John 12:37-50

Introduction

One of the greatest accomplishments in my life has been the priveledge of being a parent. On the other hand, the most trying thing I have ever done in my life is being a parent.

Its hard yall. kids are a blessing and worth the trouble but man do they know how to test everything about you. Nothing in this world can test you, worry you, try you, anger you, upset you, and at the same time you love them with your whole being and you would do anything for them.

It is helpful that God displays himself as our Father as it gives us a glimpse at his feelings for us.

Today we will discuss some difficult topics in scripture and some people have struggled with the concepts in some of these verse.

Some have even contended that they have left the faith and walked away from Christianity because of this topic. One reason I would say that they have done this, is that they have failed to see God as our Heavenly Father and they never placed themselves under His authority.

So let’s dive in today and we will discuss some of these parallels as we go along.

We have a little break from the words of Jesus and John gives us a synopsis of what is happening, it is a state of the union per say.

The New International Version Chapter 12

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

John tells us throughout the book that the purpose of the book was that Jesus would perform signs and He would do so that they would believe.

Yet still many did not believe. It was literally right before them and they did not believe.

This amazes me. Maybe I am naive but it is so hard for me to believe that Jesus would be right in front of me making the lame walk and the blind see and I would still be like “ehhh I dont know” “I need to see more”. But I like many of you have not seen these things yet we believe. So this is not something necessarily we can understand because our eyes have already been opened.

What Jesus was saying and teaching was so different then what the world and the pharisees were saying. they then look at their spiritual leaders in the sanhedrin and they want to murder Jesus.

We can probably better explain this in comparrison with God the father.

How many times as parents, or if your like me, you can think back to when you were a child and Mom and Dad says Tj dont do that, dont touch that, dont drink that, dont go there....and moments later what happens, we do that, we touch that, we drink that, and we go there.

Literally yesterday, I looked at cannon and I said do not drink mommyts dr pepper becasue he was going to grab it. He looks straight at me and takes a drink. WHAT!!!!! You can imagine there was some parental instruction to follow. HE KNEW THE CONSEQUENCES! HE KNEW WHAT WAS COMING! BUT HE DID IT ANYWAY! Why? Because he is 2 almost 3. Its part of the growing. its my job to teach and train him.

He desired more of what He wanted MORE than what His father desired for Him.

This is the beginning of our biggest failures in life isnt it. Whenever you desire what you want more than what God wants for you then you have stepped away from the light and into darkness.

So if we go back to this verse, lets not judge too harshly of those who saw and did not believe as we have ALL been there and have clearly seen the works of God and chosen to do the opposite.

Now here is the part where people struggle and we will spend some time here. But before we dive into this I want to give you an important statement and I want you to remember it as we go through this together.

GOD’S DESIRE IS THAT ALL WOULD BELIEVE IN HIM. NOT ALL PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE THE DESIRES OF GOD OVER THE DESIRES OF THEIR OWN HEART.

The New International Version Chapter 12

38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” e

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts,

so they can neither see with their eyes,

nor understand with their hearts,

nor turn—and I would heal them.” f

So John goes into provide insight and explain from the book of Isaiah, that even people not believing is a sign of the Messiah.

But as you can imagine, people have the biggest issue with vs 40.

He has blinded their eyes. Im going to attempt to talk through this and I want to point out several other verses in scripture with the same type of message.

Exodus 9:12 NASB95

12 And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

Romans 1:24 NASB95

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

Romans 1:26

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,

Romans 1:28 NASB95

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

2 Thessalonians 2:8–12 NASB95

8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

People read these verses and their instinct is to instantly paint God as the kid on the anthill. “ See God is bad, he hardened their heart, he blinded them, he handed them over” He cant be good .

So lets take a moment and step back and go back to God as our father. My children, at first, I know they are disobedient. I know they break rules. Its what kids do. We are born with a sin nature. You dont have to teach kids to say no or to disobey. They just do.

But as a father I instruct them, I lead them and guide them the best I cant so they know those decisions arent the best. Even though it saddens me, i discipline them and I give them consequences.

Not because i enjoy it, but because it is necessary in bringing up a child.

But lets fast forward 18 years. Let’s say I do my part. i discipline, teach, instruct, and love my child. But after 18 years, he continues to disobey. Does not care about anything I have to say. Disrespects me and his mother and brings shame and pain to my whole household.

What should I do. I have done all I can do but ultimately no one can be forced into obedience. So I let them go and pray they will turn from their ways and return.

Guys, I believe there is indeed a point and time where God releases his hand and says ok have it your way.

God could by all means force everyone into submission, but what type of father would that be. We dont call him our heavenly tyrant we call him our heavenly father.

He desires that all men come to him, but unfortunately not all men do.

God will not sit back and entertain your sin.

He will not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. But remember this, it will not be God as the one who forced you into sin, but your own wicked heart which chose it over the Glory of God.

This does not mean that you as a child of God make a mistake or a sinful decision that God is going to rid you of the unpardonable sin and turn you away.

The pharisees that had hardened their own hearts and made up their mind were not turning. There was nothing that Jesus could or would do that would change their mind. As scripture says they were stiff necked and their heart was made of stone.

We know people like that dont we? We see it and it saddens us. Yes we say things and do mean it to a degree that God can change the most wicked and he can. But when we see famous people on TV that hate God and spew disgusting things about Him, they have made their choice, they are not changing without supernatural causes.

The Jews even today. They hate the name of Jesus and deny that He is God there is nothing that is changing their mind.

Lets continue on

The New International Version Chapter 12

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Man I am having to back away from twitter and other places as of late. I am becoming very disgusted by not what I am seeing in the world but from within the walls of the “church”.

Have you seen the latest debate? Its about Bathsheba and David. Female theologians who should not call themselves theologians, not because women cant be but because these ladies are feminists with an open Bible next to them have criticized men because in order to be Holy and Correct we need to say that Bathsheba was raped rather than just adultery.

Now we can circle the waggons on this topic all morning and get nowhere and I will not be stepping into that discusion. WELL WHY BRING IT UP

Because regardless of the side you take, each and every single post is to make some political and theological statement from each of their sides. They want to make a big statement and then look at women and LGBTQ enthusiasts and say look at me applaud me.

The other side wants to do the same for theirs.

Even in modern day EVANGELICAL world, everyone is looking to make some statement and no one is thinking, DOES THIS PLEASE THE LORD.

BEFORE WE ASK

DOES THIS please my church

please my politcial party

please my spouse

please my family

please my self

please my religion/denomination

We need to be asking does this please GOD

Folks we ought to not just want to praise God but to also receive praise from God.

I want to make him proud.....

Now lets end this morning with the words of Jesus

The New International Version Chapter 12

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

It is not certain on when Jesus said these words. It seems as if John is making an argument to the unbelieving Jews that he has just described in the previous verses we just discussed. It would make sense that John would break it down this way

He is calling people to belief and then quotes from the Old Testament, and then to the very words of Jesus in order to tell them as to why they should believe.

There is no choice between choosing to serve God or Jesus. They are 1 in the same. Jesus is the son of God. He is the sent WORD.

The Jewish people even today claim to worship God yet they deny Jesus. You cant do that. Jesus, who not only said He was God, proved through these signs and the fulfillment of prophecy that He was indeed God.

He did not come to judge the world, or as was stated in 3:16 condemn the world, but rather to save. When you deny these words, you condemn youself. When he comes again, God will indeed judge the world and Jesus will cleanse it.

So God has sent his son to be the light. He has shown the light and all who believe walk in it.

It is your and my mission to shine that light. As we discussed last week to be children of light

Providing light must be our first objective