Series: Lord's Supper

Service: Sun AM Worship

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Russ LaGrone

Summary Four Encounters of Jesus Before the Cross

📘Sermon Information

Instructor: Russ LaGrone

Date: 2025-008-31 Sunday AM Worship

Chapter/Topic: Four Encounters of Jesus Before the Cross: Lessons on Sacrifice and Salvation

🧠 Key Learnings

Jesus’ Awareness and Purpose in His Final Days

Jesus knew the exact details of His impending death, including the timing and manner. Despite this, He continued teaching important lessons about sacrifice and following God. His death was purposeful, meant to accomplish salvation for humanity, something impossible for man alone.

The Rich Young Ruler: The Cost of Eternal Life

A wealthy, young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man’s sorrowful refusal highlights the challenge of sacrificing worldly possessions to gain spiritual treasures. Jesus emphasized that salvation requires complete surrender.

The Apostles’ Misunderstanding of Greatness and Glory

James and John requested positions of honor in Jesus’ kingdom, misunderstanding the nature of His mission. Jesus taught that true greatness comes through servanthood and sacrifice, not earthly power. He exemplified this by serving others and ultimately giving His life as a ransom.

The Greeks’ Request and Jesus’ Teaching on Life and Death

Greek-speaking worshippers sought to see Jesus, prompting Him to declare that His "hour" had come for glorification through death. Jesus taught that losing one’s life for His sake leads to eternal life, emphasizing the necessity of prioritizing God over worldly attachments.

Jesus Washing the Disciples’ Feet: The Example of Servanthood

On the night before His death, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, demonstrating humility and servant leadership. He instructed them to love one another as He loved them, reinforcing the call to sacrificial service as central to following Him.

The Call to Sacrifice and Faith in Christ

The overarching message is that following Jesus requires sacrifice—giving up anything that hinders one’s relationship with God. However, such sacrifice leads to receiving abundant blessings both in this life and eternally. Salvation is a gift from God, not earned by works but received through faith.

Paul’s Example of Counting All as Loss for Christ

Paul’s attitude, as expressed in Philippians 3:8-11, exemplifies the mindset believers should adopt: valuing knowing Christ above all else, willing to suffer and give up everything to gain righteousness through faith and share in Christ’s resurrection.

✏️ Key Concepts

Concept 1: Jesus’ Foreknowledge and Mission

Definition: Jesus was fully aware of His impending death and its significance in God’s salvation plan.

Key Points:

• Jesus knew the time, manner, and purpose of His death.
• His death was a sacrificial act to save humanity.
• Despite the approaching suffering, He continued teaching about sacrifice and following God.

Example / Analogy: Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem symbolizes the final leg of His mission, culminating in the cross — a journey from heaven to earth and back to the Father. —— Speaker

Concept 2: Sacrifice for Eternal Life

Definition: Receiving eternal life requires giving up anything that stands between a person and God.

Key Points:

• The rich young ruler’s refusal to give up possessions illustrates the difficulty of true sacrifice.
• Jesus taught that salvation is impossible through human effort alone; it requires God’s grace.
• Followers must be willing to relinquish possessions, relationships, or status for God’s kingdom.

Example / Analogy: The rich young ruler had wealth and status but lacked willingness to sacrifice, contrasting with Peter and other apostles who left everything to follow Jesus. —— Speaker

Concept 3: True Greatness as Servanthood

Definition: Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by humility and service to others, not by power or status.

Key Points:

• James and John’s request for top positions revealed misunderstanding of Jesus’ mission.
• Jesus taught that the greatest must be the servant and slave of all.
• Jesus Himself modeled this by washing His disciples’ feet and giving His life.

Example / Analogy: Jesus washing the disciples’ feet on the night before His death demonstrated servant leadership. —— Speaker

Concept 4: Losing Life to Gain Eternal Life

Definition: Prioritizing God above all worldly attachments leads to eternal life.

Key Points:

• Jesus taught that loving worldly life more than God results in loss.
• Hating worldly life (valuing God more) leads to eternal life.
• Jesus’ death on the cross draws people to God’s love and salvation.

Example / Analogy: Greek-speaking worshippers’ desire to see Jesus prompted His teaching on the necessity of sacrifice for eternal life. —— Speaker

Concept 5: Salvation by Grace through Faith

Definition: Salvation is a gift from God, not earned by human works but received through faith in Christ.

Key Points:

• It is impossible for man to save himself; only God can accomplish salvation.
• Sacrifices made by believers are responses to God’s grace, not means to earn salvation.
• Faith in Christ’s death and resurrection is central to being made righteous before God.

Example / Analogy: Paul’s statement in Philippians about counting all as loss to gain Christ highlights faith’s supremacy over works. —— Speaker

🔄 Q&A/Discussion

Question 1: How can a rich person be saved if it is so difficult?

Answer 1: Jesus explained that what is impossible with man is possible with God. Salvation depends on God’s grace, not human ability.

Question 2: Why did James and John ask for the highest positions in Jesus’ kingdom?

Answer 2: They misunderstood Jesus’ mission, expecting an earthly kingdom with power and glory, not realizing true greatness is servanthood and sacrifice.

📚 Assignments

No relevant content mentioned.