"Experiencing Jesus
3/2/08 AM R. Sams (Jn 18:19-23; Mk 14:53-56)
BIG IDEA: There have
been many people who�ve been close to Jesus, but not changed by Him.
Caiaphus, the high priest, was one.
SCRIPTURES TO VIDEOPROJECT (coded with P
):
OTHER SCRIPTURES:
OTHER ITEMS TO VIDEOPROJECT:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Jn
15:4-5 THEMES/SONGS/STORIES:
GOSPEL/MISSION:
VISION/PRIORITIES:
ASSIGNMENTS/TESTIMONIES: Experiencing God book
PASTOR�S MINI-LESSON/PROMO/BIG QUESTION:
BULLETIN BOTTOM, p. 1
I. Almost as popular as Rick Warren�s PDL series, which sold 40 million
plus, is the Experiencing God series by Henry Blackaby. It hasn�t sold
NEARLY as many copies [HOLD UP] but it is considered a bestseller by Christian
and secular standards.
A. The goal is to help you experience or know,
not just know about, God.
B. Easter is a great time to experience
Jesus.
C. I�ve told you this year I decided to take a break from
reading through the Bible in one year that I�ve probably done 20+
times/years. One reason is we need to change up our reading plan so
familiarity doesn�t breed laxness of any kind. I also suggest reading from
different translations (Message, NLT, Amplified, NKJV, etc). Journalling
what you read is great. Discussing what you read in a Prov 27:17 mode is
also powerful.
II. One of the ways we�ll experience Jesus is to
experience Him through the way various people He met when He walked this earth;
their stories recorded in the NT.
A. The first is Annas, the high
priest emeritus, serving 17 years there. If ever some deserved Elton
Trueblood�s definition of emeritus, Annas did. "Emme means "he�s
out, "meritus means "he deserved it (Jn 18:19-23).
1. The 70 year old Annas, also the father in law of the current high
priest, is grilling Jesus about His disciples and His teachings. Our words
and our followers reveal a lot about us.
2. Jesus said some powerful
things in (vs. 20-21) He basically says "the proof is in the
pudding. I poured myself into these men. Why don�t you ask
them. They reveal me.
3. We do too. The best case for
Christ is a Christian, fully committed. Unfortunately, the best case
against Christ is also a Christian, uncommitted. Gandhi said that, who
admired Christ, but wasn�t too wild about His followers.
B. The second
thing Jesus is doing here is contrasting himself from all the mystery religions
and cults of the day that operated so much in secret. They�d only fill you
in after a long initiation full of secret rituals and training; some
depraved. They epitomized exclusivity. Ironically, who gets accused
of being exclusive today? We do, because we say Jesus is the only
way. But He openly invited EVERYONE! He taught openly. He said
"Whosoever will may come (Jn 3:16 GOSPEL).
C. Annas he was like
the old organized crime godfather, pulling all the strings behind the
scenes. Primarily he ran all the money changing operations and the
sacrifice store where the only acceptable animals were sold.
1. GIVE
BARCLAYS COSTS HERE, John, p. 109+. The ave cost to a poor pilgrim
was a days wage just to change his money so he could pay his temple tax to
celebrate Passover there, a high privilege and requirement if you lived w/in 15
mi of Jerusalem. You also had to offer an acceptable sacrifice only
purchased from the sacrifice store, along with the coin store, run by the high
priest and his family. The mark up on sacrifices from the sacrifice store
was 18x what it would cost you for the same animal outside the
store.
2. The entire system was corrupt and they were doing rip off in
the name of religion. Jesus responded to that by throwing the money
changers out of the temple. Annas had a contract out on Jesus ever since
that day, culminating in the crucifixion. This attack on the defenseless
Jesus here was a part of his vengeance.
3. People are still ripping
others off in the name of religion, lining their pockets with promises to their
audiences/followers, that if they give to God, by giving to THEM, then God will
bring financial prosperity back to them. This still angers Jesus.
It�s a distortion of (Luke 6:38). I actually wrote one of those TV
evangelists back and told them if that were true, then he should give to me and
he would get more in return. I�m still waiting on my check.
III.
(Jn 18:24) Caiaphus was the sitting high priest of the Jewish people in the year
Jesus was crucified. He�s a weak puppet on the strings being pulled by his
father in law. He ran a model kangaroo court (Mk 14:53-56). There
were so many illegalities about Jesus trial.
A. First, the
arrest for a capital crime must be done in daylight. Jesus was done
under the cloak of darkness.
B. Second, for a capital offense like
blasphemy the court couldn�t go on the testimony of the accuser�s disciple,
Judas. For if the accused was a criminal, then so was the disciple.
Law ignored.
C. Third, the trial MUST be held in broad daylight.
But what time is it here? Further they must be done before at least three
judges. Often they were taken before the whole Sanhedrin, the Jewish
Supreme Court of 70. Two of his three trials were held before ONE
person.
D. Fourth, members of the Jewish court are supposed to sleep on
it for two days and nights minimum. Here they render an immediate verdict.
It�s all a mockery of justice.
E. Finally, they must vote their
verdict one at a time starting with the younger members so they wouldn�t be
swayed by the elders. Here the vote is all together.
IV. As we
look at Jesus we see many different kinds of people relate and interact with Him
in all kinds of ways. One of the saddest is those who are close to Him,
real close geographically. They�re eye to eye with Him, but they aren�t
changed by Him. The high priests are classic examples.
A. There
are countless more examples as we look around and maybe as we look in.
You�ve been geographically close to Jesus all your life.
You were raised in
a Christian home, or you�ve been in church for years. Many of your friends
are Christian. But the bottom line is, Christ doesn�t really bring much of
a difference into your life. You�re close, but unchanged.
B. Can
I tell you something because I love you? That�s not Jesus
fault. You�ve got to let Him in. You can�t just admire Him like
Gandhi or King Herod, but not let Him change those parts of your life you�d
rather He stay out of. What He paid on the cross for our sin because of
His great love for us is supposed to move and motivate us to love Him and change
our ways, but we are largely unmoved.
1. There�s been some use of
thermometers in our house to measure fever. If we had to gauge the
intensity of our love with a thermometer, a doctor would be in danger of
declaring us dead.
2. Just hanging out around Jesus or Christians
doesn�t make you a disciple. A mouse in the cookie doesn�t become a
cookie.C TenBoon.
You�ve got to let Him change you. You�ve got to fall
in love with Him.
V. How the high priesthood changed, but not for the
better, over the centuries. It all started with Aaron, Moses
brother, who had some issues, but he was the first. There were good and
bad high priests. One of the good ones was Jaddua who served near the year
300 BC.
A. Alexander the Great was in power and making his way toward
India in his bent for world conquest. He approached the Holy City of
Jerusalem ready to turn it into rubble the way he had and would do to many
cities across Asia. As he approached Jerusalem he saw a large contingent
of priests adorned in blazing white robes, standing tall and erect and
defenseless except for their white attire and the full regalia of the high
priest, including the high priests headdress made of gold bearing the name of
Jehovah God.
1. Alexander approached warily. Out of a sheath,
Jaddua drew, not a sword, but the sword of the Lord called the Word of
God. The scroll of Daniel was shown to Alexander where it describes how a
Greek conqueror would defeat the Persians leading to his kingdom being
established over the whole world.
2. Alexander treated the contingent
of priests and the Holy City with respect and left.
3. Alexander the
Great (356-323 BC) spared the Holy City because of the boldness and holiness of
the High Priest, Jaddua and his commitment to the truth of the Word of
God. Alexander was changed temporarily by being around the holiness of
these men and God�s Word, but not permanently, later drinking himself to death
in sorrow for the fact he had run out of worlds to conquer.
B. The High
Priest was holy and bold that day, but many of his successors turned corrupt
instead of staying courageous. They turned to sin instead of separating
themselves for God. Annas and Caiaphus being examples.
C.
Hearing the Word of God without heeding it is dangerous. Being close to
the Christ without letting Him change you is deadly.
D. Fall in love
with Him. Don�t get close to Him without asking Him and letting Him change
you. Closing song(s).