Help me lift Jesus
By Pastor J.W.T. Spies
John 12:32
Intro: I need you all to be praying with me this morning and if you pray with me I promise not to be long. I don’t have a long word this morning but I do have a strong word.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
There are three things I want to bring out in this passage:
1. The judgment of the world
2. The prince of this world being cast out
3. And Jesus being lifted up
I. The judgment of the world
There is no question about it - judgment is certain. When you do wrong, there will be a time of reckoning one way or another, and eventually we are going to have to see Jesus.
Jesus stated that he did not come to judge or condemn the world (Jn 12.47; 3.17), in other words he said I didn’t come to point fingers and judge people like some of us do, Jesus said I came not to judge the world but rather I came to save the world.
We know that the final judgment will come and that judgment begins at the house of God. And we know that God is the judge, and that He has given judgment to Jesus (Jn 5.27 9.39).
But in a very real way, we judge the unrighteous every time we do righteousness. Our works of righteousness cause light to shine in the darkness, and judgment begins with the righteousness of God.
II. The prince of this world is cast out.
Jesus said, "...now shall the prince of this world be cast out."
I just have one question. If he is casts out of the world, then who is causing so much trouble here on this earth? If he’s casts out then who is it that’s causing mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, sisters and brothers to fight against one another? If he’s casts out where is all of this chaos of hate, murder, killing and the unlawful deaths coming from? The overwhelming evidence seems to suggest that Satan is alive and well right here on planet earth.
Then what did Jesus mean? Apparently he meant the job is not over yet. He meant that we as men and women of God has a job to do. Because remember Luke 10:19 Jesus gave us power over serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. That means that we are partners with God in driving out this enemy of our souls.
The prince of this world is casted out when we take our rightful authority at the side of Christ and cast him out. The prince is casted when we stand up for what is right. The prince of this world is casted out, when we cry Holy, Holy, Holy. But understand that I'm not talking about simply casting demons out of people like Jesus did at the cemetery.
I’m saying that we must learn to take control of our lives by taking authority over him [the devil] and not allowing him to rule our lives. We must take control when we don’t allow him to make us feel less than. We take control when we stand up for what is right.
We must learn to crucify our flesh, which means the things that we know is not good for us or to us we must learn to say no to them, we must learn to discard, abandon, reject, eliminate, and cast them out.
For when we crucify the flesh, deny the sinful nature, and resist the devil, you cast him out; (which means that we strip him of his power, deny his control, we blot out his influences, and dismiss his authority). The prince of this world is cast out when we make him unwelcome in our lives, uncomfortable in our churches, uninvited in our homes, ignore him on our jobs, and kick him out in our communities.
We must learn to make satan and all of his imps feel uncomfortable in every part of our lives. How do we do that pastor? May I tell you that when we lift up the name of Jesus, when we praise his name, when ever we glorify him and when we recognizes him as Lord of our lives, then it makes him feels uneasy, uncomfortable, it confuses him. He know that you are going through, he knows that you are battling with some strong holds, when he knows that you are trying to kick some habits, and you are going through pure hell, but yet you are lifting up the name of Jesus, it makes him uncomfortable.
Let Me Close this thang!!!!
We need to know the story. This event happen six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus which had been dead, who he raised from the dead.
It is said that at the house they made him a supper; and Martha served: Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
While they were there Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, the expensive oil, and she anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.
Then one of his disciples by the name of Judas Iscariot, asked the question, why are we wasting this ointment when we could’ve sold it for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
Now he was not saying this because he was concerned about the poor; but he said it because he was a thief, and he had the bag. But I heard that Jesus rebuked him aloud and said, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. Not only that but the poor you will have with you always, but I won’t be down here always. (Pause)
Also, understand many of the people and the Jews that was hanging out at this function wasn’t there for Jesus they were there to see Lazarus. I know this because verse 9 said, much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. Because many were still in disbelief. And some people don’t come to church to see Jesus, but they come because they Don’t believe that you are still here, they don’t believe that you are still alive. They don’t believe that you are still making it without their help. They don’t believe that you are still shouting, praising, or worshipping, they didn’t come to see Jesus, they came to see Lazarus.
And because of this we see that the chief priests were conspiring behind the backs of Jesus and Lazarus that he might kill Lazarus a second time and kill Jesus for the first time, because they were jealousy and they had envy and hatred in their hearts and because of the many of the Jews that believed on Jesus and not on them.
In fact, on the next day many of the people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, the bible said that they took branches from the palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
What’s so amazing about this is that his disciples didn’t understand what was going on at first: but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered the things that were written of him.
In vs 19 those haters the Pharisees was upset so much so that they said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, or look the world is gone after him. But regardless of what they said, there was a certain Greeks among them name Philip that came up to worship at the feast: saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Although, some people were honoring him and other sought to kill him, and I can hear him saying now is my soul troubled; Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
In vs 28 he said Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
The people that were standing by, heard the conversation, and somebody said that must be thundered: others said, an angel spoked to him. but Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
But here’s what I like about it, verse 32 said And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Conclusion:
To lift Him up at this point doesn't mean to praise Him, although that we should do. To lift Him up meant to crucify Him - for us, it means to preach the crucifixion –because preaching the cross is what saves men.
I can hear someone saying but pastor you just said lifting him up is crucifying him, why should we do that? Because if we don’t lift him up, all men can’t be drawn unto him.
Because he said how to reach the massage men of every birth
For an answer Jesus gave the key.
He said that if I and I be lifted up from the earth I’ll draw all men unto me.
So will you help me lift him up, will you help me bring some dying soul to Christ, will you help me draw to the Lord?
