When I was a child, I had visions of grandeur. I wanted to be the hero who saves the world. I liked watching cartoons about heroes- I got up on Saturday mornings to see Super Friends and Mighty Mouse. On weekdays, I got home from school in time to watch Thundercats and Heman. I like watching TV shows like MacGyver, Airwolf, Quantum Leap, and Walker- Texas Ranger because the good guy did some amazing things to save the world. More recently, many of the movies I like- such as Star Wars, the trilogy, the prequel, the sequel, and all the other parts out there, Marvel Universe, and Justice League- all movies with heroes rising to the occasion to save their world. Even the games we played- army men, cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, King Arthur- it was all about being the hero that saved the world.
I even had a dream once, that I haven’t told many people about. I was a knight in shining armor, complete with a really cool sword. I was leading a legion of knights into a labyrinth of caverns to hunt Satan down and defeat him in battle. We entered the caves and then… I woke up. Sorry, I didn’t finish my mission and Satan still exists today. :) Yes, as a child, I had visions of grandeur and wanted to save the world.
And then there’s God’s vision for how to save the world. The group 4Him wrote a song about Christmas from Joseph’s perspective. Listen to the chorus:
Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade, why Him with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay, why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess, what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world
God’s plan to save the world is not at all what we expected. Jeff spoke last week about how Jesus was not the Jesus they wanted, how the Jews were waiting for their conquering hero to ride in and lead the rebellion to remove the Roman oppressors and make Israel the next world superpower. But that wasn’t what God had planned- He sent his son to die, be buried, and raised again.
As we continue to look at the week leading up to the crucifixion, the Passion Week of Christ, we see a transition in our text today. Jesus has been teaching the crowds and after this message, He’ll be turning His attention to the disciples to prepare them for what’s about to happen. Jesus is giving the crowds one last notice, one last warning, one last plea. God’s plan is about to be set in motion, it’s time to respond. That message can be summed up as Believe in Me: I’ll Save the World.
Jesus says you can believe in me because I and the Father are one. (44-45) This speaks to the triune nature of God- God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. If you look at the Shield of the Trinity, it helps us see the Three-in-One of the Trinity. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. However, the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Three Persons, one God.
We see this throughout Scripture- Old Testament hints at it. Genesis 1:26- Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness. Genesis 19:24- Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. Deut 6:4- YHWH our God (plural construct) is one God (singular construct).
Jesus spells it out- John 10:24ff- the Jews ask Jesus to tell us plainly. Jesus responds that he already has but you’re not listening. Then He specifically says in John 10:30- I and the Father are one. Again, in John 12:45- Jesus says, “Whoever sees me sees him who sent me.”
You can see the picture of my dad and I. We can’t deny that we’re related. When I was younger, when someone would say I look just like my dad, I tried to deny it. He was old and I didn’t want to look like that. Now, I’m about the age he was then and I’ve learned to appreciate our similarities. We can go to the other’s church and people immediately know who we are because they know what the other looks like. I believe there’s an even deeper connection between Jesus and His Father. When you see Jesus, you see the Father. We can believe in Jesus to save the world because He is one with the Father.
Believe in me because I have come as light (46). John loves this concept of Jesus being the light. He begins his gospel sharing that “In the beginning was the Word. The word was with God and the Word was God.” He then goes on in John 1:4-9 to summarize how Jesus is the light that overcomes all darkness. In John 3:19-21, Jesus declares that the light has come, but evil men prefer darkness because light reveals all. In John 8:12, after releasing the adulterous woman, Jesus turns to the crowd and declares He is the light of the world. The message becomes more urgent when in John 9:5 after healing blind man, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world while here.” In John 12:36, Jesus points out that the light won’t be here much longer, believe while you can. In John 12:46, Jesus states that He has come into the world as light so you don’t have to be in darkness.
What does light do? It shines, it reveals, it allows you to see. Please turn off the house lights. Now, I know this is not a perfect illustration, the daylight is coming through windows, so you can still see. Work with me. Imagine being in Mammoth Cave. There are no windows, no sunlight, only the artificial lights along the path and the flashlight in your hand. The tour guide stops, has everyone turn off their flashlights, and a worker flips the switch on the lights so it’s pitch black. You could pull a John Cena, wave your hand in front of your face saying you can’t see me, and you’d be right because you won’t see your hand. The guide then pulls out a candle (while I light a candle) and lights it. The dim light of the candle fills the entire space. As our lights turn back on, I want you to realize that Jesus is a much more brilliant light, He shines into every nook and cranny. No deed can be hidden, whatever sin you’re harboring, Jesus reveals it. You may have managed to keep it hidden from everyone you know and love, but the light of Jesus reveals it. God already knows what you’ve done and He’s ready to forgive. We can believe in Jesus to save the world because He is the light.
Believe in me because rejection will result in judgment (47-48) Jesus didn’t come to judge the world, He came to save it. John 3:16-18 confirms this. Those who believe are not condemned, those who don’t believe stand already condemned. The absence of light is dark, so if you refuse the light, you leave yourself in darkness. There seems to be some confusion over this concept of judging. I’ve heard people declare that you can’t judge me, you’re not God. I’m an adult and can do what I want as they throw a five-year-old style tantrum. To an extent, they’re right. Matthew 7:1 tells us to judge not, that you be not judged. Judge and condemn seem to be synonymous. Jesus tells us it’s not His role to judge. As such, it’s not our role either. It’s God’s role to judge. It’s not our job to tell somebody they have no hope because of their sin. James 5:19-20 instructs us to help our brothers and sisters to see how our sin is causing us to wander so that they can be restored. In so doing, we save their soul from death.
For example, a lesbian couple was visiting a church. One of the elders approached the preacher to ask what they should do. The preacher told him to say hello. “But then what? We’ve got to let them know they’re caught up in sin, right?” “Offer to take them to lunch, get to know them.” I don’t think the elder got the answer he was looking for, but after attending the church for three months, the couple called the preacher for a meeting of their own. They sat down together and the couple informed him, “We realize that our love for Jesus is more important than our love for Jesus. We need help to make things right.” The church helped them to separate and live apart, find jobs to pay their bills, and continue to grow in faith.
So that’s with brothers and sisters, but what about enemies? 2 Timothy 2:24-26, we should correct an enemy with kindness, patience, and gentleness (sound like the fruit of the Spirit here?). We let God convict them of their sin and need for repentance. How does this compare to our public interaction on social media? Are we upholding God’s standards in godly ways or using the tools of the devil in hopes of turning people to Christ? Do you hear that? How could we think that would work?
Now if Jesus came to save the world rather than judge it, how are some condemned? I mean. God loves the whole world, sent His Son to save the world, why aren’t all saved? God gave us free will, He has given us a choice. I’m reminded of a child with an erector set, remote car, or even a robot. If you had one of those toys, how long did it take for you to get bored? Maybe just a couple weeks. Why? It’s not a surprise- that toy has no choice but to do exactly what you tell it to do and after a while, that gets boring. God didn’t want to be bored with us, He wants to know the relationship is authentic.
Even with that, 1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God desires that all be saved. That is why Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9-10 that God is not slow, but patient so all have a chance. But it comes with a warning, the day is coming. Time will run out, so make a decision.
How should we then live? Recognize that God has given you a choice. Acts 2:38 tells us to respond accordingly- believe, repent, confess, be immersed, live it. We can believe in Jesus to save the world because rejection results in judgement.
Believe in me because I am God’s faithful messenger (49-50). When it came to religious teaching, concept of authority was very important to Jews. Their scribes would teach by pointing out that Rabbi Soandso said this about that topic, while Rabbi Andtheother wrote how we should apply the text. Matthew 7:28-29- Jesus taught as one who had authority. This amazed the people, who contrasted this to the scribes. We find the same contrast in Mark 1:22…27. The people are amazed at how Jesus taught, the ellipsis is where He cast out a demon, and now the people are excited about how His teaching is backed up by His actions- the miracles He’s able to do.
The Synoptic Gospels each share about Jesus cleansing the temple. The next day, the chief priests, scribes, and elders confront Jesus demanding to know the source of His authority. I love how Jesus handles their question with a question. They recognize the quandary they’re in and refuse to give an answer. At this time, Jesus does the same and refuses to answer them. But now, in verses 49-50- Jesus reveals that His authority comes from God. In fact, God commanded Him both what to say and to speak- sounds redundant. Commentaries provide a difference- message and method- what and how.
On a side note, the reason God allows different styles of worship because it appeals to different people. You see, our method can change, we can adjust how we share gospel. Our message cannot change- the gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging. What did God command Jesus to say and to speak? Eternal life. If you want to know how to live forever- listen to Jesus. We can believe in Jesus to save the world because He is God’s faithful messenger.
As we were getting started, I mentioned a transition in the book of John. Jesus is giving a final notice to the general public. Believe in me for all the above reasons. Think about the idea of a final notice. If you get a final notice from a telemarketer/junk mail, you hope it’s true and you’re done with them. If you get a final notice from a bill collector, you realize it’s time to talk to someone and negotiate. If you get a final notice from Jesus, recognize that the time to decide is now.
This is the reason we give an invitation at each service. If you need to make your commitment to Christ, we invite you to come forward and begin that journey with us as we sing our song of invitation.
