John 12:47-50

Thursday

 

Good morning friends,

 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.”  

These verses are sort of the summation of Jesus public ministry. The remainder of John’s gospel will now focus on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and His instructions specifically to His disciples. Let’s remember we are still dealing here with the words that John tells us Jesus “cried out.” We can see this, if you will, as Christ’s final plea to the world. Try to hear the compassion with which Jesus cries out, calling all men to believe. He had not come as a harsh judge, but for the sake of salvation. He came to bring the words of hope and restoration and that belief in that testimony is all that is required. Jesus has spoken into the world leaving the testimony that He had come from the Father and that He was carrying out the Father’s wishes. But He warns that it is unbelief in this testimony that will judge the wicked on the last day. There is no doubt that Jesus came as the divine missionary. We will read a bit on Jesus telling His disciples “as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The mission of the church is to continue to proclaim Christ’s testimony. It is to continue to “cry out” Jesus’ words to the lost. Jesus came to “seek and save that which was lost” and has passed that baton on to His disciples. Yes God has planned from the foundation of the world who would be “saved”, but God has also ordained the means by which that is done. He has given us the unspeakable privilege to be those means. 

Bill 

Heidelberg Catechism

 Q. 20. Are all men then, as they perished in Adam, saved by Christ?

A.  No; (a) only those who are ingrafted into him, and, receive all his benefits, by a true faith. (b) (a) Matt.7:14; Matt.22:14. (b) Mark 16:16; John 1:12; John 3:16,18,36; Isa.53:11; Ps.2:12; Rom.11:17,19,20; Rom.3:22; Heb.4:2,3; Heb.5:9; Heb.10:39; Heb.11:6.

 

John 12:44-46

Good morning friends,

  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.

 John informs his readers here that Jesus “cried out” – literally a loud voice or to scream. It is Jesus passion for the lost that surfaces in this loud cry. Here is the genuine earnestness of the general call is clearly seen on the part of Jesus. As those who are called Calvinists, we know the Scriptural reality that man will not respond to the gospel in faith unless the Holy Spirit regenerates the person. Be sure of this though, we see the honest proclamation of the gospel to all throughout the Scriptures. Jesus is underscoring here the basic content of the gospel and the genuine and passionate proclamation of it. Belief in Christ is belief in God and that God sent Him to dispel the darkness of the fall. We read that the Father “sent” the son. To send is to accomplish a specific task and their task was nothing short than the joint mission of redemption. Christ’s mission was/is nothing short of the fulfillment of the Covenant of Redemption. Redemption was not an afterthought or a “plan B” on the part of God. Before a covenant was ever made with man, before the Adamic Covenant, before the Abrahamic Covenant, before the Davidic Covenant there was the Covenant of Redemption. Before creation, from all eternity, there existed a covenant between the persons of the Godhead that God would create a world and send His son to redeem that world. We know with certainty that salvation is totally the work of God, however, we can say with the same certainty that the task of proclamation has been given to us and that we are to have the same passion in that proclamation as Jesus Himself. 

Bill 

Heidelberg Catechism 

Q. 20. Are all men then, as they perished in Adam, saved by Christ?

A.  No; (a) only those who are ingrafted into him, and, receive all his benefits, by a true faith. (b) (a) Matt.7:14; Matt.22:14. (b) Mark 16:16; John 1:12; John 3:16,18,36; Isa.53:11; Ps.2:12; Rom.11:17,19,20; Rom.3:22; Heb.4:2,3; Heb.5:9; Heb.10:39; Heb.11:6.

John 12:42-43

Good morning friends,

John 12:42-43

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 gives us a bit of commentary about the heart of man at this point. The statements “many believed in him” and “they did not confess it” are contradictory statements from what we know about saving faith. So as we consider the “belief” that is spoken of here we might be tempted to say that this “belief” was that Jesus was the Messiah, but not the belief in the redemption that Jesus was bringing.  However, we must remember that within this group is both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, and I am sure it would be safe to say there were others, whose faith was in the “saving” realm. While I would insist in validity of what has become known as “Lordship salvation” and the truth of the popular phrase “there are not undercover Christians,” the fears of a man’s heart can, none-the-less, paralyze his will. Not to make excuses for these who believe but were afraid, but the cost of being “put out of the synagogue” was tremendous one. It was to be cut off from society and family. Each of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will have to admit that to stand against the tide of culture is more difficult than we tend to think. If you think I am wrong consider the lack of conviction that has washed over the Church today. Consider the “discussions” that have arisen that were considered black and white in days past. Consider how difficult it has become to distinguish between what it means to be “in the world and not of the world.” If we are honest with ourselves we will come to realize we love the glory that comes from man as much as these spoken of here. We love our accolades every bit as much as those in this passage. We are fearful of being “marginalized,” thought of as “fringe,” or labeled “fanatics.” We are even beginning to shy away from the label “Christian.” To seek the glory that comes from God is to be free from these and actually care what He desires. 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Bill 

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 20. Are all men then, as they perished in Adam, saved by Christ?

A.  No; (a) only those who are ingrafted into him, and, receive all his benefits, by a true faith. (b) (a) Matt.7:14; Matt.22:14. (b) Mark 16:16; John 1:12; John 3:16,18,36; Isa.53:11; Ps.2:12; Rom.11:17,19,20; Rom.3:22; Heb.4:2,3; Heb.5:9; Heb.10:39; Heb.11:6.

John 12:37-41

Good morning friends,

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.

This is not a favorite passage of the Arminian. Jesus had performed many miracles before the watching world and while many did believe, many more did not. The Arminian of course wants to stress man’s free will in such decisions. We stress that man’s “free will” will always turn away from God. John’s use of Isaiah here stresses the reality that unless the Holy Spirit intervenes, man in-of-himself cannot believe. John points to two passages from Isaiah. The first shows the prediction of the widespread rejection of Jesus. The second speaks of man’s inability to believe. God does not force man into sin and then refuse to rescue them. He does at times however turn people over to their sin. That is what happened to the people of Israel in Isaiah’s day. We see God doing the same thing in Jesus day as well. Romans 1:24 speaks of this when it says God “gave them up.” This is the divine judgment of God’s removal of restraints, both on sinful actions and their consequences. So John is pointing out that God judged them with the inability to repent even though the message of salvation was being compelling presented in the person of Christ. John had recorded several chapter earlier Jesus own ratification of this when in chapter 6 he says “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” It is at this point we ought to fall to our knees in grateful praise to our merciful God and cry it is grace and nothing but grace that we are now children of God. It was not in my “right” decision, nor in my “acceptance of Christ,” but solely because God had mercy on me a sinner.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day

Bill

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 19. Whence knowest thou this?

A. From the holy gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise; (a) and afterwards published by the patriarchs (b) and prophets, (c) and represented by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; (d) and lastly, has fulfilled it by his only begotten Son. (e) (a) Gen.3:15. (b) Gen.22:18; Gen.12:3; Gen.49:10,11. (c) Isa.53; Isa.42:1-4; Isa.43:25; Isa.49:5,6,22,23; Jer.23:5,6; Jer.31:32,33; Jer.32:39-41; Mic.7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Rom.1:2; Heb.1:1; Acts 3:22-24; Acts 10:43; John 5:46. (d) Heb.10:1,7; Col.2:7; John 5:46. (e) Rom.10:4; Gal.4:4,5; Gal.3:24; Col.2:17.

John 12:35-37

Good morning friends,

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. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” 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,

 More than one time I have heard someone say: “It would be easier to believe in Jesus if I lived back then.”  The idea that it was somehow easier to believe then than now is proven here to be a myth as seen in these verses. The light was among them – right there they could see and touch, but many still did not believe. We have all known the sorrow of those who reject the gospel – imagine Christ’s. Yes, He had to have known that rejection was what He would face, but still the heart of the savior had to break. He revealed Himself in the flesh as one sent from God in power and miracles and they would not believe. How many times do we read that when He looked on the multitude he “had compassion on them as sheep without a shepherd?” They were in the light at this moment and were only going to be there a bit longer – soon darkness would bear down. This only cements the reality that unless God regenerates, breaks in on man’s insistent rebellion; no one would ever be saved.

Bill

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 19. Whence knowest thou this?

A. From the holy gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise; (a) and afterwards published by the patriarchs (b) and prophets, (c) and represented by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; (d) and lastly, has fulfilled it by his only begotten Son. (e) (a) Gen.3:15. (b) Gen.22:18; Gen.12:3; Gen.49:10,11. (c) Isa.53; Isa.42:1-4; Isa.43:25; Isa.49:5,6,22,23; Jer.23:5,6; Jer.31:32,33; Jer.32:39-41; Mic.7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Rom.1:2; Heb.1:1; Acts 3:22-24; Acts 10:43; John 5:46. (d) Heb.10:1,7; Col.2:7; John 5:46. (e) Rom.10:4; Gal.4:4,5; Gal.3:24; Col.2:17.

 

Good morning friends,

John 12:33-34

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?”

We see veiled glimpses of the type of death Christ would suffer several times in the OT. It is easy for us to look back through the pages of the NT and understand what the OT writers were alluding to. The people certainly understood parts of what the messiah was to be, but obviously not all. They did not see where the OT writers spoke of the messiah coming as the suffering servant, only the promise of a king that would come from David and rule forever. A messiah that was going to die was nowhere on their radar only one of prosperity. The people knew immediately what Christ was saying about how He was to die. Which immediately went across their grain – the messiah was not going to die. Needless to say with that in mind they began to reason that if Jesus was about to die then there was no way He could be the messiah. Michael Card captured this well in his song El Shaddai.

Through the years you made it clear that the time of Christ was near, though the people could not see, how messiah ought to be, though your word contained the plan, they just could not understand, your most awesome work was done through the frailty of your son.

Bill

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 19. Whence knowest thou this?

A. From the holy gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise; (a) and afterwards published by the patriarchs (b) and prophets, (c) and represented by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; (d) and lastly, has fulfilled it by his only begotten Son. (e) (a) Gen.3:15. (b) Gen.22:18; Gen.12:3; Gen.49:10,11. (c) Isa.53; Isa.42:1-4; Isa.43:25; Isa.49:5,6,22,23; Jer.23:5,6; Jer.31:32,33; Jer.32:39-41; Mic.7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Rom.1:2; Heb.1:1; Acts 3:22-24; Acts 10:43; John 5:46. (d) Heb.10:1,7; Col.2:7; John 5:46. (e) Rom.10:4; Gal.4:4,5; Gal.3:24; Col.2:17.

John 12:31-32

Good morning friends,

 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.”

 The crucifixion of Christ is not merely a personal escape from sin’s punishment. It is the crushing of the serpents head as was foretold in Genesis and thus the glory of God.

 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

 The ”world” that Jesus states as being under judgment is the world system – the system that God has permitted Satan to influence. The crucifixion is the pinnacle of God’s plan – it is the watershed, if you will, of the redemption of His people and all of creation. The crucifixion undid the effects of the fall. Though all is not totally restored in our time and space it is something that from God’s perspective is complete. Satan has been “cast out” and nothing can prevail against the Kingdom of God.

We must not read the “all people” as universalism. We know elsewhere in the Scriptures plainly state that many will not come to Christ. This, I believe, may be rightly understood as “all my people.” While the prince of darkness is still active in our world system, as sons of God we do not have to be pressed into its mold. For we read in Romans 12;

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 I know it is Thursday – Have a blessed Lord’s Day

 Bill

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, (a)  and a real (b) righteous man? (c)

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ: (d) “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (e) (a) 1 John 5:20; Rom.9:5; Rom.8:3; Gal.4:4; Isa.9:6; Jer.23:6; Mal.3:1. (b) Luke 1:42; Luke 2:6,7; Rom.1:3; Rom.9:5; Philip.2:7; Heb.2:14,16,17; Heb.4:15. (c) Isa.53:9,11; Jer.23:5; Luke 1:35; John 8:46; Heb.4:15; Heb.7:26; 1 Pet.1:19; 1 Pet.2:22; 1 Pet.3:18. (d) 1 Tim.2:5; Heb.2:9; Matt.1:23; 1 Tim.3:16; Luke 2:11. (e) 1 Cor.1:30.

 

John 12:28-30

Good morning friends, 

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.

 Christ says “Father, glorify your name” with the coming cross in view. Many would see Christ’s death as a tragic ending to His story. Christ’s life and death did not culminate in tragedy, as something outside Gods sovereign plan. While it is difficult to see and even harder to confess we must realize that everything that takes place in the universe will ultimately bring glory to God. Please do not hear me as saying that evil is good, however the cross is the central example of this. The cross was God’s plan before the foundation of the world. There was never a plan “a” and a plan “b.” There are some theological systems that seem to give the idea that God is wringing his hands as he watches one plan fail after another. The scriptures are the unfolding revelation of this sovereign plan not God changing His mind of how He deals with man. The universe is not under the influence of a yin-and-yang principle where good and evil are in a dualistic battle. Yes evil is real, but permitted in God’s plan and all will always bring glory to God. We battle this in our hearts when tragedy strikes. Gordon Lightfoot’s words of the Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald find their way in our thoughts far too often – “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves the turn the minutes to hours.” We can fully rest in the realization that nothing that happens in our lives will ever un-glorify God – only glorify.

 Bill

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, (a)  and a real (b) righteous man? (c)

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ: (d) “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (e) (a) 1 John 5:20; Rom.9:5; Rom.8:3; Gal.4:4; Isa.9:6; Jer.23:6; Mal.3:1. (b) Luke 1:42; Luke 2:6,7; Rom.1:3; Rom.9:5; Philip.2:7; Heb.2:14,16,17; Heb.4:15. (c) Isa.53:9,11; Jer.23:5; Luke 1:35; John 8:46; Heb.4:15; Heb.7:26; 1 Pet.1:19; 1 Pet.2:22; 1 Pet.3:18. (d) 1 Tim.2:5; Heb.2:9; Matt.1:23; 1 Tim.3:16; Luke 2:11. (e) 1 Cor.1:30.

John 12:24-27

 Good morning friends,

 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. “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. 

Christ’s hour is at hand. He knows the reason He has come and that the path that is before Him includes God’s wrath. It was in Christ’s suffering that many sons would be brought to glory as we read in Hebrews 2:9-10 

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.  

I have heard people reason that death for Christ was no big thing – after all He is God. I actually had someone tell me that Christ did not suffer under God’s wrath. But we see here that “dieing” as a “grain of wheat” brought deep anguish to Christ.  When Christ says “my soul is troubled,” is saying that he is absolutely horrified. If His mission was a piece of cake then certainly He would not have any sense of horror.  He asks the rhetorical question of the Father sparing Him from what is to come. He knew the reason He came and what was before Him – the complete horror of it. Christ was resolute about His mission, as Hebrews tells us it was a joy for Him, but never, never soften the terror, the horror He faced to save us.  

Bill

 Heidelberg Catechism

 Q. 18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, (a)  and a real (b) righteous man? (c)

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ: (d) “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (e) (a) 1 John 5:20; Rom.9:5; Rom.8:3; Gal.4:4; Isa.9:6; Jer.23:6; Mal.3:1. (b) Luke 1:42; Luke 2:6,7; Rom.1:3; Rom.9:5; Philip.2:7; Heb.2:14,16,17; Heb.4:15. (c) Isa.53:9,11; Jer.23:5; Luke 1:35; John 8:46; Heb.4:15; Heb.7:26; 1 Pet.1:19; 1 Pet.2:22; 1 Pet.3:18. (d) 1 Tim.2:5; Heb.2:9; Matt.1:23; 1 Tim.3:16; Luke 2:11. (e) 1 Cor.1:30.

John 12:20-23

Good morning friends,

  Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks .So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

 These “Greeks” were most likely Gentile proselytes or what they called “God-fearers.”  Israel was to be the light to the world; instead they walled the Gentiles from access to God. Jesus came however to tear down the wall of separation. Through Christ everyone has full and equal access to God as Paul explains in Ephesians 2:14 –

  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

 God never meant for such a wall to exist. Yes Israel was God’s chosen people, but He intended them to point the world to Him. Tied to Jesus purpose in coming to man, the gospel, was to remove this wall. So when these guys show up He immediately speaks of the significance of this moment. These seeking Greeks are, if you will, the signal that tells Jesus His hour had come and that the door of salvation would be opened to all.

 Bill

 

Heidelberg Catechism

 Q. 18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, (a)  and a real (b) righteous man? (c)

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ: (d) “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (e) (a) 1 John 5:20; Rom.9:5; Rom.8:3; Gal.4:4; Isa.9:6; Jer.23:6; Mal.3:1. (b) Luke 1:42; Luke 2:6,7; Rom.1:3; Rom.9:5; Philip.2:7; Heb.2:14,16,17; Heb.4:15. (c) Isa.53:9,11; Jer.23:5; Luke 1:35; John 8:46; Heb.4:15; Heb.7:26; 1 Pet.1:19; 1 Pet.2:22; 1 Pet.3:18. (d) 1 Tim.2:5; Heb.2:9; Matt.1:23; 1 Tim.3:16; Luke 2:11. (e) 1 Cor.1:30.