November 24, 2024
Morning Service

In chapter 11 and the first part of chapter 12, John has emphasized three very memorable events leading up to the “Passion Week.”  Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave after he had been there for four days causing His fame to be magnified to perhaps the highest level yet.  Mary, in a humble act of worship and gratitude, anointed Jesus with the an extremely expensive spikenard oil and wiped it off with her hair.  She revealed to us that Jesus deserves our best and it is our love for Him that should be our motivation behind our worship, obedience and service.  Finally, last week we walked with Jesus into Jerusalem for the final time as the multitude worshipped and praised the long awaited Messiah.  Their expectation was that He would set up His kingdom right here and now in this moment, which is not in God’s plan.  Today Jesus actually opens up the plan of God for us to see which is coming to fruition right now.

Joh 12:27-33 "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.  (28)  Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  (29)  Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."  (30)  Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  (31)  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  (32)  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  (33)  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

            Here again we see the struggle of humanity inside our Lord as He states “shall I pray for My Father to save Me from this moment, or do I fulfill my purpose in coming to this moment.”  He shows the resolve to finish what He has started as He yields His will and prays for God’s Name to be glorified.  God exhorts His choice with a voice from heaven confirming Him proclaiming; “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again!”  Jesus, as He always does, uses this as a chance to teach and show the gravity of the hour.  (Read verse 31) Now, within the next week’s events, the world would be set up for a future judgement.  With Jesus’ DBR mankind will be given a path to escape the coming condemnation of the wages of our sins by believing in the work Jesus is about to complete.  We each will be judged according to whether we accept the gift of salvation by believing and following Jesus or reject it choosing our will over His.  Also happening right now through His DBR the ruler of this world, Satan, will be defeated once and for all.  In working through men to kill Jesus, our enemy actually plays a role in his own defeat and ultimate judgement because through Jesus’ death comes victory.  Jesus prophesies of His coming death upon the cross as He says; “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself.”  In looking to Him and believing Jesus’ redeeming work upon the cross we are drawn to God and saved.  All of this is happening right now in this moment in time and Jesus is trying to show that to these around Him that the spiritual war for the souls of mankind is about to come to peak.

 

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?"  (35)  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.  (36)  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.

            Jesus’ time was short and the light of His presence would burn only for a short time more.  Again He has shown us that He is the Light of the world and IF we choose to follow Him, we can come out of the darkness of sin and walk in the light of His presence.  By giving His life upon the cross for our sins, He gives us the ability to choose a life of following Him (in the light) or one of rejecting Him (living in darkness).  Walking in the light allows us to see and know where we are going.  We see this life for what it really is, a journey to our true home in heaven; “this world is not my home, I am just passing through.”  Walking in darkness is a life of chaos, uncertainty and fear of what the future holds.  Choose the light.  John now shows us a reality of the sovereignty of God.

John 12:37-43 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, (38) 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?"  (39)  Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

(40)” 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."  (41)  These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.  (42)  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; (43) for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

            God has chosen in this hour to blind the spiritual eyes of His own people to be unable to recognize the Messiah they have longed for their whole life.  In doing so, He creates within them (and us) the realization of the reality that we are sinners and need a Savior to redeem us.  This recognition of our own sinfulness is the one of the first steps to salvation.  Could anything cut you deeper as a spiritual person than to think that it was you that shouted “Crucify Him” and it was your sins that drove the nails in His hands?  This was prophesied by Isaiah hundreds of years prior to this day and the apostles later realized it revealing to them God’s perfect plan.

            John tells us, however, that many of these leaders believed, but lacked the commitment to follow because “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”  No choice was a choice for them as it is for us.  This ties in with what we discussed last week, asking where is the treasure of my heart.

 

  John 12:44-50 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  (45)  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  (46)  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  (47)  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.  (48)  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.  (49)  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.  (50)  And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

            When we believe in Jesus that means we also believe in His Father who sent Him.  God is a Spirit and it is only through Jesus that we are able to see what God is really like.  Jesus reveals to us the true character of God as He walked and taught among us.  In His coming, He “turns on the light” for us to see God clearly and come out of the darkness.  The purpose of this Passion Week in God’s plan (now) is not the time of judgement, but to establish the road to salvation.  “I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”  That day of judgement will come and we will be judged by His words and whether we accepted or rejected them.  His words hold the key to salvation as they are given to Him through the authority of His Father commanding what He is to say and teach.  This command, God’s plan, leads to eternal life.  That is what this moment in time, the Passion Week, (now) is all about.  He made a path for us to escape the wages of sin, which is death (the separation from God) and established the bridge to God giving us the gift of God which is eternal life.  During this week of Jesus facing certain death, He tries to show us what the purpose behind it really is.  He emphasizes that all of this spiritual battle is taking place right now during this week which will reshape the world as we know it.  The war to conquer sin and death will be won this week though the battle continues even this morning.  We, however, now live in that reshaped world where forgiveness for our sins and a restored relationship with God is here is this moment; now.

            Paul also emphasizes the importance of now as he wrote to the Corinthians:

 

2Co 6:1-2 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  (2)  For He says: "IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED YOU." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

          God is speaking to you today through these words.  Don’t put it off any longer, now, today is the day He is calling you to follow Him.  Now is the time to accept His gift of eternal life and begin a new life in the light of God’s love and purpose.

 

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the love Jesus displayed for us by going to the cross.  We are grateful for the sacrifice He made to restore our relationship with You.  Open our hearts to the importance of committing fully to you now, in this moment sealing for eternity.