John 12:27-36
Notes
Transcript
“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. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 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?” 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. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
Prayer:
This passage starts off with:
John 12:27 (ESV)
“Now is my soul troubled.
Why would Christ’s soul be troubled here? He is the Son of God!
He has the power to turn water into wine…he walked on water…he just called a dead man out of a tomb by simply calling his hame...
Colossians 1 tells us that:
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Why would HIS soul be troubled?
Christ soul was troubled in a complete different way than the way our souls are troubled.
What makes your soul troubled? Think about it for a second...
I’m going to tell you what makes your soul troubled (to the Christian).
Let me be clear…I’m an OLD SCHOOL 1689 Baptist…I’m not a prophet…I can’t read minds or point to someone in the crowd and tell you that you have back pain. But…I bet I know what troubles your soul....
Because it is the same thing that troubles my soul...
SIN…not your sin…but my sin.
My OWN SIN troubles my soul.
Your OWN SIN troubles your soul.
Our own sin troubles us because we feel
the guilt of it.
we feel the shame of it.
When we sin we know in our soul that we have grieved God...
In our sin, our soul knows that we are so wretched and that we broke trust with those we sin against and the ultimate despair is how we have hurt our God...
That is what troubles OUR Soul.
So, why is Christ’s soul troubled?
Because he is thinking of the bodily pain that he is going to endure?
NO!
See, when these Greeks, these Gentiles, came to Christ it all hit him…that his hour had come.
And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
He knew that his hour had come to be put on a cross and what troubled His soul was not the same things that trouble ours
It was not his own sin
It was not his own shame
it was not his own guilt
What troubled His soul was that all of his people’s sin would be imputed to Hiim.
Imagine how your soul and my soul are troubled when we sin...
Imagine having all the sins of those who will believe on you...
it is an infinite difference…no comparison of what we go through and what He went through
What troubled His soul was all of the sin and guilt and shame of all those who would believe in Him would rest on His shoulders and He would take the full wrath of God for them…his sheep.
Let’s not forget what we have already been told in God’s Word:
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
We can’t imagine how that must have felt…the anticipation of the full wrath of God poured out on Him.
Look at the rest of verse 27 and the first part of verse 28:
John 12:27–28 (ESV)
“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. Father, glorify your name.”
Let me tell you how much more I need the Holy Spirit to conform me more and more into the image of Christ.
Sometimes when my soul is troubled…you know what I do?
I might lash out and make things worse
Sometimes I sulk and feel that things just aren’t fair
I’m sure none of you do that…but I do that sometimes.
But LOOK TO CHRIST!
When His Soul was TROUBLED more than anyone could imagine…what does He do?
He trusts the Father.
HE never forgets His purpose that the Father had given Him.
But we do don’t we… Father, make us more like Christ!
Christ knew His purpose…and He trusted the Father with His life.
Let me ask these kids here something…Im going to ask a question and then I am going to count to 3 and I want you to answer...
What is the chief end of man (mans primary purpose)?
To glorify God and enjoy Him forever
Christ’s love for the Father’s glory is what made Him go to the Cross.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Look at verses 28-30
Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.
the first thing to point out here is the Godhead.
God is Three in One....the Trinity
It is clear here that there are two persons talking.
the Son…is praying to the Father
the Father answers Him
And what the Father says of the Son is nothing that the Son did not already know, because The Son knows everything
Christ, The Son of God, is the second person of the Triune God
It was for those who heard it.
As a witness to who Christ is!
And they still would not believe.
This is a miraculous thing to hear the voice of God the Father.
the first time was at his baptism and now again just before He goes to the Cross...
You would think that would convince them…but it doesn’t.
Hearing a thunderous angelic voice from the heavens, as awesome as that may be, is not what changes the heart of a man...
God taking out our heart of stone and giving us a new heart is what it takes to change the heart of a man.
We are dead, spiritually dead, and without God working in our hearts…nothing will convince us…not raising a dead man from his tomb by simply calling his name and not hearing a thunderous voice.
God must regenerate us by His power .... through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Look at verse 31:
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
Now is the judgement of this world?
Sin is EVIL.
Sin is not a disorder or a sickness. Sin is an absolute assault on God Almighty.
Sin deserves to be punished.
Who do we think we are when we think it is no big deal to sin against the Holy and Eternal God who created the Heavens and the Earth?
Sin deserves righteous judgement....and that is what the Cross of Christ brings.
It is true that the Christian should be
loving and kind.
we should help the sick
and help the poor
But something is wrong here, church.
the World killed Jesus Christ!
He was the most:
loving
gracious
merciful person
He didn’t help the sick He HEALED the sick
He taught people HOW to love
AND THE WORLD KILLED HIM FOR IT!
The World HATED CHRIST THEN....AND THEY HATE CHRIST NOW...
Because the Cross is seen from ONLY two perspectives
The Worlds perspective
my sin deserves to be punished and God is saying that I can’t make it up to Him on my own. I need someone else to make me right before God!
Who does he think He is?
Im not that bad!
and they actually HATE Christ!
They HATE the cross!
God’s Perspective
The Cross is where God sacrificed His Son for our sin…it was the only way!
It is God’s judgement on the sin of all those who would believe in His Son.
Not only was the Cross the place for the judgement of this world but also it is the place where “the ruler of this world” is cast out!
See, it looks like Satan was victorious at the cross but it is AT THE CROSS where Satan was ACTUALLY DEFEATED!
when Jesus came and began his earthly ministry…he began AT THAT MOMENT began defeating Satan:
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Now look at Luke 11:20-23
But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Listen to me…THE STRONG MAN SHOWED UP....
Look again at John 12:31.
At the Cross of Christ…Jesus, the Son of God destroyed the power that the prince of this world had over his people.
The people of God no longer stand in judgement and we no longer fear death.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Let me say one more thing about this before we move on…How Christ cast out the Satan at the cross...
At the end of Jesus ministry, Matthew tells us when Peter confessed Jesus as Lord, and Jesus says something POWERFUL!!!
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
When Christ rose from the dead…He came to His disciples and said,
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let me try to make this all make sense...
Up to this point…Only the Jews worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…but remember…these Greeks came wanting to see and meet The Christ!
This was the sign that His time had come (Jn. 12:20-23).
His soul was troubled…because He knew what He came to Earth to do…and it was to bear ALL the sins of those who would believe in Him…but He wanted to glorify the Father more than anything...
He also knew at the cross He would judge the world…calling them guilty of their sin AND ALSO AT THE CROSS he would cast Satan out....
And when He died on the cross and rose again…He told his disciples to GO…MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS....
Why? Because Satan has been judged (John 16:11).
Satan NO LONGER is able to hold my people in condemnation, fear, and guilt…GO GET THEM....
Because Satans has been cast out…judged…he no longer has the power to deceive the nations…GO GETE MY PEOPLE!
And the gates of HELL will NOT PREVAIL...
My CHURCH will tear down the gates OF HELL and set my people FREE WHO HAVE BEEN HELD CAPTIVE BY THE EVIL ONE...
THEY HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND PAID FOR…I RANSOMED THEM AT THE CROSS…GO GET’EM!
And I love how the Book of Romans says as it is coming to an end...
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
BY GODS POWER...Through the church, Christ Kingdom will advance and it will not be stopped!
By GODS POWER…through the advancement of the church…by the power of the gospel.
Look to the Cross of Christ Church!
It was not the worlds victory but its judgement!
It was not Satans victory but HIS DESTRUCTION!
At the cross…the War Was Won!
the battle for the Nations still rages on…but trust me, TRUST THE WORD…ITS OVER…AND THE ENEMY KNOWS IT!
PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR BATTLE!
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A PASSIVE THING…IT IS AN ADVENTURE!
When we say it is Spiritual Warfare…thats just something we “say” now…but listen to me…IT IS WARFARE!
WW2 Began September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland
America entered the WW2 in December of 1941
WW2 Ended on September 2, 1945....
BUT, YOU KNOW WHEN WW2 WAS WON?
WW2 WAS WON ON D-DAY…JUNE 6, 1944
and everyone knew it.
they knew if they got on the shores of Normandy it was just a matter of time
but they still fought…but they knew it was over
LISTEN TO ME...
when the King came to Earth…He entered the strong mans house…BUT THE KING OVERCAME HIM…AND TOOK AWAY HIS ARMOR
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.
And the CROSS....THE CROSS WAS D-DAY!
Its over!....and the Evil One knew it 3 days later!
The Battle Still rages on...
But the strong mans gates that he put up to keep us out will not stop us....
Through the POWER OF GOD…we, the church…take the battle to him…with the Gospel of Christ the Kingdom of God is advanced...
And Christ will WIN…HE IS OUR CONQUERING KING...
HE IS GOING TO GET HIS INHERITANCE:
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
after The King of Kings walked out of the tomb…he said...
GO TO THE NATIONS…so we go!
Because they are His!
We go:
When the evil one tries to condemn us with lies...
When the evil one tries to tell us we don’t know enough Scripture...
When the evil one lies and says we can’t tell people about Christ...
When the evil one whispers, “who do you think you are to share the gospel with your friend, your co-worker, your neighbor, your mom or dad....”
We LOOK TO THE CROSS AND REMEMBER THAT IT WAS THERE THAT THE ACCUSER WAS CAST OUT…AND DEFEATED...
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
LIKE CHRIST....
What matters MORE to the Christians is the GLORY OF GOD...
SO WE GO…NO MATTER WHAT…AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT OUR SOVEREIGN KING AND ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM.