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

John 12:27-37 Jesus elevated and exalted!

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 as Savior. 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)

In Jerusalem there was a Cross with Jesus’ name on it. It had been chosen before the foundation of the world to unite man with God. The Cross was a sign of terrible torture and shamefulness yet 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

1.Jesus’ Hour

Troubled is the Greek verb tarassō it means to be greatly distressed or disturbed. It’s 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 would betray Him. Anyone in their right mind would be troubled over the fact that they would soon be nailed to a cross. Jesus’ trouble more than the approaching pain, He would become what was foreign to Him, SIN and for the first time be separated from the presence of God. Jesus’ trouble shows His humanity as the God Man. This theological fact has the utmost importance for our salvation, 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 says “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 like this, there are only two things a man can do, pray “Father Save Me” or pray “Father Glorify Your Name.” Jesus didn’t 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 it is in the form of a demand and 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 booms from heaven, many thought it was thunder others an angel. This is the third God speaks 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 , (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 is 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 revealed the Glory of God and its climax took 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 He 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 redemption to mankind. By grace through faith we can enter into eternal life even after we die! 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 time come! 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 Independent from God. The devil offers Jesus his glory apart from the suffering. But the devil’s glory is a counterfeit and temporal! 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. (HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosref/BibleNASB95.Lk4.6"Lk 4:6). There Jesus defeated the devil through the Scriptures and he hung his head in defeat as, he departed from Jesus for a time. But at the Cross Satan was completely and eternally defeated!

Jesus says “Now is the judgment of this world, now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Judgment is the Greek noun krisis which 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, he 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!

ILL: 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 laid down in another corner. 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 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. 20:1-3, 7-10). The cross is the devil’s demise and we should glory in it!

III. The Cross is the Salvation of All Man (31-37)

A. Jesus lifted

Notice the contrast between Jesus and the devil. The devil is judged and cast out but Jesus is lifted up! To the lost and dying world death is defeat but to Jesus and those who believe it is victory and eternal life!

Lifted up is the Greek verb hypsoō it means to be lifted up into the air. Jesus used this word twice in John’s gospel. Once has he speaks with Nicodemus in John 3:14, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” This is an allusion to Numbers 21:9 when God sent serpents in judgment of Israel’s sin. Those who were bit died until God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and to lift up in the air so that whoever looked upon it through the eyes of faith would live!

Hypsoō is used again in John 8:28 as Jesus says, “when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He. The original audience would have known that Jesus was speaking about crucifixion. He would be nailed to a wooden cross and elevated in the air to die a horrific and shameful death! But, I want you to understand that Hypsoō has a double meaning. It means to be elevated, but it also means to be exalted! JESUS WAS ELEVATED AND EXALTED! To the secular mind the cross looks like ultimate defeat but through the eyes of faith it is glorious victory and the first step that led to a glorious resurrection and a triumphant ascension!

B. Jesus Drawing

Jesus says, “if I am lifted up I will draw all men to myself.” Draw is the Greek verb Helkō it means to pull in or to haul in. Jesus uses it in John 6:44-45 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” No one comes to Jesus on their own accord; however anyone can come to Jesus! Helkō is the idea of a magnet that draws a piece of metal to itself. I sell magnetic clasps to at the Jewelry store if you get the ends within an inch of each other they automatically attach themselves!

I want you to know that at the Cross God’s love was proven true and it was demonstrated for all to see, Romans 5:8 tells us that “God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NB) His love displayed on the Cross draws people like a magnet draws itself to metal! Jesus elevated and exalted draws all people without distinction, the Greeks who came to see Jesus received the answer to their inquiry, it is the Cross and its salvation reaches out to all people! Is. 45:22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” Would you turn to Jesus?

He goes on to say, in verse 34-36 there is no time like now to believe, believe while the light of God is calling you so that darkness doesn't over take you.

Conclusion: The message of John 12:17-37 is simple, its Glory at the Cross! Yet so many people don’t believe and will die the sinner’s death that Jesus died for them. Oswald Chambers once said: “All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who are more or less ignoring its meaning. When I think of the Cross I’m reminded of the words pinned by Issac Watts in 1707 “When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss And pour contempt on all my pride.”

This text is urges us to exhibit Jesus crucified and to lift Him up all the time. Jesus was elevated for sinners and is to be exalted by saints! The Cross is the Glory of God and in it we should glory as we continually lift up Jesus for the lost world to see.

WHAT DO YOU GLORY IN? I’ll tell you what you should glory in… The Cross of Christ Jesus! Lift Him up in 2023! When He returns wearing His Crown it will be too late for the world to believe it’s our duty today to explain to others His bearing of the Cross!