CRISIS OF FAITH PART 2

THE OBEDIENT CHRIST

John 12:27–50

A magician makes their magic trick more impressive by making things more difficult on themselves. He or she will be blindfolded. They’ll have their hands tied behind their back. They’ll have a volunteer from the audience sign their name to a card so they’ll know it’s really the one. All of these obstacles make a successful trick that much more impressive. Throughout time there have been psychics, mystics, and self-proclaimed prophets who have announced their predictions of the future. If you look closely at these predictions, you’ll notice just how vague they are. It would be easy to fit any big event into it and claim the prophecy came true. When God gives insight to Old Testament prophets about who the Messiah is going to be and what He is going to do it’s as if He’s a magician being blindfolded and having His hands tied behind His back. He is very specific. Not just anyone could claim to be the Messiah. This is what makes the story of Jesus so incredible. It’s Him! It’s the Messiah! He fits the prophecies perfectly hundreds of years later.

John called us to faith in the prophets, faith in the Father, and faith in the message of Jesus. As we have noted repeatedly, faith leading to eternal life is the central focus of this Gospel.

Let us Pray

Where we left off last week was with Crisis of Timing. Crisis of values lead to crisis of confrontation and that lead to crisis of Timing

I. TIME FOR JUDGEMENT — vv. 27–34 - “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.” 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. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 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. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

A. Desire—v. 27. Though Christ was divine, yet He was human. He had feelings. He wanted to be free from suffering and death, if possible.

Willing to do God’s Will over His own

B. Divine—vv. 28–34

1. Power—v. 28. God spoke to Christ. The people, hearing this voice, thought it was an angel.

Thunder, angel, that still small voice in the back of your mind – do you listen, follow, obey or dismiss it?

2. Plan—vv. 29–30. The voice from heaven was for the benefit of the people.

3. Prophecy—vv. 31–33. If Christ were lifted up (nailed to the cross), He would draw all men to Himself.

4. Problem—v. 34. The people didn’t seem to understand that Christ would die on the cross.

When we experience a TIME OF JUDGEMENT it should automatically drive us into a TIME FOR TRUST.

II. TIME FOR TRUST — vv. 35–36 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

A. Personal—v. 35. Jesus claimed He is the light. He is the Light spoken of in Isaiah 9:2.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

In John 8:12, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Those without Christ are wandering in spiritual darkness.

B. Picture—v. 36. When we follow Christ, we will be lights—Matthew

5:14–16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Some men love darkness more than light, because their deeds are evil—

John 3:19-21 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God

Crisis of Timing leads to Crisis of Faith –

III. FAITH IN THE PROPHETS 37 – 41 When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart,

lest they see with their eyes,

and understand with their heart, and turn,

and I would heal them.”

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

A. Power—v. 37. Despite His many miracles, many did not believe Him. They refused to accept Him as the Messiah.

B. Prediction—v. 38. The prophet Isaiah told of this in Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

C. Problem—vv. 39–41. Prophecy from Isaiah 6:9–10 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

The prophet had a vision of the Lord. This was 758 B.C.

IV. FAITH IN THE FATHER – vv. 42 – 46 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

A. Praise—vv. 42–43. Many Jews secretly accepted Christ, but were ashamed to admit it in public, because they were more concerned what man thought of them than what God thought.

Isaiah’s predictions were given over 700 years before Christ was born. He told of His birth, life, and death. All predictions came true. This proves God’s Word to be true.

B. Character—vv. 44–46

1. Person—vv. 44–45. If you trust Christ, then you trust God. If you see Christ, then you have seen the Father—John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

2. Purpose—v. 46. Christ lights man’s way to God.

V. FAITH IN THE MESSAGE vv. 47 – 50 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

A. Condemnation—vv. 47–48. If you reject Christ, then you reject God. Man will be judged by the truths Christ gave.

B. Commandments—vv. 49–50. Christ was not speaking on His own—He was speaking God’s Word. He was giving God’s commandments.

We started with Jesus denying selfish desires to do God’s Will – what selfish desire to you need to let go of so you could accomplish His Will?

When you hear His words – from reading, singing, praising, from a message, from Him – what do you do with it? Follow it or Forget it? Digest it or Dismiss it?

Jesus said - While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. Your words, actions, how you treat others – do they show that you are a child of light, or have you hidden your light under a basket, only to show it during certain, ordained times?

How do you put into practice the Lord’s words telling us we need to hate our lives in this world so we can keep them for eternal life?

Let us Pray