Soar Like Eagles (Parts 32, 33)
Christ and the Crisis - John 12:1-50

If you knew you had only one more week to live, how would you spend
your time? What's really important to you? We'll begin with this lesson
looking at a short section called "The Period of Crisis," which
represents John's perspective of some of those final events.
Between chapters 11 and 12, many events took place as Jesus takes a
preaching tour of Samaria, Galilee, and Perea, as recorded in Luke 17-19
and Matthew 19.
The theme of this chapter might be found in His cry: "Now is my soul
troubled." The ominous shadows of the cross are becoming larger and
darker.
After the raising of Lazarus the severity of conflict had reached a
point where decisive action was inevitable. Belief, if it were to remain
belief, must become definite genuine commitment.
This is the second major crisis in the ministry of our Lord as seen by
John the apostle. The first ccurred when many of His disciples would no
longer walk with Him (6:6), even though He is "the way" (14:6).
Here, John tells us that many would not believe in Him (12:3ff), even
though He is "the truth." The third crisis will come in chapter 19: even
though He is "the life," the people crucify Him.
John opened his book by telling us that Jesus "came unto His own
(world) and His own (people) received Him not." In the first 12 chapters,
John presents witness after another, and one proof after another, to
convince us that Jesus indeed is the Christ, the Son of God.
At this juncture, Jesus begins to alter His ministry:
- He changes His public outreach to a private one
- He moves from seeking the multitudes to sequestering Himself with
the disciples
- He shifts His emphasis away from miracles and concentrates on quiet,
intimate conversation with His twelve men
- He reduces His travels, returning to Jerusalem and staying there.
He's not out evangelizing; He's preparing to leave and preparing the
disciples for His departure

As He prepares for what will be the last few days of His life, the
things He does and says are of top priority.
The text today must be divided into three parts and each will deal
with the relation of some particular group to Jesus in the crucial hour:

1. The Return to Bethany: To Friends (12:1-11)
"Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus
lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. {2} Here a dinner was given
in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining
at the table with him."
This first event of the Passion Week, narrated by John, was the dinner
given in honor of Jesus by the family of Bethany. Instead of reporting
Jesus for the purpose of arresting (10:57), the friends give a dinner in
His honor. Martha, energetic as usual, took the responsibility of
serving.
These verses might also be approached from the perspective "How do you
say "I love you" to someone? It is certainly one Mary answered.
The double reference to Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead,
conveyed the impression that his public appearance was a bit unusual.
Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9 tell us these friends have gathered in
the home of Simon, the leper, whom Jesus had also healed.
"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she
poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house
was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. {4} But one of his
disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, {5}
"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was
worth a year's wages." {6} He did not say this because he cared about the
poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to
help himself to what was put into it."
Martha was showing her devotion to Jesus before it was too late. She
was "giving the roses" while He was still alive, something we all could
learn from.
Mary performs this worshipful act of love with no regard for
appearance. Respectable Jewish women never let their hair down in
public, nor did they sit around the dinner table with Jewish men.
The point of John's narration is to present the contrast between the
two chief personages: Mary and Judas Iscariot. The contrast between them
is striking:
- Mary was the embodiment of self-sacrifice...Judas of selfishness
- Mary expressed her feeling in a costly gift...Judas with cheap
sarcasm.
It would have required a year's wages from a common laborer to
purchase the ointment. It might remind us of David's statement in 2
Samuel 24:24: "But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying
you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that
cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and
paid fifty shekels of silver for them."
- Mary took the place of a servant of Jesus...Judas was a critic.
- Mary possessed discernment when she annointed Jesus' body for burial
(vs. 7)...Judas exhibited lack of tact that was amazing in a man
naturally as astute as he
- Mary is remembered for her loyalty...Judas as a traitor.
Several characteristics of Mary's gift made it special:
First, it was extravagant.
Judas objected to her actions, noting that the perfume could have been
sold for the equivalent of one year's wages for a typical laborer (12:4,
5).
While monetary amounts are difficult to translate from one time to
another or from one culture to another, everyone can understand the
significance of one year's wages! This lavish gift made no sense to one
with a heart as cold as Judas'.
Second, Mary's gift was given without thought for herself.
Sometimes, as we give gifts, we are thinking more about ourselves than
about the recipients of our gifts. We wonder, "Will it be enough?"; "Will
they like it?"; "What will they think of me?"
However, everything about Mary indicates that none of these questions
were on her mind. She was concerned only with Jesus and with showing how
great her love was for "the Teacher." Letting her hair down was one
indication of how little Mary was thinking about herself.
Jewish women of that era did not typically do such a thing, but Mary's
attitude seems to have been "Who cares? Jesus is all that matters."

Third, Mary's gift was wrapped in humility.
It was not Jesus' head that she anointed, but His feet. It was not a
towel that she used to wipe His feet, but her hair instead. Pride, for
Mary, was not an issue. All that mattered was expressing love for Jesus.
Finally, Mary's gift was actually her heart, not just the twelve
ounces of nard.
Sometimes we give flowers, rings, clothes, or money to someone we
love. In every case, the object we give symbolizes something greater than
the gift itself; it stands for the love we are trying to express. This
was the case with Mary's perfume. The perfume was an aromatic way of
saying to Jesus and to everyone else that she loved her special friend
from Nazareth.
Two other sections of scripture add some important information to
complete the thoughts regarding Judas:
Matthew 26:1-5: "When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he
said to his disciples, {2} "As you know, the Passover is two days
away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." {3} Then
the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of
the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, {4} and they plotted to arrest
Jesus in some sly way and kill him. {5} "But not during the Feast," they
said, "or there may be a riot among the people."
Matthew 26:13-16: "I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is
preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in
memory of her." {14} Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas
Iscariot--went to the chief priests {15} and asked, "What are you willing
to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty
silver coins. {16} From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand
him over."
Note to teachers: Matthew 26:14 gives the impression that immediately
after this rebuke, Judas went to the priests and bargained to deliver
Jesus into their hands. But it is likely that the events Matthew 21-25
took place first.
Mary was naturally timid, but her strong devotion won over. There was
a gratitude so strong due to Lazarus, her brother, being raised! Matthew
and Mark tell us she began pouring the precious myrrh upon the Lord's
head...John adds that she annointed His feet, also.
Where the other two gospels tell us that all the disciples were
indignant and complained of the waste, John tells us that Judas was the
instigator of the murmuring.
One writer: "Jesus is long-suffering toward all men, not wishing that
any should perish. Judas was given a super-abundance of grace and divine
motivation to change, but he would not. Judas was not forced to sin. He
made a willful, free choice."
John 12:4 records Judas' first words found anywhere in the four
Gospels. His last words are found in Matthew 27:4: "I have sinned," he
said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
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OUR GIFT
How do we give a gift like Mary's today? How do we say "I love You" to
God? What kind of gift is appropriate for such a relationship?
The Scriptures are full of wonderful gift ideas!
To begin with, we can give Him our hearts. After all, the greatest
commandment, according to Jesus, is to "love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew
22:37).
One of the most obvious ways to say "I love You" to God is to tell
Him. We do this in private prayer and when we come together in worship.
The Psalms teach us how to express this to the Lord.
We imitate the psalmist: "I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I
will bless Thy name forever and ever. Every day I will bless Thee, and I
will praise Thy name forever and ever" (Psalm 145:1, 2).
During Operation Desert Storm, when the United States went to war
against Iraq, a young aviator named Scott Speicher was killed in the
conflict, leaving behind a wife and two young children. A few weeks after
his death, his personal belongings were returned to his wife. Among them
was a letter that had been written the day before his death, which he had
not had time to mail.
In it he had written something to each of his children, and it
concluded with the following lines for his wife: "You are the centerpiece
of my life. I have lived with you in complete satisfaction. If I am gone,
learn to love again." Sometimes speaking of our love can be the greatest
gift!
Loving others demonstrates our love for God. Loving our neighbors as
we love ourselves is an idea that was introduced in the Old Testament and
was cited by Jesus as the second greatest commandment. Just as a husband
communicates his love for his wife by loving their children, we
communicate our love for God by loving our fellow man. We say "I love
You" to God by loving one another.
The Scriptures also declare that we can express our love for God by
speaking to others about Him. This is called "confession." Jesus said,
"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess
him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before
men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew
10:32, 33).
When we tell others about our love for God, it is another way to say
"I love You" to God.
Perhaps the most difficult way to say "I love You" to God--and
something that we cannot avoid if we truly wish to love the Lord--is
simply to obey Him. John wrote, "For this is the love of God, that we
keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome" (1John
5:3). Sometimes this is exactly what people do not want to hear, but we
must obey Him to be pleasing to Him.
Our difficulty with the obvious and practical nature of obedience is
seen in the following story about a man and his wife. The man was
terribly sick, so one day his wife went to talk to the doctor about her
husband's condition. As they talked privately, the doctor told the woman,
"Your husband is going to die--unless he starts getting three healthy,
home-cooked meals each day. Furthermore, to reduce stress in his life, he
needs for you always to be pleasant and kind. Finally, because of his
reduced resistance to germs, he needs the house always to be neat and
clean." When the woman returned to her husband, he was anxious to hear
what the doctor had said. "He said," reported the wife, "that you are
going to die!" Love for God is more than saying we love God; it involves
obeying Him, just as loving parents, a mate, or children involves more
than merely speaking loving words.
These are a few of the ways that we can say "I love You" to God. Do
you know how God says "I love you" to us?

GOD'S GIFT
After Mary had anointed Jesus and He had left the dinner, Jesus headed
toward Jerusalem. He knew where He was going and what He was doing. He
realized that this was His final trip and that the Jewish leaders were
intent on killing Him. His death would not be an accident. Earlier He had
said, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life
that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay
itdown on My own initiative. J have authority to lay it down, and I have
authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My
Father" (John 10:17, 18).
Willingly, Jesus left Bethany to give the world the greatest gift we
have ever received! Within a few short days, Jesus would die on the cross
for the sins of the world. As marvelous as Mary's gift to Jesus was, it
pales in comparison to the enormity of giving one's life on a cross!
Following His death, Jesus' body was placed in a tomb, from which Ile
arose three days later. "because of our justification" (Romans 4:25). In
many ways--but especially in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection--God
says to each of us, "I love you."
The Gospel of John had earlier made this connection, as John
reported,"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life"
(3:16).
Do you love God? If so, how are you communicating that love right now?
You may need to express your love by turning from sin and being baptized
into Christ (Acts 2:38). You mag: need to express your love by returning
to the faith you once chose, but from which you have now drifted. You may
need to express your
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John 12:17: "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that
she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. {8} You will
always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." {9}
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came,
not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from
the dead. {10} So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
{11} for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and
putting their faith in him."
There is nothing wrong with helping the poor, and those who believe
the Scriptures recognize this as part of the Christian's respon-sibility.
But Judas' zeal for the poor was a mere cover-up for the greed and
coveteousness of his own heart.
In every society, regardless of the type of government, there will
always be the poor and the rich. But the cross was just around the
corner; there would be plenty of time to think about the needs of the
poor.
The same process of division that was at work among Jesus' friends was
taking place among the common people. Many came to the feast not as
invited guests, but as spectators, because they wanted to see Lazarus,
the man who had been raised from the dead. The return to Bethany, then,
was marked by an increase in the intensity and extent of unbelief.
The chief priests were confused: they wanted to kill Jesus, but they
were confronted with another irrefutable argument...Lazarus had been
raised from the dead, and they could not deny it! The Sadducees didn't
believe in the resurrection of the dead. Unless they could do away with
the evidence (Lazarus), the foundations of their power, their influence
and their teaching would slip from beneath their feet.
Before we leave these verses, ponder this thought: can you imagine
trying to kill a man (Lazarus) who will not stay dead? He'd been dead
once...now they seek his death again.
Like many in all times, rather than repent and believe, they sought
for another way. But God made it clear that there is no other way. Christ
is the way, and without Him there is no escape from sin.

This would be a normal stopping place for the first lesson
2. The Entry into Jerusalem: to the Multitudes (12:12-19)
Abruptly we are transported from the sleepy village of Bethany to the
bustling metropolis of Jerusalem. Passover is just five days away and the
city is bursting with people who have come to celebrate. All four gospels
record this event.
The account here of the entry into Jerusalem places greater emphasis
on the action of the multitude then the other accounts in the gospels.
Nothing is said of the preparation of the entry by Jesus and His
disciples, nor is Jesus' personal response to the ovation recorded.
Most of the people had either witnessed Jesus bringing Lazarus out of
the tomb or had at least heard about it! Now this miracle worker is
coming to their city! John makes the event wholly an evidence of the
response of the people to Jesus' claims.
Two multitudes are mentioned:
- The multitude of foreign pilgrims who had come to the feast and had
heard that Jesus was on His way to the city (vs. 12)
- The multitude of those residents who had been present at Bethany when
He raised Lazarus from the dead (vs. 17)
- Another small group is present: the religious leaders (vs. 19)

"The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. {13} They took palm branches and went
out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

What did this event mean to Jesus?
- It was part of His obedience to His Father’s will.
Zachariah 9:9 had prophesied that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in
this manner, and He fulfilled the prophecy.
Two and a half to three million pilgrims usually came for the
Passover, history tells us. On one occasion a census was taken of the
lambs slain at the Passover Feast: the number was given as 256,000, with
a minimum of ten people per lamb.
To the Passover in Jerusalem Jews came from the ends of the earth.
Wherever a Jew might live it was his ambition to observe one such
Passover. To this day, when Jews in foreign lands observe the Passover,
they say: "This year here; next year in Jerusalem."
The emotional tension was contagious! The entire crowd seemed to be
caught up in the exuberance of the hour! It's also likely some of these
crowds had heard Him talking in parables about the kingdom, as recorded
in Luke 19.
The quotation from Psalm 118:25-26 was especially meaningful: Psalm
118 was one of the cycle of Psalms that was sung at the Passover season.
The exerpt given is not a consecutive quotation, but a combination of
parts of two verses constituting a prayer that the salvation of God might
be immediately realized.
"Hosanna" is not an exclamation of praise, but the Hebrew imperative
means "save now." The Passover expectation was the return of God's
Messiah to deliver the people.
The crowd, by the application of this Psalm to Jesus, gave Him the
place of Messiahship and called upon Him to reveal His power. It was
another attempt to make Him king, though perhaps more intelligent and
less materialistic in its aims than the former had been (6:15).

Why so much joy?
- Passover was near at hand, in commemoration of the deliverance from the
bondage of Egypt
- To liberate the Jews from Roman domination required a mighty deliver.
By raising Lazarus, Jesus had proclaimed that He had this kind of power.

"Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, {15}
"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated
on a donkey's colt."
The act of riding upon the ass, which is given so much space in the
other gospels, is mentioned only in passing here, It is, however,
connected with Old Testament prophecy (Zechariah 9:9: "Rejoice greatly, O
Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to
you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a
colt, the foal of a donkey.")
The ass was used by judges and kings in the Old Testament on errands
of peace; the horse was used mainly as a charger in battle.
I don't want us to leave this entrance without spending just a few
minutes looking at Luke 19:41-44: "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the
city, he wept over it {42} and said, "If you, even you, had only known on
this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.
{43} The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an
embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
{44} They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your
walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not
recognize the time of God's coming to you."
The word for "wept" is "klaio" and means "to sob, to wail aloud." It
seems strange that only Luke records the lament, while two of the
apostles who were eyewitnesses did not recall it!
"At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus
was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about
him and that they had done these things to him."
The disciples were bewildered: here Jesus was willing to recognized as
the King of Israel but He was also unwilling to exert the secular
authority which they thought all kings should use.
R. C. Foster lists the following attributes of the Kingdom as
suggested by the triumphal entry:
- humility - love - power
- righteousness - peace - joy

Hendriksen outlines the events this way:
- by it Jesus definitely indicates that He will die voluntarily
- He sets Himself forth in no uncertain terms as the Messiah
- He also shows the multitude what kind of Messiah He is

"Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb
and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. {18} Many
people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign,
went out to meet him. {19} So the Pharisees said to one another, "See,
this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after
him!""
The Pharisees couldn't believe their eyes! They had always been taught
that the Messiah would come down from heaven on a white charger, taking
command of the kingdom of Israel. But the people were paying homage to a
local man riding into town on a donkey.

3. Visit to the Greeks: To Gentiles (12:20-36)
Following His entry into Jerusalem, our Lord cleansed the temple for the
second time, quoting on that occasion Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11: "Is
it not written? 'My house shall be called of all nations the house of
prayer'? But ye have made it a den of thieves."
Again John changes the scene without warning, introducing a third set
of characters: "Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to
worship at the Feast."
Perhaps these Greeks heard those words and were encouraged by them.
The Greeks were wanderers, inquisitive nomads who scratched their names
in the rocks of every city they visited. They were men of Gentile birth
who spoke the Greek tongue, and who probably had become Jewish
proselytes, since they were pilgrims to the Passover.
Perhaps, like Cornelius, the Roman centurion of Acts 10-11, they found
in Judasim something better than the futile paganism of their day. It was
attractive to thinking Gentiles for several reasons:
- the unity of Jehovah is contrasted with the multiplicity of the
heathen deities
- the majesty of His righteousness as opposed to the immoralities of
their gods
- the direct canonical revelation of the law instead of the idle
speculations of conflicting philosophies

There were numerous converts to Judaism during the first century, and
the Gentile church owed a large number of its members to those who came
to Christ from paganism by this immediate stop. Think of Lydia (Acts
16:14), the many converts of Thessalonica (Acts 17:4), a part of Paul's
audience in Athens (Acts 17:17), and in Corinth (Acts 18:4).

"They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a
request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." {22} Philip went
to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus."
Why they chose Philip is not known. His name was Greek and meant
"lover of horses." They are not mentioned again, so John does not tell us
if the interview is granted. The pronoun "them" in verse 23 seems to
refer to Philip and Andrew, not the Greeks.
Jesus responds as though the Greeks were not even present, choosing to
spend his time discussing His death. From this point forward in this 12th
chapter, Jesus presents His last public teaching, concentrating on four
major themes:
- The cross is imminent, only four days away (vs. 23, 27, 32)
- The pain is great (vs. 27)
- The need is urgent (vs. 35-36)
- The response will be varied; some will accept Him, while others will
reject Him (vs. 37, 42-43)
"Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
{24} I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground
and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many
seeds. {25} The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. {26} Whoever
serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My
Father will honor the one who serves me."

The central theme of this message is the glory of God. Jesus
presented three things here, which are all variations of one central
truth and all at the heart of the Christian faith and life:

- He was saying that only by death comes life. The grain of wheat was
ineffective and unfruitful so long as it was preserved, as it were, in
safety and security. It was when it was thrown into the cold ground, and
buried there as if in a tomb, that it bore fruit.

- He was saying that only by spending life do we retain it. The man who
loves his life is moved by two aims: by selfishness and by the desire for
security. We have only to think for a moment of what this world would
have lost if there had not been men prepared to forget their personal
safety, security, selfish gain, and selfish advancement.

- He was saying that only by service comes greatness. The people whom
the world remembers with love are the people who serve others.
Indeed, His hour had come! And the principle involved in this new
covenant was the basic reason for the cross...new life by death.
One writer said: "Those who desire to follow Jesus and become His
disciples must imitate Him: do what He did, bear what He bore, and love
what He loved."
God's children are like seeds. They are small and insignificant, but
they have life in them, God's life. We must die to self so that we may
live unto God. Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

We find in these verses the gospel in miniature:
- The glorification and substitutionary atonement of Jesus in His
death
- The appropriation of that atonement by man through man's crucifixion
of self and following the word of Christ
- The safety and reward provided by the Father
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from
this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour."
This statement is profound: Jesus could have asked to be delivered
from the hour of His passion. He also could choose to go through it. "He
wanted to fulfill His Father's will, but the possibility of death is
something all humans feel and react to."
One writer: "The attitude of obedience to the Father was a judgment of
the world because the cross displayed the contrast between obedience of
Christ and the rebelliousness of man. It was a victory over the devil
because the sacrifice of God triumphed over the selfishness which is the
root of the devil's whole philosophy. The prince of this world has gained
his place by self-seeking, through trickery, deceit, and cruelty. The Son
of God draws all men to Himself by dying a humiliating death in purity
and forgiveness. Ultimate victory will rest with Christ."

Two Responses by the Multitudes:
1. When the Father spoke from heaven.
"Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have
glorified it, and will glorify it again." {29} The crowd that was there
and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to
him."
The people apparently only heard imperfect sounds. They thought it was
thunder, or maybe even an angel. None seemed to understand, though Jesus
said plainly that the voice was for their sake. It's been suggested that
"it was available to all those present, but received only by those whose
ears were tuned by faith to it."

2. When Jesus made an announcement of His coming death.
"Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. {31} Now is the
time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be
driven out. {32} But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all
men to myself." {33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going
to die. {34} The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the
Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be
lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
They did not understand how He could be the Messiah and undergo the
suffering of death...it seemed a contradiction to them.

Other voices from heaven:
- The baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:17; Luke 3:21-22)
- The transfiguration (Matt. 17:5)

THE AUTHOR’S PARENTHESIS (vs. 35-43)
A clear break is made in the sequence of John's narrative with the
second clause of verse 36. There is a change from public activity to
private seclusion, and the purpose of the writing changes also. This is
the beginning of "The Period of Conference," which will conclude at
13:30.
The two closing paragraphs form the transition between the long public
ministry of Jesus and the brief hours of private conference that preceded
the passion.
"Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little
while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes
you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. {36}
Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become
sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself
from them."
The reference to light summarized all the spiritual teaching on this
subject, beginning in the Prologue, and it concluded John's use of the
term as a spiritual symbol.
If His hearers were to profit by His presence, they must do so while
He was still with them.
In dealing with unbelief, John had three suggestions to offer:

1. It was illogical, and contrary to normal expectations.
"Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their
presence, they still would not believe in him."
John wanted to impress his readers with the astounding fact that men
did not believe on Jesus in spite of all that He did. The unbelief itself
seemed unbelievable.

2. Unbelief was predicted.
"This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has
believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
Isaiah 53:1 was a rhetorical question, and cited in verse 38 as a
prophetic forecast of the attitude of men toward Jesus.

3. Unbelief was a direct result of God’s revelation.
"For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says
elsewhere: {40} "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so
they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn--and I would heal them." {41} Isaiah said this because he saw
Jesus' glory and spoke about him."
This was taken from Isaiah 6, which contains the account of Isaiah's
commission. He had been sent by God to prophesy in the declining days of
the kingdom of Judah. He was forewarned that his preaching would bring no
results; on the contrary, the more he preached, the less response he
would get!
When a person starts to resist the light, something begins to change
within him; and he comes to the place where he cannot believe. This
identical quotation is found in a number of places in the New Testament:
Matthew 13:14-15: "In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You
will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but
never perceiving. {15} For this people's heart has become calloused; they
hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise
they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with
their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'" (see also Mark 4:12; Luke
8:10; Acts 28:25-27; Romans 11:8).
John adds one more point as it pertained to his present situation:
"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But
because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they
would be put out of the synagogue; {43} for they loved praise from men
more than praise from God."
Many believed secretly, but were afraid of public problems. Without
doubt, men often disbelieve because they will to do so, not because it is
impossible for them to do otherwise.


Man is a free moral agent. God makes known His covenant requirements
and then man responds. "The holiness of God and His message of salvation
is of such a character, coupled with the nature of the will with which
God created man, that the more man believes and obeys God, the easier it
becomes to believe and obey."
All the forces of belief and unbelief which influenced Jesus converged
in this period of Crisis:
- the hatred of the Jews and the jealousy of Judas
- the devotion of Mary and the expectation of the Gentiles
- the purpose for which Jesus had called and trained the disciples
- the conquest of Satan
- above all: the will of the Father focused on the choice which
produced the cross and the resurrection

* THE APPEAL OF JESUS (12:44-50)
These words of Jesus were intended to convey His own evaluation of
belief and unbelief, as He closed His public ministry.
It is a last appeal for men to believe in Him and obey His teachings
before the judgment comes. It is also a summary of His whole public
teaching.

He spoke of His:
- equality with the Father
- His coming into the world to be a Light of the world
- His primary purpose was to save the world
- Rejection of His teaching brings eventual judgment
- His message was given to Him by the Father
"Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe
in me only, but in the one who sent me. {45} When he looks at me, he sees
the one who sent me. {46} I have come into the world as a light, so that
no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. {47} "As for the
person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For
I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. {48} There is a judge
for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word
which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. {49} For I did not speak
of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and
how to say it. {50} I know that his command leads to eternal life. So
whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.""

Belief in Christ involved confidence in God. This truth is a
guaranteed approach to God, because Jesus was His authoratative
representative among men. Belief in Him results in light rather than in
darkness. Faith is not intellectual and spiritual complacency, resting on
fixed conclusions which have long since ceased to be vital.
Facing light requires a large amount of understanding and new ventures
in experience; it is the opposite of uncertainty, aimlessness and
negation.
Unbelief is not a polite unwillingness to assent to some fact, but it
is a flat refusal to listen to His truth and to acknowledge His claims of
one's personal life. Unbelief faces certain judgment by the everlasting
truth which Christ proclaimed as it was given Him by the Father. No
favoritism! But eternal justice!


GOD'S GLORY AND US
Woven through what Jesus said in this chapter about Himself and God's
glory, we find a clear and direct message for us and how this issue of
"glory" is to affect our lives.
Jesus told His disciples, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified" (12:23). He explained the necessity of His death (12:24) and
then said, "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in
this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him
follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone
serves Me, the Father will." honor him (12:25,26).
The flow of thought in this section is something like this: Christ was
about to be glorified. However, contrary to what one might expect that to
mean, it was necessary for Him to die in order to be glorified. In the
same way, Jesus' followers receive eternal life and reveal God's glory
when they allow their pride, selfishness, and love for this world to
"die" for the sake of obedience to God.
A striking contrast is seen between what Jesus called His followers to
do in 12:25, 26 and what the secret believers did later in the chapter:
"Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the
Fharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of
the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the
approval of God." (12:42, 43).
The word that is twice translated "approval" in verse 43 is the Greek
word doxa. It is the same word which has been translated "glory" in the
passages we have already discussed in this lesson. John indicated that
the cowardly believers kept their faith a secret because "they loved the
glory of men rather than the glory of God!" Men's glory is seen in pride,
power, self protection, and self-promotion; God's glory is best seen in
humility, sacrifice, and self-denial.
Later in his Gospel, John recorded an unusual prophecy which Jesus
made to Peter: "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you
used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow
old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and
bring you where you do not wish to go." (21:18).
John explained, "Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he
would glorify God " (21:19). Again, we find glory and sacrifice tied
together in the teachings of this Gospel!
Christians are to live to the glory of God. Everything about us should
reflect God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Through the years, many have tried to give glory to God by building
great temples or kingdoms in His name. In the Gospel of John, Jesus
demonstrated repeatedly that the glory of God is best seen in simple,
humble actions. God's glory is best seen today in loving, sacrificial
acts which may not even be noticed by the world:

The loving care of a mother for her child reveals the glory of God.
Caring for an elderly parent or neighbor reveals the glory of God.
Listening to and comforting a troubled person reveals the glory of God.
Being faithful and kind in your marriage reveals the glory of God.
Giving help to a person in need reveals the glory of God.

I had a teacher in school who was talking one day about great
preachers. He said, "The greatest preaching being done today is by people
you have never heard of in places you have never been." I believe that
his powerful comment is close to what Jesus was teaching in John 12!
The Australian poet Victor Daley was tenderly cared for in a hospital
during his dying days. One of the last things he did before his death was
to thank the nurses for their kindness. They responded, "Don't thank us.
Thank the grace of God." Daley answered: ""But aren’t you the grace of
God?"
I believe that he was right. In the same way, you and I have witnessed
and received God’s glory, and now we are to be His glory.
In humble, sacrificial service, we are to become the visible glory of
God in our world.

Last modified: April 18, 2006