Jesus is our Deliverer and Teacher. In this final message of Jesus to the Jews, He points out these two more truths about Himself. He is not only God, He is also Deliverer and Teacher to all who truly believe in Him.
John 12:44-45, The Steadfast Preaching of Christ
Christ preached fervently to the very end. Moreover, He maintained the same message because it is the message of the truth from the Father. In this first sermon in this series, we examine the example of Christ in His steadfast proclamation of the truth and His steadfast message. In particular, with regard to the message of Christ, we give attention to the import of verses 44-45 in which Jesus explains His divine equality with the Father and why no one can know God apart from knowing Christ.
John 12:41-43, Confess Christ before Men
Genuine believers confess Christ before men. We are full-time Christians, not splitting our time between faith and unbelief, and we are disciples of Christ who are not ashamed of our Lord or His words. May the Holy Spirit encourage and strengthen us to be men, women, and children who boldly confess Christ, accept persecution for Christ, and be driven by our love for the glory of God.
John 12:39-41, The Hardness of Heart
People do not believe because they have a hardened heart. What does Scripture teach regarding this condition of the human heart and what man is to do about it? in this sermon, we explore John’s application of Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the hardening of Israel and how we can think and live rightly with both doctrines of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.
John 12:37-38, Foolishness of Unbelief
Unbelief is a denial of the truth and it is foolishness. In this summary remark by the apostle John we gain an insight into why rejection of true faith in Jesus is sheer foolishness. It embraces a false reality and a false hope. May the Holy Spirit help us to evermore grow in our faith to trust the LORD even as Jesus wholeheartedly trusted in the Father.
John 12:33-36, The Time Is Short
Sometimes we live as though life will just continue forever. In this passage from John 12, Jesus reminds us that the time is short and that we must: 1) stop making excuses, 2) seize the opportunity, and 3) heed God’s warnings, for the purpose of walking and believing in the light, for the purpose of putting into practice the truth of Christ and trusting in Him from the heart. May our God grant to each of us the wisdom to sense the urgency to be faithful disciples who help make more disciples for the glory of God in Christ.
John 12:28-32, The Triumph of Christ
Christ triumphed over Satan. In this remarkable passage, Jesus shows us that through His death on the cross (“lifted up”), He dethrones Satan and redeems sinners from his agenda of sin and separation from God. Through the atoning blood of Christ, all the resources for spiritual victory has been given to us. May we stand guard as soldiers of Christ on high alert, and not tootle along as civilians oblivious to our spiritual enemy.
John 12:27-28, A Portrait of Christ
We kick off 2022 with a portrait of Jesus from this passage from John 12. In this text, Jesus gives Himself as an example of self-denial and commitment to the will of the Father. Jesus is uncompromising, steadfast and worshipful. May we turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face over and over again in 2022. May this text of Scripture give us another portrait to hang on the walls of our minds to behold the glory of the Lord and thus be conformed to His likeness.