Monthly Archives: February 2026

Three Years That Changed the World – He is Risen Just As He Said

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 22

He is Risen – Just as He Said

(Jesus in John 20)

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and subsequently arrested by representatives of the chief priests and elders, He voluntarily submitted to be taken to trial before the Sanhedrin (The governing body of Jewish Temple). Jesus did this as it was a fulfillment of what the Old Testament prophets spoke of (read – Isaiah 53). This was all a part of God’s plan. The initial accusations and charges didn’t rise to the level of requiring death, but when the high priest asked Jesus; “are you the Messiah, the Son of God? It was His response that provides the answer to Why the Resurrection? “You have said so, Jesus replied. But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). To the Jewish leaders who heard this response by Jesus, they considered it blasphemy, for to them Jesus was declaring himself to be equal with God. However, their method of punishment for such a claim was to stone the person to death. This was not the plan of God but instead Jesus would be presented before a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate who ultimately would pronounce judgement to crucify Him. As such, hundreds, if not thousands would witness the horrendous punishment inflicted by the Roman soldiers upon Jesus (a fulfillment of what the prophets foretold) and ultimately nailed Him to the cross because God willed it so. At any point, Jesus could have called the entire host of angels to stop such a cruel punishment, but He voluntarily submitted Himself to die for the sins of the world. Jesus was nailed to the cross and there were sufficient witnesses to that fact – four gospel accounts, 27 New Testament books, hundreds and probably thousands who witnessed the crucifixion and death. After His death, Jesus was placed in a tomb. The religious leaders went to great extremes to ensure His body stayed there and even had a stone rolled in front of the opening of the tomb to ensure his body could not be stolen. Well, 3 days later Jesus rose from the dead, because He is God and to fulfill what He told His disciples He would do. Now, there have been plenty of doubters and skeptics from then until now who claim it didn’t happen. To deny the resurrection doesn’t mean it didn’t happen but the evidence that it did happen is overwhelming! You will have to read the attached lesson to see for yourself and if I didn’t cover it thorough enough – read the Bible for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Consider this:

Why the Resurrection? Because that was always God’s plan to redeem fallen man and ransom us from eternal separation from the One who created us. All He asks is that we trust and believe Him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18)

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10)

He is Risen Just as He Said – Jesus in John 20Download

Three Years That Changed the World – Death on a Cross

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 21

Death on a Cross

(Jesus in John 19)

When I embarked on this study – “Three Years That Changed The World”, primarily focusing on the Gospel of John – I knew that this chapter (John 19) would be the most difficult of them all as it describes the detail of the death of Jesus on the cross. It also brings to mind as to who is truly responsible for the death of Jesus on the cross. Was it the Jewish religious leaders, was it Pilate, or was it the Roman government as a whole?

While it’s true that all 3 groups listed above played a significant role in the actual crucifixion itself, the real reason all of this took place was God’s predetermined plan to create a way for Jesus to take on the sins of all those who would believe in him and create a path of redemption through his shed blood on the cross they crucified him on. Jesus was not a victim, and his death was not because of any scheme of man, it was because the Father willed it so. How do we know this:

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:22-24)

As we see from John’s description of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, it saddens my heart to read the vehement and cruel animosity the religious leaders had toward Jesus. Even Pilate attempts to lessen the punishment by declaring Jesus to be innocent but he is unsuccessful in stopping their cries to crucify him.

So the question of the day is – “Why the Cross”? Because we are all sinners and our sin separates us from a Holy and Righteous God; “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The only one who could bridge that gap between fallen man and God is Jesus Christ; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8),  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18). It is your choice to believe!

Death on a Cross – Jesus in John 19Download

Three Years That Changed the World – Betrayal in the Garden

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 20

Betrayal in the Garden

(Jesus in John 18)

Jesus finished his teaching time with his disciples (John 13-17):

  1. He taught them to serve (John 13)
  2. He comforted and encouraged them (John 14)
  3. He taught them to lean into him, abide in him, obey him and to love him (John 15)
  4. He prepared them for what was about to take place with not just himself (death on a cross) but also the persecution they would face (John 16)
  5. He taught them how to pray (John 17)

After Jesus finished praying, he and the disciples left Jerusalem, then cross the Kidron Valley, and head to the western slope of the Mount of Olives where they will visit the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus frequented this area to teach his disciples and to pour out his heart to the Father. It will be Judas who betrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and his personal knowledge of its significance will aid Judas as he guides the religious leaders in arresting Jesus there. It is sad to think that Judas (a trusted friend) will betray Jesus in this sacred place, but Judas, who is motivated by greed, seems to care more for himself than anything else.

There is an interesting parallel to another garden mentioned in the Bible – the Garden of Eden, where a different type of betrayal occurred.

The Garden of Eden

  1. A beautiful place where God walked and communed directly with Adam and Eve
  2. A perfect place of intimacy between God and his creation
  3. A place where Satan tempted Eve to betray God (commit sin) and led Adam to do the same

The Garden of Gethsemane

  1. A sacred place where Jesus communed with his Father
  2. A quiet place where Jesus often taught his disciples and shared his deepest thoughts
  3. A place where Satan led Judas to betray Jesus

The remainder of John 18 tells the story of the arrest of Jesus, his 3 religious trials and his 3 civil trials, along with Peter’s denial of Jesus, not just once but 3 times.

It is worthwhile to stop and remind ourselves that, despite the hatred, jealousy and evil desires that the Jewish religious leaders had toward Jesus, they were only capable of pulling off this sham trial and ultimately the most vile and criminal death sentence ever brought against an innocent man, because God allowed it. This plot to kill Jesus had been in the works for some time (John 5:18) but now in God’s timing he permitted Judas to betray him and hand him over to the religious leaders so they could carry out their plans to silence Jesus. Sadly, Pilate is unable to stop the vehement and vicious hatred the religious leaders had for Jesus, and as we will see in the next chapter, they will cry out – “crucify him”!

Betrayal in the GardenDownload