John 12:27
For the past ten weeks we have been looking at what Jesus said in just one day… Tuesday of Passion Week.
If you have been with us, we looked at Jesus’ detailed explanation of ‘when’ and ‘what’ will be the signs of His second coming…in addition we looked at eight parables He taught that focused on what a life of faith as Jesus’ disciple looks like.
Very little if anything is recorded on what Jesus did on Wednesday of Passion Week… It’s now Thursday…He gathers the disciples together and for the last time again tells them of what is about to occur…sharing with them what will take place in just two days [Matthew 26:2]
You know that after two days the Passover is coming and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion
Looking back over His ministry Jesus shared numerous times about His death and resurrection. [Matthew 16:21 Luke 9:21 Luke 9:43 Luke 18:31 Mark 8:31-38 Mark 10:32].
Scripture indicates ‘The Jews were seeking to kill Him’ …that’s an interesting statement because on the surface it seems that all the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus.
More specifically the phrase ‘the Jews,’ most often used by John, refers to the religious leaders of Jerusalem…we don’t see in Scripture nor does it ever appear that the common people attempted to kill Jesus.
Despite the many times they attempted to kill Him they were unable to because: His hour has not yet come [John 2:4].
John mentions why the Jews sought to kill him…not because He performed miracles…not because He healed people…not because He fed people…they had two things against him:
1. His violation of the sabbath by healing the man at the pool of Bethesda.
2. His making himself equal with God.
Despite their best efforts, Jesus’ death on the Cross was pre-determined by God and regardless of how many times the Jews sought to kill Him or plotted to take His life it was never within their power to do so…because it was not the right time:
But here…two days before Passover we read: [John 12:23]
the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified
His purpose for coming to earth was about to be fulfilled…but the events that were about to happen were happening on God’s terms and in God’s timing…nothing would happen by chance…it would be according to God’s plan.
In [John 10:17-18] Jesus shows that He was in complete control of when and how that would take place.
No one has taken it away from Me…I lay it down on My own initiative…I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again.
He would die…but He would not be a victim…even in His crucifixion He would still be in complete control of His own destiny…even in determining the exact time He was to die…at exactly 3pm on Thursday before Passover.
No one could take His life until the appointed time for Him to ‘lay down’ His life according to prophecy…Jesus was not a reluctant martyr but a willing Savior carrying out the purpose for which He came…we see three things:
FIRST…the obedience of Jesus…I lay down my life [John 10:18].
SECOND… No single person can kill Me…I control My own destiny [18].
THIRD…He has the power to raise Himself from the dead [18]
There is no record of anyone anywhere in human history dying and bringing themselves back to life.
BUT it is here that we see the human side of Jesus… [John 12:27]
My soul has become troubled
How many of us can identify with that…how many times have we been troubled because we do not know the will or purpose of God in allowing a bad situation to occur in our lives.
BUT here’s Jesus…who clearly does know God’s will and still He’s troubled…He even states the reason for His ‘trouble’ [John 12:27]
for this purpose, I came
Many today don’t understand the reason for Jesus having to die…God is God…why can’t He just forgive people…He can do that if He wants…makes sense to me… BUT …for some reason…the only way God can forgive sin is that something has to die.
It started back in the Garden when the first animal sacrifice was made by God Himself when He clothed Adam and Eve with garments of skins… [Gen. 3:21].
For thousands of years Jewish law required blood sacrifice on behalf of sin [Heb. 10:11] as a means of maintaining a relationship between God and man…however these animal sacrifices
…were never meant to provide spiritual “forgiveness” of sin
…nor remove the spiritual penalty for sin, which is death (Romans 6:23)
…nor did they make possible the means of inheriting eternal life
It is only the Sacrifice of Jesus that can bring about spiritual forgiveness…here’s how this works…Jesus is God (John 1:1-18) and is therefore an infinite being…we are finite…we are created beings…when we sin our sins are against an infinite being (God)…as a result there must be a punishment.
There are two ways for this punishment to be carried out…either an infinite being must die to pay for our sins…or as finite beings we must pay the penalty for our sins.
Jesus being infinite paid for our sins by dying in our place on the Cross… He made a one-time payment for sin…for every person who has ever lived…that satisfied God’s requirement that something must die. (Hebrews 10:10, 14).
So…if Jesus, knowing the reason why He was born…why He came to earth… knowing the eternal purpose of God and still can be troubled…is it any wonder we have problems in understanding the pain and problems in our lives?
So…what did Jesus do concerning His troubled soul? …He prayed…that’s a novel idea…here we see both the human side and the divine side of Jesus…and just so you know there’s a term for that…it’s called the hypostatic union.
In His human side He prays…Father save Me from this hour [12:27] …not the only time He would pray this prayer…in the garden He would ask if possible the cup of death might pass from Him…a petition expressing His desire from His man side…asking if there might be a different way to achieve God’s propose.
At this point we have something…sort of…in common with Jesus…He prayed and the situation didn’t change…ever have that happen…I’m praying but I’m not seeing anything happening.
There’s a discussion today that says Prayer Changes Things…no it doesn’t…prayer does not change God’s mind…but to prove that prayer does change things people use Old Testament verses to show God did change His mind.
—Jonah 3:10…God relented from the disaster He would bring upon Nineveh.
—Ex.32:14…the LORD relented and did not bring on the disaster He threatened
—Amos 7:3…the Lord changed His mind about a locust-swarm covering the land
—Amos 7:6 …the Lord changed His mind about a consuming fire on the land
—1 Samuel 15:11…the lord repented that He made Saul the first king of Israel.
—Abraham…God would spare Sodom if just 10 righteous people were found.
—Isaiah tells Hezekiah God says you’re going to die…Hezekiah prays and God adds 15 more years to his life.
Some claim that is ample proof that prayer does change God’s mind…that prayer changes things.
Both in [John 12:27] and [Matthew 26:36-39] Jesus prayed for God to remove the cup of suffering from Him…yet God did not remove the cup of suffering from Him.
The physical and spiritual agony of the crucifixion still awaited Him…Jesus’ prayer did not change His circumstances nor did it change God’s mind.
Does prayer alter things? …Yes. Just gave you eight examples.
Does God accept prayer as a means to bring His will to pass? …Yes.
Does God not only invite us to pray but command us to? …Yes.
Does the effective prayer of righteous man accomplish much? …Yes.
Do these things change God’s mind? …No.
Why? Because God has never had to change His mind from the foundation of the world.
Malachi 3:6 declares, “I the LORD do not change
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man…that He should change His mind.
Prayer does not change God’s mind…prayer changed God’s actions…in every one of those examples…everything eventually happened just as God predicted it would … prayer didn’t change God’s mind…prayer changed God’s actions. It caused Him to delay the inevitable.
I think here is the KEY that unlocks how prayer works…in just one verse Jesus outlines how God views prayer: [John 12:27]
But for this purpose, I came to this hour Not My will but Yours be done.
Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, John 6:38
These verses clearly outline how God reacts to prayer…God has established prayer as part of His plan for accomplishing His will…prayer allows us to participate in it.
Prayer with God is about His will and intentions, not ours.
Here’s the importance of praying in God’s will…because more times than not…we lack discernment…unable to see God’s purpose…prayer is not about moving the heart of God…God’s trying to move our heart.
When appealing to God’s plans and purposes we can be bold.
Abraham pleaded with God…may the Lord not be angry but let me speak just once more…Amos pleaded with God to stop what He was about to do…Hezekiah pleaded with God to spare his life.
Be persistent until an answer is received. Moses…Abraham…Amos…Ezekiel…all were persistent in their request until an answer was received.
So this whole thing about prayer changes things places too much emphasis on asking God to perform miracles…or for Him to make an immediate change to something.
Here’s the aspect of prayer that largely goes unexplored in the search for answered prayer…it’s something God does far more frequently than performing miracles… which in reality is a miracle in itself…it’s something that should be our ultimate aim every time we pray…for God to align our will with His.
If prayer changes anything…Prayer Change Us…the problem is we often go about trying to bend God’s will to fit ours…when that doesn’t happen, we accuse God of not caring for us…or being insensitive.
When we stay faithful to God and continue to pray…in time
…He will bend our will to fit His
…He will work in and through us to change our heart
…He will open our eyes to His work
…He will give us the wisdom to recognize the perfection of His plan
…He will loosen our grip on our own expectations.
Again…this whole thing about prayer changes things places too much emphasis on asking God to perform miracles…or for Him to make an immediate change to something…the change that occurs most generally is in us.
Here in the case of Jesus…His initial prayer in the Garden was for God to remove the cup of suffering from Him…God didn’t remove it.
The physical and spiritual agony of the crucifixion still awaited Him…Jesus’ prayer had not changed His circumstance…BUT…after He prayed for the cup of suffering to be removed…He added these words: [Matt. 26:39]
Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will
This is the test of true faith…not to insist on my will being done…not to demand that God bend to my will…but submit the issue to Him…be obedient and leave all the details to Him.
Jesus’ second but primary request was that God’s will would be accomplished through Him… ‘You do, Father, what you know to be right and best from an eternal standpoint’ …that’s exactly what was going to happen through His crucifixion.
That’s all the assurance Jesus needed for His spirit to be revived…His prayer did change things…it changed His outlook on what was about to happen…because His will was now aligned with God’s Will.
Being confident that He’s in God’s will…He tells them that His presence on earth is only ‘for a little while longer’… [John 12:33] He identifies Himself as the Light and the importance in believing in the Light.
Jesus’ response goes back to what we talked about last week…it’s contained in those four parables about what a life of faith as Jesus’ disciple looks like. [35]
For a little while longer the Light is among you
In all four of those parables
…The Good Man of the House
…Parable of the Ten Virgins
…Parable of the Talents
…Parable of the Fig Tree…Jesus was contrasting darkness to light.
Metaphors about light and darkness are common in the Bible…light being the universal symbol of all that is good and right.
In each one of those parables Jesus refers to the people as ‘slaves’ or He makes a comparison between wise and foolish people…on the surface it would seem that Jesus is making a contrast between lost and saved…but Jesus never refers to the lost as slaves.
In the Bible there are two types of slaves mentioned…context determines meaning …one type is the ones Paul refers to…those who are in bondage to someone… a person who was considered an owner’s personal property.
Then there are the slaves Jesus refers to…those who have surrendered their life to the supremacy of Jesus…someone who has deliberately signed away their own rights by becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ…these are the people in these parables.
As you read these four parables some are more sincere in becoming a slave of Jesus than others…as a result…because of their care-free approach to life…they are kept from the light.
Those in darkness have accepted Jesus as Savior…but stopped there…they show no evidence of wanting to use the abilities…talents…and gifts that God loaned them… they are not slaves who are obeying Christ as their master.
Those who refuse to be slaves of Jesus have been relegated to the darkness…not referring to Hell…but being separated from the Light of Jesus.
Jesus is Light…those unfaithful servants received the consequences of their action …were they saved? …all indications point to the fact that they were…these parables are not about saved and lost…they are about rewards given as a result of watchfulness and faithfulness.
The unfaithful servants were not given the same rewards and benefits as the faithful servants…the Bible tells us this is the result of what will occur as the result of thinking as Christians we can skip through life believing we all receive the same rewards.
Here’s the way the Amplified Bible describes it: [1 Cor. 3;15]
if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.
They’re saved…BUT…they will be assigned a place outside of the Light of Jesus…
So, where is this place, this outer darkness place…this place where the unfaithful servants find themselves in…it goes back to consequences.
Scripture says Jesus is light and in Him there is no darkness…being in Jesus’ presence is represented by light…unfaithful servants will be removed outside that light…like the five foolish maidens…on the outside looking in.
They have been removed from the place associated with events surrounding the marriage supper of the Lamb…and the 1000-year reign of Christ that follows… they will find themselves in a place outside the Light where these activities occur…where there will weeping and the gnashing of teeth… [25:30]
So what is this weeping and gnashing of teeth stuff…the term weeping and the gnashing of teeth is an Eastern expression of deep grief…not necessarily referring to punishment…it is the anguish of not being allowed to attend the marriage festivities…nor be allowed to return to earth during Jesus’ 1000-year reign.
These people made a big show of their religious dedication…acting like they were pious when they were not…there are consequences for our actions.
Only the faithful will be given positions of responsibility…will be allowed to take part in the marriage supper of the Lamb…will be allowed to return with Jesus to earth …these are the rewards given to the faithful.
Realizing they have been excluded from the festivities at Jesus’ return…and been denied positions in the kingdom…they will be in such excessive and deep grief so much that it will cause them to weep and gnash their teeth.
Jesus gives one final lesson in the few remaining hours prior to His departure…it’s like the man reading a letter from the bank to his wife:
The bank says this is our last notice…isn’t it wonderful that they are no longer going to bother us anymore? (Michael Streff, Reader’s Digest [5/92])
It’s never wise to ignore final notices…especially when God sends a final notice… these four parables are Jesus’ final notice that focuses on
—the importance of being ready at His return
—stressing the importance of being good managers of what God has loaned you.
—stressing the importance of being watchful and alert for opportunities for service.
—It’s a final call to believe in Him for salvation
I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. [John 12:45]
This whole message comes down to just four questions…the same questions every person in those parables were faced with are the questions we should be focused on.
What did You do With My Son?
Did you accept Him as Lord and Savior or did you reject Him?
What did You do with the Talents God Gave You?
God gave you a responsibility according to your ability.
Are You Ready for His Return?
The top takeaways from all four parables is the suddenness of the master’s return… in each parable He comes at a time when they are not ready.
What Will Jesus Say to You on that Day?
There are two different responses given to the servants…one is ‘well done’ and the second is ‘you wicked, lazy servant.’
It’s not the size of the talent…it’s how responsible you were with the gifts…talents …and abilities God loaned you…that’s what will determine what God will say to you on that day.