Welcome to Studies with Stearman.

Join us as we look deeper into the Bible.

Strengthen your faith with us, even as we see the day approaching.

And now, here's Gary.

We're going to be in John chapter 18 this morning.

Usually when we talk about the period surrounding Christ's resurrection,

traditionally, we've talked about Christ as typified in the elements of the Passover,

how the Passover Seder speaks of Christ's complete finished work. And we do Christ

in the Passover year after year. This year we're going to do something completely different.

And I think that you'll find it as I did, rather an amazing truth, that we have not studied

before. John 14, 15, 16, 17, Christ's words to his disciples, a continuing discourse. When he answered

the disciples' tough questions, when he described the relationship that his people would have

to him, when he described what was about to happen to him and to them. And he said,

The world hated me. It's going to hate you. His prediction of his own death and resurrection

in the 16th chapter. And then in the 17th chapter, which we studied last week, Christ prayed for

himself. He prayed for his disciples. He prayed for all who would ever come to believe.

His prayer was crowned in John 1723 where he said, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.

Speaking of that metaphoric, metaphysical relationship that we have with the Father through Christ that is completely

beyond our understanding. And what's amazing is that when John writes, he writes four chapters

of Jesus continuing monologue. Jesus talks without ceasing, and then they're in the garden. Jesus is arrested,

and from that point on, he says practically nothing. He answers a few direct questions, but he has

said, essentially, all he's going to say. Verse 26 of chapter 17 says, and I have declared unto them

...