Sermon 022298

Jn. 12:27-36                                Jesus Calls Sinners to Himself                                    2/22/98

                                                                                                                            ABCC

I.     Introduction                                                                                                                      611

q      Beginning with 12:12, we have many details about the last week of Christ’s life on earth

q      Multiple thousands of people had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover festivals (v. 1,12)

q      Many people were attracted to Christ because they saw or heard of His miracles (v. 17-18)

q      Non-Jewish people were also seeking Christ (v. 20-22)

II.    The Pharisees Response to Non-Jews Seeking Jesus (v. 19)

A.     Their plan to destroy Him & His followers was not working (11:53; 12:10-11)

Enemies of Christ & of the Church are not playing games – destruction is their goal!

B.      People of other races & cultures were being attracted to Him – “the world” (3:16-17)

III.   Jesus’ Response to Non-Jews Seeking Him

      We have no record that He said anything specifically to or about them.  This does not imply at all that Christ had any less

love or concern for non-Jews, but simply with divine discernment & wisdom, He recognized something significant was happening in redemptive history!

A.     He discerned that “the hour” of His death was no longer in the future (v. 23-26)

B.      He acknowledges His humanity & resolve regarding His death (v. 27-28a)

The agony in His soul begins even before He arrives at the garden of Gethsemane.  The horror of the kind of death He must experience… When Christ is troubled within His soul, notice what He does – HE PRAYS.  Observe how Jesus finds communication with the Father or prayer so natural, even while talking to the crowd of people.

Jesus Calls Sinners to Himself, pg. 2

C.      God the Father confirms the glory for Jesus, even in His death & resurrection (v. 28b)

Christ single motivation was to bring glory to God the Father (8:29,50)

D.     God answers prayer for various reason (v. 29-30)

E.      The death of Christ brought judgment upon the world (v. 31)

Rather that wicked men passing judgment on Christ with the cross, the cross was passing judgment on wicked men (1C0. 1:18,22-25)

F.      The death of Christ draws all men (regardless of race or culture) to Him (v. 32-33)

The same cross that judges also draws & attracts those who have been humbled by God’s power & called.  The cross of Christ has an irresistible power to draw sinners who are broken by the guilt & weight of their sins; those who have heard the voice of the savior say “.. thy strength indeed is small, child of weakness watch & pray…”

G.     The death of Christ is a warning to all men (v. 34-37)

People that are not drawn to Christ will remain confused in their rebellion – blind & deaf to spiritual truth!

What do you see this morning in the cross?  What do you see in the death & resurrection of Christ?  Has it drawn you to Him?….