“’Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ’An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ’This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ So Jesus said to them, ’The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them" (John 12:27-36, ESV).
In this world, we witness many and various kinds of light, especially in the celebration of Christmas or New Year!
When my wife and I were able to visit Singapore in 2015, we went to Gardens by the Bay. And we saw Garden Rhapsody, "a stunning light and sound show."
We are attracted, fascinated by those blinking, twinkling, glittering or even exploding and dancing lights.
But what can we say to the words of Jesus in John 8:12? He said, "I am the light of the world..."
Let’s direct our attention this time on the topic, WHAT A GLORIOUS LIGHT! while we study our text (John 12:27-36).
Knowing that Christ is the Light of the world -- the Glorious Light, what shall we do?
When the Apostle John wrote the Gospel, he addressed himself repeatedly in the book as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He highlighted that Jesus is God and the importance of, not only believing but also loving Jesus.
In the early part of chapter 12, he portrayed the great love of Mary for Jesus. As she was aware of the Great Worth of Jesus, she did not just bottle up in her heart her appreciation and affection for Him. She showed it by her action -- giving her costly possession to Jesus, pouring on His feet a costly perfume.
Then, before our text, there was an account of non-Jewish persons who became aware of the fame of Jesus. Obviously, they were converts to Jewish religion, because they came to Jerusalem to attend the Jewish festival. But being aware that Jesus was also there, they were not just contented of the religious experience. There was desire in their hearts to see Jesus. To see Him, not only visibly. But to have deep spiritual insight and connection to Jesus.
Now, in our text, it is pointed out that Jesus is indeed the Light of the world. And He told us what to do. Knowing that He is the Light, what shall we do then?
WALK IN THE LIGHT (verses 35-36).
We read verses 35-36, “So Jesus said to them, ’The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them."
In the initial two verses of our text (vv. 27-28), “’Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’” -- we realized that several days before in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had already suffered the mental anguish of bearing the wrath of God on the cross. But instead of asking His Father to save Him from the coming suffering, He stuck on His purpose to bring glory to His Father.
God the Father voiced out His approval for the glorious choice of His Son: instead of avoiding intense pain, He preferred to endure it to bring glory to God.
Verses 29-30 recorded some reactions to the heavenly voice. Some heard a noise like thunder. They were not attuned to receive a revelation. Others perceived some kind of communication, but thought of nothing higher than the angels. Only Jesus truly recognized the voice.
In verse 31, Jesus was saying that “by His coming death, (He)… will end the power of sin over Adam’s race, judging and condemning it.” And Satan will be cast out from the spiritual court to accuse believers and curtail his power to dominate humanity.
In verses 32-33, Jesus related that he would die by hanging on the cross, “when I am lifted up from the earth…” Because of His death, what would happen? According to Him, “will draw all people to myself.” And who are these “all people”? They are people not limited to the nation of Israel. But including non-Jewish nations. In fact, when Jesus was saying this, there were Greeks in His audience. But does it mean every person in all nations?
If we try to understand the verse apart from the rest of the Scriptures, we can put the meaning that the death of Jesus was intended to draw every person in all nations to Himself. But if we are faithful to God’s Word, we will consider other Scriptures to understand what Jesus really meant. We ought not to forget what He said in the last part of John 10:15B.
According to Jesus, “…I lay down my life for the sheep.” So, going back to John 12:32, we ought to understand the words of Jesus as saying, “…will draw all sheep to myself.” It is also interesting to note that in the original text, the word “people” is not in the verse.
Then the crowded protested not for whom Jesus died. But in verse 34, they disagreed that the Christ would die. They believed that He would remain forever. What they knew was the Son of Man who would not die. They didn’t get the truth Jesus would be resurrected from the dead.
And they asked, “Who is this Son of Man?” -- the Son of Man who will die?
The reply of Jesus in verses 34-35 was not a direct answer. Rather, Jesus was, as if, saying, ”Walk as men who are conscious that the light is among them, use your opportunities; do not ask questions to raise objections, but ask them in order that you may know the truth.”
Jesus implied that the Son of Man is the Light.
And what should they do?
Walk. He told them that whatever they have to do, do it while they enjoy the light. Make good use of their privileges before they are removed. That is, while the Messiah is with them, avail themselves of His instructions and learn the way to life.
And the first instruction they need to comply is to believe. Make use of the light, both to guide their understandings and judgments, and also to direct their feet. And if they do, they would indeed be children of Light.
There is no doubt that Jesus is the Light -- the Glorious Light! He is Supremely Glorious than any sun or star in the universe. And no one will doubt the existence of the sun, though we do not see its light at night.
And we cannot doubt the Presence of the Glorious Light -- Jesus Christ -- though we do not see His physical Presence. His Glorious Light shines not only through His creation, but through His Word and through the believers.
Jesus Christ is indeed Glorious that He was willing to choose suffering in order to bring Glory to His Father.
He is glorious that He triumphed in casting out Satan from the spiritual court.
He is glorious that He had drawn all sheep-kind-of-people to Him. In His death He enabled the sheep to come to Him, just like what the Father had intended for the sheep to do. Jesus said in John 6:44A, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…”
And why do you think no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him? Why do you think there is a need for Jesus to die in order to draw the sheep to Him?
According to John 3:19, “…people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” And the next verse (v. 20) clearly answers our question: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”
The tendency of people is not to love the “light” -- the Glorious Light, who is Jesus. They may hate the brownout and love the physical light. But if they have no affection for the spiritual light, though all their works are legal, all their works are righteous in man’s eyes, they are actually in the darkness. They may even worship God, but in vain, because they love the darkness.
And that’s our natural tendency. We have a “subconscious” hatred for the Spiritual Light. For the natural man, that Light is blinding. So, we avoid it. We turn away from it. We naturally do not come to it.
Really, it’s a glorious thing that Jesus died on the cross, so that He would appear not a blinding light to others, but a Glorious Light. So, they come to Him.
Now, during this new year, how do we perceive Christ -- the Glorious Light, or the “blinding light”?
Is our faith in the Biblical Jesus, who is the Glorious Light? Or, until now, do we just content ourselves seeing any kind of Jesus -- light that is flickering, or light that is dim, or light that is temporary?
Knowing that there is the Eternal, True, Glorious Light, no other than Jesus Christ, what should we do?
Walk in the Light. Avail ourselves of His instructions and learn the way to life. What was His first instruction? To believe or trust Him. And let this belief or reliance on Him blossoms from our appreciation and affection for Him. Then make use other instructions both to guide our understanding and judgments, and also to direct our feet.
As the Psalmist declared in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
If we regard Jesus Christ, the Personal Word, as the Glorious Light, regard also the Written Word, the Bible, as the same Glorious Light.
Because the Psalmist regarded God’s Word as “light,” what do you think did he do? Note what he did, as he stated in the next verse. In verse 106, he stated, “I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.” He kept the Word and calling it, “righteous rules.” He stated the same thought in earlier verse (v. 57), “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words.”
What else? In verse 108, he asked God, “teach me your rules.” He prayed that God would teach him His Words. In verse 109, he told God that he did not forget His Word. In verse 111, he related that His Words are the joy of His heart. And in verse 112, he told God that he would incline his heart to perform His Words “forever to the end.”
In short, walk in the light.
CONCLUSION:
In closing, let’s take a quick look again at the last verse of our text, in verse 36:
“’While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them."
In our time, we do not need to see the physical Presence of Christ to appreciate Him, as Light.
As we walk in the Light, what we need to do is to believe in His Words, to rely on His promises and guidelines. Live in the Light of His Words. Doing so, we are indeed sons of light -- even choosing pain over pleasure just to bring Glory to the Father, casting out the evil works in our life, and helping others come to walk also in the Glorious Light.
