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“The Final Call" • 11.24.19 • Calvary
Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- As we have noted, John has focused our
attention upon the final week of Christ's life. To the astute observer, there
has been no attempt by God to hide the Lord's identity.
- Jesus has come into the city on the very day that
Daniel predicted He would in Daniel 9:24, 25, in the very manner
that Zechariah prophecied in Zechariah 9:9, as the King ascending in
peace!
- Jesus is the greater David, offering peace to
His subjects. At the same time, having entered on the Sunday prior to Passover,
He enters in as the ultimate and true Passover Lamb of God!
- The Jews were instructed to keep their lambs
between the 10th and 14th, for the purpose of examination to determine fitness
for sacrifice. (Exodus 12:3-6)
- Jesus has entered into Jerusalem just in time
to fulfill that picture. God has not been subtle and what we have before us, is
Christ's final public call to the Jewish nation to believe upon Him.
- Let's pick it up where we left off and pray
to understand our Savior's heart! Verse 20.
Text
• John 12:20-22 : "Now there were certain Greeks among
those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was
from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' Philip came and told Andrew, and in
turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus." : There isn't a consensus regarding the
identity of these "Greeks." They have come to worship God at this
Passover feast.
- John gives first contact credit to Phillip
the Galilean. Since the Galilee was more a melting pot of cultural interchange
than Judea, it's fitting that these people would come to him.
- Listen to their request: "Sir, we wish
to see Jesus!" "Seeing" speaks of coming to perceive, to
understand beyond the surface level. The Blue Letter Bible evens offers the
word "inspect."
- We applaud these Greeks, as we wish to
understand Jesus as well! For Phillip's part, he doesn't seem sure of what to
do until he speaks with Andrew.
- Can you hear Andrew approaching the Lord?
"Jesus, these men want to understand who you are? What will you tell them?"
Verse 23.
• John 12:23,24 : "But Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come that the Son of
Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into
the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." : We aren't told of the
meeting, but we are told of the substance of what was said. Jesus said,
"You want to understand who I am? Here's where you start!"
- Throughout the book of John, we've noted that
the Lord often spoke of "the hour" that had not yet come. (John
2:4, 7:6, 7:30 and 8:20) That hour was now here and He would be glorified.
- What did they think it meant to be honored
and esteemed? I'd imagine they had visions of a throne and the reign of a
greater King David. Jesus relates His glory to His own death!
- He was going to be honored, held in His
proper esteem, but it would not come via the ways of men! His glory would not
come from avoiding death and shame, but by conquering it once and for all!
- Jesus offers an illustration that would have
been commonplace in agrarian Israel. When one looked at wheat, it was easy to
assign value to it, but, prior to it's flower, there was only a seed.
- A single grain goes into the ground and it
ceases to exist in it's current form. It's death gives rise to an astounding
amount of wheat, comparable to it's original size.
- The Lord's death and resurrection would allow
Him to be the first among many brethren to experience the same! His death will
open the door for His people to conquer death as well!
- Lazarus was a picture of His power to raise
the dead, but we will not be like Lazarus because He died again! We will be
like Jesus, who raised from death, NEVER to die again!
- That is the harvest of people that Jesus
refers to! What kind of people are they? What makes them like Him? Verse 25.
• John 12:25,26 : "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I
am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will
honor." : Consider
that paradox. He who loves his life will lose it. The person that looks at this
life and is bent upon what is best for this life will lose their real life.
- Conversely, the one that hates the life that
is found in this world, will keep their true life for eternity! That is the
type of person that Christ produces! Understand that Jesus is using hyperbole.
- Love and hate are words that express decisive
action. Relative to their love for eternal life, a person will seem to hate
this life. Their loyalty to eternal values will make them seem indifferent!
- Like their Master, the one that is related to
Christ sees life's best expression in concert with God's will. They value what
the Father values and will see beyond the values of this life.
- This is the thought behind the heart of the
Apostle Paul, who looked at all of the accolades of this life as
"rubbish" in the light of knowing Jesus! (Philippians 3:7,8)
- This person lives for eternal life and finds
their greatest joy in attending to the Lord's will. If that person chooses to
do that, He will follow the Lord and will be with Him where He is.
- Ultimately, that is the joy of serving the
Lord. The reward is not what is given to you, but who you get to enjoy it with!
While we do not serve for a reward, remember that the Lord doesn't forget.
- The Lord's servant will not be honored by the
world for choosing things of eternal value over those things which are
temporal. But the promise is that God will honor that man!
- What does it cost a person emotionally to
honor the Lord in such a way? Verse 27.
• John 12:27-30 : "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?
‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for
this purpose I came to this hour. Father,
glorify Your name.' Then a voice came from heaven, saying, 'I have both glorified it
and will glorify it again.' Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had
thundered. Others said, 'An angel has spoken to Him.' Jesus answered and said, 'This voice did not come because of Me, but for
your sake." : No
matter how spiritual we are, remember that we live in a fallen world that will
neither congratulate or celebrate us!
- We want to be like Jesus and for those that
are interested, look at His demeanor. Look at what it cost Him. "Now, my
soul is troubled!" Jesus is agitated, restless and anxious.
- As a servant of His Father, what is He
supposed to say? He can't ask the Father to spare Him because His entire reason
for coming to this planet was to suffer for His people! He must endure!
- Jesus was not stoic or disengaged from what
it would cost Him to completely obey His Father's plan. We might say He was
becoming panicked over what He knew was about to take place!
- If you are to serve the Father, to honor His
will, the decision cannot be left to your feelings! Look at how our Lord
replies to His own emotional state. "Father, glorify Your Name!"
- Jesus models a full commitment to the glory,
the reputation of the Father's Name! We've discussed the word "glory"
before, as the weight of value.
- Essentially, our hearts are to be aimed at
acting in such a way that befits the actual value of our God, which enhances
His reputation upon the Earth.
- When Jesus said this out loud, the Father
responded to the Son. The people who stood by were introduced to the voice of
God which sounded as it once did upon Mt. Sinai.
- It was so intimidating then, that the people
of God asked Moses to speak God's Word! (Exodus 20:19) The people in the
Lord's time knew it was supernatural, perhaps an angel.
- One thing was certain: The voice didn't
pierce the sky for the sake of the Son, but as a witness to the people! What
did it signify? Verse 31.
• John 12:31-33 : "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.' This He said, signifying by what death He would die." : Remember that Jesus did not come into
the world to judge the world, but to save it!
- Jesus, God wrapped in flesh, offered Himself
and the world system refused to turn from it's own delight in wickedness and
sin. There is no need for further deliberation.
- The basis for judgment can be and is in fact,
determined, when the Savior of the World was finally rejected and crucified!
"But things remain as wicked and evil as they always were." True.
- God has imposed a sentence upon the World
system and in the right time, He will carry it out!
- In the meantime, the world believes it has
gotten away with murder, but the results are catastrophic. The World's ruler,
Satan, will be expelled, literally "thrown out" from his position.
- He no longer occupies the seat of authority,
even though he and his horde of demonic power continue to wield influence where
he is invited. Otherwise, he is a defeated foe!
- On the other side of the spectrum, there is
now hope, as there is a vehicle through which all the people living in the
shadow of the world system can find rescue.
- "If I am lifted up from the earth."
This is a euphemism for crucifixion, a word that was not spoken in polite
circles and not a method that the Jewish nation practiced against their own
people.
- This was a Roman means of execution and Jesus
is making it clear that He knows what is happening and will be submitting to
it. Only through that means will He draw all people to Himself!
- The cross will be the universal sign to all
that believe. Those that desire love, redemption, forgiveness and eternal life
will be compelled, drawn, indeed, dragged to the Christ of the Cross!
- This was a source of great confusion to the
people that were listening to Him. Verse 34.
• John 12:34-36 : "The people answered Him, 'We have
heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?' Then Jesus said to them, 'A little while longer the light is with you. Walk
while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may
become sons of light.' These things Jesus spoke, and departed,
and was hidden from them." : Remember that some of these people had just proclaimed Jesus to
be their King! There is nothing attractive to them about a crucified King!
- Portions of the law teach that the Messiah's
reign would remain forever. These were popular passages, but were not the only
passages about the Messiah.
- Like many Christians today, the Jewish people
chose to dwell upon and remember the promises that they liked, but did not
spend much time considering what they didn't like or understand.
- There are many verses that speak of the
Messiah's reign lasting through eternity. There are just as many verses which
speak of His suffering and these occur occasionally within a few chapters!
- The Jews are so intent upon not believing in
a suffering Messiah that they assumed that the Son of Man and the Messiah are
two different people! Jesus doesn't answer them.
- He doesn't take any time to teach them about
His two comings. In fact, He merely urges them to trust Him! It's as if there isn't
time to explain things more thoroughly!
- Understanding the "deeper" things
of theology, eschatology or any other "ology" will come after you
have dealt with your Christology! Jesus is telling them what they need to
believe!
- He was only going to be with them a few more
days! When you walk with Him, darkness has no chance to seize you! The picture
is of a predator that is on your tail, wanting to absorb you!
- Walking in the light, waling in Christ
protects and directs you! He looks at this crowd and calls them to believe, to
become sons of the Light!
- People who cling to Jesus, who love His Word
and who listen to His Spirit are never confounded for long. They are blessed to
walk with their understanding enlightened!
- As sons of light, we are given free access to
the light because we have believed in THE Light, Jesus Christ!
- Jesus finished speaking these things and
having left, was hidden from the crowd. The KJV says that He did "hide
Himself." Why would He do that after encouraging them to follow Him?
- Some might think that He was allowing them to
pursue after Him. They would say that "He hid Himself so they would expend
energy to follow." The explanation we get is in verse 37.
• John 12:37,38 : "But although He had done so many
signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled, which he spoke: 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'" : Verse 37 says it all. The signs that John has collated
for us are but a small sample relative to the signs that He actually performed.
- It didn't matter how great in scope or
quantity, the result among the nation was a failure to believe upon Him! Signs are meant to point people in a direction. Israel
failed to get to it's destination!
- Miracles alone will never ensure belief in
the Lord. His Word is powerful enough. Just ask the Rich Man who wanted to
return from Abraham's bosom after his death in order to spare his brothers.
- Abraham told him that if his brothers did not
believe Moses, who was read in every synagogue in Israel, that they would not
believe even if a man rose from the dead! (Luke 16:31)
- Besides, for those of us with faith, the
national Jewish response to Jesus was a matter of prophecy! Isaiah predicted
their response 700 years prior to the Lord's time.
- John, in quoting Isaiah 53:1, makes
the point that their refusal to believe was actually a proof of His
authenticity as the Suffering Servant!
- The NIV and NLT record this as "who has
believed our message?" Who had seen the arm, the symbol of God's might
unveiled in a more clear way than this generation!? Verse 39.
• John 12:39-41 : "Therefore they could not believe,
because Isaiah said again: 'He has
blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.' These
things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him." : Because they did not believe the
message nor discern the power of God's might, they did not have the power, the
ability, to put their trust in Jesus.
- When we look at these passages and understand
them in context, we begin to see the picture that was even stirring in the
times of Isaiah. John is quoting from Isaiah 6:9,10.
- Notice that Jesus
recognizes only one Isaiah and this was the passage that documented the
official call of the prophet into the ministry after the death of King Uzziah.
- Reading up to this passage, Isaiah has
already seen the wickedness of Israel in the present, but has also seen the
glorious re-establishment of the nation in the future.
- Why were they in this present condition?
Because they had rejected the knowledge of their holy, holy, holy God! They
forsook His laws and had become a culture dominated by idolatry.
- Consequently, they had moved, in the economy
of God's vision, beyond the ability to repent. Their judgment then was set. God
blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts!
- They could still physically see, but they
would not be able to connect what they saw with an action that would lead to
their healing!
- The same was true of the Jews at the time of
Jesus! They were able to see the works of God done by God Himself, but they
were not able to put the pieces together!
- They could acknowledge the power, but had no
power to turn that into a faith response toward Jesus! Unlike Isaiah, they
failed to see God's glory and were soon to be lost.
- When this became apparent to Jesus, He wept
over Israel, knowing that soon, within a 35 year span, their Temple would be
left desolate. (Luke 13:35)
- It would be more than a shame to repeat their
mistake! It would be a tragedy considering what you know this morning! If you
hear His voice, today is the day to trust it!
- As we consider their judgment nationally,
remember that this doesn't preclude individual members from embracing Him
personally. Verse 42.
• John 12:42,43 : "Nevertheless even among the rulers
many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him,
lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God." : John knows, several decades removed from the times that he is
writing about, that there were rulers, members of the Sanhedrin, that had put
their faith in Him.
- Nicodemus is the most famous of these men,
who confessed as much to the Lord when he came to meet him in John 3.
• John 3:2 : " This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know
that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do
unless God is with him.'" :
There is a certainty in Nicodemus' voice and he represents a fair amount of
men, but even they, with all of their clout, could not overcome their fear of
men!
- The Pharisees, the popular, back to the Bible
heroes of their day, exerted such influence, that these men would not confess
Jesus publically. The word means to "say the same thing."
- These rulers would believe in Him but would
not say of Him what He said of Himself! Even they could be ostracized from the
synagogue, turned away from fellowship.
- John lays out the shameful reason in verse 43:
"They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God!"
What a sad verdict! Listen to the ESV's translation.
• John 12:43 (ESV) : "for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory
that comes from God." :
Consider this carefully: Are you afraid to express your faith before men
because you would prefer the honor that men give over the glory that God can
give?
- Would you fail to glorify Christ to keep a
job? To remain popular? To keep the peace at the thanksgiving table? May it
never be said of us!
- How could that be a motivation to you? I ask
the question, but am keenly aware of the answer myself! When one considers this
logically, the action is far more irrational.
- The writer of the Proverbs warns all
of us that the fear of man is a snare, a trap! (Proverbs 29:25) How much
better is it to trust the Lord and look for the glory that He gives! Verse 44.
• John 12:44-48 : "Then Jesus cried out and said, 'He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in
Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in
Me should not abide in darkness. And if
anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not
come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My
words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in
the last day." : This was no private call. He cried out! He yelled! It's
literally a final call to trust in Him as they would trust the Father!
- There is no divide between them. To see Jesus
is to see the Father! Jesus is claiming outright equality with God! He is
claiming deity right before their eyes!
- Jesus as the light of the world, offers men a
way out of their darkness. He is their Savior, not their judge! The one who
rejects Him and doesn't receive His words judges Himself!
- They will stand condemned by the words that
they heard on judgment day! Jesus will not actually condemn them. He will just
confirm their appointment! Verse 49.
• John 12:49,50 : "For I have
not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore,
whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.'" :
The Lord continually reminds the people that He did not operate, speak or do
miracles on His own authority.
- Jesus operated under His Father's command and
did what His Father told Him to do in perfect obedience, knowing that His
command issued in eternal life for those that believed.
- Jesus offers eternal life to all who believe
upon Him because that is what the Father told Him to offer! He offers this on
behalf of the Godhead, with their full backing!
Conclusion
- There is such urgency on the part of our Lord
because He physically was going to the Cross and would soon speak no more. In
His place, the Spirit of God speaks today.
- We have witnessed the Lord's final call to
His people and they did not know their time. Today, the Spirit calls each of us
to believe in Christ, to take Him at His Word.
- Like Israel, we are not aware of our time and
we are unaware of when our unbelief will render us out of the reach of God's
gracious act of salvation.
- Today is the day to believe Him! Now is the
time! What you might lose today is nothing compared with what you will gain in
Him! May we be wise to settle that issue today!