John 12:42-50

Introduction

This morning we will continue our Journey through John…and the last time we were together in John, we were in Chapter 12 and verses 37-41, where we saw that, despite all seven signs Jesus gave in John, many chose not to believe. 

Title: So today we will be in Chapter 12 and verses 42 through 50.

Scripture: So, if you have your Bibles this morning, I’m going to ask you to turn with me to the book of John chapter 12, and verses 42-50. We’re going to read verses 42-50. John 12.42-50. I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word. 

Scripture

John 12:42–50 NASB95

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. And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

John 12:

<pray>

Thank you and you may be seated.

Contextualization

<pray>

Thank you and you may be seated.

Now to put this in perspective for you again, let’s remember where Jesus was…..Several weeks ago we saw Jesus explain the story about the Fruitful Grain of Wheat...and then we saw Jesus predict His own death on the cross. Then we saw last time we were together that some folks will simply not believe despite the signs of Jesus. And we learned quite a bit in that study…we learned that belief is a choice.....that God has in the past momentarily caused unbelief or a hardening of the heart in folks....and that no matter what happens, this is part of His master plan.

And that’s where we pick up this week in Chapter 12…where Jesus is still in or near Jerusalem at this point. 

Major Points

1. Some Reject Christ for Fear of Man

2. Jesus Was on a Mission

3. Jesus Limits His Own Power

Point #1: Some Reject Christ for Fear of Man

John 12:42–43 NASB95

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.

Explanation

So here we have John telling us that some of the Jewish leaders actually found themselves daring to believe in Jesus and what He is claiming about Himself....

We are talking about Jewish leaders that have been studying the Scriptures their entire lives....they know God’s Word better than anybody at the time they were alive....They are seeing that Jesus is satisfying all of these different prophecies from the Old Testament concerning the Messiah. They are seeing the signs of Jesus....His power and might are on full display for everyone to see.

And these leaders see it....but....they would not confess it outloud. Why? Because the Bible says here for two reasons:

FEAR - fear of what? Fear that they would be rejected…fear they would be thrown out of the Tabernacle....and remember....your salvation, for the Jews, was attached to the tabernacle....if they were thrown out of the tabernacle, that was the same as being sent to hell. So they were afraid of the religious implications....but mostly, they were afraid of the approval of their religious heads.

These Jewish leaders were more interested in the approval of man than of God.

So even though they knew the truth....even though they had the evidence right in front of their faces, they were willing to throw all that out the window....because they were more interested in pleasing man than pleasing God....and more fearful of man’s judgment than God’s.

Illustration

One of the most gifted speakers in church history was John Chrysostom—the name comes from a Greek word meaning “golden tongued.” John was sent from Antioch to what was then Constantinople where he preached fearlessly in the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. His denunciation of the lavish extravagance of the rich and ruling class and his condemnation of excess infuriated many, including Empress Eudoxia who arranged for him to be exiled.

When he was told of his fate, Chrysostom responded: “What can I fear? Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile? But the earth and all its fullness is the Lord’s. Will it be the loss of wealth? But we brought nothing into the world, and can carry nothing out. Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my eyes, and I smile at all its good things. Poverty I do not fear. Riches I do not sigh for. Death I do not shrink from.”

Application

says “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

Church: Far too many today are more worried about what people think than about what God thinks. The desire not to offend others (which is not a bad thing in itself) is often elevated to be the most important thing. As a result, many shrink from speaking the truth.

These Jews were afraid of truth because they were afraid of man’s disapproval....but because God is invisible....because He is too far off to see, it seems that what is out of sight is also out of mind.

Church: That is probably why we commit most of the sins that we do....we do not fear God enough. And it seems that we are more interested in pleasing people and ourselves than pleasing God.

Church: We have to get our priorities out of whack....

We don’t share Jesus with others because we’re scared they might reject us....

We don’t talk about Him at work or school because we’re scared of disapproval of man.

We don’t do A LOT of things the Lord instructs us to because we’re worried about what others would think....

We have to get our priorities right....we need to be more concerned about the approval of God than the approval of man.

These Jews watching Jesus weren’t....They had it all backwards.

Where do YOU have yours, church? Let’s get our priorities straight.

Point #2: Jesus Was on a Mission

John 12:44–46 NASB95

And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

Explanation

Jesus was sent by God for the purpose of bringing light to a dark world. This world we live in is corrupted by sin…and that is where the darkness from. The only source of pure light in terms of spirituality in this universe is God.

Jesus says here that He is sent directly as a representation of God. In fact, Jesus is such a representation of God, that He IS God. Jesus says that if you see HIM, you see God....if you believe in Him, you believe in God.

You wonder who, then sent Him? If Jesus IS God, then how was He sent by God?

Jesus was sent by the Godhead....He is part of the Trinity....so not only was He sent by God the Father and the Holy Spirit…but He was also sent by Himself....That is why Jesus says if you have seen HIM, you have seen God....that is why Jesus says if you believe in HIM, you believe in God.

Illustration

“Observed C.S. Lewis, the brilliant and once skeptical Cambridge University professor who was eventually won over by the evidence for Jesus,

‘I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher… You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut him up for a fool … or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.’"

Application

Church: Jesus Christ IS God.....He is exactly who He says He is....He is 100% fully God, yet when He came to earth He was also 100% fully man so that He could die on the cross for all men.

Jesus is sent by God and is PART of the Godhead, therefore when you see Him, you see God....when you believe in Jesus, you believe in God.

Church: I would encourage you to take Jesus for who He claims to be. He either IS that....He either IS God....or as C.S. Lewis said, he was a madman.

But when you believe in Jesus, you believe in God. These people that say they believe Jesus was just a moral teacher…in rejecting Him, they reject God. Remember that, Church. If Jesus is who He says He is....then in order to believe in God, you must believe in Jesus.

God doesn’t just care THAT we believe....it matters WHAT we believe....God wants us to believe rightly…in the right things....and at the tip top of that list is Jesus Christ....His Deity....His power....His Love....His sinlessness....His sacrifice....His resurrection....ALL of it.

Jesus is God, Church.

Point #3: Jesus Limits His Own Power

John 12:47–50 NASB95

“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

2:

Explanation

Remember that Jesus, the man, came to live a perfect life, die a horrible death on a cross, and then be resurrected. That was His sole purpose on earth....He serves a further purpose now as ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven…but when He was here on earth He said “If any of you hears me and does not keep them, I’m not the one that does the judging; for I did not come to judge the world but save it.”

You see it is God the Father that judges these people at this time.

You see when Jesus came to earth, He voluntarily put down some of His own power and authority....for instance, there were times when Jesus did not know certain things. God knows ALL things, right?

Matthew 24:36 NASB95

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

In

So Jesus speaks of the second coming....and at this time when He was on earth, you see Jesus gave up some of His own power....during this time, one of those things was His judgment power.....but again....Jesus put these powers down momentarily.

And therefore the things He does and says with any power come from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Remember He’s a man....still God in His Spirit....But man at His essence....otherwise He couldn’t die for OUR sins as men.

But REMEMBER: Jesus’ limits on His power are voluntarily....He limited His own power.

Illustration

One of the most powerful and majestic animals in the world is the bear. Hibernation is when animals “sleep” through the winter. During this sleep, the animals will not wake up when they hear a loud noise or even if they are moved or touched. While in torpor, the animal can wake up quickly and easily. During true hibernation, the animal’s body temperature drops to match the outside temperature, and their heart rate and rate of breathing slows down. During the bear’s dormant state or torpor, their heart rate is extremely low but their body temperature is relatively high, and they won’t eat or release bodily waste. Animals hibernate as a way to adapt to their surroundings. They have to be able to survive the cold weather. They hibernate to escape the cold and because food is scarce. 

To get ready for hibernation, animals will eat more than usual during the fall to store up body fat. During hibernation and torpor, they will use up this extra body fat to live off of while not losing any muscle. This allows the animal to come out of hibernation thinner and still as strong as it was before winter.   They will get their dens ready for hibernation during the late fall. The bears of IEAS get ready usually late November depending on when the cold weather hits. The black bears in Bear Orphanage have taken full advantage of the caves we offer, but there are those who still dig a den. 

Application

Church: You might want to consider what Jesus was on earth as…sort of a hibernation of His Deity. His power was not completely gone....just as life is not completely gone from a hibernating bear....just as the majesty, wonder, beauty and strength of a bear doesn’t completely go away from a hibernating bear, Jesus does not give up all of His majesty or power....instead, they were simply hibernating as He took on the form of a man so that He might be the propitiation of our sin.

Church: in YOUR life, understand that even though Jesus gave up some of that power in life....now after His resurrection....His power is absolutely and totally limitless....and He rules the world.

And you have THAT Jesus on your side....He protects you and your soul with that power.

How many of you are glad you have a powerful God on your side, amen?

Conclusion

Let me ask you this morning, are you living for that Jesus today? He may have given up some of His power while on earth, but He rules the universe with all the power of the rest of the Godhead today…and He loves you, are you living for that promise? Or are you rejecting Him or living for Him out of ignorance....or fear?

Why not start living for Him today?

Let’s pray.