John 12:20-50 - Live in Light of Christ

Has anyone ever had a pet rock? Yeah. Yeah. Honestly, I never understood the appeal that I know there was a time shortly before I was born, when Pet Rocks were really popular. They didn't cost anything to feed them because they didn't eat. Didn't make any messes, cuz they didn't move. three easy to decorate and dress up because they didn't have an opinion about how they looked But I think they ultimately fell out of fashion because they couldn't respond to your affection.

And without the truth of the Gospel, in the work of the Holy Spirit, we are kind of like Jesus's pet rocks. That he's going to end up casting aside. Because we're naturally blind and hard-hearted like petrocks. We need the spirit to open our eyes, to believe the truth of the gospel, and to soften our hearts to live in Light of Christ.

Energon 12 2250 in our passage, both Jesus and the author. John give us four aspects of living in Light of Christ so that the spirit can use his word to open our eyes and soften our hearts. So that we can have true saving faith in Christ, rather than rejecting him, or only accepting him as lip service.

We're going to look at each aspect. One of the time, the first up, we're going to see that living in Light. Of Christ means that you must follow in the death of Christ in verses 20 through 26. does now among those who went up to worship at the feast where some Greeks So these came to fill up, who is from bethsaida in Galilee and ask him? Sir, we wish to see. Jesus Philip went and told Andrew Andrew, and Phillip went and told Jesus and Jesus answered them. The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified truly. Truly, I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the Earth and dyes it remains alone, but if it dies and bears, much fruit whoever loves his life, loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am, there will my servant be also, if anyone serves me, the father will honor him. The Jesus had very recently raised Lazarus from the dead. And now all of Jerusalem was hyped. A lot of the Jews expected Jesus to become their King and to liberate them from Rome. But some specifically the religious leaders didn't want that to happen. Because they liked their life. The way that it was And into this wrong assumption walks, a group of Greeks to join in the Feast of Passover. These were god-fearers Gentiles who follow Jewish morals and customs and worship, Yahweh, but they were not true, Jewish converts cuz they weren't circumcised. well, these Greeks wanted to see Jesus because all of because of all the excitement, so they went to a fellow Greek Who might be able to get them an audience with Jesus? They approached Philip whose name is a, Greek name, and whose Hometown was best Ada. Which was near to a Greek region called the decapolis where these guys might have come from. So Philip goes up the chain of command, to, one of Jesus's Inner Circle, who is also from Beth, say Andrew in both Philip and Andrew approach, Jesus about giving an audience to these Greeks. Now, I just so often the case with questions and requests of Jesus, he answers the heart of the matter. rather than the question or request directly, The answers Phillip an Andrew in a way that everyone around can hear including the Greeks and Jesus is answer reveals that the people wrongly believed something that his answer corrected. They were too focused on this life and not in the Life to Come. They were hoping that Jesus would conquer Rome and set up his kingdom right then, and they could live their lives in Comfort. They were looking for Jesus to clean house so they could live their best life. Now,

What Jesus says the hour has come for, the son of man to be glorified. The hour and finally come. after all the waiting through the years of Jesus, his ministry, the time had come at last this here's a clear reference to Daniel 7 13 through 14 because I saw in the night visions and behold with the Clouds Of Heaven. There came one like a son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples Nations and languages should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

This is exactly what the people expected to happen, right? Then. But Jesus uses a metaphor to explain that this is something was not quite right. He says that unless a grain of wheat falls into the Earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it Bears much fruit. You see when a grain of weed sits in a bowl. It's just a grain of wheat. It's a sister. But when it's planted when it dies, and is buried it rises again, as a new stock producing, a whole bunch of grains of wheat.

Jesus needed to die and rise again. So that his kingdom with a dance. The hour of the son of man's Glory had come but it would not be the glory of his kingdom being established just yet. It would be the glory of his death and Resurrection which would perpetuate a greater Kingdom that would have a greater Kingdom than what would have been established right then Well then Jesus turns the focus from his own death to the practical application of his death in the lives of those who follow him. Jesus gives a list of promises for his followers. If they truly follow him even unto death, eternal life is promised to those who hate their life in this world being in Jesus's presence is promised to those who serve and follow him and self-sacrifice. And being honored by the father is promised to those who serve Jesus. The return of life being with Jesus in his kingdom and being honored by the father are all things that the people thought they would get through Jesus. Conquering Rome.

But Jesus reveals that the way to get those promises is through his death and resurrection and our own death and Resurrection.

Does Jesus referring to our actual death, or our spiritual death. I think there's an aspect of both here. We all have to actually die, the first death. That's clear in Hebrews 9:27, it says end just as it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment, everyone's got to die. Death cannot be avoided, but it can be overcome through the power of Christ. Eternal life is not perpetuating this life eternally but being resurrected to eternal life. After the first death, just like Christ.

But there's also a spiritual sense of dying to ourselves dying to send as Romans 6:1 through for says, what shall we say? Then are we to continue in sin that Grace May abound by no means how can we, who died to send still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ? Jesus were baptized into his death. We were buried there for with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father. We too might walk in newness of life. You see, this is a focus on pleasing Christ in pursuing righteousness rather than pleasing myself in pursuing Sim. This is an aspect of eternal life that we can experience now as we die to sin and live for Christ. The living in Light of Christ, means following Christ in his death. Next, we're going to see the living in Light of Christ means that you must walk in the Light of Christ. Verses 27 to the first half of 36. Says, 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, Our 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 did sundered other said an angel spoken to him, Jesus answered this voice has come for your sake, not mine. It is the Judgment. Now is the Judgment of this world. Now, with a ruler of this world, be cast out and I when I lifted up from the earth will draw all people to myself, is that 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's this son of man? So Jesus said to them to light is among you for a little while longer walk while you have the light. Let's Darkness overtake. You the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. Well, you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of Light.

So Hear Jesus offers a prayer to the father who answers him audibly and Jesus has a conversation with the crowd who ultimately rejects him as the Christ is it. They were not walking in the Light of Christ, though. He admonishes them and us to do. So just before he literally and figuratively, leave them. When is Humanity? Jesus was troubled. By the prospect of bearing, the sins of the world and the full wrath of God poured out on him.

Honestly, I think I might question is Humanity a bit if he wasn't troubled by that.

So he rhetorically asked, should I ask the father to save me from this hour answers? His own question? Absolutely. Not. The hour that Jesus had come to, is the crucial point of his once, for all sacrifice to afford, forgiveness, and eternal life, to all who would believe in him.

He wanted to be spared from having to die in Bear, the wrath of God, but his death and Resurrection was the whole point of his coming into the world in the first place and the whole purpose of the hour. You'd finally come to You can't back out now. That would not be glorifying to the father. A Jesus reveals that glorifying the father by going through with the plan is of highest importance. He praised father, glorify your name. And a voice from Heaven answers is prayer.

How many times have your prayers been answered, audibly from heaven? I have not ever had that happen. I'm in a lot of my prayers have been answered. Just not audibly from heaven. But the father does that he answers, Jesus's prayer is here by saying I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. Is he the father had glorified his name through Jesus's, Incarnation life and Ministry. And more times than I care to count, Jesus, referred back to the father as the one who had sent him in the first place. And the father's name will be glorified again in Jesus's obedience unto death and his glorious Resurrection to afford salvation from sin and death to those who believe in him. This was the very plan that the father initiated and sent his son to accomplish in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Well, the crowd heard the father answers uses, but they didn't understand it. Some thought that it's under But the voice of Yahweh is lichens to the sound of thunder in the Old Testament. So they weren't too far off. Others thought that an angel had spoken to him understanding it as an answer to his prayer at least. But all of them were ultimately deaf to the voice of God.

And they would go on to show that they were blind to the reality of who Christ really is and hard-hearted to live for him. They're not walking in the Light of Christ. Jesus told him that the voice was more for their sake than it was for his own because he didn't really need Assurance of the father's name being glorified. He felt he knew that But the people needed, this final authenticity of Christ from the father to seal their fate. Is unbelievers. Jesus talks about his death and Resurrection as one hour. That would glorify the name of the father and part of that Glory would be the future Judgment of the world for sin. Jesus sees that future judgment as coinciding with his death and Resurrection because it contrasted sin and death of the world and the salvation of believers.

Jesus is commenting on how obvious the sin of the world is in light of the Salvation he offers through his death and Resurrection. There's now a vivid difference between the sin of the world in the righteousness of Christ given to all who believe in him.

The gavel of God's judgment has not yet, come down, but the verdict has already been declared. Guilty. Not only is the world judged by Christ death and Resurrection, but the ruler of this world is cast out as well. Satan is the ruler of this world. Also known as the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2:2. He will be cast out in the future just before the world is judged, as John recorded in Revelation 20. Again, there's an aspect of certainty for a future realization. Satan is a defeated foe.

No, he's not officially been cast out yet. That will happen is Revelation two picks in his bondage during the Millennium and ultimately being cast into the Lake of Fire in Revelation, 20 verses 1, through 3, and verse 10. Just like the Judgment of the world. The casting out of Satan is a future reality that the death and resurrection of Christ in Shores. It's a sure thing. The outcome of Jesus's death and Resurrection would be the Judgment of the world, the casting out of Satan and the drawing of all people to Christ. Jesus would draw all people to himself by dying on the cross and rising from the dead 3 days later. But all people does not mean every single person. It can't mean that, that would contradict all the scripture and significantly. What Jesus said just said about the Judgment of the world. There wouldn't be a judgment of the world if Jesus would draw every single person to himself.

This is better understood as Jesus drawing, All Peoples, or all kinds of people to himself. even from among the Greeks, who would come to see Jesus at the beginning of this passage, Even people from Benicia. Or even from Vallejo, if you can believe it.

Now, you might think that Jesus drawing, all kinds of people to himself would be the part that the people would pick up on. But they don't. John draws our attention to the same two words from Jesus. And statement of the people focused on these two words are lifted up. This is how Jesus would die in. This is what the people focused on Jesus's death. No, finally becomes clear to them that Jesus is claiming to be the Christ, who must die.

They don't like that idea.

I said that they read in the law that the Christ remains forever. But Jesus said that the son of man had to die.

There's a clear disconnect between the people's assumption about the Christ and what Jesus was saying.

The law here is a reference to the entire Old Testament, not just the pentateuch, and there are many references to the Eternal reign of the Christ. We read, we read one of them and Daniel, I can give you all those references after the service, if you want. Because of this disconnect the people lean on their own understanding. And sort of mockingly asked, Jesus, who is this son of, man? What kind of Messiah would get murdered?

#Not my Messiah.

Oh, Jesus answered their statement of unbelief of the final exhortation to believe in him and to live for him. Using the metaphor of light and darkness, this metaphor has been use many times. Many times throughout John's gospel and Jesus will do. So, again, toward the end of our passage, Jesus is the light and the world is the darkness.

Jesus would soon be going away. Once his death and Resurrection were accomplished, he would Ascend to heaven. The imminent departure of Christ also called to mind the imminence of our own death and subsequent judgment.

Before we die and face the judge, we must put our faith in Christ. Which must result in living Our Lives motivated by the gospel of Christ as proof. That we are indeed saved and adopted into the family of Christ.

That's what Jesus means when he says that we should walk in the light rather than the darkness.

What he means when he says, while you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of Light. We Must Believe In Christ and live in his righteousness rather than living in the Sin of the world.

Living in Light of Christ means following in the death of Christ and walking in the Light of Christ. Next will see that living in Light. Of Christ means that you must confess your faith in Christ.

Does the second half of verse 36 through 43. Does when Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them, though. He had done so many signs before, then they still did not believe in him. So that the word spoken by the prophet, Isaiah might be fulfilled. Lord, who has believed what he heard from us and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. Therefore, they could not believe. For again, Isaiah said, he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts less. They see what their eyes and understand with their heart and turn and I would heal them. Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities, believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it so that they would not be put out of the synagogue for they love the glory that comes from man. More than the glory that comes from God.

So this is the extended comment from the author, John technical term for it is a meta comment. He breaks from The Narrative and dialogue to give us his audience. Some side information about what's going on so that we'll understand it better is giving us the background prophecies about the unbelief of the people, so that we will know why they refuse to believe and what we ought to do instead.

So Jesus physically, departs from the crowd to sort of dramatize, his spiritual departure from them due to their unbelief. They had so many signs to point them to the truth that Jesus is the Christ. The son of God, I mean he turned water into wine. He healed officials son healed. The lame man on the Sabbath, he fed 5000 with Five Loaves and two fish. He healed a man who was born blind and he raised Lazarus from the dead.

There are a whole lot more signs that the people would have witnessed, but at least these few should have been enough to Warrant belief that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, John 20 vs 30. Through 31, says that Jesus did. Many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and the Bible leaving, you may have life in his name.

Will John gives us a couple of quotes from the book of Isaiah to explain. Why the people refuse to believe, even with so many signs. The first quote is the beginning of Isaiah 53, which goes on to prophesy about the substitutionary death and resurrection of the Christ. The very thing, the people refuse to believe, Isaiah begins that section with a negative rhetorical question showing the that people will not believe what they've heard from Isaiah and the arm of the Lord Christ will not be revealed to the people. Specifically regarding the death and resurrection of Christ. The second quote is from Isaiah 6 and the first part of that chapter is Isaiah's encounter with the glory of Christ in verses 1 through 7. Then this glorious Christ gives him a message to tell the people of Israel in verses 9 and 10. All about how he would blind their eyes and hardened their hearts.

A John wants us to know that the unbelief of the people. I didn't mess up. God's plan. Is actually plan a, the source of their unbelief was immediately, their own blindness and hard Hearts, but ultimately it was the sovereignty of God, the further blind, their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they would not could not believe. Then they would end up killing the Son of God. So, that salvation would come through his death and Resurrection,

God is not the source of their unbelief, but he is a cause of it for his good purposes. He did not force them to reject Christ, but he orchestrated the events, and their ultimate lack of perception and lack of understanding so that they would remain in their self-satisfied unbelief where they wanted to be in the first place.

Play, John brings up another group of people. He already explained those who refuse to believe. Now, he explains those who believed, but refused to confess their faith in Jesus.

Believing in Jesus, but refusing to live for him is not true face.

Confession of Jesus as the Christ was the step that many were unwilling to take because they did not really believe. They believed as far as it was comfortable. But as soon as discomfort arose from their belief, they stopped short.

This is the dead faith of James 2:17. This is loving one's life rather than hating it unto eternal life. As Jesus said, back in verse 25, These people did not want the glory that comes from God. They wanted the glory that comes from man. They did not truly fear. The lord, they feared, the Pharisees, They considered being kicked out of the synagogue, a worse punishment than refusal of eternal life and being cast into hell.

Jesus said, in Matthew 10:28 do not fear Those Who Kill the body, but cannot kill the soul, rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and Body in hell.

Confession of your faith. In Christ is so important and having true Faith. The Jesus continues in Matthew 10 and verses 32 and 33. He says, so, everyone who acknowledges me before men? I also will acknowledge before my father, who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before, men, I will deny before. My father, who is in heaven?

The sobering warning. This is why Paul says that confession and Faith are necessary to be saved in Romans 10:9, he says, because if you confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart, that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. You cannot truly believe if you're not willing to confess it and cast, aside your love for this life in that confession in order to gain eternal life. Through true. Faith in Christ. Are the most obvious step in this confession is baptism. I know there's a lot of different reasons why a Believer might wait to be baptized. I'm not speaking to all of those different reasons. but if you've not been baptized and yet you truly believe and ask yourself, If Christ is worth it.

Is he worth the awkwardness of being the center of attention?

Is he worth the difficulty of organizing when and where to be baptized? Is he worth it if you worth facing the fear of public speaking? Is he worth the loss of friends or family or the persecution that might arise from confessing your faith? So publicly

If you worth it.

But we must live in Light of Christ by following him in his death, walking in his light and confessing our faith in him. And finally, we're going to see that living in Light of Christ means that you must submit to the gospel of Christ in verses 44 through 50. And Jesus cried out and said, whoever believes in me, believes not in me. But in him who sent me and whoever sees me sees him who sent me, I have come into the world as light so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world and the one who reject me and does not receive, my words has a judge. The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day for. I have not spoken on my own authority but the father who sent me has himself given me a commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say? Therefore I say as the father has told me. This is a sort of summary of what Jesus had said to the crowd before, but specifically regarding Jesus's Authority and the message he was sent to deliver. Jesus cries out, but John doesn't say who he was crying out to. Because he'd already left the crowd.

This fact has has has more personal than if Jesus had a particular audience. Jesus is crying out to you in this passage. If you believe in Jesus, then you also believe in the father who sent him. if you see Jesus, then you also see the father who sent him I know that's important to understand the relationship between the father and the son because they along with the Holy Spirit are one God Yahweh It's also important to remember that Jesus was not acting or speaking on his own apart from the father. This was the father's plan empowered by the spirit and enacted by the sun. This is the authoritative message of the Triune God.

No monotheistic. Jews needed clarity about the Trinity as we all do, but they were especially resistant to the idea. That Jesus could be God. Jesus constantly, reassured them that he was sent by the father as an authentication of his ministry and his authority. But he also claimed to be God, right? Alongside the father, as a further assertion of his authority.

Well, then Jesus brings up the light and darkness metaphor again. The same one that John has already brought up so many times in his gospel account. Jesus is the light of the world is the darkness. I hear Jesus says that he came into the world to expose the sinfulness of the world in judgment and to liberate us from the sin and death of the world. Well then Jesus turns to the results of unbelief. Believers would be saved from the darkness of the world, but what would happen to unbelievers?

Jesus says that he does not judge, those who don't keep his word because he came to Stave off. To judge.

He didn't come to judge and his first coming, he came to die and rise again, as the perfect sacrifice to save Mankind from sin and death. His second coming will be to judge and to rain forever. But then Jesus says that the judge of those who reject, Jesus will be the word that he's spoken. The Judgment of those who reject Jesus will come because they refuse to believe the gospel. Refusing to believe is not a sin worthy of condemnation. It's a refusal to be saved from pre-existing condemnation.

The word that would judge them as the gospel if they realize the truth and the reality that they've missed their opportunity to be saved.

You're not judged for their unbelief. They are judged for their sin.

but the gospel that reveals their missed opportunity for salvation is the very thing that would judge them as the one who the gospel is about, says, depart from me cast them into hell forever.

Do everything that Jesus had spoken with Sovereign, Lee commanded by the father, not just coming from Jesus's own initiative. And the specific content of the words. Jesus spoke is the gospel message which brings about eternal life. Jesus's identity as the Christ, the son of God, his imminent, death as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world and his ultimate Resurrection. As that secures eternal life for all who truly believe in Jesus,

the content of Jesus's words is the gospel. And the father commanded Jesus to speak the gospel so that we might believe in him and have life in his name, through his death and Resurrection on our behalf. The authority of the Gospel comes from the father, through the son, by the spirit and gives eternal life and we must submit to it. If our faith is true faith, we cannot live our lives. However, we want and still say that we believe the gospel.

That's not submitting to the gospel of Christ. It's actually backwards. Living, however, you want while claiming to believe the gospel is actually making the gospel submit to you.

That proves that you don't truly believe.

To live in Light of Christ, we must follow in his death. Walk in his light, confess, our faith in him, and submit to his word, the gospel. We need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the truth of Christ, and soften our hearts to live in Light of Christ. That was for opening our eyes to the truth of Christ. If you don't believe in Jesus, yet that I beg you to believe right. Now,

It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to give spiritual sight to understand and believe that Jesus is the Christ. The son of God But the truth of scripture is also necessary as the content of what the spirit reveals as he gives spiritual sight.

The truth of who Jesus is and what he's done is what I just been talking about. I pray that the spirit would unblind your eyes to see the glory of Christ and to believe in him. And when you believe it should affect your whole life as a holy spirit, softens your heart,

All of our hearts need to be softened to live in Light of Christ. Instead of just saying, We Believe That means following him in death, walking in his light, confessing him before others and submitting to his gospel. We've got to rely on the Holy Spirit to do this. But we also have to know what it means so that we can do it. We must follow Jesus in death. This doesn't mean that we should throw our lives away. But it means that we no longer live for ourselves. We no longer focus. Our efforts on making this life more comfortable, more tolerable. we focus on eternal life after death, where we will live forever in the loving and infinitely satisfying present of Christ, We also focus on extending the offer of Salvation to everyone regardless of the physical or this world lien consequences. To live in Light of Christ, we must follow him in death. And we must also walk in his light live, your life right now. With Christ Illuminating, everything you do.

But love and forgiveness of Christ. Should overflow into our loving and forgiving everyone. We encounter in life.

To live in Light of Christ. We must walk in his light just like we must follow him in his death. And we must also confess him before others all too. Often people say that they believe but they refused to live out that belief. We're saved by faith alone, but that faith is never alone. True faith is accompanied by a willingness to confess it before men regardless of the negative consequences. It could mean you get passed over for a promotion or you lose friends, or you, get targeted and made fun of by your teacher, your classmates, your boss, or coworkers. Or even rejected by your own family.

To live in Light of Christ, we must confess him before others as we walk in his life and follow him in death and finally remessa submit to his gospel. By the authority of the father and the son we've been given a message.

This is the good news that we don't have to die for our sin because Jesus has died in our place and we can look forward to eternal life with him because he defeated death by rising from the dead. All according to scripture,

This is a message that both saves. And condemns. Whether it's believed or rejected, the authority of this message is the same as the authority of the one, who bore the message, Jesus Christ, the son of God, and ultimately the one who sent him, God, the Father. This is a message that ought to change how we live because of the authoritative truth. It bears And the authority of the one. This message is about.

To live in Light of Christ, we must submit to his gospel as we confess him before, others live in his light and follow him in death.

Father, thank you. For showing us the importance of living in Light of Christ.

Thank you for showing us what that means. Please help us to follow Christ, in his death, helped us to die to ourselves to die to sin. Help us to live more for eternity. After our physical death in for this fleeting life.

Help us to live in Light of Christ to live righteously for him because he saved us from sin and death.

Father, help us to have the courage to confess our faith in Christ regardless of the negative consequences. We may face because of it.

And help us to truly understand the gospel, the good news. About Redemption through the death and resurrection of your son.

Help us to submit to the authority of that message to your Authority bound up in that message. So it will be compelled to live for Christ rather than living for ourselves. Father, we need your help to do all of this. We need your spirit to work in our hearts. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.