The Kings Speech
Notes
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Introduction
Introduction
What does life look like under the king of peace?
FCF: How does life under the king of peace look?
Addition by Subtraction (20-26)
Addition by Subtraction (20-26)
Exposition: Jesus has been anointed by Mary, and praised in the streets by the crowds who saw him raise Lazarus from the dead, and now he is being sought after by people (gentiles) from far off. They come to the feast of passover and they immediately want to see Jesus. “Sir we wish to see Jesus.” This is a big deal because part of the work of the messiah is to bring together both Jews and Gentiles into one family. This has always been God’s plan, to unite the two groups, into one group under the messiah.
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When does this happen in Abraham’s lifetime? It doesn’t fully happen, but it does happen in Abraham’s great great grandson Jesus the king of Peace. Jesus is bridge between the promises given to Abraham, and those who are not in Abraham’s family. Paul makes this very clear.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Here the King is bridging the gap, gentiles are coming to the king, because he is not the ruler of just the Jews, but he is the ruler of the world. In the same way that Israel was chosen by God to be a blessing to the world, Jesus as the most true Israel becomes the blessing for the world. He promises all who come to him new life, but that new life comes through death.
New life through death (24-25)
New life through death (24-25)
23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
jn 12:23-25
Once the greeks arrive, Jesus gives a short sermon noting the expectiations one should have when they come to the king. His message is in accord with the jewish expectation of new life through death. He gives an illustration using wheat, pointing out a crop will not multiply unless it goes in the earth and dies, but when it dies it bears much fruit. Then he explains the illustration plainly. Loving your life (soul) will result in loosing your life in the next. But hating your life, will gain you life in the next. It is important to see he is not saying you must actually hate your life, but that your desire for the next life so controls your desire in this life that it looks like you hate this life. He makes the contrast to demonstrate the point that there can be no question about allegiance. Then he applies his principle. He answers the so what question? Or what does this look like? If you want to serve him, come to him you must follow him. Wherever he goes you go. Even if that means going into suffering (as that is where he is headed now) and above all things, you must seek out the honor of the father as he seeks out the honor of the father. Summary, if you want to follow Jesus, he has to be the most important thing in your life. So important that your love for him, makes it look like you hate everything else.
Illustration: At the heart of the Kings speech is the principle life through death, addition by subtraction. This may be one of the most confrontative things Jesus teaches in light of this current cultural setting and even our own. We have already seen the people are ready now for Jesus to ascend to the throne, show his power, and set up the long awaited kingdom of God full of God’s presence and the end of all suffering. Yet Jesus is saying not yet.
Illustration
In our own historical moment we to have the same if not a greater need for immediacy. Whatever we feel is going to enhance our lives, make them more full, we don’t want to wait, we want them now. In fact we even think it’s our right to have them now. Sociologist have observed the conversation our culture has with itself has shifted from, an individuals responsibilities to an an individuals rights. Why the shift? Because by talking about rights, I am talking about the things that I need, should have right now.
(Application) And it is this exaltation of our rights that makes Jesus words here very challenging. We believe we have the right life as we want. To spend our money as we choose, to work jobs that only make us fulfilled, to be paid what we think we are worth. We think we have the right to pursue sexuality however we se fit. After all it’s my body, I have the right to do with it what I want. Above all we believe we have the right to be happy. But says who? Who says we have the right to be happy?
But it’s constitutional! The pursuit of happiness is constitutional. Well I feel it’s my right to be happy. So do I, but feelings are not always the best determining factor of whether something is true or not. What if happiness was not a right we have, but a result. God is not opposed to people being happy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact the Hebrew equivalent for our term happy is blessed.
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
God is not against our happiness, he is more for our happiness than we are. And he is always putting happiness on the scope of eternity. And Jesus is here saying if you want to experience the true blessed/happy life, it can be added to you through subtraction. By committing to me and my kingdom, and abandoning your kingdom. Some will say, but eternal life/heaven is so far away. Now is the time for fun and excitement. I want to enjoy life, be happy, make memories. I don’t want to give all that up to go play a harp in a white robe.
God is not opposed to people being happy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact the Hebrew equivalent for our term happy is blessed.
(Illustration) “There is no need to be worried by facetious people who try to make the Christian hope of ‘Heaven’ ridiculous by saying they do not want ‘to spend eternity playing harps’. The answer to such people is that if they cannot understand books written for grown-ups, they should not talk about them. All the scriptural imagery (harps, crowns, gold, etc.) is, of course, a merely symbolical attempt to express the inexpressible. Musical instruments are mentioned because for many people (not all) music is the thing known in the present life which most strongly suggests ecstasy and infinity. Crowns are mentioned to suggest the fact that those who are united with God in eternity share His splendour and power and joy. Gold is mentioned to suggest the timelessness of Heaven (gold does not rust) and the preciousness of it. People who take these symbols literally might as well think that when Christ told us to be like doves, He meant that we were to lay eggs.”
(Application) God’s kingdom is where are hearts long to experience, and being there is the condition we need for true unwavering happiness. Not because of the accommodations, but because that is where the king dwells. And our longing for life in that land has to be greater than our longing for life in this land. How do we do this?
Jesus tells us plainly. Serve him, follow him. That means he gets priority in your life. His ways become your ways, his thoughts become your thoughts. NO longer is your own happiness your end goal, but rather knowing that he is happy with you, becomes your happiness.
This life is a life of addition by subtraction, but it also a life fully accessible to God himself.
Application
Access to God (27-36)
Access to God (27-36)
Life after death
27 “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 hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
jn 12:
VV 27-28 are interesting because we see Jesus feeling the weight of the life lived with addition through subtraction. There is nothing that Jesus doesn’t call his people to, that he himself doesn’t experience. He models for us what putting God as the priority looks like, and he also models the struggle to do this. This is the tension of the human experience, and even Jesus felt it. Yet greater than anything else in Jesus life was the raw pursuit of the glory of his father.
Jesus had access to God differently than any other person that has ever walked this earth. While he was, is, and always will be divine part of the trinity, he laid all his privileges to take on flesh. To show us the value of prioritizing the king. When we prioritize the King, the king makes himself accessible to us. We see here in 3 major ways. 1) His voice, 2) His justice, 3) his family
Access to his voice (28-30, 34)
Access to his voice (28-30, 34)
28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.
jn 12:
Once again the father confirms his special relationship with Jesus by speaking audibly to the crowd. Their perfect union is put on display as the father responds to Jesus. Jesus then turns to the crowd and says this voice has not come for me, but for you. The tragedy of the event is that everyone hears a noise, but not everyone heard the voice of God. Prioritizing the king grants us access to his voice, also his justice.
Access to his Justice (31)
Access to his Justice (31)
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
Jesus is the king not only of the Jews in Jerusalem, but the universe. We saw this at the start of this section when the Greeks come out to pursue Jesus. As the king he is the judge of the word, and the evil one that temporarily dwells in this world, the devil himself. John uses the word “world” in different ways throughout his writings. Here it seems Jesus is referring to world not in the physical sense like the planet, but rather the oppressive agenda that turns people away from prioritizing the King as they ought. Not only the system will be taken out, but the one who leads the system, the evil one himself, the devil. For the moment the devil is the ruler of this world. He is free roaming about seeking people to devour.
The doctrine of the devil and demons has always been an aversion for outside the church. Yet at the same time even for those in the church the problem is not fully resolved. Either the devil is talked about to much, he is in every detail in life, or he is neglected altogether.
For the moment the devil is the ruler of this world. He is free roaming about seeking people to devour.
The Bible doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the presence of the devil and I don’t think we should either. At the same time, we recognize the devil is not our greatest problem, but another problem, oppressor deterring our attention away from God. This is why both, the world, and the devil must be judged by the King. And judged it will be, but not in the way the people expect.
32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
jn 12:
How does this king judge the world and the devil? By fully giving himself over to its grips it’s consequences, to the point of his death, only to rise from the dead displaying his power over its grip. In doing so the ruler of this world is dethroned, he is bound, and placed where he belongs, in a holding cell awaiting his final judgement. And the system of the world that clouds mens hearts and minds is replaced with a new world order. An order of the King, his laws, his blessings, his presence. Giving us access to his royal family.
Access to his Royal family (31, 35-36)
Access to his Royal family (31, 35-36)
There is an exchange that occurs at Jesus’ death. The current rebellious order of this world is replaced with Jesus new world order. Jesus the rightful king takes his throne, and dethrones the devil. And he draws people from all over the world, all different types of people out of there rebellion to God and makes them royal children of the king. Not based on their work, their genetics, but soly based on the work of the King and his faithfullness to his people.
(Illustration)
There is no greater blessing than being a child of this king. But not everyone will experience this reality. Even though Jesus’ intentions are clear, his sacrifice is sufficent, his power is glorious, still some will choose to remain under the old ordering of the world. This is clear in vv 34-37 when the crowd responds to Jesus. They respond to his offering with further questions and doubts. How can you say the son of man must be lifted up? Who is the son of man? This is not what we want, this is not what we have been told.
And even though Jesus implores them to trust him, in vv 35-36 to believe the instructions he is giving them tp prioritize him as the king, in the end we see the terrifying conclusion in vv 37.
37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
(Application) Jesus paints a vivid picture of the future. One where the rightful king of the universe is on his throne, where all his people from every nation and land dwell among him in harmony. Where evil is destroyed once and for all. Where every moment of suffering and trail is undone and replaced with deep lasting satisfaction and beauty. Where every tear is wiped away, and only joy remains. And this is made available to anyone, and everyone who places their trust in the king.
(Application) Jesus paints a vivid picture of the future. One where the rightful king of the universe is on his throne, where all his people from every nation and land dwell among him in harmony. Where evil is destroyed once and for all. Where every moment of suffering and trail is undone and replaced with deep lasting satisfaction and beauty. Where every tear is wiped away, and only joy remains. And this is made available to anyone, and everyone who places their trust in the king.
And this is made available to anyone, and everyone who places their trust in the king.
But wait, isn’t this just the old pie in the sky thinking? Prioritize Jesus, submit to him, trust in him and someday everything will be ok. Well possibly, but as Lewis says in one place, “either there is a pie in the sky, or there is not.” But that doesn’t mean the future reality Jesus is offering, doesn’t impact our present lives. In almost every area of life our desire for a future reality impacts our present.
(Illustration) If I long for a future skinny version of myself, that goal governs my actions and desires in the present. I cut back on the beer, I put exercise time on my calendar. Even things things like running which I despise, become bearable, than even enjoyable. Every area of life is impacted by our longing for some future reality.
Jesus is not dangling heaven before us saying, guys this is so great I hope I can sell it to you. I hope I can make it exciting enough for you. Neither is he saying to get here you have to earn it. No, he is the King, who has left his throne, made himself man, to come and implore us to long for this future reality more than anything else in our lives. He comes to remove us from the judgement that is coming, by placing himself under that judgement.
The evil one taken out
The evil residue taken out
Illustration
Application