JESUS GLORIFIED-IV—John 12:32-33(:20-36)
Attention:
*The God-Man Jesus, faithfully received the penalty of His Father’s judgment upon Himself, so that anyone who believes ‘can’ receive forgiveness of their personal sin! And, so that anyone who chooses, to trust Jesus as their Savior & Lord, can have, not only eternal life, but also a full & meaningful life here on earth.
*Jesus’ ‘GLORY’ is His faithful & uniquely perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind!...Freeing believers from hell!
Excerpted from The New Oxford American English Dictionary:
•GLORY(Noun) = ‘High renown or honor won by notable achievements’ OR: ‘Magnificence or great beauty.’
•To GLORIFY(Verb) = ‘To cause the dignity & worth of some person or thing to become manifest & acknowledged.’ OR: ‘To render/esteem/consider as glorious.’
•GLORIOUS(Adjective) = ‘Having a striking beauty or splendor that evokes feelings of delighted admiration.’
Need:
All people are in dire need of knowing the fact, that Jesus life death, resurrection, & ascension are of eternal consequence to them.
The apostle John recorded some of the events surrounding the imminence of Jesus’ glorification.
Jesus’ being glorified is of profound significance!
?How &/or Why is Jesus glorified? ?How or Why is His glorification significant?
Today we’ll examine the last, of 6 significant aspects of Jesus’ glorification.
Previously we have found that...
Jesus’ glorification necessitates a submission to GOD’s...
1. PRIORITY / Precedence(:20-23)
2. FRUITFULNESS / Productivity(:24-26)
3. PURPOSE(:27-28)
4. JUDGMENT(:29-31)
Today we’ll find that...
5—Jesus’ glorification necessitates His submission to...
GOD’S METHOD(:32-33)
Explanation:(:32-33)
: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.”
Here Jesus draws a direct reference to the ‘manner’ or way in which His impending death would take place.
His depiction of being “lifted up from the earth”, “signifies by what death He would die.”
Jesus knows & reveals that He will be sentenced to die by crucifixion...on the Cross.
In Jesus’ day, the Roman Empire occupied Israel/Palestine. The Romans were averse to using crucifixion as a capital punishment for the freeborn & citizens of the Roman Empire. It was used against slaves(of whom there were many) & those who refused citizenship with the Roman Empire.
•Crucifixion was reserved for those who committed the most heinous of criminal activities against government & society.
In contrast to the 'criminalization' of crucifixion, we have Jesus statement about it:
Jn. 8:28-30—“Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He[Christ/Messiah/God in flesh], & that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.”
The little word, “if” is there, to draw the obvious & definitive conclusion that “if” Jesus is “lifted up”, THEN something beneficial will be put into effect!
It is also there to remind us that “IF” He is NOT “lifted up from the earth”, THEN God’s intended benefits, cannot take place!
*But, something fantastic, & wonderful, & life-changing, WILL take place as a result of Jesus being crucified(“lifted up from the earth”)!
Thru the utterly heinous & brutal means of[METHOD] crucifixion, the ‘way’ was opened for “all” to come to God. By means of that crucifixion, “all” will then be “drawn” to Him.
“All” encompasses “all” of mankind, ‘regardless of’ the vastness or smallness of every ‘people group’!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘language’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘racial’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘moral’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘gender’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘tribal’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘geographical’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘political’ separation!
“All” encompasses “all” of every ‘philosophical’ separation!
*So that God may be all in all(Eph. 1:23; 1Cor. 15:28).
“Draw”—A personal, willful, decision that only an individual can make!
Hosea 11:3-4—“I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped & fed them.”
Jn. 6:35-45—“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, & he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me & yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, & the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son & believes in Him may have everlasting life; & I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me.”
Mat. 20:28—“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, & to give His life a ransom for many.”
Rev. 3:20—“Behold, I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & dine with him, & he with Me.”
*To receive the ‘blessing’ of God requires an individual to be “drawn” to Jesus, God’s only-begotten Son. No one & no thing can save you, other than your accepting the invitation of Jesus!
*So God has revealed His simple but ‘largely’ unseen/unaccepted/unanticipated/unfathomable/uncomprehended plan(1Cor. 2:8). His ‘business plan’ is, to rescue mankind from the otherwise inescapable condemnation & tug of personal sin. He does this by “drawing” you to Himself thru Jesus Christ!
Argumentation:
1Cor. 2:4-10—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”
•God’s people have a future that will be unimaginably fantastic & purposeful!
Isa. 55:6-9—“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Mat. 11:20-26—“Then He[Jesus] began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre & Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth & ashes. “But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre & Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” At that time Jesus answered & said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven & earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise & prudent & have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”
What more are you looking for?...What attention are you seeking?
God has told you what you must do...
Micah 6:7-8—“Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
?Who are YOU, to argue with God’s Perfect METHOD?
Illustration:
‘method-to-the-madness’ or an unconventional solution—
The Canadian railway system thru the Rocky Mountains, came up with an unconventional way of passing by or thru ‘The Big Hill’ at Kicking Horse Pass—separating British Columbia, Canada & Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, & vice-versa. The engineers faced a dilemma of a needed change of elevation. Two portions of the track that needed to be connected, came out 106ft. lower/higher than the other. And the connecting portion of track would have proved much too steep for a standard train to operate. So in order to achieve the proper change of elevation needed for a standard rail line, in 1907 work began on carving out of the solid rock, two single spiral tunnels(one spirals left & one spirals right)! They were completed in 1909. One spiral tunnel is within Mt. Ogden, & the other spiral is in the adjoining, Cathedral Mountain! Using both spiral tunnels, not only do the trains enter & exit the mountains spanning the 106ft. difference, but they also cut the steep grade by half! GOD’s METHOD
*Similarly, GOD’s METHOD to dismantle sin’s condemnation & influence, was mostly absent from mankind’s limited thinking.
•Though God’s METHOD was openly revealed to Israel(cf.-Isa. 53, etc.), it was nonetheless largely unanticipated, un-thought of, & unconsidered, even by those to whom it was revealed!
Application:
?Do YOU trust Jesus’ submission to GOD’s METHOD?
?Are YOU committed to GOD’s METHOD....or are you rather committed your own?
?Do YOU trust that Jesus’ glorification necessitates His submission to God?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Jesus’ glorification necessitates a submission to GOD’s...
5. METHOD(:32-33)
1. PRIORITY / Precedence /(:20-23)
2. FRUITFULNESS / Productivity(:24-26)
3. PURPOSE(:27-28)
4. JUDGMENT(:29-31)
Pt# 5 only! presented 05/07/2023am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
