Praise (God!) John 12:37-50, 28 April 2013

Big Idea: Do you seek the praise of God or the praise of people?

Introduction

We’re in the middle of a series studying the Gospel of John, a biography of Jesus written by one of His best friends, John.

Before we begin, I want to remind you of the context. We are going back to before the crucifixion where Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (37-38)

Centuries earlier the prophet Isaiah said the Messiah’s signs would not lead everyone to faith. Contrary to what some people say, experiencing a miracle or even Jesus in the flesh does not guarantee faith.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1)

For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn — and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. (39-40)

It’s possible for a man to wake up and say he won’t see by keeping their eyes closed.

Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:10)

Faith is a gift from God, yet not all believe. Moses did multiple miracles in front of Pharaoh, a man who refused to believe. John told us in his first chapter (1:11) that Jesus’ own people would not receive Him. How is this possible? God’s sovereignty (in control) and human responsibility are held together consistently throughout John’s Gospel.

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. (42-43)

This is one of the most sobering passages in the Bible. People believed in Jesus. In fact, there were leaders that believed in Jesus. They knew He was the real deal. Whether it was His teaching or miracles or lifestyle, they believed in Him.

But!

“But” must be one of the most tragic words in the English language.

“I like you and all but…”
“They were going to, but…”
“I’d love to come…but…”
“They were winning the game, but…”

What kept these leaders from following Jesus?
Fear!

They were afraid of the Pharisees. They feared expulsion from the Synagogue (see 9:22). They were afraid of offending others, though they didn’t fear offending Jesus.

How do we offend Jesus? It all goes back to the first two commandments, you know, God’s top ten list.

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6)

What is your god? For these leaders, it was the praise of men rather than the praise of God. Your god is what you seek.

I doubt you worship a statue. You probably don’t say prayers to the stars. It’s very tempting to please men—or even please yourself.

In David Platt’s book
Radical, he notes

I could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.

Whether it is approval addiction or self-absorption, the essence of faith is total surrender. As we said last week, we need to empty ourselves before the Holy Spirit can fill us. We need to die to ourselves in order for Christ to live in us.

“…they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” The Greek word here for “praise” could also mean “glory” or “reputation” or honor.” Doesn’t that describe us? I know that describes me. I don’t want to look like a fool. I want to keep my reputation intact. I don’t want to offend anyone or be controversial so I blend in. I make those around me comfortable…in order for me to be comfortable.

Jesus does not want secret followers. In fact, secret follower is likely an oxymoron! Jesus says choose: light or darkness, Jesus or the world/yourself, open-handed surrender or control

Don’t forget this promise from last week:

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:26)

That’s how we get the praise of God…by serving and following Jesus.

Personal faith does not mean it is to remain private. We must go public and let our words and actions show others Jesus…and the Father.

Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. (44-46)

Jesus cried out. There’s great emotion there. He is passionate about His relationship to the Father. He is the light.

“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (47-50)

It’s not enough to hear the Word. We must do what it says (Matthew 7:24-27; James 2:14-26)

The passage ends with a note about Jesus’ teaching, something we’ll pick up on next week in chapter thirteen.

Conclusion

My prayer for Scio is that we would be radical. We would glorify God on Sunday…and the rest of the week. We would b.l.e.s.s. those around us, getting beyond the safe, comfortable and convenient to really caring about the lost, the broken, the abandoned, the bullied, the outcast. We would not consider our time together as the end of our spiritual formation but rather the beginning of a week pursuing Jesus in order to become His beautiful Bride.

It begins with me. It begins with you.

We are blessed to know the Truth and be able to share it with others. Some will accept while others will reject it. It was true 2000 years ago and it’s true today. If we refuse to believe, the light disappears, and our nation seems to get darker as an increasing number of people reject faith in Christ.

Those who refuse to believe will experience judgment. Faith has eternal consequences.

Fear…or faith? The praise of people…or the praise of people?

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It's Time! John 12:20-36, 21 April 2013

Big Idea: Do people see Jesus in you?

Introduction

We’re in the middle of a series studying the Gospel of John, a biography of Jesus written by one of His best friends, John.

Before we begin, I want to remind you of the context. We are going back to before the crucifixion where Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.

Like a movie that has flashbacks, the next few weeks will seem like a step back in time, but keep in mind these events occur prior to Good Friday.

Palm Sunday has passed, the crowds have welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, and now we begin at John 12:17...

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (12:17-19)

John 12:20-36

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. (12:20-22)

Why would Greeks worship at the Passover feast? They may have been what we would call attendees rather than members. Most likely they were God-fearers repelled by the nationalism and requirements of Judaism, such as circumcision (can you blame them?!). They were Gentiles that had obviously heard about Jesus. Everyone in the region had heard about Jesus!

Notice their request:
we would like to see Jesus.

I believe this is the cry of the human heart today. People struggle with identity. They struggle with anthropology—what it means to be human. Jesus is the ultimate example for us. He is the perfect human. He is the wisest man to ever walk the planet, the smartest man in human history, and the fullest expression of what we were created to become.

Jesus’ mission was not only to die and resurrect; it also included a demonstration of abundant life lived out for thirty three years.

It’s easy to call Jesus our
Savior. Anyone faintly aware of their sin is quick to receive grace and salvation, salvation only He offers (Acts 4:12). But Jesus is more than our Savior.

He is also our
Healer. We all like that, too. Who doesn’t like free health care?

Jesus is our
coming King. That means He is LORD. When you serve a lord, you give up all of your rights and freedoms to become essentially a slave to your master. This quickly gets uncomfortable, doesn’t it? The good news is that He is a benevolent King, a LORD who loves us and wants our very best. He’s not out to get us and use and abuse us, but He is still King and bids us to come and die…but we’ll get there in a moment.

Jesus is also our
sanctifier, meaning He wants us to be transformed and become more human—more like the ultimate Human, Jesus Himself. He wants us to be free from sin and be set apart for His purposes.

Most USAmerican Christians show little evidence in their lives that they have been separated from sin.
Most USAmerican Christians behave in ways that make it difficult to believe that they have been “set apart” for the service of God.

The people want to see Jesus. Today, people want to see Jesus. They may not say it that way. They may say they want to experience meaning and purpose, they long for a better world, they know this world is broken, and they wonder whether anyone really cares.

This past week in Boston we were reminded just how broken our world really is, and each day there are countless people searching ever more fervently for the Truth.

They struggle with issues of value, identity, and worth. They need to see a life well-lived, and no one has lived a better life than Jesus.

How can people see Jesus today? It has been said that you are the only Bible many will ever read. Jesus entrusted the Kingdom of God to us. We’re it!
When people get connected to you, do they see Jesus?

If people were looking for you, what would you say? Here I am?!

Notice Jesus’ response...

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (12:23-26)

These people are looking for Jesus and He talks about seeds, plants, life, death, servants, and masters. Huh? Verse 32 will help us understand, but notice these stories.

These four verses are so powerful. Jesus says die…so you can live. What a paradox!

Remember, we know what follows, but His disciples are largely clueless about His talk of death.

The people are looking for Jesus, and He says if they want to see Him, they must know Him, and they know Him by dying, being planted, risking everything. In Romans 6, this picture of being planted is presented as dying with Christ in baptism and faith. Baptism is such a great image—we enter the water to die in a water grave and then we are resurrected to new life in Christ. Jesus wants everything. He wants you to die—not to harm you, but so that you may truly live.

Many times previously Jesus has said that it was not yet time.
Now is the time. These are the final days before His death. It’s no wonder He continues...

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (12:27-28a)

Jesus’ time has finally arrived and He is…troubled! The Word that became flesh is troubled. Does that surprise you? His soul is horrified by what He is about to face.

Notice it’s not about Him, though. It’s about glorifying the Father. Jesus sets the example for us yet again, seeking to glorify God the Father. He was willing to do whatever necessary to ensure God was glorified.

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. (12:28b-29)

Can you imagine hearing an audible voice from heaven? This wasn’t the first time (e.g. Luke 3:22; 9:35).

It’s fascinating how some thought it was thunder or an angel. What does the Word of God sound like to you?

Jesus said, “Father, glorify Your Name” and the Father said He would be glorified by the Son.

Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. (12:30-33)

The prince of this world, satan, looked like the victor on Good Friday, but it was actually his greatest defeat. Over the next few weeks as we look at the days before the cross, we’ll see satan repeatedly. If you’ve seen the film
The Passion of the Christ, you surely remember the multiple times satan appears.

Jesus was lifted up on the cross and also later during His ascension into heaven.

Jesus will draw all men, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, young and old. For God so loved the whole world that He gave His Son, Jesus.

The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” (12:34)

They were expecting Messiah to overthrow the government. They never imagined the government would overthrow and crucify Him.

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. (12:35-36)

Throughout His ministry, Jesus was in complete control, not because He was belligerent, but rather because He was following the Father’s will and timing.

His message to the twelve is the same message to us: follow Me. Trust Me. Surrender to Me. Die so you may live.
It’s time!

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