Sunday Morning Podcast | The Moody Church

In this passage from our study in the Gospel of John, we come to the crucifixion of Jesus. We may want to look the other way, to not face the harsh reality of an innocent man nailed to a cross, to not bear the weight of the torture and agony and injustice of this moment, because it may it’s just too personal.   We were made to love and serve God, but we hijacked our life, and stiff-armed God, and insisted on living according to our own rules.   If anyone deserves to be punished… it’s not Jesus. If anyone deserves to be condemned… it’s not Him. If anyone deserves to die… it’s us. This is our story: Jesus died for us.   In this sermon, we’ll look at three portraits of Jesus:   The Crucified King: On the cross, the King is lifted up for all to see. John wants us to discern the hidden hand of God, moving in spite of all this chaos and injustice and evil, fulfilling his purposes in it all. As Jesus takes his place with guilty sinners, he is numbered with the transgressors. As Jesus is lifted up as King f

Jesus gets it. He gets how hard life is. He gets how heartbreaking it can be. He gets how violating and brutal and unjust people are sometimes.   We all need a God who gets it, because when life’s cruelties break into your life, you don’t need a god who’s aloof and pampered and insulated. You need a God who gets it, who understands how it feels, who can sympathize with you, and who will weep with you.   And friends, Jesus has been there. He gets it.   In this passage, John is going to walk us through Jesus’ Roman trial. Now, as we make our way through this passage, notice two things in particular: First, John’s depiction of the cruel suffering and injustice Jesus faced. Some of us can relate to that. Second, John’s use of irony throughout this account. Things are not as they seem.   As we walk through the passage, this sermon explores six striking ironies:   Disingenuous Fulfillment: Through the religious leaders’ hypocrisy, God’s will is achieved. They unwittingly advance the will of God, that Je

In today’s passage, we will see John’s account of the betrayal, arrest, and preliminary interrogation of Jesus.   We’ll explore three lenses:   The Sequence of the Storm: This is the quick overview of the narrative leading up to the crucifixion. Betrayal and Arrest (Mt 26:47-56; Mk 14:43-52; Lk 22:47-53; Jn 18:2-12): All 4 gospels report on this event. Interrogation of Annas (Jn 18:19-23): John alone preserves this interrogation for us. Sanhedrin Trial (Mt 26:57-68; Mk 14:53-65; Lk 22:54-71): The Sanhedrin was the ruling body in charge of Jewish internal affairs. Pilate’s Questioning (Mt 27:11-14; Mk 15:2-5; Lk 23:2-5; Jn 18:28-38a): Pilate doesn’t want to condemn an innocent man, but if he lets Jesus go free, he’ll upset the Jewish leaders and possibly disturb the peace during a major holiday. Interrogation by Herod (Lk 23:6-12): Only Luke reports this interrogation by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. Pilate attempted to toss this political hot potato into Herod’s lap, but Herod to

In this passage we come to what is arguably the pinnacle of John’s Gospel. It’s Jesus’ last night, and in the next hours, He will be betrayed by Judas Iscariot from Hi inner circle. He will be put on trial, condemned, and crucified the following day.   And Jesus, knowing all that awaits him, has been pouring out His heart to the disciples. He shows them His love by washing their feet. He shares a meal with them at the last supper.He’s intimating to them that His hour has come and that He will return to the Father by way of the cross.   And now in chapter 17, Jesus offers a final prayer known as “The High Priestly Prayer”. In this prayer we find what is most important to Jesus in all the universe.   In Jesus’ final prayer, we find four main points:   A Final Request: In the face of shame, Jesus asks for the renewal of glory. Jesus is about to face the greatest possible shame in the presence of men on earth; and so, He asks for the greatest possible honor in the presence of God in heaven, that He woul

How do we know that everything will be alright in the end? In many ways, that’s the very question that was haunting the minds of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus had told them to prepare for battle, that the persecution that was coming for him would come for them also. They no doubt felt like underdogs.   Have you ever felt like an underdog? Maybe you are facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, harsh realities, painful setbacks, and crushing sadness. You’re asking Jesus: "How do I know that it will all be right in the end?" Jesus addresses that honest, deep, and heartfelt question in our passage from John 16:16-33.   Because Jesus overcomes, we too will overcome.   Jesus is the overcomer in three spheres: Redemptive History: Jesus overcomes sorrow with joy. This is true for Jesus, this is true for the disciples, and it is also true for us. Because redemption is not just something God did one time for Jesus; redemption is the story of history. Our God is a redeeming God. He takes what is broken and makes it

In this passage, we are in the early hours before the crucifixion. Betrayal, arrest, whipping, and crucifixion awaits Jesus, and He knows it. But he mustn’t fixate on the tidal wave of agony that is about to break up on Him; instead, he focuses on preparing His disciples for the battle ahead.   As American Christians with sizable religious freedoms, we often read past verses like this rather quickly. But you know who doesn’t read past them? The vast majority of our brothers and sisters around the world and throughout history. And who knows? Those of us in America may just need these words sooner than we realize. Perhaps Jesus is preparing us for battle too.   Jesus is preparing his disciples for the suffering, persecution, and hostility they will face in this world. Because followers of Jesus are not like the world, the world views us with suspicion. Because we’re different, we’re distinct.   We’ll look at three points to prepare us for what’s coming:   Distinct Allegiance: Christians who are filled

Our natural default is to try to do things on our own. But when trouble comes, whether its relationships, temptation, anxiety, or sin, we realize that we are not strong enough to do it on our own. The spiritual strength we need is found in our Savior. We need His strength for our weakness. How do we find the spiritual strength to conquer our weakness?   Three keys to spiritual strength: Rely on the Holy Spirit: To be empowered by the Spirit means that Christ dwells in our hearts. We must fully rely on the power of Holy Spirit to renew our inner self. How do we know if we are relying on the Holy Spirit? We should check the desires and motivations of our heart. Are you faithful to God in the small things? Are you consistent in practicing spiritual disciplines? How do you go about making a difficult decision? Are your future goals something you can accomplish on your own or only with God’s help? Know the Love of Jesus: Love is the foundation of all that we are in Jesus. Great strength is found in the secu

Here in John 15, Jesus teaches his disciples and us about the secret to a fruitful life is abiding in Him. At the heart of this discourse is an extended metaphor 1-8 which Jesus then expounds upon in 9-17. The Vine: “I am the true vine” is the 7th and final “I AM” statement in John. The vine is used as a symbol for God’s covenant people, Israel. And whenever this comparison is made, the emphasis is always on Israel’s failure to produce the fruit that God desired. Now we have Jesus applying this metaphor to himself. Jesus is saying that He is the “true” vine, and the fruit Israel failed to bear He will bear in Himself when he is crucified. He provides true access to the living, pulsating, abundant life of God. When we try to find life in everything else, it never really satisfies. The Vinedresser: God the Father is caring and tending for the vine through pruning. If Jesus is the vine, and his disciples are the branches, He’s letting them know that a cutting is coming. They will feel the Vinedresser’s knif

In John's account of Jesus’ last night before the cross, we encounter some of the most tender words in all the Scriptures. In the Upper Room, Jesus poured out His heart to His disciples, teaching them (and through them, us) how to live in the love of God, because living in the love of God is everything.   John 14:15-31 is notoriously difficult to outline, because Jesus keeps circling back time and again to the same central theme as He invites us to live deeply in the love of God. Pastor Philip approached the passage from three angles:   Our Love of God: What does it mean to really love God? Our love of Jesus naturally and necessarily flows into an obedience to His law. This fundamentally boils down to loving God and loving people. So if you really love Jesus, you’ll grow in love for one another. But that’s not always an easy thing to do. We desperately need direction, wholeness, and courage from Jesus to do that well. We cannot do it on our own, which brings us to the next point. God’s Love of Us: The

In this passage from John 14:1-14, we find the disciples troubled by news that Jesus is leaving. How could they ever go on without Jesus? But as Jesus shows them, his departure means more of the love of God, not less.   Jesus offers us four things as He departs:   A Loving Home: Our true home is to abide in love with God forever. What makes Heaven, heaven, is not the location but who is there--God. It’s not about where you are, it’s who you’re with. A Loving Path: In the 6th “I AM” statement in Scripture, Jesus calls Himself “The Way.” If you want to know the way to God the Father, look no further than in the person of Jesus. The way to God seems narrow, but it’s about a love relationship with the Father through the mutual opening of hearts to one another. God has opened wide the door of His heart in Jesus. Jesus is the only way to the Father’s heart. A Loving God: The Triune God exists as a community of eternally-loving, self-donative, and mutually-indwelling persons too one to be many and too many

In this passage from Acts 1, we find the last recorded words of Jesus before His ascension. These words should be the heartbeat for Christians in fulfilling the task given to the Church. Dr. Greenway challenges us to rethink our mission and missions if we are going to be found faithful in 2021.   Why is the Great Commission, from verse 8, reiterated five times throughout the gospels? Jesus knew how easy it is for us to become distracted and diverted from what is a priority for the Christian Church today. Jesus directly challenges the mentality that “missions is for someone else.”   If we are to “be the church,” we must realize that we are all called to bring the good news of the gospel to others. Failure to do so is nothing short of sin.   Acts 1:1-11

How can we possibly believe in the extravagant claims of Christianity when so much of everyday life appears to tell a different story? How can we speak of victory when truth, beauty, life, and justice seem to be so scare?   In this sermon by special guest Dr. Michael Thate, we explore the story of Jesus before Pontius Pilate and the religious leaders. In this scene, we see several examples of how to live victoriously in the face of darkness.   We'll find that our daily struggles can be viewed through a new lens because our victory in Christ is secure.   John 18:33–19:11

When a film director wants the audience to focus in on the magnitude of what’s happening in a scene, they will often bring the shot in close and slow everything down. That’s kind of what John is doing for us in chapters 13-17.   Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples just hours before his crucifixion the following day. John wants us to focus on the magnitude of what’s happening, and to see everything. By doing so, we're able to reflect on three astonishing realities:   Jesus' Full Awareness: In this account, it's easy to notice just how fully aware and in command Jesus appears. He knew Hew was going to be betrayed and crucified; He sees the pain that's coming and faces it head on. This is astonishing courage. Have you ever stopped to think that Jesus really knows how painful and broken this world really is? Jesus knows how hurtful life really is. Jesus' Family Resemblance: At the very heart of this passage in John is Jesus' commandment to the disciples to love one another. There's nothing news

In this passage from John 13:1-17, we see a profound demonstration of Jesus' servant heart. This scene takes place during Jesus’ last meal with the disciples. It's Thursday evening of Holy Week, just hours before his crucifixion the following day. As the story unfolds, Jesus washes the disciple's feet. It’s moving and touching to us today, but in first-century Palestine it was, shocking, radical, and scandalous.   The story shows us three characteristics at the very heart of Jesus: The Humbling Servant: Jesus knows that the Father has given all things into His hands, and that he's the greatest person in the room. But what does he do? He takes off his garments, wraps a towel around his waist, and washes feet. He willingly, voluntarily, and humbly takes on the role of the lowliest slave. The humility demonstrated by Jesus is humbling for us. The Cleansing Redeemer: There are dimensions to this foot washing that Peter can't accept. So, Jesus shifts his response to Peter from physical cleansing to spiritua

On Easter we traditionally look at one of the Gospel accounts of that glorious morning when the disciples discovered the empty tomb and realized that Jesus had risen from the dead. But this Easter we break with tradition.   In this sermon we explore at an event that took place just a couple weeks prior to Jesus’ own resurrection when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. It’s a story that shows us the three significant points about the resurrection of Jesus and its relevance for us today: the resurrection near, there, and here: The Resurrection Near: Jesus is the key to resurrection life. This is an audacious claim; Jesus doesn’t say that he has the keys to resurrection life, but that his is the resurrection life. Either he’s raving mad or he’s lying through his teeth; or, he is exactly who he claimed to be. The Resurrection and the Life come near to us in the person of Jesus. The Resurrection There: Jesus is the key to resurrection life beyond death. When most of us think of death, we either deny it or

As we begin Holy Week, this passage in John gives us four vivid portraits of Jesus. The last moments of Jesus’ public ministry recorded for us in the Gospel of John. These four portraits are unmistakably vivid so that everyone may know just who this Jesus really is.   The King of Israel: Our 1st Portrait of Jesus comes from the out-of-town crowds who traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. We see Jesus riding into town on a donkey. What on earth is Jesus doing here? Kings don’t ride adolescent donkeys. Donkeys are service animals for grunt work, bearing burdens, hauling refuse. Kings don’t ride donkeys! Jesus rode this young donkey to make a statement, and to fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. Because Jesus is the King of Israel! But he did not come as the people expected. This King comes not to crush his enemies, but to be crushed by them; not to mow them down, but that they might mow him down; not to strike, but to be struck; not to pierce, but to be pierced. The Savior of the World: Our 2nd

One of the scariest realities in the Gospels is how close you can be to Jesus and miss him entirely. Chapter after chapter, we see that Jesus was right there with the Pharisees, but they missed Him. He was calling, but they didn't hear Him. He was shining in glory, but they didn't see Him.   These stories are a warning. You can be moral. You can be religious. You can go to religious gatherings. You can give to the poor. You can do good. You can be well thought of. You can hang around authentic disciples, listen to the finest sermons, and even hold a leadership position.   You can be that close to Jesus and still miss Him entirely. His glory can be right there in front of you, and you don’t even see it.   On the other hand, there’s Mary, who, as we’ll see in this passage from John, in loving abandon, lavishly anointed Jesus’ feet with a priceless perfume in adoration, gratitude, awe, and worship of Jesus.   Everyone can meet the same Jesus, but there can be wildly different responses. Mary truly encoun

This passage is one of the most gripping and glorious scenes in the Bible as Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from the dead.  This story ends in glorious clarity of Jesus’ powerful love, but it begins with cloudy gloom and disorienting confusion.   This story opens and Lazarus is gravely ill, and so they call for Jesus. They expect Jesus to drop everything and come save his friend. But that’s not what Jesus does, and they are disoriented.   Have you ever been there? Have you ever prayed your guts out only to find yourself disappointed with God?   What do we do when God doesn’t make sense?    Ten anchors for the soul when God doesn’t make sense.   God is working always for His glory and our good. God will sometimes lovingly disappoint us. Jesus gladly risks his life for his friends. Nothing is beyond hope in the hands of Jesus. Jesus is life from beyond the walls of the world. God weeps with us. Doubt is a natural companion to grief. God’s ways are not our ways. Resurrection is just

Many of us like Jesus—who he was, what he did, how he loved others—but we struggle with his claims of deity. These are edgy claims that catch everyone off guard. What are we to do with Jesus’ unexpected, extraordinary claims?   In this passage from John 10, we find four dimensions of the unexpected that reveal the heart of Jesus: Unexpected Feast: The setting of the story begins at the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, and themes of this feast are themes of confrontation: blasphemy, consecration, light, and worship. These are the very points of contention in the conversation that Jesus has in the story with the Pharisees. The irony is that it is the Pharisees who are in fact blaspheming, because by refusing to acknowledge God’s own son revealed before their eyes, they are blaspheming Jesus. Unexpected Clarity: The unexpected feast leads to unexpected clarity. Responding to requests for clarity about his words, Jesus identifies two pillars of his witness—his words and his works. Jesus then makes an unmi

One of the unique features of the Gospel of John is the attention he gives to the seven “I AM” statements Jesus uttered. In each of these seven statements, Jesus is recorded as saying the phrase ego eimi – “I AM”. This is the Greek translation of the Hebrew YHWH, meaning “I AM Who I AM” from Exodus 3:14. These are purposeful statements hinting at Jesus’ deity.   In this passage from John 10, Jesus gives us two more “I AM” statements: “I am the Door of the sheep,” and “I am the Good Shepherd.” What on earth does He mean?   Pastor Philip explored three insights into Jesus as our Good Shepherd:   1) The Shepherd’s Provision: In this analogy, Jesus is the Shepherd and we are the sheep. This may seem unflattering, because sheep are notoriously vulnerable animals. But the point for us today is that sheep need a shepherd to thrive, and we need a Shepherd to thrive as well. A Shepherd provides three important things for us: significance, security, and satisfaction. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who offers the good