John 12:42-50 May 22, 2014

We’re in our study of John and we’re in chapter twelve. The main point in the whole book is that Jesus is the Son of God and that those who believe in Him have eternal life. I want to remind you of the importance of chapter twelve and of the fact that John doesn’t waste words in his gospel. He’s still working towards His main goal and what we read today should convince us even further that Jesus is the Christ. Now, the context is that Jesus is preparing His disciples for His death. They don’t see it coming but all this will make sense to them when they look back at it in hindsight. But we need to be careful limiting our definition of “disciples” to just the twelve (eleven really) men who are following Him. He had many other disciples and some of those were high-powered rulers (Jn. 19:39). They would also need convincing that Jesus is worth following and that He didn’t fail in His mission. It’s important that we come into this text with this in mind because there are a lot of sermons that are too hard on these other disciples. We just shake our heads and cluck our tongues that these men loved the praises of men more than of God, and we use them as example of what not to be. But they’re only people and to make this passage all about their failure misses the point. They were naturally full of doubt and fear and every other emotion that every disciple ever since has felt. Christ’s goal is not to bring shame onto them or scare them into confessing His name, but to convince them as their King that He is worthy of honor. He wants to convince them that He didn’t fail so He’s giving them something to think about after they hear of His resurrection. When we left off last time we saw that the crowd didn’t believe despite His miracles and He hid Himself from them:

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

So here’s our point of tension and the reason for what Christ says next. These men did believe but they had to weigh their options; they had to count the cost. Picture them sitting in their thinking chairs late at night. “Yes, I believe, but if I tell people that they’ll throw me out. I’ll lose everything I’ve got, and my family will be shamed by the whole community. I won’t be able to go to God’s house anymore. What if I’m wrong? Can so many of my colleagues and mentors be wrong?”

And so the question is whether following Jesus is worth the cost. But then He dies, and doesn’t that change everything? Doesn’t that answer the question? I can almost see them sighing in relief: “I’m so glad I didn’t come out and say anything! I was so close to identifying with Him, but now we know He’s not the Messiah!” And so Jesus preempts those thoughts and prepares these fearful disciples for what’s coming:

44Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

“If you follow me, then you also follow God. If you see me, then you also see God.” The leaders aren’t denying just one man. When they say Jesus is a liar, they are calling God a liar! This is an important foundation for these other disciples because they’re faced with the question of allegiance. When it comes right down to it will they put their friends and associates before their God? It’s not a question of works or self-effort. Jesus gives the answer in His next statement:

46I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

If these rulers believe on Christ then they can’t continue to live in darkness. If they believe that He’s more than a rabble-rouser or that He’s not lying then they can’t stay comfortably in that place of non-confession. What fellowship does light have with darkness (II Cor. 6:14)? When Christ comes He shines into the darkness and those who believe come to the light that their deeds might be exposed because they are done by God. Those who don’t believe hate the light and will not come to it (Jn. 3:20-21). There is no fellowship. And so it’s necessary that these men’s lives will change. What they fear must come true. They must be cast out of the system of legalism and self-righteousness. And for this to happen to them is for their good. They will not dwell in darkness! But what about His death? Doesn’t it prove that these unbelievers are victorious?

47And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Here are these leaders wondering about how to or if they should confess Christ publicly. Well, how will His death influence their decision? Once He’s gone there’s no way they’ll feel any need to think on it anymore. They’ll only be relieved they

didn’t come out publically. But Jesus gives them something to think about in that time: “I’m not here to set up my kingdom against Rome. Those who oppose me now won’t be judged. This is my first coming as a Lamb and as a Savior. I’m not here to judge; I’m here to save.” But that doesn’t mean they’re off the hook:

48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

You see, a day is coming when He will return. And in that day He’s a roaring lion. In that day He’s a conquering king with a sword in His hand. In that day His words will be used against them because they heard and disobeyed. It’s the same thing that happened with the people in Noah’s day just before the flood. Peter says, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (I Pt. 3:14-20). Unbelievers reigned in Peter’s day, but he reminded his readers to think about Noah’s day for comfort. They didn’t believe then either and it sure looked like they would never suffer judgment. But then that Day of Judgment came, didn’t it? The waters rose and they drowned. And then Christ stood in front of them preaching this testimony of their disobedience. They heard but rejected. They thought they were getting away with it, but in the end they were proved wrong. The unbelieving rulers in John have the same fate. They look to be right but they will be proved wrong. They are rulers today, but one day they’ll answer to the Ruler:

49For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

All these words come as a commandment from the Father. No man has the right to change it or to soften it. When they disregard Jesus, they disregard God.

50And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

To obey Jesus is to obey God and to obey God is life everlasting. That’s the promise; the ones with clean hands and hearts can ascend his holy hill (Ps. 24:3). It’s not those leaders who have any right to God’s inheritance: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Ps. 1:1-6). And so, Jesus has prepared these elect children for what will come. He’s planted the seed that we know will bear fruit and now He’ll take His closest twelve into the upper room. We’ll pick up there next time, but we can close today with a few points of application for ourselves: #1- Christ promises to return again and to make His dominion clear over all creation. #2- Christ allows unbelievers to prosper now, but ultimately He will judge them. #3- Christ allows believers to suffer now, but ultimately He will save us. #4- Christ deals patiently with His disciples in our unbelief and works proactively to bring us out of darkness. newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com