TEXT: John 13:1-3
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.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
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Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 198.
Howard Hendricks said, “There was no identity crisis in the life of Jesus Christ. He knew who He was. He knew where He had come from, and why He was here. And He knew where He was going. And when you are that liberated, then you can serve.”
One of the important questions people ask themselves is, “Who am I?” This question is not referring simply to a name, where you live, or even your occupation. The question is referring to who you are on the inside. If your success, lifestyle, progress, education, and money could be stripped away, what kind of person would you be? The ancient philosopher’s maxim, “Know thyself,” is still a relevant command — one that Jesus epitomized.
Some people try to suggest that Jesus was not fully God throughout His life on this Earth. Some say that the church deified Him after His death. Some say that, somewhere along the line in His life, God chose to fill the Man Jesus with His essence, making Him divine. In fact, one of the top selling religion books on Amazon is a New York Times bestseller titled, “How Jesus Became God.”
Well, Jesus did not become God. He was God when He arrived on this Earth, and He remained God throughout His life and death. Throughout John’s Gospel, we see certainty in Jesus’ words about Himself. He had no doubt about who He was. And in our passage today, at the end of His life, we see the same unwavering certainty that we saw throughout the rest of His ministry. John said, “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.”
Jesus went to the cross as a victor, not a victim. He went to the cross “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands.” This was not something that Jesus was just now realizing. He had known it all along. In John 3:35, He said, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.”
It is one thing to drag an unwilling man who has no prominence or influence in society before the authorities to sentence him to scourging and to death. It is another thing if the most powerful Man in the world, a Man who has authority over all things submits to the humiliation of arrest, scourging, and execution. Jesus did not go into the final hours before the crucifixion from a position of weakness, as if He had no choice; He went in from a position of having all things in His hands. He was in control. To use a contemporary example, He was directing and starring in His own movie. Nobody took His life from Him; He laid it down of His own accord. He could have easily, at any moment, pushed the ‘Abort’ button, and would have been justified in doing so.
Jesus had all things in His hands. He had come from the Father and was going back to the Father, but He stopped along the way to die for me and you. Jesus knew who He was, where He had come from, and where He was going. This certainty of identity and purpose is what enabled Him to willingly die for sinful men and women who did not (and still do not) deserve such a sacrifice.
Have you ever asked yourself, “Who am I, really?” Today, Jesus calls each of us to find a new identity in Him. He wants you to be able to say with confidence and certainty, “I am a child of God. I am a servant of the King. I am going to Heaven to be with Him when I die.” If you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior today, you will be able to say that instantly, and it will be backed up by the One who has authority over all things in His hands.
Here is how you can trust Jesus Christ as your Savior right now.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “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.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 