John 12:42-46 (NKJV)
Jesus is the Light
September 3, 2023
For thousands of years, the Jewish people had been looking for a Messiah. They were expecting a great military leader, one who would overthrow all of their enemies and restore Israel to its former greatness and glory. What they had not expected was that the Christ would appear as a carpenter. They never expected that He would come with no weapons, no army, and no political power. However, throughout the earthly life of Jesus, they were given evidence on top of evidence that Jesus was who He said He was. He proved His identity time and again by His miracles, by His pedigree, by signs and wonders too numerous to mention. Yet, they refused to believe that He was in fact the Messiah. Time and again He revealed Himself unto them, and time and again they rejected Him. The Apostle John said, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." In this 12th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus once more reveals His identity to the nation of Israel as He cries out, I am come a light into the world.
The Rejection - John teaches in verse 37 why Jesus was rejected. “But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 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?’”
They Rejected His Message - When these Jews heard Jesus speak of being "lifted up", they knew He was referring to crucifixion. In verse 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?" They had trouble grasping the truth that their Messiah, while He would be a great leader and conquer their enemies, had to first taste of death. Therefore, just as men do today, they rejected the message of the cross. Far too many feel that they can do good works, be religious, or give money to commend themselves to the Lord. In truth, there is nothing that any of us can do to save ourselves. If we reject His message of love through His death on the cross, then there is no hope. Hebrews 10:26, "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins."
They Rejected His Ministry - Notice the question of the people, "Who is this Son of Man?" They had taken all of His preaching, His teaching and His wonders and had thrown them all away. They understood the title, “Son of Man.” Jesus repeatedly refers to Himself as the Son of Man. By claiming this title, Jesus aligns Himself with the prophetic figure from Daniel's vision and emphasizes His dual nature as both human and divine. Moreover, this title highlights His role as the long-awaited Messiah, who would bring about the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" Jesus answers the question in Mark 14:62 saying, “I Am! And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." Again, men still do this today. They hear the Gospel and in effect say, "I am self-made and self-sufficient” but Jesus Christ is “The Light of the World” and “no man comes unto the Father but by Him!" The world can reject Him if they desire, but when they do, they are rejecting Heaven, Hope, and Salvation from Hell. God is patient with us, not willing that any should perish, but that everyone come to repentance. But the day of the Lord is coming, and we must put our trust in Jesus today.
They Rejected His Miracles - Jesus clearly proved Himself to be the Messiah, yet the people refused to hear or see the truth. This is still happening today! People scoff at the message of the cross and of salvation through the blood of Jesus. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18. Even though they have evidence of many changed lives, they call the message outdated, confrontational, narrow-minded, and exclusive. Whatever the excuse, men are still going to Hell rather than simply receiving the claims of the Lord Jesus. In John 14:11 Jesus said, Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Jesus healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, speech to the dumb and hearing to the death! He straightened the limbs of those who were crippled and gave life to the dead right before their eyes and yet they still rejected His miracles then as they reject the miracle of resurrection today.
The Revelation - Jesus now reveals to us in verse 42 why men do what they do! He says, even though many of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue! “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Isaiah said that God has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts. What that means is that God will allow you to get set in your ways. If you have ever worked with Bondo or any two-part epoxy you have a hardener and a resin. And when they are mixed, they form an adhesive that is so strong that whatever it is adhered to cannot be released from it without destruction. I have an old solid wood 6-foot-long file cabinet that I determined was the perfect dimension for an aquarium stand. So, I bought four pieces of thick glass for the left, right, front and back but for the base I wanted to cover the wood with swimming pool epoxy. I practiced with some old wood, and I realized that I had about 5 minutes to spread the epoxy once the resin and the hardener were mixed before it began to set up. Once the epoxy sets up, you cannot spread it around without doing damage to the wood. This is what the Hebrew writer means as he quotes David, "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." Don’t let your hearts set up and become hard. If you watch any political news for 10 minutes you will see that half our nation has hardened their hearts to a principle “that they will not be forced to admit that they made a bad decision.” Strip away all the politic, the rulings and the inditements and you will see that half of us have become so hardened of heart that we have chosen malevolence over mercy and lovingkindness. For we love the praise of men more than the praise of God. But God has promised to open our eyes!
The Release - Jesus also promised our release! He promised all those who believed in Him that they would be freed from the darkness of sin. I want you to know this morning that Jesus and Jesus alone has the power to break the chains of sin! Jesus specializes in taking ruined, broken lives and renewing them by His power. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new! Jesus will set you free! And when the Son has set you free, you are free indeed! John 8:36 When you receive Jesus by faith, you are delivered from the penalty of your sins. You are taken from death into life and have all the condemnation removed from you, Romans 8:1. Jesus says, We will not abide in darkness! We shall abide in the light because Jesus is the light of the world! And as we abide in Him, He abides in us! 1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. Not only is Jesus the light of the world, but He has also chosen to shine in you! Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” We must walk in the Light! A song writer said, “We’ll walk in the light, beautiful light. Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright. Oh, shine all around us by day and by night. Jesus, the light of the world.” Jesus said to them in this same chapter, "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." He is speaking of the cross. The bible teaches that at Calvary the sun refused to shine and there was darkness in the world. He said in John 9 “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Place your trust in Jesus today because tomorrow is not promised. Today he says, “while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
