John 12_27_37 Jesus Elevated and Exalted

John 12:27-37 Exegesis “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!”

In this text there is a Crisis that is still going on today, the people didn’t believe Jesus was their Messiah. Perhaps it’s because Jesus came bearing a cross instead of wearing His crown! But I want to tell you that the Cross is the Glory of God! 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.

Context: The events of this passage takes place 5 days before Jesus crucifixion, you could say this is a time of great crisis. Crisis for Jesus because He was troubled, His hour had come. Crisis for the devil because his demise was near, and a Crisis for the people because they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah even in light of all the signs (miracles with messages) he had performed (vs. 34). Jesus begins to predict His death and explain the necessity of it using an illustration of a seed planted in the ground and becoming fruitful.

But, If we were to choose a theme for this passage it would not be a Great Crisis, instead it would be Great Glory! Jesus had just (that very day) entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey’s colt (sign of humility) and the people sang “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” There were people in the crowd who witnessed Jesus bring Lazarus back to life, they were still testifying to what they had seen the week before. The Pharisees who were there grumbled because the “world” had gone after Jesus. There were Greek worshipers in the crowd who asked to see Jesus, His response to all this was “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be Glorified!”(23)

To the lost and dying world death is a tragedy but for Jesus and those in Jesus it is the means of Glory! Jesus’ death on a rugged Cross is the Glory of God, the demise of Satan, and the Salvation of man!

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

In verse 23, we read that “The hour has come for the Son of man.” Hour is the Greek noun hōra It means time or occasion. This word has been used 3 times leading up this point in John regarding Jesus’ time had not yet come. But now the time has come for Jesus to die for the sins of the world. John tells us that Jesus was troubled, “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Troubled is the Greek verb tarassō it means to be greatly distressed or disturbed.

This shows Jesus as being emotionally distressed and proves His humanity. Tarassō is used 2 others times in John’s gospel in regards to Jesus being troubled. John 11:33 as He saw Mary and the Jews crying over the death of Lazarus and John 13:21 as He reveals that one of His 12 disciples will betray Him. This verb shows that while in this world Jesus faced the things we are faced with. He was distressed over what was about to happen, anyone in their right mind would be distressed if they were about to be nailed to a cross and suffer the fierce and righteous wrath of God. For Jesus the worst thing about the cross is the terrible separation from God that He would experience. Warren Weirsbe once said “during times such as this, there are only two things a man can do, pray “Father save Me” or “Father Glorify your name.”

Jesus could not have expected to be saved from this hour because this is why He came, to bring salvation to the human race. Though troubled he asked for “this cup to pass from me” (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:36) in the Garden of Gethsemane, yet He ended His prayer by saying “not my will be done but yours.” Jesus in His humanity shrinks from the Cross for just a moment then instantly surrenders Himself to God’s will. He prays “Father Glorify your name!” Jesus had come to do the will of God! Jesus said, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work (John 4:34); For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38); and I always do what pleases him. (John 8:29). Thus He prayed, not for deliverance but for Victory!

Notice the use of the Greek verb doxazō,, which is used 5x in this chapter. The word means praise or honor. Twice it is used in regards to Jesus (16, 23) and three times in verse 28 it is used in regards to God the Father. The first use of doxazō is in Jesus’ short but direct prayer. “Father glorify your name.” This use doxazō is in the imperative mood, which means the statement is in the form of a demand. It could be translated with an exclamation mark, “Father glory your name!” Jesus is saying, Father, carry out your redemptive plan and bring eternal praise to your holy name and may it be recognized by all!

The second use of doxazō in verse 28 is used by God the Father, the verb is now in the aorist indicative mood which means the verbs use is in the past tense, simply stating the truth that the action has taken place. This is the 3rd time the voice of God is recorded coming from heaven during the life of Jesus. The 1st time was at Jesus’ baptism “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased (Matt 3:17, MK 1:11). The 2nd time is on the mount of transfiguration, this is my beloved Son; listen to him! (Mark 9:7). Now God declares, “I have already glorified my name.” Through the eyes of faith God’s glory had been manifested 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. (John 1:14) Through the eyes of faith the glory of God had been manifested in the teaching, the actions, and the signs that Jesus performed. Perhaps its climax up to that point had just recently taken place and people were taking about it, that very day! In John 11:40 Jesus tells Martha the sister of Lazarus, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God” then Jesus lifted His head toward heaven and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving so that the crowd would believe that He is Messiah. Then Jesus cried out “Lazarus come forth” and Lazarus is resurrected from the dead! God said, I have glorified my name.

Now we come to the third use of doxazō, now the verb is in the future active indicative, which means this action will truthfully come to pass. I will glorify it again! At the Cross, where Jesus died God brought glory to His name as the finish work of Jesus brought fourth redemption to mankind by grace through faith!

The beginning of Jesus’ life on earth was ushered in through the praise of God as the angels sang Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will towards men. Now the peace on earth that man desperately needed has been accomplished, at the Cross Jesus brought to mankind peace with God. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Rom. 5:1)

At the Cross God was glorified, for this reason we should glory in the cross!

The Cross is the demise of Satan(30)

As the voice of God thundered from the heavens the people could hear the sound but could not understand the message. Jesus tells them that this was the voice of God, it didn’t come for His sake but for their sake. This message is of the utmost importance, just as Jesus’ hour had come so had the enemy’s of this world! Jesus begins to speak openly about the Cross and in it we see that it is the demise of the Devil!

John calls him the prince of this world, or the ruler of this world. He is the devil, a supernatural enemy that no man in his own might can stand against. Peter tells us that this enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). In Scripture we see that God gave him dominion on earth for a little while. At the temptation of Jesus, the devil took Him 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) I want to tell you something important, the devil was defeated that day through the Word of God but at as Luke 4:13 tells us, he departed from Him for a time. But at the Cross Satan was completely and eternally defeated!

Jesus said “now is the judgment of this world.” “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” Judgment is the Greek noun krisis it means verdict or sentence. Ruler is the Greek noun archōn, it means leader. In this context Kosmos means the godless world system. Finally, cast out is ekballō (drive out, send out, expel) exō (outside). At the Cross the Devil was judged and found guilty as Jesus proclaims final victory over him and sin! Satan is like a deer shot through both lungs, he will run for a little while before he finally falls!

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).

Satan has been defeated though for a little while he runs about. 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 attack you.” The attendant chuckled, and then replied with an air of confidence, “Mister, he’s old—and he ain’t got no teeth.”

The Cross is the devils demise; there he was defeated as Christ Jesus made atonement for the sin of the world! Satan is a defeated foe though he runs around a little while longer, like that wildcat at the zoo… he may be able to hiss at you and claw you up but he can’t sin his teeth into you!

(Devil you are an asshole and I hate you! I can’t wait for Jesus to cast you into the fires of hell!)

The Cross is the Salvation of Man (31)

Notice the contrast between Jesus and the Devil. The Devil will be defeated but Jesus (as for me) will be lifted up. Lifted up is the Greek verb hypsoō which means to lift up in the air. This verb has been used by Jesus twice already in John’s Gospel. Jesus uses hypsoō as 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 a reference to Numbers 21:9 as God gave Moses a remedy for the judgment of sin during Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. God sent serpents upon the people and whoever was bit died, but He also gave the people a cure. At God’s instruction Moses made a bronze serpent on a pole, the serpent was lifted up into the air so that whoever looked upon the serpent would be saved. (Looked is nā·ḇǎṭ which means gaze,it is the idea of faith.) God said. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else.(Is. 45:22)

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 Son of Man who carried out the Father’s salvific plan.) To the original audience there is no doubt that Jesus was talking about His crucifixion. Verse 31 tells us Jesus said this to indicate what type of death He was going to die. In verse 31 Hypsoō has a double meaning. It means to be elevated from the ground. Jesus would be nailed to a cross and lifted up off the ground between two thieves, elevated between heaven and earth He would die for the sins of the world. However in this text the Cross is not merely Jesus hanging above the ground, because Hypsoō also means exalt! YES, JESUS ELEVATED AND EXALTED! Lifted up means both crucified and exalted!

The Cross is not the symbol of defeat but the symbol of victory! To the secular mind, the cross looks like ultimate defeat but through the eyes of faith it was a glorious victory and it was the first step that would lead to a glorious resurrection and a triumphant ascension.

Jesus says, “if I am lifted up I will draw all men to myself.” Helkō is the Greek verb which means to pull in or to haul in. Jesus’ uses it in John 6:44-45 when He says, “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and then I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they will be taught by God. Everyone who has listened and learned the Father will come to me.” Helkō is the idea of a magnet that draws a piece of metal to itself. I sell magnetic clasps to little ladies at my Jewelry store, you attach a small magnet to one side and on the other is a small piece of metal, 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 demonstrated, Romans 5:8 tells us that “God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” His love displayed on the Cross will draw all people to Himself like a great spiritual magnet.

All people does not imply every single person, instead, it means all people without distinction; people from every race and nation who would believe. This is the answer to the inquiry of the Greeks who came to see Jesus! With the cross the good news of salvation reaches out to all people!

Jesus would go on to say that I am here for only a little while longer, believe in Me while I am still here to shed light so they you may not stumble. With that saying Jesus’ public ministry is over. It began with the voice of God saying this is my Son with whom I am well pleased and ends with the voice of God saying I have glorified my name and I will glorify it again. To the secular mind the cross is a tragedy but to those of faith it is a glorious thing!

Application: This text teaches us that the Cross is the Glory of God, the demise of Satan, and the Salvation of man. You can be saved today through power of the blood of Jesus, through which the Holy Spirit of God applies God’s unconditional love to your heart and lures you in like a magnetic force. Will you be saved today?

How can we as Christians put to this text to work in our daily lives? One thing we have to do is exhibit Jesus crucified and to lift Him up all the time. Jesus was elevated on a cross by sinners and is to be exalted on the cross by saints! I am 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.” Thus the Words of Apostle Paul should ever be on our hearts and tongues “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Ga. 6:14)

The only thing that will combat the Crisis of unbelief this world finds itself in is the Glory of God upon the Christian worker as he reveals that Jesus is the Savior sent by God the Father as we continually lift up Jesus Christ.