John 12:36b-43
Notes
Transcript
In verse 36, Jesus ends His public ministry. It’s over. This section this morning is John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tell us why the Jews didn’t believe.
It is one of those sections of Scripture again that John MacArthur would say, “Its easy to see in Scripture…It’s just hard to swallow”.
I know that we all like to think that if we lived in the days of Jesus…if we walked with him and saw him do all these miracles…that there would be NO DOUBT “WE” would have believed.
But let me remind you of some truths that you already say you believe:
In our unregenerate state we are spiritually blind (1 Co. 2:14)
In our unregenerate state we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-3)
In our unregenerate state we are in the snare of the devil (2 Tim. 2:26)
In our unregenerate state we have been captured by the devil to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26)
Just a reminder to check ourselves that we don’t start thinking we are better than anyone else.
We thank God that He opened our eyes and shined the light of the knowledge of Christ in our hearts! (2 Co. 4:6)
Lets dive into our text this morning (John 12:36-43):
Hear the Words of God:
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. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 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?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“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.”
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 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; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Prayer:
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.
Jesus ends his public ministry be telling them to “believe in the Light”.
Believe in ME is what he is telling them
And then He leaves them and hides Himself from them.
Why? Why would He leave them and HIDE Himself from them?
Why didn’t He stay and beg and plead with them?
Why didn’t He try to play on their emotions and manipulate them somehow to “do something” to be saved?
For a couple of reasons
For ONE, there is nothing you “DO” to be saved other than believe in Him
That is so hard for so many people to believe but believe the Word of God…loot at the words of Christ:
John 12:36 (ESV)
While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
And “the light”…is Christ.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
2. He knew they DIDN’T BELIEVE…
Not just because of their outward actions towards him and their words about him.
Even if everything on the outside seemed to suggest otherwise...
He knew they didn’t believe:
Look at John 2:23-25
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
See, here these people claimed to have “believed” but it was merely a superficial belief.
They didn’t truly believe … they weren’t ready to actually “entrust” themselves to Christ and we see that Christ would not “entrust” Himself to them
Because He knew what was really in their heart...
a superficial faith....not a true reliance and faith in Christ.
After telling them to “believe in the light” and knew that they did not believe and that they would not believe “he departed and hid himself from them”. And that ends His Public Ministry.
Look at verse 37 as John, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explains some things as to why these things are....
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
Let me say this real quick: a small rabbit trail…i promise.
We can’t get upset or DISAPPOINTED IN ourselves when we share Christ with someone and they DO NOT BELIEVE.
I use to though…when I didn’t understand the gospel ALTHOUGH at the time you couldn’t have convinced me of that.
Back then, if I shared with someone and they didn’t do all the things that they have to do to be saved…I would just be like, “Man if I would have said this or that. If I would have had “him” there he could have convinced them”.
And after awhile of that you then just start looking down your noses at those who don’t DO what they have to DO...
It is just a works based understanding. That it depends on YOU!
But think of that.
WHO DO I THINK I AM WHEN I THINK THAT I CAN CONVINCE SOMEONE OR EVEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONVINCE SOMEONE TO COME TO CHRIST WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO SAW JESUS DO ALL THESE SIGNS DID’NT EVEN BELIEVE IN HIM!
Im moving on…but you get my point.
People have told me, more than once, that they are tired of hearing how “bad” we are and how “there is nothing good in us”.
They say, “I just feel horrible sometimes after hearing a sermon and its hard to always hear that we are just broken, sinful, wretched people.”
I get it, I really do.
I’m no different than anyone here.
It feels good to get an “at’a boy” sometimes...
It feels good to hear a “you can do it” sermon
A sermon on how IF YOU:
Do X, Y, and Z God will save you
And if you KEEP DOING A, B, C, he will save you in the end when you die
AND YOU CAN DO THIS! LOOK AT US…WE’RE DOING IT! YOU CAN TOO! COME ONE! RAH RAH RAH!
BUT if I were to tell you that… I would be LYING TO YOU.
THIS VERSE is used by people who reject Christ as the SON OF GOD…The Messiah.
This is something the Jews would argue as to why He wasn’t the Messiah...
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE AND SAW HIM DO ALL THESE “SIGNS” DIDN’T EVEN BELIEVE IN HIM!
Why would I believe that He was the Messiah when the people who actually saw Him do all these signs REFUSED to BELIEVE in Him.
This line of thinking is still prevalent today in a way.
obviously for the hardened athiests
but also for those who refuse to accept the truth about who we are…fallen, sinful, wretched sinners.
Remember what we looked at already...
SIN has effected every part of us.
The way we think
The way we reason
The way we use our logic.
Sin has blinded mankind in their fallen state and they can not see the Truth on their own.
Everything in us has fallen in sin…WE NEED SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES TO SAVE US…COMPLETELY!
If WE want to have a HIGH VIEW OF GOD…then we MUST HAVE AN ACCURATE VIEW OF MAN!
If you BELIEVE IN CHRIST…Thank God that He gave you eyes to see and ears to hear…that God that He gave you a new heart and drew you to Christ Jesus!
Look at verse 37 again:
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
THEY DID NOT BELIEVE.
THEY DID NOT WANT TO BELIEVE
THEY HAD NO DESIRE TO BELIEVE
THEY HAD NO WILL TO BELIEVE
THEY DID NOT BELIEVE!
NOW LOOK AT VERSE 38:
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 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?”
“They did not believe SO THAT the word by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled”
John is quoting Isa. 53:1 here so lets look at it:
But first let me say this and remember it...
The New Testament interprets the Old Testament.
The Old Testament does not interpret the New...
Lets look at Isa. 53:1
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
What does this mean? And why is John quoting this?
Let’s be Scripturally Honest with ourselves here.
Is it saying that BECAUSE these people did not believe IT RESULTED in the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah?
I mean…surely that must be what it is saying right?
Now lets think about that...
Are we sure we want to go with that one?
If we go with that understanding we are not only weakening the POWER of God’s Word we are OUTRIGHT refusing to believe God’s Word.
Look at verse 39 and John tells us...
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
there is that word “therefore”.
Tell me somebody, when you see the word “Therefore” in the Bible, what are you suppose to ask?
What is the word “therefore” THERE FOR?
its there because John is explaining to us what was just said…its about to give an explanation…
They COULD NOT BELIEVE.
WHY? WHY COULD THEY NOT BELIEVE?
Because they DID NOT (vs. 37)
They did not think they were spiritually DEAD, they were convinced of that
They did not think they were spiritually blinded…and they were 100% convinced of that
Remember John 3 3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
They thought they could see the kingdom without FIRST being BORN AGAIN.
They did not recognize their SIN and they were fine with it. They would argue with you until your blue in the face denying the depths of their own sin.
Remember John 9:39-41
Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
They mock Jesus and His Word…refusing to acknowledge their own depravity and blindness to the Word of God.
Look back at John 12 38-39
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?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
Lord, who has believed what?
our message…the teachings of Christ!
What or Who is “THE ARM OF THE LORD”?
this is the Power of God…the miracles and the signs that Christ performed.
To who has that been revealed?
Obviously, it was not revealed to them BECAUSE...
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
And to make this point even clearer for the reader of God’s Word, John writes the next two verses:
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“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.”
Let that sink in and marinate for just a second.
I’ll be the first to tell you that this is very un-American today but never forget that God is not an American and this book wasn’t written in America.
This passage comes from Isaiah 6:10 and man could we spend some time here!!!!
But there are a few things to point out this morning...
God has blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of these people so that they would not see or understand.
I understand that this is a hard pill to swallow when you’ve never been taught these truths before.
Its hard to swallow when you see them in Scripture and everything in you wants to fight against what it is clearly saying and you run to someone so they can tell you what you want to hear.
But then you start reading it everywhere and seeing this truth everywhere...
Just submit to God’s Word…Believe and then you will understand.
When Jesus was asked by his apostles why he spoke in parable…YOU KNOW THE ANSWER HE GAVE THEM?
the same answer here in John 12:40.
Look at Mark 4:10-12,
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”
God's blinding and hardening of people is not on pure innocent people.
We would like to think that people are good deep down and everyone deserves a chance.
Church, lets not forget that there is NO ONE GOOD NO NOT ONE.
as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
This is true!
This is not just about “those horrible people OUT THERE”…
THIS IS TRUE ABOUT ME
THIS IS TRUE ABOUT YOU...
there is NO ONE RIGHTEOUS…(DEFINITION).
God’s hardening on people and blinding of sinful guilty people is perfect and holy justice. And we have a hard time with that if we do not see ourselves for what we truly are in light of Him.
You want to see the Holiness of God?
Then accept the sinfulness of Man!
You don’t want fairness from God…we all deserve Hell.
You want Grace and Mercy…thats what you want!
So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
Pray for God’s mercy and believe God’s Word…Believe in the Light (vs. 36).
Lets look at this last section and then we will close:
VERSE 41
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
Look closely.
“Isaiah said these things”…
What things? These verses that John just quoted in verse 40.
When did he say these things?
About 700 years ago
Why did Isaiah say these things?
BECAUSE HE SAW HIS GLORY AND SPOKE OF HIM!
Who is the “Him” that Isaiah saw?
THE LORD JESUS CHIRST…THE SON OF GOD.
Look at Isa. 6:1-3
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
WOW....Isaiah is seeing the Son of God on HIS THRONE...
Look at verses 4-5
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Here is the holiest man in all of Israel, the Prophet....
And when He sees THE WORD OF GOD…what does he do?
He recognizes just how sinful he is and not only that…but that he also dwells in the midst of sinful people.
He KNOWS that he does not DESERVE TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF SUCH A HOLY AND POWERFUL GOD!
Do we feel that way?
Do you feel that way?
Do you recognize your sinfulness?
Do you recognize His Holiness?
Are you sorry and remorseful for your sin in the presence of The Holy Supreme God?
IS it to Him Alone that you trust to save you?
If so…then you will receive what Isaiah received when he saw THE SON OF GOD SITTING ON HIS THRONE:
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
If you can only see your sinfulness the way Isaiah did...
Isaiah…the holiest one in all of Israel saw his utter sinfulness in the presecne of a Holy God....
When you see yourself like that (in truth)
And you see God for who He is (in truth)…AND TURN TO HIM AND HIM ALONE…because you realize you need something outside of yourself to save you and YOU LOOK TO HIM ALONE SITTING ON HIS THRONE....
THERE YOU FIND YOUR GUILT TAKEN AWAY AND YOUR SIN ATONED FOR....
Sometimes we come across some hard truths in God’s Word.
But don’t speak harsh things of the Word of God...
Don’t Grumble about these things...
Do not question God’s Word in that way...
Thats what the people did a long time ago in the wilderness...
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
AND LOOK WHAT THE LORD DID...
Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
But…they recognized their SIN…their SINFULNESS
And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
All these people had to do is Look…to believe The Word of God that He said “whoever looks at this that is lifted up will be saved”…all they had to do was believe the Word and Look to Something OUTSIDE OF THEMSELVES and they would be saved.
See, Jesus reminded Nicodemus of this story in John 3.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Recognize your sin...
You have sinned against a holy God and deserve Righteous Judgement.
But Because of Gods unimaginable redemptive plan...
God sent His Son to be lifted up on a cross...
And whoever Looks to Him and Him alone to be saved from their sin…will have eternal life.
You must look outside to something that is outside of you…because in you there is nothing good…Look to Christ and live.
Now a lot of people have a hard time with this…especially the religious and we will have to look at that next week...
Some hard truths were said today...
But don’t Grumble and mock God’s Word...
Because Christ Jesus, not only did Isaiah see Him on HIs Throne...
It was Christ Jesus who brought the serpents on the people.
It was Christ Jesus who
