Our understanding of the Word of the LORD is always dependent on the Holy Spirit, and where the disciples were confused at first about the death of their Messiah, once Christ was glorified – and the Holy Spirit was sent forth to indwell all those of faith (JOHN 14:26; 20:22), that’s when they remembered all that was written about Him.
The raising of Lazarus from the dead was just another proof that Jesus was and is exactly what He claimed to be! Out of frustration the Pharisees complained among themselves that “the world has gone after Him!” I love it! GO GOD!! Any who attempt to fight GOD will only succeed in hurting themselves!
PROVERBS 8:35-36
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD; 36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.
My heart is torn in two when I think about all that our precious, dear, tender-hearted Savior went through in redeeming us to GOD. The thought that the pure, sinless, innocent Savior Who is the embodiment of love and truth should suffer the utter humiliation and shame in bearing all of our sins – ugly, wretched, putrid, gross, vile sins upon His righteous soul…
It brings me to tears of sorrow – and also tears of humble gratitude, because if not for this Holy Mission to save us all, we would be with no hope whatsoever! I’d be rightly damned for my sins.
PART 2 ~ ~ ~
Yet when the time had come when prophecy indicated that the Messiah would be born, in the realm of eternity where the Throne of GOD resides, the Son arose from His Father’s side, stepped into our space-time reality and by the Holy Spirit was conceived in the womb of a young Jewish girl. Think of it! The same GOD Who measures the universe in the span of His hand, shrank down to become a tiny embryo! The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we truly have beheld His glory: that of the only begotten of the Father!
At this point in JOHN’s Gospel our LORD Jesus has made His way into Jerusalem – what we call Palm Sunday. It would only be a matter of a few more days until He would be pierced in His holy hands and beautiful feet (PSA 22) and suffer the physical and spiritual agonies that were foretold.
JOHN 12:20-22
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
There were two different groups of people that these “Greeks” could belong to: there were those Hellenist Jews who were of national Israel by birth but had been heavily influenced by Greek culture. It’s also possible that these could be Gentiles who converted to Judaism, in the same way that the eunuch from Ethiopia had been converted to Judaism and had attended Passover in Jerusalem (ACTS 8:26-39).
Bringing people to Jesus is job #1 for the church. This is the Great Commission (MARK 16:15-16; MATT 28:19-20). We share the Gospel with our family (this is where we start, at our “Jerusalem”), then extended family and friends (our “Judea”), neighbors, co-workers (our “Samaria”) and strangers, even foreigners (“uttermost part of the earth”; ACTS 1:8).
We really can’t do anything to save people – that isn’t our job. We are to tell people the good news and show how it’s worked in our lives! Once the Gospel is delivered to these souls, then it’s between themselves and GOD. He is the only One who converts the soul. I can’t even convert rice!
JOHN 12:23-24
23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
This sounds as though the LORD was completely ignoring the request of these men to speak with Him. Why this response? It might be that He knew the time of reaching the Gentiles wouldn’t come before first addressing His own people Israel (MATT 10:5-6; 15:24). He even said as much (MATT 28:19). And He certainly knew that the mission of redemption must take the highest priority, and timing in this respect was everything in order to fulfill the precision of prophetic Scripture.
The time of understanding would come once the Holy Spirit was sent into the hearts of believer’s post-resurrection. Once Christ offered up His life, He would not remain alone, but gain a multitude of brethren, oceans of saved souls that would send wave after wave of worshipful praise to the LAMB Who was slain from the foundation of the earth (REV 13:8b)! This was Satan’s biggest blunder!
Not only were souls saved by the Supremely Sublime and Sacrificial Act of the Savior, but they were indwelt by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (ROM 8:11)! Each saved soul had the potential of Christ’s ministry here on Earth (the one who came closest I think would be apostle Paul).
I liken this to someone trying to put out a fire in a barn, but the more they swat at the flames, the more they spread among the hay, just making the blaze bigger!
A “grain” here refers to seed, and we know that seed is representative of “the Word of GOD” as in the kingdom parables (LUKE 8:11). But in this case, the LORD is referring to Himself, “the Word made flesh”.
If there is to be the fruit of salvation, it will come at a price, the dearest, highest price. The death of the Son of Man, the LORD Jesus Christ.
Even in our own life, death to self, dying to sin nature will bring fruit as we sow the seed of the Word into our lives.
Who can equate something as reprehensible and offensive as the cross with something that’s glorious? Yet the LORD spoke of this “hour” in which the Son of Man would be glorified!
The truth of the matter is that GOD allowed mankind to fall into sin, into a situation in which it would be impossible for man to save himself. Then GOD would step in voluntarily and pay the price Himself that mankind owed so that we could be free of our debt! Amazing Grace, glorious indeed!
Even something as cursed as death itself, by GOD’s grace and wisdom, He can bring something good of even this! As we choose to die to self, willingly losing rights over ourselves, willing to forego all of our own desires, plans, goals as well as beliefs, perspectives and ideologies that we will find blessing in yielding to GOD.
JOHN 12:25-26
25 "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Why don’t people come to Jesus for salvation? One major reason is most people realize that following Jesus will cost them something, a price that they’re unwilling to pay. They’ll have to give up sin!
But they love their own life, they love this fallen world and its enticements. People worship money, sex, drugs, sensual pleasures of various sorts. “I’ll get religion when I’m old and done having all my fun!” they say.
What they don’t realize – what I myself didn’t realize is that anything and everything that we “give up” in a supposed sacrifice is nothing compared to what we gain in Christ. As mentioned before, sin is a very sweet but deadly spiritual poison! It kills soul and body quite effectively. Cemeteries are living proof of its handiwork. So are drug addict alleyways. Prisons where men who couldn’t control their lust committed illegal acts and now are paying the price.
And even though we saints likewise die like everyone else, we are promised glorified bodies that won’t ever grow old, but stay exuberant, energetic and powerful for all eternity! We’ll have glorified minds as well that will be able to comprehend the New Heavens and the New Earth, and all things eternal in the kingdom that awaits us!
We will inherit the kingdom alongside our LORD Jesus Christ and be granted positions of honor and authority (to varying degrees, dependent I believe on how much we cooperated with the sanctification process while on Earth). We’ll actually be given authority over the entire angelic realm as the Bride of Christ.
All of this and far, far more will be ours by the grace of GOD, never ending and perpetual, world without end! And we’ll be there solely by the grace of GOD!
But those who choose a life in this world, apart from Christ and His kingdom – all they have is several decades of life (if that) in a sinful world mixed with pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, and at the end of it all, face GOD on Judgment Day and be condemned because of their rejection of Christ and His Gospel!
What does it mean “to hate [one’s] life”? Basically, to despise (literally “to detest” or “to love less… [than something or someone else]”) what this fallen world has to offer, to hate what sin has done to both this world and ourselves. To reject a life apart from Christ and to repent, pursue and embrace JESUS as LORD and Savior!
It’s that person that says what Jeremy Camp sang, “You can have all of this world, just give me JESUS!” that is truly blessed! I’ll gladly serve Him, follow Him, love Him – He is worth it!! To serve in this sense is very much like the office of a deacon – a humble servant of the LORD to minister to the needs of His body.
In our case, we serve the LORD with our lives, our hearts, minds, bodies, engaged in physical activities by Gospel outreaches to the lost, the rejected, the ignored and disadvantaged, serving the poor, donating our time and money. We serve the LORD in our prayer closet, in our times of praise and worship, in our daily devouring of the revelation of GOD’s Word.
The LORD Jesus Christ has promised that all who will serve Him, our Father will honor! It would be one thing to be honored by some earthly dignitary who would pin a medal on us before a great audience.
But how about being honored by the Holy Creator!? Nothing else can compare! And He honors us just for doing what we love to do anyway: to serve JESUS our LORD!
JOHN 12:27-30
27 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." 30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
We know that our LORD was troubled (stirred, agitated) at this point, but that this trouble of mind will grow to a deep and profound sorrow – an agony in the Garden of Gethsemane – of such deep anguish that it literally caused Christ to sweat drops of blood (a medical condition called hematidrosis) because of the intense stress of what lay before Him!
He knew His mission: to be the sacrificial LAMB of GOD for the sins of the world (JOHN 1:29). He knew that this meant separation from GOD the Father (MATT 27:46). He knew that He alone would bear the load of the sins of all of humanity, and the subsequent holy wrath and judgment by GOD (ISA 53:3-7,10).
He knew this, but as we know, knowing something and actually going through it are entirely different matters. In His humanity, Christ besought His Father for some other way to redeem mankind. That prayer petition from Jesus is the only one that the Father did NOT answer! Meaning – there is no other way!
And this Way of salvation (JOHN 14:6; ACTS 4:12) would bring and does bring glory to GOD the Father! The most beloved verse of Scripture testifies of this glory:
When did the Father glorify His name the first time? And when at this point will He glorify it in the future?
I believe the first time the Father’s Name was glorified was at the baptism of Christ, when His voice was heard then also!
The Voice of GOD came for the sake of the people who heard it – not for the Son Who was well aware of what the glory of the Father would look like: a bloody Cross on Calvary’s hill, followed three days later by the victorious, risen Christ that stripped the enemy of his power (COL 2:15), vanquished sin, death (ROM 5:14-17) and hell (MATT 16:16-18) from the view of eternity’s hall!
At this point in JOHN’s Gospel our LORD Jesus has made His way into Jerusalem – what we call Palm Sunday. It would only be a matter of a few more days until He would be pierced in His holy hands and beautiful feet (PSA 22) and suffer the physical and spiritual agonies that were foretold.
JOHN 12:20-22
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
There were two different groups of people that these “Greeks” could belong to: there were those Hellenist Jews who were of national Israel by birth but had been heavily influenced by Greek culture. It’s also possible that these could be Gentiles who converted to Judaism, in the same way that the eunuch from Ethiopia had been converted to Judaism and had attended Passover in Jerusalem (ACTS 8:26-39).
Bringing people to Jesus is job #1 for the church. This is the Great Commission (MARK 16:15-16; MATT 28:19-20). We share the Gospel with our family (this is where we start, at our “Jerusalem”), then extended family and friends (our “Judea”), neighbors, co-workers (our “Samaria”) and strangers, even foreigners (“uttermost part of the earth”; ACTS 1:8).
We really can’t do anything to save people – that isn’t our job. We are to tell people the good news and show how it’s worked in our lives! Once the Gospel is delivered to these souls, then it’s between themselves and GOD. He is the only One who converts the soul. I can’t even convert rice!
JOHN 12:23-24
23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
This sounds as though the LORD was completely ignoring the request of these men to speak with Him. Why this response? It might be that He knew the time of reaching the Gentiles wouldn’t come before first addressing His own people Israel (MATT 10:5-6; 15:24). He even said as much (MATT 28:19). And He certainly knew that the mission of redemption must take the highest priority, and timing in this respect was everything in order to fulfill the precision of prophetic Scripture.
The time of understanding would come once the Holy Spirit was sent into the hearts of believer’s post-resurrection. Once Christ offered up His life, He would not remain alone, but gain a multitude of brethren, oceans of saved souls that would send wave after wave of worshipful praise to the LAMB Who was slain from the foundation of the earth (REV 13:8b)! This was Satan’s biggest blunder!
Not only were souls saved by the Supremely Sublime and Sacrificial Act of the Savior, but they were indwelt by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (ROM 8:11)! Each saved soul had the potential of Christ’s ministry here on Earth (the one who came closest I think would be apostle Paul).
I liken this to someone trying to put out a fire in a barn, but the more they swat at the flames, the more they spread among the hay, just making the blaze bigger!
A “grain” here refers to seed, and we know that seed is representative of “the Word of GOD” as in the kingdom parables (LUKE 8:11). But in this case, the LORD is referring to Himself, “the Word made flesh”.
If there is to be the fruit of salvation, it will come at a price, the dearest, highest price. The death of the Son of Man, the LORD Jesus Christ.
Even in our own life, death to self, dying to sin nature will bring fruit as we sow the seed of the Word into our lives.
Who can equate something as reprehensible and offensive as the cross with something that’s glorious? Yet the LORD spoke of this “hour” in which the Son of Man would be glorified!
The truth of the matter is that GOD allowed mankind to fall into sin, into a situation in which it would be impossible for man to save himself. Then GOD would step in voluntarily and pay the price Himself that mankind owed so that we could be free of our debt! Amazing Grace, glorious indeed!
Even something as cursed as death itself, by GOD’s grace and wisdom, He can bring something good of even this! As we choose to die to self, willingly losing rights over ourselves, willing to forego all of our own desires, plans, goals as well as beliefs, perspectives and ideologies that we will find blessing in yielding to GOD.
JOHN 12:25-26
25 "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Why don’t people come to Jesus for salvation? One major reason is most people realize that following Jesus will cost them something, a price that they’re unwilling to pay. They’ll have to give up sin!
But they love their own life, they love this fallen world and its enticements. People worship money, sex, drugs, sensual pleasures of various sorts. “I’ll get religion when I’m old and done having all my fun!” they say.
What they don’t realize – what I myself didn’t realize is that anything and everything that we “give up” in a supposed sacrifice is nothing compared to what we gain in Christ. As mentioned before, sin is a very sweet but deadly spiritual poison! It kills soul and body quite effectively. Cemeteries are living proof of its handiwork. So are drug addict alleyways. Prisons where men who couldn’t control their lust committed illegal acts and now are paying the price.
And even though we saints likewise die like everyone else, we are promised glorified bodies that won’t ever grow old, but stay exuberant, energetic and powerful for all eternity! We’ll have glorified minds as well that will be able to comprehend the New Heavens and the New Earth, and all things eternal in the kingdom that awaits us!
We will inherit the kingdom alongside our LORD Jesus Christ and be granted positions of honor and authority (to varying degrees, dependent I believe on how much we cooperated with the sanctification process while on Earth). We’ll actually be given authority over the entire angelic realm as the Bride of Christ.
All of this and far, far more will be ours by the grace of GOD, never ending and perpetual, world without end! And we’ll be there solely by the grace of GOD!
But those who choose a life in this world, apart from Christ and His kingdom – all they have is several decades of life (if that) in a sinful world mixed with pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, and at the end of it all, face GOD on Judgment Day and be condemned because of their rejection of Christ and His Gospel!
What does it mean “to hate [one’s] life”? Basically, to despise (literally “to detest” or “to love less… [than something or someone else]”) what this fallen world has to offer, to hate what sin has done to both this world and ourselves. To reject a life apart from Christ and to repent, pursue and embrace JESUS as LORD and Savior!
It’s that person that says what Jeremy Camp sang, “You can have all of this world, just give me JESUS!” that is truly blessed! I’ll gladly serve Him, follow Him, love Him – He is worth it!! To serve in this sense is very much like the office of a deacon – a humble servant of the LORD to minister to the needs of His body.
In our case, we serve the LORD with our lives, our hearts, minds, bodies, engaged in physical activities by Gospel outreaches to the lost, the rejected, the ignored and disadvantaged, serving the poor, donating our time and money. We serve the LORD in our prayer closet, in our times of praise and worship, in our daily devouring of the revelation of GOD’s Word.
The LORD Jesus Christ has promised that all who will serve Him, our Father will honor! It would be one thing to be honored by some earthly dignitary who would pin a medal on us before a great audience.
But how about being honored by the Holy Creator!? Nothing else can compare! And He honors us just for doing what we love to do anyway: to serve JESUS our LORD!
JOHN 12:27-30
27 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." 30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
We know that our LORD was troubled (stirred, agitated) at this point, but that this trouble of mind will grow to a deep and profound sorrow – an agony in the Garden of Gethsemane – of such deep anguish that it literally caused Christ to sweat drops of blood (a medical condition called hematidrosis) because of the intense stress of what lay before Him!
He knew His mission: to be the sacrificial LAMB of GOD for the sins of the world (JOHN 1:29). He knew that this meant separation from GOD the Father (MATT 27:46). He knew that He alone would bear the load of the sins of all of humanity, and the subsequent holy wrath and judgment by GOD (ISA 53:3-7,10).
He knew this, but as we know, knowing something and actually going through it are entirely different matters. In His humanity, Christ besought His Father for some other way to redeem mankind. That prayer petition from Jesus is the only one that the Father did NOT answer! Meaning – there is no other way!
And this Way of salvation (JOHN 14:6; ACTS 4:12) would bring and does bring glory to GOD the Father! The most beloved verse of Scripture testifies of this glory:
JOHN 3:16And then there is verse 17:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.The Son spoke to the Father, asking Him to glorify His (the Father’s) Name. The reply was, He has glorified His Name, and will do so again.
When did the Father glorify His name the first time? And when at this point will He glorify it in the future?
I believe the first time the Father’s Name was glorified was at the baptism of Christ, when His voice was heard then also!
MATTHEW 3:16-17Others suggest that the first time was at the Mount of Transfiguration:
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
MATTHEW 17:5It was at the baptism of Christ that He was consecrated as the High priest of YHWH, committed to His mission by identifying with sinners, specifically, claiming the ministry as both priest and sacrifice for the sins of the people. It was here that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, bringing that holy anointing spoken of concerning the Messiah (ISA 61:1-2a). I think it’s a possibility that it was at His baptism that the Revelation which the Father gave to Him was presented (REV 1:1).
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"
The Voice of GOD came for the sake of the people who heard it – not for the Son Who was well aware of what the glory of the Father would look like: a bloody Cross on Calvary’s hill, followed three days later by the victorious, risen Christ that stripped the enemy of his power (COL 2:15), vanquished sin, death (ROM 5:14-17) and hell (MATT 16:16-18) from the view of eternity’s hall!
PART 3 ~ ~ ~
JOHN 12:31-33
31 "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
The LORD GOD will never force anyone to choose salvation through Christ – though the Spirit is sent forth to testify of Christ and to woo souls to Him – but what He will do is insist that every soul make the choice to either follow GOD through whatever level of revelation He has granted to each people group or to reject that revelation in rebellion against GOD.
He has declared that He will draw all to Him – to be confronted by the Cross and the price paid for their redemption. Again, this was Satan’s greatest blunder. I wonder at how he fell for this because he knows the Scripture very well. He would also know of the many Messianic prophecies that foretold of His death.
The only thing I can think of is that he was blinded by his own pride, and that GOD supernaturally veiled those specific verses from Satan – but that’s only my opinion.
Judgment of this world: this judgment is two-fold: for all the world that would receive Christ, their judgment was completed as it fell upon the LAMB of GOD. All of those who reject Christ, unless they repent, their fate is sealed: there are no alternative methods of redemption, no do-overs at the end of their life, no plea-bargaining in CHRIST’s COURT. All the world can be divided in such a way: those who accept Christ, and those who reject Him. In this way, all the world is judged.
The ruler of this world cast out: Satan is of course the ruler (or manager you could say) of this present world system (2 COR 4:4). He is still running things – so how is he “cast out”?
In the sense that Satan legally procured the title deed of the Earth from Adam when the Man obeyed him by taking of the forbidden fruit, it was when the last Adam paid the price for Adam’s sin – and all of the world’s sin – that Christ was able to redeem the title deed so that legally Jesus Christ owns this world (REV 5:1-9). The LORD of Heaven post-resurrection said, “…ALL authority has been given to Me in heaven AND on earth” (MATT 28:18b).
So why is Satan still in charge (look around, it’s rather obvious, right?)? Because now he’s more like a squatter than a legitimate landowner. The day is coming when the LORD Jesus Christ, with title deed in hand will say to Satan, and the Beast, and the False Prophet, “GET OFF MY WORLD!!” Though Satan will actually be tossed out at the end of the Millennium, after spending 1,000 years brooding, and plotting in GOD’s assigned prison house (the abyssos).
Once Satan is finally dealt with permanently, and tossed into the lake of fire, then his evil days of management will be over with. The management on Earth will be assumed by Christ upon His return as He reigns as Messiah-King. People will be given a paradise to live in where no crime, no poverty, no sickness, no broken families – none of the ills of society will be present at this time.
Then when Satan is released and allowed to go throughout the world and tempt people to (yet again!) rebel against GOD, he will get another following! But they won’t have any excuse for their sin, as is so common today (“he grew up in an abusive home, that’s why he is the way he is.” Or “They are dirt poor, that’s why they steal, and even assault people for their money.). They won’t have any such excuses. They will be found guilty solely on the basis of their wicked, rebellious, sinful heart (JER 17:9; MATT 15:19-20).
JOHN 12:34-36
34 The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" 35 Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
The people were confused because while they knew from Scripture that the Messiah will abide forever as well as His kingdom, they couldn’t connect Him with this “Son of Man” Whom Jesus said would be “lifted up” – an Aramaic colloquialism for “crucified”.
The Jews were looking for a victorious Messiah that would vanquish their (Roman) enemies and there were many Scriptures to support this view, but there were other verses that described the Messiah not as a victorious conqueror, but a suffering servant. The dichotomy of this was in the mind of Jewish sages irreconcilable. They believed that there must be two Messiahs: the Mashiach ben David (the conqueror) and the Mashiach ben Joseph (the suffering one).
If they had embraced Christ by faith and the Truth that He is, they would have become “the sons of light”. But just as He was “hidden from them” physically, He was also hidden spiritually in that they couldn’t understand the Plan of GOD in the Gospel.
JOHN 12:37-41
37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them." 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
Apostle John here in vs. 37 quotes from ISAIAH 52:1 “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” – and then in vs. 40 the apostle quotes from ISAIAH 6:9-10. Yet John claims that it was the same Isaiah who declared both statements and recorded them in Scripture.
Why do I make this point? Because too many (liberal) scholars like to say that Isaiah didn’t really write the entire book attributed to his name, that there were really two authors, and the second one is an unknown. This would to some degree undermine one’s confidence in the Scripture.
Yet we have the apostle John here, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit saying that the words recorded in ISAIAH 52 (attributed to this supposed second unknown author) and those words recorded in ISAIAH 6 (attributed to the prophet Isaiah) are the same man!
Vs. 39: “Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again.”
We are all stewards of truth as GOD has given us. How much more truth is given is based on how we deal with truth already given. If one is a poor steward and disregards the truth altogether, then GOD’s judgment of spiritual blindness will follow (2 THESS 2:10-12), and spiritually hardened hearts as well.
But those who love and cherish the truth and walk in obedience to the truth will be blessed with even more truth (LUKE 16:10; 19:26) and find themselves securely founded on the Rock, the LORD Jesus Christ and no storm will be able to take down our house (MATT 7:24).
JOHN 12:42-43
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Because Jewish culture was centered around the Temple, and the religious rulers had the power of excommunicating people from the Temple, people feared crossing them. Once excommunicated from the Temple, no Jew could hope to continue in relationship with their fellow Jews. No one would buy from or sell to them, or even break bread with them. They were not eligible for hire.
This is why the church at Jerusalem was so poor; these were those who placed faith in Jesus as the Messiah and as a result were excommunicated by the religious rulers. They were then dependent on the charity of churches elsewhere (GAL 2:9-10). Joseph of Arimathea (and likely Nicodemus) was a disciple of Christ but didn’t make it known until the crucifixion of Christ (JOHN 19:39).
If we are dedicated to people and their praise, this will challenge our faithful service to Christ – Who will at times call us to make very unpopular stands and very politically incorrect statements and actions (GAL 1:10; ACTS 4:19-20).
JOHN 12:44-46
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
The heart of our LORD Jesus was to point to and glorify the Father; the same relationship exists between the LORD Jesus and the Holy Spirit Who doesn’t testify of Himself, but always points people to Jesus.
The LORD testifies also to His Deity by saying that anyone who sees Him also sees the Father (He and the Father are one; JOHN 10:30). Scripture is abundant in declaring the Deity of Christ, that is, the Messiah. The LORD Jesus Christ admitted that He is the Messiah. Others made that declaration of Him, and He never denied those declarations. So, it’s quite blatant that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.
The Old Testament Scriptures that prophesy of the Messiah portrays Him as Deity, and even Deity as man! We did a five-part series on JESUS IS GOD that gets into the details of all this!
JOHN 12:47-48
47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
There are those who deny Judgment Day as a real, yet-to-be event. They claim that since GOD is love, He won’t judge anyone at any time, much less render a guilty verdict in said Judgment and consign a soul to everlasting perdition.
Yet if evil is tolerated, if the wicked are not judged, how could GOD claim to be loving? For evil and destructive sin to go on perpetually, world without end, that would not be a loving act.
Judgment means that every injustice, every wrong-doing, every act of victimization would be called into account. Once completed and evil is excised from GOD’s creation, then it will be on to bigger and better and more blessed things!
All judgment has been reserved by the Father to the Son:
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-8
7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The verdicts of all those who are judged will be final, with no reprieve or repeal, and the standard by which all souls will be judged is by the Holy Law of GOD (which none of us with sin nature can possibly obey, hence the need for the Gospel).
49 "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.
Cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses emphasize that Jesus is the SON of God, but He is NOT God! The above verse is one of the many that they use to demonstrate that Jesus was not equal to but subordinate to God the Father.
What must be understood is that if one is subordinate to another, that doesn’t necessarily mean one is inferior to the one that has authority over that one. A low-ranking officer might be stronger, faster, more intelligent than a high-ranking officer. Though the one officer holds the higher position, the lower ranking officer might exceed them in every way that’s important (superior) – but not hold the higher rank.
The fact that Christ is the Son of GOD to me is one of the greatest arguments for His Deity that one could assert! If a man has a son, that son like his father is a human being. If an ostrich has a son, that creature is an ostrich just like Dad. Everyone and everything produce after their own kind.
While younger, the offspring is inferior in strength, in speed, in experience, etc. But there comes a time when parent and child become more or less equals, and given more time, the offspring exceeds their aging parent.
Yet GOD the Father is eternal and unchanging. It stands to reason that if He has a Son, that He also would be eternal (no beginning and no ending) and unchanging. The Three Persons of the Trinity are so exactingly and perfectly alike, that one couldn’t tell the difference between them. All of them are all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present with the same virtues of holiness, truth, grace, love, etc.
The only difference between them are the roles that they have: One has the role of the Father Who takes the lead; He is the One that the Other submits to, just as any good child would submit to their father. The Other has the role of the Son who follows the Father’s instruction and is obedient in all things. The Third is the One Who draws people to the Son, reminds us of all that He taught, and empowers us.
The Trinity is not found in the Bible by name, but the evidence of GOD’s triune nature is found throughout Scripture – even the very first verse of the Bible holds a clue to the triune nature of Deity:
“In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth”. The word for “GOD” is Elohim which is the plural form for El. Yet the word for created is in the singular form (barah). The verb should always agree with the noun in order to be grammatically correct, but in GENESIS 1:1 they don’t agree – but they do agree with truth: Elohim (plural) created) singular form).
JOHN 12:31-33
31 "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
The LORD GOD will never force anyone to choose salvation through Christ – though the Spirit is sent forth to testify of Christ and to woo souls to Him – but what He will do is insist that every soul make the choice to either follow GOD through whatever level of revelation He has granted to each people group or to reject that revelation in rebellion against GOD.
He has declared that He will draw all to Him – to be confronted by the Cross and the price paid for their redemption. Again, this was Satan’s greatest blunder. I wonder at how he fell for this because he knows the Scripture very well. He would also know of the many Messianic prophecies that foretold of His death.
The only thing I can think of is that he was blinded by his own pride, and that GOD supernaturally veiled those specific verses from Satan – but that’s only my opinion.
Judgment of this world: this judgment is two-fold: for all the world that would receive Christ, their judgment was completed as it fell upon the LAMB of GOD. All of those who reject Christ, unless they repent, their fate is sealed: there are no alternative methods of redemption, no do-overs at the end of their life, no plea-bargaining in CHRIST’s COURT. All the world can be divided in such a way: those who accept Christ, and those who reject Him. In this way, all the world is judged.
The ruler of this world cast out: Satan is of course the ruler (or manager you could say) of this present world system (2 COR 4:4). He is still running things – so how is he “cast out”?
In the sense that Satan legally procured the title deed of the Earth from Adam when the Man obeyed him by taking of the forbidden fruit, it was when the last Adam paid the price for Adam’s sin – and all of the world’s sin – that Christ was able to redeem the title deed so that legally Jesus Christ owns this world (REV 5:1-9). The LORD of Heaven post-resurrection said, “…ALL authority has been given to Me in heaven AND on earth” (MATT 28:18b).
So why is Satan still in charge (look around, it’s rather obvious, right?)? Because now he’s more like a squatter than a legitimate landowner. The day is coming when the LORD Jesus Christ, with title deed in hand will say to Satan, and the Beast, and the False Prophet, “GET OFF MY WORLD!!” Though Satan will actually be tossed out at the end of the Millennium, after spending 1,000 years brooding, and plotting in GOD’s assigned prison house (the abyssos).
Once Satan is finally dealt with permanently, and tossed into the lake of fire, then his evil days of management will be over with. The management on Earth will be assumed by Christ upon His return as He reigns as Messiah-King. People will be given a paradise to live in where no crime, no poverty, no sickness, no broken families – none of the ills of society will be present at this time.
Then when Satan is released and allowed to go throughout the world and tempt people to (yet again!) rebel against GOD, he will get another following! But they won’t have any excuse for their sin, as is so common today (“he grew up in an abusive home, that’s why he is the way he is.” Or “They are dirt poor, that’s why they steal, and even assault people for their money.). They won’t have any such excuses. They will be found guilty solely on the basis of their wicked, rebellious, sinful heart (JER 17:9; MATT 15:19-20).
JOHN 12:34-36
34 The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" 35 Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
The people were confused because while they knew from Scripture that the Messiah will abide forever as well as His kingdom, they couldn’t connect Him with this “Son of Man” Whom Jesus said would be “lifted up” – an Aramaic colloquialism for “crucified”.
The Jews were looking for a victorious Messiah that would vanquish their (Roman) enemies and there were many Scriptures to support this view, but there were other verses that described the Messiah not as a victorious conqueror, but a suffering servant. The dichotomy of this was in the mind of Jewish sages irreconcilable. They believed that there must be two Messiahs: the Mashiach ben David (the conqueror) and the Mashiach ben Joseph (the suffering one).
PSALM 89:36-37The LORD admonished the Jews to “walk in the light” or to “understand the Word of GOD by the light GOD provides”. If they had done so, they would understand that there aren’t two Messiahs in prophecy, but two advents of The Messiah, Y’shua!
36 His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; 37 It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky." Selah (110:4; ISA 9:7; DAN 2:44; 7:14,27; MICAH 4:7)
If they had embraced Christ by faith and the Truth that He is, they would have become “the sons of light”. But just as He was “hidden from them” physically, He was also hidden spiritually in that they couldn’t understand the Plan of GOD in the Gospel.
JOHN 12:37-41
37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them." 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
Apostle John here in vs. 37 quotes from ISAIAH 52:1 “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” – and then in vs. 40 the apostle quotes from ISAIAH 6:9-10. Yet John claims that it was the same Isaiah who declared both statements and recorded them in Scripture.
Why do I make this point? Because too many (liberal) scholars like to say that Isaiah didn’t really write the entire book attributed to his name, that there were really two authors, and the second one is an unknown. This would to some degree undermine one’s confidence in the Scripture.
Yet we have the apostle John here, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit saying that the words recorded in ISAIAH 52 (attributed to this supposed second unknown author) and those words recorded in ISAIAH 6 (attributed to the prophet Isaiah) are the same man!
Vs. 39: “Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again.”
We are all stewards of truth as GOD has given us. How much more truth is given is based on how we deal with truth already given. If one is a poor steward and disregards the truth altogether, then GOD’s judgment of spiritual blindness will follow (2 THESS 2:10-12), and spiritually hardened hearts as well.
But those who love and cherish the truth and walk in obedience to the truth will be blessed with even more truth (LUKE 16:10; 19:26) and find themselves securely founded on the Rock, the LORD Jesus Christ and no storm will be able to take down our house (MATT 7:24).
JOHN 12:42-43
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Because Jewish culture was centered around the Temple, and the religious rulers had the power of excommunicating people from the Temple, people feared crossing them. Once excommunicated from the Temple, no Jew could hope to continue in relationship with their fellow Jews. No one would buy from or sell to them, or even break bread with them. They were not eligible for hire.
This is why the church at Jerusalem was so poor; these were those who placed faith in Jesus as the Messiah and as a result were excommunicated by the religious rulers. They were then dependent on the charity of churches elsewhere (GAL 2:9-10). Joseph of Arimathea (and likely Nicodemus) was a disciple of Christ but didn’t make it known until the crucifixion of Christ (JOHN 19:39).
If we are dedicated to people and their praise, this will challenge our faithful service to Christ – Who will at times call us to make very unpopular stands and very politically incorrect statements and actions (GAL 1:10; ACTS 4:19-20).
JOHN 12:44-46
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
The heart of our LORD Jesus was to point to and glorify the Father; the same relationship exists between the LORD Jesus and the Holy Spirit Who doesn’t testify of Himself, but always points people to Jesus.
The LORD testifies also to His Deity by saying that anyone who sees Him also sees the Father (He and the Father are one; JOHN 10:30). Scripture is abundant in declaring the Deity of Christ, that is, the Messiah. The LORD Jesus Christ admitted that He is the Messiah. Others made that declaration of Him, and He never denied those declarations. So, it’s quite blatant that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.
The Old Testament Scriptures that prophesy of the Messiah portrays Him as Deity, and even Deity as man! We did a five-part series on JESUS IS GOD that gets into the details of all this!
JOHN 12:47-48
47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
There are those who deny Judgment Day as a real, yet-to-be event. They claim that since GOD is love, He won’t judge anyone at any time, much less render a guilty verdict in said Judgment and consign a soul to everlasting perdition.
Yet if evil is tolerated, if the wicked are not judged, how could GOD claim to be loving? For evil and destructive sin to go on perpetually, world without end, that would not be a loving act.
Judgment means that every injustice, every wrong-doing, every act of victimization would be called into account. Once completed and evil is excised from GOD’s creation, then it will be on to bigger and better and more blessed things!
All judgment has been reserved by the Father to the Son:
JOHN 5:22We know that this judgment will fall heavily on those who refuse to obey the Gospel:
For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, (JOHN 17:2; ACTS 17:31; 1 PET 4:5).
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-8
7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The verdicts of all those who are judged will be final, with no reprieve or repeal, and the standard by which all souls will be judged is by the Holy Law of GOD (which none of us with sin nature can possibly obey, hence the need for the Gospel).
ROMANS 3:19-20Note what the LORD says, “…the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” So, when He said just previously that He didn’t come to judge, but to save the world, He was referring to His First Advent. Not until His Second Advent will He come in judgment, particularly and immediately upon those who have persecuted His people Israel with the intent on destroying her, but also all souls at the Great White Throne Judgment (ISA 2:12; 34:8; 61:2b; 63:4; JOEL 2:10-11; MICAH 4:1; MATT 25:41; LUKE 3:7).
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
REVELATION 20:11-15JOHN 12:49-50
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
49 "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.
Cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses emphasize that Jesus is the SON of God, but He is NOT God! The above verse is one of the many that they use to demonstrate that Jesus was not equal to but subordinate to God the Father.
What must be understood is that if one is subordinate to another, that doesn’t necessarily mean one is inferior to the one that has authority over that one. A low-ranking officer might be stronger, faster, more intelligent than a high-ranking officer. Though the one officer holds the higher position, the lower ranking officer might exceed them in every way that’s important (superior) – but not hold the higher rank.
The fact that Christ is the Son of GOD to me is one of the greatest arguments for His Deity that one could assert! If a man has a son, that son like his father is a human being. If an ostrich has a son, that creature is an ostrich just like Dad. Everyone and everything produce after their own kind.
While younger, the offspring is inferior in strength, in speed, in experience, etc. But there comes a time when parent and child become more or less equals, and given more time, the offspring exceeds their aging parent.
Yet GOD the Father is eternal and unchanging. It stands to reason that if He has a Son, that He also would be eternal (no beginning and no ending) and unchanging. The Three Persons of the Trinity are so exactingly and perfectly alike, that one couldn’t tell the difference between them. All of them are all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present with the same virtues of holiness, truth, grace, love, etc.
The only difference between them are the roles that they have: One has the role of the Father Who takes the lead; He is the One that the Other submits to, just as any good child would submit to their father. The Other has the role of the Son who follows the Father’s instruction and is obedient in all things. The Third is the One Who draws people to the Son, reminds us of all that He taught, and empowers us.
The Trinity is not found in the Bible by name, but the evidence of GOD’s triune nature is found throughout Scripture – even the very first verse of the Bible holds a clue to the triune nature of Deity:
“In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth”. The word for “GOD” is Elohim which is the plural form for El. Yet the word for created is in the singular form (barah). The verb should always agree with the noun in order to be grammatically correct, but in GENESIS 1:1 they don’t agree – but they do agree with truth: Elohim (plural) created) singular form).
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