Easter Season, March 24, 2024

It's time for the Champions in Christ broadcast with Rhonda Harrison on 1017

Bay FM.

Good morning and welcome to Champions in Christ. We thank you so much for listening.

Praise the Lord as we're in this Easter season and the most we get to celebrate

the most glorious time of the year and that is remembering the resurrection of

Jesus Christ and reliving those moments and it continues to go on all that he

did the fruit the fruit the fruit continues why because that was his plan

all along he loves each and every one of you and me he loves us all so very much

he loves us in spite of ourselves he loves us whether we're pleasing him or

not it doesn't change his love for us doesn't mean he agrees with us but it

doesn't change his love for us and so we want to get into the word today we're

going to start we're going to start over in John chapter 18 and we're going to

John 18 · chapter mention

begin when Jesus had spoke these words he went forth with his disciples over

the brook of of C drawn key drawn where there was a garden into which he entered

and and his disciples and Judas also which betrayed him knew the place for

Jesus oftentimes went there with his disciples and Judas then having received

a band of men and officers the chief priests and the Pharisees came with

lanterns torches and weapons they were looking for Jesus last week we talked

about how they had a plan to kill him a plot to kill him and Jesus therefore

knowing all things that should come upon him went forth and said to them who are

you looking for who do you seek and they said Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus said

to him said to them I am he and Judas also which betrayed him stood with them

and as soon then as he is said unto them I am they fell backwards to the ground

what was that that was the power of God you know there are times when the

presence and power of God can come on you so much that you do fall to the

ground just as these men did when Jesus speaks he's it's alive it's beautiful

and it's powerful and Jesus said I've told you I am he if therefore you seek

me let these go their way he was talking about his disciples then that's saying

might be fulfilled which he spoke of them which you gave me I have lost none

and then Simon Peter having a sword drew smote the high priest servant and cut

off his right ear the servant's name was Malchus he cut off his ear you know

Peter thought I'm gonna defend you Lord you know Peter loved Jesus but he didn't

understand that Jesus came to die he still wasn't quite getting the whole

picture and so he was defending him and Jesus turned to Peter and said put up

your sword in the sheath and the cup which my father has given me shall I not

drink it in other words don't distract me I have to fulfill the plan and the

purpose the mission and that's what God wants you to do to to fulfill your plan

your purpose your mission in life then the band and the captains and the

officer of the Jews took Jesus and bound him and they let him away to Anna's

first for he was father he was father-in-law to Caiaphas which was the

high priest that same year now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews

that it was expedient that no one should that that one which died for the people

and Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple and the disciples

known into the high priest went to Jesus and to the palace of the high priest and

so we're going to for time sake skip on over and we're going to continue on down

where you know Pilate is trying you know they're bringing him before Pilate

because they couldn't condemn him so the Jews are bringing him before Pilate and

Pilate said take him and judge him according to your law and the Jews said

unto him it is not law for for us to put any man to death with that saying that

Jesus might be fulfilled which was spoken signifying what death he should die

Pilate entered the judgment hall and called Jesus and said to him are you the

king of the Jews and Jesus said you say is this thing of yourself or did others

tell you this of me and Pilate said am I a Jew your own nation your chief priest

have delivered you unto me you know he didn't know the difference between

religion and relationship Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world if my

kingdom were of this world then my servants would fight that I shouldn't be

delivered to the Jews but now is my kingdom not from here Pilate therefore

said are you a king then and he said you have said I am a king to this end was I

born and for this cause I came into the world that I should bear witness unto

the truth everyone that is of the truth here's my voice that's right if you are

of the Lord you hear the voice of God Pilate said to him what is truth and

when he had said this he went out again to the Jews and said I find no fault in

him but you have a custom I should release unto you a Passover one person

will it therefore I release unto you the king of the Jews he was trying to you

know let Jesus go but they cried out and said not this man but Barabbas

Barabbas was a robber chapter 19 then Pilate therefore took Jesus and

scourged him let's talk about this for a minute he beat him 39 times with the cat

of nine tails which was a like a leather rope with metal in it pieces of metal and

it would rip the skin the blood the the muscle out of the back of those they

scorched and he whipped him 39 times which was prophesied that that's how

many times that he would whip him and the soldiers plated or made a crown of

thorns big thick thorns and they put it on his head and pressed it into him so

the pain had to be unbelievable but God gave him strength through the pain and

he said hail the king of Jews and they smote him they hit him with their hands

Pilate therefore went forth again and said behold I bring him forth before you

that you may know that I find no fault in him you know I want to stop right here

because in Isaiah 52 14 it says as many were astonished at him for his visage

was marred he was beaten so bad and hit so bad that he was unrecognizable his

the swelling and all that takes place in the body when you get brutally brutally

just beaten that's how much he did and he was sinless for you and me he

committed no sin he deserved none of it but because of you and I because of the

love he had for people and he wanted that relationship to continue with us

eternally he went ahead and did it for the joy set before him hallelujah for the

joy set before him I tell you God is a good God he is a great God so we're

going to continue when the chief priests therefore the officers said cried out

crucify him crucify him Pilate said take you take him and crucify him and I find

no fault in them and the Jesus answered and said we have a law by our law he ought

to die because he made himself the son of God he didn't make himself the son of

God he was a son of God when Pilate therefore heard that saying he was more

afraid and when again in the judgment hall and said to Jesus who are you but

Jesus gave him no answer then Pilate said unto him speak you not unto me know

you not that I have the power to crucify you and to have the power to

release you and this is what Jesus said you would have no power at all against

me except it were given unto you from above therefore he that delivers me

unto you has he that delivered me unto you has the greater sin and from then

forth Pilate sought to release him but G the Jews cried out if you let this man

go aren't you Caesar's friend whoever makes himself a king speaks against

Caesar and Pilate therefore heard this saying and brought Jesus forth and sat

down in the judgment seat place called the pavement but in Hebrew Gabba and it

was the preparation of the Passover about six hours and he said into the Jews

Jews behold your king but they cried out away with him away with him crucify

him Pilate sent into them shall I crucify your king the chief priest said

we have no king but Caesar and they delivered he him therefore unto them

and they took Jesus and let him away and he bearing his cross went forth in a

place the place of the skull which is called in Hebrew Galgotha when they

crucified him the other two were with him on either side Jesus in the midst of

him and the pilot wrote a title and put it on the cross and the writing was

Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews this title that read many of the Jews for the

place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and it was written in Hebrew

Greek and Latin then said the chief priest of the Jews to Pilate right not

the king of the Jews but he said right I am king of the Jews Pilate said what

I've written I've written then the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus

took his garments and made four parts to every soldier apart and his coat and

now his coat was without seam woven from top throughout and they said therefore

among themselves let us not tear it but cast lots for it what shall who shall it

be that the scripture might be fulfilled they parted my raiment among them for my

vesture they did cast lots and these things therefore soldiers did you know

all of this was prophesied in the Old Testament hundreds and hundreds of years

before and it came true exactly as it was written you know that again just gives

you another verification of how true God's word is how you can trust what he

says because what he said and this is historically written as well if you read

the the writings of Josephus or any of the historical writings back in the day

in Israel you will find this all took place it all took place so we're going

to continue on now there stood by the cross Jesus of Jesus his mother and his

mother's sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene and when Jesus

therefore saw his mother disciples standing by whom he loved talking about

John he said unto his mother woman behold your son and he said to this

disciple behold your mother and from that hour on the disciple took took her

home to his home after this Jesus knowing that all these things were

accomplished the scripture might be fulfilled he said I thirst and they set

a vessel of vinegar and filled it with the spot the sponge with vinegar and

put it up with his up and put it to his mouth when Jesus therefore had received

the vinegar he said it is finished he bowed his head and gave up the ghost so

Jesus on the cross the crucifixion nailed they nailed those nails in his

hands those nails in his feet they put that crown of thorns on him they beat

emersalously prior to the cross and then they shoved a spear in his side where

blood and water flowed well then the ground begins to shake everything goes

dark in the middle of the day and the power of God begins to move you know I

want you to understand the sacrifice that God made for you and for me by

giving his only begotten son that who shall ever believes on him shall have

everlasting life you know in Isaiah 53 5 and 6 prophesied many years many

700 years before it says he was despised and rejected of men a man of

sorrows acquainted with grief we hit him we hit it as it were our faces from him

he was despised and we did not appreciate him surely he is born our

griefs and carried our sorrows or sicknesses and carried our pains we did

esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he Jesus was wounded for

our transgressions bruised for our iniquities the chastisement the payment

for our peace was upon him and with his stripes we were healed praise God we were

healed you know this was written so many years ago yet it came true and it's

true today you know in John 14 6 Jesus says I am the way I am the truth and I

am the life nobody comes to the father but by me for God so loved the world he

gave his only begotten son that who shall ever believes on him shall have

eternal life I want you to press into these songs and just meditate on the

Lord think about his goodness think about that sacrifice he made you know he

cried out on the cross in Luke 23 24 father forgive them for they know not

what they do and I just want you to think about that what you think about the

pain and all that he went through for you for you that you could be forgiven

that you could be a new creation in Christ he loves you so much we have so

much to thank him for we have so much to thank him for and I just want you to

think about that and listen to this song because he gives us a free gift and

I'll come right back in just a couple minutes

everything changed it's getting harder to recognize the person I was before I

encountered I don't walk like I used to I don't talk like I used to I've been

washed from the inside I've been washed from the inside

I know it was the blood I know it was the blood

I cannot explain nothing's more real than this in the presence of God my heart

experience my shame at the wayside my sin met the most high I was washed from the

inside I was washed from the inside out

I know it was the blood I know it was the blood

could have only been the blood could have only been your blood

so let it wash over let it wash over me it's never been about performance perfection

or striving for acceptance let me tell you it's only by the blood it's never been

about deserving or earning it's a gift it's freely given let me tell you it's

only by the blood does anybody want to be holy righteous purified and

let me tell you it's only by the blood does anybody want to be worthy just

if I really let me tell you it's only by the blood

could have only been the blood Hallelujah Hallelujah I know it was the blood

could have only been the blood

only been

what can I say thank you is not Jesus your grace your mercy poured out for us I

will love you forever here on earth into heaven I've been washed from the inside I've been washed from the inside out

I've been washed from the inside out

I'll

how precious how generous your blood poured out for us how precious how

generous we remember you paid it in for you paid it in blood you paid it for us Jesus

we sin

grace and flows like a river washing over me

fount of heaven love of Christ

over for come on we sin thank you Jesus

sent me free thank you Lord Christ my Savior rescued me take this

life

holyn dirty

See your kingdom come.

Thank you, Jesus.

Set me free.

Christ my Savior.

You rescued me.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

Set me free.

Christ my Savior.

You rescued me.

Jesus, lift your name, oh God.

We worship you, Jesus.

We're like you, Lord.

Jesus.

Come on with one voice tonight.

We sing it out.

You lift it up.

You've given me life.

You've opened my eyes.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

You've entered my heart.

You've set me apart.

I love you, Lord.

Let's sing it out.

You've given me life.

You've opened my eyes.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

You've entered my heart.

You've set me apart.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

Jesus.

Jesus.

We worship you, Jesus.

We worship you, Jesus.

You've given me life.

You've opened my eyes.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

You've entered my heart.

You've set me apart.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

You've given me life.

You've opened my eyes.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

You've entered my heart.

You've set me apart.

I love you, Lord.

I love you, Lord.

We sing.

Thank you, Jesus.

You set me free.

Christ my Savior.

You've rescued me.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

You set me free.

Christ my Savior.

Christ my Savior.

You've rescued me.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Come on, if you've got something to be thankful for tonight, why don't you lift your voice? Let's praise God in His presence.

Come on.

Let's lift Him up.

He's given us life, His salvation, His power, His freedom.

Come on, let's raise a roof in this place tonight.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you for everything you've done.

Thank you for dying on that cross.

Thank you for rising again.

Thank you, Lord.

You are the resurrection and the life.

And Lord, we offer, we surrender our heart to You today in Jesus' name.

We give our life afresh to You, and we ask You to cleanse us, forgive us, and thank You for filling us again with Your Holy Spirit.

If you prayed that prayer today and you received Jesus, or if you rededicated your life, if you'd like a new Bible, you can connect with us at championsinchrist3.com.

That's championsinchrist3.com.

We want you to go out and make it a great day.

God loves you.

We love you.

And Jesus is Lord.

And we also want you to know that you are a champion in Christ.

Amen.