Appleton Gospel Church

Prayer: Communion with God: On the night before the cross, who did Jesus pray for? Jesus prayed for his disciples and those who would believe in him through their message. In other words, if you are a Christian, Jesus prayed for you! What did he pray for? Jesus prayed that we would experience true joy in a relationship with God and real unity with one another. Recorded on Mar 17, 2024, on John 17 by Ted Selker.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Joy in a World of Trouble: "In this world you will have trouble," said Jesus. How will any of us survive the troubles of this world? Jesus taught about endurance, but at the end of the Last Supper, he called his disciples to go far higher than mere survival. There will be times of grief, but there is unshakable joy for those who are found in him. Recorded on Mar 10, 2024, on John 16:16-33 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Today, we’ll be working on John chapter 16, considering how we might have joy in a world of trouble. And this world is full of trouble, isn’t it? Every category in life is subject to trouble. There’s trouble with our health/relationships. There’s trouble with our money/work/politics. It’s not long before we have a world of trouble if we’re even a little public with our faith in Jesus. “When you're weary; Feeling small; When tears are in your eyes; I will dry them all.” (Simon and Garfunkel know what we’re talking about). Well, for the last six weeks or so, we’ve been studying the events and teachings of Jesus on that night of nights, the night before the cross of Christ. At this Last Supper, Jesus taught many things to help his disciples endure not only the trauma of the cross but to help them remain faithful and fruitful for the rest of their lives. Our passage today brings this long section to a close before, as we’ll see next week, Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17. But one of the themes of this long section is that of endurance/perseverance in the face of difficulties, hardships, and persecution. How will the disciples will be ok? How will they survive the pain and suffering of this broken world with Jesus returning to the Father? How will any of us survive the troubles of this world? Doesn’t it sometimes feel as if this world will shatter to pieces? Doesn’t it sometimes feel that we’re powerless in the face of such pressing darkness? Jesus has been teaching about endurance, but here, at the end of his discourse, Jesus lifts us up far higher than mere survival to the joy that is possible in him. Followers of Jesus don’t have to simply endure. We can have real joy — the joy of Jesus himself, the very joy of heaven. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 16:16. We’ll unpack this as we go.

John 16:16–22 (NIV), “16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” 19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief,

The Spirit of Truth: The way of Jesus is the best way to live. But the uncomfortable truth is that life doesn’t automatically get easier when you become a Christian. How can this be? And how might we endure when mild difficulties become outright (or even violent) persecution? We need the Spirit of truth. Recorded on Mar 3, 2024, on John 15:18-16:15 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Today, as we finish John 15 and work into chapter 16, we’ll consider the uncomfortable truth that life doesn’t automatically get easier when you become a Christian. I’m sure you’ve seen examples of this on social media or in the news, but have you ever experienced this? Have you ever lost a friendship or family relationship because you were a Christian? I have. I know the pain and confusion this can bring. Or have you ever had someone call you out for your beliefs as a Christian in school, at work, or somewhere else? It can be so hard to know what to say in those moments. Thankfully, we don’t often experience violent persecution in our country today. Of course, that’s not true for Christians everywhere in the world. There are places where you would be killed for your faith in Jesus. We do believe that following Jesus is the best way to live. He is the way, the truth, and the life. So why is it that life doesn’t automatically get easier when we follow his way? In fact, sometimes, it gets way more difficult. Does Jesus have anything to say about this? He does. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 15:18.

John 15:18–25 (NIV), “18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’” Ok, let’s pause here. So the minutes are ticking away and before long Jesus would be falsely arrested, tried, condemned, and crucified. So, in the shadow of the violence and humiliation of the cross, Jesus says to his disciples, essentially, “If they do this to me, don’t be surprised if they do this to you.” He says, “A servant is not greater than his master.” repeating what he said to them back in chapter 13. This is a consistent theme in John’s gospel. Back in chapter 7, Jesus said that the world “hates me because I testify that its works are evil.” (Jn 7:7). Later, as we’ll see in chapter 17, Jesus will pray for his disciples, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world,” and then prays that God would protect them from the devil and that he would sanctify them by the word of God. But here,

Jesus, the Vine: Jesus told his disciples, "I am the vine; you are the branches." This was the perfect analogy for the Christian life. Staying connected to Jesus means staying connected to the very life and love of God. This life consists of joyful obedience, fruitful work, and friendship with Jesus. What could be better than that? Recorded on Feb 25, 2024, on John 15:1-17 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Today, as we start John chapter 15, we’ll consider the seventh and final “I AM” statement of Jesus in John’s gospel. Jesus says, “I am the true vine.” This teaching has huge implications for the Christian life. Maybe there’s someone here who is wondering what it would mean for them to become a Christian. What would that be like? What would have to change? Or maybe there’s someone who’s been a Christian for some time and is wondering, is this it? Should I be doing something more? Well, if you want to know what it looks like to do life with Jesus — if you want to know how it would transform you, or what would be required of you, then you need to understand what it means that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 15:1. We’ll read through this and unpack it as we go.

John 15:1–4 (NIV), “1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” Ok, let’s pause here. So, again, this is the night before the cross of Christ. And Jesus is telling the Twelve, minus Judas, some very important things to help them not only get through the next few traumatic days, but to equip them for the whole of the Christian life. And there are few other passages as important for us today in understanding what life looks like with Jesus. Now, Jesus is a brilliant teacher. And he uses the analogy of the vine and the branches to teach us something about himself, about us, and about the work that God is doing in our lives when we are connected to him. As I said, this is the seventh “I AM” statement of Jesus in John’s gospel. There are seven signs and seven statements that point to Jesus being God. “I AM” refers to the divine name of God in the OT. But also, these “I AM” statements reveal something about Jesus’ mission/purpose. Here, he says, “I am the true vine,” which means that he is the source of life for the branches. If there’s a branch that fails to produce fruit, it’s cut off. But every branch that does bear fruit is pruned by God the Father so that it will be even more fruitful. Jesus says, “Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” What does all this mean? And what kind of fruit is Jesus talking about? Let’s keep going and see if it becomes more clear. (v. 5)

John 15:5-8 (NIV), “5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up,

The Gift of the Spirit: On the night before the cross, Jesus knew he was leaving his disciples, but he promised not to leave them alone. He would send another advocate or counselor, the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit would come alongside the disciples and call them forward in the way of Jesus. Even today, believers have been given the Spirit of the living God — what an incredible gift! Recorded on Feb 18, 2024, on John 14:15-31 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

This year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Today, in John chapter 14, we’ll consider the gift of the Holy Spirit. When I was in first grade, I had the worst day of my short life up until that point. I got in trouble in school for something I didn’t do. I had to sit up next to the teacher, and Mrs. Meusson was very disappointed in me. What injustice. A few other inconveniences happened, and when I was telling my mom about my terrible day after school, I slammed the car door in frustration. But the door hit my other hand so hard that the nail turned black and fell off. I see now that that one was on me. But I felt so bad about my day because it felt like the whole world was conspiring against my six-year-old self, and I didn’t have anyone to be my advocate, someone to prove to Mrs. Meusson that I wasn’t to blame, someone to help me. Of course, the older I got, the higher the stakes became. If you have a bad day at six, it’s a pretty quick recovery time. Everything wrong could be fixed by a snack. If you have a bad day at sixteen, it’s definitely going to be worse. A bad day for me today, in my forties, could require a whole vacation to recover. Sometimes, I feel I may never recover. (Is that too dramatic?) Well, in our passage today, Jesus promised to send a helper, an advocate, so that we would not have to stumble through this broken world alone—someone who would be with us and help us find his peace, even through the bad days. This same advocate, the Holy Spirit, is available to us today, and he makes all the difference. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 14:15. We’ll read through this and unpack it as we go.

John 14:15–21 (NIV), “15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Ok, let’s pause here. For John, vertical love is always linked to horizontal love; love for God is always linked to our love for one another. Of course, he didn’t make this up. He got this idea from Jesus himself. Here, Jesus is saying if you love me, then you will keep my commands. And what is the new command that Jesus had just given them at this very meal? Back in chapter 13 we saw that it was to love one another just as he had loved them.

The Only Way: Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." But how can Jesus be the only way? Many people wrestle with the exclusivity of Christianity. This claim rests on the totally unique identity and work of Jesus — there is no one is like him. But once you see that the Christian faith is a real relationship with a real person, how could it be any other way? Recorded on Feb 11, 2024, on John 14:1-14 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

Well, all year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Today, we’ll be working on John chapter 14 if you’d like to start heading there in your Bibles/apps, and we’ll consider the exclusivity of the Christian faith. In his sixth of seven “I AM” statements, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But how can this be, and does this still work? In 2024? To claim that there is only one way to God? Because, we live in a pluralistic society with many different people claiming many different ways as the right way. I know a number of people who would look at this exclusive claim of Jesus as being narrow-minded at best and hateful at worst. There’s a modern phrase that captures this desire to be fully inclusive: “You do you.” This phrase means that any way you want to follow is good if it’s good for you as defined by you. And on the surface level, this sounds like wisdom. But is it true? Does it work? It doesn’t seem to work at all. In many ways, we’re more liberated from traditional rules/norms today than ever before. And this has led to some good things. But do we now have peace, individually or as a society? Not at all. We seem to have only ever-increasing anxiety, division, and conflict. And this is all very discouraging and depressing. The so-called progress of our progressive culture seems to be doing more harm than good. Now, I’m not saying we need to bring back all the traditional rules/norms. But there must be a better way. Well, according to the Bible, there is a way that God has made that is openly offered to all, no matter your background, ethnicity, morality, or class. Young and old, rich and poor, all are invited. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 14:1. We’ll read through this and unpack it as we go.

John 14:1–5 (NIV), “1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Ok, let’s pause here. If you’ve been with us for the last few weeks, you’ll know that this teaching of Jesus is happening on the night before the cross of Christ. This is the Last Supper, which began with Jesus washing his disciples’ feet to demonstrate humble service. Then Judas left to betray Jesus, while Jesus gave the remaining eleven the new command to love one another just as he had loved them. But at the end of chapter 13, Jesus started talking about his departure, saying, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now,

The Love of Christ: On the night before the cross, Jesus gave his disciples a new command that would change everything: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Despite all the things that threaten to divide us, the cross-shaped, costly love of Jesus was to be the defining marker of his church. Recorded on Feb 4, 2024, on John 13:18-38 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

So, all year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. It wasn’t long ago that I was really having a hard time in my life. And I wasn’t handling it very well. And no one could see it more clearly than my wife, Holly. Now, Holly and I were married when we were pretty young. So we’ve had to do a lot of growing up together, and it hasn’t always been pretty. In fact, it never is. Immaturity is always painful. But when I was deep down in this dark valley and feeling pretty bad for myself, she could’ve responded to me with judgment and condemnation (or at least a cold shoulder). But instead, she told me, “It’s ok. I’m not going anywhere. And we’ll figure this out.” It was her grace; it was her love for me in that moment that made me want to run up out of the valley. Now, not everyone is called to be married, and I know that not everyone who gets married stays married for various reasons. But this kind of love is what every single one of us was created to enjoy with God and within the church. Today, we’re finishing John chapter 13, considering the love of Christ and his calling for us, his people, to love one another just as he has loved us. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 13:18. We’ll read through this and unpack it as we go.

John 13:18–21 (NIV), “18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” Ok, let’s pause here. So, last week, we started a long section in John’s gospel focusing on the events and teachings of the night before the cross of Christ. This includes the story last week of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, demonstrating the humble service that Jesus called his disciples to do for one another. But this night also includes the Last Supper, one of the longest sections of the teaching of Jesus known as the Upper Room Discourse, and the sad story here of the betrayal of Jesus by one of his friends and followers. But Jesus knows this will happen. He isn’t surprised by this betrayal, but it still hurts. John says that he was troubled in spirit. If you knew one of your friends, someone you spent years of your life with, would sell you to your enemies, how would you feel? But Jesus says that this tragic choice was all part of the plan. He says this was to fulfill a verse from Psalm 41. This was a psalm of the ancient King David. And one where some sort of illness had threatened David’s life while his enemies prowled around him, celebrating his impending death. Even one of David’s close friends,

Jesus, the Servant: The night before the cross, when he washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus modeled the type of humble service he called his followers to do. As the Son of God, Jesus was the greatest — but he wasn't afraid to become the least to meet our greatest spiritual need. Ever since, humility has been one of the highest virtues for the followers of Jesus. Recorded on Jan 28, 2024, on John 13:1-17 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. Today, in John chapter 13, we’re considering the humility of Jesus. And this aspect of Jesus’s character (maybe more than anything) is so compelling to modern people. We love it when someone who’s rich or powerful or famous is humble. One of my favorite bands is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Maybe 6-7 years ago, I was able to see them play, and the way Tom Petty thanked us for coming out and told us what an honor it was to be able to entertain us, even for just a few hours, demonstrated a level of humility that was so impressive. Now, I don’t know if he was that humble or if it was just part of the act, but it really made an impression on me. Humility is a powerful thing. But to be honest, humility is also a tricky thing to work on. Because as soon as you think about it, as soon as you notice it, it disappears. You might do something or say something and then think, “Wow, that was really humble of me to respond in that way or to do that thing for that person, and I don’t even like them!” but then, poof! The humility’s gone; it disappeared! Pride is still pride, even (or maybe especially) if it’s generated by your own humility. But this is a broken world, and we are sinful people, so pride/ego/self-centeredness, these things are the default mode of the human heart. I’ve noticed that it’s become popular on social media to talk about narcissists. But narcissism is nothing new. It’s just selfish pride. And it doesn’t take too much observation to see some narcissistic tendencies in our own lives. Am I the only one who looks at myself first in a group photo to see if the group photo is good? Or maybe I’m the only one who struggles with this? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 13:1. We’ll unpack this as we go.

John 13:1–5 (NIV), “1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” Let’s pause here briefly. So, everything in John’s gospel has built up to this point. John has been alluding to the hour of Jesus since chapter two, but even before that, Jesus was described by John the Baptist as the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And now, that time had finally come. For the past several weeks, we’ve been working through the events of the week leadi...

The Difficulty of Faith: At the end of his public ministry, people were still divided over who Jesus was. Some believed in him, while others did not. Even some of the people who saw Jesus do things that only God could do struggled to believe. How could this be? Because faith is a battle. But Jesus didn't punish or shame people who struggled with their faith. He continued to invite them into the life, light, and love of a relationship with him. Recorded on Jan 21, 2024, on John 12:37-50 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

Well, today, we’re continuing to work through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. We’ll be finishing John chapter 12, considering the end of the public ministry of Jesus and the difficulty of faith. If you’re new to the Christian faith, you might assume that having faith in God is easy because you (what?) just believe. That doesn’t sound hard, right? It’s not what you do that saves you; salvation is a gift of God’s grace we receive by faith in Jesus Christ. But if you’ve been a Christian for a little longer, if you’ve really tried to follow the way of Jesus, then you probably quickly saw how difficult faith can be — faith is a battle. I’ve been a pastor for almost 13 years now, but I’ve been a Christian pretty much my whole life. But for years now, do you know what has had to stay at the top of my daily to-do list? It just says, “Pray.” Do you know why? Because otherwise, I forget to pray! I’ve had some incredibly powerful times in prayer. I’ve had God dramatically answer my prayers. I’m definitely the best version of myself when I consistently spend time with God in prayer. So why on earth would I forget to do something that is so helpful and powerful for me? Because of the difficulty of faith. It doesn’t come easy. Even after all these years, even with everything I know about who God is, I still get distracted, tempted, confused, anxious, or afraid. What’s going on? Have you ever wondered why faith is a battle? In our passage for today, we see the difficulty of faith, but we also see the beautiful and gracious response of Jesus. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 12:37. Let’s work through this together.

John 12:37–41 (NIV), “37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.” Ok, let’s pause here. If you’ve been with us for the past few weeks, you’ll know that we are in the week leading up to the cross. Jesus was anointed in Bethany by his friend and follower, Mary. Then, we had the triumphal entry of Jesus when he was welcomed as a king coming into the city of Jerusalem. Then last week, Justun preached on Jesus’ favorite title for himself, Son of Man. And we saw that the Son of Man title pointed to both the kingship of Jesus as the promised king of the kingdom of God and also his identity as the suffering servant of Isaiah. Next week, with the start of John chapter 13,

Jesus, the Son of Man: Self-sacrifice (not self-serving) is the way of Jesus — who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. But let's face it: a life of sacrifice sounds hard, painful even. How can we joyfully follow this difficult path? By surrendering to God and submitting to all his ways. Recorded on Jan 14, 2024, on John 12:20-36 by Justun Hart.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.