John 12:31-36

34 -and following message - READ 31-33

Welcome

we are in chapter 12

We are continuing this mini sermon or speech Jesus gives in chapter 12. In our last episode we hit on some big ideas - Jesus that now - in his death is the judgment of the world. Jesus says that the ruler of the world (satan) is driven out and he says that all people will be drawn to him -the son of man when he is lifted up on that cross. Those are some huge ideas to unpack. in this episode the speech continues.

They have a big question. We have the scriptures. We believe in a messiah. We believe in a chosen one. He will remain forever. So why are you saying that the son of man(so they get that this son of man is a messiah figure (and this idea comes from a passage in daniel that we should totally do some episodes on) - why are you saying that the son o man will be lifted up (and who is the son of man - which a question we still wrestle with understanding).

Here is what they are getting at. How can the honored messiahs also be humilies. How can Honor and shame coexist. The messiah and the cross can not go together. Cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree. That’s in their scriptures.

Its a great question. Winning and losing do not go together in our world. We have elections coming up. The winner will be exalted one who wins. the loser will suffer humiliation and criticism and we will assess why they did such a bad job and lost.

But Jesus sees things differently. This is the king who rides in a on a donkey and not a war horse. This is the reason he came. He came to lose for others. he came to take on the shame and humilitation. For jEsus humiliation is the path to honor. Crucifixion is the peath to being the eternal messiah. The seed must die to bear fruit - DEath is the path to eternal new creation life.

It is hard to jesus to communicate this truth. He is getting at in all these different ways but its just not visible in the darkness of this world.

We are looking for light and we do not have enough to see clearly in this world. he is going to have to show us - We are going to need revelation and the light of new creation to get this. (later paul will pray for the eyes ofpeople heart to be enlightened.

Paul with the power of the Holy Spirit and in the light of the resurrection is trying to explain the cross years later and he notes all of these issues. So much of the world loved by God can’t get how victory and humiliation, how life comes through death how victory comes through a cross - they can’t see it. We operate in a different way that God.

Paul says this. he message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. God is making foolish the wisdom of the world - paul (and jesus) are saying the wisdom of the world - the right make might. The follow the winners way. The losing and surrender way is weak. Taht wisdom of the world - God humiliates that in the cross.

Paul continues - (i corinthians) - For Jews Demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the jews and foolishness to the greeks. but to those who are called both jews and greeks christ is the power and wisdom of God. For god’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

God’s weakness is stonger than the world’s strength. God’s foolishness is wiser than our wisdom.

So Jesus - responds to their - We just can’t it question with an appeal.

The light is with you for a bit longer. Keep walking while you hav ethe light (he is saying stay with me. People are in darkness. And a lot of people don’t know where they are going. While you have the light (himself) please believe that light so yhat you may be children of that light.

He is making a plea - please believe in me and I will keep you in the light ways. I will show you life and light way.

Those listeners had such a hard time. They had not seen the upside down death to life way of Jesus. We are on the other side. We do have his story. We do have these witnesses to his life. We do have the event of resurrection proclaimed.

IN him is light. he is the light of the owrld. If you are in darkness. Believe in him and his ways. Reject the darkness. LEave the darkness and come into his light.

We have to unlearn the darkness. The way of the war horse. The way of winning at all cost. The way of survival at all cost and its awful to lose and suffer shame. That is all the dark way of the old world according to jesus. That is the foolishness and stumbling block way. Ther eis the jesus way and a new creation way. it is the light way - come into the light believe in Jesus the light.

How will you do that? what way of this world are you buying into that has been exposed by Jesus better way? What darkness do you need to flee?

Are you living in the light? are you believe in the light of the world. Are you looking ofr light and know the way you are going is a path to destruction. Trust in Jesus as the light.

Why honor the crucified one!

this is perhaps the climax of his speech. We are only gonna get to a fine lines because there are huge earth shattering events being talked about. If jesus did what he says hes doing in these verses then he is the only one we should honor - and we need to honor him!

Now is the judgment of the world

-we think of judgment at the end of history. Or we long for judgment for something specific today. The world experienced both jugment of of damnation and salvation on the same weekend - 2000 years ago right in the middle of history.

Jesus takes the sins of the world- All of the evil of the world is exposed and condemned. it is damned upon Jesus.

And the world is given a reconciliation to God. it is given salvation from death and damnation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Whenever you think of Judgment or of justice - always have the cross and ressurection be your starting point. Whenever you hear judgment, justice think Jesus. You might say yea but i care about this or that or this injustice or that injustice - YUp- you know who cares about that injustice more than you do Jesus - God the Father cares so much about that injustice that he sent jesus - So you ear or see injustice your first thought should be jesus.

Here is the situation of the world and why Jesus gets involved.

We are so much worse of than we realize and we are so much better off thatn we realize. Tim keller, and im paraphrasing says something to the effect of you are so bad that the son of God had to die for you and you are so loved and important that the son of God chose to die for you. That’s true for the whole world. The world is such a mess - there is so much evil and horror that God himself will have to pay for it to actually pay a fair judgment for that evil. And God so loved this world that his only Son came to save and reconcile the world.

The hour for the judment of the world has already taken place in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ - sit with that for a while. Jesus say now is the hour of judgment of this world. This worlds judgment took place 2000 years ago. Wrestle with that. one.

Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out.

in the new testament text it appears fairly clear that satan or the devil or the tempter is a very real being who has some rule of dominion over the world. In the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness we see satan offer jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. He doesn’t appear to be lying. And her we see Jesus reference a ruler of this world and that the ruler needs to be tossed out - he needs to be exorcised or expunged. This is wha thappend on the cross and resurrection - Here is how Dale Bruner puts it.

The devil, no less, is dethroned, shamed, marginalized, and defeated by Jesus’ powerful Death and Resurrection. Thrown out from over us. The devil still roams the world, works his wiles, seduces, tempts, tricks, but ever since this Weekend he enjoys no ultimate power or supremacy over believers (“thrown out” means, spatially considered, “out from over”).

Because of the hour of Christ’s judgment on the cross and his resurrection we can be free from the rule of the devil. I look at the world and it can be hard to believe that - Satan is still roaming around - and people and leaders in this world still give themselves over to his power. But know that becuase of the work of Christ the devil has been defeated and his rule overthrowned. Christ is king and lord the devil is not - and you can honor the Lord and cease to fear the rule of the devil. He can not rule those in Christ - he is only a rebelllious ruler leading those who refuse the rule of the self-giving and true king of kings Jesus Christ.

and When I have been Hoisted up from the earth I will draw everyone to myself.

pantas - All - or all people.

The world is judged. the devil is thrown out.

Now Jesus says that he will be lifted up from the earth (the cross and all will be drawn to him. The greek word is for all - most believe it means all people.

the people of the world are drawn to the cross - it is a magnetic force. It overcomes gravity - gravity pushes down, death pushes down - Jesus on the cross some how lifts mankind up.

the all means all people. Paul the great pastor and author of much of the new testament says that In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. He says in the colossians letter - God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

there is no way out of being drawn to this event of Christ on the cross. I find this to be a powerful promise from Christ. I wonder - what about all kinds of people that don’t even know about Jesus - Since christ died for all and promises to draw all to him then I can trust that the Holy Spirit has plan to reveal, Christ on the cross to all people. How God will do that? I don’t know. I know my mission and the mission of the church is to proclaim Christ crucified and trust that God will take care of the rest.

There is now way out of being drawn to the cross of Christ. It is the judgment and salvatio moment. It the overthrowing the devil moment and it is the moment where all people will drawn to to either receive or reject Christ the peace maker, Christ reconciler, christ the just judged in our place Christ salvation giver Christ the Lord. No one can escape the universal. for the world work of the cross. It is the all encompasing event in human history - in the history of heaven and earth - past present future. And that all means all - all will be drawn to face Christ on the cross and to receive or reject him there.

So only a few lines in this episode some real heavy stuff.

Take some time-dwell with these words and these implications. There are big words from Jesus that I wrestle with and am trying to figure - you can do that too -Stand in awe and ask for wisdom to understand the height and depth and width and magnititude of Jesus Christ on the cross and what that means for the world, evil forces, all people and what it means for you - All people will be drawn to him on the cross - that includes you - Will you recieve or reject all that the cross means.

elets pray.

For, since Christ died for all [persons], … we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every [person] the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery.”

The only thing that we can know for sure about Jesus’ present breathtaking promise that his Cross will draw “everyone to myself” is that Jesus believes his Cross will receive a hearing from everyone—some day, somehow. Meanwhile, the Christian mission to this “everyone” is clear: “The harvest is huge [‘everyone’], but there are very few workers [the Church]; so pray the Lord of the harvest that he will thrust out workers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:38, Jesus’ introduction to his tenth-chapter Sermon on Mission in Matthew’s Gospel).