3/25 Sermon: Jesus in His Own Words, Part 1

Last Sunday...which was also Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem...senior pastor Philip Griffin of Gainesville's Family Church began a new series titled Jesus in His Own Words.  This message focused on his words "I am he", using the passage John 18:1-11, which you can click on and read via Bible Gateway.  In it, Jesus is about to be betrayed by Judas and arrested, and his statement not only identifies himself from the crowd, but also reveals his divine nature, as Philip makes clear.  Bible translations often quote him as saying "I am he", but in essence Jesus is saying "I AM"...staking the claim that he is the great I AM God of the Old Testament.  In this, Pastor Philip stated that one cannot sit on the fence: as C.S. Lewis once wrote, Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic...or Lord.  When Jesus speaks this "I am" in the presence of the arresting soldiers, they all fall down...no one can stand in the presence of God's glory.  But when Peter dashes forward, in his own mind trying to defend Jesus, and lops off a priest's servant's ear, Jesus restores the ear and rebukes him, revealing that his mission is to give his life so that those who believe, confess, and repent may have a living relationship with God through him and eternal life.  So as our pastor outlined, Jesus demonstrated in his words his claim to be one with God, his power that greatly dwarfs that of man-made armies, and his mission of personal sacrifice for us.  That's pretty remarkable, isn't it?

You can watch this message through the church's YouTube video website...click on the following link: TFC Video.  The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, regularly meets for its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30 with the sermon, praise and worship music, prayer, and opportunities for fellowship, learning, and discipleship.  This coming Sunday is Easter, and there will be an extra service held at 7:15 AM.