We Would See Jesus Part 2 Reasons People Don't See

We Would See Jesus Part 2 Reasons People Don't See

Setting

Place - Open Word Fellowship (Community Church of Myrtle Point)

Date - November 18, 2018

Time - Sunday Morning

Scripture -

Text - (NIV84) “They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

Topic - We Would See Jesus Part 2 Why people Don’t See

Part 2 Reasons People don't See Jesus

INTRODUCTION

This twelfth chapter is built around verse 21 (NIV84) "They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” This request has lead us to ask why they wanted to see Jesus and why is it people do not see Him. Last week we discovered several things that were going on around Jesus that would make it hard to see Him clearly.

Intro.

This twelfth chapter is built around verse 21 (NIV84) "They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” This request has lead us to ask why they wanted to see Jesus and why is it people do not see Him. Last week we discovered several things that were going on around Jesus that would make it hard to see Him clearly.

First there was Greed and Selfishness, Then there was fear and Jealousy, and Last, there was a wrong standard being used to evaluate the success they thought they were having.

In this next section of verses, 20-36 we see others problems First, will be the problem of truth, Second, there is Lack of Discernment, Third, there is Misapplied Truth. The last two verse of this section tells us how to see Jesus.

But the story is not complete the last section of this chapter tells tells of the last reason for not seeing Jesus Blindness and Judgment.

II. V. 20- 36 Misunderstood Success

II. V. 20- 36 Misunderstood Success

A. V. 20-27 The Problem With Truth

12:20 Arrival - Now there were some Greeks

Act - among those who went up

Purpose - to the Feast.

:21 Act - They came to Philip,

Specific - who was from Bethsaida in

Galilee

with a request.

Quote - "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."

Very simple setting some Greeks have come to see Jesus. They came first to Philip. That is what the world wants to see as well. Not our fine music, preaching, marketing, buildings or any other human substance, Jesus. These other things are fine if the make the view clearer but be careful they do not obscure or block the Jesus.

:22 Act - Philip went to tell Andrew;

Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus

Philip goes to Andrew and the both of them go to Jesus.

:23 Response - Jesus replied,

Teaching - "The hour has come for the Son of Man to

be glorified.

Up to this point Jesus has said or it was said by John that Jesus hour had not come. This coming of the hour has to do with the death, resurrection, ascension and intercession for all people in all times past and present.

Out of suffering glory. Out of glory suffering. They go together until we suffer no more in the presence of Jesus

V. 24- 27 The Cost of Discipleship

:24 Teaching - I tell you the truth unless a kernel of

wheat fall to the ground and dies, it

remains only a single seed.

BUT

if it dies it produces many seeds.

This analogy becomes a principle or Law as it is developed in the following verses. Here it is general and applies to Jesus and His coming death. In the following verses it becomes personal and applies to all who would follow Christ. It is all a call to fellowship as the grain becomes many so Christ by His death provided for many to come to Him, be saved and find fellowship.

:25 Fact - The man who loves his life will lose it,

while the man who hates his life in this

world will keep it for eternal life.

Now the principle is spread out to all of us. If want to have real life you must give up your life. To try and hold on to life is to end up loosing it. Jim Elliot is recorded as saying, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." So Jesus calls us to surrender all for fellowship with Him. This is discipleship. Jim Elliot went to Ecuador in 1952 to evangelize the Quechua Indians. In an attempt to expand their mission Jim and four other missionaries went to the Huaorani people. After about a month a group of men from the tribe came to their came and killed them that was 1958. To this day several books and movies have been written about this event. Later the very man that killed James Elliot became a christian and went back to teach his own people.

:26 Condition - Whoever serves me must follow me:

AND

where I am My servant also will be.

Promise - My Father will honor the one who serves

Me.

A disciple is a follower. To be obedient to the Master and follow Him in all things may mean separation, loss and even pain. It may also mean staying where you are and being faithful to His work where you are.

"serve and keep on serving""let him keep on following"

:27 Time - "Now My Heart

Act - is troubled,

AND

what shall I say?

Request - 'Father save me from this hour'?

Contrast - No it was

Reason - for this very reason

I came to this hour.

Jesus opens to us the situation that faces Him. It is not a joyful experience to know that it will take death to bring many to the Father. The reality is Jesus knows that this is why He came. Not just take me out of this crisis but take me safely through it and bring me safely out the other side. We have presented here the human side of the divine Christ. Jesus recognizes the need but also the human toll it will take. In the end He responds as we know He will from His surrender to the Fathers will.

V.28-31 Misunderstood Source

:28 Request - Father glorify Your name!"

Time - Then

Specific - a voice came from heaven,

Declar - "I have glorified it

AND

will glorify it again."

Wesley - I have glorified My name by bringing you to this hour and I will glorify it again by bringing you through it.

:29 People - The crowd

Specific - that was there

AND

heard it

Act - said

it had thundered;

Speech - others said

Quote - "an angel had spoken to Him."

Confusion as to what was said and heard. Perhaps the problem with hearing has to do more with the ears than the sound being given.

:30 Response - Jesus said,

Quote - "This voice was for your benefit, not for mine.

Once again God is trying to communicate but humans are not listening

:31 Time - Now is the time

Specific - for judgment on this

world;

Now the prince

of this world will be

driven out.

Pronouncement of Judgement and signal as to Satan's end. This is the final victory

V.32-36 Corrective Instruction

:32 Contrast - BUT I

Condition - when I am lifted up from the earth

Act - will draw all men to myself."

Here is the mighty contrast. Satan will be judged and banished BUT Jesus lifted up on the cross will draw all people unto Himself. Selfishness brings judgment and death. Self sacrifice brings life and peace. People may come to religious activities in or out of the church building for many reasons but only Christ lifted up on the cross, dieing and rising again brings people to Christ and only that message can bring them out of their sin to salvation and life in Christ.

:33 Act - He said this to show the kind of death He

was going to die.

Once again scripture makes scripture clear. John gives us the interpretation of what Jesus is talking about. Christ giving His life for us is what draws us to Him. This death was for every person. Not all will come but all can if they listen to the drawing and come as they are to Jesus.

:34 Response - The crowd spoke up,

Quote - "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever,

Question - So how can You say, 'The Son of Man must

be lifted up'?

Who is this Son of Man'?"

Now the crowd speaks up with questions about death, Christ and the Son of Man. The difficulty for the crowd then and now is reading into some particular scripture what they want to hear rather than taking all of scripture to form a more complete picture. They are sure Jesus is talking about His death and that on a cross. After this death if they listened and read fully they would have seen resurrection and eternal life as Jesus goes back to the Father. Son of Man in their minds connects with the Christ the Messiah. The God/man. The prophet Ezekiel uses this term multiple times. Talks about one sitting on a cloud that looks like the son of man.

:35 Response - Then Jesus told them

Info - "You are going to have the light

Time - just a little while longer.

Command - Walk while you have the light before

darkness overtakes you.

Fact - The man who walks in the dark does not know

where he is going.

This is like the teaching in about Jesus being the light of the world. Sounds like the talk Jesus had with His disciples just before they left to see Lazarus. () This is not an answer to verse 34 but rather a salom warning about what will happen if they do not walk in the light.

:36 Command - Put your trust in the light while you

have it,

Purpose - so that you may become sons of light."

Time - When

Act - He had finished speaking, Jesus left

AND

hid Himself from them.

This becomes the last public ministry of Jesus. He will teach them some more, pray for them and have supper with them and then comes the trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection.