Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: At a reception honoring musician Sir Robert Mayer on his 100th birthday, elderly British socialite Lady Diana Cooper fell into conversation with a friendly woman who seemed to know her well.

Lady Diana’s failing eyesight prevented her from recognizing her fellow guest until she peered more closely at the magnificent diamonds and realized she was talking to Queen Elizabeth!

Overcome with embarrassment, Lady Diana curtsied and stammered, “Ma’am, oh, ma’am, I’m sorry, ma’am.

I didn’t recognize you without your crown!”

Lady Diana found herself in a Crisis and we find a Crisis in this text that is still going on today.

The people didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, thus they did not believe in Him.

Perhaps it was because Jesus didn't come to earth wearing His crown, instead He came to earth to bear a Cross!

But, I want to tell you today that the Cross of Christ Jesus is the Glory of God!

Context: This is 5 days before Jesus’ crucifixion, He rode into Jerusalem in humility, atop a donkey’s colt.

The Jews sang “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.”

Others testified to His raising of Lazarus, the Pharisees grumbled because it seemed like the whole world had gone after Jesus.

In that crowd were some Gentile worshipers who came to Philip and said “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”

Then Jesus begins to speak openly about the Cross saying “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified!”

CPS: Today I want to talk about the Cross on which my Savior died.

The tool of torture that became the Glory of God! On the Cross Jesus Glorified the Name of God, Claimed victory over the Devil, and brought Salvation to all man.

I.

The Cross is the Glory of God (27-29)

There in Jerusalem was a Cross with Jesus’ name on it.

It had been chosen before the foundation of the world.

The Cross was a sign of terrible torture and humility and the King of Glory begins to speak about His Cross.

The hour is which Jesus was born for had come, and unless Jesus died upon that old rugged cross His perfect life would have been useless.

Jesus said “my soul is troubled.”

A. Jesus’ Trouble

Jesus’ Hour

Trouble is the Greek verb tarassō it is means to be greatly distressed or disturbed.

It used two other times in this Gospel showing the emotional distress of Jesus.

Its first use is in John 11:33 as He sees Mary and the Jews crying over the deceased Lazarus.

It is used again in John 13:21 as Jesus reveals one of His disciples will betray Him.

Anyone in their right mind would be troubled over the fact that they would soon be nailed to a cross.

Jesus’ trouble was not just the approaching pain but that He would become what was foreign to Him, SIN and for the first time Jesus would cut off from the presence of God.

Jesus’ trouble shows us His humanity that He is the God Man.

This theological fact has the utmost importance on our salvation because only God is good enough to die for the sins of the world but only a man could die for the sins of the world.

2. Jesus’ Prayer

Jesus began to pray rhetorically He said “what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?

But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Warren Weirsbe once said “during times such as this, there are only two things a man can do, pray “Father Save Me” or pray “Father Glorify Your Name.”

Jesus did not expect to be saved from His hour.

He had come to do the blessed will of God.

Jesus said John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 8:29 “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

In Jesus’ humanity he shrinks from the cross for just a moment then instantly surrenders Himself to the will of God the Father praying not for deliverance but for victory as shouts “God Glorify your name!”

B. God’s Glory

Glorify is the Greek verb doxazō, it is used 5 times in this chapter thus it the theme of this text.

Twice it is used of Jesus and three times it is used of God the Father.

In this we see the deity of Jesus because God does share His glory with anyone.

(Is.

42:8) “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another.”

In vs. 28 doxazō is in the imperative mood which means tit is in the form of a demand and it can be translated with an exclamation mark.

Jesus is saying “Father, carry out your redemptive plan and bring eternal praise to your holy name so that it will be recognized by all.”

Then the voice of God reaches out from heaven many thought it was thunder while others an angel.

This is the third time that we see God speaking aloud in the Gospels.

The first was at Jesus’ baptism as He was anointed for His public ministry (Mk.

1:11) “and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Again on the Mount of Transfiguration the voice of God reaches the ears of humanity, (Mk.

9:7)“Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!.” Now at the close of Jesus’ public ministry God says “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.”

Notice the past tense, glorified!

Through the eyes of faith God’s glory could be seen in the person and ministry of Jesus, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus’ teachings, actions, and signs had revealed the Glory of God with its climax taking place the week before as He tells Martha the sister of Lazarus, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God then calls the dead Lazarus back to life!

I will glorify it again, Future tense!

At the Cross, where Jesus died God brought glory to His name as the finished work of Jesus brought fourth redemption to mankind!

There the much needed peace with God was imparted to mankind by grace through faith so that we can enter into eternal life after our life on earth is over!

And, I want to tell you today.. at the Cross God was glorified and for this reason we should glory in the cross.

To the lost and dying world death is a tragedy but for Jesus and those in Jesus it is the means of Glory!

II.

The Cross is the Demise of the Devil (30)

As the voice of God thundered from the heavens the people could hear the sound but could not understand the message.

Just as Jesus’ time had come so had the enemy’s of this world!

I want you to know today that the old rugged cross where Jesus died is the demise of the devil!

John calls him the ruler of this world,Peter calls him the enemy that is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour (1 Peter 5:8).

The devil is a supernatural enemy that no man in his own might can stand against and for a while God gave him dominion on earth.

We see this at Jesus’ temptation, as the devil tries to get Jesus to act apart from God’s time and plan.

The devil offers Jesus his glory apart from the suffering.

But the devil’s glory is just a counterfeit and temporal at best!

The devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the world.

The devil said.

“I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.

(Lk 4:6).

There the devil hung his head in defeat as the Bible tells us, he departed from Jesus for a time.

But at the Cross Satan was completely and eternally defeated!

Notice, Jesus says “Now is the judgement of this world, now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

Judgment is the Greek noun krisis it means verdict or sentence.

This world is the Greek noun Kosmos and contextually speaking it means the godless world system.

At the Cross the devil was cast down in defeat as was judged and sentenced to eternal torture!

Jesus has claimed victory over him and sin as the death blow hit him hard at Calvary, but like a deer shot through both lungs, he will run for a little while before he finally falls!

I’m reminded of the story of a little boy watching a wildcat in a zoo.

“As he was there, an attendant entered the cage.

He had nothing in his hands but a broom.

Carefully closing the door, he proceeded to sweep the floor of the cage.

When he got to the corner of the cage where the wildcat was lying, he poked the animal with the broom.

The wildcat hissed at him and then lay down in another corner of the enclosure.

The boy said, “You certainly are a brave man.”

“No, I ain’t brave,” the attendant replied as he continued to sweep.

“Well, then that cat must be tame.”

“No,” came the reply, “he ain’t tame.”

“If you aren’t brave and the wildcat isn’t tame, then I can’t understand why he doesn’t hurt you” The attendant chuckled, and then replied with an air of confidence, “Mister, he’s old—and he ain’t got no teeth.”

By grace through faith in Jesus, the devil may be able to hiss at you and claw you up a little but he can’t sink his teeth into you!

And in the book of Revelation we see exactly what the cross had done to the devil.

In Revelation 12 we read that Satan and his angels with him were thrown out of heaven by the blood of the lamb.

In Revelation 20 we read that Satan was bound and thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years to be released for just a short time before being thrown in the lake of fire where he will be tormented night and day forever (Rev.