March 30, 2003
Morning Service
Text: John 12:27-36
Subject: Jesus Predicts His Death
Title: Things Are Looking Up
I don?t know how many of you have ever had to do this. I consider it to be one of the most difficult things that there is to do. Saying good-bye. I remember as a youngster how difficult it was to go to a funeral to say good-bye to my Grandma and Grandpa Rickman. I was five when Grandma passed away and 11 when we lost Grandpa. Of course at the time I didn’t have any understanding of heaven or hell. I didn’t know anything about the Lord that could give me comfort. All I really remember is that for the very first time in my life I heard grown men cry and weep uncontrollably over a loved one. It is memory I will never forget. I didn’t think there could ever be anything as difficult as that. And just when it seemed as though things couldn’t possibly get any worse than they were, they did. Our girls grew up one by one and decided to go to college. You guessed it. Soon I became one of those grown men that wept over saying good-bye. Then they had the audacity to want to get married. I think they all just wanted to see their dad cry. We got over it. How did we do it? By looking up.
Now we are experiencing the same thing again with our middle daughter and son-in-law moving to Colorado.
Good-byes are tough aren’t they?
There came a time in the life of Jesus when He decided it was time to say good-bye as well. Don’t you know that it was a difficult time for Him? The problem was, He was the one who was leaving. His disciples had not fully grasped what was about to happen even though Jesus spoke plainly about it. It wasn’t something that was easy for Jesus to do, "My soul is troubled", He said.
But there is good news for us who morn and weep over departed or departing loved ones. We can always look upward for our help. Jesus did.
When Jesus looked up He glorified the Father.
When Jesus looked up He defeated the enemy.
When Jesus looked up He dispelled the darkness.
What are we to do in our times of loss? Be like Jesus!
I. When Jesus looked up He glorified the Father.
Because He knew where His strength came from. We like to do good things don’t we? And everybody enjoys getting a little recognition, a pat on the back, once and a while. Jesus didn’t operate that way. How often did Jesus tell those around Him that He wasn’t acting on His own account? John 8:28, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." God gets the glory. Jesus never performed a miracle for His own benefit. John 20:30-31, "And truly Jesus did many other things in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
Do you get that?
People receive eternal life and God gets the glory.
Jesus glorifies the Father through physical evidence.
When the people heard God’s voice they knew something was going on. They did not understand the voice but there was supernatural evidence of God’s presence.
John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to You". Who is the Helper?
The Holy Spirit!
What does the Holy Spirit give?
Gifts!
What are the gifts for?
They are physical evidence of spiritual realities.
They are for edifying the church and bringing glory to God.
"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you." Why? Because Jesus is truth and His word glorifies God who is truth. Jesus also said that if He went away He would ask the Father to send "another" helper.
a. "Another" = allos - means one that is the same as. God would send the Holy Spirit who is exactly like Jesus. He will glorify the Father and the Son. Our response in suffering can go two directions. We can pray, "Father save me". We have every right as children of God to believe that He will. Or, "Father be glorified in my trials." As Christians we know that we will go through times of difficulty. Our prayer should be that God be glorified.
II. When Jesus looked up He defeated the enemy.
"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out." The judgment of this world ? The world thinks that they have judged Jesus when they decide whether to accept him as Savior or not. But in reality they are judging themselves.
John 3:18, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." One of satan’s sneakiest tricks is to say, "Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is the way to heaven. But you have plenty of time to make that decision." And people put off making a decision or else they live their sinful lives so long that their hearts become hardened and they have judged themselves. The eminent death of Jesus, on a cross, seemed like the ultimate victory for satan.
But in reality it was his demise. "Now the ruler of this world will be cast out." Jesus called Satan the ruler of this world 3 times in John’s gospel. In Matthew and Luke Satan offers the kingdoms of this world to Jesus. How can he do that? He has the authority. That authority was handed over to him by Adam and now he can give it to whomever he wishes.
Paul calls him the prince of the power of the air. Even though God permits satan to operate in the world, it is only till Jesus comes back. That battle is already won and God is allowing evil to reach its final climax with the coming of the anti-Christ.
"If I am lifted up from the earth..." The kind of death Jesus was facing. Being raised up like the serpent in the dessert will turn people to Him.
"I will draw all peoples to Myself." Is everybody going to be saved? No! But all peoples are being drawn to Him. Everyone has the opportunity to be saved. God desires that none should perish. But people are judging themselves. What role then do we play? Jesus said, "I will build My church." How is He doing it?
By the Spirit.
Through the word.
By using willing vessels.
Colossians 1:24, "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church."
What does that mean? Was Christ’s suffering on the cross inadequate?
No!
Was it flawed?
NO!
It is lacking because the story is not finished yet.
While satan is still destroying lives, we are called to fight the good fight of Christ till Jesus returns.
We are to fill up in our flesh what is lacking for the sake of the body. Experience the fullness of what Jesus wants for us right now, in the flesh, till the final chapter is written.
We are Christ’s representatives.
We have His authority over the ruler of this world.
We have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We can put him to flight simply by resisting him.
Whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven.
Many people don’t understand about the cross.
It doesn?t make sense (verse 34)
III. When Jesus looks up He lights the darkness.
Go to the light while you can. Every person that was ever born was given something from God. It is what is called common grace. The ability to know right from wrong. Every person also was born with a sin nature.
When given choices to make between right and wrong, we by our very nature, often choose wrong. We walk in darkness. Now that common grace is constantly pointing us toward the light and out of the darkness. You know how it is when someone turns on a light in the middle of the night. You have been in darkness too long and the light hurts your eyes. That is the way the light of Christ is. The longer people walk in darkness, the harder it is for them to look toward the light.
Even though they have this inherent sense of need for righteousness, they will continue to rely on themselves for salvation, and it won’t happen.
He who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.
Do people in the world think they’re all right?
Do they realize they are going to hell without Christ?
Verse 35, the darkness has overtaken them.
Verse 36, "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
Just knowing about the light isn’t enough. Believing is the key. If you are sons of light then you are just like your Father and you will light up the darkness.
Jesus has basically told the people the plan of salvation in this last public discourse before His death. He came from the Father in order to glorify the Father. This would be accomplished through His death on a cross. He has defeated Satan and has provided eternal life to all those who will accept it. And all they have to do is believe.
Jesus has called us to be His disciples. We are to sit at His feet and learn from Him. What have we learned today?
1. We can glorify God in everything we do. Even in our trials we should lift up His name in praise. -Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord.?
2. We can take authority over the enemy. We are bondservants of Christ: Stewards of the word of God. Therefore we can operate in the power of God’s Spirit in order to put Satan in his place.
3. We can light the darkness. I John 2:8, "Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining."
There is a world full of hurting and lost people just waiting for the light to shine on them. Remember, the enemy is defeated. You can light the darkness and bring glory to the Father.
