John 12:20-50 - Walking in the Light
The question is not whether God has a voice. As we'll see in this passage, He has indeed. He uses it. In this passage, both the Father and the Son thunderously shout the truth. But mostly God speaks through His word, in silent confirmations, powerful and consequential. The question, rather is will we as His children obey the voice of God. Are we sharp to hear today or are our senses dulled by worldy influence? There are ranked sins; that's the truth we'll hear more about on judgment day. Rebellion to God's voice and stubbornness to follow our idols rather than God is akin to divination (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
Our job today is to walk in the light. I pray we are up to the challenge, nay, the blessing. As every sailor knows, we are prone to drift off course; so, we do need to constantly go back to God and His way. Jesus' way is our center point. Some like to take a wide tack. I suspect the true men of God prefer to be close-hauled, sailing close to the wind. You can feel God's power in the wind and the sail. That’s our mission and focus.
We are to seek and love the praise and honor of God. Seeking the praise of people is emptiness. Why remain in the dark when Jesus invites us to step into the light? Many will hear God and stay right where they are - happy in the dark. They may step out and put a toe in if you will, then quietly shuffle back to the shadow to reject the Light.
Men and women of God don't suffer from laziness. God draws us to Himself, but we have to have the courage to step into His light at His invitation.
I wasn't sure what to say about John 12. Seemingly it starts off disjointed. A group of Greeks (Jews presumably as they are in Jerusalem for the Passover) come looking for Jesus. They go to Phillip, but then the whole dialogue goes to Jesus and He explains for the rest of the chapter the deep truths about why He came, what His purpose is (to die and enter His glory), and a clear statement that the time had come for judging and casting out Satan.
In the dialogue, God Almighty speaks audibly with a thunderous voice and there is a back-and-forth with the crowd where they seem to know something about the Messiah (12:34), but many don't believe even though they see the miracles. Some believe in Jesus and some don’t. Jesus is careful to slip away and be hidden from the crowds - all so that His mission is fulfilled. We also see the Old Testament referenced to make clear that what Isaiah saw deep in the future was revealed in Jesus the Messiah.
Throughout Scripture, the people want a King. We are prone to want a just and good king. That makes sense to a degree, but having a king is not the end, not the utopia we hope for. For there is already a King, nay an Almighty Creator, Sustainer, and Giver of Life. While we pine away for earthly kings the Ture King wants people born anew who follow Him and yearn to be with Him, now and for eternity. King Jesus tells us repeatedly that His followers, His true children serve Him.
As C.S. Lewis makes clear in ‘Miracles’ the miracles of incarnation and resurrection are not a last-gasp plot flaw, but rather the whole plan from the beginning. Lewis claims the miracles of the Bible are either lies, legends, or history - and I agree and conclude the latter. Jesus repeatedly tells the crowds that He has come to die. Jesus knew He was the kernel whose death would produce many new kernels - a harvest of harvests of new lives! The whole plot is one of love and redemption.
Jesus is not easily placed in our systematic boxes. Nor should He be. Scripture tells us who God is. If we believe in Scripture alone and the inerrancy of Scripture then we ought to act like it. God uses the material and the spiritual so that our limited minds can grasp at least to the degree necessary who He is. There is a God, the Law Giver. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God. We like to conceive fanciful stories of left behind, third Temples, great end times battles with the antichrist, and important kingdoms, empires, and roles for us here in this world. Jesus makes plain in verses 12:44-50 what His eschatology is and dashes the nonsense of the end times guessers.
We are now in a period of church building - Kingdom building. We are waiting for the King’s return. But make no mistake Jesus is King. Yes, there are and will be more battles, but Jesus will return as He says in Scripture that He will (2 Peter 3:10).
The miracles of the Bible are true. Jesus was indeed lifted up - on the Cross and then resurrected to a new life after He died for our sins. And yes, I know some will hate to hear this, but Satan has been defeated - Satan cannot take us from Jesus and he has no power over Jesus' followers. Yes, the Screwtapes and Wormwoods of the spiritual realm have incredible power and they do influence for their father below. But the Holy Spirit is a magnitude more powerful. Light expels darkness.
Jesus is now drawing all people to Him. It’s interesting that just before going to the Cross Jesus said this, “The time for judging the world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (12:31-32). This aligns well with what John wrote of in Revelation (see my blog commentary from last year on Revelation). Satan was defeated on the Cross. But that doesn’t mean that evil has halted or that all darkness has been extinguished. Jesus goes on to say in this passage that He doesn’t yet judge those who reject Him and His message (they will be judged on the day of His return (Rev. 22:12)).
God says to set our minds on the things of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-6). So that is what we’ll do today. We will walk carefully in the light as we serve God in the church. We will make the most of the opportunity right now, right in this town where we live. The Lord God has a will for each of us today. An individual will and a will for us in unity as His body.
If I were a determinist (and I’m not) I’d use John 12 as my proof text, for it is perhaps the best they’ve got. That is, God revealed His powerful arm to some and to others blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts so that their eyes could not see, and their hearts could not understand, and they could not turn to God and agave He heal them (12:37-43). Yet don't make the truth of what Isaiah saw about the Messiah your soteriology. The context is and Jesus' soteriology is what Jesus shouts to the crowd. Anyone may believe when they hear the truth. Indeed all are called to accept or reject God.
We see in this passage Greeks came to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration and they wanted to meet Jesus (12:20). Many people had seen Jesus perform miraculous signs and while it looked to the wicked leaders that all was lost for their wicked plans and that all people would believe in Jesus (12:19) it was not to be just yet because Jesus had to die on the Cross to fulfill His eternal plan. The Son of Man had to enter into His glory (12:23).
Jesus teaches in this passage that the ability and responsibility to believe is on every person. Jesus says “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me” (12:25-26).
Did you catch that? Anyone! Even a Saskatchewanian! Anyone who loves Jesus and chooses to serve Jesus will be rewarded with a new life from the Father.
God’s plan of Salvation was determined by God alone. The Father’s way for a new life is that the Son had to die so that anyone who believes in and serves the Son will live - for eternity. It is in Jesus alone that we are with God now and forever. God’s way is that people must hear the Gospel to believe. Once they hear they then have to choose to believe and follow Jesus or to love the world and thief life (and reject Jesus and eternity with Him).
After telling the people the truth that He would soon die and that the onus was on them to trust in Him to become children of the light, He went away and was hidden. God did not prevent belief because He destined certain people to hell (determinism). No, just the opposite. Jesus had to die so that anyone could believe in the risen Messiah. Jesus shouted the Gospel to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me but also God who sent me” (12:40).
Jesus lovingly shouts the same message to us today. Come out of the dark, and trust in the Light. Walk in the light today. Reject the Son of God and be judged on judgment day by the truth Jesus declared from the Father. Choose eternal life, for with Jesus we get the Good Life - the life of adventure and goodness, now and for eternity. It’s a gift that may be given only by the One who loves us and seeks to be with us in eternity.
Father God, please guide us today and help us to quickly hear and obey. Help us to be kind and compassionate and known for wisdom, mercy, and forgiveness. Please help us to be blameless and pure and to trust You in everything. Amen.
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