The Gospel of John - part 31
preached July 14, 2009
The Mission of Jesus
John 12:27-50
A Voice confirms Jesus’ ministry
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.
John 12:27-30
Jesus knows his hour is coming, but He does not ask to be saved from it, because this is why he came. It is a reminder of Jesus’ humanity and divinity working together. Consider the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane in which Jesus’ heart is so troubled that he sweats drops of blood.
Jesus’ trouble displays His humanity.
He prays for the Father to glorify His Name, and a voice from heaven replies, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” Jesus tells the crowd the voice was for their sake, not his.
The voice from heaven proves His divinity.
Three times in the Gospels a voice from heaven confirms the identity and ministry of Jesus. The first is at his baptism, the second at the Transfiguration, and the third here. The reaction of the crowd is telling. Some thought it had thundered; some thought it was an angel. Though I am typically not a big fan of Calvin, his comments on this passage are very appropriate. He wrote,
It was a monstrous thing that the multitude was obtuse to so plain a miracle. Some were deaf, and caught what God had pronounced distinctly only as a confused sound. Others were less dull, but yet detracted greatly form the majesty of the divine voice by pretending that its author was an angel. But the same thing is common today [and our day]. God speaks plainly enough in the Gospel, in which there is also displayed a power and energy of the Spirit which should shake the heaven and earth. But many are as cold towards the teaching as if it came only from a mortal man, and others think God’s Word to be a barbarous stammering, as if it were nothing but thunder.
We tend to ask God for a sign from heaven. Some have prayed for a voice or giant neon sign, or something from God to know the path to take. And yet, what a miracle it is for us to have His Word and we treat it like thunder. The sound may entertain us at times or even cause alarm, but rarely does distant thunder transform our lives. How much of our time with our Bibles is spent the same way? It entertains us at times, it causes alarm when it suddenly interrupts our life, but mostly it is a distant sound to be ignored.
God still speaks today through His Word.
The voice is for our sake, not for Jesus. It is so that we may believe. The Word is God’s voice written, not for His sake but for ours, so that we may believe.
The Judgment of this World
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
John 31-36
Jesus makes a statement in verse 31 that we should not pass lightly. “Now is the judgement of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” Sometimes we hear about Satan still prowling around seeking to destroy Christians, and yes, there is a truth to demonic activity. However, usually this is taught with fear. But, Jesus has conquered sin, death, and Satan.
Satan’s reign ended at the cross.
Whatever power Satan and his minions exert on this world pales in comparison to the power that is in the Risen Christ. That power is demonstrated every time someone surrenders to Christ. Consider the next line, when Jesus is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself. Where is the lost person now? They are bound in the chains of Satan and sin. Every time someone breaks free, they are freed by the power of Christ.
If we can be freed from sin through Jesus for our eternity, how much more can we be freed for our today? This is why James wrote for us to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8) The power Satan has is only the power we give him. Resist him and he will flee. He will not fight, he will flee. Why? Because he has already been defeated by Christ. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
Resist in the Name of Christ, and the devil must flee.
The crowd answers with a theological question. They have heard that the Messiah remains forever. If Jesus is the Messiah, then who is the Son of Man that will be lifted up? Jesus tells them to walk in the light while they have it. The reference to ‘light’ occurs throughout John’s writings as this seems to be his favorite analogy from Jesus. They have the Light, Jesus who has already identified himself as “The Light of the World”, walking with them currently. If they do not follow the light now, they will fall into darkness when the time comes.
This prophecy was fulfilled just after the Resurrection and the book of Acts chronicles the early relationship between Jews and Christians. In fact, by the time John writes his gospel, the relationship has been fully severed. Jesus warns the crowd that if they do not believe now, they will fall into darkness when the Light is removed. Many Jews believed in Jesus while He was on the earth, and so they witnessed the Resurrection and believed. However, many Jews did not believe, and when the Pharisees spread rumors and lies concerning the Resurrection, they believed the lies. In fact, to this day, many Jews are not even allowed to talk about Jesus, because of the lies that began in the first century. The warning is this: believe in Jesus while you can, because there will come a day when you won’t have the chance.
“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become ‘sons of light’.” Church, the opportunity to walk in the light is now. We live on the resurrected side of Christ, so we know that He is in Heaven interceding on our behalf. We also know the Holy Spirit is actively calling people to repentance and salvation. These things occur continuously through our life. However, we also know that our life has an expiration date. There will come a time when these bodies will be laid in the dirt...or become dirt depending on which you prefer. At any rate, now we have the Light to see the way to eternal life. At some point, and no one is guaranteed the point is later than sooner, we will not have the Light. Night will fall on our lives, and if we have become ‘sons of light’, then we will enter His Glory. But, if we do not believe in the light, Jesus Christ, darkness will overtake us and we will enter into the eternal death, called ‘hell’.
Stay in the Light, and you will not be dragged into the darkness.
The judgement has been rendered, but it is our decision to make on which side of judgement we will stand.
Poor Excuses for Disbelief
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
John 12:37-43
I once found myself in a debate with one of my wife’s cousins. I was not expecting to have a theological debate, and to be honest, I don’t even know how it started. We were having a good time talking with family, when all of a sudden, I found myself arguing with a Calvinist. Now, as a rule, I do not argue with two types of people: (1) the ill-equipped, (2) the un-teachable. The ill-equipped simply do not have enough understanding, so I do not argue, only point out places for further study. The un-teachable are a notorious group, because not only will they not listen to you, they will continue to argue until you walk away or feign acceptance. He was both because he was in the notorious ‘cage-stage’ of Calvinism. Now, for those who do not know the ‘life cycle of a Calvinist’, there is a point in the early days/years of a newly reformed convert when they are known as a “cage stage Calvinist”. This stage is marked by being both ill-equipped and un-teachable. It is agreed on both sides of this debate that the best course of action for someone at this stage is to lock them in a cage.
If you are curious, the stages of a Calvinist are:
Holy Spirit awakens the new believer
Introduced to Calvin
Cage stage Calvinist
Buys their first plaid shirt
Coffee snob stage
Beard stage
Microbrewery stage
If Spurgeon smoked cigars, so can I stage
Why do I share all that? Because in these verses you will find the cage-stage Calvinist screaming, “SEE! LOOK! I’M RIGHT!”
However, for those of us with a bit more humility—which, frankly, is every other human being—we do recognize the seriousness of this passage in terms of salvation, even if it disagrees with our own theology. So let us look into these verses and see if we can explain my cousin’s question, “Can you explain why people do not believe, if not for predestination?”
First, let’s look at what John is saying in verse 37: Jesus has performed many signs (8 in John, plus the 21 in the Synoptics, even more if you look at John 21:25) and the Jews still did not believe in Him.
Therefore, the first poor excuse for unbelief is lack of evidence.
What more evidence do they need besides raising the dead?
Today, many will discount the gospels as unreliable, and therefore, there is no evidence for believing in Jesus. I am currently working through an older book, The Supernaturalness of Christ. In it, Wilbur M. Smith argues for the reasonableness to accept the supernatural claims of Christianity, including the reliability of the Gospels. Smith claims, and I agree, that a reasonable person with an open mind will in fact come to the conclusion God has entered our world, and Jesus is the Son of Man, Savior of the World. For 2000 years, fallen humans have attempted to discredit the Gospel and Jesus, and yet, here we are. Why? Because we have experienced the Truth of Jesus and His life-saving power. The unbelieving Jews had Jesus right in their faces, and yet they did not believe.
Second, verse 48 states their unbelief was fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. In fact, verse 40 goes on to say that God Himself blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they would not believe. Here is where the Calvinist comes in. For those who are unfamiliar with the Calvinist doctrines, one states that it is God who chooses those who will be saved. If someone does not believe, it is because God has not chosen them to believe. Now, I certainly agree that God begins the process of salvation. It is only when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and calls us to repentance that we can be saved. However, where I disagree is by leaving the responsibility completely upon God. Our will plays a part in whether we are saved or not.
The second poor excuse is it’s God’s fault.
Returning to James chapter 1, the Bible explains God does not tempt anyone and cannot be tempted. “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
Our will certainly is the reason for sin.
Consider also 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
God’s will is for our salvation.
Or, perhaps, returning to John, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Our Salvation is a battle between two wills. Let’s look again at the passage in Isaiah. This text is undoubtedly telic, meaning the phrase “this was to fulfill” could also be “So that it was fulfilled”. Isaiah had prophesied their unbelief, so they were prevented from believing to fulfill the prophecy. But what is the context of Isaiah’s message? It is during a time of great rebellion against God. Israel was about to enter into the period of time, the Exile. They were going to be exiled from the Promised Land, because they refused to obey the Lord’s commandments. They had disobeyed the covenant, and now the covenant would be dissolved. Their descendants would return to the Promised Land, but only in order that the Messiah could come and usher a new age for humanity. There is a tension, one we may not like, but it is there. The tension is that the Jews would be punished for their willful disobedience, and the Jewish descendants would succumb to the same punishment, in order that the Messiah’s mission could be fulfilled. It was human will which brought punishment, but it would be God’s will to bring salvation—but some of the contemporary humans would fall into punishment also.
Now, before we blame God completely, let’s look again at the context of John. John’s time was not unlike Isaiah’s. Isaiah prophesied during a period of extended rebellion against God. A spiritual malaise had engulfed Israel because of idolatry. In John’s day, Israel had once again been engulfed in spiritual malaise, consider the implications of the Water to Wine text we discussed. Isaiah saw Israel’s kings bow to foreign deities and leadership in hopes of economic freedom, only to bring their kingdoms to ruin. John saw his religious leaders capitulate to Roman rule for their own gain. Isaiah saw the opportunity for God’s blessings to flow freely upon Israel, if they would only repent of their sin, but they would not. John, again, saw the Son of God walk the earth, calling Israel to repentance and eternal life, but they would not.
Can we say that God hardened their hearts in order for them to fulfill the mission of crucifying Jesus? Certainly. But would they have repented otherwise? They had their opportunity already. It is as Jesus warned, “walk in the light while you have the light”. The Jews had the promises of the Messiah in the Torah and Prophets, but they refused to live in the light of God’s Word. Instead, darkness overcame them, and they rejected the Savior.
The tension between God’s Sovereignty and Human Free-will is evident in Scripture, but it is not an excuse for disbelief.
We cannot blame God for our sin, and we cannot blame Him for our disbelief.
In fact, I believe the true reason for their disbelief is stated plainly in verses 42-43. It appears that some did in fact believe Jesus was the Messiah, but they would not confess it. Why? Because, “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God”.
As far as the Calvinist debate is concerned, I believe God wants all people to come to repentance, and I believe when people hear the Gospel, they are presented with a choice. The Holy Spirit works to open the eyes of unbelievers and make the Gospel understood. But once someone understands the Lordship of Christ, they also understand that salvation requires a change on their part. They must change their allegiance. Whether someone has pledged loyalty to self, to country, or to some false deity, in order to be saved, they must place their loyalty and fidelity to Christ alone. Doing so means that some other people will not give them glory anymore—whether that is the glory of money, fame, or whatever. That is where our free-will comes into play again. It was free-will that allowed us to fall into sin, and it is free will that keeps us from salvation. God sovereignly interceded into history by sending His Son to die for our sins and open the way of salvation. It is God who sovereignly continues to call people into repentance and salvation by his grace. But, if we love the glory from people more than the glory from God, we will continue on our path of self-destruction.
The saddest excuse, and one that many fall into, for disbelief is
what people want is more important than what God wants.
And to be quite frank, this excuse is why so many churches are ineffective or dead. Rather than believing in Jesus, and following His pattern for what a church should be, many churches have capitulated to foreign influence.
You see, we have been talking about individual disbelief, but consider these excuses for why a church cannot follow Jesus’ leadership.
(1) We cannot follow because we don’t have evidence that is what Jesus wants. Really? Have you not read the Bible? God has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light through Divine Providence and actions that have spanned thousands of years! He has displayed power over nature, over health, over demonic forces, and even over death itself! What more evidence do you want?!?
(2) We cannot follow because God will decide who is saved and who isn’t. It’s not up to us. FOOL! If we have no part in calling men to repentance, why do we have the Great Commission? Why did Paul write, “How will they hear unless someone tells them?” Why does Jude call us “to snatch some from the fire”? Why are so many Christians martyred for their faith, and we see them clothed in white righteousness before the throne of God asking “How long, O Lord, will you stand this atrocity?”, and He says, “Until the number is fulfilled” Why in the world would God give you such a clear message to proclaim the glories of Jesus Christ, our Lord, if He wanted you to sit on your lazy bum?!?
(3) We cannot follow because what will people say? Let’s face it, this is the reason for the death of so many churches. This is the reason why American Christianity is a mostly neutered group of churches. We will not call people to repentance, because we prefer the glory of the culture around us over the glory of the Risen Lord.
Church, what is the point of having people show up on Sunday if they fall into hell on Monday?
Who cares if lost people disagree with us? They are lost! They don’t need to be coddled, they need to hear the Good News of salvation!
And that brings us to our final section for today.
A Summary of Mission
And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
John 12:44-50
Jesus once again summarizes His mission. He summarizes the Gospel for us. Whoever believes in Him, believes in the One who sent Him. Whoever sees (understands who He is) Jesus, sees the Father. He is the light of the world, come into the world, so that people may walk in the light and find salvation.
Jesus came to bring the lost out of the darkness.
Lost person, step out of the darkness and into the light of Christ.
Christian, remain in the light. Don’t go wandering in darkness. You will only find death.
Church, walk together in the light. There is no glory in the darkness worth the glory we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.
But, in verse 47, if anyone hears His words and does not keep them, you are not judged by Jesus. Church, I do not judge you for wanting the darkness. I can’t judge you, because I find myself wandering in the dark at times. We are all sheep who have gone astray, and sometimes still find themselves astray. What will judge us has already been given. The choice has been laid before us, God has already intervened on our behalf. It is not God who brings us condemnation, it is our unwillingness to be saved that condemns us.
To not decide to follow Jesus is to remain in darkness.
Verse 50 is an interesting verse that does not get enough attention. The Father has commanded what Jesus should say and speak. That commandment is eternal life. The Father sent the Son in order to save humanity. But, as we see with the Jews, and with so many people today, they do not want to be saved.
If you step into the light, then walk in the light.
Give up your excuses. Today, be saved by surrendering your will to the will of your Creator who wants to save you.