Names of Wondrous Love Immanuel John 18:3-12 021313Mashwed

Names of Wondrous Love--Immanuel John 18:3-12 021313MAshWed

The prophets of old predicted an amazing thing: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel "-which means, "God with us" (Mt 1:23). Yes, true God, but also fully human. So you look at Jesus' life and ministry and you find the characteristics of God shining through: almighty, all- knowing, present everywhere, holy; and you see the characteristics of a human being: he had a human body and soul, he was born, he died, he was hungry, thirsty, tired. He felt human emotions. Jesus had to be all those things to be our Savior. Yet, it is an amazing thing to see God lying in a manger, God growing up in a carpenter's shop and learning from his teachers. And its astounding to see God arrested in a garden, put on trial, suffering on a cross, being carried to his tomb! Yet, those amazing things are what we want to look at this evening as we study one of those: NAMES OF WONDROUS LOVE--IMMANUEL. 1. A Willing Captive 2. A Merciful Foe 1. It's been said that it was not nails that held our Lord to the cross; rather, it was love. It was the same with his arrest. It wasn't handcuffs, chains or ropes that held him, but his love. You see that as you recognize who this is standing before the angry mob--Immanuel--and the fact that he was A Willing Captive.

First, he knew what was going to happen to him and yet he allowed it anyway. You see it in how he knew the plot Judas had arranged to betray him in the first place. You see it in how he prayed shortly before his arrest that his Father would take the cup of suffering away from him, yet he prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done." He knew what now lay ahead. We're told that as his captors arrived on the scene: 3 So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" 5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)

There was no cover-up, nor was there any lying about his identity. He was totally honest. Yet he didn't cease being God with almighty power. You get little glimpses of his power even in Jesus state of humiliation. His miracles, for example, permit those little glimpses. And we get one here: 6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. This was more than a reaction like a waitress just finding out she served Justin Bieber or Aaron Rogers--one of being flustered or shocked at his identity. It was his divine power that literally knocked them over. It was as if he was saying to his captors as he would shortly say to Pontius Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (Jn 19:11). When Jesus allowed himself to be arrested, the entire group of disciples could have been placed under arrest and hauled away. But Jesus intervened. He would see to it that he would be taken captive instead of the entire group. This was to fulfill his own prophecy and promise, as John tells us: 7 Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."8 "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." All those chosen to be disciples were spared (except Judas), even though all of them could have been tried and killed. That's why they were still huddling together behind locked doors on Easter evening. Here, in his arrest, Jesus was taken in their place.

So to summarize: the almighty, all-knowing son of God knew what was going to happen and, nonetheless, allowed h/s to be taken captive as a common criminal. We're told: 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him....

It is only because of our Lord's amazing and undeserved love that he would do this for you and me. We should be the captives, you know. Didn't Jesus himself say, "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (Jn 8:34). So we have to say along with Paul, "I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" (Ro 7:14-15). Isn't that the story of your life too? As a result, we're also captive to death, the wages of payback for sin. And causing it all is the fact that we come into this world under the influence and captivity of the devil. But Jesus came to "destroy the devil's work. He to our place in life under God's law, having been "born of a woman, born under law to redeem those under law." Likewise, he took our place in his death, enduring the torment of hell and death, the wages of OUR sin. Now we are free--free from sin, Satan and death. We are free to belong to and live for God. As the writer to the Hebrews wrote, "He too shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (He 2:14-16). Only Immanuel could do that. That's why we can be sure of our rescue and freedom. And he will not lose a one of us either. We safe in his care as one who is still Immanuel, with us always "to the very end of the age."

2. With officials approaching accompanied by soldiers armed with swords and clubs, it was only natural that the disciples would want to defend Jesus and prevent his arrest. These intruders were the enemy; and Jesus was their foe. Yet, again we see Immanuel--God, but couched in humility. This "Immanuel" proved to be A Merciful Foe.

Peter, true to form, was the first to grab his weapon: 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Of course, Peter was well- meaning. He was defending the cause and loyally protecting his master. You would have expected Jesus to praise him for what he was doing.

But Jesus' response is surprising: 11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" Again, Jesus' arrest was not something to be prevented; rather, it had to happen if he was to carry out God's salvation plan. He had to "drink the cup" of suffering he had just prayed about. And what we learn from Luke's gospel about Jesus' response to this incident is even more amazing: Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him (Lk 22:51). What did he do that for? This was the enemy It was one thing to prevent further violence, but another to undo the violence that already had been done This is an extreme example of mercy--having pity on someone in need and doing something about it. Here was a man who was bleeding profusely and in pain, who would never hear out of that ear again. He would deformed for life. Therefore, the Lord had compassion on him, even though he was one of the enemy. Jesus practiced what he preached about loving his enemies! He was a merciful foe. You see when prayed for enemies too, "Father, forgive them , for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34). Malchus didn't know what he was doing either, nor did he understand who it was he was capturing and leading to his death.

The Bible says that the sinful mind is hostile to God. All human beings are his enemies because "there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Ro 3:10-12). That applies to you and me too! Jesus was bound with our sins on the cross. He became a captive for us. And why did he allow it? He was merciful to his enemies, those living then and those living now. And by nature Jesus is our foe too. By nature we want nothing to do with Jesus either. When he reproves our sin and reveals our faults, our old sinful flesh would like to tie him up and beat him down too. But that's why Jesus came. As Isaiah says, "by his stripes we are healed," from sin, of course. Ultimately we're also healed of all deformities, diseases, and disabilities since he also freed us from death. He is merciful and forgiving. He understands our needs, both physical and spiritual. And he responds, even though we are undeserving of that mercy as his enemies.

That's what so many misunderstand about Jesus even today. He conquers by his love and mercy. He enters people's hearts by his compassion and love. It's not by force, argument, conquest, or Jihad. He takes our hearts captive by fact he would love a foe like me and like you in spite of what we've done to him!

And that's how we know our God not only with us, as in present with us. But because of Jesus he with us, not against us. He is on our side! That is, he brought us to his side by coming to ours. He did this in Immanuel, a willing captive to free us, and a merciful foe to make us God's friends. This truly is "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all" Amen. John 18:3-12 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel "-which means, "God with us" (Mt 1:23). NAMES OF WONDROUS LOVE--IMMANUEL. 1. A Willing Captive 2. A Merciful Foe

3 So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" 5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)

6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

"You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (Jn 19:11).

7 Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."8 "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."

12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him....

"Everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (Jn 8:34).

"I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" (Ro 7:14-15

"born of a woman, born under law to redeem those under law."

"He too shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (He 2:14-16). "to the very end of the age."

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him (Lk 22:51).

"Father, forgive them , for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34).

"there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Ro 3:10-12). "by his stripes we are healed,"