John Lesson 34

Introduction

A very pleasant good day to you, and welcome to Let the Bible speak. Our study today begins in John chapter twelve and in verse twenty-eight, where we pick up from our last lesson. You may recall in the study of the first few verses of John chapter twelve that we pointed out that this is at the last week of the life of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion. And in fact, in our last study, we observed what we usually call the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ, whereas he came into Jerusalem as they were preparing for the feast of the Passover, and the people, when they realized that it was Jesus that was coming, took branches of palm trees, and began to cry, Hosanna, King of Israel. Save, we pray, the word Hosanna means, and they honored him.

But as the Pharisees learned about what the people had done in honoring and praising Jesus, their antagonism toward Christ only increased. And they purposed that they were going to put him to death. Jesus knew that this is what would happen. In fact, in John chapter 12 and in verse 23, he said, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Now, about five times before this, Jesus had made the statement, Mine hour is not yet come. And this is the first time where he says, The hour is come. Jesus knew that the time would come that he would be crucified, that he would be put to death for the sins of others who deserve death themselves. And now that that time has come, Jesus says, Mine hour, or the hour is come.

But there was a fleshly pull that Jesus had from a fleshly instinct. It was hard, it was difficult to go through the death of the cruel cross. And in very touching verse in verse 27, Jesus said, Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? And it was as though to answer, Shall I say, Well, Father, save me from this hour? On the one hand, that would be a temptation to any man from a fleshly point of view. But then this response was, For this cause came I unto this hour. He knew the purpose for which he had come into the world, and the hour now had come, and in fact in verse twenty eight the first phrase of it, he said, Father, glorify thy name.

By his death on the cruel cross, the plan of God by which we can be saved shall be fulfilled. The name of the Father is glorified. It is honored, it is magnified through the very cross of Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now, as Jesus made this statement, we’ll pick up our reading in verse twenty eight. You’ll get your Bibles open, I’d like for you to read along with me. In John chapter twelve, verse twenty eight, I’m reading to about verse thirty-six. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundered.

Others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever, and how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have a light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

1. Father, Glorify Thy Name

While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus and departed, and did hide himself from them. Now, when Jesus made the statement, Father glorify thy name, there was the voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. There are two earlier occasions where we have the words from heaven recorded for us. You may remember back in Matthew chapter three, at the baptism of Jesus Christ, when when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of the dove, and there was the voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And again in Matthew chapter seventeen, at the Mount of Transfiguration, when both Moses and Elijah appeared, and Peter, James, and John were with Jesus, and the suggestion was made that three tabernacles be built, one for Jesus and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Again the voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. But now this is a third occasion, where the voice from heaven says, I have glorified my name, and were glorified again. And Jesus then explained the voice was not for the sake of Jesus. It was not that he needed to be reassured that his father was with him, or that the death that he was about to suffer was according to the will of the Father, but it rather was for the sake of those who were present with the Lord. It confirmed to them that even the death that Jesus must go through was not because of the strength of wicked men. It was not that the devil was stronger than the Lord.

2. Now Is the Judgment of This World

But rather the very death of Christ would bring an end to the glory of the devil. In fact, it would glorify the Father Himself. For the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ had been planned by God from eternity, had been prophesied about. And now that that hour is come, in that it is accomplished, the Father shall be glorified. And he said, For your sakes, it is said. In fact, he said, Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out if I be lifted up. The expression, if I be lifted up, is again the third time we find this in the gospel according to John. You may remember back in John chapter 3, in verses 14 through 16, where Jesus referred to the fact that even as Moses had lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and people were saved by their faith as they looked upon that serpent, he said, Even so, that whosoever believeth in him that is in Christ should not perish when he is lifted up.

Now Jesus had reference to his death. As he was lifted up on the cross in a literal way, so in a spiritual way, men who look up to him in faith and by faith believe in him, even so shall they be saved. Now Jesus made the point in verse 31 and in 30 and 31, that as he was lifted up, that it is the time of judgment of this world. It is also the time that the prince of this world should be cast out. To say that it’s the judgment of the world, when Christ is crucified, we know that he was not referring to the final day of judgment, for that has not yet occurred. But when Christ was lifted up on the cross came a time where the world had to make a choice.

Men have to determine whether they will believe in the Christ or will reject the Christ. Jesus said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be deaf. You know the dividing line between the lost and the saved? It’s faith. Christ has been raised up, that is, he’s been crucified, but not everybody believes on him, do they? And therefore there’s a time of judgment, so to speak, in that men have to make a choice. Either accept Christ or reject Christ. But the choice is one that you have to make and I have to make. We have to determine what we will accept Jesus Christ or not. Later in our same text in John 12 and verse 48, Jesus said, He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my sayings, as one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

3. The Prince of This World Is Cast Out

And so judgment has come. Men either have to accept Christ or reject Christ. But also he says the prince of this world is cast out. Now that’s a reference, of course, to the devil. He’s the one who is called the prince of this world. But he’s cast down. In that he no longer has power over men through the bondage of sin. Through Christ Jesus, there is deliverance from sin. Passage in Hebrews chapter 2, verses 14 and 15 describe this, how that Christ fortook of flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. When Jesus Christ was crucified, the devil was cast out in the sense that his power was destroyed.

There is deliverance now from the bondage of sin, from the bondage of the grave. Even Revelation chapter 12, verses 9 and 10 refer to that point in time in the crucifixion of Christ, when even there’s the warfare going on in heaven. But the devil himself is cast down. That is, he lost a battle with God, for Christ is raised from the grave. And the scripture says, Now is come salvation. Now is come the kingdom. When Christ was raised from the grave, he indeed the Prince of this world was cast down. But would you notice with me further, as we read in verses thirty seven through forty-one, the attitude of those who may have seen Jesus in the first century and rejected him? Judgment came upon them by their rejection.

4. Though He Had Done So Many Miracles, They Believed Not

But look at the opportunity that they had. I’m reading John 12, verse 37. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. That the saying of Isaiah or Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake. Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him. It’s remarkable that though Jesus worked so many miracles, yet they did not believe on him as the Son of God.

You recall back in chapter 11 and in verse 47, shortly after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the grave, that when the rulers gathered together, the chief priests and the Pharisees, they said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles. There was never the contest or the rejection of the fact that he did miracles. They didn’t contest the fact that it was a miracle that had been done, but they rejected the source of the miracle. And they did not want to believe on Jesus as the Christ. Never did they say he did not perform a miracle, he’s a fraud. That is not the objection they raised. But though he did many miracles, and though they knew that it was that miracles was what he was doing, they did not believe on him.

Is it not so that even to this day there are those who may have many, many reasons to believe in the Christ? There is much evidence that he is the Christ, the Son of God, testimony. But there are those who will not believe. Even if a miracle were performed, they’re not going to accept. I’ve had one who told me some years ago, he said, you know, if I could see the Lord perform a miracle, maybe I could believe on him. And my response to him is not so. Even those in the first century, when they closed their own eyes and stopped their own ears and their minds or hearts were hardened against God, they wouldn’t believe, and they saw him firsthand. There is much evidence. You have great reasons to believe in the Christ, but no one’s going to force you to believe.

God does not force people to believe.

He didn’t force them to believe in Christ. In fact, they were hardened. With every miracle Jesus worked, with the words that he taught, the words of truth, they found themselves even more antagonized against him and worked more diligently, even to put him to death. As the saying goes, the same Son that hardens clay melts butter. And there are those who can hear the word of God and believe it and obey it. There are others when they hear the word of God, they resent it. They reject it. They act with violence against it. That’s true even to this day.

Now that may sound as though God’s causing people not to understand, and that’s really not the application of the verse. God does not hold us like puppets in his hand and force us either to believe or force us to not believe. But the truth is, as God’s word is taught, there are those who reject that word. And so, in the sense that God has, as Isaiah said, He hath blinded their eyes, the reason is with man. They will not accept the word of the Lord. This passage from Isaiah chapter six is quoted in two other places. It’s quoted in Acts chapter 28, verses 26 through 28, when the apostle Paul was imprisoned at Rome. And he made the application to some Jews then who heard the word and rejected it.

It’s also quoted in Matthew chapter 13, verses 13 through 15, where there even Jesus made application to the religious leaders of his day. And again, he did not lay the blame upon God Himself, but the blame for people not understanding was in the hearts of men. He said, In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive. And notice what he says, for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them.

They’ve closed their eyes. God doesn’t force you to believe. God will not force you to close your eyes. Either you will say, Give me the truth. I’ll have an open Bible with an open mind. And whatever changes God commands of me, I’m willing to make. Either you will have that attitude, or else you will have an attitude that says, I know what I want to believe, and I don’t care what the Bible says. There are those who take that reaction to the word of God. I’ve seen some who say, Well, I know the Bible may say that, but I know what I’ve experienced, or I know what I’ve always believed. And that kind of prejudiced attitude is a closed Bible and a closed mind attitude. Oh, they may talk about how they love the Lord and keep a Bible, they read verse to verse, but if they’re not willing to make the changes, God’s word commands of them.

They don’t really love the Lord. They don’t really have an open mind. Let us be careful that we not have the attitude that these Pharisees demonstrated when they saw the miracles of Jesus themselves. They rejected them. They rejected the Christ because of prejudice hearts. We’re going to take a break for just a moment and we’ll come back and continue our study in John chapter 12. We hope you’ll stay with us.

That seems rather impossible, doesn’t it? But Jesus pointed out that it was because of their attitudes. Their attitudes were such that they just would not accept the truth. It did not matter what Jesus did in their presence. Their minds were closed. And so it is that religious people today can think that because they believe in God, that they’re pleasing him, and yet really have closed minds. But we must examine our hearts. God does not force that attitude upon us. In fact, he’s given us the truth that we can know it, that we can understand it, and that we can be saved by it. All who seek to know the truth can understand it. In fact, Jesus said in John chapter 7, verse 17, He that willeth to do His will shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.

And in John chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, he said, If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples. Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And if we come to him with an open heart, with the attitude that says, Lord, help me to understand it. I’ll make whatever changes are necessary in my life. I’m fully persuaded that we can understand the truth. But it is so important that we keep that open Bible and the open mind. But it also strikes me as an interesting point that in our text of John chapter 12, we find two different groups of religious people who are lost. I say two different groups, because we’ve just observed one who did not believe in Jesus, they were the religious leaders among the Jews.

5. Lost Believers

But now we’re going to read in John chapter 12, 42 and 43, about some other religious leaders who did believe in Jesus and yet they also are lost. Read with me, John 12, 42. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also do many believed on him. But because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Here are some believers. But I think that everyone who understands the will of the Lord will admit that these are lost believers. Rulers of the synagogue. They believed on the Christ. The scripture says that much, but they refused to confess him. They must be lost believers. So often today we hear preachers say, Well, all you have to do is just accept the Lord Jesus Christ, just believe on him.

In fact, there’s one denomination that has as it in its creed book that faith only is a wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort. The idea that we can be saved by faith only, and by that meaning simply a mental agreement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is just not taught in the Bible. In fact, the Bible condemns such a doctrine. Right here in this passage, you find some believers, but they are lost believers. Is there anyone who would defend the proposition that these rulers who refuse to confess Jesus Christ are going to be saved? The fact is that anything only will not save. Faith only will not save. In fact, believers who have faith and even will repent. Faith with repentance will of itself not save.

You see, if a person will say, Well, I believe in the Christ, and I will repent of my sins, but I’m not going to confess him, can that person be saved? Believers who will not confess Christ are lost believers. In Matthew chapter 10, verses 32 and 33, Jesus said, Whosoever will confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever will deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven. You see, we must believe, but there must also be confession of our faith in Christ Jesus. But neither can we isolate that verse and say, Well, all we have to do is just believe and confess the Christ. Sometimes that’s what we hear. Just believe on the Christ, confess him as the Lord, and you’ll be saved.

And as though that’s all the Bible teaches. But look at Luke chapter 4 and in verse 41, where there were some devils that were cast out, and they cried out and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ. They knew who he was, and they even confessed that he was the Christ. But is there anyone who would say they are saved? Well, surely, believers must confess the Christ, they must repent of their sins. And without confession and without repentance, we will perish. Luke chapter 13 and verse 3, Jesus said, Except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish. So we’ll also observe that those who believe will be lost if they refuse to be baptized.

Why in Acts chapter 22 and in verse 16, you remember when Saul of Tarsus, after he’d seen the vision of the Lord on the road to Damascus, and he’d gone into that city as the Lord had instructed him, for three days he had been praying and fasting. But when Ananias, the preacher sent by the Lord, when Ananias came to him, Ananias said, And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Sometimes we hear people say today, Well, just accept Christ, confessing your your faith in him, and pray the sinner’s prayer, and you will be saved. I ask, what did Saul pray for three days? He was a believer, no doubt. He went into the city like the Lord told him.

He was a penitent believer, no doubt. For he was fasting, and he was a praying penitent believer, and yet he still had sins that needed to be forgiven. And that’s why the preacher of the Lord said, Be baptized. Wash away thy sins. Oh, it’s not the water that washed or cleansed his sins in and of itself. God is the one who commanded that there be water baptism, but God commanded that in this act of water baptism is where one reaches the blood of Jesus Christ. And it’s by the blood of Christ that we’re washed free of our sins. And so as Saul was told, arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, what he was saying to him really was, upon the basis of faith, because God commanded it, as a penitent believer, arise and be baptized to wash away your sins through the precious blood of Christ.

In Romans chapter 6, verses 17 and 18, in fact, the apostle Paul, the very ones that we’re speaking about in Acts 22, Paul later wrote about obedience from the heart. He said, God bethink that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from sin, ye became the servant of righteousness, as one obeys from the heart. You see, we’re saved by faith, but it is a faith that is willing to obey. A faith that is alone will not save. That’s really what the scripture says in James chapter 2. If you’ll take your text and read from James 2, verses 14 through 24, you’ll see that faith only will not save.

In fact, the inspired writer says in verse 24, ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Faith only will not save. And I make the proposition to you, if faith only will save, then the rulers of the synagogue in John 12, 42 and 43, would be saved. Is there anyone who would defend that proposition? Surely not. Faith only will not save. There must be an obedient faith. Someone says, But aren’t we saved by the grace of God? Oh, certainly we are. Well, if we have to obey, does that not nullify grace? Well, absolutely not. It does not nullify grace. Works of a meritorious nature would nullify grace. But works of obedience. Now we’re talking about works that God has commanded.

We’re talking about steps of faith. That’s why we would say confession, it’s a work, but it doesn’t nullify grace, because it’s a step of faith. Repentance, it is a work, but it doesn’t nullify grace because it is a work of faith. And likewise baptism is not a work of meritorious deserving or earning salvation, but it is what God has commanded. And so as a believer, let us repent of our sins, confessing our faith and be baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, that we may be raised to walk in uness of life, even as the Lord commanded in Romans chapter 6, verses 3 and 4. But now let’s continue in the reading of this chapter 12 through the end of the chapter. I’m reading 12, verse forty four.

6. He That Rejecteth Me Hath One That Judgeth Him

Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeeth me seeeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world but to save the world. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak, and I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak, therefore even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Jesus in effect gives us the the way of serving the Father. If we’re going to believe in the Father, we must believe in the Son. If we believe in the Son, we will accept the words even of the apostles as his ambassadors you want to come to the Father don’t come around Christ Jesus, but come through Christ Jesus. And in fact as he said, if you believe on Christ, if you don’t believe on Christ you don’t believe on the Father and if you do believe on Christ then you will believe on the Father. But furthermore look at the verse forty eight He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my sayings hath one that judgeth him. The very words that I have spoken. You see it is so important that we take the Bible, the word of God, that we look at what it says and accept it for what it says.

Conclusion

Don’t follow the opinions of men. Don’t just say well I like what he says or I don’t like what he says. Take a word of God. Test every preacher. Test the word that he speaks. Can he give you book, chapter, and verse? If not, then you know that he’s a false teacher. But also know that if it’s the word of God, obey it. Jesus said in Luke six forty six why call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? If he’s really our Lord, we’ll obey him. Until our next study, we bid that the grace and peace of our Lord be with you.