Personal Evangelism in Biblical Perspective:
iShare—Encounters with Jesus in John's Gospel –
The Encounter with Assassins

John 5:18-47

By Dr. Harry Reeder III

We will cover John 5:18-47 but I'm just going to start out by reading John 5:18 which says [18] This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

The grass withers, the flower fades, the Word of our God abides forever and by His grace and mercy may this His Word be preached for you.

We are in a focus here on personal evangelism for this entire year and here is what we've noted. We have noted that our nation and our culture is in great need of a great awakening. A great awakening comes through a revived church and a revived church has certain marks on it. It loves God centered worship, protracted prayer, preaching that is uncompromising, humble yet bold and that is focused upon Christ. It is Christ centered, Spirit filled and it's a church and ministry that God is using but one of the marks is that the people will share Christ with others because people can't come to Christ without hearing the Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ. So we have chosen by looking to the Lord in prayer that He would do a work in us. Not only would we gather for God centered worship but we would scatter sharing Christ wherever we go.

Our theme has been I Thessalonians 2:8 where Paul says [8] So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. So we have looked at iShare what, iShare how, iShare when, iShare why, iShare where and then I asked you to go with me not on an in-depth study of John but looking at the encounters of Jesus. The book of John is very interesting because two thirds of it is focused on the last week of Jesus' public ministry. The opening couple of chapters of John focuses on the first week of Jesus' public ministry but in-between are encounter after encounter after encounter and we're just learning from Jesus what He shares, how He shares and who He shares with.

We first looked at the wedding feast at Cana and how Jesus shared there. Then we went to the cleansing of the Temple and saw the number of people who would come to Jesus after the cleansing of the Temple claiming to believe in Jesus but actually they were just looking to Him as a miracle worker. So how did He deal with people who were coming to Him with counterfeit faith, not saving faith? Then we looked how He dealt with Nicodemus, a man who was rich and powerful and how He told him that he couldn't enter the Kingdom unless he was born again. Then we took a look at how He dealt with the woman at the well as He left Jerusalem on His way back to Galilee. How did He deal with her as He called her to drink of the living water that wells up life within you? He brought her to not only confessing her sins but she started sharing with others and bringing others to Christ.

Now in this study we come to the encounter that Jesus has with assassins. They want to kill Him. You might be thinking, "Why did he use the word assassins?" It is because Jesus is a King. They want to assassinate the King of Glory. So how will He deal with these who all the more want to kill Him? There is a key phrase in the opening verse that I read. It says in John 5:18a [18] This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him... Why were they seeking all the more to kill Him? Before I answer that I have been in the ministry now for more than 40 years and that's a long time. Do you know how many illustrations I started out with that are no good anymore?

For instance, I used to preach sermons on living the Christian life at 45 not 33 1/3 and you probably don't even know what I'm talking about. You probably don't know what 33 1/3 is much less 78. This is a very interesting text. Have you ever wondered why people don't come to Jesus? You might be thinking "I heard it when you said they can't come to Jesus because they are dead in their sins. You must be born again to see or enter." Yes, but did you know and I don't care if you're a man or woman, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, young or old, insider or outsider, when you're dead in your sins there is always one symptom that everyone manifests. When you're dead in your sins the one thing that is always manifested is when we hear the Good News of the Gospel. If you are a Christian today that thing that you have been delivered from that used to keep you from coming to Christ because of being dead in your sins and this symptom always reared itself, even after you're a Christian it keeps wanting to come back every day in your life. This text tells us what it is.

I thought the best way to take a look at this was to use an illustration and my best illustration most of you here will not know what I'm talking about. It's terrible when you have to illustrate your illustrations. How many of you have ever heard of Perry Mason? Some of you have probably been watching the station TVLand, haven't you? That was the one program when I was growing up that my family always sat down and watched. Here is the synopsis of the show. There is Perry Mason who is intelligent, calm, cool, and a defense attorney who never loses a case. Then there was the despicable Hamilton Burger, the prosecuting attorney. He was a smartelic, always thinking he had won every case and he couldn't wait to take Perry down. Hamilton was always assisted by Lt. Arthur Tragg who could find out anything to falsely convict someone but Perry had Della Street who was the greatest secretary who had ever lived, almost. Then Perry had Paul Drake, the most intelligent and handsome private eye who has ever existed.

This is the way the show always went. There was not a case he could not win. Perry always got a case that everyone knew there was no way this person would be acquitted. You would go through the whole program and at the end in the courtroom all of a sudden not only would his client be acquitted but the real culprit would be sitting in the courtroom. The camera would shift and show us the 78 year old woman who was a serial killer nanny who would raise her hand saying "I confess." There was never a need for another trial because they would confess right then. It happened that way almost every single program. That's what is going to happen in this text today.

I'm going to walk through this with you. Here is the reason why the Jews were all the more reason going to kill Jesus. When Jesus left Jerusalem after cleansing the Temple and dealing with the counterfeit believers He went through Samaria. There He led the woman at the well from death unto life, from the wells of idolatry to the wells of living water from which living waters will flow from us. When she was converted she went sharing the Good News with others. Then we are told that Jesus left Samaria and ended up back in Cana where He did His first miracle turning the water into wine.

He does a second miracle in Cana to probably a Gentile, an official of Herod Agrippa. He heals his son. Then after some time Jesus goes back to Jerusalem for another feast, very likely it was the feast of Pentecost but the Bible doesn't tell us which feast. When He is back in Jerusalem He goes by the pool of Bethesda. A superstition had arisen that if you could get to the waters when they are rippling you could get healed. There was a man who had been from birth an invalid and every time people would say 'get to the water' he couldn't get there. This man had been an invalid for 38 years and Jesus sees him. Jesus tells him "Take up your bed and walk." He takes up his bed and starts to walk, no therapy, no limping not like these faith healers of the day. He didn't need any rehab and he's walking after 38 years. Can you imagine that? The leaders see him and say to him "Praise the Lord your healed!" No they don't say that but they say "What are you doing walking on the Sabbath with your bedroll?" He said "This man healed me and told me to take up my bed and walk." "Who was he?" "I don't know." A little bit later this man sees Jesus again and Jesus says basically says to him "How are you doing? Have you told the right people that you're healed? Have you done what you're supposed to do?" He said "Yes."

He finds out it is Jesus and goes back and tells them it was Him who healed him. So now they turn their anger from demand to Jesus because He had broken Sabbath. He really didn't break the Sabbath and besides He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Let me tell you what He broke. The Jews of that day, the Rabbis had developed 39 traditions as to how to keep the Sabbath. Guess what the 39th one was? It was that you couldn't carry your possessions anywhere on the Sabbath. So Jesus was violating the 39th tradition of what the Rabbis said you had to do to keep the fourth commandment which in fact was their tradition, not the fourth commandment. So they had said to Jesus that He was causing this man to break the fourth commandment.

I want to show you something here in John 5 a few verses back. John 5:15-17 says

[15] The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. [16] And this was why the Jews were persecuting (not killing Him) Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. [17] But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." The word used here for answer is not the normal Greek word that is used when just answering a question. Jesus is always answering. This is a different word, a unique word, it's a legal word that you would use in a courtroom. Jesus is giving a brief, a legal answer because they are bringing charges against Him. Basically He is in court here and they are bringing accusations against Him. They say to Him "You're breaking the Sabbath" so Jesus says "I am not breaking the Sabbath for I am doing the work of My Father. My Father and I are working."

Now it changes for they go from persecuting to wanting to kill Him. Why? It is because they think He has committed a capital offense for they say He has just claimed to be God, equal with God and the Son of God. So that leads us to the next verse. John 5:18 says [18] This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So they said that they have two charges against Him now for not only has He broken Sabbath by healing someone and telling a man to take up his bed and walk, but You have now claimed to be God. You have claimed equality with God by declaring Yourself the Son of God and by doing the works of Your Father. They understood exactly what Jesus was saying. So Jesus' answer continues. John 5:19-24 says

[19] So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. [21] For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. [22] The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, [23] that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. [24] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

So Jesus' legal brief now continues. Not only does He reaffirm that He is the Son of God and has come as the Son of Man to do the work of the Father but He gives us great insights. I do wish I could expound more on this but I'll just give you a couple of things.

Here the doctrine of the Trinity – one God in three Persons – is blossoming forward. Here the unity of the Godhead is seen – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When you are seeing the Son you're seeing the Father and the Father has sent the Son and the Son sends the Holy Spirit. So there is the equality of the Trinity but not only this but the economy of the Trinity. Notice They are One God on one purpose to accomplish the will of the Father yet this one purpose by One God in three Persons is delivered through the offices of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father sends the Son. The Son does His work and the Son will send the Holy Spirit. So there is this relationship of office and what is to be done.

For instance at creation God the Father authored all of creation. How? Through Jesus everything was created whether visible or invisible and the Holy Spirit hovered upon the creation to order it. In redemption, the Father authored your salvation. The Son accomplished your salvation. The Holy Spirit applied your salvation. God the Father is sending grace. God the Son is the saving grace. God the Holy Spirit is securing grace, but Jesus now says "Here is what the Father has now sent Me to do. He has sent Me to bring life to the dead. My Father is working through Me and here is Our work." His one answer has two statements to it which are one "We are raising the dead – when they hear My voice the dead will be raised" and two "He has appointed Me the Son of Man, Son of God, having become Man. By a Man comes death, by a Man comes the resurrection of the dead and the Man who brought the resurrection of the dead, being the Son of God come in the flesh, will be the Judge. The Father judges no one for He has put all judgment into My hands. I am the Judge."

By the way, do you see the irony of this? They are accusing Jesus. The accused in reality is the Judge of the accusers. They will all appear before Him. Here He is in this courtroom giving His legal brief when in reality He is the Judge of all. As He gives this legal brief He says "Here is the work We've come to do, to bring the dead unto life." He is speaking of those who are spiritually dead and they hear the voice of Jesus come to their heart they are brought from death unto life. God may have led you to this looking for something and I want to tell you it's not some thing but it's Someone who gives you everything, Jesus Christ. He went to the cross and died for your sins that you may share His glory, the glory from the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. For those of you who know Christ, there was a time when you were dead. God the Father sent His Son, God the Son spoke and sent the Spirit and the Spirit of God brought you from death unto life.

The dead have risen. See, they now have gathered to praise His holy Name. We were blind and now we see. We were dead and now we live. We were deaf and now we hear. Not only that His voice will shout again and the bodies will be raised to an incorruptible body. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. The dead shall rise in Christ, spiritually and then one day transformationally physically as well. So Jesus has said "I have come to do this work, to bring the dead unto life and We are working even until now. That is what We are accomplishing and the Father has sent Me. I have been appointed the Judge." He doesn't finish there. Let's go on to see what else He says.

John 5:25 says [25] "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. The hour is now when people are coming from death unto life. The hour is coming when the grave shall be empty. The hour is now and is coming when the dead shall be brought to life spiritually and then transformationally physically. By the voice of the Son of God those who hear will live. John 5:26-29 says [26] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. [27] And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. [28] Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

He is saying not only is the hour now and coming when the spiritually dead shall live but the hour is coming when those in the tombs shall come forth as well. When they come forth they will either walk into the glory of the new heavens and the new earth or they will walk into condemnation in the lake of fire. It is one of those two destinations but as He is giving them this message He is also telling them that the Father who sent Him to bring life those who have done good will be rewarded. He is not saying you work your way to heaven. He is saying those who are on their way to heaven, at the Judgment, it will be proven that they had a changed life. Their good deeds are not the reason for heaven but it is the evidence of their salvation. Just as there is evidence of condemnation, there will be an evidence of a saving work in their life. There is no such thing as a saved person doesn't get changed, even the last minute conversion like the thief on the cross who went from a blasphemer to a praiser. He went from a rejecter to a witness. There will always be that evidence that is there.

Here is something you can't miss. Don't miss this. The Father has given to the Son life for the dead. Those who hear His voice shall live. Those who reject His voice shall fall under condemnation. Life is only found in Christ. God sent His only Son and His Son is the only Way to Truth and Life. There is not another way.

I was talking to someone who said to me "You know pastor, I think all religions lead to God." I said "You're absolutely right but that's not the question. The question is what will He say when you get there." To those who are in Christ and to only those who are in Christ He says "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the rest that I have prepared for you." Life is only in His Son. That's why I plead with you to come to Him if you haven't for there is no other son, no other savior. That's why I plead with you to share it with your friends because He is their only Hope. It has been entrusted to us.

He is still in the courtroom and now look what He says. John 5:30-31says [30] "I can do nothing on my own. (In other words, there is absolute unity between the Son and the Father) As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (There is this diversity of activity but unity of the Father and the Son) [31] If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. This is a great translation of this verse because that's exactly what it means. If I alone bear witness it is not deemed true in a court of law. The Bible says that every fact has to be confirmed by two or more witnesses. So Jesus has just bore witness. I am the Son of God, Son of Man who has come to give life and I am the Judge of all humanity. What an astounding claim!

Are there any corroborating witnesses? Now Jesus, the Accused, lines up the witnesses. Here is witness number one. John 5:32 says [32] There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. Who is the 'another' witness? Most commentators say you have three possibilities. Notice the word he so it's a person He is talking about. So who could it be? It could be the Father whom He'll refer to later. It could be John the Baptist who He'll refer to later or it could be referring to both John the Baptist and the Father but I would suggest to you another alternative. I believe that the 'another' is referring to the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 14:16 [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever. I believe this is Jesus anticipating Romans 8:16 which says [16] The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. I believe He is speaking of the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon Him in His baptism. The Father said "This is My Son in whom I am well pleased" and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Him and went with Him into the wilderness. The Holy Spirit accompanied Him throughout His life and ministry. The Holy Spirit brought Him forth from the grave. The Holy Spirit has borne witness and has been poured out in our lives that we might have eyes to see and ears to hear. So the first witness is the Holy Spirit.

The second witness is in the next verse. It is John the Baptist. John 5:33-35 says [33] You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. [34] Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. [35] He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. He says I don't need the testimony of man but We gave you John the Baptist. As one preacher said at this time John the Baptist is the Rock Star Preacher. He is the guy they are downloading on the MP3s. He is the guy they are inviting to all the conferences. They sent people to John, remember. They went to John and asked "Are you this Messiah, this Teacher, this Prophet?" John the Baptist said to them "Oh I'm a lamp but I'm not the Light! The Light is Christ. There is One coming after Me that is greater." John the Baptist bore witness of Me.

So not only does the Spirit bear witness of Me and John the Baptist but the third witness is in the next verse. John 5:36 says [36] But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. They did not have the same view we have today where miracles are something in our hip pocket. No, miracle always had a purpose, like people who had been invalids for 38 years who get up and walk and carry something with no rehab that's a miracle. God has intervened. The death come to life like a widow's son. Look at not only the ministry works but the signs, wonders and miracles for they bear witness of Me. Nicodemus said "No man can do these miracles unless they have been sent from God." So the miracles bear witness of Me.

There is a fourth witness. John 5:37-38 says [37] And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, [38] and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. He is basically saying you don't believe His witness either but it's the Father who bears witness of Me. How can the Father bear witness of Him? He has no form. You haven't seen Him. You haven't heard Him or His voice but yet He has found a way to bear witness of Me. How did the Father bear witness of Jesus. One way He did this is through the Old Testament. The Old Testament was arranged over hundreds of years by the Father through the Holy Spirit to point to Jesus. The Father bore witness, the Messiah is coming.

The Father also bore witness in the New Testament, three times. The Father speaks from heaven saying "This is My Son, hear Him. This is My Son in whom I am well pleased. This is My Son." But the third way the Father bore witness was through the Son. In Hebrews 1 it tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of the Divine Nature of the Father. Jesus has made visible the glory of the invisible and when Jesus speaks the Father has spoken. So the Father has borne witness in the Old Testament, New Testament and through Christ. There is also another witness.

The fifth witness is in the next verse. John 5:39-40 says [39] You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. The fifth witness is the Scriptures. You need to understand He is talking to the card caring, evangelical, fundamentalist, Bible owning, and study Bible owning people. These are the people who know the Bible. Many of them wrote the notes (footnotes) in the Bible but He tells them that they see the Scriptures and think that in them they have eternal life. They keep bringing you to an end of yourself and they bear witness of Me that you might come to Me. It says in Luke 24:27 [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. He explained Himself in all the Scriptures so that you may have life. The Scriptures point to Jesus. They point to Jesus at every point and facet but yet you will not come to Me. You will come to the Scriptures, the Word of God but not to the God of the Word.

So Jesus has brought before them five witnesses that corroborate His witness – I have been sent from the Father to give life and I will be the Judge. Here are your witnesses but notice they don't believe any of them. They don't believe the Holy Spirit. They don't believe the miracles. They don't believe the Scriptures. Each one ended like 'yet they refused to believed,' 'yet they did not believe,' 'yet you will not come.' Why won't they believe five witnesses sent from God about His Son sent from glory to save us and take us to glory by grace? The answer is in the next part.

John 5:41 says [41] I do not receive glory from people. Didn't we come to receive glory? Yes but you and I worship Jesus and when we worship the Father through the Son and in the Spirit we never add to His glory. We are only bringing back glory that He has given to us. We are only reflecting His glory. We don't add to His glory. He doesn't receive glory. We give Him glory but the glory we give Him, He gave to us to give to Him.

He goes on to say in John 5:42-43 says [42] But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. [43] I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. You will listen to false teachers, false religions, false anything and idols. You'll listen to anything and everything. Why will they not listen to Him and the witnesses and give glory to others who come? Here's why in John 5:44-47 which says [44] How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? [45] Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46] For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. [47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

He says "Here's a witness you will not believe. Here's a witness you refuse to believe. Here's a witness you do not believe." With each one you don't believe, why? He says "you will not believe because you cannot believe." The reason you cannot believe is because you don't want the glory from the Father, which is Jesus. And we beheld His glory, the glory from the Only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. You will not receive glory from Me. You will not see the glory of the Father in Me, why? It is because you want glory from men. So there is our iShare insight.

Our takeaway is very simple. The reason people will not believe is because they cannot believe and the reason they cannot believe is because we are self-absorbed with self-exaltation. That is what consumes us. We will walk into a gathering of worship and we will not discern the worship in terms of the praise of God but we'll discern it in terms of our own predilections. We'll come away from a worship service and think "Did anyone speak to me?" We may think "That guy opened up that business for me to have a job." We'll look at our spouse and/or children and think "You exist for me." We are constantly on the route and on the search for glory from people. We'll even receive false teachers. As one preacher said "here people will come with the parade of self-glory in their name and we'll give them glory and not Christ glory why? It is because we can join that parade and we can make it about ourselves." We'll listen to anything and everything that is all about us. That is the universal symptom of spiritual corruption. We seek glory from men. It is about me and therefore we will not come to the glory of the Father.

Here is Jesus Christ who has left glory, who has laid aside the privileges of His glory to die on a cross that we might come from dust of death to glory in Him, but we will not come because we are on an insatiable journey for glory from men. I want to tell you there are not enough houses, money or awards or anything. I want to give you an illustration here. You have a club and you want a certain famous person to speak there but you can't get them. Do you know why? It is because they are famous which means they are booked up. They don't have time for you but you really want them. Can I give you a secret as to how to get them? The way to get them to speak for you is to give them an award. Give them an honorary degree and watch how quickly their schedule changes.

We are always looking for glory – in the next marriage, a husband, a wife, children, friends, church, or worship. We are constantly wanting to make it about us. You may be thinking "Harry I'm saved." Praise the Lord you have been delivered from it but every day of your life before you get out of bed kill that corruption that keeps wanting to come back. It always wants to come back and put it about me.

Have you noticed that Perry Mason just arrived? Jesus is acquitted. Jesus is not only innocent but He's the Judge. Jesus in His defense has turned the camera around and the camera has fallen on us. Every witness like Moses, one of the authors of Scripture, has become someone who indicts us. We are indicted. The only problem is when the camera turns most of us like Perry Mason always confess but unless the Holy Spirit moves we won't confess. We will keep making it about ourselves.

I have showed you five witnesses from the text but actually there are seven witnesses. The first witness was Jesus. He bore witness. That is a sixth witness. I am the Son of God who has come as the Son of Man to give you life and you if you come to Me will have life and I will raise dead Spiritually and on the last day. Then He says you won't come because you cannot come and you cannot come because in your depravity and corruption you are seeking glory for yourself, but there is a seventh witness. The seventh witness is us. In Luke 24 it says we are witnesses of these things. In Acts 1 Jesus told them to go back to the room because the Holy Spirit would come upon them and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and to the utter most part of the world.

I challenge you to read through the Gospel of John and see how many times he says "and we bear witness of this." You and I are a witnesses but I won't be a witness for Christ as long as I am seeking glory for myself. Those who are witnesses for Christ don't seek glory for themselves but Christ has become their glory. Whether they eat or drink or whatsoever they do they can do to the glory of God because they are not seeking glory from men. Christ has become their glory. I know we're not perfect and I know we all need encouragement in life. I'm not talking about that. That is not what seeking glory is about. We all need someone to say "At a boy" sometimes. I understand that.

This is that everything around me is about me and it's judged in terms of my self- exaltation and I am self-absorbed in my self-exaltation. As believers, when that thing starts to come back on our life, until we kill it we won't be witnesses. We are on a journey of grace to glory in the glory of Christ and the more people see us consumed with Christ, they will listen to our words. Yes, we have not arrived and yes every day before I get out of bed I have to say to myself "Harry, just remember the Psalmist who said 'Not to us O Lord, but to Thine own Name give glory because of Your loving kindness and Your truth." You and I are witnesses of those who have been brought from the shallowness and the despair of seeking time after time glory within ourselves and God has now set us free to be witnesses because He, our Savior, has become our glory.

I want to give you one other thing that this text doesn't talk about. The Indicted One was really the Judge and in the defense He turned it back on us and said "Actually My witnesses indict you because you want glory from men and that's why you won't listen to Me." But I want you to know something about the glorious Day that is coming. When you stand before the Judge, He will also be your Defense Attorney. I don't know how He does it from the bench but He'll come down and say beside you, "My glory by grace has covered their sins through My blood." We are His. He is our glory therefore we can bear witness to the glory and praise of His grace. Let's pray.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the moments we could be together in Your Word. Thank You for the privilege of the unspeakable joy of seeing the root of our issues, our self-absorption and our self- exaltation and now we have come to find One who has come from glory to give us glory by becoming our glory as we die to ourselves and put our trust in Him. Dear friend, if you have come looking for glory today and you hear that it is not for you but it's in Christ, may I invite you to come to Him and simply say "Jesus, You who laid aside glory to die on a cross, You my Redeemer, my Rock, You are my glory. I exalt You." Father, for all of us who have been brought from the emptiness of seeking glory from ourselves help us to grow every day that Christ is our glory which would free us to be witnesses to Him, the Lord of grace and glory. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.