and save yourself. You see, they try to portray that someone over here on the cross cannot save himself, leave alone, destroy the temple, leave alone, make it up in three days. But you see how in that accusation, in the thing that they were accusing him of, was the very truth of the statement that here is someone on the cross destroying the temple, that he on the cross when he breathes his last will literally tear down the veil of the temple. That here is someone on the cross truly destroying all temples made by hands to make a temple that is not made without hands.

To really build a temple that is going to worship the Lord, a temple not made with hands, a temple not made with stones, a temple not of a building, here is someone truly building it. He said he is going to do it in three days and it has already started on the cross. That on the cross, when they saw it, they saw it as the greatest evidence of someone who can never destroy a temple, they couldn't be further wrong, because Christ on the cross was indeed destroying the temple and building it all again for new. And so, they touch upon those things that they were so grossly wrong, but in reality, they described the very glory of Christ, that Christ on the cross was the builder of a temple that God desired. Moses whom they gloried, was just a servant of the temple. But the Hebrew writer says Christ is the very owner of the temple. And he on the cross was building that temple for us.

And the third thing that they touched upon there in verse 42, verse 42, He saved others, Himself He cannot save. So they touched upon His kingship, they touched upon the temple that they gloried upon. And the third thing that they didn't want was the Savior. And so they looked upon the cross and they said, He cannot save Himself. Let Him begin, let Him start with Himself. And in fact, when they were saying, He cannot save Himself, they were just playing with His own name, because His name, Jesus, means He is going to save. So they were running down every claim of Him, where He claimed Himself to be a saviour. And they said, they don't want a saviour. They claimed Him, He claimed Himself to be a King. They said, they'd prefer Caesar. He claimed Himself to build a temple, but they prefer a temple that was anyway going to be broken down stone after stone. And they are touching upon every single claim of Him. And over here at this point, they are saying, He saved others. He cannot save Himself.

Well, let's consider the truth of the matter. And could Christ save Himself? Absolutely, He could save Himself. Did He save Himself? Yes, He did save Himself. In fact, He said to the Jews that I have the power to lay down my life and to take it back again. That He on the cross was not because they put Him to the cross, but He on the cross was because He had the power, the authority to cease to exist. We don't have such authority. We read of Christ on the cross at the end that He gave up His ghost. That's how He died. Not like literally someone slaughtered Him. When He died, He gave up His ghost. He ceased to exist on His own will, on His own terms, on His own strength. We can't do that. If we ever do that, it will be called suicide. But for Christ, He could choose when not to exist. He could choose when to give up His Spirit and commit it into the hands of the Father. And so, He was definitely capable of saving Himself.

He was definitely capable of protecting Himself from being murdered. Though they put Him to the cross and though the optic screams as if they putting Him to the cross put Him to death, though that is partially true. The truth of the matter is that Christ gave Himself up. He had the power to lay His life down. He had the power to take it back Himself. He had the power to save Himself. That day when they said, He cannot save Himself, they were so grossly wrong. When they were asking to save Himself or to start with Himself, that's exactly what Christ did. For Christ is the firstborn among those who were instructed, firstborn among the creation. The firstborn... was to be raised again. After Him, we all. So Christ being resurrected on His own power, on His own authority, being raised from the dead, is the greatest evidence of someone who could indeed save Himself. So they didn't want the King, they didn't want the Temple that He promised, they didn't want Him to be their Saviour.

And the fourth thing, which is the most touchy thing for the Jews, we read in verse 43 he trusted in God Let him deliver him now, if he will have him for he said I am the son of God. The kingship, the temple, the saviour and the last thing that they didn't want about Him is that He called Himself the Son of God. And they put the charge that if He is indeed the Son of God, then God will deliver, that God will come fighting for Him, that God will come through for Him. And so they were just testing God, tempting God by putting Christ to the cross. They were just looking out, okay, who is going to come? In fact, when He cried, Eli, Eli, Lama, Sabacthani, they heard it as if He is crying for Elijah, they thought, okay, fine, maybe Elijah is going to come. Maybe God is going to send Elijah. They were looking at this person who's on the cross waiting to see who will deliver him. Is God going to come through?

In their understanding, if someone is on the cross unable to save himself and also not being saved by God, then that is the greatest evidence that this person is no saviour. This person is no son of God. This person is no king. He can do nothing of things that he has claimed. So the greatest, the falsibility of this fact is that can God save this man on the cross? Can God deliver him? Can God be his saviour? And that's the true theme of all the Psalms. Where you see in the Messianic Psalms Christ being saying of how people are afflicting him, but you see a Messiah who's crying to God, a Messiah who's pleading with God, a Messiah who's asking the Lord to deliver him and a Messiah who's asking not just for deliverance for Himself, but a Messiah who asking that all those that are afflicted should be wrapped up like a cloth and they should go away like a moth. That judgment should fall on them as well. You see a Messiah who is crying for help, a Messiah who is asking for help.

And that's the true picture of Christ starting from Gethsemane, even from the days of His flesh, who with much tears and strong weeping asked to be delivered from death. And so this is indeed a great test. Did God deliver Christ? Did God hear Him? Did God forsake Him to the point where God would never deliver Him? Was Christ delivered on the cross? You see, they try to arm twist God or to put God in a box and say, God, if You will deliver Him, then the only way you're going to deliver Him is by making Him come down from the cross. In fact, they said, if you come down from the cross, we will see and believe. That was the test. That was the temptation that they put towards God. You bring Him down from the cross, we will see and believe. And God knew so very well that they were anyways never going to believe.

They have never believed looking at the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire by day and night. They have never believed looking at Christ doing all the miracles. They have never believed looking at Christ raising someone from the dead. Christ has given words of grace and authority. They have still not believed. God has done everything that is necessary for man to believe and yet they will never believe. And so, it is not going to be possible by Christ coming down from the cross that faith will be generated. Faith can never be found in flesh. Faith can never be found in sight. They said, we will see and believe. But the prophet Isaiah said, who has believed at a report, who has seen? It is first believing that brings sight. But they turned it on his head and said, we will see first and then believe. So, they were never going to believe.

But how the Lord answered it anyway, not in their terms, not the way they wanted, not by coming down from the cross, but by rising up from the grave. And that is how the Lord answered their question. They wanted God to deliver. They wanted God to rise up someone. They wanted God to be the Saviour of the world. And that is true. For God the Father, with all of His glory, with all the power, raised up His Son on the third day. You see, everything that they accused of, of Him being the King, it fell flat. Of Him destroying the temple, not being able to build in three days, that fell flat. Of Him being a Saviour who cannot save Himself, neither save others, that fell flat. Of Him being the Son of God, that God has rejected Him, that fell flat because three days later, Christ indeed was risen again.

You see, we have only considered what men have done to Him. I want to bring an analogy over here and close. The analogy we see is in the book of Esther. We see another king who doesn't have sleep and he is asking, how can I honor someone whom I delight in? And Mordecai is the person he wants to honor and he tells Haman to go ahead and honor Mordecai. Give him a horse, give him an apparel, give him a crown, take him through the streets of the city and tell everyone that this is how the person will be whom the King delights to honor. And you see a very contrasting picture over here. Over here, we see a picture of someone not the King delights to honor, but the King delights to crush, that the King delights to put him to death. Where it is only one part to see what men did to Christ. It's another thing to see what God did to Christ.

And so when they put Christ to the cross, they were trying to build a picture that was opposite of Mordechai, where instead of a horse, they gave him a cross. Instead of a crown, they gave him a crown of thorns. Instead of a royal apparel, the apparel of a king, they gave him the apparel of blood and had his body filled with blood. Leading him through the streets of the city and proclaiming that this is the person whom the King delights to honor. Christ was led through the cities, through the streets as someone who is a criminal, as someone who is a transgressor, as someone on whose face people could spit, as someone who is rejected of men and of God. And that's how the Prophet put it, that He is despised, He is acquainted with grief, but we esteemed Him as smitten, stricken and afflicted. of God, that this whole picture of Christ on the cross is what God has done to Christ. That's how they put it.

It's not how men did to Christ, but what God did to Christ. That if there could be a picture of what God can do to a person who is to be put to death, then that is the picture of the cross. You see, death is a capital punishment. It's a punishment that is given out of displeasure. When a judge gives death, It's a punishment given out of displeasure. But of Christ it is written that the Lord, it pleased the Lord to crush Him. That for Christ, for Christ it was not a matter of displeasure. It was not a matter of God not liking it. In fact, it is written, Christ said that I lay my life down for the sheep and that's why the Father loves me. That in all of this, this is not someone God is humiliating on the cross. This is not God putting someone to death to the point of being nothing, of being dishonourable. Our God is putting someone to death out of pleasure, so that through the death of Christ, many sons should come to glory.

In one hand, you may have a picture of whom men would like to honour. In other hand, you have a picture of whom men would like to dishonour. But in the midst of that dishonour, in the midst of what men did to Christ, in the midst of what His own did to Christ, In the midst of what the people of Israel did to Christ, it constrains us to think what did God Himself do to Christ? The cross has these two parts. What men did to Christ and what God did to Christ. It has the picture of how people afflicted Him, they wounded Him, they bruised Him, they despised Him. He became a man acquainted with griefs, but He was also a person stricken, smitten and afflicted of God. And so far, we have just considered what men did to Christ. God willing, next week when we come, we will see what God Himself did to Christ on the cross. May God's name be glorified. The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 7 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptGospel of John chapter 18 the Gospel of John chapter 18 and be reading verses 28 onwards. John 18 verse 28, Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

We'll continue in chapter 19. Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him:

After the farcical trial that the Jews did, which was of no bearing, which was practically useless, they had to bring the Lord Jesus to Pilate. They had to bring him to the Roman Emperor. And in those days, the Emperor was called Caesar. He was not called a king. Caesar, in fact, was a title given to someone. about the king, similar to the title that we have today, King of Kings or Shah-in-Shalek, the Shah of Shahs, the King of Kings and that was the title given to Caesar, a military commander who ruled over the whole empire. And so in this trial, we see Christ coming face to face with the greatest authority the greatest power that was ever known to have existed at his own times. And like the Samus says, it is not just Pilate, not just Caesar, not just the Roman Empire, but it is all kings, all rulers, they have all come together to put Christ to death.

They have all come together to take counsel to put Christ to death. Paul says that the rulers of the world did not know that this was the Lord of Glory. They did not know the things that God had prepared from before the world began. If they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. And so here we have a face-off. A face-off of the only sovereign potentate. That's how Christ is described. The only sovereign potentate. The only potentate. the only sovereign power on this whole universe, coming face to face with the greatest power that man ever has and that is of Caesar. And so there will therefore be a clash, there will therefore be one side winning over the other, there will therefore be one side submitting to the other, there will therefore be a choice to make as to who will rule, who will be the king. whose kingdom will truly come and the choice has to be made by those that accuse Christ.

At the outset of this morning, that is the previous night, they had condemned the Lord Jesus in one of the most illegal fashions ever, but then as soon as morning broke out, they bring Christ to Pilate. And in the previous night, we had seen how the Lord was not just the one suffering, but He was also a caring shepherd. In the midst of His own pain and hurt, He would look at a sheep that is falling, that is denying Him, that is going astray. And just by a mere look, He says that, My sheep hear My voice. But at that instant, He was so powerful that not necessary of his words, not necessary of a voice, but just a mere look a shepherd could bring back a failing sheep, where Peter, who was denying the Lord so callously with much impunity, finally comes to his senses. It was not the cock that crew that brought Peter to his senses. It is written that the Lord looked at Peter and then Peter remembered the words of the Lord. In fact, it is something like this, where the Lord says before the cock cries, twice you will deny me thrice, which means if the cock and Peter were at a race, Peter would beat the cock so badly that Peter would have denied the Lord three times when the cock would have cried just once.

It's only after the third time there would be the second cry. And that's how Peter was running to endless pain. He was running to hurt himself and falling apart and there comes a look that prevents Peter, that holds Peter. In the midst of Satan shifting Peter, we have a look, a look of prayer, a look of intercession, where the Lord says, I have prayed for you. In comparison to that, we then see in the same morning how there is a group of false shepherds, a group of false pastors. Pharisees and scribes who have learned the scriptures so much and they who seem to sit at the seat of Moses also need to tend for the spiritual estate of the people. And so in a stark comparison we see Judas also coming for help. He is broken. He has come to his own self and he comes to these shepherds who he tells them I have sinned and he wants to return that money. He's lost, he doesn't know what to do. He thinks returning the money is the solution.

But either way, he wants to get rid of that scourge. It's something that's bogging his mind down. He's spiraling down to despondency. He's spiraling down to taking his own life very soon. He's on a path of suicide. And he comes at that broken estate to these shepherds and he tells them, I have sinned. He's literally asking for help. And that's when the... so-called false shephers tell him that it is your sin. You look into it. What you have done is your headache. You look into it. And that's the worst thing one can ever tell to somebody who is going through such deep mental trauma, who is in such desperate condition, who doesn't know to make sense of life and what to do. That the last thing he should ever get to your is this is your headache. You deal with it. And the only way he could deal with it was to take his own life. And you see a stark contrast between Christ, the true great shepherd and the overseer of our souls to whom our souls return. And then you see the Pharisees, the scribes who care less about the sheep that is falling astray.

In the midst of this pain and this trials and these oppressions and tortures, we are bound to see a glorious Christ. And that's the narrative that John will not let go of. He has started this book at such a great height by talking of the one who is in eternity with God and he is not going to play or compromise with that description. Even in the midst of what he is going to describe of Christ being tortured and scourged and being tried by Roman soldiers, it is one narrative that John is going to hold on to. There are so many things in this passage that John gives us. That should probably not be said of a messiah. If at all we want a glorious messiah, a messiah that is exalting, a messiah that is victorious, the optics that we see in this passage is so skewed.

It is so bad for a Jew to accept. And yet, John doesn't shy from it. He lays it down. He tells it in plain words. This is what the Jews did to Christ. And as much as if Christ was Christ himself, this is also what Christ allowed. The Jews to do unto himself. That it is not just one hand where the Jews tried to put Christ to death, but another hand Christ was giving his life, laying it down, allowing it, submitting himself to the wicked will of his own people. It is these both pictures that come together. And there is something overarching, something very foundational to both sides, that this is Christ who is God, who is the Word of God. So we will never miss to see that.

We see Christ being brought to Pontius Pilate and we see accusations being rallied against Christ. The first thing we want to consider is Pontius Pilate himself. And we want to see in particular the reluctance of this person, the reluctance of Pontius Pilate because The description of Pontius Pilate given in the Gospels and that of Pontius Pilate given in extra biblical history, historians that wrote of Pilate around the same time, is of great contradictions. Because we see Pilate outside Bible in other biblical sources, a Pilate who is extremely obstinate, a madman. He is extremely cruel, who is not hesitating to do madness. That's Pontius Pilate. In fact, he lost his governorship when he tried to brutally suppress the revolt of Samaritans much years later after Christ. It was because of his inability to handle suppressions and insurrections that he lost the post. That's Pilate. And the description that we have Pilate in the trial of the Lord Jesus is so much at odds. It's a man that's so reluctant, a man that is so cold-feeted. who is literally stopping at every single step of the way, who is literally struggling to put Christ to death.

And that's at odds where people somehow try to put down the narrative, the Gospels is untrue, because it is at so much odd of what people know Pontius pilot to be. In fact, Luke himself said Pontius pilot was somebody who mixed the blood of the Gentiles with the sacrifice. That's the kind of madness this person was really capable of. He was so capable of offending the Jews to their very nerves. And so this kind of person, why was he so slow? Why was he with such great reluctance? Not being able to be fully convinced, in his conviction, even in his accusation, even when he condemned and pronounced the judgment, it was with so much pressure. Why was this person acting so weirdly, so differently? We begin by looking at the accusations that the people begin, that they laid on Christ. In verse 30, it says, if he were not a male factor or if he were not an evil doer, we would not have delivered him up to you.

And that's a very strange way to accuse a person. Pilate is upfrontly asking the Jews what accusation and that answer to that question is another question or a rhetoric one in saying that You should not be asking a question like this. It's as if Jews took offense to the question of Pilate. They were a little taken back. Like, how can you question us? Come on. If he was not an evil doer, why do you think we would be standing here so early in the morning, bringing before you an evil doer? It is just obvious. In fact, were a bit taken aback, probably offended. That's why they rhetorically answered the question of Pilate. When Pilate is asking, what are the accusations? Their answer is rhetoric and say, come on, you asking accusations? It's just obvious. He is an evildoer and that's how they begin that he is an evildoer. He has done things unrighteously.

Matthew and Mark at this point specifically say that they laid on Christ many things. We don't know more things, but many things. In fact, two times it is written that they laid on Christ many things. And then it is written that Pilate asked the Lord Jesus, how many things they are laying on you. So you can imagine a barrage of accusations, all false, all evil in nature, all maligning in nature, being laid upon Christ. It is Luke who actually gives us some understanding of what probably those accusations were. Luke says that they accused him of someone perverting the nation, of someone forbidding tax to be paid to Caesar. of someone who calls himself the Messiah and as well as a king. They made a two-pronged accusation. He calls himself Christ, Messiah and a king. And when nothing was working, then they became all the more furious in the accusation. Their pilot said, I don't find a fault in him and they were not ready.

So they brought in further accusation. They said that this person has been... perverting the nation and stirring up the people as if he's an insurrectionist, as if he's a revolutionary. He has been stirring up the people from Judea to Galilee. They just took the word Galilee and Pilate found an escape hatch. And that's the Pilate that we are trying to see here. A Pilate who's so reluctant. In fact, the very first step in his trial was you go and take him, try him by your own law. He didn't want to try the Lord Jesus. He had not heard any accusations, probably he was so moved off because it was pretty early in the morning they came to him and the very sight of them coming to him and them bringing him inside, that is the Lord Jesus inside the hall but they standing outside because they want to celebrate the Passover which makes him go outside to listen the accusation then come back inside to hear it of Christ then go outside again to hear the accusation. He was thoroughly annoyed. The first thing he told them was, you just go, take him, do what you want to do with your law.

And when that didn't happen, they started to hear the accusations and in the midst of the accusations, he heard the word, Galilee. The moment he heard Galilee, again saw an escape. Take him. If he's a Galilee, there is Herod. Go try him between Herod and him. But Herod was another person who would not put Christ to death. In fact, Herod had no authority. In fact, Herod would have been quite surprised to see Christ come his way. In fact, is written that Herodians and Pilate were enemies, but after that day or after that one incident of Pilate referring a criminal to Herod, they became friends because if they were enemies, it's just an easy guess. They were enemies over authority. They were enemies over who's powerful. They were enemies over jurisdiction as to who holds what power. And suddenly, Herod sees somebody being referred by Pilate, his own enemy, referring somebody to... himself which gives credence to Herod, which gives some credibility to Herod and his authority.

And probably that was the reason why Herod and Pilate suddenly become friends. Herod was surprised that Christ was referred to him, but Herod would not make the decision. And so Christ is brought back to Pilate. The ball is back in Pilate's court. And now we see again that Pilate is forced to take a decision, but someone so slow-feeted, extremely hesitant. He is hesitant because he has seen Christ and he has heard of Christ. He knows that he has done nothing wrong. And that's so strange because Pilate is known to do unrighteously. Pilate is known to give verdicts that are unfair and unjust. He cares less of injustice. It isn't much for him to think to take somebody's life. He has done that his whole life. He will continue doing that after Christ. But for Christ, he's so reluctant. With Christ, he's so cautious. With Christ, he's so afraid. With Christ, he is taking a step at a time and trying to see as much as possible not to put Christ to death.

So eventually when the Lord comes back from Herod, it is written that Pilate sat at judgment. Now there's a formal trial. He sat at the judgment. And now we see not just the scribes and the Pharisees, we see a multitude, a crowd of people coming. to raise their voice. And Pilate was so smart, he immediately understood that they have put Christ on trial because they were envious of him. He was able to see their heart. He had all the reasons now to let him go. And to couple it, was his own wife influencing his decision, his own wife saying, I have seen a dream, let him go. And then to couple it was the testimony of Christ, the things that Christ said, and that he was convinced that there is nothing, fault in him. To couple it was the destiny of Herod, which says that there is nothing in him, there is no fault, there is nothing worthy of him, let him go. So Pilate eventually devises a plan. How can he let Christ go?

He said that he brought up a tradition, a custom, of which he is known to do during Passover, that is to let a prisoner go. In fact, he brought that tradition up not for the sake of Barabbas. He brought that tradition up to let Christ go. He in fact said it this way, Do you want me to release Christ? Not just Jesus, Christ, the Messiah. Or he put it, Do you want me to release your King, the King of the Jews, King of you Jews? Do you want me to release Jesus who is also called Christ? The wordings of Pilate were so carefully crafted to... to at least broad the conscience of the Jewish people, look at what you are doing. Do you want me to release this person who calls himself the king of yourself? He's a king of Jews, come on, you're going to get a king for yourself. Are you going to put your own king to death? Are you going to put someone who calls your own messiah, your own savior to death, your own anointed one to death?

He is in fact using biblical terms, he's using Judean... Jewish culture, Jewish theology to invoke some guilt in the hearts of these people. And so he brings up this tradition to release a prisoner not for the sake of Barabbas, but so that at least through this Christ would let go. But unfortunately the people use that tradition or that custom for Barabbas. They said let Barabbas go and this man be put to death. And so Pilate is prodding them. You see a scene, a very heartful scene where Pilate is now constrained to deal not just with Christ, but Barabbas. If he had his way, he would so on Barabbas dead because Barabbas was truly a murderer, truly an enemy of the Roman Empire. He was truly an insurrectionist. Everything that Barabbas was guilty of, Barabbas and Christ If it was a choice between both, Pilate would choose Barabbas. But now Pilate is now constrained that he is no more dealing with Christ, but now he has to deal with Barabbas. And you see this horrible picture where Barabbas and Christ are being compared. And Pilate is asking the people, literally prodding the conscience, who would you prefer?

Christ, Jesus who is called Christ or Barabbas? In fact, Barabbas, the other name of Barabbas was also Jesus. Barabbas also means the Son of Father. The comparisons are so stark, where you have a genuine, true, heavenly God, Son of the Father, who is truly Yeshua, the Saviour, the Messiah, and you have someone who is a murderer, who is an insurrectionist, who has done great crimes, but who also calls himself Barabbas, the Son of the Father, who also has a name Jesus, Yeshua, who also has the same name like Christ. And you see someone so glorious, so holy, so blameless, so beyond reproof, so innocent, so righteous, being compared to Barabbas in the same line. And that's the word of the Prophet, that they will number him among the transgressors, that they will bring him to the same level, they will reduce him and condescend him or subjugate him to the same level of a criminal who was worthy of death.

And when the choice is so easy... between Christ and Barabbas, the people select Christ, they choose Christ and then Pilate still doesn't want to let go of Christ. He says, okay, if it is Christ, the question is, what should I do with Christ? If you want to release Barabbas, fine, take him, but now what to do with Christ? And they say, crucify him, crucify him. And then Pilate is again constraining them, okay, crucify him, but what evil has he ever done? And the people again have only one answer. crucify Him, crucify Him. That is barely an answer to the question that Pilate asked. But Pilate was constrained by the crowd, by the people, by the Pharisees, to crucify the Lord Jesus. Surprisingly, Pilate has still not given up on Christ. Just because the crowd told him to crucify, he's not going to crucify. So he comes up with the next strategy, the next plan to let Christ go.

And so he releases Barabbas according to their will. But John gives us... additional information where instead of releasing Christ to be crucified in verse 1 of chapter 19, he releases Christ to be scourged. And so it is now Pilate's desire to pacify the people, the anger of the people, the wrath of the people, by scourging the Lord Jesus. Pilate probably thought this would work, that if they... if they really chastise Christ as Pilate says, I will chastise him and release him. That Pilate thought that maybe if Christ would be chastised to such great degrees of torture and oppression, if such great degrees of persecutions would be inflicted on Christ, if they were to behold Christ after such great chastise points, after such great scourgings, that their mind and their heart would let him go. And so that's Pilate's next hatch, next plan. to not put Christ to death. You see Pilate step by step always fighting for Christ, always reluctantly not holding back Christ, not willingly giving Him over to death.

And so he gives Him to be scourged and that is such an awful thing for Pilate to have done. Because when he gives Him over to be scourged, we read in the other Gospels, 600 soldiers come together. a cohort, a band of soldiers come together and surround the Lord Jesus Christ and they do unto Christ unimaginable evil. They first strip him and then they put on him a purple rod and then they twist a crown of thorns and then they smash it on his head and then they take a reed, they put it into his hand and give him an appearance of a great king and then they bow before him hail him mockingly as the king of Jews. And then they took the reed out of his hand and then smote it on his head. And then they took out his purple robe and put back his raiment. And then they scourged him.

And the scourge of a Roman scourge, even in the most minimal damage it can ever do, is to pluck out the skin on which it falls. It is a fulfillment of the Psalm 129 verse 3, where the Psalm says, they have ploughed my back. like a farmland that after having been scourged the back of the Lord Jesus would look no different than a farmland that is cloud. So much flesh just spiling out, so much blood just coming out. Can you just imagine what they have done to the Lord of Glory? You see this is how the hymn writer says that when there was all shame and sin There was a second Adam to the rescue, second Adam to the fight. And here you see a second Adam taking upon himself the curse of Adam. He was stripped, being humiliated of his nakedness, a nakedness that Adam could never bear, but he had to bear it.

He was clothed with scarlet robes, scarlet talking of our own sins, and he was clothed mockingly, whereas Adam was clothed with true flesh, a clothing given. by God himself, not just to cover his nakedness, but to atone for his sin. But on Christ, we see a second Adam who is being humiliated, who is clothed with a scarlet robe. In Adam, see a curse, a curse being given to the ground where thorns have come up and those thorns then are being twisted and made into a crown to mash upon the head of Christ. You see, the irony is so, so much greater because in Christ, we see the image of God, the very face of God and that face now has been marred beyond recognition. You see the face is that part of the body where so much blood flows. In fact the maximum flow rate of blood is on the face. Any injury to the face profusely makes blood come out and you imagine if a crown of thorns is massed right on the head how much blood would just come out.

How much that blood would cover his face fulfilling the words of the prophet that they have marred him, they have marred him, they have marred him beyond recognition that If we were to look at him, there would be no desire that he would no longer bear resemblance to a human, to a healthy human being. That's what they would do to Christ, where Adam fell short of the glory of God, lost the image of God. And here is the true, genuine image of God, the glorious brightness expression of His glory, the very exact representation of God, the very true image of God being martyred, being marred, being scourged, being disfigured. You see, the authority to kill, the authority to take life was given by God. It goes back to the flood when Noah came out of the ark and God gave Noah the authority to take man's life, where not every loss of life is a murder, where there are genuine grounds on which murder can be done, there are genuine grounds on which someone's life can be taken and the Lord said, at the hand of every man, I will require the life of every man.

Which means if one man slays the other man, there is genuine grounds for the person to be put to death. There is genuine grounds for capital punishment. And that is the authority God gave man, God gave Noah and all the governments that came after Noah, all the empires, all the authorities that came out of Noah, even to this day, every state has that right to put somebody to death because it's a God-given authority to put somebody to death. And the Lord says the underlying reason why it is okay to put somebody to death, why it is okay to give capital punishment is because every man has been made in the image of God. And so this passage reeks with irony because here, now it is not just any man who has the image of God being put to death, but it is the very image of God being put to death. It is very Christ, the very express image of His person that is being put to death. And can there be a greater sin than that?

When the very image of God is being murdered, when very Christ is being put to death. And so Pilate thought that this would work and so he brings Christ to the people. He in chapter 19 and verse 4, it says Pilate therefore went forth again and says unto them, Behold I bring him forth to you, that you may know that I find no fault in him. I believe this is a U-turn in the in the decision of Pilate. People thought Christ is being scourged and then he will be crucified but he has been scourged, he has been terribly, brutally oppressed but he's not going to be crucified. Pilate brings him back and Pilate is saying, I bring him before you so that you should look at him and understand that he has done no fault. And he brings, then verse five, then came Jesus forth wearing the crown of thorns in the purple robe and Pilate said unto him, behold the man. The irony again is so great because now Christ bears no resemblance of any man. He looks like no man at all. He has been so disfigured. His face has been so marred and the pilot is saying, look, behold the man.

And this was supposed to act like a conscience breaker. This was supposed to at least melt the hard heartedness of the people that at least when they look at Christ in such a state, in such weakness, such infirmities, with such great wounds, that they would let go of him. That they would have at least some sympathy towards somebody who has done no wrong and still suffered such great things, towards somebody who has only gone about doing good and still suffered such great things, towards somebody who has only said gracious words and still has suffered such great things. At least at some point, the heart of man should have melted and this is Pilate's effort. to break down that hard-heartedness of man and saying, come on, where is your conscience? Surprisingly, this heathen Gentile had more conscience than the Jews and he's bringing Christ to them and saying, look, behold the man, look at him, behold him. And he was just hoping that they would let go of him.

On the contrary, they said, crucify him, crucify him. At this point, Pilate had enough. He said, okay, if you want to crucify him, go. Take him, crucify him. Pilate in a way was going to bring the trial to an end at this point. He was saying this is the end of it. There can be nothing more to this. You want to crucify him, he's all yours. Go crucify him. He's not giving authority to crucify, he's very rhetorically and sarcastically telling go crucify him, which means you crucify him according to your desire and then you will face the consequences. Obviously, they're not going to do that. So that's when they literally drop the bombshell. They literally bring about the greatest accusation. It was no more the temple, no more the tax, no more Caesar, no more instruction, no more nation, no more what he preached, no more what he talked, no more destroying the temple. All of that falls apart and they drop the bombshell to this heathen man and says, he is the son of God and that's why he should die.

And here you see Pilate being extremely afraid. When he heard that Pilate was more afraid in verse 8, he was all the more afraid. You see something so intriguing, something that defies logic, something that's so unreasonable. In one hand, the Jews that are the own people of God are not able to understand it. And Pilate, after having thrashed the Lord, after having scourged him, after having disfigured his face, after having put him almost to such great humiliation, on hearing the possibility that this person is the Son of God, Pilate doesn't find that trivial. Pilate doesn't think that's an impossibility. Pilate doesn't think it's unreasonable. Pilate himself has inflicted upon Christ great pain. Pilate himself has exerted great authority upon this person and Pilate still assumes that it could be possible, it could be very much possible that this man who is having a face that disfigured, marked beyond recognition, this man whose head is bruised, who is wearing a crown of thorns, who is stripped, who is so brutally wounded, this person who is so silent, who is weak, who is infirm, this person could still be the son of God.

It was an outlandish claim, it was scandalous for the Jews to accept it but not for Pilate. No doubt Pilate's understanding of God would be far inferior to the understanding that the Jews had about God. No doubt his understanding was not theologically correct, but still his conscience pricked at greatest odds, at the worst possible optics, at the greatest odds he still considered, he still pondered in his heart that maybe Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. That the very accusation that he is the Son of God... brought great fear in his heart. And finally at the end, he delivers him to be crucified. We read in verse 12 that henceforth Pilate sought to release him, where Pilate is determined to release him. But Pilate at the end of the day gives over to the people. He washes his hands as his last mark of defiance, saying that this is not my judgment. This is not what I approve of, but still he releases Christ to be crucified.

Can you just imagine someone just being put to death because of popular opinion? Just because people all come together and say, we want this person dead and so this person should die. Can there be such greater miscarriage of justice where the whole nation comes together against one man who has just been doing good, who has just been saying gracious things, who has just been exhibiting the glory of grace and truth? against such glorious man, all the nations come upon him and says, we want him dead. And that's why they got him dead. This is mob mentality. This is hard heartedness at the large. This is the wrath of man at his extreme limits. This is the hard heartedness of man at limits not known. This is showing how a person like Pilate, who was so reluctant at every step of the way from the very start, he used He least wanted Christ to be crucified, but still he couldn't resist the demands of the people.

Which brings us to the most important question. Why was Pilate so reluctant? What was in Pilate that made him so cold-feeted? Someone known for his brutality, someone known to be unjust and unfair, someone known for his madness, someone known to take split decisions and care least about justice. When it comes to Christ, He is so, so slow on it. He is so reluctant on it. It brings us to the encouragement that Paul gave Timothy, where Paul says to Timothy that you have to confess a good confession. You have to fight the good fight. You have to run the race. You have to confess a good confession before God who gives life and before Christ who Himself made a good confession before Pontius Pilate. And that's the last reference of Pontius Pilate in the New Testament, where Paul invokes this incident of Christ witnessing to Pilate as a reason for Timothy and for all of us to always have a good confession, to always have a great witness. And that's the witness of Christ which we cannot miss.

That's the picture of Christ that John doesn't want to compromise. in the midst of great odds and great ironies and against all optics, there is one unfailing truth that this indeed is the Son of God. And we need to then consider what was the witness, what was the confession of Christ to this heathen Gentile. It follows the pattern, Christ came to his own and his own did not receive him. And now that his own has not received him, he is now going to witness his glory his Godhead, his divinity to his own accuser, to the one who has authority to put him to death, even Pontius Pilate. And how did Christ witness to Pontius Pilate? What was this good confession that Paul talks of concerning Christ before Pilate? We see in verse 33, John chapter 18, verse 33, Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Jesus and said unto him, Are you the king of the Jews? And that's the most that Jews could accuse Christ of.

All their accusation has to be political in nature. If the Romans have to put Christ to death, it has to be something for the Romans also. And so the Jews accused Christ of him being king of the Jews. And so Pilate comes back to Christ. Christ is inside the hall, the Jews are outside. Christ is being questioned in the same political tone. Are you... the King of the Jews. Pilate is asking the Lord Jesus in the same political tone, are you the King of the Jews? In other words, okay, we have an Emperor, we have Caesar, what do you think of yourself? Do you also consider yourself to be a King? Are you also a King of the Jews? And the Lord takes that question, which is so merely political in nature, that is merely political as the Jews put it, as the Jews wanted it to be, and made it so personal for Pilate. Something that Pilate now has to decide for himself.

Look at how the Lord answered in verse 34, Do you say this thing of yourself? Do you say this thing of yourself? The Lord is asking Pilate, Pilate are you convinced about it? Is this your own personal question? Is this your own personal query? Do you say this of your own self? Is this what you are yourself doubtful of or convinced of or do you care about it? And the Lord was trying to tell Pilate, Pilate, this is not just a mere yes and no answer. This is not just a mere political question. This is a question of the great repercussions. To call me the King of the Jews is not just to call me like any other King of all the Jews, like David or any other King. No, the King of the Jews is the Messiah. The King of the Jews is the King of Kings. The King of the Jews is your Savior. The King of the Jews as given by the scriptures is the Holy One, is the one coming to rule over all the world. This is an important question.

This is not just a political question that you've got to answer and say, okay, there's Caesar, there's Christ. No, this is your personal question as well. Are you going to... Are you asking this of your own self? Or are you just saying... Or are you just inquiring because someone else told it to you? Where if the Lord puts Pilate in a place and says, Pilate, this is going to be the decision you need to make. This is not something that you're going to ask for the sake of passing a judgment. No, this is going to be your personal thing. Are you saying this of your own self? What is your opinion first on it? What do you think about myself? You see how Christ is trying to evangelize to this person, where it was merely supposed to be a trial, where Christ had to prove his innocence. No, Christ turns it around and tries to witness to this person and says, Pilate, this is a question for you. Are you saying this of your own self?

And so Pilate had to answer it and how does Pilate answer? Pilate says in 35, am I a Jew? Pilate is very blunt in saying, I least care who is the Jew. I least care who is the king of the Jews. I am neither a Jew. I'm not the one who arrested you. Your own people, your own nation, your own chief priests brought yourself to me. I least care about it. Pilate was blunt in telling, this is not my personal question. Your people brought yourself. to me. I am not a Jew. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't concern me whether you're the king of the Jews. Pilate was blunt and honest in saying, I care least about it. And here's the Lord now trying to make him care about it. Here's the Lord trying to make him understand that this is your question as well. It is a decision you have to make as well. This is a conclusion you have to arrive at as well. whether I am truly the King of the Jews.

So how does the Lord answer? How does the Lord witness? In 36, He says, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight? That I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from here? What a beautiful answer. Where Pilate wants to know, are you the King of the Jews? And when Pilate says, your own people, your own nation, your chief... priest, it is all your people, where Pilate tries to strongly associate Christ with the people of Jews, with the people of Israel, where Pilate tries to make that inseparable relation between the one who is accused and the people that delivered him. The Lord tries to say that this is not my kingdom. I am not the king of the Jews. My kingdom is not of here. It is not of Jerusalem. It is not of Israel. It is not of this world itself. My kingdom is not of this place. If my kingdom was of this place, my servants would fight and deliver me from the Jews.

In other words, he says the Jews are not my people. In other words, he says my servants are not of this kingdom. You're assuming that I'm the king of the Jews and the Jews themselves delivered the king to be crucified. You've got it wrong. My kingdom is not of this world and neither the Jews are of my people. My servants, if it was my kingdom, my servants would have fought the Jews. You see how the Lord is now opening himself up to be a savior not just of the Jews but also the Gentiles where he is no more going to be narrow-minded or going to be looked upon as just the King of the Jews but the Lord says to Pilate you're dealing with someone who has the kingdom out of this world you're dealing with someone who is truly the King but not yet not yet I have my servants who would have delivered me but not yet.

And Pilate immediately understood how the Lord disassociated himself with the Jewish people. He immediately understood because his next question was, are you then a king? His first question was, are you a king of Jews? But the second question, he became very specific. Okay, are you a king at least? We get the point, you're not the king of the Jews, but you said you have a kingdom. So are you a king at least? And that's when the Lord beautifully witnessed to Pilate and said, you have rightly said it. I am a king. And this being a king has great bearing on you yourself. You say you are not a Jew, you say you are not of this land, you say that you barely are concerned whether I am the king of Jews, you've got it wrong. Christ is the king of a great kingdom that is coming. He is the king. It is for this purpose He came. And it is then bearing upon Pilate to accept whether Christ is a King or not.

In conclusion, the Lord told Pilate something so beautiful, which explains everything that has happened, which explains why Christ submitted himself. He says in verse 37, Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate wanted to know what have you done? What's your crime? What's the thing you're accused of? If the Jews had to tell, they would tell it their own way. But if Christ had to make His own charge seat, He says it this way, for this cause. And the cause is, I have come to bear witness of the truth. And I will continue doing that. because everyone that is of truth will hear my voice. Why would Christ submit himself to such increasing degree of torture and persecutions and oppressions where he becomes a worm on the cross? Christ himself says, I am come to bear witness of the truth. No more through great sermons, no more through great miracles and signs and wonders, no more through great exhibits of his power. But now he's going to exhibit and bear witness of God Immortal, God Unapproachable, God who is just, God that is holy, God that is righteous, God with great wrath who is going to put his own son to death.

He is going to bear witness and as he has always been doing, he is going to continue doing it now through a cross out of all things. He's going to do it through all the persecutions that people are going to inflict upon him. He's going to do it through all the mockings that people are going to talk about him. He's going to do it through whatever people conceive, the worst that they can conceive. Through the wrath of man, he is going to show the grace of God. He is going to bear witness of the truth. And that's the only reason why he's silent. That's the only reason why he's submitting himself to the wicked whims and fancies of men. That's the only reason why he submitted himself to the will of men, because he is here to bear witness of the truth. He has so done it in ages past, through the heavens he has created, through all things that he has worked in the Old Testament, through all his works and wonders, and through his birth, through his life, he has so done it.

But now he's going to do it in a much greater way, that in a crucified man, in the greatest exhibit of foolishness, and unreasonableness, will the glory of God be shown that Christ is, when you have lifted me up, and then you will know that I am, that the same I am, the I am is being crucified. When you have lifted me up, you will know that I am. It is not the arresting, is not the mockings, it is not the beatings, it is not the scourgings that was going to beat, that is going to melt hard-hearted men of Israel. But when they see Christ on the cross, when they see Him crucified, the Lord says, this vision, this sight of Mine being lifted up, is going to make you know that I am. And so Christ so willingly submits Himself to Pilate, that I am here to bear witness of the truth. And everyone that is of truth hears my voice. We are so... blessed so graciously, that in this one statement, everyone, it speaks of all of us.

It speaks of each of us being willing to listen to the truth, being willing to abide in truth, being willing to accept the truth, that Christ, in order to see a day when we will hear the truth, when we, the sheep, will hear the voice of the shepherd. When we who are lost will return to the shepherd and the overseer of our soul, Christ in order to see the reality that everyone that is of truth will hear my voice just for that reality, just for that sake that everyone should hear his voice, submits himself to great torture, great oppression and great humiliation. And so in one hand you see great wrath of men. On the other hand, you see extreme reluctance of Pilate. And we now know which side won. We now know why the wrath of man won, why the reluctance of Pilate could not save Christ, because Christ was here to bear witness of the glory of Christ, glory of God. May His name be glorified.The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 6 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptMatthew 26:57-68, 57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

Today we would like to consider the trial of the Lord Jesus before his own, before his own people and how they examined him. how they legally tried him out. So far, we have almost seen half the journey since it started at the Upper Room. And we have seen how the Lord Jesus has been in complete control of every step of His journey. He has never been taken by surprise. He has never been seen as a victim. And consistently, it has been seen that He is the Son of God. Irrespective of what people try to make things out of him. And this is consistently seen even in the trial. He is tried before his people and then later he is tried before the Gentiles. And this is very special because it's written, He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. And this is what we will consider today, how His own would not receive Him.

What we'll also consider today is how so many prophecies are being fulfilled in this one incident. As Jeremiah would say, that he has been numbered or he has been valued by his people and this is the value that they would assign to him, 30 pieces of silver. And we will now try to see what that 30 pieces of silver mean in quality, in terms of morals, in terms of value. How do they look at Jesus of Nazareth? At the same time, we will maintain the balance of a God that doesn't change. And that has to be still maintained. He is the same God who at the face of sin banished Adam and Eve from His presence. He is the same God who took care of the holiness of His presence. He is His own protector. He doesn't need anyone to protect His holiness. And so, He has always taken care of how much... how far, how close, how near a sinner can come to Him.

And probably when we read this, we see all of that crumbling. We see all of that balance crumbling. The God who would not allow Moses to step one foot ahead because the ground was holy. A God who would not allow His people to come close to the mountain because He's holy unless they die, not even a beast could touch the mountain. A God who takes the life of someone who unholy holds the Ark of the Covenant, for He needs no one to protect His glory, no one to protect His honour. And we suddenly see all of that being challenged. In verse 57, they laid hold on Jesus for the first time, wicked hands have touched the Lord Jesus. They have always tried to do it, but for the first time it has happened, they laid hands on Jesus. They caught Him, they apprehended Him, they arrested Him. The Gospel of John adds a detail, they bound Him, they tied Him up.

And we have to still maintain the balance that this is still the God of the Old Testament, who wouldn't allow anyone to come close to Him, that even if He were to choose to dwell among His people, He would still allow only once a year, one person, after having offered sacrifice for his own sin, to approach him. It is with such holiness, with such fierceness, he has protected his presence, that there is no one who could ascend to the holy hill of God. Now all of that is crumbling, that hedge is crumbling, that boundary is crumbling. There is no more of difference, there is no more of separation. Unholy hands, sinful hands, have for the first time held the Lord Jesus. For the first time they have apprehended Him. For the first time they have touched Him with evil desires. For the first time they have bound Him, they have tied Him, and they are leading Him as a sheep is led to a slaughterhouse. So the first time all of that crumbles, or the first time sinful men touch a holy cord. It's important to see where the trial takes place.

It's written over here, they led him to Caiaphas. But John's Gospel adds one more detail that they first led him to Annas, and then Annas bound him and sent him to Caiaphas. So, there were two trials, in fact. First trial happened at Annas. Now, Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Annas was first the high priest. and then when he resigned, he allowed his son-in-law to come into that place. So, Annas was the high priest or the ex-high priest. The Lord Jesus was led first to the palace of Annas and we don't know what transpired there. The most we know is that he just went there bound and Annas delivered him to Caiaphas. And this, in a way, talks about the whole nexus of wickedness that was in the place. You see, as a high priest, a high priest can't get his hands dirty. He would be the last person to send someone to kill.

He would be the last person to send someone for blood. But there is someone else, a henchman, a person who is behind the high priest, his own father-in-law, Anas, the dirty guy who gets dirty jobs done. He is the one who is ready to get his hands dirty. Who is the one ready to do all the unholy things? and absolve the high priest. At the same time, Anas enjoys the fact that he is no longer a high priest. So he is no longer responsible. He is no longer going to be held accountable for his actions because he is no more going to be bound by the conduct of a high priest. So there is always a dirty person to get the dirty job done on behalf of the high priest. And so Anas stands behind the high priest. He is the one who directs. He is the one who actually wields power. He is the one who actually has authority. Caiaphas at the end of the day is just someone on paper. Annas is the henchman.

He's the one who sends people to get Christ. Christ first comes to Annas. Annas gets him bound up and sends him to Caiaphas. Let's look at the people to which the Lord comes. In verse 57, it says that, The day that had laid hold on Jesus, led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. And verse 59, now the chief priest and elders and all the council, is specifically the Sanhedrin. When we read the council, it means the Sanhedrin. Sanhedrin means a group of Jewish judges. They were 70 in number. That's why the name Sanhedrin. 70 judges, elders, chief priests, high priests, all of them have gathered to try the Lord Jesus. Sanhedrin were the judges of the Jewish people. They were the people that wielded power and they sat in the place of Moses. And we could add in the Pharisees, we could add in the scribes. They all come to try the Lord Jesus.

Now let's first consider the irregularities of this trial, the illegalities of this trial. How illegitimate was this trial that it was in no way just. A pure miscarriage of justice. We read that they gather at the high priest residence, the palace of the high priest. And as per rabbinic traditions, that's never the place where a court assembles. The court never assembles at the place of the high priest. The Sanhedrin never sat at the high priest home. The high priest home was not the court of the land. It was always the temple. And so we see one by one every violation of due process, where every law, every rule and regulation set by their own traditions and cultures is being disregarded for the sake of putting Christ to death. They have gathered at the wrong place. They have gathered at the wrong time because the Lord says to Peter that a cock will crow. And so the cock doesn't crow until its morning. and the cock hasn't cried out when the trial has taken place.

That simple detail tells that all of this was happening in the thick of the night. It was happening right in the middle of dark night. All of them have given up on their sleep. All of them have come and assembled a court to try the Lord Jesus. It hasn't even become dawn. It hasn't become early in the morning. It is still night at the wrong place at the wrong time. They have all gathered to try the Lord Jesus. Most importantly, what are they trying the Lord Jesus for? What is the whole purpose? They said over there in verse 59, they want to put him to death. And this was a matter on which the Sanhedrin had no locus standi. They had no authority. They were in fact trying the Lord Jesus on a matter on which they had no jurisdiction. Sanhedrin was acknowledged by the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire acknowledged the law and the power of Sanhedrin. But that was only for religious matter. It was this basically convenience.

The Romans didn't want to put their head into sensitive religious matters. So they might as well direct all those religious matters to Sanhedrin for it to be resolved. So even when they brought the Lord Jesus to Pilate, Pilate first said, you have a law, you judge him by the law. They wanted to push as much as possible to the Sanhedrin. So Sanhedrin was very much an legal authority of the land, but not in cases of life and death, not in cases of capital punishment, not in cases when they want to charge somebody of death and take somebody's life. In those matters, it was still the Roman Empire. It was still Pilate. It was still Caesar that had authority on that matter. The Sanhedrin had no jurisdiction. They had no business. They had no ethical, no legal, no moral right to try the law of Jesus. They gathered together to put the law of Jesus to death over a matter they had no authority over. They had no jurisdiction. And you see how hastily they get the job done. They're trying to put someone to death.

It's the greatest punishment you can ever give. Death is the greatest punishment law can ever give. And that's not to be given. immediately, that's not to be given just in a matter of few hours, leave alone just overnight, just in the first sitting. But in the very first sitting, they have already concluded that the Lord Jesus is worthy of death. In such haste, they're trying to put Christ to death. In fact, there's a rabbinic tradition that if you want to pronounce somebody not guilty, you could do that in the first sitting. But if you want to pronounce somebody guilty of death, you still need to wait for at least a day and do it the next day. Even their own traditions, they would not follow. They wanted to get the job done. And by the end of the sitting, even before the cock could crow, even before the early dawn could come, they had pronounced the Lord guilty of death. They were hellbound in pronouncing Christ dead and they wanted to do it so fast.

So you see a complete disregard to due process. Unfortunately, whatever they are doing is a circus. It's a kangaroo court. They have no authority. So even if they do pronounce the Lord Jesus worthy of death, that has no value. It has no metal. It has no substance. It is not that just because they pronounce the Lord Jesus worthy of death that the Lord Jesus will be crucified. No, they have to bring him to Pilate. They have to do the whole thing once again before Pilate. Pilate is not going to recognize the conclusion of the Sanhedrin as matters concerning life and death. Whatever they pronounce, whatever they condemn, whatever they convict the sinner of, and they even say he is worthy of death, it's just water. It is no law. It is no judgment. Whatever they are pronouncing has no worth, no value before Pilate. Before Pilate, the next day, they have to do it all over again, start from the scratch. They have to invent the whole wheel again. Whatever they do in this night is of no use in fact. Whatever judgment they pronounce is of no use in fact. There is no gate to the judgment.

And we see again a disregard concerning the due process because they are so hell bound in finding false witness. So they have already premeditated and pre-concluded the judgment. Now they just want someone to fit in. They just want false witnesses to come in. They have already precluded that the Lord Jesus should be crucified, he should be worthy of death. And without an iota of hurt to their own conscience, where it is one of the commandments of the Lord that you should not levy false allegations against your neighbour, without even an iota of hurt to their own conscience, they are searching, that's how it's written, they are searching for false witnesses. They are in look out for false witnesses. They don't want the truth. They want falsehood. They are looking for falsehood to put Christ to death. It's again a disregard to due process because this was a one-sided trial. Did the Lord ever defend Himself? Did the Lord ever give an explanation to His side of the story? Did God have as many witnesses as He could? But did they ever get to hear it of the Lord? Did the Lord stand up to say of Himself?

In fact, they asked the Lord a question and the Lord, before answering the question, said, If I say, you will not believe and if I ask you, you will not answer, neither will you let me go. That's how the Lord looked at the trial. That I am not allowed to speak, if I were to speak, you're not going to listen. There's nothing that I'll speak that will convince you. There's nothing that I'll speak that will make you hear me. And if I were to ask you, there's nothing you're going to return in answer. This was just a one-sided discourse, a one-sided accusation, where the defense was never present. It is just basic judiciary that the worst accused should have someone to defend him. But the Psalmist says the Lord would look to his left and look to his right and there was no one. His acquaintance stood afar of. There was no one to stand for the Lord and leave alone anyone else. He himself was never allowed to speak.

It's a different matter that he stood silent, but he himself as the Lord said that if I were to say, you are not going to listen. A trial that takes place at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong set of people, with the wrong due process being followed, with no authority and with no locus standing on the matter, with no weight of the judgements, with no legality to the process, with no defense given to the accused, where every single stuff in this whole trial is just a kangaroo court. There's nothing legal about this. Which beckons an important question over here.

Why the trial then? What was the necessity of all of this? If at the end of the day they had to redo it before pilot, if at the end of the day this was a process at wrong place, at wrong time, educating wrong powers, powers that did not exist, giving judgments that had no weight, that had no value, then why even do it? Why bring Christ? Why try the Lord Jesus? Why do it in the middle of the night? Why lose your sleep over it? Why do the Jews consider it so important to try the Lord? If at the end of the day this had absolutely zero value, why go through the pain? Why was it so important for the Jews? Why was it important that this should even happen, that the Lord should be tried among his people? Over here at the... At the background of all of this, you see great hypocrisy among the people. For they were trying to put a veneer of holiness to an evil deed.

John says it this way that the Lord Jesus was brought to Caiaphas, the same person who had prophesied that one man should die on behalf of the nation, lest the whole nation perish. So they were looking at the death of Christ as an evil necessity. They had no grounds to put him to death. But they were saying that this person should die or if he doesn't die, the nation will perish. So it was more about of an evil necessity that had to be done or ought to say in this way, there is a greater evil. The greater evil is that Romans will come and take away the power of the Jews, power of the Romans, power of the high priest. The Romans will take away the power of Jews. They will not have a place. They will not have a nation. That's the greater evil. But the lesser evil. The lesser evil that needs to take place to prevent a greater evil is the death of this person. And that's how they tampered their conscience.

That if we have to preserve our traditions, preserve this temple, preserve this holy priest, preserve the authority of the high priest, preserve this honor that we have, this person should die. It's with such wicked hearts and minds they try to put Christ to death. It's just hypocrisy all over the place. where because the high priest cannot get his hand dirty, he orders someone else to do the dirty job. and they recognize in fact that this is blood money. When Judas came with the money back to the high priests and scribes, they said this is blood money. That's their words. They recognize that this is money given for blood. It's the money they themselves give for the sake of blood. They themselves recognize that this is unholy money and they were so much concerned that this unholy money, this blood money should not end up in the temple. They were least concerned of the fact that it is blood money. They are least concerned with the fact that this blood money came from them. They are least concerned with the fact that it is them asking for blood, that it is they being murderers.

It's a fact that completely missed their eyes, but what they were more concerned with is that this money should not enter the temple. They were majoring on the minors, completely missing the majors. They were so concerned on small things. Hypocrites of the highest level, where they were so concerned that the blood money should not go to the temple. but least concerned of the fact that it is blood money in itself. And so when they bring the Lord Jesus to Pilate, they do not enter the judgment hall. They stand outside. Why? Because they want to still celebrate the Passover. It's hypocrisy at another level. They have broken all kinds of laws overnight to put Christ to death. They have followed no due process. in defending, in accusing Christ, in condemning Christ.

They have broken all kinds of laws of their own book, of their own laws, and yet they still want to maintain the Passover. Yet they still want to celebrate the Passover. What is the... what is the first, the pursuit of small things when they have fallen down so greatly before God's glory? This is a group of people that failed before God. And it is still perplexing to ask, why try the Lord Jesus? Why should they try the Lord Jesus? Why they should examine the Lord Jesus? When they had no moral, no legal reason, no authority to exact a response from the Lord, to examine the Lord, to accuse the Lord, to even pass a judgment of life and death, why still do it?

Well, here are a couple of reasons. Why they still have to do it. It's hypocrisy again, but it was nevertheless a reason for them. They knew that it is the Romans that have to put Christ to death. Nevertheless, the law says that if you accuse somebody of death, and if it is proved to be true, then the accuser, the witnesses, will be the first one to throw the stone. So if they are going to take... the Lord Jesus to pilot. They want to pacify their conscience. They want to pamper their conscience. They know their conscience will never in right sense allow something like this to happen. And the only way they're going to pacify that conscience is to try the Lord before the law of Moses where they are finding reasons to put him to death. Where they are specifically going through the law of Moses on those laws that ask for death penalty.

And if they can prove him guilty before the law of Moses, at least their conscience is taken care of. At least they can go with boldness to pilot. At least they can be assured that they are right before God. At least they can be falsely assured that they are doing service to God because this person is worthy of death. And so if you go to the law of Moses, there are very few instances when a person is worthy of death and where we read that they tried to find many false witnesses. I want to believe here that the only thing that they laid upon the Lord Jesus was not just about the temple that was destroyed in three days and could be made back in three days. That was just one of the things. They might have accused the Lord of horrible things on maybe all counts of the law of Moses that required death penalty.

Starting from adultery, starting from murder, starting from blasphemy, every single thing they might have wanted to put on him, that he's probably a false prophet that needs to be stoned. He's probably someone who has never haunted his parents that needs to be stoned. He's probably an adulterer that needs to be stoned. He's probably a murderer that needs to be stoned. He's probably someone who's against God that needs to be stoned. They might have gotten all possible counts. where it is written they tried to find many false witnesses. And this brings us to the most crucial reason why this is so necessary, though it was so useless, though it had no bearing, though it had no local standee, though it had no authority, still this was so important, it was so necessary because here is a picture of a lamb of God being brought to the high priest of the people and it is of the responsibility of the high priest to examine every sin offering, to examine every sacrifice, to introspect, to examine to the very hair and find if there is a blemish, if this sacrifice is worthy of death.

And so if the Lord Jesus indeed is the Lamb of God that has to be taking away the sins of the world, it is just due process under the law where the High Priest needs to examine this Lamb. And that's what they're doing. They pull apart the pages of the law of Moses trying to find every single count. Whether true witnesses, whether false witnesses, by hook or by crook, they want to find him worthy of death. And it is just they fulfilling the pattern of the scriptures, where if a lamb has to be offered, the lamb has to be introspected, the lamb has to be tried, the lamb has to be tested, the lamb has to be verified, the lamb has to be validated that this lamb has no blemish. And that's how they put it. In fact, in verse 62, it's written, the high priest arose and said unto him, Do not answer anything. You see in that question of frustration, an absolute frustration of getting nowhere.

They have tried to harp up all kinds of false witnesses. They have tried to scorn or comb every kind of law in Moses. They have tried to examine in all possible dimensions. In fact, the allegation they brought about over here of the temple is an allegation three years old. So they went back right to the start of this ministry. They try to examine every single word. They try to pull up every single thing. And at the end of the day, the high priest rises up in frustration and says, why don't you answer anything? You see in that question of frustration, an admission, an admission in saying that here is someone who has not sinned. You see these group of people were extremely wicked. They were extremely proud. They were extremely egoistic. It was impossible for them to bring themselves up to saying that you have done nothing wrong. But in questioning like this, it is the best way, it is in fact their way of saying, you have done nothing wrong. In questioning them, in questioning Christ and asking, why you are silent?

It is an implicit admission that this case can never go ahead, that there can be no charges found, that it has come to a point where we have to let him go. where there is now no grounds, nothing found in him worthy of death, that the high priest rises up and he is asking, why don't you answer anything? You see, a high priest should be excited of the fact that there is a lamb that is no blemish but here is an high priest extremely angry, extremely frustrated at the end of his wits asking why don't you answer anything? You see, the trial was necessary because it was a mere introspection a mere verification that in Christ is no blemish, in Christ is no sin. But there was a second reason why it was also important.

Because once the High Priest of the Old Testament will try the lamb, he will introspect the lamb, he will test it, he will look at it, he will verify it, he will validate it. The next step in that whole process of the sin offering is that he will ask the sinner to lay his hands on the head of the offering and that laying of the hands on the head of the offering is a picture of imputation where this sinner has transferred his sin to the sacrifice where now all what he is guilty of has been laid upon this lamb. And that is the second part of the trial where you see the that you tell us whether you be Christ, the Son of God. I adjure you by the Living God. Over here, the high priest is forcing the Lord Jesus to open his mouth by putting him under an oath. He can no more plead the fifth as it said, he can no more be silent, he can no more just exercise silence. But now he has to answer because the high priest has put the Lord under an oath. And the question is, are you the son of God?

It is at this question, in fact, nothing else, but on this one point, on this one count, where the Lord Jesus gloriously admitted that I am the Son of God, that the reason why you find no blemish on me is because I am the Son of God. I am the Glorious One. I am the one who is the Son of Man written in the book of Daniel. I am the one coming in the right hand of power. I am the one that will come in the clouds of heaven. I am the one that will sit in the right hand of power of God. It is in this admission that He was found worthy of death. And what an irony! What an irony! Because in putting Christ to death or in condemning Christ to death, they were condemning themselves. Because the sin is not that Christ is God, but the sin is that they can't accept Him as God. It is so symbolic as to how the person puts his hand on the head of the sacrifice and transfers his sin to Him. It is in the same vein where the sin is theirs. The sin is their hard-heartedness. The sin is their rebellion. The sin is their unbelief.

It is their unbelief that they can't admit. that they can't believe, that they can't accept. And because it is their sin and because they can't bring themselves up to admit their own sin, they pass on the sin to the Saviour. They pass on the sin to the Sacrifices. He has sacrificed. You are the sinner. You being the Son of God, that is your mistake. And all the while it was their mistake to not admit, their mistake to not believe, their mistake to not accept Him, their mistake to not submit. It was their sin from the start. But sidelining all of their sin, they put the sin on Christ and said, It is now your sin. It is your mistake. You have found guilty of law because you have called yourself the Son of God. You see how such a useless trial, how such a powerless trial, had such great bearing and impressions of the Old Testament necessity of a sacrifice, that the sacrifice had to be had to be checked, had to be tested, had to be verified. And before the sacrifice could be offered, all the elders of the people, when they have sinned, all the elders will come and put their hands on the head of the sacrifice and transfer their sin to Him. It is in this beautiful fulfillment that we see the necessity of such a worthless, such a useless trial that had absolutely no bearing.

Let's come to the response of the Lord in the midst of the trial. It's important to see how the Lord responded. And over here we see a beautiful picture of the glory of Christ in His response. In the Gospel of John, we read of an additional information, where additional question, where how the trial started, and the trial started with a question where they asked the Lord Jesus, where they asked the Lord Jesus about His doctrine and about His disciples. They asked, that's how it started, they asked this question about his doctrine and about his disciples. And the Lord Jesus gave a very wise answer. He in fact answered in a way in saying, why do you ask me? Everything that I've said, I've said in open. You can ask those that have heard of me. And for this one very legitimate answer, he was given a big blow. But if you come back to that answer, why did the Lord say it? You see in that answer such innocence, such blamelessness. Because if you know you are standing in a trial where people out there are going to get you, they are ensnaring you, they are going to put you to death, you would so want to answer.

You would so want to explain yourself. You would so want to give a reason. You would so want to defend yourself. The last thing you would say is, go ask those that heard me, because those that heard him are the ones that put him to death, are the ones that have arrested him and brought him to trial. The last thing you would want is that those who accuse you to defend you. You see, this is not a picture of someone who's guilty. Someone who's guilty will try hands and legs to prove himself innocent, but someone who has nothing to prove, no sins to prove. who is so pure, so innocent, he's passing the buck on and saying, you ask my accusers. Someone who is so much in control of his trial, because imagine if he actually told, imagine if he actually answered, imagine actually if he laid out his doctrines once again, then this trial would have never ended. It has happened before.

They have always questioned the Lord Jesus and always the Lord gave answers in such a way that they would dare not ask any more questions that would probably be the way where this trial also would have ended. If the Lord had spoken his doctrine, if the Lord had answered that question, if the Lord had explained his stand, if the Lord had defended himself, there would be no way he would end up in the cross. But the Lord is in complete control of his own trial, where he is saying, you go after witnesses. You go and ask those, let them be the witnesses. And the next thing we know in the other gospels which we read in Matthew is, they are actually looking for witnesses. You see the Lord who is in complete control of his own trial to the extent where he himself directs it. Where he himself decides how the trial should end. He himself decides what should be the next course of his trial. He is directing the high priest and saying, you go after witnesses and they do go after witnesses.

He is directing his own trial. Someone who is so much in control where we see, I have the power to lay down my life. It will be in his own terms, in his own terms that he will put his self to death. It will be in his own power and authority where he will allow himself to be crucified. You see someone who refuses to answer and in this you see a picture of a lamb, a lamb that is silent. A lamb where everyone is trying to shear the lamb, but the lamb will be dumb before the shearers. It's a picture of how the Psalmist says that I was deaf. Not that he was deaf, but I acted deaf and I was dumb and there was no responses in my mouth in Psalm 38. And this is the picture of the Lord Jesus, a picture of a majestic, silent lamb, where everyone is after Him, where everyone wants His hair, everyone trying to show Him. But He answers not a single word. He explains not Himself. He remains silent, in which we see a beautiful glory of grace, of peace, of mercy, where this lamp is readily offering Himself to be led by His own creation.

But we also see a picture of a shepherd. And that's our lamb. Our lamb, where the Lord Jesus in Revelation 7 is said to be that the lamb who is the shepherd, our shepherd is in fact a lamb. He has become a shepherd because he knows what it means to be a lamb. A shepherd who has become a lamb makes a whole lot of difference in shepherding because he knows what the lamb goes through. And that is our Lord. A Lord who is a lamb that is a shepherd and you see a person in the midst of all the buffeting, in midst of all the mocking, in where he is being blindfolded, where he is being spat upon, where his beard is being pulled apart, where he is being mocked with rods and with palms. In the midst of it, he acts like a glorious shepherd for Peter, where he looks at Peter. He looks at Peter. That's how it was written. He looked at Peter and then Peter remembered the words of the Lord. Peter was that sheep going astray, one after the other, falling again and again, so callously, with much impunity, again and again denying the Lord, without considering what he is saying.

He is again and again saying, I do not know the man. He is reducing the Lord Jesus to just a man. I do not know him. A man who is so hell-bent in denying him. And all the while the Lord is answering, all the while the Lord is looking, all the while the Lord is knowing all things. And when Peter denies the Lord three times, the Lord just looks again silent as a lamb. He doesn't say a word. He doesn't reprimand Peter. He doesn't speak to Peter. But it was that one look that melted the heart of Peter. What a beautiful shepherd. What a beautiful shepherd that with one look, he could remind the sheep of his own words. He could make that sheep repent. To the point where Peter wept bitterly. In the midst of all what they are inflicting to him, he is still the one who is sustaining all things by the word of his power. He is still that shepherd, so much in concern of his own.

In fact, when the Pharisees asked him, what about your disciples and what about your doctrine? The Lord answered only the second part of the question. He answered nothing about his disciples. He did not want them to get their hands on the disciples. In fact, he told in the garden, you have me, now let them go. A shepherd who is protecting his sheep, and in the midst of his own suffering, in the midst of his own afflictions, he looks at Peter and corrects Peter with just a mere look. Over here, you have a picture of a silent lamb, but also you have a picture of a roaring lion. In one hand you have him majestically silent. He is not someone who is defenseless but chooses to be undefended. He is not someone who is weak but restrains his strength. He is not someone who is guilty but allows himself to be accused. Here is someone who is at the same time in the midst of Him being a silent lamb. He is also the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is also the King that is going to come back.

In verse 63, it says, Jesus held His peace and that's the Lamb of God, a One who is silent. But in verse 64, you see, you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power. And that's a lion. And that's the King. That's the one who has dominion, who has kingdom, who has glory. He is the son of man that they and Daniel spoke of will be brought before the ancient of days and to him will be given glory, dominion and kingdom. And all people and languages and nations will come to worship him. And his law of first dominion, it will be from everlasting to everlasting. The Lord quotes the very passage of Daniel and says, I am that son of man who's going to come in the cloud of heavens. And he says, I am the one sitting at the right hand of power that takes us back to Psalm 110, where we see a Lord sitting at the right hand of the Lord. A one who is sitting at the same level, at the same rank, at the same position, of the same authority of God Himself. You see a silent lamb and a roaring lion.

You see a one who is freshly slain, but a one who has his vision of being the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, the one who will triumph. When people try to mock him and when they try to triumph over a victory that is not, here is someone who's truly triumphing over their own scorns, over their own mockings. You see, this brings us back to the prayer of the Lord, which he taught us to pray, where he said, your name be hallowed, your kingdom come and your will be done. And you see all these three things coming together in the sufferings of the Lord. Where before he was arrested, he told the disciples, he prayed to the father, I have given them your name. That he is going to raise up a people that will hallow the name of God, that will revere the name of God, that will separate the name of God. And when his name was degraded at Gethsemane, when they asked, are you Jesus of Nazareth in a most derogatory way?

He says, I am, because that's his name. He said that name, I am, and people fell down to the ground. Here was the Lord in a mission to hallow the name of God in the midst of the sinful world, where there will be people that will call upon the name of the Lord, where there will be one name given under the heaven for man to be saved, one name to access all of God. And here is someone hallowing that name on our behalf. Here is someone talking of this kingdom come, where he talks of legions of angels at his disposal. where he tells Pilate that if I am born for this reason and my kingdom is not of this world, if it were of this world my servant should fight for me.

Here is someone bringing his kingdom to this world where even the thief on the cross recognizes and says, when you come into your kingdom, remember me that your kingdom is coming. And the only explanation to all of the sufferings is where he says, let your will be done. Where he admits that it is God's will that is in heaven, that is predetermined before the world was made, this will has to be brought to pass. Here is the Lord answering the prayer that He has so beautifully taught us to pray. May the Lord's name be glorified. The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 5 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon Transcript The Gospel of John Chapter 18, John 18 verse 1. 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. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. 10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 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? 12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, 13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. 14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

We are looking at the second part of the garden of Gethsemane, where the first part concerned the sorrows of Christ and his prayer, which he prayed three times. Now, in the second part, we will consider for the time before us the arrest of the Lord Jesus. And at the outset, we need to... Look at how the Gospel of John begins, though we will shuffle between the Gospels. Gospel of John directly begins with the arrest. It begins with Christ in Gethsemane, and he is already being arrested. It completely skips the aspect of his sorrows and of his prayer. And he begins with the fact that Christ is being arrested by men. If you put yourself in the place of John, you would realize that this is a very difficult task to write by itself. Because John has presented Christ to be of God, and if you were to go in the same journey with John up to Chapter 17, he will take you to the very peak of all peaks, where he has said Christ is one with the Father. One with the Father and with the Father's glory. That is John 17, where Christ is going back to the Father, He is one with the Father and He is with the Father in His glory.

It is at that peak that John 17 ends, where John has meticulously, right from the start of the book till Chapter 17, increasingly magnified Christ. It's an extremely beautiful, magnificent picture of the divinity of Christ. And you have taken your readers all the way up a peak, where you have shown Christ with God in heaven, with the glory of God in heaven, and being one with God in heaven. It cannot be more godly than that. It cannot be more divine than that. And then the challenge is, soon after you write about such a prayer, you begin to talk of the arrest of the Lord, where He is going to be led by His own creatures, He's going to be wrongfully handled, He's going to be manhandled. How are you going to maintain and sustain the narration of the divinity of Christ? How can you in one hand talk of Christ being so much equal with God and then continue with the narration of his crucifixion, his sufferings, where he is going to be brutally treated by his own creation, he is going to be crushed like a worm.

And in the midst of that, how would you maintain the divinity of Christ? where you can't let go of the narration you have so far given of Christ being the Son of God, of one with God, with the glory of God, and on the other hand being man-handled, being arrested, being so weak, being so infirm, even to the point of the cross. That's a huge balance that you have to delicately handle. And this is the care with which John writes his record. Where he doesn't let go of the wishing that this is Word of God, this is God, this is the glory of God. He doesn't let go of the vision of the divinity of Christ. So when we are seeing the most horrible things that could ever happen to somebody, the most wicked things that should happen to Christ... which should be the last person who should be happening, it becomes glorious to see that in the midst of those sufferings, in the midst of what men did to him, there is an unchanging fact that he is still God, that he is still divinely God, that if we are able to see the divinity of God through his woeful, worm-full sufferings, that would be a glorious sight to see. And John does that. John takes care of that.

He has sustained the narrative that here is somebody who has come out of God, and he will continue to sustain it, though he is going to say that this Jesus of Nazareth is going to go to the cross. That even at the cross, or even at Gethsemane, even when he is surrounded by so many people, even when there are so many evidences of a weak Saviour, of someone who is by himself in form, who is incapable of saving himself, of someone who is not knowing things. Even there are so many evidences that one could come up and write off a messiah and say that Jesus of Nazareth is not the messiah. John makes it beautifully clear. He handles it so delicately to sustain the divinity of Christ in the midst of the sufferings. And so that's going to be our... our aim as well. When we see Christ and get Sermon on the way, when we see him being led by his creatures and nailed to the cross, we will not miss the fact that he has been in the beginning, he has been in the beginning with God and in the beginning he is God. We would not miss that fact.

There are two ways in which we would look at this arrest. One is to look at the human side of it, of what men try to do to get Christ arrested. and the second is to look at the divine side of it as to what Christ Himself did to get Himself arrested. First of all, we'll consider how did they go about arresting. It begins with the question as, who is involved? Who is arresting Christ? The main character over here in verse 2 is said to be Judas. And it was essential that Judas be the one at the henchmen leading the people to Christ. Apart from Judas, we see this word in verse 3, a cohort. It's a Roman word for... a band of soldiers, minimum 600 people. So that's just the soldiers, a cohort. And then officers, officers from chief priests, Pharisees, the other gospels, scribes, elders, everyone send their men. The chief priests, the Pharisees, the scribes, the high priests, the elders, everyone send their men to get Christ arrested. And that's the who. Judas at the foremost and more than 600 people coming for Christ and his disciples. And immediately you will see a very disproportionate force. Why should so many people be used to arrest just Christ and 12 disciples? 11 to be precise, why should so many people be used to arrest so many, just one person particularly.

Secondly, they come with all kinds of weapons. They come with lanterns, torches, they come with swords, swords should refer the weapon that the soldiers held and those who were not soldiers who had no authorized weapon, they came with clubs or staves. They are coming out for a war. They are coming out for a bloodbath. They are coming out with full force after Christ. Judas with all the people, and they are not coming hands free. They are coming with all kinds of preparation, all kinds of armory to take down Christ and His disciples.

The third thing we see is the timing. This is not a time for anyone to be arrested. It's a time for everyone to be celebrating the Passover. And they might have been celebrating their Passover. In fact, when Judas came knocking, they had to drop their ceremonies, they had to drop their celebrations and get going because an opportunity like Judas doesn't come more than once. So, they had to stop their eating, they had to stop their celebrations, they had to stop their festivities. They dropped all of that. They are out there in the night. to arrest Christ. So that's the people, that's the weapons and third there was a strategy. Third there was a timing. The fourth there was a strategy. The strategy was that Judas is going to kiss Christ and that's going to be the sign at which Christ will be arrested. So they came with all kinds of preparations, all kinds of planning. to get Christ arrested.

We first begin with Judas. Why was it necessary that Judas should be at the helm of it? Why was it necessary that Judas commands the time and directs the force that directs, arrests Christ? Why was it necessary that Judas, with whom Christ was a, Christ lived for three years, why should Judas be involved in it? It is, it's a beautiful picture of someone like Christ willing to endure great infirmities, great emotional stresses that will one day perfect Christ or prepare Him to be our own High Priest. If you look at the Old Testament, Judas is referred in prophecies with words like, my familiar friend. He is referred with words like, my equal. He is referred with words like, my companion. He's referred with words like my acquaintance. These are the words used to describe the betrayer of the Messiah. a familiar friend, the one who is his equal, the one who is his acquaintance, the one who is his companion, the one with whom he took sweet counsel together, the one with whom they walked to the temple and worshipped God together, the one with whom they shared meals together.

In fact, the prophecies in the Psalm says that if it was an enemy or if it was someone who hated me that approached me, I would still bear it. equal, my acquaintance, my companion, that though it was a matter of prophecy, Christ endured the pain of seeing someone so close to Him, someone who is His equal, who is His familiar friend, turning His back on Him. In fact, the way Judas came and kissed the Lord... The word used in Matthew 26, the word actually means he kissed much or he kissed again and again and he kissed tenderly. That's the strong word used for the Judas' kiss. It wasn't simply a mere sign, it wasn't mere act. Here was a wicked person coming to Christ and literally kissing Christ again and again and with much tenderness, where Judas is portraying his friendship with Christ, his closeness with Christ. And for a Jewish reader, that's such bad optics that someone who is a messiah, his own disciple who has kissed him so much is the one handing him over or betraying him.

And to top it up, when the Lord looked at Judas, the Lord asked him, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? And I believe that would have been something that broke Judas or rattled Judas up. There is nothing that rattles somebody up when his thoughts are revealed. When Judas was profusely kissing Christ and thinking that he is fooling Christ, the Lord... held Him and said, are you betraying the Son of Man? And on top of that, the Lord said, friend, He said, friend, why are you here? You see, when somebody reveals the innermost thought of somebody, when somebody can read your mind, the most innermost thoughts, that can be very, very rattling. And we see for Judas that was extremely remorse. for he said I have betrayed innocent blood. This is how the Lord dealt with Judas.

Secondly, we want to see why did other people have to be part of it. Let's look at some of the prophecies written in the Old Testament. We'll consider Lamentations 4 and verse 20. He was taken in their pits. It shows somebody lying, a snare or a pit to uphold or apprehend or arrest somebody. And Jeremiah is saying, the breath of our nostrils, the way spirit of God, the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits, was apprehended. So in terms of optics, it had to look that way. It had to look that way that... Here were 600 people with all kinds of weaponry, all kinds of armory, with all kinds of wisdom and strategy in terms of timing, in terms of science, in terms of having a clue of who to arrest and planning. It had to look that way, that Christ all this while was escaping, Christ all this while was escaping their arrest.

But finally, they got him. that the anointing of the Lord was taken in their pits. It's David who again puts it in Psalm 22 that he has been surrounded by bulls of Bashan, by strong bulls, that he should be surrounded by people. And it was Isaiah who said, let the Holy One cease from before us, to where they want nothing more with Christ, and they had enough. So the people come with all kinds of strategy, they come with all kinds of people, they come with all kinds of weaponry, they come at the wrong time, they come with extremely disproportionate force, they come with planning and they're trying to win over Christ. In fact they've come to a major war.

Let's look at Christ's response in all of this. Let's go back to John chapter 18. John chapter 18 verse 4. That's our Lord. Jesus therefore knowing all things. It's a deliberate attempt of John to maintain the narration that here is God. He is not a victim. He is not a loser. He is not being taken by surprise. He is not going to be surprised by what people do. He knows all things. It's a frequent, repetitive narration of John, where John says, he knew that he's going to the Father who is out of the world, he knew that he has come from God, he goes back to God and that God has given all things. There are other times when he knew or he perceived that people are coming to make him king. and he ran away from there. He sent the disciples off a boat and he went to the mountain. He knew when people come for him. He knew what was in their thoughts. He knew what Judas was doing. In fact, it's written of him that when the upper room and the disciples had a doubt, the disciples didn't have to ask. He knew what was the question and he answered it anyway.

It is to talk of an omniscient person who knows all things, who knows everything that's going to befall him and he goes head along. He goes to meet the people who have come to arrest him. It talks of his omniscience where he is the one who knows all things and he's not the one who's taken by surprise. And so the person who knows all things, what do you expect of him? The last thing you ever expect of him is to go headlong, to face the accusers, to face those that are coming for him. And so he says that he went forth. Christ went forth. We read it in the other Gospels where Christ is telling the disciples, Are you still sleeping? sleep later on because the one who is about to betray is at hand, rise, let us go forth. Here is someone walking to his own death and until and unless Christ Himself said, rise, let us go forth, until and unless Christ Himself went forth to meet them, they would have never apprehended Christ. They have always tried to apprehend Him. They have always tried to arrest Him. But they only could do it when Christ Himself went forth, made Himself available in their presence.

I want to touch upon this aspect of the omnipresence of God because Christ, out of all other possibilities, He could have easily walked away from them. It wouldn't need be of Christ to even run. The disciples ran away, suddenly fled. But of Christ, if He had to run or He had to escape, it would not be required of Christ to even run, because He is omnipresent. Some suggest that when Christ came walking on water, He was using that power of omnipresence, because at one moment He is praying in the mountain, the other moment He is walking in the water. Of how Spirit took the Lord to the wilderness. of how Spirit took Philip from one place to the next place to the Eunuch, it is very much a possibility. But here is Christ who is omnipresent, who has all the power to slip away, like He has always done before, going forth, went forth, going to meet His arresters.

Here is the Lord who has come down from heaven with a face that is set to Jerusalem, always going forth, and until and unless the Lord did not lay down His life, they would not have killed Christ. Here is Christ going forth. And then the Lord also shows His great power, where they come and they mock Him and they ask Him, We are searching for Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus the Nazarene is a phrase of much mock and scorn, because it is one thing to say, for example, I am of India and I am an Indian. To say I am an Indian is to very personalise it. You could keep it as a word of honour or even might as scornfully use it and that is what the people were looking for. They were looking for Jesus of Nazarene, Jesus of a place out of which no good can ever come out, Jesus out of a place from which no prophet can ever come out, Jesus out of a place of which the prophet said that places in darkness, that those who dwell there are in darkness, took the name of Jesus so lightly, so callously, so mockingly that the Lord in their midst had to correct them. That if you're looking for Jesus of Nazarene in your mocking way, in your scorn, understand I am. I am the I Am. In one statement you have Jesus the Nazarene. And in the same statement you have, I AM coming together, that the one you're looking, the one you think so lightly, the one who you scorn so greatly is the I AM, is Jehovah God. And the moment he said his name, they all fell backwards, including Judas.

Now tell me, how would they ever pull this off? If they can't even stand the very mention of the name of Christ, how can they ever... ever accomplish Christ to be crucified. If by his very mere mention of the name brings them to their foot, brings them to their ground, how in the world will they ever succeed in putting Christ to the cross? And this is just the beginning of the display of his power. You see in the midst of this scuffle there was Peter who came and who wanted to be a savior for Lord Jesus. who wanted to save the Lord Jesus from the hands of the wicked one. And to Peter the Lord said, shall I not ask my father and won't he give me twelve legions of angels, where one legion is thousand, twelve thousand angels at my disposal. Wouldn't the father give me twelve thousand angels? Here is the math, as someone put it. One angel in the Old Testament is said to have killed 185,000 people. One angel. Imagine the destruction that 12,000 of them can do. To get that number correct is almost 2.2 billion people.

That's the amount of destruction 12,000 angels can do. And the Lord is telling Peter, put your sword back. Do you doubt the amount of power at my disposal? It's 12. thousand legions of angels. That sword is so useless. Put it back. He has a name that brought the people down to the feet and he has angels at his disposal ready to finish them. And in the midst of them he again shows his wonderful power by healing the people. By healing the servant whose ear was chopped, where it has never been heard of, it has never been seen before. Before their own eyes they see a broken ear coming back to one's face as if it was never chopped off. Can you see greater power than this? where you fall back, where you see an ear being joined, where you see someone commenting and saying, I have 12,000 legions of angels. Now forget the angels. The Lord said, if I ask the Father... where he is saying, I am with the Father, I have the authority to ask the Father.

Now how can you pin someone down who is with the Father? How can you arrest someone down? How can you take him to the cross? How can you crucify him? How can you kill him if he says, I ask the Father? Can you bring someone down who says, I am with the Father? When the Lord Jesus told the disciples that, you may all leave me but the Father is with me. where Christ had gotten them near display of his omnipotence. You see, it was not disproportionate on the people or the humanity side to hire 600 people to arrest one. The disproportionate thing is on the other side where you have your infinite power. Infinite power at his disposal, with God, with him, and just mere puny worms like 600 men on the other side. It is this power at hand. And so the people come with all kinds of strategy, they come with all kinds of wisdom, they come with all kinds of weaponry, they come with all kinds of planning to do it at the wrong time, they come with all kinds of signs, and most probably the sign with which Judas tried to kiss the Lord, it never worked. That's why it's not even mentioned in the Gospel of John.

Judas might have kissed the Lord, but at the end of the day, the Lord went forth. and met his captors. It was the Lord who was allowing Himself to be led by His creatures. It was only this one way that the Lord could be arrested, that the Lord could be held by wicked human hands. In the beauty of all of this is the question that the Lord would ask His captors. He says, Who do you seek? He asked it two times. Whom do you seek? It's a question that's ringing throughout the whole Gospel of John. A question where the Lord is looking for people that seek Him. He meets the disciples of John the Baptist and He asks the disciples, what do you seek? And we see Philip the next day coming to Daniel and saying, we have found, we have searched, we have got Him. But the Lord is offering Himself. And it shows another beautiful picture where man with all his prowess, with all his power, with all his wisdom, can try to reach, can try to search, can try to find, can try to grope God, but will never be able to find God, will never be able to apprehend God. Here is light and the darkness does not apprehend light.

That they can never arrest Him, they can never get their hands on Him, until and unless Christ comes down and says, where a cohort of people with great wickedness, with great sinfulness comes to arrest the most holy of holiest, to lay there wicked hands on someone so pure, where the same God who would not leave somebody who touched the Ark of the Covenant unworthily, the same God who would ask people to stay away from the mountain on which he comes, that is the distance he demanded from the wicked sinners. Here is He allowing all of that liberty, all of that restrictions going away. And He comes to His captors, He comes to those that hate Him with utmost hatred and says, whom do you seek? Here is the One offering Himself. Here is the One coming for those that are seeking Him, those that are searching for Him.

In fact the only mention of the very first act of God... in the Bible after man sinned, was God seeking, God coming to the garden and asking, Adam, where are you? That's a picture of God seeking. And when Adam decided to come to God, this is how he came to God, with 600 people with staves and swords and lanterns and torches trying to apprehend and trying to make the Holy One cease from their midst. and the Lord willingly surrenders Himself to the most vicious, most evil desires of wicked men. Here is the Lord in control. Here is the Lord, still God. Here is the Lord who is still holy, but for His great love for us, in order to purchase a holy bride unto Himself, He would not spare Himself, but allow Himself to be led by wicked hands.The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 4 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptJohn 16 verse 32, Behold! The hour comes, yes, is now come, That you shall be scattered, every man to his own, And shall leave me alone, yet I am not alone. We will continue our reading in John chapter 14. John 14 and verse 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto my Son. Where I am, there you may be also. We’ll also read chapter 15. and verse 18, John 15 verse 18, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Verse 25, That the world might be full-filled, that is written in their know, they hated me without a cause.

As we trace the journey of our Lord, on his way to the cross. We have so far considered how he had someone close to him who betrayed him. And we now today consider ourselves just a few hours away before his arrest, where he is going to spend his last few hours with his disciples. And in those last few hours, we have seen how he washes their feet. We have seen how he establishes the ordinance of the Lord's Table. And today we will look at his last and final words that he had to tell to his disciples. which is popularly known as the Upper Room Discourse. And once we see these last few words that he has to say to his disciples, we will then consider the start of his journey to the cross where he enters the garden of Gethsemane. This in itself is so huge. There are so many things that the Lord covered in this discourse, starting specifically from Chapter 13 through Chapter 17. And this is how probably the events unfolded that night. The Lord was hiding his tracks. To be precise, he was not going anymore in the public. And so to keep himself away from the eyes of the public and to keep his arrest to the last moments, he was being very discreet.

So when it came to preparing the Passover and preparing the feast and the upper room, the Lord sent two disciples. and he didn't tell them where to go. He didn't give them an address where to go. He in fact told them that you will go into the city, you will see a man carrying a pitcher, this is a very odd thing. You will follow him, he leads you to the upper room and you have to tell to the master that your master needs this room and everything will be in place. And the reason why he would do that so discreetly without giving address or directions is because Judas was with him and Judas was seeking an opportunity to hand over Christ to the Pharisees. But Judas would not be allowed to do that before this Last Supper. before this upper room discourse which the Lord said He has greatly desired to have it with the disciples. This is probably His first time and also His last time that He celebrated the feast of the Passover with the disciples. And so if the Lord Jesus Himself with so much great desire spoke to the disciples, He bears something of great importance to ourselves. because always the last words for dying man are very important.

And these are his last words that he has to share to the disciples. In the middle of this discourse, somewhere between the Passover feast, he tends to tell us that you have to do quickly whatever you want to do. And he tells us... went and left the room and by the time it was night. And so they were on a clock, though he wanted to spend more time, though he had many things more to tell as he said, and that only the Holy Spirit will come and reveal, yet he was on a clock. So this upper room discourse, though it's said to be from 13th to 17th, probably only two chapters took place actually at the upper room. where in the middle of this discourse he says that the prince of this world is coming and I have nothing to do, in which he was referring probably Judas is coming.

Obviously, Judas, when he left the room, he went to the Pharisees and he collected the band of soldiers and he would have brought them first to this upper room, not to the garden. He would have brought them first to this location, which was the last known location of Christ. He would have brought them here first and when he found the room empty, he then brought them to the garden because he knew that is the place that Christ often went. And so in the middle of the discourse, the Lord says, Arise, let us go from here, because the Prince of this world is coming and I have nothing to do with him. So he was not done yet. He was still in the middle of all he had to tell the disciples. And he was not going to allow Judas and his party to spoil it or to interrupt it. And so he takes the disciples away from the upper room. and he brings them to the garden of Gethsemane. And along that way to the garden of Gethsemane, he completes this discourse and completes it with a beautiful prayer and thereafter crosses the brook to enter this garden.

And in the garden we have the Lord Jesus, we have the twelve disciples and probably we also have one more person which we don't know what his name is. We read of him in the Gospel of Mark, when the soldiers come to arrest the Lord Jesus, all disciples flee away. But there's one person who lingers along and he is definitely not a disciple. He's one person that lingers along who follows the Lord up to a point where he himself is and he is wearing something quite loose, so he lets go of his clothes, naked he runs away. And so in the garden there is definitely one more very peculiar person, along with the twelve disciples. Most probably this is how we look at it and want to, with a certain amount of certainty, understand that person is the person who wrote the gospel of Mark, Mark himself. He is that person who was along with the trail. He was not in the upper room, but he was definitely in the garden. And he was following the Lord Jesus.

And probably the upper room that we find ourselves in, We read of his home big enough to accommodate a church in the Book of Acts. And probably it is that same place where Mark lived. And when Judas and his cohort came to the upper room to arrest Christ, they found the room empty and Mark was startled. And so he took whatever he could grab, the closest clothes he could grab, put it on his body and followed Judas and his group to the Gethsemane garden. That's how he finds himself in the garden. follow Christ, he decides to follow the arrested Christ, speaks in volumes about our own failures and how he could just call out to a limit and could evolve beyond the limit. This is the events that unfolded that night where everything was so determined, planned, and though there were the forces of the evil one trying to apprehend Christ, they couldn't do it until Christ made Himself available, until Christ told the disciples, rise, not to go away from this place, but rise, that is, go and meet the one who's coming to victory, that is, go and meet the one who's coming to arrest.

It is the Christ who made Himself available to be arrested, to be apprehended, to be taken. So in the whole narration, you see someone in complete control. The very victim of the story is in absolute control. Every step is determined by him. Everything falls clockwise to its time according to his determination. And nothing can go before or after. In this last moment, he decides how long it is going to be. He has things to tell the disciples. And if we were to consider what He has shared with the disciples in the light of His suffering, there are three things that we can look specifically that the Lord repetitively told His disciples considering His sufferings.

The first thing is in Chapter 14, John 14. and verse 3, and where He will stress and emphasise on, He's saying, I will come again. I will go and prepare a place for you, and I will come again. In the same chapter, verse 17 and verse 18, He says, I will not leave you comfortless, but I will... come to you. Again in the same chapter, He says in verse 19, that the world will not see Me. This is the last they will ever get to see Me. Me hanging on the cross is the last the world will ever get to see of Me. The world will not see Me, but you will see Me. That this is not going to be the last of your sight, of your faith, you will see Me. and this immediately aroused interest in the mind of Judas, not Iscariot Judas, the son of Simon. He had a question as to how the Lord is going to reveal Himself to the disciples but not to the world. How are you going to manifest yourselves to the disciples but not to the world? How is it going to be the last of which the world sees, but the disciples will get to see Him?

The Lord beautifully answers that and says in verse 23, If a man loves me, he will keep my words, my father will love him, we will come unto him and make our dwelling in him. That the way this all ends is not the cross, not the grave, not the mere ascension and the glorification of Christ on the throne of God, but He is going to come again. I will come again, and I am coming to dwell and abide in you, where I am not going to leave you. And the way the Lord will reveal Himself to us and show Himself to us is in His abiding in us, in His dwelling with us, where He says of the Spirit who will come down, the very Spirit of Christ, to dwell with them. And so this is not going to be a bye-bye. This is not going to be where Christ leaves them alone, orphans and comfortless. He emphatically says, I will come to you. In fact, he says in Chapter 16, in verse 7, that it is advantageous for you that I go away. It is advantageous that I go away, that all of this is for your benefit, it is for your advantage that I go away.

And in verse 16, he says, a little while... Chapter 16, verse 16, A little while you shall not see me, and again a little while, you will see me, because I go to the Father. That the Lord would repetitively say, I am coming again, I am going to see you once again, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. And this cannot be just said of the twelve disciples. This cannot be just said of those 500 witnesses who saw the bodily, resurrected form of Christ. This is of us! Because in the Cross, He will raise a generation of children who will love God, who will abide in His words, whom the Father will love, and the Father and the Son will both come together to dwell in that person, and reveal Christ to that person. That all of this was to see Christ coming down once again, back again, to live on this earth, among His people.

The last week we saw Christ saying, I am going back to the Father, and while loving those that are in the world, so as to take us to the Father, but until that day comes... Until the day comes when we will really enjoy ourselves as one in the glory of Christ, until the day comes, He is not going to leave us in this world alone. We are not living in this world where we don't see Christ. Christ is visible for those who have faith to look at for Him. The Lord was true in saying that, the world will not see me, that the world is blind, the world is in darkness. They live as if Christ has never lived on this earth. That the fact of God living on this earth is something that doesn't cross your mind. The world does not see Christ, but what about we believers? The writer says, we see Christ being made little lower than the angels. That's the terminology, we see Christ. and how Paul would tell to the Galatians that I have evidently set Christ crucified before you, that in faith we see Christ and that He has not left us alone, that the cross was not the end, the grave was not the end, Christ made it clear, I am coming back.

The second thing that he repetitively again says in this discourse... is something that was going to trouble them. We read this in Chapter 15 and Verse 18. It says, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. And the second thing that the Lord wanted the disciples to know as far as His sufferings is concerned, is that this hate is not going to stop at Christ, that what Christ is going to face is not going to be a singular example, that He is only going to be an example for all of us, that when Judas and the soldiers come to arrest Christ, they are not coming only for Christ. They are coming for the disciples, that they are going to face the hate that Christ faced.

So much so, the Lord told the women that were weeping for Him, You don't weep for me, you weep for yourself, because if this is what they do to a green tree, imagine what they can do to a dry one. If this is what they did to Christ, who was sinless, who was worthy of nothing, imagine what the world can do to us. that this hate with which they hated the Lord even to hate Him without a cause is what we will all face. And in fact, the Lord told them that they're going to kill you, they're going to throw you out of synagogues, and they're going to kill you with so much zeal that in killing you, they think they're doing God's service. and these were his last words to the disciples. that you are not of this world, I have chosen you and that's why the world will hate you. They hate the one who has sent me and they hate me and now they will hate you. They would not have hated me if I didn't speak, but now I have spoken, their sins are exposed, they have seen money walks and now they hate me.

And so if Christ was a sheep led like a... led dumb alike to the slaughterhouse, so shall we also be led. That the death of Christ is just a starting point, it is just the beginning of all sorrows, which will ultimately culminate when the Antichrist of this world will wage war against the Lamb and the One on the throne. So the hate that the Lord experienced is for all of us. that they will hate the Lord and they will hate those that belong to Him. You see, the world has always been in enmity with God, right from the Garden of Eden. But now at the cross, now with the reception of Christ, now with those that belong to Christ, the battle has expanded, the frontiers have expanded. Now it's no more just the Lord against the world, but Lord and His people against the world. Where at the cross now there have people crossed over to fight this battle.

We have joined in that glory. We have joined in that battle. And unto us we will face all what the Lord faced, all what was appointed of the Lord, all what the world decided to do with the Lord, they will do with us. And so the Lord makes it absolutely clear to the disciples on His way out of this world that they don't belong here. This world is not their home. They are not owned by the world. The world will not own them. The world will hate them. His last and final words in these discourses, In this world, you will have tribulation. So if there's one thing that the sufferings of Christ teaches us is that it is not only Christ who suffered. This is our God, our servant-king. He calls us to follow Him. He calls us to be that servant. He calls us to follow that path of humility.

But the last thing that the Lord wanted to clearly talk to the disciples and in a way encourage them, You said that. that the shepherd is going to be smitten and the sheep will be scattered. that this hate with which the world hated Christ, they're going to experience it on that night itself. That the sorrows with which Christ is going to suffer is going to be their sorrows. That all what Christ is going to suffer is not going to be an isolated individual suffering on the cross, they are well going to be in the thick and thin of it. They're going to face the humiliation of it. They are going to run for their lives. They're going to be extremely fearful. They're going to be extremely sorrowful. In fact, the Lord said that, These things I speak to you, that your joy should be full. And then He said, I have spoken these things to you, but sorrow has filled your heart. That these last words was bringing upon them a very opposite effect than what was intended. where He wanted to leave His peace with them, He wanted to be full of joy, but the more He spoke, their hearts were filled with sorrow, that they are going to be with the Lord in this, that they have to decide and they have to choose where their words will be put to test, where they all collectively said, No Lord, we will not deny You, we will not leave You.

But that night they are going to face it, they are going to prove it. That if the shepherd is going to be smitten, it cannot be smitten without the sheep being facing its consequences. The sheep will be scattered. And so this is how the Lord would end that discourse. We read this in Chapter 16 and verse 32. He says, or to be put in another words, every man will behave in his own elements. Every man will behave like he is supposed to behave in his natural self. They may have great willingness, in fact the spirit is ready, but they are going to face their true elements. They will all behave in their own place, where they will all behave in their flesh, starting from Peter to the extreme Judas. And so in the midst of the sorrows, you see them struggling, struggling to be with Christ, struggling to be happy, where the Lord says, you should rejoice, but joy is the last thing on their mind. In fact, for the matter of sorrow, they decide to sleep it off. When the Lord is struggling to pray and pray with blood drop sweat, the disciples chose to sleep. and you see one upon the other a failure of human flesh.

When the Lord wants them to pray, they are sleeping. Their flesh cannot do good. It's so typical that the weakness of human flesh is so majestically exhibited at the cross. And we're not even talking of the Pharisees, we're not even talking of the soldiers, we're not talking of those that hated Christ. No, we're talking of those that were with Christ, who lived with Him for three years. The best of human flesh is returning to their own place, is returning to their own elements, is behaving what is potentially possible of them, what is inherently capable of them, they will behave like that. He like a sheep was led astray, and we have all turned into our own way. That was a prophecy fulfilled here. We shall all turn into our own way, where we will behave the way we are capable of behaving, where the very ugliness of human flesh will be fully displayed, that the Lord is asking the disciples pray, but they can't bring themselves up to pray. so weak, so informed. And they can't understand the things of God.

So when they see Judas and all the soldiers coming, Peter takes upon himself to take the sword and even try to kill somebody. It's an act in flesh. It's an act of a carnal man who cannot understand the will of God where the Lord told Peter, Put your sword in place, should I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? A person who looks at things in the eyes of God according to the will of God will accept it but Peter, who was having his mind on things of the earth, took the sword and tried to save Christ, not knowing that he is the one who needs a savior. where one after the other you see people falling down, unable to live in the flesh, everyone going to their own, everyone being scattered, everyone going astray, that when they put their hands on Christ, it is said, they all fled away. There was no disciple standing, it was just Christ. Nobody could go that path. And apart from the disciples, there was one young man with a loose tunic over his body, deciding to follow Christ. And even he was apprehended, but he let go of that tunic and he ran away. His own nakedness prevented him to follow Christ. and nakedness in the scriptures teaches about the consequences of sin.

That this was the path of the Lamb of God and this path He was going to tread alone. Everyone would deny, everyone would forsake, one would betray, all would leave him alone. And the Lord says, the Father is with me. This is the path of the Lamb of God. It's a path dedicatedly given to the Lamb. And so by one after one, they all left. They all fled away. After that young man, Peter took upon himself to follow the Lord at a distance. And we know how that night turned out for Peter. Even he went away weeping bitterly. There couldn't be anyone with Christ. And so the cross of Christ teaches us the failures of human flesh. It's the most profound exhibit of our weak fallen nature, where every man has gone to his own, unto his own pace.

Also this brings us to the garden itself, after having completed the discourse. after having narrated the sorrows that they will go through, even the sorrows of a pregnant woman giving birth, the Lord decides to now pray for the disciples. It is in this context where His closing remarks was, in the world you will have tribulation. It is in these closing remarks where He said that in this night you will all leave me. It is in these closing remarks where he said, one of you will betray me. It is in these closing remarks to Peter where he specifically said, Satan has asked of you to shift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you. And this is the prayer. where he is now praying for those who will be left sorrowful, who will be weeping, who will be lamenting, who will be afraid, who will be fearful, who will lock themselves up in a room for the fear of the Jews, who will be so fearful, who will be so sorrowful, like the sorrow of a pregnant woman in labour pain. That is the sorrow that is going to engulf the disciples.

Here is the Lord praying for them before He enters the garden. and He is not going to leave those that are in the world in this state. He says, You will be sorrowful, the world will rejoice, but then you will see me, and you will rejoice, and this joy, no man can take it away. And so when we see this beautiful prayer that He prays for His own, He prays not just for the disciples, but all those like us, who will believe thereafter, He prays, O Lord, that You will keep them, keep them in this world, keep them from the evil one, keep them by your word, and then he prays that they should be one in the glory, and then he prays that they should be with me in that glory. These were his final words before he entered into Gethsemane, that he prays for his own that are desperately in need of comfort.

We read in Chapter 18 of John. When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Kidron, where was the garden into which He entered, and His disciples. This was the same brook that many thousand years ago David... fleeing from his son and passed over this Kidron and rose up that mount of olives. Now the son of David was going that exact same path. This is a beautiful picture that some have pointed out that this was the night of Passover. and this brook had drawn was also used as the drainage of all the sacrifices in the temple. So in that night, every household is sacrificing a paschal lamp. All that blood would go down this brook, and Christ is passing over, walking over the stream of blood from a thousand sacrifices of Passover lamb. and the Passover night is always full moon, it would be shimmering in that moonlight. And Christ, as soon as He passes over that Kidron, goes into the garden and for the first time in life, we see His own blood. He's sweating out great drops of blood.

We'll continue this journey now from the book of Matthew. We'll turn to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26. and verses 36 onwards. Then comes Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane and says unto the disciples, sit here while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter and two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death, Tarry here and watch with me. And he went a little farther, And fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my father, if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me, Neverthless not as I will, but as you will. He went away again the second time and prayed saying, Oh my father, if this cup may not pass away from me unless I drink it, your will be done.

Over here you see the Savior Christ climbing that slope of Mount Olives, entering this garden. and you have a picture of someone struggling at every step, where every step was becoming more heavy for him to walk. And so he is going through such deep mental agony, where he says, My soul, nobody has wounded him yet, nobody has hurting yet. Nobody has done anything to him yet, but he is in deep distress. A man of sorrows where it's written, he is exceedingly sorrowful, he is greatly distressed, he is greatly grieved, he is exceedingly distressed. A person with so much sorrow where he tells his disciples, stop here. He leaves the eight behind and now takes just three ahead. And then even as he keeps going, he couldn't go any further and he tells the three, okay, you stop here. Where he's going through such deep sorrow, such deep mental agony that is deeply discussing him where he says, I'm exceedingly sorrowful unto death.

It's an agony that we can never understand. It's a sorrow that we can never understand, never comprehend. What kind of sorrow is this? We can probably understand the persecutions, we can probably understand all what the people did to Christ, but the sorrow of Gethsemane is so inexplicable. It cannot be known. where the Lord in His full intimacy decided to be alone. He left the three behind and He goes ahead and He kneels down. That's how Luke says. Over here it's written, He went a little and fell on His face. And Mark says He falls to the ground, where He has gone fully prostrate on the ground, where the sorrows of His heart brought Him down to the ground. and we need to ask, what is this sorrow? What has bogged the mind of Christ so much? He says over there, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.

Over here you see the servant of Christ, servant of God, Christ Himself, being made subjected to the point of death. You see, death has reigned from Adam, death has reigned over all men, death has reigned from our birth. We are all born dead. But if there was one flesh over which death never reigned, who was born alive, born in full fellowship with God, it is Christ. Death had no reign on him, even in his life. There has never been so much, so much at dying like Christ. And here is that unfallen man, the undefined, the blameless, sinless man, willingly submitting himself to the onslaught of death, to bring himself under the sword of Jehovah that he should die. And that very thought was something that distressed him so deeply that it made his sweat to... mixed with blood on its way out. That is the level of sorrow, the very thought of death. brought upon him such agonizing sorrow.

It's far more than the sorrow that he experiences in the hands of men. Here nobody has even laid their hands on Him, but He is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death, where death has reigned from Adam, and now it will claim its last victim, even Christ. Over here we see the picture of how it is written, He learned obedience. Here we see a picture of one who is being made perfect in sufferings, the one who is learning to suffer or learning in his sufferings. Here you see a man in his manhood, where the things written here can only be experienced of men, of a human flesh. Here you see the glory of a human Christ. where Christ being God now taken upon Himself of flesh, even the nature of His own brethren will face the perils of that nature, will face the consequences of that nature. And so you see here a repetition of the Garden of Eden, Garden of Gethsemane, the war is being fought once again.

You see death. the first time you see it is in the Garden of Eden. You see sorrow, the first time you see it is in the Garden of Eden. You see sweat, the first time you see it is in the Garden of Eden. You see blood, and indirectly again the first time it was ever shed, it was in the Garden of Eden. Where the second Adam is rising to the fight, allowing his heel to be bruised, and making sure he crosses the demons on his way out. This is the sorrows that afflicted the mind of Christ, the heart of man, the heart of Christ, that it brought out big great drops of sweat like blood. Over here we see how an angel came to strengthen him, and over here we again see so much similarities between his first time... where even in his first temptation in the wilderness he was all alone, all by himself, and over here again he is all by himself. And over there again we see angels ministering to him, over here again we see an angel coming to strengthen this son of man.

Where Christ, being God, becoming man, has now faced all infirmities, has faced all contradictions in flesh. has faced all trials that are possible in human flesh, and he willingly surrenders himself. We see this prayer that he prayed in verse 39. He went a little further, fell on his face and prayed, Oh my Father! Oh my Father! This is in the Gospels the first time the Lord ever addressed His Father as My Father, My Abba. That was the sorrow with which He was going through that made Him cry to God as My Abba, My Father. A few hours on the cross later, he will feel the rejection of a damned sinner, where he will say, My God! But over here, for the first time we see it recorded, he says, My Father! He so wanted that intimacy, that oneness for the Father! And what is he praying over there? He says, If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, neverthless not as I will, but as you will.

For one, Christ is the only person eligible and worthy to pray a prayer like this. When God is about to pour out His cup of wrath and judgment, Paul says that all lips will be shut. Nobody will have the privilege to question, to request, to even pray. What has been determined of man for his sin will be brought to pass, even his death. But Christ, the unfallen man, has the privilege, has the authority to ask that the cup should pass away. He alone has that privilege. He alone is right in asking that. He alone will be just in asking that. He alone deserves it at all, deserves nothing at all. Hence, he alone can ask it. The eternal sinner in the days to come when he will face the wrath of God, will never bring himself up to ask this. But Christ could ask it. And what is he specifically asking? He says, Let this cup pass away from me. In Mark and Luke it's written, Remove this cup from me. And this might sound like in contradiction as if Christ did not want to drink that cup.

This is probably what we will mostly understand, naturally understand. When the Lord is saying, let this cup pass from me, He's probably saying, I don't want to drink it. But that's far from the truth. He has always wanted to drink this. This is the baptism with which He wanted to be baptized. He like a stone set His face to Jerusalem. He never turned back. On the contrary, he told to Peter, you put your sword back because the cup that the Father has given, I will drink it. So he has always wanted to drink it. When he is saying that the cup should be passed away from me, he is by no means, even in the slightest of meaning ever asking that, Lord, I don't want to drink it. That is not his prayer. He is not praying that I don't want to drink this.

It's a Hebrew writer who says it this way. that when he was praying with much supplication and fervent tears, he was praying that he should be delivered from death. And that is the meaning of the cup to pass away. Where everyone who drinks the cup, nations later will drink it, sinners will drink it. all that are ungodly, not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will drink it. All who drink it will face eternal separation, eternal damnation, never to be brought back with God. And if there's one thing the Lord prayed, is to deliver from that death, the death of eternal separation. that when he was saying, Lord, you take this cup away from me, he was merely praying, Lord, even if this death on the cross would mean for you to forsake me, do not forsake me forever. Hear my cry. and it's written that the Lord did hear him.

This is the prayer of David in Psalm 16 in the voice of the Messiah saying, You will show me the parts of life, You will not allow my soul to live in hell, You will not allow the Holy One to see corruption. This is the prayer he was praying. Where three times he fervently prayed, Lord, deliver me from death. He was not praying, Lord, I don't want to drink it. because the second time he prayed it in verse 42, he says, If this cup may not pass away from me unless I drink it, which means the only way this cup will pass away is when I drink it. He's specifically saying, the only way this cup will pass away is when I drink it, except or unless I drink it, this cup cannot pass away. So the passing away of the cup cannot mean he doesn't want to drink it. On the contrary, he is saying, the way this cup will pass away, the way the judgment will pass over, the way this eternal damnation that is reserved for a sinner will not befall him, is when he drinks it, is when he submits himself to the will of the Father.

And so by no means he had a separate will to say that I don't want to drink it. On the contrary, he was praying that the Lord would resurrect him, that the Lord would bring him back to his glory, that the Lord would bring him back to the throne in heaven, the Lord would bring him back to be made higher than the heavens. He prayed fervently to be denouered from death, and in this he was heard. And this is the sad estate we see at the Gethsemane Garden, where the Lord prays fervently, and disciples who mirror us in flesh are fast asleep. This is the path that Holy Christ could go, Holy Christ would suffer, and we see exceeding inexplicable sorrow at the very thought of death. May God's name be glorified. The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 3 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptGospel of John Chapter 13 verse 1. 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. that part of the journey to the cross and this brings us very close to the cross.

Last week when we saw the book of Matthew, Matthew's account started when it was just two days to the Passover. and every disciple, especially Matthew and John, when they wrote of the sufferings of Christ, they wrote it in various different dimensions and perspectives. So when Matthew wrote his sufferings of Christ, he as a disciple of Christ, who was very close to Christ, touched him so much was the aspect that here is somebody who fulfills all the prophecies that the Jews were waiting for. And so there is a deliberate emphasis given to how the Lord Jesus, through His sufferings, fulfilled the prophecies. beginning to that narration, a hard stop to the life of Christ and a sort of a jerk when it comes to narrating the death of Christ. Matthew reserves three chapters, John reserves almost half the book to just narrate what happened a few hours before his death. And both of them, when we bring it together, we have a beautiful picture of the Messiah, the Jewish Christ, that they were waiting for.

When Matthew was so interested to show how Christ fulfills the prophecies, John takes us in a different dimension and shows it all the more beautifully. In fact, the account of John is very endearing. It's something that... stirs up our emotions if we travel like how John takes us through the course. Matthew started it at two days before the Passover. John takes us to the very eve of the Passover, where in beginning of verse 1 he says, before Christ is going to be crucified. And that is the point at which John begins his narration of the sufferings, where we are so close to the cross, it's hardly going to be 12 hours before Christ will breathe His last. It's at that point when John begins to narrate the sufferings of Christ. And he's reserved half of the book just for that. That's the weightage and importance He gave to those last 12 to 18 hours in the life of Jesus. Well, Matthew, right from the start of the book up till the end, He gave emphasis to the writings that were fulfilled. John, on the other hand, is a book of intimacy, is a book of closeness and nearness, where John looked at Christ and was constantly looking at the One who was with the Father from above, who is of God, who has come out from God, who is God, unto whom are given all things, who is eternal life that was with the Father and has now incarnated.

It is only John who described that incarnation in such stark words where He said, Word has become flesh. He took the audacity to ascribe flesh to Christ and said that now God has become flesh, as manly as one can ever get, flesh of our flesh and bones of our bones. John brings us right to the burning bush. not beyond the line which we can cross, but He brings us so close to the divinity and the humanity of Christ. For John, it was somebody who we could touch, we could hear, we could see, it cannot get more intimate, more closer than that. And so, for one who looked at Jesus Christ in such nearness, such dearness, with such oneness that the son enjoyed with the father, such intimacy and fellowship that the son enjoyed with the father. If somebody begins to write about the sufferings of Christ in such an angle, always pulling together those strings of how Christ is of God and belongs to God, is with God and is God and now is on the Cross, it is the greatest of all constraints. It is balancing out the greatest of all contradictions, and John does it so delicately and so beautifully well.

For John, it is of one who could be touched, who could be seen, who could be heard, who could be lived with, who could be abided with, who could be dwelt with, who could be... find His chest as the reclining and the resting place, that's how near one could get to Christ, and if that's how near one could get to Christ, what would it mean for that person when he sees Christ on the Cross? So for John, it is way more than the fulfillment of the prophecies. For John, it is seeing the One who is God from the beginning and continues to be God despite being on the Cross. So John, when he writes the epistle, he doesn't write about the cry on the cross where the Lord cried out, My God, My God! He does not talk about Christ being separated from the Father. On the contrary, John makes it all the more clear that the Father is always with me. That's how Christ would say, The Father is always with me. You would all leave me. but the Father is always with me. And so how do we now look at the suffering servant with whom God is always with Him, with whom the One shared divinity with God? How do we look at such a one suffering?

We read in verse 1, this is John's angle of suffering, in verse 1 of chapter 13, 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. And that's the beginning statement, the introduction to the sufferings of Christ in the eyes of John, that here is someone... going out of this world back to the Father. For John, the sufferings of Christ was mere stepping stone for Christ to enter unto his glory. That Christ was going back to where he came from. And so in all of these sufferings and all of the pain, there will be this foundational truth that brings all the narration together that here is someone going back to the Father. Here is someone going back to the glory that he had before the world began. Here is someone going back to the place where he inherited, where he was seated up in the heavens. At one point, Christ even rhetorically asked the Pharisees, Do you want me to rise up to the heavens for you to believe? And this was going to happen now. Christ was going back to heaven. This is the best way one can ever look at the sufferings of Christ.

More than what men could do to Him, more than the rejection that Christ suffered at the cross. that the end of it was joy, joy unspeakable, at the end of it was glory, glory that He had before the world began, at the end of it was the glory that He shared with the Father, at the end of it was the Son of God being glorified and with the Son of God, God being glorified. This is the best way one can ever look at the sufferings of Christ. that in the midst of all the horrible things that men could do, at the end of it all, it was only for Christ going back to the Father, that this cross was a mere way for Christ to ascend back from where He came, to take up His rightful place at the right hand of God, to enjoy the fullness of joy available in the presence of God, to be made higher than the heavens, that this horrible cross was just a mere way, a mere path, a mere route for Christ to go back to His glory. And that's the best dimension you could ever have of the sufferings of Christ, that at the end of it all, here is someone going to glory, here is someone departing out of this world, here is someone going back to the Father.

Christ never lost a vision of this truth in his own sufferings. At one point, he chided the woman saying, You weep not for me. I am not a subject to be mourned for. You could look at the sufferings of Christ and be in tears, but Christ says, Weep not for me. When the Lord told the disciples, He said that their heart was filled with sorrow, but the Lord told them, If you knew I am going to my Father and that my Father is greater than me, then your heart would be filled with joy. You would rejoice because I go back to my Father and my Father is greater than me. That the matter of Christ going to the Father was not a matter of sorrow, should not have been a matter for the disciples to be sorrowful to have slept over it. It was a matter of great joy that for the first time in the whole of human history, there will be one person who ascends to the high holy hill of God, who will make those gates go up and will ascend to the right hand of God as man in flesh. And so there cannot be something more glorious.

At the backdrop of this horrible cross, at the backdrop of this shame and suffering and pain, is the fact that Christ is going to the Father, that this is the way to the glory. And so Christ was so crystal clear when He spoke to the Pharisees. He said, You will see Me sitting at the right hand of power and coming. in the clouds of heaven, that this is how it will all go down. This is going to be the end of it. Sitting at the right hand apart and coming down in the clouds of heaven. This is how the Son of Man will come. Where the cross nor the grave was His goal. He was only going back to His throne. that at the end of it, this is not a loser's cry. This is the greatest triumph over sin and death when someone ascends and belongs to the very glory of God. And so this is the heart of Christ in all the sufferings who set the joy before Him to despise the shame and the cross. who had the glory that He was inviting Himself to at His forefront, at His frontlets of His eyes. This was His heart.

When He prays, He prays, O Lord, the hour has come to glorify the Son and that You would be glorified with Him, that unto Him should be given the glory that He had with You before the world began. And the hour has come that they should be with Me. And so Christ looked at this as just mere sufferings that enter into glory, that He would chide the disciples at the road to Emmaus who were very sorrowful. And He said, don't you know of the prophets who have prophesied that these are the sufferings Christ will suffer and thereafter enter into glory? This is Christ going on His path of glory. This is Christ going back to where He truly belonged. This is Christ going back to the Father who considered Him His beloved. This is Christ going back to the Father whom He loved and the One who truly loved Him. This is Christ going back to assume His fullness of glory in human flesh. This is Christ in all His glory. This is the best way we can see the cross. This is the best way we can see His pain.

And the way that John begins the narration of the whole incident by this one statement shows that this is going to be the underpinning foundational truth of the whole narration, that this is only mere journey to the throne. You see, we hate this thought. In fact, any Jew who was looking out for the Messiah would hate this thought. They would not want a Saviour who would be exalted at the cost of humiliation, who would triumph at the cost of a sacrifice or who would enter glory at the cost of sufferings. But that's the path that the Lord showed, that the path to exaltation is a path of humiliation, that the one whom who truly humbles himself, there has been never someone so humbled like Christ, there has never been someone so exalted like Christ, that the path to the glory of God is through the most enormous path of the Cross. And so that beckons an important question. that would come to any reader when he reads this verse.

Why the cross? Why should Christ go through the cross to enter into glory? Why couldn't it be more simple? Wasn't Christ more eligible than Enoch to have just been simply taken away? Wasn't he more eligible than Elijah to be just simply more taken away? That if he was to even die, wouldn't it be a great thing? that if he were to die like Moses without the eyes and public knowledge of anyone where nobody even knows where his body was buried. Why should he be a public spectacle? A curse on the tree hanging before all? Why should he gain so much shame, so much sorrow, so much pain? Why should the cross be the path to the throne? Why should Christ suffer so much to gain back what He truly deserves, to assume the glory that is truly His and that no one can snatch it from Him? Why should Christ go through such pain and such sorrow? Why should we accept a saviour that goes through humiliation just for the sake of exaltation and only to gain back what he is that truly belongs to himself?

John continues at verse and says, 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. And this is the balance that we are looking throughout the book of John, a very delicate balance, where Christ wants to go to the Father who is out of the world, but He has His own that are in the world. And is there a way that He can go back to the Father who is out of the world, not leaving aside those that are in the world? Is there a way for Christ to go back to the Father whom He truly loves, not leaving behind those whom He loves as well to the end? Is there a way that He can assume the glory that He had before the world began and also share it with worms who are in mighty clay? Is there a way that he can go to the Father who is out of the world and have all those that are in the world along with him? Is there a way where he can go to the Father in all holiness, in all righteousness, in all glory and have those as well that are of his, in that same holiness, in that same righteousness, to share in that same glory with the Father?

Is there a way where he can have the same fellowship that he had with the father before the world began and share it with all those that are in the world? To the Father that is out of this world, to us who are in the world, is the cross, is the path of the cross, is the path of the suffering servant, that Christ would not have the glory that truly belongs to Him without us. that here is Christ departing out of the world but not without us, that He would not ascend to the holy hill of God without leading captivity captive. He would not go back to the Father without gaining unto Himself those that the Father gave to Him. He would not go back to His glory without gaining unto Him sons of glory. And this is the cross in full picture, the very first statement of the narration that John brings us. Christ going out to the world while loving those that are in the world. And that explains the cross. That explains everything that Christ had to go through.

So the Lord told Peter, you cannot come with me now, but you will follow thereafter, that I go to prepare a place for you and that He will come, that the cross is going to be a matter of sorrow, like the sorrow of someone who's pregnant and giving birth. Such will be the travel that you will go through, but then you will have a joy that no man can take it away from you. that the Cross is the path of the Saviour leading all those that are prisoners in darkness unto the Kingdom of God. And so it is John, when he begins this narration, he lays his underpinning foundational truth in that story and when he ends it, when Christ is resurrected, when Christ meets the first witness, even a woman, Mary, Christ says, I'm going to the Father. But Christ says, I'm going to My Father and Your Father, My God and Your God. That Christ would not go back to the Father without making His Father our Father, His God our God.

And this is the cross, this is the sacrifice of a paschal lamb, where Christ goes back to His glory with us in it. goes back to His Father with us giving the authority to call Him Abba, goes back to His Lord with us giving the right to call Him My Lord. That Christ on the Cross would be forsaken of His own God, so that now we can say that the Father and the Lord of our Saviour Jesus Christ is ours. that Christ would not enter glory without those that are in the world to be with Him and behold His glory. And so just as He goes to the cross, He prays this prayer, which is also in this book, and He prays this prayer, praying that, Lord, those that are with Me should be with Me in glory, that they would behold the glory that You have given. And so, if it takes the cost of a cross, if it takes the cost of so much pain and sorrow and suffering, for Christ to have only got the glory that He only had before the world began, but to, along with it, gain our sons of glory, the children of God, Christ most willingly went forth doing it. And so, in these last few hours before the cross, we see a Lord who is spending His time with the disciples.

And there are three important things that happened in these last few hours. The first thing, He washes the feet of the disciples. The second, he sets the Lord's Supper, he ordains the Lord's Table. And the third, he gives his final discourse, the things that he could only share with his own. And now each of these three things is worthy and a meditation of its own. But we want to look at these three things in the light of the sufferings, in the light of this path to glory, a path that He wanted us as well to go along with Him. And so we read in verse 3 of John 13, After that, He pours water into a basin and begins to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with a towel, wherewith He was girded. The first step in that journey, Christ knowing that He is given all things, the first step that Christ would do is to assume the role and a form of a humble servant, taking water and towel and wiping the feet of the disciples.

And the lessons can't get more profound than this. for nobody can have a more higher, more glorious view of himself than Christ. There can be no one more God like Christ, who is God, to whom are given all things, who comes from God and has to go back to God. There can be no one more exalted, no one more glorious. and the one who is the most glorious, the most exalted one, the most honourable one, the most beautiful, the most fairest one, such a one assumes the most lowest position, that he would go down to the feet of his disciples, where it cannot get lower than that, where he goes down to the very feet of his disciples, to wash away their wipe, to wash away their dirt. Here is the Lord of Eternity dwelling in humanity, kneeling in humility to wash away our sins.

And so the law to drive this beautiful strong picture that there can be no greater heights, no greater depths to which Christ has gone and condescended, where He has now reached the very feet of men. It cannot get lower than that. that if there is anything that it takes to wipe away our sins, Christ assumes that role. And so He comes to Peter and Peter says, Lord, You cannot wash my leg. Isn't it such a disgusting thought for a Jew? Out of all the people, the Messiah Himself wiping and washing the feet of His own disciples. This is how one of the songwriters says, this can happen on any ordinary day, in any ordinary time, this parable can come alive again. where one is willing to kneel, another is willing to yield. where Christ is willing to kneel and go down to the lowest level, to our own feet. and what He expects of us, that we are willing to yield.

That if Christ is about to go to the cross and even become sin for us, where there is nothing more worse than that, where He has to be forsaken of God eternal, God in His holiness, where there can be nothing more devastating than that, if Christ is going to go to such deep levels, where he will experience eternal domination, eternal separation that only a sinner in hell will experience. If Christ is going to go to that levels, if that is His willingness to kneel, to go down and become a worm, even a crimson worm on a cross that bleeds crimson red, if that is the level to which Christ will go to just wash our feet, can we just yield it? Can we just yield ourselves? For the law told Peter, you will have no part in me until you are washed. that the Lord would wash the feet of disciples as much as they are willing to yield it. that if there is any depths required for us to be victorious over sin, and Christ has gone down to those depths of all depths.

Then what is required of us is now to yield, to not restrain like Peter, but to be washed in the blood of Christ. But here is a greater truth that the Lord wanted to show the disciples. He was asking the disciples now to do this between themselves. He was showing the disciples that He, being the Master, has become a servant, and now you need to be a servant to one another, and wash each other's feet. And this is now something very painful. where Christ is asking the disciples to do to each other what He did to him them. And so you could probably look at this and, like some Christians do, literally wash each other's feet. It would not be a sin, but it's far from truth to consider it an ordinance where we have to do it. But no doubt, if we ever do it, it would be greatly humbling where we wash each other's feet. But there is a greater truth in this because Christ was not merely washing the feet and the dirt of people. He was condescending.

He was becoming a servant to all. He was becoming a nothing to all, even to His disciples. And then for Christ to say, now you got to do this between each other, is Christ inviting us into that role of a suffering servant, suffering for the sake of others, to do to others what Christ has done to us? where the washing of the feet is just mere symbolism of the great sacrifice that God, Christ, had to endure at the cross, where the assuming of Himself as a servant is just a mere symbolism of the most humiliating form of servanthood that Christ assumed to be a servant on the cross. And now Christ is inviting us to be those servants to each other. And so this is the basis, this is the foundation where even Paul says, Husbands, love your wife, for Christ, having loved the Church, gave Himself for it, that our life, our love, should be a reflection of His Sacrifice. So John would also say the same thing, that we are supposed to love the brothers, as Christ has loved and given Himself, that our measure of love to each other... should be to the point of death.

Now that is more than washing each other's feet. where our measure of love and servanthood to each other should be to the point of Christ dying on the cross for them. Like Paul saying, I am fulfilling what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for your sake. Where we are asked to love one another not just in our needs, not just in our abundance, but even to the point of death. where Paul would talk of the Galatian believers this way that if it was really possible, the Galatian believers would pluck their eyes off and give it to Paul. Now that is a love unto death. That is a love of utmost that the Lord has shown to us, that the Lord wants us to be not lords over each other, where we don't bicker like the disciples wondering who is greater than the other, that who is more honoured than the other. But Christ on His way out of this world showed us that we ought to love to the point of death. and this is the true meaning of washing each other's feet.

Where one is willing to yield and the other is willing to kneel. where if it were necessary of our life for the sake of someone's salvation, we would be most willing to give. Where if it was a matter of our own blood and our life that someone would enter unto heaven, then we would most gladly lay our lives down. that if we were to love our brothers who turn out to be our enemies, just like we were enemies to Christ, and still love them to the point of death, this is the true meaning of washing each other's feet. This is the invitation that Christ invited us to, not for Him to alone suffer, but for us to follow that example. Having washed their feet, Judas leaves the rule. And there is much debate over the fact whether Judas left the room before the table was established or after the table was established. Either ways that are... these are just questions and disputes that don't matter. At the end of the day, the Lord established a great ordinance, an ordinance of great importance.

And so they are all sitting around like a Jewish family with Jewish emblems and signs, celebrating a Jewish feast of Passover, remembering bondage and liberty, where Christ out of nowhere takes the bread, He takes an unleavened bread. And for a Jew, that unleavened bread means the haste with which they left Egypt. They had no time to make a leavened bread, so they made unleavened bread. Unleavened bread always typifies haste, urgency. You see that again in the case of Lot, when Lot had to serve to the angels, he made unleavened bread. Bread was not readily available and he had to do it quickly. Obviously, he can't wait for the bread to be leavened. He gave them unleavened bread. Unleavened bread talks of the haste with which you can make things done. And that is what they were remembering, the haste with which they got the deliverance, where they couldn't even make a good meal for themselves. And Christ takes that symbol which has an Old Testament connotation, an Old Testament meaning, and says, Now this bread is my body.

That this uneven bread, now for one hour, will speak about me and my body. He takes Jewish symbols and infuses New Testament, New Covenant principles. symbols that they knew so well, he now says, this is my body, you need to eat it. and then he takes a cup. Now in the Jewish feast there were actually four cups. Let's look at a passage in Exodus chapter 6. and verse six. Exodus 6 and verse 6, Now, there are five I wills. Five times you read, I will, I will, I will, I will do this. In fact, the fifth one and the fourth one are together. There is an ant over there. I will take to you for me a people and I will be to you a God. So, generally, there are just four I wills and the Jewish people took these four I wills and took four cups to symbolise it. The first is, I will bring you out of the burdens of Egypt. and this was a supernatural event where God in heaven wrought deliverance to slaves in a nation. Now we can just pass over this as common knowledge but we need to understand how impossible was this act.

These are slaves for generations and would have been slaves for all their generations. There was no one going to show them pity. There was no one going to deliver them and neither are they in their own ability ever going to come out. For a matter of contemporary examples, if you want to see, even today you have these kind of people, stateless people. There's a group of people called the Rohingya Muslims. They're neither citizens in Myanmar or Bangladesh or India. Nobody will ever care for them. Nobody will ever give them liberty. How can these people ever come out of that bondage? How can they ever get life once again? No way. No man is going to do it. and that was the condition of Jews in Egypt. where God wrought deliverance, he says, I have come down. When nobody could bring them out, God did it with a great mighty hand of power.

But that wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to bring them out of Egypt. The second is, I will bring you, rid you out of their bondage. And you see, there are two different things here. We cannot take it for granted that just because someone is out of Egypt, he is also out of the bondage of Egypt. because the Israelites came out of Egypt, but their hearts were still in bondage of the things of Egypt. They walked out of Egypt with their heart behind. And these are two different things that God promised He is going to do. He is not just going to make them go out, but rid them of the bondage. Pharaoh was long dead in the bottom of Red Sea. Unfortunately, He still commanded mastery over those people that were on their way to... promised land. They were still in bondage of a dead master. And the Lord says true deliverance is not just coming out of Egypt, but deliverance from bondage. But the third thing is the most important thing. I will redeem you, which means I'm going to buy you out.

And the Jews named this third eye-will as the cup of blessing. So, when they took the third cup, they remembered the fact that God redeemed, He bought them, He purchased them, He literally destroyed a nation as a cost for redemption. He paid a price to buy the people. It is the third cup that denotes redemption. And Paul says, we drink the cup of blessing. So when the Lord was saying, take drink this cup, He was most probably holding this third cup, most probably referring to the third idol, a will of redemption where God out of heaven will come to redeem and pay the full price and make us own. But you see there was a fourth cup as well. And the Lord says, you drink, but then the Lord said, this cup I will not drink until I sit in my Father's kingdom.

So, most probably the fourth cup, which signifies the ultimate restoration, the ultimate glorification of just not Christ but also of His people, where the people will be God and God will be of the people, where sin will be destroyed. the fourth cup that talks of the coming back of Christ as a reigning King, where I will be to you a God and you will be to me My people. That fourth cup, the Lord refused to drink on that night. He said, I will drink it at My Father's Kingdom. Again, referring to the fact that the cross was not the end. And that's the beauty of a faith that we can have, like that of a criminal on the cross, saying, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, that the kingdom is the end, the glory is the end. At this point, I would like to conclude and note the fact that the law told us to do this like a commandment, do this in remembrance. You see, the Jews did this, that is to drink and eat once a year. The Lord told them, do it once a year. Now imagine if we all did it just once a year.

Imagine there was just one day of 365 where we remembered the cup and the bread. How little will be that memory? How little will be that remembrance? Where we go back to our life all the other days of the year and just one day a year, we remember the deliverance. That's what the Jews do even today. They just have one day to remember. But for us, it's written that, as often as you drink, now that's the frequency, as often, it's deliberately not given how many times, but it's meant to mean it is definitely not just once a year. It's meant to mean it's not just once a month. In fact, as often, as often as you drink. and the believers in the first century, they did it every first day of the week. They made it a point that every first day of the week, there will be a remembrance of the death of Christ, that in eating this and drinking this, we will show the death of Christ.

How beautiful is that remembrance that every one day of week, the very first day of the week, we come around to refresh our memories of what Christ has done, to refresh our memories of the bread and the wine. and that it cannot be taken lightly, that it cannot be taken a matter of convenience, that we only come when it is easy, that we only come when it is possible to come, and we only come when it is more probable for us to come, that the slightest inconvenience becomes a great, great reason for us to miss the table. No, this is a privilege. The Jews do it just once a year. We have the privilege to do it as often as we wanted. as much as at least first day of the week to refresh our minds of what Christ has done. The irony in all of this is like how the hymn writer says, Need thou say, Remember me? Was it necessary for the Lord Jesus to even ask us to remember? Was it necessary for Him to even drive a commandment of remembrance? Was it necessary for Him to ask us, to command us and make it a matter of obedience?

If Christ has done so much to bring us to the glory of God, shouldn't it be our most natural, most reasonable response that we do this, that we remember Him? How can it be a matter of forgetfulness? But the Lord knows us. He knows we are dust. Like a father, He tends and spares us and knows our feeble frame. He knows the fact that we are so prone to forget a matter of such great deliverance. And so then He made it a commandment. He made it a matter of obedience for us that you need to do it now. Do this in remembrance of Me. And there is great joy and great blessings, great fellowship. in the coming together of Saints in the Name of Christ, to remember and to show forth His Death. On the way to the Cross, the Lord set forth this ordinance for us that we will do it till He comes. May His Name be glorified.The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Sermon TranscriptMathew 26, verse 1. Matthew 26:1. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all the sayings, He said unto his disciples, you know that after two days is the feast of Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.

Before we commence every study, we ought to always ask what is the purpose and the objective of it. This is the pattern we see in the epistles. where every writer who wrote the episode more or less always conveyed why they wrote it and what they wanted to achieve through that teaching. So when we come into this very sensitive teaching and matter on the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask ourselves, what is the purpose of this study? What can be achieved through it? What can be the outcomes of looking at the sufferings of Christ? We are reminded first of Abraham Because he was at a dire situation once, where the Lord asked him to offer his own son and his own child. But when he saw that in the place of his own child, a ram can be offered, he called the Lord a new name, a name that he had never called the Lord before. He said, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord provides. Then he prophetically added this statement in saying that, In the mountain of the Lord, it will be sealed. And he was given this vision that the ram dying in the place of his own child is a mere shadow of how God will one day provide for his own generation for the whole world. That in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen and the word seen is the basis of the word “Providence”, where God provides and God foresees something beforehand and makes provision for it.

And that's probably the first outcome that we will come across when we study the sufferings of Christ like Abraham, we would worship the Lord. The Lord Jesus told of Abraham that, He rejoiced to see my day. And when He saw that day, when the mount of the Lord God will provide, His heart was filled with joy. and that's probably the most fundamental outcome that comes at the cross, where we find ourselves as worshippers. Not mere worshippers with our lips and words, but being encouraged to sacrifice like the Lord sacrificed.

But there are more grave consequences that we will come across when we study the sufferings of Christ. Some things that are things that we will not like. That are very unpleasant to us. For example, when Peter looked at the cross, he said, Like Christ has suffered in His flesh, we need to arm ourselves in the same mind, because the one who suffers in His flesh will cease from sin. And that's what the cross teaches us. It teaches us to suffer enough flesh so that sin may die. The sufferings of the Cross teaches us that our flesh needs to be crucified. It teaches us that we need to arm ourselves in the same mind like Christ suffered in His flesh.

So, when we see the body of Christ on the Cross, and we see His flesh being battered, His flesh being scorched, and His body being rent like a veil in two, that's the best picture. The best thing it can ever do to our own flesh. Our flesh is worthy of the cross. Our flesh is worthy of death. Our flesh is worthy of the cross. Our flesh requires mortification. It requires crucifixion. It requires the old man to be dead. And there is no greater example, no greater lesson that can be learned than looking at the cross, where the one who died to sin teaches us to die to sin in flesh. Where the cross is the best thing, the best picture, the greatest example of what one can do to his own flesh. It's only a mere shadow of how we ought to ourselves be killed and be dead daily to sin.

For Peter puts it that the one who suffers in his flesh will cease from sin, that the way to victory over sin is suffering in the flesh. We cannot live a life where we pander our flesh, where we make provisions for our flesh, where we make our flesh to be alive. The desires of our flesh needs to be starved, it needs to be killed, it needs to be subjugated, it needs to be brought down, it needs to be dead. The one who is truly dead in his flesh, one who has suffered in his flesh, will cease from sin. And the Cross of Christ teaches us the greatest. He suffered great things in his own flesh to show us that our flesh is worthy of the worst. Nothing less than the death on the cross. Probably more than just the mortification of our flesh, the sufferings of Christ will also teach us to fulfill what is lacking in that suffering.

Paul looked at the cross that way and he said, I fulfill what is lacking in the suffering. Where Christ's suffering changes the way we suffer. The suffering of Christ invites us to suffer. The suffering of Christ, though at the end He said it is finished, yet it requires His own Bride also to suffer. That like Christ suffered for life, the Church is required to suffer for life. That in death is forgiveness given, in death is life offered. That the suffering of Christ is not the end of it, it is only a picture, it is only the beginning of all great sufferings. The pinnacle of it is when at the end times there will rise a man who is anti-Christ and he will wage war against the saints, and the saints will suffer uncontrollably, where if the Lord was not to intervene, the Lord says there would be an end of all saves.

The suffering of Christ is only the beginning of all sorrows. Paul understood that and said, I am just suffering what is lacking, what is yet to be completed, what is wanting in the suffering of Christ for the sake of the Church. And so, the sufferings of Christ invites us to suffer. It invites us to be bold in that suffering, not to be fearful, but to be bold in that suffering. Above all, the sufferings of Christ will also teach us to endure it. There is no greater lesson on endurance we can ever learn than to learn it through Christ on the Cross. He, having set joy before Him, despised the shame thereof, and endured the cross. The Cross requires endurance, it's not a single pain, it's not a pain that goes over a moment. It requires perseverance.

And so the Hebrew writer says, consider one who has endured such great hostilities from sinners against himself. The Hebrew writer encourages us to consider the endurance of Christ on the Cross, to consider the one who has endured such great hostilities. from sinners against Himself. Lest we be weary and lest we fail, where if we were to not look at the Cross and if we were not to look at the sufferings of Christ, then most assuredly our own sufferings will swallow us up. It will exhaust us. It will weary us. It will cause us to be faint. And so the Hebrew writer says, consider the endurance of the one who endured great hostilities. And then he said it this way, that none of us has ever suffered to the point of bloodshed. Where the sufferings of Christ is the greatest of all sufferings, we don't even get close to it.

The sufferings of Christ makes us endure sufferings, all kinds of sufferings, whether it be persecution, whether it be infirmities, whether it be hostilities, whether it be hatred, all kinds of sufferings. That's why when Peter was writing his epistles to a suffering church, he often referred to the example of Christ. And he said that Christ is the one who did not revile when he was reviled. He did not threaten when he was suffering, but he committed himself unto the one who judges all things well. There is no greater lesson on endurance, perseverance than what we see at the cross, where someone who is inherently endured with omnipotent power, where someone with a beck and call can call out legions of angels at His disposal, where someone who is at the heart of God, the beloved of God, God the Father, who can ask the Father anything, constrains Himself to be hanging on the cross with nails. He restrains all His power, so there can be no greater example on endurance and perseverance. than Christ on the cross.

Lastly, I think the sufferings of Christ, once we have seen it, will greatly humble us. It's I think J.R. Miller who said it that there's nothing in the universe that cuts us to size like the cross. We all have inflated view of ourselves till we visit a place called Calvary, where we shrink to our true size. There's nothing that can humble us greater than when we see what Christ suffered. Why is that so? Because the scripture says, Christ suffered, when we were utterly hopeless, for Christ died for the ungodly. So, at the cross we see our true worth. At the cross we lose all our balloons, all our gas. We are truly deflated at the cross. We are truly cut to the size. Not that of a man, but that to a worm. For at the Cross, we get to see the greatest of all immorality and all wickedness. The ugliest form of human wickedness is displayed at the Cross. It's at the cross we see our true worth.

We cannot be like the Pharisees who thought that if they lived in the days of their fathers, they would not have killed the prophets. Similarly, we cannot think that if we lived in the days of Christ, we would not have put Christ to the cross. We cannot think so because we are in that sin. We are in the midst of those who put Christ to the cross. It's like how the hymn writer says, the man upon the cross, my sin upon his shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice among the scoffers. It is our sin. We are very much in it. It's a display of what human heart can achieve. It's a display of what human heart can imagine. So there can be nothing more humbling than to see our own involvement, our own hands in that blood.

You see, when the Lord visited Babel, He came down, He saw the tower and He put it this way, He said, They all speak one language, they all are one, and whatever they have imagined, there is nothing that can restrain them from accomplishing it. The Lord put that as a warning, that if all wicked men get together as one, then whatever the wicked heart can imagine, There is nothing that can restrain them from accomplishing it. And that's what you see at the cross, where all wickedness becomes one. Where soldiers and common men that never got along together became one. Pharisees and Sanhedrin's that hated themselves to life became one. Herodians and Pilate that hated themselves became one. And when all the nations come together, when all the Gentiles come together, when all wicked human hearts come together, where there is no restraint of the conscience, where there is no restrains of any sovereign godly power, where even God will not come in the way of what man wants to do. That is what the cross shows can be accomplished. It's the pinnacle of human wickedness. And we are all in it. It shows what we are truly worth.

It's at the cross where we see ourselves and say, Alas! And did the Savior die? And did the sovereign bleed? Would He devote that sacred head for a worm like I? It's at the cross where we are truly cut to ourselves. It's at the cross where we see not just a servant, but the Lord and Master dying for men. Where we are put to our place and shown what it means to be a servant, what it means to sacrifice, what it means to love to the uttermost. There is nothing that is more humbling than the sufferings of Christ.

And so with this hope in mind, we come to... Look at how Christ suffered. With this hope in mind that the sufferings of Christ and its concentration will bring us to worship, will bring us to mortify our self, will encourage us to fulfil what is lacking in the suffering, will encourage us to endure our sufferings till the end. We'll truly mortify ourselves, we'll truly humble ourselves. And like the psalmist, we would consider what is man, that you are mindful of. You would consider how precious are your thoughts towards us.

When we want to begin this study on the sufferings, we probably can begin at this passage which we just read in Matthew 26. We'll read this again, Matthew 26 in verse 1 and 2. And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these things. He said unto them, He said unto his disciples, You know that after two days, it's the feast of Passover, and the son of man is betrayed to be crucified. It is in this Gospel where we see a definite change, a flex and a definite starting point to that passion, to that suffering, where Matthew, when he has written all this while, he says, And it came to pass when Jesus had finished. where there is an end of one thing and now is a beginning of another.

And it's beautiful how Matthew puts a full stop and says, Christ finished saying all things. It's a great honour that Matthew ascribes to Christ. It's the kind of honour that God first ascribed to Noah, where Noah did all things as the Lord commanded. It's the kind of honour that God ascribes to Moses after having made the tabernacle, is written that Moses did all things as the Lord commanded. And Matthew, after having recorded all the sermons of Christ, all the words of Christ, he says, this was the end of it. Christ finished saying all things. And this is the heart of the Old Testament Messiah. A Messiah who is going to come with grace poured into His lips. A Messiah who is going to come who will cry out in the midst of concursus, in the midst of streets, in the open gates, the One who will cry out righteousness, the One who will not hide the righteousness, the One who will not hide the loving-kindness and the truth of God. He is the Messiah. who will be like the wisdom, that's how Solomon puts it, the one who is like wisdom crying out in the streets. And so the Lord Jesus, when He came down to this earth, He came down with a vision to be that Word of God.

Imagine it this way, from the Book of Malachi to the Book of Matthew is a great silence where God did not speak. And the Book of Malachi was the end of all dreams and visions and prophets. And in that deafening silence of 300 years, when God indeed begins to speak, He begins to speak through a cry, a cry that says, prepare your way. And then comes a shout, a bigger cry of righteousness, the one that is wisdom, standing in concourses, standing in open places, standing in open gates, declaring the righteousness of God with grace poured in his lips. so much so that the people would say, no man spoke like this man. that with such gracious words he spoke. You see, it started even at the end of age when he was in the temple, when he's speaking with learned lawyers and Pharisees and scribes, and they marvel at his understanding and at his answers.

Here is the Word of God on the face of the earth to speak the words of God, so much so that the Lord Jesus would tell the people that I speak not of myself. But the father that sent me has commanded me what I should say. So much so that when people came to arrest him, they came back without arresting him that the soldiers would say, never a man spoke like this man. This is how John looked at the whole ministry of Christ and said, It is the word of God that was with the father has come down. that when no man had seen God at any time, the only begotten of the Father, who has come to declare Him unto us, has come to declare the Lord unto us, has come to declare the fullness of the glory of grace and truth unto us.

And so as much as the sufferings of Christ was important, Matthew makes it a point to say, the Lord finished all these things. It's like how the Prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah and said that, The Lord God has given me a tongue of the learned, that I shall know how to speak a word in season to Him that is weary. He wakes me morning by morning. He wakes my ear to learn, to hear like the ear of a learned. And that was the life of Christ, waking up morning by morning, learning of the Father. hearing of the Father, so that He has the words to speak to those that are weary. And at times he wanted to speak more. But he was constrained like how he told to Nicodemus, I speak earthly things and you do not receive. Nicodemus could not even receive the teaching of the doctrine of being born again. And then the Lord told Nicodemus, What will you do if I speak heavenly things? I have only spoken what you know so far in the scriptures. What would you receive if I were to speak heavenly things?

Even the night before the Lord was crucified, He gathered the disciples to speak unto them. And at one point He said, I have much more to speak, but you cannot bear those things. You cannot receive those things. Here is the one who came to speak, the Lord who came to speak the words of God. More than what one can receive through Prophets, through prophecies, through dreams, through visions. It is this work of the Lord that makes the cross of Christ wonder, like, how can someone who spoke these words end up at the cross? How can someone who came to declare the fullness of the glory of Christ, after having said these words, end up at the cross. It is this contrast that Mathew brings in the gospel because from now on till the end, there are no teachings, there are no doctrines. In fact, the Lord told all the people who came to arrest him, I spoke daily in the temple. There is nothing more to be said.

And so when he prays the prayer in John 17, he says, I have glorified you on this earth. I have finished the work that you had given me to do. Over here, He has finished the sayings that God gave Him. After having finished saying all things, after having finished all the work that God has given Him, Matthew begins the account of his sufferings. It is this distinction between the words of Christ and the ultimate work of Christ on the cross that makes it glorious. That makes the work of the Messiah complete and fulfilling.

You see Mathew, when he wrote the gospel, he consistently referred to the Old Testament scriptures. and he kept saying that in this the word of the Prophet was fulfilled. He kept referring to the prophecies too and underlining it and saying that in this the prophecies were fulfilled. And that's the narrative that Matthew continues even in the sufferings of Christ. You see this in verse 1. This is Matthew's understanding. This is Matthew through the Spirit of God saying, It came to pass. When Jesus had finished all these things, He said unto His disciples, You know that after two days is the feast of Passover. So we have come quite close to the Cross of Christ. It's just two days away before the Lord will be crucified. And when it is just two days away, the Lord Himself is saying that at the feast of Passover, He is going to be crucified.

Let's continue reading verses 3-5. You see how Matthew narrates and brings the link between the prophecies of the Old Testament and the sufferings of Christ. Verse 3, Then assembled together the chief priests, the scribes, the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest. who was called Caiphas and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety and kill. But they said, not on the feast day. lest there be an uproar among the people." Where Christ says it is on the feast day that the Son of Man is going to be crucified, the moment He says that two days to the cross, there is a group of people that have come together, and they seem to have come together to fulfil the scriptures, but there's something grossly going wrong.

Where one they have now decided that Christ should not die on Passover day. Let's wait for it to get over. That is fundamentally contradicting all prophecies. Where the very image of the lamb being shed for death to pass over, is now at stake. The Christ who is the Paschal lamp, now people have come together and they have decided out of their own mind that Christ should not die on the Passover Day. And Matthew always brings this mind, brings this to attention, the instances when men try to foil the plan of God and God's still won over, when men try to work against the prophecies of the Old Testament, but God made it. God still brought it to pass. And so here we have a big issue. When men have got together, they have decided that Christ is not going to die on the Passover Day. They have also decided that Christ is not going to be crucified. Because if He is not going to be dying on the Passover Day, they say they are going to do it subtly.

They are going to trick Christ. They are going to... do a harsh job and get rid of Christ. If it's going to be a harsh job, it cannot be on the cross. So most probably they just wanted to stone him and get rid of him. And again that is such a fundamental contradiction to all the prophecies because Christ has to die the death of a one hanging on a tree. He is to die the death of a cursed one. And here is the greatest contradiction. The contradiction here is that yes, all the elders, all the leaders, all the possible leadership of the religious and political system are together. But yet there is a crucial person missing. Because crisis in World War II, he has to be betrayed. He cannot be tricked. He cannot be taken by surprise. But it is necessary that one of his own acquaintance, one with whom he stayed, one with whom he lived, one with whom he went to the temple daily, these are the prophecies of the Old Testament of the stake.

That yes it's necessary of the priest, of the chief priests, of the elders, of the soldiers, they are all necessary, but there is also a betrayer that's necessary. So if they decide that let's take Christ by surprise, let's trick Him, let's subtly arrest Him, let's get rid of Him. They are fundamentally getting all prophecies wrong. One that Christ should die on the Passover day. One that Christ should die the death of a cross. And one that he cannot be subtly taken or tricked. He has to be betrayed by his own. And Matthew narrates this incident so beautifully to show how despite the vices of men, how despite the wicked heart of men, God's will and predetermination was always at stake, was always in control.

So we read in verse 6 where Matthew says, Now when Jesus, and that's a very significant diversion, now when Jesus was in Bethany. A lot of people have pointed out a contradiction in the scriptures because Matthew says that it is two days before the Passover and the same incident in John says it is six days before the Passover. And so there is an apparent contradiction. Is it two days or is it six days like John says? Well, here is how Matthew always writes, and he writes to show how scriptures are fulfilled. He has taken us to a cliff and he is showing how things are going wrong, how the plans of man are against the predetermined counsel of God. And now he is going to explain how it all came back together. And so to explain that, verses 6 through 13, where He talks of the anointing of Christ by Mary through an alabaster box, this whole passage is like a parenthesis, it's like a bracket.

It's like in a narration of a story, you are at the present, but you take a pause, and you go back to the past to explain this has happened in the past. So there is a change in tense now when Jesus was in Bethany. It's not to say that when Jesus was in Bethany two days ago, no, Matthew is going back to the past to explain that there has something happened in the past that brought all things together. And that was the wickedness of Judah. It is written in verse 8, when his disciples saw it, they had indignation. He is referring to the incident when the disciples of Christ were angry to see Christ being worshipped. Matthew says disciples because they were all in it, but John specifically says it is Judah's Iscariot. He is the one who knew the price of the perfume. He is the one who said this is worth 300 denarii. He is the one that boiled in indignation and wrath to see a simple Rabbi being worshipped. He is the one that just considered Christ a Rabbi.

And he never got the teachings of Christ. He never understood the signs and miracles. And the anointing of Christ by this weeping woman was a tipping point for this person. He had it enough. It’s like the straw that broke the camel's back. It was the end of his mind. Because at the end of it, when he saw that Christ is being worshipped with such a costly ointment, and a man who was so greedy, who wished to get that money himself, he said it's enough. and that's where we read and pick ourselves back in the present in verse 14. Then... Then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot went into the chief priest.

And so, Matthew is just showing what happened in the past that had influence in bringing things back to the prophecy, to the prophetic timeline. He's just showing that what happened in Bethany was not two days. It is indeed six days, like how John says it. It is something that happened in the past. But what happened in the past was a great influence in foiling the plans of man. So six days before, Judas had enough. Two days before all the people got together, and they planned things according to their own mind, according to their own heart, against the scriptures. Their plans was contradicting the prophecies. And if there was anything that would change that, anything that would bring them back to the prophecies of the Old Testament, to fulfil the death of Christ like the predetermined Council of God, that was Judah's Iscariot.

Then, Judas walked in. Then Judas met the chief priest. You see there are two thens in this passage, in verse 3, then assembled. and was plotting then Judas. It's like when all of them had gathered two days before, and they were planning their hearts out, they were imagining weird things, they were planning according to their wisdom of how to trick Christ, to crucify Christ, to store Christ, to subtly take Him, to do it outside the Passover, they were planning things outside the will of God, when suddenly, to their own gladness, Judas entered the room. and we read in the other Gospels that they were glad to see Judas. Well, the narration of Matthew over here, he's showing the curves, the precise moments, the effort, that how God was in control to make things fall in its rightful place, in its rightful way, at the rightful time, with the rightful person.

They were planning to do this all by themselves, but they needed a Betrayer, and the Betrayer walked in. And when the Betrayer walked in, to their unfortunate... to their... bad luck, He walked in just two days before the Passover. When they're deciding, let's wait, let's wait for the Passover to pass over, that's when Judas walks in. And Judas says, I can hand Christ to you. And so these Pharisees, these chief priests were constrained because an opportunity like Judas doesn't knock twice. If he decides that he's going to betray Christ, he's going to hand over Christ, then he decides to get, he decides when it's going to happen. So they had to be at standby always. Now it's no more about subtly taking Christ, it's all about Judas betraying Christ.

And Judas will decide when it's going to happen. Not these people. and for their bad luck, Judas decided at the eve of Passover. It's at the eve of Passover that we read Satan was put into Judas and the Lord told Judas, Do what you are supposed to do. And you see how beautifully God working the counsels of his prophecies that he prophesied against all odds of human heart and wisdom. And so Judas decides that he is going to betray. Judas decides it's going to happen at the eve of Passover. And that solved the third problem. If it's going to happen on the eve of Passover, it cannot be stoning. It cannot be trickery. You can't just hush and do it. The whole city is filled with people. And if it's going to happen on the eve of Passover, then you are completely absolved in it. You are completely excluded in the killing of Christ. You can do nothing to kill Christ. And yet, if you still want to kill Him, you now need to take Him to the Romans.

And the Romans knew only one way to put a person to death, and that was a cross. where the walking in of Judas completely turned the tables and brought all the prophecies in place. that they had no option but to rely on this person. This is the prophecy that Christ had to be valued by His people, that He will be valued by thirty shekels of silver, not less, not more, that it has to be one of His own with whom He worshiped in the temple that will hand Him over. that it has to be on the day of Passover when the Lamb is being slain at the temple altar, that Christ will be crucified on the cross, and that it has to be the cross that cannot be stoning because no bones of His has to be broken. God brings all of this together through the wickedness of human heart. Yes, the humans wanted Christ dead with all their wicked heart, but they couldn't do it the way they wanted except the will of God. This is how the Lord brought in His wisdom to pass, that they killed the Prince of Life, but not without the predetermined counsel of the Lord from eternity pass. May God’s name be glorified.The post Sufferings of Christ – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 30th December, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we look at the fourth part of our studies in Judas Iscariot, the apostle. Today we're going to see Judas as the son of perdition, as after the evil he did against the Lord, he ends his life by hanging and goes into the very perdition the Lord said he would go into. Our reading today is Matthew chapter 27, and we begin at the first three verses. Matthew 27 verses 1 to 3 say, “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” “Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,” Matthew 27:1-3 (KJV).

We see how Judas had remorse and regret after he had betrayed the Lord. When Judas saw that the Lord was actually handed over to Pilate and condemned to death. He regretted what he had done. It seems that he wanted the money and the Lord's release. He did not realise it would go so far. But nevertheless, he had done that evil deed in betraying the Lord. He wanted the Lord destroyed; there's no doubt about that. But afterwards he starts regretting what he had done. The word used here is not the usual word for repent. Repentance to salvation, change in one's mind. But here is a word, a different word in the Greek language meaning more emotional. Just feeling a remorse and a regret over what he had done. See Peter repented. He was restored for denying the Lord. Judas betrayed the Lord. He never repented. He only had remorse and regret, and he committed suicide. We see Judas return the money. He had sold the Lord for a price, for the price of a slave. We read about the price of a servant in Exodus 21 in verse 32. “If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant, he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” Exodus 21:32 (KJV).

So the Lord was sold, was given, was sold, and betrayed for the price. of a servant the price of a slave. The Lord Jesus was there when Judas came and vindicated the Lord before them as the one who was innocent. Judas's confession in verse four is, “Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.” Matthew 27:4 (KJV). Many in the Bible said these words, I have sinned, but never really repented of their sin. King Saul was one who said, I have sinned. Pharaoh too said, I have sinned, but neither of them repented. Though he said I have sinned, he had never repented. He went out into a lost eternity. Judas was just like so many today who go to a human priest to confess. their sins. He didn't confess to God like King David did when he said, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” (Psalms 51:4, KJV).

Judas doesn't go to God. He goes to a human priest and says, I have sinned. Like so many do in this world today, they don't go away forgiven. They don't go through Christ for forgiveness. They don't go to God. They go to a human priest. Judas testified to the innocence of Christ, the innocence of His blood. This is another reason. We saw reasons last time that Judas insured by his betrayal that Jesus would die on the Passover day, just as the Scriptures had prophesied that He's the Lamb of God; He's the Passover Lamb. Now here's another reason that shows why Judas was chosen to be an apostle, though he was evil. So that within the apostolic band there will be a testimony to the purity and holiness and innocence of Christ. When we think of politicians and film stars or whoever is very famous, often tends to be politicians wanting to be presidents and prime ministers and so on in this world, they will always portray themselves as a person dedicated to the nation, a person who's honest in all their business, they've never been fraudulent, they've never taken bribes, they will show their family and they will show their children that they're faithful to their wife and they're good fathers to a good father to their children and they've been very good in their community, doing good things for their community and so they go around canvassing for votes so that in the election they'll become Prime Minister or President.

However, when they do become Prime Minister or President of their country, oftentimes we hear in the newspapers that someone comes forward after some time and says, You think he's so innocent? Some woman will say, I had an affair with him. He's an adulterer. We were together all the time, behind his wife's back. The newspapers will get the story. And the man who looks so pure outside, he really wasn't pure inside at all. He wasn't pure privately at all. Or someone else will come and say, I was in business with him, and he cheated me out of money. He's a fraud. He's been a fraud all his life. And when the evidence is given, all the outward show all goes. He was just a hypocrite. Outwardly seemed to be pure, but privately and inwardly was a different person. So God allowed Judas to be amongst the apostles. He received the same love all the apostles did, the same privileges, and the same powers and responsibilities to preach the gospel. Yet at the end of those three and a half years where the Lord trained and taught the apostles, Judas, though he became such a bitter enemy of the Lord Jesus, even willing to have him destroyed, betrayed, he said this publicly to his enemies: I betrayed the innocent blood. And so even Judas, in his betrayal, even in his statement he made, brought glory and honour to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ was innocent and holy and pure and perfect in front of all the crowds in public, but he was also pure and perfect and holy in secret amongst his own disciples. He wasn't a different man privately from what he was obliquely. He wasn't different inwardly from what he was outwardly. He was inwardly and outwardly, publicly and privately, holy and harmless and separate from sinners. Blessed be his name. So even in the betrayal of Judas, even in the statement he made, it was that glory might be brought to the perfections of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at the chief priest's callous response. They were unspeakably cruel. even though Judas had helped them achieve what they wanted. But look at their reply. They didn't care much for him either, as they did for the other apostles. What is that to us? You've done what we want. We don't care for you. You do what you want now with that money. They didn't care for his guilty conscience. for they had no conscience at all; they had seared their conscience with a hot iron. So Judas cast the silver into the temple and hung himself. In verse 5 of Matthew 27, “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5 KJV).

So it appears that Judas followed the priests into the holy place, where only priests were allowed to enter, and he threw the silver pieces of betrayal straight down into the very temple. He polluted the temple by walking inside. Only the priests were allowed to walk in there, but he went in there. Well, it was no different from what they had done. They had committed sacrilege as well, these wicked men. Jesus said these words. “Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up…. But he spoke of the temple of his body.” John 2:19, 21 (KJV). John chapter two, verses 19 and 21, tell us. Yes, they had committed sacrilege. In handing over the Lord Jesus to the Gentiles to be crucified, spat upon, beaten, and scourged. Yes, they had committed sacrilege. Now in this was fulfilled, as we are told in this chapter, Zechariah's prophecy; it is attributed to Jeremiah. Now Zechariah acted out what the Lord Jesus did in his ministry. In Zechariah 11 verse 4 we read, “Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter” (Zechariah 11:4 KJV).

Feed this flock that is going to be slaughtered. And so in this prophecy, Zechariah was to act as a shepherd, acting out the feeding and taking care of sheep. what the Lord Jesus would do in His ministry, how He would love, how He would care, how He would come to seek and to save the lost sheep. but that nation was going to reject him. And in AD 70, we're going to be slaughtered by the Romans when they besiege Jerusalem. So Zechariah was told to act out this prophecy, feed the flock of the slaughter. So in Zechariah 11, verse 12, we read that the earlier verse was Zechariah 11, verse 4, then Zechariah 11, verse 12, we read, “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.”Zechariah 11:12 (KJV). So as Zechariah acted out this prophecy, impersonating the Messiah, now he says he was their shepherd no longer. Six sheep will be allowed to die, that chapter shows us. The rest are given up to starvation and cannibalism. And this was fulfilled to the letter when the Romans seized Jerusalem.

And the word covenant used there in Zechariah 11, if you look at it, is used in the unrestricted sense, symbolising the restraint the Lord had placed upon other nations overrunning Jerusalem. Now that restraint would be no more, the most terrible slaughter would be inflicted upon them by the Gentiles. God would restrain them, but then they did not want the Lord anymore. That restraint was gone. So the prophetic reenactment by Zechariah is believed by the faithful few and the faithful few who would see the historical prediction towards the end of our Lord's earthly ministry. They will see Jerusalem surrounded by your armies. They will know that this is what the Lord spoke about, that not one stone will be left upon another. They would escape, but that nation would suffer. So when Zechariah acted out the role of a shepherd, he said, What is my price for all my faithful labors?" if it be good in your eyes literally, but their eyes were blind to any good they saw. So the price they gave was out of contempt for his love. It was not even the price of a freedman, just the price of a slave as we saw gored by an ox. In that prophecy, the last act that the nation did showed that they were ripe for judgement, betraying the Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

So in that prophecy of Zechariah, Zechariah acts out the role of a shepherd, and then he asks for his wages, and this is what they give him: a pathetic 30 pieces of silver. That's all they thought all his love and care was worth. That's all the nation thought of the Lord of all the dead He raised, the lepers He cleansed, the sick He healed, the blind He made to see, the deaf He made to hear, the dumb He made to speak, the lame He made to walk, and the thousands He fed with bread and fish. This is what they thought all that love and that care was worth: just 30 pieces of silver. So literally it says there in Zechariah to cast that price, or God says fling it, fling the fancy price, that pathetic price, fling it, throw it down into the house of the Lord that it may end up in the possession of the potter, and that's what was fulfilled in this chapter what Zechariah prophesied in Zechariah 11. And then Zechariah 11 also predicts the various factions of the Jews that would be at war with one another when the Romans were besieged in Jerusalem. So they would be besieged on the outside, and within they were fighting each other as well.

So we learn that Judas hangs himself. The Lord Jesus said in John 17, verse 12, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” John 17:12 (KJV). It's the same word as waste. Judas said in Bethany when Mary poured that ointment on the Lord, he said, Why this waste? His money could have been sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor, but he wanted it for himself. Perdition and waste. What a waster Judas was. Even the 30 pieces of silver he had to throw down in the end. And going to eternity with nothing. but utmost damnation. Even the man of sin, the other person in the Bible who is called the son of perdition, is the Antichrist. Both have perdition and destinies in the lake of fire as their destiny. In 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 3 we read, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV). The only other person to be called the son of perdition. What a dreadful, dreadful end came upon Judas and will yet come upon him in the lake of fire. No wonder the Lord Jesus said it would be better for that man that he was never born. Words not spoken of anybody else. Dreadful, dreadful end of the man who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ.

But there are many like him even today. As there was in the past when Ahithopel, who betrayed David, he hung himself. And Judas does the same, having betrayed the Son of God, having betrayed the Son of David. Just like Ahithopel betrayed David, Judas betrayed the Son of David, our Lord Jesus. He also hung himself. In our next study, we'll see further details of how Peter describes how this man had purchased the field with the reward of iniquity. He had already purchased this field to be his possession with all the stealing he did from the bag. Then he went to that very field to hang himself and met a very dreadful end, as we shall see when we look at Acts chapter 1. In verse 6 we read, “And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, ‘It is not lawful for us to put them into the treasury because it is the price of blood.” Matthew 27:6 (KJV). So here we see the chief priest's dilemma. The hypocrisy of these men stands out yet again, as they consider the money too polluted to be put into the treasury. The Old Testament forbade them to put polluted money in the treasury.

In Deuteronomy 23:18 it said, “Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” Deuteronomy 23:18 (KJV). So they said this is polluted blood. It's too polluted; this money is too polluted. We can't put it in the treasury. But it was money that they had given themselves, so that their own Messiah's blood might be shed. As the Lord said, they were like whited sepulchres, full of corruption and death within. So it seems that the priest would take that money and give it to the potter from whom Judas had purchased the field. It seems that he hadn't paid the money yet to him. He had purchased it, maybe made a down payment, but never gave the full money. So they went and gave it to him and turned that field into a place of burial. As F.B. Hull writes in his commentary, Judas never profited by his thirty pieces of silver. Seduced and ultimately possessed by the devil, he threw away everything for nothing. This is always the end of the story when silly little men attempt to drive a bargain with a giant spirit of evil. The silver was now again in the hands of the priests and became the occasion for them to crown their other sins with supreme hypocrisy. Look what they called it, the price of blood. That was the blood of Jesus. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the price of blood, they said. To them, Christ's blood was just 30 pieces of silver. But not to us believers and not to God.

1 Peter 1:18 and 19, which we know so well, says, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV). To God, that blood was precious. To us it is precious. No money on earth, no silver and gold, can compare with the infinite value of the blood of Christ. So they take counsel in verse 7. “And they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in.” Mathew 27:7 (KJV). That was for the burial of Gentiles. Many Gentiles came back and forth to Jerusalem, and sometimes they would die. And therefore they felt Jerusalem was too, they didn't want to bury Gentiles where the Jews were buried. They wanted to bury these unclean foreigners away from the Jews, and they would bury them in that. place the potter's field. Wherefore that field was called a field of blood unto this day, Matthew 27 verse 8 says, the field of blood, accledema, as Peter says in Acts chapter 1.

How little they realize that Gentiles will one day overrun the whole land and fill it with their blood. Truly, the whole land will become a field of blood for that guilty nation. 30 years later, in AD 70, 40 years later, sorry, in AD 70, judgement would come upon those who cried, His blood be on us and our children. Someone has written these words: Judas died a loathsome suicide; the house of Annas was destroyed some years later; Caiaphas was deposed a year after the crucifixion, and Pilate was banished soon after, banished to Gaul, and there died in suicide. When Jerusalem fell, her wretched citizens were crucified around her walls until, in the historian's grim language, space was wanting for the crosses and crosses for the bodies. The horrors of the siege of Jerusalem are unparalleled in history. Truly, that whole place became a field of blood. Verse nine of Matthew 27, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;” Mathew 27:9 (KJV).

Now this verse has caused some difficulties because it seems to be a Zechariah prophecy about the law being valued for thirty pieces of silver, but why does Matthew say it was Jeremiah? Well, some say that because the Bible was divided into sections and the prophets in the Jewish Bible were headed by Jeremiah in some of the copies, they would say that was that part of the Bible from Jeremiah, of which Zechariah was one of the prophets. Others might say possibly Jeremiah preached this prophecy that Zechariah wrote down. But a better understanding is this: we see it in other scriptures where the Holy Spirit takes a little verse from even part of a verse from Isaiah here, another part from over there, and puts it together. He can do that for he's the author of scripture. And so what we can see when we look at Jeremiah and we look at Zechariah together is that this verse combines various things from Zechariah and Jeremiah together. You know that Jeremiah spoke often about the potter and smashing pots in the potter's house.

And in Jeremiah we read of him purchasing a field as well. And in Jeremiah 19, verse 4, he speaks of innocent blood. And in Jeremiah we speak about the purchase of a field. Whereas in Zechariah we don't read of the purchase of a field, simply that Zechariah was given thirty pieces of silver. So I think the best way to understand it, as others would, uh, other good commentators would agree, is that it's a combination of themes and verses from Jeremiah and Zechariah put together that show what Judas did and what happened to the Lord, betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, the money thrown down in the temple, but ultimately ended up in the hands of the potter, a field that was bought, a place where strangers would be buried in. Verse 10 tells us, And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me. Matthew 27:7 (KJV).

So the field belonged to the potter. and the chief priest gave him the thirty pieces of silver to buy his field, and scripture was fulfilled. Every detail of scripture was fulfilled concerning the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. God was in complete control to bring salvation to us, and though we can't understand how God would choose such a wicked man called Judas, yet we can see that even in the choice of Judas, God arranged it so that his son would die for our sins on the Passover day, and 30 pieces of silver would be given for his value, and that the Lord Jesus would be glorified even by the words of Judas saying, "'I betrayed innocent blood.'" May the Lord bless this study to us. And in our final part, we should look at the replacement for Judas in Acts chapter one, amen. The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Judas – Part 4 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 23rd October, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we look at the third part of our study of Judas Iscariot the apostle. Today we're going to learn how the Lord was in complete control of everything. The Lord Jesus was in control of the exact time of his death. He was in control of the place of his death where he would die. He was also in control of the manner of his death, how he was going to die, and he also demonstrated his power over those who are responsible for his death, including Judas.
Time of His DeathWe're going to see about the time of his death. In Matthew 26 verses 1 to 5, we read these words, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.” Matthew 26:1-5 (KJV). Here we see a picture of man's dreadful sin. As J N Darby says, the picture of man's dreadful sin in the crucifixion of Jesus unfolds before our eyes. But the Lord himself announces it beforehand with all the calmness of one who had come for this purpose. This is the fourth time that Jesus announced his death in Matthew's Gospel. in chapter 16 verse 21, chapter 17, 22 to 23, chapter 20 verse 18 to 19.

But on this occasion, the Lord does not mention the resurrection. Since thousands will be present, they feared that many of the Lord's supporters from Galilee might react to any arrest and stone them, because emotions often ran high during the feast, and there were many rebellions and riots. and the Galileans were a rowdy lot. And these men feared the multitude because most of the Lord's followers were from Galilee. He was from Galilee. Most of the Lord's ministry was in Galilee because that's where the greatest response was. In Judea, there was mainly hardness of heart and opposition most of the time. Galilee was called Galilee of the Gentiles in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 15. And also because of their mixture with the Gentiles, they looked upon as not as pure a Jew as those in Judea. We read that “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” Luke 13:1 (KJV).

Luke 13 verse 1 tells us. Luke 5, 30, Luke 5, 30, sorry, Acts chapter 5 verse 37 says, “After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.” Acts 5:37 (KJV). So Galilee was notorious for troublemakers. So these men feared that if they arrested Jesus during the Passover, there would be a riot and the people would attack them. And so they planned after the feast. After the feast of unleavened bread is over, one week later, we will kill Jesus subtly. Once all the crowds start going back to their own part of the country, once the crowds are less, somehow we'll get him and kill him. That was the plan of Jesus' enemies. Now the Lord knew this, for the Lord is omniscient.

Despite their plans, Jesus said this, that he would die on the Passover. Just as the Scriptures prophesied, Abraham said, To Isaac my God shall provide himself a lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. John 1.29 He is the fulfillment of the Passover lamb. 1 Corinthians 5.7 tells us Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. So he had to die on the Passover day. But the enemies planned he would die one week later, not on the Passover day. So how is it the Lord died on the Passover day? How is it he died on that exact time as Scripture had fulfilled, despite the plans of his enemies? The answer is found in verse 14 of Matthew 26. In verse 14 of Matthew 26 we read, “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,” Matthew 26:14 (KJV).

It was the arrival of Judas that changed all the plans. It was the arrival of Judas that changed the plans, so that the Lord was crucified on the Passover day on Friday, not one week afterwards. Because of Judas, Scripture was fulfilled. He did not realize the Lord is in control of everything. even his very betrayal would fulfill Scripture and would enable the Lord to die at the exact time Scripture had prophesied as God had planned. And so we learn one of the reasons why Judas was chosen. We wonder why would God choose such an evil man? But here's the first reason so that Scriptures will be fulfilled and the Lord would die on that very day of the Passover. Place of His DeathSecondly, the Lord was in control over the place of his death. In Luke 13, 31 to 33 we read “The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.” Luke 13:31-33 (KJV). The Lord made it clear, He was going to die at Jerusalem. We remember other places where they tried to kill him. But they could not. Even in the town of Nazareth where he was brought up. Luke chapter 4, they took him to the brow of the hill upon which the city was built and they wanted to hurl him down the cliff and kill him.

But he walked past through all of them for his hour had not come. He did not come into this world to die. been thrown off a cliff, he came to die on a cross, and he came to die at Jerusalem itself, outside the city walls, just as the Scriptures had said. So he was in control of the place of his death. Herod could not kill him whenever he wanted. The people of Nazareth could not kill him whenever they wanted, or wherever they wanted, he would die at Jerusalem. Manner of His DeathHe was also in control of the manner of his death. John 3 verse 14 to 15. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15 (KJV). And so he was not going to die as we saw in Luke chapter 4, verse 29 to 30 is the reference, Luke 4, 29 to 30, we read the words, “And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,” Luke 4:29-30 (KJV).

He was not going to die by being thrown off a cliff. He was not going to die by stoning either, in John 8.59. “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” John 8:59 (KJV). Then and John chapter 10, 31, “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. John 10:31 (KJV). But the Lord Jesus was not going to die a death by throwing down a cliff or by stoning Every time they tried to kill him, they could not kill him because he would die one way and one way only as John 19, 15 tells us. “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.” John 19:15 (KJV). No Jew would ever wish crucifixion on another Jew. They hated the Romans, and they would never think of allowing the Romans to kill one of their own. The law commanded death by stoning for the law-breaker. But these Jews were so full of evil and demon-possessed.

Satan possessed many of them were. They were the father of the devil. Jesus told the Pharisees, ye are of your father the devil. They wanted him to die the worst possible death he could die. And that was death by crucifixion. The Lord was in control of the manner of his death. The Lord was also in control of his enemies. In John chapter 18 and verse 3 we read “Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.” John 18:3 (KJV). John's Gospel alone mentions lanterns and torches. The other Gospels mention that the soldiers came with their weapons. But John is the only Gospel that mentions they had lanterns and torches. Because John's Gospel is the Gospel that shows that Jesus is the light of the world. And he includes this to show how foolish men were searching for the light of the world with lanterns and torches.

In verse 4 of John 18, “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?” John 18:4 (KJV). So the Lord was not caught by them, he went out to meet them. He was not hiding from them. He knew they were coming before they even knew where he was. He went out to meet them in complete control of the whole situation. And he asked them whom they had come to seek. He knew why, who they had come to seek. But he wanted them to know whom they had come to seek. And so he asked the question, whom seek ye? He wanted to impress upon them. as well as upon his own disciples. Who it was they had come to arrest, who he really was. So they answered in verses 5 to 6 of John chapter 18 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. John 18:5 (KJV).

Literally it says here, I am. He is in just italics, it's just added in for the translation but literally it's the name of God Jesus declared to them. Jesus saith unto them, I am. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” John 18:5-6 (KJV). They do not address him as a lord, they just call him Jesus of Nazareth. They saw him nothing more than a mere man. But when the Lord Jesus declared the divine name of God, the very name that God told Moses at the bush, I am that I am, that is my name. They were made to go backwards and fall on the ground before divine majesty and glory and power. And the disciples also would learn from this, that their Lord and Saviour didn't go to the cross a helpless victim. He could have destroyed all of them.

But he went willingly to the cross. The Lord has them groveling on the ground before him, as one day every knee will bow to Jesus, every tongue will confess that he is Lord. The Lord had them in the dust before him. Verse 7 he says in John 18, “Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? John 18:7-9 (KJV). Had they learnt their lesson, As they were made to be prostrate before the Lord of glory? Had they learnt their lesson that they are in the presence of deity? No, it showed the hardness of the hearts of men, Despite all the miracles they had seen him do. despite being made to grovel in the dust before him. They again say, Jesus of Nazareth. And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye 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.” John 18:7-9 (KJV).

Again the Lord demonstrated his deity and declared the divine name I am. Only the Lord. would die, not his disciples. They would have killed them too. But the Lord shows complete control over his enemies. He commands them, let these go, and they have to obey him. And the disciples were allowed to go without being killed. He was in full control of the situation. and that saying was fulfilled, that he lost none. He is the good shepherd who never loses his sheep, though they be scattered when he is smitten. Zechariah 13 verse 7, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” Zechariah 13:7 (KJV).

The Lord Jesus spoke these words of Zechariah in Matthew 26, 31. He mentioned those very words as his disciples were scattered when he was smitten. The Lord was in complete control of everything. He was in control of the time of his death and Judas played a part in that. It's one of the reasons why Judas was chosen and there are other reasons too that we're going to see in our further studies. We're going to see how even Judas by his betrayal brought glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ because of the Lord's control of everything, because of the Lord's glories and perfect humanity and perfect sinless nature. Even Judas had to confess that he has betrayed the innocent blood. Control of the place of his death, that he would die outside Jerusalem.

Using control of the manner of his death, he would die the worst death a person could ever die to be crucified and cursed of God upon a cross. He was also in control of his enemies, showing to them that he could have destroyed all of them. But he allowed them to take him. And as a lamb led to the slaughter, he went, and so he openeth not his mouth. In control of his enemies so that he allowed his disciples to escape, so they would not be taken, he commanded them to let them go. How wonderful we see the glories of our Lord Jesus Christ, even as we study the life of this an evil man. May the Lord bless his word and we shall continue our study. Amen. I'm not doing anything that you're doing. The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Judas – Part 3 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 10th July, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we look at the second part of the life of Judas Iscariot the apostle. We're going to look at Judas in the upper room.
Jesus Washes Judas FeetWe're going to see firstly how Jesus washed Judas' feet. We're reading John chapter 13, verses 4 to 5. John chapter 13 verses 4 to 5 say these words: “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” John 13:4-5 (KJV). It's quite amazing when we think of how the Lord already knew Judas had agreed to betray him. Those very feet had walked to the house of the chief priests, had agreed for the money to be paid, to do the dastardly deed, to walk back. then to the upper room, and the Lord would still wash the feet of such a man and dry those feet as well. Judas allowed the Lord to wash his feet without any complaint, unlike Peter, who objected because he didn't understand what the Lord was doing. He could not feel he could ever allow the Lord to wash his feet.

The Lord made it clear that he was doing something that had a spiritual message for them concerning his ministry for them when he goes back to heaven. and it was also an example of humility. But Judas, we see in this chapter, allows the Lord to wash his feet, eats bread with him, and even takes a sock in his mouth from the Lord when offered to him. Then we see in the garden that he will even kiss the Lord to betray him. He was a most abominable and thoroughly wicked hypocrite. But this makes the Lord's love shine even brighter. For if this man was surely the most wicked man who ever lived, mainly because he had a privilege no other person had, apart from those apostles and the women and those disciples who followed the Lord, of living with the Lord, personally seeing him, seeing the miracles. and having such a closeness to the Lord, and experiencing a love divine, all loves excelling, as the hymn writer would say, and yet he would do this dastardly evil to the Lord. Surely, he must be the most thoroughly wicked, evil man when you think of other wicked men who never had the privilege he had. And yet he would betray the Lord, and yet when we see how wicked he is, yet it only makes the Lord's love and long suffering shine so brightly no human being could ever love like the Lord did or could show long suffering like the Lord did, tolerating such a wicked man in their midst.

A contrast is seen at the beginning of chapter 12 and the beginning of chapter 13 of John. In chapter 12, as we looked at last time, we read then, “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” John 12:3 (KJV). At the end of his life on earth, the Lord's feet were anointed. for his fragrant walk always brought glory to his father. His feet did not need washing like the disciples spiritually. His feet were perfect. His walk was perfect. His words were perfect. Everything he did was perfect. And at the end of his life before his crucifixion, he would have that fragrance upon him that showed the fragrance of his life. The feet of the disciples, however, needed washing spiritually. For the whole action of the Lord was twofold.

Firstly, as I said, it's a spiritual lesson he was teaching them and also a lesson in humility. The spiritual lesson is this, of course, that we all need to be washed from our sins. But once we're washed, we're saved. We still sin as believers. And we need the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to convict us and to correct us, to maintain fellowship with God, and to cleanse us from our sinful ways and our departure from God. Day by day, we need this. And so the disciples feet needed to be washed. And this is what the Lord, our great high priest in heaven, does for us. Using the Spirit of God and the Word of God, which is represented by that water, the Holy Spirit convicts us whenever we're wrong, whenever we're doing things that are not right, and we confess our sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as 1 John 1 reminds us, and so we maintain that fellowship walking with the Lord because what He did for the disciples in the upper room He does for us every believer day by day.

However the Lord made it clear, Judas was unclean; Judas was not washed all over. In verse 10, we read of chapter 13. “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.” John 13:10 (KJV). See the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 1:23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God which dwelleth, which liveth, and abideth forever. The word of God is the agent. in the washing of regeneration when we are saved, and in our daily walk and cleansing of the believer is the word of God, that is the agent. This is typified by the priests in the Old Testament. When the priests were consecrated for service, they were washed all over. Exodus 29.4 says, “And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.” Exodus 29:4 (KJV).

So Aaron and I washed head to foot, but then day by day they only needed to wash their hands and feet. Exodus 30 verses 18 and 19 say, “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal; and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat,” Exodus 30:18–19 (KJV). So as they served in the tabernacle day by day, they couldn't serve until they first washed their hands and feet. And it's a picture of us as believers. We're washed all over when we are saved by the washing of the water, by the washing of the water of the word, and regeneration. We are washed all over when we believe the gospel. We're saved, cleansed by the precious blood of Christ. But day by day, the word of God is applied to us to cleanse us. So Judas was not washed, the Lord says. He was still in all his filthiness and sin. Judas Eats Bread with ChristThen we learn that he ate bread with the Lord Jesus Christ and fulfilled scripture. John chapter 13 verse 18, “I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen; but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.” John 13:18 (KJV). The Lord Jesus says these words: The word I is emphatic in the Greek language of the New Testament. I know whom I have chosen. Christ knew each and every one of his twelve apostles because he is omniscient. His God manifests in the flesh. He knows all things. I, that's emphatic; I know whom I have chosen. And he knew exactly what Judas was. an unbeliever and a devil. Just as before when the Lord said that not all of them were clean, so here too He makes Judas the exception to the happiness just mentioned, because before Him lay the torments of the damned.

Clear concerning election and choice, when it's election to salvation, the Father is mentioned as having chosen us. But here when it's to do its service. and the apostleship, the Lord Jesus speaks of having chosen Judas. So it doesn't mean because the Lord chose him that he was saved. He just chose him to be an apostle to fulfil the scripture. But the Lord made it very clear as we saw in our first session that he was an unbeliever and a devil. The Lord quotes from this psalm that David wrote when he was betrayed by Ahithophel. David actually wrote two Psalms concerning Ahithophel's betrayal. Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." Then he wrote another Psalm, Psalm 55 verse 12-15, “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” Psalm 55:12-15 (KJV).

When we think about David and Ahithophel, we see Ahithophel was a friend whom David trusted. They ate often. He ate often with David. They shared meals together. He was his equal. He was his guide. He was his acquaintance. They took sweet counsel together for Ahithophel was very wise. very smart he was. And they went to the house of God together. You can imagine the shock to David when he heard the news in 2 Samuel 15.31. “And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” 2Samuel 15:31 (KJV). David responded to the dreadful and fearful news with instant prayer. He knew he was a very smart man. And if Absalom listened to him, David would be killed very quickly. He knew exactly what to do to defeat David.

That's why he cried to God to intervene. And of course the prayer was answered as David reached the top of the Mount of Olives as he was walking up the hill and going into exile, that he met Hushai, the archite, who was the answer to prayer, for he would pretend to advise Absalom. And of course, It will be his advice that Absalom listens to which led to Absalom's defeat. So Absalom's betrayal of David is a type of the betrayal of Judas, of the Savior. But you'll notice that Jesus only quotes the second half of the verse. David said, in whom I trusted, I trusted him. But the Lord doesn't say that of Judas. The Lord doesn't say, Yea, my own familiar friend in whom I trusted. The Lord just mentions that he that eateth bread from me hath lift up his heel against me. See the Lord knew who Judas was. He didn't trust him. Because he knew all things as John 2.25 says, and need not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. Judas fooled everybody, but he didn't fool the Lord.

Ahithophel fooled David into thinking he was a true friend, but he wasn't a true friend, he fooled David. But none of these men could fool the Lord. The Lord knew everything, and see the accuracy of scripture. The Lord only quotes the second half of the verse, for the first half doesn't apply to him, it applied to David, who trusted Ahithophel, but the Lord did not trust Judas. He knew from the beginning that he was a devil and unbeliever. But what a satanic betrayal this was. Ahithophel might have had good reason to be angry at David because of Bathsheba, with whom David committed adultery. But being so close to David, he knew that God had promised him the throne and from him the Messiah would come. So Ahithophel's desire to destroy David was really satanic. in seeking to stop the Messiah coming into the world. Likewise would, Judas seeking to destroy the Lord Jesus. How did he seek to destroy him? How is it described? We're going to see, this is a most graphic picture of treachery and ingratitude that I cannot see anywhere else in scripture.

The greatest treachery and ingratitude is pictured in this verse. He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. So as the Lord Jesus was kneeling down, washing Judas' feet. In the heart of Judas was the thought that I want to lift up my foot, I want to lift up my heel and bring it down upon his head. The one who was like a servant before washing his feet, showing such love and such humility, the greatest humility. Yet Judas wanted to bring his heel upon the head of the Lord. You see, the devil was behind this. because this is exactly what God said would happen to the devil. Genesis 3 and verse 15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (KJV). God said to the devil after Adam and Eve sinned, God said, So Satan sought to do through Judas, sought to do to the Lord, crush his head. What God said would happen to Satan. Satan was defeated.

It wasn't the Lord's head that was crushed, though Judas attempted to do that, to have him destroyed. It was Satan's head that was crushed by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary and when he rose again from the dead. But there we have a greater scene of treachery and ingratitude cannot be found in the Word of God than this scene here of a man who had love shown to him and yet he would think of doing this to the Lord. eating bread with him, sharing a meal with him like a friend, even receiving a sop in his mouth as a friend. And yet he would what wish to crush the head of the Lord. No wonder the Lord called him a devil. He had the very character of Lucifer himself, the very nature of Satan himself. Yet what a humiliation and, what humility can we say? A greater scene of humility cannot be found than to see the Lord placing himself in such a position to allow men to do their very worst to him. As we read in Psalm 55, David really felt the betrayal of Ahithophel. He would say those words, but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked under the house of God in company. He was so pained by what Ahithophel did to him.

And so it was with the Lord, though he knew what Judas would do to him, he nevertheless felt the pain of it, that here is a man who would do this to him. But the Lord Jesus' deity was displayed in verse 19 “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” John 13:19 (KJV). or literally I am. The Lord Jesus declared his name the name of God, I am. Instead of the apostles being stumbled that one of their own would do this, that he would be apostate, that he would be a betrayer, it would really strengthen their faith in the word of God because it foretold these things thousand years before it actually happened. Here's a verse. This verse serves as proof that when the Lord emptied himself, as Philippians 2, verse 7 says, made himself of no reputation, it was not of his divine attributes, but of their independent use. He never ceased to be God when he was here upon earth. All the attributes of God were there.

All the fullness of the Godhead was in him bodily. But he gave up the independent use of them. power and attributes according to what his father told him to do, for he was the servant of God and the Holy Spirit he depended upon and the Holy Spirit's power to do the miracles. So he became completely dependent upon his God and Father as the perfect man. And so the Lord already told them what was going to happen and that they will believe as a result they will believe that he is the great I Am Jehovah God. Accepting the Sop from JesusAnd now Judas accepts a sop from the Lord. John 13 verse 26. “Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” John 13:26 (KJV). So here was part of the Passover meal. And there's a definite article here. The sop, the sop, meaning at a Passover ceremony, somebody would take some food and give it to the mouth of somebody they regarded as a friend. And the Lord Jesus was stabbing the conscience of Judas one last time to convict him of what he is doing and showing love to him so that when Judas went out to betray the Lord and shut the door behind him, he went out with the love of God upon him. What a wonderful Savior and God we have. How can we can never understand, we'll never be able to understand the depths of his love. It is beyond our ability to fully understand a love so great that knowing all the things about this man, the Lord will still show friendship to him, still show love to him, even though he was about to betray him.

Judas would have no excuse and neither has anyone any excuse. for rejecting the Saviour. Judas hypocritically takes the Sop and we read these words, very sinister, very solemn, verse 27 of John 13, “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.” John 13:27 (KJV). I was asked the question by a believer, why is it that Satan entered into him? If he's a devil, if he was already planning to betray the Lord, why did the devil have to enter him? The answer is this, human beings make mistakes. Human beings can change their mind and delay things, not do things as according to plan. We know later on Judas had remorse. The devil did not want any slip-ups, any mistakes in his diabolical plan to destroy the Lord. And so at the very end, he fully possessed Judas so that he would completely control everything that Judas did so that Judas would not make any mistakes in that devilish and diabolical plan to betray the Lord. How awful it is when you think of it.

The Lord told him that he would not hinder him. that what he had planned to do he must do? The Lord submits himself to his Father's will and dismisses Judas. As we can see, that even Satan cannot freely move without divine permission. It had to be that the Lord would die on the Passover day, and so Judas is told, that thou doest do quickly. We're going to see something about this in our third part of our study. And so we find that the disciples were mistaken. Look at the mistake of the disciples in John 13, 28-29. “Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.” John 13:28-29 (KJV).

Though the thoughts of the disciples were mistaken about Judas, they showed that they had love for one another. because they did not think Judas was doing something wrong. Just as 1 Corinthians 13 verse 5 says, love thinketh no evil, they put a good motive on what Judas was doing. He's going out to maybe give some money to the poor. So it's plain from this verse that the Lord and his disciples were in the habit of giving to the poor. And also that the Lord did not work miracles to procure food when they had the money to buy it. They did not realize that Judas went out not to buy but to sell their Lord. It was not that Judas was going to give to the poor but that he who was rich for our sakes became poor. That we through his poverty might be made rich as we read in the second Corinthians that our Lord Jesus Christ though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor and how poor he became he was stripped of his clothes and crucified. all because Judas betrayed him. Look at the blackness of the night that is mentioned in John 13 verse 30. “He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” John 13:30 (KJV).

With the sop stilling his mouth, Judas went out to betray the Lord. His feet went out immediately we are told, went immediately out. because his feet were swift to shed blood. It was obvious it was night time because it was the supper in the night. What is telling us is this. that as dark as the night was, upon Judas' head there was a blacker and darker night in his soul and in his heart. Jesus had said in John 12.35, "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walks in darkness knows not where he goes. "John 12:35 (KJV). For Judas, he would never see another day again. Like Ahithophel, he would hang himself and his soul would go down to the blackness of darkness. Jude 1.13 tells us, “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” Jude 1:13 (KJV). That's why we are told it was night when Judas went out. To signify here was a man who was going to signify here was a man who was going to go out into the blackness of darkness forever. May the Lord bless his word. In our third part we will see how the Lord was in complete control of everything. Amen. The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Judas – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 9th October, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we begin a study on the life of Judas Iscariot, the apostle. Our opening scripture will be Luke chapter 6, verse 16, where we're told about Judas being chosen as an apostle. We read these words, “And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.” Luke 6:16 (KJV). So there are two Judas's who were apostles. Judas is the same as the name Judah in the Old Testament. One of the sons of Israel, meaning praise. and he was the one who betrayed the Lord Jesus. Iscariot means men of Kerioth. There's a town, a city called Kerioth in Judges chapter 15 verse 25 in Southern Judah. So it's quite an old city, and it is the place where Judas originally was born, where he came from. More is said about Judas than any other apostle except Peter, which is quite amazing.

When you think of this, man and so much evil he did that God would have more said about him than the other apostles except Peter. And there's a good reason for this, because though this man did so much evil and was probably the most wicked man who ever lived because of his privilege of living with the Lord, all his actions and what he did only brought glory to the Lord. It showed how gracious, loving, and long-suffering our Lord Jesus is. Shows his deity that he was in control of everything. And we're going to be looking at some of the lessons about how it is the Lord who is glorified despite what Jesus, despite what Judas did.
Unbeliever and a DevilFirst of all, we're going to look at what the Lord said about him when he chose him in John chapter 6. And in verse 64, here, Judas is called an unbeliever and a devil. An unbeliever and a devil. In John chapter 6, verse 64, the Lord Jesus says to his disciples, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” John 6:64 (KJV). The Lord had been speaking about himself as the bread from heaven. and then spoke about himself as the one men should eat and drink his blood; they should eat his flesh and drink his blood. This of course offended those who heard him, but he made it very clear to them that the words he spoke were not referring to physically eating him but believing in him to receive eternal life. He said these words to them in verse 63 of John chapter 6, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63 (KJV).

He made it abundantly clear he was speaking about a spiritual eating, a spiritual drinking, receiving his words, believing in him, and receiving eternal life because he gave his life for us on the cross of Calvary. He is the bread of life. He shed his blood for our forgiveness of our sins. However, there were disciples. who were just looking for an excuse to leave, and they found their excuse. It says in verse 66, From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.” John 6:66 (KJV). No more with him. They didn't want to understand. They just wanted an excuse to go, and so they went. But before they even went, the Lord announced that they were going to see what they were like because He knew their hearts. He knew everything about them. He knew exactly what they would do.

Nothing was a surprise to him. These false disciples and Judas might have fooled others, but they did not fool him because he is God manifest in the flesh. He is the omniscient one. He knows all things. He knows the hearts of men. We're told this in John chapter two. was 23 to 25. “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, on the feast day, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles that he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.” John 2:23-25 (KJV). Here's a lesson for us as evangelists and Bible teachers and those who like to share, as every believer should, share the gospel. We are going to experience this. We're going to find people who believe and who show every sign that they're genuine. And yet, we get surprised that they go back to their evil ways. In the case of the Lord, it was worse because they actually saw with their eyes the mighty miracles he did, and still that did not convince them to truly believe in him.

They only outwardly followed for a time and a season and then went back. Judas stayed on though, though he was an unbeliever. The Lord made it very clear that he was an unbeliever from the beginning, and we must be very clear about this. The reason why I say this is because there are a number of Christians in the world who believe you can lose your salvation. They do not believe in the eternal security of a believer. They believe that you can renounce your faith. You can be a Christian today and a non-Christian tomorrow. You can trust the Lord today. You can reject him tomorrow. You can be on the way to heaven today and be on the way to hell tomorrow. and lose your salvation. And I've met some like that, and no doubt you have as well. They will use Judas as an example. They will say he was an apostle, he was a Christian, he was a follower of the Lord Jesus, he did miracles even, he went out, and the Lord sent them out to do miracles. Surely they say he was a believer, and look, he's lost; he went to hell; he's the son of perdition.

However, the scriptures do not teach this. The Bible states very clearly here in John chapter 6, at the very beginning, even when Judas was chosen, the Lord knew from the beginning and said he was an unbeliever. He was not a believer who became an unbeliever. He was not a Christian who became a non-Christian. He wasn't a person who put his faith and trust in Christ and was on the way to heaven and then renounced him and betrayed him. and went to hell. The Lord says from the beginning he was an unbeliever and a devil. He was never saved in the first place. Though he was an unbeliever, the Lord chose him. Though he was an unbeliever, the Lord still used him to do miracles. We know that this is possible because even Caiaphas, the high priest, who was a very evil man, we're told in the Gospel of John that even he prophesied that it's better that one man should die for the nation than all the nation perish because he was the high priest that year.

We are told that he prophesied. So God does use unbelievers. It doesn't mean Judas was a believer just because he did miracles with the other apostles. That made his judgement even worse. That he knew all these things; he was experiencing all these powers. Yet in his heart, he was just obsessed all the time with one thing only, which is money. You know, I have a friend who is a very elderly evangelist now, very elderly, and he was usually quite blunt in his preaching. and he told me a funny story of how he met a Christian while he was giving out gospel literature in the street, and this Christian was believing that you can lose your salvation. So this brother asked him, this brother Archie, are you saying you can be saved today and tomorrow you can be in hell? Today you could be going to heaven, and tomorrow you can be going to hell. He said, Yes, that's what I believe. I believe you're going to lose your salvation.

So the brother Archie asked him, Are you saved today? Right now, are you saved? He said, Yes, I'm saved. Then the best thing I can do for you is to shoot you. At least you will be in heaven. You can see how foolish that thing is to believe you can lose your salvation. Wouldn't it be better to die right now since we're going to heaven because maybe tomorrow we can become unbelievers and go to hell forever and ever? So very foolish belief. When we are saved, we are saved eternally. Otherwise, how can we have any assurance in the Christian life? When God does a work, it is an eternal work in our hearts and lives. Glory and praise to him. that we are eternally saved. We can be out of fellowship as believers, but we can never lose our relationship as his children. So Judas was never a believer to begin with. The Lord Jesus spoke about the character of his two disciples in verse 65 of John 6, and he said, And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father.” John 6:65 (KJV).

So he makes it clear, in contrast to Judas, that the true disciples are those whom the Father has given to his Son. And so Peter speaks up. In John 6:69, We believe, he says to the Lord, and we believe that we are and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. The confession of Peter shows that he had received the words of the Lord Jesus and possessed eternal life. But the Lord corrected him. In John 6 verses 70 to 71, Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.” John 6:70–71 (KJV). Peter declared, We believe; all twelve of us believe, but the Lord said, Not all of you. Peter didn't know. He likes us; we're not omniscient; we don't know everything, but the Lord knew everything. Peter said, We, and the Lord said, No, not all or twelve of you; one of you is a devil.

For he is the omniscient one, knowing all things. He knew that he would betray him, but the Lord chose him to fulfil Scripture. What a dreadful end would be for Judas. Luke 22 verse 22. Truly and truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined the Scriptures and God's will determine that he would be betrayed and die on a cross, be buried and rise again, it as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed. And so we've got to realise there's the sovereignty of God in choosing Judas, in fulfilling scripture, in allowing him to do all the evil he did, but at the same time Judas alone is responsible for his evil and sin, woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed. So the question will be asked: why did he choose Judas? There are a number of reasons. I can think of at least five. And we're going to be thinking about these reasons as we go along. Why did he choose Judas?

We're going to see how God brought glory to his son, even through the betrayal of Judas. But why did he betray him? What was it that made him suddenly, instead of following the Lord, suddenly want to have him handed over to his enemies? And all just for a few pieces of silver, thirty pieces of silver. Well, the incident that caused this was in Bethany. It was in Bethany where Judas finally decided he had enough; he didn't want the Lord in his life anymore. and he didn't just walk away like the other disciples did in John 6. He wanted to destroy the Lord. He wanted to betray him to his very enemies. We know that. He wanted to destroy the Lord. The incident happened in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. John chapter 12, 1-3 tells us it was Mary who anointed him. The other gospels just mention a woman and mention in the house of Simon the leper. But this is what happened. John chapter 12, 1-3, Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” John 12:1-3 (KJV). "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” John 12:4-5 (KJV). So Matthew, Mark and Luke mention all the disciples being angry with Mary, all of them, that indignation. But John mentions who started the complaining. It was Judas who started it. He was the most angry. Why? John reveals why. Because he was a thief. He was the one who was filled with indignation against Mary. and speaking about waste, the same word means perdition. He the son of waste himself, the man who'd utterly waste his life. would speak about Mary being a waster. Mary never wasted that ointment. Nothing for the Lord is ever wasted. This humble, godly, lovely woman.

She knew the Lord was going to die when no one else did. She knew he would be buried when no one else did because they didn't listen to the Lord like she did. She knew he would be buried. He would die, be buried and rise again. and she wanted to give him the burial worthy of a king, even if the nation will reject him. She will give him a burial worthy of the king, and she did what she could. She got the most expensive perfume worth three hundred days' wages. And she poured it on the Lord, and filled the house with ointment. And the Lord said, wherever the gospel is preached, her name will be mentioned, what she has done. But it was Judas full of indignation that three hundred denarii lot of money did not come into his little purse from which he could steal. Matthew says, this was the incident that led him to betray the Lord.

Matthew 26 verse 13 to 14. “Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,” Matthew 26:13-14 (KJV). You see Matthew makes it clear. It was this incident in Bethany that caused Judas to betray the Lord. Then one of the 12 called Judas Iscariot went unto the chief priests. He was a very bitter man. He was a very bitter man, because he didn't get that money. John reveals that. John further reveals the character of Judas, which they obviously learnt afterwards because they didn't know what he was like. He fooled everyone except the Lord. John further reveals his character that he was a thief and a hypocrite. John chapter 12 verse 6.

When he said this could have been given to the poor. He was a hypocrite. He spoke nice words with his mouth, but in his heart he wanted that money for himself. He was a hypocrite. This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein. So we can see Judas only followed the Lord for filthy lucre, only had a love for mammon and money. He had no concern for the poor at all. He didn't care for the poor. We know that it was their habit to give to the poor, from John chapter 13. But he was stealing that money. He was stealing from the bag. And later we learn, we will learn that he bought a field for himself from the potter. Covetousness led Judas to become a thief. Like many, he followed Jesus thinking he'll become king of Israel, he's the Messiah. And now that I've been given charge of the money, I'll one day be given charge of all the money. of the kingdom. I will be the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I will be the Finance Minister.

I will be the one with all the money and the power and the prestige. That's all he followed the Lord for was money. So he could be rich, hugely rich and powerful in the kingdom of the Messiah. Judas was so trusted that they gave him the money to look after. He had the bag. F.B. Hull writes these words, The craft of satanic camouflage is well-nigh perfect. Satan can make a person who is a devil like himself with that same wickedness and character of the devil, make him look so like a Christian and talk like a Christian and act like a Christian, that camouflage is well-nigh perfect, as F.B. Hull says. Judas fooled everybody, but he did not fool the Lord. He was so bitter he did not get the 300 denarii. Then he went straight away to get the 30 pieces of silver. You can see what happened as the disciples went, as less and less people were following the Lord, and Judas realized the Pharisees are against him, everybody was against him. He thought this is not gonna work out for me.

There's not gonna be any kingdom. And when the Lord rebuked him, and the other apostles for criticizing Mary and condemning her, and he praised and honored Mary for what she did, Judas so full of bitterness, he went out to betray the Lord. But we're told in John's Gospel, what happened in his heart at that very moment. John chapter 13 verse 2, we read, “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;” John 13:2 (KJV). Literally the Greek is the devil having already put. So when the last supper, the Passover and the last supper was going to take place, the devil had already put in his heart to betray the Lord when he had already gone to the high chief priests to agree to betray him for thirty pieces of silver. which says the devil having now put into the heart of Judas the word is the Greek word meaning to throw, balo, to throw, balo, to throw, to cast, to scatter.

So it shows Satan throwing these thoughts in Judas' heart. Reminds us of the fiery darts of the devil that we are to take up our shield of faith to protect ourselves against those doubts he tries to put in our mind, to lose our faith in Christ and no longer trust in the Lord. It says above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the devil, Ephesians 6 verse 16. Judas had no faith at all. He was an easy victim for the devil, threw the fiery darts into his heart. And at that very moment of bitterness, those fiery darts of the devil went into his heart and began to grow and grow into more and more hatred and bitterness and anger and he went out to betray the Lord of Glory to his enemies and that too for just thirty pieces of silver it is Matthew who mentions the silver, Matthew the tax collector he mentions the exact amount Thus all he thought the Lord was worth, he was happy just to get that. Just for some pieces of silver he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to continue the story and see Judas in the upper room in our next part. May the Lord bless his word. Amen. The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Judas – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 25th September, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we look at the second part of Matthew's life, Matthew the Apostle. We go to read from Matthew chapter 9, verses 9 to 13. We read, “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:9–13). The Lord will bless his word. What a wonderful day it was when the great physician came to the home of that sin-sick soul, Matthew, having called him from his receipt of custom, having saved him, and having cleansed him and made him whole.

Now Matthew's desire was that others should also come to know him. Well, millions have come to know the Lord through Matthew because the Holy Spirit used him to write the Gospel of Matthew. Though so little is written about Matthew, just that incident of when he was saved and the feast he made for the Lord and for all his publican friends and others to hear the Lord Jesus, very little is written of him. However, though little is written of him personally, yet his personality is seen in the gospel, he wrote. The Holy Spirit used his financial talents. to speak about all the incidences in the life of the Lord Jesus that related to money and treasures and coins and riches. And this is what we're going to see in our second part. In fact, more than Mark, Luke, and John, Matthew, the former tax collector, writes more about money than any of them. He writes about money, talents, wages, coins, and treasure many, many times. in his gospel. He mentioned riches more than the other gospel writers.

You see, he knew the value of earthly riches. He was counting those riches every day. He counted coins and coins and coins and examined the treasures and merchant men and their pearls and all that they had that they were travelling, and he was there to impose taxes and customs on them. His whole life revolved around money. He doesn't write about money because he still has a heart for it. No, like Moses, that day he had made his choice. Of Moses we read in Hebrews 11, 26. “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:26). Like Moses, Matthew left it all behind—all his riches, all the treasures. The Romans could give him; he left it all behind. And why he speaks so much about money is because he shows where true riches are found. Spiritual riches—they're found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Peter and John, he would be able to say, Silver and gold have I none. Acts chapter 3 verse 6. All the apostles could say that. Silver and gold have I none; they had forsaken all to follow the Lord Jesus.

So when we begin with Matthew's Gospel, he's the only one who mentions the wise men visiting the Lord Jesus after he was born. And we read, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11). These were gifts worthy of a king. They didn't come and then look around to see what money they could put together. They had come prepared. They had come prepared to sacrificially and abundantly and lavishly give to the king, who is worthy of their worship and praise. They recognized him as God manifest in the flesh. They recognized him as the king of Israel and the king of kings.

So Matthew is the only one who mentions the treasures of the wise men. Also, Matthew speaks about treasures in heaven in Matthew 6:19–20. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). He says, Lay not up for yourselves. He's obviously reporting the word to the Lord Jesus. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

Jesus said in John chapter 14, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3). See the chambers of the temple that we read of in 1 Kings chapter 6 that Solomon built—those abiding places around the temple in three stories in which the priests stayed while they were doing their shift. They had a shift system to come and work in the temple, and the treasures were also laid up in that temple. We know that many a time, like when Shishak king of Egypt came and took away all the riches there, all the shields of gold, he took them all away. in the days of Rehoboam. And so the Lord Jesus spoke of the temple in Jerusalem as my father's house in John chapter 2 verse 16. He told them not to make his father's house a place of merchandise. And so the temple was a picture of heaven.

And in heaven there are not chambers but abiding places. Treasures are kept there. What treasures are kept in heaven? The Lord Jesus said. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth. How do we get treasures in heaven? How do we lay them out? It's by sacrificing the treasures we have here on earth for the service of the Lord. It doesn't mean we give up everything and become destitute and poor. What it means is that we sacrificially give of our wealth and whatever we have in the work of the Lord, in the service of the Lord, in helping others, sacrificing fathers. and the more we sacrifice of our treasures here on earth, the less of them we have, the more we have treasures in heaven. So Matthew says, as he reports the words of the Lord Jesus, Jesus said, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. He says, Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Then Matthew also speaks of treasures hidden in a field. A treasure hid in the field in Matthew 13:44, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” (Matthew 13:44).

Then he spoke about the pearl of great price. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46). In the parables of the kingdom, these two beautiful pictures, parables, speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the man who found the treasure hidden afield. He is the great merchant man who came looking for goodly pearls. Matthew had met many merchantmen. He had met many, many businessmen in his life. as they travelled the road north of Capernaum, as he sat at the receipt of custom, as he examined their goods and their treasures and their wheat and grain and fish and whatever it was they were selling in different markets and travelling with their goods, balm and spices and myrrh and so on. And he speaks of the greatest merchantman of all, the greatest businessman of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a man who finds a treasure. In the Bible, Treasure is a picture of the children of Israel, the people of Israel. And so the Lord Jesus Christ sold all that he had, left heaven's glory to die on the cross of shame, to redeem them, to redeem his earthly people Israel.

The pearl of great price speaks of the church. And the Lord Jesus is described as a merchantman who found one pearl of great price. and it says he went and sold all that he had to buy it. What a beautiful picture of Calvary. The Lord Jesus left heaven's glory, all the riches. He left it all, though he was rich, the Bible says, yet for our sakes he became poor. He left it all; he became completely destitute here on earth, not having any money of his own. And he gave himself completely on the cross, that he might purchase the church. Matthew mentions Myrrh, and he mentions frankincense, gold, silver, talents, treasures, and the man looking for pearls. He would have met all this; he would have seen all of this in his life. Now he speaks of the greatest treasure of all, the greatest merchantman of all, the greatest businessman of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. He surrendered, gave up everything, humbled himself, and took upon him the form of a servant. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross, Philippians 2 tells us. Matthew also in those parables of Matthew 13 verse 52 again talks about treasure. “Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52). to be instructed in the Word of God, to be able to expound from the Old and the New Testament.

Its real treasure, indeed far greater riches than the wealth of this world, is the teaching of God's Word. Then there's a unique incident. It's the only one, and it's only recorded in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus needed money. And it's the only miracle that Jesus did to supply and provide for himself. Apart from his resurrection when he raised himself from the dead, all the miracles the Lord Jesus did were for others. This is the one miracle he did for himself. And that is Matthew 17 verses 24 to 27. “And when they were coming to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” (Matthew 17:24–27).

This is the story of the Lord telling Peter to go fishing. and catch a fish and find a coin out of his mouth to pay the temple tax. And it says this miracle is mentioned in Matthew's gospel because Matthew's theme is the Lord Jesus as King. So all the incidences where the Lord Jesus is spoken of as a King or speaking about kings are included in Matthew's Gospel. The tribute money had to be paid by all the Jews to remind them of their redemption from Egypt in Exodus 30 verse 14. And it was used for the upkeep of the temple. All buildings decay over time. Weather and wind and so on, they need to be maintained. So the temple needed that money, just as we have a collection on the Lord's Day, to also pay for the building, maintenance, and so on, as well as for spiritual work and for gifts for those doing the Lord's work. Because the temple belonged to the Lord, it was His Father's house; Jesus did not need to pay; he was the son. It's like being charged by your own parents to live in your own house. Who would you pay rent to? You can't pay rent to yourself. The Lord Jesus owned that temple.

It was his. He did not need to pay his father. No parent charges rent to their own children to live with them. But Peter had forgotten the glory of the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Just moments before, he was on that Mount of Transfiguration, and he saw Him in all His glorious God and as He will come in His Kingdom. He wasn't thinking when he said, Yes, he pays. If he remembered the glories of the Lord Jesus—that He's the King, He's the Son of the Father, and that temple is His Father's house—he wouldn't need to pay. What it shows is the deity of the Lord Jesus. in the most remarkable way. Peter was talking to those tax collectors, and when he came back to the house, the Lord Jesus spoke to him before he could say anything. It demonstrated the omnipresence of the Lord Jesus. Though he was man, he was also God in one person. He never ceased to be God. He never gave up the attributes of God. He was omnipresent; he was everywhere, filling heaven and earth while at the same time in that human body. And so the Lord was present, listening to Peter's conversation with those men.

The Lord Jesus showed his omniscience when he told Peter to make provision for them, to obtain a coin to pay for both of them. The Lord Jesus knew that in that Sea of Galilee with all the multitudes of fish, millions of fish in the Sea of Galilee, there was one fish that had a coin in its mouth. The Lord Jesus knew which fish it was. Also, the Lord Jesus knew that one fish had a coin in its mouth. Also, the Lord knew the value of that coin. It was a stater, a Roman stater, which was enough to pay the temple tax for two people. and for Peter. How beautifully this miracle shows the omniscience of the Lord Jesus. More than that, it shows his omnipotence and almighty power. He is indeed the Lord of Creation. All the beasts of the earth, the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea are all subject to him. He had control over all nature when Peter was sent to catch the catcher fish. of all the multitudes of fish, the Lord kept all of them away and drew only that one fish to Peter so that Peter's hook would catch it; it would catch onto Peter's hook.

The Lord is omnipotent, singling out one fish in the whole of that sea and drawing it towards Peter's hook. He's indeed God overall, blessed forever, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. the only miracle the Lord did for himself. He mentions himself first; to pay for me and you, he says. It shows he had no money. He was so destitute. He didn't say, I've got some money; go and pay the tax for us. He had not a single coin on him. He had to do this miracle to provide for himself and for Peter. How beautiful to think of our Lord in all his humility coming down to earth as the poor carpenter from Nazareth. Then we think about the servant who owed 10,000 talents, as mentioned in Matthew 18. There's a parable of a man who owed 10,000 talents, and we're told he had nothing to pay, could not pay. The Lord commanded him to be sold, and he beseeched him and begged him, and the Lord showed mercy and freely forgave him his 10,000 talents. Of course he went and throttled somebody who owed him far less. picture of those who are forgiven so much and yet they take it out on someone who owes them so much less. And so that parable is in Matthew's gospel.

The Jewish young rulers are also mentioned, not just in Matthew but in Mark as well, in Matthew 19, 21 where he is told to sell all that thou hast, sell everything that you have because in his case he loved his money, he trusted in his. That's why for him the Lord said he must sell everything. He must get rid of all his riches. I told him to give them to the poor. I told him he'd have treasure in heaven. But sadly, that man turned his back on the Lord and walked away. Matthew is the only one who mentions workers and their wages. He speaks of the parable of the kingdom, Matthew 20 verses 1 and 2. “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” (Matthew 20:1-2). And so he speaks of labourers, workers, and a denarius a day, which was the coin mentioned there; the penny is a denarius; it was a day's wages. So Matthew, riches, myrrh, frankincense, gold, treasures, pearls, and now wages as well.

Matthew is the only one who mentions the exact amount Judas betrayed Jesus for. The Gospel writers all mention him as the betrayer, all of them, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But Matthew is the only one who tells us exactly how much money he got for his evil deed. Matthew alone gives us the details of this man's betrayal and how he threw the money down in the temple. He records his suicide. By hanging himself, he records how the money was used by the cheap priest to buy the potter's field to bury strangers in. Matthew 26.15: “And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:15). Matthew mentions, The money that Judas got—that's the value he placed on the Son of God. that was good enough for him, thirty pieces of silver, to betray the Lord Jesus unto death. Matthew alone mentions what happened in Matthew 27:6, “And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.” (Matthew 27:6). Think of those words: the price of blood. The blood of Jesus to them was thirty pieces of silver. That's all it was worth to them.

But to the believer, it is more than silver or gold. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is precious blood, the precious blood of Christ, the land of God. It is of infinite value. Matthew alone mentions that the soldiers were bribed with money to tell lies, that the disciples stole Jesus' body, and that he hadn't risen; they stole his body. They were bribed in Matthew 28:12. “And when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers” (Matthew 28:12). Though they had seen the angel come and roll the stone away, though they became like dead men, terrified, yet so hard-hearted these wicked men were, just for money they were prepared to lie and say the Lord Jesus did not rise. What a foolish statement they made. While we were sleeping, the disciples came and took the body. If you were sleeping, how do you know who took the body? If you were sleeping, how do you know the body was even taken and did not rise? What a foolish thing to say that they were sleeping, and yet they know exactly what happened. And that was also their own condemnation. Because soldiers who are caught sleeping were put to death, as we see what happened when Peter was arrested by King Herod and the angel delivered him in Acts chapter 12.

The four soldiers who were guarding him day and night were two outside and two inside the cell, and there were sixteen soldiers altogether in a shift, but those four soldiers in the shift in the night were all put to death by Herod because they let their prisoner go. These men were there to guard the tomb, and they said we were sleeping, and the disciples stole the body. That in itself was a complete contradiction and a lie. The Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and no amount of bribes and money can explain that away. The Lord Jesus is alive, and Matthew details all these things about money in his gospel, so beautifully setting forth the glories of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. May God bless his word to us. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Mathew – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 4th September, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we look at Matthew the Apostle. Our reading is from Luke chapter five, verses 27 to 29. We read about Matthew's conversion, and it says, “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house, and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.” Luke 5:27–29 (KJV). Then another reading in Luke, chapter 6, verse 13. Here we have the call of Matthew to be an apostle. Verse 13 of Luke 6 says, “And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;” Luke 6:13 (KJV). “Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,” Luke 6:15 (KJV).

In Luke's Gospel, both Matthew's names are used, Levi and Matthew. He was the tax collector whom the Lord used to write the Gospel of Matthew, presenting Jesus as the King of the Jews. He gave up a very lucrative job that earned him a lot of money. Tax collectors were generally very rich people, and yet he burnt his bridges and made a feast for all his fellow tax collectors so that they could come and meet the Lord Jesus. He sacrificed everything for the Lord. Now, apart from this passage about his conversion, nothing is mentioned of him as an individual, speaking to the Lord, or saying something. He's just mentioned with the other 12. And so this is all we have about Matthew and his conversion and mention of him. But we see so much of his character as a tax collector brought out in the Gospel of Matthew, which the Lord used him to write. So much mention of money in that gospel. It is a very lovely study that we shall look at another time. Levi the PublicanToday we just look at these few verses where it tells us about Matthew or Levi the publican. Mark and Matthew, well, Matthew uses his other name, and sorry, Matthew is his other name, which he uses in his own gospel. He calls himself Matthew there. And Mark calls him Matthew as well. But Luke calls him Levi. Levi was of course his Jewish name, meaning joined. After Levi, the third son of Jacob, Matthew means gift of Jehovah. Mark adds in Mark chapter 2, verse 14, that he was the son of Alpheus. Now tax collectors were expected by the Romans to render a certain amount of tax and they could fix whatever they wanted for themselves, and so they were hated firstly because they worked for the Romans and secondly for taking too much money from people sometimes by extortion and dishonesty. We learn how John the Baptist spoke to publicans, tax collectors, in Luke 3 verses 12–13. We read, “Then came also publicans to be baptised, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.” Luke 3:12-13 (KJV).

So they were in a habit of charging much more than they were supposed to. Zaccheus the tax collector confessed, in Luke chapter 19:8, “And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Luke 19:8 (KJV). In that verse, he says, So you can see they were quite crooked. We're not told Matthew was crooked, but generally tax collectors were very crooked and dishonest, and they looted people out of their money, so they're bitterly hated by the Jews. But these are the people God saves. Those are the hated ones of this world. Those were the nobodies, the outcasts, the great sinners. He shows his great grace towards men by saving the worst of sinners. He was sitting at the receipt of customs.

There was a Roman road; there was actually a Roman road along by the sea, and then it went; then there was a road that joined it and went across the top of the Sea of Galilee, so from the coast of the Mediterranean up, it went along the coast towards Mount Carmel. and then cut across to the top of Galilee and joined the King's Highway that we read of in the Old Testament, which was an ancient train route going from Egypt right up into the north. And so just by this main road where so much traffic and merchants were going with their goods, the Romans had their custom place. And he sat at the receipt of custom at the top of the town of Capernaum, where this road was, to collect money. So you can imagine a huge amount of money to be made at that place. Jesus called busy men; whether it's fishermen busy mending their nets, cleaning their nets, or just fishing all night and caught nothing, there were busy men that the Lord Jesus called. And the same applies to this tax collector.

He was doing an official job, collecting taxes. And the Bible tells us as believers we should pay our taxes and customs and duties; we should pay them. And so the Lord called him from this busy work he was involved in. His work was an office job, we can say, just sitting at a desk like so many do in the world. Their job is to sit at the desk and work. Others it's manual labour, like fishermen. But whatever we find, they are all busy. before the Lord called them. The Lord doesn't call lazy people who are just idle and don't want to do anything and want money for nothing. The Lord never calls such people. He calls hard-working people because they are the ones he wants to use to work hard in his kingdom. Follow MeNow Matthew's work was such a lucrative one by the main road he had so much to tempt him to stay. He had so much money. but to follow the Lord would mean to give it all up. Give up this job. But he did that. He forsook him. He forsook everything to follow the Lord. So Jesus calls him with the simple words, Follow me. How simple salvation is. Just two words. Follow me means to turn your back on everything you have and look to me and follow me. How simple is salvation? We turn our backs on sin and the present evil world in which we live. Our face is toward the Lord. We trust him as our savior. We want to live for Him. We want to follow Him and be like Him. So we have repentance and faith. In the Lord Jesus as the object of faith, everything in those two words follow me. To follow Him means you've got to turn away from what you're doing and to follow Him as your object of faith. And so we learn Levi, for Sukkul, he left all.

We see the same with Peter and Andrew, James and John, who are fishermen; we read they forsook everything. They left their boats, and they followed the Lord, and Levi does the same. 100% God expects from us. He doesn't expect anything less except a complete surrender of our lives for Him. Doesn't mean we give up all our money and become paupers and give up our jobs and all become full-time missionaries. No. But God does expect that we do not count anything that we have as belonging to us but as belonging to Him. And we should be willing to sacrifice for Him, willing to go the extra mile, willing to give up anything the Lord wants us to give up for Him. In our hearts, it should always be 100% for God, because God does not expect anything less from us than 100%. So he forsook all. Verse 11, the fisherman forsook all. And here in verse 28 of Luke. We find that in Luke 5 verse 27 Matthew forsakes all as well. Now we learn a lesson in this as well. In Matthew's Gospel, this story comes soon after the Lord's teaching on discipleship. There in Matthew 8, 21, and 22, we read, “And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” Matthew 8:21-22 (KJV).

There are a number who claim they want to follow him, but really they did not. They were half-hearted, cold-hearted. And they were. In the words of this man, me first, that sums up everything about his dedication. He said, I'll follow you, but me first. He said, Lord, suffer me first. There's no me first if you want to follow the Lord. You can't put yourself first and everything about yourself first. There's no me first. If you say you want to follow the Lord, it's 100% for him. No, me first. When the Lord called Matthew 100% dedication to the Lord. These were true disciples.

I was reading a story about a woman in 2014 who found a huge sum of money. Her name was Claudia Moretti, and her uncle died. Her uncle died and left the house to her, and so while she was looking in the house, she found a safe, and she opened it, and there's 100 million lire in Italian money. Oh, she was so excited that her uncle had saved and saved, didn't put it in a bank, put all this money in his safe, and she was going to be so rich—100 million lira—today it'd be many, many lakhs in Indian money. So she went to the bank, the central bank of Italy, and they told her this is worthless money because back in... 2002, January 1st, Italy had changed over to the Euro. They're not using their old money anymore. There was a deadline that by December 6th, 2011, you had to hand in your old money to change it to new money. She was shocked. All that money, 100 million Lira, is totally worthless. So she hired lawyers to challenge the decision, but they were not successful. Because the rule was December 6th, 2011. After that, if you try and bring the old money, it's worthless. And now it was 2014. Her money was declared worthless, though it was so much.

We must remember that whatever we have here on earth, it's really worthless in heaven. We can be ever so rich in this world and have so many possessions, but they're completely worthless in heaven. The Lord Jesus said, We should lay up our treasures in heaven. How do we lay up treasures in heaven? Jesus told the rich young ruler, One thing thou lackest. Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And come take up the cross, and follow me." Mark chapter 10 verse 21. So what the Lord said is, whatever treasure you have here on earth, use it for God. This man obviously trusted his money so much, so the Lord was telling him to give it all up and give it to the poor and follow him. Of course that's not said to everybody, but particularly for this man because he had such a faith and trust in money. and was not willing to trust the Lord. But it teaches us that whatever we have and we sacrifice to help others, we sacrifice for the kingdom of God's sake.

The money we spend here for God, the possessions we have that we use for God lays up treasure in heaven. And that is treasure that will last for eternity. Philip Henry, the Father of Matthew Henry, the Bible commentator said, he is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose. Matthew gave up all that money. He knew that money's gonna be worthless. In the presence of the Lord Jesus, he had a reward far greater than anything this world can give. As God said to Abraham in Genesis 15, I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward. When you have the Lord, that's the greatest reward you can ever have. Levi rises up He sat collecting money, but when the light of the glory of the Lord shone upon him, he rose up. Isaiah 60 verse one says, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” Isaiah 60:1 ( KJV). That day the glory of the Lord rose upon Levi. Not only did he physically arose, but spiritually. Just like Abraham, Stephen said of Abraham in Acts 7 verse 2, “And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,” Acts 7:2 ( KJV). and he said, See, when Abraham saw that glory of the Lord, the glory of Ur and the glory of this world, was nothing. He gladly gave it up. He saw a glory far greater.

And so when the glory of the Lord appears to Matthew, he sees the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He stands up. He forsakes everything and he stands up to follow the Lord. You know to stand means to stand as a servant. We read 1 Kings 17 verse 1. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” 1Kings 17:1 ( KJV). So Elijah was saying, I am a servant of God. I stand by God, obeying his commands, just like the angels in heaven stand before the Lord, ready to obey. Matthew is now not just physically rising up. but spiritually rising up to stand before his Lord as his servant, no longer a servant of Rome, now a servant of the Lord Jesus. Then we read that Levi follows Jesus. He set the Lord before him and never turned back.

Psalm 16 verse 8 is a psalm about the Lord Jesus, but we can apply it to Matthew. I've set the Lord always before me. Matthew never looked back. Jesus said, No man, in Luke 9:62, “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Acts 7:2 ( KJV). Jesus said in Matthew 16:24. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 ( KJV). Levi Follows Jesus Levi followed the Lord. He never looked back. He had his eye upon the Lord always. William MacDonald writes in his commentary about this verse from Matthew chapter 16 verse 24. He says, to deny self is not the same as self denial. It means to yield to his control so completely that self has no rights whatsoever. To take up the cross means the willingness to endure shame, suffering, and perhaps martyrdom for his sake.

To die to sin, self, and the world. To follow him means to live as he lived, with all that involves of humility, poverty, compassion, love, grace and every other godly virtue. Very beautifully put, what it means to follow the Lord Jesus. Levi makes a FeastLevi makes a great feast in verse 29, but did you notice something? It doesn't say he made them a great feast. He had many fellow publicans invited a great number and others and of course he cooked the food had the food prepared for them It was a great feast. He had the food prepared He had a lot of money and he was going to use it for the Lord But it says he made him a great feast made him a great feast Of course, it was for everyone the food was for everyone and the Lord But primarily it says it was all for the Lord Jesus. He made him great feast. Isn't that wonderful?

We see that with Mary and Martha and Lazarus in John chapter 12 verse 2. “There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.” John 12:2 (KJV). Of course the food prepared by Mary and Martha was for everybody to eat but it says they made him a supper. It was foremost for him. It was for his pleasure. It was for his joy. Matthew made that feast for his Lord and Savior. It was for him. Mary and Martha, Lazarus, they made a supper for him. When we remember the Lord Jesus on the Lord's Day morning on Sunday, let us remember it's called the Lord's Supper. It is for him that we meet. We read in Luke 22 verse 19, “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 (KJV).

When we break that bread on a Sunday morning, that meeting is all about not us. We're glad to be saved, we're glad of what God has done for us, but first and foremost, we do it for Him. We do it to remember Him in all His loveliness and His life. His deities, humanity, His compassion, His glorious and wondrous death on the cross for us, His resurrection, His ascension, His coming again, we remember Him as He has commanded us. Of course, the Corinthians were rebuked because they were eating and drinking and not remembering Him, and they were chastised by the Lord. Let us remember when we gather, whatever we do, it is for Him. that we are doing it. Secondly, Matthew made this great feast because he wanted others to meet Jesus. Here's a clear scripture that teaches the use of a meal for evangelistic meetings. Everyone loves to go to a feast, except of course with those with pathetic excuses, like in the parable of the great supper. But it is good for to use your home, to invite people for food, enable to meet the Lord Jesus.

As Warren Wiersbe writes, this is a good plan for new believers to follow. Introduce your old friends to your new friend before they drop you. Some years ago when I was in Poland, I was introduced to a brother who's now with the Lord in a village and he was using his home in this way, inviting his neighbors for a meal and on a long table everybody was seated and before the meal was served, the word of God was opened and God's word was preached to them and then we had a very generous meal served for everyone. He was using his home for the gospel. His name was Wojtek. and he's with the Lord now but he was using his home, inviting his friends and neighbours to have a meal in the home and they were coming also to hear the word of God. Gospel MeetingSo Levi had a gospel meeting. Luke adds that he called others too, not just his tax collectors friends. We read there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. Elisha did the same didn't he? before he went on to follow Elijah and follow the Lord, he made a great feast and burnt all the instruments of his work so there's no going back. In Luke, in 1 Kings 19, 21 we read, “And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” 1Kings 19:21 (KJV). You know Matthew wrote his Gospel. and through that gospel many people have been saved.

He wrote it so that Jews would come to know that Jesus is the Messiah. One such Jewish man was someone called Mark Wenble whom I knew, very elderly man. I just learned yesterday that he had sadly died in 2022 but gone to be with the Lord. He told me his testimony of how he was brought up in a semi-orthodox Jewish home and knew nothing about the Lord Jesus. As you know, the Jews do not believe that Jesus is their Messiah. And he was quite depressed because of various problems in his life. He was looking at different religions and things for answers. So he went to a cousin's house who was a believer, who had married a Gentile he had heard and he used to socialise with him. This was back in 1965 when he was 34 years of age. And this cousin showed him a Hebrew English New Testament.

So he asked him, where shall I begin? It said start at the beginning. So he took it to his bedroom and he began to read from Matthew's Gospel and what stunned him and shocked him which he didn't realize it never occurred to him that Jesus was descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and David. He said if he's descended from them he must be true. He's a Jew. It really struck him that Jesus was actually a Jew. descended from Abraham and David as well. And he carried on reading the genealogy and it was the genealogy of Matthew chapter one which most people think why there's so many names written in the Bible is because it's for the Jew. Reading that genealogy and list of the ancestors of the Lord Jesus showed that he was truly descended from Abraham and King David and had the right to sit on the throne. And he was a perfect man. And so he read and read and by the time he got to chapter 28 of Matthew, he knelt down and prayed. He was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He wanted to know more and he came to trust him as his Lord and Savior for many, many years. He was a bright and happy witness for the Lord until the Lord called him at a great age in his 90s. Matthew's Gospel is still saving Jews today. Matthew though in heaven, 2000 years His gospel is still bringing Jews to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus as Savior, just like they were in his home when he invited them all to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless his word. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Mathew – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 31st July, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we're looking at Philip the Apostle. Our first reading is from John chapter 1, verses 43 to 44. Here we're going to look at the first point, which is Philip's salvation. Philips SalvationJohn chapter 1 verse 43 reads, The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” John 1:43-44 (KJV). In John chapter 1, we have the different ways individuals are saved. Andrew and John, described as the two disciples of John the Baptist, were saved by listening to a preacher. John the Baptist pointed to the Lamb of God, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1, 29. Then again he told his disciples, Behold the Lamb of God, and they followed him. Many are saved this way. They go to a meeting, or in the open air someone's preaching, and they listen to a message from God's word; they listen to the gospel, and they are saved. You might have had that experience yourself. However, many others had the experience that Simon Peter had and that Nathaniel had, where through personal witness they were saved.

Andrew found his brother Simon Peter, and Philip finds Nathaniel. And they are saved; they are brought to the Lord Jesus and saved through a personal witness of a brother or a friend. Many are saved that way. Through witness of parents to the children, through brother witnessing to sister, sister witnessing to brother, parents... children witnessing parents and grandparents or friends at school sharing the gospel with their school friends. Many are saved through a personal witness. Philip's salvation is unique in that he was directly saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. No one in between was involved. We're told that Jesus found Philip. And there are many saved that way too. Maybe they find a Bible somewhere. Maybe in the hospital there's a Gideon Bible. They start reading it. God speaks to them, and they're saved. Maybe in prison, even where Bibles are distributed, or they might find someone's Bible or gospel leaflet. Or maybe in the street they might find some leaflet, some Bible gospel or gospel or a booklet. Or reading the internet, reading the gospel on the internet, and God convicts them and saves them.

So Philip was saved. directly by the Lord Jesus. Here we see a beautiful example of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. For in verse 45 we read this, “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45 (KJV). Have you noticed those two phrases? John chapter 1 verse 43 says, Jesus would go forth into Galilee and findeth Philip. And when Philip is saved, he says to Nathanael, We have found him. First Jesus found him. And when he's saved, he tells Nathaniel, We found him. We found the Lord Jesus. You know, this is both aspects of salvation. God chooses those whom he's going to save. The Lord Jesus first found Philip. And when Philip was saved, he shows us the human aspect of it, the human responsibility of salvation. where he says we found him.

You know the Bible teaches both aspects of salvation—divine sovereignty and human responsibility—side by side. For example we read in John 4 verse 4 he must needs go through Samaria and in John 4 42 we read "And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:42 (KJV). Both aspects are seen in John 6:37. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37 (KJV). That's divine sovereignty and salvation. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. That's human responsibility. The Lord Jesus said in John 6 44, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 (KJV). You know the greatest display of the truth of divine sovereignty and human responsibility is seen at Calvary's cross, where Christ lay down his life.

This is what he said in John chapter 10, verses 17 to 18. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 10:17-18 (KJV). The Lord Jesus made it very plain and clear about divine sovereignty and control over everything that took place. There at the cross, no man took his life from him. He laid it down. However, the other side is taught to us in the book of Acts, the fact that men were responsible for his death. Peter says in Acts 3.15, "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.” Acts 3:15 (KJV). Peter points to the nation, to the Jewish people, and says, You killed the Prince of Life. Acts 7.52, Stephen says to the Sanhedrin, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:” Acts 7:52 (KJV).

Stephen points to them and says, you betrayed him, you are his murderers. But the Lord Jesus said, no man takes my life from me. Yet in the gospels we read, they murdered him, they killed him. Now we cannot reconcile these things in our mind. We just accept both. Divine sovereignty, human responsibility. However, without going into detail, human nature does like extremes, and this is especially seen in all the arguments over the centuries between those who call themselves Calvinists, those who call themselves Arminians and all sorts of people in between, about divine election and human responsibility. What we can say is this, in both cases of extremes, reason, human reason and human logic, has been exalted above divine revelation. We have to accept both truths even though we don't understand them for in creation itself there are paradoxes. God has created these paradoxes in creation if anyone who is scientifically minded and has studied quantum theory they know this.

For example light. What is light? We can see light. We can see because of light entering our eyes. But what exactly is light? Well scientists are still puzzled because it is two things, but both can't be true of one, but are both true. Light is a particle, particles of photons coming into our eyes, striking the back of our eye and we're able to see. But also at the same time it's proven that it's a wave, spreading out in many places at once. But how can something be a particle in one place and at the same time be a wave in many places? It is something that it's impossible to understand. But it is observed, seen by experiments and it's a paradox. Like many other paradoxes in creation, when you look at the tiniest level of matter in quantum theory, it is impossible to understand. but we have to accept both is true. In creation, there are paradoxes we can't understand, but we have to accept both sides the same in salvation, for the same God who created the universe is also the same God who has made it possible for us to be saved through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it is God who chooses us in Christ before the foundation of the world. But at the same time, The gospel says, whosoever will may come. D.L. Moody, the great evangelist of the 19th century, was not too worried about such controversies. He just loved to preach the gospel and see people saved. He didn't like Calvinism too much. And he would just say, the elect are the whosoever wills. The non-elect are the whosoever votes. He also said on a beautiful mansion, above the portico on the door are the words, whosoever will may come. When you go inside, because that's what it says, who so ever will come on in? You come inside, you turn around and you look, above the door on the inside is chosen in him before the foundation of the world. I think we just simply accept both. It teaches both are taught in scripture, though we can't understand it. They describe like two roads, two lines of a railway track upon which the gospel train runs. They only meet in infinity, only God can understand. But we must accept this beautiful truth. Jesus findeth Philip. But Philip said, we found him. Philip’s Soul Wining Let's look at the second point and passage about Philip in the Bible, where we read about Philip's soul winning. Straight away there in verse 42 of chapter one we read, "And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, A stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” John 1:42-46 (KJV).

Like with Andrew, we see how Philip was a shepherd. He had been in the presence of the Lord Jesus, the good shepherd, and as soon as he's saved, he has the heart of a shepherd himself to find a lost sheep and bring that lost sheep to Jesus. Andrew brought his brother as we read. Philip brings his friend, Nathaniel. You know, when we're saved, we're saved to be soul winners. Every Christian is to be a witness. Not just the preachers and missionaries; every Christian is to be a witness to others and bring others to the Savior. We noted in our study of Andrew that the word findeth is the same word in the Greek used by the Lord Jesus to describe the story of the shepherd speaking of himself as the good shepherd, seeking after the lost sheep. Luke 15 verse 4, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost, until he finds it? ”Luke 15:4 (KJV).

Exactly the same Greek word, find it, to search and search like a shepherd until you find the lost sheep. Philip found a lost sheep and brought that lost sheep to the shepherd himself. Philip had a very simple message to Nathaniel. that we have found him of whom Moses and the prophets did write. It tells us that he knew the scriptures well. His heart was full of the scriptures from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end. We must remember that people in those days did not have a Bible like we have printed in a printing press, and millions and billions of copies of scriptures are in the world today, and we can have more than one Bible in our house, and we do. In those days, they had huge scrolls that were kept at the synagogue, and they were unrolled at the passage and read from, as Jesus read from Isaiah in Luke chapter 4. Nobody could carry Bibles around with them; they were just far too big and took a long time to copy by hand. But it does tell us that when the scriptures were read in the synagogue, every Sabbath day there was one student listening very carefully to every word that was said, and that was Philip.

Years and years listening to the Scriptures, thinking about them, trying to understand them. He understood this: that all the Old Testament Scriptures spoke of the coming of the Messiah, and therefore his heart was full of the Word of God, which was able to make him wise unto salvation the day the Lord Jesus found him. He understood all the scriptures pointed to this very one who was before him, God manifest in the flesh. Joshua 1 verse 8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8 (KJV).

Nehemiah 8 verse 8 says, So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8). So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and cause them to understand the reading. Very important lesson for us. How much do we know God's word? Nathaniel's objection. Nathaniel objected to a messiah coming out of such a place as Nazareth. Nazareth had a bad reputation, we can see. In fact, we see in Acts 24 how Tertullus mocked that place called Nazareth. In Acts 24, 5 he says, For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:” Acts 24:5 (KJV). you could just see the disdain with which he held that word Nazarene. See the Galileans, W.E.Vine says, were objects, the objects of contempt, owing to their lack of culture, their rude dialect and their association with the Gentiles. That's why Nathaniel was so surprised. But Philip doesn't argue. He just simply persists. in seeking the soul of Nathaniel. He didn't have a take it or leave it attitude.

Oh well, if you don't want to come, don't come. He wanted him to come. Come and see, he said. I don't want to argue with him. Just see him for yourself. You know, that's how it should be with witnessing. You think of the woman of Samaria. She tried to change the subject and said to the Lord Jesus, The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” John 4:19-20 (KJV). She tried to distract the Lord into an argument about which place is the right place to worship when the Lord spoke about calling her husband. When she knew she had no husband and was living in sin and had five husbands already. And the Lord brought her back to the subject of her responsibility before God. The Father seeketh worshipers and she is saved. So, Nathaniel too, when he starts thinking about Nazareth. Philip just says, come and see, and Philip was successful. He saw Nathanael saved. He brought him to the Lord Jesus.

We see how Jesus speaks to Nathanael. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”, John 1:47-51 (KJV).

In John chapter one, verse 47 to 51, we read, Nathaniel means gift of God. We are told that he was originally from Cana in Galilee, or he was from Cana in Galilee, but originally from Bethsaida, the city of Peter and Andrew. John 21 verse 2 tells us that he was in Cana when the Lord Jesus called him. that was his residence there. It's strongly believed that Nathaniel is Bartholomew the apostle. We find Philip and Bartholomew mentioned together in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In Matthew 10.3, Philip and Bartholomew. In Mark 3 verse 18, we read, and Philip and Bartholomew. Luke 6 14 we read, Philip and Bartholomew. The Apostles were paired off by the Lord and sent to preach. We read in Mark 6 verse 7, “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;” Mark 6:7 (KJV). In the New Ungers Bible Dictionary we read, It may be, however, that Nathaniel was the proper name and Bartholomew meaning son of Ptolemy, the surname of the same disciple, just like a Simon was called Barjona and Joses was called Barnabas. In John's Gospel, Nathaniel is mentioned by name. and he's also seen with the other apostles in John 21.

John 21 verse 1 and 2 we read, After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.” John 21:1-2 (KJV). The name Bartholomew is not mentioned in the Gospel of John, it's mentioned in Matthew, Mark and Luke. But in John's Gospel, his first name is mentioned, Nathaniel. So it seems on strong evidence that we have two apostles here in this passage, Philip and Bartholomew called by the Lord Jesus, whose proper name was Nathaniel, son of Ptolemu. Nathaniel Bartholomew. What a privilege Philip had of bringing Nathaniel to Jesus. And Nathaniel being privileged to hear the revelation of the Lord of his glory to come in that millennial kingdom. How the Lord would expound to him the fulfillment of Jacob's dream. When he comes to him, Jesus says to him that he's an Israelite indeed. He wasn't like those of whom the apostle Paul spoke of in Romans 2 and verse 29.

But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in a letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. Yes, there were those who claimed to be Jews descended from Abraham, but in their heart they weren't really Israelites indeed. They did not have the faith of their father Abraham. Nathanael was a true Israelite indeed. Nathanael was a man without guile, meaning that there was no deceit in him. no craft or subtlety in him. He wasn't like Jacob. Jacob was a man of guile we know because he deceived his father Isaac and said, I am Esau and obtained the blessing. In effect the Lord was saying to Nathaniel, behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no Jacob. He was surprised the Lord already knew him. The Lord demonstrated his omniscience, his divine attributes. The Lord also demonstrated his divine attributes of omnipresence. When Nathaniel was sitting under the fig tree Jesus as the Son of God, omnipresent everywhere, saw him sitting under that fig tree. Nathaniel was astounded. He was in the presence of deity. Now the fig tree is a symbol of Israel. Israel became fruitless, and the Lord cursed the fruitless fig tree.

We read in Matthew 21, Mark 13 and Luke 13. He cursed that fig tree and immediately shriveled up. Nathaniel pictures the believing remnant amongst Israel. One day they'll become the nation that will receive the Lord Jesus as Messiah and Saviour as their King. As Zechariah chapter 12 points out to us, sitting under the fig tree points to scenes of the millennium. In Micah chapter 4 verse 4 we read, “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.” Micah 4:4 (KJV). Zechariah 3 verse 10 says, “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.” Zechariah 3:10 (KJV). Nathaniel sitting under the fig tree pictures that day of bliss and prosperity and peace that the Lord Jesus will bring about upon this earth when he comes to reign.

When Nathaniel hears the words of the Lord, he realises he's in the presence of the Son of God, the Messiah. Now most Godly Jews who read their Bible and read the Scriptures and listened to the Scriptures knew that the Messiah was the Son of God. They knew from Psalm 2, verse 6 and 7 we read, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” Psalms 2:6-7 (KJV). So the Jews who sincerely read the Scriptures and listened to them, they knew the Messiah is the Son of God. And so Nathaniel confesses Jesus as the Son of God. That's why this story is in John's Gospel, because he's proving that Jesus is the Son of God. The Lord Jesus refered him back to the dream of Jacob and spoke of how He is the fulfillment of that dream. In Genesis 28 verse 12 to 13 we read, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;” Genesis 28:12-13 (KJV). This is the first of 25 times Jesus says in John's Gospel, verily verily, a phrase only found in this Gospel. The Lord refers Nathaniel back to the dream of Jacob and how it will be fulfilled in the millennium when the hosts of heaven will be obedient to the Son of Man. He is the stairway, the ladder between earth and heaven, between man and God. He is the way to God. He Himself is the way, the truth and the life. Blessings will flow out to men from heaven through Him. There will be fellowship between men and God through Him. The millennium will be a blessed time when the Lord Jesus reigns, His angels ascending and descending at His command. Philip TestedThen we think of how Philip was tested in John chapter 6. In John chapter 6 verse 5 to 7 we read, When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” John 6:5-7 (KJV). Philip was tested by the Lord Jesus to turn his eyes away from human inability and lack of resources to the Lord himself. It is the same with the woman of Samaria. “The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?” John 4:11 (KJV). The Lord's words were to make her think. and to make her realize that this water is not going to be the water that satisfies her but the water that the Lord Jesus can give. And so they needed to realize that when they have the Lord that is all they need.

That's all that really matters in the end. We might have nothing, no money, no power, no influence, no strength, but when we have the Lord that is everything we need. That's why they were tested, that they might look to Jesus alone, look to him, in future days be cast only upon him. Psalm 46 verse 1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 (KJV). “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Psalms 73:25-26 (KJV). Philip like Andrew was sceptical and materialistic in his answer to the Lord and brought forth statistics about how much money, 200 denarii, that's about eight months wages, that couldn't even feed such a great multitude. He looked around and calculated how many there were there, calculated the kind of money needed and even eight months of wages could not feed this many people. All he did was, by his calculations, show that it's impossible anyway. The Lord wanted him to realise, with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. And that's why the Lord tests us, that we look to him at a moment of complete impossibility, humanly speaking. We look to him and we put our faith in him, for within all things are possible. Philip & the GreeksThen the fourth occasion. that we have also considered when we looked at Andrew is Philip and Andrew speaking to the Greeks or the Greeks coming to Philip and Philip and Andrew tell Jesus about them. In John chapter 12, verse 19 to 22, we read, “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” John 12:19-22 (KJV). We noted in our study of Andrew that the Pharisees were not wrong when they said the whole world has gone after him. In fact that's exactly what was going to happen when the Jewish nation rejected the Lord and crucified him. The gospel went forth into the whole world to the Gentiles. The Greeks were worshippers. They believed in the true God of Israel in Jehovah.

They could have been circumcised proselytes or just God fearing like Cornelius the Centurion. We're not told but they did believe in the God of Israel. They no longer believed in their idols. But they came to Philip. They came to Philip first. Philip was approachable. And this is a lesson for us, isn't it? They couldn't go to anybody else. They certainly couldn't go to those proud, arrogant Pharisees and others who despised Gentiles and despised others. They found Philip approachable. And that's how it should be with us. We should be approachable. Think of the Lord Jesus. Even children could come to him. They weren't afraid of him. When Jesus saw it, he was much displeased when the disciples forbade the women bringing the children to Jesus, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not. For as such is the kingdom of God. Mark chapter 10, 14 tells us. So the Lord was approachable, even children were happy to come to him. Philip's background was a help. Philip was a Greek name, which means lover of horses. Now Alexander the Great's father, His name was Philip II, King of Macedon. And so Philip was from Galilee, which was known as Galilee of the Gentiles in Mark 4, verse 15. The reason is many Gentiles lived there.

We read of the coast of Decapolis in Mark 7, 31. We read about Jesus again departing from the coast of Tyre and Sidon. He came under the sea of Galilee through the midst of the coast of Decapolis. was a gentile region in northern Galilee and there were about 10 cities there originally built by the followers of Alexander the Great and rebuilt by the Romans in 65 BC. They had theatres, baths, temples, forums, just like other Roman cities. The Jews of Judea didn't like their influence and didn't like the Jews who lived in Galilee. They saw them as corrupted by those gentiles. But they approached Philip. There's a lesson for missionaries and evangelists here. In the matter of soul winning, in the matter of reaching people, going to a new place to reach them, you need to be like the people that you're reaching. You need to learn their language. You need to eat their food. You need to be like them. You need to love them and be one of them. And they'll listen to you. They could approach Philip because he had a Greek name and he spoke Greek. and were able to tell him of their desire to see the Lord Jesus. We also noted in our study of Andrew how the Lord Jesus spoke of “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:11-12 (KJV).

At the beginning, when Jesus was born, there came wise men from the East, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? in Matthew chapter 2. And here at the end of his life, just before he's crucified, the end of his life on earth, Gentiles from the West come, saying, Sirs, we would see Jesus. How beautifully this will be fulfilled in the millennium, when Gentiles will come from the East and West, and sit down with the great patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. Isaiah 60 verse 3 says, And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60:3 (KJV). When Philip told Andrew and Andrew and Philip told Jesus, we noted that Jesus speaks of his cross, but doesn't speak of crucifixion. He doesn't say that the Son of Man is going to be crucified. The hour has come, but the hour has come that the Son of Man will be glorified. He's looking beyond the cross. to the resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God. Yes, Gentiles will come to Him. Multitudes of Gentiles will be saved, but first for them to be saved, for them to come to Him, they can only come by way of the cross. The cross must take place. He must die. He must be buried and rise again ascend, and then will be fulfilled what He said in John chapter 10 verse 16. “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:16 (KJV). Yes, Jews and Gentiles will be one flock with one shepherd, all because of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Philip’s DullnessThe fifth time we read about Philip is when the Lord rebukes him for his dullness in John chapter 14 verse 8 to 12. We read these words, Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:8-12 (KJV). Philip had a good desire. He wanted to see the Father. Show us the Father, he says, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices with us. He not only speaks for himself, but all of them. We all want to see the Father. When we first met Philip, we heard him saying to Nathaniel, come and see. But now he asked Jesus whether he can see the father for himself. Yet the Lord had already told him he's seen the father. He wanted an experience maybe like Moses had.

When Moses said, you know, he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory, Exodus 33 verse 18, or like Jacob who wrestled. with a man until the breaking of the day, Genesis 32, 24. And verse 30 of Genesis 32, he says, "'Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, "'for I've seen God face to face and my life is preserved.' "'Or Samson's father Manoah, who saw the Lord.' "'In Judges 13, verse 22 and 23.'" Maybe he wanted that kind of experience. or what Isaiah 40 verse 5 says, “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 40:5 (KJV). Yet in front of Philip was indeed the very same God manifest in the flesh. The Lord had just said to him in verse seven, If he had known me, you should have known my father also, and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him. They were looking at the father, manifested through the son. but their lack of the Father's, lack of understanding of the Father's house and the way there was due to their lack of the understanding of the Son.

Though Philip had the right desires, he didn't fully realise, as John tells us in his first epistle, that the Word became audible, visible, and tangible. The Father had been perfectly shown forth. Jesus rebuked him, verse nine. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? ”John 14:9 (KJV). So long time, the Lord said. Matthew Henry writes these words: The longer we enjoy the means of knowledge and grace, the more inexcusable we are if we are found defective in grace and knowledge. And he goes on to write in his commentary, Let us therefore reason with ourselves: Have I been so long a hearer of sermons? A student in the scripture, a scholar in the school of Christ, and yet so weak in the knowledge of Christ and so unskillful in the word of righteousness. The Lord was pleased but saddened by his request. He had a great, greater expectation from his apostles than others because they had known him so well. In John 1, 18 we read, No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him; he hath told him out.

Hebrews 1, verse 3, says, Who has been the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he has by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Jesus is the brightness. of the Father's glory. He's the express image of His person. Jesus speaks of the union of Himself with His Father in verse 10. Believe is thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. The Lord was saddened because Philip wanted to see a physical manifestation of the Father next to the Son. Yet the very words and works the Lord Jesus had done proved that He was in perfect union with His Father. that when you looked at the Lord Jesus, you saw an exact representation of what the Father was like as well. Jesus spoke of His words and the Father's works. It tells us of the power of His words. He spoke, and the Father did the work. And even the words He spoke were the words that the Father had given Him to speak. It was so obvious, as He told the Jews earlier in John 10, verse 30, that I and my Father are one.

Jesus is indeed the Word of God. God has spoken forth in a language men can understand. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John chapter 1 verse 1. John chapter 1 verse 14 says, And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is God. Manifest, orderly, visibly, and tangibly, they could touch him and hold him. They could see him. They can hear him. It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, Colossians 1.19 tells us. And so when we think of the words of the Lord Jesus, he says, His words were the Father's words given to him. And when he spoke the words and the works he did were the Father's works, there was power in the words he spake. We read in John 11 how he spoke; he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus came forth, and he that was dead came forth. Psalm 29 speaks of the words and the voice of the Lord. In Psalm 29 verses 3 and 4, we read, “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth; the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.” Psalms 29:3-4 (KJV). They had manifest before them that very voice that the psalmist spoke of. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

When Jesus spoke the words the Father gave him to speak, the Father did the work. They all demonstrated that he and the Father were one in perfect union. So Jesus then... says to them in verse 11, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” John 14:11 (KJV). Sadly, the Lord had to descend to the level He took when talking to His enemies. In John 10.38, He says, “But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” John 10:38 (KJV). The works themselves proved. that the Father was in him and he was in the Father. Their faith and understanding were weak, and the Lord had to speak in that manner to them. He's saying to Philip that if you will not believe the bare word, at least acknowledge the proof of it in his works. Then he tells them there's greater work to come. In verse 12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12 (KJV).

The Lord encourages them that he's going back to heaven, and it's not to abandon them. They were so very worried and sad at the beginning of this chapter; they were very troubled. But the Lord wasn't going to heaven to abandon them. He was going to continue his work in a far greater way by sending down another comforter like himself, the Holy Spirit, who will be given to them on the day of Pentecost. and they'll do mighty works. What it means is greater in extent, not greater in quality, of course. They would raise the dead like the Lord raised the dead, but in a far greater way, in a far greater area. The Lord's ministry was generally restricted to Israel, but their ministry will be throughout the world. greater in extent, greater in amounts. We think of Pentecost when Peter preached and 3,000 were saved. We see another 2,000 saved; that's the men counted, then women and children as well. Multitudes were saved; many miracles they did. The apostles all did those miracles. Yes, indeed, greater works than these they will see.

And verse 13 tells us, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13 (KJV). with which we close, of power through prayer. The promise that the disciples would do greater works than Jesus was now directly linked to their prayers in His name, the Moody Bible Commentary reminds us. The mighty works are connected with prayer in His name. Success through prayer, success through dependence on God, success by casting upon God in faith, and they'll see mighty things in their ministry. It's for the first time it's now revealed to Philip that prayer must be through Christ's name to the Father. And so we read of Philip. What wonderful lessons there are from his life. How the Lord, though rebuking his dullness, reveals such wonderful things about what he will one day do as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless his word. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Philip & Nathaniel appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 10th July, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptWe continue the study of the life of the apostle John. As we noted last week, John's life has a lot written about it. Peter is the most, and the next most, writing we find in the scriptures concerning John. So we're going to have to just look at themes in two parts. This is the second part. We're going to look at some themes from the life of John. So in today's study, we're going to think about the five times that John spoke of himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Our first reading is from John, chapters 13 and verse 23. John chapter 13 and verse 23. “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23).

John humbly refers to himself as a disciple in his gospel. At the end, he reveals that he is the one who has written this book, and he humbly refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. And there are five occasions where we read this phrase, and each one furnishes us with a very beautiful lesson. What we do learn from this is that we should dwell not on our feeble love for the Lord, which waxes and wanes, but on his love for us. There's a tremendous blessing. There's tremendous encouragement when we do that. And this is the great lesson we learn from John's life: that though he was the son of thunder, and like James as well, sons of thunder, Jesus called them, yet he turned into the apostle of love. And the one who wrote recorded those wonderful words, for God so loved the world. that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

How wonderful is the work that the Lord Jesus did in John's life to turn him into the apostle of love who spoke so much about the love of God? But how does our love for God increase? While John wrote these words in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 19, “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1John 4:19). And that's where it begins. Our love for him increases. When we dwell upon how much he loves us, we don't try to conjure up some kind of love for God, for that will not be possible. It is God who does that work in our hearts. When we dwell on his love, we love him in return. and we do everything that pleases him because we love him. That's how our zeal increases. That's how our discernment increases. That's how our comforts increase when we dwell more on his love for us. Let's think before we look at these five verses about the love of believers for the Lord. Love Measured by TimeLove in the scripture is measured in a number of ways. First of all, love is measured by time. Love is measured by time. In Revelation 2 and verse 4, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” (Revelation 2:4). Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, The love of the believers at Ephesus was not as it was when they first knew the Lord, as time went by. moment came when they let that first love, and now it was just a mere affection, just a mere carrying out of duties relating to the testimony. They were very faithful; they were known for their works; they were known for their soundness in doctrine; and they would not tolerate false teachers. Yet despite all of that, the Lord Jesus threatened to remove them as a testimony, as a lampstand, unless they repent, because God is not pleased with formality.

Let us remember that. Just because we might be sound in doctrine, so we think. Just because we do everything properly doesn't mean God will not remove our assembly from this earth. Because God wants to see fervency, vitality, a real love for Him, and doing things out of love for Him. Nothing else will please the Lord more than that. The moment our love changes. And it does change over time. We asked ourselves what love we had for the Lord when we were saved. Do we still have that love for him? When we were first saved, we wanted to do everything for the Blessed Man of Calvary. Everything we did was out of love for him. It wasn't a formality or a duty. We had great joy when we were saved and baptised. But as time has gone by, the days and the calendar have gone by. As the weeks, months, and years have gone by, how are your love and my love now measured by time? Can the Lord say that you have left your first love? The love you have now is not the same as the love you once had. Measured by TemperatureLove is also measured by temperature. Jesus said in Matthew 24 verse 12, Jesus said, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:12). Jesus described how love can wax cold. This is true of believers as well. There was a time when our love for the Lord was like a burning fire, a vehement flame. Love is indeed described that way in the Song of Solomon, chapters 8 and 6. We read there, So love is described like a fire, a most vehement flame. Believers can say, like the two on the way to Emmaus, In Luke 24 verse 32, Believers could say like the two on the way to Emmaus, “… Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). They said, Alas, that burning love, that burning feeling in our hearts, can grow cold and can change in temperature.

The heart is no longer burning, and coldness starts coming in. William Cooper wrote the hymn,

O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!
Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul refreshing view
Of Jesus and His Word?

Yes, in relation to time. Love can change. Love can be measured by time. Love can be measured by temperature. The love of many can wax coal. Measured by quantitySadly, love can be measured by quantity. Jesus spoke of the woman, who was a sinner, in Luke 7:47. “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Luke 7:47). So there is much, and there is little. There is much love, but there is little love. Love can be measured by quantity. Though in the other stories of Mary of Bethany and Mary of Magdala, love is not mentioned, you can see it in the actions. Mary of Bethany loved the Lord Jesus so much that she anointed him with the costliest ointment.

We're reading John 12.3. “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” (John 12:3). Mary Magdalene, we read, there is no doubt she loved the Lord so much, unlike the other disciples who went home. “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,” (John 20:11). After coming to the tomb, she could not go home, for there's no home left in this world without the Lord Jesus. You know you can give without loving, as it's often said, because you have to. You give without much love behind it, but you cannot love without giving. Love always gives, and here we see a costly sacrifice made by Mary and that woman, who was a sinner because she loved the Lord. very much. No amount of money was spared for the law by Mary of Bethany. She did her best, as Jesus said in Mark 14:8. For Mary of Bethany no amount of money was spared for the Lord. She did her best. Jesus said, “She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.” (Mark 14:8). She gave him a royal burial—a burial worthy of a king—that the nation was not going to give him. And so love can be measured by time, by temperature. and by quantity.

How is our love if we dwell upon it? It's not much better than Peter's love. Peter boasted of his love and zeal for the Lord. Matthew 26, 33. “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matthew 26:33). B“And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.” (Luke 22:33). But as we know, he failed miserably and ended up denying the Lord with oaths and curses that he ever knew him. You know, when you boast of your own love, you're going to fail miserably. But when you draw upon the love of God, you become like the apostle John.

Let's think about God's love. The love that we are supposed to dwell upon. Can you measure it by time? Can you put a clock next to it? A calendar next to it? Does it change over time? No, we read these words. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Who can measure an eternal love like that? No clock or calendar could ever be used to measure the love of God. We can dwell on a love that is vast and eternal. A love that never change, that never changes. Can we put a thermometer next to it? Can we put a temperature gauge next to the love of God? No measuring instrument can weigh it. All measures are length, depth, and depth. breadth or height. No human mind can comprehend the love of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19). No mind can comprehend an eternal, measureless, vast love that God has for us, and thats the love John dwelt upon, not upon his own love like Peter did and failed. And this is what we need to learn. To learn to dwell not upon ourselves and our weaknesses and failures but upon the Lord's love. What can he do with a person who is a complete failure and has nothing before him? Revelation to JohnLet's think first of all of the upper room. John chapter 13, verses 21–26. “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” (John 13:21-26). We read one of the verses earlier. Here, we can title this Revelation. Revelation to John. John receives a revelation because he was so close to the Lord and leaning upon his breast. Peter asked him to ask the Lord, Who is the betrayer? and John was told. John was leaning in the place of affection on the bosom of the Lord Jesus in his heart.

John had allowed the Lord to humbly wash his feet, and now, cleansed, he is leaning upon that bosom in perfect fellowship with him, dwelling upon his love for him as a disciple. You know, this scene of John leaning upon the breast of the Lord reminds us of the high priest of Israel. He wore an ephod with the twelve stones and the twelve names of the tribes of Israel engraved upon it. In Exodus 28–29, we read about it. Upon his heart. those names of the children of Israel upon his heart. It says it in Exodus 28–29. “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.” (Exodus 28:29).

This is a privilege that we all have. Like John, we can say, like it says in the Songs of Solomon 7 verse 10, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.” (Song of Solomon 7:10). That we can dwell upon the love the Lord Jesus has for us, who is our great high priest, who has us upon his heart. just as John was in the heart of the Lord Jesus. You know his heart is moved with love, sympathies, and deep feelings and pities towards us. When we lean upon his breast, when we dwell upon his love, those in poverty can look to him, to their great high priest, and find that he is moved in feelings and pity towards them. because he knew what it was to have nowhere to lay his head. Those who are suffering anguish of the soul—so much anguish mentally, too much to bear—can look to him, who suffered such agony of the soul in the garden of Gethsemane that he sweated as if it were great drops of blood. Those whose bodies are wracked with pain can cry out to him for mercy. For the one who knew what pain is more than any human being has ever known. when he suffered on that cross for us. Those who are lonely can look to him. Who was forsaken by his disciples and then forsaken by God?

Those who are persecuted can look to him. Who could say that in Psalm 69 verse 4, “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.” (Psalms 69:4). Hebrews 4:14–15 reminds us of how we can do what John did? “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15). In the fourth stanza of the hymn, there is a name I love to hear. As the words say, it tells of one whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe, who in each sorrow bears a part that none can bear below. Let us, like John, learn to lean upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus and dwell upon his love, sympathies, and pities towards us. Responsibility for JohnThe second occasion is at the cross, and here we can call this title responsibility. John 19 verses 25–27 say, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” (John 19:25-27). So John was given tremendous responsibility to look after the mother of the Lord himself. Those who dwell upon the love of Jesus can best comfort and care for others. Those who dwell upon the love of Jesus can be fitted for service and responsibility. John was the only apostle at the cross, and therefore the Lord commended the care of his mother to him. though Mary had other children.

We know that Joseph and Mary had children. After the birth of the Lord Jesus, His virgin birth, Mary and Joseph naturally had children together. Mark 6 verse 3 tells us, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3, AV). Now, they did not believe in him, but neither did his brethren believe in him. John 7.5 tells us: “For neither did his brethren believe in him.” (John 7:5, AV). But in Acts 1, verse 14, we find them all together in the upper room praying. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” (Acts 1:14). And so clearly, it seemed that they were saved after the resurrection.

Before, they didn't believe in him. After his death and resurrection, His brothers are there. His brethren are there. His family is there with the mother. Now he had two mothers to care for. Salome was his own mother, who followed the Lord from Galilee with her sons James and John. We know his mother was Salome from comparing the accounts in the gospels. And now he took home the Lord's mother to care for. A very broken-hearted woman that day. What Simeon said came to pass. Simeon said in Luke 2 verse 35, “(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:35). The pain in our soul must have been so great that Simeon could describe it that way. Like a sword piercing through the innermost being as she saw her own son crucified upon that cross. Yet she knew why he had come into the world.

And so we learned that the person who dwells upon the love of Jesus is the one who is fit for service. But another interesting thing we can add is that this shows the inspiration of scripture. John had the Lord's mother with him till the day of her death. He would have known everything about the wise men, the shepherds, King Herod, the flight into Egypt, all the many years, and the 30 years the Lord spent in Nazareth. He would have known everything. If the Bible were just written by men, John's Gospel would have been the longest of all and got into many, many volumes. And he would have written everything about the Lord's life. He would have included the story of his birth and all the many things about his life. But he only wrote about the deity of Christ and emphasised that deity. And began; in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John, chapter 1, verse 1. You see, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. to write on the theme of the deity of Christ, the Son of God. This shows that the gospel writers were inspired, not just mere men writing down their recollections—absolutely proof of the inspiration of Scripture. Running the RaceThe third occasion is at the empty tomb of Jesus, and here we are entitled to run the race. John chapter 20 verses 1–4: “ The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.” (John 20:1-4). So Peter takes the lead as usual, as when we think about Peter's life, he's always the first. The first to run, the first to fight, and the first to jump into the water to walk to the Lord. He's the first to speak on behalf of the other apostles. So he's the first to take the lead and run. But he's outrun by John.

According to the law of Moses, there had to be two or three witnesses to substantiate a fact, so Peter and John were the first two men to see for themselves that Christ was indeed risen. But John outran Peter. The usual reason given is that he was younger. You see, the scriptures don't just tell us obvious things. There are spiritual reasons why these things are recorded. The reason why John outran Peter is because he was a disciple whom Jesus loved. He dwelt upon the love of Jesus, and he had more energy, power, and zeal than Peter, who had boasted of his own love for the Lord and failed. This reminds us of what it says in Hebrews 12 about our race. Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2 say, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1). So like Peter and John ran to the tomb, we need to be running in the race that God has given to us in the Christian life. The race of the Christian life. However, verse 2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; 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.” (Hebrews 12:2). There we have it. Dwelling upon the love of Jesus, dwelling upon him and his love for us at Calvary's cross. That's the motivation; that's what gives us the zeal and the power, like John had to outrun Peter. We want to do well in the Christian life. We want to run well. We need to dwell on the love of the Lord Jesus. Not dwell on our failures and faults and say, Oh, we can't do anything for God, and dwell upon ourselves and ourselves. We need to dwell on the one whose love can never fail. Recognition by JohnFourthly and fifthly, we have recognition by John in that in the Gospel of John chapter 21, both the final two occurrences, the fourth and the fifth, occur there. Verse 4 of John chapter 21: “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” (John 21:4-7). Peter did not recognise the LORD, though he was the first to jump into the water. To go to him, John recognised the LORD.

So what we learn from this example is that those who dwell upon the love of Jesus are quick in their perception and recognition. They're quick to perceive. They have a spiritual perception. We see this again with the previous occasion when they ran to the tomb, where we read that John and Peter both looked at what was inside, the grave clothes. But two different Greek words are used concerning what Peter saw. And what John saw—the word used by Peter just means to behold like a spectator, just to look at. But the word used for John seeing means to perceive with the eyes, to see but understand. So John saw, perceived, and understood that the Lord had indeed risen from the dead. John was a discerning man. No wonder in, um... In this epistle, he writes much about discernment. John was a man of discernment, because he was a man who dropped upon the love of Jesus.Return of the LordThe final one is at the end of the chapter, verses 20 to 23. “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” (John 21:20-23). Here we have the return of the Lord in view. After breakfast, after Peter is restored to the Lord, after three times he confesses that he loves the Lord, we read in verse 20. What we do learn from here is this: John was following Jesus. That's what it says here. John was following Jesus. The disciple whom Jesus loved followed.

He had his eyes on the Lord. But Peter took his eyes off the Lord, and no doubt in love for his fellow brother and servant, his fellow brother in the Lord and servant was concerned about him. Peter and John were in the fishing business together. Even afterwards, they were together. They healed the lame man in Acts, chapter 4. They went to the temple to pray together. So Peter was concerned about John. What's going to happen to him? If I'm going to die a martyr's death, as the Lord revealed to Peter when he was an old man, he's going to die a martyr's death. What about him? What will happen to him? The Lord never told anyone to follow him without counting the cost. There is no easy life awaiting any of them. Death did await Peter, as the Lord told him. History tells us it was crucifixion, an agonising death.

Peter said, What shall this man do? You see, John was already following with his eyes on the Lord and his eyes upon the Lord's returning glory. A time that no one was permitted to know The third time in his life, Peter took his eyes off the Lord. The first time, in Luke chapter 5, he said, Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man. Yes, he was a sinful man, broken before the presence of a holy God, yet he said, Depart from me. He took his eyes off the Lord and upon his own sinful self. The second time, in Matthew 14, he took his eyes off the Lord and put them upon the storm, the wind, and the waves, and they began to sink. Now he takes his eyes off the Lord and puts them on another servant. And that's not good. The Lord basically said to him, This is none of your business. None of your business. If I tarry, till he comes, what is that to you? That is not your business. Follow thou me. You must follow me. And so we learn a lesson: we must keep our eyes on the Lord.

We should not try to compare ourselves with other servants who might be more successful than us or think we're superior to others, but we should recognise our need to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what John did. His eyes were so upon the Lord and so much upon his love for him. The very last words of John the Apostle are these: Even so come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22, verse 20. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. May the Lord bless these precious thoughts from God's Word in our hearts. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: John – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 1st June, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we're looking at the Apostle John in our series about the 12 Apostles. Like Peter, much is written about John in the Gospels. So for the sake of time, we're going to just look at John in two parts, looking at two themes from his life. Our first reading is from Mark chapter 3 verse 17, where we read the words, “And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:” (Mark 3:17). So, James and John were brothers in the fishing business. And when Jesus called them, he surnamed them Boanerges, meaning that was their character. They were like thunder, like lightning, like destructive thunder and lightning.

And we see that in their nature, as we see three events where they acted against the spirit. and grace of the gospel. And these three incidences are when they wanted to sit on the right hand and left hand of the Lord, the second occasion when John forbade a man who was casting out demons, and the third occasion when James and John wanted fire to come down from heaven and burn up the Samaritans. So we're looking at these three incidences that showed them as the sons of thunder, but by God's grace, John became the apostle of love. The Lord worked in their lives and changed them from what they were. But on these three occasions, we have lessons for ourselves today.1.John Seeks GreatnessFirstly, James and John seek greatness. We look at the first occasion where they acted against the spirit of humility in the gospel in chapter 20 of Matthew, verses 20–23. Here we read, “Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.” (Matthew 20:20-23). The Lord had just spoken about the disciples sitting on twelve thrones in chapter 19, verse 28 of Matthew, where we read, “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28).

This prompted the mother of James and John to take liberties and ask for further honours, as if sitting on twelve thrones was not enough. She wanted not just them sitting on twelve thrones, but the thrones right next to the Lord, on the right hand and on the left. Her name was Salome. We know this from the list of women given to us in the Gospels who stood at the cross of the Lord Jesus. She was a godly woman. And she had followed Jesus all the way from Galilee with her two sons, James and John. She was one of those women who ministered to the Lord. So she was always there on the Lord's journeys. And in typical motherly pride, she wants her sons to have the best place at the right and left hands of the Lord.

Well, Mark's gospel also records that not just the mother said this to Jesus, but also James and John said, as we read in Mark 10 verse 35. “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire ..…” (Mark 10:35-37). So, prompted by the mother, they also told the Lord and gave him that request. They were mistaken. They were thinking they could have a crown. They can have the highest place, the highest honors, and the highest blessing without a cross or suffering. You know, it's a sad commentary on human nature, on our own nature. But the Lord had just spoken about His death, and all they could think of was themselves. In verse 18 of Matthew 20, we read, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,” (Matthew 20:18). The Lord had spoken of His own sufferings and death, but all they could think of was themselves. They wanted the highest place. at a time when the Lord was going to take the lowest place.

In the Old Testament, we have an illustration of someone who didn't suffer but wanted to reign. And that was Jonathan. He said one day to David, When you are king, I'm going to be a right-hand man. Of course, he was a close friend of David and loved David as much as his own soul. but it wasn't to be. He went back home to the palace with his father, Saul. He did not suffer like David. David suffered and suffered so much, and in the end, David was on the throne. It was not for him to say who'd be next to the new king. Men much humbler than him and much lower than him will one day take that position. Without suffering, there cannot be glory. This self-seeking caused division and strife because we read in the account in Mark's Gospel, chapter 10, verse 41, that they were very angry. “And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.” (Mark 10:41).

The reason is that they wanted a place for themselves; that's why. They were all the same when it came to self-seeking and wanting to be the greatest. Well, James and John glibly said, Oh yes, we can drink from the cup. They didn't realise what that cup involved. They were not even aware of how great that suffering would be. The Lord said, You'll indeed drink of the cup. James died at the hands of Herod Agrippa. Acts chapter 12 verse 2 tells us that while John did not die a martyr's death, he lived a martyr's life. Suffered in exile. Unlike the other apostles, who were imprisoned and persecuted, And there he was alone on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation chapter 1. “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:” (Revelation 1:17). Then John was an old man and saw the Lord in his glory. He did not seek to sit next to him, but fell at his feet as a dead man. This is the place we deserve to be. John says in Revelation 1:17 that he had learned many lessons in the school of Christ. Having been the son of thunder, he became the apostle of love and a humble man who fell at the feet of Jesus, not seeking any great place for himself. Beware of Devils ShortcutsThis leads us to a very important lesson for ourselves. And I've entitled it Beware of the Devil's Shortcuts. The greatest temptation the devil tried to give to the Lord was when he put him on the top of a mountain. Matthew 4 verses 8 to 10. “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:8-10). The devil, in his audacity and arrogance, thought that his own creator, when he was Lucifer before he fell, was created by the Son of God.

Now has the audacity to think that the very creator of his can bow before him and worship him. It was a powerful temptation. Those three temptations were the most powerful. that the devil has been used on men for centuries, and they work every time. This was the most powerful. You might think, How can it be so powerful? If the devil came to me and said, Bow and worship me, I would not worship him. No believer would accept that temptation, would they? Think again. The choice the devil was given by the Lord was this: You can go to the cross, suffer, and receive your kingdom. Or you can have it the easy way without any suffering; you can have everything. Just bow down and worship me. No suffering was involved. That was the devil's shortcut. You know, when men are given the choice, men, women, or anyone else is given the choice.

On one side, you're going to get blessings, honour, and glory, but there's terrible suffering and persecution involved in that pathway. Terrible death, terrible agonies, terrible pains. On this side, easy way with no pain or suffering, almost every single person on this earth would choose the easy way; nobody wants to suffer pain and agonies, and that's the devil's way; god's way is through suffering and then glory, and that's the way the Lord Jesus chose, even though it meant the cross and suffering, because he would not sin, and he could not sin, he would not do what the devil said to him; he told her to get thee hence. Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. How wonderful of our Lord to choose such a path! There would be so much suffering he would go through that he might be glorified.

Peter wrote these words, “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (1Peter 1:11). The sufferings of Christ and the glory that shall follow, which should follow. So we must understand that when we're given a choice in the Christian life, we want to see blessing, we want to see, we want to do something for God, and we're given a choice of two ways. One way is so easy; everything's smooth, and everything goes wonderfully. The other way is hard: discouragement. Depression, disappointment, rejection, persecution—choose that way because that's God's way.

Don't choose the easy way; that is the devil's way. So when you've got a choice in life, when you're in the Lord's work and ministry, always choose what looks to be difficult, painful, and harsh, because that will be God's way to blessing. When things are too easy, beware. Ask yourself, Am I on the right path? Because God's path is not an easy path; it's not a smooth path; it's always a difficult path. So you cannot be on the right hand and the left hand of the Lord without first having suffered. And that's an important lesson for us. Beware of the devil's shortcuts. Beware of choosing an easy way, because that's often not the right way. 2.John’s Sectarianism The second occasion was John's sectarianism. In Luke chapter 9, verse 49, the second occasion where he acted against the spirit of the gospel. “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.” (Luke 9:49). Here's another aspect of pride, very similar to the one where the disciples were seeking to be the greatest. In Luke 9:46, we read, “Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.” (Luke 9:46). So they individually wanted to be the greatest, and it was pride. But now there's another danger. Not just the danger of exalting yourself, but the danger of exalting a company, a group of believers. We are special. We are close to the Lord. We belong to the Lord, not them. They're not with us. That's another form of pride.

When a group of Christians, an assembly, or a church of Christians, thinks they're superior to other Christians, they're closer to the Lord than other Christians. Now this man was using the name of Jesus to do this miracle—the miracle of casting out devils. So he was clearly a believer. He was not against the Lord; he was for him. And he was successful. He was actually casting out demons. And God's power was clearly seen operating. They forbade him, they forbade him, and they discouraged him. They did not say that because he did not follow Jesus. They said because he followed us, not us. The man was not in their circle or close to the Lord. They felt they had a monopoly on the Lord. They were special. They were us, and he was not with them. Sectarianism, like pride, is in the human heart. Thinking we're the only privileged ones. and special ones who belong to Christ and not others who also love Him. Or that we are much superior because of our perceived closeness to Christ and others.

We know the Bible better. We've been brought up in the right background, in the right family. We've been brought up in the right church. We're brought up knowing all that we know. We know how to say prayers better than other people. We know the Bible better than other Christians. and soon that sectarianism and pride take over, they are not with us. What a dreadful thing that they were forbidding a man from delivering people from hell! They would rather people go to hell, possessed by these demons, than be delivered by this man just because he was not with us. How low can believers sink? Well, we can sink very low. not just these apostles; they're a lesson for us. We would hinder others from doing God's work because they're not with us, not with our group, not with our circle. There are many who try to create sectarian groups amongst believers, and it's a grief to the Spirit of God. They forgot their failureThey forgot about their own failure. It's one thing saying, he shouldn't be casting out demons, but could they cast out demons? No. Look what happened in the previous chapters, Matthew 17, verses 14–17, where we read, “And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.” (Matthew 17:14-17). Our Lord was so grieved with the nation and its unbelief and also so grieved with his own disciples.

Now Mark's gospel reveals another thing. Not just their lack of faith, but their lack of faith caused this man. to doubt whether the Lord could do anything. He said this in Mark 9:22, “And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.” (Mark 9:22). No one ever said words like that to the Lord. Often, they would say, If you are willing, not if you can, and they never doubted his ability. They realised He has the power—almighty power—to heal. But they doubted whether he was willing to be gracious to them as a sinner. But this man actually doubted whether the Lord can; if you are willing, if you can, he said. He realised who the Lord really is—that standing before him was the creator of the universe, God incarnate—and he would never have said if. But why did he talk like this?

Well, it's because of the behaviour of the disciples. because they were so hopeless, useless, and faithless that the Lord was so grieved with them that this man thought if they couldn't do anything, maybe their master couldn't do anything either. That's why the Lord was very grieved because the apostles gave him a bad testimony by their unbelief. What a solemn lesson for us today: that by our very failures, we can put others off trusting in the Lord Jesus. When Peter spoke about false teachers, he said this: that in 2 Peter 2 verses 1 and 2, he said, Peter prophesies of the false teachers who because of their followers and their behaviour, “… the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2 Peter 2:1-2). Because of their followers and their behaviour, the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. Because of their behaviour, the truth will be spoken f as evil. However, this man did confess his weakness, faith, and unbelief. We read this in Mark 9, 23, 24, and then 25.

We read these words. “ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:23-24). “When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” (Mark 9:25). He wouldn't have had that unbelief were it not for the behaviour of the apostles. Jesus CommandThen Jesus commanded them. In Luke 9.50, “And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:50). They were not to stop him from doing the Lord's work. He was not against them. He was for the Lord. He was on the Lord's side and on their side. Well, John learned his lesson eventually. He went on to write in 3 John, verse 8, “We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” (3 John 1:8). We see a similar example just quoting from you, Eldad and Medad, who prophesied in the camp in Numbers 11 verses 25–29, and Joshua wanted to forbid them, but Moses had a big heart for all of the Lord's people. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:25-29). He had no sectarianism in his heart at all.

D.L. Moody was like that—the great Christian evangelist of the 19th century. He could hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. He was a terrific preacher, very simple and powerful, and thousands were saved. Yet he never, despite establishing several religious institutions, Bible colleges, and so on, displayed the sort of pompousness and self-importance that so many famous evangelists of his day did. He was quite a tolerant and understanding man who really criticised other believers. When someone would come to him with some slander against another evangelist, worker, or believer, he would say, Right now, I'm having so much trouble with DL Moody that I don't have time to find fault with the other fellow. He was truly a humble man. James and John's sectarianism. What a lesson it has for us today! Not to look down upon other believers and believers in other churches and denominations who are genuinely saved by our brothers and sisters. Not to look down upon others in our own assemblies, thinking we're superior, that we're somewhat privileged and special. The Lord is very grieved by that kind of attitude. 3. James and John want the Samaritans DestroyedThirdly, and finally, we look at James and John. wanting the Samaritans to be destroyed. On the third occasion, they acted against the spirit and grace of the gospel. Luke, chapter nine, verses 54 to 56. “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” (Luke 9:54-56). The incident referred to took place in 2 Kings chapter 1, verses 9–12, where two captains of fifty were burned up by fire from heaven at the command of Elijah. They were sent by wicked King Ahaziah, who fell down from his window and sought help from Baal. And when he rebuked him, he sent captains to have him arrested. But each captain was burned up with fire from heaven, except the third one, who humbled himself.

So they wanted that to happen to the Samaritans because they were refusing the Lord Jesus. Burn them all up! Send them all to hell! It tells us in this verse that we read, But he turned, but he turned. Jesus turned. They were behind him. He turned behind them and rebuked them. They were following the shepherd as his sheep and speaking to him behind him. They were following the shepherd, but they did not have a shepherd's heart themselves. The Lord had a love for lost sheep. He was here to seek and save what was lost. And he was patient and long-suffering, even with those who initially rejected him. Later on, they would turn to Him and be saved. Jesus Rebukes ThemSo the Lord sternly rebuked them. They were ignorant of his grace. This was not the day of judgement, as the Lord made it very clear in the synagogue at Nazareth that He had come to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4 verse 19. When the Lord quoted Isaiah, He deliberately left out the next sentence, which said, and the day of the vengeance of our God, He left it out because He had come not to bring vengeance to this earth, He had come to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Yes, in the Old Testament, when the Jews were under the law, they were punished severely when they broke God's laws and sinned against Him. But this was the acceptable year of the Lord. The Lord had come to save the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles—the whole world. John learned his lesson, and he wrote in 1 John 4 verse 14. “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1John 4:14).

In the Moody Bible Commentary, it is written that the lesson for these disciples was this: those who reject Christ are not the enemy; they are the mission field. must not look at them as the enemy just because they initially reject Christ. They are a mission field. The Lord Jesus said, He came not to destroy men's lives but to save them. And how did John feel? He must have felt very humbled when, after the day of Pentecost, many, many Samaritans came to the Lord. The very ones he wanted to see were all burned up and sent to hell. They came to Christ. And we read this in Acts chapter 8, verses 14–15, “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 8:14-15).

He must have been so rebuked, so humbled, and so joyful that the very people he thought deserved to be destroyed because they initially did not receive the Lord, now he saw them in their thousands turning to the Lord. and he prayed for them. He put his hands on them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. You know, he went on to write. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1John 3:1).

Now, in a similar incident many, many years ago, when I used to give out gospel literature outside our hall, one day a man came up to me, and I gave him a booklet on the prodigal son, a gospel booklet. And he looked at it, and he asked me, What is this? So I explained to him that there's a heaven, there's a hell, and the Lord Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins, and he started to get very angry and started to blaspheme. I've never heard a man blaspheme like him, cursing God and saying horrible things. So I warned him, if you're going to go down to hell and judge this guy, and he went even worse, blasphemies. He started uttering even worse blasphemies. So he went away, shaking that book at me, cursing and shouting.

The following week, I saw him coming again. I was so worried that I thought, Oh no, I'm going to get the same again. But he came up to me to apologize. He said, You know, I'd like to apologise for the way I behaved last week. I was drunk. He said, I read that booklet you gave me. Is it true? Can Jesus save me? He asked me. And he was really genuine and sincere, wanting to know, Can Jesus save me? And I shared the gospel with him and the love of God with him. And I left him. I don't know what became of him. That was nearly 40 years ago. I don't know what became of that man. I'd love to think that he was saved. But it just shows how easily we can think—oh, what a terrible blasphemer! What a Christ-rejecter! He deserves to go to hell, we can think.

But yet, God worked in his heart, and God made him realise he was wrong. And he began to read the gospel about wanting to be saved. So let us not be like James and John, just because unbelievers are so hard. We feel that; leave them. Who cares? We shouldn't care about them. We should still love them and still pray that God will open their eyes to the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless this study in our hearts. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: John – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 11th May, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we are looking at the Apostle Thomas, much loved in India as the apostle whom God sent there, according to historical sources. Thomas is mentioned about seven times, or on seven occasions, in scripture. First of all, we're going to look briefly at when the Lord called him to be an apostle.
Thomas, chosen ApostleWe are going to read from Luke, chapter 6, verses 13 to 16. Number one: Thomas was chosen as an apostle. Luke chapter 6, verses 13 and 16, says, “And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.” (Luke 6:13-16). In John's Gospel, Thomas is called Didymus the twin. There has been all kinds of speculation as to who his twin was. Some think that because he's put together with Matthew, maybe they were brothers. But that's just speculation. We don't know. He might have had a twin sister. He might have had an identical twin, a twin brother, or a twin sister. We just don't know. But it's been well said.

The reason why it's stated in scripture in John's Gospel that Thomas is called Didymus the Twin is because we should look at ourselves as his twin. That's why it is said he is the twin. When we see his character, the depressive and gloomy way he speaks, and the way he behaves, he's just like us. We are the twins of Thomas. Each and every one of them is different. and how wonderfully the Lord put different people together so that we could relate to them and learn lessons from them. Thomas and Lazarus ResurrectionWe're going to look at Thomas speaking when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. We're going to read one verse from John 11, verse 16, where Thomas speaks. In John 11 verse 16, “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16). John Chapter 11 is the most majestic chapter, showing the greatest miracle that Jesus performed, raising Lazarus from the dead, who was dead for four days in the tomb. Apart from his own resurrection, this was the greatest miracle he performed and the mightiest declaration of his deity. And that's why John includes it in his gospel.

It's a chapter of death. In verse 1, “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.” (John 11:1). Here we have natural death. Here, we have a natural death before us. because Lazarus dies of a sickness. Then there's death by capital punishment, or stoning. In verse 8, “His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” (John 11:8). There's death by Jewish capital punishment. Then there's a martyr's death. “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16). But then there is death by murder. And twice we read of that in this chapter and the next chapter. Verse 53, “Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.” (John 11:53). The Jewish leaders wanted to murder the Lord Jesus. Chapter 12:10, “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;” (John 12:10). They wanted to murder him as well. Chapter of DeathSo we have all kinds of deaths in this chapter of death. Natural death, death by capital punishment, a martyr's death, death by murder, plotting and scheming to murder. Yet in this chapter of death, we see one who is all-powerful over death. And in this chapter, the Lord Jesus will show His power over all kinds of death, whether it's the plotting of men or the power of the devil; all of it will be in vain because He is the Lord and Master of death itself. A most wonderful miracle indeed. In verse eight, the disciples warned the Lord Jesus. “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;” (John 12:10). But the Lord Jesus was not afraid. He had a mission to fulfill. He answered in verse 9. “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” (John 11:9-11).

The Lord Jesus had a mission to fulfill. He walked according to the will of his God and Father. Thomas knew because of what the Jews said, and he was very disturbed by this in the previous chapters we read. In chapters 8 and 9 and 10, we see how the Jews were so antagonistic against him and even picked up stones in chapter 8 to try and stone him to death. In chapter 10 as well, they threatened to stone him. And so Thomas knew that if the Lord Jesus goes, He's going to be killed. Because the Lord Jesus had taught them, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:24-25). They were going to treat treated worse. If they're going to treat the Lord like that, how much worse will they treat his disciples?

Thomas knew if we go, we're going to die. but we learn a positive lesson even from his gloominess because he missed the words of the Lord Jesus. The Lord made it very clear; let us go unto him, Lazarus. I'm going to wake him. And he made it very clear that Lazarus is dead. But Thomas also says, Let us go. But instead of saying, let us go and see the resurrection, for the Lord's going to wake him up. He missed the most positive, blessed statement of the Lord, and all he could think of was death. He could think only of joining Lazarus in the tomb, that the Lord will die and we will die, but the positive thing is that he was devoted to the Lord. He was devoted to the Lord. He could not see life on earth as worth living without his Saviour and Lord. If he were going to die, we would die with him too. That is tremendous devotion. He had so much to learn in the School of God when he uttered such despondent, gloomy, and depressing words, but he was very deeply attached to and loved the Lord Jesus and cleaved to him, willing to follow him even to death. And that's a very positive thing we learn from Thomas.

Even Peter could say, “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68). Those apostles are so devoted to the Lord. Well, there's a lesson for us here. You know, when we are saved, our personality doesn't change immediately. God works in our lives and makes us what we ought to be. more like the Lord Jesus Christ, but we all have different temperaments and different personalities. Think of Mary and Martha and how different those two sisters were of Lazarus. We read in Luke 10 verse 40, “But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” (Luke 10:40) . She rebuked the Lord. She told the Lord, You don't care, don't you care? She said to him, She rebuked the Lord. She was so cumbered about her serving, but Mary had chosen the right part, the better part, to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to him because she was the only one who realised he was going to die, be buried, and rise again. She wasn't taken by surprise, and therefore she anointed the Lord, as we are told at the beginning of John chapter 11.

But here's the wonderful thing: Here in John chapter 11, we're told that Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. He puts her first and says, Jesus loved her, loved her sister, and loved Lazarus. He loved them all equally. They were so different. Even though Martha had spoken such words to the Lord, he loved them all equally. How wonderful, tender, gracious, and forgiving the Lord is! Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote, They show us that we must make large allowances for natural temperament, informing our estimate of individual Christians. We must not expect all of God's children to be exactly the same. That's a good observation. We are all different, and we should not expect to be the same. Some are like Thomas. more despondent and pessimistic, gloomy, and depressed more easily. They see the glass half-empty. Where there are others who are more joyful, they see the glass half full. It's not half empty. like this salesman I read about long ago, sent from the United States across the border into Mexico in the days when they wore sandals down there. And he was a shoe salesman. And he came back very disappointed and said to his boss, But you know, no one wears shoes there. It's a waste of time trying to sell shoes in a place where no one wears shoes. He saw the glass only half empty. But his boss was more enthusiastic. He saw it half-full. But we can sell them our shoes. If they can be persuaded to buy our shoes, we're going to make loads of money.

And so there are two ways of looking at things, aren't there? There are those who look at things in a very gloomy, pessimistic way. What's the point? There's no use. But there are those who see opportunities and who can look on the bright side. There's a story told of Alexander White, who was a Scottish preacher of the 19th century. And he always began his prayers with an expression of gratitude. So one day, it was a very cold, rainy, and miserable day when his congregation came to church. And so they were wondering, What is he going to say now? So he got up on the pulpit, and he prayed. We thank thee, oh Lord, that it is not always like this. He looked on the bright side of things. Yes, it's miserable, but it's not always like this. So Jesus was going to show Thomas. His power is miserable, but it's not always like this. So Jesus was going to show Thomas. His power and glory. And that day, he would believe. The Lord said He was going to do this, that you might believe. In verse 25, He utters those majestic words to Martha. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” (John 11:25). What did the Lord mean? by these words. What did he mean when he said, I am the resurrection? Did he just mean that he can raise the dead? If that's all it meant, then he was no different from the prophets.

Elijah, raised from the dead, is the son of the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17, verses 20–24. But Elijah was taken to heaven, so he should not see death. Otherwise, he would have naturally died. Elisha raised the Shunammite woman's son to life in 2 Kings chapter 4, verses 32–37. And then, after Elisha died, his bones raised the dead man to life in 2 Kings 13, verse 21. These are the three occasions of resurrection in the Old Testament. But when death came to Elisha in 2 Kings 13, we read this in verse 14. Now Elisha had fallen sick of his sickness, and he died. So Elisha was given the power—the power to raise the dead. And yet, when death came to him, he had no power at all. He died. Was the Lord any different from the prophets Elijah and Elisha? When he said, I am the resurrection, did he just mean I can raise the dead? But if death comes to me, I'll have no power. No, that's not the meaning. The meaning is this: when the Lord said, I'm the resurrection, he was saying he's the Lord and master of death. He has all the power and control over death. That's why he said this. “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:18). In Revelation 1, 18, he says, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:18).

The Lord Jesus, said, No man taketh it from me. No one could take his life. And even when he laid down his life in death and was a dead corpse in that tomb for three days, he raised himself from the dead. Never in human history since Adam sinned and brought death into this world could a dead corpse raise itself from the dead. Those who are dead had to have someone raise them from the dead, but here was one who was Lord and master over death itself. I am the resurrection. raised himself from the dead. Majestic and awesome words were uttered by the Son of God, and he showed his deity by raising Lazarus from the dead. What did he mean by I am the resurrection and the life? The Greek word used here knows two meanings, one meaning the manner of life, and this is a word meaning life itself, existence, which he alone possesses and is the very source of life itself. not that he just possesses life; he's the very source of it. John 1 verses 3 and 4 make it clear: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:3-4). He's the source of all living things in creation. He's the very source of life and eternal life itself. All who were raised from the dead, including Lazarus, died again. But when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, He rose to live in the power of an endless life, never to die again. What a glory those apostles saw that day!! Thomas QuestionNow we go to Thomas's question briefly. John chapter 14, verses four to six, point number four. John chapter 14, verses four to six, says, “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:4-6). The apostles were very depressed and troubled, for the Lord had kept saying he's going away. A number of times, he said that. He spoke of dying. been put to death and is rising again. He told Peter that Peter would deny him three times. He told them there was a traitor among them. And the other gospels also tell us that he told them they would forsake him. They were very troubled and depressed when they heard these words. They didn't understand. They had all the information in front of them, but they couldn't put it all together. They all knew about the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 that we read about. They knew about the Psalms that spoke of the resurrection.

In Psalm 16, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy foes the footstool of thy feet. They just couldn't put it all together in their minds. and understand that Christ had to come and die first before he established his kingdom at his second coming. In Thomas' mind, he could not get beyond the thought that Jesus is the promised Messiah who's going to come and reign, and all Israel will be gathered to him in his earthly kingdom. His thoughts were not in heaven but only on earth. He couldn't understand what the Lord was saying—that He's going back to the Father. He couldn't understand why he was going back. What's he saying about going back? Going somewhere. All the time, their minds were focused on the fact that He was going to manifest Himself to Israel as their Messiah, as their King in power and glory. after the resurrection, death, and resurrection of the Lord, and after the Holy Spirit came, when the Lord was ascended, then everything was put together in their minds. They understood it all fully.

They didn't understand at this point; the Lord didn't need them to see a physical manifestation of the Father next to the Son. They didn't need the son to point out the way he was going. They needed to realise that they were looking at the Father himself when they looked at the Son. They needed to realise this. He's the very embodiment of the way, the truth, and the life. He doesn't just show the way, speak the truth, or give life. He's the very embodiment of it. It is said in the Garden of Eden that there was no way. Adam was in perfect communion with God and Eve. But when they sinned, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, and they needed to find a way back to God. Like Cain, who went away from the presence of the Lord, all of us, like sheep, have gone astray. We have gone each other's way, as Isaiah 53 tells us. But we need a way back to God. And the Lord Jesus is that way.

Now, once again, Thomas would find no place on earth. that would be home for him. He wanted to be with the Lord, wherever the Lord is. And that's why we learn another positive thing from his statement here. Though he didn't understand, one thing we do learn is that he wanted to be with the Lord. Wherever the Lord is, I want to be there. Same with Peter, who would say in John 13, 36, “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” (John 13:36). They wanted to be with the Lord. I'm reminded of a hymn that we used to sing in my Sunday school days. The world is not my home. I'm just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore. The chorus says, Oh Lord, you know, I have no friend like you. If heaven's not my home, then, Lord, what will I do? The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore." That was the attitude of Thomas. Wherever the Lord is, I want to be there. I will never be happy in this world without being with the Lord. Doubting Thomas BelievesPoint number five, and with this, we close. doubting what Thomas believes. This is the most famous part of Thomas's life that everybody remembers: doubting Thomas. John chapter 20 verses 24–29. “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29). Now John, in his gospel, presents faith developing in the different individuals he writes about. Like the Samaritan woman of chapter 4, step by step, stage by stage, she realises the Lord is more than a Jew, greater than Jacob, and finally she says, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29). She realises he's the Messiah, step by step. Nicodemus, too, was told of his progress. He first came to the Lord by night, and then he defended the Lord in the sanhedron. Then finally, he came out in the open when he prepared for the Lord's burial. The blind man of chapter 9 as well, the Lord healed him and then disappeared for a moment into the crowds, and the blind man didn't know where he was and didn't know much about who he was until he was thrown out of the temple, and then he came to realise he was the son of God. And he says, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him? Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talks with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. We read in John chapter 9, verses 36–38. And so, step by step, John shows faith developing. And here as well with Thomas, he goes from unbelief to belief, from being faithless to having faith. Thomas a type of Jewish Tribulation RemnantThomas is a type of the Jewish remnant. In chapter 20 of John, we see the church, which has never seen Christ. Most of the members of the body of Christ have never seen him personally, apart from those, of course, who are now in heaven. But here on earth, we have not seen him, but we believed, and we're blessed. But Thomas pictures the Jewish nation, who though the apostles bore witness to them, of the resurrected Christ. and that he is their Messiah, they refuse to believe. And to this day, as a whole, the nation refuses to believe. One day they'll go through the tribulation for seven years, of which the last three and a half will be the time of Jacob's trouble. The great tribulation.

Many will die, but there'll be a remnant who'll be saved by God. One-third of them, in fact, as Zechariah tells us, will come out of the tribulation, and they'll... Like Thomas, they'll look at his pierced hands. Zechariah 12.10 tells us, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10). And so we see that Thomas pictures the nation, which will not believe unless they see signs. That's what the Lord Jesus said, didn't he? They will not believe unless they see signs. In John 4, 48, Jesus told the nobleman, “… Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” (John 4:48). And the nation is like that, blinded, with a veil over their eyes. Just like Thomas, I will not believe.

But one day, there's going to be a remnant. who will accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, as the Son of God, as their King. They're going to say, My Lord and my God, just like Thomas, when they see his pierced hands, feet, and sides. What did Thomas miss that day? And here's the practical lesson for us: He missed one Lord's Day gathering, the first Sunday, the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together and the Lord was in their midst. What a beautiful picture of what will take place in the days to come when the church is formed, of assemblies of people around the world gathered around the person of the Lord Jesus! But Thomas was absent. He missed the words of Jesus through Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was told to say these things to the apostles in John 20:17–18. “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.” (John 20:17-18).

And so he missed hearing the words of the Lord's glorious ascension to the right hand of the Father that was going to take place. He missed the most glorious words about the Lord Jesus Christ, His Majesty, and His authority. He missed the fellowship of the disciples, for the disciples were gathered together. He missed twice hearing the words of the Lord when he spoke comfort to them. In verses 19 and 21, twice, the Lord said, Peace be unto you. They were fearful. The doors were locked. They thought they were going to be next after the Lord was crucified. But the Lord spoke peace, a word in season to him that is weary. He missed out on the great gladness and joy they had in that gathering. He missed out on the Lord breathing upon them and saying, Receive the Holy Spirit. He missed out on speaking, hearing the Lord's speaking of the authority he would give them about the remission of sins. Thomas still received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but one day he would regret missing out on the rest of his life because of his faithlessness.

What a lesson for us! When we gather in the assembly around the person of the Lord Jesus, we can miss so much when we are not there in the gatherings of the Lord's people. We're told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as some are. Hebrews 10.25. We can miss the words of ministry. concerning the Lord that uplifts our souls. We can miss the fellowship of other believers. We can miss the peace and words of comfort the Lord would have to give us. We can miss hearing wonderful things about the Lord Jesus Christ. I miss the joy and gladness that we can have. You know, when I was first saved, and some years later, when I was baptised as a young man, I was received into fellowship. But then I did a foolish thing. The second Lord's Day, I didn't go; I stayed at home. We all do silly things in our lives, and that was one foolish thing I did many, many years ago. I'm telling you this: I was so miserable and so convicted by the Holy Spirit. I was most unhappy that Sunday morning when I knew the Lord's people were gathered in the hall remembering the Lord, and there I was at home, and I did not do it again. I don't know how anyone can miss being together with the Lord's people. I cannot understand how anyone would forsake the assembly and just go where they want.

They just come Sunday morning; don't go to any other meeting, and don't feel bad about it. I tell you this: when you have the Holy Spirit in you, you feel terrible when you're not where you should be. The other disciples try to persuade him. In verse 25, the word said unto him is in the imperfect tense, meaning they kept on saying, one after another, We've seen him alive. I saw him. We've seen him. But again and again, he would say, No, no, no. He said, I won't believe. I will not believe," he said again and again. That's the idea behind it. It wasn't just once; no, I can't believe it. He kept being stubborn about his attitude. That's why the Lord rebuked him and said, Be not faithless, but believe."" Thomas was true to his character; he was; he was so focused on the gloominess of the death of Christ that he could see no resurrection, no hope. All was dark, depressing, and hopeless. He was so much like many of us. He wanted to see with his eyes, except I see, he said. Well, the Lord appeared to him in verses 26–27. Credit to him, he turned up the next Lord's Day, the first day of the week, on that Sunday. And this time, when the Lord spoke to him, we didn't mention the doors being shut for fear of the Jews, but the doors were closed. And emphasizes the omnipotence of the Lord. He passed through the doors and appeared in their midst. Then we see the omnipresence of the Lord, the very words that Thomas uttered about seeing the print of the nails and putting my hand on his side—exactly those same words the Lord utters to him to show that when he was saying that to the Apostles, the Lord Jesus as God was omnipresent listening to everything he said. What a display of the deity of Christ, omnipotence, and omnipresence!!

He appeared in their midst and rebuked Thomas. And Thomas uttered those majestic words, my Lord and my God. He was literally saying, in Greek, the Lord of me, the God of me. It's only mentioned in John's Gospel because John's Gospel was designed to show the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He begins by saying in John chapter 1 verse 1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And here, at the end of the gospel, Thomas declares Jesus as my Lord and my God. And so, we could say much more about Thomas. He's mentioned again in Chapter 21 and again in Acts, Chapter 1. But how wonderful! Despite all he was, the Lord made him a mighty apostle and preacher of the gospel, bringing the gospel to India many thousands of years ago. May the Lord bless this study for us. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Thomas appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 30th March, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptWe're going to look at the life of Andrew the apostle. Three times, he is seen bringing people to the Lord Jesus. He brings his own brother, Simon. He brings a little lad with his five loaves and two fishes. Then he brings some Greeks to the Lord. And we're going to see how Andrew is such an example for us—a zealous person, a soul winner. Bringing others to the Lord Jesus.
Andrew Brings PeterLet's think of the occasion when he brought Peter to Jesus, or Simon; he was called Peter afterwards by Jesus. John chapter one, verses 35 to 42. “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:35-42) . We see that Andrew was already saved through the ministry of John the Baptist when we were introduced to him, and he was no doubt baptized too by John's baptism. This is the third day. On the first day, the Lord Jesus was proclaimed by John the Baptist. On the second day, he was pointed out; behold, the Lamb of God. And on the third day, he was followed. And we read that the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. The greatness of John's fruitfulness is seen, as pointed out by other commentators, in these two phrases. It says, they heard him, that's John, they heard him and they followed Jesus.

You know that's the primary object of every evangelist, soul winner, pastor, teacher, deacon, and elder of all of us—that when people hear us, the result should be that they follow Jesus. Not follow us. Not follow some leader, church, or preacher. They hear us, and they follow the Lord Jesus. Andrew dwelt with Jesus. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon our time. Having pointed out to Andrew and John, the Lamb of God, as he walked, from that very moment onwards, John's congregation diminished, and his disciples diminished in number by two. And this was his great joy. that he would decrease. but Christ would increase, and all his disciples would start following the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus did not ask them, whom seek ye? Who are you seeking? But he said, What seek ye? He was asking, What are they looking for in him? What are they seeking in him? They called him Rabbi, and they knew him as the Messiah, but their knowledge would gradually increase.

As W.E. Vine writes, He who receives Christ by faith receives him in the fullness of his person, but the perception of his excellencies, his power, and his glory is gradual. They wanted to be with him where he stayed. And it's the same word, abide, that we find later in John's writings, where John says in John 15 verse 4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4) . And so they wanted to stay with him. And that word also means more than just physically staying where he will stay, but spiritually abiding with him forever. John could write of the moment not just when he and Andrew dwelt with Jesus but when they came to know the word of God. We became flesh and dwelt among us. They dwelt within, and they came to realize he was the one who had left heaven's glory to dwell amongst mankind. John 1.14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) . So though the Lord veiled the outward glory of his deity and revealed it briefly on the Mount of Transfiguration, His moral glory could not be hid, nor could the glory of his divine attributes when he performed miracles. Andrew looked for Peter. “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” (John 1:40-41). It says he first findeth his own brother, Simon. Andrew had the joy of dwelling with Christ and was so filled with the Lord Jesus Christ that he lost no time in telling his brother Cephas. So John introduces Andrew as Peter's brother, because Peter, of course, was the more well-known of the two brothers.

Look at the word first. First. He first findeth his own brother, Simon. Peter was his priority because he loved his own brother, but his also implies being the first of many. He first brought his own brother to the Lord, but first also meant many others he would bring to the Lord. Such an urgency there is in the gospel, isn't there? He first, he made it an urgent matter to bring his brother to the Lord. This should not be the case with us in seeking to bring our brothers and sisters, parents, and loved ones who don't know the Lord, and all others too to bring them to the Lord. It says, He first findeth. Now findeth is the same word in Greek that occurs in the story of the good shepherd that Jesus told. In Luke 15 verse 4, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4) . Same word. Here is one who spent time with the good shepherd, and now he himself, as a shepherd's heart, seeks after a lost sheep. So he looked for Peter. It means to really make an effort. He hunted him down. He looked for him until he could find him, like a shepherd looking for a lost sheep. And when he found him, he would not stop until he found him and brought him to the Lord Jesus. Then it says, He first findeth his own brother, his own brother. It shows that he loved him.

You know the first two brothers in the Bible in the Old Testament were Cain and Abel, and the first two brothers in the New Testament, which are mentioned, are Peter and Andrew. It's very significant. Cain hated Abel, whereas Andrew loved his brother Simon. John would write this in chapter four, verse seven. “We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” (1 John 4:7:19-21) . A very important lesson for us as Christians, as brothers and sisters, is that we love one another. It is a dreadful thing to be found hating your fellow believers. God looks at our hearts, and he wants to see love there between brother and brother. Andrew and Simon, as I said, were the first two brothers mentioned in the New Testament. Another contrast is that the Lamb is mentioned in both stories. Abel offered the lamb that was pleasing to God and that foreshadowed the Lord Jesus Christ. Cain, of course, offered his own fruit and vegetables and these things and God rejected them. And here Andrew sees the very lamb of God himself, the Lord Jesus, the very fulfillment of the lamb that Abel offered. Simon responded to his brother Andrew, wheras with Cain, he became angry with his brother and would not offer a lamb himself, but he murdered his brother. Also, Andrew says to him, We have found the Messiah. All he did was narrate his own testimony and experiences. We have found the Messiah—five words in English, just three in the original Greek. We have found the Messiah, and that was enough to bring Peter to the Lord Jesus.

Let us learn to use a few words when explaining the gospel, not making it complicated. You don't need to make it complicated. A simple testimony of a few words is enough. Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 14 verse 19, “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” (1 Corinthians 14:19) . Let us who preach the word of God, especially Learn to be simple. so that everyone understands. Not to be verbose and full of words, but let us learn to be simple and clear. And in our personal witness, to be simple, Jonah went to Nineveh, and all he said was 40 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed. And it caused the greatest revival in the Old Testament, where a whole city of multitudes of people turned to the Lord. Yet forty days showed that there was grace offered to them by God for forty days to repent. Nineveh shall be destroyed was the judgment that was surely coming, but God was showing grace to them, and they responded to that grace. So we don't need to be very clever with words or gifted to speak. We just need to relate our experience very simply, and God will do the rest. We have found the Messiah. What a joy he must have had on the day of Pentecost to see his brother Peter preaching. and three thousand men were saved. And women and children, no doubt.

And then he would speak again, having opened the door of the kingdom of heaven to the Jews, to the Samaritans, and then to the Gentiles, and in Acts chapter 10 in the home of Cornelius. It all began with his personal witness. As Charles Spurgeon says, the sweet reward Andrew had, he won his brother's soul. In your Sunday school class, there may be an unconverted Wesley or Whitfield. Think of the power of the words. There was power in the words he used when he said, We have found the Messiah. It arrested his brother's attention and made him follow Andrew to see Jesus. There was something there when Andrew said those words.

You know, there's a story told of some gold prospectors who had gone in the gold rush to find gold with many, many thousands of others. And each one was looking for where there was gold, so they could stake out their claim and buy that pot of land. Well, they found an exceptionally rich vein of gold. And so they spoke to each other, and they said, As long as we don't tell anyone, no one will know, and we'll go and claim this area. before anyone else does. And so when they went into the town, they'd sworn not to tell a soul, kept their mouths shut, and didn't tell anyone that they had found gold. They went to buy spades, more tools, and other things like everybody else was doing to go digging for gold. But as they were leaving the town, a crowd was following them. Why? They didn't tell anyone. but it was written all over their faces. Their faces were glowing with happiness, and they could not hide that. That's what happens when we are saved and we share the gospel.

It's the power of the word of God, and they can see and hear that what we are saying is true. Charles Spurgeon used to say, When you preach about heaven, let your face light up. Let it light up with the glory of heaven. When you speak about hell, he says your everyday face will do. It tells us he brought him to Jesus. And that's the responsibility of every believer: to bring the sinner face to face with the Savior so they can hear the claims of Christ in their own soul. Andrew Brings A BoyThe second occasion is when Andrew brought a boy to Jesus, and this is found in John chapter 6, verses 8–9. “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” (John 6:8-9) . There we read, Let us first see how Andrew took notice of the lad. It's the only miracle, apart from the resurrection of the Lord, that's mentioned in every single gospel—all four gospels. In Mark, chapter 6, we read this. “He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.” (Mark 6:38) . Jesus told them to go and see what they had. The Lord Jesus is the perfect teacher. His questioning method is designed to make his disciples think for themselves. But in John's Gospel alone, we have the details of the results of the search, where Andrew spots this lad. The details are given as they are looking to see what they have. They found this boy. Andrew found this boy. Notice that this boy had his lunch with him. He had this food with him, and he brought him to Christ. If Andrew had overlooked this lad simply because he was a child, there would have been no bread or fish to multiply for the multitudes. Of course, he could, and God could rain down fruit from heaven. But he used this little boy's sacrifice as a great lesson for us.

Let us remember to take notice of children and the potential they have. Every precious soul is special to God, one who can be saved to do great things for God. We must pray for the children entrusted to our care, not just our own. Many believers seem to be just happy to see their children do well. This is not Christ-like. As long as their children go to Sunday school and as long as their children come to know the Lord, they don't care about unbelievers' children or anybody else's children. That should not be the case. It should be our great desire to win young people to the Lord. You know, we used to love a Sunday school teacher. We had much more than all the other Sunday school teachers in my youth. The reason why we loved him more than all the others and all the boys loved this Sunday school teacher in the boys class. The difference is because he used to actually visit us in our homes. Every now and then, he would come to our home. He would speak to our parents; he would ask how we were, and that personal interest he took in us we never forgot. And to this day, he's very old and very unwell, but still, all the boys who are under his care still remember him with great love and fondness.

And that's how it should be: a real interest in children. Not just teaching them like a lecturer would teach or a teacher at school would teach, but a real interest in their souls. is what God wants us to have. Andrew also took notice of what he had exactly. In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 14 and verse 17, we read “And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.” (Matthew 14:17) . In Mark's Gospel, we already read in chapter 6:38, where they say, Five and two fishes. In Luke's Gospel, we read in chapter 9, verse 13. “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.” (Luke 9:13) . But it's in John's Gospel where Andrew's observation is noticed. Andrew says little. They are little. Two small fishes, he says. He noticed they were barley loaves. He knows what kind of bread it was. Barley loaves. And Andrew also noticed the fish were small. And he says, What are they among so many? So he was observant. He observed that there was a boy. He observed how much he had or how little he had. But he displayed a lack of faith.

He said, What are they among so many? He had forgotten what God had done for their fathers in the wilderness. For forty years, God had rained manna from heaven. And here was God manifest in the flesh amongst them, the very same who had fed their fathers in the wilderness. The one who said in Psalm 132 verse 15, “I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.” (Psalms 132:15) . The very one standing in their midst, was none other than Jehovah God, who had said in Psalm 81 verse 10, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalms 81:10) . The little boy made a sacrifice that day. It was 100 percent. He gave it all to the Lord. Just like the widow who gave all to the Lord with her two mites, she gave them all. This boy gave him five loaves and two fishes. Handing them over to the Lord. Thousands were fed. God was glorified. The deity of the Lord Jesus manifested. All through a little boy's lunch. The Lord never left anyone empty or half-full. Everyone was filled, and plenty was left over. As it should be when we feed others. But it all began with a little boy's sacrifice, who gave 100% to God. God doesn't expect anything less from us. except 100 percent. What a lesson this boy teaches us! Andrew Brings GreeksThe third and final one is when Andrew brings the Greeks to Jesus. John, chapter 12, verses 19. “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.” (John 12:19) . The Pharisees were not wrong, for the verses following show how there would indeed be a huge harvest of Gentiles who would go after Christ, as indicated by these Greeks. So in verse 20, we read of John chapter 12. “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.” (John 12:20-23) .

The Greeks approached Philip. Philip was a Greek name. What we see here is this: Just as the rejection and crucifixion of the Lord draw near, Gentiles are shown seeking Christ. These Greeks must be commended. The Jews were saying, We want to see a sign. But what do the Greeks say? We want to see Jesus. We don't know whether these Greeks were regular worshippers; they were obviously regular worshippers of Jehovah; they came in for that reason, but whether they were circumcised proselytes or just God-fearing Gentiles like Cornelius of Centurion was not told. They knew that the Jews had a closer relationship to their Messiah. So they don't approach Philip directly but humbly approach him first. As I said, Philip was a Greek name; it was the name of Alexander the Great's father, Philip the second King of Macedon. Philip was from Bethsaida, Galilee. Galilee was known as the Galilee of the Gentiles. In Matthew 4 verse 15.

There were many Gentiles in that region. Philip would have known Greek well; most people did. And so they approach somebody who speaks their language. who has a name like theirs. In the matter of soul-winning, being like the people you are reaching is a great help when you know their language and culture. They approached him to not just have a view of Jesus, to have a look at Him, but to personally meet Him and speak to Him. It's been noticed by many. Jesus was visited by Gentiles from the East when he was born. At his birth, there came wise men, wise men from the East, saying, “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2) .

Now, near the end of his life here on earth, before he is crucified, before he rises again and goes to heaven, he is again visited by the Gentiles. this time Gentiles from the West. Sir, we would see Jesus, they would say. So east and west remind us of what Jesus said would be in the kingdom. In Matthew 8, verses 11 and 12, he says this. “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12) . Isaiah 16 verse 3, “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isaiah 60:3) . How wonderful and beautiful to see, pictured in the gospels, from the east and from the west, the Gentiles coming to the Lord Jesus, one day picturing the multitude of Gentiles that will come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Philip tells Andrew, He discussed the matter with Andrew before they both went to the Lord. They knew the Lord would not turn in such a way. Philip and Andrew both tell Jesus, and so we see Andrew is a missionary at home in John chapter 1. And now we can say he's like a foreign missionary in John, chapter 12. He's not just winning his brother to the Lord; he's now bringing people who are from another country to the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus' reply—we're not told he directly replied to the Greeks—is what the Lord Jesus said about being glorified. That's very important, because this is the only basis on which the Gentiles can approach him: that he was going to die for them on the cross, that by his death he was going to break down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile and bring them together into one flock, one body. And so the cross was about to come. He was under the shadow of the cross as he spoke those words. In a very short time, he was going to be lifted up to die. And he doesn't say that he was going to be the hour has come when he will be crucified, but he will be glorified. He was looking beyond the cross for the resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God. As he says in John chapters 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) . How beautiful to have Andrew always bring someone to the Lord! Just one little addition. Andrew Brings HimselfThere's one more occasion we read of Andrew speaking to the Lord. This is him bringing himself up. He was bringing others on three occasions, but very briefly in Mark 13 verses three to four, it says, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:3-4) . They asked two questions: when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? In Matthew's Gospel, they also asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3) . See, these disciples wanted to know more. The Lord spoke to all of them about what was going to happen in the temple. to the temple, but Andrew was one of the four who wanted to know more about the Lord's coming. You know prophetic truths are for those who really want to know and who have a spiritual exercise to learn. They will see the truth of all the Lord has said about His coming. He wasn't just a soul winner; his heart and soul were on the Lord Jesus himself and his coming in glory and power. What a wonderful example Andrew is to us. May the Lord bless his word. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Andrew appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 23rd March, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptToday we're going to look at the second part of our study on the Apostle Peter. We're just going to look at some outlines of his life. We looked at his faith last week, or in the last section, we looked at his faith. Today we're going to think about his failures and also about how the number three seems to mark a lot of Peter's life. He is a man of much failure, as we know, and this is an encouragement to all of us. It's not outwardly perfect people who are great leaders, but those who are marked by much failure. We see this with Moses, who first failed in Egypt when he tried to deliver his people, and he killed an Egyptian, and he had to flee for his life. And we see that Simon was named Peter by Jesus, which is indicative of what Christ will make him. And whenever he was to fail, the Lord used to refer to him by his older name, Simon. He would say Simon Simon when he wanted to warn him about something. And so the negative traits of Simon Bar-Jonah had to be dealt with by the Lord Jesus to make him into Peter. Now, the number three occurs a number of times in his life.
Eyes off the Lord JesusFirst of all, three times he took his eyes off the Lord Jesus. Our first occasion was in Luke, chapter 5, verse 8, when Jesus called him to the ministry. We read these words: “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8) . Whenever God calls someone to his work, whether it's the prophet Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, or any other man of God, the first thing they realize is their own sinfulness. Remember how Isaiah said, Woe is me, if I am undone, when he said his eyes had seen the King? And Peter, when he's in the presence of the Lord Jesus, says, I am a sinful man, O Lord. It's only such people who recognize their own unworthiness and sinfulness. These are the ones that God chooses. Not those who look at their families and say, My father was an evangelist, my grandfather was a Bible teacher, and I come from a great Christian family. Those aren't the people God uses. He uses those who are humble. look at themselves and say, I'm a sinful man, O Lord. I'm a sinful woman, O Lord. Those who see their own utter unworthiness are the ones whom God uses.

However, the mistake Peter made when he said those words was to depart from me. Go away from me; depart from me. You're thinking of self. He is indeed unworthy, there's no doubt. But like Moses, he was looking at himself. Moses said, I'm not eloquent. And he kept making excuses when God called him in Exodus chapter three. And the Lord became angry with him because he kept looking at himself and saying, I am not eloquent, and I am not this. And the Lord doesn't like that because it is an occupation with self. If we are occupied with ourselves and our own unworthiness, we will never be used by God. We will never want to be used by God. It is wrong to look at ourselves. It is good to acknowledge that we are unworthy and to know that we are unworthy. But self-occupation is not good. We need to be occupied with the Lord Jesus and see what He can do with an unworthy person. Not to think of ourselves at all. No thought of self should be there. The Lord Jesus should be everything. And that's why the Lord called him, despite his saying, Depart from me. He took his eyes off of the Lord Jesus, and he looked at himself, and he should not have done that. But he learned that the Lord still called him, despite his being an unworthy, sinful man.

The second time, he didn't look at himself. and take his eyes off of the Lord and look at himself. But the second time, he took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the storm in Matthew 14:30. We read these words, “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30) . So he took his eyes off of the Lord Jesus. While he was looking at the Lord Jesus, he could do miracles. He could do something no other human being has ever done or has ever done, which is walk on water like the Lord Jesus. So he walked on the water by faith when he looked at the Lord Jesus, but the moment he took his eyes off of the Lord Jesus and began to see the wind being boisterous, he saw the storm. He was afraid and began to sink, so he began to look at the storm. He looked at the terrible, frightening storm, and he began to sink.

How often is that true of us? In fact, it's true of every single believer. Whenever trials, troubles, and storms come in life, the first thing we do is look at the storm. We initially look to the Lord; we pray to him, but as things get worse and worse and worse, we start becoming afraid and worried, and we start looking at the storm. We start losing our faith, and we stop looking. at the Lord Jesus, and we begin to sink mentally. We begin to sink as believers. You know, like Peter, we often take our eyes off the Lord. We look at ourselves and our own unworthiness and feel we can't do anything when the Lord wants to use those who are nothing. We often look at the storm.

On the third occasion, he took his eyes off the Lord Jesus and looked at the servant. not at himself now, not at the storm, but on a third occasion, he took his eyes off the Lord and looked to another servant instead. And in this story, we see in John 21, verses 20–22, we read, “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:20-22) . The Lord had just revealed to Peter how he was going to die and when he was going to die. When he was an old man, he'd be taken, and he'd be put to death for the sake of the Lord Jesus. He was very close to John. Peter and John were often together. We see that in the book of Acts, Peter and John went to the temple to pray, and they saw that lame man in the way. Peter and John knew each other for many years when they were in the fishing business. He was concerned. What will happen to him? If I'm going to die, what will happen to him? What was the other disciple doing? We read that he was following the Lord Jesus. He had his eyes on the Lord Jesus. What about Peter? It says turning about. Then Peter turned around. From talking to the Lord and looking to the Lord, he turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved. That's John. So he took his eyes off the Lord Jesus, put his eyes on another servant, and worried about him.

You know how often we do this? How often do believers do this? How often do full-time workers do this? We're all looking at someone else's success. Oh, look how well they're doing. Look how well the Lord is blessing them. Nothing's happening for me. And why are things going wrong for me? Why is it going well for that other person? Look how prosperous that one is! Look how well they're doing. See, God doesn't want us to look at or judge other servants and start being occupied with other servants. We are all individually servants of the Lord. We are responsible to our Lord to serve Him, in whatever way the Lord has called us to do so. We're not to be occupied with other servants, and why this and why that? The Lord said, If I will, if I will, till he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? If I want him to live till I come back again, that's none of your business. What is that to thee? It's not your business. You must follow me, he said. Follow thou me. And that's important for us to remember. We must follow the Lord individually. We must keep our eyes on the Lord and follow him in the work he has given every believer to do, whatever that work is. And not to compare ourselves with other servants. Not to criticize other servants so that we feel more important than them. Or not to think that because another servant is more useful than you are, somehow God is displeased with you. Each and every one of us has a different work to do, and we're to do it faithfully to the Lord.

Let us not take our eyes off of the Lord Jesus and look at ourselves and all our unworthiness and failures, and never do anything for the Lord. Let us not take our eyes off the Lord; look at the storms and troubles we are going through and begin to sink. And let us not take our eyes off the Lord Jesus and start worrying about other servants and their ministries instead of thinking about what God has called us to do.TentsThe next occasion I want to think about the three—the number three that occurs in Peter's life—is in Luke chapter 9, where we have Peter and his three tents. Luke 9:33-35. It reads, “And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” (Luke 9:33-35) . Now Matthew, Mark, and Luke mentioned the transfiguration. Matthew mentions the lawgiver first, Moses. Mark mentions Elijah first. Elijah was the servant and prophet, in keeping with Mark's gospel, which speaks about service. Elijah is said to have Moses with him in Mark's gospel. with him. Luke's Gospel speaks of them as two men. There were two men with the Lord, in keeping with his purpose of presenting the Lord Jesus as a man amongst men. See how beautifully the Gospels are designed in the way they describe every scene. Now Moses and Elijah represented the law and the prophets, which all pointed to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. and their presence showed that God's word found its fulfillment in the Lord Jesus. And so those two men were there to show that all the Scriptures pointed to the Lord Jesus. He Himself said in Luke 24:27, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) . So those two men were representatives of the law and the prophets, Moses and all the prophets, and the prophets were represented by Elijah. how they all pointed to Christ and his sufferings on the cross. But Peter was intelligent; he knew what the Feast of Tabernacles indicated and what the message of the Feast of Tabernacles was. He knew it pointed to the Millennium and the Kingdom, and he thought right now the Lord Jesus was manifesting his glory because now he was establishing his kingdom right now on earth. And so he wanted to make booths and tents.

He was correct in his understanding, of course, because in the millennium, that feast of tabernacles will be fulfilled. But he was wrong in his timing. It wasn't going to happen there. The Lord was only showing a glimpse of his glory and his kingdom. But the mistake he made was this: He put the Lord on the same level as the prophets. And just as the people had done, not remembering his divine glory so soon after what he said in Matthew 16 that Christ is the Son of the living God, yet in the very next chapter he puts the Lord on the same level as Moses, Elijah, and the people, making a tent a tabernacle for him, when he comes in his glory, he will sit on his throne of glory as King of kings and Lord of lords, as the King of Israel. You will not be in a tent with the people. And so the same cloud that dwelt in the tabernacle now came upon the Lord Jesus, showing that He is God tabernacling in the flesh. It's the first time this glory has been seen since Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

The first time that glory cloud was seen in hundreds of years, it came upon the Lord Jesus and came upon them that day. And all three synoptic gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—record that lovely saying from heaven. This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him. Twice the father commended his son from heaven at the baptism to commend his 30 years in obscurity in Nazareth that he was his beloved son, in whom he was well pleased all those 30 years growing up in Nazareth since he was born at Bethlehem. I sojourned in Egypt, and all those years I lived in Nazareth. He was his beloved son. He was well pleased in him. And then on the mount to commend his public ministry. And so the son is God's last word to men. As Hebrews chapter 1 tells us, God has spoken to us through his son or in the person of his son in the character of one who is the son, spoken to men. So God says, Hear him; he is the prophet whom God must listen to. Just as Moses was told that a prophet would come, In Deuteronomy 18:15, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;” (Deuteronomy 18:15) . Now Peter never forgot that experience, but he wrote these words in 2 Peter 1:17–18. “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” (2 Peter 1:17-18) . For he received from God the Father honor and glory. Yes, Peter, spoke mistakenly, spoke about three tents, when really the Lord Jesus will come and sit on his throne of glory. What a memorable experience that was, and he treasured it because it confirmed the written words of scripture. Sleeping Another time we read about the number three or three times in Peter's life is Peter's sleeping three times. Twice when he shouldn't be sleeping, and in Peter's life, Peter's sleeping three times. Twice when he shouldn't be sleeping, and the third time he slept in faith. When there's self-confidence, there will always follow prayerlessness and carelessness. What we need is to watch and pray. But what need is there to watch and pray if you are as strong as Peter thought he was? He felt he could handle any situation. He had brought his sword with him. To make sure no one's going to mess around. He had his sword with him, and he was with the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. Who was going to mess with him? Luke 9.32 reminds us, “But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.” (Luke 9:32) . And so we see him sleeping. On the Mount of Transfiguration, when he should have been awake, Had he been awake, he wouldn't have suddenly been surprised, not knowing what to say and saying things he should not have said. And the father had to say to him, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him, listen to him. Peter's mistake, of course, was that he would often speak without listening.

The second time was when he was in the garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14 verses 37–38, “And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:37-38) . And so on those two occasions, we see that when Peter should have been awake, he was asleep. and the second occasion was the saddest because the Lord had asked him to stay awake with him. The Lord wanted the comfort and companionship of his apostles in the hour of his greatest distress in that garden, as he sweat as if it were great drops of blood. He wanted them with him. Couldest thou not watch one hour he pleaded with them? Yet the Lord would suffer alone in the garden of Gethsemane, separated from them about a stone's cast. wanting their prayers, wanting them to be with him. But they were sleeping. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And so carelessness follows prayerlessness. And see, we know what happened to Peter because of that.

But the third reference shows his great faith when he was sleeping in Acts chapter 12:6–7. “And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” (Acts 12:6-7) . This is quite a remarkable scene, because Peter was supposed to be executed the next day. after the Passover and after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And this was the very last minute he was rescued by the Lord. The Lord often waits until the last minute. So our faith is greatly tested, but it comes out shining as gold. The church was praying earnestly, right up to the last minute, in the house of John's mother. And there we find Peter sleeping. What would happen if we knew tomorrow we were going to be executed for our faith? We're going to be put to death with a sword. Would we not be praying? We would not be able to sleep. We'd be wanting God to give us grace so that we might die like Stephen, forgiving our enemies, and that we might be a good testimony. But Peter was so fast asleep that it says that even when the angels' glory shone in that prison, he didn't wake up. It says the angel hit him on the side. He smote Peter on the side and raised him up. And then he woke up so fast asleep that he had to be hit on the side to wake up.

What made him so peaceful? What made him sleep with such a peace that passes all understanding, hours from death? It is because the Lord had told him, as we just saw. John 21: When you're an old man, you will die, and of course that time has not yet come. Peter knew not how he would be delivered, but he knew if the Lord said he'd die as an old man, he's not going to die now, and there we see him so peacefully sleeping, resting in the word of the Lord Jesus. How wonderful to see that! The first two times he slept when he shouldn't have, but the third time he slept in faith. How wonderful an example to us when we have the word of the Lord to lean upon and the promises of God to trust in. We do not need to be fretting and worried. We can trust what the Lord has promised us.Denying the Lord The third time, of course, marks the failure of Peter when he denied the Lord. That's what he's famously known for when he denied the Lord three times. He went from saying, Of course cursing and swearing doesn't mean that he was saying bad words like people do, you know, dirty words and bad words. That's not the idea behind it. Cursing and swearing was Peter saying, if I'm not telling you the truth, that I know not this man that let myself be damned. He was pronouncing a curse on himself if he wasn't telling the truth. He was swearing an oath. I don't know this man. I'm swearing an oath before God. I don't know him. And I'll be cursed if I'm not telling the truth." Terrible words to say when he knew the Lord so well. The Lord told him not to follow. He said to him in John 13.36, “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” (John 13:36) . When he's an old man, he will die for the Lord, but not now. He cannot follow the Lord to the cross and die now. But Peter, instead of obeying the Lord, he followed. Mark 14, 54 says, “Peter followed Him afar off” (Mark 14:54) . At a distance. People sometimes say, Oh, he should not have done that. It just shows that half-heartedness. He should have followed the Lord completely. He should have been with him all the time. No, the Lord told him, you cannot follow me. You cannot follow me now. But he followed him afar off, and he got himself into danger. Now fear had made him cowardly. He was not ready for the martyrdom he boasted of; he was willing to go to prison and to death with the Lord. Backsliding was complete now. Peter now keeps company with the world. Mark 14:54. “And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the place of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.” (Mark 14:54) .

Now, when a believer starts to move away from the warm fellowship of the Lord Jesus, they start mixing more and more with unbelievers and become colder in heart, like Peter tried to warm themselves at the fires of this world. Satan got Peter exactly where he wanted him. Peter just attacked a servant of the high priest in the garden; now he's frightened and worried. Now Satan employs a woman to land a fatal blow. Matthew 26:74–75 says, “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:74-75) . His final fall was denying the Lord. He had no excuse for what he did. The Lord had warned him, but he did not listen. He spoke and spoke often without thinking or listening. And here was his downfall: And the Lord allowed it to happen—to break him completely, to break all his pride.Peters Love for the LordAnd so we see three times now that he says to the Lord Jesus that he loves him. The next three times are in John 21. In verse 15, we read these words: Peter did love the Lord and had a desire to die for Christ but he had no right to boast his love was greater than all. This is why in his restoration the Lord will ask him three times ... “ Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” (John 21:15) . You see, he had boasted of his love, his devotion, and his loyalty; though all should be offended, he said to Jesus, yet not I. He was full of self. He was full of himself, and he was better than others; he was more zealous than others, and he loved the Lord more than others. He'll go to prison and to death. And instead of that, he denied the Lord in the most horrible way. And he was brokenhearted after that experience. He needed to learn what we all need to learn. That in our flesh dwelleth no good thing. We are all capable of doing what Peter did, but only by the grace of God. Don't think that we're stronger than the devil. Don't think that Satan sifts us; we wouldn't do what Peter does. The Lord allowed Satan to sift him. Satan needed permission first. The Lord says, Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat, but I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. Sometimes, when we are full of pride, the devil will be allowed to test us and humble us. And the Lord distraught Peter and gave him the opportunity around the same kind of charcoal fire—the same word in Greek—the same kind of fire the Lord made. He sat Peter around it with the apostles and now gave him the opportunity to say three times that he loved the Lord Jesus.

Peter said three times that he loved the Lord Jesus, and the Lord restored him. The third and final time is when Peter saw a vision three times in Acts 10:15–16. “And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.” (Acts 10:15-16) . Peter failed far more than all the other apostles. Yet he will be restored to take the lead at Pentecost with the keys the Lord gave to all the apostles, but Peter would have the privilege of using those keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, preaching the gospel. Three thousand men plus women, of course, will be saved. And then another two thousand men were saved. And then he would open the door to the Samaritans. He'd be the one whom God used to open the door of the gospel to the Gentiles as well in the house of Cornelius. What a privilege God gave to one who failed so much to open the door of the gospel for the salvation of so many! And that vision that prepared him took away all his prejudice towards Gentiles, showing him that he was no different from them. All of us are saved by the grace of God alone. The gospel wasn't just for the Jews; the gospel was for the whole world. And God taught him that with that vision three times of those unclean animals in that great sheet.

And so we've had a brief look at Peter's life. In Part one we saw his faith. Part two: we've seen more of his failures, but what a lesson it has for us today. May the Lord bless his word. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Peter – Part 3 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 1st March, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptWe begin a study on the lives of the apostles. Today, we're going to look at the first one. Now he's called the first in the Bible, and that's Peter the apostle. We could take many, many weeks looking at him. Once I did a study at one assembly, and it took me more than 25 meetings to cover all the different occasions he is mentioned. So Peter, there's more written about Peter than any other apostle. But in this study, we'd like to be brief, and in two parts, what we'll do is just look at his character and some positive aspects of his character that we can learn from, and in the next message, we'll look at some of his failures that we need to learn from. Now we know more about him than any other apostle.
1. Peters SalvationLet us begin with his salvation. We read in John chapter 1 verse 44, “Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” (John 1:44) . So Peter was born in Bethsaida, which is by the shore of Galilee, and further up north of that city is the much bigger city of Capernaum. So later on, as a family, they moved there. We read they went to Capernaum in Mark, chapter 1, and verse 29 of Mark. “And they went into Capernaum …. they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.” (Mark 1:21, 29) . And so his father's name was Jonah; we're not told much about him. We're told he moved there with his wife, and he was a married man, and her mother was living with them; they were looking after her. And also, his brother Andrew also lived with them. Later on, Jesus went to live in Capernaum when he was rejected at Nazareth. So he became a believer when Andrew, his brother, introduced him to the Lord Jesus in John Chapter 1. And Jesus added a new name to him and called him Peter, meaning a stone. So he was Simon, and now he was called Simon Peter or Peter. Three Ways a Sinner comes to the SaviourIn that passage where we are told where Simon came to the Lord Jesus, where he was saved, we learn that there are three different ways that sinners come to the Saviour, three different ways God brings people to the Lord Jesus. We read in John chapter 1, verses 35 and 36, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:35-36) . So the two who were saved. Andrew and John were saved through listening to a preacher. They listened to John the Baptist. They were baptized. They were disciples of John the Baptist. And then they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ when John the Baptist pointed to Christ and said, Behold the Lamb of God. And so many are saved that way. That is God's preeminent way of bringing sinners to Christ: through the preaching of the gospel by a herald, by an evangelist.

The second way is through personal witness. Of course many are saved this way, and we learn how Andrew brought Peter to the Lord Jesus, and we learn that Philip in that same chapter. I'll just read the verse in John chapter 1, verses 40 to 42, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:40-42) . And so brother brought brother to the Lord. And many have been saved that way through a family member, through parents teaching their children, or through a brother or sister. witnessing to others or through believers just witnessing to neighbours and witnessing to friends at work and children who are believers witnessing to a school, other students at school. So many are brought to the Lord through personal witness.

Then there are also those who are directly saved by the Lord. Philip was one of them in that same chapter we read. “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” (John 1:43-44) . Then later on, we read how Philip went to speak to Nathanael. There are people who are directly saved by the Lord. Saul of Tarsus, who became the apostle Paul, was directly saved by the Lord speaking to him. And Philip was directly saved. There are many people who are saved; many become believers by reading the Bible. Nobody speaks to them; God directly speaks to them through the scriptures and their words. A FishermanSo Peter was saved through personal witness; as we know, they were fishermen. We read in Matthew 4.18, “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.” (Matthew 4:18) . But we also read that they were partners. In Luke 5 verse 10, “And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” (Luke 5:10) . So their fishermen, the two brothers, Peter and Andrew, or Simon and Andrew at that time, were partners with James and John, who were brothers, and their father Zebedee. What we learn is that when the Lord calls them, He will use the skills they have in their former occupation in their new occupation as servants of God. So he says to them, I will make you fishers of men. You'll catch men. And this is very significant: when we become believers and when we are serving the Lord, and those who are called to full-time service and work, God uses the skills they had from their previous occupation to use in their new occupation for Him. Mending Nets and Mending the SaintsAnd we see this in the scriptures; those fishing terms often occur. Peter uses the same word as mending the nets in his epistles. In Matthew 4:21, we read that, “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.” (Matthew 4:21) . So that's another occasion where the Lord calls James and John to himself to be fishers of men, and we see the different things they were doing, and it's very significant that they were mending their nets. They were mending their nets because the nets have to be mended. When the fish are caught, sometimes it tears and breaks, and if they don't mend them, the fish will escape, and so they were mending their nets. And the Greek word is translated as establish in Peter's own epistle. He says that, he prays that, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1Peter 5:10) . Paul uses it in Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 10: He says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Corinthians 1:10) . mended together like a net, like a net that's not broken, in the same mind. 1 Corinthians, 1 verse 10. And so you see these words from fishing reoccur in the epistles. Once, they were busy mending nets. Now they must be mending the saints, making sure that they are peacemakers, and making sure the unity believers have is not broken. And if there is some rift, if there is some quarrel and problems, to mend those nets and bring believers together. So you see how they would use their skills as fishermen in spiritual work. Toiling All NightWe also read that they toiled all night to catch fish. They toiled all night to catch fish, and that same hard work they would bring into winning souls for the Lord. Paul could say this: “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:31) . “Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:” (2Thessalonians 3:8) . So the apostle Paul, like the other apostles, worked hard for the Lord night and day. Paul in a new place would not take money from the converts, lest anyone say he's making converts to make money out of them. He would work in the tent-making business so that no one would need to support him. Rather, he would support those who were with him and himself, and that meant toiling night and day. Paul could say, “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;” (2Timothy 1:3) . God doesn't call lazy men and women to his work. He calls those who are active in their secular employment. and they're faithful in that secular employment, and God saves them and expects them to put into the Lord's work the same kind of dedication, even more hard work. And the Lord expects us to give our best to him. Washing the NetsWe also learned they were washing their nets. And we're reminded of how we need to be cleansed. Paul says, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2Timothy 2:21) . So in Christian life, the washing of nets has to be there; impurities and things have to be removed for the net to be effective. Counting the FishAnd also counting fish. John 21, verse 11. “Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.” (John 21:11) . Now fishermen counted their fish; that was the normal and natural thing to do because they would sell them, and the great fish would fetch more money than the small fish. Not only must shepherds count the fish—not sort of shepherds—but fishermen count the fish because they're valuable. Fish were valuable. It was their money. It was their work. That's why they counted them, so they could sell them. Souls are valuable. Sinners are like fish that need to be caught. Everyone is a precious soul. Everyone is a great fish that needs to be caught. But once they're caught and saved, they need to be counted as sheep.

The Lord Jesus had not only told him to bring the fish, but he also said this to him in John 21:15. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15) . Then twice again, the Lord tells him, Ask him the question, Lovest thou me? And ask him to feed my sheep. So a believer, Peter was to be an evangelist, Peter was to fish men for Christ, and every soul was valuable, but also Peter was to be an elder, a shepherd. These were precious sheep. These are God's people who need to be cared for and loved by a shepherd. You see, Peter was to be a fisherman, and he was to be a shepherd spiritually. A spiritual fisherman and a spiritual shepherd, and that is a lesson for us as well. Sinners are precious to God. We need to catch them for the Lord by sharing and preaching the gospel. And when they're saved, they need to be nurtured and cared for like sheep. So the skills he had were put to use in his ministry for the Lord. And that's the same with all the other apostles as well, as we shall learn.2. Peters SacrificeSecondly, Peter's sacrifice. Peter was saved when Andrew introduced him to the Lord Jesus. But a day came when the Lord would call him. The Lord would call him to abandon everything, to leave everything behind, and to follow him in full-time work as an apostle. And this happened in Luke 5 when the miracle took place, when Peter caught all the fish and the net broke. And we read in Luke 5:11 that “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.” (Luke 5:11) . Peter had shown his willingness that day to obey everything the Lord commanded him. “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5) , even though it made no sense to him.

And of course, there was an abundant catch that day. “And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.” (Luke 5:6) . This was a great day of sacrifice for Peter. They had the biggest catch ever. They could have been very rich, very wealthy from the money made from the fish. On the most successful day, because of Jesus' miracle, when they could have been wealthy and done well, they left it all behind. Everything was sacrificed for the Lord Jesus. That's what God is looking for today. He's looking for men and women who will give 100% to Him in their lives. The Lord wants 100% of us. He doesn't expect us like Peter to leave our jobs and all become full-time, of course not. But he expects 100% from us. He expects sacrifice from us. Willingness to sacrifice. Sacrifice is blood red on the altar. That's what sacrifice means. Blood, pain, and suffering. Difficulties. God expects us to sacrifice. for him when he calls, to give of what we have for him. Give until it hurts. That's what sacrifice is. Peter gave up everything to follow the Lord. 3. Peters Character Thirdly, Peter's character. In the list of the apostles found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Simon Peter is mentioned first. In Matthew's Gospel, chapters 1 and 4, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” (Matthew 10:1-4) . Matthew groups them together in pairs. speaking of the fellowship they'd have together as they served the Lord. We read that the scripture calls him the first because he was a leader. He was a natural leader. whom the others would follow. James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. So those two brothers are put together. Philip and Bartholomew are put together. Thomas and Matthew, the publican, they are put together. That's why some people think maybe Thomas was a twin brother of Matthew. No one knows who his twin is, but that's just a suggestion. So Matthew's list of apostles puts Simon and Andrew at the beginning and links them in pairs 2-2-2 to show the fellowship they were to have as they served the Lord.

But Mark's list is different. They are shown individually in Mark chapter 3, verses 14–19. “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.” (Mark 3:14-19) . You see the difference there? Mark is the gospel of God's perfect servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of service, and the gospel of God's servants. and here their mention individually. Simon, James, and John. John and James, and Andrew, Philip, and Bartholomew—they're all individually responsible to their master; they're individually servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. So putting the two together is important. We need the fellowship of other believers to work together as a team, but we also realise we're each and everyone answerable to our Master, to our Lord Jesus Christ. Their YouthYou'll learn that you'll notice all of them are called young. They had their lives before then. Sometimes God does choose those in old age. There's no doubt about serving him. But we should give God the best years of our lives. If you do that, you'll never regret a single day, month, or year that was spent doing something for the Lord. In God's service, in the assembly, and in all the activities, you'll never regret it if you give the best years of your life to the Lord. Their Temperaments and CharacterWe learned that their temperaments are all different. No two were the same character. Peter was a strong-headed and forward-thinking leader. John and James were called the sons of thunder because of their temper. But John would later become the apostle of love. Thomas, the famous doubter, and many other lessons we can learn from the differences in the apostles. They're just like us today, as believers. Every one of us is different. God's people are unique, but we're also a variety. No two are the same. but we're to work together as a body, as the scripture teaches.Natural LeaderSo, as I said, Peter was a natural leader, bold and courageous, and willing to do things that others would hesitate to do. When he spoke, others followed. For example, in John 21 verse 3, “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3). You see, when Peter said something, the others followed. They were just sitting around, but Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” You know, people discuss: was it right for them to go fishing or not? They were told to wait for the Lord. We're not going to go into that. But there is a positive thing there. When people in the church complain about always going nowhere, they're waiting for somebody else to do something. Someone else should get up and go. We need leaders who, like Peter will say, I'm going fishing for men. Others will say I'm following. I'm going to do this for the Lord, and others will follow. Oftentimes, believers just keep looking at each other. We need someone to get up and do what the Lord wants us to do, not wait for someone else to do it. Peter was a natural leader, and we need leaders, and we can ask God to raise them up. Not people who make themselves leaders, people who are lords over God's heritage, who go around thinking they're the boss. That's not the kind of leader God wants. We want a leader God raises up. First to SpeakNow, Peter was often the first to speak. We read in Matthew 16:22, “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:22-23). He rebuked the Lord when the Lord spoke of his suffering. He thought he knew better than the Lord, and he allowed Satan to put wicked thoughts into his heart, which he uttered to the Lord, seeking to prevent the work of Calvary's cross from taking place. And this was a failure with him and with his speech. He spoke without thinking, as we know. When we believe that we're smarter than God and do not feel our own weakness, foolishness, and need for dependence on the Lord, we're heading for a fall. We learn also, Peter said, “Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” (Luke 18:28-30).

Peter was the first to speak. Lord, we've left them all. He was a spokesman on behalf of others. “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matthew 26:33). And of course, that boasting would lead to his fall because he thought he loved the Lord more than others. That's why the Lord would question him. Lovest thou me more than these? After he fell and denied the Lord, and after the Lord rose from the dead, restored him, and asked him three times, Do you love me? He first of all asked him, Do you love me more than these? So Peter was always boasting. Peter was first to speak. We read this in Mark “But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” (Mark 14:31). And what happened when Peter spoke? The rest of them spoke as well. Likewise also said they all. You see, when Peter spoke, he either spoke on behalf of the other apostles, or when he spoke, they also followed and spoke the same as well. First to Ask QuestionsAnd when the Lord was washing their feet, he was the one who complained. “Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” (John 13:6). As you can see, Peter was always the first to speak. We can look at other examples, but for sake of time, you can see from these few verses that he was always the first to jump in and ask questions, to complain, or to even rebuke. Peter was also the first to jump into the sea and walk on the water to the Lord. And as we know, he looked around at the storm, began to fear, and began to sink, and the Lord rescued him. First to Jump into the SeaBut you know he had a faith that the others didn't have. “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” (Matthew 14:28-29). He actually walked on the water by faith. He did the impossible by faith. And that's a great lesson for us. God is the God of the impossible. He wants us to venture out in faith to do things that are impossible in the eyes of men but possible through God. You notice that when he jumped into the sea, none of the others followed. He had much more faith than them that he could walk on the water. See what a leader he was—a desire to do great things—which is what they were going to learn to do when God sent them out. After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and his ascension to heaven, he would send them out into the world, and they would do great things for God because the Lord had trained them for those three years.

William Carey was in a meeting at the Baptist Association in Nottingham, England, on May 30th, 1792, where he uttered those famous words, which are often repeated: Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. That's what Peter teaches us: attempt great things for God. And he did that; he was a leader. We also read in John 21 verse 7 “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” (John 21:7). Again, he jumps into the water. So the second time we see him, he's the first to jump into the sea. First to FightHe's also the first to fight. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we read, “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’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?” (John 18:10-11) . He wanted to defend his lord against these evil men and swung his sword to kill. But he was a fisherman and not a soldier, and thankfully he missed cutting off Malchus' head. And the Lord, in grace, overruled the rashness of Peter and healed Malchus' ear. Peter again, not now by lith as before, but by deed, was trying to hinder the greatest work God was going to do at the cross of Calvary. Christ would die for sinners, and nothing should be allowed to hinder that. The Lord rebuked him and told him to put his sword away. He had come to drink that cup, and he would drink it at the cross. But he was the first to fight and defend his Lord.

First to RunHe was also the first to run after the resurrection. John chapter 20 verse 3 “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.” (John 20:3-4) . He ran when he heard the news that the tomb was empty and that the women said Jesus had risen from the dead. He took the lead. When he ran, John ran as well. You see how he was a leader. He would be the first to speak, the first to jump into the sea, the first to fight, and the first to run. He was a natural leader. Now, not all of us are leaders. But we all, as believers, need to get up and do something and not wait for others to do it. That's what his example teaches us.

He made mistakes. He made a lot of mistakes. With his mouth, he said things he shouldn't say. and he did things with his hands that he shouldn't have done with his sword, but he learned his lesson. He also denied the Lord, as we know, which we'll learn next week. Let us learn from his example. Not wait for someone else to do something that needs to be done in our assembly; get up and do it yourself; take the initiative; do something for God; and look around for others to do it. That's an important lesson for us to learn. Now may the Lord bless his word, and next week or next meeting, shall I say next session, we shall look at Peter's failures.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Peter – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Nitish Patel
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Feb, 2024)
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Sermon TranscriptWe're beginning a series on the study of the lives of the apostles. We're going to begin with Peter. And we're going to look at his life in two parts. Just very briefly, because Peter has more written about him than any other apostle. And if we're to do a study just on his life, it will take many, many meetings to cover that. So what we're just going to do over the next two sessions on the life of Peter is, first of all, look at his faith, his personality, and his character. In the second part, we will look at his failures and how the Lord restored him.

Our reading is to begin with. One of our many readings is Matthew 4, verses 18–19. 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:18–19 (KJV)Peters SalvationFirstly, we'll look at Peter's salvation. Simon, as he was born, was born in the small town of Bethsaida, which is on the north side of Galilee.“Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” (John 1:44)His name was Jonah, or Simon, son of Jonas, while Jonah is what he's called. So his father's name was Jonah. And at some point, Peter, his wife, his brother Andrew, and his mother-in-law moved to the bigger town of Capernaum, where Jesus would come to live after he was rejected at Nazareth. He became a believer when Andrew, his brother, introduced him to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:41-42)Simon and Andrew, his brother, were both fishermen. And Matthew 4:18 tells us, as we read, that they were partners; they were fishermen. And they were partners, we're told in Luke 5:10, with James and John, the sons of Zebedee, so these four, these two brothers, were friends with these other two brothers, James and John, and knew each other very well. We're good friends and business partners, and became partners as apostles in the work of the gospel. So that was his salvation. We're told it was through his brother Andrew, who came to meet the Lord Jesus and believe on him.Peters SacrificeSecondly, we know about him. What we know about him is his sacrifice. “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed him.” (Luke 5:11). On that miracle, during that miracle that Jesus did when he gave them a great catch of fish, we read, “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5). He showed his willingness to obey all that the Lord Jesus told him, even though the Lord Jesus was a carpenter, not a fisherman. Peter was the experienced fisherman, but he bowed to the authority of the Lord, and there was such an abundant catch of fish that day.

We read, It came to pass also on another Sabbath. Sorry, I've got the wrong reference. It came to pass, we read. There was such an abundance of fish caught that day. Luke Chapter Five tells us that they forsook everything and left all. The most successful day, the most money they could have made from so much fish, and yet everything was left behind for the Lord Jesus. The Lord never called lazy men to his work. And the Lord calls those who are willing to sacrifice everything for Him. God wants 100%; He expects nothing less than 100% from our lives. Peter gave the Lord 100%; he left everything behind. He forsook all and followed the Lord Jesus.Peters LeadershipWe see that the main thing we learn about Peters is leadership. He's called the first by the scripture. In all the lists of the apostles, Simon Peter is named first. For example, in Matthew 10, verse 2, Now the names of the 12 apostles are these: The first Simon who is called Peter. So scripture causing the first, he's always put first, because he was a natural leader. We read in Mark's gospel. In Matthew's gospel, they group together as brothers or as companions; we read the first Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee; and John, his brother. So in Matthew, the apostles are grouped together in twos.

But in Mark's gospel, when they're listed, they're separated by the word and. “And he ordained twelve... And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:” (Mark 3:14-17). So what we learned is this: Matthew shows fellowship—two together, working together. Later on, Jesus would send his disciples to buy two. But Mark, which of the gospels of God and the gospel of service shows them individually. He chose this one, and that, and that, and he chose twelve, showing that each servant is responsible to the Lord alone. So both are important. We need the fellowship of other servants who serve the Lord, but each one is answerable to his master. But in all the lists in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Simon is the first because he was a natural leader. He was bold; he was courageous.

He was willing to do things others would hesitate to do. When he spoke, others followed: “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3). So whenever Simeon said something, the others followed him. People often complain in their churches and assemblies that it's going nowhere. Maybe they're waiting for somebody to get up and say, I'm going fishing for men. And the rest will follow. We need leaders. We need those raised up of God, not more to make themselves lords over God's people, but genuine leaders raised up of God who, by their example and by their courage, boldness, and vision, lead the church forward. They are zealous to do things for God, zealous to take others along and motivate them. We need such leaders, and God alone can raise them up when we pray for them. First to SpeakPeter was the first to speak. We read in Matthew 16 how he repeated the Lord Jesus when the Lord said He was going to suffer and die.“Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:22-23). So here were the beginnings of Peter's failure. He thought he knew better than the Lord. And he allowed Satan to have wicked thoughts in his heart, which he uttered to the Lord. You were seeking to prevent the work of Calvary's cross taking place. You know, when we start beginning to think we're smarter than God and don't feel our weakness, foolishness, and absolute need for dependence on the Lord,. First to QuestionWe're going to head for a fall like Peter did, but he was the first to ask questions and the first to speak. “Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” (Luke 18:28-30). You wanted to know What are we going to get? We have left everything to follow you. He was the one who would speak on behalf of the others.

“Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matthew 26:33). He boasted that he was more faithful to the Lord than anyone else. He loved him more than others. And that he also spoke more vehemently: “But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” (Mark 14:31) You see, when he spoke, the other spoke after him. When he said something, the others repeated what he said—that he was a leader, and others followed his lead. “Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” (John 13:6)

So when the Lord was washing their feet in the upper room, Peter was the one to protest. “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.” (John 13:23-24). So when Jesus announced that he was going to be betrayed, who was the first to want to find out? It was Peter, “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” (John 13:36). So he was the first to speak and the first to ask, often times saying things he should not say.First to JumpBut he was also the first to jump into the sea. Twice, he jumped into the sea. He walked on water. He showed a face faith that others lacked, though he wavered when he sank and the Lord rescued it. “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” (Matthew 14:28-29). You'll notice that the other disciples didn't volunteer to jump in the water, but Peter did. He had the desire to do great things for God, which is what this miracle taught them to do, not to believe all things are possible, even walking on water. And Peter wanted to do that, though when he looked at the storm, he began to waver. The Lord called him onto the water, and Peter did walk on the water for a while.

You know, before he left for India on May 30th, 1792, William Carey spoke at a Baptist Association meeting in Nottingham, England, and he encouraged them to go into missionary work and convert the heathen, and he said those words that are always quoted concerning him. He said to expect great things, attempt great things. Others say he said to expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God. Well, that's exactly what Peter wanted to do. He wanted to do great things for God. And even if the others didn't, he wanted to, and he was the first to jump into the water to walk, as well as after the resurrection. When there was the other second haul of fish, read John 21:7. “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” (John 21:7). Again, he is the first to jump into the sea before anyone else. First to FightHe was also the first to fight. “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’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?” (John 18:10-11). Peter wanted to defend his Lord against these evil men and swung his sword to kill them. He was a fisherman, not a soldier, and thankfully he missed cutting off Malcus's head, but the Lord in grace overruled what Peter did, and he healed Malcus’s ear.

Peter was actually not by words like you did before when he rebuked the Lord Jesus, but now by his deeds, he was hindering the greatest work that God was about to do at the cross of Calvary. When his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would die for sinners. Nothing was done to allow the Savior to stop that from happening. And he will rebuke Peter, his zealous disciple, mistakenly wanting to defend the Lord against these men, not realizing it was all God's plan for the Lord to be arrested and crucified. But there again, we see he's the first to fight. None of the other disciples were fighting, but he brought a sword, and he was the first to use it to attack these men. He was truly a born leader.First to RunHe was also the first to run on the resurrection morning. “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.” (John 20:3-4)
He made lots of mistakes. We know he said things he shouldn't say and even denied the Lord. But we need people like Peter today. His life is a challenge for us. He was the first to ask, the first to speak, the first to jump, the first to run, the first to fight, and the first to want to do something for God. He wanted to do great things for God. You know, oftentimes in our assembly, people sit around and things need doing and nobody does them. They all sit down and look at each other. We shouldn't just be looking at each other and hoping that somebody else does it. Get up and do it yourself.

Learn from Peter to do something; take the initiative in spiritual matters or even practical matters. Get up and do it. Don't just wait for others to do things. What an example Peter set for us of leadership! We should pray for God to raise up leaders like that. But we should also learn to get up and do things for God ourselves. Not waiting for others, not waiting to see what someone else is going to do. Just get up and, by faith, do what God has put on your heart to do. So may the Lord bless this short introduction to the life of Peter. Next time, we're going to look at his failures and how the Lord restored him. May the Lord bless His Word. Amen.The post 12 Disciples of Jesus: Peter – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Varghese Chacko
(ABC for Teens, 15th August, 2022)
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Sermon TranscriptLet's go for a case study. Ready? Same group yesterday. Okay, again, another adaptation of an old story. You don't need to worry about where this story is coming from. It's the modern version. What's the story?

Kumar was born into a Christian home. His parents had dedicated him to God even before he was born. But he had very little to do with the faith of his parents other than going to church with them when he was young. He always resented his parents for their conservative views about life. He wanted to be modern. As a teenager, he was involved in multiple relationships with girls. He enjoyed his friends having a great time. and came to believe that one-night stands and live-in relationships are great ways to have fun. It's not fun. It's great fun. One day, he told his parents that he wanted to marry a girl of another faith. His parents tried their level best to convince him otherwise. She wouldn't listen to them. At last, his parents agreed to go with him with broken hearts. However, his relationship didn't last for long. He, in fact, got involved in some violent fights in connection with his girlfriend. Soon, he started visiting brothel houses to satisfy his urges. Occasional glimpses of success he enjoyed in his professional life that convinced him that the so-called God of his parents wouldn't mind his lifestyle. How else to explain the success that he was enjoying in life? He has become a local hero in his community. No one seems to know about his secret life in the night. This is Kumar.

You got the story. Think through the story. Think about his conscience and how it is influenced. Think about his thoughts about the issue that he's facing. Think about his emotions, when he is tempted, and why. Think about the will to do and the action that he has developed, what kind of will it was, and think about his action. How it ended up Okay, we are looking at a polluted heart and how it got polluted. Are you with me? Earlier, we saw a good heart. Mr. What was the name? Vikas, what did you call him? Righteous. Wise, obedient. A heart that, how did it function? You'll see it. Now we have a polluted heart. And there are questions given here. Questions: What has influenced Kumar's conscience and thoughts? Okay. What was the emotion in Kumar's heart when he was entangled? Why was the emotion playing out in his mind? What was the will of Kumar's soul? How did he develop that kind of will for his life? What were the actions Kumar took, and what prompted him to continue this action? Describe the personality of Kumar based on his actions. Give him one name. Okay. How many of you want to be this person?

Nobody knows, but somehow we have tinges of this in us, isn't it? Won't we admit that the rebelliousness, hardheartedness, self-righteousness, peer pressure, and that influence our conscience? All of these are in us, don't you think so? You think that's why our hearts are polluted? Some of us are not able to see anyone without that terrible thing. We look at a woman. We saw that person naked. Look at a man; you see that person completely as I own that person. Where is this pollution coming from? No wonder the man of God cried out how wretched I am. There is this pollution among everyone. There is none righteous. No, not even one. All have come short of God's glory; all have sinned and come from God's glory. Everyone. But thanks to God, thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, through whom you can be saved. And I say it can be saved. You can be saved from the penalty of sin by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. That opens the door to salvation. And then you can be saved on a daily basis from the power of sin. By the way, I have a big word to say about it. I don't want to use that word. I mean, if you're worried about that word, it's sanctification. I don't want to use that word, but there is a way in which you can overcome the world.

You can overcome the pollution in your heart; there is hope. If there is any young man sitting here thinking I am a gone case. I can't be reformed. My mind works so wickedly. I can't look at a woman with purity and holiness. If that's what your heart cries. This morning. There is hope. You can be purified, provided you are willing to work in your heart. That's where you can start. If you're willing to work in your heart. You can be a changed person sometimes, and you must be thinking I might be a very bad person. I don't know. My friends may not be like this. They don't feel the way I am feeling. They don't fall like I'm falling. I'm not getting the others as distracted as I am in my thoughts, if that's what, my dear sister, you have come with in your heart. There is hope. You can change it. You can change that pollution with your heart. And that's the system God has given to you through your salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the hope with which we are here. You can be independent. You can be independent from this pollution. We will see how we go about that. Okay. What should I do?

First of all, the deep desire for change. You have to start there. If you don't have that desire, it's not going to work. You will live the way you are. Listening to the one-day, three-day, five-day, and 10-day conferences will not make any difference. If you want to change, you need that desire—a very deep desire. Deep desire to take refuge in God. You remember that the Old Testament has this concept of a city of refuge where people know that if I live the way I am and where I am, I will be killed. And hence, with my life in hand, I ran to the safe house, which is the city of refuge. And that's what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Run for your life. That's a deep desire. I want to at any cost; otherwise, my life is in danger. I can live in the place, but given the circumstances in which I am, I need to have that refuge. If you have that deep desire, be Birch. That feeling I wanted Well, that's where you start. Deep desire to submit to God. Therefore, submit to God; James will read that portion.

It's in the book of James; therefore, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When you flee to God and be in that refuge city. The devil will flee from you. Psalm 5:10, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 19:14, May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart come from where, in our four columns, where is it? Your thoughts. Be pleasing in your sight. Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer, I have a deep desire to flee and a deep desire to follow as well. You see that in 1 Timothy 6:11, but you are a man of God; flee these things. These are the things of the flesh. The things that you have in the world, flee from them and do what you pursue. righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. You have it in 2 Timothy 2:22. Peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Johnny Uncle has told you that the fellowship that you have and with the people who love the Lord who follow the Lord that works for you and pursue at any cost. I will do this every morning you wake up and tell the Lord I take refuge in that refuge city. I want to get my thoughts purified today by the Holy Spirit. I wanted to have my conscience filled with the Word of God, and I wanted to have that fellowship with people who loved me and not with the world, which hated me. Cut the connections with people who hate the Lord and who tempt you to sin. It doesn't mean that you have to go to a monastery; as Johnny Uncle has mentioned again, you live in your college, in your place of work, in your neighborhood. But if there is anybody who is tempting you in that place, you just cut that relationship off, coordinate, and move with people who will not put you to shame, so that's what you do. Deep desire for change.The post Case Study 2 | Overcome the World – Part 4 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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• Br. Varghese Chacko (ABC for Teens, 15th August, 2022)Video SermonLink to Video SermonAudio Sermon https://media.blubrry.com/cba_borivali/borivaliassembly.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/VC1.3_ABC2022.mp3DownloadIf you are facing any issues playing or downloading a sermon, please Contact UsSermon TranscriptNow, I want to show you ...

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Br. Varghese Chacko moves on to a case study about a boy Vikas and an incident in his life. This case study emphasizes the importance of a pure heart and the influence of thoughts, conscience, emotions, and will in shaping one's character and choices. The story showcases the power of faith and integrity in overcoming worldly temptations.

The post A Case Study | Overcome the World – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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In this passage, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches his disciples that true joy comes from believing the truth rather than relying on external circumstances. He encourages them to rejoice in the Lord and reminds them of the numerous instances of joy mentioned in Scripture. The disciples are urged to remember the joy they felt when they first received salvation and to find joy in the knowledge that they can share in Christ's joy through his sacrifice. The resurrection of Jesus is highlighted as a source of joy, along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The passage emphasizes that this joy is a permanent possession that cannot be taken away and encourages believers to maintain a joyful mindset by focusing on God's Word. The disciples are assured that they can ask for and receive from Jesus to have their joy fulfilled. Ultimately, they are called to remember their salvation joy, appropriate Christ's joy, and let it shine through their lives as a testimony to others.

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- Br. Varghese Chacko
(ABC for Teens, 15th August, 2022)
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Sermon TranscriptThe topic, What was the topic? I forgot that. Overcome the world. Oh my, that's a big one. First of all, you need to decide: "Why do I overcome the word? I better live in the world, right? Well, I leave those thoughts to the other speakers to decide on. The world as such, what it means to say, is a system, a system that is connected to the devil. Otherwise, we are not supposed to hate the world. God so loved what? And you're saying to overcome the world? Come on. And you live in what? world, and God is praying, and Jesus is praying that I'm not taking them, that you will take them out of the world. So Jesus wants us to live in this world. Jesus wants to love the world. So the meaning of that word world is different from what we are getting here. Okay, here it means to say, a system that is influenced by the devil. And that's what we are trying to overcome, not the planet Earth. We love the planet Earth. Okay, we should talk about global warming. I'm okay with that. That's good. We should love the people in the world. God loved the world. So we also should love the people in the world; there is nothing against the world or the nations. We are good citizens of this nation and live like good citizens, but what we are talking about today is the world, which means the system. That's all that we are trying to say here. Okay? Are you on the same page as us? Hello. Okay. All right, good.

Now what I'm going to do is, in the first session or the second session, it starts from the heart. It doesn't start with the world. It starts with our hearts. Hence, we go to the presentation. Our heart matters. It is what matters in our lives. Our heart matters. What your heart decides to overcome or not to overcome is going to decide how this is going to be. Some quotations—let me just give them to you. All right. The first one is from Aristotle. According to him, the heart is a three-chambered organ, being the seat of intelligence, motion, and sensation. In one line, we know this is not talking about the heart inside your body. It's not the physical heart that we're talking about. We are not talking about using some oil—I mean olive oil and different sets of oil—so that your heart will be strong, and we're not going into that. I'm not a medical doctor by any stretch of the imagination. So to that extent, my topic is not "How is your heart inside that nice-looking stuff? Pumping and not pumping? All that stuff? That's not the topic. The topic is something, as I said, about the world: the word heart". We are going to talk about something non-physical. Are you with me? A non-physical heart is what we are going to do. So your non-physical heart matters in overcoming the world. Solomon said like this in Proverbs 4:23: "Keep the heart with all diligence. For out of it are the issues of life." Life itself has a bearing on your non-physical heart. Hence, keep it with all diligence. So very carefully, very sincerely, very faithfully. Why? Because your heart matters. There is one gentleman, Witness Lee, who is a very famous Christian, as we know. Our relationship with the Lord is always begun and maintained in the heart. A heart is the gateway to our whole being. It's the gateway to our whole being. I know that I have confused you enough by now. What is this? non-physical heart? What is in it? The wisest man told us that you better take care of your heart diligently so that all the issues of life are coming through that, so you better be diligent. Let's look into that. That's what's going to be in the first session. Are you ready? All right, here we go.

The heart has four chambers. non-physical heart Okay. We will read the first component there, which is called conscience. Have you heard about conscience? Maybe we can pick it up from the Hebrews. Hebrews 10:22 mentions that word. “Let us come forward to the Holy of Holies with a true heart;” it's talking about a heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our bodies washed with pure water. So it's talking about the conscience in your heart, which is that there is an evil conscience and a good conscience. An evil conscience being washed, purified, put into your washing machine, and cleaned up. A nice conscience is what it's talking about, right? So what does it mean? Now, conscience. I'll explain to you that your conscience is that part of your heart that helps you decide what is good or evil. Okay, your conscience is that part of your heart that helps you discern good from evil. Are you with me? How do you do that? How do you do that? When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We know that God has told them that this thing that you do is good. Or this thing that you do is not good. That's the basis of all morality. Right? Right from Genesis, right. How did they discern good from evil? It's God's word. Are you with me? God said so. Hence, that is good. God said so; hence, that is not good. They decided good and evil on the basis of God's Word. So God put His Word, His law, in the conscience of human beings when He created us, and that helped us to discern good from evil. That's how it started. Right? And that's the part that helps us discern good from evil. It's like our law book in our hearts.

The second component of a heart is thoughts. Our thoughts are like madness. I opened the book to study; I'm not able to study because I'm gone somewhere. I kneel down to pray in the morning, and after half an hour, I wake up to know that I didn't pray. Thinking about global warming and other things, and thinking about a lot of big things. Thoughts. So thoughts we have in , “but there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts.” It's connected to the heart in the Bible. Okay, what it means to say is that thinking is a component of your heart. Okay. There is a thinking that happened. And in that thinking, you reason out. Reason means what? Logic. Logically, you're thinking, reasoning. Is this what I should or shouldn't do? What are the consequences, pros and cons, as we talked about? Reasoning abilities and thoughts come out there. Psalms 37:4: Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Again, you have thoughts about desires, okay? So there is reasoning, and there are desires in the thoughts. You have it in Matthew 9:4: and Jesus, knowing those thoughts, said, "Why are you thinking evil things in your heart?" Their thinking is connected to their hearts. Okay, so they're having evil thoughts. So good thoughts, evil thoughts, reasoning—all come under this word of heart. So that's the second component.

Third component: emotions Okay, emotions. In John 16:22, we read, "Therefore, you also now have sorrow. But I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice.” So the emotions of sorrow, rejoicing, etc. are happening in the heart. It's connected to the heart, right? In this context. So the emotions—that's the component here. Psalms 9:1: I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart. Heart se you can give thanks. Why? That's an emotion of gratitude coming out of his heart, and he can give thanks for his thoughts about God coming into his heart and making his heart respond with emotions. And that's another third component.

The final component. We have done a good job. This is all that we're going to do for the next two sessions. Will is the fourth component. Okay. Will. Matthew 5:28 says, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." It's not just the look that you're seeing. Seeing is different from looking, understanding? Seeing is different from looking. Seeing is something you can do if you keep your eyes open. You will see everybody, won't you? I can't come like this. In olden days, there were some Pharisees who were so holy that they didn't want to see any women. So they walk like this. If a woman is coming anywhere close by and they hit somewhere, they will have bruises all over them. They used to flash that in a big way. I mean, that's a matter of pride for them. You can't expect to see; you will see. Unintentionally, too, you see, but looking at it, there is a small component of the heart working in it. Will. Will is working in that piece. You're looking, and hence it is counted as adultery because there is a will involved. You might not have had the opportunity to do what you were looking for and thinking in your heart. But God counts it as done. It's a done deal. Because there is a will involved.

The next verse might make it a little more clear. Acts 11:23, who, when he arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain with the Lord with purpose of heart. That's a good word. Purpose of the heart. Purpose means a strong decision or will to do something strongly. Deciding strongly with the purpose of the heart. I have decided to do this. Some of you do that no. I have decided to wake up every morning at five o'clock. Right? That's a desire, not a will. When there is will, you will get up. Many times, at five o'clock to study, we will not wake up. But if it is a picnic and you have to go at 5:30, you will wake up at 4:30. Why? Because there is a will behind that purpose. Are you getting what I am trying to say? That's the will. Purpose of the heart, desire, and a strong purpose of the heart. Another word in Romans 12:2 is "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Then what will happen? You will be able to test and approve God's will. What is God's will? which is His good, pleasing, and perfect will. So, by renewing your mind, what will happen? There is something that gets influenced by your will that gets influenced by God's will. God's will gets superimposed on your will, and His will becomes your will. Let Thy will be done in heaven as it is on earth. As it is in heaven. Right. That will be imposed, and that's the will that we have. The other day, somebody came for an interview. I asked if you have any other hobbies other than work. I think. What just happened? We made a hobby out of it. Thinking. And we keep thinking, right? And then, when we are thinking, it interacts with our conscience. Okay, am I doing the right thing or the wrong thing?

It gets interacted with; our thoughts get interacted with by our conscience. And many times, our conscience, if it has God's law and word in it, would say, "No, no, no, no, you can't think that way." And suddenly we will superimpose that conscience with the evil, and we will show everybody does that in my church, too. And you push it back, and you keep thinking. Okay, so conscience and thoughts have a war, and at some point in time, conscience, whichever is the higher influence in your heart, takes over and influences your thoughts. And then those thoughts will start creating emotions—good emotions or bad emotions. It starts creating emotions in your heart, and those emotions will become a will in your heart. I'm going to do this, and I'm feeling good about it. And I'm going to do this. And that will, when the right opportunity comes up, becomes an action in your life. You have that in Proverbs 4:23: "Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Have you considered how your thoughts are connected to your actions? Are you with me? It's good to know that x-ray of your heart—how does it function, and how will it work? Please keep this very clearly in mind. We are going to do an exercise now. Ultimately, once this process is done, that's what you are. Your personality, or your person, is what the outcome of this process is. You have that in Proverbs 23:7: "As he thinks in his heart, so is he." Maybe you are called a saint in your church. A very good girl and a very good boy. And they start coming every Sunday for the youth meeting, ABC also. Very good. But when God looks at you, he sees this like an x-ray. Who are you in front of God? Your heart matters. We can perhaps cover up the action outside; that's called hypocrisy. Okay, we can cover up the action to some extent. Ultimately, it will come out.

I remember the first time I got a chance to fly on an airline. It's a personal story. Don't say it out loud. Okay. It's embarrassing. When I was small, I was in fourth grade, a third grade, or something like that, and I went for the first time into an aircraft, and I couldn't believe what all was going on. Those are the days when, when there is a flight going, we will all get out of the house and watch. Those are the days when, not like in Santa Cruz, people live all the time; they are like, "What is this above us? So I got into a flight, and I had that AC feeling for the first time, and I couldn't believe where I was and where I was sitting, and then they came with a plate full of food and nice butter and nice jam. Everything in life is packed into small pieces. I couldn't believe this was all for me. And I don't want to eat it now. I took everything and put it in my pocket. I can't eat it; come on, I couldn't finish it on the plane. I have to show my friends what I've got. I travelled for some seven or eight hours by car and all that, and I reached home, and Mama was like, "What happened to your pants?" The entire situation was leaking. Whatever I have hidden is outside. You can hide yourself for some time. It will all come out. Whatever is done in secret will be declared on the housetop. That's the word of God. Okay, so if you are so and so, if you want to change, if you want to overcome, start from here, right from your conscience.The post Overcome the World – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 1st December, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptWe'd like to look at John 15:11. We looked at this in our first study, but it says to us in John 15 and vs11, "The Lord Jesus has just finished his exposition of the vine and the branches. And he said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." Perhaps we can read the context of this. From vs. 8. It says, "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit." What is the fruit? Well, of course, the fruit is the fruit of the vine. And as we look at it elsewhere, we realise that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and so forth. And so he says to us in vs. 8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples, as a Father has loved me. So have I loved you. Continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, even as I keep my father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you."

Joy. One of the great words of the Bible, and it's found 155 times. Give or take a few joys, rejoice and rejoicing. And those words are repeated again and again. And interestingly enough, the word joy is found seven times in the upper room discourse. The first time it is found is in Chapter 15. And this instruction is to remind us that my joy might remain in you and that your joy may be full. So, we need to go back and try to understand because this word is used so many times in the Scripture. We could easily ask the question, "Well, what is joy? Well, why is joy so important? Why is it a characteristic of the Christian church, of Christians, and of the Lord Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul made good use of the word joy and rejoice in his little letter to the Philippian church, and a dozen times, or 16 times, we have the word joy and rejoice in the book of Philippians.

So it's instructive for us to realise that joy is not dependent upon circumstances. Think of where the Lord Jesus Christ was. He had walked with his disciples for three and a half years. He was going to the cross. Way back in Matthew chapter 16, He asked the disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am". And they say, Jeremiah, one of the prophets, perhaps John the Baptist raised from the grave, and he says, "Whom do you say that I am?" And Peter responds for the disciples and says, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, and then at that point, at that very instant, the Lord Jesus, according to Matthew, He began to tell his disciples that he was going to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes and the people and be killed and be raised again the third day. You'll remember that Peter, after he had said, "Thou art the Christ" the Son of the living God, said at this news of Christ's crucifixion and death, "It will never happen to you.".

The Lord Jesus used some of the strongest terms he ever used for anybody and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan. You are not receiving the things of God, but the things that be of men. And so, as we look at where the Lord Jesus Christ is, with his disciples in the upper room, on the last night before he was betrayed, Judas has already left the group and is on the way to the chief priests and scribes to receive his 30 pieces of silver and hand the Lord Jesus Christ over to those with clubs, torches, spears, and so and swords and so forth. And so, the situation—the circumstances—are not good. The Lord Jesus was going to the cross. He was telling his disciples in this upper-room discourse that if they hate me, they'll hate you. If they persecute me, they will persecute you.

And so the story in the Bible and the news from the Lord Jesus Christ were not good. So the disciples responded with unbelief, with fear, with misunderstanding—so many characteristics that the Lord Jesus, here now in this portion and in this verse, begins to address the great need for joy in the lives of these disciples. And the Lord Jesus, of course, was going to go to the cross; when you suffer, you're going to die and be buried, and the disciples, we're told, will all forsake Him and flee. Peter will draw his sword and aim for the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear. And so it was a time of sorrow and pain. And the Lord Jesus reminds them in the upper room discourse of the severe situation. Perhaps it has become too common for us. We are often at the Lord's Supper, coming to these verses and the contents of the upper room to try to understand the institution of the Lord's Supper and grasp the emotional stress on these disciples. Peter says, "Though all these disciples deny you, yet not me. I will not do it. And of course, we know that according to the history that was recorded, just a couple of hours later, Peter would be warming himself by the fire. And he would say, "I don't know the man," and three times he would deny the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So this is the context; this is the circumstance; this is the climate; this is the condition in that upper room: sorrow, pain, unbelief, and misunderstanding.

So the Lord Jesus, in a very wonderful way, addresses these disciples as the subjects of joy. Now we look at society, at our world, and at our language. And we realise that there is another word that is akin to this word, joy, and it's the word "happiness" and we find that a number of times in the New Testament as well. If we look back at Genesis five, six, or Matthew five, six, and seven, we have the Beatitudes: blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and so forth, and that word blessing really means happy. In Psalm One, "Blessed is the man that walks not," and that word is happy. So happiness and joy are, as I was going to say, twins, yet they're very different. They are expressions of our emotions.

God has designed us in His own image, and we believe that the image of God, not physically, but certainly from the standpoint of our soul, we have a perfect mind perfect mind that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and to Adam, our emotions and our will and so these aspects of our being reminded us that God himself to a perfect in a perfect way, has mind capacity to think emotions, the capacity to feel, and a will, the capacity to decide and so as we look at that, we realise that the Lord Jesus Christ speaking from the standpoint of his own nature, his own character, his own being, his own essence, both human and divine, gives us an understanding of joy.

Happiness is based upon what? Well, the answer is quite simple: happiness is based on what happens if you go to work tomorrow morning and your boss calls you in and says they are doubling your salary and giving you a company car. You're happy. How happy you would be to be able to have twice as much money! But then, if you go into work the next Monday and your boss's boss says you're fired, you wouldn't be so happy anymore. So happiness is based upon our understanding of what happens, and with sorrow, pain, and suffering ahead of the Lord Jesus Christ, the disciples were unhappy, but also because it was of a spiritual nature, the joy of the Lord, which should have been understood, comprehended, applied, and employed by the disciples, was fast departing. And so the Lord Jesus gives to us these seven occasions in the upper room discourse, which are John 13–17, seven different characteristics of joy. So, if happiness is based upon what happens, what is joy based upon? This is so important for us to understand because all of us will go through difficulties and trials. The Lord Jesus Christ says at the end of John, chapter 16, that in the world you will have tribulation. And I don't know whether you've had tribulation today or not. But most of us are praying that we won't have tribulation. But the Lord says in John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation," and this is a promise. So as we look at that, we realise: And I suppose none of us would claim that promise, but we can understand and comprehend that the life of the believer, as much as it's like the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, will not be a happy life, but it can be a joyful life.

We see that in so many areas of the Christian life, what seemed to be contradictory experiences are designed together in the life of the believer to manifest the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. To think that he began to be sorrowful and very heavy as he went into the garden of Gethsemane. said goodbye to or left Peter and the nine disciples, and then Peter, James, and John came closer, and then he left them and went a stone's throw away. And he fell on his face and cried out, My God, My God, or father, father if it'd be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done. And we know that he's sweat great drops of blood falling down to the ground; he began to be sorrowful, and yet, the book of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. What an amazing, shall we say, contradiction?

No, it's not a contradiction because those who have suffered for their faith, those who have been trying severely in their walk with the Lord, many who have been persecuted even to the point of death and have had to give their lives for the sake of the Gospel, in the midst of that it's recorded. Not only in the scriptures but in the historical account of the persecution of the Lord's people. We realise that joy is possible in the midst of the most profound suffering in the midst of the most difficult issues. Why is that? Because joy is based upon believing the truth, we could learn that lesson. If we could comprehend this truth from this chapter and from these references that the Lord Jesus makes and that Paul makes in the book of Philippians, our lives would manifest joy, and we might ask ourselves, "Well, how do you know? Do you look at somebody's hand and say, "That's a joyful hand?" Where do you look? You gather with the Lord's people, and you look at them, and you wonder, "Are they filled with joy? What is the Lord Jesus Christ saying? He said these things, and now we look at them very carefully. These things have I spoken unto you.The post Upper Room Discourse: Discourse of Joy – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Listen to complete sermon series: Upper Room Discourse
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Sermon TranscriptAnd then chapter 16 And verse 33, we have this amazing passage, These things have I spoken unto you that you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. He says to us, as I said to you last week because we looked at this one last week. Be of good cheer. What a wonderful thing. These things have I spoken. We have the word of God. These things I do not apologize at all for suggesting that the word these things refer not only to the Red-Letter edition of my Bible, but to everything that God has given to us, These things have I spoken unto you be of good cheer, that's a command. We're filled with trials and problems and difficulties. There's terror and anxiety because of this, because of this virus, absent from the body present with the Lord, isn't it a great way to go to, Don't you want to go? Sure, why not?

We've lived full lives. We have the blessing and promises of God in this life. We have so much more in the next life. And yet, every time we have a little cough or cold we call the doctors Oh, doctor, I'll give you all my money. If I can live another six months. The promise is that we will have conflict. In the world you will have tribulation, it may be challenges of persecution, it may be suffering physically. It may be your family, your friends, it may be your job, maybe finances I don't know what the Tribulation is in your life. But Be of good cheer. I have overcome, we are victorious over the world. Why? How Galatians chapter six, verse 14, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom I am crucified unto the world, and the world is crucified unto me. We get victory over the world. By the death and resurrection of Christ and our crucifixion with him.

What is the purpose of all of this? The purpose is maturity. I can tell you that not obeying these commands, results in spiritual immaturity. Its those who are mature in the things of God, who have grown in grace in the knowledge of the Lord, that they have laid aside asking the Lord to be with Him, asking the Lord to bless them, and the persons who are mature are those the ones who has who have who would like Joshua and Caleb, have entered into the provision that God has made and they celebrate and enjoy and appreciate as Joshua did the land of Canaan. This is mine. This is mine. This mountain is mine says, Caleb, give me this mountain and God said that I've already given it to you conquer it. And it's yours. All of the spiritual blessings of our salvation are ours.

As Peter says that his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We're told that we have an inheritance in glory, but we share this the earnest of that inheritance today. That's the person of Christ. It's the presence of Christ. It's the power of Christ. It's his guidance. It's all the blessings of my salvation, and the commands that the Lord Jesus gave his disciples on this evening before he went to the cross was to help them understand that as they appreciated these blessings, as they obeyed the commands, all the resources of a risen Christ, and a present Holy Spirit would bring them to such maturity that they would reproduce the likeness of Christ. They would live like Christ lived. They would love like Christ loved. They would serve like Christ served., they would be the visible presentation of Christ, to a lost world and to believers in their local fellowship. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Commands – Part 7 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Johnny Varghese
(Borivali Assembly, 21st August, 2020)
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Sermon TranscriptHi everyone, in today's video we are going to look at the influence of the Bible, in education or in the starting of education in India. This is part of a series in which we are showing the impact of the Bible. The impact of the Bible is one of the evidences that the Bible is not an ordinary book. It is a book of divine origin. So let's look and see how the Bible led to modern education in India.

Education in Ancient IndiaThis is the ruins of Taxila which was an ancient Learning Center in India, what is now Pakistan. This was operational in the first few centuries BC, and a couple of centuries after the time of Christ, it died a natural death. It just faded away. Another very well known University in ancient India is the Nalanda University which is in modern Bihar. But this university existed during the medieval times. After around 800 AD it was in decline, and in around the year 1200 AD, it was destroyed by Islamic invaders. There was another university in Bihar called Vikramshila and this was started around the time that Nalanda was in decline, but this also was destroyed by Muslim invaders during the medieval ages. So, when we look at ancient India we see that there were certain learning centers there, they lasted for a few centuries, and then they came to an end.

First College in AllahabadThis is the point where two big rivers in India i.e., the Yamuna and the Ganga meet in a city called Allahabad or Prayagraj. And this is an important pilgrimage center in India. In fact, it is at this place that we have the Kumbh Mela, which is the largest gathering on earth of any kind. So you have millions of people who come every year to this place for a festival. So Allahabad is a holy place for Hindus. This is the emperor Ashoka and he also ruled in this area in ancient times. And he set up his pillar here, which is important for our country. This is how it looks today. So Allahabad was also important for Emperor Ashoka as we know he embraced Buddhism and he promoted Buddhism so it was an important center for him. Later on, we had the Islamic invasions in India and one of the greatest Mughal emperors i.e., Akbar built a fort in Allahabad.

So what we observed about this city is that it was important to many, many people across the centuries, there are kings who spend time in this place. There was at least one king who thought he needed to fortify the place. There was at least another king who thought that he needed to make a pillar and a monument here. The number of pilgrims who have come here is beyond counting. Perhaps the amount of money that they have donated is also beyond counting. But now for the context of this video. We have an important question. Guess who started first college here. The first college in Allahabad was started by a person called William Muir. It was called Muir Central College and now it is the University of Allahabad. Now, who was this man? He was an official in the British administration during the colonial times.

Now, what we need to understand here is that there was no rule that British officers should start a college there was no such rule that the British Empire or the East India Company was enforcing. He did it out of his own accord. Now why did he do it? Or what else do we know about him? We know that he was a devout Christian. He was a person who was keen to spread the message about Jesus Christ in India. He was also an apologist. That means a person who tries to show why the Bible can be trusted. He did a lot of study on Islam. So he was a person whose faith was very important to him, and he founded this Central College.

Now one of his biographers quotes him as saying like this, “We (the English) are here to raise and elevate the people to make them happier and better.” Now, whatever were the intentions of the other British invaders who came to India and rule this country. This man said that, you know, our intention is the welfare of the people. And the college that he founded here was part of that initiative to promote the welfare of the people. And his aim, or his motivation was the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is he was inspired by the Bible to do what he did.

India's InvadersNow, this is one example if you look back at the history of India, you find that there are many people who invaded India. Before the time of Christ, the Greeks invaded India and they did not establish any college in India. Now, why we need to understand this is because we live in a time which is very different from ancient times. So to get a perspective of ancient times, we need to see that it was not common for people who ruled the place to start colleges or centers of education. So the Greeks did not establish any college in India. After the Greeks in the medieval times the Muslims invaded India. There were many kings who came here, they ruled, they conquered vast territories, but they did not establish any college here. And after the Muslims, the British invaded India in the 1700s. Now, along with the British soldiers and British political leaders and military generals who came here, there were also a few missionaries.

Earliest Missionary work in EducationSo let's look at two of the earliest missionaries who came to India during the British times. Bartholomeus Ziegenbalg was the first Protestant missionary to come to India. And he did many things for the welfare of our country, and that's why he has been commemorated with a stamp in the context of education. It's worth mentioning that he started the first girls' school in India. Some years after Ziegenbalg, there was another missionary who came from England. His name is William Carey. Again, the fact that he is commemorated in a stamp shows that the government of India acknowledges his contribution for the progress of our country.

And when this postage stamp on William Carey was released, the government also released this image, which shows some of the things that he started, some things that he did belong to other fields, for example, you can see a burning pyre there. So that has to do with sati. You can see an image for the Savings Bank. There was the first newspaper that he started, but in the context of education. He was the one who started schools and later on a college, the Sarampur University in India, and he promoted the spread of modern science, modern humanities and education among the people of India. These were missionaries who came during the early days when the British were just consolidating their whole of India. Now, these missionaries had an opposition, they have people who oppose them. Now, who was this strong group of people who opposed these missionaries?

It probably won't guess the answer. The answer is the East India Company. The East India Company opposed the missionaries. Now, why was this? The East India Company did not want anyone interfering with the practices that were there in India. When the British came to India they observed that there was a lot of untouchability going on there were some practices such as sati, the purdah system, there was child marriage, there was female infanticide. All these things were rampant, but the East India Company couldn't care less about these things. Not only were there a lot of social evils but illiteracy was also ubiquitous in India, and the East India Company did not want Indians to get educated. Now the reason is simple. They wanted to exploit India. They wanted to plunder this country.

So they wanted to rule and they wanted to have a total monopoly over the trade. They did not want anyone to develop any one to question them as to why they were doing what they were doing. And so they were against the education of Indians, and therefore they were also against missionaries, who wanted Indians to be educated, who wanted Indians to get acquainted with modern ideas and so on. So an Indian author has summarized the situation like this, she says, the last decades of the 18th century, were years of hostility between the company and the mission. So there were two types of British people who came here. There was the company that wanted to exploit India, but there was also the mission, people who wanted to help Indians and help them to progress and come ahead and live. So there was an opposition. In fact, William Carey was not able to come to British India, he landed in a small part of the country, which at that time, was being ruled by Denmark.

Education in India at the British InvasionNow, this is the testimony of a historian Michael Edwards about the state of education when the British invaded India. So he writes like this, “Hindu higher education was almost a Brahmin monopoly. Brahmins, the priestly caste, spent their time in schools called Tols, studying religious texts in a dead language, Sanskrit. There were a number of accounting schools called Patshallas, using living languages, but few Brahmins send their children to such schools. Muslim education was conducted in madrasahs in Arabic, which was not spoken in India; the state accepted no responsibility for education.” So at that time, before British India was ruled by many princely kingdoms, these princes or kings did not consider the education of our subjects as their responsibility. So this was the state of education. When the British invaded India and this sort of the East India Company, they just wanted it to remain just like this.

Father of Modern Education in IndiaTwo Indian authors R.N Sharma and RK Sharma in the book which is titled The history of education in India. They refer to a person called Charles Grant as the father of modern education in India. So what did this man do for him to be called the father of modern education. He was a British officer serving with the East India Company in Bengal. And he saw the hardships and the pathetic conditions in which many Indians were living. So he was there during the famine that took place in Bengal. And he saw how the East India Company was exploiting Indians. Now, if you see people exploiting, if you see your own countrymen exploiting the people of another country, then what are you going to do about it?

You know, we can calm our conscience by saying that I'm not personally doing it. It is other people who are doing it. And if Charles Grant just sat quietly saying that because we couldn't find fault in him, but something happened in Charles Grant's life. He became a Christian. He became a Christian in India. Now, you might wonder, What's the meaning of this? An Englishman comes to India and he becomes a Christian in India. How do these kinds of things happen? What's the meaning of this?

Well, here when I use the word Christian, I mean in the biblical sense of the term. Now, normally, we would assume that anyone who has a white skin is a Christian. That is an accepted practice today, but that's not the biblical definition of what it means to be a Christian. So Charles Grant was not a Christian when he joined the East India Company and came and was posted in India. He was not a Christian in the biblical sense, but then he saw the impact that the teachings of Jesus Christ made in his boss's life. His boss was not like other English officers. His boss would treat Indians with great kindness and his boss was a person of great character, and he saw that it was the Bible that had changed his boss's life. So seeing all this, he became convinced that the message of Jesus Christ recorded in the Bible is true.

And so he became a Christian in India. Now when he became a Christian, he saw this exploitation in a new light, he now felt burdened for India. And he thought that it's not enough for me to disapprove of what my countrymen are doing in this land, but I need to do something about it. So as he saw it, he thought that India's main problems are of two types. One is oppressive religious practices, and certain customs and traditions, which cause a lot of hardship for people. The second thing which he observed was that because Indians were illiterate, because they were unexposed to the revolution, the scientific revolution and the other innovations that have happened in modern times, because Indians were unexposed to these things, they were vulnerable to exploitation.

So he asked himself, what is to be done to help Indians? So in his mind, he felt the answer is this, education and missions is the cure for both these things. So he felt that India needs modern education. It also needs to hear about Jesus Christ. And so he appealed to public figures in his home country of Britain, to get the East India Company to allow education. Uptill now the East India Company opposed the education of Indians and Charles Grant, a British Bible believing Christian looking at India and the way she was exploited thought that education is what India needs. And so he went back to his own country, asking his leaders that they should order the East India Company to allow education in India. Now, this is what he wrote to the leaders in England. “He said the true cure for darkness is the introduction of light.

The Hindus are because they are ignorant and their errors have never been fairly laid for them, but communication of our light and knowledge to them would prove the best remedy for their disorders. It is perfectly in the power or the capability of this country, that is England. My degree is to impart to the Hindus our language and afterwards through that medium to make them acquainted with our literature, arts, philosophy and religion”. So, he said that, you know, India is in a bad state and it is definitely within our capability that is British capability to teach them English and then to acquaint them with the modern ideas that have helped our country to progress, our literature, our arts of philosophy and our religion. He would have been referring to all the insights that came with the Renaissance and the Enlightenment in Europe.

And towards the end here, he makes mention of agricultural technology. He says that we British need to teach Indians modern insights about agriculture, because right now their practice is only to continue. The old customs there are no innovation in their agriculture. And we can definitely improve their food security if we teach them modern techniques of agriculture. So here is a man who is concerned about India. And my point here is that it is the Bible that has changed this man's mind and made him concerned about the welfare of India.

Now, unfortunately, the British Members of Parliament who were not at all sympathetic to Charles Grant and his request, so this is his appeal or his protest to them. So he says like this, “Teach them not a better system of morals that provide no stated means for their public or private instructions. Impart not to them our knowledge of nature, afford them no benefit, whatsoever of light and improvement. Lest our interest should in some future period suffer, keep them blind and wretched for all generations. Lest our authority should be shaken.” So he could see through the intentions of the British politicians. I mean, he is communicating here that I realized that you people don't want Indians to get educated.

You don't want them to improve, just to protect your own interests, as it is many of the members of parliament were big stakeholders in the East India Company and they were making a lot of money from the British rule in India. And Charles Grant is saying that you don't want unions to progress just because you don't want your authority over them to be shaken. And then he adds a Christian nation cannot possibly maintain or countenance such a principle. Now as I said before, Charles Grant was not a Christian when he traveled to India, but he became a Christian in India, but commonly British people would refer to themselves as Christians. And here was a man, a man who had become a Christian in the true Biblical sense of the term telling his so-called Christian country that you people claim to be Christians. And if that is the case, you cannot just keep the Indians in suppression, you cannot keep them in ignorance.

Now, just think for a moment, was there any Greek conqueror in India, who turned to his fellow Greeks and said that, you know, we are worshipers of Jupiter and Zeus so, you know, because of the religion and faith that we process, we cannot avoid doing something for the welfare of India. It would be against our principles. Did any Mughal make any statement like this, that because of what we believe we should do something for the welfare of this country. But here is a man who posted there. He's not a person who conquered India, but he came there for a job. He saw the situation and he said, you have to do something to improve the situation, if you really claim to be a Christian nation, so it was on Christian grounds that he argued for education in India.

One of the few people from the British Parliament who supported Charles Grant was William Wilberforce, and he was also a biblical Christian, which means that his Christianity was not just a matter of a family name, but he had a personal faith in the Lord Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. And this is what he said to his fellow parliamentarians. He said, “It is a shocking idea that we should leave 16 million of our fellow subjects to remain in a state of barbarism and ignorance, the slaves of the most cruel and degrading superstitions.”

Now, you might not like the language that he uses, and you might find it offensive, but you must understand that this is an Englishman speaking, and he is just hearing new news about what his fellow countrymen are finding in colonial India, they found sati. There, they found untouchability, they found child marriages, and these things were unthinkable to William Wilberforce and others. So he says, These are degrading superstitions, but it is shocking that we people, that is we British people who claim to be Christians, it is shocking that we would prefer Indians to remain in this kind of state. So he then has best to get a bill passed in the parliament to support the education or authorize the education of Indians. So he first tried unsuccessfully. But then finally in the year 1813, the bill was passed and the stage was set for education in India.

Language of EducationNow one of the important questions was what would be the medium of education? If we start modern education in India, then what medium Shall we use? So some people were in favor of English. There were other people who thought that Hindus should be educated in Sanskrit and Muslims should be Persian. Now there was one Indian reformer who gave feedback to the British about this and this is what he wrote to the British. Raja Ram Mohan Roy wrote like this, “That funding the senseless system of education would only keep this country in darkness. If such had been the policy of the British legislature. But as the improvement of the native population is the object of the government, it consequently ought to promote a more liberal and an enlightened system of English education, embracing mathematics, physics, etc.”

So here Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian concerned about the welfare of India and he told the British please do not educate us in Sanskrit we would like to have an English education. And he tells them that see you people are seeking our welfare isn't it? So we need English to improve. So what I want to point out here is that Raja Ram Mohan Roy addressed the British taking them into confidence in this way saying that I know that you want to improve the native population. Now which nation who conquers another nation would want to improve the native population in fact, most British people did not want the Indian population to improve but the few who wanted to and managed to get the bill passed were people who are motivated by the Bible.

Lord MacaulayAnother English statesman was Macaulay. And this is what he said, Are we to keep the people of India ignorant in order that they may be submissive? Or do we think that we can give them knowledge without awakening ambition? Or do we mean to awaken ambition and provide it with no legitimate vet. The path of duty is plain before us. And then he goes on to say that, you know, it may be that as we educate Indians, they will expect a better form of government. They will expect European institutions and then he says, I will never attempt to retard or avert it, whenever it comes, it will be the proudest day in English history.

So here is an English man saying that, you know, we should educate Indians and we know that as Indians get educated, they are going to progress, their outlook is going to broaden and they will eventually ask us for independence. And so be it. That would be the proudest day in our history, that we went to a place and instead of exploiting the people, we educated them and we enabled them to form a modern state and independent state of their own. This was the outlook that Macaulay had. Of course, all British people did not have this kind of outlook. But Macaulay had this outlook and he himself was a Bible believing Christian, an evangelical Christian. Now there is this quote that we might have come across in social media, attributed to a Lord Macaulay. In fact, many of our political leaders in India have also use this quote in which Macaulay is claimed to have said that I have traveled across India and it is a country with a great spiritual and cultural heritage, and therefore we should replace its old and ancient education system with a foreign one, in order to break this.

This is a quote that is attributed to him. But this quote is not authentic. Macaulay never said such a thing. In fact, the previous quote that I cited shows that Macaulay’s intentions were the opposite. He wanted to bring in education for the welfare of Indians fully knowing that when Indians get educated, they will demand independence and he was perfectly fine with that. So this is a false quote. It's attributed to Macaulay concerning India as well as Africa, and he never made any such quote. So a fact check shows that this quote is false. Although this quote is false, it is based on something else or it's a distortion of something else that Macaulay said. What he actually said was that it's impossible for us i.e. the British to attempt to educate the whole body of the people.

So he says it's not possible to educate all Indians at once because the population of India is very large. So what we need to do is to educate a small fraction of them and he called them, you know, make a class of persons Indian and blood and color, but English in taste, opinion, intellect and models. So he said that we should take a section of Indians and give them our English education and then they these educated Indians can perhaps refine the vernacular languages of the country, and enrich those languages with Western terms of science, and render those languages fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population. So he was only strategizing about how to promote the welfare of India.

He said it cannot be done in one step. But we need one class of educated Indians first, and then they can educate their further, the rest of their countrymen. So he was actually talking for the welfare of India and, his statement has been deliberately distorted as if he was trying to suppress India. So, apart from setting the record straight, my point here is that my Macaulay said the good things that he said, because he was motivated by the Bible. Apart from setting the record straight My point here is that my colleagues said the good things that he said because he was motivated by the Bible.

The historian Michael Edwards summarizes the situations like this. He says the decision to concentrate on providing Western education and the English language was made from other motives than economy. And we saw the economic motives. The East India Company of the East India Company did not want Indians to be educated. So, this historian says Macaulay and those who thought like him were following evangelical rather than utilitarian principles. The moral overtones were, of course, Christian and character. So, they were not secular people advocating education, they were Christians, and they were motivated by Christian love to provide education to Indians. And Michael Edwards acknowledges that these people knew that as Indians would get educated, they would even demand independence from Britain.

Wood's DispatchSo when the decision was made, the bill was passed. And so Charles Wood was appointed to implement this decision. So there was a series of recommendations which is known as Wood’s dispatch, and this was the beginning of education in India. So after the orders came, of course, those of us who know our Indian history we know that in the year 1857, there was a mutiny, a struggle for a war of independence, and after that, the rule of India shifted from the East India Company, to the British government directly, and so they were the ones who implemented this education policy. So they started the first universities or rather they allowed the missionaries to start these colleges.

Establishing Universities & CollegesTop left is Chennai University. Top right is University of Calcutta. Bottom left is the University of Bombay as it was called in those days, and bottom right is Grant Medical College in Mumbai. Robert Grant, again, was a believer in Jesus Christ. So these were the people who are responsible or responsible for starting iconic institutions in India. There was the Fort William College, started by Alexander tuff, who again was a devout Christian and a missionary. He started this famous reputed College in Calcutta. So everywhere you look, you find that well known reputable institutions in colonial times and during the early days of modern education in India, were started either by missionaries or by Christians who had their secular jobs, but they were keen to do something for the welfare of India.

The oldest engineering college in India is IIT Roorkee and it was started as Thomason College of civil engineering. So again, it was started by a person who was sympathetic to the conditions of the people around that place. And that's why he started this engineering college. Syed Mahmood, in his book, a history of English education in India, he writes like this “the missionary is a great help and energetic efforts must always be recognized as a prominent factor in the intellectual progress of India”. Two other authors, JP Naik and Syed Nurulla in their book a student's history of education in India right like this, “The missionary work has great value as the pioneer work which led to the building up of the modern educational system of India.

So in a report that was done in 1865. The report said that there were 40 high schools and 4 colleges in the Punjab province of which 17 schools and 2 colleges were run by missionaries. So Christians, both British and later on Indian Christians were at the hub of pioneering education in India. So it was motivated by the Bible, and other well known colleges, St. Stephen's college. It was also started by missionaries and a lot of the famous people that we know today are alumni of St. Stephen's College.

There is also a stamp that has been released to commemorate this college. This was founded by a mission. The aim was the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus. Now, you might wonder why is it that people who have a stated aim to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, why do they also provide secular education? There are two reasons for that. One is that from the point of view of the Bible, secular learning or the learning that is there in different fields, it makes sense in the light of the Bible, and it informs our study of the Bible.

So it is helpful for people to have a general awareness of the world when they study God's Word. So that's the philosophy of Christian education and the other reason is that the Bible says that we are supposed to love our neighbors as our own selves. So if you are educated, and you see the value of education and you find that there are people around you and they are deprived to it, then Christian love calls you to do something about it. If it is in your capacity, and that's what these Christians were doing in establishing these colleges. And I mean, as we all know, there are so many people who have studied in these colleges and they have not become Christians. They have perhaps been exposed a little bit to the message of the Bible, that they have had their secular education, and they have gone their way.

Now, this is a comment that was written in the college magazine of St. Stephen's by professors CF Andrew. So this was at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. So, this professor writes like this, these columns do not engage in political controversy, but as Christian missionaries, we cannot avoid the duty of forming and expressing a judgment on such a deed of horror as the slaughter in Jallianwala Bagh. The idea of an India held by England only by naked and ruthless pose is one that no follower of Jesus Christ can consistently tolerate for an instant. It was an idea that some British people tolerated but what I want to present before you is this, that whatever the British did in India, there was a lot of bad as well as good that they did the little good or whatever extent of good that they did had a lot to do with the biblical motivation. Now, why wasn't CF Andrew just supporting the actions of the general who shot so many Indians and killed them? It's very easy to support people of your own party, even if they do something wrong. Now, as you can see, Andrew was motivated by a conscience that had been touched by the Bible.

Female EducationOne of the areas in which the Bible influenced education was that it promoted the education of women's students as well. Nirmala Mahajan, writes like this, “Missionary societies were more progressive than government institutions in the field of female education.” Now why is this? The Bible says that God has made both men and women in His image, and not only men, but women also need a chance to understand the world around them to understand the message that God has given in the Bible and to take a decision as to whether they will respond to the Lord Jesus or not. So this is the biblical message and this is what motivated missionaries to initiate education for girls as well. This is another famous College for Women. Now it's in Pakistan. It was the first college in the then Punjab, and it was established by the Zenana Bible and medical mission, which was specifically a mission targeting women.

So historians write like this, “The missionaries propagated the equality of women and their slogan was well echoed in the activities of Kinnaird College. The alumni of Kinnaird College, even from the Muslim families, were willing to drop the purdah restrictions. So colleges like this catapulted the progress of Indian and Pakistani society. So Kinnaird College is alive and well today. Also, it's fully operational and this is how it looks today.

I'll close with a mention of the Christian Medical College in Vellore. Even today, this is one of the top medical colleges in India. So it was founded by a lady called Ida Scudder. Now she was not a missionary, but she was the daughter of a missionary. And when she was a teenager, she was studying in America and she came to India in order to visit her parents who were here. And at that point of time, she had absolutely no intention of having anything to do with India. She was just here on a summer vacation to visit her parents. And then during that time, there were three people, three men who visited her father, who was also a doctor, two Hindus, and one Muslim.

All three of them said that their wives were pregnant, their wives were in labor pain, there was some complication. And so their wives' lives were in danger. And so they were asking if there was any female doctor around because they were not comfortable with a male doctor examining their wife. So her father told them that sorry, I am the only one with medical training here. My wife is not a doctor. So the man went away. The next morning Ida learned that all three women had died.

And that impacted her. And she writes in her biography this way she says that night I couldn't sleep properly, and I felt that God was putting a burden in me to do something to train Indian doctors, to educate Indians so that they could be Indian doctors, both men and women who could help Indians. And so although her original plan was just to have an American education and live the rest of her life in America, what she did was she completed her studies there, but then she came back, and then she founded a small institution to train doctors and that eventually became Christian Medical College.

Now, what was she motivated?
She was not a secular person trying to reform society. She was motivated by the love of Jesus Christ; the Jesus was mentioned in the Bible. So she is another example to show how it was the Bible that motivated the education of Indians. It was the Bible that motivated Christians and Bible believers to do something to start modern education in India. We hope that this video was informative, and we hope that you will take the time to research more on the impact of the Bible. And that leads, in fact, to an inevitable conclusion that this book is like no other. It is, The Word of God. Thank you very much.Sermon PPTThe post Impact of the Bible on Indian Education appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptAnd then in chapter 16, and verse 23, and 24, we are reminded by the Lord Jesus Christ of another command that has been given to us. Chapter 16 and verse 23, and 24 and it says to us, and in that day, you shall ask me nothing. Verily, Verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you ask the Father in My name, He will do it. Hither to have you asked nothing in my name, ask the command and you shall receive that your joy may be full. Here's prayer. We are to pray. We are commanded to pray, ask and you shall receive. But as I have already said, you don't need to ask for that which has already been given to you in Christ. The disciples didn't need to ask for what the Lord Jesus thought was going to provide. They need to appreciate it. They need to appropriate they needed to employ it.

The same is true with the children of Israel. As they entered the land of Canaan. They didn't have a Lord, you know, what are you going to give me? No says the Lord, I have given it all to you. From the river of Egypt all the way to the mountain of Haman, from the from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, it's all yours. Just put your foot down and say, this is mine. We have the same blessed responsibility. Ask in my name. We're to ask the Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and according to the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that's prayer. He says to us very plainly, ask the Father in my name, and so our prayers are addressed to the Father. There are a lot of people who addressed their prayer to Jesus. And the Roman Catholics address their prayer to Mary, but our prayers are offered to the Father in the name and because of the Lord Jesus Christ, and under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. That's prayer. Ask. We don't need to ask what we already have.

You know, Christmas is coming up, the little boy wants a fire engine. So, you do your best to get him that bright red fire engine. On Christmas morning he opens it up and looks up at you and said, Daddy, would you give me a fire engine? What do you going to say? It's right there. I think the Lord says the same thing when we asked him to be with us when we ask for his blessing. And guidance and strength and all the other blessings that He has given to us. We're still asking for them. What does the Lord say? Does he do he laugh at such unbelief and ignorance? Does he cry because these people know truth and yet don't practice it. Ask and you receive. The person we ask is the Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the power of the resurrection makes that possible.

We come boldly to the freshly slain way. We come boldly to the throne of gifts, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, and for what purpose? That our joy might be made full. What a delight to know that the goal that God has in answering my prayer is to manifest the graces of Christ. Not to exalt myself and say, you know, I've raised the dead I've walked on water, but the Joy. In the prayer in Colossians chapter one it says that these strengths might be given and his power. And all these things might be given that our joy might be manifested. Apart from love, the greatest manifestation of the character of Christ is joy chapter 15 Verse 11, These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. He says your joy no man takes from you. Paul explains it all the way through the book of Philippians 16 times about the joy of the Lord. Nehemiah reminds us that joy of the Lord is your strength. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Commands – Part 6 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Johnny Varghese
(Borivali Assembly, 14th August, 2020)
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Sermon TranscriptHi everyone, In this video we're going to talk about the influence of the Bible in education. It's important to understand the influence that the Bible has had because this is one of the evidences that the Bible is a divine book. That is, a humanly written book would not be able to have the kind of influence that the Bible has had. It's had a great influence in the world in various fields. And education is one of those fields. So, in this video, we're going to look at how the Bible influenced or enabled the development of modern education.

Education in the Ancient RomeThe followers of the Lord Jesus in the first century were living in the Greco Roman world. So the question arises, what kind of education existed in ancient Rome and Greece, we have artifacts like this, and we have the writings of some historians which tell us that there were some forms of tutoring that used to go on, then it's also important to realize that this education was not for everyone. Only aristocratic boys in Rome used to get education. So education was viewed as something that only elites needed. If there was a child whose father was either a king nor a senior official in the kingdom. Then perhaps it was thought that he needed education, not other people.

Education in Jewish CultureNow into this world, enter Biblical Christianity. Now, those of us who are familiar with the Bible, know that the first followers of Christ were Jews, and even before the Lord Jesus came to this world, the Jews had their Old Testament Scriptures, and this is a verse, an instruction that Moses, an ancient leader of the people of Israel had given them. So he says, like this here, oh Israel, the statutes and the judgments that I speak in your years this day, that you may learn, guard and practice them. Do not forget these laws, teach it to your sons and your sons' sons. So if you read the early part of the Bible, it's called the law. But strictly speaking, it doesn't just contain laws. It also contains some history. So the leaders of the people like Moses, were trying to communicate to the people of Israel that it is essential for them to know these things. It is essential for them to know God's laws because it will help them have a good life and a wholesome life. And they also need the narrative of God's story to help them make sense of the world.

So the first part of the Bible begins with creation, the creation of the universe and how certain things happen in the world, how the world came to be the way it is, and so on and so forth. So, Moses was telling the people of Israel that it's important for y'all to know these things. So here we have a prototype of education, where the people are commanded to teach their own children now the people of Israel did not do a very good job at this. They forgot God's ways, went against God, they got punished for that also. It took them almost 1000 years to get into this practice of sticking to their basic faith. And communicating it to their children, but eventually, they got it. This is a quote from the Talmud, which is a collection of Jewish writings. It was compiled after the time of Christ that describes the situation that was there at the time of Christ and just before that time, it says here that there were 394 courts in Jerusalem corresponding to the number of synagogues and the number of schools and the number of schools for the scribes.

So in ancient Israel because of this biblical instruction, it developed a culture of learning, so these very small children would be taught by their own parents, and then every town or village had a synagogue, and the children above the age of six were educated in the synagogue so schooling or education was an essentially religious practice that developed in the Jewish nation. And the first Christians were Jews, and they carried this heritage with them.

Great CommissionThe final parting instruction that the Lord Jesus gave his disciples is called the Great Commission. So Jesus told them that they should go to all nations and teach them the things that He has commanded them. So first of all, they are to teach the good news that is the gospel. Good news that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Who has died and risen again, they were supposed to teach that, but they were not supposed to stop at that. They were to teach people who would come to become disciples of Christ, all that Jesus had taught His original 12 disciples. So here in this instruction that Jesus gave His disciples, we have a mandate for a process of teaching.

Education after 100 ADSure enough, the early church started practicing this. So as the number of converts or the number of seekers who were interested in knowing what Christianity was all about, as this number increased, the practice of teaching them became more organized. So there were catechetical schools that developed so this is a picture of one of those schools at Alexandria. And in these schools, the students or the new converts or the people who are seeking interest in Christianity. These people were taught Christian doctrine, but apart from that they were also taught grammar, mathematics and medicine. It was thought that they would be able to understand the Bible better or put their faith to practice better and live better lives, if they also knew these little bits of secular knowledge if they have the secular knowledge apart from the Bible.

So this is a comment from William Boyd, one of the historians who's done research on education and he says that due to these catechetical schools, Christianity became for the first time a definite factor in the culture of the world. So these schools became spheres of influence. One of the most influential figures in the first few centuries after the time of Christ in Europe, was Augustine. Augustine wrote a book called The Doctrine Christiana, that means Christian teaching. So he wrote a book about teaching. And in this book, he says that secular studies will aid students in the interpretation of the Bible. So if you have a good knowledge of history, if you have a good knowledge of grammar, then you will be able to interpret and understand the Bible better. So this was the motivation for secular education in the early centuries. Now when Christians started practicing education, they brought about a new practice.

So this is a quote from Tatiane. He is one of the church fathers from Assyria, and he is addressing secular Greeks here and he says, we teach everyone including girls and women, after all, the Lord Jesus said that the gospel should be preached to everybody. So if the gospel is for everybody, then it follows that education also is for everyone. So you will recall how earlier we had seen that in pagan Rome and Greece, education was confined to boys and that too only aristocratic boys, but here it is available to anyone who is interested in the teachings of Jesus Christ. So William Ramsay, another historian comments like this, he says Christianity's aim was universal. Not education, confined to the rich as among the Greeks and Romans, and it did not make distinctions of sex.

So because of Christianity, we see that education in ancient Rome and Greece moved out of the confines of the elites and moved out from being just a male thing, but now spread and became more universal. Now you can understand this process of people coming to Christ like this. As the disciples, the early disciples of Christ would spread the message, there were many people who were interested in knowing about it. So they were taught how some of these people would choose to become disciples of Christ. And when the next generation comes, the disciples of Christ would definitely be keen that their children would have the same knowledge from a young age, and so began the practice of teaching children. So as the Medieval Ages progressed, there were a number of schools that developed, so this is a painting of King Alfred, one of the famous kings of England, visiting a monastery school. So this is in the ninth century.

So during that time, there were schools and these schools were attached to churches and monasteries, and children in Europe received some sort of basic education. Now these schools no doubt decayed over the dark ages, but nevertheless, this was the education that was going on. Commenting on this education, HG Wells, a historian and writer writes like this, he says, the Catholic Church provided what the Roman Republic had lacked, that is a system of popular teaching, a number of universities and methods of intellectual communication. So HG Wells is commenting on the education that was bizarre in Europe in the medieval ages, and after that, and he says that the church was highly instrumental for education. And before the church, there was a pagan Roman Empire and there was no education there. Now, HG Wells is not a Christian, he does not have a point to prove or he does not have his ideology to support in making this statement.

In fact, he goes on to say like this, though the Catholic church opened up the prospect of the modern educational state in Europe. It is equally certain that the Catholic Church never intended to do anything of that sort. It did not send out knowledge with its blessings. It let it loose inadvertently. Here he says that the Catholic Church ended up pioneering the modern educational state, which is there all over the world, but that was not their intention. He says they did not want to bless the world as a secular person. HG Wells certainly does not endorse the Catholic Church and he says they did not intend to send blessing on the world, but they let this blessing loose inadvertently.

This is exactly our point here. If you notice, I did not title this video as the influence of the church or the Catholic Church. I titled it as the influence of the Bible. So we don't necessarily endorse the Catholic Church or everything that it did. But what we understand from here is that the good things that the Catholic Church did, perhaps even inadvertently, did those things because they were influenced at least to some extent by the Bible. The Bible inspired the church to spread education and pioneer the modern educational state.

Martin LutherEven those of us who are not very familiar with the Bible, or the history of Christianity are probably familiar with Martin Luther. He is known for starting the Reformation in Europe a500 years ago. So during the medieval ages, education existed, but it was not flourishing very well. But with Martin Luther certain changes came. First of all, Luther took a stand for education. He said, Education is needed, because people need to understand both the word of Scripture and the nature of the world in which the word would take root.

He says that education is needed because people need to read the Bible. People need to read and understand the Bible. That's why education is needed. And when we teach them, it's not enough just to read the Bible to them, but we also need to teach them something about the world because the Bible after all, is God's message to man. It speaks about His world. It speaks about why the world is the way it is, how to make sense of the world and so on. So if we have some understanding of the world, then that will enhance our understanding of the Bible. So that's why Luther said education is very important.

William Boyd, the historian, says that he wanted a system of education as free and unrestricted as the gospel he preached and indifferent like the gospel to distinctions of sex or of social class. So here you can see that people need to get educated to read the Bible, but who needs to read the Bible? Well, the Bible is addressed for everyone. The gospel is for all, for rich and poor, for boys, for girls, for men and women. So Luther endorsed universal education because he endorsed a universal gospel and he got that from the Bible. Luther also said that it is the duty of the government to compel its subjects to keep their children in school. So Luther saw that not all parents were motivated to send their children to school and perhaps that would have an adverse effect on the children.

So he said that the government should make it compulsory for children to be sent to school and he also advocated government funding for schools. Now every one of us may not agree with all these policies about, you know, how involved the government should be with education and so on. But the point here is that Luther wanted the government to be involved so that everyone could be educated, and he wanted everyone to be educated, because he believed that everyone needs to read the Bible, and this shows the profound influence that the Bible has had on education.

Luther’s FriendsWho were Luther's friends? The intellectual heavyweight behind Martin Luther's actions, was Philip Melanchthon. So he was called the church's teacher. So although he was not hands-on involved in the starting of schools or apologists, he was very much behind the scenes involved in education because he was a master of theology. He understood many subjects, and he was a very knowledgeable person, and he would have mentored the people who started the first modern schools and colleges in Germany. There was another person called Johannes Strum, one of the church men of the Lutheran church, and he introduced the concept of graded education. So today we have 12 grades and after that we have college and university. Well, where did it all begin? It began in the Lutheran church.

This is Johannes Burgenhagen, a Lutheran pastor and he is called the father of the Deutsche Volk Schule. That is the German public school. Luther wanted the whole population of Germany to be educated, because he was involved in so many things because he was the leader of the Reformation. So these are some of the people who implemented his ideas. All of them were believers in Jesus Christ, all of them were motivated by the Bible. It is their devotion to Christ or devotion or commitment to the Bible that motivated them to do the pioneering things that they did for education.

KindergartenWell before 12 grades we have kindergarten. Kindergarten has not existed since the very beginning. It started at a definite point of time, the person who started it was Friedrich Froebel, another Lutheran, and he writes like this, he says, Let us protect our children. Let us steer them away from the harmful chase after material things and the damaging passion for distractions. Let us educate them to stand with their feet rooted in God's earth, but with their heads reaching even into heaven, there to behold truth. So kindergarten was started by a man who believed he was doing it because he wanted children to start seeking God from a young age.

He said that, you know, if children are just left on their own, then it's possible for them to get distracted, it's possible for them to become indiscipline, this will adversely affect their lives. So we want to guide children properly and the right way to guide children is to encourage them to seek God. And that was the purpose for starting kindergarten. So Good and Teller, two authors in their book called The History of Western Education, say that Friedrich Froebel's motivation was that the world of man and nature are connected by God. Children need to learn that at a young age, how do you relate to the world outside? In order to relate to the world outside you need to first properly relate to God. And this was Froebel's conviction, and that's why he started kindergarten.

Father of Modern EducationThis is Jan Comenius, or Jan Comiskey and this is a currency note that commemorates and honors him. So he lived in Bohemia around 500 years ago. What is today the Czech Republic. He was a church leader of the Czech brethren. And he was also a pioneer in education. This is taken from the New World encyclopedia. So, the source calls them a teacher, a scientist and educator, and a writer. He was a Moravian protestant Bishop and also a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education. So, he is called the father of modern education. Now he was primarily a church leader, he was a pastor. But because he saw the way in which the Bible can be taught to people and people need to learn the Bible.

Because of this concern, he also became a pioneer of education. So people did not invent modern education, just because they thought of it in isolation, it was just a byproduct of the devotion and concern that people have for the Bible and the spreading of its teachings. Almost everything every point that Jan Comenius made about education about teaching people was accompanied by a quote from the Bible. So this is a prayer of his that has been recorded. Have mercy oh Lord on your heritage. This is in his brief proposal on the renewal of schools in Bohemia, so all the reform of the medieval schools that Jan Comenius was attempting, he was doing as part of his devotion to God.

Modern UniversitiesThese are some of the influences that he had. He was influential in the starting of the Royal Society of science in England. Halle University was the first modern university in Germany. Later on, it was merged with the Wittenberg university that Martin Luther started. So, Jan Comenius was influential in the starting of this university. And he also inspired the Puritans. In fact, the Puritans of America invited Jan Comenius to take over Harvard University which was a college that they had just recently started, and they started at in order to train people to teach God's word. So this is a quote from a secular historian George Marsden. He writes like this One of the remarkable facts of American history is that only six years after their settlement in the Massachusetts wilderness, the Puritans established what soon became a reputable College. Higher Education was for them a priority in civilizational building.

So of course, the Puritans who went to America were trying to start a new civilization there, and there have been many civilizations in the past before them, but these civilizations in the past did not give a priority to education. But these Puritans did, why? Because they were concerned about the spread of the teachings of the Bible. They were concerned that all the settlers who came to this new place i.e. America needed to be taught God's word, the children needed to be taught, the churches needed to be taught, and that's why they set up Harvard University to teach the Bible and also other subjects. Now in this context, it's worth noting the word University, the word University means unity in diversity.

There are many subjects taught in and at the university. So that's the diversity Unity Cup. The people who started the first universities were motivated by the Bible, and they believed that it is theology that unifies everything, everything, all subjects, whether it's history, science, art, mathematics, technology, or any subject, everything, the whole system of knowledge about the world. It all is tied together and pirated in theology. The world works or the world makes sense because of God, because of what God has told us about the world. That's why they coined the word University.

Elementary EducationAnother leader of the Reformation was John Calvin, and he was based in Geneva in Switzerland. He had a plan for the city and that plan included a system of elementary education in the vernacular for all including reading, writing, arithmetic, etc, and religion and the establishment of secondary schools for the purpose of training civil and church leaders. So everywhere the Reformation had its impact which led to the blossoming of education, that reformation was an attempt to return to the Bible. And when people return to the Bible, it has a positive effect on education.

Why so much Stress on Education?Now, why did the Reformers, one of the early Protestants, lay so much stress on education? So here's the answer from a historian, Gabriel compiled, writing about the history of education and he says, like this, the teaching, that each man is responsible for his own salvation logically led to the conclusion that everyone needed to be educated. Now, this is a profound statement. The Bible teaches that salvation does not come just because you go through a certain set of rituals. It does not come because you just do good deeds like you go here or give some money to somebody or something. Like that.

The Bible does not teach that salvation comes because you are part of a certain community or a certain institution. Instead, the Bible teaches that you will be saved. If you understand and accept and respond to the universal truth. About this word, the universal truth. This world has been created by a holy God, and we all have offended this God and this God Himself has come down in the person of Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins, and He is the one who died and rose again from the dead. If you believe all these things, if you put your trust in Jesus Christ and if you decide to surrender your life to Him, then you will be saved.

Now this is the message of the Bible. Now, needless to say, the Bible teaches that salvation requires that people understand these things. Well, this message can be said in a few words, but people need to understand this message properly. So the Bible provides a lot of details. So people need to know how to read the Bible and understand it so that they can respond to this message and be saved. And fulfill the purpose for which they have been created. So here you see how the Bible directly provided a motivation for the establishment of education.

Sign LanguagesWhat about the people who don't have the privileges that we have? All of us are endowed with natural abilities, but not everyone has the same abilities. In the ancient pagan civilizations, people who had a handicap were not treated well. But this was a Catholic priest, Abbe’ Charles Michel de Lepe. He is called the father of the Deaf. He invented sign language, and he was motivated by a desire for deaf people. To hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So today, deaf people benefit so much from sign language. And, you know, perhaps different governments in various countries of the world would have some initiative to educate the Deaf people but it all began with sign languages invented because somebody was concerned that deaf people also need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. There was a person called Thomas Gallaudet and he was a Protestant pastor. And he brought this sign language to America. And there he opened the first School of the Deaf.

Later on, he went on to start a university and as he was leaving America to go to Europe, this is what he told us people there when I come back from Europe, I hope to teach you much about the Bible about God and Christ. So here you see the pioneer for education among the Deaf in America was a pastor, a church leader who was motivated by this concern that his people including the deaf people in his church are in his locality, need to hear about the love that Jesus has for them.

BrailleWhat about the blind? In ancient times, blind infants were killed means, they were exposed to the elements of nature and left to die. If that was not done to them, if they survived their infancy, then if they were boys, and they were made as galley slaves, so you can imagine in the days when ships did not have engines, it was these slaves who would continuously be rowing these ships. Blind girls were made into prostitutes. What else could they do? That was the thought in paganism but during the Middle Ages, Christians ran asylums protection centers for the blind, so that they would not be mistreated by others.

And they try to teach these blind children by using raised letters on wax and words. So it was very difficult. It was not easy for them to do it. But nevertheless, they tried to teach these children at least how to feel and understand letters and words. Now there was a person called Louis Braille and he lost his eyesight at a very young age because of an accident in his father's workshop. So you can imagine it's a horrible thing to happen for a person. If this kind of event would happen to us, perhaps the most of us would grow up with bitterness, sadness and what life has given us or what has happened in our lives. But as a teenager, Louis Braille went to church and he became an organist, and he really enjoyed playing the organ. And he went on to develop the Braille language, which is a special language for blind people to read.

This is what he says. I'm convinced that my mission has finished on dart. I tasted yesterday, the supreme delight, God condescended to brighten my eyes with the splendor of eternal hope. Here he is talking about his own salvation, because he believes that because of what Jesus has done for him, he is going to have an eternal life. So that's a hope for him. And this also inspired him to do something constructive instead of moaning and complaining about his misfortune. So this is the effect that the Bible has on a person. Just imagine what Louis Braille would do if he was just another person and not if there was no Christianity in his life, and he just underwent this misfortune. What was his attitude be? Well, the change is evident when you see the person's devotion to the Bible. It is his devotion to the Bible that made him convinced that God has something good for him, and that enabled him to share that goodness with others. The world has changed since then.

Sunday SchoolMany of us perhaps are aware that in the Industrial Revolution in England, there was a lot of child labor that was used. And at this time, this is the 19th century there were schools in England, but what do you expect poor people to do? Poor people would want their children to earn money rather than to go to school, they couldn't spare that resource. So instead of sending their children to school, poor people make their children work in the factories and these children would work very long hours, six days a week. And they would often get into crime because there was no one to love them, no one to care for them and nurture them. The children would get into crime and as they grew up, they would get into more serious crime, and then many of them would land up in jail and it was very difficult to handle them.

Now there was one person who looked at what was happening, and he said vice can be better prevented than cured. In other words, we should do something for these children and straighten them out when they are young. Rather than wait for them to get adults, themselves and get into trouble and then try to straighten them out. This person was Robert Raikes. So what was his solution to the problem? He founded something that perhaps most people who have been to church would know today. It's called Sunday school. He started the first Sunday school in 1780. So remember, these children were working in the factories for six days a week. So Sunday was the only day that were free.

So he called these children on Sundays. And he taught them, so he actually wanted to teach them the Bible. But of course, for that he first had to teach them how to read and thus began their education. So, he went on to establish many Sunday schools in different places in England. This is a picture of one of the early Sunday schools, and he died in 1811 20 years after his death. You know, the movement spread and 85% of British children were attending Sunday schools, so you can understand that because of him. Britain was on course to becoming a literate nation. Here you see one man's concern, first of all, why should anyone feel sympathetic for poor children? It's his love for Jesus that motivated that. And how can we help children? How can we prevent children who do not have a proper family background from going astray? Well, the Bible was the answer for Robert Raikes.

Higher EducationMost of what we said up till now was about schools. Let's have a brief look at higher education. These are ruins at the Greek city of Thallus. Sorry, the Greek city at Miletus, which was the home of Thales who is known as the first Greek philosopher. Now he and other philosophers established some schools that are centers of higher learning. But although these schools were there they were not they were not permanent institutions. They just relied on individual initiative. If there's one philosopher and he is a little influential or he is, he comes across as convincing then he would gather a few fans and then they would learn under him There were no permanent libraries that were established.

There were no scholarly gills, or no society of scientists or no society of historians or anything that came out of these schools. So the Greeks had some sort of higher learning, but nothing much came out of it. In fact, these schools died a natural death when the Greeks lost their faith and rationality and gave into mysticism in the form of Gnosticism and other movements. But while the Greek system of higher education died, something else was happening in the Christian world. Some Christians who wanted to get away from the world went away from the regular population and they established monasteries. Monasteries, would grow their own crops, and they would spend the rest of the day praying and also writing and copying and learning.

So, this is Benedict of Nursia, responsible for establishing one set of monasteries and he is called today the godfather of libraries because his monasteries had huge libraries, and the people who lived there would copy them out. They would also do research on the text so that text would be the Bible books by other ancient Christian authors, and also the classics of Greek civilization. So monasteries became a center of learning. And then the modern university grew out of the monastery. So the first modern university in the world was the University of Bologna and the purpose for which it was established was the teaching of church law. So here again, you see that it is Christianity that influenced or pioneered higher education. Although this university was initially started to teach church law, later on other things were also taught. Dissections of human bodies, which is a routine thing today in medical studies.

It began in Bologna in the year 1300. That's where we get our modern education, modern medical education that we have today. If you look at some of the famous universities that you see today, you'll find that many of them were established by Christians who wanted to teach people the Bible. So for examples, Harvard was started by Congregationalists and Yale, and Princeton, was started by the Presbyterians and so on and so forth, in Europe before these American universities in Europe Oxford, the University of Paris, Cambridge, Basil, Heidelberg, all these places grew out of the church. They were initially just started to train church leaders and teachers of the Bible.

So historian comments like this, he says, Every college institution founded in America prior to the Revolutionary War, except the University of Pennsylvania had Christian roots. There are two other authors who have written a book called What if Jesus had never been born? And they say like this, every school you see, public or private, religious or secular is a visible reminder of the religion of Jesus Christ. So is every college or university. So, here you see a summary of the influence of the Bible in education. We began by seeing how it is the gospel, it is the great commission of Jesus Christ, that motivated Christian and that's why they began, schools to teach seekers and converts and modern education grew out of that. The profound influence of the Bible in education is one of the many evidences that this book's origin is not just human. But it is a divine book. Thank you very much.Sermon PPTThe post Impact of the Bible on Education appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptThen that brings us to chapter 14 In verse one, the apostle the Lord Jesus Christ says to His disciples, not only Let not your heart be troubled, but he adds the command Believe me. Believe in me believe in your father, believe in the Father. Believe also in me. I think there's a bunch of times in which we have that where it is given to us believe me, believe me, believe me. Brothers and sisters, we are unbelieving believers. It's true. We find the disciples did not believe the Lord Jesus Christ, when He told them about the cross and the crucifixion in Matthew chapter 16. They didn't believe even after he was raised from the dead and was seen of Peter or Cephas and he comes to the 11 in the upper room, they still didn't believe. He upbraided them for their unbelief. From the beginning of this Bible to the end, the primary issue is believing God, if it's loving one another, which it is, then the great principle for us is to believe God.

The apostle Paul as he goes through the lessons of, of difficulties and problems and shipwrecks and so forth. He comes to us at the end of chapter 27 of Acts. He said, I believe, God. I asked you, do you? Do you know the promises of God? Have you picked them up? Have you made a list of them? Are there any of them that challenge you? And you say, well, you know, I don't believe that promise. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. He that shall come, Will Come. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and so forth. And as we see that we understand that the promises of God are going to be kept. Do we live in the light of those promises? You have to believe God, and Paul's announcement at the end of that journey as they came to Malta, and on their way to Rome, with shipwrecks, the loss of the ship the loss of the tackling the loss of all, God said to them, said to him, you will not lose one person but you're gonna lose everything else. Paul says, I believe God. That great book that's in your lap or on your table there, Do you believe it?

We look back to the children of Israel in the Old Testament, and we realized that they did not enter into the land of Canaan, for only one reason. Hebrews tells us, they entered not in because of unbelief. They were unbelieving believers. They had believed God for getting them out of the land of Egypt, but they couldn't believe it the same God would bring them into the land of Canaan. That is so characteristic. I wonder if the percentages in the assemblies and in the church of Christ churches of the Lord Jesus Christ in our world are the same. Let me ask you, how many people came out of Egypt that were over the age of was it 20 or 21? How many of those people that came out of Egypt actually entered into the land of Canaan? Do you know the answer? Two. Caleb, and Joshua, Joshua and Caleb. Here with Joshua and Caleb. The only two among whatever, a couple of million people, everyone under the age of 20, whatever it was 20 or 21. They had a further opportunity to enter into the land of Canaan, by the Jordan River. But all of those who were above that age what does it mean?

Are there percentages I asked you again. The same. Two, out of two and a half million. I don't even know what the what the percentages are. Suppose is one or 2%. If you have 100 people in your assembly are there only two out of the 100 that understand the joy of entering into the blessing of God? They believe in a God who can save them forgive them, but they don't believe in the same God the same Lord Jesus Christ. And take them into the enjoyment and appreciation of the fullness of God, we talked last week about asking the Lord to be with us. That was a problem. That was a problem with the nation of Israel. And yet God said I am with you. As I was with Moses, I will be with Joshua. And so Joshua, our Joshua, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ, who brings us into the fullness and understanding of all the blessings of our salvation.

I showed you my little book, the devotional blessings, all mine, with 10,000 beside. And the reason I wrote that is because I find so many people who don't believe God. They don't believe the premises of God. If you have a problem in that area, I suggest you make a study go through the New Testament. Write out the promises of God, there are devotions that do nothing but go over the promises of God. And basically, I have done the same thing, but I have used the word blessings. What did we talk about last week? We talked last week. About say asking the Lord to be with us. Asking the Lord to bless us. It's most often in our prayers that we asked the Lord to bless us or bless His word. He has promised to bless us. Galatians says He that those that be of faith are blessed are blessed with faithful Abraham. Yeah, we asked the Lord to bless. Bless the food I don't know what that means. Does that mean if there's something in the food like you know that wouldn't be healthy that God will take it out? because we asked him to bless it. What does it mean to ask the Lord to bless His Word? He's blessed his word. It's a living powerful word, as authored by Godly men, and communicated through the Holy Spirit's and preserved for us and explained to us by the Holy Spirit.

Why do we say, Lord be with us, Lord bless? Why can't we turn that promise around? And I'm going to speak in a couple of weeks on Numbers 6 The Lord bless you and keep you The Lord make his face to shine upon you, the Lord be gracious unto you and live in and so forth. You know what that? Do you know what that benediction is? I hear it repeated again and again. The Lord bless you and keep you do what my understanding is that benediction was fulfilled and is fulfilled in Christ. Of course, take those there are three of them, one for the father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit back in Numbers chapter six. The Lord bless you and keep you. What are you gonna say about that? My answer is he has. Ephesians chapter one. Blessing be the God and Father, according to his abundant mercy blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.

Why don't we believe God? Why don't we believe the Word of God? Our hearts are filled with anxiety and fear is a terror with uneasiness with apprehension because we don't believe God. If we believe God for salvation, and forgiveness of sins, why don't we believe the promises of God? Why don't we accept what the Word of God says and believe? Accept is true. rest upon it, lean upon it. Act upon it, because God has said to us, our salvation is based upon believing sanctification is based upon believing, John chapter 17. Sanctify them through your truth. Your Word is true. We're not sanctified by what we do. We are sanctified by what we believe. Sanctify them through your truth. Your word is truth. It's as we believe the Word of God. That it transforms our mind our thinking our boldness, our confidence in God in our action shows that we believe God.

Otherwise, we're like so many Christians today with this pandemic terrified. I'm not saying you shouldn't get vaccinated and wear a mask. I'm simply saying your mind needs not to be filled with terror and anxiety. Because of this virus, I believe God, do you? Will you accept and believe God for salvation? Praise the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah, that you have believed the gospel once and for all. A transaction was made when you became a member of the family of God. How thrilling is that? How challenging is that because every day of our life, we are faced with challenges, and we need to respond like Joshua and Caleb did. We can enter. We can defeat these giants. God is with us. Or we can join with the other spies 10 of them. You know, we're like grasshoppers in their sight and we're like grasshoppers in our own sight. We begin to do that. Let's go back to Egypt. Oh, my brothers. It is so perfectly presented to us in the Book of Joshua and the expression of victory over Jericho and eventually over AI, and all the others to enjoy and appreciate and appropriate and defeat the enemies in order that we might enjoy the blessings of our salvation. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Commands – Part 4 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptAnd then in chapter 14 And verse one, we have the next command the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His disciples, you know it as well as I do. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me. And then in chapter 14 in verse 27, he says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid.” What is interesting in the original languages, that these two commands the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples tell us that they were already filled with anxiety. They were already distressed and disturbed. Their heart was troubled there was fear, and various other aspects emotions, and the Lord Jesus is really saying, Stop, letting your heart be troubled. They had already done it.

The Lord Jesus had said in Matthew chapter 16, that he was going to be handed over to the chief priests of scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day. Peter said that it'll never happen to you know, of course when they all forsook him in fled, Peter drew out his sword and sliced off the ear of the high priest servant. But when we read this, let not your heart be troubled, Stop. Now, I have been thinking of this again as I was preparing this study. To realize the number of people who call themselves Christians and are in assembly fellowship and yet they're terrified because of this virus. I know a brother in Christ. He hasn't been partly out of his house for almost two years, because he's terrified of getting the virus and I guess you could say and dying from it. That fear that we have is directly contrary to this command.

We are commanded not to have our heart troubled. It's not talking about the physical heart, although I do believe as some doctors suggest, that the fear and anxiety that fills our mind affects our body. And if Proverbs is right, and of course it is, A merry heart does good like a medicine. If we are filled with fear and anxiety, and all kinds of things like that. It may affect our health; it may affect our wellbeing bodily. And so, we are told, Let not your heart be troubled. We're to accept the peace of God, which passes all understanding. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. If anybody should have been disturbed and distressed, it should have been the Lord Jesus, because he was the one going to the cross.

He was the one that was going to be rejected by his people. There he is in prison and he writes to us a beautiful book of Ephesians and Philippians and Colossians, and Philemon. All in prison waiting for the Nero to say, for Caesar to say, okay off with your head or out to the lions. Whatever it was. We're do we accept the peace of God, which passes all understanding. Philippians says, be anxious for nothing, Paul repeats the command that the Lord Jesus Christ gave. And so, we are to accept the provision that the Lord made in the midst of the chaos and persecution of the first century. In the case of people giving their lives like Steven for the gospel, others persecuted as Paul did, bringing them, throwing him into prison and beating them, persecuting them. The apostle Paul, transformed by the power of God because of his faith in Jesus Christ gives us lessons. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Commands – Part 3 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptAnd then in chapter 13, and verse 34, we have the next occasion, where the Lord Jesus gives us a command. And he has talked to the disciples, and He is still there with them and he says to them, in verse 34, A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

How amazing is this? I cannot as I read this, again and again, and I don't know how many times I've read through the whole Bible, of course, but read through these chapters and realize, here is a command. Three times in chapter 13, in verse 34, in chapter 15, in verse 12, and again in verse 17, in the midst of this wonderful demonstration of the Lord's care, the Lord's service to his disciples, including Judas, he says to them, “Love one another.” You know, I appreciate again what he says in the next verse by this show all men know that you are my disciples, if you have loved one to another. To think that the standard of behavior, the manifestation of the one characteristic that the Lord Jesus wants in our lives, is not great doctrinal truths, it's not the great gift that God has given this person or that person. It isn't even our knowledge of the Word of God or being able to repeat the great doctrines of the faith. It's to love one another.

Sociologists tell us that we have two great needs as human beings with mind, emotion and will that be to love one another, and to be loved. Somebody comes and visits your assembly, whether we understand that or not. What goes through their mind consciously or subconsciously? Will these people love me, and can I love them? Maybe they ask, Will they love me as I am? or do we require a certain standard of behavior in order for them to love us. And so, the command is, love one another. And he goes on to say as I have loved you. Most of us would say, at the most, I love you or we love you or you are loved or certain phrases that are more comfortable or convenient to exercise our God given responsibility.

Why is it that the Lord Jesus put this so prominently before those disciples? I can tell you he was going to go away. He was going to leave them. He was going to leave a huge open empty space where he had been because we can look at the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospels, and we can answer and say nobody loved the disciples like he did. Nobody cared for them like he did. Nobody prayed for them like he did. We could take every responsibility in every duty that we have as believers in Jesus Christ and say, Christ did it better. Christ did it perfectly. Christ is the example to us. We are to do as he did, and that includes loving one another. You're saying, the Lord Jesus Christ gave to the disciples, the premium demonstration of love.

In chapter 13, the first few verses, John reminds us, having loved His own that were in the world, He loved them to the uttermost. You and I must say, nobody ever loved me like the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody in all the world, no person ever. My mom and my dad, my brothers and sisters, my brothers and sisters in the assembly. Nobody loves me like the Lord Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus, we sing. Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. But the Lord Jesus was leaving. He was going to be gone. And so, they gather reclining on their couches around probably and who was going to carry on this demonstration of love that he had so perfectly given to those disciples? The answer is these 11 disciples.

He commission's them, he challenges them, he calls them, he conditions them, take whatever words you'd like. And he brought those disciples to a place that just before he was going to the garden of Gethsemane and give himself up to the Roman Empire and to the Jewish chief priests and scribes. He says to the disciples, You have a responsibility. That responsibility is to love one another. I think it's important for us to realize that this is the premium expression of the heart of God and of Christ that we can share with each other. We spend so much time learning the Bible getting to know the Bible, formulating the scriptures, understanding the doctrines, making sure that we have all of our I's dotted and our T's crossed so that we present ourselves theologically correct, practically exemplary, and all of that. But the Lord says to us, it's love, Love one another.

You know what, I know that our heart goes from this chapter to First Corinthians chapter 13. And we are reminded that love endures forever. And love wanted not itself and is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly. You can take that word love out of there, and you can put in Christ. Christ, did not himself be lifted up. He did not exalt himself. He didn't think of that which was evil, but that which is good. You can take that chapter you can take out the word charity in the King James Version and put in love, but you can also take out love and put in the name of Jesus Christ. How did He love us? To the uttermost. We are to love as He loved us. For God so loved the world and whose love was that? It was the Father's love that the Son manifested to us.

Galatians tells us he loved me and gave himself for me. Those words are just full of message, full of truth, full of comfort, encouragement, and the challenge is that we should love as He loved. We are called. We are commanded. We're commissioned, we're challenged. We have no option to obey if we just find somebody in the assembly that is hard to love. Still are commanded to love. We're commanded to do what the Lord Jesus Christ did. And so, as we review these commands, we realize that the motive of that love of the Lord Jesus Christ for His disciples, was in order that the world, in order the other disciples, in other believers would know that we are His disciples. The word disciples simply mean a learner. Somebody who follows we are to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to love as He loved, it is a huge challenge. You have no other option. But the Lord Jesus Christ comes and takes up His life in us takes up his residence in my heart, and there are always those that are hard to love.

It must have been hard to love Peter, and James and John. Peter was always saying things that he shouldn't have said, James and John wanting to call down fire on everybody who wasn't of the same mind, the same, same denomination or whatever. It must have been hard to love Matthew with his background. But the Lord Jesus says we are to love one another. As I have loved you and so the motive is, because the disciples need love. You needed love, I need love. And we are commissioned to take the place of the Lord Jesus Christ who's gone to glory, and he is dependent upon us, loving as he loved, so that people know that they are loved.

So, people know that the greatest characteristic that is manifested by those who claim to follow Jesus Christ is love. Divine love, God's love. Christ's love. And as we do that people will be drawn and we are to love those who are in the world. Not to love the world. But the people in the world. We are to love as God the Father, loved the world and gave himself for us. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Commands – Part 2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptSo this evening, I would like to look with you at seven commands the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples, and that's important for us to stop and say, Well, you know, what commands are important to us most of them are profound statements of what we should do and what we should be before the world, that we should be toward each other in the assembly, and of course, before the Lord. And so there are three aspects of these commands that relate to us as we walk from earth to glory as we contemplate all of the truths that are taught in the upper room discourse.

Wash one another’s feet
And so the first command that is given to us is found in the text that I read. This is what you ought to do, and that is to wash one another's feet. So now we were faced with something of a difficulty, aren't we? Because most of us are in gatherings of believers in assemblies, where foot washing is not practiced. And yet, if we look at this carefully, we hear the Lord Jesus saying to His disciples, I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. And he says to us very clearly, that is our responsibility. Now there are principles of hermeneutics that help us understand which of these responsibilities are to be practiced in the church. There aren't any of us who are listening to this evening who would say well, it's important. it's just a cultural thing. It's not something that we do. And I understand that, and many others do as well. But when we read the Scripture carefully and we understand what the scripture is saying, we must at least address the issue.

Are we responsible as believers in Jesus Christ, to respond to this command? and to be obedient? There aren't any of us who would say the Lord's Supper isn't important. It's a cultural thing. When we come to First Corinthians chapter 11, in describing the Lord's Supper and the role of women in the head covering and, and other things, we accept that those are commands that are to be obeyed. And so as I look at this, I want us to try to understand how it is that Christ in the upper room, probably already has instituted the Lord's Supper? Maybe foot washing was the first ingredient and was necessary in order for the disciples heart and mind to be with Christ before they took the Lord's supper or before they experienced the Passover. But as we look at this the result of washing each other's feet is the great subject of cleansing. Yes, of course, it was cultural because these disciples would have made their way from perhaps various parts of the city of Jerusalem, and they wouldn't have been paved highways there wouldn't have been socks, there wouldn't have been shoes, they all would have had sandals.

And so it was culturally acceptable to bring somebody into your house for instance, and a servant would offer to wash the feet and refresh the feet of those visitors and guests that came to your house. Let not your heart be troubled. So, when we look at this, we try to understand what it is that the Lord Jesus is trying to teach his disciples, who have gathered from various parts in Jerusalem at an appointed time. Lord Jesus said it’s just a good time to gather with my disciples. And so they gather reclining on their couches around probably, maybe a round table, or maybe even a rectangular one. The feet of each of the disciples would be hanging over as it were, the end of the couch, so that a servant could normally go around the outskirts of those disciples in and wash their feet and it would be if it was a hot, warm time, it would be a refreshing experience, but this of course took place near the Passover, which would be the winter for those in Israel.

So, we look at this and we try to understand what is it that the Lord Jesus Christ is saying? I think more than anything else, as He has said elsewhere, I am among you as one that serves. Philippians tells us He took upon himself the form of the servant that was made in the likeness of men. And the Apostle Paul picks that up and says, I am a bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so more than anything else we can perhaps learn that the cleansing of the feet of the disciples was so important, particularly on this particular occasion, and regarding the washing of the disciples feet, He said, You don't need to take a bath. You did that this morning. Or you did this once a day or whenever, whenever you did, but because your feet are walking in the dust and dirt of Jerusalem, your feet have become defiled. And so there is that opportunity for a guest at home or the disciples on this occasion, to have their feet washed, and to recognize the need of washing their feet regularly, daily, maybe several times a day if they were going from one house to the other.

And so, the Lord Jesus is trying to teach us as believers 2000 years later, that there are times when we need to have our feet washed. We take a bath once for all when we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior. And we were cleansed from all unrighteousness, but our feet have been in the world, our feet have been mixing with society. And there are things that we have done and that we have said that are inconsistent with the Christian life and it's like our feet are dirty and need to be washed. And so that is a responsibility that we have to each other. He doesn't say that we're to wash our own feet, though we could certainly do that. But the character of welcoming somebody into your home and bringing them in, we might do it with a cup of coffee or tea or iced tea in South Carolina, or some other expression of our gracious concern for them. But on that day, it was to wash their feet. And so, we ask ourselves as we consider this scripture, why are we so convinced that the celebration of the Lord's Supper is something we should do and do weekly, but the washing of the feet of our brothers and sisters, something we never do?

And I would like to ask that the Scripture does present for us some principles of hermeneutics where, in the gospels the lesson is given to us. It's taught, it may be commanded, as in the case of the Lord's Supper and of foot washing. And then we move into the book of Acts and say, Is there any occasion, evidence that this particular action by the local church and we have one reference that we saw, then we ask, is there some teaching or instruction about the meaning and the proper practice? And of course, we asked that about the Lord's Supper, we say yes, it's in the Gospels. We find it in the book of acts on a couple of occasions. And of course, First Corinthians presents to us these specific details as far as possible, of what the Lord's Supper should be. Then we asked do we have the same thing in the issue of washing feet? And the answer, of course, is no, we don't have the same specific issues. We have it in the gospels in the Gospel of John, very detailed. We have, I think, one reference to it, or inference of it in the book of Acts, and then I think we miss out on the specific details of its meaning, of its purpose, of how frequent it should be, and so forth.

So, we must ask ourselves, Is there a New Testament principle that would help us to understand whether or not this is something we should practice, you know, week by week, as we do the Lord's Supper? And the answer, of course, is brought out if you are clean through the words which I have spoken unto you. And so we read again the washing of water by the word, and we have other references and inferences, that perhaps our study of the Word of God and our understanding of the truth of the Word of God becomes the agent for our cleansing when we come as we gather this evening to understand and appreciate the Word of God, we may have come with dirty feet, our feet may have been affected by our walk in the world today. Therefore, when we come, the word of God is applied to our lives and to our behavior to our conduct. And there is a sense in which we might give a word of encouragement or comfort or strengthening or maybe rebuke, or exhortation to a brother or sister when we come together and that is the washing of water by the word.

And so, I think we are right, and I think we are reasonable, when we consider this command, do this, because I have done it to you that it can be done in a spiritual way. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be out of order for an assembly, the gathering of believers to practice, once a quarter or spontaneously or somehow some way to continue this practice of, but it's a command to wash one another's feet. And we admit that when we must admit that they're dirty. We must admit even as we come to the Lord's Supper, to confess our sins, to the Lord to one another, so that we might partake of the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner. And so the word in season is the cleansing element that we can use day by day and week by week in the lives of each other. And there must be change, because these believers then could partake of the Lord's supper with their feet washed and the lesson was learned. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Commands – Part 1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Johnny Varghese
(Borivali Assembly, 7th August, 2020)
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Sermon TranscriptHi everyone, in today's video we are going to look into the question of errors and contradictions in the Bible. Many skeptics level this charge that the Bible has got so many errors and contradictions or absurdities and inaccuracies in it. If you do an online search, you'll probably find lists in which there are hundreds, or maybe even thousand, of contradictions or factual errors in the Bible. And in this video, we are going to look at some of these claims and critically examine them. But first we will have some background.

Apparent contradictions and errors everywhere
If you look into every field of knowledge or even our day-to-day life, we find that there are apparent contradictions and errors everywhere. For example, in a simple statement, like the sun rises in the east, it's possible to find an objection to this. Someone might say that, you know, the sun is not really rising. The sun is not going around the earth across the sky. It's the earth that is rotating about its axis. And so, the sun only appears to rise in the east, but nevertheless, we use this simple non-technical language. So technically, there is an error here, but nevertheless, this is an accepted way of speaking.

This is about electricity. And these equations probably look very complicated to those of us who don't have a science background. Perhaps you can make out that there's a difference between these two formulas. And usually in a physics class students will notice, and they will ask, isn't there a contradiction here? There is a factor of half and this formula, and the second formula here in the box seems to be a formula for the same thing, and yet it does not have a half, so there seems to be a contradiction. Well, but both formulas give the same final answer. So the final answer matches. So, what's the answer? Well, the V here and the V here refer to two things which are slightly different. So, you here you see there is an apparent contradiction, but the contradiction can be resolved. Now, my reason for pointing this out is that we see a similar pattern in the Bible. There are things that appear to conflict with each other, but then on closer examination, they get resolved.

Now, if you look up the price of a car. This is the price of Honda City as estimated by two different websites, and you can see that there is a difference in the prices that are being quoted. Now no one goes and complains and says that you know, these websites have false, or there is a contradiction. Nobody says such things. The reason is that the price of a car can include various heads. So based on what you include, or exclude, the final figure that you get might differ. At different times and in different states, the taxes of the insurance fees and so you may be different. So, you may have a slightly different total. So, we understand and accept that certain figures may not tally with each other because of different backgrounds. These things have to be kept in mind even while reading the Bible.

This is a concept from mathematics. And somebody who comes to study this topic for the first time might see that there is a contradiction. You know, do we put we put x = 1? The answer is yes and no. And if the student asks the teacher you know, can we substitute, can we put this value? Can we plug in the value of x = 1. At sometimes the teacher will say no, and at sometimes, yes. Okay, so there seems to be a contradiction but if you study and understand this topic, there is no real contradiction. So, here's also an example where there is apparently a contradiction but no real contradiction.

There is a theory in physics, it's called a theory of relativity. Perhaps even people who are not from a science background may have heard of Albert Einstein. So, this is one of his famous theories. And this theory is famous for its paradoxes. So, these paradoxes have even been given names. We have the ladder paradox, the twin paradox, where there are certain scenarios that we can think of, and this theory seems to give a contradiction in these scenarios, but it is not really a contradiction. So, even books have been written on this subject. And this is part of teaching the topic in any course. Any teacher will spend some time in resolving these paradoxes. So yet again, we have an example of paradoxes that are only apparent but not actual.

Okay, moving away from science to something which is closer to the Bible, and that is reporting an examination of a record or a witness testimony in court. Here also we see that there could be contradictions, that appear to be so on first sight, but are not really contradiction. So, this is an exact actual example from a case in which the claimant, the person who is giving a complaint, said that his surgical stoma had changed color, but then a doctor had recorded that it was of normal color. So there seem to be some wrongdoing a contradiction, but then the judge observed that there is in fact no necessary inconsistency between the exchange as the claimant recalls it and the record in the note. If the doctor had indeed said that the slightly darker appearance of the stoma was due to bruising. It seems to me that the author could have interpreted that as meaning, that the appearance included the color of the storm was normal. So, when you take into account the factor of injury, or bruising, then taking that into account, the color is normal, so perhaps that's what the doctor meant. So, the judge was able to observe that.

This is legal practice, standard legal practice, where the guidelines put it this way. It says that, if the testimony appears to conflict, if the testimonies of two witnesses appear to conflict, then closely compare them and check what they're actually saying. So here the example given is, one witness says that a substance X is commonly used for a particular purpose. Another person says that it is not used. Now, it could be that the second person means to say that similar substances are used, but then this particular substance is not used. So, there could be statements which on first sight appear to directly contradict each other, but on closer examination, the contradiction is not there. So, with this background in mind, let's get into some examples from the Bible.

Contradictions explained by change with time
When you look at a record, which talks about something happening in time, we have to keep in mind that things are a status, or a situation can change with time. The Bible says that when the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, there were two thieves who were also crucified on either side. Matthew tells us that these two thieves join the crowds in reviling the Lord Jesus. Look at what Luke says, “One of the culprits revile them but the other rebuked Him, Don't you fear God? We are suffering justly, but this Man has not done anything wrong.” So, skeptics have pointed out this as a contradiction. One gospel writer says that both the thieves reviled Jesus, whereas the other says that only one reviled Him, and the other one was being respectful to the Lord Jesus and rebuking the reviling thief. Well, when you look into the situation, you see that we don't necessarily have a contradiction here because the crucifixion is something which takes several hours. Jesus and the thieves were on the cross for hours together. And it is possible that as time progresses, as people see a turn of events, it is possible that they can have a change of heart. So when we put both these accounts together, without coming to the accounts with a bias, which is looking for contradictions; if you look at both together we can understand them as complementary. So evidently, what must have happened is that in the early stages, the two thieves must have reviled the Lord Jesus. And sometime later, one of those states had a change of heart. The bible says that there were extraordinary things that were going on, there was darkness that took place all around, the sun stops shining according to the biblical record, and that must have influenced one of the thieves, and he had a change of heart. So these accounts are not complimentary. They are not contradictory, but they are complementary.

There is a record of the mighty men, the key people in the army of King David. So one record is in Second Samuel 23. The other is in 1 Chronicles 11. So you have two lists in the Bible of the key people in David's army, and you'll find that the two lists don't match exactly. Many names are common, but all the names don't match. So do we have a contradiction? Well, the answer is that David ruled for 40 years. When a king is ruling for 40 years, one does not expect that the composition of his army remains exactly the same for 40 years. There will be people who are older, and they will retire, and they will be replaced by new people. Age might not even be the only reason for people being removed from the army and new people being brought in. So it's only understandable that the lists are different. In fact, 2 Samuel 23 is describing the end of David's tenure, and 1 Chronicles 11 speaks of the beginning of his tenure. So during his early years and later years, the composition of the army changed somewhat. And this is to be expected. It is not a contradiction.

The Bible says that due to Israel's rebellion, God allowed the people to be taken as captives by their enemies, the Babylonians. And then after 70 years, God made the king of Persia to have mercy on the people of Israel. So he allowed them to return and there is a list of people who returned. How many singers were there among the returning exiles. So the first list in the Bible is in the book of Ezra. And according to that record, there were 200 singers and then a few decades later, there was another person called Nehemiah, and he came from Persia to Jerusalem. And then he says, I found a register of the people who had returned, and then he copies on the same register and the book of Nehemiah that goes by his name and according to this record, there were 245 singers. So skeptics will say there is a contradiction. 200 versus 245. But then, isn't it obvious that it's very much possible that the number could have changed in fact, there could have been more people who enrolled as singers. Perhaps there were some people who decided that they would make the trip to Jerusalem, and they dropped out. There might have been other people who replace them. There might have been a few people who came later on. They may have been people under training and after some time, they must have graduated and therefore their names were also included in the list of singers. So there are many possibilities on many reasons why the two records don't match. In fact, when we look at these differences, it actually speaks of authenticity. If people were cooking up stories, they would just keep looking at what the other person has written, and making sure that everything matches identically. But reality is not like that. Reality is complicated, things change over time. And that change is honestly reported in the Bible.

Paying attention to detail
When we read the Bible, if we are careless, there are many things, many contradictions that seem to appear. But if you look into the passage carefully, you will find some of these contradictions getting resolved. When God liberated his people, and he was about to bring them to the promised land, they were just at the borders, and then they sinned greatly against God and God sent a plague and many of them died. So how many died in this plague? Numbers was written shortly after this incident, and it says that 24,000 people died in the plague. Many years later, after the time of Christ, the apostle Paul is reviewing this incident, and he says that 23,000 people died. So here there seems to be a contradiction. But if you look carefully, the complete worse says 23,000 people died in one day. So there's actually no contradiction. It might have happened that the 24,000 people who died stretched over two days. So perhaps 1000 people died on one day and the remaining 23,000 on the other day.

In Exodus 9, that's when the people of Israel were in bondage in Egypt. Moses, God's appointed leader, told the Egyptian authorities if you refuse to let us free God’s hand will be on your cattle and the Egyptians did not listen. And so in verse 6 it says, all the cattle of the Egyptians died. So God sent a plague on the cattle of the livestock of the Egyptians, and they all died. Now, a few chapters later, and a few plagues later, we have the last plague, and there in Exodus 14 it says that at midnight, God struck all the firstborn of Egypt dead, right from the firstborn of Pharaoh, the firstborn of those in prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle. Now, skeptics have pointed this out as the contradiction. In verse 6 of chapter 9 it says, that all the cattle of the Egyptians died. Then how is it possible that in chapter 14, that is a few days later, how is it possible that there was still cattle with the Egyptians whose firstborn could be struck down? If all the cattle died in the 7th or 8th plague, then how is it that there are cattle that are dying in the 10th plague ? Well, the answer is that the Israelites still had cattle, isn't it? In the earlier plague, the Bible says that no cattle of the Israelites died. So it's very much possible that the Egyptians might have either bought or borrowed or confiscated some cattle from the Israelites. And that's why a few days later, they still had cattle that could die in the last plague. Now, these explanations sometimes seem very simple.

So you might think that I'm making up these examples, but these examples are not made up. These are examples of supposed contradictions that actually appear on the websites of atheists and other people who do not believing the Bible. So when we look at the explanation, it seems very simple. Yes, there were other cattle in the land belonging to the people of Israel, and the Egyptians lived in a society in which cattle were very important. So when their cattle died, they must have bought cattle from the Israelites, and that's why they had capital a few days later.

This is one of the most commonly mentioned supposed contradictions in the Bible. They claim the objection is that there are two creation accounts. In Genesis chapter 1, the claim goes like this man and women; woman are created simultaneously, and they are created after the animals whereas in Genesis 2, man is created before the woman and before the animals. So there seems to be a prediction. So let's look into the text. So this is Genesis chapter 1 verse 23 says, the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And verse 24, is now the 6th day and there it says, God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures. So there was cattle and various kinds of animals and so on and so forth. All these things were created on the 6th day. And then after that, in verse 26, God says, Let us make man in our image to have dominion over all these animals. And then in verse 27, it says, that God created man in His own image, He created him male and female. So what we understand from here is that Genesis chapter 1 is giving us a chronological sequence. All 6 days of creation are mentioned one after the other. And in each day, the writer tells us the thing that God created in that day, so there were 5 days and in the 6th day God created animals. And then He said, Let's have somebody to exercise dominion over these animals, and then god created both man and woman. Now what we need to notice here is basically two things. Man and woman were created after the animals but nowhere in this passage, nowhere in Genesis 1 does it say that God created man and woman at the same instant of time. It just says that God created both of them the 6th day.

Now look at Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7 it says that God formed man of the dust of the ground. In verse 19, it says that God created all the animals and then brought them unto Adam to see what he could call them, and Adam gave names to all the animals. And this exercise not only familiarized Adam with all the animals that were there with him in the garden of Eden, but it also helped him to notice that whereas other animals were in pairs, there was no companion for him. And then God caused him to have a deep sleep. God took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh, and then made a woman and brought her unto the man.

So here if you read the whole chapter of Genesis, I've not reproduced the whole chapter here, but reading the whole chapter, that is Genesis 2, we realize that in this chapter, the purpose is not chronologically. The purpose here is to explain the things that mattered to man as a human being, what are the things that mattered to him? So first of all, he says, You know, God created me. And then he says, I was made to name all the animals and there I noticed that there was no companion for me. I cannot relate to the animals. So then God made a woman, a companion that was suitable for me. So there is no contradiction here. Genesis two is a summary of the same creation events that took place, but Genesis 2 gives us more details, more descriptive details. It does not give us chronological detail for the animals. The point here is that Adam had to name all the animals and after that, the woman Eve was created.

From Genesis chapter two, we realize that there was some time gap between the creation of Adam and Eve, Adam must have spent a few hours naming all the animals after that he was created. So this one only tells us that both of them were created on the sixth day, without telling us whether they were created at the same instant of time, or was it a few minutes apart or a few hours apart? But from Genesis 2, we get these additional details. So when you read the passage carefully, you see that the two passages are complementary, they are not contradictory.

Contradictions in Mary anointing Jesus
A few days before the Lord Jesus Christ died, there is an incident that the gospel writers narrate. Jesus was at someone's house, the house of people he knew. There, there was this lady Mary, who poured out a bottle of perfume on the Lord Jesus Christ, and she anointed His feet. You can see the broken perfume bottle in this image. So now that there seems to be a contradiction, if you look at the different narratives in the gospels. The Gospel of John says that 6 days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, that's the village where Lazarus was living. So he came to Bethany to the house of Lazarus they made dinner for him, and then Mary took a pound of costly perfume and anointed the fate of the Lord Jesus. So this is written in the Gospel of John. So this incident evidently took place 6 days before the Passover.

Now look at the Gospel of Mark it says after 2 days was the feast of the Passover, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by craft and put Him to death. Verse 2 says, not
So most Bible students believe that it's the same incident being referred to because there are so many things that are uncommon, and yet there are differences. It says here that it wasn't the house of Simon the leper, whereas there it's now Lazarus was the brother of Mary. Mary is the woman who anointed Jesus. So there was Lazarus, and Mary, and her sister Martha, so two sisters and a brother were living there. Whereas here it says that it's the house of Simon the leper. Again, when you look at the incident, understanding that there is a context these are not just hypothetical stories that somebody is inventing, but these were real people, real places, real houses. It is possible that the house was associated with more than one person. Perhaps these were these, the these two sisters and a brother. It could be that they were orphans, that their father's name was Simon, and perhaps he had passed away, so the house was still known as the house of Simon the leper. Another possibility is that Simon the leper was the owner of the house and these people were staying on rent.

But more interesting for us here is the timing and in the Gospel of John it says that this took place 6 days before the Passover, but here it says, 2 days before the Feast of Passover. But notice something carefully in verse 3 here it says, and being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. The wording here shows that we should not assume that the narrative here is following a strictly chronological pattern. Mark tells us about the plan of the priests, and then he tells us about the anointing that Mary did, then he tells us that the disciples. In fact, Judas was not happy at this supposed waste of perfume. And then Jesus defended this woman. And then in verse 10, it says that Judas, one of the 12, went onto the Chief priests to betray Him onto them. So Mark here is weaving a theme. He is trying to tell us how one thing led to another. The chief priests did not want to crucify Jesus on the Passover, but that's when He actually ended up getting crucified.

So how did it happen? They were just looking for an opportunity, but they were finding it difficult to apprehend Jesus. But then Judas, perhaps partly because of this incident, where he was reprimanded, and the woman was complimented. He went, and he told the chief priests that he is willing to betray the Lord Jesus. So that's how Judas ended up betraying the Lord Jesus, and that's how Jesus ended up getting crucified on the Passover day. So Mark is not trying to give us a chronological account here. He's trying to explain why certain events took place the way that they did. So he includes a flashback and those of us who have read novels and watch movies, we know that even in novels and movies, we sometimes have a flashback. And so although it is two days before the Passover, Mark is narrating an incident that have actually taken place six days earlier, because that incident explains certain other things that happened. So it's not contradictory, but it's multiple eyewitnesses, giving an account of the sequence of events from different points of view with different objectives in mind. In fact, these are the hallmarks of authenticity. This is not the work of people sitting together and conjuring up a story, but this is a hallmark of multiple eyewitnesses independently writing an account of what they have observed

A lot has been written about contradictions in the resurrection accounts, all the four gospels say that on the morning of the first day of the week, there were people, mostly women, who went to the tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then they did not find His body there, but they found that they were told that He was risen. So how many women went ? Some Gospel accounts say one went, some give multiple women. There are some Gospel accounts that say they bought their spices. There are others which says they prepared the spices and then brought them. Some Gospel accounts don't mention the women's seeing any angel. Some say one angel, some say two angels.

I had not noticed it from the Bible, but it was an atheist website that reminded me that in one case the angel was sitting and in the other case, the angel was standing. Well, it's not rocket science to figure out that the same person who is sitting can also stand after some time. It's also not rocket science to figure out that there must have been multiple groups of women going there to the tomb. Perhaps even making multiple trips when you go somewhere with great fear and great anticipation. And if you find something that frightens you, you may get away from that place, but then again, if you're driven by the motivation to go and fulfill your purpose or if you're driven by curiosity, you might even go back there. And putting all the accounts together it seems as if there was at least one person who might have made multiple trips and that is Mary Magdalene. So when you understand that, reality is complicated, you have many people involved, many trips, involve them all the accounts fit into each other. So when you read the Bible, try to read it with this understanding.

Understanding complete picture of the truth
Now, what does Jesus have to do with peace? It says that when Jesus was born, they were shepherds who were grazing their sheep out in the countryside, and suddenly the night sky lit up, and there were many angels and heavenly beings that appeared. And they sang glory to God and the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill towards men. So Jesus is supposed to bring peace. That's what the angels are telling the shepherds at His birth. And the shepherds went; they went to the place that the angels told them, they found Jesus lying there, and they worshiped Him. Then Jesus, of course, He grew up, then look what He says, just don't think I have come to bring peace I've come to bring division.

Now that seems to directly contradict what was said at his birth. In fact, there's yet another twist on a later occasion he told his disciples, I'm giving you My peace. So it sounds confusing. Is He come with peace, or is He come to take away peace? Those of us who have had some experience with dealing with reality, and perhaps all of us have, although we perhaps have not noticed it, or paid much attention to it, we know that truth is often complex and multifaceted. There are often different sides to the truth. In Matthew chapter 10, the Lord says, I've come to bring division. So Jesus is not politically correct. He says certain things, He takes a stand and this can offend many people, so there will be division. At the same time, He also says, I have come to give you peace.

The angel said, He has come for peace. Now, before we before the angels mentioned peace and goodwill, they mentioned Glory to God in the highest. So that perhaps is the clue for us to understand it. Isn't it? The first priority is glory to God. And only second comes peace and goodwill towards men. So yes, the Lord Jesus Christ can bring peace to you and to me and to anyone who submits to Him, but that peace will only come as we receive Him on His terms, as we humble ourselves and give glory to God. So there will be peace from Jesus if God is given the glory. There will be peace if you receive Jesus Christ for whom He claimed to be. But there will always be people as long as people have free will, and they will always have free will because God has given that to them, there will always be people who refuse the Lord Jesus. So there will always be division. The truth can bring peace, but then the truth is well-defined, then there will always be some people who disagree and that's why there can be division.

Should we answer fools ?
Should you answer people who are fools ? Sometimes we feel motivated to, you know, set some people straight, and sometimes we feel that you know, there's there's no point talking to such people. So here you have a contradiction. One verse says, Don't Answer a fool, and the very next verse says, Answer a fool.

This might sound very simple when I explain it, but these are actual examples that you can find online if you search for Bible contradictions. Well, the verse is not just this short, there's something more that is said. Not Answer a fool, lest you also be like him, and answer a fool lest he be wise in his own conceits. So, there is a case for not answering fools, that is a case for answering them also. We have to exercise our discernment to understand which case is applicable when, and we have to act accordingly. So there is no contradiction here. This is just wisdom.

Can man see God?
Moses was one of the greatest prophets in the Bible, and the Bible records Moses telling Jehovah, please show me your glory. And Jehovah replied, You cannot see my face no one can see me on live, stand on a rock, I will pass by cover you with a hand while I pass by, and then I will take away my hand, you will see my hind parts, but my face may not be seen. So much of caution has to be exercised for a man to just get a glimpse of God, and then he can just get a glimpse after God has actually passed by. And just a few verses before this, the Bible says Jehovah would speak to Moses face to face, like a man speaks his friend. As contradictory as it gets.

There are various explanations that have been offered for this, but the one that I favor is as follows. Even in the Old Testament, and more explicitly in the new, the Bible presents the truth of God being one being and multiple persons. So in Exodus 33 Chapter, verses 19 to 23. The truth being communicated is that God in all His glory, God the triune, God in all His glory cannot be seen. But at the same time, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, who is also God, who came down to the earth later as Jesus Christ, he appeared at many times in the Old Testament is even a name given for that it's called a theophany, or a crystal funny. So, the Lord Jesus appeared, He is eternal, and he appeared in the Old Testament many times, but the Triune God in all His glory, not be seen.

Before you jump at a passage like this and say that this is a contradiction, you need to understand that this is being written by a man called Moses, who was a very learned and an intelligent man. He would not write something like this and give away a contradiction. If he writes something which seems to contradict each other, you need to look for something behind the lines, you need to look for something that is behind the scenes, there will be an explanation.

Contradictions on Judas Iscariot’s death
One of Jesus’s disciples was called Judas Iscariot, and he is a villain in the Bible. Because he's the one who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, later on, he regretted what he did. So the question is, how did he die? The Gospel writer Matthew says that Judas threw the silver coins, that is, the priests had given him the silver coins as a bribe or reward for betraying the Lord Jesus. He threw those silver coins in the temple. left from there and among himself. This is what Matthew records. Now see what Luke records, he bought a field with a reward for his evil deed. And then he fell headfirst in the middle, all his entrails came out. What exactly happened? Did he throw the money in the temple, or did he use the money to buy a failed? And did he die by hanging, already die by falling?

Well, if you put all the accounts in the Bible together, we understand that all these things happened. Well, he bought that field. Now, anyone who has done a real estate transaction knows that everything may not be paid at once. So what must have happened is that he expressed his intention to buy this field, he must have paid a token amount and then later on, he had regrets about what he did to the Lord Jesus Christ, then he went and threw the silver coins in the temple. And then another gospel writer also informs us that the chief priests saw the money in the temple, and they said that you know, it's not right to put this money in the temple treasury. So they went and bought the field. So, evidently, they completed the real estate transaction that Judas was thinking of abandoning. And then what did Judas do ? He went and hung himself in that field. Then what happened?

From the narrative in Acts, we can understand that something went wrong in his hanging. Perhaps the rope came loose, or somebody else tried to rescue him, but it went horribly wrong. Something happened, and he fell, and he fell first headlong, and all his entrails came out. So all these things are true. It's true that he hung himself, and it's true that he fell down. One does not exclude the other. There is a Jewish tradition that Judas suffered a very painful death. He had a slow death because his entrails came out, but he did not die immediately. So when we put all the accounts together, we get a full picture. No account gives the full picture because it would be too large for us to read if it actually gave us the full picture.

Reporting procedures
This is a picture of Solomon's temple and there is the there is a sea that it's actually a big basin, which is supported by oxen, that's made of metal. It says that it was 10 cubits from end to end, and a line of 30 cubits went around it. So the diameter was 10 cubits and the circumference was 30 cubits. Now, the problem here is that 30 divided by 10 is three. Whereas we know that when you divide the circumference of a circle by the diameter, you were supposed to get a special number called PI, whose values 3.1419 and these decimals go on. So there seems to be an error here because the biblical data is not matching with the precise mathematical value.

Yeah, but if that's the objection you're making, there's another thing you need to remember. Not from math's from physics or from engineering. Every measurement and every observation or recording is approximate. Whenever you measure any value, the length of an object, its mass, or anything else, every reading in an experiment, or an observation that is made is always approximate. And when we present data or when we present results, we have to present it rounded off to an appropriate number of significant figures. So for the purpose of argument, suppose we take it back the circumference was exactly the quits are very close to 30 cubits what when you divide 30 by PI, you get 9.5493. Well, all the measurements given in the account of Solomon's temple are in integers. So the obvious thing to do is to round up 9.54 And when you round it up, you'll get 10. So the writer of Kings was only doing what engineers do today. And that is round off his data or his response to the appropriate number of significant figures. This is not an error.

This is from the Gospel of Matthew, it says that what Jeremy the Prophet said was fulfilled: they took the 30 pieces of silver and so on, Jeremy is probably a Greek version of Jeremiah. But then the statement that is written here they took the 30 pieces of silver is actually not from the prophet Jeremiah, but it's actually from the prophet Zechariah. So the gospel writer seems to be making a mistake here. He is attributing to Jeremiah something that actually is Zechariah. Well, what is the explanation for that?

In those days, all the prophetic scrolls were kept together and Jeremiah is one of the longest books not the longest, but one of the longest books in the Old Testament and Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets. So it was customary to name the whole set of Prophetic scrolls just by one prophet, and that is Jeremiah. So when Matthew writes, he is just employing the colloquial term. You know, this is from that scroll. It is for what Jeremiah the prophet said. Of course, there is yet another possibility that Jeremiah the prophet may have made this statement, although it is not recorded in his book. Perhaps it was known to Matthew from another source, that's also a possibility; hat these are things to look into when we look when we find apparent contradictions in the Bible.

Translation and Semantics
There are some issues because of translation and semantics. The Bible says the hare is unclean for the Jews to eat, although it chews the curd. Now, hairs don't chew the curd. So here we seem to have an obvious mistake or an error.

There is a possibility that the identification of the species is not precise. This is written in Hebrew, 3500 years back, and it's possible that every species that was there in the Middle East at that time is not there now. So there can be some problem with the identification of species. There's also another possibility here, in English, we use the term chew the curd for a very specific activity of some animals bringing up again, the things that they have eaten, it comes back from their stomach to the mouth, and they chew it again. But in Hebrew, it's not a specific term like that. Chew the cut the expression in Hebrew just means, it takes up again, that which was put away. It takes up, again, that which was put away. Now, hairs do eat their feces. This is part of their digestive routine. They eat their feces, so it fits with the Hebrew expression, they pick up again what was put away. So when you understand that this Bible was not originally written in English, there is no real contradiction.

In the Old Testament, the Bible says that a fish swallowed Jonah the prophet, if you read the English Bible, and then in the New Testament, the word whale is used at least and the King James. So the skeptics would love to tell us that whales are not fishes. But then these are terms in ancient languages, in Hebrew and Greek there was a general term for large aquatic creatures. So they wouldn't make the distinction that we make today about whales. Being mammals and just laying eggs and all that kind of stuff.

Similarly, the Bible has a list of unclean birds. And in that list bats are also mentioned. Well, birds are not mammals, but the bat is a mammal, so the bat is not a bird. All that is true. But ancient Hebrew. There was one word used in general for anything that flies in the air with wings. So there is no contradiction when you examine the Bible, in its original language.

Understanding spiritual meanings to the text
Some things in the Bible may not appear the way we expect it to appear, because the Bible is a spiritual book. And let's see an example of this. How long did it take from the exodus to the building of the temple? in First Kings, we read that it took 480 years. That was during the 4th year of King Solomon's reign, when he began building the temple. Many years later, the apostle Paul is narrating all this history to his audience. And he says like this, God brought our ancestors out of Egypt for 40 years, they were wandering in the wilderness, and then they enter the Promised Land, and He gave them judges for 450 years. After that, He gave King Saul to rule over them for another 40 years. So now we already have 40 plus 450 plus 40. That's already 530 years, isn't it. Then after King Saul, there was David who rule for another 40 years and then after that, in the fourth year of King Solomon, the temple was built. So according to information in Acts it was more than 530 years. It was more than 500 years from the exodus to the temple building, whereas kings tells us that it's only 480 years, you have a major discrepancy.

So, this table summarizes the problem. On the one hand, you have for 480 years. On the other hand, you have 40, that is wilderness wanderings 450 years of judges, then the first king the second king David, 40 years each. Fourth year of Solomon, so three complete years. So that leads us to 573 years. So two events, according to one narrative, are separated by 480 years and, according to another passage, separated by 573 years. So there's a 93-year mismatch.

In the Bible, God speaks about last days and lost years. The people of God they followed God fervently sometimes, and there were other times when they were away from Him. And when God speaks of those years as lost years. So you'll find these kinds of years in the lives of individuals and also in Israel as a nation. If you look at the time of the judges, there are various times mentioned when the people of Israel were in rebellion, and therefore God gave their enemies dominant. So this is a time when the nation was away from God. And if you add all the number of years that are mentioned, you get 93 years. So it turns out, interestingly, that 573 minus 93 is 480. That is, if you subtract these lost years in which the Israel away from God, then you get 480 and this matches with the other account. So God's major dealings with the people of Israel, one was getting them out of Egypt, liberating them, liberated them so that they could worship Him. And the climax of them worshiping Him is in the building of the temple. So these are spiritual things. And God is looking at them from a spiritual point of view in connection with His relationship with the people of Israel. So here, the writer in Kings does not include the lost years, and that explains the discrepancy.

So we hope that this video will help you to take the Bible more seriously. Give it a close look. It's not an ordinary book. It may sound superficial, it may sound wrong, it may sound contradictory at first sight, but that's not how it is. It is God's word, and we hope that this video helps you to understand that. Thank you very much.Sermon PPTThe post Refuting Errors & Contradictions in the Bible appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptGift of Peace
And then in chapter 14 and verse 27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. A gift of peace. Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give them to you. The Lord Jesus was offering peace to these disciples. He says Let not your heart be troubled. Actually, he says in the original, it would be stop letting your heart be troubled. You are troubled in your heart, you are upset, you are concerned, you are troubled that I'm going away. Well, if I will not go away the Holy Spirit will not come. I am going to go away so that I can come back to you in a more intimate and personal way than I am right now. That's what he says. That's what he's communicating to these disciples. And this Holy Spirit is the one who is going to remind them of the blessings that He has given them.

The apostle Paul says in chapter two and verse 12, that the spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. That's what the Spirit does. He takes other things of Christ and shows them unto us. What a gift, personal peace, brothers, sisters, I don't know what's happening in your life and in the life of those in your assembly, but I find so many believers in the assemblies as I travel around who are terrified by this virus. They are so upset. They're so afraid they can't do this and can't do that and can't do the other thing wouldn't possibly think of any contact with anybody. There were some friends of mine who have stayed in their house for almost two years because of the virus and all of these masks and vaccination and all of that stuff, Is that of God? I said, all things work together for good.

Why should we be so terrified by a virus, when to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord is better than living here in this old world? Why should we be terrified? How many times does the Lord says, Fear not. Be of Good Cheer. He says it over and over and over again, way back in the Old Testament before the New Testament before the coming of Christ before the cross before the resurrection before the coming of the Holy Spirit. Fear not. Be of good cheer. You have peace with God. What does he say in Ephesians chapter two? He is our peace. I asked the young people just recently can you lose your peace? And of course, there was a division among us. Some of them thought oh yeah, of course you can lose your peace. No. Brothers and sisters you can't lose your peace. Maybe I should ask you this way.

Can you lose Christ? I don't hear you saying anything because you've been muted and I'm sorry about that. But, Have peace. He is our peace. If you can't lose Christ. You can't lose your peace. And think of the problems and difficulties and distresses and persecution that the disciples were going to go through in preaching the gospel around the world, they need peace. We are told in Romans, Romans chapter five, therefore being justified by faith we have, we continually have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers should never be filled with fear. Its disobedience, its rejection of the promises of God. It is a result of being more concerned with the world and its politics, than with Christ and His blessing. Let not your heart be troubled.

That's the second time he said that in chapter 14 In the first few verses, and now again, in chapter 14 In verse 27. If you are desperately afraid if you are filled with fear if you're overcome with terror that's of the enemy. 1 John says, perfect love casts out fear. Not my love for the Lord, but the Lord's love for me. To really soak my soul in the ocean of His love. Could we with ink the ocean fill or were the skies of parchment made you know that beautiful hymn that reminds us of the greatness of God's love, and that love fills our mind fills our hearts. There'll be no room for fear. There'd be no room for anxiety, He says to me, let not your heart be troubled. He said be anxious for nothing. He tells us that fear comes from the enemy. And so, we have that.

Gift of Eternal Life
And then fifthly in chapter 17 and verse two, it says to us, we have eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ says, I give unto them eternal life and they shall never, what? perish. What is it that people want today? They want to live forever. They'll give the doctor their last 500 rupees if they can live a little longer. You know what God says, God the Son has to say there in John chapter 17, eternal life, He gives us eternal life and everlasting life. You say to me, well, what's the difference? Well, eternal life is the life of God. He that has the Son has life. He that has not the son doesn't have life. You know, John 3:16, that if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll have everlasting life. But what does it say in John 3:15. It says that we will have eternal life.

So, the Bible uses both eternal life and everlasting life. Eternal life is a life of God. That's Christ in me, the hope of glory. Christ in me the life of God. But I also have everlasting life because there was a time in my experience where I was in death. But when I believed the gospel, I was translated under the kingdom of darkness and death, into the kingdom of the Son of His love and life. I began to live, instead of being dead in trespasses and sins, I began to have the life, the life of God eternally. I began to live that's everlasting life. And so, the eternal life of John chapter 17 And verse two, and the eternal life.

Chapter 3:15. We have both of those. They are ours. God gave to the disciples on that wonderful occasion. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. That's amazing. We may pass through death, but we'll never stay there. Because we're like the Lord Jesus Christ who went into death, but he just passed through death, and came out on the other side. For those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, those that we share the gospel with. When they die, they stay in death. There is no door. There's an entrance but no exit. They do not believe the gospel and are not born again don't have the Holy Spirit. They will die. And that death is forever and ever.

Gift of Word of God
And then in chapter 17, in verse 8 and 14, we look at that and we realize again, the Lord Jesus has some special gifts to give to His disciples, and they will need them. Chapter 17, in verse eight, he said, I have given to them the words which you gave me. Verse 14, I have given them your word. Aren't you glad? Aren't you, I mean, you should be so happy. You should be saying Amen and hallelujah, that you have a Bible. Somebody came to India to learn the languages. I didn't know what was that song you sang? It looked to me like bunch of point and things are going across the page, but they were language that was words to you. And somebody came to India and said, you need the gospel. You need the Bible. You need the New Testament and the Old Testament, and they committed themselves to study the language and learn the language and then translate the Bible into your language. What a gift?

When was the last time you thanked God for the gift of the Word of God? What a gift! There are many people who have received that gift, but they don't open it. What would you think if you spent a lot of money on a gift and took it over to some friend and you gave it to them beautifully wrapped in beautiful paper and ribbons and all of those things and you left it for them? You never heard. Did they open it? You didn't ever get a note saying thank you for the wonderful gift of whatever it was. So, you go back to see them and when you see them, you open the door and they're on the table is your gift unopened. What would you think? You might be a very gracious person and say, Oh, wait another few months and come back again. You would want to take it back, wouldn't you? Give it to somebody who really enjoyed it?

The apostle Paul says one of the characteristics of the end times is that there is unthankfulness. You have to teach your child to say thank you, don't you? He doesn't say it normally. You have to learn to say thank you. And so the wonderful gift of the Word of God, We haven't had time to look at it, but we will. And we will open that package and see what it is, this gift called the Word of God, that they are to learn.

Gift of Glory
And then lastly, in verse 22, The glory which You have given me, I have given them. The Glory that belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ is unique. He's a God man, and his father and God Himself, imposed upon him his own glory. Isn't that given unto you. Have you said to God, the Father, thank you for the glory that you have given me. Have you thanked God? As the giver of every good and perfect gift? Have you said thank you for the glory that you given me? The glory that the Father gave the Son, the Son has given to us. Doesn't mean that your face glows. It doesn't mean that there's a halo on your head, but the graces of Christ showed through you and people know that you've been with the Lord Jesus Christ and learned of him.

SummarySeven gifts. I hope you made a list because the next prayer that you pray, should include a wonderful example. Nobody, nobody in all of this world has given you a perfect example to follow. A commandment to obey. It's not a matter of love the lovely and don't love the unlovely. It's a matter of loving all. For God so loved the world. We are to love in the same way the Lord Jesus Christ loved. And the Comforter, have you thanked God for the comforter? Have you listened to him this morning? Did he speak to you when you open the Word of God? And you said thank you for speaking to me, thank you for words of encouragement and comfort and challenge and correction. Have you thanked him for the peace that passes all understanding so that I don't need to be anxious for anything?

Did you thank him for life, eternal life. If you don't have the life of God, you don't have salvation because He is our Saviour. Did you thank him for the Word of God. That precious book, get to know it. Read it. Lean not on your own understand but lean on the Word of God. Love the Word of God, live the Word of God and then the glory that God gave to the Lord Jesus Christ he has given to us to manifest and to reveal. So that's our study for today. I hope it gives you something to give thanks. though you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a wonderful list of things that should fill your mind and your heart with all of the blessings. And the disciples. On that day of Pentecost, they realized and recognized these amazing gifts. Well, I think our time is gone. Thank you for joining us. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Gifts Part-2 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Fred Kosin
(Borivali Assembly, 24th Novemeber, 2021)
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Sermon TranscriptGift of Example
These are gifts the Lord Jesus Christ gave, and you will find seven of them. Of the seven gifts that the Lord Jesus Christ gave. The first one is found in Chapter 13. And we read it, I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. What an amazing gift. You know there are many of us as parents we had to say to our children do as I say, not as I do. Because we failed as parents. There were times when we didn't act as we shouldn't say what we want. So, the Lord Jesus could say I'm giving you a perfect example, that you are to follow a perfect example of service. The Lord Jesus said, I am among you as one that serves.

Most of us would rather be served than serve. Many missionaries one of the first things they do when they get to a mission field is to hire a servant because they don't have time. And so, they hire a garden boy, or they hire a driver, or they hire a maid. Because they are leaders. I think the Lord is wanting to send out servants and the first gift he gave to them was an example of service how to serve one another. And as you know, the picture that is drawn of our Lord Jesus washing disciple’s feet, including Judas It is such a profound example, He was among them as one that served. I don't know that most of us in our local assemblies have a foot washing ceremony, but that's the command. You do what I have done to you. So, do we obey? Saying we should as assemblies, practice foot washing, but it wouldn't be out of order to do that on occasion to help us understand how humbling it is to have your feet washed.

Gift of Love
And then secondly, in verse 34, the second command the Lord Jesus Christ gave is a command to obey. And what is that? Love one another. Chapter 13 And verse 34. Let me just read that because it's so important for us to understand that. He said, A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another. So here is a perfect example, to follow and then, that perfect example overflows into the second gift, and it's the command, to obey as I have loved you. Think of that. How amazing is his love? The Lord Jesus would say, Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends, you are my friends. You do whatever I command you.

You know when somebody comes to visit our assembly, visit your assembly. One of the things that they want to know is, Will these people love me? Because that's a natural thing. Sociologists tell us that we have two great needs, to love and to be loved. And so, they want to come into your gathering of believers. And their question in the back of their mind is will they love me? Will they love me just as I am? Or do they expect me to change? You see, here is the Lord Jesus. He is telling his disciples the new commandment that they are to obey is to love one another. We have reminded ourselves already just a few minutes ago, that many of our evangelists and missionaries will hire a maid, hire a servant in order for them to get on with the Lord's work. And so we have many, many seminars and studies and we have courses in Bible colleges and Bible universities and how to be a leader. If we were to have a leadership seminar, I'm sure we could filled many, many gospel halls, many chapels. How many will come, if we had a seminar on how to be a good servant? 500 times the scriptures use the word serve and servant and remind us that a servant is a position that the Lord took here on Earth in order to give an example that we are to follow and encourage us perhaps is that He loved us as nobody else loved us.

How much? Well, it's very clear. It says at the beginning of chapter 13, Having loved His own which are in the world, he loved them to the uttermost. Of course, the uttermost is that He gave His life for us. Greater love, says the Lord Jesus, Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. Those disciples were going to go into all the world and preach the gospel and that gospel was going to be as John says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have ever lasting life. What a gift. Lord Jesus Christ came into this world as the eternal Son of God, what a humbling experience. Philippians tells us He took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, A perfect example to follow. A new commandment obeys.

What is the significance of that Gift? It was sacrificial. It was costly. It was painful. It meant blood. It meant deaths I couldn’t verify that many occasions where we have gone missing stringed in visiting missionaries over the course of 30 years, we were often taken to a cemetery nearby, we would walk among those two stones, and there will be the names of missionary names that I knew and maybe you would know and names of their children, names of their wife. I can remember very well story of missionary family, girls, husband, and wife. The husband was fed some food and mixed in the food was some glass, ground up. He passed away. But he was persecuted, and he was killed because of his preaching the gospel. That's exactly what the Lord Jesus does say in John chapter 16. That they would be persecuted, and they would be killed, and they would think they're doing God's service.

What does that mean? Doing God's service? It's a word that we've only learned in the last few years. It is jihad. And there are many, my own sister was killed in in Laos many years ago as a girl who is there to bring the gospel to people in that country. There are many that you would know from India, who have gone out into all the world to preach the gospel have gone to North India. They have paid with the extremely large price of their lives. So, it's an example of service. It's an example of sacrifice. He says in chapter 13 And verse one, he loved his own which were in the word he loved him to the uttermost. He has as much as to say to them, I love you. Those are such important words. And these disciples would be encouraged and strengthened in their commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel knowing that even like Thomas perhaps was killed in Madras, and many other missionaries Peter crucified upside-down John on the Isle of Patmos, eventually succumbing to his own difficulties there. A new commandment to obey.

Gift of Holy SpiritWe look further down in chapter 14, verse 16, and there the Lord Jesus has moved into the second what we would call the second chapter, of course, there were no chapters at that time. But in chapter 14 In verse 16, it says, And I will pray the Father and He will give you another comforter, another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth when the world cannot receive because it sees him not neither knows him, but you know Him for He lives with you, and shall be in you. The Gift of the Holy Spirit. One of the greatest I mean, it's probably difficult to say which is the greatest gift the Lord Jesus gives us or gave the disciples, but certainly if we compare these gifts, the idea of God in the person of the Father, sending the Holy Spirit to the disciples and saying, this is the gift.

When was the last time you said thank you to God the Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit? What a wonderful gift. We will find one of our studies that there are seven ministries of the Holy Spirit that the Lord Jesus describes, just to think of them he will teach you all the things ,he'll bring to remembrance, he'll abide with you forever. And on and on. These five chapters remind us of the the tremendous gift, what words can we use? Unspeakable gift. The enormous gift. The personal gift. The needed gift. So many words come to mind thinking of the presentation of the Holy Spirit, of all. Of all the Holy Spirit. Paul says, The Spirit is not given by measure. Paul also says if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. It's not a subsequent gift that we get after we've been a believer for 10 years, or more mature or whatever. It's a gift that's given to us at the point of conversion. The disciples didn't have it in the upper room. The Lord Jesus would say that if you need the Holy Spirit, you can ask the Father in my name, and I will give you, but nobody asks. But on the day of Pentecost, in response to the Lord's instructions. Go to Jerusalem. Stay there, until you are empowered, until you are endued with power from on high.

Wow. I it’s think sad, that many believers, carrying on their Christian lives day after day, week after week, month after month, sometimes year after year. Without ever saying to the Father. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Maybe they don't understand maybe they don't realize, and the Holy Spirit has come to live in us. If I came to live at your house, and you never spoke to me. You never acknowledged me. How would I feel? That's why we are warned by Paul, not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Don't quench the Holy Spirit. We are told what a gift. Oh, it should be a part of our words of Thanksgiving. A day of thank you Lord for a wonderful ministry of your Holy Spirit. He's a person with mind, emotion, will. Perfect mind emotion and will and he's made me in his image with mind emotion and will. And His Spirit bears witness with my spirit, says the apostle, Paul. You need help in pray? Spirit helps our infirmity so we do not know what we should pray for. We were sealed with the Holy Spirit. And it goes on and on. And on. And yet he is called, the forgotten member of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit of God, the Comforter, another comforter, another comforter just like the Lord Jesus Christ. And we will look at that one time as we look at the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. The post Upper Room Discourse: 7 Gifts Part-1 appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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- Br. Johnny Varghese
(Borivali Assembly, 31st July, 2020)
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Sermon TranscriptHi everyone. In today's video, we're going to learn about the biblical worldview, which is basically a way of looking at the world and understanding and making sense of the world through the Bible. There are many things that any person will observe if he or she looks around in the world. For example, what this slide is trying to convey is that the world is a place of great beauty. If you look outside, you see the animals, the birds, the aquatic life. You look at the stars and the galaxies, and there is a tremendous amount of beauty and complexity in the universe. On the other hand, our world is also a very painful place, there is a lot of suffering, there is a lot of evil. There is a lot of disease, death and so many unpleasant things. And what we are trying to understand by noting these observations is how can we make sense of these observations. Everybody looks at the world and tries to make sense of what he or she sees. So these are some observations of the world. The world is a place of great beauty. It's also a place of great pain.

The physical world is a world that is characterized by precise, scientific, mathematical law. Nature works according to laws, and these laws can be expressed in the form of abstract mathematics. And perhaps one person who was in the thick of things in discovering these laws is Albert Einstein. And on more than one occasion, he expressed his surprise, or he expressed his amazement at the fact that there seems to be a mathematical order and a mathematical structure to the universe. The obvious question is why. So whether we look at the laws of physics, whether we look at the complexities of genetics, there is a mathematical order which calls for an explanation.

This is a bee. A male B has one parent, which will be a female, but a female has two parents, that is a male and a female. So if I look at this male and female, well, the total number of parents will be three because this male has one parent, and the female has two. So you have a total of three parents. So now in this generation, I have one male and two females, so the male will have one parent, the female will have to and so that takes the total number of individuals to five. And then the pattern continues. Each male has one parent, each female has two parents. So we now get eight and this will go on. But now notice a trend here. Two can be written as one plus one that is the sum of the preceding numbers. Three can be written as one plus two. Again, the sum of the preceding numbers. So here you see that every number in the sequence is the sum of the preceding two terms. And if we continue this sequence of generations of bees, the same pattern will continue.

Now, these numbers form a special sequence called the Fibonacci sequence. Now, what I want to point out here is that there are mathematical patterns in nature, even where you don't expect them. So in the generations of bees, we find these Fibonacci numbers. The strange thing is that this is the same numbers are found in different aspects of the biological world. For example, here you have a tree. Some trees branch in the form of Fibonacci numbers. If you notice the number of petals of these flowers, you can see here, lower left there are three petals here that are five petals, three, five to one are Fibonacci numbers. Thirteen is a Fibonacci number, eight is a Fibonacci number. So the same pattern that was observed in the generation of bees is also observed in plants and in trees, in pine cones and pineapples. You'll find the number of facets also turns out to be a Fibonacci number. This is a spiral that is constructed by subsequently drawing squares, and the side length of each square is a Fibonacci number. So when you place these squares next to each other, you get a pattern, and thus you get this spiral. So this is also associated with Fibonacci numbers. And then we have some shapes in nature. We have some shells that follow the same spiral pattern.

Many people have also looked at the human body and observed certain patterns related to Fibonacci numbers here. Now the question is why or how, or why is it that our universe has these features, there is a mathematical order, and you have the same order or the same theme in different contexts. Normally, if you look at a work of art, or a work of design that somebody has made, then if there's one person who has made many things, you might find a common theme in all of them, and that seems to be the case with nature. Similarly, mathematical patterns speak of a mind that is behind it. So these are various observations about the world around us. And as we will see, the Bible says that the world has been created by an intelligent and a wise God, a creator. So it's not surprising that we find these kinds of patterns.

Think of a completely different fields. When you look at social progress or economic progress, quality of life, you'll find, again, a pattern in this world. There are certain nations with a certain kind of history that have a very high standard of living and there are other nations, again, with a different kind of history that have a different pattern of living that have a lower standard of living, that have a lower index of quality of life. Now, the obvious question is, why are these patterns there in the world. Is it completely random? Or is there some explanation for it?

Another pattern that we see in the political world is that the Middle East is the most volatile region of the world. You have a conflict there between Israel and the Arabs, which never ends, although everyone wants to bring peace to the region. So, these are what we can call non-mundane, non-routine, strange or remarkable kind of facts which call for explanation.

What is a worldview?
To explain the world around us, we have the concept of a worldview. So a worldview is basically a system of beliefs that explains origins, that is where did we all come from. Then it explains identity or meaning, that is, who am I? What is the meaning of life? What's the best way to live? What should I do with my life and so on and so forth? How should I treat others? And then there is destiny. That is what is going to happen? What happens to me when I die? Is the world going to end? Is the universe headed somewhere? These are basic questions that are there in everybody's mind, and everyone tries to come up with some answer to these questions. To some extent, we may like to ignore these questions, but nevertheless, they are always there. So a worldview is a framework that tries to give answers to these questions. When we look at the world, we see things, and these things affect our worldview. It's also true that if we have a belief system, if we have an ideology, then we tend to interpret the worldview according to that. So in this video, we are going to look at the biblical worldview, and it's going to be my objective to show that the biblical worldview is the best possible explanation for the world that we see around us.

Origins
What does the Bible say about how everything started? How did everything start? And how did everything become the way it is? The Bible has something to say about that. And it can be summarized by these five words creation, fall flood, dispersion, and redemption. So let's understand briefly what these things are.

The Bible says that God exists and God is eternal. He is a Triune God, that means, although God is one being, he exists in the form of three persons. And this Triune God created the universe. He created everything that we see around us. This includes the physical universe, and also the biological universe, all the other living things, including man and woman, these were created by God. And when God created the world, everything was absolutely good. God had fellowship with the first man and woman. That's what the Bible teaches. But the Bible also says that the first human beings chose to rebel against God. They disobeyed the only one commandment that God had given them and because of that, God expel them out of the garden in which he had put them in. But God did not leave man and woman to their fate. The Bible says that God is a holy God, and He will punish sin, He will punish rebellion. He will punish acts of injustice or acts which are against His character.

But then the Bible also says that God initiated a plan of redemption, He started the execution of this plan in history. The first thing that he did is that He promised the man woman that a savior is going to come a Savior, who will have victory and a Savior who will save man, and He instituted the pattern of animal sacrifices. I mean, come to think of it. The idea of animal sacrifice seems very strange. I mean, why should you know killing a poor, innocent animal, do anything to solve the problem that I have? Because I have sinned, and I'm guilty before God. So it sounds foolish at the face of it, but at the same time, all over the world. There is this concept of animal sacrifice. The Bible says that this is with good reason God Himself instituted animal sacrifices to our first parents, and they evidently transmitted this idea to the descendants. And so the Bible records about how Adam and Eve the first man, woman, they had children, and so the population of the world increased. There were people who sacrificed as God commanded them, but there were also other people who rebelled against the way that God instituted. So this is Cain and Abel, two sons of Adam and Eve. Able followed the pattern that God gave, but Cain rebelled against it.

The Bible says that, in ancient times, people were very illustrious; that they were not ape men as secular people might prompt us to think, that they were highly intelligent and capable people. And today, there are these strange remains in different parts of the world that seem to indicate that some seem to indicate some of the projects that these ancient people carried out. So on top left is a place called Baalbek in Lebanon. It has these huge columns, which are lying unused. Now there are ruins of some structure that was evidently stupendous, but nobody knows what it was when it was made. Top right is saqsaywaman in South America. Again, you can see that these rock arrangements are not natural phenomena. There was someone in ancient times that built some structure, and what we're seeing is the remains of that. And you have these artifacts, that is even an acronym called Ooparts. That means out of place artifacts mean we do not expect to find sophisticated things in ancient strata. And yet such things are found. Well, the The bible says that this is because the ancient people were industrious. They were highly intelligent, and they carried out many projects. They lived long lives. So there was a lot that they could learn, and they could accomplish during their lives.

But the Bible also says that at that time, there was an anarchy in the sense that there was no organized government. People were expected to live according to their conscience. But people refuse to do that. So the world became very violent. There was no law and order, and God decided to destroy everything through a flood. So that was one man called Noah. And God told him to build an ark. A huge box like boat, and God sends the animals and, and no one is family got him. No one else was willing to believe that God's judgment is going to come. So no one else got into the ark, but Noah and his family went in, and they survived. So after Noah, I went into the ark, God sent rain. The Earth's crust was cracked, and water gushed out. There was also rain coming from the sky and the whole world was inundated. The Bible says, very clearly, that the tops of all the mountains in the world were covered. So the human population as such perished during this flood. After the flood, God opened the door of the ark. And Noah and his family and all the animals came out.

The world that they came out into was not as luxuriant as before. It would be a more hostile world. It would be a world in which there is less vegetation, climatic conditions would have changed. And so life was going to be a little harder. In the post flood world. So many of the big animals got extinct. After the flood, they were not able to survive, and we see their fossils there. There are fossils of huge animals. We have huge deposits of coal and oil. This is plant and animal matter that was buried during the flood. The receding floodwaters also created huge canyons, and gorges and as the crust of the cracked unfolded, there were mountains, big mountains and valleys that performed. This is the Grand Canyon. And there is a river that flows below. You know, this canyon was not formed by this river flowing for millions of years. The Bible implies that this cannon was formed by a huge mass of floodwaters that were receding into the newly formed oceans. So this is about the flood.

After the flood, God instituted a system of capital punishment. So there was a system of law and order, but then there was a new problem that came up. And this is called the Tower of Babel. The population that was living post flood decided that they would make a tower and a city. A tower was a religious icon, and a city speaks of politics and government. So basically, what the ancient population wanted to do was they wanted to have a one world religion and a one world government. And this religion centered on the worship of the forces of nature. The tower had a very high top from which the ancients would look at the stars and the planets. They would, you know, make up stories about the signs of the zodiac, and they would worship these things. So, mankind invented this religion that is based on various themes. These themes are basically astrology, idolatry, worship of the forces of nature, worship of other living things, and sexual immorality.

And God came, God came down, he was displeased at what He saw, and he confounded or confused the languages. So according to, according to the Bible, that is the explanation for the various languages in the world. So God split the languages. People couldn't understand each other anymore. And so they all spread out in different directions. And they went their way. And some of them managed to find fertile river basins to live in, and they established their civilizations there. So that explains the emergence of great civilizations around 4000 years ago in different parts of the world. Up to this time, we see that God deals with the world as a whole, but the world rebels. So now what God does is that he focuses His attention to one man and, through that one man, one nation. That one man's name was Abraham. So God gave Abraham covenant promises, telling him that his descendants will be the chosen people, and it is through his descendant that the whole world will be blessed. So Abraham's descendants eventually became the people of Israel.

They were in slavery in Egypt. And this is a picture of how God redeemed the people out of Egypt. The people were brought out of Egypt. They were at the border of the Red Sea the Egyptian army was pursuing before them, but God split the Red Sea and enable the people of Israel to march through the sea and crossover on to the other side. So redemption or deliverance from slavery and setting helpless people free is a big theme in the Bible. So it happened historically for the people of Israel, that is God's chosen people. And this is intended to be a picture of what God is willing to do for each human being who turns to Him.

The people of Israel came to the land that God gave them, they establish themselves as a nation. This is the temple or the sanctuary that King Solomon built. And so, the people of Israel followed God for some time, but by and large, they rebelled against God. They would follow the practices of the nations around them. These practices included sexual immorality, idolatry, human sacrifice, and oppression of the poor. So because of the disobedience of the people of Israel, God sent enemies, powerful enemies who besieged their cities, destroyed them and took them captives. So this is a relief from Assyria, showing the kings of Assyria taking the people of Israel captive. So the people of Israel were taken from their land, and they were, they were taken to Iraq and Iran and various places in between. They were resettled there. But then, God also brought the people of Israel back from those lands to their original homeland. Of course, not all of them returned. But there were many people who return, and they established the temple and its system of worship again.

So now you have the people of Israel, it had taken them a 1000 years. Now they stopped worshiping different gods and goddesses of the nations around them, they worshiped only Jehovah the true God as presented in the Bible. There was a lot lacking in them spiritually, but at the same time, at least in a nominal way, they were monotheist. The stage was set for the Savior of the world to come. And about 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ was born in Israel, and then He grew up, and He became a man.

He taught people about God, and then He died on the cross. The Bible says that Jesus Christ died on the cross, because he was bearing the penalty for the sins for the bad things that all of us have committed. So He was the Son of God, He came to this world in human form, and He took upon Himself the punishment that you and I deserved. The Bible also says that Jesus Christ rose again from the dead after three days and three nights, and then he met with His disciples. This is probably the tomb where the Lord Jesus Christ was buried. This is in Jerusalem in Israel. The scientists today called the Garden Tomb.

After his death, and resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples to spread the good news, the Gospel regarding Himself to the whole world. The Gospel message is this, that Jesus Christ, Son of God, in human form has come, and He has died, and He has risen from the dead. And therefore, in His name, all people of the world can have forgiveness of their sins, they can have access to God, they can have eternal life. This is a message that Jesus asked His followers to spread all over the world. So this is the summary of what the Bible says about origins. Why is everything the way it is today? Because God, first of all, created a perfect world, and then man sinned, because of which the world was cursed. And that was the beginning of evil and pain and suffering. Because of sin, God brought in the curse, the flood, and the dispersion. That's why we have a world today that is unstable. A world of volcanoes, a world of earthquakes, it's because of the dispersion that we have some of the difficulties today. We find it difficult to adjust to other people. We find it difficult to get along with people who are different from us in their ethnic conflicts and so on and so forth. But this was necessary for God to do to prevent united man from multiplying evil because of his sinful tendency.

At the same time, God has worked in history through the Jews, Israel as a unique nation. The reason they are unique is that God has been working in history through them, and He has provided redemption for everyone who turns to Him through the person of Jesus Christ. So that's a summary of how we landed where we are today, according to the Bible. And now we come to the next aspect of worldview, which is identity and meaning.

Identity and MeaningWho am I, or who is a human? What does it mean to be human? And how should I live, or what is the meaning of life? What does the Bible say about the things that we experience in our life? Let us look at some of these things.

The Bible says that time is something that God has created. God is eternal. So He is beyond time, but He has created time. And the Bible very clearly says that time is something linear. Time is not a cycle that goes on and on endlessly. There was an eternity past. There was a beginning in time. Time is now going on. That's the present. And then there is a future. Time as we know it will end and there will be an eternity in the future. So this is the picture of time that God has present in the Bible. There are various events. If you want to know where we are right now. We are somewhere in the middle of this timeframe. That's the church age. So this is what the Bible says about time. There was a definite beginning and there is going to be a definite end.

Space and Matter
What does the Bible say about space and matter? First of all, it says that these are real things, this is not an illusion. Some people believe that only thoughts are real, or only concepts are real and the the matter around us is something which is unreal. That's not what the Bible says. These are good and real things that God has made. He has made these things to show His glory. He has also made these things for man's benefit. At the same time, the Bible says that the space and matter that we see around us the world as we know it today is not eternal. It is not going to last forever. It had a beginning, and it's going to have an end.

Matter is not bad. We should not think that physical things are bad, and Spiritual things are good. The Bible has no such dichotomy. At the same time, matter is fallen. We ourselves have bodies today that are corrupted, our bodies decay, and they die. So there is fallen and of course aspect of matter. At the same time. It is something good that God has created. The Bible also says that matter is inanimate. The universe is not a living being, the universe does not have a mind of its own. At the same time. The universe works according to fixed laws. These laws are upheld by God. Sometimes people ask you know do you invoke God for everything you invoke God. When you don't understand something, we invoke God. Every time if an apple falls to the ground, it is God who makes it fall, but He makes it fall in a regular way which can be scientifically investigated. In exceptional circumstances, God may overrule a natural law, and there's a word for that; t's called a miracle.

What is man ?
And what does the Bible say about man? According to the Bible, we are not descended from apes. We are not separate creations of God. It's not that God has made the high class people separately and the low class people as another category. We are all one family. One family in the sense that we are all descended from the same original parents, every man not an animal, not a bird is made in the image of God. These are ideas which have profound consequences.

You know, when we go for medical treatment, we take antibiotics, and we take substances that kill other organisms. We use things that have been tested on animals, all these risks, all these medical activities that are done based on the premise that human life has more value than any other life. Well, that follows from the Bible. The Bible says that only man is made in the image of God. Man has been given dominance over the world. So, it's not wrong for us to go and colonize the place. Yes, in order to make our houses we may have to cut down trees we may have to cut down a forest. There's nothing wrong in that.

The Bible also says that man has fallen. That means man has fallen down from the original state that he is and that as he has sinned. He has rebelled against God. So people are primarily not victims. People are primarily rebels. All people have rebelled against God and that is a basic characteristic of man, that rebellion manifests itself today, that rebellion has consequences. One of the consequences of sin is degradation, and there are many primitive people living all over the world. Even when people become sophisticated, it does not change their sinful nature.

At the same time, man is also special because Christ has died for men. Crisis died for men and women. Which means that every human being is special in the sense that God has bestowed and lavished upon them infinite love. So according to the Bible, these truths ought to shape the way we treat others. Man has got a basic dignity. This is an idea that comes from the Bible. One of the main or strongest or most conspicuous aspects of our human life is the relationships that we have. And you know, there are many organisms that survive with minimal relationships, but human relationships are very strong. And the obvious question is why ?

The biblical answer is that God made human relationships the way they are, because He wanted to communicate something through them. The husband-wife relationship was made by God to illustrate the relationship between Jesus Christ and His redeemed people. The father and son or the parent and child relationship was instituted by God so that we could understand something of the relationship between the persons of the trinity, which we're commonly known as the Father and the Son. So God has given us these relationships which are very special with very special meanings. All these earthly relationships illustrate heavenly truths, and they are deliberate choices that God has made. And therefore, if we violate the pattern of these relationships, we are violating God's order and God's law. According to the Bible, structures such as a marriage between a man and a woman are not stereotypes, they are part of the order that God has made. Just as there is order in the physical universe; there is also order in human life that God has instituted.

How should we live?
What does the Bible say about how a human being should live? Perhaps there are some people who don't bother about this. They just go about their lives, just reacting to circumstances. But every thinking, sensible person will ask this question, what on earth should I do with my life?

And look at the biblical answer? The first thing that God wants anyone everywhere to do, what that includes you, is that God wants you to repent, to repent means to turn around, to turn around from sinful autonomy to God. We all live our lives as if we are God, as if we are in charge. We would like to perhaps say that, you know, it's my life and I will live it the way I want. So we have that sense of autonomy in us, and this autonomy induces us to even do things that displease God. But all the while we're living in God's universe, we breathe in His oxygen, drinking His water. Now that status cannot just go on forever without any consequences. God calls upon you to repent, to turn and submit to Him.

This is a conversation that Jesus had with the Jewish people. And they asked Him, “What shall we do that we might work the works of God?” And Jesus answered, “this is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He has sent”. God calls you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Savior. He is the one that God has sent to the world. He is God's representative to the human race. And God calls you to believe in Jesus Christ, that means to believe who He was and what He did. His person and His work. His person is He is the Son of God who came down in human form. His work is that He died on the cross for the salvation of people like you and me. He paid the penalty for us, and we ought to put our trust on Him. For those of us who consider the Lord Jesus Christ; the Bible emphasizes that believing in Jesus Christ is not just an academic exercise. It's not like how you might believe a fact in history. Paul writes in the Bible like this, I count all things but loss for the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

We all have things in life that we treasure, it might be the enjoyment that we have, the relationships that we have, the status, the wealth that we have. But Paul says here that I counted all these things as rubbish, so that I could win Christ. So you will not have Christ unless you want Him more than anything else. Unless you understand and accept that He is more beautiful, more worthy, greater than anything else you might place your affection on. For those of us who have taken the decision to be a disciple of Jesus Christ; and God has revealed Himself to us. The biblical encouragement is this-Paul says I don't consider myself as having attained perfection, but there's one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward unto those things which are ahead. I press forward to the towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So Disciples of Christ are going on to perfection in Jesus Christ. So this is like the sequence of actions that God wants every human being to do. He wants you to repent, put your trust in Jesus Christ, make Him the Lord of your life, and then follow hard after Him.

Destiny
What does the Bible have to say about destiny? What is going to happen to us after we die? What is going to happen to the world? The Bible says that there is going to be an event called the rapture in which those people who are alive and who are followers of Christ will be taken away; taken away to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. They will give an account to Him of how they served Him, and then they will spend eternity with Him. In the meantime, on earth, God will allow human rebellion to run its full course. So there will be chaos in the world. There will be judgments of God in the form of astronomical and biological upheavals. And then, finally, the Lord Jesus Christ will descend.

This is the Mount of Olives, just to the east of Jerusalem. And the Bible says that Jesus Christ is going to come down on the Mount of Olives, and then He is going to judge the nations and start His role on the earth, which is going to last for 1000 years, and it's going to be a time of peace and prosperity. The cruelty and the violence that we see in nature is going to be abolished during the millennium. So you see here the Bible says that lions will also turn herbivorous, children will be able to play with wild animals, lifespans will be long, there will be peace, there'll be law and order. There will be prosperity and health. Basically, a lot of what God intended the world to be is going to be fulfilled during the 1000-year reign of Christ, which is called the millennium.

However, the Bible also says that at the end of the millennium, the world will rebel against Christ, and He will destroy the people who will rebel against Him. And that leads to the final judgment, which is called the Great White Throne Judgment. The Bible says that after the millennium is wrapped up, there is going to be a judgment in which everybody who has lived is going to stand before Jesus Christ. We all will give an account of our life and those whose names are not found in the book of life, that is those who have not submitted and brought themselves under the Lordship of God, are going to be cast into the lake of fire. Now, hell is perhaps one of the most unpopular teachings in the Bible, but it would be dishonest of us if we did not tell it like it is. The Bible says that there is a place called hell and if you land up there you're not going to escape out of there. But no one needs to go to hell because God has made a way. God has made a way for us to come to Him. He has provided the penalty, the sacrifice that is due for us, and He has provided salvation as a free-gift for us. All we have to do is receive it.

And after this great white throne judgment, after every one who is evil has been banished away from the presence of God. There will be a perfect age and eternity will be assured and in which God's original plan for mankind will come to full fruition. God will dwell with His people, there will be new heavens and a new earth. And of course, we don't know what's in store for us in this eternal city. There are perhaps lots more things that God wants to tell us and God wants to make us do. We will serve Him. We don't know much details about this, but we do know that it is going to be a wonderful time.

So this is how the Bible says the universe will come to climax. So this was the biblical worldview. It explains how things began, why things have become the way they are. What are we supposed to do with our present and where the future is headed? It is our thesis that the Bible presents the best explanation for the world around us, and therefore, we would encourage you to consider these things and consider responding to the call of the Bible to come to God to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you very much.Sermon PPTThe post Explaining Life- Origin, Meaning, Destiny appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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This is the first part in a series on the upper room discourse by Br Fred Kosin. The Lord Jesus Christ wanted his disciples to hear, remember, recognize and absorb everything he taught them before his betrayal. This was so that they would be prepared for the enormous responsibility after he was taken from them. As a result, Br. Kosin begins with an introduction to these 5 chapters, which are derived from key insights in these chapters.

The post Upper Room Discourse: Introduction appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Bible is a collection of 66 books written under the authorship of 40 different writers spanning 1600 years. These writers wrote as inspired by God, and hence Bible claims for itself a divine origin.

Divine origin of the bible is evidenced by its impact on history, life, society & the world at large.

The post External Evidence for Bible’s Divine Origin appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Bible is a collection of 66 books written under the authorship of 40 different writers spanning 1600 years. These writers wrote as inspired by God, and hence Bible claims for itself a divine origin.

Divine origin of the bible is evidenced by its impact on history, life, society & the world at large.

The post External Evidence for Bible’s Divine Origin appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The prophet Joel strongly exhorted the people of Judah to closely consider the severity and effects of the plague that had just gone by. This plague of locusts was also to be a warning of the future judgement to come. It’s severe effect in their individual lives and in the priestly service rendered in the temple of God are brought to light, directing our attention to the taking away of the meal offering and drink offering. The joy of the people had withered away.

In this sermon, Br. Rexlin focuses on these portions and exhorts how the scriptural principles found in this book may be applied as a timely warning for the assemblies today.

The post Call to Serve with Gladness appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The prophet Joel strongly exhorted the people of Judah to closely consider the severity and effects of the plague that had just gone by. This plague of locusts was also to be a warning of the future judgement to come. It’s severe effect in their individual lives and in the priestly service rendered in the temple of God are brought to light, directing our attention to the taking away of the meal offering and drink offering. The joy of the people had withered away.

In this sermon, Br. Rexlin focuses on these portions and exhorts how the scriptural principles found in this book may be applied as a timely warning for the assemblies today.

The post Call to Serve with Gladness appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Bible is a collection of 66 books written under the authorship of 40 different writers spanning 1600 years. These writers wrote as inspired by God, and hence Bible claims for itself a divine origin.

Divine origin of the bible is evidenced by some unique features, that would otherwise not be part of a book written by human inspiration or authorship.

The post Internal Evidence for Bible’s Divine Origin appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Bible is a collection of 66 books written under the authorship of 40 different writers spanning 1600 years. These writers wrote as inspired by God, and hence Bible claims for itself a divine origin.

Divine origin of the bible is evidenced by some unique features, that would otherwise not be part of a book written by human inspiration or authorship.

The post Internal Evidence for Bible’s Divine Origin appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The people, places & events recorded in the Bible are overwhelmingly evidenced by a plethora of findings in Archeology. This video is a small look into a few significant discoveries in archeology proving the veracity of the Bible.

The post How Archeology Proves The Bible appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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In this three-part series, Br Revanth discusses different aspects of sanctification. As He concludes this series, he shows us the kind of life that God uses for His glory. Paul emphasizes in the letter that we should live a clean life and serve our Lord by being useful vessels. Following that, he talks about how we should avoid youthful desires and ignore foolish speculations. As a final point, we should pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

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In this three-part series, Br Revanth discusses different aspects of sanctification. He gives us insight into how to live in light of Christ's return. Gratitude, joy, and prayer are all things we need to practice. It is also imperative that, while we wait for that day, we are able to differentiate between truth and lies, mature ourselves, and not dilute God's messages. Finally, discernment is essential, and the spirit's work should be hindered.

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In this three-part series, Br Revanth discusses different aspects of sanctification. Throughout this message, he explores what it means to lead a cross-shaped life. According to Philippians 3:17-21, Paul wants believers to emulate godly Christians like Paul and to beware of earthly-minded people. And finally, he reminds us of our heavenly citizenship and of the glorious transformation we are anticipating.

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In the truest sense of the word, a prodigal is someone who recklessly & wastefully lives his life. But thanks to the famous parable of the prodigal son narrated by the Lord Jesus, the word prodigal has come to be strongly associated with rebellion against God. Likewise, we see many such prodigals in the Bible who rebelled, but because of God's Grace found their way back to God. Their return to God serves us important lessons on how God deals with sinners and His infinite love for prodigals.

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In the truest sense of the word, a prodigal is someone who recklessly & wastefully lives his life. But thanks to the famous parable of the prodigal son narrated by the Lord Jesus, the word prodigal has come to be strongly associated with rebellion against God. Likewise, we see many such prodigals in the Bible who rebelled, but because of God's Grace found their way back to God. Their return to God serves us important lessons on how God deals with sinners and His infinite love for prodigals.

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In the truest sense of the word, a prodigal is someone who recklessly & wastefully lives his life. But thanks to the famous parable of the prodigal son narrated by the Lord Jesus, the word prodigal has come to be strongly associated with rebellion against God. Likewise, we see many such prodigals in the Bible who rebelled, but because of God's Grace found their way back to God. Their return to God serves us important lessons on how God deals with sinners and His infinite love for prodigals.

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In the truest sense of the word, a prodigal is someone who recklessly & wastefully lives his life. But thanks to the famous parable of the prodigal son narrated by the Lord Jesus, the word prodigal has come to be strongly associated with rebellion against God. Likewise, we see many such prodigals in the Bible who rebelled, but because of God's Grace found their way back to God. Their return to God serves us important lessons on how God deals with sinners and His infinite love for prodigals.

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God's Love is sovereign, powerful, holy, immutable, eternal, infinite, indestructible and glorious. His love goes along with all the other attributes of God. It is HIs love that brought Lord Jesus down to the earth and made God approachable, accessible and personal.

God's love at the same time is also demanding. This radical love demands and empowers us to love Him back. If it was not for the love of God, we could not love Him by ourselves.

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The wrath of God is an indispensable attribute of God. His wrath is an expression of His justice. God not only appreciates virtue but condemns vice. God doesn't simply appreciate wisdom but condemns folly. He does not only desire good in us but hates the sin in us. God's wrath is an expression only against our Sin. Man's ungodliness invites the wrath of God. His wrath is coupled with His love and mercy.

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The second coming of the Lord Jesus is imminent and certain. Yet the Lord warned that the world would be unprepared for it. In the warnings found in Matthew 24, lies an important message of readiness and preparedness for the church. Today, as we navigate swiftly changing times & seasons, catching one and all by surprise, the pertinent question for the church is, Are we ready?

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A detailed exposition on the ‘Power of God’. The Bible gives us insight into the mystery of God’s power and how it is different from Man's power. God's power is synonymous to His name and Word. His Power is dynamite, energetic, forceful and also authoritative. His power goes along with the other attributes of God. It is His power that raised Jesus from the dead and gives credibility to the gospel of the Cross. God’s power is communicable like His Wisdom and is attainable through the cognizance of our weaknesses.

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Certain attributes of God are incommunicable such as His - self-sufficiency, immutability, independence, omniscience, etc. These attributes of God are distinct from man and makes God who He is. But there are certain attributes that are communicable and one of them is Wisdom of God.

The wisdom of God is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. God's wisdom cannot be compared to Man's as it's value is more than fine rubies. This wisdom can be available to those who fear God and shun evil.

The law, the knowledge of good and evil exacerbated the condition of mankind. But the wisdom of God emboldens man to stay far from the exposure of evil.

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Br. John Parker concludes this series, he looks at the true meaning of the gospel and contrasts it with the false definitions common to Calvinists. He then discusses seven important principles for believers as they approach studying the Bible. As a final note, he finishes with an assessment of recent trends and arguments in Calvinism, as well as some good sources to delve further into this topic.

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God makes it clear that He cares for generations, generations past, present and future. People change but God does not, despite having ample of reasons to bail out on a disobedient creation like humans. The word of God is unchangeable. Its equally relevant to people who were living thousands of years ago and people from this day and age. God's promises do not change. God's calling does not change. God's Holiness & love is unchanging.

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The holiness of God is much more than an attribute of God; it is a synonym of who God is. Br. Abraham Koshy continues from the Glory by showing how it is integral to holiness and examines its root word 'separate'. Afterward, he discusses the repulsiveness of holiness and how it is made accessible in Jesus Christ; he then explores the standards of holiness and finally contrasts the mount of Sinai with the mount of Zion.

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In the fourth part of this series Br. John Parkinson takes a deep dive into the Five-point Calvinism. He examines the abbreviation TULIP, Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace and Perseverance of saints.

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When you hear the word glory, what comes to mind? Br. Abraham Koshy explains the greatness of God's glory. He also shows how the people of Israel have warped their definition of God's glory. After giving three key approaches to seeing God's glory in the bible, he shows how through Christ and with the help of the bible we can magnify the glory of God.

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The Creator is the one who is not created nor does he need anything. Br. Abraham Koshy discusses the exclusivity of God, how there is only him. Next, he examines the reasons he is so exclusive, which include the fact that he is eternal, self-sufficient, complete in Himself and is independent of time. His last point is that God does not need us, yet still gave His son to purchase us as children.

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In this sermon, Br. John Parkinson gives an overview of the Election of Theology. He examines the teachings of Augustine, Calvin, Arminius, and Beza and points where they went wrong. He describes what a Syllogism is and explains how the deductive methodology is misused in this area, culminating with the 5-point Calvinist approach, abbreviated as TULIP.

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It goes without saying that the God of the Bible is the greatest and unknowable being in the universe. How could we mortal humans possibly know such an almighty being? Br. Abraham Koshy highlights the perils of not understanding God, the dangers of understanding Him and finally shows us how to know God.

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Br. John Parkinson begins the sermon by citing interesting quotes by writers on this subject. Following that, he clarifies all the misconceptions about John 5 and Romans 9, which are the Calvinist proof texts. Finally, he revisits the previously defined meaning of biblical election and predestination.

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A comprehensive response to islamic objections raised to biblical faith. Numerous objections, such as the legitimacy of the bible, absurdity of the doctrine of trinity, how it was invented, what does it mean to have one God in three persons, why did Jesus never claim to be God, and the deity and humanity of Jesus are discussed. After discussing freedom leading to immorality, the low cost of forgiveness, and the assurance of salvation, Br. Johnny concludes by discussing the sonship of Jesus Christ and the meaning of the word begotten.

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Br. John Parkinson answers an essential question of what does the Bible mean by Election and Predestination? With the aid of foundational texts, he clarifies common misconceptions about these concepts and gives a straightforward definition for both. He concludes by defining Biblical adoption and clearing up some confusion.

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A comprehensive response to catholic objections raised typically undermine the authority of the bible. Various objections such as importance to traditions of Church fathers vs Bible, right to interpretation of Bible lies only to the church, too many denominations show disunity, the catholic church is oldest, protestants have done evil and the Bible is not to be taken literally are tackled by the speaker.

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• Br. Koshy Mathew (Borivali Assembly, 4th July, 2018)Passage of ReferenceRuth 2:4-16, Ephe :6:5-9, Titus 2:9-10, 1 Tim 6:1 Interpersonal relationship is one of the keys to success in life. It is predominantly how your ...

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An important & encouraging message on being a true and genuine disciple of Lord Jesus Christ. 

The post Be a Disciple of Jesus Christ- True Discipleship- Bro. Oommen Philip – [Audio-Video Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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• Br. Koshy Mathew (Borivali Assembly, 6th June 2018)Passage of ReferenceRuth 1:1-14 Interpersonal relationship is one of the keys to success in life. It is predominantly how your relationship is with God, with your family, ...

Read More The post Br. Koshy Mathew – BOOK OF RUTH – Relationships 1 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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• Br. Varghese Chacko (Assembly Bible Classes, 29th April 2018.)Relationship with ‘Peers’ takes a whole new meaning when an individual enters Teen-age. Peers often replace Parents for all practical purposes. Along with it comes a ...

Read More The post Br. Varghese Chacko – TEENAGE RELATIONSHIPS: With Opposite Gender [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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“Relationship with ‘Teens and Parents’ are more or less like ‘Wife and Mother-in-laws’, but with one big difference. Most of the Teen start appreciating their Parents later in life!! What then is the fuzz? Why a Teen find himself at loggerhead with his Parents? Here in this Video Varghese Chacko gives a perspective that is woven through Psychological reasoning and Spiritual basis… A ‘Must Watch’ for all Teens and their Parents.

The post TEENAGE RELATIONSHIPS: With Parents- Br. Varghese Chacko – [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The church can consist of people who are hurting, distressed and of dire need of help. It can very well consist of people who are actively involved in the gathering, but who also are come to the verge of destruction. In the wise words of Solomon, it can consist of a person who cries that he has come to atmost ruin and is lost in the middle of the gathering.

This tragedy cannot be overlooked. It calls for whole hearted repentance in the church. This message stresses on the importance of repentance in the church.

The post REPENTANCE IN THE CHURCH – Proverbs 5:24 [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Paul in this passage begins his concluding arguments to the superiority of the gospel over everything of the Old Testament. The objective, firm and pointed discourse on the gospel which began from chapter 1 aptly ends here by delving into the security of Salvation. What is the guarantee that God will see through the new work he has begun and succeed? To answer this question, Paul brings three vital truths- namely being the prayer of the Spirit, glorification of the Saints and the love of the Son.After having established the surety of Salvation, the pertinent question we believers will have to answer is - how shall we respond to such a teaching? Can we allow complacency and laziness slip-in, given that our souls are secured?

The post Surety of Salvation – Romans 8:24-39 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Paul after having explained the depravity of carnal man now explains the glorious truth about the Holy Spirit. It is the coming of the Holy Spirit that changes everything about our old sinful life. Holy Spirit enables us to call God as Father. Without the Spirit, there would be no holiness possible. The Spirit of God also gives us true assurance of our salvation.But despite being a child of God, sufferings in life are inevitable. Groanings, sufferings are an integral part of Christian life which will eventually lead to Glorification of the Saints. A child of God groans because of tribulations, because of the decadent nature and also because he/she longs for the presence of God. Ultimately God is the heritage and exceedingly great reward of His Children.

The post From Groan to Glory – Romans 8:14-23 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The Gospel of Jesus Christ demands no human efforts but only faith to be saved. When a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinner is declared righteous and no more held accountable for sins committed. Righteousness is not earned but transferred from Christ to the sinner.Though this judicial transaction makes a sinner fit to inherit eternal life, does it also give one the liberty to commit sin? How is sanctification and holiness achieved? Paul in this passage emphasizes the fact that just like justification could not be attained by efforts, so also any amount of human efforts cannot guarantee sanctification. We are in the flesh and are incapable of any good. Yet God brings in a new dynamics to play where the Spirit of His own Son, resides in us to bring about a new and transformed life. It is through the Spirit God that brings holiness in the life of His children, which the law of old testament was weak to do so.

The post Flesh vs Spirit – Romans 7:14-8:13 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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A Christian has been freed from the law of the old testament. But does this freedom mean a freedom to sin? If we are not under the law, does it mean we are lawless?Paul in this passage challenges the notion that a Christian can live in sin since there is no law to keep. He asserts that a believer has no grounds to live a life of sin. The law could not guarantee holiness. But Jesus liberated us from the law and has done a new work in our lives to ensure holiness. Jesus gives us newness of Life through faith in Him. He provides us with grace to live this 'new life', that is marked by holiness and not sin.

The post Not Under the Law – Romans 7:1-13 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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What do we mean when we say that God is good? Is the goodness of God defined by the blessings we receive or are there more aspects to it?The Bible outlines the relentless and unending goodness of God in so many ways and this sermon briefly glances at 6 ways in which it is manifested to us and around us.God loves compassionately (Lamentations 3:22-23)God provides (Matthew 6:31-32)God gives grace (2 Corinthians 12:9, Isaiah 43:2)God gives impartially (Matthew 5:45)God protects (Psalm 121:3, 5-7)God understands our frailty despite His sovereignty (Job 38-39, Hebrews 4:14-16)

The post THE GOODNESS OF GOD – Br. Aaron Dias – [ Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Through the study, the question ‘Is the Bible trustworthy?’ is answered. This study focuses on the Claims of the Bible,

Preservation of the Bible,

Evidences for the trustworthiness and the

Influence of the Bible.

The post IS THE BIBLE TRUSTWORTHY?- 1 Peter 3:15 – Bro Thomson B Thomas [Audio-video Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Paul when trying to answer the question- if believers can sin?, brings in the concept of slavery to God. Slavery is inevitable. As human beings, we are always slaves, either to Sin or to God. If God is our master, then we should not sin. Because sinning would prove sin to be our master.Therefore it is paramount to present ourselves without reservation to our new Master- Lord Jesus Christ, and not to master of Sin who the Lord has liberated us from by the death on the Cross.

The post Slaves to Christ – Romans 6:14-23 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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This study is focused on Characteristics and beliefs of a Modern Atheist. The evidences used by Scientists, Atheists are refuted and the study also explores the evidences used by Christians

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Johnny Varghese undertakes a study on Conversational Apologetics- the need to reason with people and share the gospel. He focused on different tactics to handle discussion during personal evangelism.

The post CONVERSATIONAL APOLOGETICS – 1 Peter 3:15 – Bro Johnny Varghese – [Audio-Video Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Paul in his discourse of the working of the gospel addresses a very critical question in this passage. He challenges the notion that it is ok for a believer to continue living in sin. His pertinent question is - Shall we continue in Sin?When a believer lives in continual sin, then it becomes an aberration of the highest order. It goes against the very work that Christ accomplished through His death on the cross. In this passage, Paul exhorts and convincingly shows that a child of God is dead to sin, and therefore can live no longer in it. He shows why and how a believer can live unto God rather than continuing in sin.

The post Shall we Continue in Sin? – Romans 6:1-13 [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 15th November 2017.Passage of Reference: Colossians 4:6-18Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 4: Paul is now moving from personal practical Christianity to public practical Christianity. The links and relationship of a believer are laid on here. Ten names are mentioned in this chapter and they are listed because they have a varying degree of perfection in them.

The post COLOSSIANS – Relations of a Perfect Christian 2 – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 8th November 2017.Passage of Reference: Colossians 4Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 4: Paul is now moving from personal practical Christianity to public practical Christianity. The links and relationship of a believer are laid on here. Ten names are mentioned in this chapter and they are listed because they have a varying degree of perfection in them.

The post COLOSSIANS – Relations of a Perfect Christian – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 23rd August 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 2:4-16Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 2: Paul then moves forward to encourage further that believers have a wealth in Christ. There are riches and prosperity available in Christ that are unavailable anywhere else. Two specific riches are mentioned in chapter 1 ending and chapter 2: 1-6. They are the riches of God people and riches of God word. The rest of the chapter then goes on to explain the false doctrines themselves.

The post COLOSSIANS – Reasons for Writing – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Spiritual Maturity Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Viji Roberts at Borivali Assembly on 31st January 2018. Passage of Reference: Ephesians 1:15-23 Ephesians 1: 15-23 15 For this reason, because I have heard ...

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 1st November 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 3:17-4:6Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 3: Paul is moving from the doctrinal aspects to practical Christian living. Believers have a new life in Christ. This is a different life from what they had before. This life is hidden in Christ and draws its supply and source from Christ. Believers, therefore, are expected to live a life of holiness for that pleases God.

The post COLOSSIANS – Lifestyle of a Perfect Christian 3 – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 4th October 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 3:1-4:6Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 3: Paul is moving from the doctrinal aspects to practical Christian living. Believers have a new life in Christ. This is a different life from what they had before. This life is hidden in Christ and draws its supply and source from Christ. Believers, therefore, are expected to live a life of holiness for that pleases God.

The post COLOSSIANS – Lifestyle of a Perfect Christian 2 – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 27 September 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 3:1-16Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 3: Paul is moving from the doctrinal aspects to practical Christian living. Believers have a new life in Christ. This is a different life from what they had before. This life is hidden in Christ and draws its supply and source from Christ. Believers, therefore, are expected to live a life of holiness for that pleases God.

The post COLOSSIANS – Lifestyle of a Perfect Christian 1 – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon at Borivali Assembly on 30 August 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 1:26 - 2:5Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 2: Paul then moves forward to encourage further that believers have a wealth in Christ. There are riches and prosperity available in Christ that are unavailable anywhere else. Two specific riches are mentioned in chapter 1 ending and chapter 2: 1-6. They are the riches of God people and riches of God word. The rest of the chapter then goes on to explain the false doctrines themselves.

The post COLOSSIANS – Riches of a Perfect Christian 2 – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Godly Abraham at Borivali Assembly on 16 August 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 1:26-27, 2:2-12,16-22Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In Chapter 2: Paul then moves forward to encourage further that believers have a wealth in Christ. There are riches and prosperity available in Christ that are unavailable anywhere else. Two specific riches are mentioned in chapter 1 ending and chapter 2: 1-6. They are the riches of God people and riches of God word. The rest of the chapter then goes on to explain the false doctrines themselves.

The post COLOSSIANS – Riches of a Perfect Christian – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Godly Abraham at Borivali Assembly on 16 August 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 1:12-20Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In chapter 1, Paul exhibits the various aspects of the glory of Christ. Right near the center of the chapter, Paul places Christ in a place of superiority and unparalleled authority. He is utterly supreme and cannot be compared to any other leader or person. He is singular in his existence and his exercise. He is the Oneness from which all things are created.

The post COLOSSIANS – The Lord and His Totality – Br. Godly Abraham – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE: HEB 13:1, HEB 2:11, ROM 12:10,The application of the spiritual principles of brotherly love, as soon as the bible is essentially different from “the acts of charity” practiced by the charitable organization in the world. The world showing charity is more like the story in Luke 21-the rich putting their gifts in the treasury.• The Lord looked and said “these rich people out of their abundance have put the offering but the poor woman- out of her poverty put in all that she had. Like the widow of Zarephath-“first make for the prophet”. The world’s charity is often for a cause and the giver takes the credit for the gift. The biblical teaching about the manifestation of brotherly love:- First as unto the lord – then give yourselves.It's not for a cause- but with the total identification of the giver with those who receive.For a short time of meditation and learning- we shall look at some of the lessons on “brotherly relationship” from the book of Genesis. It is an interesting study to put together the exercise of faith in the lives of three principle women of Genesis I mean eve, Sarah, Rebecca. Eve had exercise sand lesions to learn in connection with Cain and able. Sarah in connection with Ishmael and Isaac. Rebecca in connection with Esau and Jacob. To a certain extent – the lessons are similar-but there is a different element in each lesson.In johns gospel 1:12,13- we are told that those who are born into the family of God“who were born -not of bloodnor of the will of the fleshNor of the will of manBut of God.EVE:Not of bloodEve’s lesson- the promised seed will not come on the line of natural decent-not of blood. The seed of the women cannot be born of eve. When Cain was born-eve thought that she got Christ – the promised seed of the women. But Eve had to learn that sinful parent can only beget sinful children. On the line of natural generation-there is nothing for god. Eve learned her lesson before able was born and therefore called him able vanity.SARAH:Not of the will of the flesh.Sarah thought that if God is late in his fulfilling his promise-she would work on improving on the natural that is getting a son through Hagar. The result is Ishmael-the will f the flesh. Man trying to correct himself and put things right. Gods command – all that is of the flesh must be cast out. Divine promises cannot be secured through the way of the flesh –but only through the principles of faith. Isaac is crowned and Ishmael is to be cast out.REBECCA:Not of the will of the man –but of God.The lesson of divine sovereignty. The will of man had no place whatsoever in the ways of god-as for god his way is perfect. The will of man would prefer Esau to Jacob. It has often been said by people – that Esau was the better and the nobler of the two brothers. Rebecca too learned that God is sovereign and this alone would guide her affections. God said- I’m going to have my way. Nothing excluded man like divine sovereignty. The will of man completely shut out. Isaac valued Esau’s venison- and this guided his affection. We have to look at our brother from God's point of view.Now we shall look at gods revelation of his divine principles concerning his brotherly love – from the lives of three men in GenesisABRAHAM- The divine principle to learnWe have to look at our brethren from gods point of view even as God sees them. Abraham showing brotherly love his nephew Lot. First of all, in relation to the Canaanites around them- Abraham says “we are brethren”. Not uncle and nephew. When Lot was taken captive they came and told- Abrahams nephew was taken captive. When Abraham heard this –“his brother lot was taken captive (Gen 13:12-14)-Abraham completely identifies himself with his brother in order to rescue him. Abraham does not get over – occupied with blemishes and failures-but looks at the quality that god can approve-righteous lotJACOB-The divine principle of the sovereignty of God in our brotherly relationshipGod in his sovere...

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Godly Abraham at Borivali Assembly on 9 August 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 1:12-20Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In chapter 1, Paul exhibits the various aspects of the glory of Christ. Right near the center of the chapter, Paul places Christ in a place of superiority and unparalleled authority. He is utterly supreme and cannot be compared to any other leader or person. He is singular in his existence and his exercise. He is the Oneness from which all things are created.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Godly Abraham at Borivali Assembly on 2 August 2017.Passage of Reference: Col 1Book of Colossians was written to new believers at Colosse. It was in response to four different types of false doctrines that had crept silently into their midst, possibly by the arrival of some outsiders. Epaphras brought this to the notice of Apostle Paul while under house arrest in Acts 28. Paul, therefore, writes the four chapters to the believers encouraging them to strive for a life of perfection and maturity. The method and manner of perfection can be attained by the principles laid out in the four chapters of Colossians. In chapter 1, Paul exhibits the various aspects of the glory of Christ. Right near the center of the chapter, Paul places Christ in a place of superiority and unparalleled authority. He is utterly supreme and cannot be compared to any other leader or person. He is singular in his existence and his exercise. He is the Oneness from which all things are created.

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This sermon explores the position and privileges bestowed on the believer through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, with the help of five old testament pictures. The pictures of Resurrection studied are-Aaron's budded rod - Life springing forth from deadness (Num 17:6-8/1 Thes 4:13-18)The offering of firstfruits - Christ our firstfruits (Lev 2:14/1 Cor 15:20-23)The cleansed leper's sparrow - The assurance of sins forgiven (Lev 14:4-7/1 Cor 15:14,17)Jonah and the great fish - Deliverance from the fear of death (Mat 12:38-40/Heb 2:14-15)Noah's ark - Eternal rest in glory (Gen 8:4)

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Behold the Lord Jesus Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nitish Patel at Borivali Assembly on 19th November 2017. Passage of Reference: Scripture readings: John 19:5; Matthew 12:18; John 1:29; John 19:14; Revelation ...

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2 SAMUEL 16-18 Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nitish Patel at Borivali Assembly on 22nd November 2017. Passage of Reference: 2 Samuel 16-18   Listen to Part 1 Sermon- Bro Nitish Patel; REVOLT ...

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2 SAMUEL 15 Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nitish Patel at Borivali Assembly on 19th November 2017. Passage of Reference: 2 Samuel 15   Listen to part 2 – FALL OF ABSALOM ; ...

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There were several furnitures in the Tabernacle where the people of Israel Worshipped God. It is interesting to see how every furniture pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

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Bro. Koshy Mathew expounds a simple prayer by the psalmist: Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. He explains the perspective/understanding of the Psalmist, how he accepts the fact of God being Omniscience, Omnipresent, Omnipotent. When this understanding increased, He understood God his Holy and hates wickedness. When this knowledge of God increases he prays this prayer so that He could help him to search his heart.The Lord is an Omniscience, Omnipresent, Omnipotent and also Holy. So we need to cleanse ourselves so that He could use us. If it's not clean God won't bless us. We must be gripped by the Holiness of God, if so we could also turn the world upside-down. The Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked. Are your hearts clean? Bro Koshy then explains this verse in a very concise way.

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This message speaks about their origin and how so many good angels became demons after believing a lie propagated by the archangel Lucifer who became Satan. Fortunately, we believers in the Lord Jesus have the protection of the good angels around us.

The post A STUDY ON ANGELS, DEMONS & SATAN- Br. Deepak Jariwala – [Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Daniel was taken as a captive from the land of Israel to Babylon. He loved and honored God by his obedience to the Law of the Lord. God made him a President in that land. These messages tell us the secret to the successful spiritual life of Daniel even though he was in a secular job.

The post 5 SECRET KEYS OF DANIEL’S LIFE – Part 2 – Br. Deepak Jariwala – [Audio-Video Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Daniel was taken as a captive from the land of Israel to Babylon. He loved and honored God by his obedience to the Law of the Lord. God made him a President in that land. These messages tell us the secret to the successful spiritual life of Daniel even though he was in a secular job.

The post 5 SECRET KEYS OF DANIEL’S LIFE – Part 1 – Br. Deepak Jariwala – [Audio-Video Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Bro Jobin John Mathew gives a brief sermon on the Canonicity of the Bible. It means• The word refers to a measuring instrument.• Rule of action (Gal:6:16; Phil:3:16).• It refers to the list of accepted books that makes up the Bible as a whole.• Talks about the books that went through various tests or rules and later considered as authoritative and canonical.He also gives information about the process of Canonicity, test for canonicity etc. He mentions about 2 counsels, The Council of Jamnia and The Council of Carthage. They are responsible for the old testament and the new testament respectively.

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Bro Jobin John Mathew mentions about three important I's in the Bible. They are:1. Inspiration2. Inerrancy3. Interpretation

The post Bibliology : Interpretation of the Bible – Bro. Jobin John Mathew [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Bro Jobin John Mathew mentions about three important I's in the Bible. They are:1. Inspiration2. Inerrancy3. InterpretationThe Original Autograph is Inerrant. It means that the Bible has absolutely no errors/mistakes. The Bible says that it is Inerrant. The verses are given in the Passage of Reference. Jesus Christ also believed that the Bible is inerrant.

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ro Jobin John Mathew mentions about three important I's in the Bible. They are:1. Inspiration2. Innerancy3. InterpretationThe Bible is inspired by Holy Spirit. God is responsible for every word in the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired the author to write the Original Manuscript.• God brought into being the very words composed in the Bible.• Through the work of the Holy Spirit, He put the words into the author’s mind.• He allowed the situation and circumstances of the author to compose the Holy Word.• Since God brought the Word to life, there is no error.

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Psalm 46:10- He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;Genesis 16: 9- The angel of the Lord told her, “You must go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.Genesis 16: 13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are ‘God who sees,’ because I have truly seen the one who looks after me.”Psalm 32: 8- I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go: I will guide thee with mine eye.We often pray with a rightful conviction that our God with infinite resources and omnipotence can answer all our prayers instantly and immediately. This feeling is further cemented by our lifestyle in a fast-pace world, where we are spoiled with instant gratification and instant responses. In turn we desire quick answers, quick fixes and expect that God too will rush through our prayers.But in the Bible, God often demanded his saints to wait on Him; testing and trying their patience. Moreover, He sometimes desires to change us rather than the situation we want to be changed. Sometimes He answers our prayers discreetly, demanding our closeness and nearness to Him. These unusual answers to our prayers is yet another display of God's love and parenting of His children

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Bro Jobin John brings out an important question that we need to ask ourselves whether you are a "DISCIPLE" or just one in a crowd. Do you follow Jesus to see some miracles, to be healed from your sickness or to have your daily bread?If not, Do you give your complete love to God, how many times do you proclaim that you love our Lord and that He is one, do you take up the cross and follow Lord Jesus Christ, do live your life with accordance with how God wants you to live or do you live with the flow, what sacrifices have you made for the Lord?There are two kinds of people. 1. There is a Crowd and 2. There is a Disciple. The difference between both of them is not only the name but also that the crowd only likes the Lord and the disciple "Loves" the LordIf you want to be the Disciple of Lord Jesus Christ and live a life for Him and Love him then Bro Jobin gives some points which can help you to be His disciple.Give Jesus your complete Love/AttentionTake up the Cross and Follow Jesus, Crucify your old manLive your life with proper planning

The post ARE YOU PART OF THE CROWD OR A DISCIPLE OF LORD JESUS CHRIST? – Bro Jobin John Mathew – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Sunil Albert at ABC for Teens 2014Passage of Reference: John 5:39Br. Sunil Albert undertakes a profitable and encouraging study on the Word of God- Bible in the following 4 part series.1. Glorious Heavenly Book - Part 12. Glorious Heavenly Book - Part 23. Blessings of the Bible4. The Great HIM book

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The Blessings from the Bible Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Sunil Albert at ABC for Teens 2014 Passage of Reference: Psalm 119 Br. Sunil Albert undertakes a profitable and encouraging study on ...

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The Glorious Heavenly Book (part 2) Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Sunil Albert at ABC for Teens 2014 Passage of Reference: 2 Timothy 3:14 Br. Sunil Albert undertakes a profitable and encouraging ...

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Sunil Albert at ABC for Teens 2014Passage of Reference: 2 Timothy 3:14Br. Sunil Albert undertakes a profitable and encouraging study on the Word of God- Bible in the following 4 part series.1. Glorious Heavenly Book - Part 12. Glorious Heavenly Book - Part 23. Blessings of the Bible4. The Great HIM book

The post The Glorious Heavenly Book (part 1) – Bible Sermon Series- Br. Sunil Albert – [Video sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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FEASTS OF JEHOVAH Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Amis Lopes at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April. Passage of Reference: Lev 23 God’s eternal plan from beginning to eternity ...

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We read in Mark 12:28 onwards about the teacher of the law who questioned the Lord about the greatest commandment and we see the wonderful way the Lord replies to him.The three major aspects of Christain living is mentioned in the Lord's answer. When we say we believe in One God do we really give Him that place in our life??When we have faith in His Word do we give the Word of God authority over our life?? If there is anything that hinders our love for the Lord let us place it at the Feet of Lord and be living examples for the Lord.

The post DOES THE WORD OF GOD HAVE AUTHORITY OVER YOU? – Bro Jobin John Mathew – [Audio Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The Savior has called his disciples as his friends. What does that mean? As friends, he has shared secrets with them. Real friendship requires sacrifices. Disciples were made aware of the need to love each other and even lay down life for each other. In a similar way, believers are exhorted to love each other and be kind to each other as friends. Deep bonds should be made and we mus exhort each other. There are over 20 expressions of "one another" in NT which speak of our work towards each other. Exhort one another, love one another, forgiving one another, long-suffering and forbearance to each other are all hallmarks of a friend.

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The Assyrians and Babylonians maintained historical records in which astronomical events were listed. By correlating these records with astronomical calculations modern historians have been able to establish the dates for important events in the history of Assyria and Babylon. Since some of these events and characters are also mentioned in the Bible, they provide anchors to establish the chronology of Biblical events. There exists a good synchronization between the records in Kings and Chronicles, archeological and historical records from Babylon and Assyria.The Biblical chronology gives 4000 BC for the start of the human race. This conflicts with secular chronology, which is based on evolution theory and radiometric dating. However, radiometric dating is fraught with assumptions and therefore does not discredit the Biblical timeframe. Evidence for a young earth is also considered.

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The Assyrians and Babylonians maintained historical records in which astronomical events were listed. By correlating these records with astronomical calculations modern historians have been able to establish the dates for important events in the history of Assyria and Babylon. Since some of these events and characters are also mentioned in the Bible, they provide anchors to establish the chronology of Biblical events. There exists a good synchronization between the records in Kings and Chronicles, archeological and historical records from Babylon and Assyria.The Biblical chronology gives 4000 BC for the start of the human race. This conflicts with secular chronology, which is based on evolution theory and radiometric dating. However, radiometric dating is fraught with assumptions and therefore does not discredit the Biblical timeframe. Evidence for a young earth is also considered.

The post BIBLICAL HISTORY and CHRONOLOGY – Chronology – Bro Johnny Varghese – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Here is a Sermon delivered by Anub Koshy at North Gate Gospel Chapel on May 28th, 2017 Sunday morning. Based on Daniel 5 he expounds the righteous Judgment of God upon wicked ones. By giving the example of King Belshazzar he explains how God is able to put down those who walk in pride.

The post PRIDE GOETH BEFORE A FALL – Br. Merwin Koshy – [Audio Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The kingdom of Israel witnessed a decline after the golden age of Solomon; the seeds of this decay were sown in Solomon's wrong choices. Rehoboam's rude response to the requests of his subjects led to the kingdom of splitting into two; all the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel were motivated by personal ambition and had no commitment to Jehovah.In particular, Ahab, spurred by his wife Jezebel, filled the land with Baal worship, and all its accompanying immorality. The lives of the kings are a negative example for us, to illustrate how not to make choices, and how we cannot avoid the consequences of our choices.

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The kingdom of Israel witnessed a decline after the golden age of Solomon; the seeds of this decay were sown in Solomon's wrong choices. Rehoboam's rude response to the requests of his subjects led to the kingdom of splitting into two; all the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel were motivated by personal ambition and had no commitment to Jehovah.In particular, Ahab, spurred by his wife Jezebel, filled the land with Baal worship, and all its accompanying immorality. The lives of the kings are a negative example for us, to illustrate how not to make choices, and how we cannot avoid the consequences of our choices.

The post BIBLICAL HISTORY and CHRONOLOGY – Kings of Israel (Part 1) – Bro Johnny Varghese – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: 1Thess 3:13'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Bro. Thomson mentions about 4 Hopes of the Church. Those are:Account of his ComingAim of his ComingAssurance of his ComingApplication of his Coming

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: 1 Timothy 3:14'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Bro. Thomson mentions about the seven duties of the Believers to the Church. Those are:We must be WitnessesDon't neglect the gathering of the AssemblyGive importance to FellowshipSubmit to EldersExercise your Spiritual GiftsSupport the need of the Assembly(Materially)Conduct Yourself

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: Mathew 16:18'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Bro. Thomson mentions about the seven offices of the Church that help in the administration of the Church. Those are:ApostlesProphetsEvangelistsPastor TeachersBishop (Overseer, Shepherds)DeaconsDeaconessesHe also explains how our attitude should be towards this office. He gives seven points for this also:1Thes 5:12 - Respect1Thes 5:17 - Double Honour1Thes 5:13 - Esteem Them1Tim 5:17 - TrustHeb 13:7 - RememberHeb 13:17 - Submit & ObeyHeb 13:24 - Salute

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: Mathew 16:18'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Bro. Thomson mentions about the important Ordinances of the Church. There are two ordinances in the Bible. They are:BaptismLord's SupperBro. Thomson explains the importance of both of these Ordinances and also gives a brief detail in the method and the way both of these Ordinances used to be followed.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: Mathew 16:18'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Bro. Thomson mentions about a common word in both the References (given above) that is 'MY'. He gives three aspects related to the word 'MY'.RelationshipRepresentationHounorshipHe also gives three areas where the church needs to be independent.Self GoverningSelf PropogatingSelf Supporting

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: Mathew 16:18'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Bro. Thomson mentions about the Day the Church was born and how it was formed. He mentions about 2 kinds of baptism which are mentioned in 1Cor 12:12,13. The two kinds of Baptism areBaptism in water.Baptism in the Spirit.He mentions 7 references of the Baptism in the spirit. He also segregates the references into 3 points.Prophetic References. (Mat 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5)Historical References. (Acts 11:15-18)Doctrinal Refernces. (1Cor 12:13)

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Thomson B Thomas at Assembly Bible Classes between 23rd April to 29th April.Passage of Reference: Mathew 16:18, Mathew 18:20'The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this sermon Br. Thomson explained more about the Local Church and the Universal Church by mentioning some of the metaphors or illustrations which are given in the Bible of the church. They are:Universal ChurchLocal Church1. Body - Eph 1:22,231. Body - 1Cor 12:272. Building - Eph 2:19-222. Building - 1Cor 3:93. Flock - John 10:163. Flock - Acts 26:284. Spiritual House - 1Pet 2:4-104. Tillage - 1Cor 3:95. Bride - Eph 5:28-325. Virgin - 2Cor 11:26. New Man - Eph 2:11-186. Epistle - 2Cor 3:37. City - Rev 21:2-107. Lampstand - Rev 1:13-20

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The Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Anybody who loves the Lord can only love it and labour for its progress. They shall have delight in its principles and practice. Now the doctrines related to church are corrupted or neglected. It is high time to get to the Bible and see the will of God concerning it. In the eight Bible studies uploaded here by brother Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai, gives the elementary and essential teachings of the church. The name the Lord gave to it, it's various metaphors and the two aspects of it are presented in simple terms. The ordinances, offices and its autonomy are taught clearly. The series takes the student till the blessed hope of the church. Anyone, beginner or scholar, may find help in listening to these.'In this class, he mentioned some important truths as to why should we study this topic. He mentioned 5 different reasons to study this topic.Divine AffectionDivine RevelationDivine PurposeDivine HonourshipThe Present ConfusionAlso the meaning of the word church and how it was derived is mentioned in this sermon. At last he mentions the two different aspects of the Church

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Bro John Kurian exhorts all believers saying "Let us run". We have to lay aside every weight and the sin that easily beset us and run our race. Four main points of the are elaborated in this RaceContext of the Race (Background)Conditions of the RaceConflict of the RaceCaptain of our RaceThis is an encouraging message on how believers should run this race, remembering that we are not alone; as many have ran this race & completed it. We need to have strong faith in our Lord and always focus on Him.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 16 March 2017.

Passage of Reference: 2Thess 2:16, 17; 3:5, 16

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer For Direction – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 9 March 2017.

Passage of Reference: 2Thess 1: 11, 12.

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer To Give Glory – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer For Holiness – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 23 February 2017.

Passage of Reference: Col 1:9-12

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Walk Worthy of the Lord – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 9 February 2017.

Passage of Reference: Eph 3:14-19

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer For Enablement – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 27 January 2017.

Passage of Reference: Eph 1:15-19

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer for Knowledge – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 12 January 2017.

Passage of Reference: 2 Cor 13:7-9, Eph 1:15-19

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – You May Be Made Complete – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Maxlin Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 8 January 2017.Passage of Reference: Numbers 19The ALMIGHTY HEAVENLY FATHER provided the law of purification to cleanse the Israelites when they come in contact with a dead body. Because of the unfaithfulness of the Israelites, the entire nation witnessed death in their midst on a presumably daily basis. Thus, the entire nation was saddled with dead bodies on the journey towards their Promised Land. The HOLY FATHER foresaw the plight of the nation that was to fall for the next 40 years and, as evidenced throughout the HOLY SCRIPTURES, HE HIMSELF provide the LAW OF PURIFICATION to cleanse the nation from its dead bodies.Our spiritual journey is well highlighted by the journey of the ISRAELITES. and like any Jew, we in our journey constantly are coming in contact with dead bodies. In James 2: 17 & 26, we read our faith without work is dead and in Hebrews 9:13-14 we read of the need to cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve THE LIVING GOD. The message looks at the RED HEIFER and its UNIQUENESS, the PROPHETICAL aspect of the law and its completeness on the CROSS OF CALVARY and finally the WATER OF PURIFICATION and its SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE.MAY THE GOOD LORD LEAD US IN OUR JOURNEY and IN OUR NEED FOR PURIFICATION.This message is given in English and translated into Hindi.

The post RED HEIFER & WATERS OF PURIFICATION – Br. Maxlin Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 5 January 2017.

Passage of Reference: 2 Cor 13:7-9

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer to Live a Perfect Life – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 22 December 2016.

Passage of Reference: Romans 16: 24-27

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer For Grace – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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On the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Christian Believers' Assembly, Borivali, Br. George Dawson gives an encouraging message, reminding the believers of God's Faithfulness and his presence even in trying circumstances.The main points were:Divine ReflectionDivine ElectionDivine AffectionDivine DirectionDivine ProtectionDivine Instruction

The post REMEMBERING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS – Br. George Dawson – [Audio-Video Sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 8 December 2016.

Passage of Reference: Romans 15:5-6

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer For Unity – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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2 WAYS OF LIFE Life is a journey. But the pertinent question is, do you know the destination? Do you know where this journey is headed? Jesus spoke of 2 ways in which you can ...

Read More The post 2 WAYS OF LIFE appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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The church will not pass through tribulation. Bro Koshy Mathew brings together various scriptures to state the infallible word of God on the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Passages from 1 Thess 1 and 1 Thess 4 along with parallel passages in 1 Cor 15 are bought together with Rev 3:10 to establish the core doctrine of the assembly.Church is not appointed unto wrath (1 Thess 5:9) forms the basis of the message. It was also encouraged that believers look forward to the coming of the Lord and hence comfort each other with these words.

The post WAITING FOR THE RAPTURE AND NOT WRATH – Br. Koshy Mathew – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 1 December 2016.

Passage of Reference:Romans 1:8-13

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL – Prayer to go to Rome – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 24 November 2016.

Passage of Reference:Pauls Prayer

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL -Introduction (Part 2) – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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PRAYERS OF PAUL

Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nelson Thomas at Borivali Assembly on 17 November 2016.

Passage of Reference:Pauls Prayer

Our prayer reveals our burden and priorities. It’s natural for anyone to pray seriously and persistently for the matter that is so close his / her heart.

Prayers of Apostle Paul reveal his concern for the saints and his expectations from them. Thus his prayers give us an idea regarding what kind of Christian life we ought to live.

A study through all those issues he prayed about would definitely challenge any born again believer to live a higher spiritual life. We consider the features of his prayers as well as the contents.

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Next Sermon:PRAYERS OF PAUL- Introduction – Part 2

The post PRAYERS OF PAUL- Introduction (Part 1) – Br. Nelson Thomas – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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Complete Submission

Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Deepak Jariwala at Borivali Assembly on 18 December 2016

Passage of Reference:2 Samuel 12:16, 7:18, 1 Chronicles 28:2

For evident reasons, King David was called a “man after God’s own heart”, despite occasionally he did “things that displeased the Lord”. In the scriptures, he is found in different postures such as

1. Lying down (2 Samuel 12:16) – depicting a true repentance

2. Sitting before the Lord (2 Samuel 7:18) – depicting communion

3. Standing (1 Chronicles 28:2) – depicting his service

Expounding from the above passages, Br. Deepak draws out several edifying and exhorting lessons encouraging believers into a life of complete submission.

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The post COMPLETE SUBMISSION – Br. Deepak Jariwala – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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JESUS PAYS TEMPLE TAX

Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Nitish Patel at Borivali Assembly

Passage of Reference:Matthew 17: 24-27

Br Nitish conducts an expository study on the only miracle which Lord performed for Himself. Through this simple incident in the life of Lord Jesus, many precious lessons on Godhead, namely His Omnipotence, Omniscence & Omnipresence is learned.

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The post JESUS PAYS TEMPLE TAX-: Br. Nitish Patel appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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LESSONS FROM THE ROOSTER

Posted here is the sermon delivered by Br. Johnny Baker at Borivali Assembly on 18 January, 2015

Passage of Reference: Mark 14:26-31, Luke 22:54-60, Mark 13:34-37

Bible uses many animals & birds to teach various lessons by means of their inherent character. When it came to restoring Peter, Lord chose the crowing of the rooster to remind Peter of several lessons. Br. Johnny baker underlines the lessons, believers can learn from the rooster.

1. Posture Of the Rooster

2. Prattle of the Rooster

3. Power of the Rooster

4. Position of the Rooster.

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The post LESSONS FROM THE ROOSTER- Br. Johnny Baker – [Audio sermon] appeared first on Borivali Assembly.

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TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS Jiwan Rai from Gangtok testifies how his life turned for good, from darkness to a true & living relationship with Jesus. The testimony includes a report on the present work at Gangtok.

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GOD IS LOVE!

A rich, young ruler once came to Jesus, asking the most desperate question troubling him, “What must I do o gain eternal life?”. The interaction & discourse that followed between Christ & the ruler can be summed up in 3 words- GOD IS LOVE. Undoubtedly, God’s love for you is the central message from cover to cover of the Bible. It’s vast, unmeasured & boundless love for sinful man.

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