My Jesus, I Love Thee				John 19: 23-29

Intro:	I have been reading the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S.
	Grant.  Brilliant!  Fascinating impact of an eye-witness
	Account of events…First battle in the Mexican-American War
	1846, In the forenoon of the 8th of May… (large army spotted in
	Battle line with Bayonets… the grass was tall, reaching nearly 	to the shoulders of the men, very stiff and each stock was 	pointed at the top, hard and sharp as a needle.
•	Descriptive detail is characteristic of eye-witness!

t/s – John’s account of the Crucifixion of Jesus has fascinating
	descriptive details that only an eye-witness could provide.

John 19: 23-29
Review – Walking slowly through John 18-19 – His Passion.
	He is Innocent, the Lamb of God; His is King; when we 
	Are judging Him we are actually judging ourselves!

READ	with Comment on the women in Vs. 25
•	How Many – 2, 3 or 4?  Four His mother’s sister 	(unnamed) was Salome, the Mother of James and John.
	Magdalene, helped Jesus, 7 demons cast out.
•	Jesus and early Christianity elevated the status of Women.
	The women were last at Cross and first at Tomb!
	The women are the Foundational Witnesses!
	Faithfulness and Courage to be Admired!

Jesus begins his public ministry by giving an abundant supply of the best of wines to people; in the end, the world gives him a slurp of cheap wine from a dirty sponge.  This is a dark text --- The soldiers, with blood on their hands, cannot even wait until Jesus is dead and his family is dispersed.  They squat at the feet of a naked dying man and gamble for his clothing.

In this dark, obscure text, I see His glory glow.  Indeed, this close account of the Cross stirs my heart to Love Jesus.  When I consider these few verses, I adore Him.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
	And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
    I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
	If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

I Love Jesus because of His Obedience to the Father.
Exp – John continues to emphasize the Cross as the Obedience of
	Jesus to the Father’s eternal Purpose.
	Vs.  24 – This was to fulfill the Scripture… Therefore the
		Soldiers did this…
	Vs.  28 – Accomplished…Finished…Scripture
	Psalms 22 and 69
	Jesus knowingly Obeyed the Redemption Purpose of Father.

	Every part of Jesus’ suffering was in the Father’s Redemption 	Plan and the consequence of the Son’s direct Obedience.
	Thus, The Cross Is His Glory!

App – He was Slain before the Foundation of the World (Rev. 13:8)
•	Not defeat; Loss of Control… His Mission, His Hour!
•	More Next Week

I Love Jesus because of His Tender Care for His Mother
Exp – Vs. 26-27 – Cousin John was asked to care for Mary.
	Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law of God, keeping the 5th!

Application:
1.	Jesus is Perfect!  (without Sin!.... Praise His Name)
2.	Call Your Mother!  (Best Witness in Closest Relationships)
3.	Kingdom Loyalty often Strains Family Relationships
	Unusual because Mary had other sons, Jesus’ brothers.
•	They were absent… maybe not even in Jerusalem.
•	They were unbelieving (7:5)… The Kingdom of God
	Often strains family relationships.

	Matthew 12: 46-50 --- Wow!

ILL – My OBU Roommate – Dad thought he was wasting Life
I Love Jesus because of the Reality of His Suffering.
Exp – Vs. 28 – “I am Thirsty” why did John record this detail?
	Those words tell us of the reality of His physical suffering.
	He was perfectly conscious and actually present in suffering.
•	Naked on the cross; his mother recognized him; she saw him and heard him speak; He physically felt, actually experienced the Cross!

	John is confronting the earliest Christological Heresy.

	Jesus only appeared to be Human.  He did not actually suffer.
	God could not suffer like that….He would not!
	“Docetism” = God only seemed to be a human being!
			He played the part… like an angel or Greek god

ILL – They slew him not nor crucified him, but 
		it appeared so unto them.	Koran; Sura 4: 157

	Islam; Christian Science; Modern Liberal Christianity…

App – Why Does It Matter?

a)	The Authority of the Bible is Enough!
b)	If the humanity of Jesus was only apparent, then whatever He did for us in that apparent form was likewise only apparent.

•	His Atonement for Sins is Fantasy
•	His Example for Life is a Farce
•	His Sympathy for Our Suffering is Fake

Same Islamic Text of Jesus… He is divine Illuminator, not Redeemer

	If the Word became flesh; dwelt among us; we beheld His 	glory, even the Glory of the Cross ---
•	Legitimate Example 
•	Unfeigned Sympathy
•	Full Atonement…	The Lamb of God Died for Me!