“The Hour Has Come” (Part 1 of 2)

March 11, 2026·25 min·2 clips

How did death on a cross become a symbol of power and triumph instead of ultimate defeat?

1. Truth For Life presents Alistair Begg's two-part sermon titled 'The Hour Has Come,' an exposition of John 17:1-5, the opening verses of Jesus' high priestly prayer. 2. Host Bob Lepine introduces the episode; Alistair Begg is the teaching pastor of Truth For Life, and the episode is read by Bob Lepine in the outro. 3. The central question of the episode is how the crucifixion — a Roman execution — glorified God and became a symbol of power and triumph rather than defeat. 4. Begg reads Ephesians 1:1-14 as the opening scripture before turning to John 17:1-5, which functions as the primary text. 5. Begg cites Archbishop William Temple's description of John 17 as 'the holy of holies of the New Testament,' and says every analytical attempt to frame the chapter 'inevitably bows before simply reverence and awe.' 6. He traces the phrase 'the hour has come' across six prior occurrences in John's Gospel: the wedding at Cana (ch. 2), two arrest attempts (ch. 7 and ch. 8), John 12:23, and the present verse in chapter 17. 7. Begg argues that the crucifixion represents the 'pivotal event of all of human history,' placing it above 1776 and fifteenth-century Scottish independence from Edward II as comparators. 8. He introduces Pilate's question 'What is truth?' from John 18:38 as a representative statement of contemporary relativism — the view that there is no ultimate truth, no absolute morality, and no creator God. 9. Begg uses Ephesians 2 to frame the human condition outside Christ as 'dead in trespasses and sins' — not merely incomplete or purposeless, but incapable of responding to God. 10. He argues from Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 1 that humanity's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and that the universal failure to do this is what Romans 3:23 calls 'falling short of the glory of God.' 11. Begg redefines sin as not primarily about individual acts but about the universal orientation toward self-glory rather than God's glory, a reframing he says is necessary to understand the gospel. 12. He notes from forty-one years of ministry that 'respectable people do not regard themselves as sinners' because they identify sin with acts they haven't committed, rather than with the fundamental misdirection of glory. 13. Begg argues that the gospel is therefore not 'an appeal to our better instincts' but the announcement of what God has done for those who are spiritually dead and deaf. 14. He cites John 6:38 and John chapters 7 and 8 to show that Jesus consistently attributed his words and works to the Father, not to himself — 'I'm not operating a solo program here.' 15. Turning to Colossians 2:13-15, Begg explains that at the cross God cancels the 'record of debt that stood against us' and 'disarms the rulers and authorities, putting them to open shame by triumphing over them all.' 16. He identifies two specific ways the Father is glorified in the crucifixion: God's power is displayed and his justice is established — sin is punished rather than dismissed. 17. The sermon's tone is scholarly and conversational, with occasional dry humour and a willingness to name contemporary challenges to Christian truth claims directly. 18. Begg preaches with awareness of a mixed audience, repeatedly addressing those who might find Christianity interchangeable with self-help or Buddhism. 19. The outro includes a listener testimonial from Haley of San Diego, who describes coming to faith from a Jewish background in South Africa fifteen years earlier, and information about the Truth For Life app. 20. This episode is the first of two parts; the conclusion, covering the immensity of what Jesus secured for believers, will follow in the next episode.

As heard by us

A steady reading of the cross as glory, not defeat.

Alistair Begg keeps the cross at the center and treats it as the point where defeat turns into glory. He stays with Jesus' purpose and the reason the hour had to come, which gives the message a steady focus instead of drifting into general reflection.

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Why you'd press play

If you want the cross explained as glory, not defeat.

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