2 14 2016 “The Witness of Isaiah, John and Jesus” John 12:36-50
John 12:36: “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. 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. 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.
The Witness of Isaiah and John
Hearing and seeing is NOT believing, is it? Here John quotes Isaiah 53:1, which begins the Suffering Servant discourse. “Our report” from Isaiah 53:1 would be equal to the very words and teaching of Jesus throughout His ministry. “The arm of the Lord” would be equal to the very works of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Israel witnessed both but the overwhelming majority still rejected God’s choice of Messiah, the Lord Jesus.
There are two things that John brings to light. The first is that the unbelief of Israel is a direct fulfillment of Scripture: John 12:38 clearly records the FACT of unbelief: The answer to “Who has believed our report?” would be, ”Very few”.
Verse 40 indicates the REASON for the unbelief: “He (God) has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts.” It was in God’s Sovereign plan that Israel would reject the Savior sent from Heaven and God would see to it by hardening their hearts toward Him. (You may recall other times in history that God hardened hearts; one was that of Pharoah when God was redeeming His people from Egypt.) When God hardens hearts, He merely withdraws His grace and allows man to operate in his natural unsaved heart. But that does not exclude the human culpability or responsibility of man: Verse 43 explains the natural state of man: “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
Isaiah’s prophecy quoted by John describes God’s Sovereignty in Salvation and coincides with Romans 9-11. Romans 9-11 discusses God’s plan of divine election and reprobation. John 12: 39-40 announces the sovereignty of God in salvation history: “Therefore they could not believe, (man in his natural condition is dead in sin and is incapable of belief.) 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.” Like it or not the verses explain how God works in Salvation. The responsibility of every human creature is to BELIEVE in the Son and in His Work, (see John 3:16-21) but man in his blindness, selfishness, and darkness of heart, apart from the divine work of God’s grace, “loves the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Sinful man needs a birth from above in order to believe and follow Jesus.
Jeremiah 17:9 is just one verse that describes the inner condition of man: “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Indeed, man underestimates the depths of his own sin and spiritual condition. Verses 42-43 calls into question the topic of TRUE FAITH.
True Faith
John 12:42-43: “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.” Here the evidence for Jesus’ deity was so convincing that many rulers believed in Jesus, but they did not confess Him publicly nor follow Jesus for fear of men. This is a common reaction in the world today as well: Many people are ashamed to speak about the Lord Jesus to others for fear of losing the approval of friends, family or fellow workers. In many cases, to identify with Faith in the Lord Jesus will mean loss of jobs, homes, and the admiration of man.
Time and time again in the Voice of the Martyrs prayer guide we pray for those who have lost everything as a result of declaring the Lord Jesus as THEIR Lord and Savior. True Faith will not be ashamed of the Gospel and will include not only believing in your heart but confessing with your mouth before men. Luke 9:26 says so clearly: “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” An indication of true saving faith is a desire to share the wonderful love of the Gospel with those who do not know the Lord Jesus.
The Witness and Testimony of the Lord Jesus
Knowing the timidity and cowardice of these who believed but would not follow Jesus causes Jesus to shout out and proclaim with prophetic authority the witness and testimony of Himself in a short but powerful summary sermon:
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. 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. 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."
There is a very interesting analogy here: Jesus’ ministry has never been on his own initiative but He has accomplished the works appointed for Him by the Father. Jesus taught that He was the very agent of the Father, always doing and saying precisely what His Heavenly Father planned for Him. “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.” In the work of salvation, God always initiates salvation with regeneration from above. Man’s salvation never begins with a choice, but with God drawing those who will be saved to Jesus by the power of the Word and Spirit.
Verse 45, “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me,” ties in with Isaiah seeing the glory of the Lord Jesus as the Glory of God in verse 41: “These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.”
Not only did Jesus say and do precisely the Father’s perfect will but those who have seen Jesus have been given a veiled glimpse of YHWH Himself (1:18: No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” 13:20: “Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." 14:9: Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?)
In John 1:4-5, Jesus is introduced by John in this way: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Here in John 12:46 (“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.) Jesus reiterates His claim of John 8:12: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (Earlier in John 12:35-36 He warns that His light is going to be among them just a little while longer, so He urges them to come out of the darkness of unbelief.)
Remember that “the Light of Jesus” describes Jesus as the only way out of spiritual darkness. Apart from Jesus, you will remain in spiritual death, denial and darkness. Only He illuminates the way to the Father.
Verses 47-48 are difficult verses: 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.”
Jesus did not come into the world to judge but to save the world; that is very clear to understand, but most would rather NOT understand verse 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.”
The “words”, the sayings of Jesus, and “the word”, “logos” of verse 48 are not merely excused and dismissed. True, Jesus came as Savior, but He came with the Word of Truth which is eternal. Jesus will condemn sinful men in the last day, the day of judgment. There are definitely two sides of the same coin. The one who responds to the Gospel message of Jesus is not judged. John 8:51 says: “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” Saving faith is more than a raising of the hand or a nod of the head. Elsewhere, Jesus speaks about a continuance in the word as well.
The other side is the one who constantly and persistently rejects the message is judged already by message. Christ’s “logos”, His Word is the only message that makes sense from God’s perspective, as it is the only way for a sinful humanity to be reconciled with a Holy God. AND there is no middle road, no compromise: Believing necessitates confessing and following. Jesus came as the only Savior and His message judges unbelief and He himself will judge on the last day.
Jesus ends His Summary Sermon with verses 49-50: “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." God is acting through the person of His Son to exact the solution needed for forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal fellowship through the Son. From this point, the Son faces the agony of the cross in order to accomplish the command of the Father. It is God the Father alone acting through the Son alone to bring eternal life.
With these words, Jesus’ self-revelation to the world has been completed in the Gospel of John and now Jesus will focus His encouragement and instruction to the disciples and to US in the remainder of John’s Gospel. Praise be to our God alone for His marvelous, merciful, and gracious plan of salvation.
I. The Witness of Isaiah and John
A. The Rejection of Jesus by Israel fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy.
B. Isaiah’s prophecy describes God’s Sovereignty in Salvation and coincides with Romans 9.
II. The Witness of Jesus’ Testimony of Himself: A short summary sermon.
A. Jesus said and did all the Father wanted Him to do as the Father’s agent; He was the image of YHWH. (vs. 44-45)(8:12, 12:35-36, 1:18)
B. Remember that “the Light of Jesus” is the only way out of spiritual darkness and death. (vs. 46)
C. Jesus came as the only Savior and His message judges unbelief. (vs. 47-48)
D. The Command: It is God the Father alone acting through the Son alone to bring eternal life.(vs. 50)
