CRUCIFIXION part 2
JESUS SPEAKS TO THE CROWD
John 12:20-27
Some Greeks were among those who came to worship during the Passover festival. They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida of Galilee) and told him, "Sir, we would like to meet Jesus, "Philip told Andrew, and they told Jesus.
Jesus replied to them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies it will produce a lot of fruit. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
"Now my heart is troubled, what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Here we see the humanity of Christ. He knows he must die, but he knows it will be a horrendous death, because there is so much hatred directed towards him and his servants. But, to be glorified he had to die. His heart is troubled, but; he cannot stop now, he came for that death on the cross.
John 12:28-33 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."
The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, (on the cross) I will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Jesus was coming to a test, a very hard test, such as you and I have never been tried at, and, will never face. He seems reluctant, but, which one of us goes to a test without a bit of anxiety. He had a lot troubling him.
John 12:34-36 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man?"
Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light (himself) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of the light,' When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
What the Jews did not know was that after a seventy year period the temple would be destroyed and all the Jews dispersed. There would be a tremendous persecution of Christian Jews for their belief in Jesus. Some, perhaps just because of their race, as Rome did not have any love for the Jews. He was going to die and they would not have him any longer. This also was ordained by God the Father.
John 12:37-43 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet; "LORD, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" Isaiah 53:1 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them" Isaiah 6:10 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. Yet, at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
This happens now, that men fear the unknown path of following Jesus and leaving what is familiar to them, though they know it is not the right way.
John 12:44-45 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me he sees the one who sent me.
He was saying, look I am God.
John 46-49 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
Jesus did not come as a judge, he came to save us, but there will come a day of judgment before the Father, the judge.
John 12:50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
Shalom,
Chapitag
Some Greeks were among those who came to worship during the Passover festival. They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida of Galilee) and told him, "Sir, we would like to meet Jesus, "Philip told Andrew, and they told Jesus.
Jesus replied to them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies it will produce a lot of fruit. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
"Now my heart is troubled, what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Here we see the humanity of Christ. He knows he must die, but he knows it will be a horrendous death, because there is so much hatred directed towards him and his servants. But, to be glorified he had to die. His heart is troubled, but; he cannot stop now, he came for that death on the cross.
John 12:28-33 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."
The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, (on the cross) I will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Jesus was coming to a test, a very hard test, such as you and I have never been tried at, and, will never face. He seems reluctant, but, which one of us goes to a test without a bit of anxiety. He had a lot troubling him.
John 12:34-36 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man?"
Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light (himself) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of the light,' When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
What the Jews did not know was that after a seventy year period the temple would be destroyed and all the Jews dispersed. There would be a tremendous persecution of Christian Jews for their belief in Jesus. Some, perhaps just because of their race, as Rome did not have any love for the Jews. He was going to die and they would not have him any longer. This also was ordained by God the Father.
John 12:37-43 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet; "LORD, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" Isaiah 53:1 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them" Isaiah 6:10 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. Yet, at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
This happens now, that men fear the unknown path of following Jesus and leaving what is familiar to them, though they know it is not the right way.
John 12:44-45 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me he sees the one who sent me.
He was saying, look I am God.
John 46-49 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
Jesus did not come as a judge, he came to save us, but there will come a day of judgment before the Father, the judge.
John 12:50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
Shalom,
Chapitag