Light VS. Darkness

John 12:35-43

Praise and Prayer

What do you think happens when someone has heard the gospel over and over yet they refuse to believe? I believe as long as their is breath in our lungs there is hope, but i do believe the longer a person rejects Jesus the harder it will be for them to come!!

John 12:35–43 NASB95

So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.” These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

Who are the characters in this narrative? Who is speaking in Vs. 37 and beyond?

What are they doing? Jesus is appealing the crowds to believe. The crowds are silent. John is trying to wrap his mind around, why they don’t believe.

He is remembering Isaiah who was a prophet during a dark time in the nation of Israel, and John connects the words of Isaiah with Jesus and says, this is what he was talking about.

In our passage this morning we see Jesus being rejected by the Jewish people. Jesus was clear about who He was and, what He came to Jerusalem to do.

He was telling the people He was going to die. That created confusion in the people!! They were confused about His identity.

Look at John 12:34 “The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?””

They couldn’t believe in Him as the Messiah if He was going to die!!

In this passage we are going to see that the difference between belief and unbelief is understanding the true identity of Jesus.

We must believe in the true Christ and not our own idea of who Jesus is. The people in this story didn’t believe in a Messiah who came to die and save them from their sins.

They wanted a Messiah of their own choosing, one who would deliver them from the Romans.

Many people in the world and in the church do the same thing today. They say they believe in Jesus but it is really their own version of who Jesus is!! We need the light of the reality of Christ in the scriptures to believe in, for salvation!!

The Point is; The difference between belief and unbelief is understanding the true identity of Jesus.

I. The Offer of the Light Vs. 35-36

Jesus makes one final plea to the Jewish people to believe.

Look at the beginning of Vs. 35, “So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you.

The word “them” is referring to the crowds Jesus has been addressing.

A. The Light is a reference to truth. Jesus is the Light that reveals the truth of God to the world. And notice the phrasing here, Jesus is the Light, not a Light.

He is not just one way that we can come to know God. Jesus is the way, the only way.

Throughout the gospel of John, Jesus is referred to as the Light. For example, in the prologue alone there three times.

John 1:1-9 calls Him the light of men, the light that shines in the darkness, and the true light that enlightens every man. In John 8:12 Jesus called Himself the Light of the world.

Remember, Light is a metaphor that represents the truth and judgment of God. And Jesus was that Light come into the world and He told us those who practice truth are drawn to the light and those practice evil, hate the light.

B. Now, notice the temporary aspect of the light. Vs. 35 “For a little while longer the Light is among you.

In what way was Jesus’ audience running out of time? (12:35)

This is an obvious reference to His death but even more than that He is telling them they have a limited opportunity to believe.

I can’t help but think how this applies to us today. No one is promised tomorrow. We only have so much time and so many opportunities to receive Christ, yet people act like it is their right to go to heaven. (Audie)

Jesus was telling these Jewish people they only had a limited opportunity to believe, and the same thing is true about all of us!!

Next we see the reason to walk in the Light. Look at the rest of Vs. 35, “Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.”

Here we are given the first of two imperatives. We are commanded to walk and believe in the light. Why? “ so that darkness will not overtake you.”

Darkness in the gospel of John represents sin, evil, and death. And without the Light of Christ in our life that is the results of our life. We will live and die in our sin. We will walk in darkness.

The word “walk” is describing the way we live, our lifestyle and Jesus says we need to make living for Christ, and the knowledge of God our lifestyle to avoid sin, hell, and death!!

So, Jesus is warning these Jewish people who were opposing Him what they are bringing on themselves. To reject the light is really to just accept the darkness!!

Look at the beginning of Vs. 36 ““While you have the Light, believe (second imperative) in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”

What are the results of believing in the light?

What we have here is the final public statement from Jesus. The next time the public hears from Him will be at His arrest and trial.

And I love the fact that His final words to them were an offer of invitation. He says, “believe that you may become sons.”

He doesn’t leave them with condemnation but He leaves them with grace!!

C. But, notice He does leave them.

Look at the end of Vs. 36, “These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.”

This is a stark solemn end to the gospel invitation. And it teaches us there comes a time for unbelievers when the gospel is no longer available.

Maybe that time will come at death but we see it also comes in life, when a heart becomes hardened by unbelief.

The idea that Jesus hid Himself from them says it all. The one true Light and only Savior of the world has withdrawn their opportunity and left them in eternal darkness.

So we have seen the offer of Light. Jesus makes one final plea to the Jewish people to believe.

II. The Tragedy of Unbelief Vs. 37-41

The refusal of the Jews to believe raises some serious questions for us. I mean if this was God’s chosen people, the ones who knew the scriptures, yet they refused to believe, what hope is there for us?

A. First, look at the problem Vs. 37 “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.”

John the author takes over and begins to explain.

This is referring to the miracles Jesus performed. Think about what He has done. The blind see, the lame walk, the sick are healed, leppers are cleansed, demons are cast out, the dead are raised. Yet they continue in unbelief. I mean what would it take for these people to believe?

The truth is, nothing. There is nothing Jesus could have done to get through to them and the only way John could rap his mind around that was by remembering what Isaiah said.

Look at Vs. 38, “This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

John begins to quote Isaiah 53 and the prophecy of the suffering servant. John points out that over 700 years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah spoke not only of the cross Jesus would endure but His rejection by the people.

Look at Vs. 39-40, “For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.”

This is what is called judicial hardening and it is important we understand this is descriptive of what God did among Israel at that time to achieve His purpose. This does not mean this is prescriptive for us.

We should realize that the Jews’ rejection of Jesus was part of God’s sovereign plan for our salvation. God purposed for the Jews to reject Jesus so that he might be crucified for our sins.

This is what the Apostle Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 2:7–8 “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”

So, God achieved His purpose for the salvation of the world by blinding the eyes and hardening the hearts of Israel.

John’s teaching reminds us that the gospel is a “two-edged sword.” It gives eternal life to those who believe but it also brings judgment to those who are hardened in unbelief. This is why Jesus warned, “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you”

This is a sobering reality, since God has not changed over the years. People think they can wait to commit their lives to Jesus. They want a few more years to enjoy their sin, and they think they get to choose when they become a Christians.

But they do not realize the hardening effect of unbelief on their hearts, so that it will be increasingly difficult for them to believe. They might come to a time when it is impossible for them to believe.

Look at Vs. 41, “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.”

Again, John connect the prophecy of Isaiah to Jesus and says, he saw the glory of Christ.

So, we have seen the offer of Light Jesus makes one final plea to the Jewish people, and we have seen the tragedy of darkness. The hardening of hearts by God in unbelief.

III. The Challenge of Faith Vs. 42-43

The good news of the gospel is that it always works in amazing ways even in the midst of darkness and unbelief.

Look at Vs. 42, “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;

Isn’t it incredible that even among these hostile Jewish leaders who want to put Jesus to death the gospel has managed to get through. Some of them believed. (Erick Kleist) But even Erik came to me in private.

But notice there was a problem; they were afraid. Vs. 42 says, the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear.

This reminds us there is a price for following Jesus. Salvation is a gift of God that is free but it comes with the possibility of being rejected by the world.

For these Jewish leaders it meant they could lose their position and power. They would be thrown out of the synagogue. That was where they earned their living.

But there are no undercover agents with Jesus. There are no secret service saints. Mark 8:38 ““For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.””

Look at Vs. 43, “for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”

In other words, their reputation in the world was more important to them than eternity. They lost their opportunity to be saved because they respected man more then God!!

Have you ever been afraid of confessing your faith for fear of rejection?

Conclusion

The Point is; The difference between belief and unbelief is understanding the true identity of Jesus. If you really believe in the Jesus revealed in scripture it is a no brainer.

You have to surrender your life to Him because your eternity depends on it. This world is like a fading flower and we only have one opportunity to know and serve the Lord. The longer we put Him off the harder it becomes to follow Him!!