Scripture Reference: John 19:28-30

3. Jesus Addressed Those He Had Come to Redeem

First imagine what He could have said to His disciples. “You, my friends now at last understand, that I and the Father are One. You, at last, know who I am and what I have come to do. For three years you followed Me. You loved Me, but you didn’t love Me truly for what I am. You heard Me preach and teach about the Kingdom of Heaven but you didn’t understand clearly that My Kingdom could not be established except I bear your sin and the iniquity of all My people.

“You heard My disputes with the scribes and Pharisees, calling them blind guides of the blind and you were astounded at the forcefulness of My address. You thought I was too harsh with them. You didn’t understand that it was Satan who, through them, was out to deceive you and the people, that they shouldn’t believe in Me as the promised Messiah.

“When, just the other day, we celebrated the Passover, you didn’t realize that you would be called upon to remember Me as the One who was a fulfilment of all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars that was slain and that those sacrifices pointed and were a shadow of Me.

“But now you understand. Soon the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of comfort, whom the Father will send in My name will qualify and equip you to become My witnesses. Soon you will speak before kings and governors who have the power and desire to destroy you and you will not be afraid.”

Just imagine what He might have said to Peter, “you went forth alone to weep bitterly over your denial of Me. All your boasting of love and faithfulness to Me fled from you when I was being led toward death by crucifixion. You cursed and swore that you had never known Me. For a moment Satan seemed right then to have entered into you as he had entered into the heart of Judas. But Peter, I prayed for you, that you might not fall into Satan’s hand. Alas Peter, remember how I looked upon you as I passed by you on the way to Pilate’s judgment seat? Then you understood clearly that I loved you and forgave you. But Peter, what good would My prayer for you and My looking at you have been if it had not been for the fact that even now, I, by being forsaken of God for you, you are forgiven for your sin of denying me? Now dear Peter, you know. Now you will be My witness.

“Now, Peter, you understand as you never understood before, that soon you yourself will be arraigned by the rulers and elders, by Annas, the high-priest and by Caiaphas for preaching “in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2), and for healing a lame man in my name. But then, Peter, you will be “filled with the Holy Ghost” (see Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31) as I was filled with the Holy Ghost when I told the Pharisees they were of their father the devil, and you will fear no man, not even those who will be out to destroy you in the attempt to erase My name from the minds of men.”

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
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