2 7 2016 “Jesus’ Own Prediction” John 12:20-36
In our last study we ended with the hyperbole by the Pharisees in John 12:19: “See, this is going nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!” Now this was an exaggeration since the WHOLE world did not go after Jesus; the leaders certainly did not “go after Him” since they had planned to kill Jesus one way or another.
Today we look at John 12:20: Now there were certain Greeks (that is, Gentiles) 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. Here we see the fulfillment in part to John 1: 11: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Many of the Jews, Jesus’ own people rejected their Savior, His message, and his gift of grace and salvation, but we see certain Greeks were being drawn to Jesus: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Jesus’ exclusive ministry to the Jews is coming to a close; after His death, the Gospel focus would include the Gentiles throughout the world. These Greeks evidently are non-Jews but yet religious people who came to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover. We can only assume that being polytheistic in their beliefs, they were attracted to the Passover event and desired to participate in order to appear “religious” and “cover all their bases”.
Verse 23 continues: But Jesus answered them, (that is, his disciples who brought this request to Jesus) 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. 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.
Jesus knows every detail of His death which is to come even before any of it comes to pass. Jesus predicts His Death in no uncertain terms: His death would be CERTAIN, yet His death on the cross would be His greatest glory, His greatest honor. His excruciating sacrifice would earn Him the greatest esteem (glory) in the universe as the Lamb of God slain for sinners. What an unusual way to achieve glory in the eyes of the world.
Here Jesus, the Bread from Heaven , uses the example of a wheat seed to demonstrate His own sacrifice: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” Jesus’ death would be fruitful! He would be the first fruit of those who would believe in Him. The fields would be white for harvest because the Gospel news of Life in Christ would be sown throughout the world. In predicting His own death, Jesus’ death would bear much fruit. If He didn’t die arise from the dead, there would be no message to proclaim. There would be no forgiveness and no good news…No fruit would ever be realized…but we know and believe that He indeed DID arise from the dead because we are the firstfruits of those who indeed believe in Him for forgiveness and life.
In a similar way, Jesus explains in verses 25-26 says, “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.” For Jesus the way of the cross was the furthest thing from self-preservation; in the same way, if you delight in the things of earth more than in the things of God, you are not heading to Heaven. Your delight on earth will be your delight in the hereafter. Jesus’ statement here actually begs a question for us to answer: Who is my master? Who am I serving? What is my earthly delight? Is my earthly delight my Heavenly Father and HIS will or am I following MY will? Jesus actually explains His Death in terms of DISCIPLESHIP and SERVANTHOOD. Following Him involves the cost of discipleship which is the denial of self in following Jesus’ example.
A Death to bring GLORY
Jesus continues in verse 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. 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. “
Knowing the torment and wrath of God which would be inflicted upon Him, Jesus does not have a desire to “escape” the Will of God in giving His life, but knowing what lay ahead for Him, humanly He is troubled and fearful. This is something which we should be able to identify with: the fear that many times accompanies obedience, but Jesus does not yield to the temptation of disobeying the Father’s will from all eternity, that the Son would give Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice.
Jesus’ Death would be PROVIDENTIAL and PURPOSEFUL. His death is ON PURPOSE; it would not be “plan b” or God’s reaction to man’s sin: it was God’s plan before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1) to include sinners in His Kingdom, who rightly deserved the eternal wrath of a Holy and Righteous and Just God.
Sometimes we think that God HAD to include sinners, but that is not the case at all. He chose to provide a sin sacrifice which would be sufficient and efficient for those whom HE chose before the world began, who would be included in His Kingdom, in order to demonstrate His great love and grace. Here His impending death and God’s approval to the THE PLAN is affirmed from Heaven, just like at the Son’s baptism and at the Mount of Transfiguration.
Notice these two aspects in verses 27-33: “His death would bring the greatest glory to the Father and the Son and His death would bring judgment upon sin and satan.” We certainly agree that the Father revealed the Glory of His Love and Grace in providing atonement for our sins through His Eternal Son. Oh! What Glory! What irony, to receive the greatest glory in your death! This is because the Son’s humility, His perfect life and His obedience in His death defines HIS undivided perfect love for the Father and His love for us. What glory!
His death finally would bring judgment upon sin and satan, promised to the devil all the way back in Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” The head of the serpent would be crushed by the power of the cross. Although the wrath of God would be inflicted upon the Son, the Son would be only temporarily affected, but satan would be overcome. There would be victory in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ…and here is the most important reality of all time: GOD WOULD REMAIN SOVEREIGN as God should be. God remains to be God because Satan is forever overcome. The greatest war of all time was fought and won on the Cross: Is it any wonder that present day cults like to avoid the cross and the victory by the Lord Jesus there, to undergo the wrath of the Holy God upon the Son in order to crush Satan and His domain!
To us it seems like a very long time for God to make good on His promise in Genesis 3, but it certainly is not long in terms of eternity, and it is not long in God’s timetable. Everything that happens is always right ON TIME: It is always exactly according to God’s providential plan. He is never late. He is never caught by surprise or off-guard and Jesus’ death would be precisely according to God’s plan as well.
Jesus’ death would be on a cross: “Deuteronomy 21:22–23 teaches that there was a divine curse placed on a hanged person: “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance” (ESV).
For most capital offenses covered by Jewish Law, stoning was the form of punishment. On some occasions the dead body would be hung in public as a deterrent to further crime. This law made it illegal to do so overnight (Leviticus 18:24–27; Numbers 35:3–34).
The apostle Paul referred to this law in relationship to Jesus and His death on the cross. In Galatians 3:13 we read, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (ESV). Jesus was cursed for us, hanging on the cross as a substitute for our sins. The law in the Mosaic economy was a foreshadowing of the redemption of man.
Another interesting detail is that the cross of Christ was sometimes referred to in Jewish contexts as a “tree.” Acts 5:30 states, “The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree” (ESV). Acts 10:39 says, “They put him to death by hanging him on a tree” (ESV). See also Acts 13:29.
The concept of cursing and blessing in association with a tree is found in the larger narrative of Scripture. In Genesis 3 Eve and then Adam eat fruit from a tree from which they were forbidden to eat. In Revelation 22:14 the eternal state includes those who eat from the tree of life. A tree was involved in the entry of sin into humanity (through the tree in the Garden), the answer to sin for humanity (through the cross), and the ultimate removal of sin in eternity (through the tree of life).” (http://www.gotquestions.org/curse-hanging-tree.html)
The “ALL PEOPLES” whom Jesus would save would be ALL whom the Father had chosen and drawn to the Son. (Jn 6:44) These would not be Jews only, but non-Jews, Gentiles. Jesus’ death would be sufficient for the sins of the world but we know that not all are saved. Many are condemned on account of their own willful disobedience in rejecting the Son and refusing to follow Him in their lives.
We looked at the closing of the Lord’s Prayer recently: “For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The believer’s life realization is that GOD IS CENTER in his life. God is all-powerful. God alone deserves honor and credit; ALL glory is due to His Holy name. We deserve nothing…yet God saves us by His grace and includes us in His Kingdom. “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” (Ps. 115:1)
One Last Time
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.”
Now I am not certain if it is the Greeks or Gentiles who are replying here, or the large crowd in general. There were hundreds of thousands of visitors in Jerusalem at the Passover, but in any case Jesus clearly defines Himself as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who would soon be offered as the sacrifice for sin, foretold since the beginning of time. His Words tell us that Jesus’ Death is IMMINENT. The time is here. The time is now.
Notice that Jesus stated His case and then departed and was hidden from them. This often is the case: Throughout history, the warning to turn from sin and trust the Savior God is issued firmly. Hebrews 3:15 is a reminder from thousands of years past: “Remember what it says: "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled."
Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 6:2: For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” Our text tells us that “Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them…” but He has been revealed to us. The Light of the World is the Light of Salvation and Life to all who receive, believe and follow Him. “Not to us but to your name be the glory, O Lord for your love and faithfulness.” What a Gracious God! What a beautiful Savior, to reveal Himself to us, and work in our hearts to establish saving faith by grace alone, and to God’s Glory alone. Amen.
OUTLINE
1. Jesus’ Death would be CERTAIN. (vs. 23)
2. Jesus’ Death would be FRUITFUL. (vs. 24)
3. Jesus explains His death in terms of DISCIPLESHIP and SERVANTHOOD. (vs. 25-26)
4. Jesus’ Death would be PROVIDENTIAL and PURPOSEFUL. (on purpose) (vs. 27-33)
*His death was THE PLAN and affirmed from Heaven.
* His death would bring the greatest glory to the Father and the Son.
* His death would bring judgment upon sin and satan.
*His death would be on a cross and bring ALL whom the Father had chosen.
5. Jesus’ Death is IMMINENT.
