John 12:36b-50

Introduction

It was the story of a little girl not too far from coming of age saw a pretty plastic pearl necklace as she and her mom checked out at the store. How great was her joy when she got her mom to buy it for her, even if it meant she would be paying for it partially with part of her next week’s allowance.*

Her small sacrifice was more than well worth it to her, and soon she was wearing her new pretty pearls everywhere, even to bed!

One night, at bedtime, when the little girl’s dad came in to tuck her in and read her stories as he often would, he had an unusual and very unexpected question and request for her:

He asked the little girl “My little one, do you love me?”

“Yes Daddy! I love you so much!” she readily replied.

“Will you, then, give me your pearls?”

“Oh no! Not my pearls Daddy! I love you, but can’t you ask for something else? My favorite bear? I would give you that in a heartbeat. But not my pearls. Please daddy!”

“Don’t worry my darling, that’s okay.” And the father kissed his daughter’s cheek as he said “Just remember I love you very much. Sweet dreams. Good night.”

A couple of ,months later, it was that time again, and once again the little girl’s father made the same request. The answer and outcome was the same.

In a couple of months went by, and once again the Father asked. “Do you love me?”

“Yes, daddy! You know I do!”

“Enough to give me your pearls?”

“Oh daddy, I feel so bad to say this again, but I love my pearls too? Can’t I give up something else for you?”

And again, the father kissed her cheek as he said “Don’t worry, just always remember I love you very much. Sweet dreams, good night.”

But that night, the little girl somehow couldn’t go back to sleep.

The next day, at story time, Jenny was not in bed. Instead, she was standing by her bed, holding her pearls in her hand as she looked attentively at them, while waiting for her father to arrive.

“Sweetie! You should be in bed! it’s bedtime! Is everything okay?”

The little girl said, “Daddy, I love you so much, you know I do. And these pearls, well, they’re pretty, but if giving you my pearls will tell you how much I love you, and make you happy, then here daddy, I want you to have them.” , her hand was shaking a little as she spoke these words while holding out her prized possession, unsure yet as to what she was doing or how she’d be feeling after letting go. Yet somehow, as her hands opened to release the pretty pearl necklace into her father’s hands, while looking into his eyes, seeing him smile, and experiencing such love, something in her heart stirred. And she knew the decision she just made, hard as it was, was good, very good. This was so freeing. And in the freeing, there was joy. It was as if in the giving away and letting go of something she valued so much, she had just received in its place something priceless she couldn’t quite yet quite grasp or understand beyond any measure or treasure, even if her hands were now empty”. For though her hands were now empty, her heart was full.

Her father received his daughter’s necklace with a great joy. And still with that smile in his face, his eyes still kindly and lovingly gazing into his daughter’s eyes, he said. “Thank you my child! I am so glad you can finally share and trust me with your pearl necklace, especially knowing how much it means to you. Now it’s my turn to give you something I’ve been meaning to give you for a long time.”

The father then pulled a beautiful red velvet box out of his coat pocket, and presented it to his daughter. Inside, there were real pearls.

He proceeded: “These, my child, are real pearls! Aren’t they beautiful, even more than your necklace? I’ve wanted to give them to you, but thought best to wait until you were ready to give up the others. Now that you have the real thing, there will be no need for the others. Enjoy!

A very surprised and delighted daughter kept this treasure and the message it carried the rest of her days, she held this special moment and its priceless lessons in her heart, and wore these special pearls on her wedding day.

From our text today I want to show you 2 results of your response to the offer of salvation given by Jesus and why you must follow Him today.

Read Text

Background & Setting

Jesus had just finished speaking to some Greeks along with all the Jews in the crowd. He told them that he was going to die so that if they denied themselves and followed Jesus, they too could have eternal life, but it would cost them everything. We learned that this promise is sure because the Father gave his approval on Jesus’s life by speaking to him from heaven. We learned that to gain eternal life, you must make a choice. And today, we will see what choice the crowds make.

If you seek your own glory, you will deny Jesus.

Jesus leaves and hides himself from the people he was speaking to, not because he was scared, but because he was going to give up his life exactly when he decided to do it.

How did the crowd respond to what Jesus had to say? Would the choose to follow Jesus?

John 12:37 “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,”

Why didn’t they believe in him? John tells us it’s because Isaiah prophesied about this very day. In Isaiah 53:1.

In fact Isaiah said that they COULD NOT believe because of what God have revealed to him in Isaiah 6:10.

Now what would be really fun would be to go back and look at these passages in depth. But we won’t do that today.

What you need to know is that both of those passages were speaking of Jesus coming to earth and dying for the sins of those who believe.

So unbelief in Jesus had to happen, because Jesus had to be rejected so that he could die, but only if it was in his control.

But also, the people CHOSE NOT to believe in Jesus. John 12:41-43.

Isaiah saw Jesus’s glory and believed and proclaimed it. But many of the authorities were fearful of the Pharisees because they like their comfort. Even though they believed they didn’t want to be outcast because they loved their own glory instead of God’s glory.

Will you choose to follow Jesus? Or will you choose your own pearls? That which is fake over that which is real?

So here is the question, that comes up. Are these people able to believe? The short answer is yes. God gave these people over to their desires. Sometimes God does this and even commands us to do this.

Rom 1 says that God gives people over to the desires of their hearts when the continue in sin against him.

Matthew 18 instructs us to tell people to not be a part of our local church anymore if they continue in their sin after they have been warned again and again and again to repent of their sin.

What that does not mean is that they are unsavable.

If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life. 44-50

Look at verse 44

Who is Jesus talking to? We cannot be sure. Some people say Jesus came back and talked to the crowds again after he left. Some thinks John is recording a summary Jesus ministry. Maybe Jesus called this out as he is walking away and hiding himself from the crowds.

The real answer is that we don’t know. John doesn’t afford us this information. But what we can know, is this. John is very intentional in putting this here because he wants us to know that no one is without hope of salvation until they have died and appear before Jesus.

WHOEVER - Jesus says whoever believes. Not whoever except for these people who has reject him. Whoever. They still have hope.

Why? Because verse 47 says that while they are on earth alive, his purpose is to save them. The offer of salvation is open to those who believe.

BUT. Verse 48 says those who reject Jesus’s offer of salvation, once they die, will appear before Jesus, and will be judged.

Verse 50 - The commandment that the Father has given Jesus to speak is eternal life.

Conclusion

Have you repented of your sins and turned to Christ? Or are you waiting. Don’t wait too long. Jesus came to destroy Satan and has succeeded! Why then would you continue to follow him? What are you waiting for? While Satan and this world is offering you everything that is fake, Jesus is longing and waiting with arms reached out to offer you what is real, to give you real joy, and to save you! All of heaven is waiting to rejoice and throw a celebration for you to turn from your sins and follow Jesus!