Undeterred by Peril, Driven by Purpose

John 12:27–36 ESV

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

Dave Hood tells the story of training to run a 5K run. Every time his wife and he would go running on their favorite trail, they’d walk a little faster, and with a little more gusto.

One day, a half mile in and a young lady came at them sprinting towards them. They jumped out of the way so she could pass, and she blew by them so fast, all they saw was Nike shoes and a pony tail.

Dave thought to himself, “Man, she must be late for something. No sane person would run that fast for no reason.” But, when she ran by him, it engaged his competitive spirit.

So, he said, “All right, honey, it’s time to pick up the pace a little.” So, they started walking a little faster down this road, and they got about a half hour into this trail, and here she comes again!

He couldn’t believe it. He thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me! Not only has she lapped me once, she’s lapped me twice now! Well that was it. "It’s on now.”

Now, he’s dragging his wife behind him, “Come on, honey, keep up.” They were almost toward the end, and Dave’s feeling really good about himself when all of a sudden this lady passes him a third time!

This time he was just mad. He threw his water bottle on the ground and screamed, “This is ridiculous.”

And then he writes, “What she was showing me was that being on the path requires a whole other level of commitment. Up to that point, I hadn’t been willing to give that level of commitment.”

Source: Contributed by Tim Smith, https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/83999/commitment-by-tim-smith

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How committed to the will of God … are you?

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We have studied the gospel of John for some time now. Throughout our study, John has revealed to us that Jesus truly is the Son of God. And… he has prepared us for that climatic moment when he relates how Jesus was hung on the Cross, paying the penalty for the sins of the world.

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But now, at the point where we are studying, Jesus’ death has become very real for him. Only a few days - less than a week - remained. Last week, we looked at Jesus’ revelation in John 12:23 - “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

Jesus then taught the Law of God’s Kingdom - the way to real, abundant, eternal life is death! His challenge in the verses leading up to our text today is passionate.

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But while it is one thing to hear a passionate speech, it is quite another to live such a live of commitment and sacrifice. Most of us here would say that we want to live committed to God’s will. But when we are tested, it is hard to follow through with that determination.

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In our scripture today, we see in Jesus the perfect example of total commitment to God’s will.

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In our scripture today, we find in Jesus himself that example.

The setting of our scripture, again, is during the week before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. At some point after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into the city of Jerusalem, some Greeks approached Philip asking to see Jesus.

Philip apparently didn’t know what to do, so he brought their question to Andrew. Together, these two disciples spoke to Jesus on behalf of the Greeks.

Jesus responded by acknowledging that finally the hour had come for him to be glorified - crucifixed, resurrected, and ascended to the Father. Jesus then taught the people The Law of God’s Kingdom - that we must give up our lives for God’s sake in order to truly experience life.

As we begin our text for today, Jesus spoke these words:

John 12:27 ESV

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

The Greek word for “troubled” - tarasso - is similar to the word that is used to describe Jesus when he stood before Lazarus’ tomb. In John 11:33 we read:

John 11:33 ESV

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

The expression “deeply moved” was that Greek word “embrimaomai” which described the snort of a horse - Christ’s anger at death and all that might cause his people to doubt God’s goodness.

The expression “greatly troubled” - tarasso heautou - describes Jesus’ dismay at the brink of death.

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Now, in John 12:27, Jesus experienced these feelings as he looked ahead to his death in just a few days. In John 13:21, we find this same expression used to describe Jesus when he revealed to his disciples that one of them would betray him.

John 13:21 ESV

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

Someone has written:

In the terrible imagery of Gethsemane (cf. 18:11), Jesus must ‘drink the cup’ the Father has given him. The cup is a familiar Old Testament image. It is the cup of God’s wrath, hence Jesus’ horror!

For in his death he must not only face the reality of human finitude, the ending of his mission, the mockery of his enemies in whose eyes he will die a failure, and in addition the appalling physical and mental sufferings of death by crucifixion.

Beyond all that he must also face the Father himself, the one to whom he has been inseparably bound for all eternity, not in the warm embrace of his everlasting love, but in the terror of his holy and righteous wrath.

He must in fact become the object of divine rejection, the bearer of the implacable antipathy to sin and evil of the ever-living God. He was troubled (27). Indeed, he had reason to be.

Even as he starts back in fear from the terror of the cross which lies before him, however, he senses once more behind him the thrust of the divine purpose which has brought him to this hour of crisis.

No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour (27). Here is the equivalent to Gethsemane’s ‘Yet not as I will, but as you will’ (Mt. 26:39).

The truth here extends far beyond our feeble imaginings, as God wrestles with God on the brink of Golgotha. The gospel may be simple, but it is not superficial. It may be free, but it is not cheap.

Milne, B. (1993). The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (pp. 188–189). InterVarsity Press.

Jesus was completely committed to do His Father’s will! In a world where people often take the easy way out, living half-heartedly, compromising when convenient, Jesus shows us the perfect example of a person who is sold out to live for God, regardless of the consequences.

Big Idea: The person dedicated to God’s will is undeterred by peril.

As we study Jesus’ example of dedication to God’s will, his example leads us to ask three questions of ourselves about our own commitment to God’s will:

1. Is our life is governed by Jesus’ purpose to glorify God?, vv. 27-28.

John 12:27–28 ESV

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Surely, the horror of what awaited Jesus became the most real on that terrible Thursday night, after Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples and then retired to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

At that point, just a few hours before he would be crucified, Jesus struggled in prayer so strongly that he sweat drops of blood.

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Now at this point, a few days before that final night, as Jesus recognized his hour had come, surely the stress and agony was not as great. Yet we should not overlook his mental and spiritual distress.

Interestingly, John does not record Jesus’ struggle in prayer that night in the Garden. Some have suggested that he included this story in John 12:27-28 to indicate the anguish Jesus felt as his hour neared.

But the main point is that even though Jesus in his humanity (and truly in his deity, as well) shied away from the Cross, he resolutely determined to fulfill the purpose for his life as given by Father God.

Commentators note:

The words in 12:27b can be read either as a question (so niv, rsv, nrsv, nlt, etc.) or as a statement. If a question, it implies that this is something Jesus does not really pray (“What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No!”). But if it is a genuine prayer (which is likely), it can be read as a statement in the following manner: “What should I say? [pause] Father, save me from this hour—but no! It was for this very reason that I came to this hour.”

Burge, G. M. (2000). John (pp. 344–345). Zondervan Publishing House.

Then, Jesus prayed…

John 12:28 ESV

Father, glorify your name.”

For the true Christian, the devoted follower of Jesus, this prayer should be ours, as well. Most Holy God is the only One truly worthy of honor and worship.

And in response to his grand plan of redemption, by which we were saved from sin, forgiven our transgressions, and born into the family of God, the Church, our singular focus in life should be this: to give glory and honor to the Father!

To God be the glory, great things He hath done, So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life our redemption to win, And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,   Let the earth hear His voice; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,   Let the people rejoice; Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,   And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.

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2. Is our life galvanized by Jesus’ passion to accomplish God’s will?, vv. 29-33.

This is amazing - John writes in John 12:28

John 12:28 ESV

… Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

But… while Jesus and his disciples heard a clear word from God the Father, the experience was different for those gathered around them.

John 12:29 ESV

The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

Some have suggested this incident illustrates a spiritual truth - that those who are receptive to God’s message and are willing to trust him - may hear God’s voice clearly, but those who have rejected his Word and will for their lives may only hear noise.

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Again, the point of the voice from Heaven was not for Jesus’ benefit, but for all those around him.

John 12:30–32 ESV

Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Scripture indicates that in annals of history, Satan was first cast out of Heaven. Apparently, Lucifer was the worship leader among the angels, but began to desire the glory of God for himself. Staging a rebellion, he and one-third of the angels were cast out of Heaven.

Then, in the beginning of time, as God created the Heavens and the Earth, we find Satan disguised as a snake, tricking the first woman into eating the forbidden fruit.

But Adam was not deceived. He intentionally disobeyed God’s clear command, seeking the wisdom that he determined God had denied him.

Sin entered the world. And Satan set up his domain here on earth.

Someone has written a beautiful piece about this, saying…

First, the world (here viewed not simply as the total number of human beings, but as humanity in its rebellion against God) stands in partnership with the prince of this world, Satan, against God. This means that the “kingdom of evil” operates as an enterprise in the realm of both the human and the suprahuman, or that beyond human. An intelligent, suprahuman “prince” stands at the helm, orchestrating all rebellion against God and God’s purposes. … On one hand, the world has been captured by Satan, unable to free itself from his program of hostility to God and destruction of God’s creation (see Ephesians 2:1–3). On the other hand, the world has given itself over to Satan’s designs and serves as a willing slave and accomplice to God’s archenemy.

But second, the death of Jesus signaled the decisive defeat of Satan and Satan’s rule over the world. His authority was snapped, his fate sealed, his kingdom made vulnerable to plundering. The Cross, obviously, did not end Satan’s influence in the world, nor the world’s hostility against God. But the Cross made Satan’s kingdom a house of cards awaiting the final wind of judgment, and also granted to believers the confidence of victory and freedom from fear, as we read in the First Epistle of John: “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b).

In the victory of the Cross, human beings would be drawn out from under Satan’s control and drawn toward another: But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself (John 12:32).

Dongell, J. (1997). John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p. 158). Wesleyan Publishing House.

Do you see the passion of Jesus here in his dedication to God’s will?

It was amazing and wonderful that God audibly spoke from Heaven! But Jesus did not treasure his Father’s voice for himself.

Rather, he desired that the people know and understand His Father’s plan to cast Satan out of the world and to draw all those who would respond in faith to himself as he hung on the Cross, arms outstretched, welcoming the world to God.

Jesus is our Supreme Example. So we should ask ourselves - are our lives marked by such a passion for God’s glory, that above anything and everything we might accomplish in this world for ourselves - our comfort, our wealth, our status, our position - we seek God’s will to be done FIRST?

3. Is our life gripped by Jesus’ perspective on God’s timing, vv. 34-36.

The people were confused, of course!

Who would expect anything else?

This is a common pattern in John’s Gospel. Jesus would do a miraculous sign, the people would seek clarity, Jesus would teach spirtual truth, and the people would be confused.

John 12:34 ESV

So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

They didn’t understand. In their “Bible” the Messiah would not die. He would be a victorious leader, delivering the people from their enemies! How could Jesus say the Son of Man would be lifted up - He would die?

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John 12:35–36 ESV

So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

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I almost wish it was nighttime right now. For dramatic effect, I think it would amazing to read Jesus’ words that the light would be among them for just a short time. Jesus, of course, had proclaimed that He is the Light of the world.

Then, concluding Jesus’ statement, as he left and hid, it would be neat to cut off the lights - the sudden physical darkness illustrating the spiritual darkness that results when Jesus departs!

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The people with whom Jesus spoke that day enjoyed the most amazing blessing one could know - very God in their midst! But a few short days later, Jesus would die. After his resurrection on the third day, Jesus would appear a few times to the disciples before he ascended to Heaven.

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But today, Jesus is not physically present among us. Truly, we must walk by faith, not by sight!

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More importantly, like the people then only had a short time before Jesus’ presence would be taken away, today we only have a short time to respond to the Good News.

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When God comes near, we should respond quickly to His call.

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And… this reality that God’s presence may not always be near, that people may not always have the opportunity to respond to God’s call, should grip our hearts as followers of Jesus dedicated to God’s will.

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Have we forgotten that Jesus’ second coming will be soon? Do we recognize the plight of a world lost in sin? Do we truly believe that God is both a God of grace … and of judgment?

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Big Idea: The person dedicated to God’s will is undeterred by peril.

Jesus, even though his soul was troubled - disturbed and in anguish - over what lay ahead for him - was resolute: “But for his purpose I have come.”

As we observe Jesus, undeterred by the peril before him, we must ask ourselves:

Is our life also governed by Jesus’ purpose to glorify God?

Is our life galvanized by Jesus’ passion to accomplish God’s will?

Is our life gripped by Jesus’ perspective on God’s timing?

My prayer for this message is that having considered Jesus’ perfect example of someone totally sold out to do God’s will, you will be challenged about your level of dedication to God and to God’s will.

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How then should we live?

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This Wednesday is the beginning of Lent season. This 40-day period leading up to Good Friday and Easter is a time to reflect on our need for Jesus’ death on the Cross and to remember again our hope of life because he rose from the dead.

The Lent season is a time to participate in God’s life and to rest in God’s free gift of salvation.

This season is a time to show in some practical way your commitment to the mission of God, the will of God.

I challenge you then to seek God during this week. Ask him to renew your faith and to challenge you in your walk with Christ. Seek him to know how you can put your faith into action.

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Choose to live dedicated to God’s will, despite whatever may lay ahead!