Triumph death

Pray

We’ve made it to the big turning point in John’s Gospel.

So, Straight in with our first point today:,

1 - Jesus’ Hour of Glory

We’ve had themes introduced to us all through out this gospel

by means of following along with Jesus’ public ministry and teaching.

And we’ve been called to believe he is the son of God

based on his miracles, teaching and interactions with both people and God.

For the Jews, who this book was likely written for,

they, so far, were supposed to have seen in this book,

what they had missed when Jesus lived amoung them.

Those rumours and questions they’d heard about Jesus

were being laid out factually and deliberately for them to see that Jesus really is God,

the MEssiah, the Light

- their only hope of salavtaion and relationship with the creator God of the world.

Could He be, they are supposed to be asking,

The long awaited King of the OT.

The promised one of old who would come from God

to establish a new and eternal kingdom!

To love and to rule God’s people over and above any worldly empire.

We’ve hopefully seen ourselves

that we’d be neive to not atleast investigate these claims about Jesus seriously today.

If this account is true -

we cannot avoid it’s impact by ‘simply not believeing!’

And if we are believers,

then what a joy to see the power,

love and incredible imagery and teaching Jesus has been presenting to us in this gospel.

But, if Jesus is this king

over an eternal and all powerful kingdom for those who follow him,

we, and especially the Jews of the time,

have to have something very clear in our heads,

Why did Jesus the King, die?

and die a criminals death on a cross at that.

And that is now the turning point we reach in John’s Gospel.

We move from Jesus’s public ministry and teaching,

about his person and life - pointing towards his death

to follow his teaching and interaction with the disciples

- his close personal followers,

and the actual time and event of his death, and the accounts of his resurection.

John 12 - makes this shift clear,

Up Until this point

Jesus has constantly been saying -

not yet,

the hour has not yet come,

it is not yet time,

I have to wait for the Father’s timing

In short - it’s not time to die yet!

but now

to john 12v23

John 12:23 NIV

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Here it is says Jesus.

It begins now, my hour of my glory!

The very thing I came todo is now!

And says Jesus - it’s my death.

His death is the key moment in all of history that glorifies him!

That’s not the norm for a king!

It certainly seems odd for someone who claims to be God!

To die!

So,

This is the point we and Jews sit up properly to listen!

No more waiting - it’s time!

Listen, absorb, think,

who is this Jesus, why did he die,

THE HOUR HAS COME!

Now,

At one level it is literally the time for his death,

- we see in v1, it’s 6 days before the passover,

just 6 days until the first Good Friday when Jesus died.

And Jesus is walking literally to his hour, to his death.

But it’s not just a chronoligical - ‘hour’ that has come,

This hour influneces and impacts everything in histroy,

and everything since that moment, in every way!

And we’re going to see,

how we ought to interact emotionally and practically to this ‘hour of Jesus’ glory’

Throughout this chapter we have several responces to Jesus and his imminent death.

His Hour of Glory

And so our second point is

2 - Responding to Glory

Jesus is on his way to die in Jeruslam,

but stops onroute,

at Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ home

If you remember, Mary was bitterly upset about the death of her brother Lazarus,

And seemed to have lost some faith in Jesus,

For he didn’t come in time to save her brother,

But of course, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead?

And we were told why JEsus let him die in the first place in chapter 11,

It was becasue he loved Mary very much,

And wanted her to believe he was the Messiah - the saviour of the world.

And as we’ll see in a moment,

it seems to have worked!

But in this chapter:

There are negative responses to Jesus throughout

Judas, one of Jesus’ own disciples,

objects to Mary’s extravagance in annointing Jesus with expensive oil in v4-6.

The cheif preists plan to kill Jesus in v10,

they’re afraid as we saw last week for their positions of authroity,

the knockback from Rome,

The staus Que of it all.

The Pharisees in v19 are frustrated that they cannot squash Jesus’ popularity,

they’re Jealous that they are loosing their power over the people.

And many in v34 and 37 still questioning and doubting Jesus!

The extraodinary irony of all these responses to Jesus’ Glory,

are that they only serve to further the glory and puposes of God!

Judas will hand Jesus over to the authorities,

The cheif preists and Pharisees will see thatJesus does not receive a fair trial,

The crowds will call for his death!

But standing against Jesus is never a victory!

For while Jesus was lifted up on a cross at their wish,

It was all for the glory of Jesus nontheless.

John 12:23–24 NIV

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Don’t think ignoring Jesus,

or even rebeliing against him will ever help you!

Don’t think that when God doesn’t do what you think he ought

- that it’s a sign he’s not trustworthy.

No - even in the death of JEsus his own son.

God is soverign,

and what man intends for evil,

God will use for his good.

But we will still be held accountable for our rebelion against him.

So, instead,

we should respond to Jesus’ glory in a different way.

There are many positive responces to Jesus in this passage,

I’m going to highlight 3.

1 - Mary responds with humble, sacrificial and extravagant praise

John 12:3 NIV

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

She pours out a years wages worth of perfumed oil on Jesus!

When did we last spend a years wages to honour and gorify the name of Jesus!

She washes his feet -

a sign of humble service,

A lesson Jesus will have to teach the disciples specifically in the next chapter as Jesus washes their feet!

When did we last get on our knees and serve Jesus and his glorious name,

without a second thought for ourselevs,

our image,

our status!

And WE have the priveledge of living THIS side of Jesus’ death for us,

And yet Mary responds so humbly before she knows the full story of Jesus’ love for her.

And yet, as Jesus points out -

Mary may not have realised she was was doing it,

but every right responce to Jesus,

must have reference to His death on the cross for us.

Look how Jesus rebukes Judas in v7

John 12:7 NIV

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

You see any response to the glory of Jesus cannot help but be intimately linked to his death!

We can only respond to JEsus rightly,

if we believe in and aknowldge his death in our place today!

He is the loving savuoiur who died and rose again.

Not just a good man, or a prophet, or teacher -

No - we can only respond to Jesus righty

by aknowledging his death for our sin.

And what an example and a challenge Mary is to us.

Humble, sacrificial and extravagant in serving and loving and glorifying Jesus.

Let’s be like that as followers of Jesus.

2 - The crowds respond with public praise, honour and a call for salavtion.

Jesus leaves Marys house the next day and heads on to Jeruslam

John 12:13–15 NIV

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

Hosanna means - Save us!

That is the way to call on Jesus!

Save us - Hosanna - no one else can!

He is honoured as King,

He is blessed by God.

He is prasied!

Let US this week ‘Praise Jesus more in our lives!’

And why wouldn’t we!

Jesus has not come to condemn and judge!

He has come to save us from that which we deserve!

That’s why he rode a donkey, not a war horse!

Don’t be afraid if his message - I come in peace!

Praise, honour, enjoy and call for salavtion from Jesus - and we will find it!

He’s so keen to save us - he died to do it!

What a response to the glory of Jesus.

Let’s be like that as followers of Jesus.

3 - Everyone is Evangelistic

Believeing in the glory of Jesus is unavoidably infectous!

While they try and limit the spread of Covid-19.

We should be doing the opposite with the Good News of Jesus!

You cannot help but tell of his glory if we truely think about it!

Mary, Martha and lazarus all drawing a crowd,

They’re welcoming crowds of people looking for Jesus.

There he is - there’s Jesus - he’s the one we worship -

follow him!

The crowds waving branches are very public in their evangelism!

There’s the one who can save us!

Praise him! - Hosanna

What a great way to respond to Jesus this week by telling others about our saviour, king Jesus.

Let’s be like that as followers of Jesus.

So, There is a right and wrong way to respond to the glory of Jesus,

But we will not win if we respond badly!

So instead

See this King of peace, who laid his life down for you in glory,

And praise him, sacrifice for him,

honour him,

be extravagant towards him

evangelise about him!

Jesus sums up these responses good and bad in v25-26

John 12:25–26 NIV

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Forget this unforgiving and painful world,

respond well to the glory of Jesus!

And so, our final point

3 - Death and Glory

Finally, let’s deal with that question.

What’s this link between Jesus, death and His glorification?

Most of us know the simple Gospel message of the cross.

We have a pentaly to pay before God for our sin.

Our rejection of him in the small and big ways!

Since Adam and Eve rebelled so,

every one of us has done the same.

None of us good enough for the perfectly good God of all.

But,

becasue God loves us nonetheless!

He gave up himself, in the person of Jesus,

to die and take the penalty we deserve on himself.

God’s Justice satisfied

- we are free to be eternally with God - if we choose belief in Jesus.

But what we have seen althrough John’s gospel,

is that what man intends for evil

- even yours and my sin - that meant Jesus had to die on the cross.

God intends to turn it into something very good.

The cross of Jesus is not just some unavoidable,

out of God’s plan and control event,

No!

He chooses to save all those who believe,

in a way that brings him full and total,

deserved glory!

For on the cross of Jesus,

We see his great love

and power,

and soverignty,

and mercy,

and grace,

and justice,

and goodness,

his eternal nature,

his creative power,

his righteousness,

His authority over death

His control over satan and all evil,

His sacrificial heart,

his compassion

in short:

his GLORY

Everything is satisfied and fulfilled on the cross of glory.

John 12:23 NIV

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Not that Jesus relishes the thought of dying - no what a terrifying reality to face!

He says it himself.

John 12:27 NIV

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

I don’t desire death says Jesus,

But for my Glory, for the glory of God,

Becasue it will save many people,

I will do it!

‘This is why I came’ he says.

Jesus continues and gets a responce from God

John 12:28 NIV

Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

The cross defeats all evil,

both ours and the devils, as we see in v31

John 12:31 NIV

Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

What man, or even Satan, intended for evil,

God intened for Good.

All these things achieved and finished on the cross to bring glory to God!

And don’t forget it is the message in John!

The cross is for your salavtion - yes,

but it is so God is glorifed not us!

And we end with a visual aid to remind us that the cross of Jesus -

is the means of his glory!

So, When I think of glorifying something

- I feel like I’m righty looking up to it don’t you?

If I say, glorify God - we look up,

John 12:32 NIV

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

What a great verse.

Jesus’ body lifted up in death for all to see.

To see what?

His glory!

John 12:33–34 NIV

He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Who will be lifted up in glory?

Who is the son of Man?

I’m right here says Jesus.

John 12:35–36 NIV

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Friends - look up to the cross of Jesus.

See his death that brings you salavtion and him glory in every way imaginable,

And believe in him,

the only light in this world,

respond in humility, extravagance, obedince, service, love, prasie, and honour,

Tell everyone about the Lord Jesus lifted up in glory for them

call out Hosanna - save us,

before it’s too late and darkenss comes.

Call out hosanna - save us,

And he, in his glory - will save indeed.

Pray 1