Sermon Notes (8.1.21)
Today’s Text: John 12:12-50
THE ENTRY OF THE KING
John 12:12-19
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting:
“’Hosanna!’
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel! ”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:
15 Do not be afraid,
Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt.
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17 Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. 18 This is also why the crowd met him, because they heard he had done this sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
Passover.
Palms.
Politics.
Psalm 118.
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!”
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
– Psalms 118:22
How will Jesus respond?
THE WAY OF THE KING
John 12:20-34
JESUS PREDICTS HIS CRUCIFIXION
20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27 “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say — Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
29 The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for me, but for you. 31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die.
34 Then the crowd replied to him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah will remain forever. So how can you say,‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’ ? Who is this Son of Man? ”
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. – v. 24
The Planting Principle
Romans 6:3-5
Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
Will you die to self?
“Now my soul is troubled. What should I say — Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” – v. 27-28
While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become children of light. – v. 36
RESPONDING TO THE KING
John 12:35-50
35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become children of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.
ISAIAH’S PROPHECIES FULFILLED
37 Even though he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said:
Lord, who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:
40 He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so that they would not see with their eyes
or understand with their hearts,
and turn,
and I would heal them.
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke about him.
42 Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than praise from God.
A SUMMARY OF JESUS’S MISSION
44 Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. 50 I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
Will you BELIEVE?
Every time you hear the Word of God preached, you come away from that exposure to his truth either a little closer to God or a little further way from God, either more softened toward God or more hardened toward God. But you are never just the same. And if you think you can hold the gospel at arm’s length in critical detachment, that very posture reveals that you are already deadened. The same truth enlivening someone else is hardening you. And don’t tell yourself that if only God would perform a miracle in your life, you would believe and open up. Jesus performed miracles, and the people who saw them only became further hardened. And if God’s Word isn’t saving you, what will? “Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).
– Ray Ortlund
Whose praise are you seeking?
I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
— John 12:46-47
The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
— John 12:48
But you cannot go on ‘explaining away’ for ever: you will find that you have explained explanation itself away. You can’t go on “seeing through” things forever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it. It is good that the window should be transparent, because the street or garden beyond it is opaque. How if you saw through the garden too? … If you see through everything, then everything is transparent. But a wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To “see through” all things is the same as not to see.
– C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
Repent.
Remember.
Rejoice.
A Prayer for Salvation
“Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through your Son Jesus I can be more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you that he lived the life I should have lived and paid the debt and punishment I owed. Receive me now for his sake. I turn from my sins and receive him as Savior. Amen.”