John: Jesus Denied

Pastor Fletcher preaches from John 18:1-27 about Jesus’s first trial and Peter’s denial. Discussion points: Jesus uses the “I am” claim to be God eight times in John’s gospel, Jesus’s love for Peter is dependent on his own faithfulness instead of Peter’s, sometimes God needs up allow us to experience pain and remorse to shape our character to be more like him.

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  Scripture reader: [John 18:1-27] When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Brook Kidron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered. Now, Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

  Then Jesus knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, whom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he Judas who betrayed him was standing with them. When when Jesus said to them, I am he they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, whom do you seek? And they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken of. Those whom you gave me. I have lost. Not one.

  Then Simon Peter having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest servant and cut off his right ear, the servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath, shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me? So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him first. They led him to Annas for he was the father in law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year, it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

  Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door and brought Peter in the servant girl at the door, said to Peter, you also are not one of this man's disciples, are you? He said I am not. Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire because it was cold and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them standing and warming himself.

  The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching, Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me? What I had said to them? They know what I said when he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand saying, is that how you answer? The high priest Jesus answered him. If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong. But if what I said is right, why do you strike me? Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.

  Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, you also are not one of his disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not. One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, did I not see you in the garden with him? Peter again, denied it. And at once, a rooster crowed.

  This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

  Preacher: Good morning. How's everybody doing? I think it's probably the latest I've ever gotten service is like you guys are preparing for me to be on sabbatical for the summer. getting other people up here the whole time. Alexis is giving that announcement about kids summer adventure. I wanna do that key and peele thing where I stand over here like Luther, the anger translator and, and just just loom over her shoulder and then step in every once in a while like what's wrong with y'all? Let's go. Why won't you serve? Why is it a serving, sorry sound guy. I know you're like not normal.

  In John today we're, we're continuing through John. The book of John is broken into three acts like good movies are broken into three acts. The first act, you get a lot of the background information. It's about half the book is the first act of, of John. It's doing the entire ministry of Jesus from the earliest days of his baptism until we get to the last week of his life.

  And then we have in the second act, what we call a chamber piece. So in a chamber piece, well, the way you've all, we all seen TV, shows like this where you're watching the TV show and then you come to one episode and the entire episode takes place in one room and that's called a chamber piece and it's stuck in this one room. And we have like six chapters, five or six chapters that are in one room, in the upper room, the upper room discourse. And so this whole speech that Jesus gives in the upper room, he's washing his disciples feet and he's serving them and he's teaching them why he came and what he's done.

  And now we've moved into the final act which we all know the final where all the action happens, right? And so we're in the final act of what is going to be the passion of Jesus and John Structures this passage today in a really interesting way with this whole action sequence, things really start picking up. We see this this really kind of quick trial that happens. We see the Romans wash their hands of it and say, OK, do what you're gonna do with them and then they crucify him and he's resurrected On the third day. We, we know where the story goes.

  But the story is really put together masterfully as John structures that. Today is a very interesting passage. What's happening is just really great writing and really great way to tell the story because what we have is we see the betrayal of Jesus in the garden. But then the story really wants you to see the differences between how Jesus responds to this betrayal and how Peter is responding all the way through. And the author is very intentional because it doesn't just, he doesn't just tell the story of Jesus and then tell, say what Peter did. No, it's interspersed. It's like the scene keeps on cutting and it's like what's happening over here and then look and see how Jesus is responding, look and see how Peter is responding and what you are supposed to be noticing as the scene keeps cutting back and forth is that while Jesus remains faithful, Peter ditches, Peter loses his faith when it really comes down to it.

  There's no disciple that we know better than Peter. When we read The New Testament, there's more information on Peter than anyone else and you are supposed to see a little bit of yourself. And Peter Peter is a very interesting guy. He is a character and a half. Ok. If the Bible were told in the style of cars, the movies, Peter would be tow mater. Ok. He's, he's got an accent. He's from Galilee. At one point. They point out, hey, you're speaking with a country accent. He is bold. He's packing heat and he's ready to rumble. All right, Peter is, is a bold interesting guy. We have a lot of different stories about Peter and he is just constantly this audacious man with some serious hubris.

  We see at one point, Jesus asked Peter. He's like, who do people say? I am? Peter? And Peter is the first one to say, well, you're the Christ. Sorry, I have to pull out. I only have one accent. You know, I pull it out here. for, for Peter. We, you're, you're the Christ, you're the Messiah. And Jesus says, good Peter, I will build my church on a rock like this. I'm giving you a nickname. You're now called the rock. You're no longer Simon, your rock and I smell what the rock is cooking. I had to do it. I'm sorry. Right after this, like one second after this Jesus predicts his death and his resurrection. And Peter has the audacity to correct Jesus, the Messiah, the one that he just acknowledged as the Messiah Peter is like, no, that will never happen to you. And Jesus goes from giving him the pet name rock to calling him Satan in about two minutes because Jesus looks at him and he says, get behind me, Satan for your eyes are selling the things of this world and not the things of God.

  Peter is bold. Always, I've got more stories on Peter. On another occasion, Jesus tells his disciples to go on without him. He's gonna talk to his father a little bit more and then the the disciples are like you sure, we took a boat here and he's like, yeah, I'm sure. So they go get on the boat and they start sailing without him. They get halfway out into the sea and a storm comes and it's going crazy and they're all scared and Jesus comes walking along unbothered completely by the storm and the waves, it actually says that he was planning on just walking right past them. I like to imagine that Jesus is looking at this boat and he's thinking about this boat in the same way that I think about the MBTA OK, where it's like I could get on the boat, but it's probably faster just to walk. So I'm gonna walk, go ahead and go across this lake.

  Peter sees them and he says, hey Jesus, if that's you, let me go out there too. That's, that's serious. That's a bold request. He's like, let me walk out there too, Jesus. Who would, who would say that? That's crazy. You see someone walking on the water? My first reaction is not. Oh, I wanna do that. Ok. It's like what is happening. So that's what he does. He walks out there on another occasion just a few chapters ago, Jesus is washing feet and he's teaching this important spiritual lesson about service. And Peter looks at Jesus and he says, you will never wash my feet. What bold, audacious man. There he is. Once I let the Southern out, I can't, I can't put it back in. Sorry. And Peter's like, you'll never wash my feet. Really, Peter? Really? This is how we're gonna treat Jesus, the one that you called the Messiah.

  And then not long after that, Jesus is predicting that he's, he's going to die and ascend to the father. And Peter says to him, Lord, why can't we follow you? Now? I will lay, I will lay down my life for you. I will lay down my life for you, Jesus. That's what Peter says. And Jesus answers, will you lay down your life for me in that ironic kind of way that only Jesus can knowing that he's about to lay down his life for Peter. But he says, truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. Peter says, I'll never deny you Jesus, I'll never leave you. I will lay down my life for you. And Jesus knows that he will deny him in less than three times in less than 24 hours. From that moment.

  How does a man this bold, this committed to Jesus? I mean, Peter is willing to give it all for Jesus. He is so committed, so bold. He believes that Jesus is who he says he is. How does a man this bold and this committed go to denying him so quickly. Let's look at the passage. Let's dive in here. Starting from the top verse one chapter 18, we're just gonna work our way through this passage. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the book, the Brook Kidron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered. Now, we know what the garden this is, it doesn't say in John, but it's the Garden of Gethsemane and it was somewhere, I guess that Jesus and his disciples went often to pray.

  So the last supper is over, Jesus has prayed his high priestly prayer and now they're going to the garden of Yem. Now Judas verse two who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. This is an angry mob. I don't know if you can draw a picture better of an angry mob unless maybe they said lanterns and torches and pitchforks and weapons. I mean, that is what's happening here. It is the stereotypical idea of what an angry mob would look like at night coming to find Jesus.

  Then Jesus verse four, knowing all that would happen to him. Isn't that amazing? Knowing all that would happen to him. Let's read this next part in light of that came forward and said to them, who do you seek, whom do you seek? He wants them to say it. He needs the words to come out of their mouths and they answered Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus said to them, I am he and when Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. This is amazing. This is really uncanny what's happening here because the words that Jesus says in the Greek aren't actually I am he. That's the best way that we can translate it. But the words in the Greek just say I am ego, Amy I am.

  And Jesus declares this in the same way that when Moses was standing before the burning bush thousands of years earlier, and the burning bush is telling him to go tell Pharaoh to let his people go and Pharaoh and Moses says, who shall I tell? How, who shall I tell? Pharaoh sent me? And the bush says, tell them I am sent you. I am who I am the divine name of God.

  Then in John chapter eight, we see Jesus say before Abraham was I am. Jesus didn't say before Abraham was I was, he says before Abraham was I am. He's claiming the equality with God. He's claiming to be the I am. And here he's saying I am in the same way, we've seen a series of seven I am statements from Jesus all throughout the book of John, I am the resurrection. I am the way, the truth and the life. I am the great, the divine, I am the good shepherd. I am the gate over and over again. Jesus says I am I am I am.

  And we know from the scripture that seven is the special complete number, but here we have the eighth one and the final one. And Jesus simply says I am. And at that moment, it's like a, just a little bit of the curtain opens and just a little bit of the glory of God comes through and it sends the soldiers on their knees. Jesus discloses his true nature just a little bit, just a little peak of it and they can't help but to bow before him, the one they've come to arrest, this is a, this is a man unlike any other fully man, fully God. They must have been pretty confused though because they just get back to their feet. And Jesus says, who is it that you're seeking? And they say again, Jesus of Nazareth.

  And so Jesus gives himself up and Jesus is arrested, taken away without even being issued his rights without being issued his charges in verse 10. This has gotta be one that you love. Then Simon Peter having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Like I said, he's packing heat. He's ready to fight one side note here before I explain what's happening. This passage gives the name of the servant Malchus. Is that something you would do? Now, now Malchus is the servant of the high priest. The high priest is a celebrity. Everybody knows who the high priest is at this time. That's written you. We have that in other documentation. It's not just in the Bible that we learned the name of the high priest at this time.

  The the servant of the high priest would be a well known person that's like saying that the secretary of the high priest, like the not the but like the secretary of state, like it's like a very high ranking official here with them. John is giving the name Malchus because not because he's making up a story. If you're making up a story, you wouldn't insert real people's names within that who, who are still alive as you're writing this thing. This is an eyewitness report. The only reason why he would insert that is if it really happened and he's just giving that little extra detail to give his readers confidence that this thing actually happened. When we see people claim that all of this is just legend. It's because they aren't willing to do the work to see that it was written very intentionally as an eyewitness report, not as legend, it does not read as a legend whatsoever.

  My friends, let's continue verse 11. So Jesus said to Peter, put away your sword into its sheath, shall I not drink the cup that the father has given me? Peter is ready to fight? But that's not what Jesus has come to do. Even after following Jesus for three full years, Peter still does not understand the reason why Jesus is walking on this earth. He still does not understand the purpose of Jesus. Peter is still thinking that Jesus is going to establish an earthly kingdom that he's the new David, that he's gonna be the biggest king around and he's gonna lead the people into prosperity of Israel.

  But he has not come to see that Jesus is not, he, he is not understood that Jesus has not come to establish a kingdom on earth, but a kingdom of heaven on earth. And so Jesus says, put away your sword that's not what I'm here for. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to love my enemies. I'm here to care for them to Peter. Jesus is about to become a martyr. And so he's ready to fight. He doesn't want to see Jesus die for the cause. But Jesus is no martyr, do not mistake. This Jesus is no martyr. Jesus is a voluntary sacrifice. No one takes his life. He lays it down himself. He could have escaped this at any moment, but yet he remains faithful until the end. So Jesus tells him to put away his sword.

  I love how Michael Card puts this in his biography on the life of Peter. He says this, Peter's Messiah would have slaves washing his feet, not the other way around. His. Messiah would command the legions of angels to destroy his enemies. Peter's Messiah would have draw drawn his sword as well. Peter understood a king who would take up arms and kill his enemies. Never in his wildest dreams. Could he imagine a king who would die to save his enemies? So they led Jesus away and Jesus has to stand two different trials. Ok. We're gonna be working through this over the next couple of weeks. So we're not gonna get through it all today, but he has to stand two different trials. He has to stand in front of the religious leaders of the day, the high priest and then he has to go in front of the government leaders of the day.

  So first he goes to the religious leaders because the religious leaders are the ones that are bringing the charges against him in front of the the governmental. So he goes to the religious leaders house first and Peter and this is when the scenes start moving back and forth. So they carry Jesus away to the the home of the high priest and Peter follows but at a safe distance and he's along with another disciple, it just says another disciple. It doesn't tell us exactly who it is. But we know from reading the book of John that John never in inserts his own name in there. The John, the son of Zebedee never appears in the gospel, which is odd because he's a very major character in all the other gospels. And so we assume that John, the son of Zebedee is probably the author of this book and that he is just not disclosing his own name in, in, in the in the story.

  And so we have him going with who we assume to be John and to follow Jesus and they make it to the courtyard of the high priest. But not anyone can go into the courtyard of the high priest that's like going into someone's backyard. You can't just go into someone's backyard unless you know that person or it's porch fest, ok? If it's porch fest game on, go ahead. but if it's, if you otherwise you have to know the name, you have to know that person.

  And so they get there and the other disciple, whoever it was probably John knew the servant girl, knew the high priest somehow. And so when they get to the the gate where they have a servant girl working at the door, she says she looks at Peter and she says, aren't you one of his disciples? Maybe she hears his accent. Maybe she just recognizes, aren't you one of his disciples? And Peter immediately and you know, you could maybe give it a good reason. Maybe he's afraid that he won't be able to get in if he tells the truth, maybe he's afraid that he's going to also be standing trial with Jesus if he tells the truth. But Peter denies it. He says I am not little white lie. Potentially, maybe he's saving his own skin, but they let her, they let him through into the courtyard.

  After this first denial, the scene turns back to Jesus and Jesus is being questioned about his disciples and his teaching and he's being questioned kinda hard. But Jesus just responds. Look, I've done all this in public. I've been at the, I've been at the temple, I've been teaching the temple. I'm not keeping anything from you. Why aren't you asking me all these questions? You're asking things you already know. You know who I am. I've told you since the beginning. So he's just being open with them. And as he speaks to the high priest like this, one of the officials strikes him and Jesus is like, what did you hit me for? I'm not saying anything. That's not true. And, but he just remains faithful through this whole questioning, even though he's starting to get publicly beaten.

  And then the scene cuts back to Peter and Peter standing by a fire. It's still the night and they're warming themselves by this fire. And someone looks at Peter and they say, aren't you one of his disciples? It's like really apparent that he's one of his disciples. And again, Peter, nope, not one of his disciples, maybe he's afraid. And then a third person looks at, at Peter and this third person is actually, this is unfortunate. You gotta watch whose ears you cut off because you never know who they're related to because then you have a relative of the man that Peter had. Vincent Van Gogh earlier in the garden. And he says, didn't I see you in the garden? And Peter is like, nope, it wasn't me. It got a little shaggy and I'm here. Ok. And sorry, I can laugh at my own jokes. So thank you. That what's a dad for? Well, you're not a dad unless you do that a little bit, right? It's Father's Day. Give it to me, you know.

  And so at that moment, Peter says no one more time. And at that moment, John records a rooster crowing and so jesus' prediction came true that Peter denied him three times before the rooster crow. And Luke, not in John but in Luke and all four gospels include this story very rarely do all four gospels record the same stories. It has to be a very major event in the life of Jesus for all four gospel writers to include the story, they usually kind of overlap in different places. All four include this story. All four include some form of what happened when, when he denied Jesus three times. And it was just a very important story to the early church.

  If you think about why all four gospel writers might have included the story in their, in their writings, the early church persecuted all the time, people losing their lives for Jesus. And so this is probably a very important story for the early church to be reminded of, of who Jesus is and how you can stay faithful until the end in the book of Luke. You see Luke add this additional detail after the rooster crows. Jesus makes eye contact with Peter. Now Jesus can't hear what's happening in the courtyard. But as I said earlier, Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. And so Jesus knew that this was the moment that Peter would deny him and Peter and makes eye contact with Jesus and it says that he weeps, that it brings Jesus. It brings Peter to a point of brokenness. He's just crushed.

  Now for my entire life, I've read this and thought that the look that Peter, that Peter must have received from Jesus must be a look that's so condemning. So judging, so harsh that it could only be compared to the look that a wife might have for her husband when he refuses to get directions to a location. And then he finally gives up and gets directions and then you just have the I I told you so look, OK, that's, that's what I've always seen that look as, but as I've read this story, I don't think that's the look that would send Peter weeping to his niece. I think instead the look that would send Peter to that place of brokenness is one of compassion looking at Peter and saying, I love you still, Jesus would not give Peter a look of condemnation and then go and pay the penalty for his betrayal for his denial. It's way more consistent with Jesus not to have a look of how could you, I'm done with you. No, it's a look of love that Jesus has for Peter because the love that Jesus has for Peter is not dependent upon Peter's faithfulness, but it's dependent upon his own faithfulness.

  Jesus remains faithful to the end. And so when he looks at Peter, it's a look of compassion and of care and saying I knew you would fail, but I'm going to go to the cross anyways. It's not about your success, Peter. And I hope you see that now that no matter how bold you are for me, it does not matter. It's about my faithfulness, not yours. Jesus loves us in an unconditional way better than that. He loves us in a contra conditional way. I mean, despite the fact that we fail him time and again, he loves us in spite of that, it's not just unconditional like I'll love you no matter what, it's, I'll love you. Even though I know you will rebel against me.

  That is who Jesus is. He sees your failures, church. He sees the things that you're ashamed of and we all have them. He sees the moments of your weakness no matter how good of a face you put on to come to church to impress everyone else. He and some of you are very impressive. Should I say? He sees the true you? He sees the ways that you stumble. He sees your hurts and your hesitancies. He sees your doubts and he responds with a look of compassion. He loves all the same. The whole story is meant to show us that even the most vocal committed and crazy follower of Jesus will have moments where he will or she will stumble and fall no matter how committed to Jesus, you are, you will have moments where you will be an utter screw up, me included.

  And I'm praying that those moments become less and less frequent as I grow in grace and grow in my understanding of the love of Christ for me. But it's still going to happen and seeing Peter at his absolute worst, Jesus was still willing to go to the cross for him. Have you ever messed up so badly that you know that Jesus would just look at you with a face of shame. You know that if he looked at you, it would be a look of anger. Maybe you've done something that you're so ashamed of that. You know, if anyone found out that it would just wreck your life, friends are failures are not a surprise to Jesus any more than Peter and Jesus looks upon us with compassion when we fail to be faithful to Jesus. Jesus is faithful to the end.

  Now, the same Peter who denies Jesus three times in his hour of need. History tells us that this man actually ends up being crucified for his faith. Yet Jesus Peter as he's crucified for his faith many years from here. Peter goes on to be a great missionary. I'll tell you more about that in a second. But instead of just being crucified, Peter actually requests and this is history. This isn't I we find this in other locations, not necessarily in the Bible, but Peter requests to be crucified upside down because he does not see himself worthy as dying in the same fashion that his savior would die. So he requests an even worse death than Jesus received in a physical way.

  And so what makes the difference? How does he go from denying Jesus three times to save his own skin to being crucified upside down at the end of his life? Well, there's one big shift in, in Peter's life and it's the resurrection because in just a couple of days, Peter is going to see the empty tomb and he's going to finally understand the purpose of Jesus. He followed Jesus for three years but did not understand the gospel. You can be at church every week for three years and not understand the gospel and still think that the gospel is, hey, be a good person. So God will love you more.

  That is not the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus live the life that we should have lived, died, the death that we deserve. And it's only because of that, that we get to have life with God. We now get to ascend with Him and be seated at the right hand of God and live as if Christ obedience is our obedience. It wasn't until the resurrection that Peter got it where the, where the penny finally dropped. When Peter sees the empty tomb, something in Him changes. He understands that Jesus didn't come to set up an earthly kingdom, but a kingdom of heaven. He finally understood that Jesus had to die, that he couldn't not die, that the death of Jesus took on the sins of the world and that he died in the place of Peter after the re after Jesus is resurrected.

  We actually get the story of Jesus restoring Peter and I'm going on sabbatical so I won't get to preach that passage. So, whatever, I'm just gonna tell you about it today. Someone else will tell you about it in a few weeks, just act like you haven't heard it before. Ok? Just be like, oh, so good, thank you, appreciate it. But you know, I'm gonna share it with you today. Later in the book of John, it's actually like the last passage in John. Jesus looks at Peter and this has always been a confusing passage for me and I've heard people preach it very poorly and try to make too much out of the Greek and out of what's happening because there's some interesting things that happen. But, but just look at, look at the, look at what happened.

  Jesus looks at Peter and three times says Peter, do you love me? And Peter responds each time, Lord, you know, I love you. Now, why would Jesus ask him three times is to make the threefold denial, match the threefold restoration. He wants Jesus to, he wants Peter to feel completely restored and he's giving him an opportunity to have this symmetry in his life where he's restored to right relationship with Jesus and Jesus didn't just restore him though. Jesus exalted that brother, Jesus lifted him up. He didn't just say you're back to where you were. He says you're going higher. Peter. Peter ends up being one of the two pillars for the early church. Paul and Peter, the two greatest missionaries to ever live. They, they travel around the whole area, spreading the good news of what Jesus came to do.

  Jesus changes Peter's life drastically. Now Peter goes from being this arrogant brash audacious man to writing these words. Check this out. First Peter chapter five. I'm just gonna read a little portion here and just remember the character of the man who wrote these things, who we know him to be pre resurrection and how much his life changed post resurrection. Because if there's anything, Peter's an arrogant dude, ok, he's a little full of himself. But here we go.

  First Peter five start in verse five, clothe yourselves, all of you with humility toward one another. The same one who said you'll never wash my feet clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. For God opposes the proud that grabs grace to the humble, humble yourselves. Therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that the proper time He may exalt. You sounds like something Peter's familiar with casting all your anxieties on you, on Him because He cares for you. Be sober. Minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring line. Looking for someone to devour, resist him firm in your faith. You still got a little bit of that aggressiveness here. Knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you and to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you to him be the Dominion forever.

  And ever some of us want to make a real big difference in the world, do we not? We don't want to leave this world the same as what we came into it. And Peter teaches us, if he teaches us anything, he teaches us this, that sometimes to be that big difference in the world is going to require for you to be broken all the way to your core just as he was. Sometimes it's in the moments of our deepest hurts and wounds when we're actually restored. And better than that, we're exalted. And we're reminded of where we are in the heavenly places, seeded with Christ. Sometimes the Lord has to allow us to experience the pain of sin or remorse in order to shape our character to be used by him.

  So today, as an opportunity as every Sunday, as every day is an opportunity to look to the faithfulness of Jesus and boldly confess our own faithlessness. Let's confess our sins, knowing that Jesus, he doesn't look at us with Jud judgment and combination Jesus looks at us with compassion and care, wishing that we would cast our anxieties on him, wishing that we would bring to him our sins and struggles so that he might bear them on the cross for us and exalt us to the heavenly places. He desires for you to be near, he desires for you to be brought in restored and exalted. Not kept at arm's length, not kept in shameful place in the corner. He desires for you to be brought into the family brought close to him.

  So church, I'm gonna encourage you this opportunity to do that over the next song, we're gonna be participating in a communion meal. We'll also have prayer counselors in the back ready to receive and to pray for you and to, to be able to help you to confess these sins. If you need that sort of thing, able to just pray a word of you over you to ask the Lord to speak to you in that time. If you'd like to pray, we encourage you to, to meet with one of them in the back. If you are a believer here, we encourage you to receive this communion meal. It's a reminder that Christ's body was broken for us and his blood was shed for us. And so if you are calling on Christ as your savior, we invite you to this meal. So if you would join me in standing as we prepare to receive this meal, be reminded of who Christ is and what he's done for us. Let's pray.

  Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for, for this sacred meal. We pray that you would restore us to right relationship with you. God, I pray for anyone here who feels your, your glance is, is just combination or feels your glance is just shame. Would they feel your warm embrace today and know that your death is sufficient for them and that they can be brought into the kingdom based upon what you have done for them. God, we pray that you would be shaping our lives and helping us to live faithfully. But knowing that only you are faithful all the way until the end, so God help us to enjoy our place in the heavenly places to be reminded of Christ's sacrifice for us and help us to draw near to you. In Christ's name we pray, amen.